Farm Ch. 02

"Best birthday ever," she whispered.

I teased her for so long, by the time she enjoyed her first orgasm, I think it near enough knocked her out. Considering we'd returned from town rather tired as it is, I don't think either of us had much energy, but the desire to make love was overwhelming. Sliding my cock inside her, she wrapped her arms around the back of my neck as I slowly thrust into her, just gazing into each other's eyes.

"So you'll knock me up next birthday?"

She said it so seriously, I stopped and gulped. It didn't bother me in the least. Then she grinned and kissed me. "We've got a year to discuss it," I finally replied.

Once I came inside her again, that was me done for the evening, eventually lying beside her and using my fingers to get her off again. That set off some tears, wondering why, until she finally murmured that it was simply for the fact I always cared. I could have just cum in her, rolled off and not bothered. But she still had to pinch herself at how considerate I was. I hugged her, said I'd always look after her, every way possible.

Then we drifted off together.

It was only two days later that my phone rang again, this time at breakfast. It was my sister again. Another glance of surprise was shared across the table, placing my phone down and putting in on speaker. "Morning, Maggie."

"Bruce..." The voice was slurred, but not drunk, almost as if medicated. "Bruce... are you there?"

"I'm here, Maggie. So is Emily. Are you okay, Maggie? You don't sound well?"

"Did I speak to you the other day, Bruce? Emily's birthday?"

"You did, Maggie. Wished her happy birthday. Said you missed her. Maggie, are you okay? What's going on?"

What we saw next shocked me, and upset her daughter. She switched on her camera... Her face. My sister, despite the attitude, was a good looking woman. "He did that," Emily whispered.

The bruising on her face was horrific. I'd seen reports of domestic violence on television, but seeing it for myself. I wasn't just shocked, I was beyond angry. My sister and I didn't have a particularly good relationship, but she was still blood, and deep down, I'd always loved and would always love my sister. "Where are you, Maggie?"

"Hospital... Not sure how long..." She broke down. "I think he tried to kill me... I've made so many mistakes, Bruce. So many. I don't know what to do anymore. And it's all my fault."

"Margaret, get that out of your head. Nothing you could have done would have deserved you ending up in hospital. Which hospital are you in?" She told me after asking a nurse. "Maggie, I'm coming to get you."

"No, Bruce. If I leave him..."

"I'll fucking kill him if I have to. You're my sister. I've stood by long enough, watching you make these mistakes. No more. It's time to look after my family, and you're my little sister. So I'm going to arrive in a couple of days, then we're going to pack your shit up, then you're coming home." I glanced at Emily. She was concerned about us, I could understand that, but I smiled when she gave me a firm nod. Mother and daughter needed a heart to heart too. "Maggie, Emily and I are going to drive there. We'll gather you when you're released. If need be, we'll pack up whatever you'll need first."

"Bruce, what happened with Chris... and Emily... I... Emily, I'm... I'm a bad mother. Always have been. I deserved..."

Emily burst into tears. "We'll be there soon, Mum. I promise. Then we can talk."

"I don't deserve that.... You should just leave me here..."

Then the line went dead. Emily sat on my lap and sobbed. No-one deserved to see their mother in such a condition. As soon as she'd had her cry, she pulled out her own phone and called her brother. I know they spoke at least once a week. I'd occasionally have a chat with him too. He was doing well for himself. Again, she put him on a speakerphone, letting him know what happened. He couldn't drop everything to come visit the farm, but we let him know we'd take care of everything, and ensure he could talk to his mother if he wanted to when we had her back.

I called Mick and let him know the situation. He arrived with June in a matter of minutes. "You're bringing her here?" he asked, a little surprised.

"I know, mate, I know. But you didn't see her, didn't hear her. Everything has gone wrong since she left the farm. I know what happened between dad and her was bad. But right now, she needs us. All of us. Then we need to sit down and simply get everything off the chest. Maybe if we do that, the future will be better."

"When will you leave?" June asked.

"Emily and I will leave at the crack of dawn tomorrow. No idea when we'll be back. Been a long time since I've driven to the city. Shit, when Emily came out this way, she flew here."

We left before dawn the next morning. Well, I did. I carried a still sleeping Emily to the cab and made sure she was buckled up before I dumped our bags in the back. Mick was up to meet us, telling me to drive safely as normal, but I grinned when he said to bring my sister home too. Getting behind the wheel, I knew the way to the city, though would have to rely on GPS once I was in the city itself, though Emily could possibly guide me.

It was a long two days and nights, plenty of sights along the way, passing through small and large country towns, kilometre after kilometre of highway. It was lunchtime of the third day by the time we made it to the outskirts of the city, Emily awake and alert, so in addition to GPS, she was able to guide me to the hospital.

After parking up, flabbergasted at the price I had to pay for parking, we headed into the reception. I felt out of place in my flannel shirt, jeans, boots and Akubra, but after giving the name we wanted to see, we were pointed in the right direction. She was in a ward shared with four others. Her face was still a mess, and I was left with little doubt the rest of her body was bruised. When she saw us, she started to cry, Emily going to her mother and hugging her without hesitation. I stood to her other side, taking her hand.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"I'm taking you home, Maggie." She nodded without a word. "Then we need to talk."

"I know. I know."

"Do you know where he is?"

"Probably at home."

"Emily, stay here with your mother." She met my eyes. I thought she'd say it wasn't worth it, but a quick glance at her mother firmed her mind. All she did was meet my eyes and nod her head. "Good girl. I've got your address in my GPS. I'll collect your things then return here. Emily and I will stay close by until the hospital says you're good to go."

"Bruce..."

I shushed her. "Not now, Maggie. I've watched from afar for too long. Time for your older brother to finally put his foot down. You are coming with me. No arguments."

She squeezed my hand tighter, watching tears cascade down her cheeks. "I don't deserve you."

"You do as you're my sister, Maggie. I love you, and I'm... I'm the older one and should have been as responsible for you as I've been for Emily. And I see my sister in hospital right now after some scumbag..."

"Just don't get in trouble."

"Trust me. What's his name?"

"Brian."

"Good. I'll know who to hit when I see him."

"Fuck him up, Bruce," Emily stated.

I strode out of the hospital with fists clenched, no doubt murder in my eyes and on my face. I hadn't liked my sister for a long time, but I always loved her. You always loved family. She was blood. She was kin. And no-one, man nor woman, deserved what had happened to her. I got behind the wheel of my ute and practically tore out of the car park, heading straight for her house.

It was quite the dump, that wasn't a surprise. Pulling up on the road outside, I was tempted to go armed with a tool of some kind, a wrench or a hammer. But I'd get pulled up on a murder charge. Striding down the driveway to the front door, I banged on it until it was answered. Didn't recognise the guy at all, but I figured this was Brian.

"You Brian?" I asked.

"Yeah, who the fuck are you?"

"You know someone called Emily?"

"Yeah, she's the daughter of some slut I know." I felt my fists curl. "Shame she left. Would have been some good pussy." I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He was already drunk so little wonder he barely thought about his responses. "Who are you again?"

"You with Maggie?"

"That slut? Yeah..."

I smacked him in the face before he could add anything else. He went staggering back down the hallway as I stalked in after him. He was already bleeding from the nose, but managed to take a swing in my direction. I wasn't going to fight this prick fair, putting my boot straight between his legs. He went down to his knees, and my boot connected with his face. He was lucky I wasn't wearing steel-capped boots, otherwise I probably would have killed him. Instead, he ended up on his back, groaning away.

Crouching down next to him, I grabbed him around the throat. "Now, Brian, listen very carefully. I'm going to be grabbing Maggie's things. She won't be returning to this dump you call a home. I would suggest you lose all her details. And if I even get a hint of you trying to contact her or Emily, I will personally tie you up like a sheep, drive you to the outback, and bury you in a deep, dark hole."

I saw a hint of recognition in his eyes. No doubt Maggie had mentioned a brother. "You're... him..."

I squeezed a little harder. "Did you understand what I just said, or do I need to stamp on your balls to make sure you do?" He was no doubt used to pushing around and hitting defenceless women. Unfortunately, our country had a long standing domestic violence issue. Too many dickhead men at times. But he was nothing but a coward, nodding as I stood up over him. "Very good. Now, I'm going to grab her things. You just lie there, think about the decisions in life you've made to this point. You want to take this further, you're more than welcome. But I don't particularly want to go home with a murder charge looming over me."

I packed three bags of what I figured was her things, grabbing one or two items I knew would prove of sentimental value, putting it all in the rear of the cab on my ute, before performing one last check of everything. I could see one or two things that she might want, but all that mattered was getting her away from this life. And away from him. By the time I was ready to leave, he was laying back on the couch. When I stalked towards him, he almost cowered with fear.

Crouching in front of him, I asked, "Do we need to have a conversation?" He shook his head. "You beat my sister. The urge to return the favour and more is incredibly overwhelming. I have adrenaline flooding my veins right now. Voices in my head telling me to just beat you senseless. But it won't prove anything. What does matter to me is that my sister and niece are now safe. It's time I took care of my family. All of them."

With that, I walked out of the house, sat in my ute, and drove back to the hospital. Taking a seat next to Emily, her mother was asleep so she took my hand, leaning her head against my shoulder. "Sorted?" she asked.

"Sorted," I replied.

Asking how long my sister was going to be kept, once they learned I was her brother, they told me she was being kept for observation for another couple of days, and for the swelling to go down, then they'd likely release her. Asking if she'd be okay to travel, explaining the situation and my plan, they suggested it was actually a good idea, obviously aware she'd been a victim of domestic violence.

Emily and I found a bed and breakfast only a short distance from the hospital. I called Mick and let him know the situation. He assured me the farm wouldn't collapse without my presence, telling me to just do the right thing. After grabbing some dinner, nothing more than a bite from a nearby takeaway, we snuggled in bed later. Despite the situation, we made love, though it was the slow and gentle sex that made up the beginning of our relationship.

We spent most of the next two days with my sister when visiting hours allowed. She spent much of the time asleep, recovering from her injuries. Whenever she was lucid enough to talk, I shushed her, stating everything would be discussed when we got home, but let her know that the situation with Brian was sorted out. That earned a grab of my hand, kissing it before she simply whispered her thanks.

She was released the fourth morning after we'd arrived, given prescriptions for a few medications we could pick up nearby. Wheeling her to the ute, Emily got up into the back seat, picking up her mother and carefully sliding her inside so she was laying down, head on her lap. I stopped at a nearby pharmacy to pick up her medicine, including some other things I guessed she'd need, then a convenience store to pick up a load of snacks and drinks, before turning us towards the farm.

It was a long couple of days as I didn't stop except for the evening. Maggie slept nearly the entire way, pretty much knocking her out with sleeping tablets, while ensuring she took the pills required. Emily sat in the back with her the entire time, making sure she was comfortable. I would glance in the mirror to earn a loving smile in return.

Pulling into the farm, Mick and June were waiting for us. Noticing me pick up my sister from the back seat, having been startled at how light she was when I'd done so at the hospital, they followed me in as I carried her to Emily's old room. The living situation didn't bother me at that moment. My sister was going to find out and she'd have to deal with it.

June pulled back the blankets so I could place Maggie down, taking off her shoes, before lying her back and covering her. The swelling had finally gone down but the bruising still made me wince. Having undressed her in the hotel on the way to make sure she had a wash, her body was a mess. I had no idea if she'd done drugs or not, but the bruises and other scars suggested Brian, or god only knows who... well, the urge to go back and finish the job was on my mind while I was driving the three of us along.

"What have I done to deserve this?" she whispered. Emily heard the croak and returned a few seconds later, Maggie sipping at the drink before lying back on her side. "Bruce, all I've done for years..."

"Maggie, when you're feeling better. We'll talk about everything. Right now, you just need to get better. So what you're going to do is lie here and relax. There's a TV you can watch. I grabbed your phone and you can connect to the WiFi. We'll bring your meals in until you feel fit enough to get onto your feet. If you need help having, just give either of us a shout."

"We need to talk later too, Mum."

"I know, baby," she whispered, looking at us with wet eyes, "I made a mess of everything."

It was weird having my sister back in the house, but as she was confined to the bedroom for the moment, Emily and I lived our lives mostly the same. The day after arriving back, I was back at work, Emily enjoying her role as house girlfriend, cooking up a storm for our first night back after living on crap food for around a week. Mick and June did join us for dinner that night, and we discussed the situation quietly. Emily was adamant nothing was going to change. Her courage impressed me, and I was equally as adamant. We were consenting adults, and by the law, doing nothing wrong. Society would never know the real truth, and morals... Well, we didn't think our love was immoral either.

I passed by the bedroom door to find the pair deep in discussion more than once. My sister was slowly healing, but I think the wounds inside were far deeper than those on her skin. I had this feeling she carried some turmoil. I just didn't know what, but I had a further feeling it led to where she now was in life. But I when I heard laughing for the first time between them around the third or fourth day, I walked away, grinning to myself. At least their relationship was mending.

It was a week before Maggie was able to move about by herself without needing help, hobbling into the kitchen on a Sunday to join us for breakfast. The bruising was slowly fading, but she looked incredibly pale and thin. Emily placed an enormous plate of food in front of her and ordered her to eat. "Every morsel, Mum. Need to put some meat back on those bones," she said.

Maggie glanced at me. "She do this for you?" she asked, surprising me with a smile.

"Every Sunday, Mum. And I generally cook for him every evening. Make his lunch every day. Bruce is a hard-working man. I like looking after him, just like he's looked after me."

Maggie couldn't meet my eyes, moving them to her plate. "Maggie, we'll talk about it. Don't worry."

"It was him..." she started, "He was... I don't know even know how to explain it. The last in a long line of men I seem to find myself with?"

"We've all made mistakes, Maggie."

She shook her head. "My life has been one giant mistake since..." She trailed off and sighed. "Yeah, guess we'll need to have that talk later."

After breakfast, I escorted her outside for some fresh air, sitting her down in the chair on the veranda, Emily and I sitting to either side of her. I talked about life on the farm, what we were doing nowadays. Being the time of year, we were now seeding the fields as we grew wheat, barley and oats. Had a lot of cows and cattle, some for milking, others for meat. And, of course, sheep. Lots and lots of sheep.

"Have to diversify in today's world. No farm can focus on just one or two fields of production. Shit, some farms around here are going organic and all that sort of stuff."

"Doing well for yourself?" she wondered.

"Milk sucks. Has done for years. But meat will always sell at a profit, particularly if we have good qualify. Wool will never be an issue. The crops are the newest addition. Done well so far. Yeah, I think dad would be happy with the progress."

"God, feels like I've just wasted my life," she muttered.

"Maggie, you hated living here most of the time. This life never suited you, though... I guess the city hasn't exactly worked out either."

"True. Can't lie about that."

Maggie was understandably a little lost during the week. I have no doubt she noticed the affection between Emily and I. The only thing we didn't do in front of her was kiss, but there were the same number of hugs, whispered words of loves, and everything else one would expect to see from a couple in love. I noticed more than one glance from my sister, but I was surprised that she didn't raise any concerns. Perhaps she just thought her daughter had the hots for me and I was playing along.

To my surprise, she never asked where Emily and I were sleeping. I certainly didn't put any pillows and blankets in the living room to suggest I was sleeping on the couch. Sure, there was a third room, but that was mostly for storage, with a bed in there that was unmade. She never noticed Emily and I go to bed together, generally as she was in bed early each night. Emily and I certainly didn't stop making love, though made sure we kept the noise to a minimum. It was a little frustrating as Emily loved being vocal nowadays.

"I want to go see our parents' tomorrow," she said at breakfast on Saturday. Seeing the surprise on my face, she smiled. Now that the bruising had basically disappeared, she'd been sleeping okay, and was on the mend, she was starting to look like her old self. "While we're there, I guess the three of us should talk."

I wondered if she meant talk about what was obviously going on between Emily and I.

Maggie wanted to walk the next day. She still hobbled slightly, holding her arm, Emily holding my other hand, as we strolled up to where our parents were buried, our grandparents and other generations before them. We'd owned this land since the first white settlers had arrived in the area. Emily had brought along a rug and picnic basket, figuring we'd be spending a while there.