Androshorts: That Bloody Woman!

Lieutenant Colonel Conroy asked about a medal for bravery.

"But Henry," said the Regimental Colonel, "he didn't do anything brave."

"What about a Military Medal, Queen's Commendation for Bravery?"

"Like I said Henry, there's too much press on this one my old friend," the Regimental Colonel put his hand on his old comrade's shoulder. "he was killed because he disregarded instructions, the army can't give decorations away for that kind of thing."

"And that was that," said Debs looking out over the cloudless Caribbean starlit sky, "Dad was of course beside himself and I think blamed both himself and me."

"You?"

"Well yeah," she said sipping her mug of tea that he'd made for her, "He got drunk at Harry's wake, and was sent home in a staff car, once home he started to reflect on what might have been. The biggest of which was him saying that if I'd been born a boy, Harry would still be alive."

"But he still would have been an arsehole and gone to Afghanistan and got killed, it's just that you wouldn't have got raped by him."

She looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Yeah..." she said, as if it had never struck her, "I would still have ended up sailing around the world in memory of my dead brother wouldn't I?"

"What? Oh yeah, the Harry Conroy Sailing Association, forgot that bit," he thought about that for a moment, "A bit nasty of your Dad to make your life's work about the man that raped you wasn't it?"

"It's just Dad," she said, "he doesn't think like that, don't forget that he was a career soldier, life is for getting on with, that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

"Even your brother systematically abusing you then raping you?"

"Yep," she grinned, "That's my daddy," she dropped her voice a few tones, "raped Deborah? Oh well, all better now, time to move on and find something positive from all this'."

"Positive? From... from all of that shit?"

"Yep, oh, don't get me wrong, I reckon that if he'd been the person that Harry was raping, he still would have found something positive out of the whole thing." She smiled at that.

"Fucking hell," said Dave, "I mean..." he took a breath, "I mean... fucking hell!"

Debs laughed at him, long and hard, like he hadn't seen her laugh in the months he'd known her and in the weeks that they'd been sailing together,

"Thanks Dave," she said wiping her eyes, "I'll take that as a complement?"

"Good," he said returning her smile, "because that was how it was meant."

She became quieter for a moment and looked more thoughtful,

"Thank you Dave," she stood up in the well, stretched, leaned forward and kissed him, "thank you listening and encouraging me to get it off my chest, it's..." she smiled again with just the saddest edge to her demeanour, "it's been a long time coming and I feel well rid of it." She kissed him again.

"You're most welcome honey," he said, and kissed her back, seriously now, like they hadn't done since those few nights in bed. He stopped and brushed another tear from her cheek, "now for the next part of the cure," he pulled her to sit next to him, "time you took control of your life and stopped living for Daddy and the memory of your martyred brother, it's Debs turn now, what do YOU want to do?".

"What?

"It's your turn now sweetie," he said moving closer, "when you selected the exams you wanted to take at high school, what did you want to do?"

"I wanted to be a school teacher like my Mum, more so after she died."

"So what' stopping you doing that now?"

She laughed,

"Eerrrr... I'm twenty nine!?!"

"Not good enough Miss Conroy." He said, "Must try harder, really."

"But I'm not qualified."

"You have a degree?"

"Yes."

"In?"

"Geography, from Keeble College, Oxford."

"Makes sense;" he said leaning in closer, "Think about it -- think about learning Geography from a woman that has actually sailed around the world! All of it!"

She giggled,

"Yeah, but..."

"But nothing, all you have to do is enrol at your local University and sign up for a post-graduate certificate in education, which should take you about a year, and you'll be teaching within months of that, they'll even give you a bursary."

"Do you think?" she said biting her bottom lip.

"I'm a human resources officer Debs, I don't think -- I KNOW!"

"But what about Worldsail, I'm signed up to them for a years contract."

"It's May now, you'll finish with Worldsail International next March which gives you time to get everything in place and save some money."

She looked out to sea,

"My Dad will be none too pleased," she said, "he was a bit pissed that I came south and signed on with Worldsail and wasn't living at our house and getting ready for more sailing with veterans."

"It's your life Baby," said Dave, leaning forward and stroking her hair, "You aren't the Harry Conroy Veterans' Sailing charity, you're the gorgeous Debs Conroy, former round the world yachtswoman, motivational speaker and now captain of industry." He leaned forward again, "It's your turn Honey, your dad has lived his life, he can't live yours vicariously because your brother died of... pig-headedness!"

"You mean stupidity..."

"S'pose."

"You're right of course," she said, "but..."

"No buts Debs, you've done your time, now it's your turn." He stopped, "Shit, if you had murdered him you'd have been released by now!"

She laughed again but still looked pensive, she still had to tell Colonel Sir Henry Conroy MC DSO that she was going back to University to study again. He had cajoled her into not doing her Masters and into 'helping him with those poor wounded veterans' careful not to mention her dead rapist brother in all of the discussion. After all, he had said, she'd had already three years off...

Her elder sister Ellen had studied for four years and had gained her Masters degree in international politics, not 'had three years off' like Debs. Once graduated Ellen had gone to work for the foreign office straight away and had married a very promising career diplomat Edgar. She was never asked to give up that to start a sailing charity, perhaps if Harry had raped her as well...

But then Ellen would have beaten the shit out him no question, she was her father's daughter and raised in his image while Debs was Mummy's girl. What to do about Daddy...

Dave looked thoughtful for a moment, "We've got two week to set you up for that particular discussion." He grinned, "Stick with me sugar, I'll see you right."

"Thanks Dave!" her smile was infectious and he couldn't help but respond to it. It was her turn to lean forward now, and she kissed him.

"Thanks Dave," she said again, sitting on his lap and kissing him.

"You're welcome," he replied, kissing her back. He pulled her onto his lap and into his arms and they had a further great kissing session, both feeling the passion rise in the other.

He felt her relax into his arms in a way that she never had before, despite the couple of times that they had done this; he thought about those times and how nervous this gorgeous girl had been, and he leaned back to look at her face. He thought about Sally his late wife and the fact that this was the first time he'd seriously done anything like this in quite a few years himself.

They were one big mess of sea born arms and legs intertwined and each running hands over the other. Feeling brave Dave put his hands to the bikini clasp and with a gentle finger and thumb motion released the clip and the brightly coloured nylon that had been supporting her and holding her boobs in place. She gasped as she felt them release, and he froze as he realised that this was a bit of a boundary he was crossing.

She giggled and smiled so he thought that perhaps this would be OK. He eased the soft cloth from her shoulders and pulled it away from her dropping it to the cushion next to them. He looked into her smiling face and kissed her again. For response, she gripped the hem of his T-shirt and pulled that over his head, and their naked flesh touched for the first time.

He laid a gentle hand against the side of her breast and held it softly, remembering what she had said about the brutal way that her psycho brother had mauled them. Her nipple extended out and into his palm and he thought about how she had told him of his brutality to those sensitive buds.

This had to be about pleasure, total and absolute. That fucking savage had ruined that act of lovemaking for this poor girl for all of her adult life and it was up to him to make sure that he taught her how real men made love to their chosen partner.

So he just stroked them, the right one then the left, running his thumb in a teasing circle around the now rock hard nipples as their tongues played together in another passionate oral embrace.

She smiled at him again, flinching but this time with the tingling pleasure he was creating in her. He lay back down on the cushion pulling her down over him, happy that if she didn't like what he was doing she could pull away and wouldn't feel trapped under him.

She went with him and as she tried to stay over him it was as if it was planned her right nipple arrived on his cheek and he needed only to open his mouth for the nipple to come into his reach.

He gently closed his lips over it and licked around it, aiming the for the semi-soft flesh around the dark red puckering of her hard nipples, and he felt her gasp and tremble at each swipe of his tongue. Finally he draw hard on the flesh sucking it into his mouth with a gentle gusto tonguing her the same way that his late wife had told him to all those years ago. It obviously worked now.

She cried out but with great pleasure and he saw that she was arching her neck back and pushing her breast further into his mouth. Her hand was caressing his cheek in tender thanks as he paid her this great attention.

He pulled his mouth away and she gave a bit of a squeak silenced only by a soft purr as he took the other nipple in his mouth and carried out the same exquisite attack and within moments she was panting in this unaccustomed pleasure. She put an hand to the side of her breast stroking it and his cheek as she encouraged him to nurse from her.

It was really nice and he could feel that she was grinding her loins against his thigh in an effort to stimulate that part of her body as well, to scratch the itch that he'd started there.

He put a hand to her bottom, sliding it across her curvy flesh then tucking his fingers under her bikini panties.

There was an angry screechy whine from one of the electronic devices just inside the cabin and she swore.

"Excuse me for a moment Dave," she made to get off of him, laughing as she removed one of his hands from her body then the other, only to find the first back on her again. "That's the navigation computer Dave!" she pushed off of him and bent down to kiss him one more time.

The checked the computer and found that the wind had changed and it was now blowing them off course. Dave stood and came across to stand next to her, "We just need to reset the sail the tiniest bit," she said pushing back into his warm body that had been so close to his in the last few moments.

"Let's get to it then Captain," he said, then we can get back to what we were doing before."

Debs grinned and wrinkled her nose to let him know that she didn't have a problem with that at all. They set the sail and thought about heading back to what they were doing when their radio crackled into life.

"...Montego Bay, Montego Bay this is Worldsail Caribbean, are you receiving over?"

Debs snatched up the radio and replied.

"Worldsail this is Montego Bay reading you loud and clear over."

"Montego Bay we have you on our system and see that you are about a days sail for the Florida coast, how are you planning to sail into Jamaica, over?"

"Worldsail, we're hoping to skirt Key West then north of Cuba and down to Jamaica in four or five days if this wind keeps up, over."

"Thanks Montego Bay, please feel free to call into Worldsail Key West dock for fuel, water and more food if you wish, they know you are local, over."

"Might do that Worldsail, my crew mate wants roast chicken..." she grinned at him.

"Thanks Montego Bay, back on air at 0800 local time tomorrow, speak to you then."

"Montego Bay out." She said clipping the radio back to its holder.

"Debs, I don't mind not stopping if you want to go all the way."

"That's the thing Dave," she said with a soft smile, "I do want to go all the way, but tomorrow morning all being well, we shall enter the Caribbean proper and the chances of you and I getting somewhere warm, soft and cosy to go 'all the way' is virtually zero as the water is too deep for our skinny little anchor and we'll be dodging cruise ships and other sailing vessels." She turned to face him and put her arms around his waist, and he reciprocated. "How's this, we bring in the sails and start the engine and cruise from here to Key West. It'll be quicker and there we fill up with everything and then motor to Jamaica. It'll be the quickest way to and it means I... we can..." she stopped.

"It means you can allow me to make love to you," he said.

She blushed but still beamed a smile at him.

"Yes Dave," she said, her cheeks a gorgeous red colour, "I'd like that, very much." She kissed him, "but..."

"But?" said Dave, "you want to through a 'but' in here?"

She laughed again and gently bashed him.

"But, after all this time of waiting, I want it to be perfect... and I know that with you... well I know that you'll make it perfect." She kissed him, deeply strongly and with great passion, "I don't want to be rushed, I don't want alarms going off, I don't want creole bum boats coming over to see what's going on and why no one is on deck. I want..."

"I get it baby," he said, "I will make sure that's how it happens."

She kissed him again,

"Thanks Dave, I really mean that."

They struck the sails and started the engine which meant that one of them had to be sat or stood by the large steel wheel to steer and they had to watch the navigation computer. It was back to four hours on and four hours off as they headed to Key West following the Florida coast, the movement of the land on the horizon giving them some indication of their speed and progress.

"Worldsail Kilo Whiskey, this is Montego Bay over?"

"Montego Bay, this is Kilo Whiskey receiving over."

"Kilo Whiskey we are about four hours away from you, will someone be on site to welcome us over?"

"Sadly no, Montego Bay but don't worry, we have set up everything for your arrival, if you head to Marina dock four, bay three the lockers are there waiting for you and the fuel pump, the code for the fuel lock is your crewmate's child's birthday, while for the other container it's the child's middle name, over" Dave laughed quietly and nodded.

"All received Kilo Whiskey, we'll see you tomorrow." Debs replaced the handset again, "There you go Dave, all set?"

"Perfect," he said with a genuine smile, "this means we have to get dressed again doesn't it."

She looked disappointed,

"Fraid so Dave," she moved closer and pressed her still naked boobs against his still naked chest, "Just for a little while though." She kissed him again.

In the fading light they sailed into Key West and reached the Marina dock and there among a collection of Worldsail yachts, none as large or grand as the Montego Bay, but Worldsail none the less. Debs eased the boat to the dock and gently stopped it, Dave leaping ashore with the ropes and tying it off. Debs killed the engine. It was absolutely silent for the first time in days and Dave was amazed that the pier he stood on wasn't moving. The last thing he did was plug in the mains power.

He remembered Kathy's birthday and refilled the half empty fuel tanks while he explained that Kathy's middle name was Lara so that Debs could break out the food.

There was fresh food and wonder of wonders - bread, fresh that day.

He created a veritable feast of something she had confessed as a favourite. Having sailed the Adriatic regularly she was a fan of Italian food and wines so he cooked up a nicely steaming meal of meatballs and spaghetti, with slices of garlic bread. He even had a couple of bottles of beer on the table.

"Oh this is lovely," said Debs, not wondering how he could create such delicacies after all those weeks at sea.

"It's a Dad thing," he said, "have to get fussy children to eat, go to cooking school, simple. No wine sadly Debs," he said, "Needs a nice fruity white, not this Budweiser stuff."

She grinned,

"Stay there."

In moments she was back with two large tumblers and a bottle of prosecco.

"Stuart gave it to me before we left," she said, "I got a bit of a taste for it when I was down in the Adriatic and he remembered. Gave me three bottles." She opened the bottle with a pop pouring the pale fizzy wine into both glasses. Their meal improved somewhat as they sipped the cool wine and it eased their minds and raised their spirits.

Their discussion continued and it was obvious she was getting a bit squiffy. Their meal finished it was back out into the warmth of the evening and the well deck, both with large glasses of wine and listening to the town coming to life around them.

"I filled up the water tanks," he said, "if you'd like a shower before..."

"Before we make love."

"Well I was going to say before we go to bed, but yeah, I can go with either plan."

"I'll go first," she said, standing up and walking down the steps. He had also connected the boat to the shore power supply so the lighting and the shower and everything was working to it's most effective.

She showered and her head appeared at the top of the hatch way, her hair wet.

"I'm finished Dave," she said dropping back down again.

He secured everything as best he could and stepped down and past the double bed she had started to make, wrapped in a towel with a hint of what lay beneath. He headed into the shower and was impressed at how mains power improved the thing, and he even shaved.

Once dry he was back out to the main cabin and there she was, laying back on the bed propped against the pillows and the duvet pulled up just over her breasts.

For most of the journey he had seen her in her bikinis and then latterly when she had taken to not wearing the top part, but now there was the suggestion of her beautiful and naked beneath the bed clothes.

He walked to the bed, removing the towel to stand naked before her, and raising the duvet to slip under it. She smiled at him, pleased that he could be so comfortable with her.

She moved closer to him and they kissed again. Not that they hadn't done this for the last few days but it hadn't been like this. They hadn't been able to share a bed and get closer than a well deck cuddle but this was special.

"I don't want this to sound corny Dave," she said breaking eye contact for a moment, "but... please make love to me."

"Of course Debs, it would be my honour." He stopped. "Do you have condoms?"

"No need," she said, "I've been on the pill for the last six weeks, bit of a trick to stop me coming on too badly during a long voyage. So... err... No need for contraception, we can..."

He took her in his arms and kissed her again, running hands all over her, reacquainting himself with her boobs, and finally running hands along her naked body, down her hips, across her bottom and finally across he flat belly and the short wiry pubic hair that was growing there. She flinched at his touch.

"It's OK," she said with a soft, embarrassed giggle, "It's just because this is all a bit new, and I... well I have been waiting quite some time."

"Perfect, lovely Debs, I want you to be on top this time, so you can control the pace, the depth and all that."

"Awwwww Dave! How sweet!" she put her hand to her mouth and the squeak in her voice suggested that she was on the verge of happy tears. She recovered, "Dave," she said now an almost fluorescent pink, "Am I... err... am I wet enough? I don't know you see, I feel pretty wet down there."