Across the Cyber-Dixon Line

When he reached the top, he looked at her with half closed eyes. "Is there a reason why you're not wearing underwear, or did you come out here with intentions of seducing me?"

"It did cross my mind. Do you mind?"

"Oh not a bit, you're running low anyway..."

She giggled. "Well if someone would stop ripping them off me..."

He silenced with his mouth and in the process proceeded to pull off his shirt and open his jeans. Something long, warm and extremely hard landed against her bare leg and she gave him a knowing look.

"Talk about me..."

He chuckled as he pushed her dress up to her waist and moved to settle between her legs. "Hey, at least I brought a blanket..." He moved to enter her and she shook her head, "Why not?"

Shandi moved and he found himself on his back on the blanket, "because I want to do something for you this time."

"And just what did you have in mind?"

Connor saw the look in her eye and decided not to press, he knew exactly what she wanted and he wasn't about to argue. It had been a long time since he had filled such a beautiful mouth and he watched through half closed eyes as she began to stroke him and kiss the swollen head at the same time. In one of their pillow talk sessions, she had admitted there were a lot of things she wanted to try with him, and while some of them didn't exactly excite him, he knew that you never really knew what you liked until you tried it. He wondered too if her mother had any idea how sexually aroused her books had made Shandi at times. Erotic Romances they were called. He had seen them at the supermarket and in bookstores in his travels and he suspected that the titles and cover art was intended to be as stimulating to the reader as the story itself.

He didn't fault her mom; she wasn't the only one out there writing them. He just wasn't sure he wanted someone reading about him and Shandi making love in the tall grass, or knowing what happened in their bedroom. So once they got to her house, he was going to have a serious talk to her mom about not writing his story. Or if she did, leave out the sex. A groan escaped his lips as Shandi moved her lips up and down his steel pipe. Well, maybe not all the sex, because Shandi was taking him to heaven and he would have proudly screamed it to the world at that precise moment if he hadn't been so caught up in what she was doing.

Oh lord, he felt like he had died and gone to Heaven. Running his fingers through her hair, it took all his control not to give into the need to pump his hips and find a release. "Shandi honey, oh lord darlin'. I need to be inside you, please baby, let me be inside of you..."

She quickly moved to give him what he wanted and they lay tangled in each other's arms as he felt the first drops of rain on his back and heard the first crashes of thunder. At first Shandi tensed then relaxed as they both realized it was just a plain old thunderstorm over head. The rain was warm and they felt too good together like this to do more than make love in the rain and worry about the fact they would both be soaked later.

Claudia considered Connor's comments and knew that if they made it back here to the world she lived in, he would get his wish. No one would ever read Connor's story... At least not the true one, that one would be buried in time unless he and Shandi decided differently.

They would make it back, she was sure of it, her daughter and Connor would come home and they would be happy. Even if she had to do a million rewrites to make it so.

Shandi stepped out of the hot shower and pulled on the flannel nightgown and robe Maggie had given her as soon as the two of them had walked in the house. Connor was already downstairs, drinking hot tea and she was expected to go there as well. She was going to, as soon as she thanked whatever power had brought her here that the thunderstorm had been real and not a trip back home. She had been so scared, so afraid that when it was over she would find herself at home, alone, and Connor would be lost to her forever.

She wanted to go home, needed to go home, but she needed to be with him as well. Without him in her life, she would be nothing, and she knew without asking that he felt the same way.

"Maggie said you took too long," Connor looked at her from the door way, a steaming mug in his hand. "Drink, Maggie swears it will help us stay healthy."

Inhaling the herbs, she took the mug and sipped the drink. "That's good. What's in it?"

"No idea, only she knows. She also suggested two aspirins and call her in the morning." He chuckled.

"Maggie reminds me of my grandmother, she's like that. Come to think of it, your dad reminds me of grandpa. They've been married almost fifty years, and you still wonder when they get this twinkle in their eyes when they look at each other. And grandpa was from Arkansas. I wonder if maybe mom didn't use them as the models for your dad and Maggie. I know Tanner is based on my uncle, right down to the tattoo."

"So who am I based on?" He looked curious.

Shandi wondered that herself, the more she was around his family, the more she saw her own family come out. All but Connor, he was in his own way like her, in the world but looking for something he hadn't found yet. "As funny as it may sound, I think you're the male counterpart of me. There's something out there, something you can taste but you aren't quite sure what it is or how to get it. So you keep looking. Before all this happened, I had pretty well given up on ever finding it, thinking I would have to just settle for whatever came my way. But now, I know I don't because I've found it in you."

He reached out and pushed a lock of damp hair off her face. "Maybe that's why you came here Shandi, so we could both find what we were looking for. I love you, and I never want to lose you. Oh maybe in a hundred years or two, but not so soon after finding you, and whatever happens, we will be together." Using his free arm, he gathered her to him and they just stood in the door way as outside the thunderstorm continued to roll across their world.

Later both of them would come to realize that their love was a doorway, but at the time all either of them could think was that this was right, and what was right had to be the order of the day.

Shandi sat beside Maggie and Jake and watched as Jeremy and Violet recited their vows. The storm from the night before was long past and the air was fresh and clean. The bride looked as beautiful as Shandi had imagined when she had read about this and Jeremy and his brothers looked as handsome as Gods standing up there. Almost automatically, she glanced at Connor and saw him look back at her with a grin. The fire in his eyes was clear and she blushed despite herself.

When the ceremony was over, she went with Maggie to the reception hall and when Connor came in she saw him look around quickly to find her. As he strode across the floor, she felt her heart beat a little faster, and her body temperature rise. God he was gorgeous. And it was clear from the looks he was getting from the female guests that her opinion was shared. Not that he seemed to notice them, and she heard Maggie giggle a little beside her. "Ain't it a shame that none of them know he's already taken..."

Connor reached them just as his step mother spoke, "they will in a few. Come on love, I'm stuck in this monkey suit a few more hours, but that doesn't mean I have to deal with Violet's New York friends the whole time." He caught her hand and drew her out on the dance floor. "You can dance, right?"

"Yes."

Actually she could dance very well, not that she had ever had a need for it, but it was still nice to be able to do it without stepping on his toes. Running his hands over her back, he bent his head and kissed her gently. "Just a few more hours love and we are out of here. Get packed tonight, load the car, and take off first thing in the morning."

"I'm going to miss your family," she looked around. "You know some of Violet's friends are gorgeous..." She had to tease him.

"But not as much as you, so don't think you can get out of this by pushing me off on one of them. Or did you just want me to say that?"

"Well, it is nice to hear now and then." She gave him a mischievous smile and stroked his face. "That was your last chance to get out of this. So now you're stuck with little old me."

"No where I'd rather be," the kiss he gave her then was almost obscene, but she didn't care. She let herself be lost in it and when the music stopped neither of them moved until Tanner walked over and whispered.

"You two should really stop now, this is a wedding reception, not a stag party."

Shandi felt like her entire body blushed, but Connor only laughed and took her to a more private part of the room to continue.

Connor lifted his head, and looked into Shandi's eyes. "Can we get out of here now?" The pictures had been taken, the cake had been cut and it was getting late. The only thing left to do was to watch Violet throw the bridal bouquet and watch them leave.

"That works for me, we need to pack anyway."

They started to go out the side door only to have Jake and Maggie stop them. "Where are you two going?"

He tried to hide his impatience. "We need to pack, and get the car loaded dad. We promised Shandi's folks we would leave as soon as the wedding was over."

"We know that, but you need to do two things first. And one of them is not hiding out like you have been all day. Come back for a few minutes, I got something to say..." He and Maggie escorted them to the middle of the room and a waiter handed them each a glass of champagne. As he tapped his glass, Jake looked around the room. "Folks, we came together today to witness two people start a journey down the road of the unknown. A journey that will be filled with the good and the bad, and to my son and my beautiful new daughter, I wish you both well. But with Jeremy and Violet's permission, I couldn't let this day pass without acknowledging another journey that two people are about to make. Tomorrow morning, Maggie, I and our family will say farewell to my youngest son and his chosen one. Connor and Shandi will begin a journey back to her family in the west and I want you all to wish them good luck."

The family gathered around them and Connor took a drink of his champagne as he looked at Shandi, she was surrounded by Maggie and his sister in laws and other female family members while his brothers, uncles, cousins and his father all wished him a safe trip. There was joy in their faces but sadness too.

As he held Shandi in his arms that night, Connor felt restless, he had felt this way when he went off to work in California and he wondered if Shandi felt the same way. "Shandi, are you awake?"

She moved to look at him. "Yes, are you as scared as I feel?"

He chuckled and as he nodded, "Terrified. What if your folks don't like me?"

"Then we'll figure out some way to come back here, but I'm not too worried about it, I think it will all work out."

"Do you really, we're dealing with the total unknown here."

Shandi knew he was right, what happened if they left here and both of them just disappeared? Or they went to her home and found it wasn't there? Or for some reason he couldn't get in? So many unknown factors in their lives and they were facing something no one had ever faced before.

She ran her hand over his face and down along the line of his throat. She had spent the day filling her mind with memories of the people and places around here, and with the feel of his arms around her. She had done all she could to make sure that she never forgot any of this. "Connor, make love to me."

He didn't hesitate. His mouth covered hers and their hands explored each other's bodies with a need that came out in both the intensity and the gentleness. She moaned as he sucked her nipples and he cried out as she bit his shoulder as he slipped his hand between her legs to explore and caress her most private parts. When she took him deep in her mouth he arched his hips and she ran her hands over his stomach and chest, softly letting her nails rake his skin as she drew them down to surround him with her fingers. When he buried his face between her thighs, she let her body go. Over and over they did everything to each other that had been in their wildest fantasies or dreams. It seemed to go on forever until at last he filled her. Together they fell into a deep contented sleep.

Tanner watched as the car disappeared from sight, and his dad looked at him as they walked back to the house. "What do you think will happen to them son?" Jack sounded nervous.

"I have no idea, but I hope it's good. I'm going to miss them you know?"

"So am I, I like that girl, she's something a person only meets once in a lifetime."

Once inside Tanner opened his laptop and went to the email address of Shandi's mother. "On their way Claudia, I don't know if the connection will stay once this is over, but I want you to know that I appreciate you having both a beautiful mind and a beautiful daughter. Take care of my kid brother will you? Tanner." He attached the photos that Hannah had downloaded and pressed send once he was done. As he closed the case, he went into the kitchen for a cup of Maggie's wake up juice and smiled. At least they had photos to remember the two traveler's by.

Claudia checked her email and read Tanner's message. She smiled and knew the family would relax a little now. Tom especially had been tense these last two days. Everything on the computer had been saved over and over and now she looked at the photos. Each one was carefully printed and she laid them aside. Never had she seen her daughter so happy. And Connor, he was all she had imagined. She could hardly wait for them to come home.

Shandi lay back on the bed and sighed. After three days in the car it felt good to just stretch out and not feel the steady vibration of the wheels in her bones. Connor had wanted to get back on the road as soon as he got the things he wanted from the small apartment he had called home for the last couple of years, but she had talked him into taking a break and at least spending one night here. She was just as anxious as he was to reach her home in Portland, but they were both exhausted. Stopping only for gas, food and to switch drivers, they had pretty well driven from Arkansas straight across country.

She felt Connor slip into bed beside her and his arms wrap around her. "Are you asleep yet?" He kissed her ear and she recognized his tone.

"Yes, I fell asleep about two hours ago; it's a good thing you were driving."

Chuckling, he pulled her tight against him and kissed her ear again. "Get some sleep grouchy, but get a good rest, because when I wake up, you are in big trouble." He growled and it was soon replaced by a snore as he fell asleep. Shandi smiled and soon followed him into dreamland.

When she woke it took her a minute to remember where she was, only to discover she wasn't where she was supposed to be. This room was the one she had last seen...when she didn't remember anymore. Connor was gone and her scream roused the entire family.

Claudia and Tom looked at their daughter and wondered if she would ever be normal again. It had been a month since she had reappeared, alone, in her room. For days she had cried over the loss of Connor and had stayed hoping that he would somehow find his way to her. Over and over she had stared at the computer screen, trying to find some sign of him, even the open connection to his family didn't lessen her pain, if anything it only made it worse. They had gotten no word from him either, and Claudia had a sinking feeling that somehow he had been lost in cyberspace.

Her husband gave her a worried look and motioned with his head to meet him in the living room. When they had left Shandi staring at the pictures of her and Connor together, she barely noticed.

"Isn't there anything we can do Claudia. Can't you go in and fix this somehow?"

Claudia ran her hand over her face "I've been trying, but it doesn't work." She wondered if she should tell her husband the worst of what she suspected. Well, if she was right he would find out soon enough. "Tom, I think she's pregnant. She hasn't had her period since she's been back and she's been feeling sick in the morning. And I think she knows it."

That brought a groan from her husband. "That's all she needs on top of this. Did Tanner have his brother's address in Sacramento?"

Claudia nodded. "What are you thinking Tom?"

"Just give me the address; I'll let you know in a couple days if my hunch is right." He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "Trust me honey, I promise if I'm right, this will all work out."

Connor came home from work and saw the tall, well build man leaning against the car with the Oregon license plate in the parking spot next to his. For a moment he held a slim hope but then it died, just as he had died inside the morning he had awoke to find himself alone in his bed. Since that day he had been unable to leave Sacramento, let alone contact anyone by phone or computer. It was as if he were trapped in some endless loop. He got up in the morning, went to work, came home, slept and repeated it over and over.

He started to walk past the man, but a voice made him stop. "Connor, she's going to have a baby."

Turning to look at the man, he wondered if he had heard him or just imagined it. "Who are you?"

"Tom Abbott, Shandi's father. You're stuck here aren't you, that's why you haven't come to find her, or contacted your family."

Connor nodded. "I can't even leave the city limits without something happens to stop me; I've paid a mint in tow charges for the damndest things. And my phone and internet haven't worked since the morning I found her gone. Ever try to find a pay phone these days, they don't exist anymore."

Tom tossed him a cell phone, and Connor caught it with one hand. "Press the one..."

He did as the man suggested and almost fell over as he heard Shandi answer the other end, "Dad?"

"Oh God, Shandi, its Connor, oh baby, I've missed you so much..." He wanted to cry.

She screamed his name and then another female voice took the phone. "Connor, this is Claudia, you'll have to deal with me for a while, and she just ran off to her bathroom, the nausea is getting worse."

"I've tried to leave, over and over. But I can't get out of this town."

"It's all right, but all of us have been frightened for you. Can I speak to Tom a moment?"

He handed his future father in law the cell phone. "Claudia wants to talk to you."

Waiting while Tom talked to Claudia, he wondered how it was possible. When Tom was finished, he looked at Connor and a strange sensation passed through him. He felt as if he was in a doctor's office being examined and treated at the same time. When it passed, he felt better than he had in a long time.

"What the hell...?"

Tom grinned. "I'll explain while you pack...you got a woman waiting for you up north.

Shandi sat on the sofa, secure in the feel in Connor's arms. "A computer virus, it was a computer virus that caused all of this?"

"As far as I can figure," her dad took a drink of his beer. "I was talking to a guy at work, and told him how things were getting taken from one place and put somewhere else without warning. He said that it could be a virus; they do crazy things to a computer. So when I got to Sacramento, and Connor was able to use my cell phone, I had your mom run a scan on ours. Once it was quarantined, and the repair program run, Connor was able to leave and here we are." He was feeling proud of himself and he looked at the video camera feed from Connor's family back in Arkansas. "With any luck now that the feed is open, it should stay open. The identity papers we were able to get Connor should make his existence in this place legal too. Well reasonably legal..." He chuckled and Shandi heard Jack's laugh.