I Will Come For You

"Yep that's right, you can go to the graveyard and see for yourself. She died under Erin Peterson." He gave her a leering grin and returned to his food. No one else in the diner said a word.

Cody happened to glance at some of the other patrons, and noticed that they were silently nodding their heads in confirmation that Erin Peterson was dead. She quickly left, returning to her bike and drove off. Within minutes she was at the cemetery, walking slowly up and down the gravesites in search of Erin's. She found the tombstone that was marked, Erin Peterson. It gave the date of death, but for some reason didn't give her birth date. She could only presume this is who that jerk was talking about and that this was her beloved Erin. She couldn't help but fall to her knees and cry. She began to claw at the grass and dirt and cried harder. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner. I love you Erin. Always." She stayed for an hour before exhaustion prompted her to get up and check in at the only motel in town.

At the front desk, she encountered old Mr. Thompson. He and her father were good friends, and Mr. Thompson was always very kind to the girls when they came into his ice cream shop.

"Well, howdy Cody. Been a long time."

"Mr. Thompson?" She questioned with surprise. "What are you doing here? What happened to you... being at the shop?"

"Oh, my boy runs the shop now. I just work here and there wherever anyone can use me every now and then. I like to keep busy, ya know. It makes me feel alive." He commented with a twinkle in his somewhat clouded brown eyes. "So, you want a room for the night?"

"Yeah, thanks."

He handed her the key in his gnarled and arthritic hand. "So... you going to see Erin later? She's been in town for almost a year now. She and Michael live down on Old McHenry Road."

Cody froze at his words. Azure eyes stared at him dumbfounded. "You... you said... Erin lives with her brother?" The questions began to run rampant through her mind. Is he senile? Maybe he doesn't remember what's happened? But wait, he remembers me? She thought to herself.

"Oh yeah. You know, she works at the Laundromat now. She's such a beautiful girl. Still has a head full of ideas about one day leaving this place and marrying the one she loves."

Cody blinked in disbelief. She was so tired from her journey and the disheartening news she had received at the diner, that she was beginning to think she misunderstood him. "But... someone told me Erin Peterson died."

Mr. Thompson furrowed gray eyebrows in thought. Adjusting his wire rimmed glasses, he looked at her again. "Erin Peterson?" The elderly man questioned, thinking carefully about the name. "Yep... Erin Peterson did die some months back. It was a tragic thing too. Poor girl." He shook his head sadly. "But you're not looking for Erin Peterson, are ya?" He gave her a look that indicated he was completely in his right mind. "Ya know, if you hurry, you can still catch her before her shift ends." He gave her a wink and watched her run out to her bike.

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

Erin finished mopping the soapy spill that occurred at machine number nine. She taped an 'out of order' sign at the coin slot and went into the back to clean up. Filling out the work order of what exactly was wrong with the machine, she placed it in her tray of things to do on Monday. She didn't care for contacting the repair guy because he just so happened to be an asshole who wouldn't fix the machines the right way in the first place.

Her sister-in-law to be sat behind the counter chewing gum and arranging the small bottles of soap and fabric softener they had available for purchase.

"Alright, I'm done for the night. I'm heading out Kathy. You'll be okay with closing up?"

"Oh yeah, no problem." Kathy responded with a smile as she continued to pop her gum. Kathy liked Erin a lot. She considered the young blonde a warm and kindhearted friend, and she was very grateful for Erin hiring her as additional part-time help. Kathy wanted the extra money to buy Michael a special gift for his upcoming birthday.

Erin hung up her apron, let down her hair and walked out the front doors. In the darkened street she inhaled the fresh scent of approaching rain in this early autumn night. Suddenly she frowned a moment as something tugged at her heart. She stopped as the strange feeling washed over her.

"Erin?" A beautiful contralto voice softly called out to her.

She turned around searching for the voice's owner, and then fainted at the sight of recognizable ocean blue eyes. Cody caught her right away, picked her up and carried her back inside. She approached the red-head at the counter who was now staring at them. "She fainted out front. Do you have a back room I can lay her in?" She addressed Kathy.

"Um... yeah. Follow me to the break room." She quickly opened the door and ushered them in. Grabbing a couple of paper towels, she doused them in cold water and proceeded to gently dab it across Erin's forehead and cheeks. "Maybe I should call for an ambulance." Kathy commented out loud.

"I think she'll be okay. She just fainted when she saw me." Cody responded as she cradled Erin's head.

Kathy eyed her suspiciously wondering who this person was.

Cody looked up into hazel eyes. "We were best friends as kids, and we haven't seen each other in more than ten years." She said with emotion.

Suddenly Kathy recognized her. "Oh my god." She gripped the front of her apron near her heart. "You're... Cody. I can hardly believe it. Do you remember me? I'm Kathy --- Kathy Jenkins. We were in middle school together."

"Hi Kathy." Cody said with half a grin. "I do remember you." She felt a stirring in her arms as Erin slowly started to come around. She looked down a moment and then back up at Kathy. "I think she's recovering. Umm...would you mind leaving us for a bit?"

"Oh sure, I'll leave you two alone." She answered and stepped out, closing the door behind her.

Cody looked adoringly into the face of the one she's dreamt about for so long. Green eyes fluttered open to find blue ones staring back at her. Cody slowly sat her up and smiled.

"Hi Erin."

The young blonde covered her mouth in an attempt to stifle the uncontrollable racking sobs.

Cody just held her like she used to when they were kids. She brushed long fingers gently through strawberry blonde hair. "I've missed you so much." She confessed as the tears streaked her face.

"Oh Cody, I can't believe you're here. Please don't let this be a dream. God...don't let me go. Please don't let go." Erin babbled as she continued to cry.

"I'm right here, and I don't plan on ever letting you go."

Once their tears subsided, they wiped each other's face in the same manner as they used to so long ago. Cody brushed her thumbs across Erin's cheeks as Erin used her entire hand.

Erin then gazed at her, carefully noting the changes that have taken place in her best friend. "You cut your hair." She ran her fingers through the very short raven locks, and liked that it was longer on top than in the back.

"Yeah. Do you like it?"

"Oh yes, definitely. It really suits you. Do you like that I kept mine long?"

"Definitely." She tenderly brushed long fingers through the blonde locks. "And it's still soft like cotton spun gold."

Erin ran her hands down leather clad arms then across the black T-shirt. Out of pure desire, she pushed the biker jacket off, brushing her fingertips now along bare arms. She felt muscles flex underneath her ministrations. "You've been working out?"

"Umm...I've done a lot of rock climbing, and I like to do weights."

"And you're into leather?" Erin asked with peeked curiosity.

The innocent touches were beginning to ignite a fire in Cody's lower regions. "Um... yeah... I ride a Harley."

"Sounds very sexy." Erin commented as she began to stroke the leather clad thighs. "When are you going to take me for a ride?" She questioned inquisitively.

"Whenever you... want." Cody firmly gripped a small waist pulling it closer to her own.

"And when... are you going... to... kiss me?" Erin asked with a shy smile.

Cody returned the smile as she bit her bottom lip. "I didn't want to seem pushy." She hooked a finger under Erin's chin and gently guided their lips together. With that one kiss, all time stopped for the two of them. There was nothing but a void of silence in that all consuming kiss. Mouths parted allowing tongues to slide and caress one another. Moans erupted from each woman before they broke away in need of air.

"Wow, you sure know how to kiss a girl," Erin commented.

"You're very good too," Cody answered as a shade of scarlet crept up her cheeks.

"Have you eaten?" Erin asked.

Cody shook her head.

"Let's go to the pizza joint, and that way we can talk. There's so much we need to fill each other in about."

"Sure," Cody responded.

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

They sat in a booth waiting for their pie. A pitcher of beer sat center table with two full glasses, one for each of them. Erin finished off her salad as Cody gazed at her like a lovesick teenager.

"You're going to give me a complex if you don't stop that staring. I feel like I've got something stuck on my face." Erin commented bashfully.

"I can't help it. You're so beautiful. You've really turned into an incredible young woman." Cody reached across the table and gently stroked the back of Erin's hand with a thumb.

The waiter came out with their pizza, and his eyes grew wide at the small display. Clearing his throat, he laid the pie down, and purposefully looked to Erin. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

"No thanks." As he walked off, she whispered to Cody. "I don't like the way people are staring, and that waiter didn't seem very pleasant."

"I know what you mean, but I don't care. I'm used to being stared at. In Britain, people are more socially civilized than here. I felt more welcomed out there. Even in the big city of Chicago there's a larger gay population, and that helps one feel comfortable."

"Oh what did you do in Britain? It must have been just wonderful. How long were you there for?"

"I was participating in a motorcycle convention. I refurbish old racing bikes for a living, and attend all of the classic cycle conventions to show off my work. It makes good money, and I get a lot of free time. And I get to do something that I love." Cody took a big bite of her food, and then said, "I thought Britain was a fascinating country. I had the opportunity to visit Germany, Amsterdam, France and Italy. The trip was fantastic. But you don't want to hear all about that now. I'd like to know what happened so many years ago. You just disappeared from the face of the earth. I didn't know how to reach you, or even where to go to start. Tell me what's been going on with you. What happened when you moved to Boston with your grandma?"

Green eyes fell down to her plate. "It was awful." She looked back up into the azure eyes that she adored and missed so much, and continued, "I would have never survived if I didn't have Michael with me." She pulled a slice of mushroom off of the cheese and popped it in her mouth. "Umm...mom met a man out there soon after we moved. She took to him immediately, and before the summer was over, we had moved in with him. Michael and I were so angry about the arrangement. I wrote you a letter telling you that we had to move again. I really would have preferred to stay with grandma, but I didn't have much choice in the matter."

Cody frowned. "Wait, you wrote to me?"

Erin cocked her head as she looked at her friend. "Of course. I wrote to you all of the time. I remember I always asked mom to put a stamp on it and mail it for me on her way to work. I couldn't understand why you never returned any of my letters. At first I thought I wasn't writing the right address, but Michael told me I was. He said he would go to the post office with me next time so we could ask if I was doing something wrong. Mom overheard us, and scolded us for being foolish. She said she was mailing all of my letters and there was nothing to worry about that maybe you just didn't want to write back."

Cody leaned over with her forearms on the table. "Erin, I never got any of your letters. If I did, I would have written right away. I checked the mail everyday for a year."

"I know you didn't get the letters." She reached over and took her friend's large hand in her own. "Mom lied to me. She never mailed any of the letters. I found one of my letters in her coat pocket when I was searching for some gum. The letter had been written a couple of weeks earlier, and she never sent it. When I confronted her about it, I got slapped. After that, I mailed a couple of letters myself but they were returned to me."

The raven haired woman looked at her sadly. "That would have been the time that Pa and I moved. He was promoted in the company, and was given the option of moving somewhere else with a better pay. He talked to me about it, and we both agreed there was just no reason to stay in Middleton. He didn't feel it was necessary to leave a forwarding address."

"Well, that all makes sense now." Erin commented.

"Yeah, it sure does." She took a swig of her beer. "So, what else happened when you had to move again?"

"Michael and I couldn't stand having this man act as our dad. He was cold, and rather strict. We were very limited to after school activities, but in time we did the best we could to adjust. But things got worse when Michael moved out when he turned nineteen. Walter --- that was his name --- started making passes at me. I was appalled the first time and he laughed. The second and third times got worse, where he would actually grab me but I fought him off at each one. Well, I got really scared and told Michael. He said he would stop by the next day and have a talk with mom to see if I could move in with him.

"The next day came, and Walter came home early from work. He walked right into my room and started being all nice ---- asking me about my day at school and what not. Then he made a pass again when he sat on the edge of my bed and brushed his dirty fingers down my arm. I told him to leave me alone, and he backhanded me. The next thing I know he was on me. I screamed and fought, but he only laughed. He tore my shorts off and my shirt open. It was horrible Cody. Luckily, Michael had come home and heard me screaming. The next thing I knew Michael jumped him and in the midst of them fighting and things in my room breaking, Michael somehow got hold of a piece of broken mirror and shoved it in Walter's neck.

"Mother was so livid at us. She blamed me for ruining her life, and she stood against us in court. We won the case though cause there was so much evidence in our favor. I moved out immediately and stayed with Michael. We've been living together since then, and that's been good. We used to talk about you and how much fun you were to be around. You know he really admired how good you were at softball."

Cody's fists were clenched under the table. Stormy blue eyes showed her anger at what happened. She wanted to cry but couldn't bring herself to let her guard down in the restaurant. "Please... let's go." She threw down forty dollars, and walked out.

Erin frowned and quickly followed. She wondered if her best friend was angry at her. Outside, by the bike, she saw Cody cover her face in large hands. "Are you angry at me?"

"What?" Cody asked, and then it dawned on her what Erin had asked. "No. No of course not. What happened wasn't your fault. Please don't ever think that." The tears began to fall from those sapphire eyes. She pulled Erin into a hug and said, "I'm so mad that I wasn't there for you --- that you had to go through that."

"So, you're not disappointed that I'm not a virgin?" Erin hesitantly asked.

"God Erin, no. I could never be disappointed in you. I adore you." She kissed the blonde crown and looked into sea green eyes. "And just so you know, I'm not a virgin either."

"What happened?"

"I was so lonely and sad one night when I was in Amsterdam, that I got my stupid ass drunk, and found myself the next morning in a strange bed with a blonde woman who I guess at the time reminded me of you. It was such a stupid thing for me to..."

Erin hushed her with two fingers on her lips. "It's okay." She laid her head upon Cody's chest. "So what's going to happen?"

Cody yawned, "Well first I need to sleep. I'm so exhausted, and even though I'd love to stay up with you all night, I don't believe I'll be good company. So, I figured I'd go back to the motel."

"Please don't leave me. Now that we're together, I couldn't bear to be apart again." She bit her bottom lip contemplating on whether to finish her thoughts. "It's been over ten years since... we've... slept in each other's arms, and I'd like... to re-live that again."

Cody hooked a finger under her chin bringing her face up. "Anything for you."

"Come back to the house with me, and sleep in my room. It'll be much nicer than the hotel. Michael and Kathy will already be asleep, but I know Michael will be excited to see you again.

"Alright," Cody answered with a smile.

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

Erin exited her bathroom only wearing her blue 'Hanes Her Way' panties and a white T-shirt. The only light on in the room was the bedside lamp, and from what she could make out, Cody was already asleep.

She turned out the light, climbed under the covers, and snuggled up to her best friend. Cody automatically embraced her as Erin laid her head on Cody's shoulder.

"Does Michael know you're home?" She asked in a sleepy husky voice.

"Yes. While you were in the bathroom, I heard him coming up the stairs from having his usual midnight snack. He's happy and said he'd like to see you again when he gets home from work." She whispered.

"Hmm. I love you Erin."

"I love you too Cody. Thank you for coming back."

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

In the early morning dawn, Erin got dressed and went out to surprise Cody with some breakfast. She managed to return quickly with the items in hand, and decided to take a shower.

Cody rolled over and felt around for the warm body she was missing. Opening blue eyes, she finished hearing the shower turn off. She smelled the coffee on the nightstand, and was about to reach out for it when she heard Erin.

"Nah ah ah. No breakfast until you've had your shower."

"Awww." Cody playfully complained.

"Now you get before the coffee gets cold and the donuts turn stale."

Cody beamed like a little kid. "There's donuts?" She sprung from the bed and ran into the bathroom.

Erin laughed as she finished drying off her hair. Within minutes Cody jumped back onto the bed with a huge grin and only wearing a towel around her waist.

"You mean to tell me you've showered?" Erin asked with her back still toward her friend, as she busily hung up the wet towel.

Cody excitedly announced. "I washed everywhere."

Erin faced her and had a sharp intake of breath when she saw Cody's naked upper body.

Cody, realizing she was half naked in front of her friend, said, "I'm sorry, I should probably put on a shirt. I'm so used to being on my own and walking around naked or just in my shorts." She sat up, but Erin stopped her with a hand held up.

She gazed at Cody in awe. "You really have been working out." She commented huskily. Her body was reacting to her best friend, and she liked how it felt. Without thinking, she climbed on the mattress and straddled Cody's thighs. Emerald green eyes filled with desire connected with ocean blue. "I... don't have any experience making love to a woman, but... I did learn a lot on the Internet."

"The Internet's a great thing, huh? I learned a lot there too." Cody commented with a gulp as she saw the evident fire in Erin's eyes.