Always Pt. 01

And then they were off. Cassie had found a nice place to stop for the night and made reservations for both dinner and hotel rooms. Tiffany ended up sleeping much of the way, leaving Cassie and Mike to talk as he drove.

"Thank you so much for coming along, Cass. I've really enjoyed spending more time with you, and I think Tiffany appreciates it as well. I'm just happy my two favorite women in the world are getting along so well."

"You're welcome. Tiffany and I had a good long talk yesterday, and I can see why you feel like you do. She's something special if she can get you to open up. I was so worried about you when you left - I was sure you'd end up a hermit on some mountaintop in the Rockies. I really like her, Mike, and I know you do as well. But be careful with her - she's going to go through some awful times with all this, and you need to be sure you're there for her. Listen to her, hold her, let her cry on your shoulder - but most of all, love her, because that's what she's going to need most of all from you.

"And if you fuck this up with Tiffany, I'm going to come after you with a baseball bat and beat some sense into you. Got it, buster?"

"Yes ma'am."

Reaching their stopping point, they checked into their rooms, and had dinner; they decided to meet at 10 the next morning for breakfast and then leave after that. Getting back to their room, Tiffany decided she needed a shower to get the hospital smell off.

"Mike, would you sit in the bathroom with me while I shower? I don't want to be alone in there."

"Of course, sweetie. Take as long as you want. I'll be right here."

Later that night the couple lay together in bed, cuddling close together. After a while, Mike felt Tiffany's body begin to shake as she began to quietly sob.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

Quickly turning in his arms, Tiffany buried her head against Mike's chest and began to cry with soul-wrenching sobs coming from her very depths. Mike allowed her to cry herself out, and then she began to talk.

"Oh my god, Mike. I was so scared. Scared about everything. Scared you'd never want me again. Scared those monsters would hurt me. Just plain scared. And I remember, Mike. I remember what happened. It was like an out-of-body experience. I wanted to scream and shout, I wanted to punch and scratch and kick - but I couldn't. All I could do was lay there as they took turns with us. Laughing at us. Taunting us. Doing whatever they wanted to us - and I felt so totally helpless. I could hear the other girls crying - two of them were only 18 and both were virgins and they cried in pain the entire time.

"Mike, I'm still scared. I'm afraid to close my eyes. I'm afraid to fall asleep and have the nightmare begin again. I'm so scared, Mike, and I don't know what to do."

As she cried, Mike did the only thing he could think of, and pulled Tiffany close. He wrapped his arms around her, protecting her as best he could. Finally, after a long while, she fell asleep in his arms. He soon followed her.

Mike woke early the next morning, his internal alarm clock seldom allowing him to sleep past 7. Tiffany was still asleep, so he quietly slipped out of bed and into the shower. There, his mind kept wandering back to Tiffany, and what he could do to help her deal with what happened. As he was lost in thought, the shower door opened and Tiffany stepped in next to him. Wordlessly she moved close to Mike and kissed him good morning. Breaking the kiss, the two simply stood under the warm water and held each other.

However, Mike's body had other ideas as Tiffany rubbed her body against his, and soon he had a full-fledged erection. Feeling it rub against her stomach, Tiffany slid her hands down his body and began to stroke his hardness. Dropping to her knees, she softly said 'I love you', and slipped his hard dick into her mouth.

She began to move faster, bringing moans from Mike. When she felt he was about to cum, she began to cup and fondle his balls, which set his orgasm in motion. He grunted loudly and began to fill her mouth with streams of cum, which Tiffany swallowed without losing a drop.

Once finished, Mike pulled Tiffany up and into a tight embrace.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"Hopefully as much as I love you. I just wanted to give you a special wake-up this morning. And it's something I want to do from now on every morning when I wake up with you."

"And will you give me a chance to reciprocate every morning?"

"That I will, but not for a while. I still need to deal with and get over what happened first. Ok?"

"Absolutely. But for now, I think I'll be happy enough just to wash you, all right?"

Tiffany didn't answer, only smiled and handed Mike a washcloth and soap.

Their shower lasted until their fingers began to prune.

On the first leg of their drive, Tiffany was upbeat and talkative, engaging both Mike and Cassie in long discussions of different topics. But as they got closer to Raleigh, she began to quiet down. After a long pause in their conversation, Tiffany turned to Mike with a question.

"Are your parents going to like me, Mike? How are they going to react to what happened?"

Before Mike could answer, Cassie did for them both.

"Tiffany, Mike's parents are the kindest, sweetest people I know, including my own parents. After Beth's accident, they did things for the family that Mike doesn't even know about. He was so lost in his own grief that he just let things happen. But his parents were the driving force for everything. When they realized how lost Mike was, they were the ones to reach out and find a rehab facility. Funeral arrangements, insurance questions - they did it all, and more, even while dealing with their own grief.

"Tiffany, Scott and Linda will love you for who you are and what you've done in your life. They know the bad stuff is there and will acknowledge it when necessary. But I can almost guarantee that once we get there, they will engulf you with a hug and a kiss. They will love you because they know Mike does. And if my parents are there, they won't be far behind. So be prepared - you are soon entering the most loving home you can possibly imagine. Ok?"

Smiling at Cassie through her tears, Tiffany mouthed 'ok', and leaned over to give her a hug of her own.

Before long, Mike was turning down the street to his parent's house. It was a beautiful area with well-kept houses, lots of mature trees, and colorful gardens. Pulling up to the house, Mike took Tiffany's hand.

"Ready for the meet and greet, sweetie? I can guarantee this one will be better than the one I had with your family."

Laughing, Tiffany squeezed Mike's hand, gave him a quick kiss, and they entered the house.

"Mom? Dad? We're here."

Stepping out from the kitchen were two sets of parents - Mike's and Cassie's.

"Mom, dad - this is my girlfriend Tiffany. Tiffany, my mom and dad, Linda and Scott Wilson."

"It's nice to meet you both. Mike's told me a lot about you."

"And it's very nice to finally meet you as well, Tiffany. Mike told us about you, but he neglected to say how beautiful you are. Welcome to our home."

Before she could answer, Tiffany was engulfed by both of Mike's parents in a group hug.

"Tiffany, this other couple, impatiently waiting their turn to hug you, are my parents, Tom and Sally Peterson."

And once again, Tiffany found herself in the middle of another hug.

"And now that the introductions are over, can you let Tiffany breathe please?"

Enjoying the moment, everyone laughed and sat in the spacious living room and began to talk, with several conversations happening at once. Looking around, Mike saw that Tiffany looked a bit shell-shocked, while Cassie was desperately trying not to laugh at the situation.

After a while, Linda stood and decided the women should converse by themselves in the sunroom, while the men were to stay in the living room. Giving Tiffany one final hand squeeze, Mike watched as she was swept away by his mom and aunt, with Cassie trailing behind. Sitting with his dad and uncle, Mike kept waiting for one of them to begin his 'questioning'. But the men steered clear and instead began to talk about the upcoming baseball season.

At the same time, Tiffany was fielding questions about her university studies and the charity fundraising her sorority did. An hour passed, and Cassie was amazed at how cool Tiffany was keeping herself, even though nothing about the last week was asked.

Finally, Scott came into the room, asking if the women were ready to eat.

"I've got the grill fired up, so whenever you're ready, I'll get started. Tiffany, I hope brats and burgers are ok."

"That would be perfect, thanks. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Nope. You're a guest in this house, but I think Cassie might be put to work."

"Me? Aren't I a guest here?"

"Not a chance, sweetie. You're family, and family gets put to work, so out to the kitchen with you."

Laughing as she got up, Cassie leaned over to Tiffany and whispered in her ear 'you're doing great - they all love you', before she joined her mom and aunt in the kitchen.

As the night went on, Tiffany began to feel more and more at home with Mike's family. Their conversations flowed from one topic to another, and she felt comfortable sharing bits and pieces from her life. But the long day was beginning to catch up with her, and even though she tried to stifle one, a yawn crept out across her face. As she began to wonder about the sleeping arrangements, Linda answered her question.

"Despite our stimulating conversations, Tiffany looks like she is ready to fall asleep on Mike's shoulder. Scott brought your suitcase to Mike's room, and there are extra towels up there as well."

Seeing the surprised look on Tiffany's face, Linda continued.

"Oh honey, I have no doubt that you and Mike have shared a bed already. We're all adults here - all I ask is that you keep your loving exclamations as quiet as possible. "With Mike's room at the back of the house, Tom and Sally will have the first guest room on the right. And Cassie's in the basement room, so all should be ok."

Laughing, but still a bit shocked, Tiffany gave Linda and Scott, as well as Tom and Sally, a goodnight hug.

"Thank you, everyone, for making me feel so at home. Even though Mike and Cassie told me it would be this way, I still was feeling apprehensive about meeting all of you. But you are all as wonderful as advertised. Good night."

As they got ready for bed, Tiffany said that even though they usually slept naked, tonight she'd wear a t-shirt and shorts - just in case. Mike smiled and agreed with her, knowing that if they ended up having sex, what they had on would make no difference at all.

Laying in bed, Tiffany and Mike were quietly talking.

"I can't get over how kind and gracious your parents are. They're treating me as one of the family already, and they hardly know me. They truly are wonderful people."

"Yeah, they are. They've seen how too many of their friends treat their children's significant others, and how it usually ends badly for them. They also know that if I didn't love you, you wouldn't be here meeting them. And the way you won them over tonight was magnificent, so I don't think you'll have to worry about them liking you ever again. Ok?"

"Ok."

Both were quiet for a long time, satisfied to simply hold each other close. After a while, Tiffany sat up, looking at Mike.

"I know we both want to make love, but tonight, can we just hold each other? Laying in your arms is so comforting to me - I love the way you make me feel safe and secure."

"Baby, we'll make love whenever you're ready, and not a moment sooner. I'm not so desperate that I need to have sex with you all the time. In good time we'll get back to where we have lots of sex. And if you only want me to hold you, I'm more than happy to hold you. I love you, Tiffany, and all I want is for you to be happy and to feel safe."

Leaning over, Tiffany kissed Mike with a fervor he hadn't felt in a while.

"I love you too, Mike. Always.

"Tomorrow I need to make two calls. I should call Peter and let him know how I'm doing. And I need to call Heidi, my therapist. She needs to know what happened, and I'm sure she'll want to see me in person. After that, I'm yours for the day."

Kissing once again, the two lay together in their usual spooning position, with Mike behind Tiffany, holding her in his arms, until they both fell asleep.

The next morning, Mike woke up early, as was usual. Tiffany was still asleep, so he slipped out of bed and made his way to the kitchen, where his parents were having breakfast before heading out for work.

"Good morning, Mike. How was your night? Did you both sleep well?

"I did, and seeing as Tiffany is still sleeping, I think she did too."

"So what are you two up to today?"

"Once she wakes up, we are headed to the Pancake House for breakfast. Then just showing her some of the sights around town. We're leaving tomorrow, so we need to pack as well. I thought for dinner we can all eat together someplace. Something Italian?"

"Sounds good. Too bad you have to leave so soon, but we know classes start up on Monday. We'll probably be home by 5:00, so we can plan to eat somewhat early, since it is a Friday. We'll make reservations and see you here, ok?"

"Sounds good. Have a good day at work."

After seeing his parents off, Mike poured two cups of coffee and went back to his room. Placing one cup near Tiffany, she began to wake up, smelling the coffee.

"That smells really good. Is it for me?"

"Yep. I have my own. Good morning, sweetie. Sleep well?"

"Yes, I did. I always sleep well with you. So what's the plan for today?"

As Mike explained what he had planned, Tiffany sat in bed, slowly sipping her coffee. As he finished, there was a knock on the door.

"Is everyone decent in there so I can come in?"

"Yes, come in, Cassie."

When Cassie heard where Mike was taking Tiffany for breakfast, she decided to tag along. She began to tell Tiffany about the menu and how good everything tasted, and her mouth began to water.

"Ok stop. You're making me crazy. That all sounds so good, I can't wait to get there. But first I need to make several phone calls."

As she pulled her phone out, Mike stopped her.

"It's too early to call home. Remember, we're three hours ahead of the coast, and as much as Heidi and Peter like you, I don't think they want to be woken up at 5:00 am. Wait until we're finished with breakfast."

After showering and dressing, the trip to the diner was a short one. Sitting in the only empty booth, Tiffany began to look around at what others were eating. Just then the waitress stopped at their booth with menus, and almost dropped the water she was holding.

"Mike Wilson! Holy shit. How the heck are you doing? It's been way too long, my friend. And who are these two lovely ladies with you?"

Standing, Mike gave a quick hug to the waitress.

"Sara, sitting over there is my cousin Cassie, and this is my girlfriend, Tiffany. Ladies, this is Sara Harvey, a good friend from long ago. We went all through school together, and were walking partners at our high school graduation."

Sara smiled warmly at the women, with a look of recognition with Cassie.

"This is little Cassie? The one who followed you around for years? I guess it has been quite a while since we saw each other last. Good to see you."

Their breakfast orders came out quickly, and soon all three moaning after eating far too much.

"Oh my god, Mike. I haven't eaten that much for any meal for so long. I think I might burst. But it was so good!"

The rest of the afternoon was spent driving around town and finally packing for their trip home. Dinner that night was at Mike's favorite restaurant, where the wine flowed and the food was excellent. They sat talking over their coffee for quite a while, sharing stories of growing up, college, work, and finally, Beth. At first, Tiffany could see the anguish on Mike's face, but soon he was smiling and laughing at the things they and their children had done.

Arriving back at their house, Mike's parents quickly excused themselves, and said they would see the kids at breakfast. Cassie gave both Mike and Tiffany hugs, with the promise of keeping in touch.

"Thank you, Cassie, for everything this week. You were a friend to me when I didn't realize I needed one. I can see why Mike loves you like he does."

"You're welcome, Tiffany. Be good to my cousin. He loves you more than you might think."

Grabbing Mike, Cassie gave him a bear hug and kissed him on the cheek.

"Take care of your self, cuz. And take care of Tiffany. She loves you and depends on you for your strength. And for Pete's sake, put a ring on her finger. I know you want to, and I also know she'll say yes. Ok?"

"Ok, Cass. I'll put it at the top of my to do list. Be good, and stay in contact, ok?"

After thanking Mike's parents once again in the morning for their kindness and hospitality, Mike and Tiffany headed for the airport and their trip home. Sitting in the departure lounge, Mike asked her how her phone calls went.

"Both went fine. Peter was a mess, ready to cancel everything to come out here. I assured him that you had everything under control and that I was fine. Yeah, I only lied a little, but it made him feel better. I promised him we'd get together sometime after the semester ended.

"My call with Heidi was a bit more tense. She was surprised to hear from me, but when I told her what had happened, she was glad I called. We laughed, I cried, I told her everything. I told her about us as well, and she is happy I found someone I can love and trust. I also made an appointment to see her next week, after we get back. She helped me so much the first times I saw her, so I know she'll get me through this as well."

Both were quiet for some time, lost in their own worlds.

"Mike, thank you for taking me to see your parents. I only wish I had come with you the entire time, and not have to deal with the other shit. I could tell your mom and aunt wanted to ask me about what happened, but they never did. I'm sure I'll need to tell them some time in the future, but I'm so glad I didn't have to relive it so soon.

"And Cassie was wonderful as well. She's a really caring person, and I hope we can become good friends. But now, all I want to do is go home and get out lives going again. Together."