Southern Cross - Pt. 01

"Before I could say anything, he started beating me. One of his first punches broke my jaw, the next broke some ribs -- and he didn't stop. This went on for hours before he finally stopped, only because his phone was ringing. He went into the bedroom to talk, so I had a chance.

"I somehow crawled to my purse, found my phone, and dialed 9-1-1. I could barely speak, but I told the dispatcher my name and address, and that my fiancée was beating me."

"Ok Sara, I have several units near you, and they are on their way. Can you get someplace safe?"

"No, I can hardly move. He's been beating me for hours, and I think he's going to kill me. Please hurry."

"Sara, the units are almost there. What is you fiancee's name?"

"Jeff. Jeff Murphy, and he's a cop. Please hurry -- he's coming back. Oh my god, please help me."

"Just then Jeff stepped back into the room and saw what I was doing. He could also hear the sirens getting closer, and he just flipped out."

"You bitch! What did you do? Did you call for help? Lotta good that's going to do now."

Just then there was a pounding on the door along with a shouted 'open up, police'. A second later the door crashed in and six cops ran into the room, weapons drawn. Jeff had picked me up by my hair and was holding me in front of him, as a human shield. The cops slowly entered the room, surrounding him, all the while yelling at him to put me down and to drop his weapon. He only laughed, knowing I was almost dead. He then made the mistake of lowering me just a bit, and four cops shot him with their tasers -- which caused him to drop me. In a flash he was handcuffed and the EMTs were ushered in.

"The first one in saw me, gasped, and turned around to throw up. Amazingly, even after the beating I endured, I was still conscious enough to not let the male EMT touch me, after what Jeff had done to me. Luckily, there was a female on the crew, and several cops were women as well. I was in such bad shape that they couldn't find a viable vein to put an IV in, and the thought of being belted to the gurney made me scream in pain, so they had to physically hold on to me on the trip to the hospital.

"The driver knew how badly I was hurt, so drove faster than normal. We finally arrived at the hospital, and the nurses were almost in tears looking at me. I was in so much pain, that after my initial surgeries, the doctors put me in a medically induced coma, just to ease my pain and let me heal.

"After all was said and done, I spent more than three months in the hospital and two more in a rehab center, learning how to be a person again. When I was finally healthy enough, I had my day in court. Jeff had opted for a bench trial, knowing once a jury saw the pictures of what he had done, he was toast. However, the judge who drew the trial wasn't putting up with any of his bullshit, and he was convicted of a multitude of offenses. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison and made to pay a huge fine and compensation.

"The next week, my lawyer met with my former bosses with all the materials I had given her months before. She went into the meeting demanding a settlement of $50 million, and if they said no, she was filing suit the next morning. At first they denied everything, but after seeing the emails and hearing the voice recordings, their lawyers told them to settle. We ended up with a $5 million settlement. And once I was fully healed and released by my doctors, I left that life behind and came out here.

"Luckily, my university was really understanding, and gave me an extension of 10 months to finish my work. Which, by the way, was all turned in yesterday. So if all goes well, you will soon be able to call me Dr. Owens. And now you have it -- the sad, sordid tale of Sara Owens from California."

Jack sat there silent and devastated. He'd never heard such a story, and was shocked that Sara had even survived. When he finally came to his senses, he realized Sara was softly crying, so he held his arms open for her. She hesitated for a moment, and then was enveloped by Jack's arms. Her crying continued, with her quietly whispering "why did he do that to me? I loved him and he tried to kill me. Why did he do that, Jack? Why?"

After Sara had exhausted her tears, she was still sitting next to Jack, with his arms holding her close.

"You know, you are the first man I've allowed to touch me since that night. Other than the doctors, of course. Even in rehab I couldn't stand to let a male therapist touch me. I guess this is a good sign."

"Yeah, I think it is. Now, I'm not a therapist or a shrink, but I do recognize when someone needs help. Not in a bad way, but I think you need to see someone who can help you deal with what happened. Not to make it go away, because that will never happen. But help you so can get on with your life without the specter of that night haunting you.

"I also think you shouldn't be alone tonight, so let's close everything up, head to my house, make something for dinner, and you can spend the night. I have more than enough room. And then tomorrow, if you want, we can speak to Jean-Pierre; I'm sure he knows someone who can help. How does that sound?"

Sara was quiet, pondering Jack's offer. Deep down she knew he was right -- she needed professional assistance to help her live with her past. And he was also correct about her not being alone tonight.

"That all sounds scary, but probably what I need to do. Thanks, Jack. You're a good friend."

The next morning, Jack woke to the aroma of fresh coffee and the sounds of someone splashing in his pool. Throwing on shorts and a t-shirt, he first made his way to the kitchen for some coffee, bringing it out to the pool deck where he saw a naked Sara frolicking in the water.

"Jack, this is great! Why didn't you tell me about this! Come on in and join me."

Knowing Sara was naked, Jack declined her invitation.

"No, I'm going to enjoy my coffee and watch the mermaid in my pool enjoying herself."

"Ok, suit yourself, but you are missing out on a great time. How many people can say they swam with a real mermaid?"

After a while Sara got out of the pool, walking naked to the table where her towel was. She was unashamed of her nakedness, which Jack saw as another good omen of her recovering mental health.

"So, what's the plan for today, Jack?"

"After I make breakfast and you get dressed, we should pay Jean-Pierre a visit to get names of therapists, and also to find Charlotte, one of his officers who is an expert on self-defense, especially for women. Not that I expect problems, but it's always good to know how to defend yourself."

Hours later, appointments had been made with both Dr. Madison Dumont and Charlotte for the next day. Dr. Dumont was highly regarded in her field, and Sara was anxious to get started with her. And Claudette happily agreed to teach Sara how to defend herself.

Several months later, Jack and Sara were having dinner one night at a restaurant along the waterfront. They had some time between gigs and were enjoying the time off. In that time, Jack had seen a marked difference in Sara, both physically and mentally. As part of her self-defense training, Charlotte had Sara working out in the gym, weight training for added strength. Whenever Sara wore a bikini or a tank top, Jack could see how her body had changed, adding muscle to her already sculpted body. Mentally, Sara seemed much more at ease with the world, several times engaging Jack in discussions of her past. His business was booming, mostly because word had gotten around of Sara's expertise, and people were anxious to hear what she had to say. All in all, life was going well.

Sipping their after dinner coffees, Sara looked across the table at Jack.

"You've been awfully quiet tonight, Jack. Is anything wrong?"

"No, just thinking. I want to tell you something, but I want it to come out the correct way."

"That sounds deep and worrying. But you know me, Jack. Just lay it out."

"Ok, here goes. Over the past months, we've gotten to know each other pretty well, I think. Madison seems to have really helped you deal with your past, and Charlotte has helped you grow physically and mentally as well.

"The thing is, Sara, I like you. A lot. I feel things for you that I never thought I would feel again after being left at the altar. I feel more alive with simply talking with you than I ever felt with Cindy. But at the same time, I don't want to screw up our friendship."

"Jack, there is almost nothing you can say that will screw up our friendship. So tell me what you want to say."

"You know how much room I have at the house, and you've been staying there quite a bit recently. And since you have, my house has come alive more than ever. I really enjoy your company, your laughter, and your cooking; waking up in the morning to a naked mermaid in my pool is quite nice as well. Now, you can say yes, no, or maybe -- no pressure to answer anything right now, but I'm wondering if you'd like to move in with me."

Sara was subdued, but inwardly jumping for joy at his invitation. But before she could answer, Jack continued.

"And while I'm being totally honest with you, there's more I need to say. Truth is, I'm falling for you, Sara, and falling hard. I'm pretty sure you're not ready to do this, but I would love nothing more to wake up in the morning with our naked bodies spooning each other. I would love to feel your body next to mine, making love with me. I want to taste all of you and make love to all of you, over and over again until we can't move.

"Now have I screwed things up between us? Like I said, I'm sure you're not ready for all of that, but when, and if, you are, I want you to be a part of us -- together."

Sara was quiet for a long time, but soon a subtle smile crossed her face as she reached across the table for Jack's hands.

"Not the after dinner talk I was expecting, but it's something that we need to address, one point at a time. First, you've said nothing tonight to ruin our friendship. In fact, I appreciate your candor and your thoughts on how I might feel about all this. And I like you as well, Jack. So to your first proposal, yes, I would love to move in with you. I like cooking for two, you make me laugh more than anyone I know, and I love teasing you being your naked mermaid. Every day I keep hoping you'll join me, and perhaps now you will.

"And I know I am falling for you, and have been for a long time. All those things you want to do to, and with me, I want as well. But you're right -- I'm not quite ready yet. Something is holding me back, and I'm not totally sure what, but it's something Madison and I are discussing.

"And you can be certain that when my mind is clear about all this, we will spend a glorious day and night in your bed, making love to each other. All I ask, Jack, is that you give me time, and I'll be yours. And you'll be mine. Ok?"

Jack held Sara's hands tight, smiled and whispered 'ok'.

The next day Jack was running errands while Sara was working in the engine room, doing some routine maintenance on the twin engines. She was wearing a t-shirt, shorts and her steel-toed boots, which she hated, but which Jack insisted she wear whenever she worked on the engines. She was hot, sweaty, and grease-covered, but she was almost done. As she finished she heard someone call out from up top.

"Ahoy! Is anyone on board? Hello?"

"Yeah, just a minute, I'll be right up."

Sara finished her immediate task and climbed the ladder topside. For a moment she was blinded by the bright sun, so she didn't see who was calling for her. Before she could move, someone grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides as well as covering her mouth. As she struggled to get free, a familiar voice chilled her to her depths.

"Hello, Sara. Long time no see. It's been several years, and every night I dreamed of this. Finding you again. Holding you again. Fucking you, and making you my own again. And when I'm done fucking you, and believe me, I'm going to take my time fucking every hole repeatedly, I'm going to finish what I started and beat the life out of you. And I'm going to enjoy every minute of it."

Sara was shocked beyond belief. It was Jeff, her ex, and instead of being in prison, he was here threatening her life. But it wasn't possible -- how did he get out of prison?

"I know what you're thinking -- how can he be here? I thought he was in prison. And you're right -- I was in prison. But I talked two other inmates into escaping with me, and we came up with a great plan -- which almost worked for all of us. Unfortunately for the other two, things just didn't work out. If it weren't for the fact that I killed two cops and one FBI agent as I escaped, things would've worked out much better.

"But as you can see, I made it. I tracked you down through the idiots at your university, and found the first flights I could. One fake passport later and here we are, just two peas in a pod -- me, ready to fuck you into oblivion, and you, just waiting to feel me inside you again, filling you up with my cum until your ass and cunt and mouth overflow. Yes, this will be one fine last night for you."

Hearing all that, Sara squirmed and struggled to get away, but to no avail... he was just too strong.

"Yeah, struggle against me, baby. Make me work for your cunt so it'll feel that much better."

Just as Jeff started to carry Sara off the boat, she saw Jack walking up the dock looking at some papers. Desperate to get his attention, she bit Jeff's hand as hard as she could. Once he dropped it off her mouth she started screaming for Jack, but only for a moment, because Jeff smacked her hard across the face.

Jack saw what was happening and called the police emergency number, telling them what was going on, that the perpetrator was an escaped convict from the U.S., and that he was probably armed... and to hurry. He then ran to his boat, stopping Jeff from moving any further.

"Ok, big man. How are you going to stop me? I've got Sara and she's coming with me. Now move aside."

"Not a chance, asshole. The police are on their way, armed to the teeth. Now let Sara go. Now!"

"Or what? You think you're a match for me? Bring it on, sailor."

"Not me. Sara. I'm going to let her kick your ass, and enjoy every second of it."

Jeff started to laugh so hard he almost choked.

"Sara? This little bitch? Last time, I had my way with her. I only beat her -- and I should've fucked her first. I learned my lesson, so this time I'm going to fuck her all I want, and then beat her to death. And she's not going to stop me."

Jack could see Sara was paralyzed with fright. He needed her to calm down and remember what Charlotte taught her.

"Sara, remember what Charlotte taught you. Concentrate, relax, and sing."

"Sing? You think singing will take care of things? Ha!"

Jack looked at Sara, and saw a moment of calm cross her face. Then she opened her eyes and sang. And it was glorious.

First she jabbed her elbow into Jeff's stomach as hard as she could. When that knocked the air out of him, she slammed her steel-toed boot down on his sandal-clad foot, breaking every bone in his foot. Screaming in pain, Jeff let go of Sara, who calmly turned around and jammed the heel of her hand into his nose, breaking it. Then she finished him off by kicking him in his nuts as hard as she could -- with her steel-toed boots. Then she kicked him again. And again. And again.

By now, he was totally out of it, unaware of what Sara was planning to do next. Calmly, she picked up a pipe wrench lying on the deck and brought her arm up to hit him in the head. As she did, Jack yelled at her.

"Sara! Don't! If you hit him with the wrench, you'll probably kill him. And as much as you want him dead, I don't want you to spend the rest of your life in prison for murder. Sara!"

Sara looked at Jack with a dazed, but glaring look. She was going to finish him off, and be done with it. But looking at Jack, and seeing the concern in his face and hearing his voice, she hesitated -- then dropped the wrench to the deck. But she did do one thing more -- she kicked Jeff square in the mouth, breaking most of his teeth, knowing that once he was back in prison, he'd end up being someone's bitch, sucking dick with a toothless mouth until he died. And that was good enough for her.

The entire fight lasted only minutes, and by the end the police arrived, led by Jean-Pierre and Charlotte. When Sara saw her friend she ran to her, crying and scared.

"Sara, it's ok. You were only defending yourself. You did nothing wrong, and Jack was correct in stopping you from using the wrench. You did just what we trained for -- self defense."

Jack then stepped over, and Sara ran to him next. She was shaking and crying, still scared about what just happened. Jack held her, letting her tears soak his shirt until she finally calmed down.

Before long, the paramedics arrived and took Jeff to the hospital, along with a police escort. Several officers interviewed Sara and Jack, took pictures of the scene, and when they were satisfied they had all the evidence they needed, they too left. By now the only ones left at the scene were Sara, Jack, Charlotte, Jean-Pierre, and two other officers.

"Jean-Pierre, do you need us any longer? I think Sara has had enough for one night, and I want to get her home. Plus I need to clean the blood from the deck. Will that be ok?"

"We do need to speak to Sara more, so how about this -- Charlotte takes her to the station to finish her work, you stay here to clean up, and when you are done, you can take Sara home."

Jack looked at Sara, who nodded in agreement. Charlotte and Sara left with the chief, leaving Jack to clean up the blood from his boat. He finished quickly, locked everything up, and proceeded to the police station, where he found Sara and Charlotte sipping from tea cups -- and he was sure it wasn't just tea. Sara smiled when she saw him, and stepped into his arms.

"Thank you, Jack. Thank you for saving my life. Again. Now please take me home -- I need a hot shower to wash the stink of that asshole off. Then take me to bed and hold me all night, and in the morning make love to me. Please..."

Sara was quiet all the way home, and Jack was unsure how to proceed once they got into the house. Sara turned to him, took his hand and said,

"Let's shower together."

She led him to the master en suite, where the shower was large enough for a party of five. Stripping off her clothes, Sara smiled at Jack once again and entered the shower. Jack was right behind her, and the warm water felt refreshing. Sara pulled Jack into her for a long, sultry kiss, and handed him the body wash.

"Wash me, Jack. Wash me in all the places you want to explore on my body. Wash me so we can start our new life together, clean and free of everything that was holding us back. Explore my body with your hands, and in the morning you can explore my body any way you want. But tonight I just need to be held, to feel the safety of your arms around me. And in the morning, I'll be yours to do with as you please."

The next morning Jack woke to the aroma of fresh coffee and the sound of sizzling bacon. Throwing on a pair of shorts, he made his way to the kitchen, where he found Sara, naked but for an apron, busily cooking breakfast. She looked up to see Jack staring at her, so she wiggled her butt at him.

"Enjoying the view?"

"Yes I am. And I love your outfit -- something I could get used to seeing."

"Glad to hear that. I thought about cooking naked, but the idea of bacon grease splashing on my tits was a bit much. And I didn't think you'd mind this."

"Not in the least. Can I help with anything?"

"Yep. You can get the table set, as everything is ready."