Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 02:21:53 +0000
From: Sensual Peach <sensual_peach@hotmail.com>
Subject: Passion for Truth

**Disclaimer**

This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are
used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, or
persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Passion For Truth (Ff, Adult-Youth)
by
Sensual Peach (sensual_peach@hotmail.com)
Copyright (c) 2006


Katherine strained her eyes through the slats of the closet
door, struggling to make out the scene unfolding on the
outside. It had just been mere moments since her mother had
quickly ushered her out of sight and pleaded with her to
stay quiet.

". I know Barbara, I know!" Katherine's father yelled.
"Just call 911."

"But Michael . Kate! We have to ." Katherine immediately
felt her heart start to quicken as she heard the growing
hysteria in her mother's voice.

"Kate is fine! Kate just stay quiet honey, ok? Cover
yourself with that blanket. See? She's fine . now call the
police."

Barbara nodded slowly, her eyes still wide with panic.
Gathering her thoughts and trying somewhat unsuccessfully
to calm her fears, the woman began to dial the emergency
line. Her hand shook as she completed the sequence of three
numbers and listened to the connecting ring.

Katherine could feel tears starting to stream down her
cheeks as she watched her father reach into a drawer and
remove a small handgun and box of bullets.

Suddenly, a loud crash signaled the entrance of two large
men through the main door. With whirlwind speed one of the
thugs rushed up and punched Katherine's father hard in the
stomach causing him to crumple to the floor. The gun he
held in his hand dropped from his fingers and hit with a
muffled clank. Seconds afterward, the second man snatched
the phone from Katherine's mother and abruptly ripped the
cord from the wall. The young girl in the closet whimpered
at the violence unfolding upon her parents but remained
still and silent.

"Mr. Floren," a silken voice said from the broken doorway.
"I've been hearing some disturbing rumors."

Katherine squinted through the closet slats once again and
watched a tall, slender female form stride into the room.
She was unable see the woman's face from the angle of the
closet but could still make out a long mane of blonde hair.
The woman boldly looked around the room for only a moment
and immediately noticed the gun on the floor.

"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk." The woman chided. "Is this anyway to greet
your business partners for a friendly drop-in?"

"Listen *cough* just let my wife go and we'll talk."
Katherine's father wheezed as he struggled to his feet.

"I don't think so Mr. Floren," the woman said nodding to
one of the thugs. Without a word he slapped Katherine's
mother hard across the face causing her to fall to the
floor. Barbara Floren began to cry as she curled up against
the couch.

"Stop it! Stop . please" Katherine's father pleaded.

"I don't have time for this to get out of hand." The blonde
woman said callously as she removed a concealed gun from
her jacket. Coldly she fired and struck Katherine's mother.

Katherine sat frozen with fear. She wanted to cry out, she
wanted to leap from the closet and pull her parents to
safety but found herself unable to lift her limbs.

"NO! BARBARA!" The pained voice of Katherine's father
echoed throughout the room.

*CRACK* A hard packing sound boomed as the blonde woman
used the butt of her gun to hit Michael Floren across the
jaw.

"You misunderstand why I'm here, Mr. Floren." The woman
said adjusting her hair. "You broke the arrangement you had
with my father and I'm here to collect on the penalty."

"I-I did what I had to do." Katherine's father said hanging
his head.

"Yes, of course you did" The woman said in mock sympathy.
"and so must I."

The woman took careful aim and fired .

*****

Kate Floren gasped and sat up in bed, her skin drenched in
cold sweat. A flash of lighting preceded an immediate crack
of thunder.

Another nightmare.

The same nightmare, always the same. Kate had been haunted
every night for over 20 years since that night. She
couldn't escape the vision of her father's murder and she
knew it was tearing her up inside.

The room was faintly lit by moonlight as Kate slid her hand
across the mattress of the bed only to find it empty.
Cynthia was gone. "Of course she's gone." Kate thought to
herself. After the last fight she hadn't expected her to
return.

Gazing over at her night table, Kate noticed the blinking
red light of her answering machine. She wondered for a
moment how she had missed the light in the first place and
then settled on the fact that she had either slept through
the call or been too preoccupied to notice it when she had
arrived home late that night. Pressing the play button Kate
soon cringed at the voice which started to speak.

"Kate, it's Cynthia. Are you there? . Of course not. You're
NEVER there. You were never there for me."

Kate shook her head for a moment in disagreement but knew
that Cynthia was right.

"Look, I didn't want to do this over the phone, but you
never want to talk face to face anyway. Every time we sleep
together I wake up alone. I don't know what your looking
for but it's not me. Goodbye, Kate."

It was hard to argue with her logic. Kate's duties as a
police detective kept her out at odd hours and undercover
for weeks at a time. Kate sighed and ran a hand through her
long brown hair. She told herself that Cynthia had known
what she was getting into and if she couldn't handle it .
they were obviously better off apart. Wiping away a stray
tear and sniffling away her building emotion she decided a
jog was in order. The fresh air always made her feel
better.

*****

"Alexis Chambers." Kate said silently to herself as she
read the label of the manila file folder laid out on her
desk. The name had become infamous over the past few years
amongst the criminal element. Kate continued to read:
Daughter of the mob boss Joshua "The Gas" Chambers, rumored
to be named as such due to the extreme number of executions
ordered under his authority.

"Yeah, more likely it had something to do with flatulence."
Kate chuckled.

Money laundering, extortion, gun running, drug deals . the
list had only grown since Alexis had taken over. Joshua
Chambers had been found murdered in his home five years ago
and his ambitious offspring had quickly seized power. In
fact, three other mob bosses had been killed shortly after
Joshua's death. It was a solid sure bet Alexis was directly
involved. But as usual, there was no hard evidence of any
of this information. Alexis always covered her tracks with
no paper trails and no witnesses. Kate immediately knew the
situation was dire when the Chambers file had landed on her
desk. Nothing ever landed in her lap unless other areas of
the department had been compromised. Detective Floren was
unshakable in her drive to hunt down and punish those on
the dark side of the law.

A few black and white photos taken from a telephoto lens
accompanied the file. The pictures were a few months old
but depicted Alexis Chambers coming and going from her
lavish estate in the hills and her high-rise office
building in the business district.

"Age 49?" Kate said with a hint of surprise. A pair of
large black sunglasses hid the woman's eyes in all the
shots but her presented skin was virtually wrinkle free.
Her long blonde hair perfectly encircled her face in a
manner that only the richest in society seem to attain.
Alexis' business suits were distinctly feminine with less
than conservative skirts and cleavage showing tops.

"No wonder they call her the Black Widow." Kate said taking
a moment to admire Alexis' form.

The Black Widow. More of a media creation than any official
mob nickname. Alexis Chambers had married very young, most
likely after becoming pregnant. Not long afterwards her
husband disappeared without a trace. The "official" story
was that he ran off, not wanting to deal with fatherhood.
The story was an obvious excuse for murder and Kate frowned
at Alexis' cold expression in the picture she held.

"My, My it just keeps getting worse and worse for this
family." Kate whispered as she continued the dossier.
Alexis' son Philip had lived long enough to get married and
have a daughter of his own only to die along with his wife
in a freak car accident. Custody of the orphan Ashley
Chambers was immediately given to Alexis.

"Ashley Chambers." Kate thought to herself as she flipped
through a few more photos of Alexis. Soon she arrived upon
a shot of a young dirty blonde girl who seemed to be
staring right at the camera. The teenager's smoky eyes
seemed to be holding back the pain of a thousand secrets
and Kate stared in silence for several minutes.

"Age, 14" Kate said outloud. "Born in the United States but
schooled for several years in England . was training to
become an Olympic gymnast until her parents' death."

A slight swell of emotion came over Kate as she was hit by
a familiar wave of guilt. Convinced that if she had only
been brave enough to burst from the closet and confront her
parents' attackers, Kate hated herself for her moment of
cowardice. She immediately buried the swelling remorse and
resumed her research.

Alexis was untouchable and getting close to her directly
was impossibility. The granddaughter Ashley presented the
best connection to any evidence of Alexis' multitude of
crimes.

"If I can get a connection through Ashley I can get closer
to Alexis' secrets."

*****

>From the very beginning of her surveillance Kate quickly
discovered Ashley Chambers was no longer an ordinary 14
year old. If the girl went to school at all it was through
a tutor, as the hours she kept were far from commonplace.
Observation of the Chambers estate revealed that Ashley
left around 10 pm and did not return until 4 or 5 a.m the
next day. The night was spent going to dance clubs and
partying the hours away. Ashley's young age was no problem
for the local clubs as her name carried her grandmother's
clout behind it.

"Quite the night owl." Kate thought to herself as she sat
in a parked car across from The Hustle. She had observed
the teenager enter the club about five hours ago with an
entourage of hangers-on and at least one bodyguard. Rolling
down her window for a breath of fresh-air, Kate sighed for
a moment as she evaluated her options. Getting close to
Ashley may be easier than getting to Alexis herself but not
by much. The risks were still extremely high and the club
scene was just another aspect that the drained detective
loathed. Still, it wasn't enough to prevent her from
attempting a meeting.

It was only the second night into following Ashley when
Kate decided to take a shot at face to face contact. She
entered Starlite Room a little after midnight on a Friday
night and was immediately stuck by the throbbing music. The
pounding beat of some European dance song thumped through
her chest and reverberated in the walls of the club. Kate
found she had made a wise decision to leave her jacket in
the car as she felt the abrupt heat of a thousand dancing
bodies. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror she
adjusted her black jeans and brushed some dust from her
white top. Kate's dark brown hair cascaded down just past
her shoulders framing her striking features. As Kate made
her way into the main hall, several of the club patrons
stopped for a moment to stare at her entrance. Noticing the
eyes on her Kate quickly became very self-conscious and
responded folding her arms across her stomach. Unwilling to
stand still any longer, Kate made her way through a crush
of people to the bar.

"A Sprite, please." She hollered to the bartender.

Kate had never been a big drinker. She had never developed
a taste for it and avoided alcohol whenever possible.

Staring out over the crowd as another hard thumping dance
song started up. The crush of people made it almost
impossible to see anything properly and Ashley's height was
going to make it even more difficult. Kate quickly made her
way to the large balcony floor overlooking the dance floor.
It took only a few seconds of scanning to see "her" .

Ashley thrashed her head to the pulsing sound as her dirty
blonde hair accented with a pink and baby blue dye job flew
everywhere. The girl wore a pair of tight leather pants and
a top held together by dainty little strings of material
that laced across her back. Kate watched intently as the
song sped up into a hurried rhythm and Ashley curved her
arms back towards her hips. The girl splayed her fingers
and curled them around as if she were treading water.
Ashley swung her hips and tilted her face up to the strobe
light giving Kate a view of her mouth signing the nonsense
syllables of the music.

Kate made her way back down to the dance floor and began to
feel the thunderous blare of music and people inside her.
Inching closer into Ashley's view Kate took in a deep
breath and soon gave herself up to the music. She moved on
instinct, feeling the brief brushes of warm strangers
against the bare skin of her arms. The heat and flashing
lights whirled together, feeding the growing frenzy within
her. When she saw Ashley's eyes glance in her direction,
Kate lifted her hands through her hair and returned the eye
contact. Ashley's face gave no hint of recognition but Kate
still flashed a smile and a quick nod. The girl looked away
and slid her hands down her body, inviting everyone within
fifty feet to check her out.

All of a sudden, crowd of people began to block Kate's view
and a wave of embarrassment at her actions washed over her.
She hadn't danced like that in years, ever since her wilder
college years. To Kate it felt like there were a ton of
cutting eyes on her, where in reality the group of dancers
that had formed around her were disappointed in her
immediate stop.

Kate rushed from the dance floor and found refuge in a
semi-quiet corner of the club. Flopping down in an empty
chair she blew a puff of air and let the fresh memory of
Ashley's dancing race through her mind.

"That outfit she's wearing ... no one would ever think
she's a not-even-sixteen kid from the upper-class
neighborhood." Kate's thought to herself.

"Why'd you quit?" a voice said from behind.

Kate quickly sat up in the chair and turned her head to see
Ashley Chambers standing beside her. The teenager was still
breathing hard and a light sheen of sweat gleamed under the
lights of the club.

"I, uh, couldn't keep up." Kate replied.

"I thought you were doing just fine."

"Yeah, well ." Kate said looking away for a moment.

Someone from the dance floor called to Ashley and she made
a slight move to leave.

"What are you drinking?" Kate started.

"Just water."

"Can I top you off?" Kate said reaching into the pocket of
her jeans for some cash.

"I think I can get my own water." The girl smiled.

"No, No" Kate said reaching for the girl's hand. "Let me,
you out danced me fair and square. Plus, you look like you
could use a cool drink about now."

Kate felt the hot flesh of Ashley's hand and looked into
her dark green eyes. A stunning young woman, there was no
doubt about it.

Ashley waved off the group on the dance floor and moved closer
to Kate. "Evian would be great."

As the two made their way to the bar, the thumping music suddenly
ceased. Without warning the house lights switched on and the
intense light caused the sea of people to collectively groan
and yell in annoyance.

A booming male voice began to shout over the loudspeakers,
"Ok ladies and gentleman, this is the police. Have your I.D ready."

"Right on time." Kate said inaudibly.

The black and whites were part of her Plan B action. Kate
had called in an anonymous drug tip saying that there was
massive trafficking going on in the club. The mayor's
recent crackdown on drugs to pander to the voters would
have allowed Kate to point Ashley out and get her in for
questioning. But since the conversation was just getting
started with Ashley, Kate no longer had use for that plan.

"Oh damnit, Oh no." Ashley whined. "I can't be here."

The fact that she was underage would be more of a problem
for the club rather than Ashley if she was caught. Kate
concluded that getting caught in this place by the police
would get her in hot water with mighty Grandmum Alexis than
anything else. Kate took the girl by the hand and pulled
her towards a back exit.

"Come'on," Kate said calmly. "we're getting out of here."

Ashley didn't argue and willingly followed Kate through the crowd
of people who were starting to panic and run for the exits.

"This way." Kate said moving towards a door marked Authorized
Personnel.

Racing down a long dark hallway of offices with Ashley in
tow, Kate soon reached a heavy metal door and pushed it
open. The cool night air greeted them and Ashley immediate
held her shoulders for warmth.

"Hold it you two." A voice boomed from the shadows. Kate
pushed Ashley behind her and faced the police officer who
stepped forward. "Let's see some I.D, lady."

Kate smiled and stepped closer to the officer. "Yeah,
sure." She said reaching into her back pocket.

Ashley stood a few steps back with a look of worry. The
girl began to shiver as she watched Kate reach for her
wallet. She looked at Kate and then down the alleyway and
wondered silently whether or not she could make a break for
it. Before Ashley could finish the thought, Kate gave the
officer a swift knee to the groin. The man groaned and fell
to his knees on the pavement.

"Wh-What did you do?" Ashley stammered.

"Just run!" Kate yelled as she grasped Ashley's shoulders.

"Y-You kicked that cop!"

"There! That car," Kate said pointing. "get in!"

Unlocking the driver's side, Kate flung open the door and
guided Ashley in. Seconds later they were speeding away
from the club leaving the flashes of red and blue police
lights behind. A

*****

Alexis Chambers stared down at the stunning woman who was
gently caressing her firm ass.

"MmmmHmm, you can tell I work out, can't you Minori?"
Alexis said with a wicked smile.

Minori smiled and fingered around Alexis' crack and slowly
dove a single finger down the older blonde's now dripping
pussy. Minori Hiroko was considered Alexis' "latest
acquisition" and she was putting her to good use. The woman
of Korean and Japanese decent was hired as Alexis' new
bodyguard but found her "other talents" being put to good
use.

Alexis' gasped in pleasure as she felt her pussy being
penetrated by Minori's nimble digit. Leaning against the
smaller woman's sweaty bosom, Alexis gazed with lust at
Minori's beautiful exotic face partially hidden behind her
messy brown locks. The bodyguard continued probing her
finger through the hot inner walls of Alexis' body causing
her to sigh deeply. Alexis moved herself onto all fours on
the bed, ready to come at any second. Minori looked over at
her employer, unable to see her face but able to hear her
growing cries of sexual bliss through the mess of blonde
hair. Minori watched Alexis' ample breasts swaying back and
forth as she pumped her finger and tried to reach out and
grab one of the sweaty mounds with her lips. Her lips
longed to taste the sweet sweat dripping of Alexis' rock
hard nipples. Alexis sensed Minori's intentions and
teasingly kept her breasts out of reach. The body guard
responded by pumping her fingers in rhythm to Alexis
panting, increasing it, and increasing it, until the blonde
screamed loudly with a ferocious orgasm. Alexis felt
her body melt as the warm flow of juices escaped her pussy,
coating Minori's hand. Minori watched as Alexis' body
buckled and collapsed to the bed and moved to kiss her
hungrily on the mouth. Minori had to admit that this woman
who was almost twice her age was an amazing lover. She took
a moment to admire Alexis' heaving breasts and pink rosy
nipples. It was obvious from Alexis' flat stomach and toned
limbs that she kept in shape.

The sound of the phone broke the moment between the two
women. Alexis remained laid out on the bed but motioned for
the receiver. Minori obeyed without delay.

"Hello?" Alexis said sternly. "What?!"

Minori raised her eyebrows at Alexis' tone. It was obvious
that something terrible had happened to crack the usually
collected woman's icy veneer. Minori immediately knew it
had something to do with Ashley. The girl was the only
person on the planet able to bring out such emotion in
Alexis.

"Well where is she?" Alexis yelled sitting up on the bed.
"You're useless, I'll handle it."

Alexis screamed in anger and tossed the phone against the
wall breaking it into pieces.

"Minori, my granddaughter is missing. Find her."

The dark haired woman simply nodded and walked naked from
the room.

"Goddammit Ashley." Alexis fumed.

*****

"Make yourself at home." Kate said tossing her keys on a
nearby table.

Kate half regretted having to injure that cop back in the
alley but knew it was a necessary evil. She didn't dare
reveal herself as cop in front of Ashley and she didn't
have time to sort out the details in some downtown
interrogation room.

"So this is your place, huh?" Ashley said poking at a
stuffed bear Kate kept on the couch.

Kate nodded and then turned to look out the window of her
apartment. The distant sound of police sirens could still
be heard several blocks away.

"You could have just taken me home, y'know."

Kate turned and gave a fake smile. "Yeah, you should have
reminded me to turn the car around and drive through the
loads of police cars to find a place I've never been."

A look of sadness came over Ashley's face as she looked
away. Kate immediately felt sorry for her outburst of
sarcasm.

"Hey, I'm sorry." Kate walked over and looked into Ashley's
eyes. "I'm sorry ok?"

Ashley gave a half-smile as she looked at Kate and accepted
her apology.

"I'll take you home in a couple hours, ok?"

Ashley responded by walking over to the window and starting
silently.

Kate took a quick look around the room and took a silent
inventory. She hadn't planned on bringing Ashley to her
apartment but luckily she didn't keep many indications of
her job around. Her badge was tucked under the seat of her
car and her service revolver was in her bedside table.
There were a few police manuals and literature in the
bedroom but nothing noticeable.

"Ugh, I'm a mess." Ashley groaned. "Does your shower work?"

Kate was taken aback by the question. "I uh, I think so."

"Oookay . can I use it?" Ashley said tilting her head to
the side.

"Well, I uh, I guess so." Kate said with hesitation in her
voice.

Ashley just smiled and moved to the hallway, "Right through
here?" She asked.

"Yeah, through there."

Without another word, Ashley entered and closed the
bathroom door behind her.

Kate stood speechless in the living room until she heard
the familiar "whoosh" sound of the shower.

*****

Ashley closed her eyes, leaning into the hot spray with a
soft groan. She let the water cascade over her face and
down her body. Slowly the girl turned her back to the water
and stood under it, letting the steam pound on her back and
neck. As the bathroom began to fill up with steam Ashley
let her mind drift. Thoughts and images appeared . old
friends, her parents, and now the woman who had helped her.
Ashley knew there was something special about the woman.
>From the moment she had noticed her dancing she was
captivated by her. Of course, the girl's outward appearance
and demeanor would never reveal this. A few instances of
interference from her grandmother and her annoying habit of
exploiting her emotions had caused the teenager to turn
inward. It was a lonely existence but she considered it a
safe alternative.

Turning back to the shower spray, Ashley opened her lips
and let the water soothe her throat. The smoke from the
clubs always irritated her sinuses and left her throat
tickling for days. She let the water overflow her mouth and
spill down her body, snaking around her navel and down the
inside of her soft thighs.

"She apologized to me," Ashley's thoughts drifted back to
Kate. "she apologized and she meant it."

Ashley closed her eyes and for the first time in a long
while was comforted by the thought that someone had been
sincere in taking her feelings in account. None of the
vapid girls she hung around had ever seemed genuine and
certainly her own grandmother would never think to
apologize . even if she was obviously wrong. Reaching over
to the shower wall, Ashley grabbed a bar of orange soap.
She rubbed it between her hands for a moment to gain a good
lather and began washing her breasts. She moaned softly as
her soapy palms moved over her nipples. They quickly
hardened as she felt a tingle deep in her pussy.

"Is . is she . for real?" Ashley's thoughts were slightly
confused at this new sensation that had crept into her
thoughts.

Ashley licked her lips as she slid one of her hands down
over her young body, her fingers sliding over the wet hairs
of her virgin pussy. She slowly massaged her sensitive
lips, shuddering every time the tip of her finger grazed
her clit. There was no way for Kate to know but she had
unconsciously shown Ashley that she was still worth
something. At that moment Ashley knew she was still human
inside and tears began to sting her eyes. Falling to the
fetal position on the shower floor, Ashley began sobbing
quietly.

*****

Kate sat in silence in the living room. She had taken a
position in a chair parallel to the window facing the
street. Constant paranoia was a trait she had formed at a
very young age, although she preferred to think of it as
being well-prepared. The soft spray of the shower through
the closed door was the only sound in the apartment as Kate
stared out into the night.

The teenager wasn't quite what Kate had expected. The
granddaughter of a woman with such an infamous reputation
such as Alexis Chambers should have been a living terror.
However, Ashley seemed fairly down to earth for someone who
had lived such a bizarre early childhood. Kate knew the
signs of someone bottling their emotions better than
anyone. In most ways Kate was even now living an isolated
life, afraid to open up and admit she was angry and still
in pain. Living her life in such a way had forced Kate to
mature far beyond her years and she felt great sorrow that
Ashley seemed doomed to the same fate.

"So what's your name anyway?" a voice said in the darkness.

Kate was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't seen
Ashley come in to the room. The girl was dressed in one of
Kate's dark blue bathrobes and was still drying her hair
with a towel. The shower had washed the temporary pink and
blue dye from Ashley's hair leaving it her natural shade of
dirty blonde.

"Kate . Kate Greene."

"I'm Ashley."

Ashley reached out and offered her hand. Kate returned the
gesture and squeezed the girl's hand. At that moment Kate
realized how much younger Ashley looked without the club
clothes and make-up. Her natural face was soft and lovely
and there were a few stands of wet hair that still hung
over her eyes.

"Made yourself at home I see." Kate said moving her eyes
over Ashley's robe.

"Oh, I hope you don't mind. I had to dry off first."

"Of course not, go ahead." Kate said offering a smile.

Kate instantly decided that she had to start asking the
obvious questions. "So, will your parents start to worry
about you?"

Ashley flinched slightly at the question causing Kate to
half-regret asking it.

"I live with my grandmother." Ashley said looking to the
floor.

"Oh, well maybe you should give her a call."

Ashley silently walked over the couch and sat down. Kate
could immediately sense there was some tension between the
two. The fact that the teenager seemed reluctant to call
her own grandmother indicated an obvious rift.

"Hey, Hey" Kate started. "I understand. I had to stay with
my Aunt and Uncle for many, many years when I lost my
parents. It's never the same."

"Your parents?" Ashley said looking over at Kate.

"Yeah," Kate replied looking back out the window. "They
died when I was very young. House fire." It was an obvious
lie, but the memory of her parents still caused her eyes to
begin to glisten.

Ashley's cold exterior began to crack and her eyes began to
reflect Kate's pain. She pulled her legs up on the couch
and hugged her knees. Slowly, the girl began to rock back
and forth as she remembered the day she learned of her own
parents' accident.

Kate found herself unusually conflicted at manipulating
Ashley in this way. She had used numerous lies and stories
to influence and gain trust from suspects and known
criminals over the years, but never something so close to
her own experience. Kate knew firsthand the wound that was
created by the death of someone you loved with all your
heart and to use it so callously to gain information gnawed
at her. She tried to convince herself that she was helping
Ashley. In a way, the story was true and helping the girl
to deal with her feelings would be good for her. At least
Kate hoped it would be.

"I know your grandmother would be worried." Kate said
finally.

"Yeah, worried that I'm ruining her good name again."
Ashley said sniffing through her tears.

Kate couldn't maintain her fa‡ade any longer. She got up
and sat beside Ashley on the couch.

"Her good name? Is she famous or something?"

"She's Alexis Chambers." Ashley said resting her forehead
on her knees.

Kate immediate used her acting ability, "Alexis Chambers?
Wait, that means ."

"I know, I know." Ashley sobbed.

"Ashley Chambers."

Ashley just shook her head and continued rocking back and
forth.

"You look different than your picture in the paper." Kate
said.

"Yeah, thanks." Ashley said sarcastically.

Kate placed her hand on Ashley's shoulder and squeezed it
gently. "Ok, bad joke. But it's going to be ok . no harm
done."

Ashley instinctively threw her arms around Kate's neck and
bawled into her shoulder. Kate's heart ached at the child's
pain as she hugged her back. The despair and desperation in
Ashley's sobs was palpable, so much so that Kate shed a few
tears that sprung to her eyes.

"It's ok, Ashley. It's ok."

Raising her head up Ashley looked deep into Kate's eyes.
She stared for only a few seconds before she caught a
glimpse of what she was looking for. Kate's emotion was
genuine. Ashley was right, even though the dark haired
woman's words were false, the sentiment behind them was
sincere. The girl's hands moved to gently cup the back of
Kate's head. Kate knew what was coming next but didn't want
to stop it. Slowly, Ashley leaned forward and pressed her
mouth delicately against Kate's. For a long, exquisite
eternity, there was nothing else but Ashley's soft lips.
The velvet taste of her, the sweetness of need could not be
denied. Despite the small voice of conscious in the back of
her mind, Kate found she was unable to resist the rising
onslaught of desire. With her heart thudding in her chest,
Kate pulled Ashley closer and held her tight. The passion
of years of intense loneliness and suppressed emotions
exploded in that minute.

Suddenly, a feeling of guilt washed over Kate and she broke
the kiss. Immediately, Kate rose from the couch and stood
with her back to the girl. The fever of desire still burned
on Kate's lips as she fought the instinct to take Ashley up
in her arms.

"I . I have to go." Kate said grabbing her coat off the
back of the couch.

"Go?" Ashley said anxiously. "Go where?"

"I just have to go."

"Kate!" Ashley called after her. "I'm sorry!"

Kate looked back into Ashley's anguished eyes as she opened
the door and for a split second she reconsidered her exit.
Without warning a blow to the head knocked Kate to floor

"You didn't have to hit her!" Ashley shrieked.

Minori ignored the girl's protested and continued driving.

"I went to her place on my own, she didn't kidnap me!"

These facts were meaningless to Minori, she was given a job
and she was going to complete it. A few inquiries to the
right people at the club was enough to point her in
Ashley's direction. The trail of snitches and people who
offered up information after some encouragement ended at
the apartment. After a well placed strike with the butt of
her gun to the unknown woman's head, Minori had dragged
Ashley kicking and screaming out into the car.

"You are such a bitch, Minori!" Ashley screeched.

Minori turned on the car's CD player full blast and let the
music drown out the annoying cries of the girl.

*****

Kate awoke half an hour later with a throbbing headache.
Her vision was still starry as she examined the angry
bruise on her forehead.

"I don't think it was a stupid as me walking into the
wall." Kate thought to herself. "Someone hit me."

No doubt it was one of Alexis' guard dogs. Chambers had the
city wrapped up tighter than the police could ever hope to
achieve and that thought was doing nothing to soothe the
pain in Kate's head.

"At least they didn't blow my head off." Kate said as she
fetched some ice from the freezer.

All of a sudden the memory of the kiss she had shared with
Ashley came flooding back. What bothered Kate the most was
the fact that she felt that she had shared more of herself,
more passion than she had ever shared with any lover. That
14 year old girl had been able to cut back more layers of
her self-imposed protection than Kate would ever have
expected was possible. Brushing her fingers lightly over
her lips, Kate hoped that Ashley was ok. There was nothing
to do now but wait.

*****

"What the Hell were you doing Ashley?" Alexis snarled.

"Oh no, you can't yell at me for this Memaw!" Ashley yelled
back. "You've overreacted again!"

"So Minori didn't find you at some strange apartment after
the police raided that dive of a club you frequent?"

"I was nothing like that!" Ashley hollered as she ran into
her room.

Alexis followed soon after her and shut the door. "What was
it like then Ashley? Were you out whoring yourself around
and getting picked up by some lowlife?"

Her grandmother words cut Ashley deeply but she did not
show the pain outwardly. It was a familiar occurrence that
Alexis would make wild accusations and say the most hurtful
things possible. The girl simply swallowed hard and felt
the heartache slide down her throat once again.

"You shouldn't even be at that damn club! You're far too
young."

"I'm not hanging around here." Ashley said under her
breath.

"Well, who was this person you were with?"

"She's a friend."

The disclosure that the person Ashley was hanging out with
a female came as a relief to Alexis. That meant that she
wouldn't be up to any unseemly actions.

"She's a friend who your lap dog punched for no reason!
She's probably dead Memaw."

"Relax Sweetheart," Alexis said distantly. "I'm sure your
friend is fine. Maybe this will teach you not to let me
know where you are."

Ashley shook her head and looked away. The thought of Kate
lying unconscious in her apartment dying was almost too
much for the teenager. As her grandmother left the room she
collapsed on her bed and cried into her pillow.

*****

Kate splashed cold water from the sink in her face. Her
headache had somewhat subsided but the wrong tilt of her
head would cause a random spike of pain.

The ring of the phone caused Kate to quickly dry her face
and make her way to the nearest phone in the kitchen.

"Hello?" Kate said weakly.

"Kate? Oh Kate are you ok?" Ashley's voice on the other
line was immediately recognizable.

"Ashley? I'm fine . where are you? Are you ok?"

"I'm ok, I'm at home."

"Thank God," Kate said in relief. "What's going on?"

"My grandmother's security ."

"God, didn't they know I was trying to help?" Kate said
rubbing her bruise.

"I don't think it matters to her." Ashley said
sympathetically.

"How did you ." Kate started to ask.

"Get your number? I got Minori to tell me what building she
picked me up at and I phoned information."

Kate was immediately thankful she had setup her alias in
the right avenues. "Minori must be the nice person who
knocked my lights out."

"I'm so sorry about that Kate. Minori is such a robot
bitch. She does whatever Memaw says."

"Memaw?"

"Oh, that's my grandmother. She never did let me call her
grandma or gran or anything like that. I think it reminds
her how old she's getting."

Kate nodded. Alexis' vanity was well documented in the file
and the fact that her narcissism had spread to her
interaction with her own granddaughter was sickening to
her.

"I'm glad you're ok, Kate." Ashley whispered into the
phone.

"Ashley, I ." Kate was unable to finish.

"I was just so worried. I didn't want you to leave. I'm
sorry I sprung that on you . but you were so nice to me."

"I didn't want to leave either, but I think things were
getting out of control. You don't even know me."

"I think I know you better than I've known anyone in a long
while."

Kate's eyes widened as she held her breath. The girl's
words exactly echoed how she felt and for the first time in
a long while she was scared.

"Ashley, I think you were just confused and emotional from
what happened at the club. I don't think ."

"No," Ashley interrupted. "No Kate."

Ashley's tone said it all. The two had connected and
although Kate was trying to fight the obvious, even her
steely resolve was fading.

"Memaw is calling me," Ashley said. "I've got to go. But I
want to see you again."

"Maybe we ." Kate started.

"Here's my cellphone number."

Kate immediately scribbled down the numbers on a piece of
paper. The line between her duty, her fa‡ade and her honest
feelings were becoming distorted. As the conversation ended
Kate leaned her head against the wall next to the phone and
gently thumped her forehead. The instant pain of her recent
injury caused her to flinch and curse.

"What the Hell are you doing Kate?" Kate said shaking her
head.

*****


"I'm sorry you had to come here like this Kate." Ashley
said as she let Kate inside. "But my grandmother wouldn't
let me see you again unless she met you herself."

"I don't know if I'm comfortable with this." Kate said
raising an eyebrow to Ashley.

Kate had driven out the Chambers estate at the request of
young Ashley. Truthfully she was more than ready to get as
close to Alexis Chambers as she could. This meeting would
give her valuable insight that would hopefully lead to the
criminal's downfall.

"Don't worry Kate. All you have to do is say Hi and she'll
leave you alone."

Kate smiled down at Ashley and took a moment to admire the
girl's cute outfit. She wore a simple ensemble of jeans and
a white t-shirt. The jeans hung low on Ashley's hips and
the white material of her shirt clung tightly to her
teenage form. Kate's pulse quickened as she followed the
girl down a long hallway.

"Come'on now, let's not mix business and pleasure." Kate
thought to herself.

"How's your head?" Ashley said gritting her teeth.

"Doesn't hurt that much anymore." Kate replied while
patting her bruise. She had done her best to cover it up
with make-up but it was still very apparent.

"You can thank her for that." Ashley said as they came upon
Minori waiting by the archway.

Kate's eyes met the icy stare of the asian bodyguard. She
instantly flashed Minori a dirty look.

"You want to apologize to her now Minori?" Ashley said
harshly.

"Miss Chambers, Miss Greene. Alexis is waiting for you
inside."

"Whatever." Ashley shot back.

"Nice to meet you." Kate grumbled as she walked past.

The door opened into a enormous parlor and Kate slowly made
her way in behind Ashley. Kate looked around the room
adorned with a gigantic crystal chandelier, expensive
looking couches and chairs, and matching puffy drapes. Kate
pursed her lips and tried not to show her disgust. The idea
that a known criminal could live in such splendor made her
stomach churn.

"Ashley."

Both Ashley and Kate turned towards the left side of the
parlor looking for the sound of the voice. Alexis stood
motionless, a wisp of smoke emanating from the cigarette in
her hand. Kate's eyes focused on the slender blonde woman
facing away from her, staring out the window.

"Well, here she is." Ashley said disdainfully.

Alexis turned from the window and let her gaze fall
directly on Kate. Scanning the dark haired woman up and
down with her wintry blue eyes, Alexis seemed to penetrate
to Kate's soul. Suddenly Kate felt like a little girl
again. Something about that stare triggered her memories of
being frozen with dread inside the closet.

Alexis finally broke the silence. "Miss Greene, I hear you
came to my granddaughter's aid."

"I was just in the right place at the wrong time." Kate
replied.

"Undeniably." Alexis said bringing the cigarette to her
lips.

"You wanted to see me for some reason?" Kate said regaining
her nerve.

"I also understand that you had a bit of a run in with my
associate, Miss Hiroko." Alexis said motioning Kate to take
a seat.

Kate reluctantly complied, not wanting to disrupt the
immaculate cushion that would have looked at home in a
museum.

"More like Minori gave her a cheapshot!" Ashley snapped.

Alexis simply ignored Ashley's outburst, never taking her
eyes off of Kate.

"I think we all had a bit of a misunderstanding." Kate
answered coolly.

"Nevertheless, I would like to offer my most heartfelt
apology. I only feared for my granddaughter's safety."

Ashley made a disgusted noise and crossed her arms across
her chest.

"Like I said, it was a misunderstanding."

"I told you Minori was nuts, Memaw! She almost caved in
Kate's head!" Ashley shouted.

The older woman shot the girl an angry look that
immediately made her sit in silence.

"Ashley, please take a walk." Alexis said giving a
dismissive wave of her hand.

Kate gritted her teeth but remained calm. She watched as
Ashley's jaw dropped in shock and then curled back up in
rage. Kate's eyes projected a knowing glance as the
teenager stomped past. Ashley's features soften a little as
she noticed Kate's compassion and for the first time in a
long while, she didn't slam the door.

"I must apologize for Ashley. She's a troubled young lady."

"No need to apologize." Kate said with forced pleasantry.

"What exactly do you do, Miss Greene." Alexis immediately
asked.

"I'm a legal assistant down at the law courts." Kate often
used that job cover to explain her frequent presence near
downtown.

"Do you often hide young girls from the police?" Alexis
said dryly.

"I was just trying to help out. Ashley started freaking out
as soon as she saw the police so I figured I'd help cut her
a break."

"She seems to have taken quite a liking to you. I'm
constantly hearing, Kate this and Kate that, it's the most
Ashley has said to me in years."

"Well, I find treating people like human beings seems to
have that effect." Kate said harshly.

Alexis flashed a fake smile. "Of course."

Kate was surprised at her own words. You could almost count
on one hand how many people had spoken to Alexis Chambers
in such a way, and most of those people never lived to tell
the tale.

"At any rate," Alexis said taking another drag on her
cigarette and letting the smoke spill out over her lips for
a moment. "As you may or may not know, Ashley doesn't seem
to want to play nice with the people I send to watch her.
She spends half her time trying to run off on her own and
I'm tired of hearing the complaints."

Alexis walked over to a nearby desk and began scribbling
something on a piece of paper.

"Since my darling Ashley seems to trust you even though she
has just met you," Alexis said giving Kate another piercing
glare. "I think you would be best suited to watch over her
for a day or two."

"What do you mean?"

"I have to leave town on business for a few nights. Usually
I take Ashley with me . but all she does is whine and
criticize the entire time. I think she would benefit much
more by having someone older ensure her safety that she
actually trusts."

"You mean, I would stay here or she would stay with me?"

"Whatever works best for you, my dear."

"Ok," Kate said calmly. "I'll do it."

"Of course you will."

*****

"Minori," Alexis said quietly. "I need you to look into
this `Miss Greene' for me."

"Do you suspect something?" Minori said accepting the paper
Alexis handed to her.

"Not really."

*****

"Ashley?" Kate called down a random hall after wandering
for a few minutes.

All of a sudden she felt two arms wrap around her waist and
hug her. Kate was only tense for a moment before realizing
they were Ashley's. Kate whirled around as the young blonde
briefly released her embrace only to squeeze harder when
they were face to face. The sudden display of emotion took
Kate off guard.

"Whoa, hey! I wasn't that lost." Kate said with a smile.

"I heard what you said." Ashley said still holding firm.

"What I said?"

"Treating me like a human being." Ashley said sweetly.

"Oh." Kate said remembering her scathing retort to Alexis.

"You're so awesome, Kate." Ashley beamed.

"So wait, you were eavesdropping?" Kate said with a raised
eyebrow.

"Wellll," Ashley said coyly. "I wanted to make sure Memaw
wasn't going to grill you or anything. She does that to my
friends and then they don't want to hang out with me."

"So I guess you know."

"I know! Isn't it great?! We can hang out for a couple days
without Memaw hanging over us."

The prospect was more than appealing to the undercover
detective. With Ashley's help she would have free reign of
the Chambers estate and with Alexis gone there would be
even less chance of getting caught. Still, Alexis was
obviously no fool . caution would still be the name of the
game from here on out.

*****

A few hours later Kate pulled back up to the Chambers
estate. She had taken time to head back to her apartment to
get a shower and a change of clothes. By the time she
pulled up to the main door the sun was already sinking into
the horizon. Taking a few moments to examine the
surroundings, Kate took note of the entrance
vulnerabilities and outdoor security cameras. It was likely
that she wouldn't have to resort to clandestine measures,
but Kate always liked to have a Plan B.

Soon Kate heard the front door opening and young Ashley
stepped into view.

"Oh my." Kate gasped softly.

Kate watched as Ashley came walking towards the car dressed
in a crisp white dress adorned with diagonal frills. Her
dirty blonde hair hung loosely around her shoulder,
reaching down to just above her pert breasts. Her make-up
was light and feminine, accenting her features perfectly.

"What?" Ashley asked opening the car door and easing into
the passenger seat.

"You look very pretty."

Ashley simply blushed and looked out the window.

"Where are we off to then?" Kate asked.

"Have you been to The Fringe?"

Kate raised her eyebrows, "Hmm, I think I'd have to save up
for a year to even order the soup."

"Don't worry," Ashley beamed. "Dinner is on me."

Kate gave an uneasy grin. She wasn't sure how to feel about
letting her young "date" pay for dinner. At the same time,
she knew that arguing would do no good.

"The Fringe it is." Kate said pulling out of the driveway.

*****

It was only a short drive to the upper-class neighborhood
where all kinds of chic restaurants lined the street. Kate
could already see the dollar signs rolling in front of her
eyes.

After arriving at The Fringe, Kate and Ashley were shown to
a private table in the main dining room by one of the
owners of the establishment. It seemed that members of the
Chambers family had a standing reservation. After the older
gentleman took their orders personally, they were left
alone.

"I think he was intimidated by you." Kate whispered.

"Me? Why?" Ashley asked watching the owner disappear into
the kitchen.

"I guess he expects you to be like your grandmother."

A sullen look came over the girl. "I seem to get that
wherever I go."

Kate slid her hand across the table and placed it on the
teenager's. "You're nothing like your grandmother, Ashley.
You're a sweet, kind, caring girl."

Ashley stared deeply into Kate's eyes and a hint of elation
returned to her features.

"I mean it, don't ever let her beat you down and turn you
into something you're not."

Suddenly Kate realized that she may be squeezing Ashley's
hand too tightly and slipped her hand to her lap.

"You look nice tonight Kate."

Kate blushed ever so slightly, feeling her cheeks burn for
only a split second. She had opted to wear a simple black
dress that night, certainly nothing spectacular but it was
the fanciest dress she owned. The life of an undercover cop
didn't often lead to ritzy restaurants and Kate found it to
be a welcome chance of pace.

The pair sat together in silence for several more minutes,
enjoying the music playing in the background.

"What are you thinking about?" Ashley asked finally
breaking the silence.

"Nothing ." Kate lied. "Nothing important."

"I'm glad you came tonight." Ashley said, her eyes seeming
to sparkle. "You know, about the other night."

Kate immediately knew where the conversation was heading
and decided to stop it before it began, "Ashley, it's ok.
We don't need to talk about that now."

The blonde girl stiffened for a moment and then eased back
in her chair. The disappointment on her face was clear but
Kate wasn't up for discussion on the spontaneous kiss they
had shared the previous night. Quickly changing the dinner
banter, the pair chatted over their meals. Although neither
dared say it out loud, they both knew they would have to
face the growing uncertainty.

*****

"I should be going." Kate said making a move towards the
bedroom door. She reached for the doorknob and opened the
door just a crack.

"Please Kate," Ashley's voice almost seemed to beg. "There
are plenty of rooms in this place. I . I don't want to be
alone tonight."

"Alone? I think there are about twenty guards walking
around out there."

"You know what I mean."

"Ashley . of course I know what you mean. It's just ."

"What?" Ashley shot back. "Because I kissed you?"

Kate turned away and looked at the wall, focusing on a
random poster of Christina Aguilera. Her mind began to race
as she tried to make sense of the emotions and thoughts
churning in her mind.

"Kate! . please." Ashley pleaded.

"I shouldn't have done that Ashley." Kate said, still
staring at the wall. "You don't even know me."

"I know what I need to know. I know that you're a good
person. A good person who's cared more about me in the past
two days than Memaw has my entire life!" The girls eyes
began to tear as plunked down on her bed.

Kate's heart broke for the young girl as she watched her in
so much personal pain. The hurt she was forced to live with
caused her to latch on to the first person who showed her
even the most basic attention. The fact that Kate was
purposefully using that rift between Ashley and Alexis made
her question her actions. "How can I do this to this poor
girl?" she asked herself.

Closing the bedroom door, Kate took a seat beside the now
sobbing teenager. She took Ashley's hand and gave it a
squeeze.

Ashley brought Kate's hand up to her face and kissed the
open palm. "Please," the girl whispered desperately. "Don't
push me away. This all hurts so much. I need to forget the
pain . just for a little while. I need to be with you."

As Ashley spoke, she brushed her lips along Kate's hand,
finally grazing her teeth on either side of the thumb,
tracing little circles with her tongue. Kate shivered and
started to pull her hand away. Ashley quickly released the
woman's hand and hung her head in sadness.

Kate reached up and pulled the teenager closer until they
met in a kiss. Ashley was rigid at first, but gradually
relaxed, moving her lips gently against Kate's. Kate felt
the girl lean against her, slender arms sliding around her
neck and finally feeling fingers running though her hair.
Kate let her hand slide down the small of Ashley's back,
surprised at how sturdy she felt despite her small frame.
She kissed a trail down the girl's throat as she felt
Ashley passionately grasping at her.

"Let me take this off." Kate said pulling off her top and
unhooking her bra.

Kate pulled Ashley back up to her face, kissing her harder
now. Tracing Ashley's lip with the tip of her tongue, Kate
heard the girl moan softly. She closed her eyes at the
sound, breathing faster. Kate enticed the girl's tongue
into her mouth and found herself beginning to moan.
Ashley's moved her head down and found the inside of Kate's
elbow, she kissed and nibbled her way down the woman's arm
to the wrist just below the thumb. Moving back up, Ashley
ran her tongue around the edge of the woman's jaw to her
left ear, huskily breathing Kate's name. Drawing the girl's
body against hers, Kate pressed her face against Ashley's
breasts through her shirt. Ashley cradled Kate's head with
one hand while stroking her smooth back with the other.
Kate's mouth once again found Ashley's velvety lips,
kissing her in a slow, intense way that caused the girl to
begin whimpering. The young blonde started to spin
helplessly into a pool of dizziness.

"Ash?" Kate stopped kissing and pulled back. "You have to
breathe."

Ashley obediently drew a shuddering breath, and then
another. She felt the dizziness recede which allowed the
other building sensations to move back into the forefront.

"Do you want to stop?" Kate asked, brushing a hair through
Ashley's silken blonde hair.

"No!" the teenager's answer was quick and emphatic causing
Kate to laugh a little. Ashley gasped as Kate reached down
to remove her shirt, lifting it up over her head and
letting it fall to the floor. Kate slide aside the bra cup
on Ashley's right breast and gently took the nipple between
her forefinger and thumb, rolling it between the tips.
Ashley's moaned and smiled as Kate returned her lips for a
kiss once more.

This time, Ashley remembered to keep the air flowing
steadily through her nasal passages. "This is so wonderful
. so great." Ashley thought as she let her tongue Kate's,
swirling around the woman's teeth and across her bottom
lip.

Ashley soon felt her nipples harden and throb as she arched
her back upward without really knowing why. Kate's mouth
soon left their kiss and trailed down across the girl's
chest as her hands removed the girl's bra. Covering
Ashley's left nipple with satiny kisses and tenderly
nibbling the exposed flesh.

"Mmmmm, Kate." Ashley groaned throatily.

Kate ceased her attentions to the girl's breasts and looked
up. "You're so gorgeous baby" Kate said easing Ashley
backward to the bed. "I want to taste you."

Ashley nodded and watched as Kate eased off her socks,
unbuttoned the front of her jeans, and eased them down her
legs. She stared intently at Kate's features as the woman
took ahold of her panties and slipped them off.

"Are you scared sweetheart?" Kate asked as she placed
Ashley's pink panties aside.

"No." Ashley replied softly.

"Just relax Baby." Kate whispered as she leaned in-between
the teenager's smooth legs.

Kate smiled faintly and nuzzled the thin patch of blonde
pubic hair. The sweet scent of Ashley's arousal filled
Kate's nostrils as she brushed her lips over the pouty
flesh beneath her. Kate ran the tip of her tongue along the
crease, tasting the bit of moisture that had seeped out but
did not seek the tender flesh protected within. Instead,
she kissed the silky junction where Ashley's leg extended,
nuzzling into the girl's inner thigh, first on one side and
then on the other. The slight teasing was significantly
increasing Ashley's anticipation for a more defined touch.

"Unnnnh . Kate. Please."

"Shhhh," Kate murmured. "Just wait."

Ashley groaned a little louder and kept her hands busy by
kneading and squeezing her young breasts.

Very carefully, Kate kissed the girl's most intimate place.
Mimicking the movements she would perform on Ashley's
mouth, tracing over the supple lips, teasing to release the
moisture within. Kate heard Ashley's mewling and felt her
hips arch slowly against her. Using her lips and tongue
with precise skill, she coordinated the girl's light
thrusts with those of her tongue, drawing out Ashley's
pleasure slowly. Gradually Kate built up the intensity,
easing off for a few moments and then building it once
again, higher, stronger, increasing ever so slightly.

"Mmmmm Kate, something . something's happening!" Ashley
panted.

Pressing sweetly on Ashley's inner center, Kate finally
released her young lover. Ashley was overtaken by a
sequence of spasm which swept throughout her body, carried
along a tide of total delight. Kate felt the girl's fingers
tangle in her dark hair, pressing tighter against her as
cries of joy echoed in the room.

*****

Kate lay wide-eyed next to the sleeping girl. It had only
been ten minutes since Ashley had rolled over and passed
out from exhaustion. Kate's present thoughts were not what
she had expected and she sat there pondering. She was not
ashamed of what she had done, she did not regret it. As a
matter of fact, she was amazed at how utterly perfect it
had been. The connection she felt to Ashley had been more
powerful than any previous relationship to the point where
she had no idea it could be this way. The young girl
resting comfortably beside her had completely given herself
over and Kate had desired to please her. Her desire still
burned as Kate reached over to caress Ashley's messy hair.

"So pretty." Kate whispered.

Ashley stirred ever so slightly at Kate's touch but
remained sleeping.

"What have you gotten me into, hmm?" Kate said with a small
smile.

Carefully, Kate removed Ashley's slender arm resting on her
waist and rolled off the bed. The room was only lit by
moonlight as Kate fished around on the floor for her top
and purse. She tiptoed across the floor to the door and
turned the knob as quietly as possible. The late night hour
and the fact that Kate had already bypassed all the
external security measures made it a perfect time for
nosing around. Making sure to stay to the shadows as she
crept carefully down the dimly lit hallways, Kate avoided
the sight of a few random security personnel.

After consulting a crude map that she had scrawled on a
piece of scrap paper, Kate made her way to the south wing
of the estate where intelligence had reported Alexis'
office was located. When she reached the outer doors of the
office she started in on picking the basic lock.
Immediately Kate knew something wasn't right. If this was
Alexis' private office, certainly it would be protected by
something much more effective.

A soft click sounded the release of the lock and Kate
slowly slid her head through the entrance. The room was
dark and Kate strained her eyes to use the miniscule amount
of light spilling in from the hallway. The sound of
footstep approaching forced Kate to rush inside and close
the office door behind her. She leaned up against the door
and tried to control her breathing as the footsteps walked
past and continued down the corridor. Kate breathed a sigh
of relief and warily made her way farther into the room.
The room remained pitch black as Kate groped blindly with
her hands. Her fingers finally touched the top of what felt
like a desk and she skimmed her hands along the edge until
she found what she needed. A cord leading to a small lamp
provided the illumination she needed. The room was expected
lavish with a glass and crystal theme. The lack of windows
led Kate to believe that Alexis really didn't want anyone
spying on what went on within. Kate rummaged though the
drawers of the desk and shuffled through a few random
papers but found nothing useful. Even the filing cabinets
propped against the walls held nothing but legitimate
financial papers. Following her instincts Kate ran her
fingers along the underside of the desk until she felt a
hard plastic switch.

"Gotcha." Kate said pressing the hidden button.

In an instant a metallic groan sounded behind Kate as a
concealed entrance slid open. Kate made her way through the
opening and surveyed the room. Two computers sat at a desk
at the opposite side of the room and the walls were lined
with rows of silver filing cabinets. Kate examined the
locks and shook her head after she realized these locks
were far more sophisticated. It would take time and tools
and she had neither.

"Another time then." Kate said stepping back out of the room.

After resealing the hidden room and turning off the desk
lamp, Kate carefully closed the door to Alexis' office.

"Kate?"

The sudden noise startled Kate and she whirled around to
see Ashley standing in the hall.

"Were you in Memaw's office?" Ashley asked.

"Ashley! I uh, got lost on the way to the bathroom I guess.
This place is like a museum."

"Oh," Ashley said with a smile. "Yeah, the bathroom is this
way. Yikes, good thing I found you and not one of those
boneheads roaming around here."

"You and me both kid." Kate thought to herself.

Ashley wrapped her arm around Kate's waist and rested her
head on the taller woman's side.

*****

Minori Hiroko paced back and forth, her mind was running a
mile a minute. She paused briefly to look out the window of
the hotel penthouse and then resumed her stride.

"Would you quit doing that," Alexis called out from the
bed. "You're giving me a headache." The blonde woman glared
at Minori while massaging her temples.

Minori halted from a moment and turned her head towards
Alexis. "You should have let me stay."

"There was no reason. Besides . I need you here."

"I don't like the idea of that woman being left alone in
the house." Minori said turning back to the window.

"That legal secretary? She's a cheap babysitter for
Ashley."

"I don't trust her." Minori said grimly.

"Miss Greene has a smart mouth to be sure, but she's
harmless."

Minori remained silent for a moment before slowly unzipping
the front of her jacket and walking seductively over to the
bed. She made a silent vow that she wasn't through with
this "Miss Greene", not by a long shot.

*****

Two days later Kate found herself going over some notes she
had jotted down about her investigation into Alexis
Chambers. A smile soon crossed her lips as her thoughts
drifted to Ashley. The two had spent a lot of time together
since the night they succumbed to their scorching desire.
Kate hadn't quite accepted the fact yet but Ashley could
barely contain her elation at their new relationship. The
reality of her true intentions kept Kate from truly
enjoying the situation. The contentment she wanted always
seemed just out of her reach.

The high-pitched noise of the apartment buzzer jolted Kate
out of her daydreams.

"Hello?"

"Kate? It's me, Ashley."

Without another word Kate pressed the door release. Less
than a minute later Ashley came running into the apartment.
Kate barely had time to close the door before the teenager
was planting kisses on her lips and cheeks.

"Did you miss me?" Ashley said with a slight pout.

"You know I did." Kate said with a grin.

The young blonde beamed with joy when she heard Kate's
words. Tossing her coat over a chair, Ashley leaned in
behind Kate who had taken a seat on the couch.

"So ." Ashley said leaning up and down on her toes.

"So?" Kate continued.

"I don't think we quite finished the other night."

"As I recall, you were quite finished." Kate teased.

"Hey! I've never done that before. Gimme a break." Ashley
said playfully as she walked around the side of the couch.

"Wellll," Kate said motioning Ashley closer. "I guess it
wouldn't be fair not to finish what we started. Kate
snagged the girl by the collar and pulled her into a kiss.
Ashley collapsed on top of the older woman and lost herself
in the taste of Kate's mouth.

When the fervent kisses ended, Ashley righted herself into
a sitting position again and looked at Kate with lust
glazed eyes. To the girl Kate looked gorgeous and sexy and
simply perfect. It was difficult to grasp all the feelings
coursing though her being, so she ignored her thoughts and
focused in on the pleasant sensations. In the back of her
mind though, the most random thought emerged. That
somewhere, somehow her grandmother would find a way to
destroy her happiness. The terrible thought was brushed
aside when Kate began lifting the girl's shirt up over her
head.

"What are you thinking Sweetie?" Kate asked as her hands
rubbed the length of Ashley's thighs.

"That I don't want you to stop." Ashley panted.

Kate leaned closer and gently kissed the girl on the
forehead. Ashley's moaned slightly and responded by sliding
her hands beneath the grey fabric of her blouse and cupped
her full breasts still being held by her bra.

"That's right." Kate encouraged. "Just like that."

Ashley rolled her thumbs across Kate's quickly hardening
nipples, the sensation still intoxicating even through her
bra. The dark haired woman gave a short gasp as Ashley
continued her exploration.

Wanting to keep Kate in her increasingly aroused state,
Ashley carefully began unbuttoning the woman's blouse. Kate
watched intently as Ashley worked quickly from the neck
down to her waist. She soon began to help the girl, anxious
to satisfy the hunger rising in her belly. Kate's pants,
bra, panties, shoes, stockings; everything came off just as
easily as a paper doll.

"Why don't we go to my bedroom?" Kate said huskily. Leaving
an untidy pile of discarded clothes, Kate took Ashley's
hand and led her down the hall. Somewhere amidst the
confusion, Ashley had also managed to achieve a state of
undress, no wearing only a pair of silky white panties.

For a moment it seemed as though Ashley couldn't believe
what she was seeing as she admired Kate's complete naked
form. The girl's eyes burned with wonder and desire as she
managed to utter a few words, "Kate . you're so beautiful."

Kate blushed slightly and answered by kissing the girl.
Their lips grinded hungrily against each other, tongues
beginning to twist around one another in a sensual dance
that moved from mouth to mouth. Kate took Ashley's hand and
guided it between her thighs. Lifting her hips to meet the
girl's hand, Kate pressed herself against the girl's virgin
fingers in a gesture that told of her inner hunger. Ashley
responded by taking control and easing her index finger
between the swollen folds and resting it along the length
of Kate's moist pussy.

"Very wet." Ashley said dreamily.

"It's what you do to me." Kate's voice was strained. Her
eyes revealed a tension that resonated in her thighs.

Ashley's inexperience teased Kate as her fingers put light
pressure on her clitoris.

"Uuuunnnnh." Kate groaned.

Ashley moved her mouth within a few inches of Kate's now
erect nipple. Carefully she captured the hardened nub
between her teeth, rolling it between them just hard enough
for a gasp to escape Kate's lips. She released her, and
using the moist tip of her tongue to gently soothe the
nipple in random circular motions. At the same time, Kate
once again guiding the girl's palm to her pussy and
directed her to pressed down on her clitoris.

Ashley heard another gasp from Kate. This time it was
louder and more urgent. Ashley took the cue and began
rubbing her palm that quickly started Kate's bucking her
hips in unison.

"You're doing so good Ashley."

Little beads of perspiration started to form all around
Kate's hairline, down her chest, and down into the valley
between her breasts. Satisfied with her progress, Ashley
moved her lips to Kate's right nipple and treated it to the
same cycle of teasing and soothing. The girl was sure to
maintain the slow, cyclic rhythm between Kate's thighs.

"Oh! Oh God, Ashley!" Kate's cry was so loud that it was
certainly audible in the next apartment.

Encouraged by Kate's cries of passion, Ashley shifted her
position so that she could now replace her fingers with her
tongue. Parting Kate's thighs gently, she dipped her head
between them. The girl took a moment to savor the rich
muskiness of the dark haired woman's arousal.

"Mmm, yes Baby . remember how I did it."

Ashley took the words of support and dipped long and deep
into Kate's pussy. She lapped hungrily at the moist
opening, like a kitten licking at a bowl of cream. With her
inexperienced tongue pushing and probing at Kate's
entrance, Kate once again guided the girl's hand to the
place where it was most needed. The girl's index finger
pressed hard on the throbbing bus, rolling it back and
forth in a motion that made Kate breathe harder and faster.

Soon Ashley felt Kate's hand slide up her smooth back.
Suddenly she felt the woman's index finger gently penetrate
her tight anus, easing slowly past the muscles of her
sphincter until her knuckle disappeared inside.

"AH!" Ashley said throwing her head back, unprepared for
the sudden and unfamiliar intrusion into her rear passage.
But the discomfort of surprise soon faded and was lost
amidst the emotional cascade of lust. The girl responded by
quickening the stimulation of Kate's fully engorged clit,
delighted to have been shown the place that gave her lover
the greatest pleasure. Kate's cries and breathing
immediately became more urgent, her words were no longer
coherent.

For Kate, every never, every fiber of her being was being
touched by a light as white hot as the Sun itself. Writhing
in ecstasy amongst her disheveled bed sheets, with Ashley
now trapped between her spread thighs, Kate felt pleasure
she had only dared dream of. The spasms of joy began to
course through her body and washed clean her doubts and
uncertainties. For a brief moment, the universe was
timeless and there was only Ashley.

"OhhhhhhYessssssss, Ashleeeeeeyyyyyy!"

It was a long while before Kate came down from her high.
She opened her eyes to see Ashley gazing wondrously at her.

"Kate?" Ashley asked.

"Y-yeah?"

"Is that what they call an orgasm? What you gave to me and
what you just had?"

"That's exactly what that was," Kate said grinning, as she
slipped her arm around Ashley's waist and pulled her close.
"Isn't it great?"

"Amazing." Ashley sighed and the spoke again, "I think I
imagined what it would be like to taste a woman's nipples.
Nothing compares to the real thing."

The teenager leaned over and once again caressed Kate's
left nipple with her eager tongue.

"Mmmmm," Kate moaned as she felt the warm embrace of
Ashley's mouth. The girl's tongue slowly probed and swished
around Kate's areola before once more engulfing it whole.
Soon Ashley rose up to face her older lover. "I think I
love you."

Kate's heart thumped hard in her chest as she felt the girl
climb atop her, her young breasts pressed hard against her
own full mounds. Kate attempted to sidetrack the words by
moving her mouth to Ashley's and spreading her fingers
across the girl's soft back. She pressed Ashley's body
against hers, feeling her increased respiration, and
feeling her hard nipples of her smaller breasts jabbing
into her chest.

*****

A few hours later, Ashley was still being held lovingly in
Kate's arms. The two lounged and snoozed on the bed as
Ashley held her lover's hand to her chest. Her fingers
interlaced with Kate's as they listened to the faint street
noise outside the apartment window. Kate breathed in the
sweet scent of Ashley's dirty blonde hair. The fragrance of
the girl's fruit-based conditioner continued to keep her
relaxed as she dozed back into unconsciousness.

Soon Kate heard the phone ringing through the daze of
sleep. Neither made a move to leave the bed and the call
was picked up by the answering machine.

"Katherine? It's Mom." The voice began. "I haven't heard
from you in a few days . just checking in on you. Give me a
call when you get in. Love you. *beep*"

Kate's thoughts swirled in her mind as she suddenly felt
the nagging approach of trouble. She soon felt Ashley begin
to tremble in her arms as her hand was shaken loose. All at
once the gravity of the situation hit Kate in the chest
causing her eyes to shoot open. It was too late. Ashley
turned with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You're . you're Mother?" Ashley sobbed.

"Ashley, wait ."

"You're Mother??!?" the girl screamed.

"It's not what you think!" Kate said reaching out to the
blonde teenager only to find Ashley recoil.

"You LIED to me! You LIED!" Ashley said scrambling towards
the edge of the bed.

"Ashley please," Kate said desperately. "just let me ."

With tears continuing to sting her eyes, Ashley scrambled
off the bed. She clumsily toppled over the side and tipped
over the bedside table. Kate's service firearm spilled out
of the drawer and slid across the floor. Ashley quickly
snatched the gun from the floor and pointed it shakily.

"Ashley!" Kate said as she tried to stay completely
motionless. "Put that down!"

"Who are you?!" Ashley yelled.

Kate immediately knew the gun was loaded and ready to fire.
All the teenager had to do was pull the trigger and there
would be a big, big problem.

"You know who I am Ashley." Kate said calmly.

"Don't say that!" the girl screamed. "Tell me who you are.
What is this?"

Kate sighed; her heart was pounding so fast she was sure
Ashley could see it beat. "I'm a cop." She finally said.

A look of extreme pain came across Ashley's face and her
tears continued to stream from her eyes. The gun remained
pointed at Kate in the girl's trembling hand. "Your
parents?!" was all she managed to say.

"My mother is alive. My father is dead." Kate said slowly.

"I . I don't understand ." Ashley said as she turned and
ran from the room, grabbing a robe from a dresser as she
past.

"Ashley! Wait!" Kate called after her. The dark haired
woman immediately tossed on a shirt and fumbled with her
pants. Kate dashed into the hallway and out into the
stairwell trying to catch the fleeing girl. After
clambering down the stairs and out into the street, Kate
desperately searched the area but could find no sign of
the young blonde.

"Goddamnit!" Kate swore out loud. She cursed herself for
being so careless and she cursed herself even more for
letting Ashley find out this way.

Rushing back up to her apartment Kate dialed the number to
Ashley's cellphone number. She let the tone ring and
immediately heard a chime in the bedroom.

"Oh no," Kate groaned suddenly realizing what had happened.
"She ran out of here without her phone." Kate slammed her
closed fist against the wall as she realized the situation
was much worse. "I can't phone her house. How would I
explain all this to Alexis? Ashley is probably running
there right now to tell her everything anyway. Damnit!"

"Miss Greene." A voice called out from behind. Kate turned
around to see Minori standing in the hallway. "Or should I
say, Miss Floren?"

Kate shot the woman a scowl as her mind furiously shuffled
through options. Her gun had run out the door with Ashley
and she had no other weapons in the house besides . knives.
Kate's eyes shifted quickly and she hoped unnoticeably
towards the cutlery drawer. It was just inches from her
hand but it might as well have been in the next state.
Acting as quickly as she could, Kate moved to the drawer
and threw it open. As Kate's hand wrapped around the handle
of a steak knife she felt a lean yet powerful arm wrap
around her neck. The click of a loaded gun was clearly
audible as she felt cold steel pressed against her temple.

"I don't think you will be needing that Miss Floren."
Minori said frostily. Kate took the hint and dropped the
knife in order raise her hands. "Alexis would like a word
with you."

*****

"I trust Miss Hiroko was perfectly polite bringing you
here." Alexis Chambers said in a callous tone as she sipped
from a glass of wine.

"Friendly as ever." Kate snapped. Her ribs ached and she
was fairly certain she was getting a black eye. Minori had
worked her over a few times before finally bring her to the
Chambers estate.

Alexis' voice lowered as she spoke again, "I think we can
drop the pleasantries, Miss Floren. I know who you are."

"What took you so long to figure it out." Kate said as she
watched Minori lean up against a wall at the opposite
end of the room. The sinewy woman gripped her gun and began
tapping against the skin of her chest.

"You can imagine my surprise when Minori brought me a file
containing your background. Although I shouldn't expect any
less from Miss Hiroko . she's quite resourceful when she
puts her mind to it."

Kate gritted her teeth and secretly hoped that Minori
didn't kill anyone to obtain that file.

"Tsk, Tsk Miss Floren . and going through my granddaughter
to get to me. That's so unseemly." Alexis' mouth curled
into a sly smile. "You're only misstep as I see it was
forgetting to lock my office after you rummaged around.
That's how Minori convinced me to take a closer look at
you."

Kate cursed silently to herself once again. She had made so
many rookie mistakes in the past few days she was beginning
to think she was losing her mind.

"Nothing to say?" Alexis asked taking a seat beside Kate.
"That's quite alright. Let me fill in the blanks."

"Please don't." Kate said bitterly.

Ignoring her protest Alexis continued, "Police detective
Katherine Floren."

Kate stiffened at the sound of her childhood name. No one
still called her Katherine except her mother.

"Current assignment: To gather information concerning
Alexis Chambers and her alleged criminal activity." Alexis
closed the file folder and tossed it across the floor.

"You're father would be proud," Alexis said glaring
directly at Kate. "That is, he would have been proud if I
hadn't put a bullet in his head."

Kate blinked and tried to comprehend the words Alexis had
just spoken. It had been so long ago, she had tried to
forget the traumatic experience that lead to her father's
death. At the same time she had always blamed herself for
not being able to save her father as he was killed right in
front of her. Kate's mother's had survived but had never
been the same, sometimes it was like the part of her mother
that enjoyed life had died along side her father that
night. "What did Alexis say?" Kate's mind asked. "What did
she say?" The question caused the room to spin.

"Oh come, come now Katherine! Surely a crack detective such
as you should have been able to put this together by now."
Alexis scoffed. "Michael Floren was laundering money for my
idiot father. Your old man foolishly decided to turn on us
and go to the police. I was able to talk him out of it."

"You . You killed ." Kate sputtered. Her mind continued to
spin as she reached out to steady herself.

"Yes, Yes. You should be grateful I only crippled your poor
mother. I find it so distasteful to leave orphans . but
then again, it was the best thing for Ashley."

"Wh-What do you mean? What about Ashley."

"My Philip was always such a disappointment." Alexis said
with a flash of anger in her eyes. "After he married that
whore wife of his they tried to take Ashley and leave the
country. I couldn't have that. Ashley always had the
potential my son never did. She can still succeed where my
own son couldn't. That's why I had to kill him . it broke
my heart but he gave me no choice."

"You Bitch!" Kate shrieked. "He was your own son!"

"I had no choice," Alexis said dryly. "Just like I have no
choice in killing you."

Kate closed her eyes and let a tear spill down her cheek.
She felt like she was hiding in the closet once again,
frozen with doubt and fear. Alexis Chambers had destroyed
her life, Ashley's life, and countless others and she would
never stop.

"NOOOOO!" Ashley cried out in anguish as she burst through
the door.

"Ashley! What are you ."

"Shut Up! Just SHUT UP!" Ashley said lifting Kate's gun and
aiming directly at Alexis. Minori reacted quickly and
pointed her own weapon towards the girl only to be
immediately waved off by her employer. Minori lowered her
gun but kept in tightly gripped in her fingers.

"Ashley, put the gun down." Alexis said calmly.

"I said SHUT UP!" Ashley screamed. "I heard what you just
said. How you killed my parents. How you killed KATE'S
parents! How . how could you?"

"You don't know what you heard. This woman is a thief and a
liar." Alexis said pointing to Kate.

Ashley looked at Kate for a moment and saw the extreme pain
in her eyes. The teenager once again realized that the
emotions she shared with Kate ran more deeply than she
could deny.

With tears streaming from her eyes, Ashley began to squeeze
the trigger on the gun. For a split second Kate saw fear in
Alexis' eyes.

"Oopmh."

Ashley was knocked to the ground as the thunderous echo of
the gunshot echoed in the room. Minori had silently inched
her way behind the girl and tackled her to the ground
sending the gun spiraling across the floor. The bullet
missed its deadly aim and lodged in the wall above Alexis'
head.

"Sonofabitch" Alexis cursed.

Ashley was only able to struggle for a moment before Minori
backhanded her into unconsciousness. The bodyguard's steely
eyes then quickly moved to the gun in the idle of the room.

Kate reacted on instinct. Springing from the couch she sprinted
towards the gun as Minori reached down for her own weapon. As
Kate's fingers began to wrap around the hilt of the gun she heard
the shot. The pain of the bullet ripping through her left shoulder
seized her as she realized Minori had fired first.

"Aggggh." Kate cried out as she spiraled backwards to the ground.

Struggling to fight the pain Kate focused all her senses to take aim.
*Click*

Kate's hear sank as she realized her gun had misfired.

Minori smiled wickedly as she took careful aim at Kate's head.

Kate closed her eyes and said a silent, "I'm sorry."

"Ahhhhhh." Minori shrieked.

Kate opened her eyes to see Ashley clinging to the bodyguard's ankle
with her teeth.

"You little bitch." Minori yelled as she began to point her
gun at the girl.

With almost superhuman speed, Kate flew across the room and brought
the butt of her gun down on Minori's head with an audible THUD.

The formidable woman staggered backward for a moment as Kate brought
the gun down on her skull a second time. A small trickle blood fell
over Minori's forehead as she fell to the ground.

"Ashley!" Kate shouted as she knelt down. "Ash?! Are you ok?"

The teenager replied by throwing her arms around Kate's neck and
hugging her.

"Oh Sweetie. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Kate whispered in the
teenager's ear. "I wanted to tell you."

"I love you, Kate. I love you." Ashley answered.

"Aggh." Kate winced as Ashley hugged a little too tight.

"You're bleeding. You're shot!!"

"I'll be ok. I should be ok." Kate said as she put her palm on
the wound and applied.

Suddenly, Kate looked up and scanned the room. "Alexis."

"Memaw! Where .?"

"She must have run out. She'll disappear and we'll never
see her again." Kate said angrily. "Ash, I need you to call
the police. I have to stop her ."

"Kate! No! You're hurt." Ashley said squeezing Kate around
the waist.

Kate pried the girl's arms off her torso and rose to her
feet. "Ashley, please! Lock yourself in your room and call
the police"

"Ok." Ashley said with tears streaming down her face. "Be
careful."

Kate smiled through the pain in her arm and reached for
Minori's gun before running out the back door of the room.

*****

"Goddamnit." Alexis swore to herself as she fumbled with
her car keys. The lights in the main garage were off with
only a few stray moonbeams illuminating the room. Once
again Alexis felt the red-hot anger of being disappointed
by her own flesh and blood. She had always had high hopes
for young Ashley and thought that with time she could mold
her into an acceptable young woman. Ashley was to take over
where her own son had so obviously failed but had only
proven herself equally incompetent.

Alexis started the car's ignition and pressed the button to
raise the garage door.

"Alexis!" a voice shouted from the shadows. "Don't move!"

The garage door continued to open until the light from
outside spilled in. Kate stood ready, her gun pointed with
deadly aim.

"Get out of the car. Slowly."

Ignoring the command, Alexis simply rolled down the car's
window. "Miss Floren. Lovely to see you again."

"Get out of the car, Alexis." Kate yelled again.

"You really think you've got me? You've got nothing, Miss
Floren. All this? This is a set back. That's all. I'll
fallback for awhile, I'll send for Ashley and we'll take a
vacation in the tropics. And you? You'll be up to your neck
in paperwork and red tape. I'll bury you one way or
another."

"I won't let you leave." Kate managed to say as her head
pounded and her vision blurred.

"You have no say in the matter Miss Floren. Unless you want
to kill me in cold blood."

"Y-you killed ." Kate stammered.

"Your worthless father?" Alexis snapped coldly.

A tear rolled down Kate's cheek as she flashed back to
being hidden away in the closet. The emotions of
helplessness and fear shot through her mind. She was unable
to protect her parents from the monster in this woman's
body and she was still helpless. Kate knew she couldn't
kill Alexis and any shot from this range would definitely
be lethal.

Slowly, Kate lowered her gun.

"With any luck," Alexis said with a sly smile. "we won't
meet again." After a final glance of superiority, the older
woman pressed her foot to the gas and accelerated out of
the garage with a squeal of the tires.

Alexis gave a last fleeting look at Kate's frozen form in
the rear view mirror as she sped away.

"Memaw! NO!" Ashley's shrill shout came from the road
ahead.

Startled by her granddaughter's form in the corner of her
eye, Alexis swerved slightly to the left.

Acting on instinct, Kate raised her weapon and fired two
rounds into the side of the fleeing car. On shot struck the
truck and the second perforated the rear tire.

Ashley watched with wide eyes as her grandmother's car
fishtailed and finally struck a pillar near the front gate.
She stared for a moment before turning to run towards the
garage. Her arms once again wrapped around Kate's waist and
hugged her tightly.

"I thought I told you to stay inside." Kate said with a
weak smile.

"I knew you'd need my help."

The sound of approaching police cars and emergency vehicles
echoed in the night air.

"At least you listened to something I said."

Ashley remained silent and buried her tear streaked face in
Kate's chest. Kate placed her hand palm on the back of the
girl's head. Ashley looked up as Kate lowered her face
closer, and the two fell into a deep kiss. Their lips
pressed, and slowly, their mouths opened. Kate's tongue
showed it's expertise as it flicked in and out of Ashley's
mouth, teasing the girl's tongue before plunging in and
enveloping it.

*****

The sun began to emerge from behind the sprawling cityscape
and spilled into Kate's apartment with deep orange
radiance. A small beam of light reflected off the bedroom
window and shined directly into the sleeping woman's face.
The increasing intensity caused her to slowly stir until
she was fully awakened. Kate yawned quietly and stretched
her arms, immediately stifling a groan as her wounded
shoulder reminded her to take it easy. Without sitting up,
Kate turned and smiled at the small form next to her on the
bed. Ashley breathed through slightly parted pink lips,
remaining undisturbed by the rising sun. Kate watched
Ashley's chest rhythmically rise and fall, and then drank
in the perfection of her face.

"Ashley?" Kate whispered.

"Hmmm?" Ashley moaned as her eyes fluttered. Kate instantly
felt a hint of remorse for waking her prematurely.

"Sorry, honey. Go back to sleep."

"It's ok." Ashley said groggily.

"I have to go into work for a few hours."

"Nooo," Ashley whined. "stay here with me today."

"You don't think I want to?" Kate replied as she gave the
girl a playful poke in the ribs. "Besides, I'll be back in
no time."

With a mischievous squeal, Ashley sprang up from her
slumber and flung her self overtop of the reclining woman.

Kate laughed slightly and looked into the girl's green
eyes. "Do you want a spanking, young lady?"

"Is that a promise?" Ashley grinned.

Kate kissed the girl hungrily on the mouth, and Ashley
returned the favor with equal fervor. Putting her hand on
Ashley's cheek, Kate lovingly caressed her soft skin.

"I love you." Kate said softly.

Ashley's green eyes were smoldering, her pink moist lips
still kiss-swollen and her breath coming soft and shallow.
The girl moved to tighten her thighs around Kate's waist as
she replied, "I love you too."

Kate covered Ashley's mouth with hers once more, thrusting
her tongue deep between the girl's trembling lips. Ashley
moaned deep in her throat as Kate tongued and kissed her
mouth, their bodies sliding smoothly and passionately
against each other. Ashley was away of so many things; the
sweet taste of Kate's mouth, the fresh scent of her hair,
and the firm roundness her breasts. Ashley knew she was
drowning as her senses were flooded with Kate's touch and
scent.

Kate drew away and looked up at the girl. Ashley's lips
were still burning and swelling from the impassioned kiss.
Kate watched as the sunlight from the bedroom window
streamed in and haloed the Ashley's head, the golden
strands of her hair now highlighted with orange and
saffron. Kate slipped her hands up the girl's back, gently
kneading her shoulders, smoothing her palms over the soft
warm skin.

With a smile, Kate raised her head into the crook of
Ashley's neck. She gently nibbled at the girl's throat, her
teeth nipping softly. Ashley sighed and tightened her arms
around Kate's neck as she felt the woman moving down. Kate
sat up slightly and continued bestowing little kisses on
her young lover's chest as she reached the soft swell of
the tops of her breasts beneath her shirt.

After a sharp intake of air, Kate reached out and pulled
Ashley's shirt up over her head and tossed it to the floor.
Ashley gasped anxiously as Kate trailed her long, wet
tongue around her breast, hissing and then throwing her
head back. As Kate leisurely slid her tongue over the
girl's hardening pink nipple, a low, quivering moan escaped
Ashley's throat.

"Ohhhhhhhh. Oh Kate."

Kate sucked the tiny nub into her mouth, lashing it into an
ever harder state of arousal. Ashley shuddered, squirming
against the older woman. Kate trembled, her mouth
tightening around the girl's small breast as she sucked
hotly on the stiff tip. Ashley's throat tightened, the tide
of pleasure in her body rising higher and higher.

"I love it Kate. It feels good. It feels so, so good."
Ashley murmured as she arched her back.

Suddenly, Kate pulled away. The cool air on her wet,
swollen flesh made Ashley shiver slightly. In an instant,
Kate moved her mouth over to Ashley's other breast licking
and kissing the petite underside. The girl looked down and
watched as her nipple slide between Kate's eager lips, her
mouth finally closing around it. Easing her hand down
Ashley's now glistening body, Kate slipped her fingers
slowly along the girl's middle. Ashley drew in a shuddering
gasp and assisted by pulling down her panties part way down
her thighs. Kate responded by exploring Ashley's tender
flesh, one of her slender fingers sliding easily into the
moist heat of the girl's vagina. Kate slid in another
finger, gently turning her hand so that her thumb now lay
on the hood of Ashley's clit. Moving her fingers and thumb,
as her mouth remained latched on Ashley's breast, she
brought the girl to the brink of orgasm. Before Ashley
could explode, Kate moved her mouth away from the girl's
silky breast and moved downward. Ashley almost screamed as
Kate's head slid between her thighs, but she drew her fist
to her mouth to stifle it. She moaned into it as she felt
Kate's mouth on her sex, the older woman's tongue
slithering across the tender petals. Kate flicked across
Ashley's aching clit, probing between the swollen lips.
Wriggling and gasping wildly, Ashley raised her hips up to
meld with Kate's mouth. Then, when she heard Kate sucking
eagerly on her pussy, her tongue slurping up the wetness
spilling out of it, Ashley lost it. She shrieked loudly,
her body shuddering, spasm after sweet spasm roared through
her lithe body. With her mouth still on Ashley's pulsating
sex, Kate reached up and grabbed the girl's nipples,
twisting them roughly between her fingers.

Ashley immediately climaxed again, "MmmmmmOoohhhohhh,
KAAAAAAATE!"

For a time, the two lay quietly, Ashley's heart and lungs
finally settling back to their normal rate. Kate moved up
Ashley's slender body until they were both face to face.
Kate stared into those beautiful, emerald eyes and saw only
love and admiration in them. She knew at that moment that
this girl would never judge her, never condemn her. She
would be a friend, a companion, a lover . forever.

Reaching up, Ashley clasped her older lover's face between
her hands and pulled her forward. Hungrily, she kissed
Kate's moist mouth, conscious that she was not only tasting
Kate, but herself. Ashley moaned at the musky taste,
delving her tongue deep in Kate's mouth.

Kate drew away, stroking Ashley's sweat-dampened hair.
"How're you feeling?"

"Mmmmmm, so great." Ashley replied dreamily. "In fact, let
me show you." The girl began to hum playfully as she
eagerly fumbled with Kate's shirt.

"Careful, I like this shirt." Kate joked as she raised her
arms to assist.

"So you want me to slow down?" Ashley asked in a mock-pout.

"Cut it out you brat." Kate said as she gave the teenager a
light swat on the behind.

Ashley laughed as captured on of Kate's breasts in her
mouth, sucking hungrily on the morsel while she kneaded and
pinched the other breast. Ashley's free hand worked it's
way down the woman's body and eased into the front of her
panties.

"Ahhh." Kate arched into the hand that wiggled its way onto
her overheated sex. As Ashley worked her way across her
chest to nip and suck her other breast, Kate pulled lightly
at the teenager's blonde mane.

Ashley swirled her tongue repeatedly around the woman's
nipple before nipping her way down the curve of the pert
breast. Looking up, the girl grinned before she slid Kate's
underwear down her thighs and then off her legs. Ashley
inhaled deeply at the sight of the older woman's pussy and
allowed her eyes to travel over the rest of Kate's body. As
Ashley began placing kisses and nips up the inside of her
thighs, Kate whimpered as she felt a wave of desire that
literally oozed from her body. Ashley breathed deeply and
worked her way closer to the woman's glistening mound.

"Oh . Oh My. Oh Ash." Kate moaned.

Ashley slid her hands under Kate's thighs to cup the
woman's smooth butt cheeks. Almost burying her nose in
Kate's middle, the girl inhaled deeply again. Kate blushed
for a moment as she watched Ashley's adoration, then arched
her lower body as the girl slid her tongue between her
lips. Ashley started at the bottom of Kate's slit and
flattened her tongue to drag it through the woman's juices,
and made sure to drag the entire length over the swollen
clit. With a quick move of her tongue, Ashley flicked the
tip of Kate's quivering bud.

"ASHLEY!" Kate arched and almost came right then and there.
"My God!" she panted as she opened her eyes to look in
disbelief at how quickly Ashley brought her to the edge of
climax.

"Was that good?" Ashley said as she licked her lips.

"Wow." Was all Kate could muster.

Without wasting another second, the teenager dived back
into the woman, opening her mouth as she covered Kate's sex
and sucked eagerly. Kate's hands weaved their way into the
girl's hair as she arched up her entire body. Her body
heaved and bucked as she felt Ashley's arms wrap around her
for dear life. Ashley continued to suck and flick her
tongue over Kate's body, making the woman buck even harder
as another orgasm followed. Making sure her grip was tight
on Kate's thighs, Ashley lapped eagerly at the woman's
pussy. As Kate slowed down the bucking, the teenager
grinned wickedly and stiffened her tongue and slid it
straight into the soft folds.

"YES! OH!!! Oh my GOD!" Kate started to jerk again as she
felt Ashley's tongue enter her.

Ashley pulled herself in even closer to the woman's body,
as Kate panted heavily. Kate's whole body shook and
quivered with her release.

"Ash . Ashley . Your . your finger." Kate huffed.

Ashley immediately understood Kate's direction and gently,
but firmly slid her index finger deep within the woman's
mound. Kate clenched her muscles around the digit, then
jerked her hips and cried out in pleasure. Ashley growled
as she captured the woman's clit between her lips, sucking
eagerly whole she continued to stroke her finger.

"ASHLEEEEEEEEEEEEY!" Kate cried out at the top of her lungs
as the most intense orgasm of her life ripped through her
body. As colors sparkled behind her closed eyelids, Kate's
body continued to jerk and buck.

"Wow, I must have found the sweet spot, huh?" Ashley said
as she gave a quick nip and lick to Kate's inner thigh.

When Kate didn't answer, Ashley quickly worked her way back
up the woman's body to lie beside her. The teenager played
happily with Kate's breasts as she waited for her to
respond.

Finally Kate was able to gather enough air in her lungs to
say, "My God you learn fast."

"I had a wonderful teacher." Ashley said as she smiled and
kissed and licked gently across Kate's neck.

Taking a deep breath, Kate glanced towards the clock
surprised when she realized it was almost 9:30 a.m.

It took Ashley a moment to realize what Kate was looked at.
"Are you late?" she asked softly.

"Oh yeah." Kate said kissing Ashley's forehead.

Ashley chuckled and moved her hands from Kate, pulling up
the comforter of each side to flip over both of them. "I
think you're tired." The girl whispered.

"I think so too." Kate sighed quietly as she pressed a soft
kiss on Ashley's cheek.

"Then sleep."

"I think that's a good idea." Kate said drowsily. "Ashley?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Ashley wrapped her arms strongly around the older woman,
smiling as she replied. "I love you too, Kate." The girl
placed a quick kiss on Kate's lips and nestled her head
ever so gently against the woman's shoulder. "I love you so
much."

As Kate drifted off to sleep, she knew that troubling times
were fast approaching. The welfare and Ashley would soon
become a sensitive subject. Kate wasn't sure how long she
could keep the teenager at her apartment or even by her
side. Alexis had been arrested cleanly, but true to her
threats her lawyers were already wearing down and weakening
the case. Not only that, but Minori had vanished from the
house before the police arrived. That alone was enough
reason to post a couple cops outside.

Kate's heart ached from the knowledge that her father's
killer was still alive and enjoying a pampered life.
Stranger still, Alexis had a part in creating the greatest
love of her life . young Ashley Chambers.

It was definitely going to be a bumpy ride.



To Be Continued ?

Dream Cast:

Jennifer Connelly as Kate Floren
Emma Watson as Ashley Chambers
Marg Helgenberger as Alexis Chambers
&
Masuimi Max as Minori Hiroko


http://groups.msn.com/sensualpeachstories