Cindy's Recourse Pt. 04

Author's Note: This part not only wraps up Cindy's Recourse, but also marks the end of the Saga that all stories by Tero Wright are a part of. When viewing by date created, every story after this, starting with "The Shoe Salesman" will fill in the gaps of the 10-year time line that prior stories have set up. Enjoy!

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She doesn't make it easy to get up right away because of how she's embracing Kacie around the neck with her arms. It makes for a charming struggle as Kacie dismounts and tries to pull Gracelyn to the edge of the bed by dragging her legs. After a ticklish grip to her side, however, Gracelyn lets go and the two get up and head out of the room.

They make their way to the room Kacie noted earlier with the door cracked open, and sure enough they find Cindy inside, sitting on the side of the guest bed and sobbing into a pillow.

Before they are in her peripheral view, Kacie gets her attention with her signature delicate kitten call, "Mew!"

Cindy looks up at her, "Hey honey," and then sees Gracelyn, "OH! My baby!"

She jumps up and smothers Gracelyn in a long, tight hug!

"Ok...choking...not breathing," Gracelyn croaks from a shortage of air.

Cindy releases her with teary laughter. "I'm so sorry! I don't know what I was thinking!" She looks at Gracelyn's back, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she replies with the slightest hint of irritation in her voice from being asked so many times already. "I can handle you girls jumping all over me. You really think I'm going to lose to our couch so easily?"

"Well it did knock you out," Cindy says with a kiss to her forehead, "so I was worried sick about you."

Gracelyn pecks her back on the jawline, "I promise I'm fine, really," giving her another one on the lips.

Cindy sighs in relief and hugs her calmly.

"Actually, it's us who are more worried for you," Kacie tells Cindy as she guides her back to her seat on the bed. "That wasn't the Cindy I know out there. She and I tackled someone else entirely; we just got you back when you hit the floor. Strange how that works considering what has brought us together over the years, don't you think?"

A sheepish grin forms across Cindy's lips, "Maybe that's why you were able to knock me over - I wasn't myself."

"Yeah, probably, but I think it's more than that too."

"Like what?"

"Well, she says you've kept to yourself for the past few months," Kacie says speaking of Gracelyn, "and I think you let the best part of you go because you feel like you lost it with them."

Cindy's eyes flicker from the realization that she may be onto something.

Leaning into her, Kacie says, "When we were out there on the couch, I told you we were all heartbroken and truer words couldn't replace that, but do you know what keeps my spirits up? This place!"

Gracelyn can see tears forming again in Cindy's eyes and comforts her with a soothing hand on her back as Kacie brings her point home.

"Everything about this house is what Christie and Brian were all about! We all came together to build a part of it, and even the foundation itself is in the shape of a heart! I mean really, think about it, we're in her heart right now as well as his! They are still with us, even though we can't hold them."

"When did you become the metaphorical one?" Cindy asks on the brink of sobbing again.

"I listened to Christie," Kacie says with a soft kiss to Cindy's cheek. "Someone has to remind you of her wisdom; it may as well be someone who has known her almost as long as you have."

Cindy switches her hold from Gracelyn to Kacie and lets the waterworks flow uncontrollably.

The weeping and sobbing between them speaks volumes of their friendship over the years, and while Gracelyn wishes she had that much time with them under her belt, she feels better knowing Cindy still has that connection with Kacie and is hopeful that she can recover from her help faster than she otherwise could from her own.

For nearly fifteen minutes not a word is spoken among them as they let the emotions flow naturally. Kacie had hit the nail on the head so perfectly with what she said that it only felt right to pause and remember the love that has always been there.

"We um... we should probably go get some water or else we'll have some wicked headaches soon," Cindy whispers between her girls.

The others chuckle briefly and nod in agreement. Kacie gets up first pulling Cindy with her, Gracelyn follows while drying off her glasses, and they all grab a few tissues each to dry their eyes on the way out of the room.

Upon entering the main area, they find that Amber and Ariel have made themselves comfortable with Echo under their socked feet. Amber has her face smothered while Ariel alternates pressing hers gently into the girl's stomach, more or less coaxing her into relaxation.

They all quietly acknowledge each other with smiles as Cindy's group make their way to the kitchen.

Gracelyn grabs a cup from the cupboard for herself, as well as for the others before taking their turns at the sink.

As Cindy sips from her glass, she looks in Echo's general direction, being that she's currently hidden from sight given their respective positions. She thinks about what Kacie said about the house, and with a better mindset now in use, she changes the plans for her uninvited guests.

She sets her glass down and walks to the couch, waiving at Amber and Ariel to move their feet.

Echo takes a few seconds to readjust her eyes, and upon seeing Cindy standing over her, she gasps into near petrification.

Cindy leans over and deactivates the magnetic strip that her friends set the girl back up with, and gives her a hand up.

"I trust that my ladies spared you for a reason," she says while allowing the fingerprint sensors on the cuffs to register her touch. "I've decided that it's not wise to keep you and the guys here, so for my own sanity, the cops will come pick them up tomorrow," letting the restraints click loose, "and you will go free."

Echo's stunned fear turns to confusion.

"None of our security footage shows that you did anything to this place other than follow that guy in, so there's no reason file any charges," Cindy explains, looking down at the restraints in her hands, "not against you anyway."

The girl's shoulders drop with a sigh of relief as her breathing pattern and heart rate return a normal pace.

With the consequences of her actions circling her mind, Cindy looks to both pairs of her friends before looking back at Echo. "I..." looking down again, "I'll understand if you don't feel the same way," unable to maintain eye contact as she turns back, condenses the restraints, clicks them closed, and tosses them onto the seat section Echo was on earlier as she walks back to the kitchen.

Hardly able to believe her ears, Echo glances at the ladies on the couch, as well as the others in the kitchen before speaking up.

"Hey," she calls to Cindy, "honestly, yeah this still hurts a little," referring to the bruise on her cheek, "but it's nothing compared to the years of emotional abuse that he caused, and that you and your friends have spared me from by keeping us separated." She looks at Ariel, "That's why I was really hoping you meant it when you said you'd beat the snot out of him."

"We beat more than just snot out of him, but now I'm tempted to go do some more," Ariel replies.

"Don't waste your time. He's not worth it," Echo tells her. She then holds an arm up to Cindy while pointing at her wrist, "So do I have the right to thank you now?"

Cindy looks to Gracelyn and Kacie for a second to process the girl's comment, and then looks back with a positive nod.

Echo barely breaks a smile to the ladies next to her before making a cautious approach towards her former captor. Aiming for nothing more than to make amends, she reaches out for a hug.

It's the last thing Cindy expects from her considering everything they've been through today. With reserved uncertainty, she knows she could level this girl in an instant if she tried any funny business, but it doesn't keep her from accepting the hug. She doesn't know why, but something about Echo's mannerisms during their embrace help to alleviate her worries.

Clearing her throat, "Thank you," Echo whispers with her chin resting on Cindy's shoulder. "I really am sorry for everything."

Cindy's lip perks up at the corner as they release their hold, "So am I." The tip of her nose twitches as emotions try to flare, but she keeps them under control this time. "Um... so do you have a name? Or should we just keep calling you 'Echo'?"

"It's Lana," the girl replies.

"Lana...that's pretty," Cindy says with a smirk of approval. "Well, Lana, would you like an ice pack for your cheek? Keep the swelling down?"

"I'd appreciate it, sure."

Gracelyn turns and grabs one from the freezer since she's the closest to it, wraps it in a dish towel and brings it over.

"Thanks," Lana says as she places it against her cheek bone.

"Well crap!" Ariel spouts off behind them. "Now who am I going to rest my feet on? I was just getting used to having her down there!"

"Seriously?" Lana asks the group. "You all flip on a dime, just like that?"

"We support her," Amber replies in light of Cindy, "and up until now, her wishes were for you to remain quiet and away from the guys, so that's what we did."

"Huh." It's a fair answer and Lana decides not to push her luck. "So, can I get this out of the way then... what's everyone's deal with feet here? I seriously don't know anyone else who uses their feet as much as you girls do."

The group looks back and forth among each other as almost everyone's story is different, but Cindy eventually speaks up with what they have in common. "It was Christie's thing, and she brought us all together around it, one at a time."

"I'd say it's been a common thing for us for a little over a decade now," Amber says, "so we don't even bat an eye about it."

Lana catches Gracelyn and Kacie smiling at her in her peripheral and it prompts another question, "Do you all give everyone you meet a crash course in... whatever you call putting your feet on someone... stepping on them, I guess?"

"That's where you missed out on knowing Christie in person," Kacie says. "If she thought there was any chance she could get you to like it in some way, she would've pursued it with you."

"You missed out on knowing Brian too," Gracelyn adds. "There wasn't really anything he couldn't handle, and he was great for helping newbie's get used to trampling."

"Trampling? That's what you call it?" Lana asks.

"That's what it is," Gracelyn replies.

"And to answer your question, No, we don't," Cindy says. "We always..." she sighs, "we always used to let Christie find those special people, so we knew beforehand if we could do anything." She takes a seat on the lone seat section, "We don't do it now because we have no way of knowing who will like it."

"You and the guys got a crash course with it because you all showed up uninvited," Amber says.

"You got off so easy though," Gracelyn laughs.

Lana, again, barely breaks a smile to her since she's still not proud of what happened. "I am thankful for that, really. I'm not made to be stepped on, I'm a wuss."

Kacie cracks up at her, "Everyone is made to be stepped on! You should give yourself a little more credit," winking at her with a smile.

"Yeah! You didn't seem to have any problems under our feet here before she let you go," Ariel adds for encouragement.

"That's because what you were doing didn't hurt," Lana elaborates.

"If its pain you're worried about, we know plenty of ways to work around that," Amber says.

"Yeah, just don't be a wuss about it," Gracelyn says. "You know well by now if we wanted to hurt you, we could."

"We're nice girls though," Kacie says, "we'll usually cut ya a break."

"Unless you're a couple of bumbling idiots like those little boys down there," Ariel quips. "We'll bust out the nasty for anyone who won't stop lying to us, or who can't show us an ounce of decency."

"Preach!" Gracelyn cheers with a high five to Ariel.

"Hmm, I see," Lana says.

It calms her to know that the ladies aren't only out to hurt others as that's her biggest concern. With the risk seemingly low and her curiosity high, it's the perfect recipe to perk her next inquiry.

"So...let's say I didn't mind being under their feet. Hypothetically speaking, what would it take to continue it?"

Kacie pipes up again in laughter, "Hypothetically, whatever!" She makes her way over to Lana and pushes her back in front of Amber and Ariel. "No need to be so modest with us missy, just lie down if you liked it so much!"

With kind-hearted laughter in the air and half the battle taken care of already, Lana gets back into her spot next to the couch and finds it much easier to relax now that her arms are free to move about.

Kacie squats beside the girl and guides her friends' feet back onto her, "Here, let me do you a little favor," proactively removing all four socks so that Amber and Ariel's bare feet can be put on display. "You can thank me later," playfully patting Lana's abdomen.

"Don't you do it," Ariel says, reaching out for her socks.

Kacie is too quick, however, sticking her tongue out at her as she gets back to her feet and runs off cackling manically towards the bedrooms.

"Dammit!"

Gracelyn takes Cindy by the hand and arm and pulls her up from her seat, leading her to the bedrooms as well.

"Guess you'll have to keep your feet comfy some other way," Cindy says as she passes behind her friends and follows her lady out.

Ariel huffs in defeat and slumps back into her seat. "What's so funny?" she asks Amber who is getting a workout from her laughter.

"She played you again!"

"She took your socks too you jerk," Ariel retorts with a smack to the arm.

"Yeah, but you called it and she still got away! It's hilarious!" Amber says playfully tapping her back on the cheek.

Ariel pushes her hand away and lets the situation go as she finds it only mildly annoying and otherwise has no problems being barefoot.

With that in mind, the two return their attention to their feet on Lana, placing them back in nearly the same spots they established earlier with Ariel's kneading her stomach and Amber's resting on her upper chest and forehead, to dodge the ice pack Lana's still using on her cheek.

"Hey Tero, turn on Netflix," Amber calls out.

"What's Tero?" Lana asks as a screen emerges from the floor near the wall and the window panes behind it tint themselves.

"It's like Siri or Alexa, but customized for the house," Ariel tells her.

"Oh, well that's neat," Lana says.

Together, they find and agree on a movie to watch and settle in.

Meanwhile, in the master room, a tickle battle has commenced over the socks on the bed.

"Nope! They're mine," Kacie squeals in protest.

"They don't even fit you," Cindy says mid laugh as she straddles the girl's legs.

"They're socks! They fit anything," she says as she stuffs them all into her bra and crosses her arms. "See?"

"Now it looks like you have four odd sized boobs instead of two normal ones," Gracelyn says laughing along with them.

"You know I have no problem fishing those out, right?" Cindy asks as she bears her weight via her hands onto Kacie's shoulders.

"Yeah, I know," she replies with a mischievous grin.

Cindy catches on to her odd behavior and looks over at Gracelyn for a moment and asks, "Alright, what's going on here?"

"Nothing," both girls reply in a pseudo innocent tone.

"Hmm. If you say so," Cindy replies before sliding her hands under Kacie's shirt and resting her fingertips against her rib cage.

"Oh shit no," Kacie laughs as she tenses up in anticipation, taking hold of Cindy's wrists which do nothing to prevent her intentions.

"Either one of you tells me what's going on or I take the socks. I will win this no matter what," Cindy says.

The girls glance at each other with a smile and manage to throw Cindy for a loop when Gracelyn kisses her and leaves Kacie to her mercy.

Cindy watches Gracelyn climb onto the bench at the foot of the bed and lean over to love on the adorable toes before her, getting a moan from the little lady. It's not long before she realizes what they're doing and obliges their little game by resting her hands flat and squeezes the air slowly from Kacie's lungs as she leans over and pecks her on the nose.

"You know all you had to do was ask, right?" Cindy says.

The tiny gasps of air emanating from the girl's lips don't fool her for a second as the beautiful eyes looking back tell a completely different story; one of pure bliss from the sensations originating from her toes as well as a deep desire to fulfill a kiss.

"Well?" Cindy prods her, knowing full well what she wants to do.

That's all it takes for Kacie to pull her into a lip lock that they can both enjoy. With her chest free and clear of obstructions, Cindy takes advantage of the moment to slip the socks from the girl's bra, getting squeamish giggles out of her as a result.

"I told you I'd win," Cindy whispers.

"That was kind of the point of all this," Kacie replies, massaging their lips together. "We wanted to cheer you up, but you wanted water first."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. She shared with me how you two kinda made up last night and that she wanted to keep it going, and I thought maybe I could help you two out further. I know it's something special between us, so why not try."

Cindy smiles and sits up, "What else did you have in mind?"

Gracelyn climbs back onto the bed and wraps her arms around her lady from behind. "Why don't you lie down and we'll show you," she purrs with a kiss on the cheek.

It's enlightening to hear the change in her tone compared to last night and it encourages Cindy to play along without question. She rolls onto the bed next to Kacie as Gracelyn gets to her feet and paces her.

"I have no idea if this will work the way I hope it will," Kacie says as she rolls onto her front, "but Gracie here also mentioned how she needed some persuasion to walk on you, and that's a huge yellow flag to me that something is way off." She gets up, gives Cindy another sweet kiss, and stands with Gracelyn. "If there's one thing I learned from Christie, it's that if one person is off balance, then others will fall too."

She gives Gracelyn a hand with stepping onto Cindy's hips before standing over her as well and sliding her hands under her shirt.

"Let's get this out of the way so we can...connect better," Kacie coos.

Cindy arches her back and lets the shirt slide past her shoulders and over her head. With one foot up the middle of her chest, she receives one more kiss by the grace of Kacie's fingers before being stood on full weight. Under the combined weight of both girls, Cindy can still breathe easy, but the slight differences between them bring on flashbacks of Christie being on her with Gracelyn.

She closes her eyes and allows only the touches of their bare feet to register. Without the visual stimulus, more memories are triggered, especially when she feels Kacie's toes slide across her lips. She automatically kisses them with loving admiration and holds the foot in place as she sucks on each toe with care.

The massaging action granted to her by Gracelyn's talented toes and soles trigger the first memory she has of Christie walking on her, and with a mere flash, Cindy sees her smiling over her again. It startles her enough that the girls feel her twitch under them.

They both look down to check on her, and with just eye contact and a smile; she lets them know she's fine.

Kacie looks to Gracelyn again with a kiss to her cheek and steps down, egging her to move up with a couple light taps to her bottom.

Gracelyn happily steps up onto her lady's chest and caresses her face with her toes, and it's not long before Cindy takes a hold of her foot and starts loving on her toes like she did with Kacie's. She gets tingles from the sucking sensation, but also notes that she hasn't felt Kacie step back on behind her.