by A. C. Henley
"I'm not leaving until I have the children Ms. McKee."
Quin took the papers and leafed through the legal document, "I can't believe you think they'll get better care in the foster system than here."
Lore cast a disgusting look from one woman to the other, "Your lifestyle choice is unacceptable."
"And Ms. Gordon's was better? I suppose you've already helped her arrange bail and will return the children to her just so she can get her welfare money to exchange for more drugs. You people make no sense to me." Quin pushed the papers back at the state worker, "And it's not a choice, Ms. Lore." She walked over to the detective, reclining against the wall, and placed a chaste kiss on the woman's smiling lips, then disappeared down the hall toward the kitchen.
"Disgusting." The CPS woman groused.
"Isn't it though?" Vivian smirked.
The uniformed officers returned to the foyer to report that the house did not contain any children.
"I'll wait." Dorthea Lore said as she parked her butt on the third step facing the door.
Vivian raised a blonde brow at the woman then turned to the police officers, "I'll make sure Ms. Lore gets what she's came for. I for one understand you might have better things to do. If she likes she can call for back up when the kids get back, but I doubt it will be needed." The corporal thanked the detective and instructed the CPS woman to call if she needed help, then left with what could only be described as a sigh of relief. "If you'll excuse me ma'am, I'll be back in a few." She said as she passed the woman entrenched on the stairs headed to find Quin. The kitchen was empty, but there was an unrelenting thump coming from the floor. Vivian sighed as she made her way to the basement, her new lover certainly could swing a mood, and from the aggressive beat of the blaring punk that permeated the closed in room at the bottom of the stairs that mood had turned angry and aggressive.
I say fuck authority
Silent majority
Raised by the system
Now its time to rise against them
"Lovely." The blonde muttered as she came up behind McKee who was leaned back in her chair, her head tipped back, eyes closed. Vivian slowly picked up the remote to the sound system from the corner of the desk and lowered the volume to something not quite as painful as ear boxing. Hard gray eyes popped open and stared at her. She gave her best smile, "Making a statement?" She asked in reference to the harsh lyrics as she perched on the edge of the desk.
"Those kids are going into a system that cares little or nothing about them. I just don't see why they can't stay here." Quin knew she was whining, but it wasn't fair and she liked the little people, even when they were underfoot.
"Not up to us to decide these things."
"How can you stand to work for them?" The brunette asked from her reclined position.
Vivian folded her arms in front of herself. She had a feeling this was going to be a long-running argument for the two of them if the set of Quin's jaw was any indicator of her feelings on the subject. "I do my best everyday. It's not perfect, but the law is always a work in progress. I'm a part of that evolution. I hope a positive part."
"But it doesn't work!" Quin snapped and sat up.
"And what you do does?" Vivian retorted more harshly than intended, her voice loud as the punk anthem ended and a soulful Etta James crooned against a sultry saxophone.
Quin blinked a few times and sighed, "I'm sorry."
Vivian's shoulders dropped and she stood, then taking a few small steps she came to kneel in front of Quin, "Me too." She leaned forward and gave Quin a reassuring kiss that soon became a heated exchange that had the blonde wondering how likely it would be that the CPS woman would come toddling down the stairs and be shocked to death if she were to pull the PI from the chair and had her way with the dark woman here and now. Just as she made purchase on the brunette's hips the shrill ring of Quin's cell phone tried to bring both women back to the reality of their day. "You going to answer that?" Vivian murmured against Quin's lips before another deep kiss.
"No." It was a barely audible word, spoken on a quick breath, just before Quin pressed her lips and tongue back into service. The phone continued to ring as the brunette freed Vivian's shirt from her pants and her hands splayed across the blondes back, her fingers digging into the cleft of the other woman's spine. She moved from lips, to jaw, to neck, grinning inwardly as Vivian contorted to give her more space to work. The phone ceased ringing for a few wondrously juicy moments where moans and soft gasps permeated the basement space, and then it started again.
Vivian growled at the insistent ringing, eliciting a chuckle from the woman feasting on her neck. She groped for the phone clipped to Quin's waist, finding it at the same time the PI found her earlobe and gave it a slurping wet suck that sent shivers through her entire body. She gently shook her head to move the lips on hers as she flipped the phone open and pressed it to her unoccupied ear. "McKee's phone, call back later." She panted and nearly got the phone closed when Quang's voice demanded her attention. Vivian moaned as Quin let loose her earlobe then bit her lip as the brunette pushed her shirt and bra up to expose her breast. "Not now Quang, just come home… shit." A nipple had now become Quin's new object of pursuit and the blonde struggled not to throw the phone across the room. "Twenty minutes is fine, … Oh fuck, …. Gotta go. Later." Her eyes rolled back in her head as the phone fell from her hand to land with a thud on the carpeted floor. "You're killing me." She admonished the woman who was now attacking her other breast. Vivian fumbled with Quin's jeans finally realizing the reason she couldn't find a zipper was because there were only buttons. She pulled and smiled at the satisfying, ‘pop' ‘pop' ‘pop' ‘pop'. "Lift."
The command barely registered with Quin, but a demanding tug at her jeans and a second command caused her to release Vivian's breast and lean back in her chair so the kneeling woman could peel the denim off.
"We don't have much time." Vivian said as she ran her hands up the insides of Quin's thighs. She winked at the other woman, "but I think we can manage." She gently pushed the brunette back down as she began to rise, "Stay." She once again ran her hands from Quin's knees up the inside of her thigh, turning then as she went so her hands rested on the top of each tanned leg, her thumbs running back and forth along the crease where leg met torso. "Take off your shirt." She quietly requested and licked her lips as Quin complied. Now the smaller woman lay nude before her, reclined back in the leather chair as far as possible without being totally horizontal. Quin's hands clutched the narrow armrests, her knuckles white with the effort to abide by Vivian's command. "You're truly beautiful, Quin McKee."
Quin felt herself blush hotly at Vivian's words. She'd hardly call herself beautiful, not with as many scars as she carried on her body.
Vivian smiled softly and leaned forward to place several soft, open mouthed kisses on Quin's thigh, relishing the play of the strong muscles under her lips. She placed a brief kiss upon damp, dark curls, and looked up into heavy, gray eyes. She watched Quin's face as she smoothly slid two long fingers inside her lover. A long moan from herself mingled with Quin's own sound of fulfillment to create a resonance of want and need. She rose up and leaned forward to cover the smaller body underneath her, praying the chair was as sturdy as it looked. She wanted to kiss Quin's slightly opened mouth, and found the journey to complete this want to be wonderfully erotic as her clothed body slid up the brunette's nude length. She finally reached her destination, one arm supporting her self on one arm rest, her hand just inside Quin's elbow, while the other hand was lost in wet heat and velvet walls. She felt Quin's hand latch onto her lower arm as she steadied herself on the chair, and leverage herself between the other woman's thighs. It was not a soft coupling. It was hard and fast, sweaty and noisy. It was quite possible the most delicious thing Vivian had ever done with another person in her entire life.
Quin was lost to the world. There was nothing but Vivian and what Vivian was doing to her. She whispered the other woman's name in a shudder of desire.
She could feel everything, hear everything, taste and smell everything. Her vision was blurred one moment and then in complete focus the next as deep sapphire eyes locked onto hers. There she wished to be lost forever in that unwavering gaze. Their breaths came as one, sharing the air between them. Then like the proverbial tidal wave her pleasure peaked; her eyes closed and bliss settled over Quin like a blanket on a cold Chicago night by the lake. It engulfed her, leaving her shaking, weak and vulnerable. She came back to look in to her safe harbor, those blue eyes conveying thousands of things at once. Her body wasn't willing to let go of Vivian just yet and she mewed her displeasure as the blonde began to withdrawal from her. She moved her left hand and stopped Vivian from any further action with a firm squeeze to her right arm. "Stay." She again quaked as the detective repositioned her fingers with a proud little smile.
Vivian regained her breath, her arms cramping from the awkward position, but held fast regardless to discomfort. She felt Quin's grip lessen then a small pat on her arm, she took that as an indication to move and with a sigh she left the confines of Quin's body. She sunk back to her knees and hugged the brunette to her trying to convey her overwhelming emotions in a crushing embrace. She caught herself sniffling and felt the track of a tear on her face. She felt Quin's lips move against the skin of her chest and heard a small ramble of words but wasn't able to make them out, "What was that?"
Quin lifted her head from her place of comfort and smiled as she repeated, "Maybe next time we'll actually do this in a bed." She noticed the line of moisture on her lover's cheek and reached up to brush it away, "Are you okay?"
Vivian nodded and sniffled again, "Just can't believe I feel like this about anyone, I was always told about it, always read about, you know…" Vivian let her sentence drift off not willing to take the step to put words to the emotion.
Quin nodded understanding, but not ready to say the words yet either. "We should um…"
"Clean up," Vivian supplied, "the kids will be here soon."
PART 9
QUIN SAT ON the top step that led to the large concrete porch of her house, the Fall air was cool but not cold, a soft breeze blew from the west bringing with it the ever present Pacific Ocean's wet chill that settled in her battered joints. She reflected on the last twenty four hours. So much had happened. She had done the one thing she swore she would never do again. She found love and fallen hard. She wasn't anywhere near letting Vivian know how deep she was, mostly because she was afraid of jinxing it. She was still tender from the loss of Grace. She was still coming to terms with a great deal of things in her life. Quin sighed and looked toward the sky. She was in love. The question that parked in her mind was whether or not Vivian returned that love. There was so much that they didn't know about each other. So much to learn about each other. The brunette scuffed her boot on the edge of the step. Time enough ahead to figure it out Quin she thought to herself. She sighed and stood, her knees and hips giving her sharp reminders not to sit in one place too long.
The children had been efficiently whisked away by the CPS woman without any incident, much to Quin's disappointment. There was work to be done and the day was slipping away. Vivian had already left, but not before informing Justin that they had located his parents. Quin could still almost feel the crushing hug the young man had bestowed upon her after he had timidly called the number provided to him, from the sounds of the call there was to be a happy reunion this evening here at her house. She couldn't stop herself from letting a few tears fall as the man cried openly against his girlfriend's shoulder. The brunette walked into the parlor where Justin laid asleep in his lover's lap. The redhead's fingers brushed rhythmically through the thick blonde locks of the emotionally exhausted man. "Is he okay?" Quin questioned. The file of his missing person case was tightly clutched to Justin's chest as he slept.
The redhead nodded and lifted green eyes to Quin, "Yeah, just a lot to take in I think. He'd pretty much given up hope of finding them."
Quin nodded in understanding. She turned and almost made it into the kitchen when she heard a soft noise from the woman on the couch. She stopped in the doorway, the large wood door partially swung open, "Excuse me?" She asked.
"Julie, my name is Julie ya know," a slight shrug, "Just in case you might want to talk sometime; I'm great at listening." A soft smile graced the freckled face accompanied by a small factual nod.
Quin's depressed mask lifted for a moment, as she was helpless to prevent an answering smile for the young woman and a small nod of her own in acceptance of the offer. She felt much lighter as she entered the kitchen. The oak door whooshed softly after her making just enough noise to alert the two gloomy men sitting at table, both in similar positions, with heads lulling on open palmed hands. Quang and Anthony looked every bit depressed as she felt. She passed them by without a word to the gun safe expecting to get her spare, but was pleasantly surprised to find her faithful waiting for her. "Who brought my gun?" She asked to no one in particular but got an answer from Anthony.
"That cop named Maggie dropped it off early this morning."
Quin's thin black brow raised at the emphasis on the word ‘cop'. She closed the safe's door and snuggled the gun into her holster at the small of her back. She emerged from the short hallway to find Quang childishly pushing Anthony in the shoulder with a scowl on his slim features. There was something amiss between the two quick friends; she would have to figure it out later. For now there was work to do. She stopped at the table and waited for the pushing game to end, "And here I thought I was going to miss the children; you two will make fine substitutes." She finally uttered and was rewarded with looks of innocence that made her laugh.
"Does Anthony have to move?" Quang asked pleadingly.
"Oh." Quin pursed her lips in thought. Since there were no kids there was little need for a nanny, but Anthony had filled more than just the role of child caretaker in the household over the last four weeks. He was an excellent cook, and kept the house impeccably clean between the children's playtimes. Then there was the fact that she genuinely liked the man and his soft spoken insights and backhanded advice. They could certainly use a keeper about the large house. She sat at the table and leaned forward leaning her forearms against the edge and folding her hands in front of her chest, "Would you," she asked the man in question letting her eyes contact and hold his dark brown orbs, "consider a slight modification to your duties?"
Anthony tilted his head at her, "What kind of modifications?"
"Well for one there will be no children, except," she indicated Quang with a small toss of her head, "the adult kind." The Asian man frowned at this causing both Anthony and herself to chuckle, "The rest will be like head of household stuff: you know cook and clean. If you need to hire someone for either of those we can do that. Answer mail; take care of repairs; pay bills…." her mind conjured up the stack on the counter behind her, "I'll make sure you have everything you need." She breathed small shallow breaths hoping the offer wasn't below the man or that she insulted him in anyway.
"Like a butler?" Quang asked with disgust.
Quin quickly shook her head, "No, no, no, not a butler, more like an assistant to me. You would manage the household. Your pay would increase of course…."
"You'll pay me to run the house." Anthony considered, "And I can hire staff?" he asked looking out at the long neglected garden.
"Within reason." Quin added.
The young black man considered for a moment longer, "Alright." He answered finally.
Quin graced the two men at the table with a rare genuine smile, "Wonderful." She let the men have their congratulatory moment before clearing her throat, "Now to business. Quang and I have a little job to do at a storage facility." She stood and adjusted the gun at her back in nervous habit, "Anthony, please lock the doors after we leave. Let no one in, not even the police. If police do show up, call the sheriff's department and wait for them to get here before letting anyone in. Do not take chances." She warned with a stern glare
and a stiff finger poke to Anthony's solid chest.
"Lock the doors. Don't let anyone in without the sheriff, and don't take chances. Got it." Anthony gave her a thumb's up and a nervous smile.
"You'll do fine." Quang offered with a solid thump to his friends shoulder.
It wasn't a far drive to the storage building, but it was turning out to be a long drive. The big white Chevy sat idling between exits on Interstate 10. There seemed to be an over-turned semi ahead and no one was going to be going anywhere until it was righted and dragged from the freeway. Quin looked over at her brooding friend who was mumbling to himself. "Are you going to follow up on Lacey?" The PI hoped that Quang would take a further interest in his daughter's welfare.
"I called a lawyer after the kids were taken away. I meet with her tomorrow in the morning, so this had better go smooth today. I don't want to look like a flake and not show up." He poked a thin finger into Quin's shoulder.
"Piece of cake." Quin spoke as she freed a cigarette from a small white and red box. She placed the unfiltered stick of tobacco between her lips and patted her pockets for a light. It really wasn't a piece of cake. It was a complicated, dangerous, and potentially fatal game they would be playing. Quin thought as she gave up on finding a match from her pockets and pressed the cars trusty lighter into the dash. She glanced back at Quang who had turned to stare out the window; he still mumbled to himself, as was his habit under stress. The car's lighter ejected slightly indicating that it was ready to use. She grabbed it and cupped it to her cigarette. The nicotine patches had been ditched a week ago in favor of the traditional delivery method. She took a healthy drag and rolled her window down, exhaling the smoke toward the opening to let the cool wind carry it off to mingle with the rest of LA's pollutants. They had talked about the lay of the land at the storage building. Quang would watch the front door while Quin did the breaking and entering. They both had their two way radios, and Quang had his cell phone handy to call Vivian if anything went wrong before the preset time when the police detective would show up with a probable cause warrant. That is if she was successful in getting the paper signed by a judge on short notice. The car behind her honked and Quin looked up noticing that there was a fifteen foot space open between her bumper and the next car in front of her. She waved out the window, cigarette in hand, setting the ashes free to scatter on the wind and on the concrete road beneath her. She took her foot off the brake and let the car roll forward. Two more cigarettes and they were exiting the freeway.
