Dreams
By ROCshadow

Special Note: Happy Birthday Sarah!!!!

Part 12

In Jean's room the troop were still wandering what had happened.
"For the hundredth time girls, she just said that Kris was staying for the night, not that they were going to sleep together." Jean was annoyed by the persistence of his friends. They were fighting over who had won the bet.

"C'mon Jean don't be a party pooper, you know those two have something between them. " Said Marie enthusiastically, she was happy for Kris.
"I'm not denying it, but I think it's not the right time to start talking about a relationship between them. They don't have a clue yet and we aren't going to spoil it. Let's keep it to ourselves for once and let them go at their own pace." Jean said. He was sitting on the bed with a peacefully sleeping Chris on his lap.

"Ok, we'll give them more time, but not too much. I really like that girl for our Kris. " Issa said, just before she turned her light off.
"Ok people let's get some sleep; it's 6:00 a.m. for Christ sake we have work to do tomorrow" Said Marie as she walked out of the bathroom only to find everybody asleep already. "Thanks so much for waiting for me. Oh Kris I hope you're ok." She mumbled to herself as she hopped into bed beside her lover.

"Hey baby are you ok? "Asked Samm embracing her lover from behind. She had noticed the absence of her lover in bed and went in search of her only to find a pensive Beverly looking at the darkness outside the window.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Asked Bev, falling back into the comfort of her lovers embrace.
"No, but I always get cold when I'm alone in bed." Samm tightened her hold on Beverly. "What is it baby? " She asked. "I was thinking that I'm a grandmother. After all these years I can't believe he is still hurting me "

Beverly was very depressed, the reason of all her problems had a name: Christopher Heart; the man who practically bought her from her family. She was fifteen years old when she'd met him; at twenty-five he was the general manager at her uncle's work. Beverly was the one who always brought lunch to her uncle; he lived with her and her mom since her grandfather died two years ago. It was her duty to bring lunch for her uncle on her way to school every day, one day Christopher was outside with some contractors when Bev arrived looking for her uncle, she was so young and beautiful and the young manager fell in love at first sight.
He began courting her immediately and that pleased her uncle no end. Bev wasn't thrilled, but she thought it was cool to have a handsome rich young man courting her at her young age. She was the envy of all her friends at school.

A year later they were still at the same stage. Beverly never allowed Chris to take their relationship further than friendship, she was struggling with very delicate issues herself and the only friend she thought she had was Chris who went ballistic the moment she talked to him about her sexuality issues. He thought that he might lose her to some woman and he had waited patiently for her to make up her mind and accept him as a husband, now it was time for more drastic measures.

Christopher talked to Bev's mother who was sick with cancer; about what Bev had said and in no time all hell broke lose. Two months later she was Mrs. Christopher Heart; her mother lost her battle with cancer a year later without meeting her grandson.

What came next Beverly didn't want to think about it now.

"Samm, sweetheart what do you think of all this? " Asked Beverly still wrapped in her lover's arms. The tall redheaded woman tightened her hold on Bev as she said. "I think you are a very sexy grandma." Samm turned Bev around to look straight into her lover's beautiful blue eyes.Beverly laughed for the first time since she saw Jenn on TV.
"You are such a goof!!!" She said.
"Yeah, but I'm your goof and you wouldn't want me any other way." Samm responded as she stroked Bev's cheek with the back of her hand.
"You're perfectly right on that one baby. Thanks, you always now what to say to make me feel better." Smiled Bev. "So, what are you planning concerning our granddaughter? It looks like she's a handful" A concerned Samm asked.

Beverly took a deep breath and looked at her lover,
"I want to meet her and let her know I exist, I have no idea what they told her about me, if they told her something at all." They looked at each other seriously until their foreheads touched.
"It's ok baby, we'll find her. Everything is going to be alright." Samm said, honestly.

The pair were curled in the middle of the bed, somehow during the night they had tangled into each other. Kristen was using Jenn as a body pillow, they were peacefully sleeping until the ringing of the phone woke up the accountant. She felt a weight on her shoulder that didn't let her up to answer the phone.

The accountant opened her eyes to find a blonde head resting on her shoulder, their hands were together and their fingers were entwined in a very intimate position. Jenn was nearly hysterical, but what worried her most was shutting up the phone before the young writer woke up and found them in a very compromising position. "Think fast JJ" As fast as she could the accountant seated grabbed the phone and fell back to bed, all of this without letting go of her precious cargo.

"Good morning, Heart speaking." Was all she could say with a sleepy voice.
"Good morning?? Are you insane JJ. It has to be at least two thirty down there." Marge sounded concerned.

"Geez, I'm glad to hear you too Marge." Jenn answered sarcastically, still numb with sleep and conscious of the peacefully sleeping blonde attached to her shoulder.
"I'm sorry buddy, I didn't mean to be harsh with you, I'm so worried about you. " Marge said.
"It's ok. What's wrong M, you sound upset? " Jenn said, whilst trying to loosen the hold Kristen had her in. But in her slumbering state the author wasn't cooperating.
"JJ, I'm upset because there are pictures and rumors about you all around. Do you know about it? " Marge asked, and as a second thought she added.
" Hey! How come you're still in bed this late? Can you tell me what the hell is going on?" Marge asked.

Jenn thought that Marge was referring to her reaction to the press the night before and didn't give a second thought at it. "It's no problem Marge. I had a less than friendly encounter with the press last night but it's not big deal, don't let it bother you."
"Ok, but I'm just dying to know why you are still in bed. Did you happen to get lucky last night? " Marge teased.

Jenn felt self conscious about her actual position in bed with the blonde author and decided to avoid any explanation. "I went to bed late last night that's all. Don't let your mind get the wrong idea." Jenn said pleased with her way of explanation. As she was talking on the phone the petite writer started to stir into consciousness, knocking the phone out of Jenn's hand and hurting her hand in the process, creating chaos within seconds. "Hey, Kris, watch out!" Marge heard Jenn's voice followed by "Ouch!! That hurts!" from someone else's voice, she supposed it was Kristen's. "Wait the phone!" That was Jenn again but this time she sounded farter away from the phone, immediately she heard a loud bang on the phone and voices talking far away from the phone; it was hard to hear what was being said.

"Good morning, I'm sorry I crowded you." Said a blushing Kris.
"Don't worry you were deeply asleep. How's your hand?" Jenn asked, trying to erase the awkwardness of the moment and forgetting about her phone call.
" It was better until I hit the phone with it. " Smiled Kris.

That brought Jenn back to reality. " The phone!!!! " Jenn looked for the phone quickly. "Oh God Marge!" Said Jenn as she took the phone again. "I'm still here Jenn, don't be so loud. I find it interesting, my friend, how you ended up in bed with Kristen O'Rourke. Here I was thinking that the Press was making all that up." Marge said, trying hard not to laugh on the phone.
" Making what up? What do you mean? " Jenn was so confused.

"The pictures Jenn !! There are pictures and gossip all over the Internet about you and Kristen O'Rourke being all touchy feely with each other. Now I know it's not a bluff that you are sleeping together!!! Wow!!! Jenn." Marge stated, she was so happy for her friend. "Poor old me so worried about you and you enjoying the pleasures of the flesh." Kidded Marge.

Jenn was flabbergasted she couldn't believe what she was hearing. " What!!! Marge are you high or something? What pictures? We're not sleeping together, it's not what you think, you have got to believe me. " Jenn was nearly screaming whilst Kris looked at her questioningly..
" Oh Oh, trouble in paradise, she has a lover!!! Jealousy is a bad thing." Thought Kris as she felt a pang of jealousy when she thought about the tall accountant being with someone else.
"Look M, I don't know what you are talking about, but believe me, I fell asleep on Kristen's bed. We were just talking last night, it was late and that's it." Jenn tried to clear up the misunderstanding with Marge but inside she knew she needed to hear it as well.

" You don't need to explain JJ. I'm your best friend, not your lover. I'm happy for you no matter who you sleep with." Said Marge seriously. She knew this might be very hard for Jenn because she always had been a very private person and even with Marge she had never talked about the people she'd dated.

"On Kristen's bed? Since when was Kristen sharing the room with you? I thought she could afford her own room. I always knew you had a soft spot for that writer anyway." Teased Marge.
"For the last time Marge, we're not sleeping together like that!!! "
Jenn was nearly shouting now and Kristen thought the account was going to have a stroke right there.

"Ok, JJ calm down, geez I was just teasing you. I believe you but I doubt the rest of the world will." Marge laughed.
"What do you mean?" Asked a concerned Jenn.
"Go to your laptop and check your e-mails. I'm sending you some information that is running on the web about you and Kristen. It's going to be important for you two to watch this together and find a way to solve this." Marge said.
" What is it? " Asked a confused Jenn.
" It's hard to explain, go and log on to the net, check your e-mail. I've sent you all you need to read to understand what I'm saying. There are rumors JJ, about you and Kristen, so it's better if both of you look at it together." Marge explained.

" Ok I'll check that right away. " Said Jenn as she started to move around the room.
" Let me know if you need anything else after you've had a look at that, ok? And just for the record; you two make a beautiful couple no matter what you say. Give my regards to Kristen." Marge said the last part in a whisper, the playfulness obvious on her voice.
Jenn was going to protest but decided she'd had enough fighting for a day. So she let Marge's comment pass.

" I'll do just that M, take care., " Jenn said, now more relaxed than when the conversation had started.
Kristen noticed and let out a breath " Wow the storm is over, finally." She thought.
Jenn walked to the table where her laptop was placed and booted up the computer as she looked at Kris and said. " Marge said we need to see this together, she sent an e-mail with some information. Something about rumors and stuff, she said."
As Jenn talked she grew very aware of the closeness she'd shared with the author the night before and moved her eyes elsewhere, a blush reaching her face. The author noticed and smiled knowingly.

" I'm so sorry about all this Jenn, I didn't mean to get you in trouble with your girlfriend." Kristen said sadly. " My girlfriend? What do you mean?" Asked a confused Jenn.
" Wasn't she upset because I was in bed with you? " Asked Kris.

Jenn finally understood what Kristen was implying and opened her eyes wildly, her mouth was wide open but no words were spoken. " Close your mouth Jenn, you'll catch flies; it's ok we'll find a way to make her understand that this was an innocent situation." Sighed Kristen. All of a sudden she was feeling sad at the thought of the accountant being involved with someone else.
" No!! You're wrong, she's not my girlfriend, I'm not gay!!! "

The words came out harsher than intended and immediately the author's face showed the hurt she felt. The reply came with force.
"Oh well I'm sorry, I was confused, I didn't mean to insult you." Kristen was hurt by the disgusted face Jenn made at the mention of the possibility of being Marge's lover.
Jenn felt bad for the way she reacted. It was the first time someone made an assumption like that and she felt very weird about it. But what bothered her the most was the hurt look in Kristen's eyes and knowing she had caused it, only made her feel worse.

"It's ok, I know the situation has caused a misunderstanding. Marge and I went to school together, she is my best friend, nothing more. " Jenn said, her tone calmer this her time.
Kirs didn't know whether to feel relived because the accountant wasn't involved with Marge, or angry at the display of disgust the accountant made. She wasn't going to think about that now. "It's ok, let's forget about it."

The author didn't sound very convincing but she turned around and went to look out the window, trying hard not to show the disappointment at this revelation.
Jenn, for her part, was experiencing mixed emotions. She had never considered the idea of her sexuality, her few attempts at relationships with men had failed miserably and after a while she'd decided that sex and relationships weren't for her. No one had ever made her feel aroused, during the necking sessions she had participated in with the guys she'd dated, she'd never felt turned on enough to want more than a few kisses. Sex was out of the question, it never seemed appealing with any of the guys she'd dated.

But why was she pondering this now? Was it because of how good it felt to have the author sleep in her arms? "Nah! Couldn't be." Maybe the heated love scenes she'd read about Tara and Red? Or the thought that maybe Kristen could make her feel better than the guys she'd met?
The accountant shook her head as if to clear the thoughts that were invading her mind. The author noticed the confused look on the accountant's face when she turned around but said nothing, giving her new friend time to sort her feelings. "What the hell is happening to me? Get your act together Heart and stop this foolishness. I'm not gay, I can't be. I don't need anybody, just myself and I don't have time for anything or anyone else." Jenn thought, trying hard to convince herself.

"What's going on inside that beautiful head of yours Jenn? What has you so confused?" Kristen was wondering if maybe she had a chance with the dark haired woman. "Stop it Kris she needs only your friendship, don't mess things up, more than they already are. Is the way you want to demonstrate that you've changed? " The voice said to Kristen, and the author couldn't do anything else than agree with it. "For the first time you're right, let's keep it simple." She thought, but deep inside she knew that 'simple' was a word out of the dark haired woman's vocabulary.

It was time to bring the accountant out of her musings
"Too much thinking could be harmful Jenn". Kris thought and smiled.
" You know? I've never had a straight friend before, I mean who knows about me; it sure looks interesting." The author said out loud, breaking the spell Jenn was in.

The accountant was startled at first but welcomed the interruption, "I'll think about all this later, next year is maybe a good time." Jenn smiled back and said,
"I've never had a gay friend before either, in fact I don't have many friends at all, gay or straight. But I'm ready to give it a try. "The smile the tall woman gave Kristen made the blonde 's knees go weak but she recovered quickly.
"So, we have a deal; then?"

The author extended her hand to Jenn who took it without hesitation.
"A deal it is, my friend."
The pair shook hands and smiled at each other.
"Ok, now let's see what has gotten Marge so worried this morning."
Jenn logged into the net and started checking her e-mail account. surprised to see the amount of unread messages she had there.
"Whoa!! Something is wrong here." She commented.
"Why do you say that?" A curious Kris asked.

" Too many people wrote me at the same time. It's not normal, you know I'm not that popular." Jenn chuckled at her own comment. She knew very well she wasn't going to win a popularity contest any time soon. She decide to open the first e-mail Marge had sent, the attachment opened quickly showing the cover of an online gossip magazine in which Jenn and Kris were in the middle of it walking on the beach holding hands, below the picture red letters read "Love birds in paradise- Kristen O'Rourke, the famous writer and winner of The Nobel Prize takes some vacation days to relax on an island on the Caribbean with the company of this unknown woman who's lovingly taking her by the hand. Is she taking her to their love nest?"-
"Oh for Christ sake!!!" Kris was enraged.

"Calm down, let's see what else is here." Jenn tried to remain calm even though she was starting to feel annoyed at the situation. "Last night there were those crappy reporters and now this." She thought.

They looked at several other e-mails with similar pictures and headlines, some bolder than others. Jenn also read some e-mails from acquaintances from work and even her grandfather had sent her a message asking for an explanation, which made Jenn laugh at loud. "Oh man, this is hilarious!!!" Jenn laughed but Kris was very upset.
"Holy shit!!! We'll need some damage control here, let me get Issa, we need to clear up this mess soon."

Kristen was pacing in the room, Jenn was still recovering from her fit of laugher after reading the 'Ï can't believe you did this to me' e-mail from some guy she'd dated a while ago and of course the rant of her grandfather was the main reason for Jenn's good humor.
"Is this going to seriously hurt your career?" Asked the dark haired woman, once she recovered.
Kris stopped her pacing and looked directly at Jenn. "I don't think so; it's you I'm concerned about, you're not even gay and now the whole world thinks you're my lover. For crying out loud Jenn, don't you see, this is going to hurt you one way or the other?"

Kris couldn't understand the passivity of the accountant, she would've bet that Jenn would have a fit with the whole ordeal.
Kristen's statement took Jenn by surprise, "She cares about me, she is trying to protect me?" She thought with a smile and immediately questioned her own sanity. "What the hell is wrong with me? I'm losing it." She thought looking at the concerned face of Kristen, she'd have to make the writer relax.

"No need to worry about me Kris, this won't hurt me or my career one bit, I've never been worried about what people think of me and I don't have many friends or family to lose over this. We both know the truth and for me that's what matters. " Jenn said as she walked towards the concerned author.

Jenn placed her hands on the smaller woman's shoulders trying to make her point, "Look at me Rocky Balboa, don't start throwing punches in the dark. I don't give a shit what people might think or do, my job can't be taken away from me and I don't have friends or family who can question my life. So there is no way I can be affected by this issue ok?"
The penetrating gaze of the accountant left the blonde author speechless. "Are you listening to me Kristen?" Asked Jenn, trying to bring the author back from her daze.

"Huh? Oh yes I heard, loud and clear." Kristen recovered quickly. "Have you thought about the label people are going to put on you from now on? It's going to be hell to date men now and if you're in a relationship right now, you'll have some explaining to do. The press won't back off now that they think they've found the answer to their most frequent question."
Kris was about to cry and the sight of those green eyes full of unshed tears broke the accountant's heart.

" Hey! Don't let this get to you, we'll find a way to get out of this. Don't worry, everything is going to be alright."
Jenn hugged the writer instinctively and Kristen held on for dear life and the tears flowed freely.
"It's ok, I got you, don't worry." Jenn rubbed Kristen's back tenderly, it had taken her by surprise how deeply the author was affected by all the gossip from the Press, but she knew that deep inside Kristen was still reacting to the events of the night before and decided to give the writer the time she needed to assimilate the whole ordeal.

The author cried for a while in the arms of the accountant, as Jenn reveled in the softness of the author's body, and the fact that they fitted together so well. How easy it would be to just let go and give into the weakness that was assaulting her at that very moment. It would be so easy to become involved with the blonde author "And how easily I could get hurt." Jenn suddenly thought. "No this can't be, it's impossible. I can't do this," she thought bitterly. "From now on I'll need to distance myself. We can only be friends, I'm not gay." She repeated like a mantra, if she said it enough, she might believe it too.

Movement in her arms brought Jenn out of her daze as she lowered her eyes to find teary green ones looking up at her. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to put a display on like this, it's just that too many things have happened at the same time." Kris said, still in the embrace of Jenn's arms.
The emerald gaze entranced the accountant; all-coherent thoughts were abandoned the moment their eyes met.

Kristen was lost in the azure eyes. She was an emotional wreck, it had been a difficult time since she'd met the tall woman and now after all that had happened, she was there, in the safe and warm embrace of the accountant. All Kris could think of was the feeling of those inviting lips on hers, she wanted to thank her new friend for her support. Without thinking, she acted on impulse and stepped on the tip of her toes . With the softest caress the author brushed her lip's against Jenn's.

The dark haired woman was so surprised, she froze on the spot until her mouth took a mind of it's own and responded to the kiss, surprising Jenn no end.
The kiss was soft, nearly chaste and too brief for Kristen's liking. But now that she'd done it, doubts assaulted her at the sight of a very confused accountant. It was impossible to tell what was going through the mind of the beautiful blue-eyed woman.

TBC

Feedback Please!!! ROCshadow@xenafan.com