DISCLAIMER: This is a work of original fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. ã Jarlel 2011
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Submitted for the Passion and Perfection Epic Proportions Challenge, 2011.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
FEEDBACK: To Jarlel123[at]aol.com

Drake's Rock
By Jarlel

Jessie Drake rolled over and slapped at the alarm clock, knocking it to the floor. Rolling her eyes and sighing loudly, she threw the covers off and climbed out of bed. 'Damn, I hate mornings,' she said out loud as she walked through the dark room past her walk-in closet and down the short hall to the bathroom. As she made her way, she tripped over the end of the rug, stubbing her big toe in the process. Cursing loudly, she finally managed to make it to the bathroom and flip on the light.

She waited a moment for her eyes to adjust. As she looked bleary-eyed into the mirror, she shook her head. 'Lookin' old, Jess. Lookin' old,' she mumbled to herself, noticing the dark circles under her eyes and absurdly grateful that she still hadn't found any gray hairs in her long black tresses. Eventually managing to make it through her shower without drowning herself or falling, she got out and wrapped a towel around herself. Running another towel over her head to dry her hair, she made her way back to her room to get dressed.

Finally, hair combed and dressed in a pair of black dress pants and a red fitted blouse, she pulled on the matching suit jacket and walked into the kitchen for breakfast. Opening the fridge, she was disappointed to find that there was no milk. 'Shit, I forgot to stop and get milk, yesterday,' she said to herself as she rolled her eyes again. 'Oh well,' she thought, 'I'll just grab something at the gas station.'

Grabbing her car keys, her briefcase and her gym bag, Jessie headed out to the red Nissan Xterra sitting in her driveway. Throwing her bag and the briefcase in the back, she climbed into the driver's seat and threw the car into gear, heading for work.

Ten traffic lights, one near miss, and enough frustration to drive her nuts, she finally pulled into her reserved parking space. As she rushed into the building heading for her office, her best friend and paralegal, Theresa, caught up with her.

"Morning, Jessie," Theresa said, falling into step with the brunette.

"If you say so," Jessie said in answer. She really hated mornings.

"Bad drive in?" Theresa asked with a slightly amused glint in her eyes.

"Not the best. I forgot milk yesterday, so I had to resort to a muffin from the gas station this morning," Jessie answered, arriving at their office and tossing her gym bag in the corner.

Theresa nodded in understanding. "Late night last night?"

Jessie nodded. "Yeah, I got in around 3:30 this morning. We played the 'Blue Rose' last night."

Theresa's eyes lit up. "Oooh, I love that place. I wish I could get Brian to go with me some time."

"It was pretty cool," Jessie agreed. "The place was packed last night."

"You're gonna be a star soon, Jess," Theresa teased. "If you make it to the big time, will you still speak to all us little people?"

"I'll always talk to you, Theresa," Jessie said, laughing and shaking her head. It was an old joke between them. She'd been playing at being a singer and musician for most of her life. They both knew that she wasn't going to hit the big time. Not now that she was in her thirties, anyway. Besides that, these late nights were starting to kick her ass more and more often.

She sat down at her desk and rifled through a drawer. "Why can't I ever find a pen?"

Theresa handed one over. "Here, use this one. By the way, Mr. Mason wants to see you at ten this morning."

Jessie frowned and sighed. "Did he say why?" This was all she needed. Not only did she have a late night, her toe hurt, she was still hungry from the lack of a proper breakfast, and she had a bad case of road rage that had yet to dissipate.

Theresa shook her head. "Nope. Just said to tell you he wants to see you at ten." Turning around, she sat down at her own desk and turned her computer on.

'Well crap,' Jessie thought to herself as she wondered what she could have possibly done to cause her boss to want to talk to her. As far as she knew, she hadn't pissed anybody off recently. Sighing loudly, she turned her computer on and got busy. No need to waste the entire morning worrying about it, anyway.

At 9:50, she logged off her computer and stood up. Stretching, she grabbed her empty Diet Coke can and headed for the break room. Stopping to hit the bathroom on her way up to Mr. Mason's office, she passed Theresa, who was on her back to their office from the break room.

"Good luck, Jess," Theresa said as she passed.

"Thanks a lot, T," Jessie answered sarcastically.

She fidgeted nervously on the elevator on the way upstairs, still wondering what Mr. Mason could want with her. Rewinding the last few days in her head, she couldn't think of one thing that would call attention to herself. Sighing, she leaned against the wall and waited. When the elevator door slid open, she straightened up and stepped off.

"Good morning, Leslie," Jessie said, greeting Mr. Mason's secretary. "Theresa said that Mr. Mason wanted to see me?"

Leslie nodded, smiling, "He'll be with you in a minute, Jessie. Have a seat," the 40ish Leslie said, waving her toward one of the dark brown leather chairs sitting along one wall of the office.

As she went to sit down, the door to Mr. Mason's office opened, causing her to stand back up before her rear even touched the seat. Straightening her fitted blouse, she waited for him to notice her. She was slightly surprised when he poked his head out the door, smiled and waved her in.

"Jessie," James Mason said, as she stepped into the office. "It's good to see you again. Everything going okay?" he asked as he ushered her toward yet another leather chair.

Confused, she nodded, "Uh, fine Sir. Everything's going well."

"Good. Good," he said, taking a seat behind his desk. "So, you still playing music?"

"Yes, Sir," she answered, still not understanding where he was going with this. "Just last night, in fact."

"Fantastic," he said enthusiastically. "So, I know you're wondering why I called you here." He didn't wait for her to answer, but continued on. "You see, the thing is…I've been working with a few other people lately, attempting to develop a television show. It's been picked up by a TV network, and the actress who's been cast in the leading role is coming here to…" he stopped and thought for a minute, before saying, "Study, I guess you'd call it. She's going to be portraying an associate in a law firm, and she wanted to see exactly what an associate does. So, when her agent called and asked if I'd mind her coming here for that," he shrugged, "I thought of you."

Working hard not to show her surprise at his revelation about the TV show, she asked, "Me? Mr. Mason, I'm afraid I'm not following," Jessie said carefully, not wanting to upset him. His moods were legendary around the office.

"Relax, Jessie," he said, smiling. "What I mean to say is, that I'd like for her to sort of 'intern' with you while she's here. Just…show her the ropes, take her out to meet with clients, that sort of thing."

She breathed easier. "Oh, okay," she agreed easily. After all, it was part of her job to train new employees. This wouldn't be too difficult.

"And…" he said, taking a drink.

She quirked a brow. 'And? Why did there always have to be an and?'

Setting down his bottle of water, he continued. "And, I have another assignment for you, as well. You see, I thought that since you're in the 'entertainment industry,' you might be willing to…shall we say, 'escort' the young lady around while she's here."

"Escort, Sir? I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean," Jessie said carefully, beginning to worry. 'For Christ's sake, she was no escort!'

"Oh, you know," he said, waving a hand in the air. "Show her around town, take her out to dinner. Spend time with her so she's not lonely while she's here. Maybe you could take her to one of your shows?"

Jessie felt her heart sinking. 'What the Hell? Didn't she put enough time in at the office? Now she was going to have to baby-sit some stuck up actress, too?' Biting back on what she really wanted to say, she said, "That sounds wonderful, Mr. Mason. I'd be happy to escort her around town and keep her company. When's she due to arrive?"

"Excellent," he said, clapping his hands together. "She'll be arriving in town on Sunday evening and she'll report here Monday morning. I'll have Susan from HR bring her to your office when she arrives."

"Wonderful," Jessie said, faking a smile. "I'll try to put together some things for us to do while she's here."

"That would be great," he said, rising from his chair to let her out of his office. "By the way Jessie, I'll be giving you an expense account for this. So whatever you decide to do, dinner, clubbing, museums…it's on the card."

Smiling now for real, she said, "Thanks, Mr. Mason. I'll do my best."

"You always do, Jessie," he said, watching as she got on the elevator.

"Well, in the grand scheme of things, it could have been worse," Jessie said to Theresa as she walked back into their office.

"So you're not fired or anything?" Theresa asked jokingly.

"No. As a matter of fact, he gave me a new assignment," Jessie said, popping the top on her can of Diet Coke.

Theresa quirked a brow. "And that would be…?"

She gave Theresa the rundown, concluding with, "So now, I'm stuck babysitting this girl who's probably a spoiled brat. Like I don't have enough to do in my life already."

"I don't know Jess, it might be kinda fun," Theresa said, trying to stay positive.

Jessie just snorted and rolled her eyes. 'Fun my ass,' she thought to herself.

Monday morning found Jessie barely able to move. Performing at a club the night before, she vaguely remembered finishing the show around two in the morning. Somehow, she apparently managed to make it home, but damned if she could remember how. As she lay there in bed, wishing that the room would stop spinning, she realized two things: 1) she wasn't alone, because she felt someone's arm draped over her stomach, and 2) she was naked. 'Oh God,' she thought, 'what did I do last night?'

Sucking up her courage, she turned her head and looked to her left. As her eyes focused, she took in the smooth, tanned skin, and the toned arms. The dark hair fanned out on the pillow made it official. She'd brought Alex home last night. Blowing out a breath, she stretched and moved to get out of bed, but was stopped when she heard Alex's voice.

"Morning, beautiful," Alex Fagin said quietly. She was thirty, olive skinned, with an athletic body that wouldn't quit. And, she worshipped Jessie Drake.

Jessie stopped moving and rolled over to face Alex. "Hey yourself," she said softly. Her head hurt like Hell and her mouth was so dry she felt like she'd swallowed half the Sahara last night. Still, she couldn't help but smile at her bed partner.

"You're not going to work, are you?" Alex asked, running a hand slowly over Jessie's stomach.

Closing her eyes and shivering at the touch, Jessie looked over at the alarm clock. "I have to Alex. I'm training someone today."

"Mmm, let someone else do it," the brunette said, smiling.

Jessie shook her head. "I can't. This is a special job for Mr. Mason. If I blow this off, I'll probably get fired," she said in answer. Although, she thought to herself, the offer was tempting. Alex wasn't just some stranger she'd brought home. They'd been good friends for years, and this wasn't the first time they'd ended up in bed together. Still, if she wasn't at work on time, there'd be Hell to pay.

Leaning over, she kissed Alex slowly. When she pulled back, she said, "I've gotta go. Make sure you lock up when you leave, Alex."

Alex sighed. "Well, if you're sure I can't convince you to stay, Jess…" she trailed off; giving a pout that was just too cute. She knew it worked on the other woman…well…sometime's anyway.

"I'd love to, Alex, but I just can't," Jessie said, regret tingeing her voice, finally forcing herself to get up and get moving. Had she mentioned she hated mornings?

"All right," Alex said, resignedly. She sighed. They'd both been here before, numerous times. Getting up herself, she managed to find her clothes and get dressed by the time Jessie had returned from the shower.

"You can stay until you're ready to leave," Jessie offered, coming back into the bedroom and seeing Alex pulling on her shoes.

Alex shrugged. "Its okay, Jess. I have things to take care of today myself." She walked around the bed and kissed Jessie softly. "Thanks for last night, Jess. It was fun." Backing away, she turned and walked out of the room.

Jessie didn't move again until she heard the front door close. Damn! Why did she always have to go to work? Why couldn't she, just once, give in and stay in bed? She and Alex had been dancing around each other for the last two years. Maybe she should stop trying to find the perfect one and take what was right in front of her? Sighing, she shoved the thought to the back of her mind and finished getting dressed. Then she hurried out to the kitchen to grab her lunch. She was running late and needed to hurry if she was going to make it to work on time.

She arrived at work in record time, but Theresa was already at her desk, when Jessie came hurrying into their office. "Hey, Jessie," Theresa said in greeting. Then actually looking at her friend, she noticed the way she looked. "Jesus, Jess…rough night last night?"

"I uh…I don't remember getting home last night," Jessie answered, slightly embarrassed by the admission. Flopping into her chair, she turned on her computer. "And…" she looked over at Theresa pointedly, "apparently, I took Alex home with me last night."

"Mmm, Alex is hot. Congratulations," Theresa said, smiling.

Jessie rolled her eyes. Theresa was always trying to fix her up with someone. "Thanks. The only thing is…I don't even seem to remember what happened."

Theresa laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, Jess. Too much to drink last night?"

"Apparently so," Jessie answered ruefully. She sighed. "I should just stop this shit and grow up."

"What you should do is just start dating her officially and end the games," Theresa said wisely. "You two have been messing around for two years. Just break down and do it. You deserve to be happy, Jess."

"What makes you think I'd be happy with Alex?" Jessie asked, genuinely interested in Theresa's answer.

Theresa shrugged. "I don't know. Alex is nice, she has a great job, she's hot as Hell…She's totally into you. What more do you want?"

"I don't know," Jessie groaned and dropped her head into her hands. Leaning back in her chair, she said, "How can I be this old and not know what I want in life?"

"Maybe you do know, but you just haven't found it yet," Theresa said charitably. "Lots of people never figure out what they want."

"I know, I just…" she stopped talking when she looked up and saw Susan, the HR manager walking toward them.

"Hello, ladies," Susan Langston said, as she entered the shared office. "I'd like to introduce you both to your new intern." She turned on her two inch heels and ushered someone else into the office. "Ladies, I'd like you both to meet…"

Upon noticing the redhead entering the office behind Susan, Jessie stood up and came from around her desk. Ignoring Susan completely, she extended her hand, and said, "Stephanie Winters…I'm very pleased to meet you."

Susan's brow rose in surprise. "You know Ms. Winters, Jessie?"

Never taking her eyes off the redhead, mesmerized, she said, "No. But I'm…familiar with her work." To Stephanie Winters, she said, "I really enjoyed your last movie."

Stephanie blushed, turning her face a pleasant shade of pink. "Thank you, Ms…?"

"Drake. Jessie Drake," Jessie said, her face coloring slightly as well.

"Well…since you all seem to be getting along so well," Susan huffed slightly, "I'll just be going. If you have any questions, Ms. Winters, please feel free to call me."

"Thank you, Susan, I will," Stephanie said in answer, turning her attention to the HR manager and smiling in thanks.

Theresa, who had also stood up when the two women entered the office, stepped over and introduced herself as well. "Hi, since Jessie here seems to have forgotten her manners…my name's Theresa. I'm Jessie's paralegal, so anything you need, if she can't help you, I will."

"It's nice to meet you, Theresa," Stephanie said, shaking the blonds' hand as well.

Pulling herself out of the sudden trance she seemed to be in, Jessie said, "Yeah, sorry. Theresa here actually runs the office. If it weren't for her, nothing would ever get done around here." Seemingly rooted to the spot, she finally managed to force herself to move. Attempting to cover up the fact that she was stunned to see her favorite actress standing in her office, she said, "If you'd like to have a seat over here, we'll get started right away. I have an appointment with a client at 1:30 today, to take a deposition. So, we'll start by going over that case this morning."

Two hours later, they'd managed to get through all the paperwork they'd need for the deposition. Jessie had finally gotten rid of her headache, and she was pleasantly surprised to find that Stephanie Winters had caught on like a pro. Apparently, she was a quick study, which pleased Jessie to no end. Not only that, but the actress seemed to be genuinely kind and unspoiled, as well. For some reason, she was insanely happy to find that out. Maybe this wasn't going to be such a chore, after all.

By the time they'd finished work for the day, Jessie was feeling exhausted. Playing until 2 in the morning and then getting home at the ungodly hour of…whatever, had really worn her out. Not to mention the fact that she'd nursed a hangover all day. All she really wanted to do was go home and fall into bed. She felt like she could sleep for the next three days straight. Still, she had to take Stephanie back to her hotel and make sure that she had a decent dinner, as well. Sighing to herself, she grabbed her gym bag and her briefcase.

Leading Stephanie down to the parking garage, she threw her bags in the back of the Xterra and waited while Stephanie pulled on her seatbelt. Once they were both situated, she pulled out of the parking garage.

"So, which hotel are you staying at?" she asked the redhead, attempting to make small talk.

"The Hilton, downtown," Stephanie answered quietly.

"The Hilton?" Jessie asked in surprise. "That's a nice place," she said conversationally.

Stephanie nodded in agreement. "It is. Mr. Mason really went overboard, though. He didn't need to."

"What do you mean, overboard?" Jessie asked curiously.

"He reserved one of the apartment suites for me," Stephanie said almost shyly, "It's really too big for just one person. It seems almost a shame to waste all that space on just me."

Jessie felt her eyebrows rise toward her hairline in surprise. That certainly wasn't the answer she'd expected from the actress. "It's a nice room though, right?"

Afraid she'd offended the brunette, Stephanie hurried to say, "Oh, yes. It's a very nice room. I just meant that he didn't need to do so much."

"Mmm," Jessie said noncommittally. Accepting that she was no good at small talk, Jessie changed the subject. "So, what would you like for dinner tonight?"

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Jessie. I'm okay with getting dinner on my own," Stephanie hurried to say. "I wouldn't want to take up any more of your time."

Frowning, Jessie hadn't meant to make the redhead feel bad about going out to dinner, or anything. Attempting to put her at ease, she said, "You're not taking up my time, Stephanie. Actually, I'd be honored if you'd join me for dinner tonight."

"You mean that, Jessie?" Stephanie asked, looking over at the brunette. "You're not just saying that to make me feel good?"

Jessie shook her head. "No, I'm not just saying it and yes, I really do mean it. Please…eat dinner with me tonight?"

Giving in, and glad to have someone to talk to, Stephanie nodded and said, "Okay then, I'd love to join you for dinner. And, since you asked, any place you'd like to go is fine with me. I'm not picky."

"Great, I know this wonderful Chinese place," Jessie said, smiling. Turning left at the next traffic light, she headed for 'Wild Panda.'

Ten minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot. "Wow, it looks really crowded tonight," she commented as she parked the car. "Jing must be doing the cooking tonight."

"I take it that's a good thing?" Stephanie asked as she got out of the car and followed Jessie into the restaurant.

"Oh, it's a really good thing," Jessie assured her. "Jing's the owner and main chef. The place is always hoppin' when he's cooking."

"Jessie!" they were greeted by a small Chinese woman, who smiled hugely as she saw Jessie come through the door. Coming around from behind the podium, she hugged the taller brunette. "I'm so glad to see you tonight," she said with a slightly thick accent, releasing her.

Jessie hugged her back and smiled broadly. "It's great to see you too, Bao Yu. Think you could squeeze us in? You look pretty crowded this evening."

Bao Yu slapped her playfully on the shoulder. "I always have table for you, Jessie," she said. Grabbing two menus from behind the podium, she motioned for them to follow her. "Jing's cooking tonight, so anything you get will be wonderful," she said as she led them to a secluded table toward the back of the room. Jessie looked over at Stephanie and winked at her when her suspicions about Jing cooking were confirmed.

As Jessie and Stephanie took their seats, Bao Yu set the menus in front of them. "You'll be having wine tonight, Jessie?" she asked.

Jessie nodded. "Yes, thank you Bao Yu."

The older woman smiled and nodded. "I'll bring your favorite for you and your friend," she said as she left the table.

Completely surprised by the way Jessie had been received by the Chinese woman; Stephanie leaned forward and asked quietly, "So, do you come here a lot?"

Jessie shrugged. "Not a whole lot, no. But Bao Yu and Jing are friends. We've known each other for a long time."

"Oh, I see," Stephanie said, falling into silence as she perused the menu.

A moment later, Bao Yu returned with a bottle of wine set in an ice filled cooler and two glasses. Stephanie was stunned when she caught sight of the label: Dal Forno Romano, 2002. Blinking rapidly to make sure she'd read the label correctly, she said, "Jessie, this is too much."

"What's too much?" the brunette asked with a slight grin on her face, swirling the wine in her glass appreciatively before bringing it up to her nose to check the bouquet. Nodding her head to indicate that it was fine, she watched out of the corner of her eye as Bao Yu tipped her head and left them to look over the menu.

"This wine...it's got to be expensive. You don't have to do this for me, you know," Stephanie said, feeling somewhat like…well, she wasn't exactly sure what she was feeling right now.

Setting her wine glass down, Jessie leaned in and spoke quietly to the redhead, hoping to make her feel comfortable. She didn't want the actress to think she was trying to treat her like a fan would, by attempting to show off or something. "Stephanie, I'm not doing anything 'special' by bringing you here. It's my favorite restaurant. I always get the same kind of wine if they have it when I'm here. I swear I'm not trying to impress you or anything. I just felt like sharing this place with you. That's all."

Eyeing the other woman warily, Stephanie said, "Are you sure, Jessie? You don't need to treat me special or anything just because I'm, well…because I'm…" words failed her and she trailed off, unable to finish what she was trying to say.

Jessie smiled at her, noting that the lighting in the room was setting off the gorgeous green of Stephanie's eyes, as she did. She also noticed that her hair wasn't just red, but more auburn. Still, 'red' was a fitting description. "Because you're a celebrity?" Jessie finished the sentence for her. At Stephanie's nod, she laughed slightly and shook her head. "I would never do that, Stephanie. I'll tell you what…I promise that I'll treat you just like any other person for the entire time you're here. And, I won't allow anyone else to treat you differently, either. Deal?"

Stephanie's face lit up with a huge grin. Even though she'd only known the brunette for approximately eight hours, she felt like she could trust her. Nodding her agreement, she said, "It's a deal. Thank you, Jessie, for not treating me with kid gloves. You have no idea how irritating it is to be treated like you're not a regular person sometimes."

"Oh, I think I can imagine," Jessie said, smiling enigmatically as she took a drink of her wine.

Stephanie eyed her again, wondering what she meant by the comment, but decided to ignore it, rather than ask. Instead, she steered the conversation toward other, safer topics and they spent the rest of dinner talking about everything from their favorite movies to music.

By the time they arrived back at the hotel, Stephanie was exhausted. They'd spent nearly three hours at the restaurant, just talking. As Jessie pulled up to the front entrance and parked the car, she asked, "Would you like me to walk you up, Stephanie?"

"Oh no, but thank you," Stephanie said, shaking her head. "I'll see you tomorrow morning," she said, as she exited the car.

Just to make sure she got into the building safely, Jessie watched as she walked toward the front door, when suddenly, Stephanie turned around and came back to the car. Poking her head in the open passenger window, she said, "I just wanted to say 'thanks' for dinner, Jessie. I had a great time this evening."

Jessie smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie. Have a good night and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sure thing," the redhead said as she turned and walked into the lobby of the hotel.

Sure that Stephanie was safe inside the hotel, Jessie sighed. Throwing the car into 'drive,' she pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home. She was exhausted and more than ready for bed.

Stephanie let herself into the apartment suite and shut the door behind her. Leaning her back against it, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was exhausted. Dinner had lasted longer than she'd expected, but she'd had a good time with Jessie, so the time spent was all right by her. Besides, getting to know the brunette outside of work couldn't be a bad thing, could it?

Opening her eyes, she sighed and kicked off her heels. Pushing off from the door, she bent over and picked the shoes up, heading for the bedroom. Tossing the shoes next to the bed, she unzipped her skirt and let it fall to the floor. As she stepped out of it, she unbuttoned her blouse and took it off as well, tossing it over the back of the chair to her right. Kicking the skirt onto the chair, she headed for the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Within ten minutes, she had washed up, brushed her teeth, and pulled on her favorite t-shirt to sleep in. Falling onto the bed, she reached over and grabbed her cell phone to check her messages. She sighed, as she saw that her agent had already called her three times. Shaking her head, she sent a text telling the woman that she'd call her in a couple of days. Then, finding no other messages, she set the phone back on the bedside table and relaxed back into the pillows.

Reaching over, she grabbed the notebook she'd been using to take notes in, and opened it up to page one. Before she could go to sleep, she needed to go over everything and be prepared for tomorrow. Jessie had been kind and helpful, and had gone over things at a rate that had allowed her to take notes and ask questions. She still had a feeling however, that Jessie would have very little patience for someone who didn't catch on quickly. And…she didn't really want to annoy the woman.

As she went over her notes, her mind began to wander back over the events of the day, eventually turning to Jessie Drake. Jessie…she was a mystery. When they'd met that morning, she'd almost groaned out loud when she saw the way Jessie's eyes lit up when she walked into the office. Then, she noted the way the brunette seemed to shut her emotions off almost immediately. And yet, she had been nice to her without falling all over herself. That in itself was a relief. Stephanie had grown so used to people fawning over her, that it was almost odd that Jessie didn't. She knew the woman was a fan before she'd even said anything. Still, she was glad she hadn't acted like a star struck fool. It made her feel good when Jessie promised over dinner that she wouldn't treat her special. Nor would she allow anyone else to do so either. As far as Jessie was concerned, Stephanie was just like anyone else, and Stephanie couldn't help but like that.

Closing her eyes, she could see Jessie in her mind. Standing within an inch of her own height, with long dark hair and tanned skin that looked like she spent a lot of time outside, she was slim and athletic. And…totally, completely, hot! Stephanie groaned. Why did Jessie have to be so good looking? Why couldn't she be just some 'Plain Jane' type that came a dime a dozen? Damn! She had no idea how she was going to manage to sit next to her for the next six to eight weeks and concentrate.

Shaking her head, she opened her eyes. Why was she even thinking like this? Logically, she knew that Jessie was probably only being nice to her because it was her job. Still…Stephanie liked her…even though she did seem kind of emotionally 'closed off.' When Jessie shook her hand that morning, she'd felt something…She couldn't describe it. It was like a quick flash of…recognition? Like there was some kind of charge between the two of them. Then, Theresa had introduced herself, and the moment was over.

Still, any time she dared to glance over at the brunette throughout the day, she had that same feeling. Like there was something there, just beneath the surface. Jessie however, remained cool and aloof…all business.

Stephanie rolled her eyes at herself and snorted. Good God! What was she thinking? Jessie was someone she could be interested in…as friends, if nothing else. And the woman probably didn't want anything to do with her. She probably already had a boyfriend, husband, or…something.

On the other hand, Jessie certainly didn't have to take her to dinner, let alone to such a nice restaurant. She would have been perfectly happy ordering room service. But, it was nice to have someone to talk to and spend time with.

Groaning at the direction her thoughts had taken, Stephanie mentally berated herself. She had absolutely no intentions of getting involved with anyone here in Ohio! Especially since she'd only be here for a few weeks. The last time that had happened, albeit years ago, it had turned out to be a huge mess. And, she most definitely wasn't into having a one night stand with anyone, let alone someone she had to work with every day for the next few weeks. No matter how good they smelled, how gorgeous they were, or how blue their eyes. It just wasn't worth all the trouble.

Sighing, she set the notes aside (she hadn't gotten very far with them, anyway), and turned out the light. Laying there in the dark, she hoped she wouldn't have any trouble falling asleep tonight. She was going to need the rest to keep up with Jessie and Theresa tomorrow.

Hours later, she woke up from a nightmare, the sheets wet, her t-shirt soaked through. Damn! She hadn't had a nightmare in months. Now, all of a sudden, here they were again. And, much to her dread, the dream hadn't changed much. There was still the same, misty figure stalking her from the shadows as she walked through some nameless street. She never saw his face, just felt his presence and the feeling that she was in danger.

She nearly jumped out of bed, when her cell phone suddenly rang. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she reached over and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" she answered, her voice sounding thick and weak from sleep.

"Steph? Hey, is that you?" Her sister's voice came over the line.

"Yeah, it's me, Rach," Stephanie answered, struggling to pull herself together as she realized who was calling.

"You sound weird, what's goin' on? I didn't interrupt something…did I?" the younger woman asked, the teasing coming through on the line.

Stephanie laughed a little, shaking her head. "No. You didn't interrupt anything. Only a nightmare, so I guess I owe you one."

"A nightmare? I thought you stopped having those a while ago?" Rachel asked, her tone becoming serious.

"I thought I did, too. Apparently, I was wrong," Stephanie said.

"So…is it the same?"

"Pretty much, yeah." For some reason, Stephanie felt like she was missing something, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She used to think the dream meant something; that she might really be in danger. But, she'd had these dreams for years, and nothing had ever happened.

"Can you maybe take something to help you sleep?"

"I've tried before, Rachel. It doesn't help. So," Stephanie was tired and really needed to get some rest. Turning the conversation around, she asked, "Did you call for something in particular? Or were you just saving me from my subconscious?"

"Oh! Nothing in particular. I just haven't talked to you in a few weeks and wanted to say hi," Rachel said. She'd just gotten home from work, and was still wired.

"Oh. Well…Hi!" Stephanie said, playing along.

"So…I guess you'd probably like it if I let you get back to sleep, huh?" Rachel asked, knowing without a doubt that Stephanie would prefer just that.

"If you don't mind? I do need to get up early, in the morning." Stephanie really would like to talk, but she just wouldn't be able to function if she didn't get some rest.

"Well," Rachel said, understanding that Stephanie did indeed, need her rest. "If you'd like to talk about your nightmare or…anything else…just give me a call, Steph. I'll talk to you later!"

"Bye Rachel. And thanks…for saving me from that stupid dream," Stephanie said, as she hung up the phone. Setting the phone back on the table, she pulled the covers up and settled in. Within minutes, she'd managed to fall back to sleep.

Pulling into her driveway, Jessie noticed Alex parked on the street. 'Shit!' she thought to herself. 'What the Hell was Alex doing here, tonight?' All she really wanted to do was fall into bed and get some sleep. Sighing, she got out of the car and grabbed her briefcase and gym bag.

Alex got out of her car and walked up the sidewalk, meeting Jessie at her front door. "Hey Jessie."

"Hi Alex, you forget something this morning?" she asked, unlocking the front door and turning off the alarm.

Alex followed her inside. "No. Just wondered if you felt like some company this evening?"

Dropping her bags in the front hall, Jessie shook her head. "I'm really tired tonight, Alex. Maybe some other time?"

Disappointed, Alex said, "Aw, come on Jessie. We don't have to do anything. I just don't want to be alone tonight."

"And you couldn't think of anyone else to spend time with?" she asked, smirking.

"I suppose I could have," Alex answered, sliding up to Jessie and wrapping an arm around her waist, "but I'd rather spend it with you."

Jessie couldn't help herself. Rolling her eyes, she sighed and said, "All right. You can stay. But I've got to warn you…I probably won't be very good company. I fought a hangover all day…And I didn't get much sleep last night, either."

Alex flashed a lascivious grin and kissed her. "And why didn't you get much sleep last night?"

Jessie kissed her back. "Oh, a certain hot brunette with nothing but sex on her mind kept me up till all hours," she answered. Re-setting the alarm and making sure the door was locked, she took Alex by the hand. "Come on, I need to lie down."

As Jessie led the way to the bedroom, she wondered just what the Hell she was doing. Sleeping with Alex twice in one week? She'd never done that before. But then again, she'd never had to spend all day and evening too, with the most beautiful woman she'd ever met in her life before, either. Spending so much time with Stephanie Winters had definitely ramped up her nerves.

Jesus, before this little assignment was over, she was either going to be extremely frustrated…or, Alex was going to be very happy. Stripping out of her work clothes and underwear and tossing them into the corner, Jessie pulled down the blankets and crawled into bed, lying on her stomach. A minute later, Alex joined her.

Straddling Jessie, Alex began massaging her shoulders. "Jesus, Jessie! What have you been doing? You're so tense," she said, working her fingers into the taut muscles.

"I have a stressful job," Jessie answered, enjoying the feel of strong hands on her shoulders.

Alex leaned down and kissed her on the neck. "Let me help you get rid of the stress, Jessie."

Relaxing into the massage, Jessie felt better already. 'Yeah, Alex was just what the doctor ordered.' Sighing, she said, "That feels so good, Alex."

Above her, Alex smiled. "My pleasure, Jessie. My pleasure."

Around five thirty, Jessie woke up. On her left, Alex was spooned up against her, one arm flung over her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed and tried to get back to sleep. It was early yet, she didn't need to get up for at least another hour. After lying there for another ten minutes, she realized she wasn't going back to sleep.

Sliding carefully out of Alex's embrace, she got up and pulled on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Then she headed for the kitchen, and a can of Diet Coke. Opening the can and taking a long drink, she made her way downstairs, to the recording studio.

It wasn't much of a studio really; just a small room she'd soundproofed and outfitted with a computer, digital recorder and mixing board. There was another, glass enclosed room for recording the vocals as well; facing the room she was in. Flopping into the office chair, she flipped the power button on and started scrolling through files until she found what she was looking for.

As the music started, she tilted her head back and closed her eyes, letting the haunting music wash over her. Again, she found herself wondering why she'd let Alex stay last night. She didn't love Alex. She knew that much for sure. She did like her, though. Theresa had said it yesterday: Alex was hot as Hell. She was nice, she was great in bed, and…she was totally into Jessie. So? Why the indecision? Jessie sighed. She just didn't love the woman. It was that simple really.

Sitting there, eyes closed, she wasn't startled when she heard Alex quietly say her name.

"Jessie?" the brunette said, leaning against the doorframe of the studio, arms crossed.

"Hey, Alex," Jessie said, turning the music down. "I didn't wake you up, did I? I tried to keep it down some."

Alex shook her head. "No. I woke up and noticed you weren't there. I just know where to look for you when you can't sleep."

Jessie looked at her, standing there. Alex looked beautiful, even first thing in the morning, hair mussed and sleepy eyed. Sighing, she said, "I do always come here, don't I."

The brunette nodded. "Yeah, you do. This isn't your usual music, though. Thinking about something?"

"You might say that," Jessie answered.

Alex wasn't stupid. Far from it, in fact. She'd known Jessie Drake for years, and had been sleeping with her off and on for the last two, at least. "You know, Jessie…" Alex said, stepping into the room. "It's okay that you don't love me."

Jessie looked at her, not sure what to make of that. She didn't want to hurt Alex, but she was pretty sure she'd never led her to believe there was anything special about what they had, either. "Why would you say that?"

Alex shrugged. "Because it is. You're not fooling me, Jessie. I know you don't and I never thought that you did."

"Then why do you sleep with me?" Jessie asked. She really didn't understand why Alex would stay here if she knew that Jessie didn't love her.

"I don't like to be alone," Alex whispered, sliding onto Jessie's lap and wrapping an arm around her neck. "Besides, you're good in bed and you're hot," she finished, grinning at her.

Jessie shook her head. "That can't be enough, Alex."

"Why not? I never told you I wanted more, did I?"

"No. But I don't understand why you let me use you like this," Jessie said, dropping her eyes to stare at the floor.

"Did it ever occur to you that I'm using you, too?" Alex asked, reaching down and placing her hand under Jessie's chin, forcing her to look into her eyes.

Shrugging, Jessie could only answer, "I guess I never thought about it."

"Mmm, and I wonder why that is?" Alex asked, kissing her softly. Then, sighing, she said, "It's because you don't love me, Jessie. I told you…it's okay. We just come together for the sole purpose of not being lonely. There's nothing wrong with that."

Jessie smiled sadly. "But what if one of us decides we want more out of life?"

"Do you?"

Jessie snorted and dropped her head onto Alex's shoulder. "I don't know, Alex. I don't know what I want, anymore."

"You don't need to know what you want for your entire life right now, Jessie," Alex said. Sliding her left hand up until she was massaging Jessie's breast, she whispered, "Let me make you feel better, Jessie."

Jessie gasped and arched her back, pressing herself into Alex's hand. "Jesus, Alex…how do you make me feel this way even when I shouldn't?"

Alex smirked and leaned in to kiss her. "It's a gift, Babe."

Jessie didn't make it into the office until almost ten. For once, she had done what she wanted, and, well…she didn't sleep in…but she did have some really good sex that morning.

Strolling into the office, she tossed her gym bag on the floor in the corner and sat down at her desk. "Sorry I'm late this morning, guys," she said, addressing both, Theresa and Stephanie.

Theresa turned to look at her. "It's okay, Jessie. I hope you don't mind, I got Stephanie started already?"

Glancing over at the redhead, who was dressed immaculately in a dark gray business suit and black fitted blouse, Jessie smiled. "No, that's fine. Thanks, Theresa." Turning her attention back to the redhead, she said, "Morning, Stephanie. Did you have a good night last night?"

Stephanie nodded in answer. "Yes, thanks for asking, Jessie." Not sure what else to say to the brunette, she dropped her head back down to the papers she was going over.

"You're welcome, Jess," the blond answered her, looking at her knowingly. "So, another late night?"

Jessie nodded. "More like an early morning. I didn't sleep very well last night."

"So…Alex again?" Theresa asked knowingly, momentarily forgetting that Stephanie was in the room. The redhead was so quiet; sometimes she just forgot she was there.

"Yeah," Jessie answered, distracted by something on her monitor.

"Well, don't get so excited, Jessie."

Her mind coming back to their conversation, Jessie said, "Stop it, Theresa. This isn't funny."

Taken aback by Jessie's sudden change of attitude, she said, "I know it's not funny, Jess. I just don't understand why you're having such a hard time with this."

"Theresa…could we please not do this now?" Jessie asked, motioning with her eyes toward Stephanie, who was actively trying to ignore their conversation.

"Oh! Oh, uh…okay, Jessie. Sorry," Theresa apologized. Turning back to her computer, she pretended to be busy reading a report. All the while, she wondered just why Jessie was so irritable. After all, if she'd just slept with someone as hot as Alex the last two nights, she'd be in heaven. So why was Jessie acting like it was the end of the world?

After work, all three women went out for dinner at a small bar down the street from the office. From there, Jessie went on to the gym and Theresa gave Stephanie a ride back to her hotel.

Now, two hours later, Jessie was in the middle of a shower, hot water pouring over her, when she heard the bathroom door open.

"Jessie?" Theresa's voice filtered through the sound of the running water.

Hanging her head and sighing, Jessie answered. "Yeah, T?"

"Hey, can we talk now?" the blond asked, stepping on into the bathroom and leaning against the sink.

"Why is it you always want to talk to me when I'm in the shower?" Jessie asked, rolling her eyes.

"Because when Brian and I lived here, it was the only time we could have any girl talk," Theresa answered, sounding more sarcastic than she actually felt. "Besides, this way, you can't wiggle out of the conversation."

Well, she had her there. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"I thought we were going to finish that conversation about Alex from this morning?"

Gritting her teeth because she didn't really want to think about Alex, Jessie could only say, "What's there to talk about? She was waiting for me when I pulled up last night and I told her she could stay when she asked."

"Jessie, there's got to be more to it than that," Theresa said, instinctively knowing that Jessie was trying to downplay what had happened. "You've never slept with her two nights in a row before."

Sighing as she turned off the water, Jessie opened the shower door and grabbed a towel. Wrapping it around herself, she stepped out of the shower. "Theresa," she said, slightly exasperated. "What, are you keeping track? I came home and she was here, waiting for me. I'd had a long day, and she didn't want to be alone. She stayed, we had sex…no big deal."

Theresa was shaking her head. "Jessie, how can you say it's 'no big deal?' You came in late this morning. You never do that, either." She raised one eyebrow accusingly at the brunette.

Leaving the bathroom, Jessie headed for the bedroom. "Theresa…after yesterday, I was just…keyed up. I needed something and Alex showed up. That's it." She finished toweling herself dry and pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt.

Following Jessie out to the kitchen, Theresa tried one more time. "So…"

Grabbing a bottle of Vodka and pouring herself a glass, Jessie said, "Theresa…I don't love Alex and she doesn't love me."

"So you're not even going to try and make it work with her? Jessie…" Theresa trailed off, frustrated with the way Jessie constantly pushed away any chance at happiness.

"She's not the one, Theresa," Jessie answered her, effectively ending the conversation. "Now, I'm going to watch some TV and drink some more. You're welcome to join me, but the question and answer portion of this evening is over."

Sighing, Theresa grabbed an empty glass and followed Jessie into the living room. Flopping into a chair, she grabbed the Vodka and poured herself a drink. "Fine…if you won't talk about Alex, what do you think about Stephanie?" she asked, fascinated as she watched Jessie's face turn an odd shade of pink.

The following week, on Thursday morning, Stephanie walked into the office and noticed that Jessie's desk was empty. Attempting to hide her disappointment, she looked over at Theresa and asked, "Jessie not coming in today?"

Looking up from her keyboard, Theresa said, "Oh, she'll be in. She's just running late today. I should have told you…she comes in late one day a month. Her band has a standing gig at this bar downtown where they play until four in the morning."

"Really?" Stephanie said, intrigued. Neither woman had mentioned that Jessie was in a band before this. She wondered why? "I didn't know that Jessie was in a band. What does she do?"

"Yeah, they've been doing this gig for about two years, now. She's the lead singer and main songwriter for the group. They've been together forever, though," Theresa answered, noticing at the same time how lost Stephanie looked. Taking pity on the woman, she said, "Why don't you pull your chair over here next to me? I can go over things with you until Jessie comes in if you'd like?"

Stephanie nodded, relieved. Smiling, she said, "Thanks, Theresa." It had been two weeks since she'd started working with Jessie and Theresa, and she was finally beginning to feel comfortable with them. Well, to be fair, she was feeling comfortable with Theresa. Jessie was still hard to read sometimes.

"Think nothing of it, Stephanie. And don't take it personally. Jessie just doesn't run in the same world with the rest of us most of the time," she said kindly, knowing how Jessie's behavior could appear to people who didn't know her.

"Well, that's good to know, I guess," Stephanie said, growing quiet. A few minutes later, after working up the courage, she asked, "Theresa, would you mind if I ask you something?"

"No, of course not," the blond answered, curious as to what the redhead might have to ask her. She was sure it had to do with Jessie. Despite the fact that Jessie refused to discuss the redhead, she'd noticed the odd tension between the two of them the last two weeks.

"Well…" Stephanie said, hesitantly. "I was wondering if maybe Jessie…I don't know," she said, shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head. "She's always nice to me, taking me out to dinner and movies…even the museum…But, I guess I get the feeling that she doesn't want me here?"

"What? Oh, Stephanie, that's not true," Theresa said, shaking her head. "Jessie isn't like that, not at all. She's just…well…she just gets so wrapped up in things sometimes, she comes across all wrong." Turning to look at the other woman, she said, "I swear to you, she likes you just fine." Especially, she thought to herself, since she happened to know that Stephanie was Jessie's favorite actress and, Jessie just happened to have a massive crush on the redhead. Again, Jessie wouldn't discuss Stephanie with her, but she was sure that was part of the problem. Jessie was probably just pushing her feelings down in an effort to stay professional where Stephanie was concerned.

Stephanie took a deep breath, relieved. "Thanks Theresa, that makes me feel better. It's just that…well...she never seems to let me in. You know, I've been trying to get to know her, since she's been saddled with me for the next month or two. I thought it might be nice if we were friends. But she never seems to open up. I mean, we talk all the time, but she never really talks about herself. She's never even mentioned that she's in a band! I can't imagine why she wouldn't mention something like that."

"First of all," Theresa said, "Jessie doesn't feel like she's 'saddled' with you. Second, she doesn't let anyone get to know her. It's just who she is. Third, who the Hell knows why Jessie keeps things to herself? She's a freak that way sometimes." She stopped and took a drink of water before saying, "I think it's because she's always out in the public eye. She tries to keep some part of herself private, but she comes across a bit standoffish."

Stephanie nodded. She could understand that, since she had to be that way a lot of the time, as well. Did she come off as being stuck up and standoffish too? She hoped not, but at least she could understand the behavior when she looked at it that way. And, knowing that Jessie was in a band, it explained the enigmatic smile she'd had on her face at dinner that first night. Jessie really did know what it was like to be treated like she was 'different.'

"So, do you think she'd mind if I went to see her band play? I don't want to take up any more of her time than I already do, I just thought it might be a fun night out," she said, plainly wanting Theresa's opinion.

Theresa smiled broadly. "Actually, I think that's a great idea. She's playing tomorrow night at this place called 'The Blue Rose.' I've wanted to go there forever, but I can't get my boyfriend to take me."

All right then," Stephanie said happily. "What time would you like to go?"

"Hmm…well, they start at ten, so why don't I pick you up and we'll get dinner first? Let's say…seven?" Theresa said, getting excited about a night out on the town and wondering about it. After all, Brian took her out all the time. He just never took her out to clubs anymore.

As an afterthought, Theresa added, "Let's not tell Jessie about this, though. I think it would be better if we surprise her. She tends to get nervous if she knows friends are going to show up."

Stephanie agreed, and the two finally got down to work. By the time Jessie arrived in the office two hours later, they'd already made it through one case file, and had started on the second.

Theresa let herself in when no one answered the knock on the door. Jessie's car was in the driveway, so she had to be here. Hitting the control panel and disabling the alarm before it could go off, she called Jessie's name again. When she still didn't get an answer, she moved out of the entryway and walked toward the living room.

Not finding Jessie there, she checked the kitchen. It dawned on her that Jessie might have gone downstairs to work in the studio. The room was soundproof, and she'd never hear anyone upstairs. So, heading down the hall to the basement stairs, she stopped when she realized the water was running in the shower.

Detouring into Jessie's bedroom, she made her way to the full bathroom attached by the short hallway. Without even thinking about it, after all, she'd always just walked in on Jessie while she was in the shower, Theresa opened the door. She stopped dead in her tracks however, when she realized that Jessie wasn't in the shower alone. She was just about to back out and close the door, when the showers' other occupant noticed her.

"Hi, Theresa, you come to join us?" Alex Fagin asked, noticing the blond standing, mouth hanging open, staring at them. Back to the shower wall, moving in time to Jessie's hand, Alex never missed a beat. "We've never tried before, but there's probably room for one more."

Her back to the shower door, Jessie turned her head to look at her then. "Jesus Christ, Theresa! Can't you ever stop walking in on me in the shower?"

Theresa, face burning red with embarrassment, started to back out of the bathroom. "I…uh…I wanted to talk to you about something, Jessie. I'll just…"

Jessie looked at Alex. She could tell by the look on the other woman's face, and her breathing, that she was almost there. Continuing the motion of her hands on Alex's body, she glanced back at Theresa again. "If you want to talk to me, you can either join us or wait."

Theresa, shocked that Jessie would go along with the suggestion, stammered, "I'll uh…just wait…out in the living room."

Jessie smirked. She loved making Theresa uncomfortable. It served the blond right for interrupting them. "Fine. We shouldn't be much longer." Forgetting about Theresa, she turned back to the task at hand. Alex was moaning and writhing, biting her lower lip. Her hips moving to the rhythm Jessie had set, she screamed as her muscles began contracting, and Jessie held her tight as they slid to the shower floor together.

Shutting the door, Theresa closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. When Alex screamed her pleasure, she actually felt her own body respond in sympathy. God! What the Hell did Jessie do that made Alex respond like that? Shuddering, she managed to get control over her own hormones and headed out to the living room to wait.

Twenty minutes later, Jessie, dressed now in a pair of work out pants and a t-shirt, walked into the living room. She set her bottle of Guinness on the table next to her and sat down in the chair, pulling her bare feet up to sit cross legged. "Well? What the Hell did you want to talk about now?"

Theresa turned off the TV and took a deep breath. She'd expected the attitude, and it didn't bother her at all. She didn't blame Jessie for being irritated with her, as a matter of fact, she'd expected it. She'd be irritated too, if someone had interrupted…what she'd interrupted. Still, trying not to think about that, she answered. The topic of their conversation was going to irritate Jessie too. "I came by to talk to you about Stephanie."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Jesus Theresa…" She was cut off, however, by Alex entering the room. Long dark hair still wet, dressed in tight jeans and a light blue fitted blouse, she walked right up to Jessie.

Leaning down slightly, she kissed her. "I'm gonna head on out," she said when she released Jessie from the kiss. "Thanks for the shower Jessie. It was fun." To Theresa, she said, "I really am sorry you didn't join us Theresa. It could have been a good time."

"Thanks anyway, Alex," Theresa answered as she watched the brunette pull on her black leather jacket and walk out the front door. Turning her attention back to Jessie she shook her head. "I thought you had something important to do tonight?"

Jessie shrugged nonchalantly. "I did."

"You said 'something,' not 'someone,' Jessie," the blond spat out sarcastically, slightly disgusted with Jessie right this minute. Shaking her head, she continued her little tirade. "My God, does she have any modesty at all? Didn't it bother her that I saw all that? And, while we're on the subject…Alex again? I thought you told me you don't love her and she doesn't love you?"

Jessie shrugged, answering the modesty question first. "Apparently not. But, to be perfectly honest Theresa, you did kind of interrupt at a critical moment, you know?"

Blushing again, Theresa ignored her last comment. "Jessie, Stephanie talked to me about something this morning, and I thought I should mention it to you."

Jessie rolled her eyes and sighed. "Theresa…please. I don't want to talk about her right now."

"I don't really care, Jessie. Stephanie seems to feel like she's in your way. Like you've been, in her words, 'saddled with her.' Jesus, Jess! She's been trying to be your friend, and she thinks you're trying to blow her off, or something!" Finished with what she had to say, Theresa fell silent. She took a drink from her own bottle of beer and waited for Jessie to say something.

She didn't have to wait long. Jessie, who'd been looking at Theresa, suddenly dropped her gaze to something on the floor. Swallowing hard, she finally managed to find the words she was looking for. "Theresa," she said quietly, "I swear I'm not trying to blow Stephanie off. It's just…" she shook her head and sighed. "Sitting there in the office with her for eight hours a day for the last two weeks. I don't know how much more of that I can take."

Theresa furrowed her brow in confusion. "I'm not sure I follow you. I thought you liked Stephanie? She's your favorite actress in the world, Jessie. How could you not like having her right there? I thought you'd love the idea of becoming friends with her?"

"I do. But…Theresa, seeing her everyday is killing me," Jessie admitted. "Those business suits she wears…and my God, the skirts with the hose…Jesus, T! It's all I can do to force myself not to stare at her all day."

"But…? From watching you, I had no idea," Theresa said, finally beginning to understand the problem.

Jessie was miserable. "It takes all my control to not walk over there, throw her down on the floor and kiss her. All I want to do is touch her…run my hand up her skirt…By the time I leave for the day, I'm so keyed up…" she laughed sarcastically, no real amusement in it. "Alex has been happy, though. She's certainly been getting a work out."

"Well, that explains a lot," Theresa said, sighing into her beer. Then, looking over at Jessie, she asked, "Jessie…would you have gone through with it if I'd joined you guys in the shower?"

Jessie shrugged, smirking again. "I don't know, T. You'll just have to take us up on the offer some time and find out."

Theresa shook her head. "Sorry I asked."

Jessie just laughed.

"Mom," Stephanie said into the cell phone, "I was going to call you in a few minutes. What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing much," Nancy Winters answered. "I just haven't heard from you in a few days. Just wondering how your internship's going?"

"It's good, Mom," Stephanie said, sitting down on the couch and crossing her legs. "Actually, I had something I wanted to talk to you about. I'm glad you called."

"What is it, Dear? You know I'm always glad to help if I can," Nancy said.

"Um, well…I think I've met someone," Stephanie said slowly.

"But? It sounds like you're not sure," her mother said, intuitively hearing what Stephanie wasn't saying.

"I'm sure, Mom. I like her, but…I don't know if she likes me."

"She'd be crazy not to like you, Stephanie," her mother said, not at all surprised that Stephanie would be so unsure. For some reason, Stephanie had never felt like she was anything special. Nancy just couldn't figure it out.

"Thanks for the vote, Mom. But…I don't know…she's always nice to me, I just get the feeling that she's trying to stay distant," Stephanie explained.

"She work there in the law office?"

Stephanie nodded as she answered, "Yeah. She's the lawyer that was assigned to show me the ropes. Her name's Jessie…Jessica, actually."

"Is she pretty?" Nancy asked, trying to draw more information out of her somewhat reluctant daughter.

Stephanie laughed. "Actually, she's gorgeous, Mom. She's just a little bit shorter than me with long, dark hair and blue eyes. And…not only is she a lawyer, she's also the lead singer in a band. We're going out to see them play, tonight."

Nancy was smiling for real, now. She knew when Stephanie was smitten. "She sounds great, Steph. But…if you like her, who are you going out with tonight?"

"Oh…Theresa, the paralegal that works with us in the same office. She and Jessie have been friends since they were about ten years old," Stephanie explained. "She's the one who told me about Jessie singing with the band."

"What does she think about you liking Jessie? Or does she know?" Nancy asked.

"I didn't tell her that, Mom. I did ask her if she thought that Jessie felt like I was in the way, though," Stephanie answered. Realizing that she needed to explain why she felt that way, she did.

Nancy nodded in approval. Apparently, this Jessie wasn't just another fan out to bed her daughter. That was good. "And her answer?"

"She said 'no.' Jessie definitely doesn't feel like I'm in the way, and she doesn't let a lot of people get to know her. It's just the way she is, and I should just give her some time."

"Well, keep at it, Stephanie. If she's worth having and you really like her, I'm sure things will work out," Nancy said encouragingly.

"Thanks Mom, I love you, you know," Stephanie said.

"I love you too, Stephanie. You call me if anything new happens, okay?"

"I will, Mom. Talk to you later," Stephanie said, hanging up.

Theresa showed up at Stephanie's hotel suite at seven Friday night and Stephanie ushered her in. "Hi, Theresa, let me just put my earrings in and I'm ready," she said, gesturing toward the couch. "Have a seat, I'll be right out."

"Sure," Theresa said, taking a seat on the dark brown suede couch. "Man, this is a great room," she called to Stephanie as she waited.

Coming back into the room, Stephanie said, "Yeah, it is really nice. Mr. Mason didn't need to go all out for me, though. It's kind of big for just one person."

"Hey, take it while it's offered. Trust me, he doesn't offer things like this all the time," Theresa said, standing up and heading for the door. As she got up, she eyed Stephanie critically. Dressed in a dark green silk fitted blouse that brought out the green of her eyes, a black leather skirt that ended about three inches above her knees and 'fuck me pumps' to die for, Stephanie really knew how to rock an outfit. Not to mention the earrings and matching necklace that really set the whole ensemble off perfectly. Oh yeah, she could see why Jessie liked her so much.

They ate dinner at this great little pizza place that Theresa had picked out. When she'd asked, Stephanie had told her that pizza was one of her favorite dishes. So, over beer and pizza, they'd talked and laughed until it was time to head over to 'The Blue Rose.'

When they got there, Theresa found a table set off in the corner where they could see the stage without being seen by everyone in the place. Mindful of the fact that Stephanie was a rather well known celebrity, she'd chosen the table on purpose. Situated in a corner, it was just dark enough to keep the actress out of sight of everyone in the place.

They weren't there long, before the band took the stage. As the lights went down, they both tensed up. Stephanie, because she was excited to see Jessie perform, and Theresa, because she was excited to finally see 'The Blue Rose.' She knew Jessie was probably going to be nervous that Stephanie was there, but she didn't care. The fact of the matter was that she and Stephanie were both looking forward to this evening.

Suddenly, to the roar of the crowd, the lights came up on stage and Jessie strutted out to the strains of 'I'm the Only One,' by Melissa Etheridge. She was dressed in black leather pants so tight they looked like she'd been poured into them and a pair of knee high black leather boots. To compliment the pants, she was sporting a white pirate shirt tucked in. She was wearing hoop earrings and a couple of long, dangly necklaces as well. And, to complete the look, she had heavy, dark black eyeliner on.

To Stephanie, who felt her breath taken away as she watched, Jessie looked like the epitome of a rock singer. The woman up on stage looked nothing like the business suited woman she'd spent the last two weeks in the office with. In fact, Stephanie was beginning to feel as if she hadn't even begun to scratch the surface of who Jessie was.

As the band ran through their first set, filled with popular tunes from the 80's and 90's and even a few originals, Stephanie found herself more and more impressed. When Theresa had told her that Jessie was in a band, she'd never thought anything about it. But now, watching Jessie up on the stage, Stephanie knew without a doubt that Jessie belonged up there. Wondering why someone with so much talent was still working a Monday through Friday job, she leaned over and asked Theresa about it.

Sipping from her glass of Tequila, she asked, "Theresa, they're so good, why don't they have a recording contract yet?"

Theresa set her bottle of Bud Light down and leaned closer so that Stephanie could hear her over the noise. "They almost did, once."

"What happened?" Stephanie asked, as she leaned in.

"The night before they were supposed to sign their contract, their lead guitar player, Bobby, had…I don't know, I guess you could call it a nervous breakdown." She stopped talking and leaned back in her chair, taking another drink from her bottle.

"Oh, my God," Stephanie said, shocked. "So, they couldn't just find another lead guitar player?"

Theresa shook her head. "No, it wasn't that easy. The record exec said he didn't want another band on their roster that was unstable."

"Unstable? Every band goes through changes like that," Stephanie said, perplexed.

Theresa nodded. "I know, but it wasn't that easy. See, Jessie and Bobby were engaged. When he fell apart and left the band, he left her, too. Besides that, Bobby and Jessie were the main songwriters in the band. The exec wanted them together, or not at all."

Stephanie's heart went out to Jessie when she heard that. It must have been horrible for her to have everything fall apart all at once like that. "So what happened after that?"

"Well, Bobby showed up a few days later and took his stuff while she was at work. He called her later and told her he just couldn't do it anymore." She set her empty beer bottle down and signaled for another one, then continued. "Last thing we heard, he was hiking it across Europe, trying to find himself."

"Jesus, Jessie must have been devastated," Stephanie said. "I can't imagine what she must have gone through."

"Yeah, it screwed her up pretty bad, for a while," Theresa agreed, taking a drink from the full bottle of beer, which had just been dropped off. "He treated her like shit, walking out on her like that. She swore she'd never trust anyone again, which I told her was stupid…" she shrugged again. "She never listens to me, though."

"She's been alone ever since?" Stephanie asked, feeling worse for Jessie by the minute.

"She had a hard time…getting over that," Theresa said, nodding. "Actually, I shouldn't even talk about it. Jessie'd kill me if she knew I told you any of this."

"Then why are you?" Stephanie asked, truly curious.

"I don't know," Theresa answered. "I guess I just want you to understand why Jessie's the way she is. She's a really great person; she just has a hard time opening up and trusting people. Like I said yesterday, it's not you."

"She seems to trust you," the redhead said quietly, pointing out their obvious friendship.

"Yeah well, we've known each other for years," Theresa said. "And…we all lived together, back then. Jessie, Bobby, Me and Brian."

Just then, they heard Jessie announce that the band was taking a break. Within minutes, she was making her way toward their table. As she watched Jessie approach, Stephanie thought that she saw her facial expression change. The transformation was so fast, that she couldn't be sure. One minute, the brunette was up on stage, open and baring her soul to the world. The next, she was cruising through the bar crowd like a hunter, single minded and closed to the outside world. It was a startling transformation to witness.

When Jessie arrived at the table however, her behavior was open and friendly. Whatever she was thinking, she managed to hide it very well, or so Stephanie thought. She hugged Theresa and then stepped around the table and hugged Stephanie as well, which surprised the redhead. Jessie had never so much as touched her, not once, in the last two weeks. As a matter of fact, if she thought about it, she realized that the brunette had gone out of her way to make sure she didn't touch her.

"Hey T, finally made it out?" Jessie asked, leaning across the table and smiling at her best friend. She'd known they were coming of course, Theresa had told her last night. But, she wasn't supposed to let Stephanie know that she knew.

"Yeah," Theresa said in answer, handing Jessie a pint of Guinness. "Brian had a guy's night, so I decided to come out and see you. Stephanie hadn't seen you perform yet, so I asked her to come along."

Jessie nodded. "Cool. I'm glad you guys came out. You having a good time, Stephanie?" she asked, as she took a drink from her pint.

"This is fantastic," Stephanie answered enthusiastically. "You're really great up there!"

Jessie smiled warmly. "Thanks!"

Just then, a lithe brunette slid up to them and wrapped her arms around Jessie, pulling her into a deep kiss. "Hey, beautiful," she said, when she finally released the singer.

"Hey, Alex," Jessie said, showing very little enthusiasm at the woman's arrival.

To Stephanie, who was watching the scene intently, it was obvious that 1) This was the Alex that Jessie and Theresa had been talking about last week, and 2) Jessie was not comfortable with what just happened. Whether it was because she didn't like public displays, or because she hadn't wanted Stephanie to know about that part of her life, the redhead wasn't sure.

She also noticed that Jessie glanced over at her to see if she was looking, and Stephanie wasn't sure what to make of that. They'd spent almost every evening the last two weeks working out at the gym, going to movies or museums and eating out together. Still, the brunette had made no real attempt to open up to her, so there was no reason for her to worry about her approval one way or the other. She also realized that Jessie hadn't mentioned a girlfriend, or anyone else in her life. She smiled at Jessie anyway, just to let her know that she was okay with the situation. She wasn't sure, but it seemed that Jessie was a little embarrassed by the way Alex seemed to be clinging to her.

Alex moved her arm down to wrap around Jessie's waist, and smiled over at the others at the table. "Hi, Theresa, how's it going?"

"Hi Alex, everything's good. How about you?" Theresa asked, smiling at her. She liked Alex, she really did…but tonight, of all nights, she really wished the woman would have stayed home.

"Brian finally let you out?" Alex asked, taking a drink from her own bottle of Bud.

Theresa nodded. "Yeah, looks like it." Honestly, did everyone think he held her hostage or something?

Suddenly noticing the redhead in the corner, Alex said, "So, who's this back here in the corner? Theresa, you holding out on me? Are you stepping out on Brian?" Turning to look at Jessie, she said teasingly, "Maybe this is why she wouldn't join us last night?"

Jessie, to her credit, ignored the comment, and took another drink of her beer.

Blushing at the reference to the offer of a threesome in the shower, Theresa shook her head. "No, actually this is Jessie's intern from work, Stephanie."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Stephanie. I'm Alex," the brunette said, grabbing Stephanie's hand and shaking it excitedly. "I hope Jessie's treating you right?" Eyeing the redhead appreciatively, she thought to herself, 'Okay, now I know why Jessie's been so turned on lately. Forced to spend every day with that? Good God, I'd be turned on, too.'

Stephanie nodded, smiling. "Absolutely. Nice to meet you too, Alex." She took a drink from her glass and joined in as the three talked about various things. Laughing and joking with them, for the first time in two weeks, she felt like she really fit in. She had to admit to herself that it was a good feeling. It wasn't often that she had the chance to just hang out with friends in a public place like this.

Eventually, Jessie looked at her watch and said, "Well, break's over. I gotta go." She leaned over and kissed Alex lightly on the cheek. Then she turned and headed for the stage, leaving the three to watch the show.

Alex didn't wait long, before she said, "Well, gotta run guys. Theresa, it's been good to see you again. Stephanie, nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too," Stephanie replied as she watched the brunette saunter away through the crowd.

Rolling her eyes, Theresa turned back to Stephanie. "Sorry about that. She's really nice, but she can come on a little strong at first."

"That's okay," Stephanie said, shrugging. "I'm glad I got to meet Jessie's girlfriend. They make a cute couple."

"Oh, no…" Theresa stammered. "They're not…I mean they do…but they're…" she stopped talking, drew in a deep breath to collect herself, and said, "What I mean to say is, they're not a couple. I know it looks that way…but, like I said, Jess doesn't open up to anyone like that."

Suddenly happy and not sure why, Stephanie asked, confused, "So, they're…" Every signal coming from Alex looked like the two were a couple.

"Oh, they sleep together on occasion," Theresa clarified. "But they aren't 'together' if you know what I mean."

Stephanie nodded, finally catching on. "Kind of a 'friends with benefits' sort of deal?"

Theresa nodded, relieved. "That's it, exactly. They've been playing this game for the last two years. I still can't figure out why Jessie hasn't made the leap. She says they don't love each other, but…Every time I try to talk to her about it, she shuts down." She shook her head, wondering for the umpteenth time about Jessie's lack of initiative.

Stephanie pursed her lips in thought for a minute before saying, "Maybe she knows that Alex isn't the one?" She added the quotation marks in the air with her fingers for emphasis. "I mean, from what you told me earlier, I assumed that Bobby was a guy…so?"

"It would explain a lot," Theresa agreed, remembering Jessie saying that exact thing only last week. "And yeah, Bobby is a guy. She's always been pretty open, you know, male or female, but after him…well, she just gave up on guys altogether, I guess. So you think her 'one' could be a guy?"

Stephanie shrugged. "Maybe?"

Theresa gave the idea some thought, but decided that Stephanie might be wrong. After all, she'd known Jessie for years, and Stephanie had only met her two weeks ago. Theresa mentally shook her head. No. Jessie's 'one' was definitely a woman. Of that, she had no doubt. Now, if only Jessie would figure things out.

Just then, the band took another break, and Jessie headed back toward their table. After being stopped by numerous fans on her way back through the crowd, she finally made it back. "Alex leave?" she asked as she picked up a fresh Guinness and took a drink. Man, Theresa was a good friend, keeping the beer coming for her.

Theresa nodded in answer. "Guess you're flyin' solo tonight, Jess."

Jessie shrugged. "Whatever," she said, as if she couldn't care less. "Alex has her own thing." She took another drink of her beer. "So, you two up for a party after the show?"

"Depends…where's the party?" Theresa said, turning an interested eye toward her friend.

"Mike's house," Jessie said in answer.

"Mike? The bass player?"

"Yeah. He just got a pool table, and there's a hot tub that seats eight," Jessie answered, looking over toward Stephanie from under a fall of hair that hid her eyes. The redhead hadn't said anything yet, and she was wondering if she'd actually take her up on the offer.

Jessie waited for Stephanie to decide. Theresa would go, no doubt. She was always up for a party. But Stephanie? Jessie wasn't so sure about her. So far, the actress had proven herself to be kind and considerate, but she didn't seem like much of a risk taker. Not at all what Jessie had expected from a celebrity. She shook her head slightly. She was trying not to have expectations where Stephanie was concerned.

She didn't have to wait long. Stephanie's eyes lit up with happiness and her face split into a huge grin. "I'd love to go!" she said, happy to at last be included in something not related to work.

"Great," Jessie said, taking another drink of her Guinness. "Just wait here after the show and I'll meet you guys. You can follow me to Mike's."

"That sounds great, Jessie. Thanks for inviting me," Stephanie said, taking a drink of her Vodka. She'd given up on Tequila a while ago, and moved on to the Stoli she was now nursing.

Jessie shrugged. "Sure, my pleasure. You've been here for two weeks, working hard…You deserve a night out on the town and a little fun."

Theresa looked at Jessie, wondering what was prompting her to be so friendly all of a sudden. It was unlike Jessie to take to someone so easily. Especially since she hadn't really shown any inclination in the last two weeks to do so. Sure, they'd spent a lot of time together, but Theresa had assumed it was because Jessie had been asked to basically 'entertain' the actress. Then again, she thought, maybe Jessie was just pretending to be indifferent toward Stephanie. The redhead was her favorite actress, after all, and Jessie had already admitted to being turned on by her. It wouldn't really be a surprise if Jessie was trying to play her interest in the woman down. Maybe having Stephanie around was going to be more of a gift than they expected?

After Jessie returned to the stage for the band's final set, she pondered the question some more. After seeing the two of them together this evening, she decided that she'd definitely be paying more attention to what was happening between them than she had before, starting right now.

She had already noticed the outfit that Stephanie was wearing, when she picked her up at the hotel. Was she possibly dressing to attract Jessie? Now that she thought about it some more, she remembered Stephanie's reaction to seeing Jessie on stage for the first time. The redhead had definitely shown some interest in the singer then. As a matter of fact, Stephanie hadn't been able to take her eyes off Jessie all night. Could the redhead actually be interested in Jessie?

She thought back further, to the last two weeks in the office. Neither woman had shown anything more than a professional face at work. Still…there did seem to be some sort of tension between them. Theresa just hadn't been paying that much attention. She knew for a fact that Jessie thought Stephanie was extremely hot. She'd said so numerous times, watching her movies over and over…Theresa started to grin. Oh yeah…there was some definite 'like' going on here!

Two hours later, Jessie met them at the table. The bar was closed now, and the last patrons had been ushered out about twenty minutes before. "So, you two ready to go?" Jessie asked, gliding up to the table. Seeing them nod in unison, she said, "Cool. Theresa, do you want to follow me, or do you want me to drive?"

"I think I'll follow you, Jess," Theresa said, dropping down off her stool and grabbing her purse. "I need to get home some time before noon tomorrow," she said, teasing her friend. Stories about Jessie partying were legendary, and she knew for a fact that many of them were true.

Rolling her eyes and smiling at Theresa, she said, "Fine. Stephanie, would you like to ride over with me? Or would you rather ride with Theresa, the Old Lady?"

Stephanie laughed at the way the two were joking with each other. She hadn't seen Jessie this relaxed since she'd met her. Seeing an opportunity, she made a quick decision. "If you don't mind, I'll ride with you," she said, grabbing her purse as well.

"Well then, right this way, ladies," Jessie said with a sweep of her arm, ushering them toward the door.

As they got into the car, Jessie said, "I hope you don't mind if I have a window down. The cigarette smoke from the bar just about kills me. This way, some of it clears off the clothes and hair."

Stephanie shook her head. "I don't mind, Jessie. I don't really care for the smoke smell, either."

"Well then," Jessie said, smiling, "We have something in common."

"Yeah, I guess we do," Stephanie agreed.

They spent the rest of the ride to Mike's making small talk. Stephanie talked about what it was like, filming a movie and spending time on different sets. She even told Jessie about meeting some of the big name actors she'd worked with over the years.

Jessie, for her part, listened politely and shared some of her experiences singing with different bands. By the time they arrived at Mike's, they were getting along like old friends, and Stephanie finally felt like she was making some headway where Jessie was concerned. She was hoping that hanging out with her in a different setting might make working together on a daily basis a little easier on both of them. Since she'd gotten there, she'd felt like Jessie was just tolerating her presence; doing things with her because it was her job. But tonight, the singer seemed genuinely happy that she was there. Maybe she'd read the situation wrong?

Arriving at Mike's house, they got out of the car and waited for Theresa to join them. It only took a minute for her to park the car and walk up the driveway. Mike was a mechanical engineer by day, and played bass in the band at night. His house was in one of the nicer, more upscale neighborhoods in the area, and sat back off the road. This, of course, made having loud parties late at night possible. None of the neighbors could hear what was going on at the house, which was a good thing. He didn't host parties often, but when he did they tended to get loud and crazy.

As the three walked into the house, they were greeted at the door by Doug, the keyboard player. "Hey Jess, bring some friends with you?" he asked, handing each of them a bottle of Guinness.

"Yeah. Doug, you already know Theresa?" At his nod, she said, "And this is Stephanie. She's my intern at work." Doug knew who she was, of course. He'd seen Stephanie's movies, like everyone else in the band. And, Jessie had already told them about her. But, wanting Stephanie to be comfortable, she'd decided to treat her like any other intern and introduced her accordingly.

"Good to meet you, Stephanie," Doug said, leaning close so she could hear him over the loud industrial dance music blaring through the house. "If you need anything, look me up. But I'm sure Jessie will take care of you," he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at her.

Jessie slapped him playfully. "Cut it out, Doug. I told you, she's my intern, not my date."

"Speaking of dates, where's Alex?" he asked, looking around for the brunette. She'd been hanging around more recently, and he thought maybe Jessie was actually dating the brunette now.

Jessie shrugged. "No idea. Don't care. All I know is...she's not here."

His eyebrows rose in surprise, but he didn't say anything else about it. Jessie was reserved in a way he found kind of strange sometimes. One minute she'd be the friendliest person you'd ever met, and the next, she acted like she'd never seen you before. He shrugged. Oh well, 'that's just who she is,' he thought to himself. Besides, she's one Hell of a singer.

Making their way through the crowd, they finally managed to make it to the game room. The pool table was surrounded by people watching the current game, so Jessie led them out to the pool. Everywhere they went, there were people. From the looks of things, Mike had invited half the bar.

Finding some chairs, they sat and talked to a few people, until Jessie finally said, "Come on, let's go dance."

"Dance?" Theresa said, surprised. "Jess, I don't think I've seen you dance in years. What's the special occasion?"

Jessie shrugged. "I'm just in the mood to dance. Geez, T!"

"Well, I'd like to dance," Stephanie said, jumping up and grabbing Jessie's hand. For some reason, probably all the alcohol she'd had tonight, she felt really good. Dragging Jessie into the middle of the makeshift dance floor, they began dancing to the strains of the Evanescence song 'Bring Me to Life.'

As the alcohol in her system combined with the beat of the music, Jessie found herself drawn closer and closer to the redhead. She'd tried for the last two weeks to keep a professional distance from her. But now, Stephanie was dancing around her with abandon, moving sensuously with the beat of the music. Simply looking at the redhead would have turned her on regardless, but the outfit she was wearing had ramped up the effect. She loved the green blouse, the leather skirt, and those pumps…! Man, was Stephanie hot, or what?

As the music slowed down, she realized they were dancing closer together. Not quite touching, they were, nevertheless, slow dancing. "You can touch me, Jessie. I won't bite," Stephanie said, leaning in to whisper in her ear as they moved around each other on the dance floor.

Shivering from the feel of Stephanie's breath ghosting across her ear, and unsure if she should, Jessie finally decided to throw caution to the wind. After all, they were just dancing, right? Smiling at Stephanie, she reached out with her right hand and placed it on the redhead's left hip. At the hesitant touch, Stephanie moved in a little closer, throwing her right hand around to rest on the back of Jessie's neck.

As they danced, Jessie realized she was staring into Stephanie's eyes. Unable to pull herself back from those green pools, she felt herself falling into them. Pulling Stephanie a little closer, she thought she might moan from the feel of the gorgeous woman's body moving against her own. Biting her lower lip, she finally admitted to herself what she'd been trying to keep hidden for the last two weeks. There was no denying it now; she was falling for the redhead.

By the time the music had changed again, Stephanie let go of Jessie's shoulders and had begun dancing behind her. The feel of Stephanie rubbing against her from behind was beginning to drive Jessie crazy. The internal argument she was having was making it more difficult to concentrate. Especially when Stephanie suddenly snaked a hand around to her stomach from behind and was pulling her into the dance. Suddenly forgetting where her mind was going with the argument, she gave in to her instincts and turned to dance with the woman. She no longer cared what happened or who was watching. All she wanted right now was Stephanie.

Across the room, Theresa watched as Jessie began dancing with Stephanie. No longer unclear on how Jessie felt about the redhead, she bit her cheek. For that matter, Stephanie was making her feelings pretty clear, too. Should she talk to Jessie about this, or let it go? She didn't want Jess to get hurt again but…she was a big girl. Besides, Jessie routinely slept with Alex and there appeared to be no strings attached. Maybe that's all this was? They'd sleep together and get it out of their system and everything would be all right. Theresa rolled her eyes at that. There was no way that Jessie would be all right with that arrangement. Not from what she could see watching them.

The music slowed down again and Jessie came sauntering over to sit down next to her. "Hey Theresa, how's it going? You sure you don't wanna dance?"

Theresa shook her head. "I'm fine, Jess."

"You looked like you were deep in thought over here," Jessie said, smiling at her and taking a drink from her beer.

"Where's Stephanie?" Theresa suddenly blurted out, the question coming out more demanding than she'd intended.

Jessie blinked, not sure where the sudden attitude was coming from but answered, "She went to the bathroom. Are you sure you're okay?"

Theresa nodded. "I'm fine. Sorry, that didn't come out quite the way I meant."

"Oh, okaaay…" Jessie said, still not positive that Theresa wasn't drunk or something.

Taking a deep breath and rolling her eyes at what she was about to do, Theresa finally said, "Jessie, can I ask you something?"

"Sure T, you can ask me anything. You know that," Jessie answered, not sure where this was going.

"What are you doing out there?"

"Doing out where?" Jessie asked, growing more confused by the minute.

"Dancing with Stephanie like that…Jessie, should you be…I don't know…coming on to her like that?" Theresa finally managed to stammer out.

"Coming on to her?" Jessie repeated in disbelief. "I'm…I'm not…"

"Yes, you are, Jess. The two of you are dancing like you're going home to bed from here. You're practically making out with each other," Theresa said pointedly.

Jessie rolled her eyes. Maybe it was the alcohol, she wasn't sure. But that's what she blamed their behavior on. "Theresa, we're just dancing. We've both had a lot to drink but it doesn't mean anything more than that."

Theresa sighed. She'd said her peace, and she wouldn't interfere again. Jessie probably wouldn't listen to her anyway. "As long as you know what you're doing, Jess. I just don't want to see you hurt again."

"And you're a great friend for watching out for me," Jessie said as she stood up to welcome Stephanie back. "I promise, I'll be careful." She winked at Theresa and followed Stephanie back out to the dance floor.

Sitting back in her chair, Theresa sighed and rolled her eyes. 'I hope you're right, Jess,' she thought to herself as she watched them dancing together. To her, and to everyone else, it was obvious that the two women were into each other. Apparently, the only two who were unaware of the attraction was the two of them.

Around four, Theresa got up and pulled Jessie and Stephanie off the dance floor. "Sorry guys, but I need to head home."

Jessie smiled. "Brian text you and wonder where you are?" she asked knowingly.

Shaking her head, Theresa said, "No, actually he didn't. I've just been up for almost 24 hours and need to get some rest. Stephanie," she said, turning her attention to the redhead, "I'll give you a ride home, if you're ready?"

"That's okay, T. I'll give her a ride back," Jessie cut in smoothly.

"Are you sure, Jess? It's kind of out of your way, and I'm going right by there," Theresa said.

"It's fine, really," Jessie said, reassuring her. "That is…if you're okay with that, Stephanie?" she asked, looking at the redhead.

"Tha's fine by…me," Stephanie said in answer, slurring her words a bit.

"Well…if you're sure…?" Theresa said hesitantly.

"I'm po…pos'tive," Stephanie said, smiling at her. "Jessie can take me…home."

"Okay then, I'll see you both tomorrow night," Theresa said as she left.

An hour later, Jessie decided it was definitely time for them to head out. The party was winding down, although there were still some who were going strong. Stephanie had stopped drinking about ten minutes after Theresa left, but she still seemed pretty drunk. She was slurring her words and Jessie had to help her out to the car, since she was weaving quite a bit.

Helping the redhead into the car, she made sure the seatbelt was fastened. Coming around to the driver's side, she climbed in and headed back to Stephanie's hotel. Fifteen minutes down the road, Stephanie was leaning on her shoulder and snoring softly. Glancing down at her, Jessie couldn't help but smile. She'd had a great time tonight, and Stephanie seemed to really enjoy herself.

Arriving back at Stephanie's hotel room, Jessie managed to unlock and open the door, all while keeping Stephanie upright. She wasn't sure how much the redhead had had to drink, but she was feeling pretty good.

Maneuvering them both through the door, she made sure it was shut and locked behind them. Then, she guided the actress into the bedroom of the suite. Depositing Stephanie on the side of the bed, the redhead promptly fell backward.

Jessie sighed and stood there looking at the other woman, perplexed. Blowing out a breath, she said, "Stephanie…Steph…" then, a little louder, "Stephanie! Come on and sit up. You need to get ready for bed."

"Mmm, don' wanna," the redhead murmured, one arm flung over her eyes.

Rolling her eyes, Jessie said, "Come on, give me your foot and I'll help you. You can't sleep with your shoes on."

Stephanie waited a minute, then, when the words seemed to have sunk in, she lifted her right leg. "You gonna' undress me, Jess?" she asked, a hint of seductiveness in her voice.

"I'll help you where I can," Jessie said in answer, catching the offered leg gently under the calf. Running her hand down the well muscled leg, she slowly drew the black pump off Stephanie's foot. Then, letting it drop gently back to the floor, she did the same with the other.

Setting the shoes to the side, under the edge of the bedside table, she stood looking at the redhead. Unsure of exactly how to proceed, she bit the inside of her cheek. Undressing someone you were about to fuck was one thing…but this…This was different. Stephanie was different. Not that she didn't want to…well, not fuck, Stephanie…she wanted it to be more than just a one night stand. 'Jesus, when did she suddenly decide that she wanted that? Oh yeah, somewhere between the first movie she ever saw her in and the day the redhead walked into her office.' Shaking her head at her own libidinous thoughts, she attempted to get her hormones under control. Once she felt ready, she sucked in a deep breath, and decided to forge ahead.

"Steph, where's your night clothes?" She waited a second, before the redhead answered.

"S'over there, in the drawer," Stephanie slurred, pointing in the general direction of the dresser.

She walked over and opened the drawer, finding a pair of shorts and a ratty old t-shirt. Tilting her head in surprise, she reached in and pulled them out. It surprised her that the other woman slept in something so…so, normal, was the only word she could use to describe it. She'd really expected something more expensive, like a silk nightshirt or…something.

Stepping back over to the bed, she eyed the redhead dubiously. Well, this was going to be a trick. Getting her undressed wasn't going to be the problem. It was the dressing her part that was going to be difficult. Finally deciding on a plan of attack, she blew out a breath, causing her hair to fly up from her eyes momentarily. Then, she bent to the task.

Slowly, explaining quietly to Stephanie exactly what she was doing, she said, "Steph, I'm going to unzip your skirt, okay?"

"You can unzip an'thin' you wan'." the redhead said, invitingly.

Rolling her eyes at the drunken invitation, she took another deep breath. 'Why can't this be easy?' Reaching down slowly, she unfastened the button at her waist and slid the zipper down. Then, slapping Stephanie playfully on the hip, she said, "Help me get this off you, Steph."

Stephanie giggled, but raised her hips so she could pull the skirt down and off. Then, placing the skirt over the back of the chair, she turned around and repeated the process with her hose. 'Had she mentioned that she hated hose?' Well, hate was kind of a strong term, actually. She really just hated putting them on and taking them off. When another woman was wearing them, they were sexy as Hell. Finished now with the hose (it hadn't been as hard as she'd expected), she took another deep breath. For some reason she didn't want to think about, it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

For a moment, she thought Stephanie was asleep. She'd been so quiet, not saying anything while she took her hose off. As she glanced down, she saw the redhead staring at her. Her eyes shining brightly, the undisguised need she saw there made her swallow hard.

"Steph," she forced herself to say, grabbing the shorts off the bed. "Let me help you get these on."

Stephanie shook her head. "No. I don' wan'em on."

"Steph…please?" Jessie practically begged. The redhead was making this hard. Didn't she know how bad Jessie wanted her right now? Seeing her lying there in nothing but those black silk panties and blouse was driving her nuts. Grabbing her hand, she pulled her forward, into a sitting position.

"We'll hold off on that for a moment, then," Jessie said. "Let me get your blouse off." She reached over slowly, almost afraid to touch her. She was dismayed to see that her hands were shaking.

"You don' hafta be ner…nervous, Jess," Stephanie said, watching her carefully. "I wan…want this."

Sobering immediately when the words registered, Jessie replied, "This, isn't going to happen, Stephanie. I'm just here to help you get ready for bed. Then I'm leaving."

"I don't wan' you ta go," Stephanie said sadly.

Making sure she remained all business, Jessie said, "I need to, Stephanie. I'm not taking advantage of you when you're like this." As she talked, she finished unbuttoning the redhead's blouse. Not sure how to proceed, she finally got on the bed and sat on her knees behind the redhead.

Bracing herself for the feeling of Stephanie's skin under her hands, she slid the blouse down the toned arms. Without meaning to, she allowed her hands to glide down the arms with the blouse, causing her hands to tingle from the touch. Cursing herself for her lack of control, she tossed the shirt over toward the chair with the skirt. Then, she turned her attention to Stephanie's matching black silk bra. 'Damn! Why did she have to be so hot?'

As she unhooked the bra and began to slide the straps down Stephanie's arms, the redhead sighed and leaned back into her. Pausing with the movement, Jessie took a deep breath to steady herself. 'Jesus, why was Stephanie coming on to her like this?' Instead of stopping, however, she whispered, "Steph, what are you doing?" It bothered her a bit when she heard her own voice. It sounded unsteady, and her breathing was becoming shallow.

"I want you to touch me, Jess," Stephanie said in answer, suddenly sounding more sober than she had a few minutes before.

"I can't…do that, Steph," Jessie said, swallowing hard again. God, how she wanted to reach out and touch those breasts; to taste the pale flesh that was being offered so willingly. But no, she couldn't. Tossing the bra across the room, she took a deep breath.

"You can. You were practically fucking me out on the dance floor, earlier. The feel of your hands on me was incredible. We're alone now, and I want you, Jessie. Please…make love to me?" Stephanie's voice was soft, pleading. An almost whisper that fluttered over Jessie's heart and made her breathing hitch.

"I…I can't, Steph. I shouldn't," Jessie said, practically begging the other woman to stop coming on to her. "This is different."

"Why? Wha's so dif'rent? You wanted me earlier, I know you did," Stephanie whined.

"It just…it just is, Steph," Jessie tried to explain. She had valid reasons for saying 'no,' she really did. Why couldn't she seem to force her mouth to work and explain it to Stephanie?

Suddenly getting irritated, Stephanie asked, "Is it dif'ren' cause I…I'm not Alex? I bet you wouln' hes'tate to fuck her if she's here righ' now."

Jerking her head back from Stephanie's hair, where she'd somehow managed to come to rest, smelling her shampoo, she said, "That's not fair, Stephanie. Alex is different. I don't want a one night stand with you."

"But you haf no problem fuckin' her jus' whene'r? I don' unnersta…unnerstand," Stephanie was still slurring, although she did seem to understand what was being said, despite her words.

Jessie closed her eyes. Why wouldn't Stephanie just let this go? Finally, pleading with the other woman, she said, "Stephanie…Steph, please. I can't take advantage of you when you've been drinking. I'd never be able to look at you again, knowing I'd done that."

Stephanie turned in her arms, her face only inches away. "It's not takin' advantage when I'm offering," she said, the look in her eyes telling Jessie just how much the redhead really wanted her.

For a moment, staring into those green eyes that she secretly loved so much, Jessie toyed with the idea of taking her up on the offer. Remembering how much she'd wanted to stay home in bed with Alex that Monday morning two weeks ago, she asked herself again: 'Why can't I, just this once, have what I want?' Swallowing against the tightness in her throat, she leaned forward ever so slightly. Looking at Stephanie, her gorgeous, almost naked body sitting there, begging Jessie to take her, she couldn't resist.

Her hand moving upward from Stephanie's arm, to the back of her head, she pulled her forward until their lips met. Kissing her with an intensity that she'd never felt before, Jessie fleetingly wondered if this was what heaven was like.

Then, as Stephanie's hand traveled down to pull at the lace up fly on her black leather pants, she suddenly stopped. Pushing Stephanie back gently, she said, "No. Stephanie, no." The redhead hadn't seemed to hear her, though.

Her hand still working at the laces, Jessie finally reached down and caught it, stopping its' frantic motion. Shaking her head, she said gently, "Stephanie…stop. Please, stop. We can't do this. I…I can't do this." Looking her in the eye, Jessie desperately hoped that she'd take no for an answer.

"Jess…wh…why? We don't hafta stop," Stephanie said, confused. "Don't you want me?"

Jessie closed her eyes so she couldn't see the look in Stephanie's green ones. She felt awful, turning the redhead down. Especially when all she really wanted to do was throw her down and fuck her brains out right this instant. But this…this wasn't how Jessie wanted this to go. And, she had to admit, it was a huge step for her to exercise this much control over herself. Stephanie didn't know how right she was. If this were Alex, they wouldn't have made it past the front hall with their clothes on. Hell, if this were Alex, they'd be lucky if they'd made it out of the car.

The problem for Jessie was that this wasn't Alex. It was Stephanie. Someone that she happened to have some respect for. Someone that she cared for. Shit, thinking about it, did that mean that she didn't care for, or respect, Alex? Jessie mentally shook her head. No. It just meant that Stephanie meant more to her than Alex did.

She was suddenly brought out of her mental rambling, by Stephanie's voice. "Jessie? Jess…what happened? Why do you want this to stop?"

Shaking her head, regret tingeing her voice, Jessie said, "We have to, Steph. I don't want to treat you like this. I do want you…you have no idea how much. But you deserve better than that." Backing out of the circle of Stephanie's arms, where she'd somehow ended up, she reached over and grabbed the t-shirt. "Here, lift your arms and let me help you finish getting dressed."

Hurt, Stephanie pushed Jessie back. "I don' wan' you to hel' me," she said, still slurring her words. "I wan' you, Jess."

Jessie shook her head sadly. "No, Steph. Not tonight. Come on, help me out here." She realized she was almost begging the redhead to just help her out, and it irritated her slightly. She hated to beg.

Tears beginning to stream down her face, Stephanie finally relented. Unwilling to argue anymore in her current state, she gave in and raised her arms.

Jessie quickly dropped the shirt over Stephanie's head and pulled it down, conveniently hiding those beautiful breasts from her view. Wishing she hadn't had to do that, she said, "Thanks, Steph. Now, let's get you settled. We can talk about this some other time, okay?" She reached over and wiped a stray tear from the pale cheek.

Suddenly compliant, Stephanie nodded, and moved so that Jessie could pull the bed covers down for her. Crawling under the sheets, she allowed Jessie to tuck her in.

Pulling the sheets over the redhead, Jessie leaned in to kiss her forehead, saying, "Goodnight, Steph. I'll see you later." As she turned to leave, however, she felt Stephanie's hand catch her wrist.

"Don't leave me, Jessie," Stephanie said softly. "I don't wan' to be 'lone tonight."

Jessie shook her head. "I can't, Steph. That probably wouldn't be a good idea, right now."

Tears rolling down her cheeks again, Stephanie said, "Please? I just wan' you to hold me. Won't you please just hold me, Jess?"

Rolling her eyes, and not really wanting to leave, Jessie gave in. She couldn't just leave Stephanie here like this, crying and alone, could she? After all, it was her job to take care of the redhead, wasn't it? Sighing, she finally gave in. "All right, I'll stay. But I'm sleeping on the couch in the living room."

Stephanie sniffed and shook her head. "No. I need you to hold me. I don' wanna be…alone, Jess…"

Jessie tilted her head back and growled in frustration. What the Hell did she do in a past life to cause this kind of karma in this one? Did she piss off a God or something? Blowing out a breath, she finally said, "Fine. I'll be right back."

Going back out to the living room, she grabbed her gym bag from the area by the door where she'd tossed it when they came in. After having her car broken into more than once, she never went anywhere without taking her things with her. She couldn't afford to have anything else stolen. And, at this particular moment, she was glad she'd had it. Carrying the bag back into the bedroom, she quickly pulled out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt to change into. She'd planned on going to the gym after work, but had gotten wrapped up in something, and didn't get time to go. Now, she was glad about that.

Changing, she tossed her 'band clothes' into a pile on the floor, and climbed into bed next to Stephanie. As she did, she made sure to keep as much distance between them as she could. She was so keyed up and turned on right now; it wouldn't take much for her to give in to what she knew they both wanted.

As she lay there, unmoving, Stephanie whispered, "You can breathe, Jess. I won't bite."

Not even realizing she was so tense, Jessie forced herself to relax. Within minutes, she tensed up again, as she felt Stephanie's arm drape across her stomach.

"Relax, Jess," Stephanie said, again. "I told you I just want to be held. We don't have to do anything, I swear. I'm sorry I pushed you."

Exhausted and desperately wanting to hold the redhead, she finally gave in. Sliding an arm up and over Stephanie's head, she pulled the other woman to her, until she was spooned against her side, head resting on her shoulder. She could feel the smooth skin of Stephanie's leg as it rose to lay over her own, pulling them closer: Those black silk panties brushing her upper thigh, where Stephanie was lying on top of her. Laying here like this, Jessie prayed that she'd survive the night. And she knew then, that she'd found what she wanted. She also knew, without a doubt, that she couldn't have this. Stephanie was only here for a short time, and then she'd go back to LA. No way was she setting herself up for that. Sniffing and using her free hand to wipe away a stray tear, she relaxed and fell asleep.

Jessie came awake slowly. As her mind swam up out of unconsciousness, she flashed back to the night before. She remembered the Blue Rose and Theresa and Stephanie showing up. She even remembered Alex coming in and kissing her. For a minute, she nearly panicked, as she felt the warmth of the slender body curled up practically on top of her. Shit! Did she bring Alex home again? But then, shaking off the thought, she remembered the rest of the evening. There was the party at Mike's house, dancing with Stephanie…Damn! She'd brought Stephanie back to her hotel room. The redhead had been a little drunk…they'd argued about her staying and sleeping together…

Taking a deep breath to steady her rapidly beating heart, Jessie steeled herself for what she was going to see when she opened her eyes. Correction: Not what, she'd see…but who. She tensed, as she felt her bedmate shift in sleep. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked to her right.

Curled up tightly against her side, still deep in sleep, was Stephanie. Dark red hair spread out on the pillow, breathing slowly, she looked absolutely beautiful. Jessie closed her eyes and swallowed. Shit! What had she done now? But then, she realized they both still had clothes on! She knew they hadn't done anything. She hadn't been that drunk. Sure, she was feeling pretty good when they got back here last night, but Stephanie's behavior had sobered her up pretty quickly.

Lying here now, she just watched the other woman breathe. She looked so peaceful, so gorgeous, that Jessie couldn't wake her up. Besides, wasn't this what she'd been wanting to do just two weeks ago? Stay in bed and just relax? So, giving in just this once…Jessie tightened her hold on Stephanie and settled back down for a while longer. As she drifted back down into sleep, she thought she heard a whispered, 'Thanks for staying, Jess,' but she couldn't be sure.

By the time Saturday afternoon rolled around, Jessie had returned home. She hadn't resolved anything with Stephanie before she left that afternoon, though. The redhead had awoken with a horrible headache and an upset stomach, and she'd stayed for a while to take care of her. Eventually, Stephanie claimed to feel better and told Jessie she didn't have to stay any longer if she didn't want to.

It wasn't that she didn't want to stay, because she did. But she had invited everyone from the band, and their significant others', over for a movie night. She really needed to get home and get ready. So, once she was dressed and ready for the day, she checked on Stephanie one more time.

"You okay, Steph?" she asked, coming in to sit on the side of the bed.

"Yeah, my head's feeling a lot better and my stomach's calmed down," the redhead said, smiling softly up at her. She really wanted to talk about what happened last night, but right now she just didn't feel up to it. Still, she felt well enough to say, "Thanks for last night, Jessie."

Jessie reached over and tucked a handful of the red hair back behind her ear. Leaning over, she kissed her lightly on the cheek. "No problem, Steph. It was my pleasure." Standing up, she said, "You are still coming over tonight, right?"

Stephanie nodded, wincing slightly due to her headache. "Yeah, Theresa said they'd be here around 6:30 to pick me up."

She smiled. "Okay, I'll see you then. And don't worry about last night; we can talk about it when you're feeling better. In the meantime, get some rest."

She nodded, grateful that Jessie understood. "Bye, Jessie," she said as the brunette left. She really wanted her to stay and not leave her alone, but she couldn't ask that of her. Jessie had things to do, and she probably needed some rest, as well. 'God, how long has it been since she'd partied like that?' Groaning, she rolled over and fell back to sleep for a few more hours.

Theresa strolled into Jessie's kitchen with a sly grin on her face. "So?" she said, sliding up to the island in the middle of the room.

Looking up at her with one eyebrow raised toward her hairline, Jessie said, "So, what?"

"So…what happened last night? You took Stephanie back home after the party…and…?" she trailed off, waiting for an answer.

Jessie shrugged. "And nothing."

"What? Jessie…you two were all over each other when you were dancing. I thought for sure…"

"Nothing happened, Theresa. I swear," Jessie said, handing the blond a tray full of snacks.

"Nothing?" Theresa asked in disbelief. "Jessie, there's something between the two of you, I can tell. Come on, you can tell me," the blond said, badgering her. "You did spend the night with her, didn't you?"

Jessie nodded shyly at the question. Her answering "Yes," was so quiet that Theresa had to work to hear it.

"Jess…did you…sleep with her?" Theresa asked, somewhat surprised, but not really. Really, she thought, this is Jessie Drake: Lawyer by day, rock goddess by night. Someone who sleeps with women without a second thought and leaves them wanting more, but never looking back.

Jessie sighed when Theresa asked 'the question.' Looking at her best friend, she couldn't hide the look in her eyes. "I…no…well…" It was obvious that she was struggling for the right answer.

"Jessie?" Theresa prompted, wondering what the Hell was going on. Jessie had never been shy about admitting to sleeping with anyone before. Why all of a sudden was she trying to avoid answering the question? She hadn't even blinked when Theresa had walked in on her with Alex a few days ago!

"I…I did stay," she finally managed to stammer. "But we uh…we didn't…what I mean to say is…"

"What she means to say…" Stephanie interrupted, entering the kitchen, "is that she was completely honorable." She looked at Jessie then with so much emotion in her eyes, that Jessie thought she might break down and cry.

Surprised and a little embarrassed to be caught asking Jessie about her night with the redhead, Theresa managed to say, "Jessie was…honorable? She didn't try…?"

Stephanie shook her head and came to stand next to Jessie. Placing her hand on top of Jessie's where it rested on the counter, she squeezed it and said, "No. She helped me into bed and stayed to make sure I was okay."

Jessie looked at Stephanie's hand on her own and then looked up at the redhead. She had never been more grateful for someone in her life than she was right now. She knew, without a doubt, that she'd made the right decision last night. Falling into lush green eyes, she could only say, "Thank you, Steph."

"My pleasure," Stephanie said, echoing Jessie's earlier words. "I just came in to tell you two that they're getting restless. You need to get out there so we can start the first movie."

Theresa was the first to take the hint. Grabbing the tray off the counter where she'd left it sitting, she headed for the living room. Since Jessie and Stephanie were both still looking into each others' eyes, she said, "I'll just head on out there and uh…let you two talk." She was getting the definite feeling that both women had already forgotten her presence.

For a moment after Theresa left the kitchen neither woman spoke. Then, Stephanie finally broke the silence. "Jessie, before we watch the movie, I wanted to tell you…"

Jessie shook her head. "No, you don't have to say anything, Steph. I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to…"

Stephanie reached up and placed a finger against Jessie's lips, effectively shutting her up. "Shh…don't. Don't apologize, Jess. You were right. I'd had too much to drink, and you don't know me that well. There's no way you could have known that I…" she took a deep breath, "That I really did want you last night."

Jessie felt her eyebrow rise toward her hairline again. "Stephanie," she began, shaking her head. "You can't possibly want me. We've only known each other for two weeks." There's no way the actress could want her, right? Right?

"I know it sounds crazy Jess, but I do want you. Seeing you on stage…well…" Stephanie blew out a breath. "There's no way I couldn't want you after that, even though I'd already begun to think about it before then. To be perfectly honest, I've been thinking about you from day one. And the way you treated me last night…even after I got mad and yelled at you. You didn't have to stay. You could have left."

Jessie's voice was barely a whisper. "You asked me to stay. You didn't want to be alone."

"Still…you could have left, but you didn't. I would have understood, once I sobered up," she said, smiling. Her eyes had never left Jessie's and her hand was still holding the brunette's. With her free hand, she reached up and caressed Jessie's cheek. "Thank you…for just holding me. I needed that last night."

Tilting her head into the soft caress, Jessie said quietly, "You're welcome. I think I needed it, too. Even though I didn't know it at the time." Still looking into green eyes, Jessie leaned a little closer and…

"Hey you two! Will you stop flirtin' in here and get out there? The movie's starting," Mike said, poking his head into the kitchen.

With a deep sigh, Jessie stepped back away from the redhead and, taking her by the hand, said, "Come on, Steph. Let's get out there before they all come in to see what they're missing."

Stephanie laughed and squeezed her hand as she allowed herself to be led out to the living room. When they arrived, the only seats left were on the loveseat. Whether by accident or design, they weren't sure. Jessie however, highly suspected it was by design. Still, watching a movie with Stephanie by her side all night didn't seem like a bad thing, so…why not?

As the previews for upcoming movies started, Jessie asked, "So John, what movie are we watching?"

John, the drummer for the band looked up from his beer and smiled. "Oh, it's high art, Jess. You'll like it."

Jessie rolled her eyes and said playfully, "Porn is high art to you, John. Come on, spill. What movie are we watching?"

"There's nothing wrong with porn," he retorted, acting offended.

"Okay, fine," she said in answer, holding up a hand in surrender. "But this is supposed to be a 'family' oriented movie night. Not a movie with your family in it," she shot back.

"Oh come on, Jess! I've never shown you guys those movies!" he said, beginning to laugh.

"Lacy," Jessie said, looking at John's wife, "How many of your movies have we seen?"

Lacy, a busty blond in her early thirties, shrugged and laughed, saying, "Just about all of them, I think."

"Thank you," Jessie said, looking back at John pointedly.

"Oh, all right," he said, giving in. "I thought we'd start with 'Avatar' and go from there."

"Cool," Jessie said, settling back into the loveseat with a Diet Coke in her hand. Next to her she could feel Stephanie getting comfortable and trying to maintain a respectable distance. But, just as the title credits began to roll, Stephanie leaned over and asked, "Porn movies?"

Jessie laughed quietly and answered her, whispering in her ear. "John's a film producer in the porn industry. Lacy, his wife, acts in his films."

Stephanie's face colored slightly, giving her face a cute pinkish hue. "Oh," was all she said, sitting back again and beginning to watch the movie. To her left, Jessie smiled and tried not to notice the blush rising up Steph's cheeks.

Two and a half hours later, Doug got up and changed movies. Unsure what he'd put in the DVD player, Jessie groaned out loud when she realized what movie he'd just put in. "Doug, where did you get that?"

"It was on the shelf with all your others' Jessie," he said, sitting back down in the armchair. "Why?"

Jessie rolled her eyes. "I don't know. I just thought…" she stopped talking when she felt Stephanie's hand on her arm.

Stephanie had realized from the DVD box what movie he'd put in. "It's okay, Jess. I don't mind. We can watch it."

"Are you sure?" Jessie asked, unconvinced. What the Hell was Doug thinking putting in one of Stephanie's movies? And, to make it worse, it was one with two topless scenes in it.

"I'm fine with it, Jessie," Stephanie said, smiling at her. "I happen to like this one quite a bit, actually."

"You sure you don't mind?" Jessie said, watching the redhead carefully to make sure she wasn't just trying to please the group.

Stephanie nodded, still smiling. "I'm positive."

Shrugging, Jessie said, "Well…if you're sure."

Decision made, Doug relaxed back in his chair. He really liked this movie. It was full of action, guns, sexy, half naked women and more action. What could be better on a Saturday night off?

By the time they'd reached the first nude scene that Stephanie had in the film, it was clear to the actress that Jessie was uncomfortable. She was trying to hide it, but her efforts were failing miserably. Sliding closer to the brunette, she leaned over and whispered in her ear. "It doesn't bother me…people watching this, you know. It's okay if you like it. In fact, it makes me feel good that you do."

Closing her eyes and licking her lips at the sensation of Stephanie's breath so close to her ear, Jessie swallowed hard. Grateful that the only light in the room was coming from the 48" flat screen TV set, she turned to face the redhead. Leaning into her, Jessie decided to take a chance and kissed her slowly on the lips. As she backed away, lips still burning from the contact, she whispered, "I do like it. It turns me on." She licked her lower lip before adding, "You turn me on."

"Good," Stephanie said, scooting closer and resting her head on Jessie's shoulder. "I think I like that."

When the end credits ran for the second movie, Doug stood up and announced he was making a beer run. Mike agreed to join him and they took off, promising to be back within twenty minutes.

As they waited for the guys to return, Jessie got up and went to the bathroom. When she finished and opened the door to leave, Theresa was there in the hallway, waiting for her. "Can we talk, Jess?"

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Now?"

"It'll only take a minute," Theresa said, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her into her bedroom. Shutting the door behind them, Theresa said, "So…spill it. What really happened last night?"

"Stephanie told you, nothing happened."

"Bullshit," Theresa said, eyeing her critically. "I know you, Jessica Elizabeth Drake, and you do not stammer when asked a question about your sex life. You were kissing her during the movie, I saw you. Now, what really happened?"

Defeated, Jessie sighed. "Oh, all right! Jesus, nothing really happened, T. We didn't have sex, if that's what you're asking. I did spend the night, but I just held her while she slept. That's all."

"That's it?" Theresa said in disbelief. "Why didn't you, Jess? Seeing you two dancing it was pretty clear what you both wanted."

Jessie rolled her eyes again. She needed to talk to someone about this, and if she couldn't talk to Theresa then who could she talk to? The blond had been her best friend since they were kids and had stood by her side through everything. She began pacing as she said, "First of all, and probably most important, Stephanie is straight. So she probably doesn't really want me, so much as she's just lonely and needing someone. Second, she was drunk, and I didn't want to take advantage of that. Third, she's not living here permanently, so it's not like we're going to have some long lasting relationship. And fourth, she's an actress. How do I know she's not just…I don't know…'acting' like she likes me?" Now that she'd spelled out her fears, she stopped pacing and sat down on the edge of the bed.

To Theresa, this uncharacteristic outpouring of doubt from Jessie was unfathomable. Having known the brunette for more years than she could count, she thought she knew Jessie. Apparently, she was mistaken. Even after Bobby left the band and dumped her, she'd never acted so out of character. She'd just attacked both her jobs like a demon, staying so busy she didn't have time to worry about anything. In her few brief moments of rest, she got so drunk or high Theresa would have to bring her home and pour her into bed. That was, of course, when she wasn't finding someone else to go home with, instead. Back then, if she wasn't working, singing or drinking, she was sleeping with someone. It didn't matter who, just so long as she didn't spend time alone with herself.

Watching Jessie carefully, Theresa finally realized something. "Jessie, I know you've always liked Stephanie in her movies. And I know what you said the other night," she said carefully, "And you and I both know what gets said by the media about people. What if Stephanie's not straight? Or, what if she is, but she's decided that she likes you enough that it doesn't matter? I've seen the way you two are with each other. You were into each other last night, no doubt about that. There's no way she's acting when it comes to how she feels about you. She's not that good an actress. Very few people are." She moved from the door and sat down next to Jessie on the bed. Pulling Jessie toward her until the brunette's head was resting on her shoulder, she stroked her hair.

"Jessie, sometimes…when you want something bad enough, you just have to take the chance. I know you want her, and I believe in my heart that she wants you," she stopped talking for a minute and thought about what she was about to say. "All this time, I've been wondering why you haven't just made it official with Alex. Remember the other day when you said you didn't know what you wanted?" As she felt Jessie nod, she went on. "Well, I think you know what you want, and it isn't Alex Fagin. I think you want Stephanie, and always have. The real question here is…do you want her bad enough to take the chance?"

Jessie sighed. "I don't know, T. I'm scared."

"It's okay to be scared, Jess. That's part of the excitement of a new relationship," Theresa answered. Giving Jessie a hug, she stood up and said, "Come on, we should get back out there before they all think we're in here doing something we shouldn't be."

Jessie smiled sadly. "You're right. Thanks for the talk, Theresa. I needed to get that out there."

"That's what I'm here for, Jess," Theresa said, following Jessie back out to the living room.

When they got back, only five minutes had passed, so Jessie went into the kitchen and brought out more snacks for everyone. Movie night just wasn't complete without alcohol and chips. Ten minutes later, the guys had arrived with more beer, and the third movie was starting. This time, the movie was a light, romantic comedy, starring Drew Barrymore.

Once again seated on the loveseat, Jessie and Stephanie had switched sides. With Jessie now sitting in the corner of the small couch, Stephanie had stretched out on the rest and had her head resting on Jessie's lap. Within minutes, Jessie's hand had gravitated, (quite without her permission), to the dark red hair fanned out on her legs. When the other woman made no comment, only settled in more, she continued.

As they sat there watching the movie, she finally found enough courage to slide her other hand down to rest on Stephanie's stomach. Again, when there was no comment from the redhead, she began moving her hand in slow circles.

An hour and a half later, with the end credits rolling, Jessie still had no desire to move from her current position. Stephanie had fallen asleep sometime during the movie, and was lying there snoring softly. Still, she needed to get up and see everyone out and lock up the house.

Moving slowly, she was able to slide out from under Stephanie without waking her. As she carried things into the kitchen with Theresa, she said, "T, you guys don't need to give Stephanie a ride back to the hotel. I'll make sure she gets back."

Biting the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling at what was obviously Jessie's way of saying she wanted the redhead to spend the night, Theresa nodded. "If you're sure, Jess? We don't mind taking her home."

"No, it's all right. She's already asleep, and she did have a late night last night. I'll take care of her," she said, putting the last of the snack bags away in the cabinet.

"Well, if you're sure…" Theresa said, "I guess I'll see you Monday morning?"

Jessie nodded. "Absolutely." Hugging everyone goodbye, she watched until they all pulled out of her driveway. Shutting and locking the door then setting the alarm, she turned and went back into the living room. Stopping in the doorway, she just stood and watched Stephanie sleeping. Did she know what she was doing? Not really. Should she even be taking this chance? Probably not. Did she want this? Want Stephanie? Absolutely, without a doubt, yes.

Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the love seat and squatted down. Reaching out, she carefully shook Stephanie on the shoulder. "Stephanie?" she said quietly. "Come on, wake up."

When the redhead stirred sleepily, but made no move to get up, she repeated herself. "Come on, Steph. Everyone's gone. It's time to go to bed."

Finally waking up, Stephanie looked at her. Then, she glanced around the room. Realizing that everyone was gone, she was about to apologize for falling asleep, when Jessie cut her off.

"Hey, you ready to move to the bed? It's more comfortable than this old thing," the brunette said, attempting to hide her nervousness.

"Did everyone leave?" the redhead asked sleepily.

"Yeah. Theresa offered to take you home, but I told her I'd take care of it. You're welcome to stay here tonight, but if you'd rather go back to the hotel, I'll take you," Jessie said quietly, waiting as Stephanie sat up.

"You…you're asking me to stay?" Stephanie said, unsure if she'd heard the other woman correctly.

"Yes," Jessie said, no trace of doubt in her voice. "...if you'd like to, that is?"

Stephanie nodded and smiled. "I'd like to."

Jessie smiled back and held out her hand. "Good. Let's go to bed, it's getting late."

As they arrived at the bedroom, Stephanie suddenly became shy. "I umm…I don't have anything…to sleep in, I'm afraid."

"Don't worry about that," Jessie said. "I'm sure we can find something around here for you to wear." Reaching into a drawer, she pulled out a 'Heart' concert t-shirt and handed it to Stephanie. "Here, you can sleep in this. If you want, I can get you a pair of shorts or sweats, or…something."

"This will be fine," Stephanie said as she accepted the item in question. "I don't really need anything else…If that's okay with you?" She looked at the brunette shyly, not quite sure Jessie would want to share the bed with her if she was only in her underwear and a t-shirt. After last night, she didn't want to freak the brunette out.

Jessie smiled and said, "Whatever you're comfortable with Steph, will be fine."

"Okay," she said. Kicking off her shoes, she quickly stripped out of her jeans and sweater and tugged the t-shirt over her head.

Jessie stepped out of the room while she was changing and came back in a moment later with a brand new toothbrush. "Here, I just got this at the dentist last week. "It's yours."

"Thanks, Jessie," Stephanie said, grateful that the brunette seemed to think of everything.

As Stephanie headed for the attached bathroom, Jessie called out, "Fresh towels are in the closet. Help yourself."

As she shut the bathroom door, Stephanie leaned back against it and took a deep breath. What was she doing? She didn't even know Jessie that well. Not really. Sure, they'd been working together in the same office for the last two weeks, but that's not the same as knowing someone. Still, for some reason she couldn't explain, she'd been drawn to the enigmatic brunette from the moment they'd met. After spending the night with her last night, could she even deny that anymore? Did she want to? Deciding that she definitely didn't want to deny her attraction to Jessie, she pushed herself off the door and began getting ready for bed.

Ten minutes later, Stephanie came out of the bathroom. Jessie passed her on the way into the bathroom, noticing as she passed that Stephanie tossed her bra onto her pile of clothes. Apparently, she'd removed it in the bathroom, so there wouldn't be that whole 'awkward' thing where she was half naked in front of her. Jessie just smiled to herself and stepped into the bathroom. Brushing her teeth and washing up, she returned to the bedroom within minutes as well. As she stepped into the room, she was struck by the vision of Stephanie in her bed. Did she really want this? Oh yeah. Waking up with the redhead in her arms this morning had left her with a feeling of completeness she hadn't felt in years, if ever. She had to admit that it was a good feeling.

Flipping out the light, she climbed in beside the redhead and pulled up the covers. For some reason, even though they'd slept in the same bed the night before, she was still nervous. Maybe it was the lack of alcohol in her system. She wasn't sure. Still, trying to relax, she realized she was lying there stiff as a board. Stephanie, on her right, seemed to be just as nervous.

Finally breaking the silence, she said, "Steph, are you sure you're okay with this? I can sleep out on the couch if you'd like."

She answered immediately. "No, you don't have to do that, Jessie. This is fine. I just…after last night…I don't want you to think that I…well…"

She smiled in the dark listening to the redhead trying to apologize again for last night. "Stephanie, I told you already; there's nothing to worry about. We were both feeling pretty good last night and I think I was partly to blame for what happened. So, let's just pretend that last night didn't happen, okay?"

Stephanie shook her head. "I can't pretend Jessie. It did happen, and I'm really sorry that I came on so strong." She rolled to her left side so that she could look her in the eye. Funny, how she had been so tired earlier but now she was wide awake. "Like I said earlier, I know I've only known you for the last two weeks, but I've found myself inextricably drawn to you. I don't blame you for questioning my motives or my…desires. I just can't seem to help myself."

Jessie reached over and brushed Stephanie's hair back from her face. "I…it's not fair that I feel like I've known you forever," she whispered, about to say something self revealing and retreating to a safer subject at the last minute.

"I know, that's the weird thing about my job," Stephanie said. "I feel like I'm always at a disadvantage because everyone already knows who I am, and I'm just meeting them for the first time. The problem is that they don't really know me; not the real me anyway. It seems like they always expect me to be the person I played in some movie or other."

"That's got to be hard for you," Jessie agreed softly.

"It is," Stephanie said, "But when I met you, I didn't feel that way. From the moment you shook my hand in your office, I felt like you just accepted me for me. I mean, I could tell you were a fan…but you didn't let that control the way you treated me." Stephanie slid a little closer to Jessie and raised a hand to caress her cheek. "Jessie, this is the first time I've ever felt accepted; comfortable around people I didn't know. You haven't put any expectations on me and neither have your friends. Do you have any idea how good that feels?"

Jessie closed her eyes, savoring the feel of Stephanie's hand on her cheek. Sighing in contentment, she said, "I think I do a little bit. Sometimes…when I finish a set and leave the stage, people just bombard me. It seems like they all want to touch me and hang out with me because I'm like a star to them. But I'm no star, I'm just me."

"That's it exactly, Jess. That's how I feel. I knew you'd understand," Stephanie said. "You know, when I saw you up on stage last night, it's like I saw 'you' for the first time. You're so passionate when you sing. You bring so much out in the songs, that people feel like they know you, even though they don't. It's the same with acting."

"Any time I've been on a date since that movie we watched tonight came out, I'm expected to be that character. Or, they think that my personality is like whatever character I was playing in their favorite movie." She stopped talking and shook her head. "I'm not any of those people, though."

Tilting her head a little, Jessie said, "You have to be those people a little bit to play them, don't you? I mean…you couldn't be a convincing bad ass if it wasn't in you somewhere?"

"Well…yeah, I guess you're right. But that's not all that I am," Stephanie explained. "It's why I'm drawn to you, I guess. Well, other than the fact that you're…beautiful." She stopped talking for a minute, clearly unsure if she should continue. When Jessie just waited patiently, she went on. "At work, you're the consummate professional. Nothing seems to bother you. Up on stage, you're a rock goddess, full of passion and attitude. And yet, away from there, you're nothing like that at all."

"So…I'm a mystery?" Jessie asked, smiling.

"Yeah, you could say that," Stephanie said, "And, if you don't mind my saying, I'd like to try and unravel you."

Well, there was more than one way to take that, but Jessie opted for the most literal one. She was a mystery that Stephanie wanted to solve. Smiling as she leaned in to kiss the redhead on the forehead, she thought she liked the sound of that. As she backed away to put some space between them, she said, "So, would you mind if I asked you a question about that movie?"

"No, not at all," Stephanie answered. "What would you like to know?"

"Well, you said it didn't bother you that everyone saw those topless scenes," she hesitated a minute before going on. "But…doesn't it feel weird to be sitting there in a room full of people who know what you look like naked? I mean…that just seems…I don't know…weird."

Stephanie smiled. It wasn't the first time someone had asked her that. It was the first time that a potential lover had asked her that, though. But then again, most potential lovers only wanted her because she was a celebrity, not for who she really was. Shrugging, she answered as best she could. "It used to. But I was young and new to acting when I did that movie. Besides, it's been ten years; I hardly think that I look that good now."

Jessie's brows rose toward her hairline at that. "Oh, I don't know about that, Steph. From what I saw last night, you look absolutely gorgeous to me."

Stephanie blushed at the compliment, and the reminder. Remembering what it had felt like, sitting there on the bed, dressed only in her panties…almost naked and vulnerable…She'd wanted Jessie so bad. Still, she managed to say, "Thank you, but I don't think that last night was one of my better…um…"

"Moments?" Jessie supplied, inching closer.

"Yeah," Stephanie said, feeling her pulse quicken as Jessie reached over and began running her hand up and down the length of her arm.

Looking deep into eyes so green they reminded her of the forest, Jessie leaned in and whispered, "I'm going to kiss you, Stephanie. Tell me if you don't want me to."

"God, Jessie please…" Stephanie barely managed to say through shallow breaths. "Please kiss me."

As their lips met, Jessie moaned. Sliding one hand under Stephanie, she rolled her over onto her back. Half on top of her, she slid one knee between Stephanie's legs, grinding into her center. Through the silk of the redhead's underwear, Jessie could feel how wet Stephanie was. Knowing that she was the cause of that made her moan louder.

Swallowing Jessie's moan and feeling her knee pressing into her, Stephanie couldn't help it. Of their own volition, her hips were rocking against Jessie's knee. Tilting her head back, she felt Jessie move her lips from her mouth down to her neck, causing her to gasp. God, how could she want someone she'd just met so much?

One hand tangled in Jessie's hair, she slid the other hand down her back to the bottom of her t-shirt. As she tugged at the hem of the shirt, Jessie suddenly stiffened and looked down at her. "Jess?" Stephanie said, sensing she'd done something wrong but not sure what it could be.

Jessie closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she backed away slightly. "I'm sorry. I think…I think maybe we're moving a little too fast." Trying to get her breathing under control, she ducked her head to rest on Stephanie's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she whispered again, desperately wanting this but suddenly terrified to move forward.

Stephanie, not missing the fear in Jessie's eyes, wrapped her arms around the brunette and held her. Whatever was causing Jessie to hold back, she wasn't sure. Still, holding her while she tried to control herself, she couldn't miss the way Jessie was shaking, either. Rubbing her back with one hand and stroking her hair with the other, she whispered, "Shh, it's okay, Jessie. Everything's all right. If you don't feel ready, I'm okay with that."

"No, it's not all right," Jessie said, irritated with herself. "I don't know why I'm scared. I want this…you, so much."

Stephanie hugged her tighter. "Hey, I don't know why you're scared, but I'm not going to push this. When you're ready you'll talk to me. Don't get me wrong," she blushed as she said, "I definitely want this. But I'm willing to wait."

Jessie raised her head and looked into Stephanie's eyes, searching for something she couldn't even name. "Are you sure?" I don't mean to keep getting you all worked up…I…I just…" she shook her head, unable to find the words she needed.

Brushing Jessie's hair back from her face, Stephanie said quietly, "You've been hurt, Jess. It takes a long time to get over something like that and trust again. I get it." The look Jessie gave her in return was so guarded, she thought she might have just ruined any chance she had with her.

But, wiggling a bit to get more comfortable in her arms, Jessie asked, "Theresa told you?"

Stephanie nodded. "Yeah…but to be fair, I had actually asked why you didn't have a recording contract. She just mentioned what happened with Bobby as part of her explanation. Please don't be mad at her for telling me."

"I'm not mad," she said. "Theresa and I have been friends forever. Besides, it's not a secret or anything. Everybody around at the time knew what happened."

"So…he hurt you and now you have a hard time trusting people. I do understand," Stephanie said, her hand dropping down to rub Jessie's arm. "I've been there a time or two myself."

Thoroughly miserable, Jessie said, "Did you resort to sleeping with anyone and everyone just to feel something? I don't know how much she told you, but I was a mess for a long time."

She sighed. "She did say you had a hard time, but she didn't elaborate."

Jessie snorted. "Imagine that," she said sarcastically. Taking a deep breath, she tried to explain. "When Bobby left, I fell apart. Then, the band started to fall apart. I started drinking and doing any drugs I could get my hands on. I'd end up sleeping with people I didn't even know, picking them up at the clubs where we played. And then, one night after a show, I was so lonely and just…lost…I just didn't give a shit anymore. Apparently, I went home with someone…" she shook her head. "Man, I don't even know what happened. Not even now." Stephanie hugged her again, and she went on. "I woke up the next morning in the bed of a pick up truck, with a cut over my eye and most of my clothes missing."

""My God, Jessie! You could have been killed," Stephanie said, genuinely upset that Jessie had had to endure something like that.

Ignoring her comment, she tried to continue the story. "I called Theresa, and she came and picked me up and brought me back here. She tried to convince me to go to the hospital and the police, but it wouldn't have done any good, anyway. I had no idea who I'd gone home with."

When she fell silent, seemingly content to let the conversation end, Stephanie wasn't sure what to say. Biting her lower lip, she finally asked, "So is that what caused you to get clean and sober up?"

Jessie nodded. "Yeah. Theresa called Mr. Mason at home and told him I'd been mugged. I took a leave of absence for the next month and tried to get my head out of my ass."

"He didn't mind you taking the time off?"

"I'd never taken a vacation. I had the time coming," Jessie said. "Anyway, Theresa stayed here the first week and sat with me while I went through withdrawals…it was horrible," she said, her voice growing almost deathly quiet remembering that time in her life.

"What about your family, Jess? Did they help you at all?" Stephanie asked.

Jessie shrugged. "Theresa's more family to me than my mother or brother. They're too busy with their own lives and don't really approve of my 'lifestyle,' as my mother calls it."

"Lifestyle?" Stephanie repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You mean the fact that you're gay?"

Jessie shook her head. "That's part of it. But she's more concerned with the fact that I'm in a band. She hates that I'm a singer."

Not really wanting to get off subject by exploring Jessie's mother, right now, Stephanie let it go. Instead, she said, "So, would you mind if I ask you something?" She hesitated slightly because she knew she really didn't have a right to ask this particular question.

Jessie grew quiet, instinctively knowing what she was going to ask. After all, the subject of Alex had come up last night. It was only natural that Stephanie would be curious. Besides, she was going to have to explain their relationship eventually. Still, why did she need to tell her anything? It wasn't like she and Stephanie were in a relationship, after all. Then again, what was the point of all this emotional turmoil if she wasn't going to tell her everything? Besides, she wanted Stephanie. She really did. And if they were to move forward, she needed to be honest about everything. So, as Theresa asked her earlier: Did she want Stephanie enough to take the chance? The answer was an unequivocal 'yes.'

Noticing how quiet Jessie became when she asked, Stephanie felt panic spread through her system. What if she overstepped her boundaries? What if Jessie got pissed off and thought she was just being nosy? That could get ugly real fast. Attempting to keep the panic she felt from showing in her voice, she said, "Jess, you don't have to answer anything if you don't want…"

"No, it's all right," the brunette answered. Rolling over so that she could see the redhead, she said, "I know you want to ask about Alex."

"You don't have to explain, it's okay…" she said quickly, clearly not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

Smiling at her, Jessie said, "I don't mind."

"It's just that I don't…I don't want to cause any problems for the two of you," Stephanie stammered. "Theresa said that you aren't a…a couple…but…"

"Hey," Jessie said, reaching down and caressing her cheek. "She's not here, you are. That should tell you something."

"But…"

"But nothing," Jessie said, leaning down to kiss her. 'Thank God she'd gotten her hormones under control.' "Considering the last two nights, you have every right to ask about Alex."

"So you're really not a couple? I'm not going to be called a home wrecker or anything like that?" Stephanie asked, breathing a sigh of relief.

Jessie laughed and kissed her again. "No, not by me. You're not a home wrecker and I'm not tied to Alex. We're just…well, it's complicated."

"So last night when you said Alex was different…?" Stephanie felt the tension in her body release just a little, hearing Jessie's explanation.

"I meant it. Alex is different, because with Alex there are no strings," Jessie said in answer. "We just get together when we feel like it, usually when we're both drunk, and there are no expectations of anything more."

"She sure seemed like she had some expectations when you were together at the club last night," Stephanie pointed out. Not because she doubted Jesse, but because she doubted that Alex saw things the same way.

"She's always been like that," Jessie said, shrugging again. "But Stephanie," she said, leaning in and kissing her again, deeper this time, "I don't feel that way about Alex. I never have and I never will. She's a good time…someone to spend time with; and a good friend. But that's all she is to me."

Stephanie couldn't help it. She tried to hide the fact that the words made her feel good, but she just couldn't. "So you want…whatever this is, to have…strings attached?"

Jessie nodded and whispered, "Very much so."

"And there's nothing stopping this from happening but…?"

"But my own stupid fear of…I don't know, getting hurt again, I suppose," Jessie confirmed, smiling back.

Happy to hear Jessie admit that she wanted more than just a one night or, a few nights 'thing' with her; Stephanie pulled the brunette in for another kiss. This time, they let it grow deeper until neither of them could breathe. Finally coming up for air, they spent the next few minutes staring into each others' eyes.

After a few minutes more, Jessie finally tore her eyes from Stephanie's long enough to look at the clock next to the bed. Smiling down at her she said, "Do you know what time it is?"

"Mmm, I have no idea," Stephanie said in answer, really not caring at the moment what time it was. Wrapping her arms around Jessie again, she pulled the brunette to her. "This feels so good, here with you. I feel like I could stay here forever, Jess."

"I know what you mean," the brunette said quietly, nuzzling into Stephanie's neck. Right now, she had no desire to ever leave the bedroom. "But you do realize that the sun will be coming up soon?"

Her brow furrowed. "It's that late?" What time did they come to bed, anyway?

Jessie nodded. "Yeah." Biting her lower lip, she looked at her with a shy expression and asked, "Would you like to umm…I don't know…maybe get a little rest and then we can just hang out here today? I can make dinner later?"

A slow smile crept across Stephanie's face at the suggestion. "I'd love that, Jess," she said in answer.

"Great," Jessie said, curling around the redhead and pulling her in tight. Resting her head on Stephanie's shoulder, she whispered, "I hope you don't mind if I hold you like this? I just can't seem to let you go."

Stephanie kissed her on the temple and smiled. "You can hold me for as long as you want, Jess. Believe me when I tell you, I don't mind." She smiled again when the only response she received was a low 'Mmm,' as Jessie slid into sleep.

By one in the afternoon, both women had finally managed to crawl out of bed. After they got dressed and ate a quick breakfast of pancakes, Jessie took Stephanie back to her hotel room. While they were there, Stephanie made a quick phone call to her agent in LA and then packed an overnight bag. From there, Jessie drove them to the local park, where they went for a two mile run.

By four, they'd managed to stop by the grocery and the video store. Returning to Jessie's, they each took a shower and then planted themselves on the couch to watch movies for the rest of the day.

Deeply into the second movie, Jessie was propped up against one arm of the couch, with Stephanie sitting between her legs and leaning back against her. Reveling in the feel of Jessie's hand firmly planted against her stomach, Stephanie leaned her head back against Jessie's shoulder and said, "Mmm, this feels so good, Jess. Thank you for today, it's been wonderful."

"My pleasure," Jessie said, turning her head slightly so that her nose was nuzzling Stephanie's hair. "I'm glad you decided to stay."

"I wouldn't have missed this for anything," Stephanie answered quietly, turning until she was looking Jessie in the eye. "Thank you, Jessie," she said, becoming serious.

"You're welcome," Jessie said in answer, smiling at her and giving her a quick squeeze. "I haven't done anything like this in a long time. You're right. It does feel good."

"You mean you never just take a day and lounge around doing nothing?" Stephanie asked, somewhat surprised.

"No," Jessie said, shaking her head. "I've always got so much to do…You know, between work and the band, I never really have a lot of free time."

"You need to make time for yourself, Jess. It's important to take time for you once in a while," Stephanie said, realizing why Jessie always seemed so tense and uptight. Moving so that she was on her knees facing the brunette, she grabbed Jessie's hands and said, "Come on, Jessie. Let me help you relax."

"W…what?" Jessie stuttered, wondering what Stephanie had in mind.

"Relax? You know? Not be so tense?" Shaking her head, Stephanie said, "Jesus, Jessie…you're so tense it's a wonder you can move at all. Come on and flip over onto your stomach."

Clearly unsure what Stephanie had in mind, Jessie attempted to stall. "Why do you want me on my stomach? What are you planning to do?" she asked, obviously becoming nervous.

Smiling at her, with eyes full of nothing but concern Stephanie simply replied, "I'm just going to massage your back and shoulders. You can keep your shirt on, Jess. I promise I won't hurt you or take advantage of you."

Relaxing visibly when Stephanie explained her intentions, Jessie finally smiled back. "Well, okay. If you promise to let me do the same for you?"

"It's a deal," Stephanie said happily, moving from her position long enough for Jessie to stretch out on the couch on her stomach. Then, straddling her legs, she slowly began applying pressure to Jessie's shoulders, digging her thumbs in and massaging wherever the muscles were tightest. Before long, she noticed that Jessie was indeed, relaxing. Moving her hands down a little lower, she began working on the trapezius muscles in Jessie's upper back.

As Stephanie worked quietly, Jessie had to admit that the tension in her body was rapidly disappearing. Or, to be more precise, the muscle tension was going away only to be replaced by a different kind of tension altogether. Still, the redhead's hands felt so good moving across the muscles of her back, she had to concentrate to stay relaxed. Attempting to keep her mind off the feel of the other woman's body in such close proximity to her own, she broke the silence.

"While you're working, would you mind if I asked you something?" Jessie asked, one cheek resting on her crossed arms.

"Not at all," Stephanie answered.

Trying to work up the courage, Jessie bit her lower lip before saying, "Well, I was just wondering, everything I've ever heard about you…from TV, magazines…everything…."

Stephanie knew what she was going to ask, and she smiled sadly. Not because she hated the question or didn't want to answer; but because she wished that Jessie didn't feel like she had to ask at all. Cutting the question off before she could even get it out, Stephanie leaned down close to the brunette's ear and said, "I'm not straight, Jessie."

"How did you know…?"

Stephanie shrugged as she began massaging her back again. "I know how the media portrays me. I've seen those publicity pictures with me and my 'dates.' Hell, some of them really were my dates. I have dated men, I just prefer women. Mostly though, it was all publicity."

"So this…what I'm feeli…" Jessie found that she was having a difficult time putting her thoughts to words. Stephanie however, wasn't having the same problem.

"We, Jess. What 'we' are feeling…isn't some game. It's real," Stephanie said, allowing her hands to move lower, beginning to work on the Latissimus Dorsi. She felt the breath that Jessie swallowed, relieved by the answer. "I know it's hard, Jessie…but in my line of work, looks matter. As a struggling young actor, my image in the public eye was almost as important as my acting ability; sometimes more so."

"And now?" Jessie almost whispered, not really wanting to hear the answer, but needing to.

Stephanie, knowing how important this was to the brunette, answered her honestly. "Now? It doesn't matter as much. For one thing, I'm older and more established. For another…well, I just don't care if people know anymore."

Sighing, Stephanie stopped the massage and stretched out with Jessie on the couch. Squeezing in next to her, she rested on her side, so that they were looking into each other's eyes. Whatever she said next would make or break any chance they might have. She wanted to be sure Jessie knew she was telling her the truth.

"Jessie, I know opening up is hard for you. And I need for you to know that I'm not just playing with your feelings," Stephanie said quietly, resting one arm on Jessie's hip. "I have no idea where we're headed, but I'd like to think that we could make this work. I understand that I scared you coming on to you the way I did Friday night. I'm not usually so…so…Well, I just don't do that kind of thing, usually."

Jessie laughed at that. "I didn't really mind, you know. The whole 'coming on to me thing,' I mean. It felt good to think that you wanted me like that. And," she said, suddenly becoming shy and blushing slightly, "I have a confession to make, of sorts. You know, I've had a crush on you since I saw your first movie. I've always kind of fantasized about this."

Stephanie smiled at the 'confession.' "Well, I'm glad to hear that you've always wanted me. It takes away the fear that you don't. But Jessie, I don't want you to just 'think' that I want you. I want you to 'know' that I want you," Stephanie said, leaning in and kissing her lightly on the mouth. "There's a huge difference."

Almost afraid to voice her biggest fear, Jessie bit the bullet and asked anyway. "What about when you leave? You can't stay here forever and I don't want to be alone again."

"Oh, Jess…you won't be…We can work it out," Stephanie answered confidently. "LA's not that far away. We can fly back and forth, spend long weekends, holidays and vacations together. We can make this work." Pulling Jessie to her, she kissed her again, putting her heart and soul into it. When she finally released her, she said, "I want and need this to work, Jessie. I want you. No one else."

Overcome by Stephanie's words, Jessie felt a tear slip unbidden down her cheek. Sniffing, she said, "I want this too, Stephanie. I need you more than I ever thought…possible."

Wiping away the stray tear with her thumb, Stephanie whispered, "Then we're in agreement? We both want to try and make this work?"

Looking deep into Stephanie's eyes, Jessie swallowed and said, "Yes."

Stephanie kissed her again. This time, when they finally broke apart, it was only for air. "I think…" Jessie said quietly, "that we should take this into the bedroom. I'd like to give you that massage now."

Stephanie nodded and let Jessie pull her up off the couch. As the brunette checked the doors and the alarm, Stephanie went into the kitchen and brought back two bottles of water. When she stepped back into the living room, Jessie took her free hand and led her down the hallway.

When they arrived at the bedroom, Jessie took the water bottles and set them on the bedside table. Then, she led Stephanie to the bed and waited while she climbed in, lying on her stomach. Joining her, Jessie straddled her legs and slid a hand up to move the curly auburn hair to the side. Leaning down, she planted a kiss to the side of Stephanie's neck. The resulting shiver that ran down the redhead's spine made her breath catch.

Sitting up again, Jessie started at Stephanie's shoulders, working her fingers into the smooth muscles. All too aware of a change in the redhead's breathing, she moved her hands lower. Forcing herself to keep her hormones in check, she worked on Stephanie's back until the redhead was almost moaning with pleasure.

"You okay there, Steph?" she asked, not wanting to take her hands off the beautiful woman.

"I'm all right, Jess. It just feels really good…what you're doing," Stephanie answered breathlessly.

Smiling, Jessie moved down to her lower back. Beginning to work the muscles at the base of Stephanie's spine, she slowly slid her hands under the hem of Stephanie's t-shirt. "This doesn't bother you, does it Steph?" she asked hesitantly, afraid to go too far. She didn't want to rush things. But after having that warm, soft skin under her hands Friday night, even if only for a moment, she just had to feel it again.

Stephanie shook her head, almost afraid that her voice might betray her growing need. "It…it's okay…Jessie," she said, struggling for air. "Feels good."

Smirking at how breathless the redhead sounded, Jessie slid the shirt a little higher, exposing more of the smooth skin. Reveling in the feel of it under her hands, she leaned down and placed a series of small kisses to the base of Stephanie's spine, causing the other woman to tremble.

"Jesus, Jessie…" Stephanie moaned. "My shirt…take my shirt off. Help me?" she asked, lifting up slightly.

Hearing the desperately panted pleas, Jessie didn't hesitate. As Stephanie lifted up, Jessie slid her hands under the shirt and pushed it off and over Stephanie's head. Tossing it carelessly to the side, she looked down at the redheads' gloriously naked back. Swallowing hard, she leaned down and began kissing her again. At the same time, she never stopped allowing her hands to roam over those smooth, toned shoulders.

Under Jessie's skilled hands, Stephanie was rapidly finding it difficult to think. Every spot that Jessie kissed was on fire with the feel of the brunette's lips on her skin. Between shallow breaths, Stephanie tried to tell Jessie what she wanted. "Je…Jessie…I need your…your skin touching mine. Now…please?"

The words making their way to her brain through the erotic haze she was in, Jessie didn't hesitate. Yanking her own t-shirt over her head and throwing it across the room, she wasted no time. Leaning forward once again, she began kissing up Stephanie's back. When she reached the redheads' shoulders, she began running her tongue along her shoulder blades, causing Stephanie to inhale and bite her lower lip.

Licking her way to Stephanie's ear, Jessie whispered, "Sit up on your knees, Steph."

"Wh…what?" Stephanie breathed out, confused.

"Just do it," Jessie said, moving back to do the same.

Still confused, but desperately wanting to find out what Jessie had planned, Stephanie pushed up until she was sitting on her knees. Then, Jessie slid up behind her and wrapped an arm around her until her hand was resting on the redhead's stomach. Suddenly, Jessie pushed up against her from behind until her breasts were in direct contact with Stephanie's back.

At the first touch of Jessie's bare breasts on her back, Stephanie couldn't suppress a loud groan. "God Jessie…!" Needing something to do with her hands, Stephanie leaned back into the brunette and planted one hand solidly on Jessie's knee. The other hand came up to rest on Jessie's hand, which was still firmly attached to her stomach.

At the first sensation of skin on skin, Jessie threw back her head and let out a silent scream, arching into the redhead. Jesus, Stephanie felt so good! As the redhead grabbed her hand and began squeezing, Jessie moved back to her neck and shoulders and began lavishing her with kisses. Unable to stop herself, she moved her other hand from the bed where she'd been using it to steady herself. Trailing her fingers up Stephanie's side, she slowly slid the other hand around until it came to land directly under the redhead's left breast.

Stephanie's breath caught as she felt Jessie's other hand slide up and around. "Jesus, Jessie…! Please…touch me." Her head thrown back, Jessie's mouth attached to her neck, she nearly screamed when the brunette's hand slid upward and at last began lightly squeezing her breast.

"Oh God," Jessie whispered at the first touch of Stephanie's breast under her hand. She could barely believe this was happening. She'd wanted this for so long…to be holding Stephanie like this was a dream come true. "Jesus, Stephanie…you feel so good. God I want you so much."

"I'm your's Jessie…all yours," Stephanie managed to gasp out. Biting her lower lip, she said, "Whatever you want, Jess." Just then, she felt Jessie's hand slip down a little lower and she came back to her senses. As she tried to slide her fingers down below the waistband of Stephanie's sweats, Stephanie caught her hand and forced herself to say, "But…we need to slow down."

Exasperated, Jessie whined, "But you just said, whatever I want? I want you, Steph. Now."

Stephanie smiled lovingly and kissed Jessie deeply, allowing her tongue time to explore the brunette's mouth before saying, "Jessie, two hours ago you were afraid to let me give you a back massage through your shirt. I don't want us to rush this. I just think we should wait a little longer, that's all."

Okay well…when she put it like that…Jessie could see her point. Still, they were both worked up and there was no release in sight for either of them if Stephanie stopped her now. "Steph…at least let me finish you? There's no need for you to suffer…"

The redhead shook her head. "No, I'll be okay." She kissed Jessie again. "I promise." As badly as she wanted Jessie to do just that, she knew without a doubt that once they started, they wouldn't stop. There'd be no stopping until they were both naked and writhing under each others' touch, and Stephanie knew that Jessie was too afraid of commitment right now. And, for reasons she was only beginning to understand, she really wanted Jessie to commit. She was sick and tired of games, and she really, really, didn't want another short term fling.

"But I…"

"Jessie…" Stephanie said quietly, "I want us to do this together. You and me making love to each other. I don't want our first time to be just one of us. Not that I don't appreciate the offer," Stephanie said, smiling again. "I'd just rather orgasm with you." She kissed Jessie again.

"Oh…" Jessie said shyly, blushing when Stephanie released her mouth.

Stephanie laughed. "You're beautiful, you know that?" Moving out of Jessie's arms, she maneuvered around until she was lying on the bed on her back. Missing the feel of those gorgeous hands on her skin, she reached out, and said, "Come on, Jessie. Lay down here and curl up with me. I need to feel you close."

Taking hold of Stephanie's hand, Jessie allowed herself to be pulled down until she was lying curled up next to the redhead. With her head resting on Stephanie's shoulder and a hand on her stomach, she said, "Thank you, Stephanie."

"For what?" the redhead asked curiously.

"Just for being you," Jessie said, kissing her collarbone. "And for keeping a calm head when I'm about to lose mine."

"You're welcome," Stephanie said, wrapping an arm around the brunette and pulling her as close as she could. Within minutes, both women had fallen to sleep, lying wrapped up safe and secure in each others' embrace.

"So?" Theresa said, as Jessie walked into the office alone Monday morning.

With her back still turned to Theresa, Jessie smiled to herself. Tossing her gym bag into the corner, she sat down in her chair and looked over at the blond. Quirking an eyebrow, she said, "So…what?"

"So…what happened after we left Saturday night? Did she stay, or did you…take her home?" Theresa asked, knowing that Jessie was fully aware of what she was asking.

Jessie shrugged. "I don't think I should share something like that with you," she said, teasing Theresa.

Theresa gave her 'the look,' and said, "Jessie, I swear to God, you're going to kill me. What happened?"

"She stayed," Jessie answered shyly, giving in. "But," she added, "Nothing happened."

"Come on, Jess. You don't really expect me to believe that you slept with her two nights in a row and nothing happened either time? That's just beyond belief," Theresa huffed.

"You can believe whatever you want," Jessie said nonchalantly. "It's the truth. And, while we're on the subject…why is that beyond belief?"

"Come on, Jessie…This is you we're talking about. You don't just hold someone while they're sleeping." Leaving the statement to hang out there, she fell silent momentarily. Finally, looking around, Theresa changed tactics. "So, where's Stephanie this morning?"

"She's here. She stopped by the break room to grab a coffee on the way in," Jessie answered. "Would you believe she has a harder time getting out of bed for work in the morning than I do?"

"Did she stay last night, too?" Theresa blurted out, surprised and excited all at the same time.

Jessie nodded. "Yeah, she did."

"And you two still haven't…?"

"Nope," Jessie answered. "We're trying not to rush this, Theresa. She's not Alex and I don't want to treat her like that."

"You bet your sweet ass she's not Alex," Theresa agreed. "Alex wouldn't be content to wait so long. And, Alex doesn't strike me as the type to enjoy cuddling in bed."

Jessie raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why would you say that?" She was really curious now. After all, she knew for a fact that Alex did like cuddling. The only reason they didn't do it more often was because Jessie refused to call in sick to work.

Theresa shrugged. "I don't know. She just never comes across that way to me. She's more of the fuck 'em and leave 'em type."

"Ah. So, what does that make me?" Jessie asked, truly curious to hear Theresa's opinion.

Suddenly shy and feeling cornered, Theresa shrugged. "I don't know…commitment shy and looking for an easy lay?"

"Gee thanks, Theresa," Jessie said, slightly disconcerted that her best and oldest friend would see her in that light. Sitting down on the corner of her desk and opening a Diet Coke, she asked, "So basically you think I'm the typical rock musician. Someone who fucks everything that moves and can't…I don't know…settle down because I'm too afraid?"

Worried that she'd hurt Jessie's feelings, Theresa rushed to say, "No! Jessie no, that's not what I think. Jesus, let me explain before you get upset." Seeing Jessie gesture with a 'go ahead,' motion, Theresa attempted to dig herself out of the hole she'd dug for herself.

"Look Jess, I was there after Bobby left. I know everything he put you through," she said, watching the brunette carefully. "Believe me when I tell you that I don't think you're a bad person or…anything. I just think that you've spent the last five or six years trying to run away from having a normal relationship. You're afraid to get hurt again. I don't blame you." She stopped and took a drink of her water. Setting the bottle down on her desk, she continued. "It's just that…knowing you and your…habits, the way I do, it just seems strange to me to think that you're actually worried about sleeping with Stephanie."

Quietly, feeling the need to explain her feelings to Theresa, Jessie said, "She's different. She's not someone I want to treat like a one night stand. She's not a 'good time' and nothing else. Not to me."

"I get that," Theresa said. "I was the one who told you to go for it Saturday night, remember? It's just nice…to see you falling in love and willing to take a chance again. That's all. I just want you to be happy, Jessie."

"I am," Jessie agreed. "Happy, I mean. I don't think I've felt like this in…God! I don't think I've ever felt this way." Falling silent, she took a drink from her pop. "I do…I mean I am…maybe…falling in love with her," Jessie confessed quietly, licking her suddenly dry lips.

Theresa's smile grew huge. "Have you told her, yet?" As Jessie shook her head, Theresa laughed and walked over and hugged her. As she released the brunette, she said, "Tell her, Jessie. I truly believe she loves you, too."

Just then, Jessie noticed Stephanie headed toward the office. Walking next to her was Bob, from accounting. As Jessie watched the two approach, it appeared that Stephanie was irritated with him. It was obvious from her body language that she really didn't want to talk to him, but he didn't seem to be getting the hint.

As she and Theresa watched, Bob followed Stephanie right into the office, still talking. "So yeah," the slightly paunchy middle aged man was saying, "If you're not busy tomorrow night, I'd like to take you out for dinner. Maybe we could go dancing, I'm a great dancer?"

"Sorry, Bob, but I actually have plans already," Stephanie answered him sweetly. "But, thank you for asking." To Jessie and Theresa, it was obvious she wanted the man to leave her alone. Still, he didn't seem to want to take 'no' for an answer.

"Oh, well…how about this weekend? I'm free if you'd like to go then?" he asked, disappointed that the actress would turn him down.

Stephanie shook her head. "Sorry, but I've got a full schedule."

Jessie, who had until now, sat quietly by and watched, took pity on her. No one should be subjected to Bob for long. "Uh, Bob? Could I…help you with something? She asked, eyeing the man curiously.

Turning his attention to Jessie, Bob seemed to become nervous. Apparently, he hadn't realized he'd entered her office. "Oh, uh…no. I was just uh…just talking to Ms. Winters. I'll just…be leaving now," he said, throwing a thumb over his shoulder and pointing toward the door. "Another time, Ms. Winters?" he said, turning and leaving dejectedly.

"Goodbye, Bob," Stephanie said, relieved that he was finally leaving.

Once they were sure he was gone, she slumped into her chair and took a drink of her coffee. "God, it's too early for that."

Jessie and Theresa both laughed. "I was wondering how long it was going to take for him to latch onto you," Jessie said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Bob's the office playboy," Theresa said by way of explanation. "He's hit on every woman who's come through this office."

"So naturally, he had to hit on me," Stephanie said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I have to say, I hate that part of my job sometimes."

"Poor Stephanie, cursed to be beautiful and lusted after," Jessie said, teasing her.

"Mmm hmm, keep it up, funny girl," Stephanie said, "I think I might be busy the rest of the week and have to break those appointments we had scheduled."

Jessie snapped her jaw shut right away. "Sorry, just kidding," she said, desperately hoping that Stephanie was just kidding as well. They didn't really have any 'appointments' scheduled, but they did have plans for dinner almost every evening. And, Stephanie was either staying at her place, or Jessie was staying at the hotel with her. She didn't want to blow it now. Still, she felt compelled to add, "But if he bothers you again, let one of us know. We can talk to Susan and let her know he's at it again." As she looked at Stephanie, the redhead raised one brow and smiled, taking another drink of her coffee.

Theresa, sitting down at her desk again, watched the entire exchange with an amused expression. If she didn't know better, she'd think the two were just innocently joking around with one another. As it happened, she did know better and she could feel the undercurrent running between the two.

Pursing her lips in thought, she turned to get started on her paperwork for the day. Jessie definitely had her hands full with Stephanie, and she laughed to herself, thinking about it. This relationship was going to be interesting to watch.

Later that day, when Jessie stepped out of the office, Theresa turned to Stephanie with a huge grin on her face.

Glancing up from her paperwork, Stephanie noticed Theresa grinning at her like a madwoman. With a slight look of fear and uncertainty, Stephanie asked hesitantly, "Uh…why are you looking at me like that, Theresa?"

"What? I'm not allowed to smile and be happy?" Theresa asked innocently.

"Not when you're looking at me like you're crazy," Stephanie said, smiling back and knowing that something was going on.

"Relax Stephanie, I'm just smiling because I feel like it. And, because I think that you and Jessie are getting along really well. Better than well, if I'm any judge," Theresa said, obviously fishing for information. "But, before I get nosy, I do have something to ask you," she said, turning to make sure that Jessie was nowhere in sight.

Still unsure what was happening, Stephanie said, "Okaaay."

Realizing that Stephanie seemed worried, Theresa attempted to put her at ease. "It's really nothing to worry about. I was just wondering if Jessie had mentioned that her birthday's coming up?"

"What?" Stephanie said in surprise. Shaking her head, she said, "No, she never mentioned it."

"Hmm, I'm not surprised," Theresa said. "She never brings it up to anyone, so I thought I might mention it. Did she ask you about going to John and Lacy's this Saturday?"

Stephanie nodded. "Yeah, she said something about a Deck Party?"

"Yeah, that's what we told her. John and Lacy are putting a deck on their house. We're all bringing hammers and helping them finish it up," Theresa explained. "What she doesn't know, is that it's also a birthday party for her."

"Oh! That sounds like fun," Stephanie said. "She won't be mad though, will she, throwing her a surprise party and all?"

"No," Theresa answered, laughing. "She never gets mad about the party. She just doesn't want people to feel like they're obligated to get her anything."

"Ah, I got it," Stephanie said, laughing too. "So, should I get her anything? Or…?"

"I'm leaving that up to you," Theresa answered. The mirth in her eye causing Stephanie to blush as she said, "I'm sure you can think of something she might want."

"I'll see what I can come up with," Stephanie said in answer, not willing to put her foot in her mouth.

"Mmm," was the only answer Theresa gave to that.

"Did you have something else you wanted to ask me, Theresa?" She asked. Noticing the confused look on the blonds' face, she prompted, "You said 'before you get nosy?' What else did you want to ask?"

"Oh…it's nothing. Not my business, really," Theresa said, backpedaling. She wanted to know what was really going on between Stephanie and Jessie, she really did. She just wasn't sure she should ask Stephanie about it. She didn't want the redhead to think she was butting in.

Giving Theresa 'the look,' Stephanie sighed. She knew what Theresa wanted to ask her about. "You want to know what's going on with Jessie and me."

Grimacing, because she was caught and she knew it, Theresa nodded. "Only if you don't mind talking about it. I don't want to be the nosy, butting in, best friend. I just…care about Jessie, is all."

Stephanie shook her head. "I don't think you butt in, Theresa. As a matter of fact, I think it's great that Jessie has you in her life." Getting up from her desk and walking over to lean on Theresa's, Stephanie said, "She told me about everything that happened after Bobby left. And she told me how much you helped her. Only a true friend does that for someone."

"She'd do the same for me," Theresa said quietly, shrugging off the compliment.

"She would, wouldn't she?" Stephanie agreed, smiling.

"So, you don't mind if I ask you something…about you and Jessie?" Theresa clarified. "I mean, I don't want to be nosy, it's just that Jessie's been…acting kind of out of character, I guess you'd say."

Stephanie licked her lips, wondering exactly what Theresa wanted to ask that was making her so nervous. "Out of character?"

"Yeah," Theresa said, checking once more to make sure Jessie wasn't headed their way. "Jessie usually tells me pretty much everything, but lately she's been…I don't know…"

"Hesitant?" Stephanie supplied, finally understanding what Theresa was getting at. When the blond nodded, she said, "I think maybe my coming here put a wrench in Jessie's plans. For her future, I mean," Stephanie elaborated, sounding just a little sad.

Confused, Theresa asked, "A wrench in her plans?"

"She never expected me in her life," Stephanie explained. "And I don't think she expected to feel the way she does." Taking a drink from her water bottle, she went on. "Theresa, I need someone to talk to about this, and I trust you enough to talk to you. Is that all right with you?"

Theresa nodded. "Sure Stephanie, of course."

"Well, when I heard you asking Jessie Saturday what had happened the night before…" she felt herself blushing again, and sighed. "What I told you was true. Nothing happened. But…nothing happened only because Jessie was kind enough not to take advantage of me. You know I had too much to drink Friday night?" At Theresa's nod, she went on. "Well, when we got back to my room, I could barely stand up. Jessie helped me into the bedroom and tried, very honorably, to help me get dressed for bed. Unfortunately, I had other things on my mind, and came on pretty strong." Embarrassed, she stopped talking and swallowed hard. "I think I scared her."

"She said she stayed and just held you all night," Theresa said, adding, "She never mentioned any of the other things, though." Seeing that Stephanie seemed really uncomfortable, she continued. "Stephanie…Jessie's never, as long as I've known her, been shy about sex. She has never held anything back from me when I've asked. As a matter of fact, she's told me things I'd really rather not know, sometimes. But when I asked her what happened Friday night, she could barely talk." Seeing the look in Stephanie's eyes, something akin to panic, Theresa hastened to say, "Stephanie, that's a good thing. I know you don't know her as well as I do, so believe me when I tell you…it is a good thing. If Jessie didn't care about you, she'd tell me everything and then some." Growing silent for a moment, she waited while the redhead let the words sink in. Then, she said, "You know, I asked her this morning about Saturday night, and she accidentally let slip that you were at her place all weekend?"

Stephanie had the grace to blush at that, but nodded shyly in confirmation. "Yeah, I was."

Theresa reached over and laid a comforting hand on Stephanie's arm. "I'm going to tell you something about Jessie, but if you tell her I said this, I'll deny it," she said, smiling at the redhead.

When Stephanie looked at her expectantly, Theresa said, "In all the time I've known Jessie, the only real relationship she's ever had was with Bobby. Since then, she's never slept with anyone more than once. Well, except for Alex. But there's nothing really there, either. I see that now." Taking Stephanie's hand, she squeezed it gently and went on. "Stephanie, Jessie really cares for you. I've never seen her act this way. Trust me when I tell you there's no wrench in her plans. I don't even think she's made any real plans for her future."

Stephanie smiled shyly at that. "So you think she really likes me?"

"Has she told you she does?"

"Actually, she said that she'd like whatever we have to 'have strings.' I took that as a good sign," Stephanie said hopefully.

Theresa grinned. "I'd say you're on the right track," she said. "So, can I ask you one more thing before she gets back and finds out we're talking about her?"

Stephanie nodded. "Sure."

"How do you feel about her? I mean…you do care about her, I can see that. But…"

"Am I in love with her?" Stephanie interrupted. When Theresa nodded, she said without hesitation, "Yes. I never expected it, but…yes."

"And you two still haven't…?" Theresa asked, a huge smile spreading across her face at Stephanie's answer.

"Not yet," the redhead admitted. "After Friday night, we both thought we should slow down. I know Jessie had a hard time with Bobby. I don't want her to rush into this, and I don't want to pressure her. Besides, I want her to be comfortable with me and the idea of a relationship. I want her to trust me," Stephanie said, laying it all out there. For some reason, she really wanted Theresa to know that she could trust her with Jessie's heart.

Theresa stood up and surprised Stephanie by pulling her into a hug. "God, I love you! The two of you are perfect for each other, you know that?"

Laughing at Theresa's reaction, Stephanie hugged the blond back. "Thanks, Theresa. I'm glad you approve."

"Oh, I more than approve. The two of you just need to get busy and consummate this thing," she said, laughing at the look on Stephanie's face. "The anticipation is killing me."

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "You think it's killing you?" She shivered and asked, "So, would you like the full report, or the condensed version?"

Theresa was about to answer when she saw Jessie headed their way. "You'll know what's appropriate," she said, winking at the redhead and turning back to her paperwork.

"Hello?" Nancy Winters' voice said over the cell phone.

"Hi Mom!" Stephanie said, as she heard her mothers' voice. "How's everything going at home?"

"Oh, Stephanie! Everything's fine, sweetheart. Your brothers are here helping your dad move some furniture. The kids are running all over…just a typical evening." She answered, laughing as Stephanie's nieces and nephews ran past, chasing each other and squealing. "How are you doing?"

"I'm really good, actually," Stephanie said.

"How did your 'date' go Friday night?"

Stephanie sighed. "It wasn't a 'date,' Mom. I told you…Theresa and I just went to watch Jessie's band."

Nancy was smiling, all too aware that Stephanie had more to tell her. Since she was small, Stephanie had never been able to keep much hidden from her. "Okay," she said, playing along. "How was Jessie's band, then?"

"Mom, they're really good," she gushed. "Jessie's just an incredible performer. I couldn't believe how good she is. Then, after the show, she invited us to the bass players' house for a party."

"And I take it you had a good time at this party?" Nancy said, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, I had a great time…" Stephanie said, allowing her words to trail off slightly.

"Is there something wrong, Steph? I know you said you liked her…Does Jessie not like you?" Nancy asked, slightly concerned, and afraid that this Jessie had turned Stephanie down and hurt her feelings in the process.

"Oh, no. No, nothing's wrong, Mom. Actually," Stephanie stopped and took a deep breath, before continuing. "I was calling to fill you in on the news. If you can call it that," she said.

"News?"

"Yeah, you said you wanted me to tell you if anything happens? Well…" Stephanie chewed on her lower lip nervously, afraid of her mothers' reaction. "Actually, I've been staying with Jessie. At her house."

"What?" Nancy asked, excitedly. "So, I guess that means she likes you?" Nancy said jokingly.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Stephanie laughed.

Nancy was happy for her oldest daughter. Still, she felt she needed to be a mother too, and asked, without trying to sound judgmental, "Stephanie…aren't you moving a little fast, sweetheart?" She really didn't want to rain on Stephanie's parade; but she didn't want Stephanie to get hurt, either. They'd been down that road before.

"I know it sounds that way, Mom. But…" she had always told her mother everything, and Stephanie didn't feel a need to hide anything from her now. "We haven't had sex yet, Mom. I mean…" Stephanie slowed down and took a deep breath. Then, she launched into the events of the last couple of evenings.

"So…you're sleeping with her in the same bed, but there's no sex?" Nancy said, making sure she understood what Stephanie was telling her.

Nodding, Stephanie answered, "Right. But…don't get me wrong, Mom. There's plenty of kissing and…other stuff. It's just…Jessie's been hurt really bad once. I don't want to push her. Besides, I really like just being wrapped in her arms."

"You really do like her, don't you, Steph?" Nancy asked. She knew her daughter well enough to know that. If Stephanie saw something she wanted, she'd go for it. And she wasn't afraid to work for it, either. Apparently, she'd decided to be patient and wait for Jessie, as well.

"I think I'm in love, Mom," Stephanie said quietly.

"I thought as much, when you told me about her Friday night," Nancy said. "I could hear it in your voice, then."

"That's not possible, Mom. I don't think I even knew Friday night," Stephanie said, not believing her mother.

"Trust me, Steph. When you have kids of your own, you'll understand. I always know these things, just by the tone of your voice," Nancy said, amusement coloring her tone. "And…just so you know…I think it's wonderful that you're in love. I just hope she knows how special you are."

"Mom…" Stephanie said, rolling her eyes.

"Speaking of Jessie," Nancy said, changing the subject only slightly, "Where is she? You've been on the phone a while, and I haven't heard any interruptions."

"Oh, she's out in the kitchen, going over everything for a case that's going to trial tomorrow morning," Stephanie explained.

"Does she work from home often?"

"No. This is the first time, actually. She's presenting the case to the jury tomorrow morning for the lead counsel. He's still tied up in court with another case, and she agreed to fill in for him," she said, not wanting her mother to think Jessie was a workaholic.

"Well, don't let her work too hard, Steph. You know what they say about all work and no play…" Nancy said. She was a firm believer in not bringing work home if you could help it.

"I know, Mom. I promise, I'll go out and distract her soon," Stephanie agreed.

"That's my girl," Nancy said, stifling a yawn.

"I should let you go, Mom. It's getting late," Stephanie said, when she heard the yawn. Besides, she needed to get to bed, too. She always had a hard time getting up in the morning regardless of how much sleep she got.

"Okay, Stephanie. Call me in a few days and let me know how things are going," Nancy said. "I love you."

"Love you, too, Mom," Stephanie said, ending the call and plugging the phone in to recharge it. Smiling to herself, she headed out to the kitchen to say goodnight to Jessie.

Three hours later, Jessie opened the door to the bedroom carefully. It was after two, and she didn't want to wake Stephanie up. Careful not to trip over anything, she crawled into bed and pulled the covers up. Just as she closed her eyes, Stephanie rolled over and asked sleepily, "What time is it?"

"It's after two. I thought you were asleep?" she answered, wrapping an arm around the redhead and pulling her close.

"I was, but I woke up a while ago," Stephanie said quietly. "Did you finally finish?"

"Yeah, this trial that's starting tomorrow's gonna be tough. I just wanted to go over everything one more time," Jessie said, turning her head slightly so that her nose was buried in Stephanie's hair. She loved the smell of her shampoo and delighted in breathing it in.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine," Stephanie said, tilting her head to kiss Jessie lightly on her lower jaw.

"Mmm, probably," Jessie answered, smiling. "I just get nervous. So, did you and Theresa have a good talk about me today?" she asked, surprising the redhead.

Stephanie looked up at her, a look of fear in her eyes. Shaking her head, she said, "Jessie, it was nothing…"

Jessie smiled even bigger. "Hey, relax. I just know Theresa. She was probably asking you about our sex life, if she's true to form?"

Stephanie nodded shyly, her face reddening. "She did ask."

"And what did you tell her?" Jessie asked more out of curiosity than any real concern. She didn't care if Stephanie told Theresa every detail. The only reason she hadn't, was out of respect for Stephanie. She didn't know how Stephanie would feel about Theresa knowing everything. If Stephanie told Theresa herself, then that was just fine with her.

"I told her that I really care for you and we decided to take things slow," the redhead said. "I really want you to feel comfortable with me and trust me, Jessie."

"I do trust you, Stephanie," Jessie said, pulling her closer and kissing her gently on the mouth. When she pulled away, she said, "I don't mind if you talk to Theresa."

"You're sure, Jessie? I don't want you to think…that I…I mean, she's your best friend…." Stephanie stammered.

"Hey, I told you that I trust you. I mean that. And I don't think for a minute, that you…you know, talk to just anyone," Jessie said, kissing her again. "Theresa's the best. You couldn't ask for a better person to talk to about stuff. You can tell her anything you want. I just haven't told her everything because I didn't want to disrespect your privacy in case you didn't want her to know our private business. And, just so you know….I care about you, too."

"Mmm, I like hearing that Jess," Stephanie said sleepily.

Jessie kissed Stephanie on the temple as she settled back down, falling asleep with her head on Jessie's shoulder. "Get some rest, Steph. I'll see you in the morning," Jessie whispered as she slid down into sleep herself, content for the first time in years.

Arriving at John and Lacy's Saturday afternoon, Jessie pulled the car into the driveway and turned off the ignition. Hopping out, she went to the back and was just about to begin unloading, when John and Lacy's twin boys, Aaron and Jason cam running up to her.

"Aunt Jessie! Aunt Jessie!" they both yelled in tandem.

Turning around when she heard them yelling, she bent down and hugged them both. "Hi guys! How ya doin'?"

"We got new Airsoft guns, Aunt Jessie! Will you play with us later?" they both asked.

Releasing them and standing back up, she said, "Sure guys, in a little while. Here," she said, handing each of them a bag chair, "Would you guys carry these out back for me?"

As they each grabbed a chair and nodded enthusiastically, Stephanie stepped around the corner of the SUV. When they saw her, they both looked at Jessie and then back at Stephanie. Aaron asked, "Who are you?"

"My name's Stephanie," the redhead answered him, smiling. "What's you're name?"

"That's Aaron, and I'm Jason," Jason said, speaking for both of them. "Are you Aunt Jessie's girlfriend?"

Unsure how to answer that question, Stephanie spared a glance over their heads to look at Jessie, who smiled and nodded. Smiling back at her, Stephanie bent down and said, "Yes, I am."

"Cool!" they both agreed. "Will you play Airsoft with us, too?"

"Uh…yeah, sure," Stephanie said, totally unprepared for their total acceptance, and not quite sure what Airsoft was.

"Well come on, then," Jason said. "Mom's in the kitchen."

"Ok guys," Jessie said. "Go ahead and take the chairs out back and then go play." Laughing and shaking her head as the twins trotted off to the back of the house, she looked over at Stephanie. "Sorry about that. I should have warned you about them."

"It's okay, Jess. Whose kids are they?" Stephanie answered as she grabbed the cooler out of the back of the car.

"They're John and Lacy's boys. They're nine, and…I should probably warn you…They know more than they should for kids their age." She rolled her eyes, hoping Stephanie caught her meaning.

"In other words, being the sons of people in the porn industry, they've…" Stephanie started to say.

Jessie nodded. "They've heard more than they should, by accident, I'm sure. Anyway, don't be surprised by anything they say. They're good kids, just…precocious."

"I'll try to contain my shock," Stephanie said dryly. Jessie just laughed at her feigned sarcasm and led her into the house.

As they entered the kitchen, Lacy turned around to greet them. "Hey you two!" Setting her dish towel down on the counter, she came around and hugged each of them. "The boys said you were here," she said.

"Yeah, we saw them out front," Jessie answered her, handing her a bag full of various types of chips and dips.

"I hope they didn't say anything embarrassing?" Lacy asked, accepting the bag.

"Nope, not yet," Jessie answered the blond. Looking around, she asked, "So, where's everybody at?"

"Oh, they're out back getting ready to start. You two get on out there, or John will think I'm in here talking you to death." She grabbed a few items out of the fridge and placed them on the counter. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

Jessie turned to head outside, and Stephanie followed. As they left the kitchen, Theresa stepped out of the adjoining room. "So, do you think she suspects anything?"

Lacy shook her head. "I don't think so. John will keep her busy while we get things together."

Three hours later, the deck was finished. Every board had been nailed down and all the railings were in place. The only thing left was to stain the entire thing, which the guys from the band were going to do the following weekend.

In the meantime, they'd set their chairs up on the newly completed deck and dinner had been served. As they finished eating, Lacy jumped up and headed inside to the kitchen. "Hey Theresa, would you mind helping me with the desserts?"

"Sure thing, Lacy," Theresa said, getting up and joining her.

A few minutes later, they returned. Walking through the sliding screen door, huge chocolate sheet cake in hand, everyone yelled 'Surprise!' at the same time.

Jessie, who'd been expecting something, laughed delightedly. Rolling her eyes, she good naturedly sat through an absolutely ear shredding version of 'Happy Birthday.' How musicians could sing such a simple song so horribly, she would never know. Once the candles had been blown out, the cake and ice cream served and everyone had filled themselves beyond full, John and Mike carried out all the gifts.

"Aunt Jessie! The twins called excitedly, jumping around her, "Open ours first!"

"Well…if I have to," Jessie said, teasing them. Accepting the package they handed her,

she put her ear to the box and began shaking it. "Hmmm, what could it be?"

"Open it, Aunt Jessie!" they both yelled in unison.

"Oh, all right," she said, ripping the paper off and tossing it to the side. Smiling brightly at the twins when she realized what they'd picked out for her, she said, "Now I'm going to have to play with you guys, aren't I?" Inside the box was an M16 replica air soft gun, complete with safety goggles and BB's.

"You bet you are!" They both hugged her and said, "Happy Birthday, Aunt Jessie!"

"Thanks guys," she said, hugging them back.

Laughing at the antics of the twins, Theresa handed her another package. "Here Jess, this one's from me and Brian."

As Jessie took it and opened it up, she was stunned to find a beautiful new pair of knee high black leather boots. Covered with buckles and leather straps, they would look great on stage. "Theresa, Brian, these are great! Thank you, so much," Jessie said, hugging each of them.

Then, she opened the rest of her gifts. By the time she was done, she'd gotten a new pair of black leather pants from John and Lacy. With a zipper fly instead of the leather lace up front, 'for easy access,' Lacy explained, laughing as Jessie blushed. Mike gave her a gift card for the Flying Dragon Tattoo Shop, good for one tattoo of her choice. From Doug, the keyboard player, and his wife Jill, she received a gift card to The Lair, an alternative clothing shop where she bought her stage outfits. And from Nick, the lead guitarist, and his wife Tracy, she got a new leather briefcase for work.

Once she was finished opening all the other gifts, Stephanie shyly handed her a small package. "Stephanie," Jessie said quietly in wonder, "you didn't need to get me anything." How did the redhead even have the time to shop? For that matter, how did she even know it was her birthday? Then, noticing the look that passed between Stephanie and Theresa, Jessie knew right away. Of course, Theresa would have told her.

"Of course I did, Jessie," she said, smiling anxiously at the brunette.

Curious, Jessie unwrapped the small jewelry box. Opening it, she was stunned to see an absolutely beautiful silver necklace. Attached to the chain, was a small diamond encrusted letter 'J.' "Oh God, Stephanie…it's…it's beautiful, thank you," she said, breathlessly.

Smiling brightly at Jessie's reaction, she said, "You're welcome, Jess. I hope you like it?"

At that moment, Jessie didn't care who was watching. She leaned over and kissed Stephanie tenderly on the mouth. When she released the redhead, she smiled, and said, "I love it. But how did you know?"

Stephanie shrugged. "You told me how much you liked mine," she said, blushing. She was referring to the diamond encrusted letter 'S' that she wore around her own neck.

"When did you manage to find time to go shopping?" Jessie asked, truly curious.

"Wednesday night, when you went to dinner with your mother. Theresa came by and picked me up," she said by way of explanation.

Jessie nodded. She should have known Theresa had something to do with it. Pulling the redhead to her she was just about to kiss her again, when the twins groaned loudly and said, "C'mon Aunt Jessie! Quit kissing her and let's play!"

Jessie and Stephanie broke apart, laughing and blushing at the same time. "Boys!" Lacy yelled, embarrassed. "That was not nice."

"Aw, Mom," Aaron whined, "Aunt Jessie promised she'd play."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "I did promise," she said, looking at Lacy and barely containing a laugh. Glancing over at the twins, she said, "I'll tell you what. Give me twenty minutes to get ready, and I'll meet you two on the field of battle, okay?"

"All right!" both boys said in answer, taking off and running out into the back yard to get ready.

"Sorry about that, you two," Lacy apologized to Jessie and Stephanie again.

Jessie shook her head. "You don't need to apologize, Lacy. It's no big deal, they're just kids. I don't mind."

"Really, it's okay," Stephanie assured her.

Lacy sighed. "If you're sure?"

"I'm positive," Jessie said.

"Me too," Stephanie agreed, taking Jessie's hand in her own.

Still slightly embarrassed, but accepting what Jessie and Stephanie said, Lacy sighed and got up to start carrying things into the kitchen. At the same time, all the guys got up and started preparing to join the twins in a game of Airsoft.

An hour later, breathing hard from running around the huge backyard and playing 'Capture the Flag,' Jessie came back and sat down on the deck next to Stephanie, who'd worn out about twenty minutes earlier. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself," the redhead said. "You all worn out?"

Jessie shook her head. "Not yet. Actually, the guys and I are going to have a little rehearsal. Come on out to the barn. They're getting everything set up. But first, help me put your necklace on?" She'd waited until now to put it on so that it wouldn't get damaged by flying BB's or nine year old twins jumping on her.

Stephanie pulled the necklace out of the box and fastened it around Jessie's neck. Turning the brunette around until they were facing each other, she kissed her. "That sounds like fun," Stephanie said, taking the hand Jessie offered and following her out to the 'barn.' As they approached, she saw that, while the building was built in the style of a barn, once inside, it was anything but. The entire building was built to be used as a combination recording studio/ live performance area on one side and an area for different movie sets on the other.

The band was already set up and ready to go by the time they got there and Jessie jumped up on the stage and took her place. Stephanie took a seat on one of the benches out front along with the other spouses. Then the music started, working out first one new song and then another.

After an hour, the band had gone through a number of new songs they were adding to their set list. Jessie, ever the perfectionist, had insisted on going over each of them two or three times. By the time they were done however, they were all polished and tight sounding.

Relieved that Jessie was finally happy with their sound, Nick began playing some guitar riffs. The rest of the guys picked up the beat, and they were off. Running through a string of their favorite party songs, everyone got up from their seats and started dancing around.

Much to her surprise, Jessie pulled Stephanie up onto the stage, and was holding her hand and singing the old song 'What I Like About You' by the Romantics to her. Before she knew it, Jessie handed her a microphone and had her singing along with them. Not that she was much of a singer in her opinion, but she was having a really good time.

Finally, the band wore down and John went outside to start a bonfire. He'd promised the twins they could roast marshmallows and have S'Mores and he didn't like to go back on his promises.

Half an hour later, all the equipment put up and cords wrapped, the rest of the band joined him by the fire. Jessie had brought a blanket from the car and threw it down to sit on. "Having a good time?" she asked quietly, nuzzling her nose in Stephanie's hair where the redhead was leaning up against her shoulder.

Stephanie nodded. "Yeah, this has been a really good time, Jessie. Thank you for inviting me."

Wrapping her arms around the other woman, Jessie hugged her and said, "It wouldn't have been a good day, without you here to make it special, Steph."

Stephanie smiled and leaned in closer. This had been one of the best days she'd had in a long time. Jessie and her friends had definitely gone out of their way to make her feel like just another member of the group, and she loved them all for it. It had been years since she'd been to anything as normal as a backyard bonfire or a birthday party. Well, she'd been to birthday parties, but they'd all been full of other celebrities and the press. It was such a relief to go and just be herself and not worry about what she was wearing or who she was with. For the first time in a long time, she didn't need to worry that something she said or did would end up in a supermarket rag mag. It was a huge relief.

Noticing how quiet Stephanie had become, Jessie whispered, "You okay, Steph?"

Feeling Jessie's breath on her ear and shivering slightly, Stephanie nodded. "Yeah. I was just thinking about how nice this is…Thank you, Jessie."

Not sure why Stephanie had suddenly become so introspective, Jessie said, "Thanks for what?"

Stephanie turned to look at her. Reaching up with one hand, she brushed a strand of hair from Jessie's eyes and tucked it behind her ear. "For making me feel normal," she whispered quietly, leaning in and kissing her. When she pulled back, she said again, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Jessie answered, hugging her again. Sitting and watching the fire with Stephanie in her arms, Jessie couldn't help herself. For the first time in a very long time, she felt complete. Like a whole person again. Two months ago, she never would have believed it possible, but now, here she was. And, to her total and complete surprise, she was happy. But most of all, she wasn't afraid to feel that way.

By midnight, the fire was dying down. Doug and Jill had already left, and everyone else was gathering up their things to head home. "Jessie," Lacy said, as she walked with the brunette back toward the house, "You two are welcome to stay here, tonight if you'd like."

Shaking her head, Jessie said, "We shouldn't Lacy, but thanks."

"It's an hour back to town, Jessie," Lacy said, "Are you sure?"

Jessie nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure." Setting the tray of snacks she'd carried in on the counter, she said, "I need to get up early and get started working on the notes for the trial And, we still have the gig tomorrow night."

"Oh, that's right," the blond said, "I'd forgotten about all that. Well, if you're sure?" she said, hugging Jessie and then Stephanie. "You two be careful getting home."

"We will, Lace," Jessie answered, hugging Lacy and then everyone else. "Thanks again, you guys, for the party and gifts."

Once they'd said their goodbyes and pulled out of the driveway, Jessie stifled a yawn. "Jessie, you're so tired, why didn't you take Lacy up on the offer to stay?"

Jessie shook her head and laughed. "Steph, I trust Lacy and John a lot. We've been friends for years…But…they do still work in the porn industry."

Confused by the statement, Stephanie furrowed a brow and said, "I'm not quite sure I follow you."

Jessie looked over at her. Trying to be delicate, she explained as best she could. "Well, I've never been sure if they would…you know…have cameras in the guest bedroom or not." Seeing the look on Stephanie's face, she went on. "I'm not saying that they'd do anything, but I didn't want to take the chance that we'd end up in one of those weird sex videos that gets splashed all over the internet."

"You think they'd do that?" Stephanie asked, somewhat shocked.

Jessie shrugged. "Not really, but you never know. I don't want our sex life out there for everyone and their brother to see."

Stephanie eyed her critically. Had Jessie just said what she thought she said? Was she hinting that she was ready to move their relationship forward? "Jessie, I appreciate you wanting to protect both our careers and our modesty," Stephanie said, "But I don't think a video of us sleeping wrapped in each others' arms would get a lot of airplay on YouTube." It was nice of Jessie to think of the potential danger to Stephanie's career if something like that happened. But, it could also ruin Jessie's career. No one would be willing to trust a lawyer they could watch in the throes of passion on the internet.

Jessie smiled over at her. "Who said that's all we'd be doing?"

"Jessie Drake, are you trying to tell me something?"

All innocence, Jessie said, "Who me? What could I possibly be trying to tell you?"

"Come on, Jessie! Stop kidding around," Stephanie said, slightly exasperated. Sleeping with Jessie every night for the last week had been…really nice. But…if Stephanie were being honest with herself, she'd have to admit that she was becoming increasingly frustrated. It wasn't easy sleeping with Jessie and nothing more. Especially when half the time they ended up half naked before they managed to stop whatever they were doing. More than once, she'd just barely managed to stop Jessie's hand from diving under the waistband of her underwear.

Reaching over, Jessie found Stephanie's hand and gently took it into her own. Laughing at the expression on the redhead's face, she squeezed her hand and said, "Stephanie, I'm not trying to tease you. I swear I'm not."

"For someone who's trying not to tease me, you've been doing a fairly decent job of it," Stephanie said petulantly.

"Hey, it's not my fault you've needed to take so many cold showers," Jessie said, teasing her again. "I offered to help you out with that problem, but you turned me down…More than once, I might add."

"Jessie, I told you why…" Stephanie started to explain, a hint of defensiveness creeping into her tone.

"You don't need to explain it to me again, Steph. I understand, and I think what you said was beautiful." Jessie didn't say anything else for a while; just let Stephanie have her moment. Regardless of what she'd said, she knew she'd been teasing the other woman, and she felt horrible about it. By all rights, Stephanie had every reason to be frustrated. Not just with Jessie for turning her on and leaving her hanging, but because Jessie couldn't seem to move past her fears. Well…if she had anything to say about it, that was going to change.

As they turned onto Jessie's street, she squeezed Stephanie's hand again. "I get it, you know. And I'm sorry you've been so…keyed up, lately." As she pulled into the driveway and parked, she said, "I know it's late, but I think I'm going to hop in the shower and wash the smoke smell from the bonfire off before I go to bed."

Doing a 360 at the sudden turn in the conversation, Stephanie didn't know what to say, except, "Uh…that sounds like a good idea, I think I will too."

"Good, you go first," Jessie said, ushering Stephanie into the house. Then, turning and locking the door behind her and setting the alarm, she followed the redhead down the hall and into the bedroom.

As Stephanie went to the bathroom to get ready for her shower, Jessie busied herself around the bedroom. Lighting candles and setting them up around the room, she made sure that everything was in place. Then, going out to the kitchen, she returned a moment later with a bottle of wine in a bucket of ice and two glasses.

Smiling to herself as she surveyed the room, she took a deep breath and reminded herself to breathe. Then, she turned on her heel and headed into the bathroom. Opening the door quietly, she quickly stripped down and moved to the door of the shower. As she slid the door back, she asked softly, "Mind if I join you? Unless, of course, you'd rather I didn't?"

Stephanie, jumping slightly at the sound of Jessie's voice, turned when the door to the shower slid open. "Jessie! God, you scared me." Then, putting the brunette's words together with the fact that she was standing there naked; she blushed, and said just as softly, "No, I don't mind at all."

"Good," Jessie said, stepping into the shower stall and smiling as she slid the door closed behind her, "Because I don't know what I'd have done if you'd said you didn't want me here."

"There's not much chance of that, Jessie," Stephanie said, licking her lips as she looked at the other woman appraisingly. This was the first time she'd actually gotten the chance to see Jessie completely naked, and she had to admit, it was worth the wait. Slightly shorter than her own 5'7" Jessie was lean and athletic, with curves in all the right places. A slight grin gracing her features, she reached out cautiously for Jessie's hand.

Jessie felt her mouth go dry as she got her first look at Stephanie. Sure, she'd seen her topless, not only in her movies, but in her bed as well, but this wasn't the same. This was Stephanie…all of her. And Jessie couldn't help it…Seeing her like this…in the shower…just the two of them, was way better than any movie. Swallowing hard, she took the hand that Stephanie held out to her and allowed herself to be pulled closer.

Still not touching anything but Jessie's hand, Stephanie snaked her other hand around and pulled Jessie's head toward her, capturing her mouth in a kiss. When they broke apart, she said, "Jessie, are you…are you sure about this?"

Jessie nodded, never taking her eyes off Stephanie. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life," she answered sincerely. Reaching over and picking up the soap, she said, "Let me help you Steph. I need to feel you under my hands." Looking unabashedly at the redhead, she breathed, "God, you're so beautiful."

Stephanie blushed as Jessie raked her eyes over her body. It wasn't that she was embarrassed by her body…no. She blushed because she'd never seen so much raw need and desire directed toward her before. It was extremely erotic, to see it in the brunette's eyes. Then, Jessie's hands were on her, sliding over her shoulders and down her arms, and she thought she might explode right then and there.

Turning the redhead around so that she was facing the wall, Jessie slowly slid her hands across Stephanie's well muscled shoulders and down her arms. Feeling the other woman shiver under her touch, she bit her lip as Stephanie gasped and licked her own lower lip. Leaning forward slightly, she moved the dark red strands of hair to the side and kissed Stephanie's neck.

When she felt Jessie's lips on her neck, Stephanie groaned. "God Jessie, that feels so good," she gasped out. "I…I want to feel you, Jessie. Please…" Right now, all she wanted was to feel Jessie's body moving against hers.

Jessie grinned at Stephanie's request. "Soon, baby. Soon," she whispered. Then she lathered her hands and ran them up and down Stephanie's back, moving no lower than her waist each time. Smiling at the way Stephanie was leaning into the wall with her head braced on her forearm, Jessie kept up the movement. Barely able to contain her own desire, she moved lower, washing the well-toned rear-end and legs. God, she loved Stephanie's ass. It was gorgeous, and the subject of more than one daydream over the years. Knowing an opportunity when she saw one, she leaned in and kissed each cheek lovingly. Stephanie, feeling the kisses, moaned.

Finally, taking pity on Stephanie, who was now panting and still biting her lower lip, Jessie stood up and said quietly, "Hey, turn around."

Stephanie raised her head and complied with Jessie's request. Truth be told, she'd do just about anything right now, if Jessie asked. Then, Jessie's mouth was on hers and she lost all capacity for thought.

Breaking the kiss in order for both of them to get some much needed air, Jessie grabbed the soap again. Slowly, beginning with Stephanie's arms, she worked her way down the redhead's body. Trailing her fingers slowly over her breasts, Jessie couldn't help but take first one, and then the other into her mouth. Then, dropping to her knees, she gave attention to each of the redhead's legs, kissing each one as she moved higher, making her way to points north.

Stephanie was having trouble concentrating. Jessie's hands were everywhere. Then, her mouth was on her, sucking one breast into her mouth. She couldn't help herself as she tugged the brunette's head to her, holding it in place. Then, as Jessie pulled back and dropped to her knees, Stephanie thought she just might drop to her knees as well. When she realized what Jessie was doing and what her intended target was, her hips bucked forward of their own volition. Still, Jessie didn't touch her where she needed her most.

Feeling Stephanie trembling and hearing the labored breathing, Jessie knew they were going to have to take this to the bed soon. Then, she noticed the way Stephanie was trying to guide her toward her center, and she closed her eyes. She wanted this. Had wanted this for so long she couldn't remember a time when she didn't want it. Still, she forced herself to hold off just a little bit longer. Pulling back slightly, Jessie kissed her lightly on each hip and then stood up. Kissing the redhead once more, she said quietly, "Not yet, Steph. Let's get out of here and move this to the bedroom."

Disappointed by the sudden lack of Jessie's touch, Stephanie couldn't speak. Her body on fire, she could only nod as she allowed Jessie to lead her out of the shower. She stood still as Jessie grabbed a towel and ran it briskly over her body, drying her off. Then she waited as the brunette did the same to herself. Dropping both towels in a pile on the floor, Jessie took the redhead's hand in hers and led her back to the bedroom.

When they arrived, Stephanie stopped walking and just looked around the room in wonder. "Jessie when…when did you do this?"

Jessie smiled at her and whispered, "While you were getting ready for your shower."

"But…" Stephanie stammered, her voice trailing off.

Jessie reached out, stroking the smooth cheek and brushing Stephanie's hair back to tuck it behind one ear. "I have a confession to make," she whispered softly, looking shyly at the redhead. "There was something I wanted for my birthday that I…didn't get." She leaned in and kissed Stephanie slowly. "I don't want to seem greedy, but it's the one thing that I wanted more than anything else."

Unwilling to part from Jessie's lips, Stephanie only barely managed to ask breathlessly, "What did you want, Jessie? If I can give it to you…"

Licking her lips, Jessie nuzzled Stephanie's ear and whispered, "You, Stephanie. I wanted you for my birthday." Then, without waiting for an answer, Jessie took possession of the redhead's mouth, pouring everything she was feeling into the kiss. By the time they broke apart minutes later, they were next to the bed.

Breathlessly, Stephanie said, "Then take me, Jessie." Then, pushing the brunette down on the bed, she waited as Jessie got comfortable. Climbing onto the bed herself and straddling the brunette, Stephanie leaned down and kissed her again. "I'm giving myself to you. Anything you want. Anything at all…it's yours."

At Stephanie's words, Jessie pulled the redhead down until her entire body was covering her own. Gasping at the feel of the smooth silky flesh touching hers at last, she gasped out, "Jesus…Stephanie…you feel so good." Her body shivering at the sensation of Stephanie's breasts pressed against her, she found she could hardly breathe. Still, she managed to pull Stephanie to her and kiss her again.

Her hands scratching up and down the length of Stephanie's back, she slid her tongue into her mouth as well. Moments later, when they came up for air, Jessie rolled them over, putting Stephanie underneath her. Now straddling the redhead, she smiled down at her, the light from the candles playing off the smooth skin under her hands.

Then, Stephanie slid her hands from Jessie's waist, up to her breasts and began kneading. Arching into the sensation, Jessie thought she might lose her mind right then and there. Biting her lower lip, she fought for control. She wanted this feeling to last forever.

Rocking her hips against Stephanie's lower stomach, she nearly screamed when Stephanie suddenly lunged upward and pulled one breast into her mouth, sucking hard. Wrapping her hand in the dark red hair, she pulled Stephanie to her, clinging as tightly as she could. "God, Steph…please…" she pleaded, not even sure what she was pleading for.

Suddenly, Stephanie's hands were sliding down her back, scratching as they went, and Jessie shivered at the burning sensation left in their wake. When she felt the redhead grasp her butt and start squeezing, she nearly cried. Moaning with pleasure, she wasn't even aware that Stephanie had somehow managed to flip them over again, so that she was once more on top.

Now above the brunette, her hands still firmly attached to Jessie's butt, Stephanie slid lower on the brunette's body, licking from one breast to the other. Swirling her tongue around each one in turn and sucking first gently, then harder, biting down until Jessie was begging her to keep going.

Her body on fire, Jessie moaned and thrashed her head from side to side. Unable to grab hold of anything, she finally found Stephanie's upper arms and held on tightly, urging her to continue. "Oh…Stephanie, please…" she gasped out. "Don't…don't stop."

"I'm not gonna stop, Jessie," Stephanie whispered as she slid her hands around to take the place of her mouth on Jessie's breasts. Sliding her body lower, until Jessie could feel her hot breath on her stomach, she said with a wicked grin, "I'm just getting started."

Then Jessie thought she'd died, when Stephanie suddenly began running her tongue up and down the insides of her thighs. Breath coming in short gasps; she was barely able to form words, let alone sentences. The ache between her legs begging for the redheads' touch, all she could say was, "Please…God please, I need you now."

"Need me where, Jessie?" Stephanie purred, her breath burning a path across the brunette's already sweat covered skin.

"In…inside. Your mouth…everywhere…God, just touch me, Steph," Jessie begged almost incoherently. The sensations Stephanie was causing were leaving her unable to think at all. The only thing she knew for sure was that she needed this woman desperately.

Already unbelievably turned on from the shower, Stephanie shook her head. "Not so fast, Jessie. You remember what I said about the first time we make love?" She didn't wait for an answer since she was quite aware of the fact that Jessie wasn't capable of one right now. Instead, she answered her own question. "I told you I wanted us to orgasm together…you remember?"

As Stephanie crawled back up her body until she was looking her in the eye, Jessie fought to gather her thoughts. Still gasping for air, she nodded. "I…I remember."

Stephanie leaned down and kissed her hard and deep. "Good," she said, putting some space between them. "Get up on your knees."

Confused, still barely able to think, Jessie maneuvered until she was on her knees facing the redhead. Swallowing hard when Stephanie kissed her again, she was even more confused when Stephanie turned around until her back was to the brunette. It all began to make sense when Stephanie leaned back into her though, pressing herself against Jessie's body. The resulting moan coming from Stephanie gave her all the direction she needed.

Jessie reached around then and pulled the redhead against her as tight as she could, licking her neck as she did. One hand squeezing Stephanie's left breast, she slid the other one downward until she was at her right hip. When she heard Stephanie's husky voice suddenly whisper, "Touch me, Jessie. I can't wait any more," she needed no further encouragement. Moving her hand down, she at last slid her hand into Stephanie's wet warmth, feeling for the first time like she was truly in heaven. As the redhead moved to the rhythm her hand set, she suddenly felt Stephanie's left hand slide back between them to slide into her as well.

Almost screaming at the feeling of riding Stephanie's hand while the redhead rode hers, she clamped her mouth down on the redhead's shoulder, alternately sucking and biting carefully. Stephanie's other hand came around to grasp the back of her neck, clinging to her tightly.

Moving together, their hips rocking in unison, they were both gasping and moaning. "Oh God!" Jessie gasped out, as she felt the wave about to overtake her.

"It's okay, Jess," Stephanie managed to grind out. "I'm with you. Oh…Jessie…I'm right here with you." At her words, she felt Jessie's muscles clamp around her fingers and she could no longer hold on. Surrendering to the feelings, they both screamed together, their bodies arching and spasming with pleasure.

Minutes later, or it could have been hours, Stephanie wasn't sure; they finally managed to lie down. Jessie's muscles still quivering, she pulled the brunette to her and hugged her tight. "God Jessie…that was amazing," she whispered. When the brunette didn't answer, only nodded, Stephanie slid back a little so that she could see better. When she finally pulled Jessie's chin up so she could see, she noticed the tears sliding silently down her cheeks.

"Jessie? Jess, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Stephanie asked, concerned.

Jessie shook her head. "It's…it's stupid," she said quietly, ashamed of herself for crying now.

"What's stupid, Jess?" Stephanie was getting worried. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Jessie smiled and shook her head, sniffing. "God no, Steph. It's just…" swallowing hard, she forced herself to answer. "It's just that…this was so…beautiful. So much more than I ever imagined…"

"Oh, Jessie," Stephanie whispered, leaning in and capturing her mouth in a kiss. When she finally released the brunette's mouth, she said, "Happy Birthday, Jessie"

Jessie leaned forward and pulled her into a soul searing kiss. Feeling herself relax, she smiled at the redhead, and said, "Let me thank you properly, Stephanie. Besides, I have a week of turning you on and leaving you hanging to make up for."

Stephanie laughed. "What are you talking about?"

Jessie didn't answer, just crawled on top of the redhead and began kissing her way downward. By the time she reached Stephanie's thighs, the redhead was once again moaning incoherently. By the time Jessie was moving her tongue over her center and thrusting with one hand, she was screaming and begging for more.

They took turns that night, bringing each other to the precipice of pleasure and then jumping off together. Finally, as the sun was coming up and the candles had long ago burned out, they fell asleep wrapped in each others arms.

By three, Jessie had dropped Stephanie off at her hotel and headed over to the bar to help the rest of the band prepare for their gig. Theresa was due to pick Stephanie up in two hours for dinner and drinks. Then, they were heading over to the bar to watch the band. Still, when Theresa knocked on the door at 5, she wasn't quite ready. Exhausted from a lack of sleep, Stephanie had lain down and taken a nap. She'd only meant to lie down for an hour, but she'd managed to oversleep.

Answering the door in her robe, she let Theresa in. "Hey Theresa, sorry I'm running late. I just need to grab a quick shower. Why don't you have a seat and I'll try to hurry."

"It's okay, Stephanie. We're not in any rush or anything, take your time," Theresa said as she came in and took a seat on the couch. Grabbing the remote, she flipped on the TV and settled in, planning on getting comfortable. She was pleasantly surprised then, when Stephanie emerged from the bathroom not ten minutes later.

"Done already?" Theresa asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Stephanie's voice wafted out from the bedroom, where she was busy getting dressed. "Sorry, I took a nap and overslept."

"Mmm, late night, last night?" Theresa asked.

Coming out of the bedroom, dressed in jeans and a tight lightly tye dyed tank top, Stephanie was carrying her black two inch high heeled boots. Flopping down on the couch next to Theresa, she pulled the boots on. Leaning back into the couch, she blew out a breath and answered, "Yeah, it was kind of a late night."

Theresa looked at the redhead who, despite rushing to get ready, looked fantastic. 'Jesus, did Stephanie ever look bad?' she wondered to herself. Then, studying her as she sat with her eyes shut, Theresa said, "Oh…my…God!"

"What?" Stephanie asked, opening her eyes and looking over at Theresa, not sure what caused the other woman to say that.

"You and Jessie! A late night? Stephanie…did you two finally…? Theresa asked. Then, without waiting for an answer, she went on. "Of course you did, I can tell by the look on your face."

"What? You can't possibly tell something like that just by looking at me," Stephanie said, staring at Theresa like she'd suddenly grown two heads. At the same time, she wondered how Theresa knew.

"No, but I know Jessie," Theresa said in explanation. "And she was definitely into you yesterday."

"I do not have a 'look' on my face," Stephanie said, trying to deny what had happened, but failing miserably, since she realized she was grinning from ear to ear.

Seeing Stephanie's face light up, Theresa turned excitedly to look at her closer. "You did! Don't bother denying it, I can tell. Oh my God, I'm so happy for you guys!"

Amused by the blonds' reaction, Stephanie asked, "Is it obvious? I mean, it's not written on my face somewhere is it? I don't have a hickey on me that I didn't notice, do I?" She didn't think she did, Jessie had done a good job of keeping all the hickies and scratches in unnoticeable places. Still…

"No, of course not," Theresa said, hugging her. "I'm just teasing you. Really," she said, trying to put the redhead at ease. "I've just been around a long time. So…how was it?"

Stephanie smiled shyly, her face turning bright red. "It was…" taking a deep breath and licking her lips, she said, "It was really, really good."

"So…go on," Theresa urged. She only ever got to hear Jessie's side of things. This was so much better.

"Well, Jessie's a great kisser," Stephanie said, still blushing.

"I know, she is good," Theresa agreed.

"Umm, I thought you two never…?" Stephanie trailed off, confused by what Theresa had just said.

Furrowing her brow, Theresa caught on to what the redhead was asking. "Oh! Stephanie, no. Jessie and I never did…you know…I'm completely straight. It's just that back when she used to come home high all the time, I'd help her into bed. One night, she was really trashed, high on Coke and drunk on Jack, I think…She pulled me down onto the bed and started kissing me. You know, telling me how I was her best friend in the world, and she loved me and all that. It didn't mean anything. I don't think she even remembered it had happened when she finally came down and sobered up. But…she is a great kisser." Theresa smiled, remembering that night. Jessie was a great kisser and she'd never deny it. She was, when she thought about it, actually glad it had happened. Before that, she'd never understood what everyone saw in Jessie, other than the obvious. After that night, she got it. Jessie was just hot and sexy in a way she herself would never be. It's what she always thought of as 'star quality,' and Jessie had it in spades. Then, turning her attention back to Stephanie, she said, "Now, tell me everything."

Stephanie smiled, remembering the feel of Jessie's mouth on hers (and everywhere else). "How about I give you the edited version?" she asked, not feeling right about sharing something like that with the blond.

"Oh, you're killing me," Theresa said, jokingly. "But, I guess I can live with that. Go on."

An hour later, they were sitting at Wild Panda, eating dinner and drinking wine. Theresa had been slightly disappointed by Stephanie's much edited version of what had happened with Jessie. But she knew she'd get the porn version from Jessie eventually, or at least a less edited version, so that was okay.

Lacy, who had been running late herself, finally showed up and joined them for dinner. The three of them spent the next two hours talking and laughing about Lacy's experiences in the porn industry. All in all, it had been an enjoyable evening so far, and Stephanie was really looking forward to seeing the band play tonight. And, if she were being honest, she couldn't wait to see Jessie and kiss her again. They'd only been separated for a few hours, and she already missed her touch.

Lacy, who was on her third glass of wine, leaned over and said, "You know, Stephanie…You're so much better for Jessie than Bobby ever was."

Theresa rolled her eyes, as Lacy started in on Bobby again. Every time the blond had a little too much to drink, she managed to bring it up. "Jesus Lacy, don't you ever get tired of re-living that? Bobby's been gone for seven years."

Lacy looked over at Theresa and said, "No, I don't. Besides, Bobby treated Jessie like absolute shit. My girl deserves better than that."

"All right, fine," Theresa huffed slightly, giving in. "Go ahead and tell Stephanie the whole horrible story. See if I care."

Lacy smiled over at Theresa. "Thanks, Momma Hen. I promise I won't be too mean to him. I know you liked him."

Theresa didn't even bother to answer, taking another drink from her bottle of beer, instead.

"So," Stephanie asked carefully," Bobby wasn't the nicest guy in the world?"

"Hardly," Lacy snorted. Settling in, she began the story. "Back when the band first got together, Bobby was the best guitar player around. They were lucky to get him and they knew it. Of course, it didn't hurt that he'd been after Jessie for months, before that. They started writing together almost immediately. And," she said, taking another drink of her wine and looking over at Theresa, "I'll admit it…they were a Hell of a team."

"Within months, he'd moved in with her and they were engaged," Theresa added, noticing that Lacy was rolling her eyes yet again. Despite her connections to the porn industry, Lacy was surprisingly conservative when it came to certain things, and she'd always thought Jessie and Bobby had rushed things.

Stephanie was surprised that Jessie had moved that quickly. Then, thinking about what had been happening between them, she shook her head, The two of them seemed to be moving pretty quickly too, when she thought about it. And, even though they weren't living together, they might as well be. They'd spent every night together for the last week. "That does seem pretty fast," she said, agreeing with Lacy despite what had been happening.

"Whatever Bobby wanted, Bobby got," Lacy said sarcastically. "See, Bobby was like a guitar god around here. All the guys wanted to be him and all the girls wanted to sleep with him. All that would have been okay, too, but Bobby couldn't keep his hands to himself and be happy with what he had."

"You mean he cheated on Jessie?" Stephanie asked, surprised that Jessie would have been so torn up about the relationship falling apart if he treated her that way.

"Cheated is a nice way to describe what he did," Theresa chimed in. She'd been there and seen everything first hand, since she lived with them back then. "He didn't just go out with other girls. He screwed them backstage before, during, and after their shows. Jessie would be walking by and he wouldn't even try to hide what was happening. It was awful."

"And Jessie just put up with that?" Stephanie asked incredulously.

"He may have been screwing everything in sight, but he came home to her every night," Theresa answered. Not wanting the redhead to get the wrong idea about who Jessie was, she added, "Look Stephanie, that was a long time ago. All of us were drinking and doing drugs like crazy. We've all managed to grow up since then."

Stephanie nodded. She did understand. After all, when she'd first moved to LA, there were plenty of parties she'd rather forget. It wasn't like she was innocent. And, she'd been in her fair share of bad relationships over the years. "I'm not judging, Theresa," she said, attempting to allay the blonds' fears. "I'd just like to understand her better. Hearing this, I think I get why she's so afraid to trust anyone."

"It did make her skittish," Lacy agreed.

"You know," Theresa went on, "The night that record producer showed up to see them, they had a huge fight right before they went on stage. Jessie, for whatever reason, was already in a bad mood. When she went into the dressing room and saw some girl on her knees in front of Bobby, she went off. We actually had to pull them apart."

"Jessie beat her up?" Stephanie gasped, surprised that mild mannered, always professional, Jessie would get so angry.

"Jessie kicked her ass up one side and down the other," Lacy added, holding her wine glass up in a salute, before taking a drink. "John said they had to get Bobby out of the room before she kicked his ass, too."

"There was so much energy on stage that night, you could feel it everywhere," Theresa said, remembering that evening like it was yesterday. "That record guy offered them the deal right after they walked off stage." She laughed sarcastically, remembering the rest of the evening. "We all went out to celebrate, after the show. By the time we made it home that night, Bobby and Jessie acted like nothing had happened. They barely made it into the bedroom before they were undressed."

"So…after catching him with his pants down," Stephanie said, putting it as delicately as possible, "She basically forgot all that because they got offered a record deal? That doesn't sound like Jessie."

"It's not the Jessie you know," Lacy explained. "But it was the Jessie high on cocaine and drunk. We were all pretty fucked up back then, actually," she added, shaking her head at the things they'd all done in those days.

Even hearing the explanations, Stephanie still found it difficult to reconcile the Jessie they were telling her about, with the one who had cried in her arms last night after making love for the first time. It just didn't sound like her Jessie at all. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Theresa's voice.

"Oh, crap! We're gonna be late if we don't leave now," she exclaimed, looking at her watch. "It's almost nine thirty." She signaled for their waiter and he brought their bill over. After Theresa paid, they left, heading for the bar.

As they left, not one of them noticed the middle aged man following them. From the restaurant to the bar, he followed, blending in with the crowd. He continued to watch, as the redhead sat at a small table with a group of what were obviously friends. How had she made so many friends here so quickly?

Careful not to get too close, he watched all evening, taking note of the way the redhead stared at the singer up on stage. He sat up and took definite notice when the singer strutted over to the table and hugged the redhead tightly during one of their breaks, even giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

At the end of the evening, he waited in the parking lot. When he saw the singer walk out with the redhead on her arm, he ground his teeth together. As they pulled out of the parking lot, he followed them. Parking across the street from The Hilton Hotel, he made his way through the lobby and took the elevator up to the floor containing the apartment suites.

Seething with anger he could barely control, he found a comfortable place to wait. It wasn't that the redheaded bitch had turned him down that bothered him so much. It was why she turned him down. She obviously preferred to spend her time with that dyke bitch Jessie Drake instead of a real man.

They'd arrived back at Stephanie's hotel room around one. Hours later, Jessie was lying on her stomach, the bed sheets pooled around her waist. Stephanie was propped up on one elbow, tracing the outline of Jessie's tattoo with her finger. "I can't believe I never noticed this until tonight," she said, following the curves and lines with her eyes. "How long have you had it?"

Jessie, feeling completely boneless at the moment, sighed in contentment. Stephanie's fingers, touching her ever so lightly, were burning into her skin. "I got it when I was about twenty four," she answered.

To Stephanie, the tattoo looked almost brand new. Then again, being on Jessie's shoulder, it probably didn't see a lot of sunlight. When she'd first met the brunette, she'd thought perhaps she spent time in a tanning bed. Her skin was perpetually tanned, almost olive colored. But after seeing the woman completely naked, she realized it was just her skin color, a product of a good gene pool. No tanning necessary. "Does it mean anything special?" she asked, leaning down and grazing her lips across the design in question.

Jessie shrugged. "Well, I'm into martial arts, so the Yin Yang symbol is a given. It symbolizes balance; you know, light and dark, male and female, peace and chaos."

"Mmm, and the dragons?" she asked as she placed another light kiss on the tattoo.

"Dragons are a symbol of the protector. And…I'm just into dragons," Jessie answered, rolling over to look up into the green eyes staring down at her. "You like it?" she asked, raising a hand to brush the redhead's cheek softly.

"It's gorgeous, Jess. Like you," Stephanie whispered, turning her cheek into the caress.

"You make me feel so good, Steph," Jessie said softly, the look in her eyes just a little sad. "I never thought I'd feel like this again."

"You mean after Bobby?" Stephanie asked, wanting to wipe the sadness from the other woman's features.

Jessie nodded. "Yeah."

Biting her lower lip, Stephanie debated whether she really wanted to bring up Jessie's past any further. After talking to Lacy and Theresa earlier though, she had questions. She just wasn't sure if she should ask Jessie.

Noticing the redhead looking at her hesitantly, Jessie asked, "Steph…is everything all right?"

"Yeah," Stephanie breathed out, smiling softly down at the brunette. "I was just remembering something that Lacy and Theresa told me earlier."

Jessie groaned and rolled her eyes. "About me and Bobby, I'll bet?" At the redhead's nod, she said, "Lacy brought it up, didn't she?" Without waiting for an answer, she went on. "You know, it's been seven years since all that happened. You'd think she'd let it go."

"Um, not to point out the obvious," Stephanie said carefully, "but you haven't really let it go yet yourself."

"True…but it happened to me. Lacy wasn't really involved, she was just an observer," Jessie said, trying to justify her own lack of resolution with the situation.

"She may have been an observer, Jessie, but she loves you very much," Stephanie said, sliding her free hand down to rest on Jessie's hip.

"I know," Jessie admitted. "So, I guess she told you how he screwed everything in sight and I just let him do it? And about the fight?" At Stephanie's quiet nod, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself. If that's all Stephanie ever heard about her past, the poor woman would think that she was an abuser, or prone to violence or…something. She didn't want Stephanie to be afraid of her.

After another deep breath, she jumped into her explanation. "Steph, I don't have any real reason for why I did the things I did back then. All I can say is that I was coked out most of the time away from work and, well…I just didn't want to be alone or lose the band. I didn't feel like I had anything else. So, I just let him do whatever. As long as the band stayed together and he came to bed with me every night, I just didn't care. It was a horrible relationship," she admitted, turning her head away to stare at the wall. For some reason, she couldn't seem to look at Stephanie right now. She just didn't want to see the look in her eyes, knowing that she really didn't deserve the love the redhead had for her.

Afraid that Jessie was going to close herself off, Stephanie moved her hand up to turn Jessie's head back toward her. Forcing her to look at her, she said, "Jessie…I'm not judging you. I understand now why you have a hard time trusting people. I swear to you that I would never treat you that way. Bobby obviously didn't respect you or care for you. I hope you know that I'm not like that?"

"I…kinda got that feeling," Jessie admitted quietly, sniffing a little.

"What happened to the girl you got into the fight with?"

"They didn't tell you?" Jessie asked in surprise. When Stephanie shook her head 'no,' she went on with the story. "Well, they had to pull me off of her before I hurt her."

"She didn't press charges or anything?"

Jessie shook her head. "No. The stupid thing was…she was so excited to be backstage with all of us that she didn't even care. She was so high; I doubt she even remembered the next day what had happened."

"Jessie, that's horrible. Was she okay?" Stephanie asked, worried that Jessie may have actually hurt the girl.

"She seemed to be. I bruised some ribs, but other than that, she was fine." Looking away for a moment, she took another deep breath before saying, "Look Stephanie…I don't want you to think that I routinely go around beating people up or respond with violence every time I get mad about something. I'm not…"

"Shh," Stephanie placed a finger on Jessie's lips. "You don't need to tell me that. I know." She leaned down and kissed Jessie gently on the lips. When she drew back, she said, "The Jessie that responded that way is gone. She would never have cried in my arms or make love to me the way you do. I know that, and I trust it. You need to trust it too."

Jessie swallowed hard. Pulling Stephanie back down for another kiss, she whispered, "How did I get so lucky?"

"Fate?" Stephanie answered, leaning in and taking control of her mouth again.

"I swear," Stephanie huffed, stomping into the office Tuesday morning. "You'd think I was the only female in this office, the way Bob keeps asking me out."

"He asked you out again?" Theresa asked, turning around to face the redhead.

"Yeah. Apparently, he thinks I'm lying when I say I have plans," Stephanie said, blowing on her coffee.

"Let's call Susan and let her know this is happening," Theresa offered. "This isn't the first time he's gone a little overboard."

Stephanie shook her head. "No, it's all right. He's just annoying."

"Are you sure, Stephanie?" Theresa asked, watching her carefully.

"Hey, you both said Bob's harmless. I don't want to cause a problem here in the office," Stephanie said, taking a drink of her coffee. "Besides, I'll be gone in a few weeks, and he won't be a problem anymore." She really didn't want to be seen as someone who whined about every little thing while she was there.

Theresa sighed and took a deep breath. "Well…if you're sure?"

"I'm sure," Stephanie answered back.

Tuesday Evening: 7:05pm

He watched, as Jessie left the hotel suite. He'd known there was something going on between her and the redhead. When he'd seen her entering the suite the last two evenings and leaving the following mornings, he was positive. He couldn't believe the bitch had lied to him!

Telling him she was busy? She couldn't possibly have been that busy. No one could be. But lying to him? He'd show her. Once the brunette stepped onto the elevator, he waited another five minutes, to make sure she was gone. Then, stepping out of his hiding place, he stepped up to the door of the actress' room and knocked.

At the knock on the door, Stephanie came out of the bedroom where she'd been getting ready for a shower. Throwing her robe around her, she pulled the tie as she walked to the door. "Jessie? Did you forget your key?" she asked as she unlocked the door and opened it.

As the door began to open, he shoved hard and fast. When the door impacted with her body, Stephanie was knocked off balance and she fell, crashing into the small table by the door. As she struggled to get up, blood flowing onto her face from a gash on her head, he slammed the door shut behind him and locked it. "I'm not your precious Jessie," a man's voice said angrily.

Stephanie, momentarily stunned by the sudden attack, turned her head to see who had hit her. "Bob? What are you doing?" she asked, trying to figure out what the Hell was going on.

"Who do you think you are? Turning me down so you could go out with her?" Bob asked, the tone of his voice containing obvious disdain for Jessie. Reaching down, he grabbed her arm and kicked at her viciously. Then he began dragging her toward the bedroom.

When Bob grabbed her arm and kicked her, Stephanie screamed and began struggling to get away from him. His foot had caught her ribs, but she didn't think anything was broken. "What…? What are you doing? Help! Somebody…please! Help!"

As Stephanie screamed, he turned and smacked her hard across the face, splitting her lip. "Shut up, Bitch! Don't you dare yell again or I'll really hurt you. And, if you don't stop fighting me, I'll tie you down."

Stephanie felt panic and fear flood her system. Jessie had left for rehearsal and a photo shoot, and wasn't due back for at least three hours. The other rooms on her floor weren't rented out right now, so there was no one to hear her screams. Helpless, she stopped struggling. Bob wasn't a big man, but he was a lot stronger than she'd given him credit for. As he pulled her toward the bedroom, she closed her eyes, praying for help. She wasn't religious by any stretch, but right now, what could it hurt?

"It didn't have to be this way you know," he said to her as he lifted her up and tossed her onto the bed. "You could have just said you'd go out with me. But no…you had to pick Jessie Drake instead. That bitch!" He climbed onto the bed and straddled her, holding her down while he pulled four pieces of rope from his jacket pocket.

When Stephanie noticed the rope, her eyes went wide. How could this be happening to her? They'd all believed Bob was harmless. How could they all have been so wrong? What was he going to do next? Rape was obviously the first thing on his mind, but after that? The fear of not knowing caused her blood to run cold. As she felt the ropes tighten around her wrists, she closed her eyes. She couldn't bear to look at him and watch as he humiliated her.

Once he finished tying down her arms, he moved lower to tie her legs down as well. Wrapping a rope around each ankle, he pulled her spread eagle on the bed and attached the ropes to either side of the bed frame, making sure they were tight. Once he was satisfied that she wouldn't be getting loose any time soon he moved back up to straddle her again.

"It was very kind of you to wear a robe," he said quietly, staring down at her. "I won't have to cut anything off you this way."

The words caused her to open her eyes again, and it was then, that she noticed the knife he was brandishing. She started to scream again, but he grabbed her jaw, squeezing until she thought he might break it.

"You'll be quiet unless you want me to put a gag in your mouth, too," he said, leaning down until his mouth was next to her ear. "Now, tell me you want me." When she remained silent, except for stifled whimpers, he slapped her again. "Tell me!"

"I…I want…you," she managed to stammer through her tears.

"Good," he crooned. Still leaning over her, he used one hand to pull at the tie on her robe. "Now, you're going to ask me for it," he said. "Tell me you want me more than you want her."

Stephanie closed her eyes again and swallowed hard. Coming to herself a little, she found that she could do this. She was an actress, after all. Maybe…if she acted like she wanted him, he wouldn't do this to her. Swallowing her fear, she forced herself to stay calm. Then, even though she felt like throwing up, she said, "Please…I want you. Please…"

He smiled down at her, the lust and hatred in his gaze apparent. "That's right, beg for it. Who do you want?"

"You. I want you, Bob," she said.

"And Jessie?"

She forced herself to say it even though she hated herself for it. "I don't want her. She's just a distraction…just someone to sleep with." She hated what she was doing. It felt like a betrayal of Jessie's trust in her, even though logically, she knew it wasn't.

He pulled back on her robe, exposing her to him. The greed she saw in his eyes when he gazed down at her naked body made her sick. She wanted to puke, but she held back. She had to, to get through this.

Jessie arrived downstairs and found Theresa waiting for her in the car at the hotel lobby entrance. "Hey, Theresa. You ready to go?"

"Ready when you are, Jess," the blond answered, throwing the car into gear and pulling out of the unloading area into the street. "You guys rehearsing any new songs tonight after the photo shoot?"

"Only one," Jessie said distractedly. "Damn!" she said suddenly. "Theresa, would you mind turning around? I was supposed to bring a pair of earrings for Lacy tonight. I left the damn things laying on the dresser."

"Sure Jessie, no problem," Theresa answered easily, flipping on her turn signal and turning the car around in an empty parking lot. Ten minutes later, saw them pulling back into the hotel parking lot. Theresa parked the car and got out with Jessie. "You don't mind if I go up with you, do you? I drank one too many waters on the way over."

Jessie shook her head. "No, of course not. Come on up." Turning around on the spot, she followed the blond through the hotel lobby and onto the elevator then punched the button for the correct floor. Exiting the elevator minutes later, Jessie pulled out her key card and slid it through the slot. When the light turned green, she turned the handle and opened the door.

As the door opened, she immediately noticed that something wasn't right. The small table next to the door was lying on the floor, broken. On the carpeting next to the table, was a small amount of what looked to be blood. Fear crept into the pit of her stomach and took up residence. "Stephanie?" she called quietly, worried that something had happened to the redhead when she received no answer. Looking toward Theresa, who hadn't made a sound, she whispered, "Call 911, something's not right."

As the blond nodded and stepped out into the hallway, careful to make sure the door wasn't locked as she did, Jessie moved further into the room. Moving quietly, with the grace of a thief, Jessie made her way carefully through the empty rooms of the apartment suite. To her left, from the bedroom, she could hear the faint buzz of voices. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she began to inch toward the bedroom. Theresa had rejoined her now, and she followed along behind Jessie, unwilling to remain behind in case the brunette needed help.

As Theresa stepped up behind her, Jessie could feel the heat from the blonds' hand through the material of her t-shirt sleeve as Theresa touched her lightly. She could hear her breathing, even though she was as quiet as a mouse. As a matter of fact, it struck her as odd that every movement, every sound, seemed to be amplified right now. Then, her attention was drawn once again to the bedroom as she heard Stephanie whimper. And then a man's voice yelling, "Tell me…am I better than her? Tell me!"

As she slid silently around the open bedroom door, Jessie saw a man on the bed. He was straddling Stephanie, who was tied up spread eagle, naked, underneath him, and he was holding a knife to her throat with one hand. The other hand was busy doing something to Stephanie that she couldn't see from her angle in the doorway.

As soon as her mind processed what was happening, Jessie's world went white. Not sure what to do but sure that she had to do something, she bit her lower lip.

She heard Stephanie's bitter, humiliated voice saying to him, "You…You're better than her. She never makes me feel…like you do." Choking on bile, she finished with, "She's a cold, distant bitch."

"I knew it," Bob spat out as his free hand worked at the fly on his jeans. "Now you're going to find out what a real lover can do for you, Stephanie." He hadn't even gotten started with her yet. By the time he was done with her, she'd be begging him for more. She'd never go back to Jessie then. He'd ruin it for her. Just then, he heard a slight movement from behind. Shifting to see what it might have been, he saw Jessie Drake standing in the doorway. Smirking at her, he got up off of Stephanie, and took a step toward the brunette. "So, you didn't leave after all? Waiting to see what a real lover can do for her?" As Jessie took a step toward him, he said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Jessie. I have a knife, and I won't hesitate to use it on your whore. I'll cut her so bad no one will want her."

Jessie clenched her teeth. She couldn't get to Stephanie without going through Bob. She didn't want anyone getting hurt, but if anyone was going to, she hoped it would be him. Anger overriding good sense, she said, "What the fuck are you doing Bob? You know you won't make it out of here."

"Fuck you! I'll do whatever I want, you bitch! And when I'm done with her, she'll never want you again! The only hands she'll ever want to feel on her body will be mine." He screamed, spit coming out of his mouth, he was so angry.

"Your problem seems to be with me," Jessie said, a strange calm suddenly coming over her. She knew what she had to do. "Why don't you try to cut me with that knife? If you hate me so much it shouldn't be a problem for you to get rid of me?"

"Take another step closer, and I will," he said, the hand with the knife shaking slightly.

Jessie did just that. Moving slowly, afraid he'd suddenly turn and attack Stephanie, she inched toward him. "What's the matter, Bob? Afraid of little 'ole me?" she taunted him. "What? No one else would go out with you so you had to rape somebody to get off?"

Shaking with anger and hatred for the brunette, he launched himself at Jessie. It's what she'd been hoping for. As he thrust the knife at her, she stepped slightly to her left. Grabbing his wrist with her right hand, she allowed his momentum to carry him slightly passed her. As she did so, she reached over the arm holding the knife and wrapped her left hand around and locked it on her right wrist. Suddenly spinning her body toward him, she forced his arm back, bending at the elbow until she had him flat on his back. Down on one knee, Jessie used her hip to apply pressure to his shoulder until she heard it pop out of joint.

As Bob screamed in pain and dropped the knife, Jessie let go of his arm. Pulling her fist back, she punched him in the face, breaking his nose. Then, as he rolled around on the floor, nose gushing blood, she stood up and looked at him for a second. Hatred for him and what he'd done to Stephanie rushing through her, she lashed out and kicked him in the ribs. "You stupid bastard! Who the fuck do you think you are? You think you can just break in here and attack her like that?" She was still kicking him, when she felt Theresa's hand on her shoulder.

"Jessie…Jess," Theresa said quietly. She was almost afraid to reach toward the brunette, not sure how she'd react. But she had to stop this before Jessie did something she'd regret. "Hey…you can stop now, Jessie. Stephanie needs you."

Theresa's calm, quiet voice finally managing to seep through the fog of anger and hatred in her mind, Jessie stopped kicking and yelling. Still shaking with anger, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. Stephanie needed her. Focusing on the redhead, she turned all her attention toward the bed.

Absently, she said to Theresa, "Kick the knife out of his reach. If he moves before the police get here, kick him again." Then, seeing that Theresa already had her cell phone out calling for an ambulance, she rushed to the bed.

"Stephanie…" her voice was nothing more than a strangled whisper as she reached the redhead's side. Taking in the gash on her head, her face covered in blood, and the split lip, Jessie had to work hard not to beat the shit out of Bob some more. Jessie breathed a sigh of relief as she realized that the gash was actually only about an inch in length and not very deep. It just bled more because of its location. She didn't think it warranted stitches, for which she was grateful. Moving quickly, she untied Stephanie's legs and then her arms. As the bindings fell away from Stephanie's wrists, she reached out and Jessie enfolded her in her arms.

When Stephanie realized that Jessie was there, she thanked every god whose name she could think of. But then, Bob got off of her and went toward Jessie, and Stephanie was worried for her. There was no way they were all going to make it out of this, she was sure. Then, she heard Jessie taunting him, pissing him off. The next thing she knew, he was attacking Jessie. Stephanie screamed her name, afraid that Bob would hurt her. But then, the miraculous occurred. Jessie moved so quick, she wasn't sure what had happened. The next thing she knew, Jessie had Bob on the floor and he was writhing and screaming in pain, trying unsuccessfully to get away from her kicks.

When Jessie wrapped her in her arms, relief flooded her system and she began to cry. "Jessie…" she breathed out, her voice ragged and torn.

Jessie closed her eyes in relief as she wrapped her arms around Stephanie. "Shh, I've got you now, Steph. I've got you now." She held the woman with one arm, and with the other she stroked her head soothingly, trying to calm her down.

At that moment, the police entered the room, guns drawn. Turning her attention to them momentarily, Jessie said, "Easy guys, he's over there, on the floor." She smiled darkly as she noticed Bob was still moaning on the floor, holding his arm.

As two of the officers took charge of Bob, another one came over to talk to Stephanie. "Hang on a minute," Jessie said to the female officer. At their entrance, she had placed her body between Stephanie and the officers to give her some privacy. "Let me help her get decent, first." The officer nodded understandingly and waited as Jessie helped Stephanie pull the robe around her once more. Then, tying the belt for her, she stroked her cheek and smiled sadly at her. "I'll be right here," she whispered.

The officer who questioned Stephanie was, sadly, used to dealing with rape cases. Kindly, she suggested that they remove themselves from the room as the EMT's, which had just arrived on the scene, were working on Bob's shoulder and broken ribs. Jessie, grateful for the suggestion, leaned over and gathered Stephanie in her arms. "Let me carry you, Steph. I don't want you over extending yourself until we get you checked out."

Stephanie smiled at her and nodded, grateful that Jessie made the offer. She really didn't think her legs would hold her weight right now. But she wondered how Jessie was going to be able to carry her? Surprisingly, Jessie managed to lift her and cradle her in her arms with relative ease. Leaning into Jessie's shoulder as she carried her out to the living room, she whispered a soft 'thank you, Jessie.'

Smiling at the redhead, Jessie deposited her on the couch gently. An EMT came over and immediately set about cleaning up her wounds, giving her an ice pack for her lip and bandaging the gash on her head.

The officer assigned to interview Stephanie took her statement as the EMT's cleaned her up. Carefully and methodically questioning her about the attack, she finished quickly.

From the other room, they could hear Bob yelling and screaming, blaming Jessie for everything. As the EMT's carted him out on a gurney, he kept yelling. "This is all your fault, you bitch! You'll pay for this! See what Mr. Mason thinks of his precious Jessie Drake when he finds out what you've been doing!"

Finally, they wheeled him out of the room and toward a waiting ambulance. Once he was gone, Theresa threw Jessie a look of warning. Jessie, catching it, nodded. She and Theresa would need to talk before Mr. Mason found out what happened.

Clearing his throat, one of the EMT's said to the police officer, "If you're done, Ma'am? We really do need to transport her now."

The police officer nodded and stepped away, allowing the men to help Stephanie onto the waiting gurney. When they were satisfied that she was comfortable and secure, they began to roll her out of the suite. She stopped them, however. "Wait," she said quietly. "Jessie? I want you to go with me."

"We're not supposed to…" one of the EMT's began to protest, but Theresa stepped in smoothly.

Pulling him aside, Theresa said, "Do you know who she is?" indicating Stephanie. At his shy nod, she went on. "Then I'm sure you can appreciate how important it is to maintain discretion with this situation. Ms. Drake is her attorney. I'm sure you can understand?" She stopped talking and smiled charmingly at him.

After a slight moment of hesitation, he nodded. "Well…okay."

Jessie smiled and squeezed Stephanie's hand. Leaning down, she whispered into the redhead's ear, "Now you see why I say she runs the office." Straightening up, she followed along behind as the EMT's moved her to the waiting freight elevator. Jessie smiled over at Theresa, realizing that the blond had also managed to arrange this to maintain Stephanie's privacy.

Arriving at the ambulance, Theresa pulled Jessie aside as Stephanie was loaded. "Jess, I'll take the car and meet you at the hospital. I'll also call Mr. Mason and inform him about what's happened. Before he gets there, we need to decide what to tell him."

"I know," Jessie said matter of factly. "He'll flip if he thinks Stephanie and I have been sleeping together. Bob and his psycho bullshit could ruin everything."

"We'll work it out, Jess," Theresa said, hugging her. "Go on, they're ready to leave. I'll see you there."

Jessie thanked her and climbed aboard the ambulance. Taking a seat beside Stephanie, she was quiet during the trip, watching the redhead watch her. Stephanie was being incredibly brave about the whole thing, to Jessie's mind. She was just waiting for the redhead to break down. Since crying when Jessie first untied her, she hadn't shed another tear. It worried Jessie just a little, thinking she may be in shock.

Ten minutes later, the ambulance pulled into the emergency bay of Franklin County Memorial Hospital. Never leaving Stephanie's side, Jessie followed as they took her to a private emergency room. A doctor followed them in, shutting the door behind her as the EMT's left the room.

Addressing Stephanie, the doctor smiled kindly, putting them both at ease and said, "Ms. Winters, I'm Dr. Pierce and I'll be taking care of you this evening." Not waiting for a reply, she set to work, examining Stephanie's wounds. It only took a few minutes, and she was finished. Leaning back in her chair, she smiled and said, "Well, these aren't too worrisome. The lip will heal in a few days. I'll give you something to keep it moist so it doesn't keep cracking open. The wound on your head isn't bad, either. The boys did a fine job cleaning it out. It's already stopped bleeding, so I think some antibiotics should be all you'll need. Now," she hesitated, clearly not wanting to bring up the attack. "I'm afraid I'll have to get a rape kit for you, Ms. Winters."

Jessie watched Stephanie carefully for a reaction, but the redhead did nothing but close her eyes and take a deep breath before nodding her assent. Not wanting to interfere with something if it was important, she still didn't see the need for the exam. After all, Bob didn't actually rape Stephanie. Making up her mind, Jessie cleared her throat and said, "Umm, Dr. Pierce? Could I speak to you outside for a moment, please?"

"Certainly," the doctor said, getting up and ushering Jessie out into the corridor. "What can I do for you Ms…?"

"Jessie Drake," she answered.

"Ms. Drake, what can I do for you?" Dr. Pierce asked.

"Well, I was wondering if a rape kit is necessary? I mean, he didn't actually rape her. He was still dressed when we caught him," Jessie said, plainly not wanting to re-live the experience.

Dr. Pierce nodded understandingly. "Ms. Drake, please understand…Even if he didn't actually rape her, a thorough examination could turn up DNA evidence that would otherwise be missed. I promise, I'll be as gentle as I can," she said, patting Jessie on the hand.

Reluctantly, Jessie said, "Well…okay. If you feel it's necessary."

"Trust me, Ms. Drake. I do," Dr. Pierce said. "Now, you go on in there and stay with her and I'll be right back."

Jessie nodded and returned to the room. "Hey," she said, walking over and taking Stephanie's hand. "Just a little longer and we can get out of here." When Stephanie squeezed her hand but otherwise made no response, she said, "I'm right here, Steph. I'm not going anywhere."

Before the redhead could respond, Dr. Pierce returned with a nurse. As she prepared to do the exam, Stephanie pulled Jessie down to her and quietly asked, "Jessie? Would you…?"

"What, Steph? Anything you want," Jessie said in answer.

Licking her lips, Stephanie said, "Would you…sing something? It'll help."

Smiling sadly, Jessie nodded. "Of course. Anything in particular?"

"Doesn't matter," Stephanie whispered, her lower lip trembling slightly. "I just need to hear your voice."

Jessie nodded in understanding. "Sure, Sweetheart." Then, sitting next to her, Jessie began to sing 'Crazy For You,' by Madonna, softly into her ear as the doctor worked.

Once the doctor was finished with her exam, she sent the nurse out of the room. "Well, Ms. Winters, we're all finished. I've sent the nurse out to bring you something to change into. There's a shower right through that door. As soon as she returns, you can go clean up."

Stephanie nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Pierce."

Patting her on the arm, Dr. Pierce responded, "You're welcome, dear." Addressing them both, she said, "You two should go home and get some rest. Ms. Winters, I'll have your prescriptions ready for you down at the pharmacy. Ms. Drake can pick them up for you while you get ready."

The nurse returned then bearing a set of scrubs for Stephanie to change into and some clean towels. After the doctor left, Jessie said, "Well, I'll go out and wait for you with Theresa. We'll go down and pick up your prescriptions and be back here in just a few minutes."

"Okay," Stephanie said, squeezing her hand once again. Allowing Jessie to help her down off the exam table, she grabbed the pile of clothes and towels and headed for the shower. After watching her close the door to the bathroom, Jessie left the exam room to find Theresa.

She spotted Theresa sitting in a chair talking on her cell phone. "Hey, T," she said tiredly, walking up and taking a seat next to the blond.

Hanging up the phone, Theresa looked over and asked, "How's she doing?"

Jessie shrugged. "Okay, I guess. They did a rape kit on her, Theresa. I was hoping they wouldn't, but the doctor said it would be best in case there's DNA evidence."

"She's right, Jessie. Even catching him the way we did…without DNA, it's just our word against his," Theresa said, matter of factly. She had reason to know, too. Her younger sister had been raped years before by an ex-boyfriend. It had taken DNA evidence and a surprise videotape to prove her case against him.

"I know, I just didn't want her to go through that. It's humiliating," Jessie said, sniffing back a tear.

Just then, Mr. Mason came rushing into the waiting room. "Jessie, Theresa, can you tell me what happened?"

"Mr. Mason," Jessie said, standing up.

"Sit down, Jessie. Sit down," he said kindly, motioning for her to take a chair. "How's Ms. Winters?"

"She's doing okay, Sir. We caught him before he could…well, you know," Jessie said.

He nodded in understanding. "Well, that's good. By the way, how did you manage to catch him?" he asked.

Jessie and Theresa launched into the story, telling him everything they could. They did however, leave out the part where Jessie had been sleeping there. If he asked, they had an answer for him, but they weren't volunteering anything if they didn't have to.

"Well, thank goodness the two of you showed up when you did. I'll have her things transferred to a different hotel first thing tomorrow morning," he said, as he finished writing some notes on a legal pad.

"Actually Mr. Mason," Theresa cut in smoothly, "I have a guest room that Ms. Winters is more than welcome to stay in, if you don't mind?"

"Are you sure, Theresa? I wouldn't want you to be put out?" Mr. Mason said.

"Of course I'm sure, Mr. Mason. There's more than enough room, and Ms. Winters has become something of a friend during her stay here. I'd be honored to have her as a guest," Theresa answered.

"Well then, if it's okay with Ms. Winters, I guess that's settled," he said, happy that his lead actress was going to be taken care of. He knew there was a reason he'd entrusted her to Jessie and, by extension, Theresa. As he sat with Theresa, Jessie got up and went down to the pharmacy to pick up the redhead's prescriptions. By the time she returned ten minutes later, Stephanie had joined them and Mr. Mason was sitting with her, talking quietly.

Finally, after making sure that Stephanie really was all right and apologizing for Bob's behavior, Mr. Mason left. He told all three of them to take the rest of the week off, and he promised to call to check on Stephanie every day.

Theresa left with Mr. Mason to bring the car around, and ten minutes later found them pulling out of the hospital parking lot. Stephanie and Jessie sat in the backseat of Theresa's car. Jessie sat with one arm wrapped around Stephanie, and held her hand with her free hand. As they passed The Hilton, Stephanie began to say something, but Jessie stopped her.

"Theresa already packed a bag for you, Steph. You're not going back there," Jessie said.

"Where am I staying, then? And what about…my stuff?" the redhead asked quietly.

"I'll swing by tomorrow and get the rest. The lead detective let Theresa get some things for you before she left. But…you can't stay there, it's a crime scene," Jessie explained, having a hard time keeping her voice steady. "And…I don't want you going back there. Theresa has a guest room all ready for you."

"Why can't I just go back to your house?" she asked, confused.

At the question, Jessie and Theresa exchanged a look through the rear view mirror. Sighing, Theresa said, "Stephanie…Bob was screaming and yelling about you and Jessie. If he makes those accusations to his lawyer, it could cause trouble. We're taking you to my house, so we can say there was nothing going on."

"What kind of trouble could it cause? He had no right to be jealous of my relationship with Jessie," the redhead said, getting angry.

"You're right. But…Bob's lawyer could argue in court that when he found out about the relationship, it pushed him over the edge. It could be the beginning of an insanity plea. Especially if Bob has any kind of mental disorder."

"He could do that?" She asked incredulously. "After what he did to me?"

They both nodded in unison. "Yep. But…I have a friend in the police department. I'll call him tomorrow and find out what they find at Bob's apartment. We'll find out if he's been stalking you; taking pictures and stuff like that."

"You think he did that?" This was starting to really scare Stephanie. None of them had felt that Bob was in any way unstable. And, now that she thought about it, the whole thing reminded her eerily of her recurring nightmares.

Jessie felt her shaking and decided to change the subject. "You know what? I think we should stop worrying about this tonight. It's late and we could all use some rest."

"You're right, Jess," Theresa agreed. "We'll deal with this tomorrow. In the meantime, we're here," she announced, pulling into her driveway. Getting out of the car, she led them into the house.

Once they were inside and the door was locked and the alarm set, Theresa said, "Come on, Stephanie. I'll show you the guest room."

"You don't have to do this, Theresa. I can get a hotel room someplace," Stephanie protested, clearly not wanting to be a burden. She'd already put them both through so much this evening.

"Stephanie," Theresa said, stopping and turning to look at her with concern. "You're staying here. You're not putting me out. You're my friend, and I want to do this. That's what the guest room is for, after all. Besides, there's plenty of room, and Brian and I would be honored to have you here."

"Well, if you're sure?" Stephanie finally agreed. She really was exhausted and she knew she needed to rest. But first, she wanted to take another shower and get into her own clothes.

"Hey, if I can tolerate a drunken Jessie Drake puking all over my bathroom at four a.m., I can tolerate you," Theresa said, smiling and taking her hand. Pulling her down the hall, she said, "Come on, you're going to love the king size bed."

Smiling at Theresa's joking manner, Stephanie found her mood lightened just a little. Allowing the blond to lead her on a tour of the house, she was grateful when she finally left her and Jessie in the guest room and headed out to the kitchen. Not sure what to do now that they were alone, Stephanie said quietly, "Jessie, I…I'd really like it if you'd stay with me? I really don't want to be alone tonight."

Sighing, Jessie shut the door and moved over to wrap the redhead in a hug. Pulling Stephanie into her arms, she hugged her tight and whispered, "Of course I'll stay, Steph. I had no intentions of leaving."

"But, I thought you guys said that…" her voice trailed off. Maybe she had misunderstood what they were telling her in the car about Bob's accusations?

Shaking her head, Jessie said, "We're trying to keep rumors to a minimum. That's all. I'm going to stay here for as long as you need me, or want me too, Steph." She kissed the redhead on the cheek. "Why don't you get ready for bed?"

"Actually, I think I'd like to take another shower," Stephanie said, half expecting Jessie to look at her like she'd lost her mind. But when all she got was an understanding nod, she explained, "I'd just feel better…I don't feel…clean."

"Whatever you want, Steph," Jessie said, understanding perfectly, without a full explanation of the redhead's reasons. "I'm gonna go out and get something to drink. Why don't you go on?" When Stephanie nodded in agreement, she let her go and headed out to the kitchen.

Looking up from the bag of chips she was munching on, Theresa quirked a brow in question. "Well? Is she settling in?"

Jessie nodded. "Yeah, she said she wants to take another shower before she goes to bed. I thought I'd come out and get us something to drink. It's been hours since any of us have eaten or had anything but water to drink, I'm dying of thirst."

"There's Diet Coke in the fridge," Theresa said, knowing Jessie's addiction to the stuff.

Reaching into the fridge, Jessie grabbed a can and popped it open. "Man! I love that sound," she said, taking a big drink. Leaning back against the kitchen counter, legs crossed at her ankles and her arms folded in front of her, Jessie sighed.

"You okay, Jess?" Theresa asked. They'd both been so worried about Stephanie all evening, they hadn't had time to deal with anything themselves. Seeing Jessie standing there like that reminded her of the last time Jessie lost someone she cared about.

"I'll be okay," Jessie answered quietly. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Then, voice shaking, said, "I almost lost her tonight, T."

"Oh, Jessie," Theresa breathed out. "You got there in time. You saved her."

"Yeah, but how much of this was my fault? I mean…if Bob hadn't thought we were dating, maybe…"

"Jessie, don't do this," Theresa said, getting irritated. "You can't blame yourself every time something bad happens. Bob obviously has problems none of us suspected. If it hadn't been you, he would have just found another excuse."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Jessie asked.

"I'm not sure," Theresa admitted. "I just choose to believe it. I have to. Otherwise, I'd get all depressed and wonder what's the use?" Pushing the bag of chips away, she went on. "Jessie, bad things happen. Bob's sick. That much is obvious. There's nothing either of us could have done to prevent this. It's just a good thing that you forgot those earrings."

Jessie nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that. God…if we hadn't gone back…"

"You can't dwell on that, Jess. You just can't," the blond said. "The fact is…we did go back and we saved her. Be happy about that."

"I am happy, I just wish we could have been earlier," Jessie said, desperately wishing she could turn back time.

"Yeah well, and if wishes were horses…" Theresa said, letting the song lyrics trail off, instinctively knowing that Jessie would get the song reference. When the brunette smiled at the words, she went on. "You know…I haven't heard the water running in the bathroom. I'll bet Stephanie's waiting for you before she takes that shower?"

To Theresa's amusement, Jessie's face colored slightly at the words. She'd never been able to get all the details from Jessie about what had happened Saturday night, either. But the one thing both of them had mentioned was the shower. "I should probably go check on her," Jessie said, pushing off from the counter.

"Good night, Jessie. And hey, don't hesitate to come get me if you need anything," the blond said.

Jessie walked over and hugged her. "Thanks, Theresa. For everything."

"My pleasure, Jess. Now go on, Stephanie needs you now," Theresa said, hugging her back and smiling.

When Jessie returned to the bedroom, two Diet Cokes in hand, Stephanie was still sitting on the end of the bed. Staring off into space, the redhead looked so dejected and sad, that Jessie's heart broke just looking at her. Shutting the door and setting the cans down, Jessie came over and knelt down in front of her, resting her hands on her knees. Looking up into her eyes, she asked, "Steph? I thought you were going to take a shower?"

Stephanie shrugged. "I was going to, but I…I…" her voice trailed off and a tear ran down her cheek. For some reason, she was finding it difficult to just say what she wanted right now.

"Oh Steph," Jessie whispered. "Do you want me to help you?" At Stephanie's quiet nod, Jessie stood up and extended her hand. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

Stephanie followed her into the bathroom and stood still as Jessie ran bath water instead of turning on the shower. "You shouldn't get your head wet with that cut," Jessie explained, helping the redhead out of the scrubs.

Still shaking slightly, Stephanie nodded and asked, "Jessie…would you…stay? In here with me, I mean?"

"Are you sure? I thought you might want some…privacy," Jessie responded carefully, unsure of Stephanie's state of mind.

"Jessie, you didn't attack me. It's not your fault, and I don't blame you," the redhead said. She didn't want Jessie blaming herself for what Bob did. "I want you to stay here with me…holding me. I…I can still feel his hands on me." She looked at Jessie, and the sadness in her eyes and tears glistening on her lashes, nearly tore Jessie in two.

Sighing and biting her lower lip, Jessie nodded. "Of course I'll stay." Stripping out of her jeans, t-shirt and underwear, she climbed into the tub and sat down. Holding out her hand, she held onto Stephanie's hand until the redhead too, was seated.

"Lean back and relax, Steph," Jessie whispered into the redhead's ear. As Stephanie leaned back until she was resting with her head on Jessie's left shoulder, Jessie grabbed the soap with one hand and began gently washing the redhead.

Stephanie relaxed back into Jessie, allowing the hot water and Jessie's smooth hands do their job. Still, she couldn't keep the tears from coming. She'd done a pretty decent job all evening, but now that it was just the two of them, she couldn't help it. And, if she were being totally honest with herself, she didn't want to. Feeling safe for the first time in hours, she let the tears fall.

Jessie, noticing the tears falling down her cheeks, wrapped her arms around Stephanie and hugged her tight. She'd been expecting this, and was relieved when the redhead finally let herself cry. She didn't say anything, just let her cry while the tears became sobs.

As Jessie held her, Stephanie clung to the arms wrapped around her, holding her tight. Shaking again, unable to keep the memories of Bob and that knife at her throat away, she held onto Jessie like someone drowning.

It wasn't until the bath water began to turn cool, that she noticed the feel of Jessie's lips gently kissing her temple. Coming back to herself a little, Stephanie could feel the strong arms still wrapped around her, keeping her safe. It wasn't a confining hold, (Jessie knew better than to hold her down after what had happened), but one full of love and understanding. Finally able to corral her emotions into a small semblance of control, she sniffed and took a deep breath.

"Jessie?" she whispered, instinctively knowing that the brunette would hear her.

"Hmm," the sound of Jessie's voice vibrated along her shoulder.

"I think…the water's cold," Stephanie pointed out, as if the fact wasn't obvious to both of them.

"You ready to get out?" Jessie asked just as quietly.

Stephanie nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I am."

"Okay," Jessie said easily, releasing her hold on the redhead and allowing her to stand up and get out of the tub. Once out, Stephanie grabbed a towel and began wiping herself dry. Following her, Jessie grabbed her own towel and dried off quickly as well. Once finished, they hung up the towels and went back out to the bedroom.

Jessie handed Stephanie the bag that Theresa had packed for her, and then grabbed her own bag. Pulling on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, she pulled the covers back on the bed and climbed in. A moment later, dressed in her ratty t-shirt and underwear, Stephanie joined her.

Pulling up the blankets, Jessie wasn't quite sure what to do. Would Stephanie want to be held tonight? Or would she prefer to not be touched? She remembered how she'd felt after she was attacked. Or, to be more accurate…how she'd felt when she woke up and realized that she'd been attacked. She was lucky though…she couldn't actually remember anything about what had happened. In a way, she thought it was probably easier that way. Still, she'd been scared and humiliated. It was a long time before she slept with anyone again.

A moment later, Stephanie answered her unasked question by curling up as close as she could get. "Jessie?" she whispered, uncertainty in her voice, "You don't mind holding me for a while, do you?"

"No, of course not," Jessie answered, looking to her right and opening her arms for Stephanie to crawl into them. "Why would you think I'd mind?"

"I just feel like I'm so needy, tonight. I don't want to burden you," the redhead answered, afraid that Jessie would think she asked for too much.

Wrapping her arms around the other woman, Jessie turned onto her right side so that she could see Stephanie better. Now able to look her in the eyes, she said quietly, "Steph, you could never ask too much of me. Holding you is all I've wanted to do since I first laid eyes on you." She reached up and stroked Stephanie's hair briefly. "You're not a burden to me, and I don't ever want you to think that you are."

"Thank you, Jess," Stephanie said, smiling sadly. She closed her eyes and sighed. "I feel so safe with you, Jessie. Your arms and hands make me feel so good."

"I'm glad I make you feel that way, Steph. I only wish…" her voice trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

"Shh," Stephanie brushed a finger across the brunette's lips. "Don't. Don't blame yourself." Licking her lips, she went on. "Jessie…when he was on t…top of me…Bob made me say…things that I…"

"Hey…Don't do this. You don't need to say anything else. I know you said it for him…so he wouldn't hurt you," Jessie said, pulling Stephanie closer. "I know you don't feel that way about me."

"But I…I called you cold and…and distant. Jessie, I don't…You've never been that way…"

"Hey, it's okay, Steph. It's okay," Jessie said, stroking the redhead's back.

Stephanie swallowed hard, to keep from crying again. "Jessie, would you…please…let me feel your hands tonight? I can still feel him touching me," she whispered, her lower lip quivering.

"Steph…I…are you sure? Maybe you need to take some time before we…?" Jessie said, not sure that having sex right now was the best thing for Stephanie.

Nodding her head, Stephanie said, "I'm sure. Please…I don't want to feel anyone's hands but yours, Jessie. Make me feel you…please," she practically begged.

Rolling Stephanie onto her back, Jessie leaned in and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Mindful of the redhead's split lip, she kept away from her mouth. "If you're sure?"

Stephanie nodded, grabbing Jessie's shoulders and pushing her downward. "I'm sure. Make love to me, Jessie."

Maneuvering onto her knees, Jessie slid her hands down Stephanie's body, stopping at the bottom of her t-shirt. Sliding her hands up and under the material, she slid it upward. Stephanie arched up long enough for Jessie to pull the shirt off her, exposing herself to the brunette. Then, Stephanie's hands tangling in her hair, she felt herself pulled down, until her mouth was connecting with the redhead's neck.

As Jessie began kissing and licking her neck, Stephanie closed her eyes. "That's it, Jessie. Make me forget," she whispered.

Hearing Stephanie's whispers, Jessie did just that. Slowly, reverently, she worked her way down the redhead's body. With as much love and tenderness as she could, she made love to Stephanie. With every fiber of her being, she worked to make the redhead forget the feel of Bob's hands on her, replacing it with the feeling of her own hands, instead. Through it all, she could hear Stephanie repeating the same thing over and over again: 'I love you, Jessie. I love you.'

Jessie woke up around ten, despite being awake until almost five. Even after Stephanie had fallen asleep, exhausted, she'd had a hard time doing the same. She just kept thinking about what had happened and wondering why? Why did Bob hate her so much? From what he'd said, he obviously blamed her for something, but damned if she knew what it was. Still, tossing and turning for five hours hadn't helped, and now she was just tired.

Deciding to get up before she woke Stephanie, she extricated herself from the redhead and slid out of bed. Heading to the bathroom, she grabbed her work out clothes and shut the door. Brushing her teeth and getting dressed took only minutes, and she went back out to the bedroom to grab her shoes. Stephanie was still sleeping as she grabbed her ipod and headed out for a run. Maybe if she got out and got some fresh air she'd be able to think more clearly.

Making her way into the kitchen, she ran into Theresa, who had apparently just gotten up as well. As she grabbed a muffin and poured herself a glass of milk, she looked over to see Theresa staring at her. "Morning," she said, smiling at how tired Theresa looked.

"Morning," the blond answered, sitting with one hand propping her chin up on the counter. "Stephanie still asleep?"

Jessie nodded. "Yeah. I'm going for a run and then I'll get ready and go by the hotel for her things."

"Should you leave her alone, Jess?"

"I left her a note in case she wakes up. I'll be back in an hour, no longer," Jessie answered.

"Well…okay," Theresa sighed, obviously thinking Jessie should wait until Stephanie was awake before she went out.

Rolling her eyes, Jessie said, "She was exhausted last night, T. She'll sleep for a while yet. And I swear I'll be back by eleven. I'm only going for a short run. I need to get some air. Besides, I can't leave her alone for too long." Looking down at the counter top, she sighed. When she looked back up at Theresa, she said shyly, "I miss her when she's not in my arms, Theresa. Is that selfish?"

Theresa smiled and shook her head. "No. It's not selfish…it's love, Jessie. You love her."

"I do, T," Jessie said, her voice barely a whisper. "I am so in love with her…"

"You scared?"

Jessie laughed. "Yeah…but in a good way."

"Well, if you're gonna be scared…I guess 'in a good way,' is the way to be," Theresa said, laughing at the way Jessie characterized her feelings. Then, growing serious, she said, "Um…Jess? You know I'd never…eavesdrop or anything, right?"

Jessie nodded, not sure what Theresa was going to say next. "Yeah, I know that, T."

"Well," Theresa began, licking her lips, "I um…accidentally…heard her last night," she finished. When Jessie looked at her with confusion, not sure what she meant, she explained. "I heard her tell you she loves you, Jessie."

Jessie swallowed hard and bit the inside of her cheek. "She did," she agreed.

"Are you okay, Jess? I know that probably freaked you out," Theresa asked. Despite the fact that Jessie had just said she was in love with Stephanie, she knew the brunette didn't handle emotions very well. The last thing she wanted to see happen was Jessie getting scared before she gave this relationship a chance.

Jessie closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened them again and looked at Theresa, there was a look of peace in her eyes Theresa had never seen before. Smiling, Jessie said, "It did scare me a little," she admitted quietly. "But I love her, Theresa. I can't hide it or deny it, and I don't want to. And…I know it may stun you to hear this…but it didn't freak me out. Not at all, actually. I think some part of me wanted to hear her say it."

"Well, that's good to know," Theresa said, coming around the table and hugging Jessie. "I'm glad you're ready to give this relationship a chance, Jessie. It's about time."

"Thanks, T," Jessie hugged her back. "Now, let me get out of here and get this run over with."

"All right, all right. Go on," Theresa said, pushing Jessie toward the door. "If she comes out here before you get back, I'll entertain her."

"Just don't show her pictures of us as kids. I don't think she could handle the shock," Jessie said, laughing as she closed the front door.

Jessie finished her run and made it back by eleven, just like she'd said. Theresa was on the phone with her friend in the police department when she got back, so she headed on to the guest room to check on Stephanie. Opening the door carefully, she was glad to see that she'd been right. The redhead was still asleep.

Smiling at the cute way Stephanie was curled up under the covers, she leaned over and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Then she headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Ten minutes later, she was finished with her shower and had returned to the bedroom. Stephanie still hadn't woken up, so Jessie finished drying off and crawled back in under the covers.

She had no sooner spooned up against Stephanie from behind, when the redhead began to wake up. "Jessie?" Stephanie said quietly.

"Yeah, Sweetheart?" Jessie answered just as quietly. She hadn't meant to wake Steph up.

Rolling over, Stephanie opened her eyes and looked at her, smiling. "What time is it?"

"It's almost noon," Jessie answered, leaning in and kissing her on the forehead. "Did you sleep okay?"

Stephanie nodded. "Yeah, I did. Have you been up long?"

"How did you…?" Jessie began to ask, but Stephanie cut her off.

"You're still damp from the shower," she said by way of explanation.

Jessie laughed. "Oh. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't," Stephanie assured her. "I just couldn't sleep anymore. Besides, I need to get up and make some calls. If what happened last night hits the news, my manager and family are going to be worried sick. I need to talk to them."

'Of course,' Jessie thought to herself. It hadn't even occurred to her that news of Stephanie's attack might end up on the evening news last night. "Well, before you get up…I kind of wanted to talk to you. If you don't mind?" Jessie asked, hesitantly.

Her brows furrowing at Jessie's sudden bout of nervousness, Stephanie said, "I don't mind, Jess. What did you want to talk about?"

"Well…" Jessie could feel her cheeks turning red. She'd never been good at the 'feelings' thing, and now was no exception. Still, she needed to talk to Stephanie…to tell her how she felt. She knew after hearing what Stephanie said last night that it couldn't wait much longer. And…thinking about it during her run had helped to solidify her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she jumped right in. "Last night…when I was…making love to you…" She paused briefly to blow out a breath. "You um…you said that…that you…love me?"

'Oh crap!' Stephanie felt her heart drop to her stomach. Damn it! Had she just scared Jessie off? She hadn't meant to say the words out loud last night, but apparently she had anyway. Taking a deep breath, she looked directly into Jessie's blue eyes. Expecting to see abject terror, she was pleasantly surprised to see that Jessie was smiling at her. "I um…I did say that," she whispered. Reaching up, she caressed the brunette's cheek. "I meant it, Jessie. I meant every word. I do love you."

Jessie smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "I know. And I need to tell you…um…" She took another deep breath. "Well, what happened last night at the hotel…it scared me, Steph. It scared me so bad. I was so afraid I was gonna lose you."

"Oh, Jessie," Stephanie whispered, "you're not gonna lose me."

"If we hadn't come back, I could have," Jessie said matter of factly. "That's why I need to tell you now…before I never get another chance."

"Tell me what, Jessie?" Stephanie was beginning to worry. Maybe she had scared her off?

"That I love you," Jessie whispered. "I love you so much, Stephanie. I can't even begin to imagine my life without you in it, now. When we're apart, all I can think about is getting back so I can feel you in my arms."

Stephanie smiled up at the brunette. "Jessie," she said quietly as she reached up to kiss her. "I didn't scare you off?"

Jessie shook her head. "No, sweetheart, you didn't scare me off. As a matter of fact, I was kind of planning on sticking around for a while. If you don't mind, that is?"

Stephanie pushed Jessie onto her back and rolled over until she was on top of her. Smiling down at the brunette, she said, "I think I like that, Jess. I think I like that a lot."

Feeling Stephanie's gloriously smooth naked skin against her own, Jessie smiled up at her. "Glad to hear it. Now, shut up and kiss me."

Happy to oblige, Stephanie leaned down and kissed Jessie softly on the lips. "I love you, Jessie Drake. And I swear, as soon as my lip's healed, I'm going to kiss you until you're begging me to stop. For now, this will have to do."

Jessie reached up and cupped her cheek, running her thumb lightly over her lower lip. "I could never want you to stop kissing me, Steph. I love you."

An hour and a half later, showered and ready for the day, Jessie and Stephanie walked out to the kitchen. As Stephanie helped herself to something to eat and drink, Jessie wandered off to find Theresa.

"Hey, T," Jessie said, finally finding the blond in the living room. She had just hung up the phone and was still writing some things down on a legal pad.

"Hey, Jess," she said, looking up as the brunette entered the room. "You guys finally decide to join the living?"

Jessie laughed. "Yeah. Steph's in the kitchen getting something to eat. Then she's got to call her agent and her family."

"That would probably be a good idea," Theresa agreed. "They mentioned the attack on the news this morning and it's in the paper. An attack on a celebrity will hit the national news agencies pretty quick."

"That's what she was afraid of," Jessie said, sighing and sitting down. "What are you working on?" she asked, noticing the notes Theresa was writing down.

"Oh. I just got off the phone with my friend in the police department. He called back when they finished going through Bob's apartment. The good news is they didn't find any evidence of him stalking Stephanie. There were no pictures, no news articles…nothing. He did have all her movies, but so do you, so that's not damning."

"So he can't prove that she and I were dating?" Jessie said, coming to the obvious conclusion.

Theresa nodded. "Right. But…there has been an interesting development."

"And that would be…?"

"After the initial reports aired on the news last night, the police department got a bunch of phone calls from other women. They were all claiming to have been raped or attacked by Bob."

Jessie's brows rose into her hairline in surprise. "You're kidding? Bob attacked other women? Why didn't they come forward before this?"

"He was apparently blackmailing them. Some of them used to work at the office," Theresa answered. "You'd probably remember at least one of them. Her name's Janelle. She was a paralegal in Don Sloan's office?"

Jessie nodded. "Yeah, I remember her."

"Well, apparently, Bob found out that she worked her way through college as a stripper. He threatened to tell everyone at the office if she didn't give him what he wanted."

"So why come forward now, if she's waited this long?" Jessie asked.

"When she heard he'd attacked someone as well known as Stephanie, she said she just didn't care if people knew anymore," Theresa answered, shrugging.

"Well, better late than never," Jessie said, getting up and heading back to the kitchen with her empty Diet Coke can. Still, if any of those other women had said something before this, Bob may never have had the chance to attack Stephanie.

When Jessie walked into the kitchen. Stephanie was still sitting at the counter, cell phone in hand. Rinsing the can out, she turned it upside down in the drainer to dry and sat down next to Stephanie. You call your Mom yet?" she asked quietly, since Stephanie was still holding the phone to her ear.

Stephanie nodded. "It's ringing now," she answered back.

Just then, someone picked up. "Mom?" Stephanie said, when she heard her mother's voice on the other end.

"Stephanie?" Nancy said, surprised that her oldest daughter was calling her again so soon. Then, sensing that something wasn't quite right, she asked, "Stephanie? Is everything okay? You and Jessie aren't fighting are you?"

Stephanie sniffed. Damn! She was hoping to make it through this conversation without crying, but it appeared her body had other ideas. "No Mom, we're not fighting. As a matter of fact, Jessie's been really great," she answered, looking over at Jessie as she answered. Reaching out, she caught Jessie's hand and clung to it.

"Well, something's wrong. I can tell. Why are you crying?" She was beginning to worry. Stephanie didn't usually cry without good reason.

Stephanie swallowed, and sniffed again. "Dad's not there, is he? I don't want him to hear this and be upset," she said, knowing that her father would be too worried about her to hear when she said she was okay.

"No, he's at work," Nancy answered her. "Stephanie, what's going on?"

"Mom, something happened, and I need to tell you before you read it in the papers," Stephanie said quietly. "What I mean is…I don't want you to worry…if you hear anything."

"Stephanie, for God's sake, tell me what's going on," Nancy said, getting more upset by the minute.

Stephanie was shaking, and tears were rolling down her face. She thought she'd dealt with this last night, but apparently, she wasn't ready to talk to her mother yet. Shaking her head, she handed the phone to Jessie. "I…I can't do this," she said, dropping her head down onto her arms and starting to cry even harder.

Jessie, torn between comforting Stephanie and not leaving her mother hanging on the phone, finally put the phone to her ear. Putting on her professional voice, she said, "Mrs. Winters? This is Jessica Drake."

"Ms. Drake? Is Stephanie okay? What's happening?" Nancy asked, panic starting to take over.

"She's okay, Mrs. Winters…just upset," Jessie said, scrambling to give Stephanie's mother an explanation. "Um, last night, Stephanie was…attacked, in her hotel room…"

"Attacked!" Nancy screamed. "Oh my God! Is she okay? She wasn't hurt, was she? Should we come…?"

"Mrs. Winters, please…she's okay. She has a small gash on her head, a split lip and some bruises, but other than that, she's fine," Jessie said, attempting to calm her down. "You don't need to come, but if you'd like to, you're more than welcome. I'm sure she'd love to see you."

Calming down as she listened to Jessie's explanation, voice still shaking, Nancy was able to ask, "Can you tell me what happened? How was she attacked?"

"Well," Jessie said, "I'm not sure how much you know…"

"I know about you already, Jessie. Stephanie tells me everything," Nancy said kindly, understanding that Jessie probably would prefer that they spoke for the first time under different circumstances.

Jessie breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wasn't a surprise to Steph's mother. Launching into the story, she explained as briefly as she could. When she was finished, she looked over at Stephanie. The redhead still had tears rolling down her cheeks, but she appeared to have calmed down some. "Steph…can you talk?" she asked quietly. When Stephanie nodded, she said, "Mrs. Winters, Steph's coming back to the phone…"

"Thank you, Jessie," Nancy said. "Thank you so much."

"Any time, Mrs. Winters," she answered, handing the phone back to Stephanie.

"Mom?" she sniffed again. "Sorry, I thought I was ready to talk about it."

"Stephanie…are you sure you're okay? I can catch a plane today, if you'd like?"

Stephanie shook her head, saying, "Mom, that's really not necessary. Theresa and Jessie have been great. Really. They're taking good care of me."

"I'd feel better if I could see you," Nancy said, trying not to guilt Stephanie into agreeing.

"I know," Stephanie sighed. "Mom, if you want to come, I'd like to see you. It's been a while, and you could meet Jessie and Theresa."

"Okay then, I'll call you when I have the details," Nancy said. She was relieved to hear Stephanie's voice, even if she did still sound upset. And, who could blame her? Still, it appeared that Jessie had everything under control for the moment, and she felt good knowing that Stephanie wasn't alone.

Hanging up the phone, Stephanie dropped her head back into her hands and sighed. "I hope you don't mind, Jessie. Mom wants to come here and make sure I'm okay."

"Why would I mind?" Jessie asked, confused. Moving from the chair to stand behind her, Jessie reached out and began slowly massaging her shoulders.

"I don't know…" she said sadly.

"Would you feel better with her here?" Jessie asked, hoping to make Stephanie feel better.

Stephanie nodded. "Yeah, I think I would."

Jessie smiled and leaned down, kissing her on top of the head. "Then it's a good thing she's coming. There's nothing better than Mom when you're feeling bad," Jessie said.

Stephanie laughed. "Thank you, Jess."

"You're welcome." Jessie wrapped her in a hug and held her, closing her eyes. "I'm glad she's coming, Steph. Anything that will help you move past this is a good thing."

Stephanie leaned back into the embrace. "Mmm. You helped me move past it last night, Jessie. Just loving me the way you do…It makes me feel safe."

Just then, Theresa walked into the kitchen. 'Whoa…you two get a room, why don't cha?" she said, walking around and grabbing the other chair and sitting down. She was smiling as she did, teasing them.

"Very funny, T," Jessie said, resting her chin on Stephanie's shoulder and looking over at the blond. "Guess who's coming to dinner?"

"Umm…I don't know. Who?" Theresa joked, playing along.

"Stephanie's mom is coming into town. She's calling back to let us know when," Jessie told her.

"Mmm, meeting the in-laws already?" Theresa teased.

Stephanie couldn't help it. Despite everything, she started laughing at the way the two women were teasing each other. "You guys are awful," she said, grinning.

"At least we got you to smile," Theresa said, grinning back at her. After what had happened, she was worried that Stephanie might fall into some sort of depression and withdraw into herself. Her sister had, after she was raped. It had taken months, before she would smile or laugh. She didn't like thinking that the redhead might do the same.

Stephanie's cell phone rang, interrupting them. "Hello?"

"Stephanie? I'm just calling to tell you that I got the next flight out. I should be arriving there at 6:30, Gate 7," Nancy told her.

"Okay, Mom. We'll be there to pick you up," Stephanie said. "And Mom? I love you."

"I love you too, Sweetheart. I'll see you in a few hours," Nancy said, hanging up. She had to hurry if she was going to catch that flight. She only had two hours to get packed and get to the airport.

Stephanie set the phone down on the counter after hanging up. "Her plane's arriving at 6:30, Gate 7. Jessie, would you mind…?"

"Picking her up?" Jessie finished for her. Shaking her head, she said, "No, not at all. I'll tell you what. Let's get ready and head over to the hotel. We'll pick up your things and bring them back here. By then, it should be time to head out to the airport."

Stephanie nodded her agreement. "Okay. I need to make some calls first, though. Mom's going to need a place to stay."

Jessie shook her head. "That won't be necessary, Steph. She can stay at my place."

"Your place? But where…?" Stephanie started to ask, only to have Jessie cut her off.

"I have a guest room, too. She's more than welcome," Jessie said.

"You have a guest room? Why didn't you mention it to me?" Stephanie said, turning to look at Jessie. For some reason, she felt like teasing the brunette just a little.

Jessie shrugged. "I don't know. It never occurred to me."

"Oh, so that night you asked me to stay…I could have slept in the guest room that you conveniently forgot to mention?" Stephanie huffed indignantly.

Confused by the sudden turn in this conversation, Jessie could only stammer, "Stephanie…I…I just thought…well, you know…?"

"What? I was so hot for you the night before that I wouldn't turn you down?"

"No! I swear, I just…never thought…" Jessie was getting really scared. Where the Hell was this coming from?

Suddenly, taking pity on the brunette, Stephanie laughed. Pulling Jessie to her, she said, "Jessie…Jess…I'm just joking. Hey," looking into Jessie's eyes, she repeated her earlier words. "I'm just kidding you, Jessie."

As she realized what Stephanie was saying, Jessie asked, "Kidding? You're really just kidding?"

"Really. I had you going though, didn't I?" the redhead asked, laughing. "I am an actress, you know." Hugging Jessie, she said, "I didn't want to stay in your guest room, Jess. I wanted to stay with you. And, if you had thought I wouldn't turn you down, you'd have been right," she said, kissing her on the temple.

Jessie heaved a huge sigh of relief. As did Theresa, who'd done a double take when Stephanie started ripping into Jessie. At first, she'd thought maybe the redhead was having a slight bout if schizophrenia. But then, catching onto the joke, she started laughing, too. Stephanie was indeed an actress! She had both of them going, all right.

By five, they'd picked up Stephanie's things from The Hilton and moved them to Theresa's. Now, waiting for Nancy's plane to arrive, it was obvious that Stephanie was nervous. Pacing back and forth, she couldn't seem to just sit down.

Finally, tired of watching her pacing back and forth, Jessie got up and caught her hand. "Stephanie, why don't you come over here and sit down? You're gonna wear yourself out."

"I can't help it, Jessie. Mom's gonna be so worried when she sees me. I'm a mess…between the bruise on my face and the split lip…and my wrists, from the rope…"

Jessie smiled at her and brushed the back of her hand over the redhead's cheek. Pulling her down onto her lap, she said, "Hey…you look beautiful, like always." And she was right. Even in the jeans, t-shirt, baseball hat and sunglasses to make her more anonymous, Stephanie was stunning.

She smiled back at Jessie and kissed her on the forehead. "You always know the right thing to say."

"I just speak the truth," Jessie answered.

Just then, the arrival of Nancy's plane was announced, and Stephanie jumped up, nervous again. Rushing to the gate, Stephanie fidgeted next to Jessie and Theresa as they waited. Jessie held her hand, trying to calm her down, but it wasn't working. Finally, a woman in her late fifties with auburn hair that had once been Stephanie's color, but had streaks of gray in it now, came into view. Jessie was shocked. Stephanie's mother looked exactly like an older version of her daughter.

"Mom!" Stephanie called, waving her arm to get the woman's attention.

The woman turned when she heard Stephanie's voice, and made her way over to the three women. Smiling broadly, obviously happy to see her daughter, Nancy Winters dropped her carry-on bag and pulled Stephanie into a hug. "Stephanie! I'm so glad to see you." Pushing her daughter back to get a better look, she said, "Are you really okay? This is the only damage?"

Stephanie nodded. "Yeah, Mom. I'm okay. He didn't…get the chance to…"

"You don't need to tell me anymore. At least not right now," Nancy said kindly, smiling at Stephanie. "I'm just glad to be here and have the chance to hug you."

Standing out of the way, smiling at the scene, Jessie bent down and picked up Nancy's carry-on. Noticing the movement out of the corner of her eye, Stephanie turned slightly in her mothers' arms and said, "Mom, I'd like you to meet Jessica Drake."

Nancy's eyes lit up. With a huge smile, she reached out and hugged Jessie as well. "It's good to meet you, Jessie. I want to thank you for taking such good care of my daughter."

Jessie, face flushed, hugged Nancy back. "It's been my pleasure, Mrs. Winters. I only wish I could have gotten there earlier."

"Jessie," Stephanie said, "I told you, it's not your fault. Please stop blaming yourself."

"Sorry," Jessie said sheepishly. "You're right, Steph."

Smiling at Jessie, she turned around and pulled Theresa to her. "And this is Theresa Halloran, Mom."

Nancy hugged Theresa as well. "I'm so glad to meet both of you. Stephanie's told me so much about you."

Looking at her watch, Jessie cleared her throat. "Um…if everyone's ready to go? I made dinner reservations for eight."

Stephanie looked at Jessie, surprised. "You made reservations? Why didn't you mention it?"

Jessie blushed and shrugged. "I wanted to surprise you."

"You did," Stephanie said, grabbing Jessie's free hand with her left and her mother's arm with her right. "We'd better get going then. I'll bet we're going to 'Wild Panda,' aren't we?"

"How'd you guess?" Jessie asked, wondering when Stephanie got to know her so well.

"I got lucky," Stephanie shrugged. "Besides, I know it's your favorite."

Jessie nodded. It was, indeed, her favorite restaurant.

Twenty minutes later, Jessie and Theresa had loaded Nancy's bags into the back of the Xterra and they were headed for 'Wild Panda.' Stephanie had piled into the back seat with her mother, and the two of them were busy catching up. Jessie, watching them in the rearview mirror, couldn't help but smile. Stephanie seemed genuinely happy that her mother was there, and that made Jessie happy.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Jessie pulled into a parking spot and they all followed her inside. As soon as they entered, Bao Yu came over and gave each of them a hug. "Jessie! It's so good to see you all here! Come…I have table all ready for you."

Stephanie was somewhat surprised, when Bao Yu led them through the main dining room to another, smaller room toward the back. "Here you are," the older Chinese woman said, ushering them inside. As they were seated, she leaned in and asked, "Would you like wine tonight, Jessie?"

Jessie nodded. "Yes, thank you, Bao Yu."

Patting Jessie's arm, Bao Yu said, "I'll be right back."

Leaning into Jessie, Stephanie asked quietly, "Jessie, a private room?"

She shrugged. "I just thought that…considering the circumstances…and the press…"

Squeezing her hand, Stephanie said, "Thank you, Jessie. I knew there was a reason I loved you."

Smiling shyly, Jessie whispered, "You're welcome. And…I love you, too." Then, surprising both of them, she kissed Stephanie gently on the mouth.

"All right, you two," Theresa said, reaching over and sticking her hand between them. "That'll be enough of that." Turning to look at Nancy, she said, "They've been doing a lot of that lately. You know, the whole, 'falling into each others' eyes,' thing?"

Her face now beet red, Jessie said, "Thanks a lot, Theresa."

Stephanie laughed. "It's all right, Jessie. Mom doesn't mind, do you, Mom?"

Nancy shook her head, laughing at the look on Jessie's face. "Not at all, Sweetheart. It's just good to see you happy and smiling." Looking between the two, she realized that Jessie still seemed kind of embarrassed and nervous. "Jessie, Bill and I have always tried to raise all four of our kids to be affectionate and loving human beings. You don't need to be embarrassed for showing your feelings. Not around our family, anyway."

Relieved, Jessie blew out a breath. "Thank you, Mrs. Winters."

"Oh, please, call me Nancy. Anyone that Stephanie cares for as much as she obviously cares for you, can call me by my first name," she said easily.

Jessie smiled in earnest. "Thank you, Nancy."

Stephanie, watching the exchange, beamed with pleasure. Since that first Friday night that they'd slept together, Jessie really seemed to be coming out of her shell. She knew the brunette was still holding back some, but she hoped that would change as Jessie became more comfortable with their relationship.

At that precise moment, doors opening as if on cue, Bao Yu swept into the room, leading two waitresses. As the girls set out their meals, Bao Yu poured the wine. Again, Jessie had ordered the Dal Forno Romano, the 2002 vintage, and Stephanie had to admit; it was an excellent wine. "I hope everything is to your liking, Jessie? Jing and I love having our American daughter visit us. And, we love having your family and friends, as well."

"Thank you, Bao Yu. I'm sure everything will be excellent as always. I am truly honored and humbled by your hospitality," Jessie said formally in answer, bowing her head in respect.

"You're a good girl, Jessie. Everyone enjoy your dinner," Bao Yu said, addressing them all as she left the room.

"So, what was that all about?" Theresa asked, confused by the sudden formality. She'd never seen Bao Yu or Jessie act that way before.

"I did a favor for them a long time ago," Jessie shrugged, trying to not make a big deal out of it. "They told me I would always be considered family to them."

"Whatever you did, it must have been important," the blond said.

"Nothing I wouldn't have done for you, if I'd needed to," Jessie answered, again trying to minimize the 'favor.'

But, unbeknownst to Jessie, Bao Yu had stepped back into the room. Hearing Jessie's explanation, she placed her hands on Jessie's shoulders and said, "Jessie is too humble. She saved our daughter's life many years ago. For that, we call her our American daughter."

"Bao Yu, please…it was nothing special," Jessie said quietly, uncomfortable being praised for what she'd done. "You saved my life too."

"Jessie, Mei Lin came home every day with bruises and cuts. Without you, she would not be where she is. What I speak is true," the older woman said kindly.

Jessie sighed and said something in Chinese to the older woman, leaving everyone, including Theresa, stunned. She'd never mentioned she could speak Chinese! When she was finished, she stood up and hugged Bao Yu, who kissed her on the cheek, and then left the room.

"Okaaay…what just happened here?" Theresa asked, completely at a loss. "And since when do you speak Chinese?"

Jessie rolled her eyes and sighed, knowing she wasn't going to get out of telling this story. "Their daughter, Mei Lin, and I went to school together when we were kids. They'd just moved here from China, and Mei Lin's accent was horrible. All the kids made fun of her to the point that she was getting beaten up almost every day."

"I've never heard you mention her before, Jessie?" Theresa said. She was intrigued now.

"It was in private school," Jessie explained. "And you've met her. She just doesn't go by Mei Lin, now. Anyway, one day, the kids were beating her up pretty bad, and I couldn't just stand by and watch anymore. When I told them to stop, this big kid named Billy took a swing at me. I punched back."

"And? What happened?" Theresa asked, apparently under the belief that Jessie was going to leave them hanging.

"Billy missed and I didn't. He ended up with a black eye, and I walked Mei Lin home," she said, taking a bite of her dinner and sitting back in her chair.

Stephanie joined in the prodding when Theresa just sat there with her mouth hanging open. "So…what happened after that?"

Jessie shrugged. "Bao Yu and Jing were grateful to me for helping Mei Lin. They kind of adopted me after that, and Mei Lin and I became really close friends. That's it, there's nothing else to tell," Jessie said, obviously finished.

"Jessie, that is not all of the story," a man's voice, with a heavy Chinese accent said from behind them. When they all turned to look, a small, gray haired Chinese man was walking toward them.

When she heard the voice, Jessie stood up immediately and turned toward him, bowing in respect as he came to stand in front of her. "Master Jing."

"Stand up straight, Jessie. We are not in the dojo, and I am not your Master tonight. My wife told me you were here with your friends. I wanted to meet them," he said, hugging her.

Nodding her head, she introduced each of them in turn. When she was finished with the introductions, Jing hugged her again. "This hug is from Mei Lin. She says to tell you she is happy for you."

"Happy for me?" Jessie repeated, confused.

"Yes. Bao Yu told her you have found your 'one.' She is very pleased," Jing explained.

Jessie blushed again. For some reason, she felt like that was all she'd been doing tonight. Thank you, Jing. I'll make sure I call her and thank her tomorrow."

He patted her on the arm. "I know you will, Daughter. Now, all of you…eat! Tonight's dinner is on the house." When he saw Jessie about to protest, he shook his head and wagged a finger at her. "This is your Master talking now, Jessie. And your Master say you should never turn down a free meal."

Sighing, because she knew she couldn't refuse his gift, Jessie bowed to him again. "Thank you, Master Jing." In perfect Chinese, she said, "Your humble student is honored by your gift."

As he walked away, smiling, she heard him say in Chinese, "Yes, yes. But will the humble student accept the gift of love?" She had the good grace to blush at his words. He knew her very well.

Sitting back down, she picked up her chopsticks and began eating again as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. When she noticed that they were all still looking at her, she sighed again and set the chopsticks down. "Okay. Jing was so grateful that I helped Mei Lin, that he offered to teach me Jeet Kune Do. I'd already had some Karate, so it wasn't like I was a beginner. It was while my parents were getting their divorce…I was lonely, depressed…I said yes. The only thing was…he would only teach me in Chinese. He couldn't speak English, yet. So I had to learn…to understand him."

"So that's what you used on Bob last night?" Stephanie said, understanding at last how Jessie had managed to put the larger man down on the floor so fast.

Jessie nodded. "Yeah."

"And what level are you?" Nancy asked, speaking up for the first time during this conversation.

"I'm a 2nd degree black belt in Jeet Kune Do. I also hold a 1st degree black belt in Krav Maga," Jessie answered matter of factly.

Theresa had known that Jessie studied the martial arts. But she'd had no idea how advanced she actually was. "Jesus, Jessie…why didn't you ever mention any of this before?"

"It never came up in conversation," Jessie answered.

To Stephanie, Theresa said, "I told you she could be a freak when it came to talking about herself. Now you see what I mean?"

Feeling like she should defend herself, Jessie whined, "Hey! Just because I try to be humble doesn't mean I'm a freak. Maybe I'm just trying to keep some of myself a mystery?"

"Well I for one love a good mystery," Stephanie stated, leaning over and kissing Jessie on the cheek. "It's never dull."

Jessie smirked at Theresa, and said, "Okay, now that we're all done delving into my past, why don't we eat?"

Eventually, over the course of the evening, it was decided that Nancy would stay in Jessie's guest room. Now that they knew for sure that Bob couldn't prove anything, she and Theresa felt that it would be okay if they all stayed at her place. Just to be sure though, Theresa was going to sleep on the fold out couch.

Returning to Jessie's after dinner, she led Stephanie and Nancy downstairs. The entire basement had been finished, and was actually more like a small apartment. "After Theresa and Brian moved out, I kept their old room as the guest room. I took the other room and turned it into the recording studio. There's also a full bath, so you won't have to come upstairs in the middle of the night."

"Jessie, this is wonderful," Stephanie said, looking around at the finished rooms. Decked out with a queen size bed, dresser, and matching bedside tables, Jessie had decorated the entire guest room in rich, earth tones.

Jessie nodded. "Yeah, I'd actually thought about renting the place out at one point, but I decided I didn't need the hassle of dealing with renters."

"Jessie," Nancy said, "I'd like to thank you again, for everything you've done. It's very kind of you to invite me to stay here. It means so much to me to be able to stay close to Stephanie right now." She smiled sadly at Jessie, remembering what had brought her here in the first place.

"It's my pleasure, Nancy. Anything I can do to make this easier on Steph, I'd gladly do. Now," she hugged Nancy and kissed Stephanie. "I'm going to go back upstairs and hang out with Theresa so you two can talk." Turning to leave, she added, "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

Stephanie watched Jessie walk back up the stairs, before turning to her mother and smiling sadly. "Well, I guess we can't avoid this conversation any longer."

Nancy sighed, eyeing her daughter critically. "Come sit down, Stephanie. I want to hear everything, from beginning to end. But…only if you think you can talk about it."

"I can talk about it, Mom," Stephanie said, walking over and sitting crossed legged on the bed. "I'm sorry I was such a mess this morning. I really thought I was ready to talk to you, then."

Nancy sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug. "Stephanie, you were attacked last night. No one would expect you to be over something like that so quickly. Of course you were a mess. I'd be worried if you weren't."

Leaning into the hug, Stephanie started to cry. "Oh, Mom…it was awful! I thought Jessie forgot her key, when he knocked on the door. It didn't even occur to me to look to see who it was!" Wrapping her arms around Nancy's neck, she forced herself to go on. "I fell and hit my head before I even realized what was happening. He started dragging me toward the bedroom and I screamed…that's when he hit me." Crying harder now, Stephanie stopped until she could calm down.

Holding Stephanie as tight as she could, Nancy closed her eyes as she related the events of yesterday evening. It had always been one of her biggest fears that Stephanie would be attacked by a rabid fan. Now…that fear had become a reality, and there was nothing she could do about it. Sitting there holding her as she cried, Nancy felt herself growing more and more angry about what had happened. Shoving it down in order to comfort Stephanie, she began rubbing her back, hoping to calm her down. It had always worked when she was a little girl.

Eventually, Stephanie sniffed and pulled back a little. Wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand, she went on with her story. "He drug me into the bedroom and…and threw me onto the bed. Then, he…he pulled out some rope, and he…he tied…tied me down. God, Mom! I tried to fight back, I swear I did…but he had a knife…and he made me say things. It made me sick to say them…I just wanted to throw up, but I was so afraid."

Nancy pulled Stephanie to her again, running a hand through her hair. "Shh, it's okay, Sweetheart. It's okay." Having no desire to ask what she needed to know so badly, Nancy forced herself to do it anyway. "Stephanie…I need to ask you…did he…?"

Understanding what her mother was asking, Stephanie shook her head. "No. He had my robe open…I was getting ready for a shower, when he attacked me. God…he was on top of me…with that knife at my throat…he was starting to unzip his pants, when Jessie walked in…"

She started crying again, remembering what he'd made her say. It had made her sick, saying those things about Jessie.

"Stephanie…hush. Hey, whatever Jessie heard, I'm sure she understands it wasn't you, saying those things." Nancy said, trying to make Stephanie feel better.

"That's what she said…when I tried to apolo…gize last night," Stephanie whispered. "I still feel horrible, though."

Nancy felt the anger floating to the surface again. Anger over what had happened to Stephanie, and how this one incident had robbed her daughter of her self confidence. Anger at the fact that no one had realized this man had a serious problem. Anger at the fact that Stephanie was blaming herself for what had happened. Everything about this was just so wrong! Still, for Stephanie's sake, she refused to let it show. There'd be time for that later. Right now, Stephanie needed her.

"So…Jessie walked in and caught him attacking you. How did she keep him from hurting you?" Nancy asked, needing Stephanie to get the whole thing out in the open.

"She…she made fun of him. She told him…that if he hated her so much, he should…come after her. He got…pissed off and tried to…stab her," Stephanie managed to stammer out. "I was so scared she was going to get hurt. But she…" shaking her head, still amazed at how quickly Jessie had disabled him, she finished, "She had him on the floor and popped his arm out of joint so fast I couldn't tell what had happened."

"And? What happened next?"

"Theresa followed her into the room and called for an ambulance. Jessie…Jessie came over and…Mom, she was so scared…I could see how scared she was for me…Still….she never left my side all night," Stephanie said, still amazed that Jessie had insisted on staying with her through everything. "Even at the hospital…she stayed while they did the exam, and sang to me…Just hearing her voice, made it all…bearable."

"She loves you, Stephanie. Even I can see that, and I just got here," Nancy said gently, wiping a tear from Stephanie's cheek. "I'm glad she's been here for you. I feel better knowing she's taking care of you."

Stephanie smiled, this time a little brighter. "Mom…she…she makes me feel so…" shaking her head, she was temporarily at a loss for how to explain what she felt. Blowing out a breath, she finally managed to whisper, "I feel so safe…so loved…when she holds me. I love her, Mom."

Nancy tucked a few strands of hair behind Stephanie's ear and smiled affectionately at her. "I know you do, Stephanie. I could tell when you called and told me about her." Glad to see that the worst part of this conversation was over, Nancy decided to steer it toward a happier topic while she had the chance. "So…I'm assuming you two have slept together? I know you'd said that you were sleeping here, but…is it safe to assume that things have progressed?"

Ducking her head, Stephanie blushed, but didn't try to deny it. She'd always told her mother everything. Nodding, she said, "Yeah, we have…had sex, I mean."

"Well?" Nancy asked. She'd always encouraged her girls to be honest with her. In return, she'd always made sure to respect their choices in life and not degrade them or make them feel bad. "Is she good to you, Stephanie? Does she treat you right?"

Licking her lips, Stephanie grabbed Nancy's hands. "Mom, she's amazing! When she touches me…it's like…I don't know how to describe it. She's so gentle and tender…reverent even, like making love with me is a…a sacrament. You know, she cried…the first time."

"Cried?" Nancy furrowed her brow. Was crying a good thing?

"She said it was just so…beautiful. She cried." Stephanie explained. "I don't think she's ever actually made love to anyone before."

"Steph, you don't mean she's a…?" Nancy began to ask; sure that Jessie had slept with people before this. After all, she was a grown woman.

Stephanie laughed and shook her head. "No, Mom, she wasn't a virgin." Rolling her eyes, she said, "Jessie's far from innocent. What I meant was…I don't think she's ever been in love with anyone she's slept with before."

Nancy nodded in understanding and listened quietly as Stephanie told her everything about the last few weeks; from Jessie's uncertainty, to the night of her birthday. When she was finally finished with her story, Nancy squeezed her hands and pulled her into another hug. "I'm so glad you're happy, Steph. It's obvious that Jessie loves you and adores you. When you first talked about her I was afraid she was just after you because you're a celebrity. I'm glad that's not the case."

"She's not like that, Mom. As a matter of fact, I think that's one of the reasons she tried to stay so distant, at first," Stephanie said. "She didn't want me to think that."

"Well, it certainly sounds like she's a keeper, Sweetheart," Nancy said, yawning hugely.

"I should let you get some sleep, Mom," Stephanie said, unfolding her legs and standing up. "I'll see you tomorrow." She leaned down and hugged her mother. Quietly, she said, "Thanks for coming, Mom. I really needed to see you."

"You're welcome, Sweetheart. I needed to see you, too," Nancy answered as she returned the hug. As she watched Stephanie leave the room and head upstairs she shook her head. Stephanie had fallen hard for Jessie. She just hoped the two of them would be able to work out the difficulties of a long distance relationship; for both their sakes.

After leaving Stephanie and Nancy in the basement, Jessie had returned upstairs. Heading to her room, she changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Then, making a detour through the kitchen, she grabbed a Diet Coke and met Theresa in the living room to watch a movie.

Two hours later, the movie was finished and Theresa was falling asleep on the couch. Jessie, noticing the way her head kept dropping to the side, woke her up long enough to make sure she was comfortable for the night. Turning off the TV, she flipped out the light in the living room and headed for bed.

Stephanie still hadn't come back upstairs, so Jessie decided to just go on to bed. Even though she hadn't worked today, she was still worn out. She figured it had to be all the emotional things happening.

Making sure there was nothing on the floor for Stephanie to trip over when she came in to go to bed, Jessie turned out the light. Crawling into bed, she pulled the covers up and tried to go to sleep. Unfortunately, tossing and turning seemed to be the only thing she was capable of, and she determined to just lay there until she finally drifted off.

An hour later, still lying there staring at the ceiling, she realized that she couldn't go to sleep because Stephanie wasn't there. She'd gotten so used to the feel of the redhead in her arms at night, that the lack of her body in bed next to her was keeping her awake. Sighing, she rolled onto her right side and let her mind wander for a while. Eventually, she did manage to drift off into a light doze, but that was it.

Stephanie entered the bedroom quietly, trying not to wake Jessie up. Grabbing her sleep shirt, she went into the bathroom to change and brush her teeth. When she was done, she padded back out to the bedroom. Flipping the covers down, she slid in to bed and was just about to pull them back up, when Jessie pulled them up for her.

Rolling over onto her left side, feeling Jessie's arm around her, pulling her close, she whispered, "I was trying not to wake you up."

"You didn't. I wasn't asleep," Jessie's voice whispered back. Snuggling closer and enjoying the feel of Stephanie in her arms, she asked, "How'd the talk with your mom go?"

"Good, but emotional. I really wanted to talk to her without crying," Stephanie answered. "But I started bawling like a big baby."

"Of course you cried, Steph. What happened wasn't just some random accident, like falling down and skinning your knee," Jessie said, comfortingly. "You don't have to be strong all the time. It's okay to cry about it. It's the healthy way to heal."

Stephanie found herself sniffing back tears again. "Did you cry, Jessie? You know…when you were attacked?"

Jessie nodded. "Yeah, I did. Steph, I can't even remember what happened, and I cried. Sometimes, I still do," Jessie admitted. She would never tell anyone else that, not even Theresa, but it was true.

"How did you get over it, Jess?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Time passed, and it didn't seem so bad, anymore. You're braver than me, though."

"I'm not sure I know what you mean," Stephanie said, quirking an eyebrow up at her.

"Last night…asking me to love you the way you did…it was months before I could sleep with anyone, let alone have sex. It takes a lot of guts to do that," Jessie whispered. The admiration in her voice was obvious, as she finished, leaning in to kiss Stephanie lightly.

"That's not bravery, Jessie. It's trust and love." Pulling back slightly as the kiss ended, she looked Jessie in the eyes. "I love you and trust you not to hurt me."

Jessie reached over and stroked the smooth skin of her cheek. "I love you, too, Steph." Pulling the redhead closer still, she curled around her and sighed in contentment. "I love you so much."

Stephanie closed her eyes and relaxed into Jessie's embrace. It felt so good here, she couldn't imagine any place on earth she'd rather be. Within minutes, she had fallen asleep to the rhythm of Jessie's soft breath and the steady rise and fall of her chest.

Theresa woke up to the sound of her cell phone ringing. Fumbling around with her hand, she finally managed to find the damn thing on the coffee table. Clearing her throat, she answered. "Hello?"

"Ms. Halloran, is that you?" the voice of James Mason came over the cell phone.

"Oh, Mr. Mason, yes sir. What can I do for you?" she asked, sitting up immediately.

"Well, I was calling to speak to Ms. Winters. Is she available?"

"Actually, she's in the shower right now, sir," Theresa lied. "I'd be happy to let her know that you called."

"There won't be a need for that, Theresa. I was actually planning on stopping by today. To check on her, if you don't mind?"

"Oh, uh…no sir. Not at all. What time were you planning on coming by?"

"Around noon, if that's a good time?"

Theresa glanced at her watch. It was only nine. "Noon would be great, Mr. Mason. I'll let her know."

"Wonderful. And Theresa? If Jessie's going to be around, I'd like to speak to all of you."

"Absolutely, sir. I'll call her and let her know."

"Good. Well, I'll see you at noon then," he said, hanging up the phone.

Closing the phone, Theresa let her head fall back to rest on the arm of the couch. 'Damn! Why did he have to come by to check on Stephanie today?' Shaking her head and sighing, she forced herself up off the couch. As she stood up, she spent a few minutes working the kinks out of her back. Jesus! She could remember a time when it didn't bother her to sleep on the couch.

Making her way down the hall, she stopped outside Jessie's bedroom door. She really hated to knock and wake Jessie and Stephanie, but she had to tell them about Mr. Mason. They'd have to get up and get going soon, if they were going to make it back to her place before he arrived.

Still, regardless of the reason, she hated to interrupt them. At least she'd learned her lesson and wouldn't just go barging in like she did a couple of weeks ago. Catching Jessie and Stephanie in the middle of something wasn't in her game plan for the day. Besides, she didn't think Jessie would be so forgiving, this time. Steeling her resolve, she raised her fist and knocked lightly on the door.

Jessie heard the knocking on her bedroom door and tried to ignore it. But when the knock came again, only this time, she heard Theresa's voice call, 'Jessie?' she rolled her eyes and sighed. 'Good God! Couldn't Theresa let her have one uninterrupted private moment?'

Finally, trying to be civil…After all, Theresa might actually have a very good reason to knock on her door, she called, "It's open."

Theresa pushed the door open very carefully, really not wanting to do this at all. "Jessie, I'm really sorry. But…Mr. Mason just called on my cell. He's planning on coming by my place to check on Stephanie."

Jessie looked up and noticed that Theresa was trying to avoid looking at her, or the bed, as she opened the door. Finding that somewhat amusing, considering all the things about Jessie's life Theresa had witnessed over the years, Jessie almost laughed at how shy she seemed. Next to her, Stephanie stirred awake, snuggling a little closer, and she smiled, hugging her tighter. Finally, taking pity on the blond, she said quietly, "T, we're both dressed. You can come in."

"Jessie, are you sure? I don't want to…"

Jessie cut her off. "You're not interrupting anything. It's okay. Come on in and sit down."

Still feeling like she might be intruding, Theresa stepped further into the room but remained standing. The only place to sit was the bed, and even though it was a king size, she didn't feel right, plopping down.

"So, Mr. Mason's coming by to check on Steph?"

Next to her, Stephanie cracked an eye and, realizing someone else was in the room with them, she whispered, "Jessie?"

Turning her attention to the redhead, she whispered, "Shh, it's just Theresa. It's nothing to worry about." Without realizing it, she was stroking the dark red hair soothingly.

Waking up instantly, Stephanie looked over at Theresa, standing by the door, arms crossed in front of her chest. It was obvious that she was uncomfortable. "Hey, Theresa." She smiled at the blond, not sure how she felt about waking up in Jessie's arms and having someone else in the room with them. She wasn't used to sharing her personal life like this. Still, it was Theresa. And if Jessie wasn't uncomfortable, then she was determined to not be uncomfortable either. Unfortunately for her, she didn't know how comfortable Jessie could be in compromising situations.

Her face turning slightly pink, Theresa finally looked over at her. "Morning, Stephanie. Sorry to wake you."

"Theresa came in to tell us that Mr. Mason's coming over to check on you today. We need to get up and get moving."

"What time?" Stephanie asked.

Theresa fidgeted but answered right away. "Noon."

Jessie blew out a breath. "Well, that's good. We have a little time." Throwing back the covers, Jessie made to get out of bed. "I think I'll take a shower…" looking between the two of them, she couldn't resist teasing, "anyone else want to join me?"

Theresa and Stephanie blushed simultaneously and Jessie burst out laughing at their mutual expressions of horror. "Oh my God!" she laughed. "You two should see your faces. Stephanie, I'm just joking…Theresa, oh God, you are too easy!"

Theresa, annoyed that Jessie would joke about the shower invitation so early in the morning, turned around to leave. "Very funny, Jessie. One of these days I might just surprise you and say yes, when you issue an invitation like that." As she left the bedroom, she could still hear Jessie laughing.

Jessie turned around when Theresa left and looked at Stephanie. She was having a hard time controlling her laughter when she saw the look on Stephanie's face. Apparently, the redhead wasn't sharing in the joke. Crawling back onto the bed, she slid up next to Stephanie and pulled her into a kiss.

"Steph…I really was only kidding," Jessie said, trying to keep her from getting irritated with her, too. "Theresa's just too fun to tease."

Stephanie sighed and smiled at her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I know, Jessie. But just for a minute there, I wasn't so sure."

"Just a joke, Baby. I swear, you're the only one I want in my shower from now on." She kissed her again.

"Well…if you're sure?" The redhead rolled away from her and stood up. Pulling off her sleep shirt, she headed toward the bathroom. As she made it to the hallway, she stopped just inside and turned to look seductively at Jessie, who was still lying on the bed with her mouth hanging open. As she bent down and pulled off her panties, she asked, "So, you comin' or what?" Then she dropped the underwear and walked into the bathroom.

By the time Stephanie had turned the water on, Jessie was right behind her.

Theresa, Stephanie and Nancy managed to make it to Theresa's house ahead of Mr. Mason, and were consequently waiting for him in the backyard when he arrived. Theresa ushered him out to the deck and he was presently sitting in a chair, drinking tea and talking to Nancy.

In order to maintain their story, Jessie drove separately and arrived twenty minutes later. Letting herself in, she stopped by the kitchen and grabbed a Diet Coke out of the fridge. Then, heading through the house, she met them on the deck. "I hope I'm not late," she said, as she slipped through the French doors.

"Not at all, Jessie," Mr. Mason answered. "I'm glad you could make it. Nancy here was just telling me how much help you've been to her daughter. Thank you."

Jessie shrugged. "It's been my pleasure, Sir." Taking a seat, she popped her can open and took a drink.

"Well, now that you're here, I do need to talk to all of you together," he said, changing the subject. "You'll forgive me if I have to bring up business, but I'm afraid Bob has been making some accusations."

Theresa nodded. "We heard him screaming about it Tuesday evening."

"Yes," he agreed. "I'm sorry I have to ask you all this, but…is there any truth to what he's saying? Jessie," he turned to look at her. "Did you and Ms. Winters begin dating after Bob asked her out?"

Jessie, noting the way he phrased the question, answered easily. Shaking her head, she said, "No, Mr. Mason. Stephanie and I did not start dating after he asked her out."

"Ms. Winters? Has Jessie made any unwanted sexual advances toward you?"

Stephanie shook her head. "No, Jessie's never made any unwanted advances toward me at all."

He looked back over at Jessie, who was sitting quietly, trying not to fidget. "Jessie, I have one more question for you." He pinned her with a look, and asked, "Have you been sleeping at The Hilton, in Ms. Winter's suite?"

Jessie licked her lips and took a drink. Her mouth had suddenly become dry as a desert, and no amount of liquid seemed enough. Screwing up her courage, she was just about to answer him, when Stephanie jumped in.

"I'm afraid that's true, Mr. Mason," the redhead said, glancing over at Jessie, hoping she wouldn't contradict her. Then, looking him in the eye, she continued. "You see, I asked Jessie if she would stay there once or twice. I know it sounds crazy, but I've suffered from nightmares for years. Being away from home tends to bring them on; something the doctor referred to as 'separation anxiety.' Having someone that I'm comfortable with close by seems to alleviate the worst of them."

Jessie exhaled quietly, hearing Stephanie's explanation. It had been entirely plausible, and she briefly wondered if it wasn't rooted in some small truth. She hadn't noticed the redhead suffering from nightmares, but that didn't mean she didn't have them.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Then we can sit back and let this happen. From what I've gathered, he was considering an insanity plea, claiming that Jessie here stole you from him. However, when the other women started filing complaints against him too…Well, his lawyer informed me that he's willing to take a plea." He looked at Stephanie. "Unless of course, you want to go to court?"

Stephanie shook her head. "No. If we can end this without a trial, I'd be happy." She was all too aware of the media attention a trial like that would garner. Simply put, she didn't need that kind of attention. It was going to be difficult to deal with the attack as it was, without having the details splashed all over the media.

"Good. Now that that's settled, let's talk about something else," he said, taking another drink of his tea. "Theresa, have you decided to get married, yet?"

All in all, the day couldn't have gone better. Mr. Mason stayed for almost two hours and then headed back to the office. As he left, he promised once more to call every day and check on Stephanie. He felt terrible about what had happened, and wanted to make sure that if she needed anything, she would ask him for help.

Sighing as she returned to the deck after letting him out, Theresa flopped down in a chair. "Whew! I'm glad that's over with."

"You said it," Jessie agreed. "Did you notice the way he phrased his questions? He wanted to make sure our story was straight."

"You think he knows?" Stephanie asked, not sure she was comfortable with that.

"I think he doesn't want any complications," Jessie answered, looking over at her.

"If we'd told him that we're together, what would he do?"

"He'd probably fire both of us," Theresa answered. "But he'd wait until after everything was over to do it."

Nancy, who'd been sitting quietly, listening, suddenly asked, "So…what I want to know is…why this Bob character would claim that Jessie had 'stole' Stephanie from him in the first place?"

"Maybe he's just delusional?" Jessie said sarcastically. "I mean, thinking Stephanie was his in the first place?" She rolled her eyes in disbelief.

Theresa smiled over at her, but added, "Actually, I've given that a lot of thought, and I think I know. When Bob first started working at the firm, he hit on Jessie a few times, but she always turned him down. A couple of months later, he went with a group of us from the office to see her band at some bar."

"I remember that," Jessie piped up. "He was trying to hang out with the group all night, but he just didn't seem to fit in. And, he kept trying to get my attention."

Theresa nodded. "Right. But what you never knew was what happened while you were up on stage. He saw this really beautiful girl standing by our table and started hitting on her. It was obvious that she wasn't into him at all, but he kept trying. Finally, she got fed up and told him to basically 'fuck off.' I heard her telling him he wasn't enough of a man for her."

"That must have busted his ego," Nancy agreed.

"Yeah. But here's where it gets interesting. The girl continued to hang out around our table anyway. When you took your break and came over to us, she walked over and grabbed you, kissing you like there was no tomorrow." She took another drink of her own tea and waited for Jessie to remember that night.

Jessie, for some reason, couldn't quite remember that happening. But, to be fair, there were a lot of nights when people would try to grab or kiss her when she was leaving the stage. Shaking her head, she said, "Sorry, I don't remember that."

Theresa snorted. "Jessie, I swear. You should remember it. That was the first time you and Alex got together. The girl he'd been hitting on was Alex."

Jessie's face turned red almost immediately. "Oh, shit! He hit on Alex? God, no wonder he got pissed off."

"Tell me about it. She wasn't very nice to him at all."

Jessie sighed. "Well, that explains a lot. So, when he asked you out," she looked over at Stephanie, "and you turned him down…There's no way he could have known we'd already been…"

"You can say it, Jessie. We were already sleeping together," Stephanie said, rolling her eyes at how Jessie could be so nonchalant about things with Theresa, but so reserved around other people.

"He must have been following you, and seen us together somewhere," Jessie finished. "And of course, if Alex talked to him like that, and then you turned him down…Both times it was me that got the girl…God! He must really hate me!"

"Well, at least he's in jail, now. He won't be hurting any other women for a long time," Theresa said.

On the way back to Jessie's that afternoon, they stopped at the grocery and picked up some things for dinner. Jessie didn't want Nancy to think that Stephanie had tied herself to someone with no culinary skills, and had decided to make dinner for them.

As she'd thought about it, she realized that being able to cook wasn't really an important skill to have for their relationship. After all, Stephanie would be heading back to LA in the next few weeks, and there'd be no need to cook for the two of them anyway. Still, she didn't want Nancy to think she couldn't take care of her daughter. It was, for some reason, intensely important to Jessie that she know that.

Taking a deep breath to stave off the impending depression she knew she'd fall into when Stephanie left, she got to work. As she worked in the kitchen, Stephanie and Nancy spent some time together. Jessie had insisted that both of them stay out of the kitchen while she worked.

Theresa and Brian showed up at six thirty, and joined the two women in the living room, until Jessie called them for dinner. For once, she'd actually set the table, instead of eating at the island in the kitchen or in front of the TV.

Once they were all seated, she brought everything out and placed it on the table. To start with, she'd made a nice dinner salad. Then, for the main course, she served Pot Roast, fresh red potatoes with a parsley garnish, green beans almandine and dinner rolls. And, to drink, she'd chosen a nice Italian Merlot.

"Jessie! You didn't have to go to all this trouble," Stephanie said, surprised. Of course, Jessie had cooked before, but it had been just the two of them then, and she hadn't done anything fancy.

She shrugged. "It was no trouble, Steph. I wanted to do this."

Theresa leaned over to the redhead. "Trust me, Stephanie. If Jessie's cooking a big meal, it's because she wants to. Never question it."

Jessie smiled. "Coming from someone who only cooks with the microwave."

"At least it's hot," Theresa shot back. "Besides, we're both busy. It's just easier."

"Keep telling yourself that, T. Someday, you're gonna have kids and they're gonna want something besides TV dinners."

Nancy, laughing at the easy way the two teased each other said, "Actually, all my kids liked a TV dinner on occasion. Stephanie especially liked the fried chicken and mashed potatoes."

"How do you remember things like that, Mom?" Stephanie asked, looking over at her quizzically.

Nancy shrugged. "I'm a mother. It's what I do. And Jessie…this is really wonderful. You've done a fantastic job. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Nancy. I just thought you'd appreciate a home cooked meal rather than eating out," Jessie answered. "I don't get the opportunity to cook for people very often, and I actually like it when I do."

"Well, I fully expect you to visit the family in New York. And I promise, we'll have a huge sit-down meal," Nancy said, enjoying the look of panic that briefly flickered across Jessie's features. She could tell that Jessie rarely ate meals with her own family.

Stephanie's face lit up when she heard her mother's invitation. "Mom, you mean that?"

"Well, of course I do," Nancy answered her, surprised by Stephanie's reaction. "Jessie's family now. She's always welcome."

Stephanie leaned over and hugged her, beaming from ear to ear. "Thanks Mom! You're the best!"

"You're welcome," Nancy said, taking another drink of her wine and glancing at Jessie, who was still sitting there with a stunned expression on her face. To her credit, she was doing a fairly decent job of hiding her surprise at the invitation. But Nancy could plainly see that Jessie had yet to get really comfortable with the idea of a 'close family gathering.' When she got to New York and met the entire Winters family, it would certainly be a surprise for her. She only hoped that Stephanie would prepare her before they got there.

To Jessie, Nancy's acceptance meant more to her than any of them with the possible exception of Theresa, would ever know. Her own family was okay, but she never really felt like anything she did was 'right' for her mother. Julie Drake had a tendency to criticize and try guilting her into things. And, Bobby's family had been the Dysfunctional Family from Hell, when they weren't completely absent from his life. Back then, she hadn't cared. But now, it meant a lot to know that Nancy liked her and thought of her that way.

Standing up, she went around the table and gave Nancy a huge hug. "Thank you so much, Nancy. You have no idea how much that means to me."

Nancy hugged her back. "You're welcome, dear." She looked over at Stephanie. "I've never seen Stephanie happier, Jessie. You've had a lot to do with that, and I appreciate it."

Jessie blushed at the praise, looking at Stephanie. "She makes me happier than I can ever remember being," she said quietly, almost to herself. Stephanie grabbed her hand and pulled her back to sit down next to her again.

After dinner, Jessie ushered everyone into the living room. Theresa helped her carry dessert out for everyone and they spent the next two hours trading stories about their childhoods. By eleven, Theresa was yawning every so often. After doing so for the tenth time in as many minutes, she finally got up to leave.

"Jessie, let me help you before we leave," she offered, standing up.

Shaking her head, Jessie refused. "I've got it, T. Get home and get some rest." She hugged both, Theresa and Brian, walking them to the door.

Once they were gone, Nancy got up as well. "I'm ready to turn in too, I think. Jessie, can I help you clean up a bit?"

"No, I've got it…really," Jessie answered. "You're my guest, Nancy. You don't need to clean up."

"Well, if you're sure? I'm going on to bed then," she said.

"Night, Mom," Stephanie hugged her as she got up off the couch where she and Jessie had been sitting all evening. As she did, she stifled a yawn herself.

"Goodnight, Stephanie." As she saw her daughter trying not to yawn, she put a hand on her cheek and looked at her more closely. "Why don't you get some rest, Sweetheart? You're so tired."

"I will, Mom. I want to help Jessie clean up first," Stephanie agreed.

Jessie stood up and hugged Nancy as well. "Goodnight, Nancy. Stephanie, go on and get ready for bed. I'll take care of the kitchen."

Stephanie looked over at her. "But, Jessie…it's a mess."

"Hey, the last few days have been stressful and you haven't really taken any time for yourself." She stroked the redhead's cheek and smiled at her. "I'll be there, soon. It's okay."

Stephanie sighed. "Well…if you're sure?" She was really tired.

"I'm positive. I won't be long," Jessie said. Stephanie gave in then, and hugged her, before turning and heading for the bedroom. As she walked away, Jessie watched her go.

Once she was sure she was gone, Nancy turned to Jessie. "Is she okay, Jessie?"

The brunette nodded. "I think so. It just takes a while."

She looked at the younger woman more closely. Her penetrating gaze making Jessie nervous. "You sound like you know?"

Jessie sighed. "A long time ago, I was attacked. I don't remember much about it…but it still took a while to get over."

"Jessie, I'm so sorry," Nancy said sadly, resting a hand on her forearm. She hadn't meant to bring up bad memories for the younger woman.

"It's okay, Nancy. I dealt with it a long time ago," she answered nonchalantly. "It was my fault anyway."

"Jessie! You were the victim! You shouldn't feel like you were to blame," Nancy said, stunned that she would feel that way.

"Nancy, it was my fault. I wasn't the same person back then that I am now," she said, trying to explain. "I was high on Coke and probably drunk, too. I don't even know who I was with. So you see, it was, my fault."

"Oh Jessie," she said, shaking her head.

Jessie smiled and hugged Nancy again. "I'm okay. It's Stephanie that I'm worried about. She's been trying to stay busy so she doesn't think about it…But it's going to hit her. And when it does, it's gonna be hard."

"I'm not worried, Jessie. You're there for her," Nancy said, returning the hug. Her voice held the utmost confidence as she said, "She's lucky she found you." Then, she released the younger woman and headed downstairs.

'Yeah, but if she hadn't met me, this never would have happened,' Jessie thought to herself as she watched her go. Sighing again, she headed for the kitchen. The sooner she got it cleaned up, the sooner she could wrap herself around Stephanie and go to sleep.

Half an hour later, Jessie slipped into the bedroom. The light was out, but she could still see Stephanie in the dimness of the room. Curled up under the blankets, she was tossing and turning.

Not wanting to wake the redhead, she went into the bathroom and got ready for bed quickly. When she got back out to the bedroom, she stripped down and pulled on her sweats and t-shirt. Then she climbed into bed.

As she pulled the covers up, Stephanie rolled over and curled up against her in her sleep. Automatically wrapping an arm around her, Jessie pulled her close. Sighing contently, now that she wasn't alone, Stephanie settled in. Within moments, she'd calmed down and fallen into a deeper sleep. Jessie smiled, a little sad, remembering her earlier thoughts about Stephanie's eventual departure for LA. Over the last two weeks she'd gotten used to sharing the bed with her. It was going to hurt like Hell when she left, and Jessie wasn't looking forward to it. Funny, how she hadn't really been with anyone for so long (well, not counting Alex, which wasn't a relationship)…and yet it just felt so right with Stephanie…

Two hours later, Jessie was still awake. Unable to sleep, she'd contented herself with holding Stephanie and letting her mind wander. Now however, Stephanie was moaning in her sleep and hanging on to Jessie with a vice-like grip. Unwilling to wake her, Jessie alternately rubbed her back and smoothed her hair. "Shh…I've got you, Baby. I've got you, you're okay," Jessie whispered, a tear escaping her eye. 'Damn Bob, anyway!' she thought, as Stephanie clung tighter to her.

Jessie finally dozed off around four, but woke up again at eight, when Stephanie got up to go to the bathroom. When she padded back into the bedroom, Jessie flipped the covers back for her to crawl into bed. "Mornin' Steph," she said sleepily, pulling the covers back up.

Stephanie didn't answer right away, but snuggled close, sniffing.

"Steph?"

She shook her head. "I'm okay," she whispered.

But she wasn't okay, and Jessie knew it. She'd slept fitfully all night, and her shirt was wet from Stephanie's tears. "Steph…you tossed and turned all night. You weren't…having a nightmare, were you?"

The redhead sniffed again. "Not a nightmare, exactly," she admitted quietly. "I just…I don't know…" She was clinging to Jessie's shirt again, crying and burying her face in the damp cotton.

Jessie hugged her close and closed her eyes, fighting back her own tears. Not sure exactly what to say or do for the redhead, she settled on offering her the opportunity to stay in and rest. "I know you wanted to spend time out with your mom today, Steph…but…why don't we just stay here? You might feel better if you take the time to rest and deal with what happened."

"But…" she began to protest, but Jessie cut her off.

"Your mom will understand," she said gently, pushing the auburn hair back behind one ear with a finger. "Theresa can take her to the museum and hang out with her today. It'll be okay. They'll have a good time."

"I really wanted to spend time with her, though." She shook her head again, her voice broken from crying. "I just…feel so depressed and…sad." Stephanie said, elaborating.

"What you're feeling is normal. I'd worry if you weren't feeling this way. Trust me, Sweetheart, she'll understand. She only wants you to be healthy and happy, Steph," Jessie said. "Stay in today and rest."

"I don't want to stay here alone, Jessie." She was still crying, and had begun to shake. She'd been trying to be strong for her mom and Jessie, but she just couldn't do it anymore.

"I'll be here with you. I won't leave you alone," Jessie said, holding her and kissing her on the head. "I'll never leave you, Steph."

"You promise?" She looked at Jessie, her eyes red from crying, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Jessie reached out and caught a tear with her finger. "I promise. I'm not going anywhere."

Stephanie closed her eyes. When she re-opened them, she nodded and kissed Jessie. "I love you so much," she whispered.

Jessie smiled and pulled her closer, wrapping her in her arms. "And I love you…so much more than I could ever find the words for." As Stephanie settled into her arms and fell back to sleep, Jessie realized how true her words were. It amazed her how much she loved the woman lying in her arms. If she'd been asked a month ago if she thought this could happen, she'd have answered 'no.' But now…she was just…Hell, she didn't even have a word for how she felt.

Deciding to stop thinking and just go with it, she lay there, content holding Stephanie. When she was certain that the redhead had finally fallen into a deep sleep, she allowed herself to doze off. Four hours of not really sleeping wasn't much, and she had a feeling she might need the rest. Around ten, she woke up again when she heard a light knocking on the bedroom door. Dismissing the noise at first as something from a dream, she came fully awake when she heard Nancy's voice.

"Jessie? Stephanie?" Nancy called softly through the closed door. She really hated to bother them, but they were supposed to be meeting Theresa in an hour, and she hadn't seen or heard from either of them all morning.

Lifting her head up, careful not to wake Stephanie, Jessie called, "You can come in, Nancy. The door's open." For some reason, Jessie thought, the God's just didn't seem to want them to lie in bed without being interrupted.

At the sound of Jessie's voice, the door opened minutely and Nancy poked her head in. "I'm sorry to bother you…" she began, but Jessie cut her off.

"You're not bothering us, Nancy. Please, you don't have to hide behind the door," Jessie said, throwing the blankets back a bit more so the other woman could see they were both dressed.

Any embarrassment Nancy may have felt dissipated immediately when she saw that Stephanie wasn't awake. Stephanie had always, as hard as it was for her, gotten up early. Furrowing her brow, she asked quietly, "She's still asleep?"

"Yeah, she didn't sleep very well last night," Jessie answered, nodding. She tried to sit up a bit without waking Stephanie. Unfortunately, that didn't work, and the redhead stirred awake.

As Stephanie opened her eyes, she rolled away from Jessie a bit and realized that her mother was in the room. "Mom? What are you…doing here?" she asked, confused and slightly embarrassed that her mother was in the bedroom with them.

"When I realized it was almost time for Theresa to get here and I hadn't heard or seen either of you I got worried," Nancy said in explanation. The worry she felt was plain to see on her face as she asked, "Stephanie, are you okay? Jessie said you didn't sleep well last night."

As Stephanie began talking to Nancy, Jessie took the opportunity to slip out of bed and go to the bathroom. When she returned minutes later, Nancy was sitting on the bed holding Stephanie, who was crying on her shoulder. Instead of getting back into bed, she made a detour to the kitchen. She knew that Stephanie really needed her mom right now, so she decided to let them have some time alone. Not really hungry, she reached into the fridge and pulled out a can of Diet Coke. Heading out to the living room, she flopped onto the couch and flipped on the TV, hoping to catch the news.

When Theresa rang the doorbell at ten till eleven, Jessie got up off the couch and answered. "Hey, Theresa," she said as she opened the door and let the blond in.

"Jessie?" Theresa asked, perplexed by the fact that the brunette was still in the sweats and t-shirt she usually slept in. "I thought I was supposed to pick you guys up at eleven? That's right, isn't it?"

Jessie nodded. "Yeah, that's right." Turning and motioning for Theresa to follow her, she led the way into the living room and flopped back down on the couch. "Stephanie didn't sleep very well last night," she said in explanation.

"Mmm. She having nightmares?" Theresa asked. The truth was, she'd be surprised if the redhead wasn't having nightmares. Her sister had nightmares every night for almost a year after she was raped. Jessie herself had endured nightmares as well, but only for a few months.

Jessie took a drink of her soda and shrugged. "I'm not sure. She said it wasn't a nightmare 'exactly.' But I don't know what she meant by that." She dropped the volume of her voice a little, not wanting Stephanie or Nancy to hear them talking. "She cried all night, T. When she wasn't crying, she'd thrash around…As long as I held her; it seemed to make it a little better."

"Jessie, I'm sorry," Theresa said, understanding what Jessie was going through. She'd held her sister when she cried, and she'd held Jessie. She was very much aware of how much it hurt to watch someone you loved go through that much pain. "On the bright side, she's letting the pain go, Jess. At least she isn't like you; always shoving everything down inside and pretending it doesn't hurt."

"Well, ya got me there, T." She bit the inside of her cheek, before adding, "I think I've convinced her to stay in today. It seems like she's been pushing herself to act normal, when she really needs to just allow whatever she's feeling to come out."

"I couldn't agree more," Theresa nodded sagely. "Nancy and I can go by ourselves and you can hang out here in case Stephanie needs you."

"Thanks, Theresa," Jessie said gratefully. She was so glad to have the blond in her life. Theresa had never let her down, not even once. Any time she'd ever needed anything, Theresa had been there for her, no matter what.

"Sorry I'm running a little late," Nancy said, entering the room. Looking from Theresa to Jessie, she said, "Stephanie's going to stay in today. She said that you've agreed to stay with her, Jessie?" At Jessie's nod, she went on. "Well, just let me grab my purse, and I'll be ready to go, Theresa." She turned around and went back downstairs to her room. Returning only a minute later, she said, "I'm ready if you are, Theresa. Lead the way."

Theresa smiled. "Okay. Jessie, we'll see you guys later. I hope you have a good day."

Jessie hugged both of them goodbye. "We'll be fine. You two have a good time at the museum and take your time. You don't need to worry about us or rush back." She shut the door behind them and locked up, re-setting the alarm. Then, she went back to the bedroom.

Stephanie was still sitting on the bed, but now she was leaning up against the headboard, amid a pile of pillows. She looked up when Jessie entered the room. "Hey…did Mom and Theresa leave?"

"Yeah," Jessie answered as she crawled back in bed and leaned back into the pillows too. Sitting with her shoulder against Stephanie's, she asked, "So, did you and your mom have a good talk?"

"Uh huh," the redhead answered. "I'm really glad she came. When she first mentioned it, I didn't think I would need her here…But…it's been nice having her here to talk to."

Jessie threw her right arm around Stephanie's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "I'm glad she's here, too. Anything that helps you get through this, I'm grateful for." She smiled, when Stephanie didn't answer back, simply sighed contently. After a few minutes, she noticed the redhead's breathing had evened out and she'd fallen asleep. Closing her own eyes, Jessie dozed off as well. The need for sleep overpowering her desire to stay awake in case Stephanie had another nightmare.

Hours later, they both woke up feeling rested and more relaxed. Stephanie's mood had seemed to improve as well, which made Jessie feel better. Stretching, Jessie got up first, and went in to take a shower. By the time she returned to the bedroom, Stephanie was up moving around, gathering some clothes for the laundry.

"You don't need to do that, Steph. I'll get it," Jessie said, pulling on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt.

Stephanie shrugged. "I know. I just feel like I should be helping, since I've practically moved in these last few weeks."

"Well then, I'll make a 'honey do' list for you if you like?" Jessie said, teasing her. When Stephanie laughed, she walked over and wrapped her arms around her from behind, pulling her close. "I'm glad you're here, and the only thing you need to do is rest and feel better."

Stephanie leaned back into the strong arms placing her hands on top of Jessie's where they rested on her stomach. "Thank you, Jessie."

"For…?"

She shrugged. "For holding me, loving me…just for being here for me. I love you."

Jessie kissed her neck. "I love you, too, Sweetheart."

They stood like that for a few minutes, before Stephanie broke their peaceful silence. "I really should hop in the shower. My hair desperately needs to be washed."

Jessie nuzzled the auburn hair, sniffing. "It looks and smells okay to me," she said, teasing, but meaning it.

Stephanie rolled her eyes and turned in the embrace to face her. "You're just saying that because you want to get me into bed."

"I would never do that!" Jessie said, feigning shock and smiling. "Besides, I've been in bed with you all night and part of the day. If I'd wanted to do something, I would have already made a move."

"So, you're saying you don't want me?" the redhead teased.

"I always want you," Jessie said, growing serious. "I just thought you might need a break."

"Mmm. Sex with you is exhausting," Stephanie agreed. Smiling and leaning in until their mouths were mere millimeters apart, she said, "You're insatiable, Jessie. Beautiful, gorgeous…insatiable." She closed the distance then, and kissed her. When she pulled away, she added, "And I can't get enough of you."

"Are you trying to get me into the shower with you, Stephanie Winters?" Jessie arched an eyebrow suspiciously and cocked her head to the left.

Stephanie bit her lower lip and looked at Jessie, smiling. "Would you get back in the shower if I asked you to?"

"I could probably be convinced," Jessie answered, leaning closer to the redhead and running her tongue up the exposed side of her neck. As Stephanie gasped, Jessie pulled her closer and slid her hands under the t-shirt she'd worn to bed the night before. Moving her hands upward, it took her only seconds to push the shirt up and pull it over the redhead's arms. Tossing it to the floor, she leaned in and licked from her shoulders down to her upper chest.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your freckles?" Jessie asked, moving her tongue down to pull Stephanie's right breast into her mouth.

"I don't have freckles," Stephanie gasped out between unsteady breaths.

"Yes you do," Jessie said, her hands joining in to work on scratching the redhead's back with her nails. "Here's one right here." She punctuated her words by biting lightly at the pale flesh directly above the breast.

At the first sensation of even teeth biting down, Stephanie wrapped her hands around Jessie's head and held onto her. Barely able to think coherently, she was somewhat surprised that she could still form words. "Oh! Jessie…my God! Is this how you get convinced to get in the shower?

Jessie smiled at the sound of desperation in Stephanie's voice. "This isn't convincing me of anything, Babe. I already know I want you. What I'm hoping, is that it will convince you that you want me in your shower."

"I always want you, Jessie. In the shower, in the bed, the office…it doesn't matter where we are. I just want you," Stephanie said, pulling the brunette's head up to kiss her passionately. "Now…shut up, get out of those clothes, and get in that shower."

Jessie smirked. "Yes ma'am."

Theresa and Nancy returned from the museum around six. "Jessie!" the blond called as she walked through the front door. Stopping to turn the alarm off, she called for the brunette again. "Jess? Stephanie?"

"We're in the living room," Stephanie called out.

When the two women turned the corner from the front hall into the living room they both stopped in surprise. Jessie and Stephanie were both sitting in the middle of the living room floor. Leaning back in a pile of pillows Jessie had obviously pilfered from every available couch, they were in the middle of what looked to be a game of 'Halo 3,' on the Xbox.

"Hey guys," Jessie said, not taking her attention from the TV screen. "We're almost done with this level. Give us a minute."

"Uhh…okay," Theresa said in answer. This was so not what she'd expected the two women to be doing when they got back. What she'd expected she really couldn't say, but playing video games was definitely not it.

"Whew!" Jessie hit the 'Save' button and waited for the game system to save their game. When it was finished updating, she reached up and turned the Xbox off. "So, you guys have a good time at the museum?" She got up and stuck a hand out for Stephanie to grab onto. Pulling the redhead up off the floor, she bent over and started picking up the pillows and replacing them.

"Uh…yeah, we did," Theresa answered, still not sure what was going on.

Moving into the room, Nancy picked the nearest chair and sat down. "It was a wonderful day," she answered, pulling off her shoes. "But I think we must have walked about ten miles."

"There was a lot of walking," Theresa agreed. She sat down in the other chair and watched as Jessie finished cleaning up. "Everything all right on the home front?"

"Everything's fine," Stephanie answered, walking back into the room. She was carrying a small tray with Diet Coke for herself and Jessie, and two glasses of tea. One each for Theresa and Nancy. "We had a perfectly relaxing day." Handing everyone a drink, she flopped down on the now cushion-covered couch.

"I hope you got some rest, Stephanie," Nancy said, taking a drink of her tea. "You were so tired when I left."

Stephanie nodded. "Actually, I fell back to sleep not long after you guys left. It was around two when I finally got up for the day. And yes, Mom. I feel loads better than I did earlier. I think I just needed a good cry."

Nancy smiled. Stephanie did look like she was feeling better. "I'm glad, Steph. You need to take better care of yourself."

Stephanie rolled her eyes lovingly. "I know, I know…"

Two hours later, Theresa stood up to go. "I've got to be heading home," she said, picking up an empty pizza box and carrying it to the kitchen.

"It's still early, T. You're welcome to stay," Jessie said, getting up to help her.

"Nah. I have a whole boat load of things to do tomorrow before we meet you at the bar, Jess. I need to get home and get started." She hugged everybody goodnight and headed for the door.

"Well, I guess we'll see you tomorrow, then," Jessie said, returning the hug. "Careful driving home."

"Absolutely," the blond said, shutting the front door behind her.

Jessie re-entered the living room and looked at Stephanie and Nancy. "Well, anything you'd like to do tonight?" she asked, addressing them both.

"Actually," Stephanie said, biting her lower lip, "Would you mind if I spent some time hanging out and talking to Mom?"

Jessie shook her head and smiled. "Not at all. I'll just grab something to drink and head down to the studio." Before she left, she bent down and kissed Stephanie lightly on the lips. When they broke apart, she said quietly, "Take your time and enjoy your evening together. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Jessie," Stephanie said breathlessly, watching the brunette head first to the kitchen, then downstairs.

It was around midnight, and Jessie was sitting at the work table in the studio when Stephanie walked up to the door. "Hey, whatcha doin'?"

"Just working on mixing a song for the new CD," Jessie answered, turning to look at her. "Your mom going to bed?"

"Mmm hmm…you wouldn't mind if I…stayed and watched you work, would you?" Stephanie had followed Nancy downstairs when she decided to retire for the evening. Since she'd slept in this morning, the redhead wasn't tired and thought she'd find Jessie and watch her work for a while.

Jessie shook her head and held out her hand. "Not at all, come on over here and pull up a chair."

Stephanie took her hand and sat down in the chair next to the brunette. "So, is this something you wrote?"

"Yeah…actually, I wrote it a couple of weeks ago." Looking shyly at the redhead, she smiled. "It's about you."

"Me? You wrote a song about me?" Stephanie was stunned. She hadn't expected that.

"Would you like to hear it? I was just cueing it up."

Smiling at Jessie, she nodded. "Of course, I would. If…you don't mind, that is?"

"Why would I mind? Here," she reached over and pressed the play button. "Sit back and close your eyes."

Stephanie closed her eyes and listened to the entire song. When it was finished, she opened her eyes and looked over at Jessie, who was watching her intently. "Jessie, that was beautiful," she breathed out. "I can't believe you wrote it about me, though."

"Thank you. It just came to me and I had to get it on tape. I was thinking about recording some backing vocals for it." She grew quiet and looked out toward the recording studio. When she looked back at Stephanie, she said, "Why don't you do it?"

"What? You want me to sing?" Stephanie couldn't believe Jessie would even suggest such a thing.

"Sure, why not?"

"Jessie," Stephanie looked at her like she had three heads. "I'm no singer."

Jessie shook her head. "I've heard you, and you're pretty good. Go on…give it a try."

"Well…"

Jessie stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the chair. "Come on. I'll set you up."

Stephanie relented. "Okay, but just beware…"

Jessie laughed. "Okay, I've been duly warned. Here, pick up the headset there, and put it on. Give me a minute, and you'll hear the music start." She went back out to the booth and flicked on the mic. "Okay, give me a thumbs up if you can hear me." At Stephanie's signal, she said, "All right. The words are on the music stand there in front of you."

"Jessie, I'm not even sure how the song goes to sing it. When do you want me to start?" Stephanie asked nervously.

Jessie smiled. "Just relax and listen to the music. I'll cue you when it's time to come in."

"Well, if you're sure?" Stephanie really wasn't sure about this. Like she said, she was no singer. Still, it was kind of fun. It made her feel a little closer to Jessie, this way, too.

An hour and a half, and fifteen takes later, Jessie finally called the session quits. "Steph, that was really good!" she said, when Stephanie came back into the booth.

Stephanie looked at her dubiously; sure that Jessie was teasing her. "Jessie, I was awful! It took forever to get it even close."

Jessie laughed. "You have no idea how many times I record and re-record a track for a song. Fifteen times isn't bad. Especially for your first time recording. Sit down and we'll give it a listen."

"All right, but if it's horrible, you're trashing it," she said, plopping down in the chair next to Jessie.

Jessie started the song at the beginning and let Stephanie hear the whole thing. While they listened, she fiddled with the different tracks, mixing it a bit. By the time the song was over, Stephanie had her mouth hanging open. "That was me? That wasn't bad."

Jessie smirked. "I told you. You just need to trust me, Steph. I'd never compromise the quality of my music. If I say you sound good, then you sound good." She stood up. "Come on, I want to play some other things for you."

Taking the hand Jessie offered, Stephanie followed her back into the recording booth. They each sat down on a stool, and Jessie grabbed a guitar. She played through a few old songs they both knew, and Stephanie sang along, only fudging the words once in a while.

Jessie laughed when she'd forget the words and join in; helping her through the spots she couldn't remember. After a while, Jessie started playing some of the songs she'd written over the years. Over time, she'd created quite a catalog for herself ranging from slow, soft ballads to loud, heavy metal songs. Each one was uniquely Jessie in some way, though.

While Jessie played, Stephanie got up and wandered around the small recording booth, looking over the other instruments. Along one wall, Jessie had a row of six different guitars, both acoustics and electrics. Each one was hanging from a hook, ready to play at a moments notice. There was a keyboard in one corner, a few hand drums, harmonicas and even a didgeridoo. Stephanie was quite impressed with the array of instruments that Jessie could play.

While she was looking at a picture hanging on the wall opposite them, Jessie began to play another song. As she listened to the words, Stephanie turned to look at her. "Is that one of yours, Jessie?"

Jessie nodded, as she continued to play and sing. The song was just something she'd been playing around with over the last few weeks. She'd already settled on the guitar part, but hadn't put any words to it, yet. As she watched Stephanie wander around the room, looking over everything curiously, words just started to flow into her head, and she began singing. "Yeah," she stopped playing and put the guitar down. "I'm just making it up as I go along. You like it?"

For some reason, Stephanie suddenly felt tears slipping out of her eyes to roll down her cheeks. Sniffing, she managed to say, "It's beautiful, Jessie. Gorgeous…" her words turned into sobs, as she suddenly broke down.

Jessie, getting up off the stool, rushed over to her and pulled her into her arms. "Hey. Steph…what's wrong, Baby?"

Stephanie couldn't seem to say anything. As badly as she wanted to explain, the words wouldn't come. Shaking her head, she felt her legs start to buckle. As she began to slide toward the floor, Jessie caught her and held on to her, somehow managing to keep her from falling completely. Instead, they made a controlled slide down the closest wall, coming to rest on the floor.

Outside, in the control booth, Nancy was watching quietly. She'd been walking by, heading to her room, when she heard the music from the studio. The door was still open, so she didn't think it would hurt to glance inside. What she saw when she did, fascinated her. Jessie and Stephanie were both in the recording booth, singing along to Jessie playing the guitar.

She didn't mean to eavesdrop…she usually never did anything like that. But something about the way the two of them were looking at each other just made her want to stay and watch. She knew they couldn't see her, because Jessie had never turned the lights on in the booth. She also hadn't turned off the speakers, so she was able to hear everything they were saying. But, since they were just singing, she didn't feel too bad about listening.

Since she'd arrived, she'd been worried about the way Stephanie was handling the aftermath of the attack. On the surface, her daughter seemed to be doing okay. But she knew there had to be more to it than that. She was afraid that Stephanie was putting on a show for her benefit. She'd always been a sensitive soul, and something like this could damage her permanently if she didn't deal with it well. The episode in the bedroom this morning had confirmed her fears.

Satisfied that Stephanie seemed to be doing okay, she was about to turn and leave, when she heard her start crying and saw Jessie pull Stephanie to her. Then, she saw Stephanie start to fall to the floor. Terrified, she forced herself to stay put as Jessie held on to Stephanie as she sank to the floor. When they leaned back against the wall, Jessie had her wrapped securely in her arms, rocking her and whispering to her.

Wiping away her own tears, she decided to wait a little longer. Standing back along the wall, she stood in the darkened room and watched, as Jessie tried to sooth away her daughters pain and fears.

"Steph! Stephanie…Oh, Baby…" Jessie was leaning with her back against the wall, Stephanie pulled tightly to her right side. Not sure what had precipitated this outburst, she didn't know what else to do. Holding Stephanie and stroking her hair, she just whispered, "Shh, it's okay. You're safe now. I've got you."

After a few minutes, Stephanie calmed down a little and sniffed. "I know, Jessie. This is so stupid, I just can't seem to help it. I just keep feeling his hands on me. I thought…I thought that after…after you made love to me, the feeling of his hands on me would…would go away. But I still…feel him all over me."

"Oh Steph…You have to give it time. It takes more than a few days to heal from something like this." She kissed Stephanie on the forehead lightly.

Looking at Jessie, the redhead whispered, "When you touch me, though…I forget, for a little while. The feel of him on me goes away. Jessie…" she closed her eyes, afraid to ask Jessie for what she so desperately wanted right then. With a huge sigh, she forced herself to voice her needs, though. Will you touch me, Jessie? Please?"

"What…now?" Jessie asked, surprised that Stephanie would ask her for sex now.

Stephanie nodded. Licking her lips, she said, "Yes, Jessie please…please just…fuck me."

Jessie blinked rapidly when those words fell out of Stephanie's mouth. She'd never heard the redhead say anything like that before, and it shocked her. "What? Stephanie, no. Not when you're like this."

When Jessie turned her down, rage suddenly enveloped her, shoving the fear and pain away. "Oh, so you can fuck Alex, but not me?"

Jessie looked at Stephanie with her mouth hanging open. Not sure where this sudden anger was coming from, she shook her head. "What? Steph, I haven't been with Alex since we got together. You know that."

"And you think I don't know you were fucking her in the shower that Thursday night?" At Jessie's blank look, she elaborated. "You remember…the night before you took me back to my hotel room? And…you even invited Theresa? Jessie, how could you?"

"Stephanie…no! I didn't…" Logically she knew that Stephanie was in pain and wouldn't do this under normal circumstances. At least she hoped that was the case. Not wanting to give in to Stephanie's anger, she said, "Steph, I don't think we should discuss Alex right now. Not when you're so…emotional and angry."

"Save it, Jessie." She pushed back out of Jessie's arms and looked at her, eyes blazing. "It's too bad if you don't want to talk about her. I do. Besides, you can't deny it…I know already. What, did you think I didn't understand what Alex meant when she told Theresa it was too bad she didn't take you up on the offer? I'm not stupid, you know."

Jessie was stunned. How could Stephanie even think that she'd do something like that? Okay, well…being fair…if Stephanie had heard any stories about her past, she could understand. But still…"Stephanie…I…I didn't…I didn't invite her. My God! She's my best friend! I'd never do that."

Stephanie looked at her like she'd caught her in a lie. "You invited her the other day. So…If you didn't, then who did?"

"Oh God…that was a joke, Steph! You know it was. And…Alex asked her to join us. She likes to mess with Theresa's head. Besides, she did walk in on us. I won't deny that we were…having sex in the shower. But Steph…I would never…I have never, ever, touched Theresa. I've never slept with her. I've never so much as kissed her! I can't believe you'd even think that!"

"What am I supposed to think, Jessie? I know you were late that morning because you were with Alex. You claim to love me, but you can't even fuck me when I ask you to? I bet you'd do it for Alex though, wouldn't you? How do you think I feel, knowing that?" She was leaning against the wall, arms crossed in front of her. Barely able to look at Jessie, she spit the words out.

Hanging her head in defeat, knowing that whatever she said could make or break their relationship, Jessie forced herself to whisper. "Stephanie…first of all…I would never 'fuck you.' You mean more to me than that. I couldn't do anything less than make love to you, ever. Second, the only reason I was with Alex so much was because I wanted you and I was afraid to say anything. I didn't think you'd be interested in me. And, being around you had me so keyed up, I needed to do something." She was trying hard not to sound whiny but earnest.

Reaching out and caressing Stephanie's cheek, she said, "I do love you. I wouldn't have said that if I didn't mean it. And I would never sleep with Alex again, now that I've committed to you. I hope you know that."

Hearing Jessie's words, Stephanie fell against her side, sobbing again. The anger had suddenly fallen away, leaving her feeling empty. "Oh, Jessie…I'm sorry! I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't stop crying. Just when I think I'm feeling better about what happened, I get all crazy again."

"Shh, it's okay. You're going to be okay. I love you, Steph. I love you." Jessie held her in her arms, kissing her forehead and rocking her back and forth. "It does get better, I promise.

"I know. I know…I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I hurt you by being with Alex, and I didn't mean to. I hope you know I wasn't trying to flaunt her in your face or play games, trying to make you jealous?"

Stephanie sniffed. "I know that. I didn't think you did. I'm just so…I don't want to make you mad or hurt you, Jessie."

Jessie smiled and stroked her hair. "I know. Believe it or not, I do understand. You didn't make me mad and…as far as hurting me…Well…I shouldn't be hurt when you take me to task over Alex. I deserve that."

Stephanie shook her head and looked into Jessie's eyes. "No you don't, Jessie. We hadn't discussed anything. You had no idea that I was interested. You said yourself; you didn't think I would be."

Well, I know now," Jessie whispered, kissing her gently. "I hope that counts for something?"

Stephanie kissed her back. "It counts for everything, Jess. Everything."

"Good, because that's what you are to me, Steph. You're my everything."

Leaning her forehead against Jessie's, Stephanie smiled. "Jessie?"

"Yeah, baby?"

She leaned in and kissed Jessie softly on the lips. When she pulled back, she asked, "Will you make love to me, now?"

Jessie rolled her eyes. "I thought you'd never ask." Unwrapping herself from Stephanie, she stood up. "Stay here, I'll be right back."

Still watching the drama playing itself out in the recording booth, Nancy barely registered when Jessie got up and started walking her direction. Snapping back to attention, she slid out of the room quickly, before Jessie realized she'd been watching them.

She arrived back in her room before Jessie made it out of the studio and headed for the couch. Breathing a sigh of relief, she sat down on the bed and began to cry. Since she'd gotten there, she'd tried to be strong for Stephanie. But, seeing her break down and start sobbing like that broke her heart.

She was grateful that Jessie was there to hold her and comfort her. But, she was also angry that it had happened in the first place. If she took the time to think about it, she knew that Stephanie needed to go through all these emotions to heal. Still, it was a shock to hear her say the things she'd said to the brunette. She'd never heard Stephanie use curse words like that out of anger before; not in real life, anyway. She'd only ever heard Stephanie talk like that in movies.

As Nancy sat there, she replayed the conversation in her head. Apparently, Stephanie had neglected to mention that Jessie was seeing someone prior to Stephanie's arrival. Whoever Alex was, it sounded like she and Jessie had been in some sort of relationship. And one thing was abundantly clear; Stephanie hadn't been lying when she'd said that Jessie was far from innocent.

Still, whatever had been going on with Jessie and this Alex woman, it certainly seemed over now. She'd never seen anyone so obviously in love as Jessie Drake was with Stephanie. And that, more than anything, comforted her. Knowing that Jessie was there to hold Stephanie when she cried, and love her so much…it was more than she could have hoped for. She'd met some of Stephanie's past girlfriends and even a boyfriend here and there, before she decided she was gay. And, she had to admit; Jessie was by far the best and the brightest of the bunch. It seemed like almost everyone Stephanie had dated prior to Jessie had been after her daughter because of her celebrity. Jessie, on the other hand, seemed genuinely unconcerned with that particular aspect of Stephanie's life and treated her accordingly.

Drying her eyes with her hand, she sniffed and stood up. Heading into the bathroom, she splashed some cold water on her face and got ready for bed. Resolving to not think about it anymore tonight, she grabbed a book off the nightstand and relaxed back onto the bed to read. She definitely needed something to occupy her mind so she didn't think about what Jessie and Stephanie were doing in the other room.

As Jessie stood up and left the room, Stephanie waited, confused when the brunette left. Moments later, Jessie returned with a couple of small pillows and two blankets in hand. She flipped out the lights, leaving the room lit only by the candles they'd lit earlier. Realizing what Jessie had in mind, Stephanie blushed to the roots of her hair. "You want to do it here?" she asked, surprised and slightly embarrassed.

Jessie shrugged, as she spread one of the blankets on the floor. "Sure, why not?"

"Mom's room is right next door, she could hear," Stephanie said in explanation.

"Actually, she won't," Jessie said, tossing the pillows down on the blanket. Proud of herself, she smirked, "This room's completely soundproof. The only way she'd hear anything, was if we had the speakers on. I turned them off when I went out for these. And, I locked the door. No one will even know we're here."

Still not quite convinced, Stephanie said, "Well, if you're sure?"

"Stephanie," Jessie licked her lips before saying, "Come over here and get those clothes off. Or, better yet…let me undress you."

Unable to say no to Jessie when she had that look in her eye, Stephanie crawled over onto the blanket. Lying down with her head on a pillow, she bit her lower lip when Jessie trailed her hands down and began undoing her jeans.

Unzipping Stephanie's jeans, Jessie slid her hands down, catching either side and pulling them and her red silk panties, off. Stephanie arched up to help her, and Jessie bent down to trail her tongue down one leg as it was bared. She smiled up at the redhead when she moaned. She really liked Stephanie's red silk panties. Not one to neglect any part of Stephanie's body, she moved to the other leg, and spent a few moments licking that one as well.

When she was sure Stephanie was ready, she slid up the length of her body and kissed her soundly on the mouth, sure to be careful of her lip. Sliding her knee between Stephanie's legs, she pressed firmly against her center, allowing the redhead to set the pace with her hips.

Smiling as she watched Stephanie tilt her head back into the pillow, Jessie kissed her on the neck. Then, she sat up, so that she could slide her hands up under Stephanie's shirt, pushing it upward as she went. Never moving her knee from its place, she moved one hand under the redhead, pulling her forward slightly so that she could remove her shirt. Tossing it into the corner, she undid Stephanie's matching red silk bra as well, and tossed it over into the growing pile of clothes.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your matching underwear?" Jessie whispered, as she pulled Stephanie up and hugged her tightly to her chest. Reveling in the feel of all that exposed flesh under her hands, she leaned in and kissed her.

Already finding it difficult to breathe, Stephanie managed to answer Jessie, but just barely. "No…you haven't," she gasped out. Arching her neck, she gasped again when Jessie attached herself to the pulse point and began nipping and sucking. "Jessie…please. I need to feel you…too."

Smiling at the redhead, Jessie let her go long enough to reach down and pull her own shirt up over her head. Tossing it to the left, it landed on the pile of clothes in the corner. Stephanie moaned when Jessie tore her shirt off, and reached around to help with her bra. Seconds later, it also joined the pile. Now exposed from the waist up, Jessie pulled Stephanie to her again, pressing their breasts together. Wrapping her arms around the redhead, she held her as tightly as she could. "Feel me, Steph. Feel me and know that this is real," Jessie whispered into her ear. "This is me touching you and you're never going to feel him, or anyone else, again. Only me. Only me, baby."

"Oh God!" Stephanie said, closing her eyes, her breathing becoming shallower. "Jessie…" The brunette's words permeated her mind and swam into her consciousness like a tidal wave. Jessie always seemed to know what she needed to hear, and spoke accordingly.

Jessie released her and slid around behind her to sit leaning against the wall. Her legs spread, she pulled Stephanie backward and up, until she was sitting on her lap. One hand sliding around to cup her right breast, she used her left hand to gently spread the redhead's legs. Then, she moved her hand to Stephanie's center, causing her to arch back. Lowering her head, Jessie attached her lips firmly to the left side of Steph's neck, and once more began licking and sucking.

By the time Jessie's hand found her center, Stephanie was about to explode. Just sitting like this on Jessie's lap, in such a vulnerable position, would have turned her on. But the combination of the brunette's hands, mouth and words, was causing her brain to misfire. She just knew she was going to end up a splattered mass of goo on the recording booth floor. Jessie's hands were everywhere, expertly bringing her to the brink and back down again. Still sitting on Jessie, she pulled her knees up and planted her feet, allowing her the ability to move more, as Jessie had finally inserted two fingers into her.

Within minutes, Stephanie was writhing under Jessie's touch. Gasping for breath and moaning with need, she felt herself falling over the edge, into orgasm. And, even when she was screaming Jessie's name, she could hear that steady, loving voice in her ear. "I love you, Steph. I love you."

Two hours later, blankets wrapped around them and carrying their clothes, they made their way upstairs to their bedroom. Not bothering to get dressed, they crawled into bed and Jessie pulled the covers up over them both. Utterly sated, they were asleep within minutes.

When the alarm went off at nine, Jessie reached over with one hand and slapped at it until it finally shut off. Curling back up against Stephanie, the alarm never really permeated her consciousness. At ten, she finally woke up, but only because she had an urgent need to relieve her bladder.

Extricating herself from the tangle of limbs and blankets, she managed to make it to the bathroom without waking Stephanie up. When she came back, she stopped in the doorway to look at her, lying there. Not for the first time, she marveled at how beautiful the woman was. Completely naked under the blanket, only her shoulders were visible at the moment. But what gorgeous, strong shoulders they were. Jessie absolutely loved Steph's shoulders. Had she mentioned that before? She was sure she had. Still, they were so magnificent, they bore mentioning again.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Stephanie's voice sounded, muffled from the pillow her head was currently resting on.

"Ha, ha, very funny," Jessie said, recognizing the teasing tone in the other woman's voice. Walking back to the bed, she sat down next to Stephanie and began massaging her shoulders lightly. "I thought you were still asleep?"

"I was, but it's getting late. If I don't put in an appearance soon, Mom will think I'm in the middle of another emotional crisis," Steph said, moaning with pleasure at the welcome massage.

"I know. I need to get going if I'm going to make it to class on time this morning," Jessie said, not wanting to leave. But, she'd given Master Jing her word. And what were you if your word was useless? Nothing. So, reluctantly, she stopped the massage before it could progress to something more, and stood up. "I'm hopping in the shower. I'll be out in a few."

"I'll just lay here and wait," Stephanie replied, feeling too good to get up.

Ten minutes later, Jessie reappeared in the bedroom dressed in her martial arts pants, a black t-shirt bearing the name of Jing's school on the back and a pair of tennis shoes. She had the top of the gi thrown over her arm. "The bathroom's all yours, sweetheart." Leaning over and kissing her, she stood back up. "I'm grabbing some breakfast, and then heading to the school. I need to warm up a little before the students start showing up."

Kissing Jessie back, Stephanie finally forced herself to get up. Heading for the shower herself, she turned to look at Jessie as she left the bedroom. "Have a good day, Jess."

"I will, Steph. I should be back by four." She entered the kitchen, only to find Nancy sitting at the island on a stool, reading her book. Walking over to the fridge, she reached in and grabbed the bottle of Orange Juice. Grabbing a glass out of the cabinet, she poured herself some and put the bottle back. Sitting down across from Nancy, she finally said, "Morning."

"Morning Jessie," Nancy answered, putting her book down. Noticing the martial arts uniform, she asked, "Going out today?"

Jessie nodded. "Yeah. I forgot to tell you yesterday. Master Jing called and asked if I could take over his classes today. So, you'll have Steph all to yourself."

"Is she okay this morning?" Nancy asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. After the breakdown she'd witnessed last night, she was afraid that her daughter might still be having problems.

Jessie nodded. "She seems like she's feeling okay," she answered. Looking at the clock on the stove, she stood up. "I'm sorry Nancy, but I have to get going. My first class starts at eleven thirty. I'll leave the keys to the car in case you need it." She added, "I told Steph I should be back by four. If either of you needs anything, the number for the school is on the fridge. Don't hesitate to call…or you could just come by."

Nancy nodded. "Have a good time, Jessie. See you later."

Before she could pick up where she left off in her book, Stephanie came through the kitchen door. "Hi Mom."

"Morning. You finally decide to get up?" Nancy asked, teasing her and laughing when the blush rose up her neck

"Yeah," Stephanie managed to mutter, cursing the fact that she blushed so easily. "Late night."

"I imagine," Nancy said cryptically, taking a drink from her coffee mug. She knew exactly why her daughter had been up so late.

Ignoring her mothers comment, Stephanie helped herself to a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. "Anything you want to do today, Mom?"

"I didn't have anything in mind. Do you have any ideas?" Nancy looked over at her, already having an idea what she was going to suggest.

"Actually, I thought we could go to the park for a while. On the way back, we could stop and pick Jessie up at Jing's school. She did leave the keys, didn't she? It's supposed to rain later. I don't want her riding her bike home in the rain." Stephanie looked over at Nancy quizzically.

"They're on the counter. And…the park sounds lovely," she set her book down, closing it. "I'll go get ready."

Jessie arrived at the dojo by eleven fifteen. Unlocking the front door, she pushed her bike through and left it in the back room, out of sight. As she stepped out of the room, she noticed that a few students were just arriving. Saying hello to them, she went into the office, and flipped on the lights, checking to see if Jing had left any notes for her. Not finding any, she pulled on her jacket and tied her belt around her waist. No time to warm up before class began, she sighed.

Stepping back out into the dojo, she called the class to order and got started. Beginning with a warm up consisting of stretches, she moved them into an easy cardio workout. The first class consisted of children who ranged in age from six to ten, so she couldn't work them too hard. That didn't mean that she went easy on them, she just didn't push them. The goal at this age was to teach them focus and work on their coordination, not fighting, per se.

When the class was warmed up, she began by going over jabs and front snap kicks. Later, she would have them spar for ten minutes, and then finish up the class. When the class finished, not only on time, but without any of the kids getting punched or crying, she wrapped it up.

At three thirty, she had finished up the adult class, and was busily putting equipment away, when Master Jing walked in. "Jessie…" she turned when she heard her name.

"Master Jing," she hurriedly straightened up and bowed to the Master in respect. "I thought you wouldn't be in today?"

"I finish early so I can be here with you," the older man said, pulling on his own jacket and tying his belt. "Come with me, Jessie. We have lesson today."

Jessie quirked a brow, but said nothing. Following Jing back out onto the mats, she caught the escrima sticks that he tossed to her and waited. When he bowed to her, she bowed back and took up a fighting stance. Within minutes, they were sparring at full speed. Jessie's skill with the fighting sticks more than rivaled Jing's, so their fight wasn't really a close match. Still, the older man managed to disarm Jessie and pin her to the floor.

Staring down at her, Jing shook his head. "You have no focus today, Jessie."

"I'm sorry, Master Jing." Jessie said breathlessly. "I have no excuse."

"Many things happen this week in your life," the old man continued. "These things affect you."

Jessie averted her eyes, refusing to meet his gaze. "I'm fine," she insisted.

Jing took a deep breath. He knew all too well that Jessie wasn't 'fine.' "Stand up and prepare to fight."

Jessie did as she was told, taking up the fighting stance once again. This time, however, Jing had her fighting for her life within seconds, surprising her for the first time in years. Blow after blow landed, causing bruises on her legs and left arm. And, if she weren't mistaken, some bruised ribs, as well. Not sure what was happening, she found herself backpedaling, attempting to get in under her master's defenses. Jing was too good though, and before Jessie knew it, she was on the floor again.

Jing looked down at her again. "You fight without balance or focus, Jessie. Your mind is not here today."

"Master Jing…"

"No. You will listen to me now. Sit up." When he saw that Jessie had obeyed him, he continued. "I know what happened to your love. Is she okay?"

Sitting on her knees, Jessie looked down and then back up at him. She really didn't want to talk about Stephanie's attack, but she could not refuse to speak to Jing. This was his dojo, and she, his student. At the very least, it would be disrespectful. And, he was a surrogate father to her as well. Swallowing hard, making herself speak, she said, "Aside from some cuts and bruises, she's okay. I got there before he could…get any further."

"And yet, cuts and bruises heal. An attack like this leaves other scars, Jessie. For her and you," Jing said, watching her carefully. "You stopped him?"

Jessie nodded. "Yes. I got there before he could…" she shook her head, her defenses crumbling around her. "I was so scared, Master. When I saw him on top of her…and she was bleeding…I almost killed him, Master. I would have…if Theresa hadn't been there." Jessie stopped talking and hung her head, hiding a tear that had managed to escape. Dammit! She'd worked hard to push all this down. Stephanie needed her to be strong for her, not sit around and cry.

"You can not change what happened, Jessie," the old man said kindly.

Jessie shook her head, sniffing. "I know that. I just wish…"

"Wishing will not make it so, and therefore is a waste of time. You are full of anger about what happened, Jessie. You must release this to regain your balance and focus. Stand up."

Jessie did as she was told, standing up and preparing to fight once more. Jing took up a stance and said, "Fight with emotion, Jessie. Allow yourself to feel whatever you feel at the moment."

"Master Jing, you've always said to fight with emotion is weak? Emotion causes lack of focus," Jessie argued, surprised that Jing would tell her to do the opposite of what he'd always said before.

"In emotion you can find your strength, Jessie. I have never told you not to feel…only to not allow your feelings to control you," Jing said as he attacked once more.

Again, Jessie found herself fighting a losing battle. Then, through the haze her mind seemed to be in, she heard Jing's voice saying, "He attacked the one you love. He cut her, bruised her. He tried to take that which was not his to take. He tried to take it from both of you. She gave her love to you, Jessie, and he tried to take it." Hearing those words, already emotional from the events of this week and her need to be there for Stephanie, she began to lose all control. Seeing red, she began attacking Jing with everything she had. No longer Jing in front of her, she saw Bob, attacking Stephanie yet again. Screaming in anger and pain, Jessie no longer fought with any kind of focus.

Jing found himself backpedaling now, holding Jessie back but allowing her to work through her pain at the same time. Swinging the fighting sticks in a flurry, he was able to parry every swing, but just barely. Still, when Jessie suddenly spun and threw the escrima sticks past him at the wall, shattering as they hit, he stopped. Jessie had dropped to her knees on the mat, howling in pain; a primal scream that came from the depths of her very soul. Then, when the screaming was over, she dropped her head into her hands, sobbing and shaking.

"I can't…" she couldn't say anything else. There were no words for how she felt.

Jing dropped to his knees in front of her. "I understand your pain, Jessie. But you can not be strong all the time. You must be strong for each other. Help each other through this."

"I'm trying, Master. But I…" she managed to stutter out through her sobs.

"Do you love her?"

She nodded, eyes still downcast. "Yes, Master. With all my heart and soul," she said, the words coming out more of a whisper than anything else.

"She will be leaving soon, will she not?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Then you must work to find balance with her before she goes," he told her. "She will need you when you are apart, Jessie. And…you will need her. Without balance, you can not be there for each other." Jing stood up and moved away from her, looking toward the observation area and nodding slightly. "Stay here, Jessie. Our lesson is over, but Bao Yu would like to speak to you."

Jessie nodded, but said nothing else. Still shaking and sobbing, she wiped at her face and waited for Bao Yu to come to her. This was not the first time she'd had a lesson like this, and she was quite familiar with Jing's teaching methods. Still, there was nothing like having a lesson taught via 2x4.

When Bao Yu arrived next to her, she didn't look up. She knew the other woman was there. Her quiet demeanor and the peace that emanated from the other woman was a physical presence that had always comforted her. Keeping her head bowed, Jessie waited for her to speak.

Looking down at Jessie, head bowed and sniffing quietly, Bao Yu felt her heart go out to her. Reaching out to stroke her hair tenderly, she said, "Jing teaches hard lessons. But they are important." Jessie nodded in acknowledgement, and she went on. "Jing and I understand pain, Jessie. You know this. He is correct when he tells you that you cannot blame yourself."

"I know," Jessie answered, tears still streaming down her face. She was still holding her left arm, where one of Jing's sticks had made contact. She was sure the bruise was bone deep. "It just hurts so much, Bao Yu. She needed me, and I…"

"You got to her in time, Jessie. She lives, still." She sat down crossed legged across from Jessie and caught her hands in her own. "You love her very much. Jing and I are pleased that you have found your 'One.' We have waited long for you to find someone to share your gifts with. Stephanie is very special."

Jessie nodded, looking at her and smiling slightly through her tears. "She is, isn't she?"

"She loves you, Jessie," Bao Yu smiled back at her, taking the younger woman's chin in her hand. "Let her love you and hold you when you need it. Do not be afraid to need, my American Daughter. It is a sign of strength that you can admit it. Do you understand?"

Jessie nodded. "Yes. I understand."

"Good." She stood up, brushing Jessie's hair with her hand once more. "She is waiting for you. I will send her out. Come find me when you are ready and we will heal your bruises." She walked away then, waving toward the observation area and leaving Jessie looking bewildered. She'd had no idea that Stephanie was there.

Stephanie and her mother had spent the afternoon at the park, walking the paths and talking about everything that had happened since she'd come to Ohio. Nancy was still worried about her daughter, but Stephanie seemed to be doing better today, regardless of the scene in the studio the night before. She had only broken down and started crying once, when she talked about how she felt for Jessie. It seemed that Stephanie had fallen hard for the brunette. And, if she were honest, Nancy could see why Stephanie was attracted to her. Jessie was intelligent, talented, gorgeous, strong, and she had a great job and her own money. She obviously had no interest in Stephanie's celebrity or her money, either. And, the most important thing, she was kind and loving toward Stephanie. That alone, made Nancy feel good about their relationship.

It had started to sprinkle while they were headed back to the car. By the time they got the doors open, it had turned into a downpour. Taking refuge inside the Xterra, they sat and dried off with an old towel Jessie had tossed in the back seat. Laughing, Stephanie fastened her seat belt and threw the SUV into gear, heading for Jing's Martial Arts School.

It was a few minutes before three, when Stephanie and Nancy arrived at Jing's school. Walking in the front door, they walked directly into an area which faced out toward the dojo. Enclosed in glass facing out toward the dojo itself; Stephanie was slightly puzzled at first, until one of the parents leaned over and explained to them that the glass was actually a two way mirror. Jing knew that the parents liked to watch their children in class, but it kept the children from focusing properly knowing that someone was watching them. So, rather than have the distraction, he created the room as sort of a compromise. The parents could even hear what was being said to the children, due to mics installed in the dojo.

Taking a seat, they watched as Jessie finished the final class for the day. While they were there, Bao Yu came in and took a seat between them, watching as well. When the class was over, Stephanie was ready to go out and greet Jessie, but Bao Yu caught her hand, keeping her in place.

"Wait. Jing is here and wishes to give Jessie a lesson," the woman told her kindly.

"What kind of lesson"? Stephanie asked. "I thought Jessie was a black belt and didn't need any more lessons?"

Ah…Every martial artist learn for entire life. But Jing not teach martial art lesson today. Today, he teach life lesson. You have been watching the class?" she asked.

Stephanie nodded, slightly confused. "Yes. Jessie's a good teacher."

"Yes. But she is unfocused and out of balance today. Jing asked her to teach today so that he could observe." She looked at Stephanie and squeezed her hand. "What happened has affected Jessie more deeply than she will ever tell you. Jing knows Jessie well, and is worried for her."

At Bao Yu's words, Stephanie felt the tears welling up again. She'd been so needy and caught up in her own pain over what had happened, she'd forgotten to think about how it might have affected Jessie.

Seeing the tears in the redhead's eyes, Bao Yu reached around and hugged her. "Do not blame yourself. This is Jessie. She has always been this way. Watch…you will see. Jing is going to teach her to feel."

"But? Doesn't she already feel?" Stephanie was becoming more confused by the minute. She'd been spending plenty of time with Jesse the last few weeks, and she seemed to be feeling just fine to her. Then again, maybe she just didn't know Jessie well enough yet to be able to judge for herself.

"Jessie has plenty feelings. But she does not acknowledge them, she push them down and ignore. Jing understands this about her," Bao Yu explained. She looked at both, Nancy and Stephanie. "Jessie has a great capacity for love, but fears it, also. Jing and I are very happy that she has found you, Stephanie, and wish for the two of you to have long happy life together."

Taking a deep breath and wiping her eyes. Stephanie smiled at Bao Yu and squeezed her hand in return. The older woman's words had touched her deeply, and she wanted her to know it. Wiping her eyes, she forced herself to stay put and watch as Jing took Jessie out onto the mats. Stephanie had been trained in a few different styles of martial arts for different movies she'd been in, but never anything near what she witnessed watching Jessie and Jing. At first, it was like watching one of those Chinese martial arts movies. Both of them moved with a fluidity and grace that Stephanie found enthralling. Then, Jing took Jessie down, and stopped to talk to her. When they began the fight again, there was no more grace and fluidity, only anger and rage, and Jessie ended up on the floor again.

Stephanie found herself crying once more, hearing what Jing said to Jessie. She desperately wanted to run out there and hold the brunette; to let her know that she didn't need to feel guilty about what had happened. Then, as they began fighting again, she watched in horror. First, as Jing hit Jessie repeatedly with the fighting sticks. Jessie was doing her best to block, but Jing was just too good. His blows were slipping past Jessie's defenses almost as if Jessie were moving in slow motion. Then, she watched in terror, as Jessie lost control and screamed, throwing the sticks across the room and causing them to break on the wall. When she fell to the floor shaking and sobbing, Stephanie jumped up, intending to go to her, but Bao Yu held her back.

"No, you must stay here and let Jessie learn." She too, had tears in her eyes, but Stephanie knew that the woman trusted Jing not to hurt Jessie. It took everything in her not to go anyway, when Bao Yu went out to speak to Jessie. Still, she sat and listened to what the woman said; waiting until she could go to her and wrap her arms around her and make everything okay.

Bao Yu left Jessie and walked back to the observation room. Stephanie and Nancy were both on their feet, worried about the brunette. Nancy was holding Stephanie, who was crying into her shoulder. When Bao Yu walked in, she looked at Nancy. "Your daughter must go to Jessie now. You can come with me and we will talk." When Nancy hesitated, she said kindly, "Jessie is okay. Jing teach hard lesson, but love her very much. Now is time for Stephanie and Jessie."

Nancy wiped a tear from her own eye and hugged Stephanie again, encouraging her. Letting her go, she said, "Make sure she's okay, Steph. I'll be here if you need me."

Stephanie couldn't wait to get to Jessie. Breaking away from her mother as soon as Nancy let her go, she ran out of the room. When she got to Jessie, she dropped to the floor. "Jess…!"

She was still on her knees, arms wrapped around her, shaking. Her arm hurt, her leg…her ribs were bruised. Everything hurt, and yet…the physical pain didn't compare to the mental and emotional pain she was in. Anger and guilt were crushing her. Still, when she heard Stephanie's voice…felt herself being pulled into her arms…

Jessie fell against her shoulder, sobbing and shaking. "S…Steph…I'm s…sorry. I never wa…wanted you to…get hurt."

"Jessie," her voice came out as a breathless sob itself. "You aren't responsible for what happened. Shh, I've got you. I'm sorry…I didn't see that you were hurting, too."

Jessie shook her head. "We sh…should have kn…known."

"Oh, Jess. No one knew. Bob's just sick," she whispered, kissing the brunette on the forehead. Instinctively, she knew what Jessie meant. Both Jessie and Theresa had told her that Bob wasn't a threat. She sat down and tugged at her until Jessie was curled up in her lap. Her head resting on Stephanie's shoulder, she held Jessie as she cried, her shirt getting soaked by her tears. After a few minutes, she seemed to calm a bit, her sobs becoming fewer. "Jessie? What…what can I do…what do you need?"

Jessie sniffed, trying to get control over her emotions. Shaking her head, she whispered, "Just…just hold me. I need you to hold me, Steph."

"Oh, Baby…I'm not letting you go. I'm here," Stephanie answered, holding her tighter and rocking her slightly. "You know, you don't have to be strong all the time, Jess. We can help each other. I want us to be equals." She spoke quietly, trying to keep her voice calm. Inside, she was so scared. She'd never thought to see Jessie so upset and crying. As a matter of fact, now that she thought about it, she'd never seen Jessie show a lot of emotion at all. It hurt her heart that her lover was in so much pain. "I always seem to need you so much. I want you to feel okay about needing me, too, Jessie."

"I do…need you. More than I can s…say," she said, sniffing and bringing her right hand up to wipe at her cheeks. Coming to herself a bit, Jessie pulled back and looked at Stephanie. "We should move. Bao Yu will be expecting us."

Stephanie looked around. "Where did she go? Mom was with her."

Inwardly, Jessie groaned. It was bad enough that Steph had witnessed her beat down, but Nancy had seen it, too? She would have wished that Nancy hadn't been there to witness it, but, as Jing had said, 'Wishing is a waste of time.' Then again, although awkward and difficult for her to admit to, Jessie didn't mind this new ground she was walking on with Stephanie. Sure, it felt odd, but she kind of liked the way it felt; needing the redhead and being able to admit it. Taking a deep breath, she answered Stephanie's question. "Bao Yu and Jing live here, behind the school. Help me up and we'll go to the house. They're probably in the kitchen."

Stephanie stood up and extended a hand to Jessie. She had to put an arm around her to give her some support however. Her leg was weak from the strike she'd taken on her right thigh. As Jessie hissed with pain from her bruised ribs, Stephanie helped her as best she could, allowing the brunette to lean on her as she showed her to the house.

After staying to watch Stephanie run to Jessie, Nancy reluctantly followed Bao Yu from the dojo and to the house, situated behind the school. Entering the kitchen, Bao Yu told her to sit down at the table and make herself comfortable. "Here," Bao Yu said, handing her some peppers and a knife. "We will talk while we wait for our daughters."

As Nancy took up the knife and began cutting the vegetables, Bao Yu started chopping up onions. "You are concerned about Jing's lesson, are you not?" she asked, looking over at Nancy, who was sitting quietly, chewing the inside of her cheek.

Nancy nodded, and said, "Yes. I don't see the necessity of being so brutal to teach a lesson." She didn't want to hurt the Chinese woman's feelings, but she believed that Jing had been too harsh on Jessie. She and her husband had never raised a hand to their kids unless it was absolutely necessary, and she didn't care for the older man's teaching methods.

Bao Yu took a deep breath. She knew what the lesson had looked like, but she also knew that Nancy didn't know Jessie that well. Looking at her kindly, she explained. "Jing and I love Jessie very much. She has been like a daughter to us for a long time. I know that Jing's lessons look harsh, but what he does, he does out of love."

"I'm sorry, I just don't understand," Nancy said. She believed the woman when she said that they loved Jessie, but her words didn't fit with what she'd seen.

"Jessie is very special," Bao Yu said, putting her knife down and looking at Nancy. "She had very difficult time when parents divorce and spend lots of time with us. She has always been stubborn, though, and does not learn easily or willingly. Sometimes requires harsh lesson to understand."

"But it just looked so violent. Was it really necessary to hurt her, for her to understand? Couldn't Jing just talk to her?"

The other woman smiled, almost laughing. "On good day, Jing could not have beat Jessie. Jing only teach her basic skills with fighting sticks. Jessie study with other teachers for years. She is Master of Escrima, far outweighing Jing's skills."

"So…you're saying that Jessie let Jing beat her?" Nancy wasn't sure she believed that. After all, why would anyone allow themselves to be beaten with a stick?

"Not exactly let him. Not on conscious level, anyway. Jing only fight to help Jessie release anger and guilt. He would never do so otherwise. If Jessie is to make life with Stephanie, she must learn to ask for help as well as give it." She reached over and took Nancy's hand. "Stephanie is a beautiful girl. She is very lucky to find Jessie."

"I know," Nancy agreed softly. "I'm glad they found each other, too. Jessie's been a huge help these last weeks."

"Jessie is her 'One,' as Stephanie is hers. This is their destiny," Bao Yu said. "But, even destiny can be misery if both are not in balance."

Before Nancy could respond, Stephanie walked through the door, supporting Jessie, who was holding her left arm to her side and limping. Bao Yu looked toward them when they came through the door and directed them to the guest room. "Go change, Jessie, and I will be there in minute," the woman said, rising from the table. "Stephanie, you and your mother should come with us as well."

No longer feeling so out of sorts about the situation, Nancy stood up and followed them to the guest room and waited for Jessie to come out of the bathroom. When the brunette opened the door, she had changed into a pair of shorts and had removed her shirt, leaving nothing but a black sports bra. Nancy managed to keep her surprise to herself, however, when she saw the bruises Jessie had acquired during her fight with Jing.

Stephanie, however, couldn't quite hide her surprise. Gasping when Jessie came out of the bathroom, she reached out and helped her lay down on the bed. "Jessie, my God! These look awful."

Bao Yu shooed her to the side, smirking at Jessie. "This not too bad," she said, inspecting the bruises. "Jessie has had much worse fighting in tournaments." She looked at her with affection. "You did not need to let him win, Jessie. Lesson could have been accomplished without so much pain."

"I know," Jessie agreed, but said nothing else as the woman began working on her. Using a combination of Reiki and Qi Gong, she worked to heal the bruises, taking away most of the pain. At one point, she pulled Stephanie over and held her hands, showing her some of the techniques as well.

"If you are to be with Jessie, you will need to learn this," she said, showing Stephanie what to do.

Jessie laid there quietly and let them work, closing her eyes and relaxing. After half an hour, Bao Yu declared them finished. "Rest here until dinner. I will come get you." As Stephanie turned to follow them out to the kitchen, Bao Yu stopped her. "You stay here with Jessie. She need you now." She grabbed Nancy's hand and ushered her out of the room, shutting the door and leaving Stephanie and Jessie alone.

Unsure what to do once the two older women had left the room, Stephanie looked at Jessie, uncertain what she wanted. The brunette took pity on her however, and gestured for her to come closer. As she did, Jessie whispered, "Lay down with me?" Thrilled with the request, Stephanie nodded, kicked off her shoes and crawled into bed next to Jessie. Careful not to hit any of her bruises, she curled up as close as she could and wrapped her arms around her. As Jessie snuggled up to her, she started crying softly again, and Steph pulled her head over to rest on her chest.

Closing her eyes, Stephanie whispered into her hair. "Rest now, Jessie. I'll stay with you. You've given me so much, it's time you let me give something back to you, Sweetheart." As she heard Jessie's breathing even out, she closed her eyes and licked her lips, holding back tears.

Stephanie lay there holding Jessie for about forty five minutes, before Bao Yu came in to get them for dinner. Jessie had drifted off almost immediately, more mentally and emotionally exhausted than anything else. Stephanie couldn't sleep however, since she'd slept so well the night before. Instead, she spent the time watching over Jessie. Holding her and rubbing her back while she slept, Stephanie chastised herself for not paying more attention to Jessie's needs.

The brunette had been hurting over the incident with Bob too, and she'd failed to recognize it. Unfailingly strong and loving, Jessie had done nothing but take care of her since Tuesday night. And Stephanie felt like she'd been floating the last few days. One minute she was feeling just fine, and the next, she was so depressed, she hurt everywhere. So irritated with herself over her neglect of Jessie's needs, she briefly wondered if she could use a lesson from Jing too?

When Bao Yu came in to get them, Stephanie gently shook Jessie awake. Looking up at her, Jessie smiled slightly and got up, stretching. She pulled on a clean t-shirt and stretched again. Heading for the kitchen, Jessie realized that Stephanie intended to follow along behind her. Never saying a word, she caught Stephanie's hand and pulled her forward, so that the redhead was next to her. As they entered the kitchen hand in hand, Jessie saw Nancy. Sitting at the table, a look of concern on her face, Jessie felt she needed to do something. As they walked passed her to their seats, Jessie reached out and touched her arm briefly. "I'm okay, Nancy. Thank you, for being concerned. This isn't the first time I've had a lesson with Jing, though."

Nancy smiled at her, but couldn't help asking, "Is it true that you let him beat you, Jessie?"

"On a good day, when Jessie is focused, I can not touch her in fight," Jing said, stepping into the kitchen. Since they'd had their lesson, he had been downstairs, giving the women time to talk and get to know each other better. He squeezed Jessie's shoulder as he walked by. "You are okay?"

Jessie nodded. "Of course, Master. Thank you, for understanding me when I don't understand myself. And for having the wisdom to know when I need to have it explained to me."

The old man smiled. "You are good student, Jessie. Just have thick head."

Jessie laughed then, and everyone else joined in. Now that the tension had been broken, they talked and laughed as they ate. When the clock tolled six, they thanked Bao Yu and Jing for dinner, bid the Chinese couple goodnight, and headed back to Jessie's. The band was supposed to start at ten, but she was due by nine, to help them set up.

Theresa and Brian picked Stephanie and Nancy up on their way to the club. When they got there, Lacy already had a table reserved. She got up when she saw them come through the door and was waiting to hug each of them when they got to the table. Singling Stephanie out, she hugged her extra tight.

"Oh, Stephanie! I was so worried when I heard what happened! Are you okay?"

The redhead nodded. "I'm all right. Just shaken up more than anything," she replied.

"Well, I'm glad to see that you're doing all right, Baby Girl. When Theresa called, I was so scared for you," the blond woman said, hugging her again.

"Thanks, Lacy," Stephanie said, smiling at her. Having spent a considerable amount of time with the blond over the last two weeks, Stephanie found that she genuinely liked Lacy. She was kind and considerate, and someone Stephanie considered a good friend. Indicating Nancy, she said, "Lacy, this is my mother, Nancy Winters. Mom…Lacy King."

Nancy smiled at her. "It's so nice to meet you, Lacy. Steph and Jessie have told me so much about you."

Lacy reached out and hugged Nancy. "Not too much, I hope," she said, laughing. Then, becoming serious, "I'm so glad to meet you, Nancy. It was so good of you to come into town to be with Stephanie right now."

"I wish it could have been under better circumstances, but…" Nancy shrugged and trailed off as she took her seat. Before Lacy could say anything else, a waitress came by and took their drink orders. While they waited, Stephanie introduced Nancy to everyone else at the table.

Within ten minutes, the waitress had returned, setting their drinks down. When Stephanie pulled out a credit card to pay, the waitress shook her head. "Not tonight, Sweetie. Jessie told me to put it on her tab." At Stephanie's expression of surprise, she winked and went on her way. "I'll be back to check on ya'll later."

"Wow! She never put our drinks on her tab before," Theresa said. "I think Jessie likes you, Stephanie."

Stephanie looked over at her and smiled at the gentle teasing. Then, surprising Theresa (and everyone else at the table), she said, "You don't sleep with her."

Theresa felt the blush rush up her face at that and she choked on her beer as she burst out laughing. "Oh…my…God! I can't believe you said that! I mean, Jessie, I'd expect it from. But you?"

Glancing at her mother, Stephanie laughed too. "I can't believe I said it, either! God Mom, I'm sorry."

Nancy just shrugged. "It's okay, Stephanie. You are an adult…and you've already told me everything."

Lacy, listening to the conversation, couldn't resist. "Stephanie, I love your mom!" To Nancy, she said, "You're very enlightened for a mother, Nancy. So many people try to act like their adult children are still innocents."

"Well, I try to live in the real world," Nancy replied, taking a drink of her Scotch. "Besides, after seeing some of Stephanie's movies, I'd be hard pressed to pretend she was innocent."

Stephanie almost spit her drink out, hearing what Nancy said. "Mom!"

"What?" Nancy said, looking at her as innocently as she could. "Stephanie, you must know that we were shocked to see some of the things you did in those movies?"

"But Mom," she sputtered, "It is just acting. You do know that, right? I don't…I'm not…"

Nancy started laughing. "Oh, Stephanie, I swear! You should see your face. Of course we know its acting. It was still shocking the first time, though."

Lacy started laughing, too. "You're so lucky, Stephanie. My mother wouldn't talk to me for years after she saw some of my movies. Of course, they are a little more…"

"Risqué?" Stephanie added.

Lacy nodded. "Good choice of words."

Just then, Theresa leaned over and said, "I don't mean to interrupt this fascinating conversation, but I thought you should know…" she pointed to the right. "Alex just walked in."

Stephanie's eyes tracked to where Theresa was pointing. Alex had indeed just walked in the door. For some reason, seeing the brunette caused butterflies in her stomach. Glancing toward the stage, she briefly wondered if she'd be able to get to Jessie before Alex did. Then, she checked herself for worrying about it in the first place. She trusted Jessie. There was nothing to worry about.

Noticing the look of trepidation that flashed across Stephanie's features before she hid it, Theresa reached over and touched her hand. "I can go and talk to her, if you'd like? I can tell her that you and Jessie are…"

Stephanie shook her head, cutting the blond off. "That's okay, Theresa. I'm grateful…really. But I think it would be best to let Jessie handle this on her own."

"You sure? You know she's going to come over here and hang out with us? You know how she is," Theresa said. Even though Stephanie and Alex had met, she wasn't sure how the redhead would react to seeing Alex's customary greeting of Jessie before she could talk to her. It could get ugly, if she turned out to be the jealous type. Although Theresa didn't think Stephanie was like that.

Stephanie nodded. "I'm sure. It was bound to happen some time. We might as well get it over with."

Nancy looked over to where they were discreetly pointing. She immediately recognized Alex from a group picture Jessie had on a shelf in her living room. "So, who is this Alex person?" she asked, leaning over to Stephanie. She already knew, of course, but Stephanie didn't need to know that she'd heard their conversation last night.

"Uh…She's the girl that Jessie was…seeing before me," Stephanie said in explanation. "You remember…we talked about her Thursday? The girl that Bob had hit on a couple of years ago and Jessie ended up with her?" Nancy nodded, but didn't get to offer a reply. Just then, the band came out on stage and the crowd came to life.

Jessie was electric as she moved around the stage. Stepping out into the spotlight, playing an acoustic guitar, she opened the show with a cover of "I Want To Be In Love," by Melissa Etheridge. She'd chosen to wear the new leather pants, boots and shirt she'd gotten for her birthday, and looked absolutely fantastic. Watching her, Stephanie subconsciously licked her lips and swallowed hard. For the moment, all thoughts of Alex were forgotten. Watching Jessie perform, Stephanie caught herself remembering the night before.

She'd been so angry with Jessie for refusing her request for sex. But then, as she listened to the brunette's words, her heart had melted. She had simply refused to treat Stephanie like a whore, even though that's what she'd been asking for without meaning to. She had just felt so terrible. One minute she was standing there in the studio, happy and at peace; the next, her mood had plummeted into anger and depression. Bob's attack on her had made her feel like a whore; powerless and humiliated. It's the only reason she could think of for her behavior. She shook her head, willing those thoughts away. It amazed her how much Jessie loved her. Even with her OWN emotions all over the place, Jessie had refused to get angry with her over the accusations she'd made.

By the time they'd finally left the recording studio and headed for the bedroom, it had been late. Jessie had taken her hand and led her through the darkened house. Within minutes of crawling into bed, she'd fallen asleep in the brunette's arms. Warm and comfortable, feeling safe and very loved; she'd slept well for the first time since the attack.

Fifty minutes later, the band wrapped up their first set with a song by Evanescence. As the lights went down on stage, Jessie headed for the table Lacy had reserved for friends and family of the band. She'd already seen Alex in the crowd, and was hoping to avoid her.

As she watched Jessie coming toward them, Stephanie noticed once again, how the brunette effortlessly slid a mask of indifference on her face. She realized now, of course, that it was Jessie's way of hiding from the crowd of people. She'd noticed it the first time she'd seen Jessie play, and wondered about it. But having spent so much time with her over the last few weeks, she understood the woman better now.

Jessie reached the table, and Stephanie, the same time Alex did. "Hey, Beautiful," Alex said, sliding up next to the singer, intending to kiss her. She was smiling, obviously happy to see Jessie. It had been two weeks since they'd seen each other, and Alex had been missing the brunette, although she'd never admit it out loud to anyone.

Taking a deep breath, Jessie wrapped an arm around Stephanie and hugged her tightly. "Hi, Alex," she said, biting her lower lip. She was hoping that she could stop Alex from kissing her by being open about Steph.

Alex, sensing something was different, stopped just short of pulling Jessie to her for a kiss. She'd caught the way Jessie was hugging Stephanie and knew right away that something had happened. "So, umm…you guys sound really great tonight," she said instead, attempting to make small talk.

"Thanks, Alex," Jessie answered awkwardly. Licking her lips, she turned to Stephanie and said into her ear, "Would you mind if I talk to her for a minute? I do owe her the courtesy of being honest."

Stephanie looked her in the eye and nodded. "Go ahead, Jessie, I don't mind. Just hurry back." She smiled and kissed the brunette lightly on the lips.

"I won't be long," she promised. Before she left, she kissed Stephanie again, a little longer this time. When she pulled away, she whispered, "I love you."

Stephanie smiled at her. "I love you, too."

Alex, surprised by Jessie's uncharacteristic public behavior with Stephanie, blinked rapidly. Trying to process this new side to her personality, she was still looking somewhat like a gaffed fish when Jessie caught her arm and asked her to walk with her. Nodding absently, she followed Jessie to the back of the bar.

When Jessie found a spot that was quiet enough to talk and be heard in, she stopped and turned to face Alex. Before she could say anything though, Alex spoke up.

"So, I guess you finally decided you want more?" she asked, reminding Jessie of the early morning conversation they'd had a few weeks ago.

Jessie hung her head. Taking a deep breath, she looked back up at her. "Alex…"

"It's okay, Jessie," she said. "We both know we weren't sleeping together for anything more than sex. I knew there was a reason you were calling me so often the last few weeks. When I saw Stephanie here last time…I should have guessed then. I did notice the way you two were staring at each other."

She swallowed hard. "Alex, I don't want you to think that I…didn't feel something for you."

"Oh, come on, Jessie. I knew there was someone you had your eye on, and it wasn't me." She reached out and stroked her cheek. "I like Stephanie. She's nice. And, it doesn't hurt that she's super hot."

Jessie laughed. "She is, isn't she?"

Alex nodded. "Yep. And she loves you, even I can see that. I'm happy for you, Jessie. You deserve someone to love that loves you just as much." She stroked her cheek again. "You'd better get back. I don't want her getting mad."

Jessie smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Alex. You'll never know how much you mean to me."

"Oh, I have a good idea." She hugged Jessie back, careful to make sure it was only a friendly hug. "I'll see you around, Jessie," she said as she turned and walked away.

Jessie watched as Alex headed over to the bar and ordered a drink. She knew that within minutes, she'd probably find someone else to spend her evening with. Glad that they were still friends, she turned and went back to Stephanie.

"Everything all right?" Stephanie asked, as Jessie returned to the table.

She nodded. "Yeah, she's cool. She said she's happy for us." She hugged Stephanie and kissed her again. "I love you."

"You've already said that, just a few minutes ago," Stephanie said, smiling at her and wondering what prompted Jessie to repeat herself.

"I know. I just don't want you to forget," she said, smiling at the redhead.

"No chance of that, Jess," Stephanie said, leaning into her as Jessie stood close and listened to the conversation around the table. Jessie had one arm around Stephanie's waist as they talked and joked with Lacy, Brian, Theresa and the others. Eventually, Mike leaned over and told them it was time to get back to work, and the band headed for the stage.

By the time they'd finished for the night, Jessie was exhausted. Even though she'd slept well last night, the 'lesson' from Jing had sent her into an emotional and mental tailspin that had taken more out of her than she really wanted to admit. Still, when the band finished and left the stage, she couldn't have been happier. Mike, always watching out for her, caught her backstage. "Hey, Jess. You don't need to stay and help us break down tonight. Why don't you go on home?"

"I'm all right, Mike. Just a little tired," she insisted. He really was a good friend. She'd even suspected for a while that he'd been interested in her, but he'd never asked her out. Still, she appreciated his concern.

Mike shook his head. "You look exhausted, and your energy's low, tonight. Go on." He smiled. "Besides, you have guests to take care of."

Not feeling like arguing, she gave in. Smiling gratefully, she hugged him. "Thanks Mike. I owe ya one."

"Just take care of yourself, Jessie. We need you," he said, releasing her and watching her go. He sighed, wishing for the thousandth time, he'd had the courage to ask her out. He'd been there when she was with Bobby, and seen the way the guitar player had treated her. Back then, there had been times when he'd almost beat the crap out of him. But he never did, because Jessie wouldn't have understood back then why he did it. She was just too into Bobby then. If he'd had the guts, he would have asked her out after Bobby left. He never would have treated her that way. Now, it was too late, and he'd lost his chance. She had Stephanie, and she was happy. Oh well, he was happy for them. If this was what Jessie wanted, he was glad she'd found Stephanie.

Approaching the table, Jessie grabbed Stephanie from behind and hugged her. "Hey! Mike told me to go home and let them handle the break down, tonight. Apparently, he thinks I need the rest." She rolled her eyes at the others.

"You do look a little tired tonight, Jess," Theresa agreed, studying her.

"Gee…thanks, T!" Jessie said sarcastically. "You look great, too."

"You know what I meant." Theresa rolled her eyes. "It's been a long week, Jessie. A lot's happened. That's all I meant and you know it."

Jessie laughed and hugged the blond. "I know. I just can't help teasing you. Come on, Steph, Nancy. I'm ready whenever you two are."

Grabbing their purses, Nancy and Stephanie said goodbye and hugged everyone. Following Jessie out to the car, they were on their way back to Jessie's in minutes. By the time they got back to the house, Jessie's energy had all but disappeared.

"Jess, you're so tired, why don't you go on to bed? I'll lock up and set the alarm," Stephanie offered, noticing the dark circles under Jessie's eyes.

Jessie closed her eyes and nodded, yawning again. "Thanks, Steph. Nancy, I'm sorry I'm not better company tonight. Can you forgive me?"

Nancy smiled and shook her head. "Jessie, Theresa was right. It has been a long week, and you've been through a lot. On top of that, performing takes a lot of energy. Go on and get some sleep."

"Thank you," the brunette said, gracefully accepting the older woman's words.

"Stephanie, I'm going on to bed, too. I'll see you both in the morning," Nancy said, hugging them both goodnight. "And Jessie…?"

"Yeah, Nancy?"

"You were incredible tonight. I really enjoyed watching you up there," Nancy said, turning and heading for the basement.

"Thank you, Nancy. Goodnight." Jessie watched her until she'd disappeared down the steps. Then she headed for the bedroom. By the time Stephanie came in a few minutes later, she'd already brushed her teeth, changed, and crawled into bed.

"I hope you don't mind," she said as Stephanie crawled in beside her ten minutes later, "but I really needed to lie down."

"Why would I mind, Jess? You're exhausted." Stephanie crawled in next to her and pulled the covers up over both of them. Sliding over, she propped herself on an elbow and leaned down to kiss the brunette. When they broke apart minutes later, she smiled. "I love you, Jessie."

"Mmm, I love you too, Steph. Thank you…for earlier. Just holding me the way you did," Jessie shook her head. "Well, just…thanks."

Stephanie caressed Jessie's cheek with the back of her hand. "You're welcome. Anytime you need me Jessie…for anything at all…I'm here for you. Please don't ever forget that, or think that you're asking too much of me. Promise me?"

Jessie nodded, leaning into the caress. "You have my word."

Stephanie kissed her again. "Good. Now…get some rest. I'll be right here for you." She slid down and rested her head on Jessie's shoulder, curling up as tight as she could to the brunette's side.

Sighing contently, Jessie held on to Stephanie with her right arm, keeping her close. She fervently wished that they could talk some more, about what had happened earlier with Jing. About her talk with Alex…but she was just so tired…Within minutes of closing her eyes, she'd fallen asleep.

Once in her room, Nancy got ready for bed. Realizing it was late; she nevertheless pulled out her cell phone and called Bill. She hadn't spoken to him since Wednesday evening, and she knew he'd be going nuts.

"Hello?" Bill Winter's smooth tenor came over the phone.

"Bill? Sorry I'm calling so late," Nancy said, "But I thought I should check in."

"It's okay, Sweetheart. I was awake," he said, happy to hear her voice. "Is everything going all right? Stephanie's okay, isn't she?"

"Oh, everything's fine, Bill. Stephanie's all right. She's doing about as well as can be expected," Nancy answered. "I'm sorry I didn't call earlier, but we just got in."

"Just got in? Been out clubbing with the kids?" he asked jokingly.

"As a matter of fact," Nancy said, "I went out with Stephanie tonight to see Jessie's band perform."

"Mmm. And how is Jessie?" he asked, obviously not so sure about the woman who'd attracted his daughter's attention.

Nancy knew Bill worried about Stephanie. And for good reason. There were always people out there ready to take advantage of a celebrity, especially someone as open and kind as Stephanie. However, she thought he was worrying for no reason this time. "Actually, Jessie's really nice. I like her. She's been very supportive of Steph, helping her wherever she needs it."

"I'll bet she has," he said sarcastically.

"Bill," Nancy said in her best no nonsense manner, "Your daughter's in love with Jessie."

"She told you that?" he asked incredulously.

"She did. And I know what you're going to say…" she didn't allow him the time to comment further, as she continued. "But Bill…There's no doubt in my mind that Jessie loves Stephanie, too. If you could see the way she looks at Steph…"

"Looks can be faked, Nance," he warned, interrupting her.

"Trust me when I tell you that Jessie isn't faking. I've never seen anyone so obviously in love, Bill. I know you worry that she's out for Steph's money, or her celebrity…but trust me when I tell you, Jessie isn't like that."

"You're sure? I don't want Steph hurt anymore, Nance."

"I'm positive. I've never met anyone so unaffected by Steph's celebrity or money. She's really good to Steph. She's kind and considerate. She asks her opinion on things and doesn't make decisions for her. She treats her like she's a regular person, and all her friends do the same. Bill, I saw her perform tonight…she's really good. And, I think I know why…" Nancy was trying to put her husband at ease. He'd always worried about Stephanie. She was his little girl, and they'd always been close.

Not sure what she was referring to, he asked, "You know why…?"

"Jessie's looked familiar to me since I met her. When I was looking at the pictures she has in her living room, I noticed one, and everything clicked. I think Jessie's father is JD Drake," Nancy said, answering her husband's question.

"JD Drake, the famous singer? That can't be, Nance," he said, obviously not believing it. "Why would JD Drake's kid be living in Ohio, practicing law and playing in a rock band on the weekends? If she's that good, why not be a star like him?"

Nancy shook her head. "I really don't know, Bill. Jessie's an intensely private person. She's humble, and doesn't exactly share information about herself easily. She probably doesn't tell anyone because she doesn't want them to think she's bragging. She's inviting her mother to go out to dinner with us tomorrow evening. I'll fill you in. And Bill…please don't worry. Steph's in good hands with Jessie. I trust her with our little girl."

"Well…if you trust her…" he said, giving in. He knew Nancy trusted very few people. Especially when it came to their children.

"I do, Bill." Knowing that he felt better, she felt it was okay to tell him everything that Stephanie had told her about the attack, and what had happened. She also told him about Stephanie's nightmares and the scene she'd witnessed last night in the studio. She left out certain details, of course. There was no need for him to know everything about Stephanie's personal life. It was hard enough for him to see her doing things in movies. He'd never get over hearing about the actual events.

An hour later, she'd finally finished telling him everything of relevance. "Well, I'd better get off here and get some sleep," Nancy said, yawning.

"Do you know when you're heading home?" he asked.

"If Steph seems to be doing okay, I was thinking of leaving Tuesday," Nancy answered.

"Well, keep me posted. Good night, Nance. I love you, Sweetheart."

"Good night, Bill. I love you, too," Nancy said, disconnecting the call. Plugging the phone in to charge it, she finally crawled into bed. It was after two, and she was tired. Within minutes, she'd fallen asleep.

Jessie waited while the phone rang. After four rings, her mother's voice came over the line. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mom. Sorry I didn't call Wednesday night, but something came up," Jessie explained, hoping to avoid a long, drawn out conversation about what had happened.

"That's all right, Jessie. If you don't care if your mother worries, that's all right by me."

Jessie blew out a breath. "Mom, don't start with the guilt trip."

"Jessie, I'm not. I'm just saying…You usually call on Wednesdays. When you don't, I worry."

"All right, point taken and duly noted," Jessie said, knowing it was useless to argue with her. "Look, I called because I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight. Stephanie's mom is in town, and I'd like for you to meet both of them."

"Stephanie? Is that the latest girlfriend?"

"Um, yeah. I've been seeing her for a few weeks, actually." She was suddenly feeling like this may not have been the best idea. Her mother was an artist when it came to being snide about her girlfriends…or boyfriends, for that matter.

"You haven't mentioned her, I wasn't aware that you were dating again? Well, other than that…Alex, girl."

"Mom, don't start on Alex. Please?" She sighed again.

"Fine…I won't say anything about her, but really, Jessie…she seemed very…loose, to me."

"Mom…"

"All right. So…what does this girl do for a living?"

Jessie took a deep breath, bracing for her disapproval. As much as Julie Drake hated the music business, it was second to how much she hated the movie industry. "She's an actress, Mom."

"An actress? Jessie, please tell me she doesn't act in those movies with those friends of yours."

It took Jessie a moment to realize which friends her mother was referring to. "Mom! She's not a porn actress! Jesus…Stephanie's a legitimate actress. She's here interning for a TV series at our office. My God! I can't believe you'd say that!"

"Well…you don't have the best taste, Jessie. I never know what you're going to bring home."

Jessie was rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "Mom…she's not some stray puppy I took in. Stephanie has been in some pretty big movies. You've seen her, I'm sure." She named a few of Stephanie's movies, and a light bulb seemed to click in her mother's head.

"I know who she is, now. She's the girl who can't seem to stay dressed through an entire movie?"

"Mom!"

"Well, it's true, Jessie. She always seems to be taking off her top."

"Mom, for God's sake. She's an actress. It's part of her job. Look," she was starting to get irritated. "I'm inviting you out to meet Stephanie and her mother, Nancy. If you don't want to come…"

Her mother breathed out a sigh. "All right, Jessie. Calm down. I'll go. I think it's the first time you've ever invited me to meet one of your girlfriends."

"Probably because this is the only one worth meeting," Jessie answered, meaning it. Just to make sure she understood, she added, "Mom, I really care about her, so I'd appreciate it if you could…you know…curb the snide comments?"

"Snide comments?" her mother repeated, obviously offended.

"Yeah, like what you said about her not keeping her top on?"

"Oh. Okay, Jessie, I'll do my best," she said, giving in. If Jessie was actually making an effort to share her life with her, she could make the effort to get along.

"Thank you, Mom. I appreciate it." Relaxing now that the hard part was over, Jessie filled her in on what time she'd be picking her up for dinner.

By the time five rolled around, Jessie's nerves were on edge. Every time she did anything with her mother, she got irritable. She tried not to, but somehow, Julie Drake just always seemed to push her buttons. It made doing things with her a rare occurrence. Standing in front of the closet, staring without really seeing, she didn't notice Stephanie come into the room until she wrapped her arms around her waist from behind.

"I didn't mean to startle you, Jessie," Stephanie said, when she felt Jessie jump. Nuzzling into the brunette's neck, she asked, "Are you okay?"

Closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of Steph's breath on her ear, she sighed as she relaxed into her and laid her hands over Stephanie's where they rested on her stomach. "I'm fine. It's just…doing anything with my mother can be a huge production. She's kinda…well, she's like a 'Jewish mother,' if you'll pardon the expression."

Stephanie quirked an eyebrow at the unusual description. Jessie didn't usually mention her mother, and she hadn't asked. Not because she didn't want to know…the first night they'd slept together, she'd mentioned her and her disapproval of her chosen singing career. At the time, Stephanie didn't want to get off subject by going more in depth about it. Now, she thought there might be some things she'd missed.

"I'm not really sure I know what you mean," she said. "You don't mention your mom, much. I take it you're not very close?"

"Oh, we're all right, I guess. She's just…kind of…overbearing, I guess you'd say. She did a good job raising me and my brother. She just likes to criticize." Jessie explained it quickly, as if she were worried. Turning around, she looked deeply into Stephanie's eyes. "Don't let her push you around or try to guilt you into anything, Steph. She's good at that."

Stephanie reached out and placed a hand on her cheek, caressing it lightly. "Hey, I deal with movie producers and directors all the time. Your mom isn't going to run me over, Jessie." When Jessie relaxed a bit, she went on. "Why doesn't your mom like you singing in the band?"

Jessie shrugged. "My father's a musician. When I was a kid, he spent most of his time on the road and away from home. Mom always resented it, I guess. All I remember is them fighting all the time when he was home. When I started singing in the band, Mom had a fit. She didn't want me to be like him." She snorted. "But I can't help it if all this stuff's inside me and needs to come out. She just doesn't understand that."

"What does your father say?"

Closing her eyes and leaning into the caress, Jessie answered. "He doesn't know I sing."

"What? Jessie, how can he not know?" Stephanie couldn't believe Jessie's dad had no idea that she was a singer. How could he not know something like that?

"He's not around anymore," Jessie said. She reached up and caught Steph's hand, pulling her closer. "He lives in California and still does the music thing."

"So…you don't talk to him or anything?"

"Not a lot, no. He's usually pretty busy, and I don't like to bother him."

Okay, this was new territory for Stephanie. Her family had always been close, and even though they lived on opposite coasts, she made sure to talk to them at least once a week. She simply could not fathom someone not speaking to their parents. "Jessie, he'd probably like to know about that part of your life. You should at least call him," Stephanie said, trying to encourage her. "When's the last time you saw him?"

Jessie bit her lower lip in concentration. "Umm, the last time I saw him was when I passed the Bar Exam. He came into town and took me out to dinner."

Stephanie shook her head. "Jess…that was what? Seven years ago? You need to see him. He's your father. I'll tell you what…when you come out to LA, we're going to go visit your dad."

A stab of panic ran through Jessie when Steph mentioned visiting LA, and she tensed up. She'd almost forgotten that Steph actually lived there and not here. Swallowing hard, she nodded. "Yeah, maybe we could do that," she said noncommittally.

Stephanie noticed when the brunette tensed and took a deep breath. Searching the blue eyes, she asked, "Jessie? Hey, what's wrong?"

"I…uh…I forgot for a minute, that you live there and…not here," she stammered.

"Oh, Jessie!" Stephanie wrapped her arms around her again and pulled her tight. "I'm sorry, Baby! I'm in no hurry to leave, or anything. You do know that, don't you?"

Jessie clung to her, sniffing. "I know. I guess I just…haven't really thought about you leaving."

Stephanie held her face in her hands, pushing her hair back behind her ears. She smiled sadly as she looked into those blue eyes. "I love you, Jessie, and I'm not going anywhere soon. I told you before…we will work this out. One way or another, I'm not planning on letting you go."

Jessie sighed and leaned into her, resting her forehead on Steph's. "I know, and I believe you. I love you too, Steph."

Stephanie smiled again and kissed her. "Good. Now, let's get this dinner over with. I'm ready to come back here and crawl into bed."

Jessie laughed. "You're always ready for bed."

"I haven't heard you complaining," Steph said mischievously, as she slipped out of the brunette's arms and left the bedroom.

Jessie followed her, smiling, and grabbed the car keys as they headed for the door.

Much to Jessie's relief, dinner went off without a hitch. She'd made reservations for the four of them at Bella Luna, the best Italian restaurant in town. She swung by her mother's on the way, and picked her up. They ran through the introductions on the way to the restaurant, and made small talk during the short drive. When they arrived, they were seated immediately and the head waiter stood by as they perused the wine list. Stephanie, knowing Jessie's taste in wine, asked her to choose.

Jessie chose a bottle of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Masetto Bolgheri Rosso, the 1995 vintage, a wonderful Merlot from Tuscany. As they waited for the wine, Nancy and Julie began telling stories about their daughters' childhoods. At the moment, Nancy was busy embarrassing Stephanie with a story about an incident involving her and her brothers, and Jessie was fascinated, watching the blush rise from her neck up to her cheeks.

Catching Jessie watching her, Stephanie blushed an even deeper shade of red. Moving her hand up, she caught Jessie's hand and squeezed. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" she whispered into her ear.

"A little," she agreed. "Mostly, I was just wondering how far down that blush goes," she said, giving Stephanie a look that said all too clearly what she'd rather be doing.

"Keep that up, and you'll never find out," she whispered back, blushing even more, if it was possible.

"But you're so cute, when you blush," Jessie said, kissing her on the cheek.

Just then, the waiter returned, bearing dinner. As they all settled in to eat, Nancy leaned over to Jessie's mother and said, "Julie, you must be very proud of Jessie. I don't know what I'd do if she hadn't been there for Stephanie the other night."

Julie looked at Nancy, perplexed. "I'm sorry? I'm not sure what you mean?"

"You didn't tell your mother what happened, Jessie?" Nancy asked, looking at her, surprised.

"I uh…hadn't gotten around to it, yet," Jessie admitted, looking vaguely chagrined.

"Jessie?" Turning to look at her, Julie Drake had 'the look' on her face. When she was a kid, Jessie had feared that look. It had always meant she was about to get into big trouble. But now, taking a deep breath, she met her mother head on.

"Mom, it's why I didn't call you Wednesday. I told you…something came up," Jessie said, trying to keep her from getting upset that she'd kept Stephanie's attack from her.

"Well? What exactly happened?" Julie wasn't upset. She was well aware of the fact that Jessie didn't tell her everything that happened in her life. And, knowing Jessie, she was actually quite happy with that arrangement most of the time. Apparently however, this was something she should have been informed of.

Jessie sighed and launched into the story, careful not to tell her more than necessary. For instance, she didn't need to know what Bob had been screaming about when the police arrived. Still, by the time she was finished with the tale, Stephanie interjecting where necessary, Julie was sitting there, stunned.

"So…you just walked into that room and…" she was having trouble wrapping her mind around the idea that a child of hers had willingly put their life in danger. Right now, she couldn't seem to articulate what she was feeling.

"Mom…" Jessie caught her hand with her free one. Looking into her eyes, she tried to assure her that she was okay. "Mom, please…it's okay."

Julie looked at Jessie, gauging the truth of her words. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, "Well, I guess those martial arts lessons paid off then, didn't they?"

Jessie laughed, relieved that her mother wasn't going to make a big deal out of it for once. "I guess they did, Mom."

Stephanie, glad to see the tension dissolve, said, "Well I for one am glad they paid off." She was holding Jessie's hand again, leaning against her shoulder. "I just found Jessie, and I'm not quite ready to let her go, just yet."

Jessie smiled at her. "That's good to hear."

"You know," Julie interjected. "I'm really glad you invited me here tonight, Jessie. Not only has it been enlightening…but I think you've finally found someone. Stephanie," she turned and addressed her, "I'm so glad I got to meet you tonight. I was beginning to worry that Jessie was never going to find someone to share her life with."

Stephanie smiled back at her and reached over to grasp her hand. Squeezing it, she said, "I'm glad we did this, too. Jessie doesn't talk about herself much, so I was beginning to think she didn't have any family."

"Oh, she has family. She just doesn't spend much time with us," Julie said, giving Jessie a look that plainly said she wished her daughter would come around more often.

Jessie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Mom, you know I'm really busy. You're always welcome to come see me play, you know, but you always turn me down."

"I know. But you know how I feel about that, Jessie."

She nodded. "Yeah. I know."

Nancy, sensing a way to find out about Jessie's father, said, "I saw Jessie perform last night. She's very talented."

"I'm sure she is. Her father was talented, too," Julie said, smiling at Nancy. "Unfortunately, he didn't know how to prioritize his life."

"Mom, please don't start in on Dad," Jessie practically pleaded.

"So," Nancy took a drink of her wine. "Jessie's father is a musician, too?"

Julie nodded. "You mean she never told you?" She shook her head. "Jessie always was one to keep quiet about things like that." She looked over at Jessie and then back to Nancy. "Jessie's father is JD Drake. You've heard of him?"

Nancy and Stephanie both nodded together. "Yes. I've got quite a few of his albums. He's always been one of my favorites," Nancy said. Inside, she congratulated herself. She knew she'd been right when she'd told Bill who she thought Jessie's father was. Stephanie, sitting next to Jessie, looked stunned. She'd had no idea.

"Well, he might be a great singer/songwriter, but he was a horrible husband and father," Julie said drolly.

Jessie rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Mom…he wasn't a bad father. He was just…busy."

"He wasn't there, Jessie. When we needed him, he was always gone somewhere," she said, looking at her daughter with a bewildered expression. She had never understood why Jessie insisted on defending JD.

"He's always been there for me, Mom." Jessie would never understand why her mother insisted on putting JD down. She was the one who'd asked for the divorce and told him to stay away. JD had always made it known to both his children that he'd be there for them no matter what they needed. And, unlike a lot of divorced fathers, he'd actually tried to live up to that promise, too.

Julie sighed. "I know, Jessie. You're just too much like him to understand."

Jessie bit her tongue and held back what she really wanted to say. Her mother had never tried to comprehend her need to make music, and she never would. And, she'd always thought her mother was a bit selfish, wanting to keep JD all to herself. She knew her mother still loved her father. Otherwise, she would have remarried a long time ago. So, instead of saying what she wanted, she said, "All right, Mom. Let's just not talk about it tonight. We're never going to agree where he's concerned."

Nancy, feeling slightly guilty about bringing it up, tried to apologize. "I'm sorry, if mentioning him has caused a problem."

Julie waved a hand in dismissal. "There's no problem, Nancy. Jessie and I always disagree where JD is concerned. It's just that…well; there was always plenty of love and passion. Music was just more JD's 'thing' than family was. It's no big deal, really."

"Well…if you're sure? I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject," Nancy said, clearly feeling bad about mentioning Jessie's father.

"No problem at all. Now," Julie said, turning her attention to Stephanie. "I want to know everything about you, Stephanie. Tell me everything and don't leave anything out."

Stephanie, taken aback by Julie's sudden enthusiastic interest, laughed. "Well…do you want the book version, or Readers Digest?"

"Oh, the book version, of course. I want to know everything about the woman who's managed to win Jessie's heart." She looked fondly across the table at Jessie. "She's never asked me to dinner to meet anyone she's dated before, so you must be very special."

Stephanie felt herself blush at the compliment and found herself liking Julie despite the woman's sometimes critical demeanor. Stephanie thought she was actually very nice, once you got passed all that. It was obvious that she loved Jessie, and only wanted what was best for her daughter. And, Jessie had warned her in advance so she wasn't completely caught unawares. Under the table, she felt Jessie squeeze her thigh in encouragement.

The rest of the evening was full of laughter, as they traded stories and drank their wine. Nancy and Julie hit it off really well, which pleased Jessie and Stephanie both. This was, after all, the first time Jessie had ever really cared what Julie thought. It was intensely important to her that her mother like Stephanie, and it seemed as if that was happening.

When dinner was finally over and she thought the restaurant was going to kick them out, they'd been there so long, Jessie asked Julie if she'd like to go back to her place with them for a night cap. Julie declined the offer however, citing her need to get up early for work the next morning. Accepting her answer, after all, it wasn't every day that the two of them managed to make it through a meal without arguing, she drove Julie home. Before Julie made it all the way out of the car, Stephanie got out and came around to her side. Wrapping her in a huge hug, Stephanie told her, "I'm so glad I got to meet you, Julie. I'm looking forward to seeing you again, when I come back into town."

"So, you're planning on coming to visit Jessie?" Julie asked, slightly surprised. She believed that Jessie and Stephanie cared for each other, that much was more than obvious. Maybe it was her own relationship history, but she just didn't have the same faith that they did, that a long distance relationship could work out. Still, if they were both willing to give it a try…

Stephanie nodded. "Every chance I get."

"Well then, I look forward to seeing you," Julie said, hugging her back. "Jessie? You be careful…and call me when you can."

Jessie nodded. "I will, Mom."

Hours later, lying in bed with Stephanie safely ensconced in her arms, Jessie sighed contently. Burying her nose in Steph's hair, she inhaled her scent deeply. She loved the way Stephanie smelled. She never tired of it. Her thoughts were interrupted by Stephanie, however, as she shifted in her arms.

"I should probably be mad at you," Stephanie said into her chest, her breath causing ripples of pleasure down Jessie's spine.

"Why should you be mad at me?" she asked, creasing her brow in confusion. She'd actually believed Stephanie was asleep, she'd been so quiet.

"I can't believe you never told me who your dad is," the redhead said, lifting her head to look at her.

Jessie shrugged. "I didn't know it was all that important."

"Jessie, he's your father, of course it's important." She crossed her arms on Jessie's chest and rested her chin on them, looking the brunette in the eye.

"It just never came up in conversation before today, Steph," she explained, plainly not understanding why it was important to the other woman. "If you'd asked, I would have told you."

"You would?"

"Of course I would. I wasn't trying to hide my father's identity from you. I really just didn't think it was important to you. I don't have any secrets from you, Steph." Jessie wrapped her arms around her and flipped her over so that Stephanie was underneath her.

Stephanie bit the inside of her cheek as she looked up at Jessie. "So…I could ask you anything, and you'd tell me the truth?"

Jessie nodded. "Anything at all."

"So, if I were to ask you…how old were you when you had your first kiss?" she asked mischievously.

Jessie smirked, but answered. "Fifteen, with Joey Lindeman, a neighbor. You?"

"Hmm," Stephanie pretended to think for a minute, "I was seventeen. And…it was with Salvatore Brincata."

Jessie shook her head and looked at Stephanie like she was crazy. "Good God, he sounds like a mobster! Did your parents let you hang out with the Italian mob?"

Stephanie laughed, recognizing the teasing. "No! Actually his family owns the pizza place that I used to work at. My sister, Rachel works there now."

"Mmm, keeping it in the family, huh?" Jessie asked, teasing her.

"Jessie!" Stephanie slapped her playfully on the arm. "That's just gross! He's at least 35 years old now. Rachel's only 23!"

"Ooh, you dated an older man? I'm telling your mom," Jessie said, continuing to tease her and kissing her on the forehead.

"She knew," Stephanie said. "They were friends of the family. Besides, there's not much I don't tell my mom…unlike some people I know." She arched an eyebrow at the brunette, her tone gentle. After meeting Julie, she could see why Jessie didn't share everything with her.

Ignoring the gentle rebuke, Jessie said, "Well crap, I was hoping to be able to blackmail you."

"Sorry 'bout yer luck, Babe. Now, I think it's my turn for another question?"

Jessie sighed and rolled her eyes. "All right. Fire away."

"Okay…" Stephanie thought about her next question carefully, before finally asking, "How old were you when you kissed your first girl? And when did you realize you were gay?"

Jessie looked at her silently before finally saying, "That's two questions, but I'll answer them anyway. I was eighteen, and her name was Dana Marshall. We went to high school together, and I think I always knew I liked guys and girls. I turned to women exclusively after Bobby. Well, except the time I had the shit beat out of me…Now…it's your turn." She looked down at Stephanie expectantly.

Stephanie squinted, trying to remember. Pursing her lips, she answered. "I was twenty, and it was my college roommate, Debbie Henderson. I realized I was gay right around the same time. Unfortunately she wasn't, and it ended up ruining our friendship."

"Oh, how very cliché of you…the college roommate?" Jessie teased, but added, "It must have sucked, being her experiment, though."

Stephanie nodded. "It did, but I learned a lot. Now," determined not to be deterred from her fact finding, she asked, "When did you lose your virginity?"

"I started early. I was seventeen." Jessie smiled, and added, "Joey the neighbor. You?"

Stephanie wrapped her arms around Jessie and began running her hands up and down her back as she answered. "Nineteen, and it was with Lonnie Stein. What was your longest relationship?"

Jessie wriggled under Stephanie's roaming hands, enjoying her touch. Biting her lower lip, she said, "That would be Bobby, followed closely by the non-relationship that was Alex Fagin. But my favorite relationship…is you." She ducked her head down to meet Stephanie's lips with her own, kissing her slowly. When she finally came up for air, she looked expectantly down at the redhead. When Stephanie didn't say anything right away, she prompted. "Yours?"

"My longest or my favorite?" She asked, smiling.

"Both," Jessie answered, waiting patiently for a reply.

"Hmm, well…let me see," Stephanie said playfully, dragging her answer out just long enough to start driving Jessie nuts. When the brunette looked like she was going to explode, she relented. "My longest was with a girl named Linda. My favorite…" she pretended to think about it before answering, "is most definitely, without a doubt, you, Jessica Drake." She reached up and pushed Jessie's hair back behind one ear. "I've waited my whole life for you," she whispered, looking into Jessie's eyes.

Jessie closed her eyes and licked her lips. She had never, in her life, felt anything as intense as her feelings for Stephanie. Smiling down at her, she leaned down and kissed the redhead again. The feeling of Steph's lips on her own was beautiful, the hands moving up and down her back, electrifying. She'd never imagined that it was possible to feel this way…not in her wildest dreams. Taking a deep breath when they broke apart, she couldn't help but tease, by saying, "I'd better be your favorite."

Stephanie responded by wrapping her legs around Jessie's thighs and pulling her down against her. "It's you, hands down, Jess. There's no doubt in my mind. No one has ever made me feel the way you do."

Grinding into Stephanie's hips, Jessie smiled at her again before once more taking control of her mouth. This time, when they broke apart, she shifted her attention to the bare expanse of Stephanie's neck. Her head arched back on the pillow, eyes closed, it made the perfect target and Jessie couldn't resist. Trailing her tongue from Steph's shoulder to her ear, she slowly nipped at her earlobe until she heard Steph moan with pleasure.

Reaching down, Jessie slid her hands under the edges of Steph's t-shirt and began sliding it upwards. Leaning down, she began covering Stephanie's stomach with tiny butterfly kisses. Her breath ghosting over the firm abs, she smiled when she felt the redhead's hands on the back of her head, running through her hair.

Long minutes later, Jessie finally managed to slide Steph's shirt up completely, exposing her breasts. With help from the redhead, she pulled it off and tossed it aside, smiling as she slid her hands up to begin squeezing firmly. Stephanie, her breath coming in short gasps, had one hand on Jessie's right thigh. The other, she trailed down Jessie's ribs until it was resting on her hip, under the waistband of her panties.

With her thumb, Stephanie traced small circles on Jessie's pelvic bone, causing the brunette to spasm with the sensation. Rocking now, to the timing Steph set with her thumb, Jessie reached behind Steph to pull her up into a kneeling position. As she attached her mouth to one of the redhead's breasts, and continued massaging the other, Stephanie slid her hand further toward Jessie's center.

As Steph's hand made contact, Jessie moaned low in her throat. "God…Steph…" Sliding her own free hand down passed Stephanie's stomach, she quickly abandoned the redhead's breasts to reach around behind with her other hand, and pull her closer at the same time that she slid a finger inside.

Both of them moving in time, it wasn't long before Stephanie gasped out, "Jess…Jessie…ahhh…Oh God, Jessie!" Her body convulsing, Stephanie gasped for air. For long minutes she trembled, Jessie's hands stroking her slowly, calming her. Finally, taking a deep breath, she managed to say, "Lay down Jess…on your right side…please."

Jessie, not sure what Steph had in mind, didn't question her. She'd learned rather quickly that when Steph gave directions, she meant business. And, she always got great results. Releasing her hold on Stephanie, she turned around and lay down on her right side, back facing the redhead.

Stephanie waited patiently for Jessie to get comfortable. Then, lying down on her right side behind the brunette, she stretched out and spooned against her. Pulling Jessie's hair back, she exposed her neck and began nibbling lightly. With her left hand, she began trailing her fingers along Jessie's ribs.

Within seconds, Jessie was having trouble breathing. Every touch of Stephanie's fingers was burning into her flesh. Biting her lower lip, she almost screamed when the redhead's hand snaked around and caught her left breast, first squeezing, then teasing her nipple. Reaching around behind with her left arm, she caught and held Steph's head against her neck. She never wanted this to stop. Overpowering and delicious, sex with Stephanie was the complete opposite of everything Jessie had come to know about sex over the years. She had quickly come to the conclusion that she didn't always have to be the one in control; that it was okay to let the other woman direct the action. Still, it was a hard habit to break, and Jessie had to work to allow Steph the control she wanted. When she felt Steph's hand slide down to the waistband of her panties, she closed her eyes. She bit her lower lip again, when Steph slid the offending material down and pulled them off, flinging them across the room to land somewhere near the laundry basket.

"I know this is hard for you, Jess," Stephanie whispered into her ear. She knew exactly how hard it was for Jessie to not be in control of their lovemaking. "But trust me; it's gonna be worth it, Baby." Then, she abandoned Jessie's breasts in favor of massaging her ass. With light strokes, her fingertips barely touching, she was turning Jessie on like never before. She could tell by the way the brunette's muscles were trembling. As she continued to lick Jessie's neck and nip at her ear, she slid her hand further down, between her legs.

Jessie, anticipating where Steph was going with her hand, slid her left leg higher, giving the redhead better access. Within moments, she was rewarded with the sensation of Stephanie's fingers trailing along her inner thighs. Gasping for breath, she was so turned on, she couldn't say anything more than, "God…Steph, please. Please…"

Not wanting to torture the brunette, Steph smiled into her shoulder and finally slid her hand forward to rub Jessie from behind. As her fingers trailed through the wet curls between Jessie's legs, Stephanie felt how wet she was. Leaning forward slightly she whispered, "I love you, Jessie." At the same time, she pushed two fingers into the brunette.

The combination of Stephanie's hot breath on her ear, the redhead's words, and the feeling of her fingers entering her, converged. Together, they created a trifecta of sensation which caused Jessie to scream Stephanie's name over and over again as she tumbled into orgasm.

Long minutes later, Jessie had finally stopped trembling and her breathing had finally approached normal. Still wrapped in Stephanie's arms, she fell asleep to the feeling of the redhead's body covering her from behind.

Stephanie woke up; still lying spooned up against Jessie's back. She had one arm thrown over the brunette, who had somehow fallen asleep with her left hand pinning Steph's to her stomach. The bare flesh was warm to Steph's touch, and she closed her eyes and breathed in. The room smelled of Jessie and sex. If she concentrated, she could smell her own scent in the air, too. It was comfortable here, now. Under the covers, their naked bodies squeezed up against each other. The first weekend she'd stayed here, she'd been uncomfortable, feeling like a guest. Not because Jessie treated her that way, but because she had been nervous, unsure of what was happening between them. On the one hand, Jessie had been solicitous and unfailingly kind. On the other, she seemed skittish and afraid to take things too far too fast. But now, Stephanie felt like this was home.

An unwanted thought ghosted through her head, reminding her that this wasn't her home, however. Eventually, she was going to have to return to LA and leave Jessie here. She didn't want to go back to LA. If she were being honest with herself, she could admit that she wanted to stay here, with Jessie. This was home to her now. She didn't want to leave and give all this up. She wondered how they were going to make this work. Could they really keep their relationship intact if they were living so far apart? Meeting each other for long weekends, holidays and vacations? She wanted to believe they could. She did believe it. But still…it wasn't going to be easy. Would Jessie be able to handle a relationship like that? For that matter, would she? Kissing the brunette's shoulder lightly where her tattoo was, she hoped fervently that she could. She really wanted this to work out. There had never been anyone she'd felt like this about. She hadn't been lying when she'd told Jess that she'd been waiting her whole life for her. Now that she'd found Jessie's love, there was no one else for her.

Feeling unusually self-reflective, she whispered, "Jess?" When the brunette didn't answer, only mumbled and wiggled closer, she went on, still whispering. "I love you, Jessie. I know you can't hear me right now, but I…I don't know. I have so much I want to say to you. I guess, sometimes…sometimes I wake up, and I can't believe this is real. That you're real. I'm afraid I'm gonna wake up and realize this has all been a dream. I don't want it to be a dream, Jessie. It scares me how badly I need this to be real."

She rested her forehead on Jessie's shoulder and went on. "You know, the first time I said 'I love you' out loud, it was an accident. I'm not saying that I didn't mean it, because I do. I love you more than I could ever find words to express. What I mean is…I hadn't meant to say it out loud. I was afraid you'd get scared and leave if I said it. So, you can imagine my surprise when not only did you not leave, you told me that you loved me, too. I wanted to hear that, you know. I had hoped, but I hadn't expected it. I think I really expected you to go running out of the room. But you always surprise me, Jess." She reached over and smoothed the dark hair a bit.

Stephanie lifted her head back up off Jessie's shoulder so that she could see her better. Smiling at her profile in the dimness, she went on, still whispering. "You were so afraid, when we got together. You'd been hurt so bad. But somehow, you managed to overcome your fear and love me anyway. I never expected any of this. I guess I thought we might get together a couple of times and then it would end. But that would never have been enough for me. How could it be? Now that I've found you?"

"How am I supposed to go back to LA now? I can't imagine going to bed every night and waking up every morning without you next to me. Holding me in your arms and smiling at me in that lazy sort of way you have. Is that crazy? To get so used to you being here in such a short time?"

She was getting tired, but still…she had so much she wanted to say. "When you're not next to me, I feel you wherever you are. Watching over me, loving me. You never smother, and always let me be myself. You have no idea what a relief that is. I've never dated anyone who just accepted me for who I am, with no expectations. It's amazing to me that you do." She sighed and shook her head. "God Jessie, I hope you never get tired of hearing me tell you how much I love you. I never get tired of saying it, that's for sure. I just don't know any other way to tell you how I feel."

"You don't need to tell me," Jessie's voice sounded quietly in the darkness. Turning over in Stephanie's arms to look up at her, she said, "I know you love me, Steph. Every time you touch me, every time you look at me…I feel your love. But…" she grinned up at the redhead. "Just so you know…I never get tired of hearing it."

"Jess…" Steph said, surprised when Jessie rolled over and spoke. "I thought you were asleep?"

"I was, but I heard you talking…" Jessie replied, reaching up and tucking the auburn hair behind an ear. In the darkness she couldn't see the look in Steph's eyes, but she knew her lover was sad. She could hear it in her voice.

Stephanie ducked her head. When she looked back at Jessie, there was a profoundly haunted tone in her voice that nearly broke Jessie's heart. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up. I just…" she shrugged, sighing. "I woke up and…I was just so comfortable here with you. I started thinking about what would happen when I have to leave…"

Jessie stroked Steph's arm where it was still draped across her stomach. "I try not to think about that, even though I know it's going to happen eventually."

"I could stay, Jess? If you asked me too…" Stephanie began, a note of hope in her voice.

Jessie reached up and put a finger on her lips, shushing her. Shaking her head, she said, "No, Steph. Don't do that. I want you here with me forever, but I could never ask you to give up your career, your life, for me."

"But…"

Jessie sighed. "Steph, my mom was always selfish where my dad was concerned. He was famous…and she liked that. I mean, she was married to JD Drake. But…she didn't like the fact that she had to share him with the world. I'm not going to make the same mistake with you. I'm trying hard not to. No matter how we look at it, you're a celebrity, and I understand what that means." She reached up and wiped a stray tear from Stephanie's cheek. "You don't just belong to me. Well," Jessie rolled her eyes. "Not me exclusively. You belong to all of your fans, too. I won't ask you to give all that up for me. It wouldn't be fair."

"Jess, I wouldn't be giving it up for you. I'd be doing it for me, too," Stephanie whispered, turning into Jessie's hand and kissing her palm.

"No, Steph. When the newness of this wears off, you'll feel differently. You'd end up resenting it in the end. You'd end up resenting me…and I couldn't stand that. So no, I won't ask you to stay even though I want that more than anything. It would be easier for me to just go with you."

Stephanie shook her head. "But I can't ask you…"

"Exactly. Neither one of us can ask the other to give up what they know. We're stuck, for now. But we can make this work." She reached up and kissed the redhead softly on the lips. "I love you, and I'm not willing to let you go. There are ways for us to be together, and we'll find every one of them."

Nancy was sitting in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee when Stephanie walked in. Still dressed in the t-shirt and underwear she'd gone to bed in, she stopped at the coffee pot to pour herself a cup. As she sat down, Nancy set her book down and looked at her. "Morning, Stephanie."

"Morning, Mom," the redhead answered unenthusiastically.

Nancy raised a brow in question. "Something wrong, Steph? Did you have a bad night?" She knew full well that Stephanie had actually had a good night. A great night, in fact, if the noises she'd heard from their bedroom last night were any indication. Still, she didn't feel a need to bring that up with Steph just now.

Stephanie shook her head. "No, not a bad night. I've just been…thinking, I guess."

"About…?" Nancy set her coffee mug down and turned her book over to keep her place.

Stephanie cleared her throat, clearly not wanting to talk about whatever was bothering her. Still, she'd always told her mother everything, so she took a deep breath, and said, "I woke up last night and couldn't get back to sleep. Then I started thinking about what it was going to be like, going back to LA while Jessie's still here."

"Ah," Nancy said, understanding immediately. "Have you two talked about it?"

"Yes." She chewed on her lower lip, before saying, "It's just…" she looked up at Nancy, tears plainly visible in her eyes. "I never thought it was going to be this hard. I love her, Mom. I don't want to go back."

Nancy smiled sadly. She had known this was going to be a problem. "Steph…what did Jessie say when you brought this up?"

"I offered to stay…if she'd ask me to. She told me she wouldn't. She said that no matter how badly she wanted me to stay, she wouldn't ask, and she doesn't want me to give up my career." She sniffed. Jessie had been right, of course.

Nancy sighed. She knew this was going to happen. "Stephanie…Jessie's right about this. I know you feel like you want to give up everything for her now, but…"

"Mom, I know. Jessie said I'd come to resent giving up my career for her. She thinks I'd resent her, too. And I get it, I really do. I just…" Stephanie sniffed and tried to hold back the tears. "I'm sorry, Mom. I just can't help it. Ever since the attack, I've cried at the dumbest things."

Nancy got down off her stool and walked around to her daughter. Opening her arms, Stephanie fell into them, crying. Nancy smiled sadly as she held her, stroking her hair. "It's going to be all right, Stephanie. The two of you just need to talk and work things out. You don't actually think that your father and I have always had things easy, do you? It took us a long time to make our relationship look this easy."

"I'm scared, Mom." She sniffed again and wiped at her eyes. "I'm afraid that when I leave, she'll forget about me."

"Stephanie!" Nancy rolled her eyes at her daughter as she pushed her back and held her by the shoulders. "Listen to me, now," she said with a no nonsense tone that only a mother can effect. "Jessie is in love with you. I've never seen anyone as deeply in love in my life as she is. So…it comes down to this: If you love her and trust her, and she feels the same, there's nothing the two of you can't do. Now, you stop feeling sorry for yourself. I have a feeling it won't be long before things change for the better for you two."

Taking a deep breath, Stephanie smiled at her mother. "Thanks, Mom. I knew I could count on you to make me feel better."

"Well, of course, Sweetheart. Now, where is Jessie? I haven't seen her all morning." Nancy released Stephanie and went back around the counter to take up her seat once again, now that the emotional crisis seemed to be over.

"She got up early and went into the office for a few hours," Stephanie answered. "Mr. Mason told her she could take off work this week, too. But, she had some things to take care of."

"So, do you have any plans for today?"

The redhead shook her head. "Not really. I was just hanging out around here."

Hours later, Jessie was wrapping cords and putting them away in the studio when Nancy knocked on the door. "Jessie? I'm not bothering you am I? I could come back later, if you like?" the older woman asked, standing in the doorway.

Jessie turned at the sound of Nancy's voice. Smiling at her, she said, "No. Come on in." Holding up the cords, she said, "Pardon the pun, but I was just…wrapping things up."

Nancy laughed and walked on in, taking a seat in one of the padded office chairs. "Stephanie's taking a nap, so I thought I might come down and spend some time with you. If you don't mind, that is?"

"I don't mind, Nancy. Not at all," Jessie replied, shrugging. "Is Steph okay? She didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

Nancy didn't answer right away, seemingly unsure of how to reply. When she realized Jessie was watching her with a look of concern, she cleared her throat. Turning a slight shade of pink, she said, "I did notice that she was up late last night." She was trying to answer tactfully, so as not to embarrass Jessie.

Jessie, catching on nonetheless, looked away for a second before turning back to her. "Sorry about that," she said, biting the inside of her cheek. "I guess we were a little loud?" For a minute, she thought that's what Nancy wanted to talk about. But, when the older woman continued, she breathed a sigh of relief. Talking to Stephanie's mother about their sex life wasn't really high on her list of things to do today.

"It's all right, Jessie. I understand," Nancy said. "The two of you don't have a lot of time together. I get that you need to make the most of the time you have."

Jessie sat down in the chair across from her. "Still…we were a little too loud. I'm really sorry, about that. I'm fairly certain you didn't want to hear your daughter having sex upstairs, and I want to apologize for that." She was fighting to keep the blush from rising on her cheeks. She'd never in her life had a hard time talking about this before. But, for some reason, she was having a hard time now. Then again, she'd never spoken to the parent of any of her partners before. Jesus, even Theresa walking in on them during sex would have been less embarrassing!

Nancy, being the older of the two, felt she needed to take control of this conversation before Jessie died of embarrassment. She didn't want her apologizing for loving Stephanie. Her own lack of comfort at overhearing them last night was nothing to worry about. After all, she was a mother of four. She was well aware of what happened in the bedroom between adults. Reaching over, she took Jessie's hand in hers and said, "Actually Jessie…I didn't come down here to talk to you about your sex life with Stephanie. I wanted to talk to you about what's going to happen when she has to leave."

Jessie suddenly grew even more uncomfortable, if that was possible, and looked away from her. "Nancy…"

"Jessie," she cut the brunette off. "Steph told me that she wanted to stay here with you. I came down here to thank you…for refusing to ask her to stay. I know how hard it must have been for you. When she offered, you could have said yes."

Jessie looked away again, licking her lips. "Nancy…" Jessie looked back at her, her blue eyes so sad it made Nancy's heart ache for the younger woman. "I won't let her throw her career away for me. I'm not worth that."

"What! Jessie, I can't believe you would say that!" Nancy said, shocked at her seeming lack of self-worth.

Jessie sighed. "Nancy, I don't know how much Steph's told you about me and my life up till now…but I've never been the best at relationships. This…this is all so new to me. I have never felt like this in my life…the way I feel about Steph."

"Jessie, I've told you before…Stephanie tells me everything. I'm well aware of your past, and that doesn't matter to me," Nancy said kindly. "What matters is that you love her and you're good to her. And from everything she's told me and everything I've seen, that's the case."

"I love her more than anything, Nancy. That's why I won't let her throw her career away," Jessie said adamantly. "I'd break up with her before I'd let her do that, no matter how much it cost me to do it."

"I believe you would, Jessie." She squeezed the younger woman's hands. "But I don't want it to come to that any more than you two do. I think you and Stephanie belong together, and I'm counting on both of you to work this out."

Jessie swallowed hard and blinked back tears. "I'm trying, Nancy. I really am. I just…" her voice trailed off as she started crying. God, why did she have to cry in front of Steph's mom? It wasn't bad enough that she'd cried when Jing beat the crap out of her and Nancy had seen that. Now, she was crying again. How could Nancy think so much of her when that's all she did?

"Jessie…" Nancy pulled the brunette to her and rubbed her back the same way she'd done with Stephanie earlier. "It's going to be okay. With cell phones and the internet, you two can talk every day. You're already making plans to see each other on the holidays and vacations. It's going to be all right."

"I don't think I've ever been in love before, Nancy. Not even with Bobby. I had no idea it could feel so good and hurt so much all at the same time," she choked out, crying into the older woman's shoulder.

"Oh Jessie…I knew you were in love with her. I heard it in your voice when I talked to you on the phone last Wednesday. You've been so good for her…You have no idea," Nancy said kindly. "You know…I was thinking of leaving tomorrow. Steph seems to be doing as well as can be expected…better, really. You've been a big part of that, and I can't thank you enough. I wanted you to know that whatever happens…I approve of this relationship. I realize you probably don't care, but I wanted you to know anyway."

Jessie sniffed and backed away from her, wiping at her face with her sleeve. "I do care, Nancy…more than you know. And I hope you know that I'd do anything to make her happy. I have no intentions of hurting her."

Nancy smiled sadly at her. "You do realize that there's a certain amount of pain in any relationship, Jessie? It can't be avoided no matter how hard you try?"

"I get that. I just want you to know that I don't ever want to hurt her. But…I will, if it means keeping her from throwing away her career." She looked at Nancy with such intensity, that Nancy knew she meant every word. It was then, that Nancy saw the ruthless lawyer underneath the brunette's other layers. "My mom was so selfish when it came to my dad. I can't treat Stephanie like that. I absolutely refuse to be like my mom and treat her that way."

Nancy licked her lips and took a deep breath. "Jessie, if it comes to that, please call me and let me know. She'll need me."

Jessie nodded. "I will, Nancy."

"And Jessie…you can call me too, if you need to. Please don't hesitate. You'll need someone too, Sweetheart," Nancy said, reaching out and caressing her cheek.

"Thanks, Nancy. I'll keep that in mind," she said, amazed that the woman would make such an offer.

On Tuesday, the three of them met Theresa for lunch. Nancy's flight was due to depart for New York at 5, so they had plenty of time to get to the airport and get through security.

Now, they were sitting in the airport bar, waiting for Nancy's flight. "Stephanie, you're sure you're going to be okay? I can stay a little longer if you'd like?" Nancy was saying. She had a glass of Chardonnay in front of her, and was studying her daughter carefully.

"Mom, I'll be okay," Stephanie answered, rolling her eyes. "Thanks for coming, though. I'm really glad you did. I don't think I would have gotten through it so well without your help."

Nancy smiled. "That's what I'm here for, Steph. And…I expect you home this year for the holidays," she said pointedly, raising a brow at her daughter. She turned her attention to Jessie, then. "Jessie? I wanted to thank you again for all you've done. You've been such a big help to Steph. And on top of everything else, you opened your home to me and gave me a place to stay so that I could be close to her."

"Nancy…it's been my pleasure," Jessie said, smiling at her. "I'm really glad I got to meet you. I just wish it had been under different circumstances."

"Well, I want you to come up to New York with Stephanie for the holidays," Nancy said. "You need to meet the rest of the family. They're going to love you."

Jessie's face colored slightly. "I'd love to, Nancy. Thank you, for inviting me."

Nancy glanced at her watch. "Well, I guess it's time to make my way through security." She sighed. She needed to get back home to the family, but she wanted to stay with Stephanie, too. Still, she felt okay about leaving, since Steph wouldn't be alone. She stood up and grabbed her purse. Before she could grab her luggage, Jessie picked it up for her.

"I'll carry this for you, Nancy," she said.

"Thank you, Jessie," she said, wrapping an arm around Stephanie and walking with her to the security gate. When they arrived five minutes later, she pulled Stephanie into a hug. "Take care of yourself, Steph. I love you, Sweetheart. And…" she had a twinkle in her eye, as she added, "Take care of Jessie. She loves you very much. And, I like her."

Stephanie hugged her back. "I will, Mom. You be careful, too. Tell Dad and everyone I said 'hi,' and I'll see them all in a couple of months."

Nancy let her go and hugged Jessie, too. "You take care, Jessie. I'm counting on seeing you in a couple of months. Remember what we talked about, and call me if you need to."

"I will, Nancy. Thank you," Jessie said, hugging her back.

Stephanie hugged her one more time, and then she watched with Jessie as her mother went through the security checkpoint. Once she was out of sight, she turned to Jessie. "Well, I guess we're on our own again."

"Mmm, any ideas on what we should do with our time?" Jessie asked, turning and following her out of the airport.

Stephanie shrugged. "Sit back and relax for a few days?"

"Sounds great," Jessie agreed. "Let's get some dinner and get started."

After eating a quiet dinner at home, they moved out to the living room to watch movies. Propped up with her back against the arm of the couch in a nest of pillows, Stephanie felt totally relaxed. Jessie was situated between her legs and leaning back against her, resting her head on Steph's shoulder.

They were watching one of Stephanie's old movies; something about eight years old. And Stephanie was busy telling Jessie all the behind the scenes stories about the filming. All the while, her hands were resting on Jessie's stomach under her t-shirt, making small circles with her fingertips. Jessie, for her part, was listening attentively. At the same time, her hands were busy trailing up and down Steph's bare legs, wherever her shorts weren't covering warm flesh.

It was raining outside, and the sound of the rain hitting the window panes had been a soft background rhythm, lulling them both into a sense of bone deep relaxation. "Jess?" Stephanie's voice sounded quietly. The warm breath ghosting across Jessie's ear sending shivers down her spine.

"Hmm?" she responded, too relaxed to turn and look at her.

"I was wondering…would you be interested in going away somewhere? Just the two of us?" the redhead asked, the tone of her voice betraying her belief that Jessie might say no. "Just for the weekend," she added, hoping that fact would make all the difference in Jessie's answer.

Jessie smiled and turned to look at her, then. "Where would you like to go?"

"I don't know," she answered. Clearly surprised that Jessie would agree so easily, she added, "I hadn't given it much thought, actually."

"Well…I'd be interested."

"You would?" her voice rose a bit with her obvious excitement.

Jessie shrugged. "Sure. It would be nice to get away from everything for a few days. And…I'd like to have you all to myself for a while," she said, turning around more, so that she was facing Stephanie.

"Okay! So, is there any place in particular you'd like to go?" Stephanie asked, getting more excited by the minute.

Jessie shook her head. "I'm not all that picky. Why don't you throw out some ideas, and I'll tell you if something strikes my fancy?"

"Hmm," Steph said, thinking about it. "How about…a boat on a lake for a few days?"

Jessie shook her head. "Nah…I'm afraid of fish."

"What? You're not really afraid of fish, are you?" Stephanie asked incredulously, clearly not believing the brunette.

Jessie nodded. "Yes, I am. I've never liked fish…not even to eat."

Stephanie bit her lower lip in concentration. "All right. Umm…how about…let's rent a log cabin somewhere and go skiing or…hiking?"

Jessie smiled. Stephanie had hit on the perfect combination. "A log cabin and skiing. With a big fireplace, in the middle of the woods somewhere? It sounds perfect."

Stephanie kissed her. When they broke apart, she said breathlessly, "Thank you, Jess! When do you want to leave?"

"How about tomorrow morning? We can look online tonight and reserve something," she said, leaning in and kissing Stephanie again. "Where did you want to go skiing?"

"Is Aspen too far away?" she asked.

"No place is too far away, Steph. Not if you're with me. Besides, I've never been there before," she said, capturing the redhead's lips in another kiss. This one longer and deeper than the others. When she let her up for air, she grinned and said, "Come on, let's go make those reservations and get ready to leave."

An hour later, reservations made and plane tickets purchased, they had just finished packing. Jessie had gone into the living room, and was waiting for Theresa to pick up her phone. She'd left Stephanie in the bedroom, calling her mom, and then her agent.

"Hey, Theresa! Hey, I didn't wake you up or anything did I?" Jessie asked when the blond answered the phone.

"No, Jess. What's up? Did everything go all right with Nancy's flight?" Theresa asked.

"Yeah, everything went off without a hitch," she responded. "I was just calling because I had a favor to ask you."

"What kind of favor?" Theresa asked cautiously. You could never be too careful where Jessie was concerned when it came to favors.

"Well, Steph and I are going out of town for a couple of days. I was just wondering if you'd mind checking on the house for me?"

"Sure, Jess. I can do that. So…" she asked, smiling. This relationship with Stephanie was really bringing the old Jessie back. She hadn't known her to spontaneously go out of town or on a vacation, in years. "Where are you guys going?"

"Aspen. We rented a cabin, and we're flying out in the morning. Theresa, are you sure you don't mind doing this?" Jessie asked. Theresa was such a good friend; Jessie didn't want her to think she was taking advantage of her.

"Jessie, why would I mind? You two go on and have a good time," Theresa said. "I think it'll be good for Stephanie to get away for a few days. I'm assuming I'll see you both in the office Monday morning?"

"You assume correctly, Theresa. Thanks so much for doing this for me. I appreciate it more than you know," she said.

"No problem, Jess. You've done the same for me more than once," Theresa answered. "Call me when you get back. I want to hear all about it."

Jessie laughed. "I will, T. Thanks again."

"You're welcome. Now, go and finish getting ready," she said, laughing as she hung up the phone. She knew Jessie well enough to know that she wasn't near as prepared as she should be.

Jessie hung up and walked back into the bedroom, where Stephanie was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Well, that was easy."

"Theresa's such a good friend, Jess. We should make sure to bring something back for her and Brian. They've both been such a big help to me," Stephanie said, her voice turning slightly sad for a moment. Since her breakdown Friday night, her mood swings had seemed to level out, which made her feel better. Except for momentary flashes of unexplained sadness, she was finally beginning to feel more like her old self.

"We'll make sure to do that," Jessie said. Walking over to Stephanie, she squeezed her shoulder. "You call your mom, yet?"

"I tried, but the line was busy. I'll try again," Stephanie answered, picking up her cell phone and dialing the number.

"Okay, I'll see you in a few minutes," Jessie said, heading for the living room to give Steph her privacy.

Nancy answered the phone, just as Jessie left the bedroom, and Stephanie caught herself smiling. Even though it had only been a few hours, she was glad to hear her mother's voice. "Mom, hi! How was your flight?"

"Stephanie? My flight was fine, Sweetheart. But…why are you calling? I thought for sure that the two of you would be taking advantage of the empty house?" Nancy said, teasing her daughter.

Stephanie blushed, but answered. "Actually, I was calling to tell you that Jessie and I are going out of town for a few days."

"Oh. Where are you going?"

"We're heading to Aspen. I just wanted you to know so you wouldn't worry about me," Stephanie said.

"Well, have a good time, Steph. You'll call me if you need anything?"

"Of course. I love you, Mom. Tell Dad I love him, too. Bye!"

"Bye, Stephanie. You two have a good time," Nancy said, smiling as she hung up the phone.

Hanging up, Stephanie took a deep breath before calling her agent. She really didn't want to talk to the woman. For one thing, she was always nosy. For another, she really didn't want to discuss Jessie with her right now, and she knew she'd have to. For right now, she preferred to keep Jessie all to herself. Unfortunately, that just wasn't going to be easy.

During the conversation with her agent, Stephanie had walked out to the kitchen and gotten a can of Diet Coke out of the fridge. Sitting down on one of the stools, she opened the can and drank as they talked. Fifteen minutes later, frustrated beyond belief, Stephanie walked back into the bedroom. Sighing, she flopped onto the bed. "Well, that was annoying," she said, throwing an arm over her eyes.

"What?" Jessie asked, coming out of the bathroom and looking at her. "Talking to your mom, or your agent?" Sitting down next to Stephanie, she waited patiently while the redhead crawled into her lap.

"My agent," Stephanie answered, wrapping her arms around Jessie's waist. "She's nice enough, and good at her job…she's just so nosy." Jessie raised a brow, but didn't say anything else, content to run her fingers through Stephanie's hair. "She thinks you're after my money," Stephanie added, looking up at Jessie cautiously. She really didn't want Jessie to get upset by the declaration, but she felt it was only fair to tell her. After all, if they ever went public, there'd be lots of people saying the same thing.

"Ah. Well, she can rest easy," Jessie said, understanding at once what the problem was. "Did you tell her that I have my own money and my father's famous?" At the redhead's nod, she smiled lasciviously and asked, "Did you tell her I'm really only interested in you for the sex?"

Stephanie looked at her and said, drolly, "I don't think she'd be impressed by that, either."

Jessie shrugged. "Oh well, I'm not worried. I want you, not her. If she doesn't like it, that's her problem."

"Mmm, brave words, Jessie. But you haven't met her," Stephanie said, relaxing into Jessie's gentle touch.

"Hey, you've met my mom. If I can deal with her, I can deal with anybody," Jessie said. "Besides," she slid down to lay next to Stephanie and pulled her into her arms. "I love you. And if that means dealing with people who don't trust me, that's okay. They'll realize soon enough that I'm not interested in all the material shit. None of that matters if you're not in my life."

"God Jessie, where have you been all my life?" Stephanie asked, wiggling against the brunette to get comfortable.

"I've been right here, waiting for you," Jessie said, kissing her.

Stephanie didn't answer right away, just breathed deep with contentment. In fact, she was so quiet, Jessie thought she'd fallen asleep. "We should probably get up and get ready for bed if we're going to leave early," the redhead eventually mumbled into Jessie's shoulder.

"Mmm, I'm kinda comfortable right here," Jessie said, grinning down at her. "But, you're right. We should get some sleep. We need to get up early tomorrow."

The flight out to Aspen went smoothly, and they landed at Aspen/Pitkin County Airport at noon. Once on the ground, they picked up their rental car at the Hertz Counter, and drove the three miles into town. Miraculously, Jessie was able to find a parking space almost immediately and she parked, dropping coins into the meter. While she went into the rental office to pick up the keys for their cabin, Stephanie walked across the street, to the grocery.

Within ten minutes, Jessie had signed all the necessary papers, and met Stephanie in the store, cabin keys in hand. Once their groceries were paid for, Jessie grabbed two of the bags and walked with the redhead out to the car. Storing everything in the back seat, they headed toward their cabin, following the directions the rental agent had provided.

The cabin they'd rented was a smaller one, about twenty minutes outside of town. Situated about half-way up on the side of a mountain, the view from the wrap-around balcony was absolutely spectacular. From there, they were able to see Aspen in the distance, along with views of the slopes, as well.

Once they had carried their luggage and groceries inside, they put everything away. When they were finished, they got ready and headed over to Snowmass, the closest ski mountain. Already late in the day, they had agreed on the way over to sign Jessie up for snowboarding lessons for the following morning. When she'd agreed to this little getaway, she'd had to fess up to the fact that she'd never so much as been on skis or a snowboard, before. Stephanie however, didn't seem to mind, and had offered to go with Jessie through a snowboard or ski class, whichever she preferred.

In the meantime, they drove over to the Aspen Meadow Resort, where Stephanie promised Jessie a surprise. When they arrived, Jessie pulled up to the Valet Parking Area and tossed the keys to the valet on duty. Following Stephanie inside, she found a seat and waited, as Stephanie made her way over to the front desk. Within minutes, Stephanie came back smiling, and took her by the hand. Leading her through the busy lobby area, they finally stopped at another counter with a sign hanging over it saying 'Outdoor Adventures.' Speaking quietly with the employee on duty, Stephanie signed a few papers and handed over her credit card. When the transaction was complete, she grabbed Jessie's hand and said, "Come on, they're waiting for us."

"They?" Jessie asked, slightly confused.

Stephanie flashed a dazzling smile her way. "You'll see."

Shrugging, Jessie just held tight to Stephanie's hand and let the auburn haired woman lead her out the door to a covered waiting area. At that very moment, a snow sleigh pulled up to the waiting area, pulled by one beautiful, chestnut colored draft mare. The driver hopped down from his bench and hurried to offer them a hand up.

"Ladies," he said in acknowledgement. "My name's Charlie, and our tour this afternoon will consist of a leisurely ride over trails through a pinion and aspen forest. Then, we'll travel through some beautiful meadows alongside the Roaring Fork River." Adjusting his black cowboy hat on his head, and pulling the zipper on his coat up to his neck, he smiled. "Make sure you cover up with the blankets. And, if there's any place you'd like to stop and take pictures, just let me know. I'm at your disposal."

"Thank you, Charlie. We're ready when you are," Stephanie said, gripping Jessie's hand under the thick blanket.

As the sleigh jerked into motion, Jessie leaned over and, with a stunned expression, said, "A sleigh ride? Steph, this is just…beautiful." Her voice, she noticed, came out sounding rather breathless, but she just didn't care. She'd never experienced anything like this, and she was finding the feel of the wind in her hair, the sound of sleigh bells, and the lush backdrop exhilarating. Then again, it may have been the fact that Stephanie was there, holding her hand and leaning against her. The smile on the redhead's face making her look more relaxed than she had since the attack.

Stephanie squeezed her hand. "I knew you'd like it, Jess. I couldn't let you come to Aspen without taking you for a sleigh ride."

"I don't just like it, Steph…I love it," Jessie replied, looking over and catching herself falling into those eyes. Green as the leaves on the Quaking Aspen trees they were currently surrounded by, Jessie couldn't help but be captivated.

"I knew you would," Stephanie said quietly, smiling at her. "Look," she said, pointing to the mountains in the distance, which had just come into view between a stand of trees. "Isn't it gorgeous, Jess?"

"The most gorgeous thing I've ever seen," Jessie answered breathlessly.

Somehow, hearing Jessie's answer, Stephanie didn't think the brunette was talking about the view. Still, she loved Aspen this time of year, and she was so happy she could share this with Jessie. It meant so much to her just to be here in this place with the woman she loved.

Halfway through the ride, Charlie pulled the sleigh to a stop under a stand of aspen trees. Opening up an insulated box he had under the front seat, he pulled out three mugs and a huge thermos of hot chocolate. Pouring each of them a mug, he talked about the history of the state of Colorado while they sat back and enjoyed the deliciously warm liquid. Then, when they were ready, he offered to take some pictures of them together in the sleigh, and out in the snow. "Ya know, with the mountains as a backdrop, you're gonna have some really nice pictures. If you'd like, I can get them printed for ya and my wife could maybe frame your favorite."

"Thanks, Charlie," Stephanie said. "That's so nice of you. I think we'd really like that."

"My pleasure, Ms. Winters," Charlie said, tipping his hat. Then, flipping the reins and clucking, he urged the horse into a trot and they took off back toward the lodge. When they arrived, Charlie offered his hand as each of them stepped down. "If you'd both follow me, we'll pull those pictures up and let you pick your favorite." They did, and twenty minutes later, they'd picked out their favorite picture. Charlie printed it and gave Stephanie his card. "Lil will have this framed for ya by tomorrow afternoon. Give me a call, and you can pick it up here."

"Thank you so much, Charlie," Stephanie said, shaking his hand.

"Yes, thank you," Jessie said. "I'm so glad that I got to experience Aspen this way. It was wonderful."

He tipped his hat and blushed slightly. "It was my pleasure, ladies. You two have a nice night, now. We'll see ya tomorrow."

By the time they exited the resort, the sun had gone down for the day. Climbing into the drivers' seat when the valet brought the car around, Jessie turned the car in the direction of the cabin. It was still early in the evening, but it had been a long day.

Glancing over at Stephanie, who was busy looking out the car window, Jessie asked. "So…would you like to eat out tonight? Or stay in and make something at the cabin?"

Stephanie turned her attention to Jessie when she heard the brunette's voice. "Mmm, I think I'd like to make something at the cabin and stay in the rest of the evening. If that's okay with you?"

Jessie reached over and caught the redhead's hand, giving it a quick squeeze. "Anything you want is fine, Steph. But…I think I could probably get real comfortable in front of a nice warm fireplace. As long as you're there with me?"

Stephanie sighed deeply, happy and content. "No place I'd rather be, Jess."

Two hours later, they'd showered and eaten a quick dinner consisting of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Then, having cleaned up the kitchen, they'd both changed into more comfortable sweats and long sleeved t-shirts. Jessie had built a fire in the huge river stone fireplace built into one wall of the great room, and now, they were lounging on the couch, enjoying the fire and watching TV.

After a while, Jessie found herself just watching the redhead watch TV. Thinking about it, she couldn't even say that she'd come to the conclusion…she had just always known: Stephanie was the most gorgeous woman in the world. To Jessie, that was an indisputable fact. Like realizing that the sky was blue or the grass was green. Even Alex, who was beautiful and extremely hot, couldn't hold a candle to Steph. Her eyes alone kept Jessie fascinated for hours. Add that to those strong, defined shoulders and abs, the legs that wouldn't quit, her personality and intelligence and a smile that lit up her heart, and there was nothing or no one who could beat her.

Stephanie was lying next to her now, curled up against her side, her head resting on Jessie's shoulder. The redhead had given up on TV sometime during Jessie's silent study of her and drifted off. She looked so adorable, Jessie didn't have the heart to wake her up, even though her own arm had gone to sleep half an hour ago. Instead, she just held her and let her rest. The last week and a half had been difficult for her to say the least, and she deserved it.

Warm and content, Jessie flipped the TV off, but didn't move to get up. It was much too comfortable here on the couch. Instead, she pulled a blanket down off the back of the couch and covered them both with it. Pulling Stephanie in closer, she buried her nose in Steph's hair and breathed in the scent of her shampoo. Closing her eyes, Jessie drifted off to sleep as well, dreaming of deep green eyes and strong arms holding her tight.

By late Friday night, early Saturday, Jessie was worn out but feeling fantastic. The last two days had been filled with snowboarding and shopping, and the evenings with dinner, dancing and drinking. Stephanie had taken her on a tour of all her favorite places in Aspen, and they'd had a blast. By the time they finally returned to the cabin, it was well after one in the morning, and both of them had fallen asleep within minutes of climbing into bed.

Now, at four in the morning, Jessie found herself awake and unable to go back to sleep. Unwilling to wake Stephanie, who was sleeping soundly curled up under the blankets, she slipped out from under her arm and went downstairs to the kitchen. Grabbing a Diet Coke, she headed back upstairs and, grabbing an extra blanket off the cedar chest at the foot of the bed, she stepped outside onto the balcony.

Wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, she sat down in one of the deck chairs and stared out into the wilderness around her. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply the scents of the forest and was instantly transported back in time. Her grandparents, Jim and Nora Drake, had lived on a farm in the middle of Ohio farm country. She remembered visiting them when she was little, spending weeks there during summer breaks from school.

There had been cows and horses, wide open fields and woods to play in, and she'd always loved it there. At night, when everyone else had gone to bed, she would always get up and go sit out in the backyard and stare up at the sky. There had never been any city lights to drown out the sight of the Milky Way above, and she would spend hours lying on a blanket staring up at it, wondering if there really was life out there somewhere. Her grandmother had always caught her of course, and told her what a scare she'd given them. But she always did it with a smile on her face and Jessie knew that she understood why she'd gone out there in the first place.

She was drawn out of her reverie when she heard the glass door slide open behind her and she smiled, slightly. A second later, she felt Stephanie's hand as it drifted to the back of her head and down to rest on her neck as she came to stand beside her. Jessie looked up and smiled, opening the blanket in silent invitation. Stephanie sat down on her lap and snuggled close as Jessie wrapped it around her, too.

"What are you doing out here?" Stephanie whispered, as she leaned into Jessie's shoulder.

"I couldn't sleep, and I thought I'd come out here and look at this gorgeous scenery. Not that you aren't the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen…I just didn't want to wake you up. Why are you out here?" she asked, nuzzling into her hair.

"I woke up and you weren't next to me. I have a hard time sleeping without you there," Stephanie admitted quietly, a hint of sadness tinting her voice. Undoubtedly, she was thinking about what would happen when she went back to LA.

Jessie reached up and pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

"You didn't worry me, Jess. I was just…lonely."

Jessie sighed, tightening her grip on the redhead's waist. "I don't want you to be lonely, Steph. I feel the same way, though…when you're not next to me." Not knowing what else to say, she fell silent, content to just hold Stephanie for as long as she could.

They sat there for a while on the balcony, looking out over the snow covered mountains. The lights from Aspen twinkling below them like the reflections of stars on water. It was so quiet, they could actually hear the snow, which had begun to fall, and Jessie thought that, for one brief moment, she could reach out and touch the universe. Then Stephanie stirred, and she realized that the redhead was watching her intently.

"Is there something wrong, Steph?"

She shook her head. "No. I was just thinking…You take my breath away, Jess. Every time I look at you…you just…" her voice trailed off, unable to find the words she wanted. After a minute, she went on. "It's not just the way you look, although you are extremely hot." That statement brought a smirk to Jessie's lips, but Stephanie continued, letting it pass. "It's just…everything about you makes me want to…" she shook her head again. "I don't even know how to describe what I feel when I look at you. I think mostly, I'm just extremely happy and…content."

Jessie hugged her tighter, smiling. "I love you, Stephanie," she whispered, looking into her eyes. "And I want to tell you…I have never been happier in my life than I am right now, at this moment. Sitting here, in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, with you in my arms…This is the universe showing us perfection."

"You say the most beautiful things, Jess," she whispered back, leaning in and kissing her on the lips. Long minutes later, she shivered as she backed away.

Jessie felt her shiver, and said, "Let's go inside, Steph. It's getting cold out here and I don't want you getting sick. Besides," she wiggled her brows, "there's a nice warm bed in there, calling our names."

Stephanie moved to get up and Jessie stood up with her, keeping the blanket wrapped around them both. Walking behind her, they went back into the bedroom and shut the door, closing the curtain over it. Only then, did Jessie drop the blanket, to let it fall to the floor. Crawling into bed, she waited until Stephanie had climbed in next to her. Then, when Steph was comfortable, snugged up close and wrapped in her arms, she sighed in contentment. 'If only things could stay like this,' she thought to herself. Things were as they should be, and Jessie found that she had no desire to change them. No desire at all.

It had been two weeks since their return from Aspen, and Jessie and Stephanie had managed to settle back into a daily routine seamlessly. Every night after work, they went to the gym and worked out. The exception to that, were the evenings that Jessie had band rehearsals. On those evenings, Stephanie would spend time with Theresa at her place, and Jessie would meet them back there after rehearsal. Whenever that happened, she and Stephanie would stay in Theresa's guest room.

This arrangement managed to keep up their cover story about Stephanie staying there, rather than Jessie's. Or at least they hoped it did. Even though Bob had pled guilty and admitted to the other charges that had been brought against him, they still didn't feel comfortable letting Mr. Mason in on their relationship. Not that he didn't already know. He'd alluded to an understanding of what was going on that day at Theresa's, but he'd never asked. And…none of them felt the need to enlighten him any further.

Now, on Monday morning, Stephanie's cell phone rang. She furrowed her brow as she glanced at the display before answering it. Sliding her chair slowly back from her desk, she stood up and walked out of the office.

When the redhead stepped out, Jessie and Theresa exchanged looks. It was odd that Stephanie would get a call on her cell phone during the day…Odder still, that she'd step out of the room to answer it.

Shrugging, Jessie said, "I guess she'll tell us if she wants us to know."

"Yeah, I guess so," Theresa agreed, turning back to the pile of folders she was currently sifting through. "I just hope there's nothing wrong with someone in her family."

"I hope so, too," Jessie responded. Something inside however, told her the phone call had nothing to do with Steph's family.

Twenty minutes later, Stephanie walked back into the office. Her eyes were red, and she was visibly upset, but she didn't offer any explanation. She simply sat back down at her desk and started working again as if nothing had happened. Jessie, noticing immediately that Steph was upset, knew what was wrong right away. She'd had a feeling when the phone rang, that it was bad news. Watching silently out of the corner of her eye, she wondered what was going on in Stephanie's mind, but the redhead wasn't giving anything away.

Closing her eyes, Jessie took a deep breath. She knew Stephanie would tell her about the call when she was ready. Still, it took everything she had not to ask about it. Clenching her jaw, she went back to work. Inside, she could feel a part of her dying, as she realized that their time was up and her life was about to change again.

The rest of the morning passed slowly. The usual banter and talkativeness was absent from the office that day, and no one spoke, unless it was business related. The tension in the room was so thick, it was becoming difficult to breathe. Finally, at lunchtime, Jessie suggested they all go out for lunch, and all three of them left the building.

Two doors down from their office, was a small family-owned restaurant that offered great food and private booths. After being seated and placing their orders with the waitress, Jessie looked at Stephanie, sitting next to her. "Are you okay, Steph? You've been awfully quiet this morning."

Stephanie didn't answer right away, biting her lower lip. Finally, taking a deep breath, she said, "That phone call this morning was from Joanie, my agent. They need me back in LA."

Jessie felt the lump in her throat and fought back the tears she could feel welling up in her eyes. "When?" she managed to croak out. Her mouth was suddenly bone dry, and her throat felt like sandpaper.

Stephanie grabbed her hand and squeezed. "Two weeks."

"So soon?" Jessie's hands were shaking. She'd known this day was coming. She'd known when the phone rang, what the call was. It still didn't make it any easier, though.

Stephanie shook her head. "Actually, she wanted me back in two days. I managed to convince her that I needed a little more time. You know…because of the attack." That wasn't exactly the truth, however. Stephanie didn't feel the need to tell Jessie that she and Joanie had argued over the time frame. The strong-willed Joanie only giving in when Stephanie threatened to quit the show altogether if she didn't get the extra two weeks.

"Okay, so…" Jessie started to speak, but her voice trailed off. She looked across the table at Theresa, who had a profound look of both, sympathy and sadness on her face.

"Jessie…" Steph said, pulling the brunette's attention back to her. "We'll start making plans tonight. We can do this."

Hearing her words, so full of confidence, Jessie looked into Stephanie's eyes and nodded. Tears still in her own eyes, she said, "Okay…okay, Steph." She took a deep breath and licked her lips. "We can do this," she repeated. Maybe the more she said it, the more likely she'd be to believe it. She hoped so, because right now, she was scared shitless.

The waitress delivered their salads at that moment, interrupting their conversation, and they fell into silence. Despite the quality of the food, none of them managed to finish however, since all three of them seemed to have lost their appetites. When their hour was almost over, they headed back to the office, leaving half their lunch on the table, and a bewildered waitress behind.

By the time the work day ended, neither of the women felt the desire to go to the gym and work out. Nor did they feel like going to band practice that evening. Still, Jessie had a show that weekend, and she at least, had no real choice in the matter.

Unwilling to spend the evening away from Jessie when they had so little time left, Stephanie chose to tag along. Arriving at John and Lacy's, Jessie headed out to the barn, where the guys were already setting up. Stephanie, having been greeted by Lacy when they arrived, hung out with the blond, while the band rehearsed.

Sitting in John and Lacy's living room, curled up on one end of the overstuffed couch, Stephanie had a cup of hot tea in front of her. Lacy, sitting with her legs under her on the other end, was busy watching Stephanie brood. Taking a sip of her own tea, she said, "Stephanie, you haven't touched your tea. Is there something wrong?" She had noticed immediately that Stephanie didn't seem to be her usual, talkative self this evening.

Stephanie took a deep breath and shrugged. She looked at Lacy, who was waiting patiently for her answer. "My agent called this morning. They need me back in LA in two weeks for final costume fittings and read-throughs."

Lacy closed her eyes and breathed in slowly. She knew exactly what this was going to do to Jessie…and to Stephanie. Reaching over, she let a hand rest on the redhead's. "I'm so sorry, Stephanie. What are you two gonna do?"

"I have no idea, Lacy. We're going to talk about it tonight, after we leave here," Stephanie answered, shaking her head. "I really want to stay with Jess, but she adamantly refuses to entertain that idea. She told me I'd resent the decision eventually, and she's right…I know."

Lacy nodded in agreement. "As much as I hate to say it, she is right, Stephanie. No matter how much you may want it right now, you would end up resenting it in the end. Besides, what would you do here, in the middle of Ohio? You're an actress…that's something that's in your soul. I know," she said. And she did, too. After all, Lacy was an actress as well. Albeit in a far different genre than Stephanie…but acting is acting. Then, a slow, wicked smiled crossed her face. "Unless of course, you wanted to star in our movies?"

Stephanie felt the blush rise up her cheeks immediately. Shaking her head, she said, "Uhh, I don't think so, Lacy." Not wanting to hurt the blonds' feelings, she added, "I don't think Jessie would appreciate that very much. And…I have to admit…I don't think I could do what you do." After meeting John and Lacy and finding out about the movies they produced and acted in, she had pestered Jessie to let her see at least one. It wasn't like she'd never seen porn before, but she'd never known anyone acting in them. And, it would be fair to say that after seeing it, it was far more…risqué…than the movies Stephanie was used to working on. Even though she did spend a lot of time in her underwear or completely topless. And…Stephanie had to be honest with herself. She was 31 years old. How much longer was she going to be able to act in movies like that, anyway? No one wanted to see an aging actress running around in her underwear or naked. Although…Jessie seemed to enjoy it well enough, she smirked to herself.

Lacy, taking no offense at Stephanie's reaction started laughing. "I'm sorry Stephanie, but you should see the look on your face. It's priceless. You're right about one thing, though. Jessie would have a fit if you started acting in our movies."

Stephanie rolled her eyes and started laughing, too. "That's an understatement, Lacy. She doesn't seem to be the jealous type, but I don't think I'm willing to push the limits like that. Sorry, it's a really generous offer, but I can't."

"I know. But hey, it doesn't hurt to throw the offer out there," Lacy said, getting her laughter under control. She'd known Stephanie would say 'no.' Still, it was worth a shot. John would've been ecstatic, but Jessie would kill all three of them. So, Stephanie's answer was probably the right one.

Feeling her mood lightened a bit, Stephanie took a drink of her tea. "So, where are the boys? I haven't seen them tonight?"

"Oh, they're out at the barn hanging out with the band," Lacy rolled her eyes. "John's been teaching them how to play the drums, so they think they can play with the band, now."

"Are they any good?" Stephanie asked, smiling at the prospect of seeing Jessie singing in the band with two nine year old drummers.

Lacy shrugged. "They're gonna be really good, when they've had more practice." She shook her head, thinking about it. Then, looking at Stephanie, she asked, "Did you ever think about having kids, Stephanie?"

"I've thought about it from time to time," Stephanie said slowly, taking a deep breath. "I've just been so focused on my career, it never seemed like a good time. And…there's always that pesky problem of, you know, who would the father be? I mean…I'm gay…so my options are kind of limited."

Lacy laughed. "I see your point, but there are ways around that. Still…if Jessie was willing…would you consider having kids with her?"

"I think Jessie and I need to focus on keeping our relationship together from a distance before we think about kids," Stephanie answered, her voice betraying her emotions. As she thought about it, she believed that Jessie would make a wonderful mother. After all, she seemed to get along with the twins well enough, and she definitely liked kids…

"Well…" Lacy began, "I know Jessie loves you, Stephanie. She's not going to let you go now that she's found you. And…I have a feeling it's the same for you?"

Stephanie nodded. "You're right, Lacy. Jessie's the only one I've ever felt this deeply about. I can't even imagine what LA's going to be like without her there."

Before Lacy could say anything else, the room was inundated with sound as the band, and the twins, entered the room. Jessie, her eyes lighting up when she saw Stephanie on the couch, came over and kissed her right away. "Hey," she said, releasing her.

"Hey, yourself," the redhead answered, her eyes never leaving Jessie's. "Rehearsal go okay?"

Jessie cracked open a can of Diet Coke and sat down, catching Steph's hand in hers. "Yeah. We picked up two new songs, tonight."

"And we're ready for this weekend," Mike added, sitting down in the chair next to them. "So that," he added, looking over at them significantly, "means that you two can have the rest of the week to yourselves."

"So that means no more rehearsals this week?" Stephanie asked, getting excited.

"That's what it means," Jessie said in answer. "Which is great, because we…" she leaned over and kissed Steph again. "…have plans to make for our future."

"Mmm, 'our future.' That sounds really good, Jessie," Stephanie agreed.

"Yes it does. So, you ready to go?"

"Whenever you are, Jess," she said.

Jessie stood up then. Looking at everyone, she said, "Well…I guess we'll see you guys Saturday night, then."

Lacy stood up with them and hugged them both. "You don't have to rush off, guys. You're welcome to stay and hang out for a while."

Jessie shook her head. "We should go, Lace. But thanks."

Just then, the twins ran over and wrapped themselves around Jessie and Stephanie's legs. "Don't go Aunt Jessie! You and Stephanie stay! We can watch a movie?"

Jessie hugged them to her. "Sorry guys, but Stephanie and I have some things to take care of."

"You're not gonna kiss her again, are you?" Jason asked.

"Jason!" Lacy yelled. "That is so rude. Apologize to Jessie and Stephanie right now."

"Aw mom," the boy said, looking chagrined. Rolling his eyes, he looked up at Jessie and Stephanie. "I'm sorry I was rude," he said.

"That's all right, Jason," Jessie said, accepting his apology. She was trying very hard to keep a straight face, she really was. In the end she couldn't help herself though. "But, to answer your question…Yes, I probably will kiss her again. Right now, though, we have some grown up things to talk about. Now, you guys go on. I promise I'll watch a movie with you some other time."

"All right, Aunt Jessie." Both the boys hugged them again. "Bye, Stephanie. Bye Aunt Jessie," they said as they headed to their room to play video games.

Lacy rolled her eyes. "I'm so sorry, you guys. I swear, those two are gonna kill me."

Jessie and Stephanie both shrugged. "It's no big deal, really. It's hard to be the only kids around all adults."

"I know, but still…" Lacy began. Then, shrugging it off, she said, "Well, I guess I'll see you both on Saturday, then. Be careful going home."

"We will. Bye, guys," Jessie said to everyone else, heading for the front door with Stephanie's hand in hers.

An hour later, they pulled into Jessie's driveway. Ten minutes later found them changed and ready for bed. When Stephanie came out of the bathroom from brushing her teeth, Jessie was sitting up in the bed, leaning back against some pillows. She had a calendar and a pen in hand.

"Ready when you are to get started planning our future," she said, smiling at the redhead as she crawled into bed beside her.

Pulling the blankets up over her legs, Stephanie squeezed up next to Jessie and looked at the calendar. Her flight out to LA was planned for June 6th, so they wrote that on the calendar first. Then, they started flipping through, looking for the holidays. The 4th of July was on a Monday this year, so they'd have a long weekend not too long after she left. Still, that seemed like a long time to be apart, and neither one of them was happy with that.

"Jess, why don't you come with me when I leave? Just for a few days, or so?" she looked at Jessie, her green eyes practically pleading for Jessie to agree. She knew that Jessie would say 'no,' but she asked anyway.

"I'd like to, Steph. But I don't know if Mr. Mason will let me have any more time right away," Jessie said, putting her arm around the other woman and pulling her in closer. She leaned her head to the side, resting against Stephanie's, and stroked the soft auburn hair gently. Closing her eyes, she said, "I'll see what I can do, though. I haven't taken any vacation time in years. Not since I got clean after I was attacked."

"Jess, that was what…five, six years ago?" Stephanie said, giving her a look that plainly said she was crazy. How could anyone work as much as Jessie did and never take a break? Anyone else would have gone nuts, without one. She suspected however, that with Jessie, it was simply the brunette's way of not dealing with the problems in her life.

"Six," Jessie answered, quickly calculating how many weeks vacation she had available. "If we don't count the two weeks Mr. Mason told me to take off after your attack, I should have…twenty weeks of vacation."

"Twenty! Good God, you could move out to LA with me for the rest of the year, Jess," Stephanie said, disbelievingly.

"Not quite the rest of the year, Sweetheart," Jessie said in answer, kissing her temple. "Still, we might want to save a week or two for something special. You think?"

Stephanie nodded and sighed. There was simply no way she was going to be able to persuade the gorgeous brunette next to her to take almost six months off work. Not even if it involved sleeping together every night. "I get your point, Jess. Still…I need to be with you."

"You will, Steph. You will," Jessie hugged her close. "I need to be with you, too. So, how about scheduling something for say…every two weeks? That's workable, I think."

"Every two weeks?"

"Yeah…We can talk to each other every day, and it'll give us something to look forward to," Jessie explained.

Stephanie mulled over the suggestion for a moment. "Hmm, every two weeks…" Then, raising a brow in question, she looked at Jessie. "And every holiday?"

"Of course," Jessie answered, smiling and kissing her again.

"You've got a deal, Jess," Stephanie said, knowing that for now, it was the best she could hope for. After all, only six short weeks ago, Jessie was so afraid of considering a relationship it had taken all Stephanie's considerable patience to wait for even a touch from her. Now, she seemed ready to consider more, but it had to be done slowly, so she didn't get spooked and run the other way. Leaning into the brunette, she closed her eyes and breathed in her scent. 'God, she was going to miss this.'

When Mike found out that Stephanie was scheduled to head back to LA, he'd offered to throw her a going away party. The actress had only been in their lives for a few short months, but she'd fit right in with their little family so well, it was difficult to remember that. And, because he cared about Jessie so much, he wanted to do this. If nothing else, it might give them something good to remember when they were apart. After all…they had, for all intents and purposes, realized their mutual attraction to each other at a party at his place. So it seemed appropriate that the going away party be here, too. If nothing else, life was circular.

So, on Friday, June 3rd, everyone gathered at Mike's. At first, he was only going to invite the band, but that seemed a little…too small. Stephanie had met quite a few people while she was here, and he thought that everyone should have the opportunity to say their goodbyes. And so it was that he invited not only the band, but everyone from Jessie's law office, including Mr. Mason, Jessie's mother, even Bao Yu and Jing.

Stephanie, upon seeing everyone who had come to say goodbye, was overwhelmed. She hadn't realized just how many people she'd met on this little trip. Nor had she realized how much these people had come to mean to her. It was extremely humbling, to know that all these people had come together for her; because they'd wanted to.

When they'd arrived at Mike's, she walked into the living room, Jessie close behind, with a hand lightly touching the small of her back. She'd known about the party, but the surprise she'd felt when she saw everyone gathered, was unexpected. "All for you, Love," Jessie had whispered before stepping away and returning only a brief blink of an eye later, drinks in hand.

Accepting the offered glass of Vodka gratefully, Stephanie had accepted hugs from everyone as she made her way around the room.

By the time Lacy managed to find her three hours later, she was feeling decidedly exhausted. The party was almost over, and only a few people were still there. Sitting in a deck chair by the pool, she was relaxing, when the blond pulled the chair next to her over and flopped down.

"Whew, what a night!" Lacy said, relaxing back in the chair and taking a drink of her beer. "How you doing, Stephanie?" she asked, looking over at the redhead with genuine concern. She had always cared for Jessie, and had been thrilled when Stephanie had shown up. Even more so, when Jessie not only showed some interest in the woman, but had actually mustered the courage to take a chance.

"Oh, I'm okay," Stephanie answered, looking over at the blond. "I didn't realize I'd met so many people over the course of only three months."

"Well I, for one, am going to miss you," Lacy said fondly. "I've enjoyed spending time with you, Stephanie. And…I wanted to tell you…I'm really glad that you came here. Not just because I've found a new friend, but for Jessie's sake. I've worried about her for years. After the whole fiasco with Bobby, I didn't think she'd ever open herself up and be willing to take a chance on love again. I wanted to thank you for that. She's been more like her old self again, since you've come along. It's a nice change to see."

"Well thanks, Lacy, but I don't think I had all that much to do with it," Stephanie said in answer.

"You have no idea how much your love has helped her, Stephanie. I've never seen Jessie so happy…or in love," the blond added, taking another sip of her beer.

"Jessie's showed me what courage and strength really are, Lacy. At first, I thought she didn't want me around…Then, when I realized she'd been trying to keep her distance because she really liked me…" the redhead shook her head, remembering how afraid she was that the brunette didn't like her at all. Only to be floored, when she realized that Jessie had been trying to hide her feelings from her.

"Jessie's always been hard to get to know," she agreed. "But she's infinitely worth all the wait and patience."

Stephanie nodded. "Don't I know it."

"So, did you two decide how you're going to handle this separation?"

Stephanie nodded and launched into a description of their plan. When she was finished, Lacy nodded her head in satisfaction. "Well," she said, getting out of her chair, "it certainly sounds like you've got things figured out for the moment." She hugged the redhead, who had stood up as well, to her and said, "Don't forget my offer, Stephanie. If you decide to leave LA and move back here…the offer's always open for you." She had a twinkle in her eye as she released Stephanie. "We'll all miss you."

"Thank you so much, Lacy, for being here. And for the offer," Stephanie replied. "I'll see all of you real soon. Jessie and I have already made plans for me to be here for the 4th of July."

"Well, I'll see you then," Lacy said, hugging her one more time before releasing her and then hugging Jessie, who had just walked up to them. "John and I have to get going. The boys are probably driving their grandparents crazy by now. Bye!"

"Bye, Lacy," Jessie and Stephanie said together, watching the blond head back into the house.

"So…you about ready to head home?" Jessie asked, snaking one arm around her waist. "Everyone else is gone, so it's just us and Mike."

Stephanie nodded. "Yeah, we probably should head back. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day."

Jessie flinched at the unintended reminder that the redhead would be packing to leave. Still, determined to not make things any more difficult than they needed to be, she pulled a smile out of somewhere. "I didn't say I was going to let you rest," she whispered in the redhead's ear. "I have plans for you, Ms. Winters."

Stephanie's brow rose in question, her curiosity sparked. "Really? Then we'd better be heading home, Ms. Drake. I wouldn't want to ruin your plans."

They'd gone inside and thanked Mike, then. Both of them hugging him goodbye. Within ten minutes, they were in the car and on their way back to Jessie's.

Arriving at the house, Jessie parked and went around to the other side of the car to open the door for Stephanie. Holding out a hand to escort her into the house, she said, "Right this way, Ms. Winters. Your evening's about to begin."

Stephanie smiled shyly at Jessie as she took the offered arm and allowed herself to be escorted into the house. Charmed by the chivalrous persona Jessie had adopted, she thanked Jessie once they were inside and the door was locked.

At Stephanie's thanks, Jessie took the redheads hand and brought it to her lips, kissing the back of it. "My pleasure, Ms. Winters. Now, if you'll follow me…" and she led the actress down the hall and into their bedroom. Depositing her on the bed, Jessie leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Shower or bath?"

Stephanie turned to look at her, confused. "What?"

"Would you prefer a shower, or a bath tonight?" Jessie repeated, nuzzling into her hair and running her hands lightly up and down her arms.

Stephanie drew in a sharp intake of breath as Jessie hit a sensitive spot on the back of her arms. "A…a shower, I think," she answered, dismayed to find that her breathing was already becoming shallow.

Jessie smiled. "A shower it is. But first, we need to get you undressed." She stood up and looked at the woman sitting on the bed with eyes that told Stephanie exactly what she wanted to do to her. "I believe, Ms. Winters, you'll find that my ability to undress you has improved from that first night in your hotel room," she said as she bent down and pulled off first, the left short brown leather boot and then the right one. Tossing the pair of shoes to her left, she looked up at Stephanie; whose eyes were becoming a much darker shade of green as she quietly watched her lover.

Standing back up, Jessie reached in toward the waist of Stephanie's jeans. "I need to unzip these, Ms. Winters. Would you mind?"

Stephanie shook her head, barely able to choke out, "Yo…you can…unzip anything you want, Jessie." Unknowingly, she had repeated the same words she'd spoken that night in her hotel room, and Jessie smiled at her, as she unfastened the button and then began unzipping the jeans.

Having unzipped the jeans, Jessie leaned in and asked. "Lie back for a minute and help me get these off?" Stephanie did, lying back on the bed and lifting her hips so that Jessie could pull the jeans down and off. Tossing them into the laundry basket, Jessie turned her attention to the legs bared to her. Starting at her thighs, Jessie trailed her fingers lightly down Stephanie's legs to her knees and back up to her hips and the dark green silk panties she was currently wearing.

Feeling the redhead's muscles trembling under her touch, she attempted to distract her. "Are these new, Steph? I don't think I've seen these before?" she asked, hooking a finger at the waistband of the garment in question.

Stephanie, swallowing hard, attempted to get her breathing under control. When Jessie asked her question, she raised her legs and wrapped them around the brunette, pulling Jessie to her. "Yeah, I just got 'em when we were in Aspen," she answered breathlessly. "Do you like them?"

"They match your eyes," Jessie said, leaning over and kissing her before standing up and breaking the leg hold. Grabbing the redhead's hands, she helped Stephanie to sit up. Then, she began working on unbuttoning the Imperial Blue fitted blouse. She noted with some amusement that her hands were shaking, just like they did that night in Stephanie's hotel room.

When Stephanie moved her hands up to help her, Jessie gently brushed them back. "No, let me, Steph. Please?" Stephanie, looking directly into her eyes, nodded, and dropped her hands back to her sides, clutching at the blanket and biting her lower lip.

Climbing onto the bed, Jessie moved behind the redhead and placed her hands on Steph's shoulders. Slowly, she slid the blouse down, making sure that her fingers trailed down her arms, causing a tingling sensation for both of them from the slight contact. Then, moving her hands down to Stephanie's waist, she slid her hands under the sides of the black camisole and pulled it up and off, tossing it into the laundry basket as well.

Now, licking her lips at the vision of Stephanie before her, dressed only in the dark green silk panties and matching bra, she struggled to breathe. God, Stephanie was beautiful! The most gorgeous woman she'd ever seen. Placing her hands on Steph's shoulders, she leaned forward and pressed against her back, kissing her neck.

When Stephanie moaned, Jessie whispered softly into her ear, "You're so beautiful, Steph. I love you so much."

At the first touch of Jessie's lips on her neck, Stephanie reached back with her right hand and caught the back of Jessie's head, pulling the brunette to her. "God, Jessie…touch me…please."

Reaching down with one hand, Jessie unsnapped the bra, releasing Stephanie's breasts to fall free. Then, sliding the straps down her arms, she finished pulling the bra off and tossed it to the side as well. Sliding her hands up the redhead's arms, beginning at her fingertips, she finally managed to take Stephanie's breasts into her hands, cupping her from behind. At Stephanie's gasp, she leaned down and kissed her neck again. "You ready for that shower, Steph?"

Inhaling deeply, Stephanie nodded jerkily and managed a breathy, "Anything you want, Jess." At the same time, she arched into Jessie's hands, attempting to get the brunette to exert more pressure.

"No…anything you want, Steph. Tonight's for you, Baby," Jessie whispered into her ear, nipping at the lobe as she did. When Stephanie arched into her hands, she smiled and backed off. Releasing Stephanie momentarily, she crawled off the bed and came to stand in front of her. She held out her hands to the redhead, watching dry mouthed as Steph swallowed hard before reaching out and grasping her hands.

Tugging lightly, she led the redhead toward the bathroom, where she reached into the shower and turned on the water. As they waited for the water to achieve the perfect temperature, Jessie turned to look at Stephanie. "I think I might be a little overdressed," she said softly, looking down at herself. Still dressed in her own jeans and fitted blouse, she licked her lips as Stephanie reached over and began undoing the buttons for her.

"Let me help you with that, Jess," the redhead said, leaning in and kissing her as she unbuttoned the blouse with one hand. When she was finished, she pushed the blouse back and down, to fall to the floor. Then, she smirked as she let her gaze wander downward. "You wearing these in the shower?" she asked, hooking a finger in the waist of Jessie's faded out jeans and tugging lightly.

Jessie shook her head, barely able to gasp out, "Nah…too hard to…get off…wet."

She kicked off her shoes as Stephanie took that same hand and unbuttoned them. The redhead wasted no time unzipping the jeans and, with both hands, slid them down, taking the navy blue boyshorts style panties with them. Then, as Jessie stepped out of the jeans and kicked them out of the way, Stephanie reached around and unhooked Jessie's matching navy blue bra and helped her slip out of that, as well. "There, now you're safe to get wet," the redhead said silkily as she pulled Jessie to her. The delicious feel of their soft flesh pressing against each other causing them both to gasp.

Jessie smirked at the unintended entendre before saying, "I'm already wet, Steph. All I have to do is look at you, and I just…" her voice trailed off, unable to continue. Shaking her head, she was finally able to choke out, "Let's get in the shower."

Stephanie nodded silently. Stepping out of her underwear, she accepted Jessie's hand and followed her into the shower, the now very warm water sending steam rising into the bathroom.

Stephanie had never in her life experienced anything like Jessie making love to her in the shower. And she seriously doubted that she ever would again. As Jessie's hands had moved to bring her to never before imagined levels of pleasure, she had managed to gasp out, "Whe…where di…did you learn…how to…?" Unable to finish the question due to the feelings Jessie's hands were evoking, she let it trail off.

Smirking, raising her mouth from the redhead's hips, where she was currently engaged, she answered simply, "Book."

"A…a book?"

"Sure, I'll show it to you, later," she said, returning to her most recent endeavor, which included tracing Stephanie's hip bones with her tongue and moving ever closer to her center. Arms wrapped around Steph's thighs, she realized that the redhead's legs were probably going to give out soon. The noises she was making were growing louder by the second, and her stomach muscles were beginning to quiver.

Holding on tightly, Jessie slid a hand between Stephanie's legs, and the redhead's hips bucked forward, begging for more of that delicious touch. Her breathing becoming more and more labored, she screamed when Jessie finally slid two fingers inside her. Her body moving in time with Jessie's hand, wave after wave of orgasm took her.

What seemed like hours, but was probably only minutes later, Stephanie realized she was sitting on the floor of the shower. With Jessie cradling her from behind and the water still falling on them, she struggled to get her breathing back under control. Still feeling completely boneless, she lifted one hand from its current position on her right thigh and covered Jessie's hand, resting on her stomach. "Oh, Jess…my…God," she managed to gasp out.

Behind her, the brunette closed her eyes and smirked, before whispering, "Finally coming back to me?"

"God, Jessie…what did you do to me?" Stephanie asked, still trying to grasp what had happened. Try as she might, she still couldn't remember how they came to be on the floor of the shower.

"I loved you 'til your knees gave out," the brunette said in answer. Then, leaning forward and looking at the other woman, she asked, "You okay? I didn't hurt you or anything did I?"

Stephanie shook her head and laughed. "No, you didn't hurt me, Jess."

Jessie kissed her shoulder. "Good. I never want to hurt you, Steph. Whaddaya say we get dried off and make our way to the bed?"

Stephanie nodded, shivering slightly at the touch of Jessie's lips on her shoulder. "That sounds good to me, Jess." Then, taking a mental inventory, she smiled shyly. "Uh, would you…would you mind helping me up? I don't think my legs have quite recovered yet?"

"Sure, Babe," Jessie said, smiling as she stood up and offered the redhead a hand. Turning the water off, she grabbed a towel for each of them and they dried off quickly, heading back to the bedroom. Turning out the light, Jessie crawled into bed and immediately cuddled next to the redhead. Unable to stop her hands from roaming, she began a slow exploration of Stephanie's body.

"You know," Jessie whispered as she reverently trailed a finger up the back of Stephanie's right thigh minutes later, "that first night…in your hotel room? You were coming on to me so strong…it took everything I had not to give in to you."

"Why didn't you, Jess?" Stephanie asked, truly interested in hearing the answer. Even though details of that night were still kind of fuzzy for her, she did remember Jessie turning her down.

"You were offering me everything I'd ever wanted. But I didn't want our first time together to be some drunken grope fest. Besides, I wasn't sure if you were just drunk and lonely, or…you really wanted me," she admitted shyly. Sliding up to lay on her side next to the redhead, she said, "I'm glad we waited. It made it more special."

Stephanie smiled at the brunette and kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you, Jessie. And you're right…it did make it special." She rolled her eyes, before adding, "Even if I did have to take a lot of cold showers for a while."

Jessie laughed. "I'm sorry. But I hope it was infinitely worth it?"

"Worth every minute, Jess. Every minute," the redhead said, rolling Jessie onto her back and beginning a slow exploration of her own.

For the rest of the night, they took turns exploring each other. Alternating slow explorations where they mapped each other's bodies, committing every single, minute detail to memory, with heated, passionate lovemaking. They finally fell asleep some time in the early hours of the morning.

Stephanie woke up and stretched languorously before opening her eyes to glance at the clock on the bedside table. Groaning to herself when she realized it was almost noon, she looked to her left. Jessie was spooned up to her side, her arm stretched out across her stomach, head resting on her shoulder. Having fallen asleep shortly after the sun came up, she felt deliciously, bonelessly, satiated. Breathing deeply, wishing she could just lie there all day, she said quietly, "Jessie?"

"Mmm?" the brunette mumbled, tightening her grip on Stephanie's stomach.

"Jess, we need to get up," she said a little louder.

"Mmm…don' wanna," was the reply from the brunette, snuggling impossibly closer.

"Come on, Jess." .Stephanie rolled over onto her side to look at her. "We have to get up," she said quietly, bumping Jessie's nose softly with hers.

Dark blue eyes met forest green as the brunette finally gave in and looked at her. Smiling shyly, she kissed the redhead. "Morning," she said, pulling Stephanie to her.

"Morning yourself," she answered, smiling back as she returned the kiss. When the kiss finally ended, she said regretfully, "We've got a lot to do today, Jess. We need to get up."

Jessie frowned. "I know. I just keep hoping that if we don't acknowledge it, it won't happen."

"That's a nice thought, but I don't think it'll work," Stephanie said, nuzzling into her hair and sighing. It really was comfortable there in the king size bed and she didn't want to get up yet. Still, she needed to get started gathering her belongings and washing her clothes so that she could pack. Somehow, over the course of the last nine weeks or so, she'd managed to leave her things not only at Jessie's, but Theresa's, as well.

Jessie rolled her eyes and sighed too. "All right, let's get up," she whined.

By the time evening had rolled around, the easy familiarity of the morning had disappeared. Both women seemed to be walking on eggshells around each other, afraid to say anything that could possibly irritate or annoy. Jessie, having retreated to the living room to play a video game and stay out of Stephanie's way, answered the doorbell when it rang.

"Hey, Alex," Jessie said, slightly surprised to find the brunette at her door. Even though she'd told her she could come by and pick up her things, she hadn't really expected her to show up. "What are you…?"

Alex smiled. "Relax, Jessie. I just stopped by to pick up that box of stuff you were keeping for me. You did tell me I could come by and get it?"

Jessie nodded. She did, indeed, remember telling the brunette to stop by and pick up the box. Opening the door, she said, "Come on in, I'll get it for you."

While Jessie left to get the box, Alex stepped into the living room and waited patiently for her to return. When Jessie stepped back into the room a moment later, box in hand, Alex asked, "So, where's Stephanie? I thought you two were spending tonight together?"

"Oh, she's in the bedroom, packing some of her things," Jessie answered handing the box over.

"Well," Alex said, "Give her a hug and a kiss for me and tell her I said it was nice to meet her." She leaned over and hugged Jessie, giving her a peck on the cheek, as she did. "Bye, Jessie."

Jessie, not wanting to encourage the brunette any further, judiciously pushed her back. Shaking her head, she said, "Alex, I'll tell her what you said. But you shouldn't…"

"Sorry, Jessie," the brunette said quietly. "Old habits." She shrugged.

At that precise moment, Stephanie walked into the living room. From her angle, it was hard to see that Jessie had pushed Alex away. At first glance, it really looked like Alex had noticed her and pulled away from Jessie.

"Hey, Stephanie," Alex said, backing away from Jessie and affecting a nonchalance she didn't really feel. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Alex. How are you?" Stephanie answered, her voice cold and emotionless. Not waiting for an answer, she turned to Jessie. "Jessie, when you're done, could I speak to you?"

Jessie, noticing the tone of the redhead's voice, and the look on her face, swallowed hard. Feeling her heart drop into her stomach, she fervently prayed that Stephanie wasn't too angry over seeing that. After all, it hadn't been anything but a friendly peck on the cheek. Turning her attention back to Alex, she said, "Alex, take care…and thanks for coming by to pick up your stuff."

"Sure, Jessie. Thanks for hanging on to it for me." Looking past the brunette to Stephanie, she said, "Bye Stephanie. It's been good meeting you. Have a safe trip home." When she received nothing but a curt nod, she turned and walked out the front door, not stopping until she made it to her car. Finally behind the wheel, she breathed a sigh of relief. Man! There was so much tension in that room, even she could feel it. Starting the engine and pulling away, she headed home. As she left, she couldn't help but think that she didn't want to be Jessie, right now. She realized she'd probably caused a problem, but she hadn't meant to. She really hadn't. Jessie had reminded her about the box and told her she could come by and pick it up, so she didn't think it would be an issue. Okay, so she shouldn't have kissed her…but it was just an innocent peck on the cheek. And, Jessie had pushed her away.

Once Alex was out the door, Jessie turned to look at Stephanie. Closing her eyes and licking her lips, she steeled her nerves, and said, "Steph…"

But Stephanie wasn't interested in anything Jessie had to say right now. Cutting the brunette off, she said angrily, "Don't even bother, Jessie. What…? You couldn't even wait for me to leave before you invited her over?"

"What!" Jessie responded, her eyebrows rising toward her hairline. "Stephanie…that's not fair. I told you she was gonna drop by and pick up her stuff," Jessie said, getting irritated. She had hoped that leaving the redhead alone for a while would help improve her mood, but it was looking like she'd been wrong.

"I didn't realize that 'picking up her things' included kissing you," Stephanie replied, the sarcasm in her voice unmistakable.

"Steph…I didn't…that wasn't…" Jessie tried to defend herself, but it was no use. Stephanie had already made up her mind. Getting pissed off herself, she finally snapped back. "Fine! If you're not going to listen to what I have to say, why are you even bothering to say anything to me at all?"

"I thought you might want to explain to me what that was all about?" the redhead replied. "But I guess you'd rather stand there and deny it happened."

"What 'what' was all about? Nothing happened, Steph," Jessie said, trying to remain calm in the face of what she knew was going to be an argument.

"You call kissing Alex nothing?" Stephanie hissed, her eyebrow arched.

"No, not if I had actually done it, but I didn't." Stephanie huffed at Jessie's answer and turned to walk back toward the bedroom. "Don't walk away from me! Steph, how can you believe I'd do that? I haven't been with anyone since I started seeing you and you know it! How could you even think I would?"

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Jessie…just leave it alone."

"No! I won't leave it alone. You said you trust me, but you sure jumped to conclusions fast enough!" Jessie stomped into the bedroom behind her. Grabbing the redhead by the arm, she spun her around. "Look at me!"

Stephanie didn't want to look at her. Not right now. If she did, she knew she'd break down and start crying. Still, she forced herself to look at Jessie anyway. "I did trust you. But now…"

"So maybe we should what…throw the last two months away? Pretend it was nothing but a good time?" Jessie couldn't believe this was happening. "If you were going to act this way, why did you even bother? You knew how hard it was for me to open up to you…to tell you that I love you. You knew…how Bobby treated me. Do you really think I'd treat you like that? When I know how much it hurts?"

Instead of answering, Stephanie noticed the keys to Jessie's car. Suddenly feeling an urgent need to get out of that house, she asked, "Can I take your car?"

"What? Stephanie…we need to talk. I don't want to leave things like this…" Jessie was lost. She couldn't believe they were arguing about Alex. For crying out loud, she'd only stopped by to pick up her things! Okay, the kiss goodbye shouldn't have happened…But she'd pushed Alex away! There really was no reason for Steph to get so upset.

Stephanie rolled her eyes and clenched her jaw. "Jess…I need to get out of here for a while. Please…if you won't let me borrow the car, I'll call Theresa to come get me."

Faced with the prospect of the blond showing up for their argument, she agreed. "Of course you can borrow the car, Steph." She really didn't want to get Theresa involved in this. Somehow, it would end up being all her fault, and she knew it. As Stephanie grabbed the keys and turned to leave, Jessie said, "Please be careful, Steph."

Stephanie ignored the plea as she brushed past, heading for the front door. Grabbing her purse, she hurried out to the driveway. Unlocking the car door with the electronic key, she jumped in when the door clicked and slammed it closed behind her. Dropping her head to the steering wheel, she started to cry.

When she was finally able to get her emotions under control, she started the car. Backing out of the driveway, she hesitated before deciding on a direction. Not sure where she was heading exactly, she just drove. Eventually, deciding on a destination, she plugged an address into the GPS and headed for Alex Fagin's house. She didn't know why…but she really needed to talk to Alex. Maybe it wasn't the brightest thing she'd ever done, but there was just something driving her to talk to the brunette who had captured Jessie's attention before she'd come along.

As Stephanie walked out the front door, slamming it behind her, Jessie grabbed a book sitting on the dresser and threw it across the room. Screaming at the top of her lungs, "Fuck…!" she turned around and kicked at the wall, knocking a hole in the drywall.

'God, what else could go wrong?' she wondered, as she stood staring at the damage she'd caused. She found that she couldn't move, after that. Stuck in place, immobilized with shock or fear, she wasn't sure. Eventually, she sank to her knees and sobbed, calling Stephanie's name to the empty house. 'Why wouldn't she believe her?' She hadn't done anything wrong, had she? She ran back over everything that had happened over the last few weeks. No, nothing stood out as something that would upset Stephanie so much, or cause her to doubt Jessie's love for her. They'd both been upset all day and she knew it was the prospect of her leaving Monday morning that was driving this whole mess.

After a while, her legs numb from sitting on her knees for so long, she managed to move again. Standing up and working her legs to get the blood flowing again, she headed out to the kitchen. For some reason, a bottle of Vodka sounded like the best thing in the world, right now.

At first, she just had a shot, but one shot became two, and two became three…Until finally, the entire bottle was gone. Hours later, she woke up on the floor of the bathroom, covered in puke and smelling like she'd spent the night in a New Orleans whore house. Managing to drag herself up into a crawling position, she forced herself to move into the bedroom. The clock on the table and the sun attempting to break through her curtain, told her it was seven thirty in the morning. Noticing the empty bed and the bedroom still in the same disarray she'd left it in last night, she realized something. Stephanie had apparently never made it back home last night. Or she didn't believe that she had. At the very least, Stephanie wouldn't have let her lay in the bathroom all night in that mess. Or at least she didn't think she would…

When Stephanie arrived at Alex Fagin's house, she sat in the car for a few minutes, mustering her courage. Finally getting her flailing emotions under control, she got out of the car and walked up to the front door. Alex's house was a nice, two story brick situated in a middle class neighborhood much like Jessie's. Ringing the bell, she waited for Alex to answer.

It only took a minute for the brunette to come to the door. When she opened it, she didn't seem surprised to see Stephanie standing on her front porch, though. Pushing the door wider in invitation, she closed it as soon as Stephanie walked through.

"Stephanie…" Alex said, shutting the door behind the redhead. "I'm sorry, if I caused a problem between you and Jessie. I swear…"

Stephanie shook her head and said gently, "You don't need to apologize, Alex. I should be apologizing to you."

"What?" Alex asked, confused. "Stephanie…I should never have…"

"Alex please…" Stephanie closed her eyes. When she reopened them, she asked, "Could we sit down and talk? If you don't mind, that is?"

"Okaaaay…sure," Alex answered, still not clear on why Stephanie was here. "Come on in, Stephanie." As the actress followed her into the living room and took a seat on the couch, she asked, "Can I get you something to drink? A Diet Coke…beer…anything?"

Stephanie shook her head. "No, thanks. Please Alex, I just came by to…" she rolled her eyes. "I don't even know why I'm here, really. As odd as it sounds, I needed to talk to someone, and I thought of you."

"Oh. Well, okay," the brunette said, taking a seat in the recliner across from her and pulling her legs up under her. "So…what did you want to talk about?"

"Jessie," Stephanie answered.

Immediately, Alex began, "Stephanie…I swear…I'm not after Jessie. She's with you, now, and I'm happy for the two of you…really. Besides, she never really loved me or anything." The tone of her voice was sad, when she said it, and Stephanie didn't miss the desire hidden underneath.

"How long have you been in love with her?" she asked, surprising Alex with the question.

Alex snapped her head up to look at her. "Stephanie…I'm not…"

The kindness in Stephanie's eyes took away any sting that Alex may have felt when the redhead said, "Yes, you are, Alex. I knew it the first time I saw you with her. Why didn't you ever tell her?"

Alex snorted and rolled her eyes. Deciding that honesty was definitely the way to go, she didn't even try to deny it. She'd denied it to herself long enough as it was. "It wouldn't have done any good, Stephanie. I mean, you have met Jessie, haven't you? You know how she is. She never felt that way about me, anyway. I was just…convenient." She bit down on the last word, making it come out slightly more bitter sounding than she'd meant. But Stephanie had asked, and she wouldn't lie to her.

Stephanie felt bad for Alex. She really did. "I'm so sorry, Alex. It must have really hurt, seeing her with me these last few weeks. Even worse…she was using you before she and I got together."

Alex shrugged. "Jessie and I have been using each other for a while, Stephanie. I knew she was in love with someone else, when she started seeing me all the time."

"Then why did you sleep with her when you knew she wanted someone else?" Stephanie really was trying to understand.

Shrugging again and flipping her hair back over her shoulder with one hand, she said, "I don't know. I guess I was just grateful that she'd called. At least I wasn't lonely. Maybe…maybe I hoped nothing would ever come of her feelings for you and she'd finally realize that I was there." Her words drifted off, growing quiet. She knew she sounded pathetic, but she just didn't care. It had hurt when Jessie started dating Stephanie, but she'd known all along that Jessie didn't love her. She'd told her so that morning in the recording studio. And, at the time…she'd thought it was okay. But that was because she hadn't believed that Jessie and Stephanie would ever get together. Now…well, it was too late, now.

She looked at Stephanie, sitting there, trying to understand what was happening. The actress looked so lost and sad, she felt bad for her. Wanting to make her feel better, she said, "Stephanie…Jessie loves you."

"How can you be sure of that, Alex?" she asked, her voice breaking slightly.

Sighing, Alex looked down and then back up at the other woman. Not one to get embarrassed over things like this, she nevertheless felt her face redden. "Stephanie…it wasn't my name Jessie called out when we…you know…were…" her voice trailed off, unable to continue, and her head dropped down to stare at the floor.

Stephanie closed her eyes when she heard that. The admission had cost Alex, and she knew it. She couldn't even begin to understand how badly that must have hurt the brunette sitting in front of her. To have to admit that to her, the woman whose name Jessie had been calling, of all people. And, once again, she felt her heart go out to her. Alex had given Jessie everything. She had known that Jessie was in love with someone else, and she'd still given her everything. "God, Alex…I am so, so sorry."

Alex shook her head, attempting to act like it was no big deal. "It's all right. I told you, I knew she didn't love me. It's okay."

Stephanie shook her head and got up to move over in front of the brunette. Dropping to her knees, she looked up into red rimmed eyes. "No, it's not okay, Alex. You loved her and she used you. I'm so sorry." Inside, she wasn't sure if she should be mad at Jessie or not. She obviously didn't know that Alex was in love with her. Jessie had said as much the first night she'd slept at Jessie's place.

Having Stephanie so close, and being so kind to her, wasn't what Alex had expected. When the redhead had shown up at her door, she'd really expected a big argument. But this…she'd never expected this. Lifting her head slightly and sniffing, she smiled sadly at the redhead. "She loves you, and she would never hurt you, Stephanie. Not on purpose. She'd never hurt anyone on purpose. That's just not Jessie. Especially after everything that happened with Bobby. She was sleeping with me because she really believed we were just…you know…for lack of a better term…fuck buddies. Neither of us was supposed to fall for the other. But I broke the rules, and it's my fault, not hers."

"You still should have told her, Alex. She deserves to know how you feel," Stephanie insisted.

"It wouldn't change anything, Stephanie," Alex said quietly. "She's so head over heels for you…she always has been, too. Since she saw your first movie. Don't you know? You're her dream come true?"

For some reason, the whispered words, a confession of sorts, made Stephanie cry. Tears streaming down her face, she shook her head. "I had no idea. She never told me that."

Alex snorted. "That's typical of Jessie. She never says more than she needs to. But she did say she loved you? She used the actual words?"

Stephanie nodded. "She did."

"Then she means it, Stephanie," Alex said, trying to impress upon the redhead how significant it was. "Jessie never says anything she doesn't mean. Especially when it comes to the way she feels."

Stephanie felt better, hearing that, and she admired the strength Alex had. She felt so bad for the brunette, though. Alex loved Jessie so much she was willing to let her go so that she could be happy. She wasn't so sure that she'd be able to do the same, and she said as much.

"You'll never have to, Stephanie," Alex said quietly. "Jessie's not going to let you go. Not now that she's finally found you." She saw the protest about to spill from the redhead's mouth and said, "Believe me…she'll never get tired of you or want to leave you for someone else. You're the one."

"And you're sure of this because…?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Stephanie…when you've been…as intimate, with someone as Jessie and I have been in the past, you just know."

"Why aren't I that sure?" Stephanie asked. She was fairly certain that she and Jessie had been 'intimate' enough lately that she should be.

"Because it's you, that you're worried about. If the situation were reversed, you'd be sure just like I am."

It was late, when she finally left Alex's house. After their initial conversation about Jessie, they had sat and talked for hours, about lots of different things. Having seen the brunette out in public a few times over the last few weeks, she was surprised to find that her personality was nothing like her public persona. Alex had turned out to be quick witted, funny and charming. She could see why Jessie would spend time with her, but for the life of her she couldn't understand why Jessie had never fallen for the brunette. If she'd met Alex a couple of years ago, she would certainly have fallen for her.

By the time she left, she was feeling decidedly better about the entire situation with Jessie. Alex had invited her to stay, since it was so late, but she declined the offer. Somehow, she didn't think Jessie would appreciate her spending the night with Alex. Even if she did only crash on the couch. Especially considering the fight they'd had earlier. She snorted thinking about how that conversation would go.

Of course, that thought brought her back to their argument. She could admit that she'd started it. Both of them had been stressed all day, knowing that their time was almost up. Stephanie herself could admit that she'd been more than a little on edge and…snippy…would be a good word. Everything Jessie had said or done all day had been met with some sort of smart remark, regardless of whether it had been warranted or not. She also knew there really hadn't been any reason to get so angry. And yet, when she'd seen Alex with Jessie, something in her head just…exploded.

She knew that Jessie hadn't initiated the kiss. She also knew that Alex hadn't meant it as anything more than friendly. She just couldn't seem to understand why she'd gotten so upset about it. Confused, and unwilling to talk to Jessie until she could explain herself properly, she turned the car toward Theresa's. By the time she arrived at the blonde's, she was crying again. Parking the car, she got out and walked up to the front door, knocking on it softly.

"Stephanie?" Theresa said in surprise when she opened the door to see the redhead standing there. It was after ten, and she really hadn't expected to hear from either Jessie or Stephanie until Monday morning, when she picked them up on the way to the airport.

"Theresa…" her voice cracked, and her knees started to give out. Catching herself on the door, she asked, "I'm sorry it's so late…but, can I come in?"

The blond opened the door and reached out to help her. "Sure, Steph. Come on in," Theresa said, walking next to the redhead into the living room and depositing her on the couch. When Stephanie didn't say anything else, she finally asked, "Stephanie, did something happen? Did you and Jessie…?"

"We had an argument," Stephanie answered quietly. "I…I…it was all my fault." Unable to say anything else, she broke down crying again, and Theresa pulled her into her arms, holding her.

After a while, Stephanie finally calmed down and Theresa thought she might be able to get more information out of her. Relaxing and sitting back a bit, she asked, "Steph, what happened? Did Jessie…?"

Stephanie shook her head. "I…I don't really feel like talking right now, Theresa. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your evening. I was just wondering…would it…be okay if I stayed here, tonight?" She felt terrible not telling Theresa what was going on, but how could she, when she wasn't even sure? She shook her head at herself. She was just so confused.

Surprised by the redhead's refusal to discuss whatever it was that was bothering her, Theresa nodded. "Sure, Stephanie. You're always welcome here, you know that."

Stephanie stood up. Sniffing and wiping at her eyes, she said, "Thanks, Theresa. I'm sorry I'm not more…" she waved a hand in the air, "talkative, but I really don't know what to say right now. I think I just need a place to…think."

"It's okay, Stephanie. If you need me, I'm here," the blond said kindly, watching the redhead walk dejectedly down the hall toward the guest room. When she heard the door close, she looked toward the kitchen door. Brian had left the room to give them space when Stephanie had shown up, and now that she was gone, he came back in.

"Is she okay?" he asked, sitting down next to Theresa on the couch and taking her hand.

"I guess. She really didn't tell me much," Theresa answered, leaning into him. "She just said they'd had an argument and she wanted to know if she could stay here, tonight."

"Well, I hope everything's okay," he said. "They seemed like everything was going all right."

"Yeah," Theresa said, falling silent and wondering just what the Hell Jessie had done to cause this mess.

Stephanie closed the door to the guest room and stood in the dark, taking deep breaths. How could she have been so stupid? Jessie had, in typical Jessie fashion, been nice to someone. Okay…that 'someone' just happened to be her ex, but that didn't mean she was planning on cheating on her. And, did Alex even really qualify as an ex? Jessie had made it very clear that she'd never considered Alex anyone special. Just because they'd been sleeping together and Alex was in love with Jessie, that didn't make her Jessie's ex…did it? Good God, she was losing her mind!

Even though the room was dark, she was able to find the bed, and she flopped down on it, covering her eyes with her arm. Why in the world did she get involved with Jessie in the first place? She'd known right from the start that it would be a mistake to get involved with someone here. She'd been through this once before, and she'd gotten burned. Hadn't she learned anything?

Shaking her head, she rolled over and grabbed the pillow closest to her. Hugging it tightly, she realized it was the pillow Jessie had been using, when she caught her scent on it. Her eyes stinging, she realized she was crying yet again. She just couldn't help herself.

And, lying here in the bed they'd been sharing off and on since the night she'd been attacked, everything came flooding back. All the memories, the feelings, the scents…everything. Jessie had been so good to her that night…how could she possibly accuse her of wanting to cheat on her? The pain and hurt she saw in Jessie's eyes that night told her exactly how much Jessie loved her. Even if she'd never said the words, Steph would have known. The love and patience she'd shown her was more than she ever would have asked for from anyone but her own family. And here she was, her next to last night in town, alone and crying over something that she had caused. She was supposed to be with Jessie tonight, not here.

Thinking about everything that had happened, and the way Jessie had treated her…she knew exactly why she'd fallen for the brunette. And it had nothing to do with loneliness, as Jessie had first feared. Plain and simple, Jessie was the only one she'd ever really loved. No matter how strong her feelings in the past, she'd never felt anything like her love for Jessie. Strong and passionate…beautiful, intelligent, and extremely sexy…willing to do anything for her…Jessie was everything she'd ever wanted.

Jessie was on her hands and knees scrubbing the bathroom floor, when Theresa showed up. As the blond stopped in the doorway, she said, "So…would you like to tell me just what the Hell you think you're doing?"

Jessie rolled her eyes. Turning her head to look at Theresa, she said, "Great! Why is it that the only time you visit me for a 'chat' is when I'm in the bathroom?"

"Jessie, cut the crap! What's going on between you and Stephanie?" Theresa asked, irritated by Jessie's attitude.

"Nothing's going on," Jessie said quietly, trying to skirt the issue.

"Bullshit! She came over last night, crying and upset, Jess," Theresa said. "What happened? I thought everything was going good for you two?"

Jessie took a deep breath, but refused to answer. "Just…drop it, T. I don't want to talk about it anymore." Her head hurt. As a matter of fact…everything hurt. Her head, her stomach…her heart…everything.

"Well isn't that just too bad?" Theresa said sarcastically, finally fed up with Jessie's lack of…whatever. "Jessie, you've spent the last few years drooling over Stephanie Winters. Then, all of a sudden, she's here…dropped smack in your lap by some strange twist of fate. The two of you manage to realize you like each other and start what looks like a great relationship…Now, all of a sudden…it's just over? Pardon me for asking, but…What the Fuck?"

"She's leaving, Theresa," Jessie said by way of explanation, managing to ignore everything else the other woman had said. She couldn't argue against any of it. It was all true. Besides, it was the only thing she could manage to say. Even uttering the words hurt so bad she could hardly choke them out.

"She has to go back to LA, Jess. You both knew that going into this," the blond answered, calming down a bit. With Jessie's words, she thought she knew what the problem was.

"It's not just that," Jessie said miserably, sighing. "Alex came by last night."

"Oh shit!" Theresa said, fearing the worst. "Tell me you didn't…"

"Of course I didn't do anything, Theresa! Jesus, what the Hell!" Jessie yelled, getting pissed off at the idea that Theresa would think she would intentionally hurt Stephanie now that she'd committed to her. Let alone with Alex, of all people.

"So, what happened?" Theresa asked, truly curious.

"I found some of Alex's things she'd left here, so I called her about a week ago and told her I'd have them in a box for her to pick up. She's getting ready to go out of town for work, so she called yesterday and asked if she could run by and get them. I told her that was fine, but Steph and I were planning a weekend alone, so it would have to be quick. She was fine with that."

That's it? That's what caused the blow up between you and Stephanie?" Theresa asked, slightly confused. How could something so small cause such a big problem?

Jessie shook her head. "Stephanie walked in from the bedroom right when Alex hugged me and kissed me goodbye on the cheek."

"Oh no," Theresa said, suddenly feeling her stomach drop to somewhere near her feet. "What happened then? I mean, you explained, didn't you?"

"Of course I did," Jessie said, annoyed. What kind of a moron did Theresa think she was, anyway? "Theresa…I pushed Alex away. I tried to explain, but Steph just didn't want to hear what I had to say. We argued, and then she left."

"God, Jess, I'm so sorry," Theresa said. "What are you gonna do now?"

Jessie shook her head. "I don't know what to do, T. Maybe it's for the best," Jessie said sadly. It had been inevitable after all, hadn't it? Stephanie would leave and everything would fall apart? She'd known from the start that this wasn't a good idea…but she'd taken a chance. She was just so tired of being lonely…

"So that's how you're going to deal with this?" Stephanie's voice suddenly sounded from the doorway. "You're just going to give up and let me go? You're not even going to fight?"

Caught up in their conversation, neither of them had heard Stephanie come in. Theresa, sensing that the two of them needed to work this out on their own, left and headed down the hallway. Taking a seat on the couch in the living room, she turned on the TV. She couldn't leave yet. She knew she probably should…but at least one of them was going to need her before this was over. And, for some reason, she thought it might be Stephanie. Jessie was just too pigheaded and scared.

"I don't want to fight with you anymore," Jessie answered quietly, surprised that Stephanie had come back.

"I don't want to fight with you, either, Jessie," Stephanie said. "But you can't just ignore this." When Jessie didn't say anything, just sat there on her knees with her back to the door, Stephanie pleaded, "Jessie, please!"

Jessie closed her eyes at the sound of Stephanie begging. She hated this. She really did. Why did it have to be like this? Why couldn't she just speak, and tell the redhead how she felt? She wanted to. God, how she wanted to. Unfortunately, her heart and her tongue didn't seem to be on the same page. Instead of talking to Stephanie, she couldn't say a word.

Realizing that Jessie wasn't going to say anything, Stephanie said, "Fine. Then I'll talk and you can listen." Taking a deep breath, she plunged ahead. "I know that what happened with Alex was nothing, Jessie. It just surprised me when I walked out there and saw her kissing you. I know it wasn't you. I get that. I'm sorry that I flew off the handle the way I did, but you've got to know that this isn't easy for me, either. I don't want to go back to LA. I want to stay here, with you. But I've already put this off longer than I should. Joanie's been screaming at me for the last two weeks, Jess. I have to go."

She stopped talking and waited for a moment, hoping that Jessie would say something…anything. It was painfully obvious however, that nothing was forthcoming from the brunette. She suddenly realized she was seeing the closed off part of the other woman…the part that she'd seen Jessie display with Alex at the bar so many weeks ago. So, biting her lower lip to keep from crying, she went on. "Jessie…I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I want you to go with me…if you want to. You don't have to stay forever, but I need you Jess. I don't want to go back there alone."

Wiping tears from her eyes, she waited another moment for Jessie to say something. Still, the only sound in the room was her own breathing, as she tried to control her tears. "Jessie…you said you loved me…Jessie, please…"

Jessie closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. The only thing she really wanted was to pick Stephanie up, carry her to the bedroom and never let her go. Tears running down her cheeks and shaking with the effort to remain sitting upright, she said nothing. Her mouth wouldn't work. Nothing was working, apparently. She was frozen in place, paralyzed by fear.

Tired of waiting, Stephanie sniffed one more time and wiped her face with her hands. "Fine. If you have nothing to say, then fuck you, Jessie! I'm done! I thought I meant more to you than a couple of weeks, but apparently, I was wrong!" She wanted to beat on Jessie, to make her respond. But she knew it wouldn't do any good. She'd closed herself off, and there was no getting through.

Turning around and leaving the bathroom, she ran down the hall to the living room. "Theresa, would you give me a ride back to your place?"

Turning off the TV as Stephanie came running into the room, Theresa stood up. "Sure, Stephanie," she answered kindly. To herself, she thought, 'Damn you anyway, Jessie Drake!' Out loud, she said, "Go on out to the car, Stephanie. I want to talk to Jessie, before we leave." Tossing her the keys, she headed back down the hallway.

When she arrived at the bathroom door, Jessie was still sitting there on her knees. Head hanging down, she refused to turn and look at her. Theresa didn't care. "I hope you're happy now, Jessie. She's leaving tomorrow and you've screwed up the best thing you've ever had in your life. From here on out, you're on your own."

She turned to leave, but added, "If I were you, I'd think long and hard about what you're doing. I know you love her. And there's no doubt about how she feels. The only real question here is: Can you finally stop clinging to your fear and give in to what you want for once in your life? You only have a few hours left." Then, leaving Jessie sitting there, silent tears streaming down her face, she left.

When she heard the front door slam closed, Jessie broke down and sobbed. Wrapping her arms around herself, she sat back and leaned against the wall, crying. Why the Hell did this have to be so hard? Why couldn't she just let go of the past and love her? Stephanie was so easy to love, why was she making it so hard? The argument over Alex didn't mean anything and she knew it. Stephanie was just upset about leaving and had gotten over the thing with Alex. She'd even apologized.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to stand up. Her legs almost gave out once, and she leaned on the sink until she thought she could stand on her own. Turning on the water, she splashed her face. As she looked up, she caught her reflection in the mirror and noticed the flash of silver off the delicate chain around her neck. Pulling the 'J' out of her shirt collar, where it had been hidden, she stared at it. Stephanie had given it to her for her birthday, and she'd never taken it off. Not since that night. Sniffing again, she left the bathroom and walked through the house. In the bedroom, Stephanie's pillow still smelled like her shampoo and there was still a small pile of her dirty laundry lying in the basket, waiting to be washed. On the dresser, sat the picture they'd had taken of them together on their sleigh ride in Aspen.

She went down to the studio and turned on the power. Cueing up the song she'd written weeks earlier, she flopped into the office chair and listened to Stephanie's backing vocals come out of the speakers. She started to cry again, remembering how they'd spent the rest of that evening.

Eventually, she stood up, flipped everything off and went back upstairs. Walking into the bedroom, she grabbed a suitcase and started stuffing clothes into it. An hour later, bags packed, Jessie carried everything out to the car. Resolve firmly in place, she went back into the house and made some phone calls.

"Mom? It's me," Jessie said into the phone.

"Jessie," her mother said. "It's not Wednesday, why are you calling?"

She took a deep breath. "I was just calling to let you know that I'm leaving town for a little while. I didn't want you to worry."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm uh…not sure, yet. I'll let you know when I get there," she answered.

"Not sure? Jessie, what's going on? What happened to Stephanie?"

"I'm…not sure right now, Mom. Look, I've got to go. I'll call you when I get where I'm going. Bye." She could hear her mother's protests as she hung up the phone, but ignored them, and called Lacy next.

"Hello?" Lacy's voice came over the phone.

"Hey, Lacy."

"Jessie? What's wrong? You sound awful, Baby," Lacy said, obvious concern for Jessie sounding in her voice.

"Umm, well…I need you to do me a favor, Lace."

"Sure, Babe, anything you need."

"Well, I need you to cancel our gigs for the next few weeks."

"What? Jessie, what's going on?" Lacy was worried, now. Jessie never cancelled gigs.

Jessie sighed loudly. "It's Stephanie. I really screwed things up, Lacy. I'm leaving town for a while."

"Jessie, where are you going? You can't just leave and not fix things with Stephanie. She loves you, Baby, and I know you love her."

"Theresa can fill you in, Lacy. She'll know everything in a couple of hours. I've gotta go. Tell everybody to take care and give the boy's a hug for me." She hung up, not giving Lacy a chance to say anything else. Then she turned off her cell phone before her mom tried calling her back. She didn't want to talk to anyone else until she'd seen Steph.

Checking the house one more time, she set the alarm and left, heading for Theresa's. Twenty minutes later, she pulled into Theresa's driveway. Taking a deep breath, she got out and walked up to the front door. It took her a minute to work up the courage to knock, which was absurd. In all the years they'd known each other, she'd never been afraid to knock on Theresa's door before. But this time was different. This time, no matter what happened, her life would change forever.

By the time Theresa got out to the car, Stephanie was in the passenger seat, crying. She was inconsolable, as Theresa drove them back to her place. She was actually starting to worry that she wouldn't be able to get Stephanie out of the car when they got there, but when they arrived, the redhead opened the door and managed to make it to the front door by herself.

Theresa opened the front door and disarmed the alarm system when they went in. Stephanie followed her and managed to make it into the living room, before collapsing on the couch. As she sat there, crying and shaking, Theresa sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug.

There wasn't anything she could do about Jessie, and the way she'd treated Stephanie, but she could damn well make sure the redhead didn't spend her last night in town alone. "Come here, Steph." Stroking her hair, Theresa held her until she seemed to calm down a little. "Stephanie, I'm so sorry. I never thought Jessie could do this. She seemed so happy."

"It's not your fault, Theresa," Stephanie said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She sniffed. "I knew going into this that Jessie had a lot of baggage. Maybe I shouldn't have let it get so far."

Theresa couldn't believe what she was hearing. Stephanie was blaming herself for what had happened? "Stephanie, stop it. This isn't your fault. Jessie's the one who screwed everything up, not you. I can't even believe she let Alex in the house, let alone let Alex kiss her."

"She didn't, Theresa…let Alex kiss her, I mean. She pushed Alex away," Stephanie said.

"I'm not sure I…"

"Jessie didn't cheat on me. Alex was saying goodbye. She just…well, you know how she is."

"Yeah, I do. I also know how Jessie is. She's never been known for her control."

She didn't do anything with Alex, Theresa. I flew off the handle last night, but I did hear part of what they were saying to each other. Jessie had told her earlier that we were spending the night together, just the two of us. Alex was saying goodbye. That was it."

"Are you sure, Stephanie?" She knew what Jessie had told her, but still…this was Jessie, they were talking about.

She nodded. "I'm positive. I just…lost it, when I saw Alex kiss her and started yelling at Jessie. She wasn't lying when she said nothing happened."

"Then why the big blow up? Once you realized what really happened…?"

Stephanie sighed. "I guess I just got scared. I'd been in a bad mood all day…It was just easier to argue than listen to what she had to say." She started crying again. "I really didn't handle this very well. I'm sorry."

Theresa sat there and held her while she cried. The entire time, cursing Jessie under her breath, for her inability to speak up and talk to Steph when she needed her most.

When the knock came on the door two hours later, Theresa was still sitting in the same place. Stephanie had finally stopped crying, and had dozed off. Sliding her arm from around the redhead, she got up and went to answer the door. When she opened it and saw Jessie standing there, she rolled her eyes and sighed. Angrily, she said in a low whisper, "Jessie…what the Hell are you here for?"

Jessie sighed, defeated. "I need to see her, Theresa."

"She finally fell asleep, Jessie. Jesus, can't you just leave her alone?"

"No, I can't. I have to try and fix this, T."

"You're not welcome here anymore, Jessie. Leave," she tried to shut the door, but Jessie was faster, and caught the side of it with her hand.

"I'm not leaving, Theresa. Call the cops if you have to, but I'm coming in there to talk to her."

"Jessie…" Theresa said, tired of arguing with her.

From behind her, Stephanie's voice sounded. "Theresa…"

Theresa turned to look behind her when she heard Stephanie. "Steph…" shaking her head, she tried to keep her from giving in to Jessie's stupidity.

"Let her in…" When Theresa didn't look like she was going to open the door, she said, "Please…"

Sighing, Theresa stepped aside and opened the door angrily. Jessie stepped in, eyes only for Stephanie, who was standing in the hallway looking lost. "Thank you, Theresa," she said, as she walked past the blond.

She walked up to Stephanie, but stopped short of touching her. Licking her lips, she said quietly, "Stephanie…I…I'm sorry I couldn't…" her voice trailed off, unable to articulate what she wanted to say. Taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts, she started over.

Looking nowhere but into those beautiful green eyes, she started again. Quietly, and with every last ounce of love she had, she spoke the truth of her heart. "Stephanie…every time I feel your lips…every time your hands slide down my body, you leave trails of desire like I've never felt before. You totally…completely…unravel me. You look at me and it splits my soul wide open. It renders me totally, hopelessly, in love with you."

Tears were running down her cheeks again as she listened to Jessie's words. When Jessie reached out to caress her cheek with the back of her hand, she couldn't help herself. "Jessie…" her voice came out as a strangled whisper.

Jessie placed a finger on her lips. "Shh, let me finish." Stephanie nodded, still looking into Jessie's blue eyes, and she went on. "I am so sorry I let everything go to Hell earlier. I was just so…afraid. But…I do love you, Stephanie. I love you, and I would happily give up everything I have to spend the rest of my life with you. Can you ever forgive me?"

"God, Jessie…" she shook her head, tears streaming down her face freely. "There's nothing to forgive. I shouldn't have flown off the handle the way I did. I'm so sorry."

Only now did she pull Stephanie into her arms, hugging her. "I love you, and I want to go with you to LA. At least for a while."

"You…you do? You're sure?" she looked into those blue eyes and sniffed.

Jessie nodded. "My bags are packed and I'm ready to go. I've called Lacy and had her cancel our gigs for the next few weeks, and I called my mom and told her I'll call her when I get where I'm going."

Stephanie's eyes lit up with excitement. "You'd do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you, Steph," she answered. "I love you."

Theresa, still standing by the front door, shook her head in surprise. When she'd left Jessie sitting on the bathroom floor, she'd never expected her to rise to the occasion. Truthfully, she'd believed Jessie would let Stephanie go without a fight. She was just about to say something along those lines, when Jessie turned to her.

With a huge smile on her face, she said, "You don't mind if I take some of that vacation time that's been adding up, do you, T? I know we've been backed up, but…"

She shook her head. "Not at all, Jessie. Go."

"Good. Thank you, so much, Theresa." She turned around and looked at Stephanie again. "You wanna finish talking about this?"

Stephanie nodded. "Let's go to the bedroom."

Two hours later, they were curled up in bed and Jessie was busy dragging her fingers slowly up and down Stephanie's arm. "Mmm, that feels so good, Jess," the redhead said, rolling over to look at her.

"Good," she whispered. "Because I want to make you feel good, Steph."

"You always do." Then, licking her lips, she said, "Jess, could I talk to you about…something?"

Jessie noticed her hesitation, but nodded. "Sure, anything."

"Even if it's about…umm…"

She felt her brow wrinkle in question. "About…?"

Stephanie blew out a breath. "I don't want you to get upset, Jessie. But I wanted to talk to you about…umm…Alex."

"Alex! Steph, I told you…she doesn't…" distantly, she realized the motion of her hand on Stephanie's arm had stopped.

"Jess, I know. I know…" she said, trying to keep the brunette from getting upset. "I trust you, Jessie. I know you didn't do anything. I'm so sorry I went off like that." She reached over and stroked Jessie's cheek with her hand. "What I wanted to tell you…" she swallowed hard, before continuing, "was that I, uh…I went to see Alex last night…to her house."

She blinked slowly in surprise. "You…you…went to her house? Steph, why?"

"I don't know. I needed to talk to someone. And, as odd as it sounds…I thought of her," she said, shrugging and ducking her head to avoid Jessie's eyes. Eyes which had suddenly turned a darker shade of blue.

"So…did you have a good talk?" Jessie asked, determined to hear Steph out without getting upset or judgmental.

Stephanie nodded. "Actually, we did. She's really very nice, Jess."

"Yeah, she is," Jessie agreed slowly, still not sure where this was headed. "So, what did you two talk about?"

She really hadn't intended to bring this up. She really hadn't. But, for some reason, she felt like she needed to make sure that Jessie understood about Alex. For whatever reason, she'd never realized that the brunette was in love with her, and Stephanie just couldn't figure that out. "A few things, actually."

When she didn't elaborate any further, Jessie waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts. She knew there was more to this than what she'd admitted to so far. However, when it didn't seem like Steph was going to say anything else, she cleared her throat. "And?"

"And…did you know that she's in love with you?" Stephanie looked into her eyes, seeing the truth of Jessie's words immediately.

"What?!" She shook her head. "No. She's not…she never…I'm not…" she stopped fumbling and took a deep breath to calm down. "Steph, I don't love her. I never have."

"I know that, Jess. But that doesn't change the fact that she's in love with you," the redhead said.

Jessie rolled away from her and threw an arm over her eyes. "Oh God! If that's true…Jesus, Steph! It must have really killed her…seeing me with you. Knowing all that time that I wanted you and not her."

Stephanie noticed how tense Jessie had become. Propping herself up to look her in the eye, she pulled the arm from her eyes, and said, "Jess, don't beat yourself up. You didn't know she felt that way."

"I should have," she replied quietly, remembering a conversation in the studio one morning right before she'd gotten together with Stephanie.

"Why should you have known that? She never led you to believe she felt that way, Jess."

Jessie reached up and tucked a lock of auburn hair behind Steph's ear. Refusing to look anywhere but those green eyes, she said, "Steph…you remember the morning that I came in late? It was right after you started at the office? Before I spent the night at your hotel room?" When Stephanie nodded, she went on. "I woke up early that morning and couldn't go back to sleep. Alex found me in the studio…listening to music. The first thing she said to me was…'It's okay that you don't love me, Jessie.' I should have known then…that something…" she stopped talking and shook her head.

Stephanie, taking pity on her, ducked her head down to rest her forehead on Jessie's. "Jess…"

Jessie shook her head. "I asked her why she slept with me, knowing that I didn't love her, and she said she didn't want to be alone."

Stephanie closed her eyes. "Oh God. That's almost the same thing I said to you…two weeks later. I understand now…why you didn't want to stay at the hotel that night. You thought I was just…"

She smiled at the redhead. "As I told you then, I didn't want a one night stand with you. I wanted anything I said or did with you to mean something. I knew that night that I loved you. I'd known forever…I just hadn't been able to admit it to myself, until then."

"Jessie, I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have told you…" Stephanie said. Now she felt bad for Jessie, too.

"No, you should have. I just…my God, why didn't she tell me? Why didn't she at least mention that she wanted more?" Jessie asked, addressing the question to no one in particular.

Stephanie knew Jessie wasn't in love with Alex. She was sure of that now, but she had to ask. "What would you have done if she had told you she wanted more?"

"I have no idea," Jessie answered honestly, truly confused.

"So…if she had said she was in love with you…" Stephanie let the question hang between them.

Jessie sighed. "I don't love her. To be honest, the thought never even crossed my mind." She looked at Stephanie, searching her eyes for something. When she apparently found what she was looking for, she said, "Is that bad? That I was willing to just go on like that? If you hadn't come along, Steph…" she shook her head. "I've treated her terrible and I didn't even realize it. I really thought we felt the same about what was happening."

Stephanie tightened her grip on Jessie. "Maybe…if I hadn't shown up, things would have changed. She doesn't act the same in private that she does in public. It surprised me…how funny and smart she is. I can see why you were attracted to her, Jess."

Jessie shook her head and kissed her. "Stephanie, whether you had shown up or not, I wouldn't have changed my mind. I can't say why. I just know. I could never have loved her…she's not you."

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Jessie…"

Jessie fell silent for a minute, thinking about the past few weeks. Finally, a thought ghosted through her mind. "How did you find out how she felt? I can't imagine she just blurted something like that out," she asked, curious. She knew Alex well enough to know that she never would have told Stephanie, or anyone else, something like that on purpose.

Stephanie's face turned a slight shade of pink, before she answered. "Well…I kind of asked her. You know…how long have you been in love with her? She didn't deny it. Just asked how long I'd known."

"And your answer?"

"I knew that night at The Blue Rose, when I met her for the first time," Stephanie answered. She ducked her head and nosed at Jessie's chest, taking in her scent; Irish Spring soap, Aussie shampoo and 'Jessie.'

"I never understood why she would say that to me, you know, about loving her. It made me wonder…but at the time…" she shook her head and sighed, burying her nose in Stephanie's hair. "I've been so fucked up for so long. I couldn't imagine anyone would want me."

Stephanie debated telling her what Alex had said. How Jessie had called Stephanie's name…but she just couldn't do it. Jessie didn't need to know how badly she'd hurt the brunette without realizing it. Instead, she addressed her statement. "Jessie…fucked up or not, you're the most gorgeous, deserving woman I've ever met. Anyone would be lucky to call you theirs and have all your love and passion directed at them. I couldn't imagine where I'd be right now if we'd never gotten together."

Jessie squeezed her tight and closed her eyes. She'd never been as grateful in her life for someone as she was right now. Whispering into Steph's hair, she said, "I'm the lucky one, Steph. If you'd never come here…I'd still be floating along, going nowhere. You saved me."

"No more than you saved me, Jess. I love you," Stephanie whispered back, looking up and into her eyes. "You have no idea how badly I needed you when you showed up. You aren't the only one who's had bad relationships and was afraid to take a chance."

She wanted to ask…Stephanie had never mentioned any of her past relationships before…not in detail, anyway, but she chose not to. If Steph wanted to elaborate, she would. In the meantime, she chose to focus on how lucky she was that Stephanie had given her this second chance. Pulling her into a kiss, Jessie whispered, "I love you."

By the time five o'clock rolled around, Jessie and Stephanie had done all the apologizing and plan making they could. Having fallen asleep sometime between Stephanie's revelations about Alex's feelings, and plans to keep Jessie busy in LA, they were both wide awake now.

"Mmm, we should probably get up," Jessie said, nuzzling into Stephanie's hair.

"Do we have to?" Stephanie whined, plainly not wanting to get up.

"Theresa's going to think I killed you or something if we don't come out soon," Jessie said in answer. "Besides, I didn't eat anything after you left last night, and I'm hungry." As if on cue, her stomach growled loudly.

Stephanie looked up at her from where her head was resting on her stomach. "Jess…what did you do last night…After I stormed out?"

Embarrassed and none too proud of how she'd handled things, she said, "I uh…" she sighed and decided to tell the redhead everything. She wasn't going to pretend she'd handled things well when she'd gone right back to her old ways so quickly. "I threw a book, kicked a hole in the bedroom wall, and then I drank an entire bottle of Vodka. That's what I was doing when you came in this morning…cleaning up the aftermath."

"Oh, Jess…" Stephanie felt terrible, having put the brunette through that.

Stroking the auburn hair, Jessie said, "It's okay, Steph. I actually managed to learn something from the way I reacted."

"Yeah?" she asked dubiously, not sure she really wanted to know what Jessie had learned by putting her foot through a wall and getting drunk.

"Yeah." She released the redhead and rolled over, preparing to get out of bed and get dressed. "Back in the day, I would have gone out to a bar, gotten drunk and picked someone up. I probably wouldn't even know who I was in bed with. So, staying home and getting drunk there, was a change for me. It never even occurred to me to go out and look for someone else."

Stephanie raised an eyebrow, unsure of exactly how to take that little revelation. "Well… that's good I guess."

Jessie leaned back over and pressed her forehead to Stephanie's. "Trust me. For me, that's a minor miracle." She kissed her, long and slow. When she released the redhead's lips, she said, "I love you. And there is nothing in this world, or any other, that will ever change that, Steph. I never say things I don't mean, and I will never lie to you. You have my word."

For Stephanie, Jessie's words rang a bell, reminding her that Alex had said the same thing just last night. 'Jessie never says things she doesn't mean,' the brunette had told her. At that moment, trying to think of something to say, her stomach growled as well, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since some time yesterday, either.

Theresa and Brian looked hesitantly toward the doorway when first Stephanie, and then Jessie, appeared. The look on Theresa's face almost made Jessie laugh, before she managed to control herself. Theresa was already pissed off at her for the way she'd handled things. She didn't need to irritate her any more by laughing at her. So, holding Stephanie's hand, she followed her into the living room and sat down next to her on the couch.

"So…" Brian finally cleared his throat and took the plunge, since it didn't look like anyone else was going to. "You two work things out?"

Stephanie smiled brightly and nodded. "Yeah, I think we did."

"It took you long enough," Theresa muttered under her breath, sitting in the recliner and fervently trying to ignore Jessie.

"What's that, T?" Jessie asked, hearing her say something, and highly suspecting it was a smartass remark but not upset about it. Theresa had every right to be mad, she thought.

Theresa looked over at her, then, and said more loudly, "I said…It must have been tough."

Jessie smiled, knowing she was full of it. Instead of calling her on it though, she just shrugged. "We took our time, making plans and uh…working things out."

Theresa raised a brow but only said, "Working things out?"

Jessie, knowing she was still pissed off at her and not really blaming her, blushed. "You know, T. Working things out…make up sex?" Beside her, Stephanie rolled her eyes and fidgeted. She was sure if she looked, Steph would be blushing to the roots of her hair. Still, the stab at levity worked, and the tension in the room dissipated.

Theresa rolled her eyes and laughed. "Jessie, I swear. You are so crude sometimes."

"Crude? What's crude about it? You know that's what people do after they argue. I'm not going to lie to you guys; you're my oldest, best friends." She stopped and looked at both of them. "And it isn't like you two aren't aware of the fact that we have sex."

"Maybe Stephanie doesn't want it announced, Jessie," Theresa said, feeling like she was explaining something to a teenager.

"Theresa, "Stephanie said, leaning forward. "I know I come across as the innocent type, but…you have seen my movies haven't you? I mean…I'm the one without clothes, most of the time." She watched, as Theresa developed a sudden blush, herself. "And…if I remember correctly, you were the one asking for the porn version of my first time with Jessie just a few weeks ago?"

Jessie looked over at Steph with a look of pride and squeezed her hand. "That's my girl," she said, leaning in and kissing her. When she backed away, she looked over toward Theresa, one brow raised toward her hairline. "Really, T? Asking Steph for the porn version?"

"All right," Theresa said, getting tired of being the brunt of their jokes and huffing slightly. "You, of all people Jessie, have no room to talk. You usually tell me every single little detail and then some. So, if you're both done ripping on me…and you seem to be getting along for the moment, how do you feel about getting something to eat?" At that precise moment, Stephanie's stomach rumbled again. Loudly. Cocking her head to the side, Theresa smirked. "Well, I guess I got my answer."

Jessie, relieved that everything seemed to be settled and unable to hold her happiness in any longer, fell into Stephanie, laughing. "Oh, God, T! You are just priceless! I love you guys," she said, jumping up and hugging the blond and then Brian, in turn. "Let's eat, I'm starved."

Two hours later, having braved the world of the fast food hamburger, they were all back at Theresa and Brian's. Safely ensconced on the couch, Stephanie was curled up with her legs tucked under her, leaning against Jessie. Jessie's arm was around her, trailing her fingers up and down Steph's arm softly. Theresa had insisted they watch some cable show about guys who drive around the country searching old barns and warehouses for antiques, and it was finally, mercifully, going off.

"Well, we should probably get to bed," Jessie said, when Theresa turned the TV off.

"What time's your flight?" Brian asked, standing up and stretching.

"The plane leaves at ten." Stephanie unfolded her legs, stood up, and stretched as well. Sticking a hand out to Jessie, she pulled the brunette off the couch.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys in the morning," Theresa said, hugging each of them good night. She watched as the two women walked down the hall, arms wrapped around each other, and shook her head. Jessie never ceased to surprise her. Not only had she overcome her fear of letting someone in, but she was actually willing to take a chance and go to LA with Stephanie. It was a lot of changes in a short period of time, Theresa knew. Sighing, she headed for bed herself.

Around two, Theresa woke up. She was so hot and thirsty; she finally got out of bed and headed into the kitchen for something to drink. When she walked in, she found Jessie sitting at the counter drinking a Diet Coke. Reaching into the fridge, she grabbed a bottle of water and sat down across from the brunette. "Couldn't sleep?" She cracked open the lid on her water and took a drink.

Jessie shook her head. "Kind of nervous, I guess."

Theresa had been thinking a lot about Jessie the past twenty four hours. They'd known each other so long, she knew how hard this decision had been for Jessie. Not because she didn't want to be with Stephanie, but because she was scared. Jessie had never taken a chance with anyone before. If for some reason her relationship with Stephanie didn't work out, Theresa didn't even want to think about what would happen to her oldest friend. Instead of saying anything however, she simply nodded in understanding and said, "I bet."

Taking the blonds' answer for continued irritation with her, Jessie set her can down and looked at her. "Theresa…I know you're mad about being drug into our argument last night…and this morning. I'm really sorry that happened."

"Jessie…" Theresa sighed, before finally finding the words she wanted. "I'm not mad at you. Not anymore. As a matter of fact, you've actually managed to impress me." When she saw the look of surprise on Jessie's face, she went on. "I never expected you to agree to go to LA with her, Jess. Not yet, anyway. I thought maybe…in a couple of months, if you guys were still together, you might go visit. But I never expected this."

"I love her, T." It was a simple statement. Spoken quietly, almost shyly. "I can't live without her, and I don't even want to try."

Theresa got down off her stool and walked around the counter to take Jessie into a hug. "I'm so happy for you, Jess. You have no idea how glad I am that you two found each other. Stephanie loves you so much…I know you guys can work this out and stay together. Please promise me you won't give up too easily?"

Jessie hugged her back and smiled. "I'm never giving her up, T. Last night was as close as I ever want to come to losing her."

Letting Jessie go, Theresa went back to her side of the counter again. "Can I ask you something before you leave, Jess?"

"Sure, Theresa. Anything you want," Jessie answered, curious and fascinated when the blonds' face turned a bright beet red.

Shyly, Theresa asked, "Just what the Hell were you doing to Alex in the shower to make her scream like that? And…can you teach Brian?"

Jessie burst out laughing, holding her sides. 'God, she was going to miss Theresa while she was gone!'

The End

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