Watch Me!

Rachel stepped around the bed with her wide eyes fixed on Penny. She climbed onto the mattress behind her and wrapped Penny in her arms. She kissed Penny's neck and her shoulders, and she whispered "I didn't go away. I didn't leave you. I'm right here."

Chad and Rachel held Penny between them until Penny stopped sobbing. She grew still with her head against Chad's chest then turned in his arms to face Rachel. "I'm stupid," she said and wiped tears out of her eyes. "I was so happy to find you here, then suddenly I wanted to hurt you because I hurt. I'm stupid. I'm sorry."

Rachel kissed Penny's lips and asked, "Do you remember when we were freshmen? I'd get so upset sometimes that I'd go into crying fits. You made me sit, and you brushed my hair and braided it like your mom used to braid yours." She searched Penny's face and asked, "Can I braid your hair?"

Penny wiped her nose on the sheet and laughed. "You don't need to do that," but then she looked at Rachel and said, "but I'd like it if you did."

"Where's your bag?" Rachel asked and stood up from the bed. She motioned to her own loose hair and naked body. "I didn't bring anything with me. I need your brush."

"By the front door," Penny said. "Where should I sit?"

Rachel tugged on Chad's arm. "Chad's your chair. Let him hold you," she said.

Chad sat up with his legs crossed and pulled Penny onto his lap. She settled down with her legs around his hips, and she asked, "Did I hurt you?"

"I'm going to be a little sore," Chad answered, and settled his hands on Penny's hips. "But I'll get over it soon enough."

Penny stifled a laugh. "This sounds awful, but pounding on you felt really good."

Rachel climbed onto the bed behind Penny with Penny's comb and brush in hand and hair ties between her teeth. She put her own hair back into a pony tail then combed Penny's long hair out from the ends to the roots.

Chad watched his sister work and asked, "Where did you go?"

"I didn't go anywhere," Rachel said. "Not until I came to you. I became something different, but I was still there." She looked up at her brother and gestured with the comb. "You know, we have a long time to talk about this. We don't have to do it now."

Chad could feel Penny slowly relaxing. He leaned forward to kiss her cheek, and that made her smile. Rachel put the comb down and counted softly while she brushed Penny's hair.

Raindrops started falling against the window behind Chad, and he watched Penny's blue eyes while she laid her arms over his shoulders. "Why did you come back?" Penny asked without turning to see Rachel.

Rachel didn't answer right away. She brushed and she counted each stroke. Rachel set the brush aside when she reached a hundred strokes, and she picked up the comb again.

"I could see and hear everything, but no-one could see or hear me. I was stark naked in front of all those people—something I never expected—and it didn't do me a bit of good. I tried to touch you and tell you I was there, but you didn't hear me or feel me."

Rachel divided Penny's hair into three long strands and laid two of them over Penny's shoulders. "What good is it, when the people most important to you don't even know you're there?"

Chad watched as his sisters fingers moved to braid the three strands together. "I'm not sure why, but I always knew exactly where both of you were, and I followed you when you came here.

"Transcending felt like waking up, so when I wanted to come back, I laid down with you and went to sleep."

Penny tightened her legs around Chad to pull herself closer. She kissed his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. "Is that it?" she asked. "Are you going to stay with us now?"

Rachel moved closer to finish her work. She bit her lip and watched her brother. "I don't know. I do know that, as long as I have you to come back to, I'll always come back." She finished the braid, tied the ends with a hair tie, and kissed the back of Penny's neck.

Penny shivered in Chad's arms. "It's going to be a dark, wet day," she said. She stroked her finger tips down Chad's chest and found his hard-on standing up between them. "I want to stay here, stay warm, and make love all day," she said.

Rachel reached from behind Penny to wrap her in her arms. Chad kissed his sister's lips, then he kissed Penny's. "It feels to me like we already started," he said, "and like we'll never stop."