Two Worlds Collide Ch. 05

Sean must have stayed here, although she had no real recollection of leaving the hospital at all. Was that yesterday? She paused for a moment; what time was it? The clock on the bedside table blinked at her and she realised that it was nearly 6pm. It was unbelievable; she had slept for well over twelve hours straight.

She realised she was thirsty and a little hungry. She also needed a shower and there was so much to do, a funeral to organise, bills to pay. Maybe it would help to concentrate on the little details, anything to keep the black insanity at bay.

The sound of footsteps alerted Sean to Anna's presence. He felt a certain amount of shock at the grief etched heavily on her fragile face. Her eyes were swollen and dead looking, her hair lank and dull. She weakly gave him a wan smile and immediately he jumped up. Wordlessly he took her in his arms again, feeling her trembling slightly against him.

"You need to eat. Sit down and I'll get you something," he ordered when he had released her.

He was right; she had not eaten anything for well over twenty four hours. Her stomach growled in response even though her brain protested that she could not possibly eat a thing. Mutely, she dropped down onto the settee, her dressing gown pulled tightly around her. The television screen burbled away, playing to itself as she stared into nothingness.

After a few minutes, Sean appeared with a mug of tea and she took it gratefully. The hot liquid was sweet and strong and burnt her lip a little. Carefully she sipped it, feeling grateful that Sean was there to look after her, even though it was not likely to be for long. He had a life and a business to run, after all. She did not like to think about what she would have done if he had not been there. She had no one else to turn to.

The scrambled eggs he concocted were delicious; she ate it all. Sean ran her a bath, leaving her to soak for a while before returning with a thick towel. Once she was out of the bath, he carefully dried her hair and brushed it for her. It made her feel like a small child again, safe and cared for. Despite all the sleep she had had, she was yawning once more by the time her hair was dry and gleaming.

"Come to bed," Sean said and obediently Anna climbed back under the duvet. Sleep was a refuge from the pain and she shut her eyes gratefully. Once all the lights were turned off, he joined her in bed and pulled her into the hollow of his shoulder, cuddling her body tightly, stroking her back like a kitten.

Anna soon slipped back into sleep whilst Sean stayed awake for a long time, thinking about everything. He really could not stay away from the office for too much longer. The trouble was, Anna needed him and he was loath to leave her alone until she had come out of the shocked stupor she was currently in. He had no real idea how long it was likely to take, but she sure as hell wasn't fit for anything at the moment. It took a long time for him to fall asleep, but eventually he drifted off, still wrapped around Anna's still form.

* * *

The day of the funeral dawned cold and clear. Very few people came to pay their respects; Kerry had lost contact with most of her old friends and she and Anna had no real family to speak of.

Anna thought she was all cried out, but when the casket disappeared behind the velvet curtain, she shed some more tears. Sean sat with her, holding her hand tightly, just being there for her. He did not need to say a word; the fact that he had stayed with her all week and helped with all the arrangements told her more than words ever could.

When the service was over, Anna could not wait to get away. She felt suffocated by all the grief. It was not how she wanted to remember her sister; this place had meant nothing to her. She wanted to take her home where she belonged.

That weekend, Sean drove her back up North. It was late in the afternoon by the time they reached the farmhouse where the girls had spent their teenage years. The old place stood empty and partially derelict now, the animals long gone and the buildings in need of many repairs. The heather was just turning purple over the moors and for a brief moment, the sun made an appearance through the dark clouds. Thin beams of yellow light streaked over the pale stone walls of their Grandparent's former home and for the first time in a week, Anna allowed herself to smile.

It had taken a while but they had finally come home again.

Despite the fact it had stood empty for quite some time the house was not in too bad a shape. After the death of both their Grandparents, the farm had been put up for sale. In nearly a year, no one had shown much interest. The trouble was, there was no money in farming these days and property developers were not interested in the land because of the isolated location.

In many ways Anna had not been bothered. She loved the old house and she had longed many times to come back to it; maybe now she could. The old range in the kitchen did not take too much effort to light. Before long warmth was pervading the room and Anna set to work cleaning up the various surfaces while Sean chopped some firewood for later.

Power had been cut off long ago but there were plenty of candles stashed away in the larder. Once they were lit, the room was cast in a golden glow, a multitude of cobwebs and dusty corners hidden in the gloom.

Anna prepared some soup and crusty bread she had bought from the local shop. Not much, but it was quick and simple. They washed it down with two bottles of beer and sat together on the moth-eaten sofa in front of the range.

In no time at all Anna was almost asleep. The heat from the fire, combined with all the stress of the last week, had a somnolent effect on her and she could feel her eyes slowly drifting shut.

"Come on sleepy head, lets go to bed," Sean chided when he noticed her drifting off. "It's been a long day and I'm tired too."

The hot water bottles Anna had placed in her old bed earlier had taken the damp feel off the mattress. She had brought two thick sleeping bags with them, and zipped together, they were comfortable enough.

Outside, a full moon lit up the sky and an owl could be heard hooting forlornly. They lay together silently, enjoying the feel of each others body heat. For the first time since her sister's death, Anna felt the faint stirrings of desire.

She tilted her head up and kissed Sean gently before pulling back slightly, "Thank you for everything," she whispered.

"Hey that's okay." He smiled back at her in the dark and pulled her against his body tightly. He could feel himself instantly reacting to her proximity and he silently willed his cock to soften. He wasn't sure she was ready for anything more than a cuddle just yet and he did not want her to feel pressured into anything.

She chuckled into his neck and nipped the skin lightly. Reaching down between them, she took his hardness in her hand, squeezing him teasingly. He groaned in response and grabbed her bottom; "Witch..." he muttered, and she smiled in the blackness.

It felt good to be alive; the fog of deep depression was finally starting to lift a little. She arched her back and wrapped her arms around Sean's neck, needing his touch on her body. He responded to her unspoken plea with gusto; it had been a difficult week for both of them and he was more than ready for this.

Her skin felt velvety and warm, the insulated sleeping bag cocooning them effectively against the chill of the room. She shivered slightly as he ran his hand down her back, running his fingers over her vertebrate like a xylophone.

Breathing heavily, Anna sighed with pleasure; her legs parted and she rubbed her nipples lightly against the sprinkling of hair in his chest. His cock pressed insistently into her stomach and she shifted up a little to allow it to slip between her thighs. The hard shaft rubbed through the slick wetness of her pussy lips.

"Uhmmm..." she moaned, her sex aching to be filled. Sean grasped her hip and turned onto his back, pulling her on top of him. Her movement was restricted by the zipped up bag, so she lay immobile above his body. She looked at him inscrutably for a moment before dropping her mouth to his, kissing him passionately with all the pent up desire of the last hideous week.

"Love me," she pleaded as the kiss broke, each of them gasping for breath. Sean could do nothing else. He pushed her down so that his cock eased its way into her body, sliding in easily; she was so wet.

Anna moved her hips rhythmically, feeling the pressure building slowly but irrevocably. The darkness of death faded, eclipsed by the white hot heat of desire. His hands kneaded the flesh of her bottom as his cock pumped into her. They moved together, faster, harder until... with a sharp cry, Anna froze; her orgasm broke over her, enveloping her in rapturous bliss.

Sean could feel her body tightening around him, gripping his cock in ripples of tight contractions. He struggled to hold on as he thrust deeper within her, his fingers digging into her soft flesh. His cock swelled and he came with a harsh gasp, pumping into her as she lay passively upon him, wiped out from her own climax.

She rolled off him and lay in the curve of his arm quietly. The room was silent but for the sound of the ivy tapping on the glass in the wind that had picked up.

"I love you, Anna." Sean said quietly.

There was no reply. She was fast asleep, worn out from their love-making. With a sigh, Sean turned onto his side and shut his eyes.

* * *

Anna woke him up with a cup of tea. Outside dawn was breaking and the sky was streaked with pink and orange.

"Wake up," she grinned. "We have a long walk ahead."

He rubbed his eyes in confusion. "Walk?? It's too early to be walking anywhere... Come back to bed!" he patted the bed, grinning wolfishly.

Anna jumped up quickly before he could pull her back down onto the bed. "I want to show you somewhere special," she told him, her expression sobering up as she gazed out of the grubby window. "As soon as you are dressed, we go, okay?"

* * *

The climb up the fell was steep and hard going. Sunlight was intermittent and the air was chilled. Neither of them spoke much; they needed all their energy to negotiate the twists and turns of the torturous path. Sheep grazed here and there, their thick wool coats providing ample protection against the harsh climate.

After a couple of hour's hard slog, Anna paused. "Up this last hill and we are there." Her cheeks were pink from the exertion and Sean found himself thinking for the millionth time how gorgeous she was.

She turned and began to stride off again, leaving him standing and wishing he had eaten before they set off – he was starving!

Finally, they crested the peak of the hill. A huge pile of granite rocks stood on the highest point. Nothing but heather and scrubby grass grew that high up - winters were too harsh to allow anything else to survive.

The moors fell away around them, miles upon miles of purple heather, interspersed with dots of white woolly sheep and a couple of distant derelict buildings. The sun appeared once more from behind a grey cloud, lighting up the vista with a golden glow. It was incredibly beautiful, but very bleak.

A few birds cawed harshly above them in the vast expanse of sky, wheeling and floating on the strong air currents. Standing there, staring across the moors, it was easy to imagine they were the only people left in the world. No real sign of civilisation could be glimpsed as far as the eye could see.

"We used to come up here a lot." Anna said, almost to herself. "We would pretend we were Cathy waiting for Heathcliffe to arrive. Silly really..." Her voice trailed off into the clear air and she looked so sad. Sean's heart broke all over again.

"Those rocks over there have a cave in the middle. We would bring picnics and spend all day up here sometimes with only the dogs for company. Kerry loved it here more than anywhere else in the world." A tear slid down Anna's cheek and Sean enveloped her in his arms.

Anna sniffed and pulled back. Taking the rucksack from her back, she removed the small plain urn from within and walked to the edge of the plateau. Pensively she stood still for a moment before carefully taking the lid off and scattering the contents into the wind.

They both watched reflectively as the ashes swirled around in the air before blowing away across the moors and beyond. As he gazed into infinity, Sean thought about how precious life was and how easily it could be taken away.

He had spent his whole life working his fingers to the bone, earning more and more money, and for what, exactly? He had gained nothing of any importance in return for all the hard graft. He had a daughter he loved, but whom he had no time to see all that often. Was the pursuit of materialistic wealth really worth all that sacrifice? He was beginning to think that some things such as love were far more important. He had finally found someone with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. Now he just needed to make her understand that she could trust him.

That night, as they lay inside the warm sleeping bag in the chilly bedroom, Anna felt more at peace than she had for a long time. Kerry had gone, but it was not the end; it was the beginning. Anna felt that she had been given a chance to make a fresh start and to finally live the life she wanted. She had no more responsibilities anymore; she could do anything and go anywhere.

Sean had proved himself to be the man she had hoped he was, and finally she felt able to trust him with her heart. She smiled a little, knowing that he loved her too. She had heard him say it the previous night as she drifted off into sleep.

"I love you..." she said quietly, the words dancing around in the air between them.

"I love you too," he replied with joyful surprise. He kissed her hard, his emotions threatening to erupt like a geyser.

Looking intently at her in the darkness, he said, "I made a decision today. I am going to step down from the business and spend some more time with the people I love. I have worked too hard for too long and I think it's about time I concentrated on the important things in my life.

"Since we met, I have thought of nothing else but you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, the woman I love."

Anna smiled through her sudden tears. The details seemed unimportant. He was right - all that mattered was being with those you cared about. She loved him and she wanted to be with him; nothing else mattered – the rest could take care of itself.

* * *

Eighteen months later.

Sean pulled into the yard in his 4X4, tired, but looking forward to a week at home. The windows of the old farmhouse were lit up like Piccadilly Circus; lights blazing out all over the valley.

He grabbed his briefcase from off the front seat and jumped down, managing to avoid a puddle of muddy water. Unfortunately, he did not have time to avoid the two dogs hurtling at him like missiles, barking and leaping up excitedly as they whipped him with their muddy tails. He was left with dark streaks all over his designer trousers and he grumbled crossly.

"DADDY!" Jasmine danced in the kitchen doorway, eagerly awaiting her birthday gifts. She was still a little brat occasionally, but over time the influence of her spoilt mother had faded and she was a whole lot nicer now than she had been six months ago.

Diane had finally admitted she had a drink problem and was currently enjoying a lengthy stay in a very expensive Rehab clinic. The crunch had come last year when she had been drinking and had lost control of her sports car on an isolated country road. The car had hit a tree and she had been seriously injured. Luckily no one else was involved and Jasmine had not been with her at the time.

This meant that Sean and Anna had Jasmine pretty much full time these days. Things had been difficult for a while; Jasmine had been understandably distraught to be suddenly taken away from her mother. Fortunately, children are very resilient and with a lot of love from both of them, she had soon adapted to the change. She was a lovely little girl beneath the spoilt persona and Sean was immensely proud of her.

He had cut back his working hours to a couple of days a week. The business was ticking along just fine without him, as he had known it would. He loved the time spent at home; the farmhouse renovations were almost complete and he was actually considering retiring completely.

The kitchen was warm and smelt of delicious food. The dogs trotted in after him, settling down in their beds in front of the range. Sean strode over to Anna, admiring her bottom in her snug jeans. She never failed to turn him on regardless of what she was wearing.

"Hurry up! She's been waiting for you to get home all afternoon..." Anna hugged him tightly and he kissed her in return. For a second the kiss deepened and she could feel immediately how much he had missed her the last two days. "You're gonna have to wait!" she admonished sternly, pulling back to grab some plates.

Sean wearily sat down at the huge pine table, admiring the food laid out on the heavy cotton cloth. There was enough here to feed an army. Just as well really; his sister and her family certainly ate like an army! They would be arriving within an hour or so, leaving just enough time for him to shower and change.

"Jasmine!" he yelled. His daughter ran back into the room excitedly, dressed in a sparkly pink dress. "Ready for your present?" he asked her with a grin.

"Is it a pony??" she jumped up and down on the spot, eyes agog.

Sean grinned ruefully. "No sweetheart, it isn't a pony... When you are old enough to look after a pony, then we'll think about it okay?"

Jasmine pouted sulkily, but soon cheered up when she saw the latest Xbox game she had been clamouring for all month. "Can I go play it now?" she asked eagerly. The paper dropped unheeded onto the floor. Anna rolled her eyes and picked it up, throwing it into the fire.

"Yep, go play it for a bit until your cousins arrive."

Jasmine ran out of the kitchen and Sean grabbed Anna round the waist. "Right then... that gives us a little time upstairs!" he squeezed her bottom and winked suggestively at her.

"You've only been away for two days!" she scolded with a giggle.

"Quit arguing with me woman and get that sexy ass upstairs now!" He scooped her up easily and they disappeared to take advantage of the temporary Xbox induced lull.

Life doesn't get much better than this, he thought as he dropped Anna unceremoniously on the bed, burying his face in her luscious cleavage.

"DADDY! I can't get the controller to work!" The plaintive cry echoed up the stairs. Sean groaned in frustration.

Anna snorted with laughter. "Ha! Go get your shower and I'll sort it out." She kissed him hotly, leaving him in no doubt that she had missed him too. With a sexy wiggle of her bottom she bounced out of the room and left him lying on the bed. His cock was now painfully hard and he sighed with frustration. Oh well, some things were worth waiting for, he reflected with a lopsided grin...