Buttercup 03: Snake

"Where RU?" she asked.

"At duck pond. Studying," I replied. Just then, I looked up and saw Ryan approaching me. He saw me and came to the bench where I was sitting. "Ryan just showed up," I texted.

"Oh shit," she replied. "Be careful."

"I will," I said, then turned on my video app and put my phone in my pocket. By now, Ryan was sitting next to me. I turned to face him.

"What do you want, Ryan?" I asked.

"Why did you do it?" he asked, his face red.

"Do what?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what you did," he said angrily. "Why did you call the police and report me to the school?"

"You're a smart man. You figure it out," I said.

"You know how much money my old man gives to the foundation here?" he asked.

"No, and I really don't care," I told him. "What I do care about is you harassing my fiance. Haven't you heard? No means no. You had your shot with her and you blew it over two years ago. Let it go. There's lots of other girls here. Go chase after one of them."

"I don't want to chase after one of them. I want Candi," he said. "And I WILL have her."

"There's just one problem," I said. "She doesn't want you. I thought she made that quite clear. Or do you intend to force yourself on her whether she consents or not?"

"Like I said, I WILL have her. And I WILL take her from you. And if I choose to come into your house to do it, I will. And there's not a damn thing you can do to stop me," he growled. I pulled the pepper spray out of my belt holster and stood up.

"I think you'd better leave. NOW!" He looked at the small can of pepper spray in my hand and stood up.

"What's that in your hand?" he asked.

"Pepper spray," I said. "Why? You want a taste?" I could tell he was considering his options and wondered if he would be stupid enough to take a swing at me right here in broad daylight, in front of several witnesses who had stopped what they were doing to see what was going on between us. After a few tense moments, he backed down and held up his hands.

"Not here, Wheeler," he said. "But mark my words. I'll be back." I caught the old movie reference and almost chuckled, but didn't. I waited for him to get out of sight and put the pepper spray back in my holster. Then I ended the video and verified that I had captured everything he said.

I texted Candi to let her know what just happened and to ask if she felt a need to leave campus for the rest of the day. She quickly responded, telling me she was okay and had her "protection" with her. I only had one class that afternoon, so I emailed the instructor to let him know what was going on.

"Go ahead, Tim, take care of business. You and your fiance's safety is more important. I'll send you the assignment after class," he wrote. I thanked him and headed for the Office for Equal Opportunity, where I filed another report against Ryan. Technically, what Ryan had done, or threatened to do, could be seen by the school as sexual violence. I was also told that Candi and I should perhaps get an order of protection.

The lady who took my report informed me that Ryan currently lived on campus, so I got the address and went back to the duck pond to find out what I needed to do to get a protection order. I went to the website, downloaded the form and the instructions.

Seeing that it was after 2:00 pm, the clerk's office at the county courthouse was already closed. Besides, I would need to print out multiple copies of the form and bring $132.00 in cash, money order, or cashier's check. Haven't they ever heard of debit cards, I wondered. But it was what it was, and there was nothing more I could do about it.

Seeing the time and knowing that Candi came in her car, I texted her to bring her up to speed. She acknowledged my text and said she would see me at home after her self-defense class.

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked.

"I'll be just fine, cuz," she wrote back. "Don't worry. Go do what you gotta do. Love you!"

"Love you more," I wrote back before heading out. I stopped at the bank and got a cashier's check for $132.00, then headed home to fill out the form and print the copies I needed. It took much of the rest of the afternoon to work my way through the form. After I finished, I reviewed everything, then saved and printed it out.

I decided to call the police one more time to file another report against Ryan. I figured the more reports against him, the better. The officer who arrived and took my statement seemed to take the incident more seriously than the first.

She watched the video I took and made notes. I told her I was in the process of filing for an order of protection, which she said was a good idea. She gave me the report number before she left, telling me someone would visit with "Mr. West" and get his side of the story.

I knew Candi would be a bit late getting home, so I ordered a pizza when she texted me to let me know she was wrapping up her self-defense class and would be home in about a half hour. The pizza arrived the same time she got home, so we ate as I brought her up to speed on what happened. I showed her the video I took of my encounter with Ryan.

"Sounds like things are going to get a bit interesting," she said.

"Yeah," I told her. "Do me a favor and make sure you have your spray and stun gun handy all the time. And text me to let me know where you are."

"I will," she said. "And you do the same." We were both nervous, but felt like we had done all we could under the circumstances. We watched a bit of television and talked before going to bed.

"Thank you," she said softly after we made love that night.

"For what?" I asked.

"Protecting me," she said. "For being my knight in shining armor."

"Well, you're my Buttercup and it's my job to look out for you."

"I love you so much," she whispered.

"I love you more, cuz," I said before we fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next day, we went to class and since I had a break from 10:30 to 1:00 that afternoon, I headed out to the Bernalillo County Courthouse. I paid the $132.00 filing fee and the case was given a number and assigned to a civil judge.

Following the directions given by the clerk, I made my way to the office of the judge assigned to my case and spoke to the trial case administrative assistant. I asked if the judge could look it over then, or if I should leave it with her for later review. She looked at her calendar and said I should leave it, since the judge's docket was quite full that day.

"It may be Monday morning before he has a chance to look this over, so I would suggest coming back that afternoon," she said. I couldn't believe what she was telling me. But, there was really nothing I could do about it, so I left the paperwork and thanked her for her time. Hopefully, we wouldn't have to call the police again.

We were on pins and needles for the entire weekend, constantly on the alert for any sign of Ryan. We stayed at home that weekend, did our homework, studied and watched television, always on the alert for any sign that he would appear. We kept our tasers and pepper spray within arm's reach at all times.

More than once, we heard noises outside we thought might be him, but turned out to be neighbors. Constantly being on the alert like that took its toll on us, and we were both a nervous wreck by the time Monday rolled around.

That Monday afternoon, I went to the courthouse and spoke to the judge's trial case assistant, who told me the judge reviewed the case and set a hearing date for Friday. I couldn't believe it. I knew from the instructions it was up to me to have Ryan served, and the assistant told me where I could go if I wanted the county sheriff's office to handle it.

I followed her instructions and knew that Ryan would be served either that afternoon or Tuesday morning. When I got back to school, I saw an email that said Candi and I had each been summoned to the Dean of Students office later that afternoon. Wonderful, I thought. What now?

We got there right on time and were ushered into the dean's office. He sat us down and looked at us before speaking.

"I'm truly very sorry this has happened to the two of you," he said. "I know how nerve-wracking something like this can be. We've spoken to Mr. West and he assures us that this is all just a misunderstanding, and he promised not to bother you any more."

"And that's it?" I asked.

"Well, it just so happens that his father is a major contributor to the school's foundation, so this is a bit of a touchy situation," he said.

"So, because his father is rich and powerful, he can do whatever he wants and not even get a slap on the wrist?" I asked.

"As I said, this IS a touchy situation," the dean said. "However, if Mr. West bothers you again, please contact my office."

"Well, it's about to get even touchier," I said. "I filed paperwork for an order of protection against him. The judge has set a hearing for this Friday. West will be served papers either today or tomorrow."

"I see," the dean said. "That just might complicate things a bit. Are you sure the three of you can't work this out somehow without getting the civil authorities involved?"

"No, sir," Candi said. "Have you seen the videos of our encounters?"

"No, I haven't," he said.

"Maybe you should," I said, pulling out my phone. He took it and watched the video from last week at the duck pond. I could tell he was disturbed at what he heard Ryan say. He handed the phone back and thought for a few moments before speaking.

"I can see why you filed a report against him," he said. "I'll have to take this under consideration."

"I hope this isn't going to get swept under the carpet, sir," I said.

"Of course not," he said. "Give me a couple days to confer with our lawyers and the OEO. I'll be in touch." I knew we had just been dismissed, so I got up and Candi joined me.

"Thank you," I said before we left.

"You think he'll actually do anything?" she asked after we were out of the building.

"Personally, no," I said. "This is about money and politics now."

The next day, Tuesday, went by without incident. Candi went to her self-defense class as she normally did on Tuesdays and Thursdays. When she got home, she put her gym bag in the bedroom and came out before taking her shower.

"I left my school stuff in my car," she said. "Would you mind getting them for me, please? I really need to take a shower."

"Not at all," I said. "I'll be right back up." I gave her a quick kiss and headed for the door. I had just opened it when suddenly, I saw stars and felt myself falling backward. My head felt like it had been hit by a locomotive. More pain ensued as someone kicked me in the stomach. I tasted blood in my mouth and tried to get my bearings.

"You motherfucking son-of-a-bitch," I heard Ryan yell. "I'm going to fucking kick your ass, then I'm going to fuck your precious little fiance," he screamed as he prepared to kick me again. I tried to get up, but it wasn't easy. I looked and saw Candi, her taser in her hands.

"Leave him alone," she shouted. He turned to face her and laughed.

"What are you going to do with that, sweet cheeks?" he asked. She fired, and struck him directly in the chest. He screamed and shook as he fell to the floor. That gave me the time I needed to get back on my feet. I grabbed my taser just as Candi was reloading hers. Ryan tried to get back up, and that was my cue to zap him. I hit him directly in the chest and he fell back down, screaming and shaking.

"Call 911," I told Candi, who had reloaded her taser. She nodded her head and dialed the number. I heard her scream that someone had broken in and assaulted us while threatening to rape her. Ryan once again tried to get up, but this time, I pulled out my pepper spray and gave him a huge dose of the stuff, right in his face. He screamed some more, begging us to stop. Whatever fight he had in him was clearly gone.

"Fuck you," Candi said after she ended the call. She walked to Ryan and kicked him square in the balls, causing him to scream out in pain again. A few minutes later, we heard sirens and several officers came through our door, which was still open. One of them was the first officer who took our report.

"I guess we'd better call an ambulance for this fella," he said, looking at Ryan's trembling body on the floor. "You should get looked at as well," he said, checking out the damage to my face. "You're probably going to have a nice shiner there. He do that?"

"Yes, he did," I managed to croak. "And this time, no one invited him in." He took our statements, then took photos. By the time he finished that, paramedics arrived and took Ryan away.

"I'm hoping this time you can arrest him," Candi said as a paramedic tended to my face.

"Yes, this time I can," he said. "With what you've given me, I'm looking at criminal trespass and aggravated battery. He's going to the hospital first to get checked out, then he'll be going to jail."

"Does it matter that we've already filed for a protection order against him?" she asked. "We have a court date set for this Friday."

"I believe the judge will take his arrest into consideration," the officer said. "I'd follow through with that hearing, just in case he's let out on bail. In the meantime, I suggest you go to the hospital and get checked out."

"Thanks, officer," Candi said. "I'll take him myself." We got to the hospital where I was examined. Fortunately, my nose wasn't broken, but they were concerned that I might have suffered a slight concussion, so they kept me overnight for observation. Candi stayed with me in my hospital room and slept on a couch.

The next morning, I woke up with a splitting headache and a shiner the likes I hadn't seen in a long time. The nurse gave me something for the pain and I rested until our breakfast was brought in.

"I already got hold of the school, told them what happened," Candi said. "We're both excused for the day."

"Thanks," I moaned. After we ate, three men came into my room -- my dad, Uncle Grove and another man in a gray suit. He introduced himself as Hiram West, Ryan's father. As it happened, Ryan called him in hopes that he would bail him out of jail. Instead, Hiram gathered Uncle Grove after he learned the whole story, flew to Roswell in a corporate jet where he picked up Dad and came to Albuquerque.

"How are you feeling, son?" Dad asked.

"Like I've been hit by a train," I said.

"You look it," Uncle Grove said. "I hope the other fella is hurting just as bad."

"Well, he did get tased twice, pepper-sprayed once and kicked in the balls," I said. "Buttercup here did most of that." Grove looked at Candi, surprised.

"Is that true?" he asked. She nodded her head. "Remind me to never piss you off," he added with a smile. The other two men laughed.

"I'm really sorry about what my son did to the two of you," Hiram said. "He wanted me to bail him out, but I wanted to get the whole story first. After looking at you and talking to the police, though, it'll be a cold day in Hell before I help him again."

"He's done this before?" Candi asked.

"A couple times when he was going to school in Las Cruces. I bailed him out then, hoping he'd learned his lesson. He promised me he'd get his shit together, but it doesn't look like he has. So no, this time he's on his own," he said.

"I hear the two of you are engaged," he said after a few moments of silence.

"Yes, we are," I said.

"You're cousins, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes," Candi said. "It's legal in New Mexico."

"I know," he told her. "I just haven't heard of it happening that much. When is the happy day?"

"We're waiting for Candi to get her four-year degree," I said.

"That sounds wise," he said. "Any idea where you'd like to go for your honeymoon?"

"We haven't actually planned that far ahead yet, Mr. West," Candi said.

"Please, call me Hiram," he told her with a smile. "I hear Hawaii is nice. Ever been to Hawaii?"

"No, we haven't," she said. "But we'd love to go there some day."

"Good. Let me know when the wedding is and I'll make the arrangements myself," he said.

"You don't have to do that," I said.

"I know, but I want to," he said. "It's the least I can do after what my boy did to you."

"Thank you, sir, I appreciate that," I said. He smiled as he nodded his head and turned to Candi.

"What are you studying?" he asked her.

"I want to become a lawyer," she said. He seemed to approve of her choice.

"So you're gonna be here for a while then," he said. "What about you, young man?" he asked me.

"This is my third year. I'm going for a degree in Information Technology," I said.

"There's always a need for guys like you," he said. He pulled out a card and handed it to me. "I know you have another year or so to go, but when you're ready, give this lady a call. She heads up my company's offices here in Albuquerque. Tell her I told you to call her. She's always looking for good people."

"Thank you, Mr. West, I'll do that," I said.

"You're welcome," he said. "I know you're not feeling too well, and I've taken up enough of your time. You get better and take care of this young lady."

"I will, thank you again," I said. He left the room, and the four of us caught up on things. It was good seeing Dad and Uncle Grove again, but I wished the circumstances had been better. After about a half hour, we hugged and said our goodbyes.

"You gonna be okay when they discharge you?" Dad asked.

"Yeah, we'll be fine," I said.

"Alright then. If you need anything, give me a call. In the meantime, you two be good," Dad said before leaving the room.

A couple hours later, I was given one last exam, then discharged from the hospital with orders to rest and stay home for another day or two. I was shocked when I went to take care of the bill and found that Hiram had already arranged to have it paid. Dad told me later that Hiram paid for it with his son's trust fund. I got a laugh out of that.

Candi drove me home and helped me into the condo. She insisted I get undressed and get into bed. Once I was flat on my back, she removed her clothes and got on the bed with me. Seeing her lovely naked form always got me excited, and this day was no exception.

"What are you doing?" I asked when she took my cock into her hands.

"Doc said I need to give you one of these on a regular basis," she said with a wicked smile.

"One of what?" I stupidly asked. She opened her mouth wide and took my cock in her mouth as she looked me in the eye. I gasped as she sucked on my cock until I exploded in her mouth. She wiped her mouth, then got on top of me and guided my cock into her warm, wet, shaved pussy.

"We're not done yet," she said as she rode me, cowgirl-style.

"Oh my God, that feels so good," I moaned. "I think I may be bedridden for several days, if this is what I'll get every day."

"The nurse tells me I'll need to do this regularly for at least the next fifty or sixty years," she said. "Now, you just lay there and take your medicine like a good boy. You don't want to piss me off," she added with a smile and a twinkle in her eye.

"No, ma'am, I don't," I told her. She put her head on my chest after we finished and I held her as tight as I could. "I love you so much," I said.

"I love you more, cuz," she said. "Don't ever forget that."

...

Epilogue:

Ryan was denied bail, which basically made my protection order academic. Nevertheless, the judge saw things my way and issued the order, just in case Ryan somehow got out of jail. At his trial, he was found guilty of criminal trespass and third-degree felony aggravated battery.

The district attorney argued that due to his karate training, Ryan's hands and feet could be construed as deadly weapons and he intended to do great bodily harm to me prior to sexually assaulting Candi. The videos Candi and I took helped secure his conviction. He was sentenced to five years in prison, ordered to pay $5,000 in fines and restitution in the amount of $10,000.