ForevaXena's FanFic . . .

Obstacles

by Fantasy

Standard Disclaimer: The characters of Xena, Gabrielle, Argo, and Ares do not belong to be, but to those fine folks at Renaissance Pictures/MCA.  I’ve asked them all to go sightseeing in Europe, well, not Ares.  He crashed the party, now we can’t get rid of him.  As soon as we’re done knocking around, I’ll bring the girls and Argo home; Ares can fend for himself.

Violence Disclaimer: There will be some violence in this one.  Kat has had it and she’s zeroing in on Stavros.  I hope not to dwell on the violence, but there will be some fisticuffs, bullets flying around, and a little blood.  For those of you can't abide violence, and I don’t blame you, I’d probably suggest you don’t read this.

Sex/Language Disclaimer: Yes there will be some of both, and the sex will be graphic.  This story depicts a loving relationship between two women.  If you have a personal bias against this sort of thing, and that’s your right, or if you are not 21 years of age, I would pass this by.  Also, if you live in a state or province where this kind of thing is illegal, again, pass this by.  One final note; don’t read this at work, your boss might wonder why you’re breathing heavily and your face is flushed all the time.

Hurt/Comfort: There are some sad things that happen here.  Our dynamic duo has some issues to work through, as well, but then life isn’t always a bowl of cherries all the time.

PART 3

September 27, 2000

Chapter 1: Waking Up

The sun and the morning breeze wafted into the open balcony doors.  The slight sea salt tang in the air heightened my senses, and I heard the sea birds noisily trying to find something for breakfast.  The general hubbub of a busy seaport, and all the sounds associated with the market place assaulted my ears.  Once consciousness fully encompassed me, I felt the pleasant weight of another being resting comfortably half on me and half off me on the bed.  Hmmm, I never thought of myself as a body pillow before.  I think I like this. 

As I gazed at the beautiful, calm, peaceful face sleeping peacefully, my thoughts turned to the night before and the painful, but healing narration I was forced to make to my lover, and the passionate, sensual love we made together.  But dark thoughts intruded into my revere, the reason behind the painful confession in the first place.  Stavros, you son of a bitch; to me you represent everything evil on this earth.  You’ve destroyed my life; you’ve taken everyone I ever loved from me.  Now I’m coming for you before you can do anymore damage to me, or the people I love.  I looked down at the sleeping form beside me.  I tenderly brushed the unruly blonde hair away from my lover’s face, and made a silent vow.  To all the gods, whoever or where ever you are, I make this vow.  Stavros, I will see you dead by my own hand, or die trying.  A slight movement on my right side brought my dark musing into the periphery of my consciousness. I came back to the present, as my lover decided to make her entrance into the land of the living.  One slightly sleep puffed jade eye opened a crack, and just as quickly closed. 

"Why does the morning sun have to be so damned bright?  And why do morn-ing birds have to be so damned cheerful?"  I chuckled lightly, knowing if I burst out in an all out laugh; I would be subjected to my lover’s morning ill temper.

"Honey, that’s the way morning is.  It’s nature’s way of beginning a new day.  Think of it as her giving birth every twenty-four hours."  I rolled over until my lover was beneath me, my body shielding her from the dreaded bright life giving light.  Even so my lover was still not impressed.

"Well why can’t the day start later, say, after sundown, and as for birth, my mother told me about giving birth.  She said it was the most horrendously painful thing she has ever endured."  Damn, this was going well.  I decided that since we would be waking together every day for the rest of our lives, I either had to learn to deal with my lover’s recalcitrant behavior, or do something to change it.  I opted for the latter. 

I began to place butterfly kisses all over my lover’s face and neck.  My lips fastened on a very tasty earlobe and began sucking it in time to my hips as they began a sensual rhythm against hers.  I figured that now would be as good a time as any to acquaint my lover with all the blessings greeting each morning could bring.  With each kiss or lick, I described, in great detail, what delights awaited my lover at the beginning of each new day.

"Marce, baby, do you have any idea how much I love the way you feel moving beneath me as our centers grind together?  God you are so hot, oh baby, so sensual.  I love the feel of your naked skin on mine.  Our breasts rubbing together, our nipples are so hard, swollen and erect.  I can feel your heart beating fiercely with each stroke and grind our bodies make as we come together."  I continued the gentle rhythm of my hip movement, but moved my hand to separate our labia, so our clits came into contact with each other.  My lover was so wet.  Her lips were so swollen and puffy; I couldn’t resist the urge to stay and play a little while in her sex.  I groaned when I felt her moist, inflamed flesh.

"Oh, by the gods, my love, you are so wet, so open, so ready for me.  You are incredible.  God I want you so much.  I want to fuck you, drive my fingers deep inside you until you scream my name in passion.  Please baby, tell me that’s what you want too.  Talk to me my love, tell me what you want."  I continued my gentle stroking the length of my lover’s sex from anus to clit.  She was so slick; her juices were so creamy, coating my fingers, and pooling in my palm. My lover was trying vainly to move her hips faster, harder wanting greater contact, but my body lying firmly on top of hers allowed her little movement.  I controlled my lover, and I wanted her begging.  In a groan of frustration, my lover finally found her voice.

"Yes, my God yes.  Take me my darling; please love me.  I need to feel you deep inside.  Make love to me.  Oh yes, do it."    God how I love this woman.

"My love, I will love you.  I will take you to the heights of passion you have never reached before.  You are mine, and I am yours.  I love you so much."  I began to strengthen and lengthen the stroking on my woman’s sex.  Occasionally, I dipped into Marcy’s love hole.  God juices were pouring out of her core.  Without preamble, I drove three fingers deep inside my love’s center.  She was so wet, I knew I would meet little or no resistance.  My love’s response was immediate.  She thrust her hips up hard to meet my questing fingers.

"Oh Kat, yes.  Oh that feels so good.  Oh yeah, I love your fingers so deep inside me.  Mmmm, yes baby, slow down a little.  I want a long slow climax.  Mmmm, yes it feeelllsss soooo goooddd.  Fuck me slow and easy.  God I love this."  The sound of my baby’s voice was making me so hot.  I straddled Marcy’s rock hard thigh.  My juices lubricating the muscle’s firm surface made my movements that much easier.  I began a slow sliding motion, which matched the movement inside my lover’s wet, warm, creamy pussy.

"Oh yeah, Marcy, I love you so much.  I love feeling you like this.  I must taste you, as you taste me.  Swiftly, gracefully, I moved to our favorite position, with my sex hovering over my baby’s loving mouth, while my tongue and lips dove into the ambro-sia I was so addicted to, while never breaking the rhythm my fingers made inside my lover.  My lover quickly applied herself to her loving task, devouring my dripping pussy with her mouth.

"Yes Kat I love eating you; mmmm you taste sooo goooddd.  And what you’re doing to me.  I wanna cum so bad.  Kat make me cum, and cum with me.  Oh yeah---feels---sooo---goooddd."   Marcy gasped.  From that moment on, no other coherent verbal communication was possible.  The only sound filling the room were the moans of passion from the two of us, along with sloppy, slurping noises as we each feasted on the other.  The grunts and moans of passion became stronger until we both reached our climax in unison, and fell over the precipice into the oblivion of sweet release.

"Baby, I cummmiiinnnggg!!! Goooodddd, Yyeesss!!!"  The response was simul-taneous.  Both of us were unable to do more than lay there, trying to collect our love sated bodies.  Slowly, I rolled on my back, and looked over at my exhausted lover.

"C’mere baby, let me hold you."  Marcy crawled to where I lay and flopped down on top of me.  "Oooph," I groaned as the air was forced audibly from my lungs.   "Was that really necessary?  I’m barely functioning as it is without you abusing my poor used body any more?" I pouted.  My Marcy lifted up from my sweaty breast and kissed me teasingly on my nose.

"I’m sorry, but my arms simply wouldn’t hold me up any longer.  You, we are fantastic together.  God, that felt so good.  Will it always be this way with us?"  I spoke sincerely in answer.

"Nope, it will only get better.  Now, we have two choices, we can get up, get cleaned up and get some breakfast, or we can take a little nap.  What will it be?"  A light snore was the only response I received from my beautiful lover.  I snuggled down into my lover’s embrace, and pulled the sheet over our cooling bodies.  It wasn’t long before I too joined my lover in sweet dreams of love. 

Chapter 2: Shopping

As much as I hated to wake my baby, I knew we needed to get up and get moving if we were going to get to the boat by 1:00pm.  I gently ran my fingers over my lover’s face.  I brushed the short unruly blonde locks away from her forehead.  I couldn’t believe how peaceful and content she was in sleep.  I blew little puffs of air in my baby’s face.  A small insistent hand came up and brushed the offending hair away from her eyes.  I repeated the process, as did she.  Finally one eye opened.  

"You’re pressing your luck, you know that, don’t you?"  My lover was so cute when she woke up.  Definitely not a morning person.

"I know you really wouldn’t hurt me, much.  But we have to get going if we’re going to get to the boat."  A negative response.

"Don’t care.  Don’t wanna go!"  I played my trump card.  "If we leave now, we’ll have time to go to the market place and shop."  My baby shot up out of the bed like she was launched from a canon.  She was in the bathroom in a flash.

"What are you doing just sitting there?  C’mon, we’re wasting time, when I could be doing some serious shopping.  Let’s go; move it Andreas, move it."  Oh God, I wonder if there is a ‘shopaholics anonymous?

We took one bag with the clothes we would need for our three-day visit to Capri.  I shouldered it and Marcy took the empty bag to be filled with all of Marcy’s treasures.  We wandered down the busy narrow street toward the harbor and our waiting yacht.  The market place was between our destination and us so Marcy would take every detour imaginable to avoid missing any possible bargain.  Since we didn’t eat breakfast, the first stop was the fruit vender.  Marcy was in her element.  She bargained and haggled until the poor man simply threw up his hands in defeat.  Marcy proudly sauntered to where I was leaning against a stall support, grinning like the proverbial ‘Cheshire Cat’.  She handed me a pomegranate and a bunch of grapes.

"Breakfast is served milady."  I took a grape neatly from my lover’s fingers with my teeth.  Marcy reached behind my head and pulled me down to her lips.  We shared the sweet grape as well as a sweet kiss.

"You’re getting good at this aren’t you?"  My baby’s eyebrows waggled mischievously.

"I have many skills."  No doubt.  Marcy moved from one stall to the next working her magic on each merchant found therein.  She was definitely in her element.  She managed to practically steal her purchases, but her angelic smile and cherubic face made the merchants forget they sold their wares at a loss.  I shook my head in amazement.

I couldn’t remember a time when Marcy wasn’t in my life.  As I watched her charm one merchant after another, I thought about the first time I met my soon to be best friend...

"Oh man, I don’t need this now.  C’mon you stupid electronic piece of junk.  Son of a bitch!"

I slammed my fist down on the desk, anger boiling just below the surface.  Back then, my temper was never fully under control.  A voice cleared behind me, near the office door.

"Excuse me, I don’t mean to disturb you, but the groom outside said I’d be able to find Katrina Andreas in here." 

I turned to see an angel on earth.  A young woman, who couldn’t have been more than twenty, stood uneasily in my office.  She looked as though she was ready to bolt at any moment.  She had long reddish-blonde hair, green eyes, and the most adorable face I’d ever seen.  Her short stature and compact build made her look almost childlike in appearance.  No one had ever put me in a state of immobility like that before.  I remember thinking she must have been sent by the gods.  I finally found my voice, but stuttered anyway.

"I’m-I’m K-Kat Andreas, and you are?"

Marcy moved to take my hand, and at the contact, I felt I had been scorched.  The electricity in the brief touch rocked me clear to my toes.

"My name is Marcy Daniels, and I am looking for possible employment for the summer.  I’m attending Harvard, working toward my MBA in business."

I couldn’t take my eyes off the young woman, no matter how hard I tried.  She opened her briefcase and withdrew a sheaf of papers and handed them to me.

"Here is my resume.  I have had years of experience working with horses.  I’ve been riding most of my life."

I took a cursory look at her resume, just to be polite.  I really didn’t need any part time or temporary help.  At that moment, my computer decided to make an obscene noise.

"You don’t happen to know anything about computers do you?

I hadn’t realized I had spoken out loud.

"Actually, I do.  Computers can be a really big help, but also they can be a really big pain in the ass.  What seems to be the problem?  I could take a look at it if you like?"

Marcy moved next to me and looked down at the computer.

"What    were you asking it to do?"

I had lost myself in the scent of the young woman and didn’t hear a word she said.

"Hum?  Oh yeah-Um-I was trying to save these files to a floppy, and I keep getting this stupid message that my disc is full.  It’s a brand new disc; I don’t get it?"

Marcy took the disc from my fingers and even that brief contact sent chills up and down my spine.  Marcy looked the disc over carefully.

"Oh here’s the problem.  See this little black tab here?  It has to be in this position, otherwise the computer reads the disc as being full."

Marcy slipped the disc into the slot and moved the cursor to the appropriate position, highlighted the chosen file, and clicked the mouse.  The computer began making soft whizzing noises and the highlighted files were copied and moved.  Just like that.

"There ya go, nothing to it."  Yeah, for someone who is computer literate.

Then a notion occurred to me.  I could use a computer specialist.

"Um Marcy-could-I-um-ask you-um-I mean I have a computer upstairs.  Is there some way they can be hooked together?  Y’know so if I want to work on files that are on this computer I don’t have to come all the way down here to do it?"  Boy, talk about an idiot.

Marcy looked at me like I had just rolled in off a turnip truck.

"Sure that’s easy; I could do that for ya."  As far as I was concerned, Marcy was a genius.

"C’mon, I’ll show you where it is.  My apartment is upstairs." 

Marcy followed me up to my loft apartment.

"My office is this way."

I led Marcy through the kitchen, living room, and on to my office.  As we went down the hall, she went on past me and into my bedroom.  My bedroom was almost as large as the rest of the loft put together.  My bedroom contained a king-sized bed, a huge walk-in closet, a bath and shower with a sunken jacuzzi, and my workout room equipped with a full array of free weights and exercise machines.

"My gosh, your bedroom is bigger than my whole apartment."

Marcy’s childlike qualities were apparent to me even then.  But instead of driving me crazy, I found it endearing.  Marcy had a calming affect on me.  Even though we had just met, I felt like we had been friends for years.

"Yes, well, after working with the horses all day, I enjoy being able to relax and kick back.  I guess some people might say it’s a bit much, but it suits my hedonistic tendencies.

Marcy sat down in front of the monitor.  She booted the machine up and went about entering the appropriate commands.  Her fingers fairly flew over the keyboard.  I sat there entranced by the young girl.  After a few minutes, she stopped and turned to face me. 

"Okay, now I need some fiberoptic wire to run from upstairs to downstairs to connect the two computers together.  I need to go downstairs and prepare that computer the same way I did this one.  I don’t suppose you have the cable do you?"  The blank expression I wore on my face must have given me away.

"Is something wrong?  Kat, hey; earth to Kat!  Have you heard a single word I’ve said?"  I shook my head to clear away the cobwebs and tried to focus on the present.

"I’m sorry, what did you say?"  Marcy looked at me out of the corner of her eye.

"I said, do you mind if I go take that good looking guy over there up on his offer for a quick go ‘round of passionate, raw sex?  You can watch if ya want."  I gave my lover ‘the look’, and growled.

"Very funny.  It’s okay with me as long as I get to go after you’re finished."  Marcy slapped me playfully upside the head.  "Actually what I asked you was if you thought this statue would look good on the table by the living room window?"  Marcy held up a jade figurine about eight inches tall and ten inches across the base.  The carved figure depicted a stallion running at a full gallop with his mane and tail flying in the breeze.

"Sure babe, if you want it why don’t you buy it?"  I walked over to my lover and wrapped my arms around her waist from behind, and Marcy began her attack on the hapless merchant.  I couldn’t bare to watch this any longer.

"Honey, why don’t you just pay the man the full price for once."  Marcy looked at me like I had taken leave of my senses.

"Are you out of your mind?  I have a reputation to uphold!  Why if word ever got out..."  My hand clasped gently over her mouth, stopping her from saying another word.

"Well I don’t.  Sir, how much for this statue?"  The man looked at me, then at Marcy, who was about to explode, and then at the statue.  In broken, halting English, he explained.

"Signora, it is a very beautiful and rare piece.  One of a kind.  You understand."  Marcy was about to have a stroke.

"Look do you want to sell this thing or not.  Here..."  I dug into my pocket and pulled out twenty lira.  "...is this enough?"  The man grabbed the bills before I had a chance to change my mind, and pushed the figurine into my hand.

"Si, si.  Thank you very much."  I took Marcy by the hand and dragged her to the dock, where our boat was moored.

"Kat, what in the world do you think you were doing?  You paid way too much for that statue."  I silenced my lover with a kiss; when we broke apart, I answered her simply.

"You wanted it, I bought it.  It’s not like we couldn’t afford it y’know  C’mon let’s get to the boat."  I swatted my baby playfully on the butt and took off down the wharf.

"I’ll get you for that Kat; you know pay backs are a bitch!"

From up on the street above, a man hidden in the shadows watched the two lover’s antics with a look of pure lust on his face.

"So these are the two women Stavros wants taken care of; this should be a piece of cake."  Once I take care of the little blonde, I’ll be set for life..."  The man raised the barrel of the high powered rifle to take aim.  But he never got to finish his mission.  The man’s world went black as the dart penetrated his neck.

"Stavros ol’ boy, it must be getting’ harder ta find good help.  This ol’ boy won’t be hurting Kat or Marcy, or anybody, anymore, ever..."  The man was hoisted over the shoulder of a huge silent figure, and thrown unceremoniously into the back seat.  The other man, his silver hair shining in the sun climbed in behind the wheel of the land rover and silently drove away into the afternoon sun.  

Chapter 3: The Isle of Capri

The short boat ride over to the island was exhilarating.  Although I had made this trip many times, with Marcy by my side, I was experiencing it for the first time.  I was seeing the bright blue sea, the many fishing boats, the sea birds ducking and diving along the shore, and the white cliffs rising high above the sea through the eyes of a wondering, free-spirited human being.  Marcy’s joyous and inquisitive nature brought our surroundings alive for me in ways I had never thought possible previous to this.

"Kat look over there!  What are those birds?  They are so different looking!"  Marcy’s childlike wonder was simply too cool.  She turned to look at me so expectantly, awaiting my answer.  The look of bemusement on my face made her drop her head in embarrassment.  I tilted her chin up so I could look in her emerald eyes.

"Oh my love don’t ever do that.  Don’t ever feel ashamed or embarrassed to show your zest for life around me.  Do you have any idea just how much I need that, need you in my life to chase away the darkness?  You are everything to me, and I want all of you."  I leaned in slowly and took my baby’s lips in a warm, sensuous, tender kiss.  I broke our kiss and whispered in my lover’s ear.  "I love you so much, don’t ever doubt that."  I then took my baby in a warm hug.  I wanted to pull her deep inside of me to capture everything that was my lover.  I turned her back around to face the cliffs and wrapped my arms around her and let her lean back against my chest.  I loved holding her this way.  I lowered my chin to rest on her shoulder, and licked and nibbled a tempting earlobe, then explained.  "Those huge rocks my darling are called the ‘Faraglioni’, and those birds are diomedei gulls.  Also there is a lizard which lives high up in the bluffs that takes its name from the rocks.  It’s very rare, and turns a cool blue color for camouflage I guess."  My lover turned in my arms and placed a sweet loving kiss on my cheek.

"I love you so much.  And thank you for being so patient with me.  I want you so much.  Will you make love to me, please my darling?"  I engulfed my lover into my strong arms, and in one smooth movement picked her up and headed for our cabin.  Just then, Marcy’s stomach chose this instant to announce its presence.  "Oh honey, I’m sorry; that’s a real mood killer isn’t it?"  I chuckled and swung my baby around in circles; just reveling in the feeling of joy and happiness this small woman had brought into my life in the last ten years...

Marcy finished programming my computer, and I had drilled a hole in the floor, to install the conduit for the fiberoptic cable with which to connect my two computers together.  I was amazed at the way we seem to fall into a pattern that allowed us to work so well together.  It was as though each knew what the other was thinking, and could act on it, without having to say a word.  Finally, the wiring was completed, and the moment of truth was at hand.

"Okay, now all you have to do is go to find and call up a file you want..."  Marcy made the appropriate command.  "...and presto chango, there you are.  Okay what file do you want to look at?"  I thought for a moment.  Argo just had vet check for an upcoming show; that should be simple enough.

"How about the file called ‘Vet Exams’?"  Marcy typed in the name of the file, and the computer began its search.  In seconds the requested file was presented on the monitor.

"There ya are.  Nothing to it."  Wow this was so cool.

"Hey, it worked!"  Marcy’s look of disbelief was evident on her face.  She interlaced her fingers, and popped her knuckles.

"I think I should be offended that you actually doubted my computer skills!"  Oh my God, I hope she isn’t really pissed.

"Oh-I-I-I didn’t-um-I’m sorry-if..."  God I’m stuttering.  Kat Andreas never stutters.  Marcy reached out and laid her hand gently on my arm.

"Hey, don’t worry, I was only kidding you.  How would you know if I knew what I was doing or not.  After all, we just met.  We hardly know each other, and you’re not yet aware of my many skills."  Blonde eyebrows waggled wickedly, and a lustful grin creased the corners of Marcy’s eyes.  The sexual innuendo dropped straight to my groin, and pooled there immediately.  Jesus Andreas, get a grip.  For God’s sakes, you just met the woman.

"Um well-I-oh hell I..."  Marcy was taking full advantage of my uncomfortable demeanor.

"Kat, relax.  I won’t bite...unless you want..."  Okay that’s it, I quit.  I needed to put some distance between this woman and myself before I did something really stupid...

If only I had known Marcy was only half, kidding back then, we would have been able to save ourselves so much wasted time and heartache.  Oh well, things are the way they are meant to be, and now I know we were meant to be together forever, and I wasn’t letting go anytime soon.  No, if my plans came together the way I hoped, we would be together forever. 

I had all kinds of plans for the three days here.  We would be staying on the yacht, the Isle of Capri.  I wanted these three days to be very special for Marcy; they were days I wanted her to remember fondly forever.  I had made up my mind the first night at the Villa Antonia to ask Marcy to marry me, to be my partner and lifemate.

I called my friend the Signora Elena Lagetti who owned the yacht and the Villa Capri, which she turned into a five star hotel and restaurant.  She had agreed to let me have the yacht for our stay, fully stocked with everything I would need to wine and dine my Marcy.  I wanted everything to be perfect; I left nothing to chance.  I knew Marcy loved me, and wanted to be with me, but would she want to make a lifetime commitment to me after everything I had done in my past.  Damn, what would I do if she said no.  Hey don’t be thinking like that, that’s  Stavros’ influence over you.

The Isle of Capri lay at anchor in the Bay of Naples, and a launch left the Villa Capri’s dock to take us to shore.  There waiting for us was Elena.  She is one, maybe the only, very good thing I managed to salvage from my past, and for nearly twenty years, she has been the mother I had lost.  She helped me through one of the worst experiences of my life, and helped me find the courage and strength to leave Stavros...

I stumbled into the small taverna cold, wet, and hungry.  I didn’t know or trust anyone here; I knew only that I had to get away from Stavros and his influence.  My fever was getting worse, a sure sign my body was battling a serious infection, and without medical treatment soon, I would probably die.  A rather large woman was watching me intently.  The warmth and kindness in the woman’s eyes was clear, but I hadn’t trusted anyone in so long, I was out of practice.  I wasn’t about to start again, not now.  A portly waiter came to my table to take my order.

"Ah senorita, what can I bring you, hmmm?  Wine and perhaps some Veal Parmesan?"  The thought of solid food right now nearly made me vomit.

"Ozo, and a glass.  You can leave the bottle," I growled.

The woman brought the bottle and glass and sat it down in front of me.

"I should think this would be the last thing someone in your condition would want or need."  I glared at the woman, and tried to look menacing, but just then, a sharp terrible pain shot through my guts causing me to double over.

"Marco, pronto get the doctori quickly.  Rico, Carlo help me get this child to my room, hurry, hurry!"  I was lifted up in two strong arms and carried away.  I was in no condition to argue and certainly in no position to defend myself even if I had to.  So I did all I could do and passed out.

"The poor child; who could have driven her to do such a thing to herself?"

I don’t remember much for the next two weeks; I came in and out of consciousness, only vaguely aware of my surroundings.  The dehydration caused by the fever and resulting infection nearly killed me.  All I do remember is a soft, kind, loving voice trying to drive the demons away, and comfort me during my delirium.

"Mamma, please forgive me; I’m so sorry.  I love you."  The voice would soothe me throughout the long pain filled night.

"Sh, sh, sh, bella, don’t worry.  There is nothing to forgive.  I love you my sweet bella."

Then gentle, loving arms wrapped around me and held me to a warm generous bosom and a soft voice sang a lullaby until my hysteria ceased and I fell into a peaceful sleep.

After two weeks of a near death state, I finally came to my senses. I discovered that I had been the guest of Signora Lagetti.  I had managed to run away from Stavros’ clutches and when I found out I was pregnant with his child, he forced me to have an abortion.  He found a back alley abortionist to take care of the pregnancy.  The botched operation had nearly cost me my life, and left me unable to bare children.  Whether it was fate that caused me to stow away on the fishing boat that brought me to the Isle of Capri from Naples, I’ll never know, but had it not been for Elena, I surely would have died.  I stayed with her on Capri for the better part of four months.  If Stavros knew where I was he never came looking.  I found out later that not even Stavros would tangle with Elena Lagetti, but that’s another story.

Elena managed to break down my walls, and I spilled my guts.  She convinced me to go back and make a clean break with Stavros and take back my life.  So after I had healed both spiritually and physically, I returned to Athens and the authorities and broke with the family.  The friendship that was forged on a tiny island by a kindly woman and a lonely, frightened, broken teenager lives on to this day.  And, I count myself very fortunate indeed. 

The closer the launch got to the shore, the more excited I became.  I hadn’t seen Elena for some time, and hadn’t realized just how much I had missed her.  I literally leapt from the launch to land neatly on the dock.  I swept the rotund, middle-aged woman into my arms and lifted her easily off the ground.

"Oh my God, bella please.  Katrina Maria Andreas!  Put me down this instant.  What are you trying to do?  Give an old woman a heart attack?"  Elena pushed me away to arm’s length.  "Let me look at you.  Bah, you are too skinny.  You’ll blow away in the first strong wind that comes along.  A tall girl like you, you need more padding in the right places, if you know what I mean."  Elena grinned wickedly.  Marcy had stayed back discreetly giving Elena and I a chance to say our hellos, but knowing the Italian woman, that wouldn’t be acceptable for very long.

"Ah and this enchanting creature must be Marcy, huh?  Come here child and let me look at you.  Ah, I can see why my Kat is so taken with you.  Come, give old Elena a big hug."  Marcy was swept up into a bear hug; her petite frame swallowed up by the much larger woman.  Marcy’s family had never been much for open PDA’s and the open affection Europeans’ showed each other could be a bit overwhelming for someone from such a sheltered background...

"So Marcy, what do you think of my offer?"  We were sitting outside on my deck drinking ice tea and getting to know each other and, in general, enjoying one another’s company.  I had just offered Marcy a permanent position as my accountant, computer specialist, and my personal assistant throughout the summer and every succeeding summer until she finished her degree at Harvard.  I would pay her well for her computer and accounting expertise and teach her all the ins and outs of running a horse training and teaching business.  I hadn’t a clue whether Marcy would accept my proposition, but I figured this would be the best way to keep Marcy in my life.  If not, I would have to figure out something else.  Luckily, as it turned out, Marcy jumped at my offer.

"Golly, Kat that sounds wonderful.  I would love to come and work for you.  I have just one more year before I graduate.  So after that, I don’t know what I’ll do."  One more year!  How old is she; she doesn’t look more than nineteen.  As though she were reading my thoughts, Marcy said.  "I’ll be twenty-one next week.  I know I look really young.  My mother says, in a few years, I’ll be thankful I have such a childlike appearance.  Right now it’s just a pain in the butt."  I couldn’t help but chuckle at Marcy’s frustration.  I had to do some quick thinking.

"Well Marcy this is great.  Maybe by next summer, you’ll be interested in working for me full-time.  That is if you don’t...I mean...I’m sure you’ve got plenty of other lucrative offers to work for some big Boston tycoon."  God I couldn’t believe I said that.  "I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to imply..."  Again Marcy came to my rescue and helped me remove my foot from my mouth.

"Oh don’t worry.  My father wants me to come and work for him; he’s an investment banker in New York City.  We actually live in Connecticut, not Boston.  My father owns Daniel’s and Associates.  He does a lot of work with foreign investors, you know, the Japanese, Germans, and Saudis.  My older brother works for daddy too.  It’s a family business.  My great grandfather established the business in the 1850’s.  It’s been in the family for generations.  My parents are a rather conservative bunch.  Some would even say stogy.  Frankly, I can’t see myself going into the family business.  But I haven’t dropped that particular bomb on them just yet.  What about your family?  What do they do?"  Dammit, I was afraid the conversation would eventually get around to this topic sooner or later.  Hey tell her the truth.  What can it hurt, just leave out the particulars.

"My family is into shipping.  My grandfather started Andreas Shipping just after the war.  He and my father built it up to a multi-billion dollar business.  My older brother and stepfather run it now.  I’m not involved in the family business at all now."  There that’s the truth.  Marcy will never need to know about all the other garbage, and I hope to God she never finds out.

"Andreas, of course!   Andreas, wow, you’re that Andreas?  My father has handled some investments for Andreas Shipping.  In fact, it’s one of our biggest clients.  Huh, isn’t this really the greatest?  Maybe one day I’ll get to meet your family!  That would be so great!  Yeah great, just great...

The sound of Elena’s voice brought me back to the present.

"Now come with me; we’ll have lunch and you can tell me all about yourself.  My Katrina told me you are simply amazing, but little else.  It will be up to you to fill in the gaps.  Katrina, you and Rico come along; don’t dawdle.  Now tell me Marcy is my Kat taking good care of you heh?  If not, I’ll take care of things."  Sharp, dark brown eyes gave me my own version of the look.

"What?  What did I do?"  Oh this is just dandy.  Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.  I’m thinking I never should have taken Marcy off the yacht.  I put my arm around Rico’s broad shoulders.

"Rico, my friend, I think I’m in really serious trouble here."  My Italian friend simply nodded.

"Katrina, you know it.  But love is better than anything in the world, heh?"  We both laughed, and I agreed wholeheartedly.

"Absolutely, she is the best thing in my life, and I love her so much; Rico I will die before I let anyone harm her."  We both continued our trek up the hill, and followed the two chattering women to the villa.

After we finished a wonderful lunch of white wine and shrimp and pasta salad, I tore Marcy away from Elena’s clutches so we could begin our sightseeing excursion.

"So what are you going to show me, my love?"  Marcy’s lips captured mine in a sweet, but all too brief kiss.

"What do you want to see lover?"  I returned the kiss with a slightly longer and more passionate one.

"Everything."  This time our kiss built in passion until I was devouring every warm wet surface inside my lover’s mouth.  Tongues dueled passionately sucking and nipping until both of us were moaning out loud.  We had to break the kiss for much needed air.

"Hey babe, if we keep this up, we won’t see anything but the bedroom on the boat."  Marcy’s logic was hard to find fault with.

"And that would be bad because..."  On the hill overlooking the path where we were, Elena and Rico stood watching us kiss.  Tears slowly tracked down the old woman’s face.

"Elena why do you cry?  Why are you sad?"  Rico put his arm around his friend and mentor, holding her close, giving her comfort.  Elena dried her eyes and blew her nose.

"Oh Rico, you are so blind."  She swatted the younger man on the back of his head.  "Do you not know tears of joy when you see them?  Look at them; my Katrina has finally found love and happiness.  She has found her soulmate for all eternity."  The two friends stood and watched as the two lovers began their trek down the path toward the village center.

"Well all I can say is, it is about damned time too."  That remark got Rico another slap for his trouble.  "What?"

"Watch your mouth, I can still give you a spanking; you’re not too big you know."  

Chapter 4: The Olive Grove

The more I thought about the activities I had planned for this evening, on the yacht, I was beginning to care less and less about traipsing all over this island looking for lizards.  But my lover wanted to see Capri, and I promised, so there you are.  And really, if truth were told, I loved spending time with Marcy no matter what we were doing.  Still in all, making love was number one on the list of activities we did best together.  I was following along behind Marcy to accommodate the uphill traffic of tourists who flooded the island.  I couldn’t take my eyes off Marcy’s undulating, swaying hips.  God I loved the way she moved; I was entranced.  She is so beautiful: her muscular shoulders and back tapered down to voluptuous hips rotated slightly with every step.  Her shapely legs were truly pleasing to the eye.  Firm luscious thighs were clearly visible in her shorts.  God I loved the way they felt wrapped around my waist squeezing me, forcing me harder into her dripping sex as I was hunching and grinding my sex into hers.  Damn Andreas get a grip would you?   Marcy had been watching Kat watching Marcy surreptitiously.  She decided to make her tall dark lover even more uncomfortable than she already was.  Of course the game could backfire, and Kat might just ignore convention and take her right in public, but the way she was feeling at this moment that would be all right too.  Marcy stopped so Kat could catch up, but what she didn’t plan on was Kat running smack into her backside.

"Honey are you trying to tell me something?  Would you rather just forget about the sightseeing and go on back to the boat?"  With that comment, Marcy began rubbing her backside deliciously against Kat’s thighs and center.  Oh my God that feels so good, Kat thought.  But two can play this teasing game.  I half pushed half-pulled Marcy off the footpath and into the olive grove.  I held my baby close to my body and continued my teasing.

"No baby, I want to take you to see the ‘Grotta Azzura’," I purred into my baby’s ear.  "But first, I must teach you a lesson in manners.  It isn’t nice to tease a big, bad Greek woman." 

I began to rub myself all up and down my baby’s back, my hard swollen nipples pressing into Marcy’s bare skin.  I wrapped my arms around Marcy’s waist and began to move my hands up and down, and all around my lover’s stomach.  I wasn’t any-      where near finished torturing my baby.  My hands reached up and cupped Marcy’s firm, luscious breasts and began to massage them until her nipples became hard little nubs pressing against my palms.  Marcy’s sensuous moans grew louder until I was afraid our rendezvous would attract attention from any passersby.  I put one hand and over my lover’s mouth, while I continued fondling my lover’s nipple through her halter top, and whispered in her ear.

"Listen to me my love.  You must be very quiet otherwise I will stop.  You don’t want me to stop do you?  Nod your head if you agree."  Marcy’s nod was almost imperceptible, but I felt it nonetheless, her breathing was becoming more labored with each dip and grind of my hips.  "All right, I am going to touch you love, but you’re not going to know where or when.  I want you to close your eyes baby; I want you to use all your other senses: touch, hearing, smell, taste.  Nod if you understand."  My lover nodded again.  Oh this was so good; I loved the way my lover’s body felt.  "I’m going to remove my hand from your mouth, so I can use both my hands.  Remember what I told you, if you make a sound, I’ll have to stop, and I’ll be very, very disappointed if that happens."  Marcy groaned softly as I continued to manipulate my lover’s breasts.  "Ah ah ah, remember," I warned, "not a sound, or I’ll stop."

Now the seduction could begin in earnest.  I lowered my lips to my lover’s ear and neck.  I began to suck up and down the corded tendon leaving love bruises as evidence of our passion.  I moved one hand down over my lover’s flat abs to the waistband of her shorts.  I dipped my fingers down between the cloth and my lover’s skin.  Reaching down as far as my long fingers would go.  "Spread you legs for me baby."  Instantly, my lover separated her legs, and I slipped my thigh between hers, and pulled her tighter against my chest.  We began a slow gyrating motion together.  But his wasn’t enough.  I whispered into my lady’s ear.  "Reach forward baby, bend over and put your hands on that tree in front of you.  Please baby, I’m going to take you now, I’m going to fuck you here in this olive grove.  Bend over and spread you legs wide for me lover.  I want to see you, do it now."

Marcy bent over and pressed her hands tightly against the tree widening her stance to give me ample view of her beautiful sex.  With one hand, she unfastened the button on her shorts, unzipped them and let them pool at her feet.  She lifted one foot to free herself from the discarded piece of clothing, and kicked the offending material away carelessly.  I was far from idle, and my shorts too found their way to join Marcy’s on the pile.  I continued to work Marcy’s nipples through the flimsy material of her halter-top, but that wasn’t enough.  I needed to feel her soft sweaty skin.  I worked the ties that held the top together, and it fell away from my woman’s chest, freeing her firm fleshy globes.  I leaned over my lover’s back, my naked breasts rubbing slickly over my love’s sweaty back.  I reached between our bodies and separated the lips of my sopping cunt, and began riding my lover’s firm tight ass.  I used my fingers to explore Marcy’s wet slit, and plunged deeply into her steaming, tight, wet pussy.  Our loving was fierce, out of control as I humped furiously on my Marcy’s ass and plunged my fingers hard and fast in her wet center.

"God yes baby.  Oh yeah you feel so good.  So tight, so wet, so warm.  I love fucking like this.  Is this what you want?  You like being fucked don’t you baby, huh.  You’re cunt belongs to me and you can’t get enough of my fingers inside of you love hole.  Nod if this is what you want." My baby’s head bobbed up and down wildly.  I could feel my lover’s tunnel clasping around my deeply imbedded fingers, and I continued plunging in and out until my baby’s cunt muscles tightened around my fingers, her quiet release complete.  Watching the motion of her head gave me a new idea.  I whirled my baby to face me and forced her to her knees.  I guided her head to my black bush, and voiced my desires.  "Suck me baby, lick my cunt."  Marcy loved eating my slick pussy, so she needed very little encouragement.  "Oh fuck yeah, you love sucking my wet pussy don’t you baby."  A low groan was the only sound my baby made as she continued licking me.  "Mmmm, you are so good at pussy sucking; yeah lick me baby, lick my pussy, bite my clit.  Oh mmmm, ungh, ungh, so goooddd."  My legs were beginning to give out, and I knew I wouldn’t remain standing much longer.  "Baby yeah, I have to get down, before I fall."  Gently, I guided my baby onto her back, and I followed her down.  Never once did she stop the tongue-fucking.  I was now on all fours; my cunt firmly attached to my lover’s face.  "Sweet Jesus yes, my God lick my slit, use that tongue baby.  I’m cummmmiiiiinnng baby yes, Oh Marcy yes!!!"

I collapsed off to the side, my arm draped over my eyes, my breasts thrusting up and down with every heaving breath I took.  I was barely aware of my surroundings, and I thought I heard my lover rummaging around in our bag, but frankly, whatever she was doing, I could have cared less.  But had I made it a point to be more aware, I would have been prepared for what happened next.  "Kat, my love, open your eyes, I have something for you.  If you thought we were done, you were wrong."  I opened my eyes and groaned at what my baby had in her hand.  "Watch me lover, I want to share this with you."  I watched as my lover inserted the double-ended phallus into her sloppy cunt, and drew it back and forth several times.  Thrusting her hips in time to her hand.  "Oh yeah this feels good.  Mmmm I love fucking myself while you watch.  You like watching me don’t you baby?"  After she thrust the phallus inside herself, she switched ends, and lubricated the longer, thicker with her own juices.  Then she thrust the other end back into her straining cunt, and fastened the straps around her waist to hold the phallus securely in place.  "I’m going to fuck you now baby.  My cum is all over this cock, my cock.  I want my juices inside you.  Is that what you want baby?  Tell me."  My baby positioned herself at the entrance of my pussy, waiting for my answer.  God I wanted her to fuck me so bad, but the words wouldn’t form; I was barely able to nod.

"Y-y-es.  Ba-b-b-y, please."  Without warning my lover thrust the huge member deep into my straining cunt.  "Yyyy-esss," I hissed through clenched teeth.  Then my baby began a masterful fucking.  "Oh yeah you are so tight.  You feel so good on my cock.  Yes lover, my cock.  This is me, Kat.  I’m fucking you, and only I can make you cum.  You want to cum don’t you baby?"  I could barely form a coherent thought, much less speak, but I managed, "Yes, baby, fuuuucccckkk mmmmeeee!!  Yeah, harder, faster, deeper.  Use me baby, make me yours, I wanna cum so bad for you.  Please, make me cum."  With that entreaty, my lover picked up her pace, and fucked me harder and faster, sweat running off her face, and down over her breasts on to my heaving bouncing tits.  "Yess, yess, I’m so close.  Cum with me baby and I wrapped my powerful thighs around my lover’s ass and forced her deeply inside of me with each thrust.  I grabbed two luscious firm tits and squeezed with each thrust of the phallus deep inside me.  It was too much, and I could feel myself falling over the edge.  "Oh ba---bbbbyyyy, yesss, Marcy fuck yeeesss!!!"  As I reached my climax, my lover too called out my name and collapsed onto my chest.  "Oh shit.  I swear as God as my witness, I will never, ever, ever tease you again."  I don’t know how I did it, but I managed a small chuckle.  "Oh my love, believe me, if you want to, you can tease me any time.  I love you so much."  I could feel my lover beginning to slip into sleep.  "I love you too, Kat."  We lay there, for a bit in the grass, in our secluded hide-away, and as much as I hated to, I knew I had to get my baby up and dressed before we were discovered.  "C’mon honey, we have to get up, we can’t stay here much longer."  Reluctantly, Marcy lifted her head, and looked me in the eye. 

"You are a very cruel woman ya know that?"  I was shocked.  My God, did I do something wrong?  "Baby, God, did I hurt you?"  Now it was my baby’s turn to be shocked.  "No, no sweetheart, of course you didn’t hurt me.  I just meant that you exhaust be to the bone, and then make me get up.  I don’t even think shopping could entice me up."  Relieved, I joined my lover wholeheartedly in our bantering.  "Okay, how about for food then.  I know a little café on the way to the Grotta Azzura that serves the best linguini I have ever tasted.  My lover is nothing if she isn’t predictable where shopping or food is concerned.  She was on her feet hunting down her clothes in a flash.  Before I could barely get up my Marcy was up and dressed.  "Okay, point me in the right direction.  Hie, we must be on our way, to slay the demons and gain the prize.  Linguini it is."  I just shook my head, turned my lover toward the path and gave her a gentle push.  "It’s this way Sir Galahad, your quest awaits, let’s be off then."  

Chapter 5: What to See First

The two women started off down the path, and headed toward the Café Piccola.  The proprietor, a large man was a former Italian intelligence man, but retired to Capri in favor of the more quiet, tranquil life of a restaurateur.  Luigi Cantoli was a big man, standing 6’5" and weighing over 250 lbs of pure rock hard muscle, the blonde haired, blue-eyed former agent was handsome man, with an endearing air about him.  The old saying, ‘...he’d give you the shirt off his back’ applied aptly to Lu.  When he saw the two females. One dark, and one light walking together toward his café hand-in-hand, he new his dark, stoic friend had finally found someone to spend her life with, and he was instantly happy.  He ran to the two women, and unceremoniously lifted them both into his arms, and twirled them around.  "Mamma, Bianca, come quickly; see who is here."  Two women came running out of the café, one in her early sixties, the other the same age as Kat.  Both were olive -skinned, and had jet-black hair, although the older of the two, had streaks of gray running through the strands of ebony.  I saw nothing humorous about be packed around like a rag doll.

"Lu, you big moose put us down before I hafta hurt you.  Is this any way to treat ladies?"  Lu stopped and set both Marcy and I gently to our feet.  He glared down at me, and remarked casually.  "Well, I see one lady, and one really big pain in the ass.  Whatcha got to say about that?"  In the next instant, the wrestling match was on, as Lu and I tried to best the other.  I dove forward, hooking my leg in between the legs of the huge man, in an attempt to sweep his feet out from under him.  But my tactic failed as the big man was surprisingly agile, and simply back flipped over my head, and grabbed me from behind.  But I saw the move coming, and I simply ducked out from under his arm, using his momentum and flipped him over my back and on to his.  I planted my foot firmly on his chest and glared down at my friend.  "What do you have to say now Lu?"  He glared back and grumbled, "Ya just proved my point.  No lady gets into brawls in the streets, and you’re still a big pain in the ass."  A wide grin crossed his handsome features, and extended his hand and I helped him to his feet. 

Signora Esmerelda Cantoli came rushing over to where the three of us were standing, and chastised her son.  "And no gentleman treats a woman the way you treated Katrina; you should be ashamed.  Aaahhh, Katrina; my child.  It has been too long.  Let me look at you.  Hah, you are too thin.  Has Elena seen you?  She will skin you alive if you don’t eat better."  The signora turned to Marcy and hugged her warmly as well.  "So you are the goddess who has stolen Katrina’s heart?  You are welcome of course.  Elena has told me you were both coming.  We have been so excited waiting for your visit.  Please, come, in, we will eat, and drink and enjoy each other.  This is my daughter-in-law Bianca." Marcy looked a bit shell shocked from all the attention, so I walked to where she stood, and wrapped my arms around my lover and just held her gently, tenderly stroking her hair and whispered in her ear.  "Listen, baby if this is too much for you, we can beg off and go on our sightseeing trip.  We don’t have to eat here."  I just held my baby close and rocked her gently back and forth.  Eventually, she lifted her head, tears running down her cheeks.  "No honey, it is that at all.  I’m just overwhelmed at all the love these people here feel and show for you.  I’m just so proud to be accepted by them as well."  I lifted my love’s chin, and wiped the tears away from my baby’s cheeks, and gently kissed the same face.  "Yes my love, they do love you, because you love me.  They are happy that I have found my soulmate.  Hon, there is something you should know about these people here.  They saved my life, and kept me safe.  They protected me, hid me from Stavros at a time in my life when I was most vulnerable.  It was a time when I couldn’t protect myself.  I owe them my life.  Of course there is much more to the story, and I will tell you everything, but later.  Now, if you’re up to it, we have a family dinner to attend."  Marcy cupped my cheek with her hand, and I leaned into the caress and kiss the palm.  "Me and food?  What do you think?  Let’s go."  And go we did.  After a delicious lunch filled with jovial conversation and linguini with clam sauce, salad, garlic bread and wine, we said goodbye for the day, and headed out for our little adventure.

It seemed like we trudged over every inch of this island.  We visited all the usual tourist attractions and even a few only the native Caprians and I knew about.  We visited the Mount Solaro, the Villa Jovis, and we stood over the limestone bluffs of the Faraglioni.  Marcy was even able to see the illusive little lizard named for these very rocks.  "Wow, Kat this is so cool.  I am having such a wonderful time.  Thank you for bringing me here."  I wrapped my arms around my lover, and kissed her passionately.  "Baby there is no one else I would ever bring here.  I love so very much.   No matter what happens, always remember that.  Now we need to get back.  Tomorrow, we’re going to so scuba diving and explore The Blue Grotto.  Rico will take us to the entrance with the launch, and we’ll make our dive from there."  Marcy looked at me more than a little concern etched on her face.  "Hon, what’s wrong."  God Andreas what did you do now?   "Um-well-it’s just-I mean-oh damn.  I’ve never been scuba diving before, I don’t know how."  It seemed like just a little thing to me, but to Marcy, it was just one more thing to make her seem less sophisticated than I was.  "I don’t know why you put up with me.  I’m sure there are many other wom..."  Now I was ticked.  "I remember you saying to me I should never put myself down in front of you, now I’m telling you this: there is no one in this world, I would ever, ever leave you for.  You are everything to me.  I love you for who you are not the things you can do.  To me, you are the most wonderful, loving, caring, person I know.  You’re talented, witty, charming, and you are so beautiful, both inside and out.  I love you, got that, huh?"  A nod.  "Okay.  Now, if you don’t want to go scuba diving we don’t have to, but if you do, I’ll teach you everything you need to know.  You trust me to keep you safe don’t you?"  Marcy fell into my arms, and I wrapped her in a secure, loving embrace, meant to reassure her, and convey all my love.  "Of course I trust you, and you’ve taught me so much over the ten years we’ve known each other.  But the most important thing you’ve taught me is how caring and loving you are, ya got that?  And I’d love for you to teach me, ‘just any lil’ ol’ thing y’all want to."   Blonde eyebrows waggled wickedly.  " Ya know what I think?  I think I have created a lil’ ol’ monster."  We started off down the path to take us back to the Marina Piccola, which is located on the south end if the isle, near the village of Capri, where our yacht was anchored.  I had one quick, but important, stop to make before we went back to the Isle of Capri . 

"Hon I need to talk to Lu for a sec, I won’t be long.  I’ll bet little Michael is probably up from his nap."  My baby had fallen in love instantly with the little child.  It figured that he would inherit his father’s charms with the ladies.  I found Lu in the lounge, and motioned for him to come to the end of the bar. 

"Is everything ready?" I asked covertly.  Lu squirmed and shifted uneasily from one big foot to the other.  "Yes," he said hesitantly.  "But Kat, I beg you, let this go.  Let Worth and I handle this.  You’re free of this, stay free."  I knew he was right, but the flame of vengeance was burning too brightly inside me to ignore.  "I can’t, he had to pay, he has to be punished for his crimes, he’s pure evil and he must be stopped."  Lu grabbed my arm, and turned me back to look directly in my eyes.  "You’re right, he must be punished, but let the law do it.  If you do this, you become no better than he is.  And ask yourself this, would she want you to do this?"  Lu turned me to see a beautiful blonde, green-eyed angel laughing and chattering a mile a minute with Bianca and Lu’s little toddler, Michael.  Oh my love, no you wouldn’t want this, but...I...I’m not...  I made my decision in that instant.  "Just do as I ask.  Stick to the plan, I’ll take care of the rest, now go."  Lu tried one last time to reach his friend.  "I took you for many things, but not a fool.  If you go ahead with this, you’ll lose her; and when that happens, you’ll lose yourself."  My thoughts had turned inward on the short walk to the dock, and my Marcy picked up on it immediately.

"Penny for your thoughts?"  The sound of my lover’s voice brought me out of my brooding.

"What?  Oh, I’m sorry, I was just thinking.  Nothing important."  My partner wasn’t so easily dissuaded.

"Uh huh.  Okay, Kat spill it.  I have known you way too long to buy into any of that b.s.  I’ve learned anything you think is very important.  In fact, there isn’t anything trivial about you in the least.  You’re very deep you know that?  Deep, insightful, logical..."  I had had enough.

"Okay, that’s enough, I get the picture.  I was just thinking about the guys.  Liar. I was thinking how much work I have, make that we have to do to get them ready for the Nations Cup next month."  I don’t know if my baby was buying this or not.

"And you’re feeling guilty because you’re here showing me all the sights.  Honey we can go back to Rome if you want.  We don’t have..."  Way to go Andreas, now you’ve got her feeling bad cause you’re not working your ass off.  You can be such a jerk.  See what even a small lie can do?  Wait til ya get to the really whoppers you’re gonna spin.

"Hon, there’s no way I’m going back to Rome until Monday; we still have two days, and we’re going to enjoy them to the fullest.  I’m sorry if I made you feel guilty.  That’s not what I intended at all, okay?"  We arrived at the dock, and Rico was waiting by the launch chatting with an old fisherman mending his nets.  The older man stood and acknowledged us with a tip of his hat, and Rico rose to meet us.

"Well did you enjoy your tour Marcy?  Did little Katrina show you a good time?"  Rico, I may just break my vow to Marcy and kill you right here and now.

"Oh absolutely, I have never been more satisfied by a tour guide in my entire life.  Why, she took me to such heights; I could never have imagined anything more beautiful."  God, just kill me now.  "You are in so much trouble when we get to the boat."  Marcy shivered at my breath caressing her neck and ear.  "Tsch, tsch, don’t make promises you may not be able to keep."  Oh little girl you are playing with fire.  "Who says I can’t keep them?"  My baby never backed down.  "We’ll see..."  Rico just looked perplexed, shook his head, and started the launch engines, and we were on our way.

We climbed the stairs leading up to the deck, and turned back to Rico as he started to head back to the dock.  A simple nod of my head was all that was necessary to convey my message, he nodded back, and then Rico was gone.  I found my lover leaning against the railing watching the sun slowly slip below the horizon.  The oranges, and reds blended together to paint a beautiful, romantic picture.  I came up behind my lover, and wrapped her in a loving cocoon, and let her head rest on my shoulder.  I turned to place a tender loving kiss on her temple, and then just rested my cheek on the top of her golden crown.  We just stood there for some time, in companionable silence basking in the evening sun and our love.  God this felt so good.  I will never let this end, I never want to lose this: Marcy and our love are far too precious to me to risk losing.  But could I hold on to this, to her?  Was Lu right?  Am I a fool; I must be if I’d risk losing this for any reason.  But Stavros was a threat to us too, why couldn’t they understand that?  Why can’t Travis, Lu and all the rest understand how much Stavros took from me?  As long as he is alive, he is a risk to Marcy and I.  And I won’t take the chance of leaving him alive to his own devices; I’ve, seen too many times, the evil that man can wreck.  I won’t allow it to continue, I can’t.  But enough of these morbid thoughts; no more doom and gloom tonight.  Tonight is about love and commitment.

"Baby, as much as I’d love to stand here like this forever, we need to get a shower and changed for dinner.  You take a shower first, and then I’ll go."  My lover showed no signs of moving.

"Are you saying I stink?"  Oh oh. 

"Of course not, but you do have a certain air about you."  My baby turned in my arms, and captured my lips in a passionate kiss.

"I could say the same thing about you.  Y’know we could save water and shower together."  Yes we could.

"That’s true, but I’m afraid that would defeat the purpose of taking a shower.  Off with you, now!"  I turned my lover in the direction of our bedroom and bath, and gave her a playful swat on the butt for good measure. 

"Ow that hurt."  I decided to play a little bit. 

"Funny, you didn’t complain very much when I did that the other night."  Marcy turned and did the mature thing and stuck out her tongue out at me.  But the thought running through her mind was far different.  Andreas, you are in so much trouble.

While Marcy was in the shower, I went to the starboard railing to await the launch silently coasting along side the huge yacht.  The two men manning the smaller boat tied the launch securely and quietly began to carry out their mission.  I waited patiently for the men to climb the ladder with their burdens.

"All right do you have everything?"  The men nodded.  "Good, then get to work, and be quick about it cause we don’t have much time.  And be quiet!  I’m going below deck to make sure Marcy doesn’t come up here too soon.  She doesn’t need to see this, and I don’t want her to know our plans.  If she finds out, heads will roll.  Got it?"  Again both men nodded, having had enough experience with Kat in the past to know she always meant exactly what she said.  I entered their room just in time to see Marcy come out of the shower wrapped only in a towel.  When she noticed me standing in the doorway watching her, she removed the towel and casually dropped it to the floor.  The look of undisguised lust showed plainly on my face as Idevoured Marcy’s naked body.

"See something here you like?"  I stalked toward the nude form, and wrapped the woman in strong arms. I began tasting the tender skin on the blonde woman’s neck and throat.  Then unexpectedly all movement stopped, and my large hand grabbed a handful of firm ass cheek and I squeezed it playfully, and with a sharp slap, I was gone into the bathroom.  My dark head protruded out of the bathroom door. 

"There’s no time for that now, get dressed."  Instantly, a damp towel whizzed past my chuckling head.  She thinks she’s so damned smart; we’ll see. 

Marcy walked to the closet to choose the dress she would wear for the upcoming seduction.  I know Kat is planning something, but it’s my turn tonight, Marcy thought.  But I can’t let her plans deter my own.  I have to look perfect.  Marcy chose her armor for the upcoming battle carefully.  Oh yes, it was armor all right, but soft diaphanous armor.  The dress was a pale yellow color, which would match her golden hair beautifully.  The dress had a full shirt, no back, and was cut in a sharp v all the way to Marcy’s navel.  Never had she dressed this provocatively before, but as Churchill said, "...desperate times call for desperate measures."  Marcy wore matching open toed yellow sandals, and set the ensemble off with diamond-studded earrings and a matching golden chain with one single diamond stud in the center.  She wore a simple gold bracelet around her right wrist.  The young woman wore little make-up.  A light shade of green eye shadow and mascara was used to heighten the emerald color in her eyes, and a little gloss to accentuate beautiful full lips.  Once satisfied, the blonde MBA checked the finished product in the mirror.  Yes sir, Katrina Maria Andreas, you’re mine tonight.  Marcy heard the shower stop, and new I was finished.  What she didn’t know was the devious nature of the woman she was about to take on. 

I slid my hand along the wall of the bathroom wall until I found what I was looking for.  The button carefully concealed, opened a panel in the rear of the shower stall, which opened into another stateroom.  There on the bed lay the armor I would use in myconquest for the evening.  I stepped into the room where Elena appeared.

"You’re clothes are all laid out Katrina, and everything up top is prepared.  Good luck my darling child."  With that, Elena kissed me on the cheek and left.  I turned to the bed and began preparing myself to fight the more important and most difficult battle in my entire life: to leave the past behind, and begin again with the only love I wanted for all eternity.

Marcy had gone up onto the deck to find to waiters dressed in white jackets, black pants, and shoes, preparing a dining table.  One young man approached her and offered her a glass of wine.  The table was beautifully set, and soft music was playing on the stereo.  The wondrous odors of the delicacies I had ordered be prepared wafted on the air, and settled precisely in Marcy’s nose, which in turn manifested itself in a loud rumbling emanating from her stomach.  A young man carrying a tray of hors d’oevres stopped in front of Marcy.

"May I offer you something Miss?"  Marcy looked over the tray like a child turned loose in a candy store.  She chose a shrimp wrap and popped in into her mouth.

"Mmmm delicious.  What are these?  Snails Miss."  When Marcy turned up her nose, the young man assured her they were quite good.  "Well okay, if you say so."  Marcy took a tentative bite, and was pleasantly surprised at the wonderful taste.  "Hey, they really are good.  I think I’ll have another.  Thank you."  The young man bowed and was ready to ply the young woman with another delicacy when a deep contralto voice resonated across the deck to where the two were standing.

"That will be all Enricho; you may go.  I’ll call you if I need you."  Both the waiter and the blonde turned at the same time to look at the image of a tall Greek Goddess.  At the sight before me, Marcy nearly choked on the tidbit she was chewing.  The vision was astounding.  I was dressed in a pale blue, silk brocade, floor length gown of oriental design.  The dress was formfitting to say the least, leaving very little to the imagination, and emphasizing all the curves I possessed.  The gown was split from foot to waist on one side, revealing a sexy length of calf, thigh and hip.  The high collar was opened all the way down the front revealing a tantalizing glimpse of two succulent breasts.  On my feet, I wore matching blue silk slippers.  The only jewelry I wore was the small gold cross around my neck, medium sized hoop earrings, and a gold bracelet around my left wrist.  The blue dress and minimal eye make-up brought out the color in the cerulean pools.  Marcy swallowed audibly, and tried frantically to regain her composure.  Remember who’s seducing whom here.  Yeah right.  I however was merciless; I used the same comment on Marcy that she used on me after her shower.

"She something you like?"  I knew I had Marcy just where I wanted her.  Tonight I would use every seduction ploy I knew, and I knew many.  I slunk across the floor to where Marcy was standing and placed an arm around the blonde’s waist.  That was probably a good thing because I knew her legs were about to give out at any second.  In my best Greek siren mode, I seized Marcy’s wineglass and drank from it provocatively.  Then I captured Marcy’s head, and kissed her hungrily.  I opened my mouth and transferred the wine in my mouth into Marcy’s sweet tasting oral cavity.  When Marcy’s tongue began dueling with mine, I realized the capture of my lover was not yet complete.  But soon it would be, very soon, that I could count on.  My seductions never failed, ever.  The kiss seemed to go on forever, and I never wanted it to end, but the next stage in my plan was about to begin.

"Marcy you are so gorgeous; you look incredible tonight.  I love that color on you."  I punctuated the compliment with a kiss.  My hands began to wander over a broad naked back, and my lips grazed over a beautiful tanned chest, licking and nibbling every bit of flesh exposed to me.  When my tongue crept under yellow material, and tasted a bit of breast, my lover moaned softy.  "Mmmm that feels so good.  Kat I love when you lick me.  Anywhere."  I continued to taste and tease my lover, but I couldn’t lose control; not now, not yet.  The time wasn’t right; I had to wait.

"I love this dress.  There is so little of it, and I love to be able to touch your skin wherever, and when ever I want."  I took my lover in my arms and pulled my lover to me, our hips joined, I began swaying to the slow sensuous beat of the music.  This was only the second time I danced with my lover.  The first time was in the Villa Antonia. This was a habit I was beginning to love, but the way we danced, was more like making love on the dance floor.  I bent my legs slightly, bringing our centers in more direct contact, and began humming along with the tune.  It was an old, Italian love song.  Elena you can be so sappy sometimes, but I love you for it.  My baby melted into may arms, and rocked her hips in time with mine, and the resulting jolt of electricity rocked me right to my toes.  Time to get control again.

"Love, Elena spent a great deal of time and effort on this meal, don’t you think we should stop and eat it?"  Yeah like squab and fruit is really what I want to eat right now.  Ambrosia would be more to my liking.  But as was usually the case, the decision was taken out of my hands when Marcy’s stomach rumbled loudly.  "Yeah that sounds like a plan."

We sat together on a long cushioned bench, facing a low table with all the delicacies that would make up our meal.  As requested the majority of our meal consisted of finger food.  There was a platter of lamb, roast beef, and squab.  Another platter contained a variety of cheeses.  Yet another platter was loaded with seafood: clams, lobster, crab, shrimp, and oyster.  In addition, each platter held various fruits: strawberries, grapes, and melons.  There were several decanters of wine to sweeten the palate.  Everything was in easy reach, and I planned on reaching frequently and not necessarily for food.  It was time; the seduction could begin.  I planned on feasting to my heart’s content, and mine too.

"Where would you like to begin my love?  Might I suggest some excellent squab?"  I pick up a bit of the fowl and offered it to my lover.  She took the tidbit from my fingers, and chewed slowly, savoring the flavors of the food.  "Mmmm that was quite good.  Here taste."  My Marcy picked up a bit of the squab and brought the morsel to my lips.  I took the offering neatly with my teeth, and chewed and swallowed quickly.  But before she could take her hand away, I held her gently by the wrist and proceeded to lick and suck every trace of the juices from her fingers.  "I didn’t want anything to go to waste."  Next I chose a nice juicy strawberry for my lover to sample, but instead of my fingers, I placed the berry between my teeth, and presented the fruit to my lover.  She never hesitated, and closed her lips around the strawberry and bit off her half.  Our lips connected, and we both could taste both the sweetness of each other’s mouth and the berry as well.  Even though the berry was long gone, the kiss went on.  Each of us delving into the other’s oral cavity tasting, licking, and sucking.  The suction we created was incredible, and when we separated, both sets of lips were wet and swollen.  The rest of the meals went on this way, until both of us could hardly take any more. 

We had just emptied a second decanter of wine, and we were taking turns sipping the red liquid from each other’s mouths, creating an erotic, tantalizing effect.  A little of the wine spilled down my lover’s chin, and I obligingly licked it off.  This little incident gave me a lecherous idea.  I purposefully spilled some of the wine down my baby’s throat.  I watched as the crimson liquid ran down between my lover’s breast.  Before it could stain her dress, I deftly licked the droplets from my lover’s mounds.  I knew this was a particularly sensitive area for my love.  She loved to watch me make love to her breast.  I began licking and sucking the cleavage between generous globes, occasionally dipping under the material of Marcy’s dress to flick a hard swollen nipple with my tongue.  Marcy’s moans were constant, and I knew what I wanted was at hand. 

"Oh lover, God I love that, you know how much I love my breasts being sucked.  Mmmm feels so good.  Baby please don’t stop."  My lover arched her back in an effort to force more of her breast into my hungry mouth.  Much to my lover’s dismay, I stopped.  I brushed the bangs from my lover’s forehead, then reached over to the table and grasped a black velvet box.

"Wait Marcy, before we go any further, I want to ask you something, and please baby, don’t say anything until I’m finished, okay?"  My lover nodded, and I continued.  "Whenever we make love, it’s usually so hot, so passionate, I get lost in you, and I never want to find my way back.  But I feel like something is missing, and I don’t want you to think I care only about the sex part.  I love you so much; I want and need you more than the air I breathe.  I want us to be together forever, my love, and I want us to be partners in all ways."  I opened the box to reveal a gold band, studded with diamonds and emeralds.  Marcy Beth Daniels, will you do me the honor of marrying, and becoming my wife for now and always, until time ceases?"  Marcy just looked at me, the shock apparent on her face.  I knew it; she doesn’t want me that way, how could I have been such a fool.  I dropped my head, and stared at the floor.  A fool Andreas, you’ve been such a fool.  Time seemed to stand still.  I wanted to run, but my legs wouldn’t respond.  Finally, a soft gentle hand traced the line of my jaw, up to my cheek.

"Look at me baby, please."  I raised my face to my light, and hope sparked immedi-ately.  "I have never heard anything ever spoken to me that sounded so sweet, and so full of love.  Katrina Maria Andreas, I would be proud to be your wife, to live with you forever, and love you for all eternity.  I love you so very, very much."  God I think my heart just stopped.  My hands were shaking so badly; I wasn’t able to hold them steady enough to put the ring on Marcy’s finger.  Fortunately, my lover took pity on me and held my hand to steady it.  With her right hand holding my right wrist, I was able to slip the ring on her left ring finger.  "Oh Kat, it is so beautiful.  Where did you find it?"  I looked in my baby’s tear filled eyes, raised her hand to my lips and kissed the hand wearing the ring.

"A jewelry friend in Zurich made it for me.  Do you really like it?  If not I can find something else."  Marcy pressed her fingers to my lips to silence me. 

"I love it, and I am never taking this ring off my finger.  Now will you do something for me?"  Never doubt.

"All you have to do is ask, my love."  Marce smiled and asked.

"Will you take me to our room and make sweet gentle love to me all night long?"  Not a problem.

"Yes my darling, all night.  I want you so much."  

Chapter 6: This Was Meant To Be

The gentle rocking of the yacht, as the waves slapped against the hull, lulled me into a deep peaceful sleep.  I awoke in the morning to the sunlight shining in through the windows.  The open windows allowed the salt air to enter my nostrils and brought me further into the conscious realm.  I was aware of a pleasant heaviness on my body.  My lover, my new wife was lying on top of me, her arm curled possessively around my waist, and her head resting on my shoulder.  Her warm breath puffed rhythmically on my breast causing my nipple to become hard and erect.  Something better be done about our position or I may be tempted to continue the wonderful, gentle lovemaking we engaged in the previous night.  Oh my love, how can I tell you how much I love you, and how right this is.  This is right; but there was a time, I was sure our partnership, our friendship would end before it ever began...

"You’re going to do what?  Young lady have you taken leave of your senses?  What makes you think, after all the time and expense this family went through to get you accepted to Harvard to complete your degree only to have you throw it away on a...a...horse farm, you have another think coming.  This is totally unacceptable!  I simply forbid it; do you understand?"  To say Mark Daniels was upset was something of an understatement.  But to Marcy’s credit, she fired right back.  My estimation of the little spitfire’s courage and bravado increased tenfold.

"You forbid it?  You will forbid me nothing!  I am no longer a child, you have no control over the decisions I make which affect my future, and what I want to do with my life!  Do you understand?"  Well I’ll be damned.  I could have sold tickets for this performance.  An uneasy silence filled the room.  I just stood there trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.  In fact, I would have just as soon the floor swal-     low me whole.  The irate banker didn’t move a muscle.  Marcy plunged ahead.

"Oh daddy, I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me, and I love you very much, but don’t you see?  I’m not your little girl anymore; I’m a grown woman, capable of making my own decisions.  I really want this.  And, it’s not like I’m going to work for some unknown."  At this my ears perked up.  "Daddy have you seen this woman’s portfolio?"  I know, don’t even go there.  "Daddy Katrina Andreas is a millionaire in her own right, without the influx of her father’s billions.  Remember, Andreas Shipping?  Daddy, this woman has been taught about making money by the best."  This bit of information seemed to make the investment banker sit up and take notice.  The mere mention of Andreas Shipping usually made investor’s mouths water at the prospect of making millions from the Andreas business sense.

"But the horse business is so unstable."  Oh yeah like the stock market isn’t?  I take exception to that, thank you very much!  "Well I guess you are right, you’re a grown woman, and I have to let go sooner or later, but you are wrong about something very important.  You’ll always be my little girl."  Then the conservative banker turned his attention to me, who up to now had been pretty much ignored, much to my delight.

"Ms. Andreas, I certainly hope you understand how much my daughter means to me, and I certainly wouldn’t like to see her hurt in any way.  I know you merely by your reputation.  I know you’ve been very successful in the show ring, and your horses do very well.  But just how long can you reasonably expect to maintain this level of success.  Sooner or later you will undoubtedly run into someone who will beat you, and your business could fall apart.  What will you do then?"  Oh daddy, you just left yourself wide open for an Andreas full head on attack.

"Mr. Daniels, I respect, and admire your concern for your daughter.  A father should only have his daughter’s best interests at heart.  But therein lies the real question.  What is it that you want for your daughter?  What’s best for her, or best for you?"  Easy there Kat, you’re treading on thin ice.  And as if on cue, the older Daniels started to erupt.  But Kat gave him the look, and that ended that would-be protest.  "I understand better than you think, Mr. Daniels, about the love between a father and his daughter, and the feeling of loss from its end.  And everything you say is true about the possible demise of my business, but..."  I paused here for emphasis.  "...the same could be said for yours.  Hmmm?"  Daniels could only shake his head and extend his arms, in defeat. Which were quickly filled with a joyous squirming blonde bundle.

"Oh thank you daddy, you have no idea how happy I am, how happy you’ve made me."  The older man raised his eyes to look into mine, and for a brief instant, saw more there than just friend-ship.  "You’re wrong honey, I think I do know."  At that moment a business partnership was formed.  But more than that, a friendship was solidified, forged, and strengthened, and has survived to this day.  A slight movement next to me brought me out of my reverie. 

"Mmm, good morning my love.  What time is it?"  One green eye opened into a tiny slit, and I leaned over to place a slow loving good morning kiss on my baby’s sweet lips. 

"It’s just past 10:30."  My lover stretched her arms high over her head, and twisted her upper body to loosen sleep stiff muscles.  The action caused the sheet to lower slightly, and two beautiful breasts peeked out from under the silk cover.  I couldn’t resist, and bent down to latch onto the perky pink, hard erect peaks.  I suckled and nipped at the swollen buds like a child seeking sustenance at its mother’s bosom.

"Mmmm, I love waking up this way, but as much as I hate to stop this, don’t you think we should get up and get going if we’re going diving today.  Besides, as much as I love you, and want, need, and love your touch, after our activities of the previous twenty-four hours, I don’t think my body could stand anymore lovemaking for a bit."  Immediately I let go of my lover’s breast afraid I’d gone too far, done too much to my baby.

"Oh honey, did I hurt you?  My God, why didn’t you ask me to stop---I never---want to..."  A loving kiss stopped my raving.

"No baby, you didn’t hurt me.  Everything you did to me felt so good, I loved every moment of it, and want to continue soon, but I’m just a little bit sore, and believe me, that is a small price to pay for such exquisite pleasure.  Hey that reminds me; aren’t you sore too."  This time, I placed another soft loving kiss on my baby’s lips. 

"Ditto, to everything you said.  I love you so much, my wife."  My wife.  My God, I just got a brilliant idea.  I had to make a few phone calls.  First to Elena, then to Worth, Nikki, and Lucci.  Let’s see, whom else?  Of course, Lu, Bianca, and Esmerelda Cantoli.  I sprang from the bed, scaring Marcy half to death.

"Kat what on earth is the matter?  What has come over you?"  I turned back to the bed, and grabbed my darling into my arms and dragged her from the bed.  I twirled us around in circles, hugging her tightly to my body. 

"Oh Marcy, you have made me so happy.  I love you so much.  I know I’ve asked a lot of you, but I must ask you one more thing.  Will you marry me?  Today?"  Marcy looked at me like I had totally lost my mind.  I wasn’t explaining this very well, but I forged on anyway.  "Look, what I’m trying to ask is will you join with me in a marriage ceremony?"  Now Marcy knew for sure I was indeed certifiable.

"Kat, my darling, I would love to, but marriage between two woman isn’t legal.  No one, priest or magistrate would perform such a ceremony."  I explained further the plan that was rapidly taking shape in my head.  I led Marcy back to the bed and sat her down, while I kneeled between her legs.

"Love, I know we couldn’t have a traditional ceremony, but I was thinking we could create our own ceremony, and recite our own vows ourselves before our friends and family.  I thought we could have the ceremony at sunset at the Villa Capri on the lawn overlooking the bay.  What do you think?"  I waited for my love to give me an answer, and I had to wait but a millisecond.  Instantly, my love was holding me, and caressing my bare back.  In a whisper, she gave me my answer.

"Yes my dearest.  I will wed you and stay with you forever."  Yes!  My heart nearly leapt from my chest.  I had never felt such joy and happiness ever, even when papa gave me my first pony.  Papa.  Oh papa, wherever you are, I know you can hear my thoughts, and I know you would be happy for me.  I’ve done such horrible things, but this one small woman in my arms has healed me.  She has given me the strength and courage to go on, to live my life on my own terms, and do what I can now, in the present, to make life better for those around me.  But I promise you, the man who killed you and Tony will pay with his life; justice will be served.  Soft lips on my breast brought me back to happier thoughts.  I looked in my Marcy’s eyes to see tears falling down her cheeks.

"Hey, what’s the matter?  Why are you sad?"  Marcy wiped her eyes and shook her head.

"Andreas, what am I going to do with you?  When are you ever going to learn the difference between sad tears and happy tears?  These are happy tears.  Now don’t you think we better get going if we’re going to get married today?"  Oh yeah.

"Okay, let’s get organized.  You hit the shower first, while I make the phone calls.  There’s probably some breakfast up on deck too.  I could use some coffee how about you?"  Marce nodded.

"Sounds good to me.  But hon will everyone be able to get here in time for the ceremony."  Marcy didn’t have a clue when Andreas said jump, people usually just asked how high.

"Don’t worry everyone will have plenty of time to get here.  Rome isn’t that far from here, and chances are, Lucci and Nikki haven’t felt their bedroom for the past three days, and I’m sure the Duchess has kept Travis pretty busy too.  In fact, you’d be surprised how close by everyone is to Capri. "  Like the next villa over.  "So c’mon let’s get moving."

I made all the necessary calls, and sure enough my predictions about Nikki and Lucci were dead bang accurate.  Travis was hiding out here on Capri with a very special guest, so it wasn’t hard to reach him.  Elena, Bianca, and Esmerelda were ecstatic about the news, and really outdid themselves in making sure the preparations were perfect.  The guys were happy about our news, but not about all the grunt work they would have to perform.  The two women put all the muscle to work lifting and carrying all the heavy things, such as tables, chairs, wine barrels, and the like.  The Villa Capri was decorated from floor to rafters with flowers and scented candles.  The food would be fabulous as well, and all the traditional Mediterranean delicacies were included.  Everything was in order and all that was necessary was the presence of the two principle players in the affair.  So, Elena sent Rico with the launch to retrieve the two of us. 

After Marcy and I arrived we were each hustled away to be prepared for our wedding.  Marcy went with Esmerelda, and Elena prodded me along to another part of the villa for my primping session.  As much as I wanted to be married, I could well do without all of the preening and sprucing Elena had in mind.  Elena went to a huge trunk that rested at the end of her bed.  She opened the old box, the leather hinges still looked to be in the same condition as when they were put on.  The old woman dug around until she laid her hands on what she had been searching for.  Elena withdrew a white peasant dress, wrapped in tissue paper, from the trunk and laid it reverently on the bed.  I thought I detected a lone tear tracking down the gentlewoman’s face as she looked at the dress.  After some time, she spoke.

"This was my wedding dress, and it hasn’t been out of this trunk for more than fifty years.  I wore this dress when I married Alfredo."  Alfredo had died of a heart attack just three years previously, and Elena had been devastated.  I remember coming to the funeral, and the little church in Capri was filled to overflowing.  The elderly woman continued her story.  "I was just sixteen then, and the war was still going.  No one knew if they would even be alive from one day to the next, but somehow we survived.  Alley wanted to wait, but I told him I wouldn’t go another day without being his wife, so we were married July 21, 1944.  We were married fifty-three years.  We had three sons, all dead now.  The sea took my sons, but I blame her not.  The sea was their life, and they died doing what they loved, and what they wanted to do.  But I have Rico and..."  Elena turned to me tears falling unbidden down her face "...I have you, my Katrina.  You are not mine by blood my little one, but you are mine all the same.  The day God brought you to my taverna, so long ago, was the day my daughter was born.  Had a daughter been borne to me, she would have worn this dress on her wedding day, and so I give this dress to you."  Then the woman went over to a dresser and opened the top drawer and took out an ornate jewelry box.  From that box, she withdrew a smaller black velvet case.  Along with the small box, Elena took out a wreath with white blossoms.  She directed me to sit on the bed.  "Sit with me Katrina, please."  She opened the box to reveal to gold wedding bands, the smaller of the two had emeralds and diamonds all around its circumference.  The surface of the larger of the two rings was encrusted with sapphires and diamonds completing the circuit.  When Elena spoke again her voice broke with emotion.  "These were our wedding rings.  I wore this until my Alley died; at that time I put them in this box.  I take them out every now and then just to look at them, and remember.  Katrina, I know you gave Marcy a ring, but I want you and your Marcy to have them.  When you wear them remember they were always worn in love and devotion.  When you and Marcy stumble and go through hard times, I want you to look at these rings, and remember Alley and I.  Always remember love, and it will see you through."  I didn’t know what to say.  Not since my papa died had anyone given me anything like this, but I felt I couldn’t accept this precious gift.  It would be like taking part of Elena’s life from her.  I tried to explain what I was feeling without stumbling over my tongue.

"Elena, I don’t know what to say.  I-I-I-can’t-I mean-oh damn.  Elena these are your wedding rings, I-can’t-it wouldn’t be..."  Elena silenced me with a wave of her hand.

"Katrina do not argue with me.  I want you to take these rings.  I will be gone one of these days..."  God I didn’t want to hear this.  I’d lost my parents; I didn’t want to hear about losing Elena too.  "...and you would have gotten them anyway.  You’re just getting them earlier under happier circumstances.  And to complete your wedding trousseau, you will wear these in your hair."  I didn’t like the idea of the flowers and tried ‘the look’ on Elena.  "I don’t do flowers, in my hair, or anywhere else."  My adopted mamma gave me her version of ‘the look’, and I had to admit, far more effectively.  "Are you going to break an old woman’s heart on her child’s wedding day?"  Damn but this woman is good.  "Ooohhh all right, but the first person who laughs will get my fist in his mouth."  Everything was ready, and I began to get changed.  "Elena, what shoes am I supposed to wear?"  The Italian matron had one final sur-prise in her bag of tricks.  "There are none.  It is Italian tradition the bride goes barefoot into her marriage."  Heh, I had an out.  "I’m not Italian, I’m Greek.  So I get to wear shoes."  The old woman just shook her head.  "Greek, hmmm, same tradition."  I should have known.  God Marcy, if I didn’t love you so much...I would never go through this for anyone else.   I just hope Marcy was going through the same torture with Esmerelda...

"Oh Signora Cantoli, this dress is so beautiful.  I can’t possibly thank you enough."  The dress Marcy wore was similar in design to mine, but where my shoulders and arms were bare, Marcy’ dress had sleeves.  The color was different too.  The ivory gown had flecks of green and gold woven throughout the fabric.  Marcy too wore a wreath, but the blossoms were a pale, green.  She too wore nothing on her feet.

Once I was dressed, I went out into the hallway, and out onto the patio that led to the lawn where our ceremony would take place.  Several round tables that would seat five comfortably were set up on the lawn.  On the patio itself, a long buffet table sat with every kind of delicacy imaginable for the wedding feast.  On the verandah, Italian musicians were setting up for the ceremony.  I couldn’t believe how all the preparations had been completed so efficient-ly in such a short period of time; a feat General George Patton himself would be proud of.  I looked up to see Travis, Lucci, and Nikki chatting enthusiastically by the bar.  Travis looked me over and grinned from ear to ear.  Lucci and Nikki were just as impressed and happy.  Worth took me in his bear like grip, and hugged me furiously.

"I am so happy for you.  I been watchin’ the two a’you for so long, and frankly, I was getting’ damn tired of y’all beatin’ ‘round the bush.  Y’all belong together, but I just couldn’t seem ta get that notion through y’all’s thick skulls.  Why it took this lil’ slip of a thing to get the ball rollin’."  Travis nodded toward Nikki, and Nikki ducked behind Lucci.

"Hey, I didn’t do anything, I just talked to Marcy a little bit.  You know, just to be polite and get to know her.  How did I know she’d take anything I say seriously; you never did."  I advanced on the slightly shorter brunette.  I stood to my full height, even shoeless, for the most intimidating effect.

"So you were the one who put her up to the dinner tray on the flight over here huh?"  The shorter woman nodded hesitantly.  "Nikki if I live to be a hundred, if it is the last thing I ever do...I will never be able to repay you for what you’ve given me.  Thank you my friend."  I took the surprised woman in my arms, and hugged her affectionately.  "You’ve always been my best friend, and this just goes to show how much you care."  Lucci interlaced her fingers with those of the younger woman, and kissed her tenderly.

"Yes indeed, that’s my darling Nikki."  Hmmm this looks serious.  Maybe we should have a double ceremony.  After all, turn about is fair play.  Maybe I should mention this to Worth.  Lucci took that moment to wrap me in her arms in a congratulatory embrace.  "I think I can get by with hugging you as long as that lioness you’re marrying doesn’t see.  Katrina my love, I am truly happy for you.  And I must thank you for introducing Nikki to me.  I too think I have finally found my life mate."  Now all we had to do was fix up old Worth, and we’d be all set.  Who incidentally took this exact instant to notice my bare feet.

"Hey ‘legs’, darlin’ I think y’all forgot yore shoes."  God why me?

"Don’t you even go there.  It’s tradition that the bride goes into her marriage barefoot.  Ya got a problem with that?"  Worth was trying really hard not to burst out laughing.

"No, no problem at all.  Looks good on you.  Ya got sexy feet."  I was ready to unload on Travis when Elena bustled out of the villa, dragging Lu by the arm, and grabbed me as well.

"Come, come, you can’t be standing here.  You must get into place.  Hurry, hurry.  Travis, you are needed in the villa; Marcy is ready.  Here you take the ring.  You know what to do yes?"  Travis shook his head, in bemusement, nodded, and disappeared inside the villa.  Elena was far from done.  "Now you Katrina and Luigi stand here under the mamosa tree.  Luigi, you take this ring and give it to Katrina at the proper time, si?"  Lu just humored the old woman, and nodded.  Lu fastened his gaze on my bare feet.

Y’know Travis is right, you do have sexy feet."  I jabbed my best man sharply in the ribs.  "Ow what’d’ya do that for?"  I chuckled evilly. "Just felt like it."  The huge blonde man was rubbing his side when I looked up.  The musicians began playing a traditional Italian wedding song, as my eyes took in the vision before me.  My lover, by soon to be wife, my Marcy being escorted to me on Travis’ arm.  He delivered her to me, and placed her hand in mine.  The time had come to say our vows before God and our friends.  I had never been more nervous in my life.  I had entered an Olympic stadium alone, riding for a gold medal for my country, in front of over 100 thousand people and never been as nervous as I was standing before this one small woman.  She owned me body and soul, and as I gazed into emerald pools, I saw only love, devotion, and trust.  Everything that meant anything at all to me was standing before me.  One lone tear tracked down my lover’s face, and I reached out and brushed it away with my finger.  I brought that finger to my lips, and kissed it reverently.  I was ready to begin.  

"Marcy, my love, I stand before you and God, our friends and

family.  I promise to love, cherish, and protect you all the days

of our lives.  I will never betray you for another, you are the

only one I will ever love.

You are my light, my life.  You own my heart and soul.  Every-

thing I am or ever will be is because of you.  Everything I have

is yours, all you need do is ask.  I beg you to stay with me for-

ever.  I ask you to be my wife, now and for all eternity.  Accept

this ring as a symbol of my love, a circle which is without a 

beginning or end.

Now it was Marcy’s turn to speak her vows.  God I hope she doesn’t turn and run.  What?  Where did that come from?  

Katrina, my darling, I stand here today before God and our friends

and family.  I vow to you to always love, honor, cherish, and protect

you for all time.  You are my strength and my hope.  You give me

courage to meet new day. 

You are my world.  My universe is only you.  You own my heart and

soul.  I will love only you for eternity, and will fore sake you for no

one.  I will stay with you forever.  I will be your wife, now and for all

eternity.  Accept this ring as a symbol of my love, a circle that is

without a beginning or end.

When Marcy had finished her vows, we slipped the rings on each other’s fingers sim-ultaneously.  We interlaced our fingers, and Marcy’s right hand slipped around my neck to pull me down for a passionate kiss.  As soon as our lips touched, the world slipped away, and we were alone.  No one else intruded on our first moments and life mates.  The taste of my wife’s sweet mouth nearly drove me to do something we might be embarrassed over later.  Ev-idently our friends noticed this too, and intervened at the right time.  We broke our kiss as the music began a lively folk dance, and the two of us were hustled out into the middle of the huge grassy yard, encircled by all our guests.  Many of the Caprians were invited, because a wedding in the village was a great social occasion.  The fact that the town’s favorite hosteler had adopted me made the gathering even more special to the townsfolk.  The dancing went on and on; it was obvious my new bride was becoming quickly fatigued.  I myself was becoming a little winded, so I took my lover’s hand and led her through the circle of dancers to a table especially reserved for us.

"Hey honey, are you okay?"  My lover’s face was a little flushed, and I was a bit concerned she might pass out.

"No baby, don’t worry, I’m fine.  I just am a bit out of breath.  I just need a little rest, and maybe something to eat."  Green eyes flashed with glee as she looked over all the treats set out before us.  I started to think that maybe my wife’s tiredness was a ploy just to get to the food.  My suspicions were confirmed when a loud rumble emanated from my darling’s belly.

"Here darling, by all means, you need nourishment.  I want you to be full of fuel for the night of lovemaking I intend for you to enjoy."  At that statement, Marcy nearly choked on the roast pork she was eating.  She glared at me menacingly.

"I fully intend to be properly fueled up for our wedding night my love."  She patted my belly lovingly.  "And I want you to make sure you take your own advice, and eat as well, because you will surely need all the stamina you can get."  Two blonde eyebrows waggled devilishly, and a lustful grin graced Marcy’s face.  God please let me get through this night healthy and whole.  I think I’ve created a sex addict.

The rest of the evening passed in good humor and the guests reveled in our joy and love.  Everyone danced with everyone else, and Travis introduced the Caprians to the ‘Cotton-Eyed Joe’.  He also pointed out that violins were actually called fiddles, and proved that with a mean rendition of the ‘Orange Blossom Special’.  Lucci and Nikki found a quiet corner and fed each other turning their meal into foreplay.  Marcy poked me in the ribs, and nodded in their direction.

"You were right about those two.  How did you know?"  I’m good that’s why.

"Spotting lovers is just one of my many skills.  Oh and by the way, don’t think I’ve forgotten about all the little pastries you owe me either."   Finally, at midnight, we were able to sneak away to consummate our wedding night.  I wanted tonight to be special for my wife, I promised myself I would remain in control, and not ravage my lover, but rather make sweet, slow, passionate love to my wife.  I would convey to her with all my heart how much I loved and cherished the gift of love she was giving to me.

"Are you ready to end this evening and go to bed my wife?"  Marcy cupped my cheek in her palm, and brought her lips close to mine.  The kiss was sweet, but filled with passion.

"Yes my wife.  Take me and make sweet, slow, gentle love to me.  I want you so much."

I lifted my lover into my arms, and carried her to our room.  I wanted this woman so much, but this time, what I wanted to convey was more than pure passion or raw sex.  I wanted to show my Marcy just how much I loved and respected her, and cherished the gift of her heart she had entrusted me with.  I lowered Marce to the floor, and began to undress her. I slipped the peasant dress over her shoulders.  The dress slid silently down between us, and fell to the floor at our feet.  My naked lover was a sight to behold.  I will never tire of looking at her beautiful body.  I took her face in both hands and covered every spot with soft feather light kisses.  I moved my hands from her face to her shoulders running my hand over her muscular frame.  I covered every square inch of her body.  God how I love the feel of her warm, soft, firm flesh.  I lingered awhile on her breasts touching, fondling, kissing.  My body followed my hands and I knelt in front of my lover.  I placed soft almost chaste kisses on her firm abs, and then lower still until I was at the place I longed to kiss and love most: the neatly trimmed patch of blonde curly hair.  I buried my face in the soft downy fluff, and inhaled deeply.

"Oh God your scent drives me wild.  I love the way you smell.  I laid several light kisses over the surface of my lover’s mons, before I slid my tongue inside the warm confines of my lady’s sex.  I separated Marcy’s labia with my tongue and began to leisurely explore the inner surfaces of her center. 

"Mmmm you taste so sweet, your juices are so rich and creamy.  The gods Ambrosia couldn’t taste this good."  I continued my tongue’s movement while Marcy’s erotic moans filled the room.  My tongue flicked over Marcy’s clit causing her moans become louder, which only spurred my actions all the more.

"Kat that feels so good.  Baby, please go inside me.  I want to feel you deep inside me."  Whatever you want baby, this night is for you.

I grasped my lover’s firm tight ass, and forced her hips into my face.  I speared her opening with my tongue, fucking her slowly, my hands on her ass setting and controlling the pace.  I wanted this to be long and slow, loving and gentle.  Again my lover’s voice encouraged me to continue.

"Yes baby, go so slow.  Hmmm, this feels so good.  I want a long slow climax.  I love it when you take me with your tongue.  Oh yeah, feels so goooddd."  It was starting to get hot, and my baby was so wet and warm.  Her juices were flowing like wine, and the intoxicating aroma of her sex was getting to me.  I wanted my lover on the bed and writhing beneath me, but when I stopped my ministrations, my lover was less than happy.

"No Kat, by the gods don’t stop!"  I stood up, and kissed my lover passionately, Marcy’s juices still on my lips and tongue.  Our kiss was sloppy and wet.  Each of us was devouring the other’s mouth.  I broke away, and whispered in my love’s ear.

"I want you to lie down on the bed, and prop yourself up with the pillows.  I’m going to strip for you baby, and I want you to watch, do not take your eyes off me." 

I stood next to the bed, and reached up to push the dress off my shoulders, where it fell to the floor.  Slowly I revealed full generous breasts.  Marcy’s eyes were clouded with desire.  Her emerald pools were fully dilated, and nearly black from want.  I lifted my foot up onto the bed giving Marcy a close unobstructed view of my wet throbbing sex.  I wanted my baby to enjoy herself.

"Do you like what you see?"  I separated the blood-engorged lips to give Marcy a clear look at my wet swollen sex.  "Do you want to touch me baby?  Do you want to suck my clit?  Do you want lap up my thick creamy juices?  Do you want to thrust your tongue deep inside my burning core?"  Marcy was all but drooling.  By her heated, strangled moans it was clear she was having difficulty keeping from diving into my steaming core.  "Answer me baby, you want to make love to be with your mouth don’t you?  Please say yes because I want you between my legs now."  All the while I was seducing my lover with my voice, I was stroking myself with long slender fingers.  Marcy stopped my questing fingers, and looked at me, longing in her eyes.

"Yes my love, let me love you now." 

My love gently pulled me down onto the bed and covered my longer frame with her own.  She began her assault on my body by kissing me senseless.  Her tongue ran along my lips asking for entrance which was instantly granted.  My mouth opened to my lover’s tongue, and the two muscles began writhing against each other in a passionate dance of love.  My moans were almost constant now.  I needed my lover to take me soon or I’d surely die from want.  I broke our kiss to beg my wife to give me release.

"Marcy, sweet Jesus, please your body feel so good on me, but I need you inside now."  My wife, the little imp, refused to be rushed.

"Patience my love, you know, ‘...good things come to those who wait’.  I will give you the release you want, but in my own good time, not yours." 

My love continued to grind her hips teasingly against my center, but not forcefully enough to do me any good.  She moved her lips down over my throat to my collarbone, and sucked and licked the little indentation there.  She sucked the pulse point on my neck loudly, sloppily, leaving love bruises in her wake.  My baby never lingered very long in one place, and her descent was rapidly driving me insane with need.  She next latched onto my turgid nipples, sucking, licking, and nibbling greedily.  She sucked wetly, and then blowing on the throbbing hard points making the aureolas pebble in her wake.  She used her hands to continue fondling my breasts while her lips and tongue created a wet trail down over my abs until she reached my navel, which she explored thoroughly.  Goose bumps erupted all over my body, and my juices were running down my slit to drip down my crack onto the silk sheets.  Finally, my wife reached her destination. 

"Oh my wife, you smell so good.  I’ll bet you taste even better.  Tell me what you want me to do.  I’ll do anything you want, just tell me."  Marcy punctuated that statement with a nibble and lick to my swollen lips.

"God Marcy, love me with your tongue.  I want you inside with your tongue.  Please baby, I need you so much." At last my need was being met.  Marcy began licking and sucking my sex with abandon.  She probed my dripping core with her tongue, biting and sucking my clit with long smooth strokes.

"Yes baby that feels so good.  Your tongue feels so good on me.  That’s it baby lick me, suck my clit.  I wanna cum so bad.  Please baby, make me cum."  With that plea, Marcy thrust two fingers deep inside me and began to thrust with long slow strokes.  Wanting to cum with me, she straddled my hard thigh and began rubbing her wet pussy up and down its firm muscle.

"Oh yeah, my love.  That’s it move with me.  God, baby you are so wet, so warm, and so tight.  Your pussy feels so good on my fingers.  Your juices are pouring out of you.  Are they all for me?  Tell me, whose cunt is this?"  My baby picked up her pace both sliding on my leg and her thrusting fingers inside my center.  I wouldn’t hold out much longer.

"Yours my darling only yours, oh yeah.  Shit, fuck yes.  I’m so close.  Baby please, harder, faster, deeper.  God, make me cum.  Ungh, Ungh, yeah, yeah, oh yeah.  I’m cumming baby---can’t---hold---yes---so good.  Marcy!!!"  I screamed my wife’s name, colors burst behind my eyelids, the fire of my orgasm building in my center and working out to totally overtake me.  I collapsed back onto the bed, my sweating body totally exhausted.  Marcy too had climaxed her small body’s spasms shaking her to her core.  Both of us lay there, our chests heaving and gasping for each breath.  When my body finally recovered somewhat, I called to my love.

"Marce, baby?  C’mere and let me hold you."  I reached down and gathered the tiny woman into my arms.  "Oh you are so good.  I love you so much.  I’ve never felt so well loved in my life.  You have made me so happy.  Are you okay?"  My wife nodded, and then smiled.

"You’re pretty good at making me happy yourself there, ‘legs’."  I hugged my wife close to my breast.

"Am I now?"  My Marcy smiled and nodded against my breast.  "Well if ya think I’ve been good up to now, you haven’t seen anything yet.  Swiftly, I flipped my wife onto her back, and proceeded to show her just how good I could be for the rest of the night.  

Chapter 7: Unfinished Business

I awoke the next morning and opened my eyes to the most beautiful sight in all the world.  My wife, my wife, my wife, wife, wife, wife.  I couldn’t say it often enough.  I couldn’t believe this was really true.  Marcy said yes, she consented to be mine forever.  Anyway, my wife was lying next to me with her head propped up on one hand watching me intently.  It must have really been late; otherwise my Marcy would never be awake before me.

"What’cha looking at?"  I asked.  Then pulled my lover down for a good morning kiss.  "Mmmm.  That was good.  How are you feeling this morning?"  I traced my finger along my lover’s jaw, loving the feel of her soft skin.

"I’m fine.  I’m well loved, satiated, and totally satisfied.  How ‘bout you?"  I kissed my lover quickly.

"Ditto.  What you said."  My baby swatted me playfully on my shoulder.

"You are a real comedian aren’t cha?"  I knew I had my lover right where I wanted her.

"Just one of my many..."  Or did I?

"...skills.  Yeah I believe I’ve heard that somewhere before.  Hey what’s say we get up and get some breakfast?  I’m hungry.  My wife worked me pretty hard last night.  I’ve worked up quite an appetite."  I knew I’d pay for my next remark, but what the hell.

"And this is different how?  Besides, I never heard you complaining last night."  Marcy slapped my retreating backside, and yelled.

"Just wait, Kat.  I’ll get you when you least expect it, but will be the most embarrassing time and place for you."

We finished our shower, which was more exploration than showering.  Although we did manage to wash every inch of each other’s body thoroughly, several times.  The hot water started to get cold, or we would probably not have gotten out then.  We entered the kitchen to find all of our friends seated around the large breakfast table eating Italian pastries and saus-age.  The aroma was mouthwatering, and Marcy’s stomach announced its presence, loudly.  The chuckles that made their way around the table were not intended to be hurtful, but I could clearly see they upset my new wife.  All right ass holes, you’ve gone too far, you hurt my baby.

"Hey knock it off, I don’t see what you think is so damned funny.  There isn’t a one of you sitting at that table who’s perfect.  You owe my wife an apology, now."  My emphasis of the word wife got everyone’s attention.  Travis was the first to find his voice.

"Now hold on there ‘legs’ no body met no harm.  But you’re right.  Our behavior was rude, and I for one apologize to you Marcy.  Please forgive me."  The older gentleman got up and took Marcy’s hand and kissed it genuously.  Southern charm oozed off the man like honey.  Then he looked up and winked at me.  Following Worth’s lead, everyone else made their apologies, which, I think embarrassed Marcy more than the chuckling.  All during the incident, I had wrapped my arm around my wife’s waist, holding her close to me.  Elena who had been standing in the doorway witnessing the whole thing entered the room.

"Katrina’s right.  You should all be ashamed.  Good morning my children.  Did you sleep well?"  Again a round of chuckles made the round of the table.  I silenced them all with the look, and Marcy answered Elena’s question.

"Why Elena, we never slept a wink.  I have never been so used in all my life.  Why the passion this Greek Goddess displays is truly magical.  She took me to heights of pleasure you could not have imagined."  I don’t know what hit first: my butt in the chair, or my jaw to the table.  My lover sat down next to me and whispered.  "Pay backs remember?"  All right darlin’.  All bets are off.  You are toast.

"Absolutely, but baby you know I only give as good as I get."  Before Marcy could respond, I encircled her in my arms and kissed her passionately, in front of God and everybody.  That was the last time our lovemaking was spoken about in polite conversation.

The rest of the day was spent in quiet conversation, and enjoying our friend’s company.  We went down into the village to say goodbye to Esmerelda, Bianca, Luigi, and little Michael.  I still had some unfinished business in Naples before I could get down to serious training for the Nations Cup, but even though it was important, it wasn’t as important as thanking all our friends for everything they had done for us.  But soon, we were on the launch, and Rico was ferrying us across the bay to the Hotel Napoli where we would spend the night, and then go on to Naples in the morning, or so I told Marcy.

As usual, Vincenti greeted us at the door, and escorted us to our room.  We filled him in on the good news, and he insisted that he give us a small celebration in honor of our joining.  For obvious reasons, we asked him to please keep the party down to a minimum.  Of course he agreed, and later that night, we would join our host for dinner.  When we got to our room, I collapsed on the bed, and Marcy crawled to the head of the bed, as well.  She cradled my head and shoulders in her lap, and stroked my hair, and stayed with me until I fell asleep, and then she too journeyed to the land of Morpheus.

I awoke some time later to find my lover still asleep.  I gently extricated myself from my lover, and padded out into the living room.  I picked up my cell phone, and dialed the number.  In a moment the connection was made.  "How is our guest?"  A pause.  "Keep at it.  He has to talk, otherwise we’ll have no proof."  Another pause.  "Don’t worry about that, I might have another angle to work."  This time, a longer pause.  "No she stays out of this.  I’ll be there tonight after she’s asleep.  You know what to do, so do it."  I broke the connection in time to hear a sleepy voice.  I grabbed a couple bottles of orange juice from the fridge, and headed toward the bedroom.

"Kat, honey where are..."  I entered the room carrying the refreshments.  "...oh there you are.  I thought I’d have to call out a search party."  I snuggled down into the covers, and handed my love a drink.

"No need for that.  I thought that after our strenuous activities over the past couple of nights, we could use a little re-hydration.  Here, drink up.  We have time for a little quality cuddling before we need to shower for dinner with Vincenti.  Are ya game?"  My lover finished her juice while I finished mine, and took the empty bottles and sat them on the night- stand.  She waggled her eyebrows, and opened her arms to me.

"Did you have to ask?  C’mere you."  I fell into her open arms, and we intertwined our bodies, and fell into a deep peaceful sleep...

In another section of Naples, in an office, in a warehouse, near the wharf, the battered unconscious form of a man sat tied to a chair.  A tall muscular brown haired man sat leaning back in a chair, his booted feet propped up in a table.  On the table rested a variety of tools of the man’s trade, and the man’s gloved hands shimmered from the blood of the man he abused.  After some time, the door opened, and two figures enter the office.  The complexion of the other man was dark too; the other was a woman of medium height, and a muscular build.  Her curly brown hair sat in disarray on her head.  Both people walked up to the tied man.  The woman grabbed the man by the hair, jerking his head up to the light. 

"Jesus Marcus did you have to beat the man half to death.  Stavros wants information, and obviously, you know nothing about modern questioning techniques.  But then you Romans always were barbaric.  The only civilization you have, you stole from the Greeks.  Wake him up, and I’ll show you how to do this properly."  Marcus rose disgustedly from his chair and unceremoniously threw a pitcher of water into the man’s face.  Marcus stood back from the man and let the woman do her thing. 

The woman crouched down in front of the man, who looked at her with his one still functioning eye.  The woman reached up to touch the injured eye, but the man jerked his head away from the proffered touch.  The man received a sharp slap to his face for his trouble, and Marcus grunted derisively.  "Really Rico, I don’t know why you’re being so troublesome.  You know we’ll get the information we want anyway.  Why don’t you just save yourself a lot of grief and tell us what we want to know."  The woman rose and walked around the man, then repositioned herself in her crouch.  "Oh yes, I see, you think Katrina will come save you.  Ha!! Now there’s a hot one.  Rico do you know the meaning of the word expendable?"  The woman began to laugh maniacally.  Rico, in his current state could see nothing to laugh about.

"It doesn’t matter what happens to me, Kat will win.  Stavros is finished, and before Kat is through with him, he’ll be begging for her to kill him."  With that said, Rico spat in the brunette’s face.

"Have it your way then Rico.  But you will tell us what we want to know one way or the other.  We will find out what Katrina has on Stavros, trust me Rico; you will tell us.  If you won’t listen to reason, I’ll have no choice but to let Marcus continue with his brand of ques-tioning.  What will it be Rico, hmmm?  Will you be reasonable or not?"  Rico only growled.

"Go to hell bitch!"  The woman motioned to Marcus.

"Very well then, have it your own way; Marcus you may continue."  Marcus began his torture, and the man’s screams could be heard as the woman left the office.

"Such a waste."  She spoke to the guard at the door.  "If Marcus by some miracle should be able to break the man, call me immediately.  You know where I’ll be."  The man nodded, and the woman stepped in to the limo and drove away. 

The two women rose from their nap unaware of the torture of their friend was enduring only a few miles away.  The sound of the ringing phone brought Kat instantly awake.  She snaked out one long arm and snagged the offending instrument.  She looked at the clock beside the bed that read 6:35pm.  In a raspy, sleepy voice she answered.

"This had better be good Worth."  When there was no answer immediately forthcoming, Kat knew something was wrong.

"Kat, Rico’s missin’.  He never made it back to Capri after he dropped y’all off at the pier.  I have people out lookin’, but so far nothin’ has turned up.  Elena is ‘side herself.  Y’know what this means.  Stavros prob’ly snatched him."  Kat was having a difficult time holding down the rage that threatened to explode deep from within.

"Stavros, that bastard!  This time he’s gone too far.  He can’t get me, so he’s attacking my friends knowing I’ll come after him.  I swear I’ll not lose another brother to the son of a bitch.  You find him; do you hear me Travis you find him!  Send Lu over here; I want him to stay with Marcy."" Travis asked the question he really didn't want an answer to.

"What are you gonna do and what are you gonna tell Marcy?  Kat she has ta know the truth."  Could I tell her the truth; could I do anything else?

"I’ll tell her what I have to.  I can’t lie to her anymore; I won’t lie to her.  I’ll never lie to her ever again.  Keep me posted."

She disconnected the call and looked down at her world.  How could I do this?  How could I involve the one person in the world that meant everything to me?"  Marcy woke slowly, but with the help of Kat’s sweet, gentle kisses, Marcy soon came to full wakefulness.

"Mmm, I really like waking up like this.  Promise me, we can always wake up this way every day for the rest of our lives?"  The rest of our lives.  Can I promise that?  Can I promise anything less?  The answer was so obvious; it was simple.

"Yes my love, I promise.  Always.  Now let’s get up and get ready to go have dinner with Vincenti."  I rolled out of bed and gave my lover’s cute butt a gentle pat.

"Okay, is this a formal occasion or casual?"  I hadn’t really thought about it, but knowing Vincenti, he’d pull out all the stops for us.

"Well I think we probably better go somewhere in between and we’ll be okay.  You go shower; I have a couple of calls to make.  Then maybe if you’re really good, I might wash your back.  How’s that sound?"  Marcy sashayed off to the bathroom, while I held the receiver loosely in my hand.

"Aren’t you gonna make your call?"  Oh Marcy, you are so bad.

"Um-oh yeah-right."  I watched Marcy disappear into the bathroom and I made my call.

"What do you have to tell me?"  The voice on the other end of the line replied.  "How bad is he?"  Another few words from the other end.  "Get him to the hospital, place a guard on his door.  Don’t let anybody in or out unless you check them personally.  Send Marco to get Elena."  Stavros you son of a bitch; this has your stench all over it.  By the Gods, you will die tonight!  I put down the phone just as Marcy came out of the bathroom wrapped only in a towel.

"Honey aren’t you going to..."  She stopped in mid-sentence when she saw me sitting on the bed with the phone hanging in my hand.  "Baby, what is it?  What’s wrong?  What happened?"  My lover lifted my chin and looked in my tear filled eyes.

"Rico has been...Stavros he...Rico’s in the hospital.  Stavros had him beaten and tortured nearly to death.  He wanted information, wanted to know what I had on him to give to the authorities.  He tried to find out by beating it out of Rico.  But knowing Rico. As I do, I know he’d have died before he told them anything."  My lover looked at me, confusion etched on her face.

"Kat I don’t understand, what you had on Stavros...I...I..."  I knew I had to tell her everything.  I could hold nothing back, no matter the consequences.

"Baby, please sit down.  I have something to tell you.  I have been working for years to get Stavros behind bars.  That much I told you.  But what you don’t know is that I’m still working with my contacts.  I’m still working with Worth and Rico; Lu and Marco are my contacts in Italy.  I’m the lead agent.  We’re really close to getting the son of a bitch.  There is a really big drug deal going down; a shipment is due tonight into Italy via Naples.  That’s why Stavros is here.  It was just dumb luck that we ran into him in the lobby the other day.  Anyway, that’s... why...I’m here too, to stop him."

Marcy looked at me, tears running down her face.  The look of someone who had been used and betrayed covered her face.  I dropped my head in shame.  I had hurt my baby; used our trip here to cover my real purpose for being here.  After this, I knew she would leave me.  How could she stay now; how could she love me after I lied to her?

"You lied to me?  This was all just an act?  I was just a pawn in your cover?  Oh god Kat, I thought you loved me.  I thought we were soul mates; I thought we would be together forever.  Ha!  What a fool I am!"  Andreas prepare yourself; she’s going to leave you.  I reached out to touch my lover, but she shrank away from me.  I had to try to make her understand.

"Marcy, I know I lied to you, if not directly, then indirectly.  I should have told you everything.  But I was afraid if I told you I was still tracking Stavros, you wouldn’t stay with me, you’d leave.  I lied to you about the real reason for this trip to Naples, but the rest, all of that, is the truth.  I love you with all my heart and soul.  I meant it when I asked you to marry me.  I love you.  The vows I said were real.  I wouldn’t blame you if you left me, but please don’t go.  I love you and I can’t go on without you.  I am so sorry; please forgive me; I beg you."

 Marcy had gone over to the window and stood there with her back to me.  I moved to where she stood and reached out to touch her shoulder.  Just as I was about to make contact with her skin, a soft knock sounded on the door.  I handed Marcy her robe, and went to answer the door.  By the time I reached the door, she had gotten into the robe, but was still facing the window.  All the while, she never turned and never said a word.  I answered the door to find Lu’s large frame filling the entrance.

"Come on in Lu; Marcy’s in the bedroom.  I’ll go let her know you’re here and I’m leaving.  Order up room service.  Marcy needs to eat, and so do you.  I’ll be right back."  I went back to our bedroom, to find Marcy still standing where I’d left her.  Still silent, I went to her and kissed her on the top of her head.

"No matter what happens, always remember, I love you so much, and I always will."  I turned to go and as I neared the door, she finally spoke.

"In order for a relationship to work, it has to be based on truth and trust.  What is ours built on?"  I had no answer.  "I don’t know if I can do this any more.  I just don’t know..."  As I walked out the door I answered.

"I understand.  Goodbye Marcy.  I love you."  I entered the living room as the valet was leaving after having delivered a dinner cart.  "Take care of her Lu.  I any...if...I don’t...see to it personally she gets back home to her family in Connecticut."  Lu nodded his understanding.  "See ya."  And with that I was gone.  Just as I closed the door, Marcy ran into the living room, fear and panic ingrained on her face.  Lu grabbed her in his bear like paws to keep her from following me out into the hallway.

"Where did she go?"  Lu looked her squarely in the eyes.

"She’s gone to stop Stavros once and for all.  She plans to end this one way or another."  The pleading look in her eyes melted the big man’s heart.

"Let me go; I have to tell her I forgive her.  I love her, and I may never get another chance.  Please."  Lu released the crying woman and opened the door.  I was standing by the elevator waiting for the doors to open.  When they did, I stepped inside the car.

"Kat wait!"  The voice echoed inside the elevator.  "Oh Kat, I do forgive you, and I love you so very much."  Marcy spoke to an empty corridor.  Then she simply crumpled to the floor.  When the elevator doors opened again and I saw my soul, my life, lying on the floor sobbing quietly.  She had her knees drawn up tightly against her chest.  Lu started toward her, but I shook my head indicating he should stay back.  I crept silently to my lover and knelt down.  I pulled her to my chest, gently rocking her trying to soothe her wounded heart and spirit.

"My love, I’m here.  It’ll be all right; I promise; I love you.  I kissed her forehead and temple and then lifted her into my arms and carried her back to our room.  I entered our bedroom and laid my precious bundle on the bend.  I crawled in next to her and held her close to me until the sobs stopped and Marcy was able to speak.

"I’m so sorry my love.  I do forgive you.  I don’t want to live without you.  I couldn’t even if I tried.  When you walked out, I was hit with the realization that you were leaving and you weren’t coming back.  I heard what you said to Lu.  I was so frightened.  It made me understand that we belonged together and no matter what, if we stay together, we can overcome anything."  I stroked my baby’s hair and let my tears fall unbidden.  I had been so stupid.  I nearly lost the one person, in all the world, who meant anything to me because of a damned lie.  "But Kat, promise me you’ll never keep anything from me again.  We are partners in all things, right?"  Yes we were.  Probably for the first time, the meaning of that word hit home.

"Yes my darling we are; in all ways, and I promise I will never lie to you or keep anything from you ever again."  I brought my lover’s lips to mine, and kissed her tenderly trying to convey all the love I felt for this small woman who had taken over my whole being so totally.

"Kat, one more thing. Please don’t do this; I’m begging you.  I’m so frightened that if you leave, I’ll never see you again."  As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the tears began streaming down her face.  I tried to comfort my wife, reassure her that I would be all right, and I could handle myself.

"Oh Marcy, I’m sorry you’re frightened but I have to do this. Stavros has to be stopped.  He is an evil man and he’s spreading his disease all over the world.  He’s poisoning innocent people with his drugs.  He’s selling children into slavery and prostitution like cattle for money.  He’s murdering people on a whim.  I have to stop him or die trying.  He can’t be allowed to destroy any more people’s lives.  I can’t allow it any more; I won’t.  I have to do this, do you understand?  I promise I’ll be careful.  I’ll come back to you.  Now dry your eyes and get dressed.  There is a cart full of food out there and you better get to it before Lu eats it all.  Okay?"  My lover dried her eyes, and I couldn’t resist the urge to taste her sweet lips.  Our kiss was warm and tender.  This wasn’t about sex or lust, but about caring and love.  It was a reaf- firmation of our love and a promise of a lifetime together.  We parted, loathe to break the connection.

"You remember, you promised me and I’m holding you to it, okay?  Hey, I know, why don’t I come with you?  Maybe I can help."  I don’t think so.

"There is no way you are coming along.  What I have to do is very dangerous and...I...I don’t...what I have to do isn’t going to be pretty.  I don’t want you to be a witness to...the less you see...what you don’t know..."  My lover came to my rescue and stopped my ravings.

"All right, but this won’t be easy for me to wait knowing you’re in danger and I can’t be there to watch your back."  This woman is too good.

"That’s not going to work; no matter what you might think.  I’ve got to go, I’ll be back soon, I promise."  I kissed my wife quickly and left.  I knew if I didn’t leave then, I might not go at all.  I walked into the living room where Lu waited.

"Is everything okay? You worked it out?"  He looked at me expectantly.

"Yeah everything’s okay.  You take care of her; I’ll be back, and I don’t want to have to kill a good friend if anything happens to her."  I got into Lu’s face.  "Believe me Lu, she is the most important thing in the world to me.  So know this: if she is harmed in any way, you’d better die defending her because if you don’t, I’ll kill you just as quickly as I will Stavros, without a second thought."  Lu nodded.  He knew me well enough to know I meant every word I said.

"You have my word; if anything happens, you won’t have to kill me, I’d die before I let anything happen to her."  I regarded my friend’s solemn yet determined face.

"I know you would."  With that, I was gone.

"Be safe my friend."

I met Travis at the appointed location.  I flashed my headlights three times in succession to signal who I was and that I hadn’t been followed.  I got out of my car, traversed the short distance to the van, quickly and quietly.  Travis had all the equipment we would need for this mission.  Still I asked.

"Is everything ready?"  Travis glared at me; his version of ‘the look’.  God, what is it with everyone and ‘the look’?

"Of course.  Need you ask?"  I ignored that comment.

I took the duffel bag from Travis and retrieved everything I needed: two 45 caliber automatic handguns, with extra clips, various assorted throwing knives, and one large combat knife suitable for skinning, that I slipped into my boot.  I slipped the infrared night vision glasses over my eyes and the tiny miniature transceiver in my ear.  I was ready.  I would need everything Travis taught me about covert operations for the mission to succeed. 

Stavros had taught me to be a ruthless killer: cruel, vengeful, and merciless.  But my anger wasn’t channeled efficiently.  My emotions were never under control, and that led to mistakes.  Travis took those rudimentary skills and honed them.  He taught me to be cold, calculating, and logical in my actions.  I learned to stay cool under pressure; this cut down on mistakes, and mistakes caused people to die.  I never lost any member of my team, and I hoped my record would remain unblemished, because the members of this team weren’t just agents, they were family and friends.  Stavros had created his idea of the ultimate weapon.  Travis had refined and perfected that weapon into the perfect killing machine.  But now, I was coming to destroy the first creator.  Stavros had made a fatal mistake when he killed my family.  I would make him suffer the way my family suffered.  Before I was through, he would be begging me to end his miserable life.

"All right, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page.  Marco, position the men on the hill over looking the villa.  We have to wait until the deal goes down; we have to catch them in the act.  Travis I want you to act as the liaison, between our team and the IDTF (Italian Drug Task Force).  I want the villa surrounded; I want every exit covered.  I don’t want one of those bastards to slip past us.  But most of all I want Stavros, he’s mine.  We go in silent, any one makes a sound, and I’ll break their necks.  Got it?  All right, deploy now."

Inside the villa, Stavros waited for the Colombian drug czar to arrive.  He figured he had all his bases covered.  True he had lost Kat’s lieutenant, but no matter.  He wasn’t forthcoming with any valuable information anyway.  And he knew he would still be able to draw Kat in and make her stay for good this time.  After all, he had papa.  He was glad now he hadn’t killed the old man all those years ago...

"You’ll never get away with this Stavros.  Sooner or later you’ll slip up and when you do, I’ll be there to see that you pay."  Miklos Andreas was a huge man, bigger even than Stavros.  But the chains that held him to the wall wouldn’t budge.

"Andreas, I have already won.  Everyone thinks you’re dead.  You were the victim of a dreadful accident, an explosion on your yacht.  All hands lost.  Too bad, such a terrible tragedy.  I really had intended for you to die in that explosion, but this may work out even better.  You may prove to be very useful in the future.  Let’s just say you will be my ace in the hole.  Oh incidentally, your funeral was very impressive.  So many people were there.  Even the American President Ronald Reagan attended.  But too it was so sad; your son, so brave, your grieving widow, your loving daughter, they were in such pain.  Of course, fortunately, I was there to comfort them both, and I will be there in the future.  And after an appropriate mourning period, I will wed you beautiful, but lonely wife.  Who knows, we may even have children together? Ah, and then there is Katrina, I am sure I will enjoy getting to know her much better, shall we say more intimately?"  Andreas lunged forward in an effort to reach the cocky bastard.

"Why?  Why are you doing this to my family?  What have I ever done to you?"  The shipping tycoon was truly baffled as to why Stavros would do these things to him.

"You really don’t remember do you?  You don’t remember my father.  He died penniless, his reputation ruined, his business destroyed.  He lost everything including his family."  Miklos still didn’t understand.

"I never knew a man named Stavros, you’re the first person by that name I’ve ever met."  Stavros was really enjoying watching the man’s pain.

"I took my mother’s name, so I could move amongst you and your company officials easily.  My father’s name was Stefano Demitri Alexandros.  Now do you remember him?"  Now realization dawned on Andreas.

"Your father was an embezzler; he was stealing from his own company to finance his poor business deals.  Then he tried to move into my business, and threatened my employees.  He was using unsafe and shoddy ship building methods.  This resulted in environmental hazards to the Mediterran-ean ecosystem.  I simply testified to the authorities what I knew when they asked me.  If he was destroyed, he did it himself."  Stavros wanted Andreas to beg for his life and his family, and obviously, he was going to do neither.  This infuriated the dark man, and he struck out beating the chained man until he lost consciousness, but never once did Andreas cry out or beg for mercy.

Yes, soon he would have it all, but most of all, he would have his dark angel back by his side.  Little did he know, he had a mole inside his organization, a very beautiful mole indeed, and the curly haired brunette was about to call in the cavalry to save the day.   And that cavalry was led by a raven haired apocalyptic general who intended on taking no prisoners.  Nikki moved toward a short narrow hallway out of the traffic patterns used by the guards and other personnel.  She removed a small comb from her hair, and flipped a small switch on the bottom.  This activated a small sending unit that signaled Travis and Kat that the time was right to move in.  Nikki replaced the comb, and reentered the main room.  Stavros called to the woman.

"Take Marcus and go to the gardener’s cottage and keep our guest company.  I’ll call you when I want you to bring him to the party."  The brunette nodded and motioned for  Marcus to follow out the back door.

"Let’s go, soon this will all be over, and we will all be very rich."  The woman had finally gained the brute’s confidence.  How she had to do so she was far from proud of, but if everything worked out as planned, then Katrina would have the surprise of he life.  She prayed everything went well.  She absent-mindedly fingered the comb and prayed Worth’s little gadget worked.  It had.  The team previously waiting on the hill was now in motion.  Events were now moving to a conclusion, for good or ill, but Kat knew that by the end of this night either she or Stavros, or both would be dead, and her vendetta would be finished.

There were other people waiting as well.  Marcy and Lu were sitting in the Marcy’s hotel room trying to concentrate on a game of gin rummy.  Marcy was like a caged animal, pacing back and forth, trying to stay calm and patient, but finding it difficult.  Lu sympathized with Marcy’s lack of patience.  For all the years he had been in this business, this was the hardest part of any job: protecting a victim or a material witness, sitting on a stake out waiting, and watching for the criminals to make a mistake. 

"Marcy, I know this is difficult, but please Kat knows what she’s doing.  Everything will be all right.  Trust me on this."  The little blonde had an idea.  She couldn’t just sit here and wait.  She hated waiting. 

"Lu take me to Kat.  Please, I can’t take this not knowing what’s happening.  Please, I’ll do everything you tell me to, I’ll stay out of the way.  Oh please Lu, please.  I’m begging you."  I wonder if Kat can say no to this woman.

"You know Kat will probably kill me for this.  You’ll do everything I say?  No arguments?"  Marcy nodded enthusiastically.  I’m in such deep shit.  The truth was, Lu wanted to go too.  "Okay, let’s go."

Nikki and Marcus arrived at the cottage, and Marcus moved ahead of Nikki to open the door.  The guards were told to stand down, and they moved away.  Before Marcus could turn the handle, a deadly sharp stiletto slid neatly between his ribs and into his heart.  Death was instantaneous and silent.  He crumpled to the floor just inside the door.  The older Andreas was sitting in a chair, his hands bound in front of him with a pair of handcuffs.   A guard was standing behind him. When the guard saw Marcus slump to the floor he moved in front of the prisoner.  Dumb move.  In the blink of an eye, the tall Greek was on his feet, slipping his arms over the man’s head thrusting the steal handcuffs hard against the guard’s throat crushing his larynx.  With a quick twist, the man’s neck snapped killing him instantly.  The other guard moved toward Nikki, but the young agent simply sidestepped the man, and drove her booted foot hard into the man’s face shattering his nose and jaw.  The unconscious man crashed to the floor unmoving.  The young woman and middle-aged man stood staring at each other.

"Nicolina?  Is that you?  My little Nikki."  The man took one shaky step forward, and the young woman ran to the older man and allowed him to wrap his arms around the young woman.

"Yes Miklos, yes papa, it’s me.  I have grown up some, no?"  The two old friends stood in each other’s arms for a moment.  "Here, let me take this off you.  We are still in great danger; we cannot stay here.  C’mon, let’s move."  The big Greek was still in shock, but he moved surprisingly quickly for a man in his late sixties.  One thing Stavros had insisted upon was that the man be kept in perfect health, and good physical condition.  He couldn’t have the man die on him before his plans were successful.

"The drug agents have sealed off the area, and Kat and Travis are moving in to arrest Stavros.  I’m sure the bastard won’t go down without a fight.  Speaking of which, that was some move you put on that guard.  You been keeping in shape?"  The shipping magnate grinned from ear to ear.

"Yeah Stavros had his men spar with me to keep me in good condition.  I must say I enjoyed kicking their sorry asses every day.  It’s about the only thing that kept me going, that and seeing my Katrina and you again.  By the way, that was a pretty impressive kick move you put on the other guy.  And poor old Marcus, you responsible for that too?  Remind me never to get on your bad side.  Who taught you all that?"  Nikki blushed slightly, then smiled proudly.

"Kat.  She’ deadly when she has to be."  Andread nodded.  Yeah, I’ll bet.  Soon my kitten, I’ll see you soon.  Nikki halted their progress, and listened.  Gunfire could be heard up at the main villa.

"C’mon Miklos, the cavalry has arrived.  We need to get to the house before all hell breaks loose.  Let’s go!"  The two took off at a dead run, dodging shrubbery in their path.

Up at the villa, the drug agents had surrounded the house, and were pouring round after round into the building.  The drug dealers were trying desperately to flee the inferno, but to no avail.  They decided, like most rats do, to desert the sinking ship.  Any of his confederates he caught trying to flee Stavros cut down in a heartbeat.  He was completely insane.  Like his father, his empire was crashing down around him.  He could run away, lick his wounds and live to fight another day.  But he was leaving without his trump card.  In the confusion, Kat had managed to get into the villa relatively easily.  She searched the room until she found her quarry trying to sneak out the back of the house.  Magically a throwing knife appeared in her hand and with a mere flick of the wrist sent it whistling across the room imbedding it into Stavros’ thigh.  A high pitched scream alerted the thrower she had hit her target.  The screaming man stumbled to the floor in agony.

"Where do ya think you’re going?  The party is just getting started."  A low contralto voice menaced him.  "We have a lot to talk about you bastard, and I intend to do all the talking."  In a flash, another knife whizzed through the air, this time the knife imbedded itself in the man’s shoulder.  "What’s the matter Stavros, aren’t you having fun yet?  Too bad, I am."  In less that a heartbeat, Katrina launched herself onto the wounded man, dragged him to his feet, only to slam her fist into the man’s face.  The sickening sound of bones crunching under the impact of the blow filled the room.  Next, with unbelievable strength, Katrina picked the man up and then threw him across the room slamming him forcefully against the wall.  "What’s wrong Stavros, having a problem with your creation?  Am I too much for you?  Don’t you wanna play anymore?"  Kat stalked her prey like a panther ready to tear the hapless deer to shreds.  The demons were loose now, and she reveled in the feeling.  Blood lust was running freely in her veins, and she adored the sensation.  It was time to move in for the kill, but it was going to be very slow and very excruciatingly painful.  She drew the combat knife from her boot and advanced on her crippled, whining, whimpering, and begging victim.

"How does the sound of your own crying sound in your ears huh Stavros?  You bastard, this is the way your victims sounded just before you killed them.  Is this the way Tony sounded when you killed him, or papa, huh Stavros?  Did they cry and beg for their lives like you are now?  Their cries went unheard, just like yours will.  You’re gonna die Stavros slowly and painfully, and I will have my vengeance."  Stavros’ pain clouded mind registered only one word: papa.  His trump card.  Now it was time to play.

"Wait Kat, your-your papa-he’s not dead.  I kept-kept him prisoner---for-for all this time.  He’s alive, Kat.  If you let me go, I’ll tell you where he is."  At that lie, Kat lost what little control she had and lunched at her wretched victim.

"You lying bastard, you’ll stop at nothing to get me to come back to you.  Well it won’t work, tonight you die!"  Kat raised both her hands, the combat knife clamped tightly between her palms.  Just as she was ready to plunge downward, the doors exploded inward, and from two directions Marcy, Travis, Marco, and Lu and Nikki and Miklos charged into the room.

"No Kat don’t do this!"  Marcy screamed at the top of her lungs.  For just a moment, Kat hesitated, and Marcy tried again.  "Please baby, but the knife down.  He isn’t worth it.  If you do this, he wins; he’ll get you back.  You’ll be just like him."  Kat stopped, but still revenge would be so sweet.

"Baby, he killed my brother, my papa."  Then a voice from her childhood resonated in her ears.

"No he didn’t my kitten.  I’m here now; everything will be all right now.  Drop the knife Katrina.  Let the authorities handle this now.  Stavros will pay for his crimes."  Kat began shaking uncontrollably.  She stood on shaking legs and turned toward the voice from her past, she thought lost to her forever.

"Papa?  Is that really you?  Oh papa, I’ve missed you so much."  Kat launched herself into the older Andreas’ arms, dropping the knife on the floor.  Lu and Marco rushed to take custody of Stavros, who now had a lot in common with a babbling idiot.

"C’mon Stavros, you’ve got a date with the hangman."  Lu growled and dragged the crime boss off, none too gently.  Out of the corner of her eye, Kat could see Stavros being led away.

"Lu wait.  Bring the scum over here."  Lu and Marco half pulled half pushed the bleeding, battered man over to where Kat and her father were standing.  She grabbed his hair and jerked his head up to look directly in her face.  "Take a good look Stavros, you’ve lost.  Your plans have failed; your world is crumbling around you.  You’ve got a date with the hangman, and I will be there to watch them snap your neck like a twig.  You tried to destroy my family and I, and you almost succeeded, but you failed, and I won.  How does that feel, hmmm?"  Stavros could say nothing; he had failed.  "I’m sorry I failed you, father."  The look of disgust on Kat’s face was evident.  She spat in his face and growled.  "Get this lowlife outta my sight."  Kat’s men carried the man away to deliver him into the hands of the Italian  au-thorities.  Now what.  Marcy stood next to Travis who had a protective arm wrapped around the small woman’s shoulders.  Kat found her soulmate with her eyes.  She disentangled herself from her father’s embrace and opened her arms into which Marcy rushed.  Kat simply held her wife in her arms, and whispered softly.  "It’s over my love, it’s finally over.  C’mere, I want you to met someone so very special.  The two women walked over to where Travis and Miklos were shaking hands and hugging fondly.  It was the embrace of two old friends reunited after years of separation.

"Papa, I want you to met my world, my life, my wife.  This is Marcy.  Marcy I want you to meet my father, Miklos Aristotle Andreas."  Marcy’s conservative upbringing rared its ugly head again, and she just stood there, not sure what to do.  And as usual, the European nature to just hug and kiss took over.  The big man just grabbed the tiny woman up in his arms, and embraced her, almost hugging the stuffing out of the little blonde.  The deep baritone voice of the shipping tycoon reverberated throughout the large room.  The shouts of joy were conta-gious and soon everyone in the room was engaged in raucous laughter.  People were hugging and kissing each other exuberantly.  Finally, the big Greek called for quiet.  Even though the man had been away from his business corporation for nearly twenty years, he still commanded an air of authority.  The room became as silent as a church.  He turned and faced Travis speaking to him directly.

"I had lost everything that was important to me: my family.  I thought I would never see any of the people I loved ever again.  But thanks to you my friend, I have been given a second chance.  Not only to I have my kitten..."  Marcy poked Kat playfully in the ribs.  "Kitten?"  Kat rubbed her sore rib.  "Yeah."  "...back, and I find I have another daughter as well.  I can’t tell you how happy this makes me.  Anything ever, that you need, if it is within my power, I will get it for you my friend."  While the reunions were going on, Lu and Marco and the rest of the team were securing the villa and the surrounding grounds.  Outside on the verandah, half hidden in the shrubbery, Marco found the body of a man.

"Hey Lu, you better get Kat.  She needs to take a look at this guy."  Lu walked over and looked down on the blood-splattered man. 

"Miklos."  The man named for his father lay there dead, at Stavros hand, for trying to run away.

"Kat, there’s something here you have to see."  Kat moved to where the two agents were kneeling.

"Well brother, was it worth it, selling out your own family?  Stavros even turned on you in the end."  Miklos came over to where his son lay.

"He was involved in this from the very start wasn’t he?  Now I know what Stavros meant."  Kat looked at her papa confusion apparent on her face.  Andreas continued.  "It was something Stavros said to me once.  ‘...your empire will crumble from within...’ and he was right.  Miklos planted the bomb on the yacht that day so long ago."  The man sighed deeply.  "Maybe if I had been a better father to him, he would have turned out..."  Kat grabbed the man by the shoulders and whirled him around to face her.

"Don’t you ever say that.  You did everything you could for him; sometimes, people are born who are just bad.  Marcy would say there was good in everyone, and I wish I could believe that, but I can’t.  Miklos, Stavros, I can’t find any good in those people.  Miklos tried to kill you, and he killed his own brother, and contributed to mamma’s death too.  Oh my God, mamma.  Papa she...she’s...I am so sorry...I...she’s dead papa.  Oh papa I failed to keep the family together after you were taken from us.  I promised at your funeral.  I swore..."  Now it was the father’s turn to comfort his daughter.

"Just as you won’t allow me to blame myself for your brother’s failures, I won’t allow you to blame yourself for the family not being together.  You were a child, it was too much to promise, and certainly I would never have asked that of one so young."  The older man kissed the young woman tenderly on her head, and wrapped her up in strong arms.  Her world was healthy and whole once again.  Travis couldn’t help but wipe a tear from the corner of his eye.  Nikki could resist a slight jab.

"What’s the matter old man?  Got something in your eye?"  Travis playfully ruffled the smaller woman’s hair.

"What’s it to ya?  Hey, what are y’all doin’ standin’ ‘round here.  I think all this calls for a celebration.  Any takers?"  The two big agents agreed wholeheartedly.

"We’re for that! Let’s get the hell outta here!!"  Lu and Marco shouted simultaneously.  Marcy, Kat and Andreas watched in utter amusement.

"What do you say papa, Marcy?  Let’s go home."  Kat leaned in and kissed her wife passionately, the others in the room completely forgotten.  Nikki put an end to the passion.

"Why don’t you two get a room!"  

Epilogue:  Six months later.

A tall dark complected man leaned on the top rail of the practice ring fence; a short blond sat ton the top rail.  They were watching me work a strong, powerfully built leopard Appaloosa stallion over the fences.  Panache and I worked well together and each obstacle was met and conquered with ease, much the same way the obstacles to my life were overcome.  Well maybe not with ease, but nonetheless, overcome.  I look back now on the last six months, and find a peacefulness, calmness, and contentedness I had ever felt in a long time, perhaps never.  Let’s see where to begin.

The shock and happiness finding my father had been alive all these years was a joyous problem indeed.  I managed to calm myself enough to get Pan ready for the Nations Cup.  As a team, the U.S. won the silver medal; I won an individual gold.  After that show, I decided to take the next six months off to get reacquainted with my papa.  Of course, Marcy and I spent a great deal of quality time together.  We even had a family get together.  Marcy’s dad was exactly overjoyed at the news his daughter was a lesbian, but papa pointed out that there were many worse things to suffer in this world.  Like thinking you had lost you daughter forever and you’d never see her again.  With that thought in mind a decision to accept your child on her terms was not a bad thing at all.  In addition, papa assured the banker he would be allowed to handle all the investments for ‘Andreas Shipping’ in the US; that made the conservative businessman happy indeed.

Rico recovered from his wounds completely.  The worse thing he had to deal with was Elena fussing over him, and nursing him back to health.  Lu and Bianca are expecting their second child in the fall.  Esmerelda is playing the proud grandmother.  As for Nikki and Lucci, I haven’t heard much from them, but the last I heard, they were on a whirlwind honeymoon which had taken them all over the world.  Worth and the Duchess kinda fell out of lust.  Travis complained the woman was too dull.  He is however looking for new territory to conquer.  Papa is slowly rebuilding his business and reputation, and he doesn't show any signs of stopping anytime soon.  I guess that just leaves Marcy and I.

I have grown more and more in love with this remarkable woman each day.  She is indeed the light to my dark; she gives me the strength go to through each new day, and face whatever destiny has in store for me.  She went with me to say goodbye to mamma just as she promised...

"Hello mamma.  I know I said some very hurtful things to you, but I want you to know how sorry I am.  I just hope you can forgive me.  I only wish you could have seen the evil Stavros...  No I won’t go there.  He’s out of our lives for good.  He paid for his crimes, and was executed by the state, as it should have been.

"Mamma, papa is alive.  Stavros lied to us.  Papa is with me now, and he’s rebuilding his life again.  But of course you know that.  He came to see you sooner than I did.  I was afraid to come, afraid and ashamed, but Marcy...  Oh mamma, you didn’t get a chance to meet my Marcy.  She is the most beautiful creature God ever put on this earth.  She’s the reason I survived.  We’re married mamma.  We live together on Travis’ farm in Virginia. I am happy mamma, for the first time in a long time, and I am at peace.  The demons are gone, and I am free.

************************************************************   

THE END

Well there it is.  Thanks for everyone who hung in there on this one.  Of course, I need your input.  Let me know what you think.  For those of you who are patiently waiting for the ‘Lost and Found’ series to continue, I’m all over it tonight, I promise.  Thanks again to all of you who have responded so positively.

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