Kellie and Brad Ch. 10

He let her catch her breath before he posed his question.

"Did you?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," she softly replied.

Marc let out a low, self-satisfied laugh. "I will never, ever get tired of that," he declared.

"If you haven't noticed, I kind of like it myself," Sandra giggled.

Marc gathered Sandra in his arms and embraced her tightly. "Seriously though," he said, "how lucky am I? That weekend, when we first met, I had no expectations going in, but instead I find a gorgeous, sweet, kind-hearted and loving woman... and we fall in love and, despite the long-distance relationship and all that other stuff, we beat the odds and get married. It's still incredible to me how fortunate I am to have you in my life."

"I'm not the only one who's lucky," Sandra said as she tightened her own grip around her man. "I wasn't looking for love at the time, either. And yet I find it with you, a strong, handsome, loving man who's a perfect gentleman... and very sexy!" She rubbed his chest and kissed his neck to prove her point, making him groan and shiver with pleasure.

"And as a bonus," Marc added, "you not only have the most incredible breasts this breast-man has ever seen, you can also orgasm just with breast-play alone? It's..."

"It's like we were meant to be," Sandra finished for him.

"Exactly," he smiled, knowing how close they were to each other by how she finished his sentence for him.

Marc and Sandra kissed passionately. She gently grasped his engorged manhood and he grunted in approval.

"Enough preliminaries, baby," she whispered in his ear. "I want you inside me."

"Gladly," he replied.

He stepped out of his boxers and laid her on the king-sized bed. He raised her legs and slowly removed her soaked, skimpy panties. Crawling between her soft, creamy thighs, he guided his erect cock to the entrance of her wet pussy and, in one motion, sunk himself inside. They both moaned in ecstasy, Sandra as he filled her completely, and Marc as he felt her most heat surround him. Looking at each other, they sighed, smiled and expressed their feelings for each other.

"I love you, Marc."

"I love you, Sandra."

And with that, on the first night of their married life together, Marc and Sandra Cornish made sweet, sweet love for a long, long time.

********

Renewal of Wedding Vows:

Anita sat alone at a table, taking in the scene before her.

She was in one of the city's best banquet halls. The occasion was one of celebration. Earlier in the day Anita's sister, Jan, renewed her wedding vows with her husband, Jeff Granlund. It was a way for the couple to reset their relationship after some very tumultuous times. Wrapped up as she used to be in her own life and selfish ways, Anita only recently came to truly understand what they, and Jan in particular, went through.

Jan and Jeff were high school sweethearts, real-life people cut from stereotypical molds. He was the handsome star athlete and she was the blonde bombshell cheerleader. Even with their elevated status, they didn't have the sense of entitlement and cutting meanness some may have expected for high schoolers in their position. They were even more popular with everyone in school, fellow students and teachers alike, as a result. No one was surprised, nor did anyone begrudge them their happiness, when they became romantically involved.

They stayed true to each other throughout university and married a year after graduation. Jeff cashed in on the connections developed in his athletic endeavours to land a lucrative sales job. Meanwhile Jan also found a good job, working at the downtown branch of a large bank. Two years into their marriage Jan became pregnant. David was born nine months later, and he was the first of what Jan and Jeff hoped would one day become a houseful of kids.

That was before near-tragedy struck.

On her way to the grocery store one day, Jan was involved in a terrible, and terribly unlucky, car accident. She was driving through an intersection when another car ran a red light and plowed directly into the driver's side of her car. The driver of the other car had suffered a heart attack and passed out, and thus was unable to control his vehicle. It was truly an accident, one of those random vagaries of life that no one can explain or understand.

The close calls involved that day were staggering. For one, the side airbags in her vehicle probably saved Jan's life. Secondly, normally little David would have accompanied her mother, but Jeff had the day off and offered to watch him to let Jan shop in relative peace. If David was in that accident there was no telling what would have happened to him. As a bonus, the other driver survived not only the accident but his own heart attack thanks to the paramedics who happened to be close by the site of the crash.

The accident was not without cost, however. Jan's left leg was shattered and would never fully heal. Even worse, she also suffered some internal injuries. While they weren't life-threatening, one of the consequences was Jan's inability to bear any more children.

When the couple learned this they were emotionally devastated. Their dreams of having a large family with many children appeared to be ruined. The therapy required on her leg certainly took a physical toll on Jan, but the whole ordeal took an even larger mental toll on her and Jeff both. It put a huge strain on their relationship, to the point that, independent of each other, Jan and Jeff both thought about asking the other for a divorce.

The road to recovery was difficult, but over time the wounds, both physical and psychological, healed. Jan re-learned how to walk. For the rest of her life there would be good days and bad days, and the bad days would require dealing with pain and the use of a cane to move around. But on the good days she could move around enough to enjoy a relatively active lifestyle.

More importantly, Jan and Jeff rededicated themselves to each other. They focused on the good in their lives. They had each other, and they had David. Even through the difficulties in their relationship they loved their son, and now he was even more the centre of their world. Jan had also shared with Colleen and Anita that she and Jeff had discussed the possibility of adoption, even bringing up the possibility with David, who took the news as well as any only child his age could be expected to. Finally, things were looking up for Jan, and Colleen and Anita couldn't have been any happier.

Anita was moved by the ceremony. She smiled through her tears when Jan and Jeff renewed their wedding vows to each other. Anita was filled with pride for her sister for enduring adversity and coming out whole on the other side. Even though their circumstances were different, Anita looked to Jan as a role model to help her do the same.

She took another look around the banquet hall. Some of the guests had left for home, but there were still a fair number of people enjoying themselves. Near the head table Colleen was sharing a laugh with Jeff's mother. At the far end of the room, well within Anita's sights, were David and her little Johnny. As usual, it looked like Johnny was hanging on David's every word, and, as usual, David looked only too happy to have an appreciative audience. Anita smiled at how cute the two boys were together.

In the middle of the dance floor were Jan and Jeff. They were in a tender embrace and slow dancing, even though the music pumping from the speakers was fast and energetic. Not that Jan could do much dancing at regular speed, anyway, even though today was a good day for her.

When the song ended Jan kissed Jeff and slowly made her way to Anita's table. She eased herself down on the chair next to Anita and sighed, more than happy to take a load off for now.

"How's your leg?" Anita asked.

"It's a little sore," Jan admitted.

"I don't want to sound like Mom, but I hope you're not overdoing it."

"I'm trying not to, but I'm just having so much fun tonight, you know?"

"I do. You look so happy tonight, Jan. It looks good on you."

"Thanks Anita!" Jan put her hand on her sister's hand. "And thank you for sharing in my happiness today. It means so much to me."

The two sisters hugged and shared a quiet moment. Jan looked at Anita, who appeared to be thinking about something. Feeling her elder sibling protectiveness kick in, she decided to call her on it.

"Something on your mind, Anita?" she asked. Her question was met with a shrug.

"Come on," Jan pushed. "Talk to me. Maybe I can help."

Anita sighed. "I guess part of me wonders if I'll find the right man for me, like you have in Jeff."

Jan smirked and said, "My sister of a few years ago would have never said something like that!"

Anita rolled her eyes. "Ugh... don't remind me!"

"Sorry, Ani..." Jan said, using her old childhood nickname for her younger sister, before Anita interrupted her.

"No, Jan, it's OK. You're not wrong. But if I can change then I guess anything is possible, right?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I'm sure you'll find yourself a good man. You deserve it."

Anita nodded and thanked Jan. Then she let out a rueful-sounding chuckle.

"What?" Jan asked.

"There is a guy I've had my eye on for a little while..." Anita replied, leaving the thought unfinished.

"Oh?! Do tell, Ani!"

"I'm afraid there's nothing to tell, Jan. I really like the guy, he's definitely sexy... but I can't do anything with him."

"Why not?"

"He's already married."

Jan tried to stifle a laugh. She didn't want to upset her sister, but it still felt a bit strange to hear her talk this way. Anita noticed the smile peeking at the corners of Jan's mouth and shook her head.

"Oh, go ahead and say it!" she said with a grin. "I know you want to, damn you!"

Jan opened her mouth to repeat her earlier words; that the Anita of a few years ago would have NEVER said that, and she would have NEVER refused to act on her sexual desires. Except she couldn't. A giggling fit took hold of her instead, and even though she tried, she couldn't stop. Anita got caught up in it, and soon the two sisters were laughing long and loud until tears streamed down their faces. Finally they calmed down and settled into a few moments of quiet.

Then Jan spoke. "Anita?"

"Yeah?"

"Serious question?"

"Shoot."

"Do you wish you could turn back time?"

"And do what?"

"I mean... do you wish you had done things differently? I just wonder sometimes... maybe you wouldn't have had to go through the shit you did because of... you know."

Anita took a deep breath and thought for a long time before answering.

"I don't know," she said.

"Because without all that you wouldn't be the person you are now?"

"It's more than that. Anytime I start thinking along those lines, I remind myself I might not have had little Johnny in my life. I love him so much, Jan. I know how much you and Jeff love David, and I don't want to downplay that. But with my son and me... it just feels different, like I love him even more than any other parents could love their child, if that even makes any sense. There are days when, quite honestly, the only reason I get out of bed is Johnny."

Jan smiled and placed a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "I love you, Anita, and I'm proud of you," she said.

Through teary eyes, all Anita could say in response was "Thanks, Jan."

********

The Confrontation:

"Go through the report again," Paul ordered to Derrick, his policeman 'friend'.

"Jeez, Paul, seriously?!" Derrick yelled in exasperation.

"Yes, Derrick, and stop fucking whining while you're at it! Just do as I ask." Paul had his eyes closed and his brow furrowed in deep concentration.

"I just don't see the point, is all. We've already gone over it a hundred times. It's not like the information is going to magically change this time around."

"I need to think, Derrick. You reading the report will help me think."

Derrick sighed. "Fine," he said.

So he read the report again. He explained how he managed to get the best crime scene investigation team at the police force's disposal to go through Paul's house. The team painstakingly scoured every inch of the house, examining every possible piece of evidence, leaving no stone unturned, literally and figuratively.

And despite those efforts and all that hard work, they found nothing of any use.

No witnesses reported seeing anyone or anything out of the ordinary; it seemed most people in the neighbourhood were asleep at the time the incident occurred, or so they claimed. No fingerprints and no traces of any DNA other than what would have been expected -- Paul's and those of a young child and a woman -- were found, and the woman's prints and DNA did not match anything in the various police databases. No telltale items, nor anything out of place, were left behind.

There were also no signatures or patterns to match and compare to other crimes. Officially, no one on the city's police force or investigative teams had reported seeing anything like the events that took place at Paul's house. Unofficially, Derrick had done some digging on his own time and discovered three or four incidents that bore a lot of resemblance to what happened to Paul. Problem was, the "victims" in those cases were too embarrassed to involve the police, so no evidence was collected and no investigation conducted. Instead, the incidents were simply swept under the rug.

Even Paul's home computer couldn't provide clues. One of the perpetrators was apparently a computer expert; he or she downloaded a powerful virus that locked all the files and programs with military-level encryption codes, essentially rendering the computer a large, expensive paperweight.

The conclusion, then, was this case was still officially open and unsolved. However, unless someone came forward to either identify one or more of the perps, or admit his or her own guilt, the case could not be solved, and probably never would be.

As he always did whenever Derrick read the report, Paul tried to find some clue, some hint, some other angle they could explore that might break open this case. He knew, in his own dark heart, who did this to him, but somehow that person was able to get away without any link to the crime. His goal was not to bring this person and any other guilty parties to justice, though of course if it did happen he would be thrilled because it meant they would get exactly what they deserved.

Paul, however, had a different endgame in mind.

And once again he was no closer to reaching his desired conclusion. Not for the first time, that realization made him very, very angry.

"How is that possible?!" he asked Derrick. "How the FUCK is that FUCKING possible?!"

"Hey!" Derrick shouted back. "How about cooling your fucking jets?! I'm just the messenger here, don't forget. And I know for a fact everyone on this case worked their ass off..."

"Fat lot of good that did. Best CSI team, my ass!"

"Alright Paul, I've had just about enough of your shit..."

"Sit your ass down, Derrick! You're not done here until I say you are! Or do you want me to call your pretty wife and show her those pictures?"

Derrick slumped back down in the chair, his emotions a mixture of anger and total defeat. "How long are you going to blackmail me with those?" he asked.

"As long as I need to," Paul said with an evil grin.

"You're a fucking piece of shit, Paul."

"Flattery, my friend, will get you nowhere."

Derrick sighed and thought for a few moments. "Alright," he finally barked. "Since apparently you're the REAL crime-solving expert here, what do you think we should do?!"

"You know damn well what we should do!"

"Humour me."

"It's that damned doctor!" Paul growled.

Derrick rolled his eyes. "Ah, yes... the infamous, nefarious Dr. Cathy Wainwright!"

"Shut the fuck up! She's guilty as sin! I know it, you know it!"

"I'll tell you what I do know. There is absolutely no direct evidence that links Dr. Wainwright to this crime. The only thing we know for sure is that she treated your little lady-friend at the hospital after you roughed her up, but we'll never be able to get any other information out of that fact because of doctor-patient privilege. This doctor's no dummy. She would definitely clam up if we tried to talk to her. And even if by some miracle we got something useable from her, if we tried to bring it in court the judge would kick our asses out the door in record time. Face it Paul, it's a dead end."

Paul fumed in silent anger. Derrick, pleased to have the upper hand for once, decided to needle him a little more.

"You want to know what I think? You don't give a rat's ass about what this doctor did or didn't do! Do you? Except for one thing... she might know where your lady-friend ran off to."

Paul gave Derrick the evil eye. He was upset his policeman 'friend' had figured him out so easily.

"What's with this chick, anyway?" Derrick continued. "She must have been so amazing that she made you lose your mind, 'cause you don't even know her last name! You want me to help you find her so bad?! Well, how the fuck are we supposed to do that, genius, when you don't even know her full fucking name?!" He grinned at the impotent fury spelled out on Paul's face before further piling on. "And are you really that hard up for some tail that you have to pine for some girl that, when she got the chance, couldn't get the hell away from you fast enough?! What's so damned special about her?"

Paul had had enough. "None of your damn business," he said quietly. The mental fatigue was evident in his voice. "Go away. We're done here." He watched Derrick leave. The cop didn't say a word but had an annoying smirk on his face. Maybe next time he did that, Paul thought, he'd wipe that damned smirk off his face.

The last question he asked did ring in Paul's ears, though. What WAS so special about Anita? Yes, she was beautiful. Yes, she was vulnerable and seemingly there for the taking. But there was more to it than that. The real answer was deceptively simple.

She was the one that got away. And that bothered him to no end.

Paul spent some time in the aftermath of Anita's escape chiding himself for the mistakes he made. If he had done some things differently he might still have had her around.

If he wanted her to be, that is.

However, he spent most of that time being angry at others. Angry at Anita for having the gall to get away in the first place. Angry at those who helped facilitate that escape.

Anyone in his or her right mind would consider Paul's reaction to be irrational, mean and downright creepy. But it was more than fair to say that Paul was no longer in his right mind. This anger that he had stewed within him and fed into his delusions, more and more, until, tonight, it reached the breaking point.

He knew... deep down he KNEW... this arrogant bitch of a doctor held the key to everything. So he made a decision.

"Screw Derrick," he said out loud to his empty house. "I'm going to have me a little chat with the good doctor!"

Paul waited until later that night; he recalled his prior trip to the hospital with Anita being at night, so he reasoned that's likely when the doctor would be in. He drove to the hospital and went to the emergency waiting room. He found a seat that provided cover from the front desk but allowed a good view of the activity passing by. He kept an eye over that activity, resolutely avoiding eye contact with anyone else in the waiting room.

Even though he had only met Dr. Wainwright that one time, he remembered exactly what she looked like. The fact she had so blatantly stood up to challenge him that night made her unforgettable in his mind.

So Paul recognized her immediately when she strode briskly past the front desk. Everyone was so busy and preoccupied that no one noticed him stealthily trail the doctor. She turned left into a supply room and Paul followed right behind her.