Aaron would have to spend the next week in class at the Silver Silhouette office. First, he had to memorize the story in every detail. The Kamilians would claim that both Stan and Vicki were killed in a car accident. Aaron would gain possession of the family home in Herndon once he turned eighteen, which was only a few weeks away. Pam Hawkins informed him that the company would pay off the mortgage on the house once he took his vow as a worker. He had missed his graduation ceremony but his diploma was waiting for him in the mailbox, if the mailman could fit it in there with the past few months’ mail.
Most important was the fact that he would be with Tish after all, if she would still have him. After his initial training in general work he would move over to the rogue search unit for training. He wouldn't likely see any serious action for quite a while. Tish would be trained in public relations. They would groom her to take over Pam's position as lead reporter eventually. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Tish would be incredible at the job. Most were banking on Silver Silhouette reaching the number one ranking in her first year or two as a reporter. The DC based company had never before achieved that status.
As his mind tired of the grief he felt the warmth and comfort that he had the opportunity to love Tish, and make her the happiest person on earth. It would be his primary focus, and he promised himself to push aside all other worries and sadness. The way she reacted at the caves gave him confidence that she would take him back. He would need to secure his position by her side before she gains popularity and the interest of other men. He had no doubt that she would be the recipient of much attention.
Aaron would find out soon enough. Pam Hawkins said that Tish would finally be allowed to see him that afternoon. He wasn't sure yet how he felt about Pam taking over the company. He never cared for Charlie, and that grew to fierce hatred after he had gone rogue. Pam was always by Charlie's side, sharing his bad reputation to a degree. But he knew that Tish loved her mother very much, and would undoubtedly support her whole heartedly. He decided to give the woman a chance.
38 - Works for Me
"I don't know," Tish said, blushing. She was delighted that Aaron was staying on earth, and that he was still interested in a relationship with her. She now believed that she truly loved him, more than anyone else in her multi-life history. She was excited at the opportunity to spend her life with him, but still, she couldn't move too fast. A certain confidence in her decisions was required, despite the powerful tugging of the heart. Otherwise, she would always be wondering if she was making a mistake. She didn't want that feeling with Aaron.
"What are you unsure of?" Aaron asked. They had been seeing each other almost every day since starting work at Silver Silhouette two months ago. They had become very comfortable with each other, though not yet sexually involved. Aaron was confident that would likely happen soon, despite their living arrangements. He had the big house that his parents left him to himself. It was only logical in his mind that Tish move in with him.
Tish smiled. She knew how much he wanted it. She wanted it, too. "I'm worried about what everybody else will think of us, of course. We are not on an island. All our friends and coworkers here will know. And, because of my future position as reporter, everyone on the home world will probably know, too."
Aaron knew she was right, but it seemed like living together would have been a foregone conclusion to him. They were deeply in love. They were both adults now. His eighteenth birthday was last week. And he had that big house. He would gladly redecorate the whole place for her. It was not a home to him yet, not without family. Tish would be his new family. He would start a new era in his life. They would have children that would follow them across the stars for many life times. It was his new dream and he wanted it to start right away. When you are so sure of yourself and what you want, why would you delay? Maybe Tish was not as sure of it as he was.
"Is this something that you are going to want eventually?" Aaron asked. He leaned against the wall in Tish's room. She was hesitant to spend much time at his place so far.
"Yes, of course," she replied.
"Then it's just a matter of timing, right?" Aaron thought about how best to proceed with his convincing argument. "Would it be a bigger ordeal if it happened before or after you are famous?"
Tish gave it some honest consideration. "I guess," she said, "it would be more distracting if it happened after I'm in front of the camera."
"So," he continued, "we should move in together before you get the reporter position. How long will the training be?"
"Mom said the training would be an ongoing thing for years," Tish replied.
"But how much training before you get in front of the camera?"
"I don't know for sure," she answered, "but my impression is I should be doing interviews in just a couple months, maybe even some camera time in a week or two. With all the attention we received lately they think it's a good idea to get me up and running while I'm still fresh in everyone's minds."
"So," Aaron explained, "it's best if we move in together before you become a reporter, which will happen in the next couple months, at the latest. Please tell me what would be the difference between doing it next week and waiting until next month."
Tish smiled. She knew he was right, really, but she did not want to throw caution to the wind. What was holding her back? She loved Aaron, and wanted to live with him, and eventually marry him. She did not feel the obligation to get married first. So what was it? It dawned on her that the uneasiness of the situation was due to the fact that she was still inexperienced. If they had made love already she might feel differently. Tish wrapped her arms around Aaron and laid her head on his chest.
"We haven't even made love yet," she whispered.
Aaron felt like the battle was almost won. But what could he say now to finish the deal? Tell her how much he wanted her? Make plans for a romantic evening so they could make love? Would picking her up in his father's Range Rover and driving her back to his place make her comfortable? Or would she be most compliant right here in her own room? There was no one else home. Mrs. Hawkins was not expected to arrive anytime soon and Aaron knew that no security had been assigned to Tish since a couple days after the big deportation. Perhaps now was as good of a time as any.
Aaron kissed her softly on the top of the head, causing her to hug him tighter. He gently caressed her back and heard her take a deep relaxing breath. So far, so good. "Go slow," he told himself. It was difficult. He had longed for this moment for quite some time. He tilted his head to the side so he could kiss her a few times on the forehead. Nice and slow, he needed the moment to sneak up on her. She was not his prey. It would never be like that. Still, he needed it to be right for her.
Tish looked up into his eyes with the longing that he shared. With one finger he lifted her chin until her mouth was on his. They kissed softly at first, then the passion grew until their tongues were prodding and wrestling with each other. Aaron slid both hands under her shirt to feel the smooth skin around her waist. The silky touch aroused him more. "Go slow," he repeated to himself. But his control was weak.
Their mouths parted and he feared that it would not happen after all. Then Tish moved her mouth to his neck, then is collar bone. Heading her his chest she was blocked by buttoned down shirt. When Aaron felt her hands fumbling with the top button of his shirt he made the move on her bra, unfastening it stealthily. Perhaps she would not notice.
They had gone this far before, a few times. It was not likely that she would resist, especially since she was leading the way. He felt more buttons coming loose on his shirt as he moved his hands to cover more of her silky flesh. She moaned softly against his shoulder as he gently caressed her. Suddenly her mouth was on his again, and he lost his grip on her as she pulled him close. He pulled and tugged at her and her clothing in the gentlest way he could muster. He needed to keep things moving, right into her bed.
"I love you," he whispered as their mouths parted for breath. She responded in kind, th
en they were tongue wrestling again. One by one his buttons were released until he felt his shirt being pulled from his shoulders. Tish kissed his bare chest, letting her wet lips drag across his skin slowly. He pulled her shirt over her head as unobtrusively as he possibly could, then watched in amazement as she stood on display before him. She was a beautiful sight indeed.
Aaron complied eagerly as Tish pulled on his belt buckle, leading him to the edge of the bed. He was almost there. Tonight would be the night. Slowly he pushed forward against her as he kissed her face, her neck, until she was lying on the bed before him. He kissed her all over, feeling the passion boiling in both of them. Each tiny step forward that he made had him delighted that she did not resist. Then they slid under the covers.
She was still unbelievably modest, despite her beauty, and Aaron loved her for it. He did his best to take his time with her, and make it the best he possibly could. Unfortunately, due to his inexperience, it was over just a few minutes later. Scared that his lover was not satisfied he opened his mouth to ask, but she was smiling. Then she kissed him and told him how much she loved him, and that he was all she ever wanted.
He was, of course, delighted that they had finally made love, and vowed to make it extra special for her the next time. He fully believed that Tish would move in with him soon. He would get plenty of opportunities to master his bedroom skills. His desire for pleasing her would guide him. They were going to be very happy.
39 - The Belly
Susan ran. She had never been so scared in her life. Everything had gone according to plan. It wasn't until after the deed was done that Susan questioned why she had done it. It felt so impulsive now. Tish had been her best friend in the world. Why had Susan's hatred grown so strong toward her? Tish had just moved on with her life. It was not as big of a crime as it had felt just moments before.
Susan darted through a backyard and alley to reach the woods beyond. She had forgotten to calculate an escape plan beyond that. All her focus was on making sure she got the chance to go through with it. Getting away was almost an afterthought. She felt tears streaming down her face, and her body shook. Would daddy protect her? Could anyone protect her now?
The image burned into her mind and replayed before her constantly. Tish had opened the door and almost looked pleased to see her. In that instant Susan hesitated. When Tish saw the gun pointed in her direction her expression changed to horror. That was more like it. That was what Susan wanted to see on her former best friend's face. Susan had thought that she would like to see Tish falling as well. She had not given much thought to the blood. It was in that instant when Tish's body flew backwards and her shirt turned red that Susan realized fully what she had done.
It was awhile later when regret faded enough for her to focus on her escape. She was not familiar with these woods. She pulled up navigation on her phone and used it to guide her to the far end as she heard police and ambulance sirens behind her. The road was busy with traffic making her feel exposed, but a sidewalk eventually deposited her at a bus stop. She could not even remember where she left her car. It was blocks from Tish's house. She knew that at least.
"Are you okay?" a middle aged woman asked her. She had been crying again. Susan nodded and turned her head. When the bus arrived she rode it until they came to a shopping district she recognized. After a quick meal to settle her stomach she made her way home. As she placed the gun on her father's desk she heard him come down the stairs. No sense running now. She would confide in him, then do whatever he thought best. She did not feel the joy of vengeance achieved that she had imagined. She only felt like she had wasted her life, and possibly took someone else's. Susan had no idea if Tish would survive or not. She did not know exactly where to aim to kill a person, but figured the chest would be good. As the scene replayed once again in her mind she realized that the shot had gone lower, in the stomach area. Either way, it had to hurt like hell. That was what she really wanted, not necessarily for the girl's death.
Two years wasted in love with Tish. Her whole life wasted when her second love Hunter died, which was Tish's fault. Then her focus on the future wasted by her hatred for Tish. Now that she may have killed the source of her misery, her life was truly wasted. A murder charge would land her in prison for a very long time. Attempted murder couldn't be much better.
40 - What Happens Now
Pam waited. The closet was very dark and crowded, but smelled like fresh flowers. She could not pinpoint the source but all the clothes had the same scent. It was the first time she had ever visited this room. She could not recall if Mrs. Bell had ever visited Tish's room. She was beginning to doubt the decision to wait here for her prey until she heard Susan enter the house. The crying gave her away. Pam tensed up in expectation, but the girl went downstairs instead of up. Patiently, she waited. There was no other choice now.
Opening the closet door just a crack to let in some light Pam rechecked the camera she had clipped to her ear. She must do her best to keep it secure and at the proper angle. This video footage was going to be priceless if all went well. After her other obligations she would need to get on the air immediately. She was considering ordering a mobile camera crew to come to her, but that was always risky. The terminology needed for Kamilian broadcasts could not be overheard by real humans.
Her daughter was in surgery at that very moment. It felt better to be doing something productive than sitting in the waiting area. The doctor had high hopes that Tish would survive, but couldn't know for sure until seeing the extent of the damage in her belly during surgery. It was expected to take a couple hours. If she had not arrived home as early as she did Tish could have bled to death, right there in the foyer. Her anger spiked just thinking about it. Tish was able to tell her who the attacker was before going into shock.
After a couple minutes Pam heard yelling from somewhere distant in the house, presumably the basement. Two voices raised, one male, one female. The female was crying as she screamed. That had to be Susan. Perhaps she had regretted her actions. "Too late now, bitch," Pam whispered to herself. "You're gonna pay."
The other voice had to be detective Bell. She had not considered the possibility of him being home. As a police officer he carried a weapon and no doubt knew how to use it. This mission had become riskier than she anticipated. It turned out to be a bad idea to send her agents in a different direction, wanting to handle such a personal task herself. Calling them now might not be wise. She had to keep her wits and listen for anyone approaching.
Eventually she heard someone running up the basement stairs. It was Susan, and she was mumbling to herself. Detective Bell apparently did not follow her up. Then Susan ran up the next set of stairs and into her room. Immediately, she pulled a suitcase out from under her bed and turned toward the closet. Pam pushed the closet doors open with force hoping to make contact with the little bitch, but missed. Susan screamed. Certainly finding an ape in your closet had to be quite a shock.
The scream was brief, though. One swat of her hairy hand across Susan's face sent her falling to the floor unconscious, arms and legs in distorted positions. Now, to scoop her up and get away quickly. Unfortunately, the scream had alerted the girl's father. Pam backed into the closet, which was behind the bedroom door, and waited. Detective Bell ran up the steps but came to a halt in the hallway outside the bedroom. She assumed he had pulled his weapon before proceeding to push the bedroom door open slowly.
Pam waited until the man took his first step into the room before she slammed the door into him. His head hit the door frame hard as he squeezed off a shot that hit the girl's television. Bell bounced off the door frame to the floor and recovered quickly. He almost had the gun raised again to aim right at her before Pam's powerful Moneake foot knocked it aside, causing the gun to go down the stairs. As Pam approached she expected to find extreme fear in the man's eyes. Humans always reacted that way to seeing a Kamilian in another form. This was the first time that it was not the case.
In Detective Nick
Bell's expression, she found understanding. Sure, there was fear there as well, but also a sense of accomplishment. It was almost like he was hoping to find an ape in his house. It caused Pam to hesitate, which allowed him to scramble toward the steps before she grabbed him by the ankle. A quick jerk on his leg threw him into the door frame again, this time knocking him unconscious, just like his daughter. Or maybe he was dead. Pam didn't really care. It was only the girl that must be kept alive. Revealing her Moneake form to this special police officer did not mean he knew who she was specifically. He could guess, but it wouldn't matter. He'd have no evidence to convict her of anything.
Pam lifted Susan's tiny body onto her shoulder. As a Moneake Pam had to be at least five times the girl's weight. She was pretty sure that Susan was still alive. She did not hit her that hard. The problem now was getting away without anyone else seeing her. If she changed to human form, it would be difficult to carry the girl very far. Her car was on the next street over, requiring that she go through the backyard and one neighbor's yard before reaching it. The twilight dimness convinced her that she could do it.
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