Disclaimer - see Part 1
At approximately 4:18 the next morning, a loud banging could be heard at the door, followed by a slurred shouting of "Catherine!" Catherine jerked up immediately, recognizing Eddie's voice, even under the thick cover of inebriation. Sara felt her jerk up almost painfully, before she heard the noise downstairs. In their close proximity, Sara could feel Catherine trembling, and didn't blame her. The last time she had seen him..... Sara quickly tried to forget about the consequences of their last meeting. Instead, she quietly got out of bed and reached for her holster, sitting on a chair in the corner of the bedroom.
"Sara, don't please," Catherine said, voice trembling but determined. "Don't go down there."
Sara kissed her quickly before promising that she wouldn't open the door past it's chain, and would try and get rid of Eddie, with her gun if she had to.
"It doesn't matter what you do, he's drunk. He doesn't care."
"Catherine, he could have killed you last time. I'm not gonna let that happen again. No one should ever hurt you like that. You understand me?" Sara's voice carried a deadly serious threat to anyone who begged to differ. She loved Catherine too much to lose her to a drunken bum like Eddie.
"I promise, I'll be back."
Before Catherine could protest further, she switched on the hall light and went downstairs, as normally as she possibly could. Acting as terrified as she felt would give Eddie the advantage.
"Oh, it's you," she said, feigning surprise. Sara didn't really know Eddie, and didn't know what course to take, so she started with a little sarcasm to see how he reacted.
She didn't expect was the violent reaction she received. Eddie started to kick the door, almost screaming in rage. "Where the hell's Catherine? That stupid bitch, she'll use you like she used me!" He stopped to wipe the spittle from his stubbly chin. Sara fancied she could smell him, even though she was a good 10 feet away.
"Catherine isn't here right now, but I am. I suggest you back off before I call the cops."
Eddie did not seem perturbed by this threat. Apparently, Catherine had tried this tack before and it hadn't worked.
"Listen, lady, why don't you let me in?" he yelled, a moronic grin plastered on his face. Sara didn't know if he was trying to be charming, but she wouldn't be surprised if he was. Perhaps he had been charming at one point - after all, Catherine did marry him - but Sara suspected that all charm was lost after he returned to his usual, drunken state.
"No chance in hell," Sara said, trying to keep a quiver out of her voice but failing quite spectacularly. She fingered the cool metal of her gun tucked into the waistband of her pants, and it calmed her considerably. She didn't know why, though: Catherine had been armed, but Eddie had beaten her pretty badly before she could retaliate properly. *Maybe she didn't want to shoot him* she mused.
This seemed to irritate Eddie even more. The panes of glass in the side windows distorted his face into something monstrous, and Sara jumped when he slammed his fist against one of the panes. Since his last forced entry, the panes had been replaced with thicker glass, so logically, Sara should have found no reason to be scared. She was scared shitless.
In a jerky movement, she brought the gun around in front of her, solidifying her stance. She was so concentrated on Eddie that she didn't hear the light footsteps down the stairs.
Sara made an issue of clicking off the safety. She stared Eddie firmly in the eye, something she knew he wouldn't like, and silently dared him to come in and get her.
The next thing she knew, there was a loud bang from behind her, and a hole in the door, a few inches from Eddie's head. Startled, she span around, and saw Catherine on the stairs, standing solidly and unafraid.
"Eddie, leave us alone before I move my target a little closer to that thick head of yours."
*Us*. Sara felt a quiet rush of emotion slip past unwarranted at the simple word, before she aimed her gun at Eddie once more. She couldn't believe it, but Eddie looked genuinely scared. Perhaps the shot had sobered him a little, or perhaps he was unused to such strong opposition; either way, he realized he was outnumbered, and backed off, stumbling a little on the steps, arms raised in clumsy surrender. Once he had retreated into the cover of inky blackness, he felt safe enough to utter some sort of 'damaging' retort, but the women inside paid no attention.
Slowly lowering her gun, Sara clicked the safety catch on. She looked at Catherine, and saw the woman she had seen at their first meeting: stoic, determined, and undefeatable. It seemed as if the mask was back in place, and Sara truly didn't know how Catherine felt at that moment. Over the past couple of years, Catherine had started to open up to Sara, and vice versa: both had seen each other's bad days and learned from them. Catherine dropped her gun without a sound, and it clattered down the steps to land a few below her. The strain of her position had caused her ribs to ache again, and she put a hand to her side in an attempt to alleviate the pain.
Sara said nothing, but led her upstairs once more, not caring about the gaping hole in the door. She retrieved a roll of bandages from Catherine's bathroom cupboard, and sat Catherine down on the bed. She still hadn't said anything, and remained silent as Sara gently took off her shirt and wrapped her ribs tenderly. This unspoken act of trust warmed Sara, but at the same time, her friend's laconic attitude was slightly unnerving. She urged Catherine into bed, and was in the process of returning the bandages to the bathroom, when she felt a solid grasp upon her upper arm.
"Stay," Catherine whispered, her voice suddenly husky with emotion, and what Sara believed to be lust. It reflected in Catherine's eyes, in her very soul, and Sara couldn't resist it. The bandages forgotten, she returned to the bed. As Catherine started taking off her shirt with sudden enthusiasm, she wondered if she was taking advantage of the woman underneath her. Catherine suddenly rolled Sara over, so that she was straddling the taller woman, and started grinding her hips slowly and deliberately against Sara's. *Or maybe not.*
AN: Thanks for all the feedback! I know some people were asking about Eddie's return, and although he doesn't seem to do much in this chapter, he'll be back later. The NC-17 part will be posted at my site soon! Thanks for reading (
At approximately 4:18 the next morning, a loud banging could be heard at the door, followed by a slurred shouting of "Catherine!" Catherine jerked up immediately, recognizing Eddie's voice, even under the thick cover of inebriation. Sara felt her jerk up almost painfully, before she heard the noise downstairs. In their close proximity, Sara could feel Catherine trembling, and didn't blame her. The last time she had seen him..... Sara quickly tried to forget about the consequences of their last meeting. Instead, she quietly got out of bed and reached for her holster, sitting on a chair in the corner of the bedroom.
"Sara, don't please," Catherine said, voice trembling but determined. "Don't go down there."
Sara kissed her quickly before promising that she wouldn't open the door past it's chain, and would try and get rid of Eddie, with her gun if she had to.
"It doesn't matter what you do, he's drunk. He doesn't care."
"Catherine, he could have killed you last time. I'm not gonna let that happen again. No one should ever hurt you like that. You understand me?" Sara's voice carried a deadly serious threat to anyone who begged to differ. She loved Catherine too much to lose her to a drunken bum like Eddie.
"I promise, I'll be back."
Before Catherine could protest further, she switched on the hall light and went downstairs, as normally as she possibly could. Acting as terrified as she felt would give Eddie the advantage.
"Oh, it's you," she said, feigning surprise. Sara didn't really know Eddie, and didn't know what course to take, so she started with a little sarcasm to see how he reacted.
She didn't expect was the violent reaction she received. Eddie started to kick the door, almost screaming in rage. "Where the hell's Catherine? That stupid bitch, she'll use you like she used me!" He stopped to wipe the spittle from his stubbly chin. Sara fancied she could smell him, even though she was a good 10 feet away.
"Catherine isn't here right now, but I am. I suggest you back off before I call the cops."
Eddie did not seem perturbed by this threat. Apparently, Catherine had tried this tack before and it hadn't worked.
"Listen, lady, why don't you let me in?" he yelled, a moronic grin plastered on his face. Sara didn't know if he was trying to be charming, but she wouldn't be surprised if he was. Perhaps he had been charming at one point - after all, Catherine did marry him - but Sara suspected that all charm was lost after he returned to his usual, drunken state.
"No chance in hell," Sara said, trying to keep a quiver out of her voice but failing quite spectacularly. She fingered the cool metal of her gun tucked into the waistband of her pants, and it calmed her considerably. She didn't know why, though: Catherine had been armed, but Eddie had beaten her pretty badly before she could retaliate properly. *Maybe she didn't want to shoot him* she mused.
This seemed to irritate Eddie even more. The panes of glass in the side windows distorted his face into something monstrous, and Sara jumped when he slammed his fist against one of the panes. Since his last forced entry, the panes had been replaced with thicker glass, so logically, Sara should have found no reason to be scared. She was scared shitless.
In a jerky movement, she brought the gun around in front of her, solidifying her stance. She was so concentrated on Eddie that she didn't hear the light footsteps down the stairs.
Sara made an issue of clicking off the safety. She stared Eddie firmly in the eye, something she knew he wouldn't like, and silently dared him to come in and get her.
The next thing she knew, there was a loud bang from behind her, and a hole in the door, a few inches from Eddie's head. Startled, she span around, and saw Catherine on the stairs, standing solidly and unafraid.
"Eddie, leave us alone before I move my target a little closer to that thick head of yours."
*Us*. Sara felt a quiet rush of emotion slip past unwarranted at the simple word, before she aimed her gun at Eddie once more. She couldn't believe it, but Eddie looked genuinely scared. Perhaps the shot had sobered him a little, or perhaps he was unused to such strong opposition; either way, he realized he was outnumbered, and backed off, stumbling a little on the steps, arms raised in clumsy surrender. Once he had retreated into the cover of inky blackness, he felt safe enough to utter some sort of 'damaging' retort, but the women inside paid no attention.
Slowly lowering her gun, Sara clicked the safety catch on. She looked at Catherine, and saw the woman she had seen at their first meeting: stoic, determined, and undefeatable. It seemed as if the mask was back in place, and Sara truly didn't know how Catherine felt at that moment. Over the past couple of years, Catherine had started to open up to Sara, and vice versa: both had seen each other's bad days and learned from them. Catherine dropped her gun without a sound, and it clattered down the steps to land a few below her. The strain of her position had caused her ribs to ache again, and she put a hand to her side in an attempt to alleviate the pain.
Sara said nothing, but led her upstairs once more, not caring about the gaping hole in the door. She retrieved a roll of bandages from Catherine's bathroom cupboard, and sat Catherine down on the bed. She still hadn't said anything, and remained silent as Sara gently took off her shirt and wrapped her ribs tenderly. This unspoken act of trust warmed Sara, but at the same time, her friend's laconic attitude was slightly unnerving. She urged Catherine into bed, and was in the process of returning the bandages to the bathroom, when she felt a solid grasp upon her upper arm.
"Stay," Catherine whispered, her voice suddenly husky with emotion, and what Sara believed to be lust. It reflected in Catherine's eyes, in her very soul, and Sara couldn't resist it. The bandages forgotten, she returned to the bed. As Catherine started taking off her shirt with sudden enthusiasm, she wondered if she was taking advantage of the woman underneath her. Catherine suddenly rolled Sara over, so that she was straddling the taller woman, and started grinding her hips slowly and deliberately against Sara's. *Or maybe not.*
AN: Thanks for all the feedback! I know some people were asking about Eddie's return, and although he doesn't seem to do much in this chapter, he'll be back later. The NC-17 part will be posted at my site soon! Thanks for reading (