But Now One Soul

The young woman places a hand on her lover's cheek. "Sure. Janice took care of the business with the insurance company. You'll be able to talk to her regarding the details. She told me to give her a ring when you come home. She wants to visit."

"I'll call her tonight after we see the clinic."

******

The next morning, Dani is in the kitchen making coffee. Jesse tries to sit comfortably in her computer room chair. Going through the clinic's building title and other paperwork after talking with Janice, she is ready to make another call to her attorney.

Dani comes in with a cup of coffee for her. She gives the tall woman a kiss on the temple, sets the cup down, and waits for her to get off the phone.

Jesse hangs up. "Hey, you don't have to work this morning?"

"I decided to take a couple of days off to be with you. Is that okay?"

A long arm snakes around her waist to pull her close. "Of course. It will be nice."

They kiss tenderly. "I am making pancakes. You wanna come down?"

"Yeah."

In the kitchen, Jesse sits at the table and takes another sip of coffee. Artemis comes through the doggy door from the yard. She nudges her mother 'hello' with a wet snout. Jesse scratches under her chin.

"I fed her earlier," Dani says as she flips three pancakes on her lover's plate.

"Great."

The doorbell rings.

"I'll get it." Dani opens the front door. "Hi Janice."

"Hello, I hope this is not too early for you two. Jesse said to drop by any time this morning." Janice pushes a lock of her curly dyed brown hair behind her ear.

"No, it's fine. Come in. We're eating breakfast. Would you like some pancakes?"

"Oh, no dear. I've already had my breakfast. But some coffee would be great."

"Sure." She motions for Janice to sit at the table.

"Hey Janice. Glad you dropped by."

"Wow," is all she could say at the moment as she clasps her hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry. I didn't…I mean…"

"Don't worry Janice, hopefully my face will be all healed in a couple of weeks."

Her eyes become watery with the threat of tears. "Oh, Jesse, no one deserves to go through this. I'm sorry it happened."

"Come on, let's talk about other things." The dark woman says.

Dani sets a coffee mug in front of the older woman, and then kisses her lover on the cheek before sitting down.

"Now, I've talked with the insurance company and with my attorney. It's going to take about four to six weeks for the reconstruction of the new clinic to be finished. In the mean time, you can consider yourself as having an extra paid vacation. The same goes for Miguel, Danica, and Keith. I will call Miguel. If you don't mind contacting Keith and Danica, I'd appreciate it." She looks up from her paperwork.

Janice's mouth just about dropped on the table at the news she was hearing.

"Janice? Are you okay?"

With her eyes bugged out, she says, "I don't believe…I mean…this is very generous for you to give us paid leave."

"Actually, the insurance company is covering all of your salaries. I have really good insurance." She says with a lopsided grin. "Now, I'll keep in contact with you about when the clinic will be ready to re-open. I'd also appreciate you creating a voicemail message on the clinic's line that will inform people we are temporarily closed blah blah blah. You can also leave them my pager number if they really need to get in touch with me."

"Oh, I forgot," Janice, says suddenly, "I have something for you. I stopped by the clinic to check the mail, and found this." She pulls out a thick manila envelope from her purse.

Jesse grabs it and rips it open. From inside she pulls out a stack of checks all written out to either herself or the clinic's name.

"Oh my god, Jesse, what is all this about?" asks a curious Dani.

She unfolds the letter and begins reading a loud.

Dear Dr. Chandler,
We are all grieved for the damage you, your staff and the clinic have suffered. This means we all have to be extra careful about our pets becoming ill while you are closed. So many people came by the afternoon of the fire once they heard it on the news, and while there, they decided on a collection to help out in some way. Here is everything that was for some reason given to me to give to you.
Thank you for being such a great Doc. We look forward to you returning to work.
John Hoffman

Dani begins sorting the checks and adding up the amounts written on each one, with the help of Janice. Jesse runs a hand through her hair not believing that her clients have done this.

"There is $45,385 dollars here, Jesse." Dani says.

"My god, I don't believe it," Janice chimes in.

A tear threatens to spill down Jesse's cheek.

Janice looks at her watch, "Oh dear, I need to get going. I'm meeting with my daughter today. I'll let myself out. You two take care. I'm so happy to see how much your clients love you. I'll be sure to carry out your requests, and thank you for the vacation."

Dani gets up and hugs her lover from behind. "Isn't this wonderful?"

"Yeah. I'm just…shocked." She turns her head to give the young woman a heartfelt kiss. "I hope to meet with an architect this afternoon. I better go ahead and make some more calls." She finishes her coffee then says, "Would you like me to help you clear the table?"

Dani turns from putting some dishes in the dishwasher. "Of course not. I'll be fine." She says with a grin. "Do you want some help upstairs?"

"No, I'll be alright. I left the crutches by the stairs."

******

The weeks go by with Jesse healing quickly and the clinic's construction coming together nicely.

In the mid-afternoon, Jesse is taking a nap. The sun shines brightly into the bedroom window. The tall woman begins to toss and turn as a dream invades her mind.

The shadowy figure manages to clasp his meaty hand around her throat. His laughter echoes in her ears. She kicks him in the groin. He let's go. Suddenly the swing of a baseball bat makes contact with her arm. The animals in the crates are terrified. The flames are rising higher. She must save them. The pain in her arm makes her dizzy. The dark figure curses her.

"I'm going to fix your bitch up good. Give her a taste of my dick. I'll fuck her raw and then cut her open from her cunt to her throat." He laughs.

The tears run down her cheeks. She wipes at her face only to find blood on her hands. Lunging her body at him, she punches him in the neck and then a sidekick to his ribs.

Once again, the swing of a bat comes in contact with her leg. The pain is becoming unbearable. “Dani, I love you. I love you, don't forget me.”

Jesse wakes up in a sweat.

Artemis sits next to the bed watching her mother. With ears perked up, she cocks her head wondering what's going on.

Wiping her face, she looks at Artemis. "Hey Arty. Are you watching me? It's okay, girl, I'm alright." She scratches behind the big floppy ears.

Getting up, she heads to the bathroom. She turns on the light and looks in the mirror. "I think it's about time to move along and get rid of some of this stuff." She says to no one.

She retrieves her medical kit from the towel cabinet. Setting everything up she needs, she looks closely into the mirror and begins removing the stitches. Very little bleeding occurs of which gets dabbed away with a cotton pad soaked in hydrogen peroxide.

Going back in the room she shuffles through a drawer searching for a particular item. "Aha, here it is."

Back in the bathroom, she flips open the razor sharp blade and begins working on her arm cast. She pries the cast open with her good hand and it breaks away falling to the floor. Holding up her arm, she inspects it closely. "Looks good." She flexes her hand and bends at the wrist. "Feels good." Her nose senses something. "Ugh, smells awful. God, I can't wait to soak in the tub with lots and lots of soap."

Picking up the blade again, she puts down the lid of the toilet and takes a seat to begin the leg cast. This one takes a bit longer. She winds up breaking the thing in two pieces before actually getting the offending material off. She flexes her leg. "Ah, finally free, and very stinky."

She turns on the tub water and pours in the sandalwood oil soap. Inspecting her leg, she notices a light bruise on the outside of her thigh. "Hmm, nothing serious." She removes her clothes and steps into the bath.

Dani pulls into the driveway with a sigh. Grateful for having left work early, she is anxious to check in on her lover. She smells barbecue smoke.Hmm, that smells great, wonder who is grilling at this time.

As she nears the front door, the scent of the grill is stronger. Curious she decides to head around to the back. Reaching over and behind the gate, she undoes the latch. Artemis runs over to give her a bark of 'hello'. "Hi Arty. Where's your momma? Is she barbecuing?"

At the end of the walkway, she turns the corner to see Jesse stretched out in the lawn chair in a pair of maroon silk boxers and black sport bra.Gods she's gorgeous. Her eyes take in the long succulent body. Wait a minute. The casts…are gone.

"That's right. I took them off earlier." Jesse gets up and saunters to the young woman. Cupping her lover's cheek, she leans over and kisses her passionately.

"I should've known you wouldn't follow the doctor's orders." She leans in to nuzzle the strong neck. "God you smell wonderful."

"Makes a big difference when I can soak in the tub for two hours." She kisses the crown of the blonde's head. "Are you hungry? I'm grilling salmon steaks."

"Awesome. I can make those mashed potatoes you love so much."

"Great, and maybe those candied ginger carrots?" Jesse asks with her best puppy dog look.

"Sure." Dani gives her a light kiss on the lips.

"Oh, I'm planning on going to the gym afterwards. I want to get my muscles worked on. You want to join me?"

"Sounds like a plan." Dani walks inside to change.

******

"Ugh, I need a shower." Dani exclaims as she enters the house. "I can't remember the last time I ever spent two hours at the gym." She heads upstairs.

Artemis comes barreling through to say hello to her parents. "Arf." She barks happily.

Jesse gives her hugs and kisses before she also goes upstairs. Walking into the bedroom, she hears the shower running. She walks into the bathroom completely naked. Surprising Dani, she steps into the shower. "Would you like some company?"

"Mmm, definitely." Dani answers with a purr. She pours a generous amount of the Lever 2000 liquid soap onto the loofah and begins to gently stroke her lover's skin. Their shower quickly turns into an erotic play session.

After soaping each other's bodies, Jesse turns the young woman to face away from her. Wrapping an arm around her waist, her other hand slides down to wet blonde curls. She takes the flesh of her lover's neck between her teeth and sucks hard. Dani moans at the contact in both areas. A strong hand spreads her nether lips and a long finger dips into the folds. Dani grows weak in the knees and is grateful the tall woman has a firm grasp on her.

Realizing she is losing her resolve, she says, "God Jesse, I won't be able to stand much longer." Her hips begin to buck as Jesse strokes her clit rhythmically. The actions bring on a small orgasm to the young woman to satisfy her temporarily.

Jesse turns off the water and leads her lover out of the shower. They towel each other dry. This time Dani pulls her into the bedroom and pushes her onto the bed. Climbing on top she straddles the long legs. She slides up a little farther and slowly grinds her wet mound onto that of her lover. Small hands play with pierced nipples that are painfully erect.

Jesse takes hold of the young woman's hips to pull her down harder. Moans and grunts fill two sets of ears. Dani lowers herself to capture succulent lips with her own. Their humping continues until Jesse lets out a loud grunt through her teeth. Her orgasm brings Dani over the edge with her. They lie side by side panting.

Dani rolls onto her side and strokes the dark woman's cheeks. A small finger lightly traces the currently evident scars on the beautifully sculptured face. "God, I love you." Her hand finally lies over the left clavicle near the pulse point. "I…want us to grow very old together."

Azure eyes lock onto sea green. "We will." Jesse instinctively understands what her small woman is getting at.

A lone tear rolls down. "I…almost…"

"Shh, s'okay. I'm here. I will always be here for you." Jesse takes the delicate yet strong hand and brings it up to her lips for a kiss. "Dani, even in death I will be with you. There is nothing that can separate us…what we have. I believe it. Our souls are so entwined, it has been since the beginning of time."

Dani cries softly into the sturdy shoulder. Jesse wraps her arms tightly around the young blonde. They fade into a deep slumber.

******

Jesse is frantically trying to open the crates. “The animals, I have to get them out.” The flames surround them and the smoke darkens the room.

An evil laugh is heard.

Finally the last crate is open. She heads for the door.

Whack! The bat strikes her arm. Then once again. Whack! The bat strikes her leg. The pain is too much. The blood is pouring down her face blinding her eyes. She can't think straight.

“I need to… help… the animals.” She falls to the floor.

The figure looms over her. He bends down to lick at her face. “Oh, god, what is he doing? The blood. He's licking the blood off and enjoying it.” She hears his laughter again.

"Just wait until I get your bitch." He spits out at her.

Suddenly Dani appears. He has her by the hair. With his free hand he rips her shirt off. She cries out for Jesse. "Jesse, where are you? Help me!"

Jesse's vision is clouded. “What is he doing to her? NOOO!!” She sees him plunge into her with a knife slicing her from the apex of her sex up to her neck.

The tall woman jerks awake in a sweat.

"Jesse, what's wrong?" Dani sits up and touches her lover's shoulder.

The dark woman shudders at the contact.

"Jesse, you were dreaming." They look at each other. Dani sees a battle taking place in the steely blue gaze. "Talk to me."

The tears streak down Jesse's face as she relays the nightmare. "This is not the first time. I've been having this nightmare for some time already. And it won't stop."

"Oh, Jes," she says endearingly. "I'm so sorry." Dani cradles the head on her shoulder soothing her distraught lover. She whispers words of comfort.

After a few minutes the dark woman sits up again. She rubs her tear stained face with a hand. "I'm going to the gym to try and work off some of this frustration. Do you want to come?"

"Isn't it kind of early, Sweetie?" She looks at the clock. "It's 5:30am."

"They're open." With the response, Jesse dons her sweatpants. Grabbing a T-shirt, she pulls it over her sports bra.

At the gym, Jesse set out to work on the weight machines first. Determination is on her face to push her muscles that haven't been used in the past several weeks. Only until her arms and legs burn will she cease and move on to something else.

Dani starts out at the treadmill. She begins at a fast walk, then to a jog, and then to a medium run. The gym wasn't very crowded and she was grateful. It's a pain in the ass when all the machines are being used. Afterwards she heads over to the weights. Passing Jesse on her way out of the weights area, she gives her a wink.

Smiling at the flirtatious gesture, Jesse gets on a treadmill.

After an hour, Dani is more than ready to leave. Everything on her body aches, and all she can think of doing is soaking in the tub. Walking out of the locker room, she passes the tall woman once more and says, "I'll wait for you outside".

Jesse nods slowing down her run into a jog before she stops altogether.

Dani sits on the bench around the side of the building watching the sunrise. The fiery orange glow surrounding the flaming ball is a beautiful sight. Thoughts on the sky and soaking in the tub are all she can think of.

On their way back, Dani decides to ask a question that's been on her mind all night. "Jesse, would you consider talking to Kris about these dreams?"

The tall woman's grip on the steering wheel tightens. "You want me to see a therapist?"

Dani reaches over to touch her shoulder. "Please…just talk to her. See what she says. She might have some insight into the dreams plaguing you."

Jesse sighs heavily.Maybe she's right. "It will be kind of weird since she's good friends with you."

"I'll go with you…if you'd like. I'll sit there and you can hold my hand. I know it's not going to be easy. I want to be there for you."

The dark woman runs her hand through her hair. Her body relaxes a bit. "Alright. I'll go. And yeah, it'd be nice to have you there. I'll call her tomorrow."

"Thank you." Dani smiles.

***********

The next day, Jesse finds herself walking into Kristen's office.

"Hello Jesse. Dani. I'm glad you are here." She motions for them to take a seat on the loveseat. The office is small with only enough room for the couch, a plush chair and the desk. A couple of paintings of serene landscapes and one of the ocean adorn the walls. The water cooler makes its bubbling noise in the corner. The large plants on the floor make the room look cozy. Kristen takes a seat in her usual chair across from the couple. "Now what is it that you hope to get, Jesse?"

Jesse relays the story of the nightmares and the obvious link they have to the recent situation with the clinic fire. She also recaps the story of their incident in Michigan and how they came across that man. "So, I know how the nightmares are linked, but what I don't understand is why I keep having them. I mean, the incident is long gone. You know what I mean? The guy is dead. Dani and I are alive and well. So why these constant nightmares?"

Kristen scribbles a few more notes then reclaims the eye contact with Jesse and Dani. "It seems that the nightmares are something deeper you may be struggling with."

"What do you mean?" Jesse asks.

She crosses her legs then continues. "Well, it's possible that you feel a sense of failure. Because you didn't finish that man off or put him away for good the first time, you feel you've fallen short in protecting Dani." She looks at Dani, knowing the small woman's questions were ready to fly. "Jesse, you have a very protective instinct when it comes to those you deeply love. Your subconscious is berating you for not fully living up to that protective nature." She watches the wheels turn in Jesse's head. A battle is evident in the steel blue eyes. "You told me a bit about your family history. Do you remember?"

Jesse nods. With a squint of the eyes, she wonders what Kristen is getting at.

"Alright, in the stories that I do know of the Chandler family, each Chandler has an inherent nature to protect their loved ones. You told me about your grandfather, who you are named after, that he was a soldier in the war. When he came back, he returned a changed man being very protective of his children and his wife. He worked himself almost to death to provide food, shelter and clothing during the Depression. Your great-great-great-grandmother was very protective of her siblings during the Civil War. She found a way to hide the younger ones and keep them out of harm's way. And what about your father, you said he was your hero. Do you see what I'm saying Jesse?" She waits, in order to let her words sink in.

Dani looks at her lover.Oh my god, I think she has a point. The young woman squeezes Jesse's hand.

You may be right, my Love. With all of the intensity of emotions and thoughts, there was no way Jesse didn't hear her lover. She runs her free hand through her hair. "So, if you are correct, what do I need to do to stop the nightmares?"