Prince of Darkness vs Prom Queen 05

John nodded. "All we had to go on was your graduation invitation. Our mistake was believing you were still in the same area."

"Mom really went back to the house for me?" She sounded surprised by that fact.

"She did and she was incredibly guilty when she finally realized you weren't with me all those years. Before she got sick, she used to drive all around the area where the college was hoping to catch a glimpse of you somewhere. She knew I hired a detective and she called almost every day to see if he'd found anything. It wasn't easy for him. We had virtually nothing to go on. I'm ashamed that we didn't even have a current photograph of you. Even when she got sick she insisted on driving around looking for you whenever she was able to. I was with her just a few days before she died and she made me promise not to give up until I found you. I'm glad I was able to fulfill that promise, although it was only because of Donovan that I was."

Donovan was watching Laci very closely, still not sure of her reaction to what was happening. She appeared to be accepting everything that had happened but he wasn't entirely certain. "I didn't have very much to go on either but I hired some people to help. I found out yesterday morning about your mom and then I got a call about John's location. I called him immediately."

John was also watching Laci. "Judging from the tone of his voice, I think Donovan was prepared to do battle with me if I disagreed. He's a little forceful and assertive."

Laci glanced at her husband who sat next to her silently, the complete picture of innocence. "Yes he can be a little domineering sometimes but that's one of the things I love the most about him."

"Well, he didn't get an argument from me," John told her. "I was more than willing to do anything I had to do, anything he asked of me. Donovan told me how you lived, supported yourself, finished school. I can't believe what you accomplished and it says so much about you as a person. And so much about how I failed you as your father. Laci, what do I say to you? Just saying I'm sorry doesn't seem like nearly enough."

She was quiet for several minutes. "No, but it's a start. I'm not going to accept equal responsibility because I was very young and I did feel like a pawn between you and mom. I didn't feel wanted or cared for but I could have contacted you when I got older. I just didn't believe you cared. I thought you forgot about me. Having Matthew changed my perspective about many things. Yes, you should have been there for me but what I want to know now is . . . will you be there for your grandson?"

"If you'll let me, there is nothing I want more than to be here for him and for you. I have to go back tonight because of work but I have some vacation time next month. Donovan has already extended an invitation if you agree. I'd like to come back, get to know Matthew and Donovan and get reacquainted with you. Will you allow me to do that?"

Donovan was slightly concerned when she seemed to be thinking it over. He still didn't have a clear indication of her true feelings.

"I have one condition," Laci told her father, her eyes again filled with tears. "We're a family and if you're going to be a grandpa to Matthew, you have to be one to Jeremy as well."

More tears from John as he held his daughter in his arms. Donovan was right. It had been a soggy evening and Laci had surprised him again. The next time he needed a mediator or negotiator he was going to have to remember call in the Prom Queen. She was a true Master at sealing deals.

Chapter 8 Not Every Shoe-gasm Requires Shoes

Where was Laci?

Donovan had seen John out after arranging for a car to bring him to the airport for his flight back home. He was pleased when Laci's father seemed truly grateful for Donovan's assistance and intervention in reuniting him with his daughter and was looking forward to getting to know him better when John returned the following month.

He returned to the house anxious to see her, to make certain she was all right with everything that had happened and even more anxious because he had another gift for her. Laci didn't seem to be anywhere.

Where the hell was she?

"Laci!" he called out as he walked through the first floor of the house. If Virgil had been there, he would have been of some service helping to track her but he was undoubtedly standing guard where Matthew and Jeremy were sleeping. What was the point of having a fluffy dog-moose if he wasn't around when he was needed. Virgil. Damn that was a stupid name even if he did sort of like having a dog-moose in the house. A little. Maybe he could teach him to slobber on Victor's shoes.

"Laci!" He headed up the stairs calling louder. "Laci!"

"In here."

He finally located her sitting on the floor of her closet with a shoe box on her lap. The box looked old and was tightly tied with several pieces of string. She was just sitting, staring at the box.

He sat next to her, watching silently for several minutes before asking, "What are we doing?"

"Nothing."

"Is sitting on the closet floor a requirement for doing nothing?" She looked up at him but he was still having trouble reading her feelings. Like that was something new. "I mean I don't often do nothing so I don't know the rules. And I'm not much of a floor sitter. Well, that's not true. I've become more of a floor sitter since Matt but it's not really my favorite activity. Whenever I sit on the floor Virgil joins me. He sheds. And slobbers. And stares at me. I have to admit, the name Virgil probably does suit him but it's still a stupid name. Are we done doing nothing? If I want to do nothing in the future, do I have to come in here to do it and sit on the closet floor? Actually, that might not be a bad idea. Could be kind of peaceful. As long as that damned unicorn isn't in here staring at me. He hates me. Why does everyone stare at me? Virgil. Might be fine for a dog-moose but it's still a hell of a stupid name for a unicorn. Now are we done doing nothing? Will we be done soon? No rush. Just asking."

She was tempted to let him keep babbling. Nervous babbling was one of his most special qualities. She could listen to him forever, but it was their anniversary. She'd give him a break. This time.

"I can't believe you did that. I can't believe you found my father and brought him here," she said quietly.

Uh-oh. "Was that a happy 'I can't believe you did that' or a not so happy 'I can't believe you did that'?"

Her eyes were full of tears again. "It was a how could I possibly ever love you more than I already do but for some amazing reason I do love you more than I already do 'I can't believe you did that'."

Deep cleansing breath. This was good. "Laci, when you tell me you're happy and you have everything you've ever wanted, I truly believe it. You show it to me every single day and I think you are some kind of little miracle because I know I couldn't be that way. You have never dwelled in the past, not about your parents or Frank Harding or the way I treated you that first night or anything negative that's happened to you. I, on the other hand, tend to be a dweller and it's been bothering me ever since last year when you said you spent time blaming yourself for what happened. You needed some resolution and you needed to know you were never to blame for anything."

"I can't believe you remembered that."

"Laci, in spite of the many hours I have spent with Victor, which I have no doubt have eroded many of my brain cells, yes, I remembered. Of course I remembered. I just wish I had thought of it earlier although Matt kind of helped. Looking at him, I can't imagine ever turning my back on him for any reason even though I've had no problems doing just that with the rest of my family. You and Matt are my family now. You, Matt, Marian, Jeremy, even Victor and the dog-moose. And now we have a new family member. Wait until John finds out he has to be grandpa to a dog-moose, too. Somehow I don't think he'll mind."

"What did he say when you called him?"

"I don't think he believed me at first and I was prepared to show up at his office and tell him exactly what I thought of him but within a couple of minutes he was sobbing. I actually felt a little sorry for him. I'm still pissed at him. At both of them. I'm sorry about your mom, but I'm not giving her a pass either. Each may have thought you were with the other but to not try and make contact with you for so many years? To not call you or want to see you for birthday, or just want to see you period, because they were mad at each other? That's not acceptable. I don't care how much they hated each other. It wasn't fair to you." He smiled down at her. "Every so often, probably after a day with Victor, my mind wanders and I think about how lucky I am to have you. I've also wondered if one day I'd do something really dumb and you'd wise up and leave me. I know I'd be beyond devastated but I also know I'd still be Matt's father and I would never turn my back on him. There was no excuse for their behavior."

She smiled back at him. "The worst thing you ever did was shoving me into that ice chest and if one ever shows up here, I'm gone. Other than that, I plan to stay for a very long time."

"Understood. And relieved, although I think I've done a pretty good job of warming you up."

"Yes you have. On many occasions. And you have many warming years ahead of you."

That made him smile. "What's in the box?" He gestured to the shoe box still on her lap.

"My past." She pulled the strings off the box and opened it. "I haven't wanted to look at it for a long time, but now I want to." After a few minutes of flipping through things she handed him a photograph. "That was my mom." She handed him another. "That was me when I was about seven."

"Damn! Look at you! No wonder you're gorgeous now. You were stunning when you were seven. How many little boys did you have to run from in your lifetime? They must have been trying to steal kisses in the sandbox. Little perverts. Always wondered what it would have been like to have a little Prom Queen, but now I'm glad Matt's a boy. Although I have a feeling there will be quite a few Prom Queens chasing him. And Jeremy. One of these days there are going to be Prom Queens all over this house." He huffed slightly. "Damn good thing I have the best one. Hey! Speaking of Prom Queens, I have another gift for you. Virgil the Hateful Stare-er is holding it for me."

"Donovan! Another gift? After all you've already given me? Are there any sunflowers left in North America for anyone else?"

He pulled her to her feet and kissed her. "I can assure you that I have not wiped out the sunflower population, however, I did discover that sunflowers are the traditional flower for the third wedding anniversary, so I've decided to make sunflowers our traditional flower for our third and every other anniversary from now on. Plan on a lot of sunflowers in your future. I'm not relinquishing control on that issue, so don't even try."

"Agreed."

"Finally! Finally I have control of something. C'mon." Virgil was sitting in his usual place on the chair, holding what looked like a shoe box. "See. He's snarling at me. Even now when I'm being nice and giving you a gift. I'm telling you. He hates me." He leaned down and whispered to Virgil. "Just wait. There's a dog-moose in your future. Hey! He tried to bite me!"

"Donovan, he's a stuffed toy."

"Yeah. A stuffed toy with teeth." He glared at Virgil before handing Laci the shoe box. "Happy Anniversary."

She handed him a package she had been holding behind her back. "Open mine first. Happy Anniversary."

"This looks a lot like what you gave me last year, although it's not wrapped in a calendar page. It's not another peanut picture, is it?" He unwrapped it. "Hey! It is a picture of the peanut. And me. Together. Did you take this?"

"I did. I thought it was time you replaced the photo on your desk."

"I like the peanut picture, but there's plenty of room for this one too. Thank you. I love it."

"I thought I'd start my own tradition of taking a picture of my two favorite men every year and giving it to you as a gift. It will be an entire chronology of Matthew growing up with you right by his side."

"Except that now I'm holding him and as the years progress, eventually, he'll be holding me."

"I'm not concerned about that. I can think of several activities that will keep you in top shape for years to come. Actually more than several. Many more."

"I don't doubt that. Your turn. Open mine."

She unwrapped the box and gasped, her mouth dropping open for the third time that night. "Donovan! I can't believe you did this. They're so beautiful!"

Of course he had given her shoes, but not just any shoes. These were special. No question they were of the highest heel-iest, fuck-me-est variety of shoe, but these were cornflower-blue satin that matched her eyes perfectly. Embellished on the toe of each was a perfect, tiny, sparkling tiara.

He looked at her a little sheepishly. "They're Prom Queen shoes. I never got to dance with you when you were a Prom Queen and now I can dance with you any time I want. You might have to figure out the right way to use them though. You tend to be a bit creative with your dance moves and those diamonds are kind of scratchy."

"Diamonds? These are real diamonds?"

Of course. By the way, if I'm the Prince of Darkness and you're the Prom Queen, does that mean you outrank me?"

"Not in my realm. In my realm all royal ranks are equal. You do know that the Prom Queen usually wears more than just shoes, right? And her Prince usually wears a tuxedo."

He shrugged. "We'll improvise. You can wear your shoes and I can wear a bow tie. I have a feeling you'll be able to think of several innovative uses for it once you untie it."

"Agreed."

"Twice in one night? Are you lulling me into a false sense of security?

"Absolutely."

"Good. Come here, Your Majesty."

"What about my shoes?

"Not tonight. No shoes. No silk scarves. No tying privileges. Tonight, it's just you and me. Just the Prince of Darkness and his Prom Queen."

She didn't really understand why he questioned having control. He was in complete control as he caressed her clothing away, every touch a gentle and perfect stroke. Then he was as naked as she was, looking as strong and powerful as ever, his muscles rippling under her fingertips, the proof of how much he craved her hard and very obvious.

There were kisses. Deep kisses that always made her breathless. His touch was gentle and skilled and seductive, wandering across the softness of her skin, searching for his favorite part of her. She loved listening to the satisfied sounds he made when he discovered she was wet and hot. For him. Only for him. Why would she ever want anyone else?

It was hard to keep track of who was touching whom and where they touched each other, but that didn't matter. His touch was always magic, although she was pretty magical as well judging from the soft, lusty growls that were rumbling from him. He was using every part of his body to show how much he wanted her, loved her, and she was showing him right back.

He loved listening to her, to those soft, gasping little sighs. And he loved touching her in just the right way to hear her make those sighs. She was quivering with heat and flame, burning and pulling both of them to the edge. Why would he ever want anyone but her? She was pure perfection.

She stroked lower, her fingers closing around him, listening to his moan of total and complete satisfaction. She loved him like no one else and this was all she ever wanted from him. All of him. Nothing else. And she wanted him now.

She pulled him closer, onto her, into her. Eagerly. Ravenously. His dark eyes stared into her blue eyes, adoring her and indulging her however he possibly could to make her happy. Her eyes were darker than ever making him feel as though he was lost in them and he never wanted to find his way back. Her fingers raked through his hair and he claimed another kiss from her. And another.

He was hard, pressing slowly into her, filling her. They were two people; two coming together as one. One. Soaring over and over. Hot. Wet. Soaring higher. Surging. So high he could swear he felt like he was ascending straight through the clouds and into the heavens. And that was appropriate, because as far as he could tell, they were both seeing stars.

Correction. They were both seeing galaxies.

She was snuggled against him, right where she needed to be. Right where he always wanted her to be. How special to be able to hold happiness and love in his arms.

"You sure you're okay with everything that happened tonight?" he wanted to know.

"I'm very okay but I don't know how you'll ever top this anniversary. Now there really isn't anything I want. Thank you, Donovan. For everything."

"I'll figure it out and thank you, Laci. For everything else."

"Is it true there's a trip to Disneyland in our future?"

He groaned at her question. "I can see you've been talking to Victor again. I guess we should probably wait until the kids are a little older. In a year or two they'll be so used to Victor, the sight of a giant dog or mouse won't bother either of them. Maybe we can leave Victor somewhere between the pirate ride and the Haunted Mansion. He'll enjoy that. He'll be among his people." Donovan was silent for a minute. "Does Mickey Mouse stare? I don't think I'd like a staring mouse. I have enough staring in my life."

"I don't think you have to worry about Mickey. Minnie might not be able to take her eyes off you. And there are all those princesses. They'll be mesmerized when they see the Prince of Darkness."

"Hell, I'm not interested in princesses. I have a Prom Queen with shoes. That's all I need."

"I love you, Donovan."

"I love you, Laci. With or without shoes." He was quiet for a moment. "Umm...have you decided yet what you're going to do with my bow tie?"

"Not yet. I think I'll surprise you."

He caught sight of his nemesis. Virgil. Was the stupid unicorn smiling at him? Nah. Must be his imagination. Hmm... Was that a friendly smile or an evil plot smile? "Hey, Laci? Promise me you won't tie me to Virgil. I draw the line at that. No Virgil tying. Not to either of them. Ever."

*****

I started this story believing it would be a one-time submission. Instead, I have had an incredible experience with Bigg_Mike, Laci, Donovan, Virgil, all the other characters and all of you who have read the story of the Prince and the Prom Queen.

I don't write with an outline or any clear idea of where I am going. I had no idea Victor was going to be such a major part of the story. I wasn't expecting Virgil to stay from start to finish. I had no idea Laci was going to be reunited with her father. That's what makes writing my joy. I get to be surprised along with everyone else when it all comes together.

When I started this story, I was working on a book using the same style of writing. I'm going back to finish it and then...who knows? Perhaps Laci and Donovan will have a few more adventures. If anyone wants to keep in touch, I will certainly let you know when Virgil is again ready to stir up a bit of trouble and if you have any suggestions for the Prince & his Prom Queen, I would love to hear them.

A huge THANK YOU to Bigg_Mike for editing and everything else. I hope if Laci and Donovan return, you will be right there with us.

Another THANK YOU to everyone who has read, commented, and sent emails. If any of my books are ever published -- and I am working on that -- I hope you will read and enjoy those, as well.

CHWH