Gaia's Champion Ch. 06

"Up to my room to go to bed," Eva said tiredly.

"Not without me, you're not," Liz told her in a decisive tone.

Before Eva could say or do anything to protest, Liz leaned in, kissing the woman. The gesture surprised her, but soon melted into the kiss, responding in kind. Her arms snaked around Liz's thick curves, feeling the full scope of the woman she held.

Breaking away from the kiss, she saw that Liz wasn't after more sex, though she wouldn't have complained if she was. No, Liz was after some companionship for the evening, someone to lie next to and wake next to in the morning light. If Eva was being honest with herself, she wanted that. It had been too long since she'd enjoyed that simple pleasure.

Making no further excuses, Eva motioned for Elizabeth to lead on. Smiling, Liz marched up the stairs with Eva following her closely. They walked on in and dropped their clothes on the floor, before closing the door behind themselves. Eva then approached Liz and kissed her gently, just feeling the moment. Liz kissed her back, and they held each other for a while, just standing there, naked.

"I am getting a little cold," Liz admitted. Snickering, Eva sauntered over to the bed and climbed in, with Liz maybe a heartbeat behind her. They cuddled up to each other beneath the comforter, sharing their body warmth.

"How did you know?" Eva asked quietly.

"Know what?"

"About the oppressive lifestyle that we were living under?" Eva asked.

"Amy and I bonded over the long weekend. She opened up about the how things were, still living at home and all," Liz told her.

"She could trust you? Just like that?" Eva wondered.

"Well, I would think an earthshaking lesbian encounter like we had would be a serious taboo among the church," Liz told the older woman.

"A fair and accurate assumption. The sect is very anti-LGBTQ and expels anyone who harbors any such sympathies. They don't want 'corrupted ways' to seep into their doctrine," Eva explained.

"They don't know what they're missing," Liz stated, smiling and kissing her on the nose.

"That they do not. I am saddened that Darren fell too far under his father's sway, but at least Amy could break free," Eva said.

"We take whatever victories we can, when we can," Liz told her.

"Mmmmm! Tonight was definitely a... 'victory' of sorts," Eva grinned.

"How so?"

"You could say that now I have... embraced that which I kept at arms' length, and I will want more. If I am welcome to it?" she asked, with a tentative smokiness to her voice.

"You will always be welcome to it," Liz told her before she kissed her. Eva returned the kiss, grateful to have found such an accepting woman. If this was what two of Amy's new friends were like, she was excited to meet the rest! The women then began to drift off, the bliss of sleep claiming them both within minutes. They both then dreamed of many happy dreams and of many... exciting encounters.

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Elizabeth heard the chiming sound that was her alarm sounding off, waking her out of a deep slumber. She blinked her eyes open and reached for her phone, shutting off the alarm. She then glanced over to where Eva lay next to her and smiled. It had been a while since she'd had a woman in her bed and none so gorgeous! The memory of last night threatened to anchor Liz to the bed, but she remembered that she had work.

With a grunt, she crawled out of bed, careful to not disturb the sleeping woman still in it. She padded over to the bathroom, to do her morning business, before climbing into the shower. It was still early yet, but she had her routine down to a tee and having this habit helped prepare her for the workday ahead.

She didn't dally in the shower for very long, taking at least a minute to enjoy the heat of the water after scrubbing herself clean. There were some aches that ran through her body, but they of the pleasant variety. Ones that she would be eager to have again. She let the water play on her sore parts, letting the heat do its magic, before shutting off the water.

Stepping out of the tub, she grabbed her towel and dried herself off, before wrapping it around her nude body. Sure, she didn't have to worry about modesty considering what happened last night, but it was still cool. As she opened the door to head back to her room, a wave of tantalizing scents assaulted her nose. Taking a good whiff, she could smell bacon frying, along with some kind of pastry that was cooking.

Groaning in delight at the delicious smells, Liz rushed back to her room to get dressed, thinking Eva had started breakfast. She walked back into the room and quietly selected her scrubs for the day, tossing on a pair of panties and a bra before donning the uniform. She glanced over at the bed and noticed that Eva was still in it.

This confused Liz, as she was sure that it was Eva downstairs cooking breakfast. Was Amy whipping up something to eat? She wouldn't know for sure, at least until she got down to the kitchen. After slipping on a pair of socks and disconnecting her phone, Liz made her way down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. Instead of Amy being there, she saw Jason moving about, multitasking as best as he could.

"Liz! Perfect timing! Would you mind looking after the French toast while I handle the bacon? I don't want to burn it and ruin breakfast," he asked her.

Nodding dumbly, Liz slid over to the pan was on the stove and started flipping the toast that lay on it. Jason busied himself with minding the bacon and transferred it to a plate, which held more bacon. Having finished that, he took the plate and popped it into the toaster oven to keep it warm, as he went about cleaning the greasy pan. As Jason finished, he opened the cupboards, finding the plates and glasses he was searching for.

"When you're done with that, pop them in the oven with rest of them, then bring the platter to the table," he said, heading off to the adjacent room.

Liz did as he asked, finishing with the food before bringing it over, to where he had set the table. He then bolted back behind her, returning moments later with the bacon and a jug of orange juice. Liz couldn't help but smile at the thoughtful gesture, as she was sure that he'd made enough to feed Eva and Amy too.

"Thoughtful of you, making enough to feed everyone," Liz commented.

"Well, when a trio of ladies make your night one to remember, then it's only common courtesy to make breakfast for them the morning after," he told her, giving her a sly look.

Warming under his gaze, Liz sat down and helped herself to some steaming food while Jason bustled off. He returned a few moments later with a pitcher of water and orange juice. After pouring her a glass of each, Jason too sat and dug into the meal before them. With the events of the night before having drained their energy, they were both ravenous and polished off at least half of what Jason had made.

"Now that hit the spot!" Liz sighed as she stretched, standing as she did.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'll get this food put away before we leave," he said as he stood.

"I'll get the dishes," Liz said, fixing Jason a look that told him not to argue. He smirked, knowing that arguing with her would a futile endeavor and nodded. With the both of them working on the mess, it took them maybe five minutes to clean everything up. They both took off upstairs to kiss Amy and Eva goodbye, which the sleeping women enjoyed before they nodded back off.

Grabbing her purse, and making sure that he had everything, Liz and Jason walked into the garage and got into her car. She pulled out and made her way to Jason's apartment with him giving her directions. Since it was still early, most of the roads weren't too busy yet. But that would change in about an hour, when the rest of the city woke up. They arrived at his apartment building and pulled up to the curb.

Jason bolted on in, getting to his apartment in a matter of seconds. He tapped into his druidic power slightly, just so he could move with little impediment. He scooped up his equipment, a few snacks, and his work boots before he locked up and made his way back outside. He got back into Liz's car and they were off, taking only a brief stop at Timmies for two coffees.

After he told her where his worksite was, Liz drove there with no problem, having spotted the place a few times before. Maybe thirty minutes later, she pulled up to the job site and dropped Jason off. He thanked the woman for the lift, before kissing her on the cheek. She blushed slightly and kissed him, before turning the car around to head off to the hospice where she worked.

Jason walked on into the job site and towards where his crew was waiting. He took a glance about and saw that Brad nor his crew were lurking around. He guessed that he might have put some solid fear into that asshole. Smirking at the memory of the day before, Jason whistled a merry tune and walked to where his crew waited. The moment he walked in on the group, he knew that something was up. They all looked forlorn and angry about something.

"Hey guys, what's with the long faces?" Jason asked.

"It's Joe and Henry. They want to see ye and from what we could tell, it wasn't good," Terry told him, his usual jovial demeanor dampened.

"Did they say why exactly they wanted to see me?"

"No, but we guessed that it had something to do with what happened yesterday," Tomas said seriously.

Sighing in annoyance, Jason steeled himself and marched over to the trailer where Joe and Henry setup shop. They liked to ensure that everyone got along well, which was what made them good employers. It also allowed them to get a handle on anything that transpired, so that any incident would be dealt with quickly, with zero chance to escalate. He stumped up the stairs and walked into the office trailer.

Both men were in a heated argument about something and Jason guessed it was him. With the way they suddenly cut off all chatter the moment he walked in, Jason was sure of it. The brothers looked like they were at their wits' end about it and sighed unhappily. Joe, the elder brother and leader of the two, spoke first.

"Jason, glad you came to see us. Please, have a seat."

"I think I'll stand Joe, thank you. You and Henry wanted to see me about something?" Jason asked. He hoped that this wasn't a misunderstanding.

"Yes. We received a report about an incident yesterday, that happened on the job site. It was off regular hours, but that it happened here and among our employees is unacceptable," Joe started.

"Whoa, if this is about the trees that my crew was working with, let me tell you, that wasn't our fault! We were just working with what they gave us," Jason replied, thinking it was an inquiry into his performance.

"No. This is about the scuffle you had with Brad yesterday. You know we don't condone fighting, especially if you're the one who started it," Henry put in.

"What? That little scuffle that Brad and I got into yesterday, could hardly be called a fight! He was the one who started that shit in the first place!" Jason shot back, incensed that he was being blamed for it.

"Regardless of the matter that everyone else backs up your story, we have little choice but to suspend you, pending an investigation into your actions," Joe finished.

"That is absolute horseshit! Like I said, Brad was the one who started the fight! He's just all pissy because I put him in his place for once!" Jason fumed.

"You put him in his place? How?" Joe asked, intrigued.

Jason recounted the story from his point of view, which was the truth, as he had nothing to hide. Henry sat there, taking notes of the incident and was surprised at what happened. It also impressed Joe at Jason's strength of character and temperament, as many would have decked Brad for the garbage he pulled. Both brothers were saddened and told Jason as much.

"Even though this would exonerate you, our hands are tied. The order to suspend you came from Mrs. Van DerBrandt, demanding that you be pulled from the project. We don't know what's going on, but somehow, Brad convinced her to side with him, which led to this," Joe told him.

"How the fuck is that snarky little shit getting away with this?!?" Jason growled.

"We honestly do not know. Although you are being suspended, you are being suspended with pay and will keep your job and position. That's the best we could do, considering what she originally called for," Henry replied.

"What was she asking for?" Jason wondered.

"That is a private matter, but if you wish to take it up with her, then you may. Her trailer isn't far from here," Joe told him before dismissing him.

Jason had every intention of taking it up with Mrs. Van DerBrandt and headed there immediately after Joe and Henry dismissed him. As they said, the trailer wasn't very far and Jason moved along, walking up the stairs and letting himself into the trailer. The inside of it differed from what he imagined.

The interior of the trailer wouldn't have looked out of place in a high-powered business office downtown. It even looked the part, every piece of furniture and accent in the place, pristinely chosen and placed. He supposed that it reflected the woman who inhabited the trailer and was impressed by how tasteful it was. Jason was the snapped out of his musings by the coughing of a feminine voice.

He turned around and gazed at a beautiful and elegant young woman, who looked to be about his age, maybe younger. She stood and comported herself with a classical elegance and poise that he'd rarely seen women her age do. Her features, even down to the way she styled her hair, made her look as though she was a younger version of Carlotta. From what Jason could tell, she was, except for two major differences; her bust was maybe smaller and her eyes were grey instead of brown.

"May I help you?" she asked in a dispassionate voice.

"Yes, my name is Jason Bjornsson and I am here to speak with Mrs. Van DerBrandt about a personal matter," Jason stated as warmly as he could manage.

"I know who you are, and Mrs. Van DerBrandt has no time for you today. She is indisposed, as she is with someone and will see no one else today," she informed him coldly.

"Surely she could make some time..." Jason began before she cut him off.

"No, she will not. Now kindly remove yourself from this office," she told him, with an underlying threat in her voice.

"Very well, I'll leave. But before I do, I would have your name please," Jason told her.

"Why do you wish to know my name?" she asked with suspicion in her eyes.

"Common courtesy. I have told you my name and I would like to know yours, as I would hate to refer to such a lovely woman as 'hey you.'" Jason informed the woman. The look on the woman's face had gone from surly to mildly annoyed and somewhat intrigued. She stared at him for a moment, as if studying the man before giving her answer.

"Karla. Karla Dressler."

"Thank you, Ms. Dressler. I'll be going then," Jason said, before turning around and leaving, knowing that he was already pushing his luck.

He walked on out and wondered how he would have time to speak with the woman in charge, when a pygmy guard dog was standing watch. If only he could be a fly on the wall, just to figure out what was going on in there. Then an idea came to him as it literally, flew in front of his face. He looked up at the retreating avian form as it was landing on a high branch up a nearby tree.

Remembering his unique gifts, Jason strode over to where the trees were and made sure he was out of sight. He then extended his Gaian senses to touch the minds of the birds in the tree. It was a grouping of black-capped Chickadees who were nesting in some old squirrel burrows. He called to them, asking for their help.

The Chickadees were happy to help the newest Druid and champion of Gaia. The males and some females flocked down to answer his call for help. He chuckled at their eagerness and though he was glad for the help; he required only the smallest of them. The others were sad that they weren't chosen, but Jason had a job for them. He had them perch themselves on nearby trees as lookouts, as he would need his full concentration to make his idea work.

Once the smallest of the females had been selected, Jason focused his power upon the bird. His intent clear, he instinctually imbued two runes upon the bird. The first was a Rune of Seeing, so Jason could see what the bird saw. The second one was a Rune of Understanding, so that the bird could understand anything it heard, in any language.

Jason then etched the runes into the bird's wings and they were clear to him, but would be invisible to anyone else who did not possess access to Gaia's magic. Smiling, he set the bird to waiting on the top of the doorframe, for someone to walk on out. Jason then made his way to a cluster of nearby bushes, so he could keep his concentration and stay out of sight.

Focusing his magic, he made it so he was watching through the bird's eyes and guiding it, but not outright controlling it. He didn't have to wait long, as the door opened, and out stepped Brad, looking both smug and satisfied with himself. Jason fought the urge to just dive on the bastard and have the Chickadee peck his eyes out. The bird might have done so anyway, as the darkness rolling off the man was enough to turn its tiny stomach.

Focusing on why he was doing this, Jason had the bird quickly fly into the trailer before the door closed. He took a quick moment to send a message to the others, asking them what the man was doing. They reported back to him instantly, telling him that the man was walking away from the trailer in a swaggering walk, like he owned everything around him. With any luck, that swagger would change into a meek shuffle soon.

Going back to the Chickadee in the trailer, it was hopping towards the door into Mrs. Van DerBrandt's office. It was closing and Jason willed it to fly over, before the door shut. The bird made it, with only the tip of its tail feathers being caught in the door which were thankfully easy to pull out. He then implored it to hop over to the small stand by the window in the room and sit nearby.

Through its eyes, he saw both women arguing heatedly, as though they were in complete disagreement about something. He had the bird pay more attention to what was being said, and it took a minute, before Jason could understand. He could tell that the women were speaking Dutch, but oddly enough he understood perfectly. It was almost as though he spoke the language himself. Brushing it off, he listened.

"... it will never stop! You know he will continue to ask for more and more until he drains you of everything that you have!" Karla ranted.

"I know, but right now, he has asked for little. Only to ensure that he has a job, and that we removed the one who stood up to him," Carlotta replied.

"Yes. Speaking of which, he was here earlier," Karla told her.

"Who?"

"The man you demanded to be fired. Mr. Jason Bjornsson," Karla said.

"He was here?" she asked.

"Yes. I sent him off, telling the man that you were far too busy today. I know you hate being stressed like this Auntie," Karla soothed the older woman. 'Carlotta is Karla's aunt? That explains why they look so much alike!' Jason mused before he resumed his listening.

"Thank you for that. I would have fired him, but those gentlemen who we hired, Joe and Henry, convinced me to suspend the man, with pay. Given what they've told me about him, I'm glad they did so," Carlotta stated.

"You spared him? Why?"

"Apparently, Mr. Bjornsson has helped to keep their crews together. He has been an exemplary employee and is often helping those who lag in their work. He's a team player which is why he has been their crew leader for the last year or two," Carlotta explained.