Innocence Redux

Mum and Pip were entwined in a lovers kiss, breasts mashing together. I felt Sara nudging me, then it was kinda hazy fuzzy, noises, pushing.

I was soaked in sweat and groaned. Sara was sat over me and grumbling.

"Huh! sh'ure turn to make tea, you've been dreaming and were a real pain. Throwing yourself all over and shouting out" she said, sliding down and under the duvet.

Wide awake now, I sat and thought back to the dream. I wondered why it had occurred again.Each time it did it varied slightly but it was so real.

I rose and padded out the bedroom, looking in the second bedroom I found Al and her boyfriend cuddled up. I grinned, since meeting Pete, Al had blossomed, she really was a grown woman now. I turned to go, Al stirred looked at me and slipped out of bed. I saw her reach for her demure nightdress, which she'd left over the chair with the rest of her clothes. I watched s she pulled it over her head, slipping her arms into the sleeve.

I saw her mouth, "Pervert." But she was grinning.

As I walked to the bathroom she caught me up and cupped my cheek.

"Nice arse brother, "

I felt 'little me' lengthen and tent my boxers.

"Oh dear, you'll not be able to pee for ages, I'll go first then." She grinned and skipped in front of me.

"You only had to ask," I said,

"I know but that would be easy wouldn't it and I don't get to see that stiffy do I?"

She grinned, gave me a little wave and walked into the bathroom, I followed and sat on the edge of the bath.

"Does Pete know about.." I gestured between us, she smiled,

"No and there's no need is there?"

"No I suppose not, you are happy though aren't you."

"Perfectly, you?"

"Of course I am, Sara's brilliant, it's been what six years now, I'm wait, Thirty two, wow, an old man."

"Will you and Sara have kids?"

I sighed, it was our secret, nobody but the two of us knew. It was a burden and I needed to lighten my load. I'd debated it for ages, but had said nothing, it was inside me like a little worm. I knew I had to tell Al at some point. We had few secrets now.

"Al, Sara had an abortion at sixteen, they botched it, we can't have kids." I filled up, my head down. I sobbed.

"Oh No! Poor you, you both must be devastated, poor poor Sara."

With everything else it was too much I felt my guts twist and lurched forward, Al jumped up and I heaved into the bowl. Retching as my stomach returned everything inside me. Sara and Pete must have heard because they both bounded in.

"What happened?" Sara asked kneeling beside me.

I retched and felt Sara's cool hand on my brow, I sobbed.

Al knelt by Sara and hugged her.

Sara began crying,

"He told you.."

"Yes my love he did, I'm so, so sorry, I had no idea and never meant to pry."

Pete, disappeared and returned with a glass of water, he stood beside me and tapped my shoulder. Standing, I turned to take it, grateful for the chance to freshen my mouth. The first mouthful I sluiced round my mouth and spat out. I sipped the rest and flushed the toilet. I dropped the lid and sat. Al's arm round my legs as she held Sara. Sara slowly stopped crying and I stood as Al deposited her on the seat. I held Sara's hand.

"I was sixteen and stupid, I'm still paying for it." Sara said slowly.

"No we all make mistakes, it's just how we deal with it makes the difference, what doesn't kill makes you stronger," said Pete, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I sat on the edge of the bath, staring at Al and Sara.

I looked at the reality of that day. Thinking things could have been so different if we'd arrived at mums fifteen minutes or twenty minutes earlier. As it was, she died in the ambulance. They couldn't revive her. They tried, we're sure they tried, although we weren't there, I know she had the best help she could have. When we arrived we were sat in a small office with those horrible plastic seated chairs. Someone, I can't remember the face, told us calmly and slowly that Mum was gone, there was nothing they could do, they tried for twenty minutes, but to no avail. When they arrived she was already dead.

Poor Al went into a downward spiral, blaming herself. We took her in and had spent many nights, the three of us in bed, Al needing us there, tears and talk, endless talk. We tried to get her to accept that Mum, utterly betrayed by Tom, feeling so lost and alone, had taken her life, not because of Al, but in spite of her. Al had counseling and therapy. Dad and Pip paid, but we insisted she live with Sara and I. Sara had made the decision to move in within hours of Mum dying. She accepted my Insisting we put Al in the spare room. We were very close. We hugged constantly, Al needing to feel wanted and loved.

It had taken a few years before Al was anywhere near clear in her mind. Then she met Pete, they just clicked. I liked him, Sara loved him. They were so right together. Dad and Pip were overjoyed at Al's blossoming again. Pete had become a fixture around the house, Al and he made their nest in our spare room. Sara and I married, we had AL as chief bridesmaid. Pete was my Best Man. It was a happy day. Al and Sara looked radiant. Pete's speech was hilarious.

In the here and now, Al took Pete's hand and led him out, turning as she left.

"I'm going to tell him," she said nodding.

Sara and I just looked at her.

"Everything?"

"Everything, he deserves to know." She said with a finality.

We heard the door shut and I took Sara downstairs. We made tea and toast, I tuned into a news channel. An hour or so later Pete came down. We stood as he came in, He man hugged me then wrapped Sara in his arms, kissing her head.

"Thank you for what you did for Al, I mean it, not many brothers would care that much for their sister. " He broke down and we took turns to hug and hold him.

Tom had attacked Al, trying to force himself on her then boasted about it to Mum, saying she begged him for it. How she wanted him to give her a baby. That she would be his forever, and how he befriended Mum to be near Al. Overcome with anger and remorse Mum had OD'ed and we'd arrived too late to save her. However It was all too much for Al and it tore her apart, she had a total meltdown. The rest is, as they say, history.

Oh and Tom had a crisis of conscience. He failed to come home one night taking himself off to a cheap motel that had no CCTV covering it. It was quiet, discreet and no questions were asked about luggage.

Al, Sara and I were home together all evening, not that we needed an alibi...

How'd he die? well he cut his cock off and bled out.