Chapter 17

I'm not young enough to know everything.

J.M. Barrie

I can't breathe.
She's coming for me.
I saw her there, just before everything went black.
The golden haired angel floated, just out of reach.

Brian awoke, panting, blinking his eyes, thinking he was still underwater because he couldn't see anything in the pitch blackness. He flung out his hand, hoping to grab onto something, anything, to pull himself from the remnants of the dream, choking back the scream threatening to burst his lungs, refusing to take a breath lest it escape.

Skin.

His questing hand brushed skin. Turning his palm onto it, he let his fingers grasp the anchor for his recalcitrant brain.

"Breathe, Brian." Jane's whispered words came from somewhere near him in the darkness.

His head shook of its own volition, his mind and consciousness and body all out of sync.

"You have to. You can do this, Brian. We can do this."

He felt dizzy.

"Just like before, in...out. Do it with me. In...out"

Her hand touched the center of his chest, startling him, forcing his lungs to expel like a popped balloon.

"Good. In...out." Her hand lightly pressed as she repeated the up/down motions from earlier.

By his third deep breath the dizziness faded and his eyes had adjusted to the meager light of the moon coming through the window. They breathed together, Jane encouraging him all the while in her calm, sure way. Slowly, Brian realized that the skin he was clenching was her waist, just above her right hip, his thumb digging into the bone. Thinking he was hurting her, he made a concerted effort to release his fingers and pull away.

"No. Leave it there." She said, "It's called grounding. Many people find physical contact a way to stay connected in the present. Using it as a focal point to counteract the often disjointedness of an attack. It can help settled the mind and introduce order into what can be a very chaotic and scary experience."

Brian heard her words but also felt the vibration of them in her flesh.

She explained, "Most humans do it in small ways in their everyday lives without ever realizing they do it. A caress, a favored set of clothes, a book or video we watch repeatedly, or a special food. All give a certain level of comfort."

He let his thumb stroke in broad, fanlike sweeps from the jut of her hipbone to the soft fleshy part of her abdomen near her navel.

"People like us, those measures have been in place for so long, they don't always bring the comfort we crave and that can bring more panic. Not being in control inside ourselves, leads to controlling things on the outside. Needing, demanding, that things be just so. Towels hung a certain way, movies stored alphabetically, rigid routines that when broken cause feelings of anger and resentment because no one else gets it that surprises cause anxiety and that in turn starts a downward spiral of depression and self-loathing because you can't just snap out of it."

Brian's fingers curled into the back of her waist. She had touched on, what he felt, was one of his biggest issues. He didn't have the chance to dwell on it when his middle finger brushed a puckering of skin. He lightly traced it, noting the roundish shape and the hardness of scar tissue. He didn't think the image that came to mind could be true, so he probed her front with his thumb, and found the companion scar right where it should be.

It's a bullet wound. Someone shot her. Could have killed her!

It made him angry. Furious. Disproportionate rage filled him. Images of gushing blood and feelings of helplessness vied for supremacy, sending tremors up his limbs.

"It's over. A long time ago." She said, placing her own hand over his.

"What happened?" the question was out before he had a chance to think whether or not it was appropriate to ask. Opening his mouth to tell her to forget it, she broke in with a resigned exhale.

"Someone I tried to help, but she didn't want to be helped."

Brian understood immediately. "A near miss."

"Mmm." Jane hummed, rolling onto her back, making their hands slide onto her belly above the waistband of her jeans. She splayed his fingers so he could feel her other scars. Some faint and pencil-line thin, and others not so much, that ran from under the top of her jeans to fan out and dissipate just under her ribcage. "These are the scars I choose to dwell on." She spoke as she traced his fingers over her stretch marks. "Each one brought life, love, and purpose. A reminder, I am not in this universe as a sole entity. I have a connection to those around me and a responsibility to do my best by them. A testament that I was here and I made the world a better place by being in it."

She stopped moving their hands and Brian noted that his spanned nearly the entire space between the points of her hips. Some part of his brain registered that evaluating that irrational thought would lead no where he wanted to go so he removed his hand and used it to push himself upright

.
His groan of pain had Jane scurrying for the lamp then crouching in front of him on the floor as he breathed through the worst of it.

"Describe it for me." She demanded, making him scowl at her from under the hair fallen over his eyes.

"I can't help, if I don't know what's wrong." She insisted.

"Ahh...pins...mmm...needles." Brian squirmed a little as if he could physically remove himself from his discomfort. "Shoulder...uhhh...throbs, fingers...mmm...numb."

Glancing down, Jane saw that his fingers were blue and swollen. Standing and quickly running her hands up and around all sides of his soft cast, she quickly found the culprit. The shoulder piece and the arm piece were two separate casts that overlapped each other in his underarm and on the top edge of his shoulder. The bottom part, the arm segment, had worked itself into a fold where they joined causing a bulk of casting material and effectively cutting off the blood flow to the lower arm and caused swelling around his shoulder joint.

"Fuck." She mumbled as she pushed him back to a prone position. She glanced at her watch, noting the time as 4am, and opened the wide Velcro straps with brisk gentleness. Brian continued breathing carefully as the pressure was released and blood flooded back into his arm leaving him with a vague sense of euphoria. She pulled the contraption completely off and threw it on the floor while yelling Lara's name.

Fearing further damage to the arm, she massaged his fingers, hand and wrist, doing her best not to move the rest of his arm. She ran a hand over his bicep, its feverishness giving way to coldness below the elbow.

"Shit!" She swore, when Brian fainted. It was worse than she had thought. "Lara!" Jane jumped from the bed to retrieve the doctor, just as she came up the steps with her medical bag followed by everyone else including Bear.

Jane took Brian's blood pressure as Lara listened to his heart and lungs. Several long minutes passed as the others milled in the hallway and the puppies woke at the disturbance. Jane was back to massaging his hand and forearm, trying to help with the blood flow while Lara took his temperature then used the stethoscope to listen to the artery in his upper arm.

"I was here the whole time. He never said anything. We talked for several minutes, but nothing seemed amiss until he sat up." Jane's tone was clinical, but her distress was evident in every line of her tense body.

Brian opened glazed eyes that rapidly cleared to full consciousness as Lara shone a light in them and welcomed him back.

"Fuck you, Doc." His words lacked the necessary heat though and she went about preparing a syringe of medication.

Jane's fear was replaced by anger fueled by the avoidance of disaster. Without thinking she straddled his hips, braced hand by his head and leaned in to yell at him face to face. "Why the fuck didn't you tell me you were in pain! Do you have any goddamn fucking idea what could have happened to you?! You could have permanent nerve or muscle damage! You could have lost your fucking arm you stupid, selfish, insufferable..." Jane floundered for another suitable epithet before pointing a finger in his face and screeching "MAN!"

She was about to let loose another tirade when Brian grabbed said finger, along with the rest of her hand and yelled back. "I am not stupid! I didn't feel anything until I sat up!" He thrust her hand away. "And who the fuck are you to yell at me like some goddamn fucking fishwife on a bender?! Get off me you bossy, brain-picking, know-it-all, WOMAN!" he sneered.

Everyone watched with rapt attention when Jane's eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared, Brian smirking in her face the whole time. Her jaw clenched as she bared her teeth in a snarl that had Bear backing away from the bed. The entire room held a collective breath while the combatants stared each other down for several tense moments.

Jane relented first, leaping from her perch, snatching up the cast, hollering "Fine!" in his general direction, and exiting the room in a huff, dragging Emmett with her down the steps. She wasn't gone two seconds when Lara jabbed a needle in his arm none too gently. When Brian flinched and turned to ask her what the fuck, she just smiled at him.

"You did that on purpose." He accused.

Lara didn't bother to confirm or deny his accusation, just told him to lie still and not move his broken arm since Jane had absconded with the cast. Muttering to himself about vindictive females, he plucked first one, then the other puppy from the drawer and laid them on his chest. Lulah made a couple of bottles and handed them over before retreating to her room.

Neither puppy was willing to eat or even latch, and it took several minutes for him to figure out that the liquid was probably not warm enough. Glancing around for someone to heat them, he realized it was just himself and Lara. She was making notes in his chart and the other two agents had already left. Brian really didn't want to be by himself, so after pondering it for a few seconds, he stuck the bottles in his armpit to let his body heat warm them.

Lara went into his bathroom, coming back with the rest of his meds and dug around in the cardboard box for a bottle of water. Handing him first one, then the other she, neither of them said anything. She spent the next twenty minutes rechecking his vitals and making notations while Brian rubbed downy fur and Bear watched from the foot of the bed. When both puppies were happily sucking away, the big dog crept around the side of the bed and gave Brian two quick swipes of his tongue to the side of his face and bounded out of sight.

Emmett wandered around the cellar, gathering things they might eventually need upstairs into an old fashioned wire crate, keeping his eye on Jane the entire time. When she had grabbed him at the landing he had still been in shock over her display of temper. By the time they hit the bottom of the staircase, he was not sure he was a hundred percent on board with going anywhere with her since she seemed even more agitated away from Brian's irritating presence.

His shock hadn't abated when she said "Where are the sewing supplies?"

When Emmett just looked confused she fisted her hand in his shirtfront demanding, "Needle, thread, fabric if you have it and six d-rings. O-rings will do if that's all you've got."

Emmett seemed to finally make the connection as he led her to the cellar door and flipped on the light. Once downstairs he pointed out where she would find what she needed and uncovered an ancient foot-pedaled sewing machine.

He thought she seemed fairly adept at the craft, as she attacked the Velcro straps with a seam ripper until they all lay in a pile at her feet. She rummaged viciously through bins of fabric, unearthing an indoor/outdoor weave used for patio furniture in a dark blue, matching it, with a fuming huff, to a spool of heavy nylon thread in a similar shade.

I wasn't very long before she had used the original cast pieces for measurements and cut out her own pattern in the material. Sitting down at the machine, she placed her foot on the pedal and moved it back and forth in fiery temperament until the wheels turned smoothly and with great speed as she loaded a bobbin and worked her magic under the needle.

Emmett's crate was almost full when he added a package of toilet paper to the rest. He leaned on a shelf out of her line of sight and watched her finish her work. She held it up, testing each strap and ring, going over the seams, and generally making sure she turned out a strong and functional product.

She re-covered the machine, put the supplies back where she found them and fumed up the steps, Emmett hastily following with the crate. Upon reaching the kitchen, she flung the new sling on the table, said "It goes on like a baby sling," and practically ran upstairs without making eye contact with either Lara or Noah.

Lara picked it up, assessing it carefully while Emmett put away his "groceries".

"Better try putting it on a couple of times," she said. "so we only have to do it once with him. I don't want him moving it any more than he has to for the next few days."

Noah graciously surrendered himself as guinea pig and within just a few tries they had it figured out. Lara looked at the time on the microwave and it had been over an hour since Brian had had painkillers so she left the men drinking coffee at the table and took the sling upstairs.

Jane's door was closed but she could hear the shower running along with music she couldn't place.

Entering Brian's room she was glad he was still where she had left him, except the puppies were back in their bed. For some reason the music was louder but not unpleasantly so. Brian was much more relaxed and it appeared that the pain had dissipated. She moved the drawer to the floor by the desk and helped him into it. What little pain had been left was swept away from his features as the new sling cradled and supported where necessary and distributed the weight of the injured arm to other, more sturdy parts, of his torso without pinching or constricting.

"That feels a hell of a lot better than that other torture device." Brian said.

"Don't thank me," Lara replied, "Jane made it for you."

Brian kept his mouth shut as he considered the fact that Jane had even bothered to go through the trouble at all after he called her a fishwife. Of course she had been acting like one, but hadn't they already established the fact that she carried that role with her, whether intentionally or not?

Brian only half paid attention as Lara loaded the big canning pot and both open bags of snacks back into the box, hefting it to remove it from his room.

"Wait. That's hers."

Lara set it back down and he rummaged through it until he found something that would serve his purpose and had her leave the box on the floor.

"Try to get some rest. Call if you need anything." Lara put her hand on the knob, intending to close the door behind her but pushed it back open when he told her to leave it. She glanced once at Jane's door, then back at him where he reclined at the top of the bed. He had placed himself in the perfect position to see the moment Jane emerged. If she emerged. Lara smiled in encouragement and sauntered away to give Marc an update and fill out her daily log.

Brian set the box of graham crackers and the tub of dark chocolate frosting on the nightstand nearest him as Eric Clapton finished his last refrain and the beginnings of a new song came through the vent in the bathroom. The shower turned off and the music volume increased as Elvis' signature baritone crooned:

Oh well, I'm tired and so weary
But I must go alone
Till the Lord comes and calls
Calls me away, oh yes
Well the morning's so bright
And the lamp is alight
And the night, night is as black
As the sea, oh yes.

Brian heard Jane's voice follow along, each word in perfect time, even though she couldn't sing for shit.

There will be peace in the valley for me, some day
There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow
No trouble, trouble I see
There will be peace in the valley for me, for me.

Brian vaguely recalled the song, more of the lyrics coming back to him the longer he listened.

The bear shall be gentle

And the wolves will be tame
And the lion shall lay down by the lamb, oh yes
And the beasts from the wild
Shall be lit by a child
And I'll be changed
Changed from this creature that I am, oh yes

By the time the final chorus came he was singing along, though not with the same amount of passion that Jane exhibited.

There will be peace in the valley for me, some day
There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow
No trouble, trouble I see
There will be peace in the valley for me, for me

When the final strains of the music died away and no new song commenced, Brian rose from the bed and went to his bathroom. He could hear her moving around and her now familiar scent wrapped around him. She left the bathroom and Brian went back to the bed, hoping she would make an appearance.

Daylight was just breaking outside his window fifteen minutes later when her door cracked open and she peeked out, obviously hoping there was no one around.

"Milady," Brian spoke, quelling his laughter when she jumped in surprise. "You couldn't carry a tune in a bucket."

Seeing no help for it, since he had caught her out, she straightened and opened the door fully, crossing to stand in his, leaning on the frame. "Gee, no one's ever told me that before." She quipped, a trace of her irritation still evident but her raging temper was gone, leaving a sagging feeling of recrimination in its wake.

Feeling she should apologize for her outrageous and proprietary behavior she opened her mouth to do just that. "Brian, I..." she began.

"I know. Me too." He rolled his lips in, like he hadn't really meant to say it and was closing the proverbial barn door after the horses escaped.

She cocked her head and crossed her arms over her sleep tank. When he didn't say anything else her right foot came up and rubbed the bare calf of her left leg.

Brian could tell she was at a loss. The nervous foot rubbing gave her completely away. What had she said earlier? People like us use physical contact for grounding.

Yeah, that was it...US.

Could she have some kind of anxiety disorder too?

"I've been told you made my sling." Brian said, opening a way for her to talk to him.

She nodded, rubbing a hand down the back of her head and neck, resting it on her shoulder.

"Thanks." Brian said, not liking the departure from gregarious, saucy Jane, into this new skittish version even a tiny bit.

"It was no trouble." Her eyes bled from light green to pale blue as he watched her struggle with some internal weight.

"I would say it was a lot of trouble at the flaming butt-crack of dawn and scared out of your wits."

Her gaze leapt to his face, grateful that she didn't have to explain herself or her actions. She offered another nod and a shy, watery smile before turning back to her room.

"Jane?"

When she turned around, Brian folded back the covers on the space next to him and patted the bed once in invitation.

Jane gave him the full wattage of her smile this time and climbed under the covers while he unfolded his legs and stretched out on top. When he raised his good arm, she didn't hesitate to snug into his side, never questioning when his arm bent around her shoulder and his big hand settled into her hair, toying with the short wisps behind her ear.

"So...Elvis?"

"Mmm, I have a deeper voice, so male singers are easier for me. Elvis is the easiest and that particular song forces me to breathe carefully. It helps me calm down when other stuff isn't working. Plus, I like the words. They always make me feel better. I use Amazing Grace too, but Peace in the Valley just seemed a better fit."

Brian contemplated her admission, admitting that he too felt a little lighter after the few bars he had sung. He plopped the box of crackers and tub of frosting on his lap, saying "Explain this to me."

Jane opened both packages then broke the large rectangle of graham cracker into two smaller squares. Dipping one into the frosting, accumulating a good sized glob, she used the other to spread it over the surface then stuck it on the top making a kind of sandwich. "I grew up poor. In my house this was a cookie. It was substantially cheaper than premade or homemade. Mom would make them for us on holidays or other special occasions. Once in a while, if I had a really bad day, she would sneak me some and send me out behind the fence to eat them so my siblings wouldn't see."

She offered it to him. His initial response was to decline given the amount of food he had eaten at dinner and the fact it would be carbs after seven. Glancing out the window at the new morning, he figured it was a new day, but he still wavered.

"You'll like it, I promise." She wagged the "cookie" under his nose.

Looking down into her face, her eyes a swirl of gold and blue, the opia overtook him. It was intense and humbling, until she finally blinked and the moment was gone.

Fingers still twisting her short hair, he leaned forward and bit off half of the cookie. Chewing, he was surprised to find it was actually pretty good. Jane ate the remaining part and assembled another, feeding Brian and eating his leftovers. When a whole sleeve of graham crackers had been devoured and nothing but dregs were left in the frosting tub, Jane leaned her cheek into the joint of his shoulder, falling to sleep as he absently hummed Elvis' song to himself.

Feeling her relax in a way only sleep can bring, Brian leaned his head on the top of hers and dreamt of boats bobbing gently in toffee colored seas.

A couple of hours later, Jane woke to Bear licking every available inch of her arm. After relieving her bladder and washing up she fed the puppies and wandered downstairs to the kitchen as the toaster ejected its bounty of six slices.

"I figured when Bear insisted on coming inside, he would wake you two. Hungry?" Emmett said from the stove where he was cooking.

Jane didn't say anything, sticking her head in the fridge and coming back out with a Mountain Dew, which she popped open and drank straight down before wiping her mouth on the back of her arm and letting out an impressive belch, then sighed.

Emmett watched the entire scene with increasing amazement, stupefied by her lack of manners.

"I think your eggs are burning." She said, pointing at his skillet.

Emmett shook himself and quickly transferred the fried eggs to two plates added hash browns and toast, garnishing with tiny bowls of preserves. Placing the plates, silverware, coffee carafe and cups, toast and the sugar bowl on a bed tray he asked Jane if she needed creamer for her coffee.

She threw away her empty can, got two new ones, putting them on the tray and hefted the entire thing waiter style and went up the steps.

Emmett was washing his cookware a few minutes later when Marc came in from the porch. "You might want to spread the word" Emmett said, "Ms. Jane is not a morning person."

Brian was sitting up in the bed when Jane returned and set the breakfast tray between them. She poured his coffee and cracked open her soda can while Brian dumped in sugar and stirred. She guzzled half the can before Brian even managed the first sip.

He noticed her skin was paler than usual and she had faint shadows under her eyes, but given the circumstances, she really hadn't slept much. She finished her soda, ate a piece of toast and was toying with her second, not having touched anything else.

"You off your feed this morning Lady Jane?"

She flopped back on the mattress and moaned, "I've never smoked that much weed at one time before."

"Ah," Brian said, with a now-I-get-it lift to his brow. As he ate, he teased, "You know, if you don't make a happy plate, our Host with the Most is gonna be offended." He singsonged, just to get under her skin.

Just the thought of food made her turn a little green as she pulled her bent legs into her belly and wrapped her arms around them. "Help a gal out would ya," she groused, "Just eat mine, so I don't have to."

"What happened to the Lady, Lady Jane?"

"I don't let her out before 10 am." She grumbled.

Brian thought he had had Comfortable Jane back, but this was a different Jane. This was Whiny, Grumpy Jane. He leaned back against the headboard wondering if he should even try to talk to her in this mood. Option one, He knew if he asked what was wrong, she would answer, per their agreement, but he really didn't want to listen to more whining. Option two, he could just leave her alone, she was a grown woman capable of taking care of herself. Option three, he could call Lara and have her deal with the irascible female in his bed.

Female...hmm.

"Cramps?"

"Fuck you, Kinney, you don't know shit." Jane's face pressed into the bedding so Brian could only discern every few words after that, "...men...assume...fucking...period...bastards..."

Brian noticed her breathing became panting and realized she was in real pain. Not knowing what to do for her he speed dialed Lara and typed in MD911 as he moved the tray off the bed. Jane's whole body, still coiled, rolled face down and her muscles went rigid, fingers and toes white with exertion.

His concern leapt to a new level. He rounded the bed and crouched next to it and tried to see her face. "Jane?! Talk to me Jane, what the hell is going on? I can't help you if you don't talk to me!"

Lara was momentarily stunned to find Brian perfectly fine and Jane groaning in agony, curled up in a ball on the bed. She recovered quickly and did her best to get poor woman's vitals but didn't get very far due to Jane's position and inability to unlock her muscles.

"Give her some morphine or something!" Brian yelled, and Jane's head twisted painfully in his direction. Her irises were almost black and the whites were blood-shot.

"I don't know her medical history it may do more harm than good." Lara shook her head.

"Nnnooo...dddrruggs..." Jane managed to get out around clenched teeth as her jaw seized uncontrollably.

Brian panicked when Lara couldn't do anything. "Is she having a seizure? Do we need an ambulance?"

"I have never seen anything like this before, its beyond me." Lara replied.

Brian turned back to Jane as she bit out, "Rredd...bbbaggg..."

Brian was across the hall before he even realized he had taken a step. Rifling her trunk, the drawers and closet he finally found a large, red, zippered make up bag on the toilet tank. He caught the corner in his teeth and unzipped it on his way back to his room and dumped the contents on the bed as he knelt on the floor. "Which one, baby." He said, gesturing to the fifty odd bottles between their faces. Jane's eyes were closing, "No no no, Jane, you gotta help me help you. I don't know which one you need. Open your eyes, there's a good girl."

Brian didn't notice when the others entered the room he was so focused on Jane's pain. "Okay, Okay, think, Kinney. Think! Alright Jane, look at me, we're gonna play a game okay? Just you and me and the winner has to make graham cracker cookies for the loser all week, all right?"

Jane's mouth moved in a grimace Brian interpreted as an attempt to smile. "You with me? Okay the game goes like this; all you hafta do is, Jane pay attention, all you hafta do is stare at the bottle you need my job is to find it just by looking at your eyes okay? Easy peasy."

Lara laid a hand on his shoulder but he shucked it off impatiently. "You ready Jane?"

Seeing assent in her eyes he watched as they moved to the pile between them. Brian immediately cleared away the bottles to the left and right of her gaze, leaving him with about a third. "Lara, cut open the back of her shirt, Em, climb up there and make long slow passes from shoulder to ass."

They scurried to make it happen and as her shirt opened, everyone with a view drew in a startled breath. Brian glanced up, Emmett hesitated to put his hands on what he could see was extensive scarring. "Do it Em!" he shouted.

Looking into Jane's eyes again, stroking her forehead, he could tell by the look she gave him that he was on the right track. "The bottles Jane, c'mon, which one?" Her eyes moved back to the pile and stayed locked on the one she needed. Brian picked up and discarded several of them until he found the one her eyes tracked when he lifted it. "Good Girl!" He kissed her face handing it back over his shoulder to Lara and she opened it. Pouring it into her hand, she had a fistful of different pills, all shapes, colors and sizes, most of which she didn't recognize. Jane was swallowing convulsively and sweat coated her skin and hair. Large mottled patches of raised red welts were showing up everywhere Brian could see.

"God, baby do you need to take all of these?" he asked stroking her cheek. Her head spasmed disjointedly in response and her lips pulled back tightly from her teeth. "Fuck! Okay, okay, okay. We need to sit you up, all right?"

Brian's heart pounded in his chest and acid burned its way into his mouth with what he knew was the beginnings of his own attack.

No, can't let it happen now.

Marc wrapped a meaty arm carefully around her body and lifted her upright. When Brian realized she wouldn't be able to hold herself there he climbed onto the bed behind her and braced her between his bent knees, pressing them into her sides to keep her from sliding sideways.

An awful, burbling sound issued from the back of her throat and Brian looked to Emmett who said, "Christ, she looks scared to death. Her eyes are HUGE!"

SHITFUCKSHIT! She can't see me anymore!

Brian looked around the room for what he needed and not finding it turned to Lulah. "I need a big wall mirror. Now." Noah followed her out and Brian pulled Jane's body further back into the vee of his legs, bringing her as close to him as he possibly could, not caring that he mashed his injured arm between them.

He tucked his chin into the crook of her neck putting his mouth on the shell of her ear. "It's okay we're gonna fix it, Jane. I know you can't see me, but we are gonna fix it okay? Just listen to me. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. You gotta take your pills, baby. Focus on my hand. Can you feel my hand on your throat? Feel how gentle it is? I'm not gonna hurt you Jane."

Brian's hand stroked in long passes up and down in time with his breathing. "C'mon Jane, breathe with me like you showed me. You can do it, in...out." Brian repeated the gesture and the words several times to no avail.

Noah and Lulah returned with a two foot by three foot, wall mirror, and having a good idea of what was going on, Lara had them set it on the bed and hold it steady in front of the occupants.

As soon as Brian could see their reflection he said, "There, see? All better. C'mon Jane, look at me in the mirror. See that? I'm still here and so are you." Brian hadn't stopped caressing her throat when her eyes cracked open, not enough for him to see the color, but enough for her to see him and grapple her gaze onto his in the reflection. "There she is! Good girl!"

The convulsive swallowing eased. "Good. That's really good Jane. That's right, show me your eyes baby." His fingers moved to her jaw and began the process all over again.

"You have the most mesmerizing eyes I have ever seen. I bet you've never heard that before right? No matter how many times you do though, it doesn't make it less true. I bet your husband missed that most while he was gone didn't he, Jane? Being the strong, silent type he probably never told you but I bet you catch him staring. Does he pick little fights with you Jane? Just so he can watch them go emerald and glittery like the first day we met? I bet he does. I would."

Jane's jaw finally slacked and Lara fed her the pills and water while Brian kept talking. He kept his voice low, even, pacing his breaths and willing hers to follow.

"When you let him make up with you, do you let him stare into your eyes while he soothes your feathers Jane? Do you let him watch, while your temper fades and his hands stroking you makes your eyes go all soft and golden? I bet you do, Jane. I know you do. Because you like to see how much he loves it."

Lara turned her palm over, indicating all the pills were gone.

"Good job, they are all gone. Now we are just gonna sit here while they work okay Jane? Feel my hand?" Brian was tracing his fingertips over the swell of her cheekbone. "No, don't look away Jane, that's it, keep watching me. I'm gonna tell you a story okay?" Brian's eye's said something to hers in the reflection that no one else understood, but Jane seemed to and big, fat tears began rolling down her face as she stared at him unblinking.

"We're gonna get through this Jane, I promise. I'm not leaving. Okay? But I have to tell it. You know I have to." Jane's whole body was quaking.

"Once upon a time, there lived a princess with mahogany hair and emerald eyes. She was very young and spirited. She was pretty on the outside, sure enough, but it was what was on the inside that made her special."

Brian didn't know how he was going to get through this telling, but his gut insisted he had to do it. His mind rebelled at sharing anything so personal in mixed company, but if it would help Jane to understand his feelings then he had to do it. He was aware that he had become the anchor of this particular episode and she was hyper-aware of his every word and movement. That left him in the precarious spot of being the only one that could help.

"She carried a special kind of love inside her, didn't she Jane? The kind that allowed her to love everyone. She was generous with that love and gave it away to whoever needed it and her people loved her back. She helped them tend their flocks, reap their crops and raise their children. She was very smart and passionate about a lot of things."

Jane's wet stare bored into Brian's, begging him not to tell, and pleading with him to get it out and make it go away. "I know, sweetheart." Brian said, rubbing his big hand from her crown, down the back of her skull, and over her neck the way he had seen her do it.

"A monster came into her land. He became enraged and jealous. He wanted the princess for himself, didn't he Jane? He wanted that special thing she had, to be only his, so he stole her away and then he stole from her. He stole her innocence and her belief in precious things. He corrupted her, made her believe she wasn't worthy to be loved by her people."

Emmett's hand flew to cover his mouth as Jane let out a choked, garbled, scream and her nails dug into her legs, curling impossibly further into herself.

Lara saw Marc blanche white at the implications and Noah slid down the wall. Tears ran silently on Lulah's cheeks as she sank onto the bed and rubbed whatever part of Jane she could reach in support.

Brian drew a watery breath, his voice so deep it was almost unrecognizable. "But in his greed, he forgot that the princess was smart too. She was so smart she found a way to use his corruption and bend it into a power for herself. She used it, didn't she Jane? She used her new power to free herself from him."

Tears and snot melded together over Jane's mouth as she turned her face into Brian's, making him look down into her violet eyes, willing him to finish the story. He dipped his forehead to hers, both of them closing their eyes as the rest of the room faded away.

"The princess used her powers to put right what the monster had destroyed in her land. But no one knew the cost did they? They didn't know she couldn't kill the monster. She needed him didn't she Jane? She needed him to feed her power, so she kept him locked away in the dungeon so he couldn't hurt anyone else but still be there to fuel her power for her." Brian ran fingers through her sweaty hair.

"Please come back, Jane. I need you. Score two for you, Milady. You were right. I am a selfish bastard. I want to be helped Jane, you're the only one that can fix it. No more hiding Jane, I promise. I beat the monster too, but I haven't figured out how to use it and it's eating me alive. It's crawling in my belly, Jane, and in my brain, spreading greasy shit all over everything I feel. I need you, Jane. I need you to teach me how to use it. Please, come back. I need you... I need...you...I need you..."

Brian kept saying the words, believing for the first time that he could be helped. He wasn't alone. Jane had been through it too. He just kept repeating the words begging her to come back, even if it was just to tell him to fuck off.

His arm was cramping under her head and he didn't care, his legs were shaking from supporting her weight and he didn't care. His face was covered in tears and snot and he didn't know if they were his or hers, and he didn't care.

He just kept whispering his need over and over, not knowing or caring how much time passed, willing her, even going so far as to pray, for her to come back, until her body went slack in his arm.

Lara leapt onto the bed straddling them both the second Jane unfurled. She shone her light into her eyes and quickly took her vitals, before calmly pronouncing, "She's fine. Sleeping.", then getting off the bed and putting her equipment away. The relief in the room was palpable.

Lara put Jane's bottles in their bag, noting the labels as she did so.

"What color were they?"

She looked up, not sure she was the one being addressed.

Seeing him, holding Jane's crumpled body, her usually stoic demeanor cracked. She had not been impervious to his story, but hearing it was one thing and seeing it was another and it was written in every line of his face.

"Her eyes." He said, really asking a different question altogether.

The forlorn and lost little boy wanting a simple answer for something that words failed. Tears welled when she realized how very alone and lonely he was, and they fell when she knew the truth would be just as painful as a lie. So she gave him the only answer she could, "They looked exactly like yours do right now."

Brian stared at her for several tense moments before accepting her answer with a nod.

Lara shared a look with the rest of the occupants when Brian buried his face in Jane' sweaty neck. All but Emmett followed her from the room.

Emmett set the mirror on the floor and wedged it behind the dresser in case they needed it again. He was wiping his own tears away, trying to pull himself together when a now again familiar voice said, "I want...hmhm" Brian's throat cleared. "Would you...help me?"

Emmett stood up straighter, his chest puffing with pride. Brian do-it-all-myself-don't-need-anyone-else Kinney, trusted him, Emmett Honeycutt, wishy washy, sentimental, queen; to help him. Brian's trust settled gently and easily onto his shoulders like a superheroes cape, imparting powers all its own.

"Sure, Brian. Anything."

Brian lifted his head, smirking at Emmett from under his bangs, "Anything, Honeycutt? You may regret you said that."

And there he was.

Just like that.

Brian fucking Kinney, back in charge. Ready to kick whatever this was in the teeth and laugh in the face of it all.

Brian fucking Kinney, ready to charge into the fray and do whatever it took until he either conquered or died.

No turning back, no second place, it was either win or go home and he had no intentions of leaving.

Emmett's wide smile lit his face so brightly it became infectious, and when it tugged the corner of Brian's mouth he said, teasingly "So, what can I do for you, Oh Great Master."

Brian tried to shift Jane's weight, but his weakened limbs didn't cooperate and they ended up sliding sideways to the mattress, Jane's legs coiled in Brian's, her head on his arm. "Clean bedding, food, I imagine she'll be starving when she wakes, and we need to get the smell off her. So a shower too."

"What smell?" Emmett asked as he turned for the door.

"Fear." Brian said, closing his eyes and waiting while Emmett flew down the steps, making lists in his head like the planner he was.

He was so engrossed in his task he almost barreled into the crowd waiting at the bottom. They all came to attention, alert, waiting for some task they could do to put right the world that had just tipped on its axis. Some form of normalcy that would hold at bay the rawness of the soul that invaded each of them in its own way.

"They're okay." Everyone sagged in relief and hope flared in eyes that had gone vacant. "I need the milking stools from the barn, not the wooden ones. We need something made that can be refrigerated and eaten cold like pasta or chicken salad."

Noah ran for the door and Lulah peeled off for the kitchen.

"Lara, I need a list of his meds and a dosing schedule, he's going to want privacy for a while, so I don't think he will let you in there. He's going to close ranks and we are going to let him, for now." Lara agreed with Emmett's assessment of the situation and left to take care of the task he assigned her.

"I need all of you to keep your distance until either they or I give you the go ahead." Emmett said to Marc. "Right now he needs to work on himself and not be reminded every second that there is a real and dangerous threat, not just to him, but to everyone he cares about. I know you are here to protect him. I'm not asking you to stop. I'm telling you to do it from farther away."

Marc looked like he wanted to say something but Emmett waved a hand in negation, "If you are that worried about his safety while he is here, give Jane a gun. Her husband is a soldier so I'd bet Lulah's good pearls Jane knows how to use one. Besides, after what just happened up there, she'd jump in front of a bus before she let anything happen to him, and vice versa."

Marc wasn't ready to give in quite yet. "I will agree to those terms, on the condition that everyone wears a radio at all times, unless they are sleeping or bathing."

"Fair enough."

Noah came in with the stools and taking one in each hand, Emmett carried them upstairs and set them in the bottom of Brian's shower. He shoved the hand nozzle into the safety bar so it could be reached and turned the water on to heat the room.

"Sit here with her while I get her stuff." Brian said, when Emmett returned.

In Jane's room, Brian selected toiletries and was rifling her clothing on the bed. He quickly selected a modest pair of satin briefs and an unadorned, scooped neck, cap sleeved, ankle length nightgown. He was nearing the door when the pattern struck him.

Moving back to her things, he made a pile of her undergarments. They were all extremely expensive and they were all from La Perla. Panties, camisoles, bras and nightgowns offering varying degrees of coverage. Her tastes ran the gamut from purely functional and modest, to sexy and downright racy. The thing that had caught his attention though, was every piece was the same nude color and satin fabric. There wasn't a single instance of black lace, red silk, or white cotton anywhere. Double checking by going through the trunk again Brian realized what he was looking at.

"Brian? She's shivering. What should I do?"

Leaving it for later, he went to his room and set her stuff on the nightstand and put her soap in the shower as he said, "It's her body coming off the chemicals."

"She's on drugs?!"

"No. Brain chemicals. You know, like adrenaline and dopamine."

Coming back, he carefully peeled off her top and eased the elastic of her shorts down her hips and legs.

"OhMyGod" Emmett gasped and instinctively hugged Jane closer to him.

Brian glared at him. "Did you honestly think, after seeing her back, that the sonofabitch would have ignored the front?" He tossed her sleepwear near Emmett. "Burn those."

"Let me go grab some pants and I'll..."

"No. I'll do it."

"Brian, your arm."

"It isn't important. Besides, you need to make the bed. Just get her in there and I will call if I want something."

Emmett saw the determination in his friend's face as Brian shimmied out of his sweat-shorts and was left wearing only briefs. He knew arguing with Brian when he was resolute was like trying to stop a locomotive with a pile of marshmallows, so he gave up without the fight.

Gently gathering Jane, he followed Brian and placed her on the stool in front of him, draping her legs over his thigh and leaning her head into his shoulder before leaving to make the bed.

Brian got them both wet and picked up Jane's unsurprisingly unscented soap. Squeezing a healthy amount onto her torso he efficiently worked it into a lather and covered most of her body, avoiding her head so it didn't run into her eyes. Using his own soap on himself would defeat the purpose so he used hers and did as much of his body as he could reach. Settling for just rinsing her hair really well, he got the soap off of them and held the spray on her until her shivering stopped. They stayed that way, Brian's cheek on hers, as he quietly sang what he could remember of Amazing Grace waiting for Emmett.
Brian didn't know how much time passed.

When the faucet was flipped off, Emmett gathered Jane into the biggest towel Brian had ever seen. It was so big, that by the time Emmett carried her from the room the only thing he could see was the top of Jane's head. Stripping off his wet underwear and leaving them in the shower he did his best to wrap a towel around his waist and picked up Jane's tube of lotion, again unscented, and climbed onto the bed.

"Find her arms and legs and get some of this rubbed in." Brian said, handing the tube to Emmett and holding out his hand for Emmett to squeeze some into his palm. Emmett did as he was told, while Brian wormed his hand under the edge of fabric, rubbing the cream into one side of her torso but keeping her modestly covered. Repeating the ritual on her other side, Brian worked efficiently. Finished with her other arm, Emmett moved to her legs, as Brian did her abdomen, watching her face the whole time for distress.

Finished with her front, they rolled her to her side and Brian worked awkwardly under the towel on her back.

"Thanks." Emmett whispered.

Not letting his focus drift from Jane, Brian said, "Didn't do it for you."

"I know." Emmett tried to lay a hand on his friend's arm in understanding, but Brian shied away from his touch.

When Brian gestured for her clothing Emmett hesitated, "I can't..."

"I will do it. You'll need to help with the gown though." Brian understood, he didn't think he could handle seeing it again either, but there was no one else he would let in the room to do it for him. Emmett turned away as Brian slid the panties up her legs and over her hips as fast as he could.

Once they had her in the gown, stretched out on her right side, Brian picked up a palm sized, cut crystal decanter, pulled the stopper from the top and used it to apply Jane's signature scent to her neck and wrists.

"That smells really good," Emmett hmmmd, "like nutmeg, but better."

Brian lit a cigarette and sagged into the wall, watching her. "At eighteen hundred dollars an ounce, it should."

Emmett folded the giant towel into his arms and sidled in next to Brian, both of them content to watch her sleep.

"I don't think I have ever seen a nude color quite that pale before." Emmett said, "It almost exactly matches the color of her skin."

Brian exhaled smoke, dragging his thumb over the stubble on his jaw. "Lady Jane's armor."

He could feel Emmett's look of confusion without having to see it. So he explained.

"Every single one of her underthings is that same color and fabric, so when she looks at herself, for a fleeting moment, she can believe it's real."

"What's real?"

"That it is her skin, beautiful and soft and smooth. Not ugly and scarred."

Emmett glanced at Brian, Brian's gaze locked on Jane an indescribable look on his face.

Emmett turned back to her. Her right hand was tucked under the pillow, her lips parted, left arm draped along her side, hand laying over her hip. "But she is beautiful! I know it's fashionable to be skinny and all, but look at her! She's like one of those famous marble sculptures or something." Emmett waved a hand emphatically.

"Cool your jets, Bernini. I happen to agree with you." Brian said drolly. He took his time, letting his eyes take in everything about her form. Emmett was right, she did look like the statues from the old world. Like Venus Crouching or Toscano's Aphrodite Torso, the notable exception being her breasts were fuller and her natural waist much narrower. He remembered her negative comments about her body and looked at her more critically. She was right. Yes, it was obvious she had carried children, evidenced by the looser skin and fleshy roundedness below her navel that no amount of crunches would ever dispel. Yes, her breasts were not high and hard like Hollywood would have women believe they should be. They had been through the feeding of babies and though still generous and firm, fell naturally lower, but not grotesquely so. As for her ass, Brian could see nothing wrong with it. Sure, it was not a bubble butt or even that of an athlete, but its generous mounds formed into a perfectly shaped, upside down, heart with the curves accentuating the wider flare of hip and thigh, and the point drawing the observer to the narrowness of her waist. All in all, she had what Brian had heard referred to as an hourglass shape. Definitely not ready for a runway in these time, but most definitely not something to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. Quite simply, she was Jane, and her body told her story.

"How old do you think she was?" Emmett whispered and Brian didn't even pretend not to understand the question.

No more hiding, Jane, I promise.

His words to her, echoed in Brian's mind and even though it left him feeling raw and vulnerable, he answered truthfully. "Younger than I was, I suspect."

He crushed out his cigarette and pushed off the wall, moving to the dresser for clean underwear and shorts.

"Brian?"

"Not all of us wear our scars on the outside. Close the door on your way out."

To:Zephyr@LibertyComics.com

From:BAK@KinnetikKorp.com

You know how it is on vacation, laying around, working on my tan, no time for phone calls...I will make it up to you later.
Your welcome for the theater. Don't mention it...Really...don't say anything about it. You will do much better in the press on opening day if you keep my name out of it. As for balconies, where there is a will there is a way.
Man, you must be getting OLD! Don't you remember how horny you were all the time at his age? Cut him some slack, DAD, he is happily swimming away in pools of pussy. Get over it already.
I'm glad you watched, did you make a donation?
Not sure about the holidays yet, busy, busy, busy.

Always Have,

Brian

Brian looked up from where he was, on the bed, as Bear sat down in the doorway. He seemed to just want to watch Jane, so Brian went back to his emails.

To:CynTAK@KinnetikKorp.com
From:BAK@KinnetikKorp.com

Press release is a go.
Did you ever doubt it?
Just fuck him already, you know what a bitch you are when you aren't getting laid regularly.
Of course I did.
How else was I supposed to keep the smart little fucker busy and distracted without using my dick?
I'm doing alright.
I think I should tell her about it?

New Business:

See if you can get a meet with whomever is in charge of La Perla for after the new year. Hint at a new line of underthings for a specific and targeted market that will generate loads of good press. I will get you more details as they become available. This is new for us too, so keep it to yourself for now.

B

Seeing Brian engrossed, Bear crouched on his belly and inched his way to Jane's side of the bed.

To:SunnyBoy@Trix4Kix.net
From:ThunderStud@Trix4Kix.net

I miss you.

Later

To:LinSaP@SBGal.com
From:BAK@KinnetikKorp.com

You are.
You WILL.

Brian

Hearing the distinctive sound of licking of skin, Brian glanced up and caught Bear mid-swipe. The big dog froze, tongue halfway out with a guilty look on his face. Brian laughed out loud. When Bear's expressive eyebrows cocked in question in Jane's direction, Brian understood the feeling.

"Just for tonight. We are not making a habit of this."

Bear laid down and Brian moved the puppy drawer to that side of the bed and within minutes all three hounds were sleeping. He went back to his laptop.

To:MelMar@TNJ.org
From:BAK@Kinnetik.com

Thanks for not kicking her waspy ass to the curb. She's hard to understand most of the time, but you do it better than most.

I should have included you.

Asshole

Setting the computer aside, Brian looked around for something else to occupy, if not his thoughts, then his hands. Seeing nothing else, he noted the time, and made his way downstairs to the kitchen for coffee.

Lara, Noah, and Emmett sat companionably around the table eating a late breakfast and chatting as Brian made his cup and took it to an empty chair.

"How's our little sleeping beauty doing?" Emmett asked.

"Okay, I guess," Brian replied, "for someone that has been asleep for sixteen hours and fifty-two minutes. Right?" he asked the last, looking at Lara for confirmation.

"I see no reason to think otherwise." She said.

"What's the plan for today boys and girl?" He said to no one in particular.

Emmett perked up, "I'm going shopping. We need some fresh foods from the market so I thought I would head into town. You need anything?" Emmett was already working on his list.

"Yeah, but I need you here. Noah? You think you can handle the shopping? I have a project that needs Emmett's attention."

When the dark man agreed, Emmett went to great lengths explaining exactly what everything on the list was and where Noah should get it from before flipping the page and turning to Brian.

"What's your list, sweetie?"

Brian finished his coffee, setting the cup down and standing up. Hooking his fingers into the back of his waistband he said, "A half dozen boxes of plain graham crackers and at least a dozen tubs of assorted chocolate flavors of frosting. Also one in strawberry and another of buttercream. Emmett, add the ingredients for that dish she was telling you about at dinner the other night, it didn't seem all that complicated to make. A stack of comic books, preferably with female heroes, you pick. A copy of One Eyed Jacks and Cheaper by the Dozen with Lucille Ball, not the newer one. Uhm, two cases bottled beer, a couple cases of water, a dog bed. A big one. Four cases of, God help me, Mountain dew. A coffee maker, high-end. A good sized mini fridge or, barring that, a small refrigerator. Two plush, rolling, desk chairs..."

Brian started pacing as his thoughts turned to plans in his head and Emmett watched him get into his groove.

"two sets navy satin sheets in king and two sets navy cotton in king, you know the thread count. Four extra soft pillows also king and extra pillowcases. Temporary colored hairspray in every color available, skittles, and marshmallows, the really big ones. Emmett? How much fabric would it take to make an outfit for someone Jane's size?"

"Depends on what your making but six yards should cover it."

Brian nodded, doing some quick mental calculations. "Eight yards each in leather, vinyl, satin spandex and brocade. Oh, and some of that really wide elastic that looks like bandaging. All of it black. A really high-end digital camera with video capabilities and extra memory cards. A tripod and large photo printer. Extension cords and droplights. Pringles, plain, six cans and three cans of sharp cheddar spray cheese. Photo paper in glossy and matte, Doritos, three bags. Eyeshadows in emerald, gold and bronze all metallic, no-smear lipstick in the darkest red you can find without losing the red, high gloss and matte. An ear cuff, the jewelry kind, metal, preferably with no gems. A gallon of corn syrup, red food coloring and a spray bottle. Two cans of black spray paint, one silver and another of bronze. Hair wax. Parachute cord, black, four yards. And ahh...a knife? Yeah, a knife, military style with a brass knuckle grip. French vanilla ice cream and caramel topping. Lots of caramel topping."

Brian grabbed Emmett's elbow and none too gently hauled him to his feet and dragged him up the steps hollering, "And somebody get me some more weed!" as they went.

Lara snuck a peek at Noah who looked like he wanted to throw up. He didn't know anything about fabric or some of the other stuff on the list and realizing it was not going to be a quick trip to town, she patted his hand and offered to go with him.

Emmett was still in shock as he stood in the middle of Jane's room, Brian moving around him, frenetically collecting her things and stuffing them in her trunk and talking.

"Wha... Brian, what are you doing?"
Brian stopped directly in front of him and grabbed the side of Emmett's neck. "Listen to me, Honeycutt. Are you listening?"

Emmett focused on him and nodded.

"We are moving Jane into my room. You will move my dresser over so the one in here will fit next to it. Everything else but the bed and desk are leaving this room. It is now a workspace. Capisce?"

Emmett's head bobbed. "Oh, um, okay?"

Brian got ahold of Marc on the radio and with the burly man doing the grunt work all the furniture was rearranged to Brian's exacting specifications. Emmett took great care putting Jane's things away into her dresser and Brian's closet. He installed another shelf in Brian's bathroom for her toiletries and rustled up an extra toothbrush holder for her toothbrush and toothpaste. The puppies woke, but Brian was busy across the hall, so he fed them, played with them for a while and wisely kept his mouth shut about Bear being in the room. He had just returned the sleeping pups to the drawer when Brian stuck his head in the door.

"Show me where she made the sling."

Emmett indicated for him to follow and led the way to the cellar, showing Brian the boxes and bins of sewing related items. As Brian pulled bins haphazardly onto the floor one handed, Emmett handed him an empty, then stood back and observed.

Brian was a whirlwind. It was readily apparent that he had some vision in his head he was trying to replicate. He would search through a bin quickly and not finding what he wanted would shove it aside. Conversely, he would come across something that fit the bill and would toss it into the bin Emmett had handed him. It was fascinating to the big queen how decisive Brian was. There was no hesitation or prevarication of choices in the things he picked up. The item either matched the vision or didn't. Once the decision was made he did not reexamine a single piece.

Leaving the mess and pulling the bin of selected items onto his hip, Brian said, "Grab the mannequin and send Marc back down her for the sewing machine."

Brian spent the next several hours making rudimentary sketches and talking out what he wanted with Emmett and Lulah. Together they surfed the net, ordered footwear and several other items that caught Brian's attention, and took Jane's measurements before tucking her under the duvet. Emmett went downstairs in the afternoon to get dinner started, leaving an excited Brian discussing the possibilities of a military themed piping with Lulah as she turned dials and expanded panels on the segmented sewing mannequin.

"That's as close as I can get it, Brian, but it is still too small in the bust and hip." Lulah was saying as Brian's displeasure was working up to a full head of steamed frustration.

He raked a hand through his hair, trying to come up with a solution for making the mannequin match Jane's fuller proportions. It was close, but he wanted it perfect. Leaving the room for a couple of minutes, he came back with one of Jane's bras dangling in his hand and handed it over without a word.

Lulah got the idea without having to be told and put it on the mannequin's chest, hooking it in the back, saying, "There is some upholstery batting in the cellar."

Brian went to retrieve it, passing Emmett in the kitchen who said, "Dinner's almost done, and I think I just heard the truck pull in."

Brian ignored him.

When he came back from the cellar, the large bag of batting under his arm, he bounded up the steps two at a time, not stopping to help as the others unloaded the stuff from the shopping excursion into the living room.

"Lulah?" Brian called, as he hit the top of the steps and turned into the workroom. "You wouldn't happen to have a girdle would you?"

She gave him a disgusted look, very similar to one he had seen Emmett pull. "Now why on earth would I have one of those torture devices? This is the way God made me and I don't fool around with tryin' change it for someone else's ideals of beauty."

Brian dropped the batting and held his hand up in surrender. "I didn't mean that!" he said pointing to her ample girth then gesturing to the mannequin's inadequate hips, "I meant for that."

"Oh," she said, catching his drift and thinking about it for a few minutes while Brian stuffed the bra until it's double D cups were all the way full and firm.

"Weeelll..." Lulah said, whispering as if imparting a dirty secret, "I do have a couple pairs of control top pantyhose we could use."

Brian grinned boyishly at her, then narrowed his eyes in that sexy way he had. "The way God made you, Huh?"

Lulah squared her shoulders indignantly, imperiously announcing, "Well, the good book does say, the Lord helps those that help themselves." before she turned and flounced from the room.

Emmett found them sitting on the floor thirty minutes later laughing their asses off as they stuffed batting into the shape of legs. He set his tray on the desk, placing his hands on his hips, and cleared his throat loudly until he had their attention.

"I've been calling you to dinner for forever. What the hell is going on in here?"

Brian wagged a half stuffed leg in his direction. "Can't you tell? We're making a sex doll."

That set Lulah and Brian off in fresh peals of laughing, causing Emmett to just shake his head.

"Well since you two knuckle heads seem to not want to leave this room, I took pity on you and brought you some dinner. I insist you stop right now and eat before it gets cold."

Brian didn't want to stop, he was on a roll and wanting to keep going now that the rest of the supplies were there, but seeing the mutinous expression on Emmett's face he stood up and went to the desk. He didn't even look at the food, he just started shoveling, not caring what it was, or what it tasted like, carbs be damned.

Emmett had never seen Brian eat like that before, but wisely refrained from commenting. Instead he took Brian's place on the floor and stuffed. When Lulah thought the legs were good Emmett helped her up from the floor and they pulled them onto the mannequin and began filling the hips and backside.

Brian was chewing and talking with his mouth full, trying to give them directions on how to do it when Emmett lost patience. "I'm a big, fat, nelly, queen, Brian! I think I have enough experience with drag to know how to pad an ass!"

Brian gave him a sarcastic look and went back to eating.

Once the top part of the pantyhose had been filled, Lulah took some measurements, consulted her notes, made some adjustments and pronounced the headless model finished. Brian stepped over, food all but forgotten, and ran his hand over the curves. Closing his eyes and taking his time, he mentally compared it Jane.

When he found it accurate, he opened his eyes. "Now the fun begins."

He had said it with such, intensity, that both Emmett and Lulah knew that there would be no sleep for anyone in the house except Jane until Brian's vision was accomplished.

Brian held the stiff, square, leather pouch as Lara punched the last the hole in the strap and affixed a black metal grommet with the special tool. Brian moved to stand in front of the now fully clothed mannequin and used his knee to brace the pouch on its hip and struggled to wrap the strap around its hips.

Lara wanted to help but didn't offer, knowing he would refuse it anyway. The more tired he had gotten, the more he wanted to do himself. He became increasingly picky and exacting, driving Emmett to finally throw his hands up in exasperation and flopping on the bed in defeat. Lara looked at him, now sleeping and snoring. Lulah had gone to bed forty minutes ago, and she had to admit, she hoped Brian was ready to call it quits too. It had been an extremely long day for everyone.

Brian managed to get the strap fastened, along with its companion on the thigh, and stepped back to see the whole ensemble. Lara watched him as he moved around it, stroking a finger here, touching a seam there, testing ties and fasteners.

When she finally saw his muscles relax, she knew he was done. She lit him a cigarette and leaned a butt cheek on the edge of the desk.

He came over and mimicked her pose, taking the cigarette from her hand, eyes still on his creation. He hadn't done the sewing or anything much of that nature, only directing the others, but what came out of it was stunning. He had been very clear in what he wanted and as they worked they all came to understand, without actually discussing it, what it was for and worked diligently and without complaint because they wanted it right for the same reason. She was hopeful that Jane, smart woman that she was, would see it for what it was.

Brian stuck the cigarette between his teeth, put his hand on the side of Lara's neck over her curlicue tattoo, and squeezed gently. "I keep telling you to stop thinking so loud, Doc." He pulled his hand back, retrieving his smoke. "You'll wake Emmett." he teased.

Lara looked at his creation again. "It's...powerful." she whispered, her voice husky with emotion. "Its...feminine, and...alluring."

Brian stubbed out his cigarette. "Mmmhmm"

Lara saw the grin in his eyes just before he left. She walked to the model, running her hand down the bodice, she said to no one in particular, "Just like Jane." before crawling into the bed with Emmett.

Jane woke to bright sunlight streaming in through the window. Craning her neck to look at the clock on the nightstand she saw that it was one in the afternoon. Right next to it was a can of Mountain Dew in a Tupperware bowl with mostly melted ice in it. Two seconds later, she became painfully aware of how full her bladder was.

Slipping out from under Brian's leg draped over hers, she grabbed the can and raced into his bathroom, quietly closing the door behind her.

Brian had awakened the minute she left the bed. He lay there with his eyes closed, wondering which Jane he would get when she came back, fretting over whether or not she would be upset over what might be construed as high-handedness and proprietary behavior, by moving her in with him.

He listened as she flushed the toilet. His agitation increased when he heard her open the soda and a few minutes later the can hitting the bottom of the metal trash can. The sink turned on, water splashed and his patience was at its limit while she brushed her teeth.

He took great pains to ensure his breathing was easy and kept his eyes closed when she crawled back into the bed. She curled back into her former position against his side and he breathed a silent sigh of relief. To Brian, it seemed she at least didn't have a problem with waking up in his bed with him.

She squirmed a bit, twisting her hips, trying to get more comfortable when Brian heard her mumble something about Pavlov's dogs. It went on for a few more minutes until she jerked to the side, away from him and let out a frustrated groan. There was some more wriggling, the sound of something soft hitting the rug, and Brian suddenly knew what it was all about.

"Something wrong Lady Jane?" he drolled, opening his eyes in time to see her look of embarrassment.

"It's this..." she started, blushing to her hairline.

"It's?" Brian countered as her legs bent up then flattened again.

"It's the gown! Okay?" she said in a hissing whisper. She was clearly frustrated and not wanting to admit what the problem was.

"It is a very pretty gown." Brian teased her, "What's it ever done to you, to make you so upset?"

"I'm not upset!" she squirmed again, hugging her waist as the blanket slipped to her abdomen and her nipples went hard. "I only wear...uhgh."

Brian took pity on her, sidling closer so he could lean into her ear. "You...on-ly...wear... it...for...sssexx..." he paused on every word, drawing out every syllable, lingering on the silibant esses, relishing when his breath in her ear sent tremors over her skin and she swallowed hard, just to open her mouth, drag in a breath and do it again. She turned her head, nose to nose with him, her breaths wafting over his lips, her moist hazel eyes locking on his as she nodded.

He rubbed the tip of his nose slowly over hers, once, twice, staring intently, "Nothing wrong with getting your needs met."

The relief, that he understood, flooded her eyes and Brian couldn't look away. "Tell me what you need."

His eyes went dark and hooded, touching his forehead to hers, gazes entwined as she slid her hands under both of his waistbands and eased them down as far as she could, then using her foot to get them the rest of the way off his legs. She rucked her gown up to the top of her thighs and turned away from him pulling his arm under her neck and curling his forearm down over her breast, spreading his fingers out on the ribs at her side.

She was still carefully watching him as she coasted her palm from his thigh, up over his hipbone, and over his navel, silently asking permission.

"Whatever you want, baby." Brian breathed, barely holding back the moan when she wrapped fingers around his morning wood and positioned it between her legs.

Brian understood what she seemed to want and closed the small distance between them as she moved her left arm back over his waist and hip, spooning her from behind. He shifted a bit, cradling her ass in his groin, making his dick slip, first forward then back in her already wet cleft. She hadn't placed him for penetration, but she hadn't forgotten about him either. The fingers of her left hand curled back behind her into the muscle of his buttock as he flexed into her and she had her right hand under his cock between her legs, pressing it up against her folds as he flexed again. This time, he went far enough to graze the tip of his cock over her clitoris, eliciting a breathy sigh of pleasure.

Brian let her set the pace, her hand on his ass giving the directions as he continued slowly rolling his hips into her and staring at her eyes, watching as, each time he hit the spot, they would glaze a little more, taking her someplace else as they shifted from hazel, lightening to pale green. He felt himself drowning, the warm satin of her gown rubbed his chest all the way to his hips where not impeded by the sling. It was a new sensation for him and he found it pleasing as her nutmeg fragrance became more powerful from the heat of her body. He breathed it in, as she rocked her hips in counterpoint to his, increasing the slippery, sliding, sensation for both of them. Her irises narrowed as her pupils blew wide and he could see that she was close to peaking.

He swallowed hard, not wanting to take that from her, or the quiet she seemed to want, by speaking what he needed. She understood anyway and subtly adjusted her hand under his shaft so the knuckle of her thumb pressed into the big vein that ran its length giving him a snugger passage. It worked to her advantage as well, and it wasn't long, even with her slower, easy, pacing, before he could feel his balls draw up and her flesh quiver in anticipation, the only sound in the room her hums of pleasure. He was so close, so was she, and when she pressed her thumb up harder, making his cockhead drag over her clit on the next pass, she came apart in his arms and his cum soaked her pubes and forearm.

"I was right," he said, his voice husky, gentle, nuzzling his scruffy chin into her neck and inhaling deeply, "soft and golden."