A Day of Thanks

~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~

Melodie roused when the car stopped. A quick look at Kit told her Kit was sleeping now. Gently, trying not to wake her, she opened her door and slipped out. Easing the door shut, she sighed and leaned against the car crying quietly. Joel took her shoulders and turned her around, wrapped his arms about her and whispered. "Shh... It's over now. Everything will be okay." He felt her trembling and held her tighter for a long moment. "Come on little girl, let's get you into the house and changed." When she nodded, he swept her off her feet and carried her into the house.

Setting her on her feet in the master bedroom, he told her, "You get changed. Put on the rose gown for me." She smiled and nodded. Knowing this had brought back the past, he cupped her face with his hands and caught her eyes. "You are home," he told her firmly. "You are mine and you are safe. I will always keep you safe." The tears glittering in her eyes fell, flowed over her cheeks, and were caught by his thumbs. Wiping away the tears, he caught her lips and ravished her mouth with his kiss, reminding her of who he was. She responded immediately, her hands pulling him closer.

Drinking deeply of her mouth, he tasted her thoroughly before releasing her. She swayed on her feet, light-headed and breathless. His eyes raked over her, taking in her glittering eyes, wide – pupils dilated with desire; the pulse in her throat throbbing as her heart beat rapidly, her nipples, swollen – hard, pushing against the fabric of her shirt. Grinning, he flicked each nipple and chuckled when she gasped and arched her back for more. "Later little minx." He turned her and swatted her hard on the ass. "Go get changed."

Glancing back over her shoulder, she moved toward the closet. He chuckled again when he saw her face and the blush blooming in her cheeks, and laughed when it darkened. Even after all these months, she had not lost her shyness or forgotten how to blush. He watched as she unbuttoned her blouse and slipped it off. Her nipples poked proudly through the holes in her bra. He could feel his cock throbbing and ached to take her right then, right there; but first he had to see to Kit.

Turning on his heel, he walked down the hall to the guest room. Matt had laid Kit on the bed. She was sleeping. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Joel brushed the hair off her face and winced. Lifting her shirt, he examined her pale flesh. She was bruised and there were a few welts, but nothing that time would not heal. Pulling her shirt back down, he grabbed the blanket lying at the foot of the bed and shook it open, letting it drift softly, gently down over Kit's sleeping form.

~*~*~*~*~

Matt handed him a drink as soon as he entered the living room.

"Thanks," Joel told him, taking the glass.

"No problem. You want me to stay for a while?" Matt asked.

"If you don't mind. This brought back some painful memories for Melodie and I need to concentrate on her for a bit."

"Sure... anything to help. I've nothing planned for this weekend so I can stay and help if you like."

"That would be great. Kit's in much better shape physically than Melodie was when I found her, but emotionally, mentally... I don't know. At least Kit knows you, so that's one less worry." Joel sighed and sipped his drink.

"Okay then... I'm going to get a bite to eat. You want anything?"

"No... No thanks. I'll get something later."

Matt nodded and went into the kitchen. Joel refreshed his drink and took it out to the patio. Sitting on the swing, he leaned back and closed his eyes, remembering...

~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~

The drive back to town took about an hour and a half, plenty of time to think. Picking up the phone, Joel made a quick call then put the phone back by her hand. With a deep, resigned sigh, he flipped on his blinker and turned at the next road. A few turns later, he pulled into a driveway and pressed a button on his visor. The garage door rolled open and he drove in and parked. Pressing the button again, he opened his door, climbed out, and walked around the car. Opening the passenger door, Joel gently lifted her from the seat and pushed the door shut with his knee.

Walking to the door in the corner of the garage, he shifted his burden and opened the door. She whimpered softly, but did not wake. He carried her to the master bedroom and laid her gently on the bed. Brushing the hair back from her face, he placed a soft kiss on her temple and whispered, "You're safe now. Sleep well kitten."

Leaving the door open so he could hear if she woke up, he went to the living room and fixed a drink. Slowly sipping the drink, he paced back and forth thinking. As he was fixing his second drink, the cell phone rang. Grabbing it up quickly, he answered. "Hello? Yes, she's here – but she's finally sleeping and I don't want to wake her. ... No, she's safe. I think it best you come here first. No... she's not all right, but she will be. She's in pretty bad shape. I suggest you leave your wife at home and come alone. .... Yes... Okay." He rattled off his name, address and home number then hung up.

"Well that's the first step," he muttered to himself. A knock on the front door interrupted his muttering. Swiftly, he went to door and seeing who it was, opened it and stepped back. "Thanks for coming Doc," he said, greeting the older man who walked in with a handshake and smile. "She's in the master bedroom, and she's in pretty bad shape."

Doc hefted his bag, "If I don't have it here, I'll call Susie and get her to bring it over."

Nodding, Joel led him to the master bedroom. She had rolled over into the center of the bed and the blanket now lay only beneath her. Joel walked around the bed and sat on the corner by her head. Reaching out he brushed the hair from her face. Doc walked to the side of the bed, and, staring down at the woman before him, frowned.

"Who the hell..." he asked?

Joel could hear the anger in his voice and answered, "Adam!" Startled, Doc stared at Joel, not quite believing. Joel nodded. "Yes! It was Adam. I picked her up at his house."

"Oh my god," Doc whispered. "Have you told the others?"

"Not yet, we just got here and I wanted her taken care of first. Her son-in-law is on his way here now. He has no idea what's been done to her."

Nodding, Doc set his bag on the nightstand and opened it. "Well, let's make sure this little lady is ready for him when he gets here." Reaching into the bag, he drew out a syringe and a small bottle. Plunging the needle into the bottle, he measured the liquid carefully. "First, I'm going to sedate her. She's obviously been hurt enough, and I don't want my examination to make her suffer anymore than she already has." Sitting on the edge of the bed, he swabbed her arm then injected the sedative. "Give it about ten minutes and she won't feel a thing." Doc disposed of the syringe then began laying out instruments, bandages, and salves. "Can you get your camera for me? You're going to need pictures to show the others." Doc sighed. "And the police will want them too."

Joel nodded and left, returning a couple of minutes later. He handed his digital camera to Doc. "Will this one work?"

Doc took it, checked the buttons, peered through the lens, and nodded. "This will do fine." He looked at Joel. "Lights?"

Joel walked to a panel on the wall and pushed buttons. As he did, light bloomed in each corner of the room. Four spotlights directed their beams straight onto the bed – highlighted the battered body lying on the bed.

Without another word, Doc went to work. Several minutes later, after taking pictures enough pictures to properly document the abuse, he set the camera down and helped Joel gently turn her over. His eyes hardened, jaw clenched shut so hard Joel could hear Doc's teeth grinding. Silently, Doc continued snapping pictures. By the time he finished and set the camera aside, his face looked carved from stone, his jaw still tight, his eyes flint-grey; but his hands were gentle as they straightened each limb and examined the her body.

The sound of their breathing seemed loud in the quiet room. The sound of clinking metal brought Joel back from his thoughts and he looked at Doc. "Doc...?" Looking up, Doc answered his unspoken question.

"She'll recover, but there will be scars. Most will fade over time, but anyone looking closely will know she's been severely used." Joel nodded and continued stroking her hair.

"You do what you can to fix her body," he said softly, "I'll do what I can to fix her heart and mind." His voice hardened. "No one will ever use her like that again." His emerald-green eyes darkened with emotion.

Doc watched Joel for a minute then started to speak, but the doorbell cut off what he started to say. Joel glanced at Doc, "I'll be right back. That's probably Mark, her son-in-law." Doc nodded and went back to work.

Answering the door, Joel sighed, thinking 'I should have known he would bring the police.' "Come in, you must be Mark."

"Where is she?" Mark demanded, walking through the doorway and straight into the living room.

Joel waited until the officer and another young man had entered then closed the door and replied, "She's in the master bedroom. Dr. Lyons is examining and treating her now."

"Doctor! What the hell happened? What's wrong with her? What do mean treating her?"

Without a word, Joel led them to the master bedroom and stepped inside. He could hear her soft whimpers as Doc stitched shut the worst of the cuts on her back.

"Oh god... Mom!" The younger man rushed to the bed and reached out, then stopped. It was evident that he wanted to touch her, hold her, but did not know where he could touch her without hurting her.

Sighing, Doc tied off the stitch, then set the needle and thread down on a sterile towel. "Okay, everyone out." He put a hand on the young man's shoulder and led him to the door, shooing the others out ahead of him. "Too much ruckus and you'll wake her." He herded them all back to the living room. "I don't want her waking up until I'm done."

Motioning everyone to take a seat, he went to bar and fixed two drinks, then handed one to each of the visitors. Looking at the officer he asked, "Can I get you something? Water? Coffee?"

"No thank you," the officer shook his head. "Just explain what happened. How did she get in that condition? Who did that to her?"

Joel began talking as he fixed a drink for himself. He quickly explained how he found her walking down a road outside town, stopped to see if he could help, then put her in his car and gave her his cell phone. Looking at Mark, the older of the two men, he continued his story, telling how she had fallen asleep shortly after talking to Mark. Told how he realized she needed medical help, but had promised not to take her to a hospital or call the police, so, he called Dr. Lyons, a friend, and arranged for Doc to meet him here. It was a short, succinct story with the bare facts.

When he finished, Doc spoke up before anyone could respond and explained his findings. He told them she had several broken ribs, her left thigh seemed to be broken and her right forearm. She had multiple cuts, bruises, burns, and had been brutally raped, vaginally and anally. When he saw the officer shift, he picked up the bag he had brought out the bedroom with him and handed it to the officer. "I did a rape kit. I knew you would want one."

Turning back to the other men, he continued, "She's been hurt bad and for now I have her sedated. I want to finish as much as I can before it wears off. So if you'll excuse me..." The shock on both faces and the tears on the younger man's cheeks worried him, but he knew Joel would take care of them. The girl needed him more, so he nodded to both men and left the room.

A long while later, Joel rejoined him in the bedroom. "That was harder than I thought it would be." Sighing he returned to the bed and ran his fingers through her hair. "But I convinced them that she was better off here. Reassured them they could check on her whenever they want. Mark's more concerned for her mental and emotional state. Apparently she has a history of abuse and depression."

"Why didn't you tell them about Adam?"

"Because it's his word against hers, and she doesn't need the heartache of going through that. We will take care of him. ... and I'll have him watched. The next time he picks up someone and tries it again, the police will be called. Caught in the act, it will be hard for him to dodge the law and he will (!) go to jail."

Doc nodded. "I called Susie and told her to meet us at the office. I need to get x-rays so I can set the breaks. She's going to need splints until she's healed enough for a full casts." Doc looked at Joel. "You realize she is going to need round the clock care for several weeks."

"Yes, I know. Luckily I'm still on sabbatical, so I can be here with her."

"When do you go back to work?"

"I have seven months left."

"Are you sure? Really sure?" he asked. "You don't know her. This could be a big mistake," he cautioned Joel.

"I know her well enough," Joel answered. "She talked for a while before she fell asleep – and – psychiatrists learn to read people really well."

"Ok," Doc nodded, "let me give her another shot then we can move her. Take her to the office and get those x-rays."

~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~

Melodie changed quickly then went and sat by Kit. As she sat stroking Kit's hair, she thought about what she had to do this week. Thanksgiving was only a few days away, and she had so much to give thanks for this year. Everyone was spending the day with their families, but Master Joel had agreed to let her have a Thanksgiving party Saturday, and invited all their closest friends and companions. Having Kit here could only make things better. For the first time in long time, all the people she cared about were safe and well. Well, except for Kit, but by this weekend, even Kit would be feeling better – and – she would be safe.

Sighing, Melodie kissed Kit softly no the temple, tucked her in, and went to look for Joel. Ever since the day he had saved her, she thought of him as her 'Guardian', and while he was her Master, first and foremost, he was her Guardian. She planned to show him, and those who had helped him help her, just how much they all meant to her and exactly how grateful she was. That was the reason she asked Master Joel if she could have a party. Now that Kit was here, she would keep her too busy to brood, and who knows, she might even find someone at the party to help her forget the slime she had been living with.

Entering the living room, she saw Matt eating and watching a movie on the big screen. "Matt... Sir... do you know where Master is?" she asked him.

"I think he's on the patio," Matt replied without looking at her. "He might be hungry by now." Matt glanced at her and whistled. "Probably very hungry." He continued with a wicked grin. Melodie blushed at his implication and he chuckled, motioning her to come and stand in front of him. "Very nice!" he told her, and it sounded almost as if he were purring. His eyes burned over her flesh, deepening the blush his comment has produced. She stood straight and proud, just as Master had taught her, hands at her side, shoulders back. She could feel her nipples harden beneath the sheer rose fabric, and blushed even harder when his eyes found the shadow between her legs.

Matt quirked an eyebrow at her and waited. Feeling the heat of her blush from face to toes now, she shifted her stance, spreading her legs shoulder width apart. She could feel the moisture between her legs growing. Matt grinned, enjoying her discomfort. He knew she was getting hotter and wetter with every passing moment; her shivering and trembling gave her away every time. The sheer, full-length gown hid none of her charms, only enhanced them. The tight, A-line bodice barely contained her full breasts, pushing them together and creating a deep, enticing cleavage. The gown was cleverly designed to support, enhance and reveal.

Standing, Matt trailed a finger down her neck and into her cleavage, pulling the neckline down as he did, until her luscious breasts threatened to come completely free. Removing his finger, the neckline moved back up a little, but not much. "Much better," he murmured. She was visibly shaking now. Matt walked around her, rested his hand on her hip and admired the softly rounded bottom outlined by the sheer fabric. Rubbing the back of his hand over one cheek, he asked her, "Do you think this needs warming up before you serve your Master?"

"Umm... I..." she stammered, unsure what to say.

"Bend over. Hands flat on the ground," he commanded.

Trembling, she did as he commanded, spreading her legs even wider to keep her balance as she placed her palms flat on the floor. Her breath came in soft gasps as she readied herself for what she thought was coming. Then she felt him lift the gown and shuddered as it fell over her head, baring her back and ass for his inspection. Embarrassed by the wetness of her pussy, she prayed he would not notice. But – Matt not only noticed, he grinned in delight at her readiness.

Running his fingers over her back, down the crease between her cheeks, and into her wet opening, he thrust three fingers hard and violently into her. Gasping, she pushed back against his fingers and moaned, then blushed again when she heard him chuckle.

"You like this don't you?" he asked. "Joel is so lucky to have a hot little minx like you to service him and his friends." He placed his other hand on her lower back to steady her, then started working his fingers deeper. Adding a fourth, he continued thrusting his fingers in and out her opening, stretching her and making her groan and whimper. "You want my fist don't you slut?" he asked, adding his thumb.

"Oh god, yes Sir..." she replied, whimpering, moaning and pushing back against his hand. "Please..." she begged, squirming.

"Not yet." He pulled his hand away and smacked her left cheek, grinning when she groaned, then squealed when his hand landed hard on her bottom. "This pretty ass needs to be warmed up first." Holding her steady with one hand, he applied his other hand, wet with her juices, to each cheek, spanking every inch of her bottom until it turned deep red and became hot to the touch. Her squeals quickly became moans as he found his rhythm. Plunging his fingers deep into her sex again, he grinned when he felt her muscles tighten and heard her breath catch. She wanted to release, but he never said she could, so she fought to hold it back.

Testing her limits, he fucked his fingers in and out, working his whole hand inside her now dripping opening. She moaned louder and thrust back against his hand, her body begging for more. When he felt her tense up, he pulled away and started spanking her bottom again. Screaming softly, she squirmed and panted, trying to hold back her release, but as he continued punishing her tender bottom, she lost control. Sobbing, every muscle tense, head spinning, her body fell into a hard orgasm. Matt, realizing he had pushed her over the limit, increased the strength of his blows, ignoring the stinging in his own hand. He kept landing blows until he felt her body relax, then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her up against his chest.

Smoothing her hair back from her face with one hand, he caressed her hot ass with the other. "You are such a naughty little girl," he whispered. "No one said you could cum."

"Yes Sir – I am very bad," she replied, sobbing against his chest. "Please Sir... forgive me. I tried to hold it back."

"Shh... It's okay little one. I know you tried. I pushed you on purpose." Matt kissed her on the temple. "I wanted you to cum – and – cum hard. You have pleased me." He smoothed the gown down over her hips. "Now... go fix your Master some dinner and feed him."