Kathryn Nolan picked at an invisible thread on her skirt and averted her eyes from Dr. Hopper. Beside her, she felt her own discomfort radiating just as strongly as David's. Why had she thought this would be a good idea?

"Mr. Nolan, might I ask why you believe that?" Dr. Hopper asked, and Kathryn tried to look like she was listening to David's answer. None of this was working. They had already sat through what felt like a year's worth of marriage counselling and therapy sessions, and still David felt like an entirely different person. He wasn't the man she had married.

"You looked bored to death in there," David said as they headed back to the car. It was late and almost silent with a cold breeze lingering in the air, all of which failed to alleviate his discomfort.

Kathryn merely shot him a look - a familiar stare that told him she wasn't happy with him - and climbed into the passenger's seat of their car. David sighed again as he made his way around to his own side and practically fell into his seat, wondering if the therapy and counselling would ever help.

They had stopped 'making progress', according to Dr. Hopper, over a month ago, and every time the bespectacled man had told them so, David felt his wife's temper coil even further. She would only last so long before she snapped and came undone, and he hoped, when that happened, that there was nothing breakable around her. But so far, Kathryn was doing an excellent job of keeping things together.

"We need to try something else," she sighed as David drove them home. "Dr. Hopper has clearly outlived his usefulness."

David frowned at her wording. She was spending too much time around the mayor. "We've tried everything," he said, using the fact that he was driving as an excuse not to meet her piercing glare.

"Not everything," Kathryn told him quietly, and David all but choked on his own breath.

"Kathryn, we've talked about this. I'm really not comfortable-"

"And I'm really not comfortable with pretending that my husband is the same man that I married," Kathryn interrupted. "David, we've done everything we can - everything but this - and if you just give it a try, maybe it could help."

"How could it possibly help?" David scoffed, incredulous as the night she had first pitched the idea to him.

"Well, you hear things," Kathryn tried, "it just… spices up the marriage a bit." David turned to her only when he hit a red light. "What else can we do?"

Her voice was so small, almost a whimper, and David could see that she was close to tears. "Kathryn," he tried, softly, "I don't know… how to do that…"

His wife's smile was almost humorous. "I think you do…"

He blushed at her implication and shook his head, elaborating, "I meant without getting attached."

"You think you could?" Kathryn's voice was quiet, distant, and she almost didn't want to know the answer.

"Why… who were you thinking of…?" Again, David blushed before easing out under the green of the traffic light.

"The mayor," Kathryn answered, voice even, as though she was merely dropping the title in any average conversation.

David almost crashed the car, but managed to narrowly avoid the parked SUV on the crowded street and continue on down the road, struggling to calm his voice as he repeated, "The mayor?" Kathryn winced at his volume, but David gave her no room to interrupt. "Are you out of your mind? Not only do you suggest… this, but with the mayor?"

"She's my friend, David," Kathryn told him, "she'll understand."

"Oh, of course she'll understand." David shook his head, his entire posture rigid.

Kathryn rolled her eyes at his incredulous tone and told him, "If there was anyone we were going to go into this with, I'd rather it be someone that I trust, rather than… just anybody."

David sighed, and would have smacked his forehead down on the steering wheel had it not been for Kathryn's presence in the car. "Honey, please," a warm hand came to settle on his tense leg, "just think about it?"

# # # #

Dragging her bottom lip between her teeth, Kathryn glanced over to where David was sitting beside her. It had been an entire week since she had pitched her idea to Regina and today, finally, the day for their little experiment had come around. The living room was silent but for the ticking clock on the mantel piece, each second dripping with tension that filled the room until it was bulging, and Kathryn and David could do nothing but drown in its awkward mass.

"She'll be here soon," Kathryn stated, more to herself than David, after sending a quick glance towards the clock. She felt more than saw her husband shift beside her, and suddenly turned, with a stomach full of nerves, to ask, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

David looked uneasy, eyes wide and hands wrung together, hanging between his knees, but he nodded in response anyway. It had taken some getting around to, but he had finally conceded that they really had tried everything - everything but this, that was.

He took in a deep breath, the sound unwelcome in the near-silent room, and leaned forward slightly, wishing he could take comfort in Kathryn's warm touch as she began to rub her hand down his tense back.

The doorbell's chime was the knife that cut Kathryn's spring, and she practically dived up from the sofa, hurrying out of the room while David straightened up, suddenly feeling sick. He could feel his heartbeat running away from him, and wondered just how he had managed to get himself into this situation.

From the hallway, he heard his wife and Regina greeting, her deep voice causing a shiver to lick at the back of his neck. Finally standing, he shoved his hands deep into his pockets as he heard two pairs of heeled feet making their way back into the living room.

"David," Regina smiled, moving to greet him as though they hadn't set up the entire arrangement for the purposes that they had.

She could not help but smirk as she felt his stubbled cheek brush against her own with a slight tremor of trepidation, and she wondered if the set up was entirely Kathryn's doing. But the hurt she might have once felt from that speculation evaporated with her impish grin as she looked between the married couple, both watching her as though she was going to instruct them what to do. So this was how it was going to be.

"Can, er… can I get anyone a drink?" Kathryn asked in a tinny voice, throat dry. If anything, she just wanted something to hold in her fumbling hands. She had never done anything like this before.

"I'll have a glass of red, if you have any, dear," Regina smiled. David only nodded.

As Kathryn entered the kitchen, she left behind the uncomfortable tension from earlier and took her time in filling three glasses with the most expensive red wine she and David were in possession of. She was hosting for the town's mayor, after all.

David swallowed the lump in his throat and looked awkwardly down to his feet, feeling Regina's eyes on him like a physical weight that was threatening to break his back at any wrong move. Regina allowed him the luxury in avoiding conversation, and merely stood, arms crossed, taking in her surroundings until Kathryn returned.

The wine that was passed to her was rich, not a favourite, but it would do. After all, they were merely looking for Dutch courage, weren't they?

After what could have been the longest few minutes of her life, Kathryn downed the remnants of her glass completely and turned to Regina, trying a little, "So…" and hoping for the best. David was watching her like a hawk, she knew, waiting for someone to make a move.

Sensing that the couple were going to look to her for guidance throughout the entire event, Regina smiled and asked, "Should we take this to the bedroom?" She almost laughed as David's cheeks reddened, but Kathryn fixed her with thankful eyes.

Winding her fingers through her husband's, she took in a deep breath and set both their glasses down on the fireplace, which Regina gladly mirrored, before leading him out of the room and up the stairs. She could hear another set of heeled footsteps following behind her and David, and almost wanted to pinch herself. This all felt so surreal.

Once they reached the bedroom, Kathryn finally dropped David's arm and turned to Regina, silently begging her for further instructions. She doubted she'd be able to get through this with anybody else.

With a small smile, Regina softened her tone and asked, "Why don't you shut the blinds, David?"

Turning his back on her, David gladly stalked towards the window and twisted the blinds shut, followed swiftly by the dragging together of the heavy curtains. The last thing he wanted was other people finding out about this. When he turned back around to face the two women, Regina softly demanded, "Come here." She held out a hand. Acquiescing, David slowly moved forward and took the delicate hand offered.

With a small smile, Regina tugged David closer and glanced between the two before asking, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"Yes," Kathryn answered quickly, glancing over to David. When he offered her a small nod, she repeated, "Yeah, we do."

Smile growing, Regina gently pulled David closer to her and moved to stand with her back flush against him. She could feel his heart beating erratically behind her, and it took all she had to push down the desire to reach behind her and press a palm against its wild rhythm. Kathryn swallowed thickly as she watched them, but before any flicker of jealousy had a chance to rip into her chest, Regina's dark eyes found her own, and then she was offering her free hand out to her.

Without hesitation, Kathryn took the hand and stepped forward, until she was almost pressed completely against Regina. With a soft smile, Regina freed her hand from David's, already feeling him tense behind her, and snaked an arm around Kathryn's waist, pulling her closer until they were pressed at the hip.

Kathryn gasped slightly at the tremors the move provoked. She had never desired to be with another woman before, but she could not tear her eyes away from those thick, red-painted lips smiling up at her. It was a strange feeling. She thought almost that she was merely standing in the doorway, watching her husband and her own body sandwich Regina between them.

As if reading her thoughts, Regina leant in slowly and captured Kathryn's lips in her own. The kiss was slow, hesitant on Kathryn's part, but Regina soon managed to persuade the other woman's lips to open with her tongue.

She did not fail to notice the slight pressure poking into her lower back, and smiled into the kiss before pulling back. Smirking, Regina swiped gently at the mess of lipstick over Kathryn's lips before wiping her own mouth clean of the red smudges, helped by Kathryn's cautious thumb.

Once the two were happy with their fixed appearances, Regina quickly turned in their embrace to face David, his eyes wide and mixed with caution and desire. Regina felt Kathryn's hands fall to her waist almost instinctively, and from the way David continued to glance between her eyes and over her shoulder, she guessed the other woman was peering over to watch her husband.

"Are you okay?" Regina whispered, sensing the man's hesitance, but all she received in reply was a stiff nod.

With a gentle smile, Regina's hands found David's. She moved them to settle on her hips, where his fingers squeezed around the soft flesh as if testing out a new pair of gloves. Without asking for permission, feeling as though the couple had gladly given her control, Regina then reached up to slowly undo David's shirt buttons. She felt her own desire pool between her thighs as his solid chest was finally revealed.

David's eyes momentarily slipped shut as he felt two warm palms being placed over his chest. It wasn't long before Regina's lips were on his own, his fingers digging further into her hips as he pulled her closer to him, half surprised by his own sudden eagerness.

Pulling away from David, Regina smiled to him and worked her way out of their embrace, coming to the man's side as she practically purred in his ear, "Undress your wife…"

Kathryn felt a shiver embrace her spine as David stepped closer to her, his hands gently settling over her cheeks as he pressed his mouth against hers. The kiss was the most passionate they had shared in a long time, but before long David had pulled away, hungry to shed a few of her layers.

Kathryn did not protest as her husband's hands carefully lifted the floaty top from her back, dropping it down somewhere behind her as his arms snaked around her waist, and their smiling lips came together once more. Regina bit down hard on her bottom lip as she watched them. Their happiness might have sickened her at one point, but now all she wanted was to push them down onto the king-sized bed behind her and take them both until she was crying out their respective names.

Suddenly remembering the other person in the room, and having regained his usual confidence, David slowly pulled away from Kathryn and turned to face Regina. With a small grin, he set his hands on her waist and trailed his fingers up to the zipper of her dress, silently asking permission to undress her. When Regina only smiled back at him, David took the hint and pulled the zipper down, allowing it to hang loosely over her lithe frame until he tugged it down to the floor.

Regina's smile grew bolder at the practically ravenous expression that took hold over David's features, his eyes dipping to take in her newly exposed skin. When David finally caught up with his lascivious gaze, he reached up to peel the shirt from his back and threw it in the same direction he had Kathryn's before turning around and offering his hand to his wife.

Kathryn smiled at his offer and placed her hand in his, allowing him to pull her towards his warm, bare chest. Leaning up on her tip toes, she pressed a heated kiss against David's mouth before pulling away and turning back to Regina. Her actions held no hesitance as she placed her hands on the other woman's hips and gently pressed her lips against hers, and so Regina rewarded her by opening her mouth and allowing the other woman's tongue to slip in past her teeth.

She felt desire coil in her stomach and pushed Kathryn back, stepping out of her dress, their mouths still joined, until Kathryn was in much the same position as she herself was earlier, pressed up against David's back and pinned in place by Regina's almost bare hips.

Kathryn could not keep the moan from reverberating through to Regina's mouth at the sensation of having them both pressed against her, and she kissed back with more enthusiasm, hoping to convey her appreciation. She finally felt as though they could actually pull this off.

Regina was the first to pull back and throw an impish grin over Kathryn's shoulder. When David met her gaze, his own lips quirking up in a smile, he found his own thoughts of wanting to get his wife out of her clothes reflected in Regina's smouldering gaze. It was not hard to unzip her skirt, and once David had unpinned the button, Regina helped him shimmy it down Kathryn's legs for her to step out of.

Smiling, Regina took Kathryn in her arms and quickly spun her around so that she was facing David, her hands never leaving her waist. As the married couple came together in a kiss, Regina slipped her heels off and encouraged Kathryn to do the same as she placed soft kisses over her shoulder and scraped her nails lightly down her legs. Swallowing thickly, Kathryn pulled back from David's lips and kicked her heels off and to one side, grinning up at her husband as her hands came to rest on his belt.

Seeing the movement from over Kathryn's shoulder, Regina caught David's gaze and grinned as she watched his expression cloud with desire while his wife began freeing him from the constraints of his trousers. Once they fell to the floor, heavy belt weighing them down, David kicked them off and bent to rid himself of his shoes. Seeing that he might take a while - longer than she was willing to wait, anyway - Regina took Kathryn's hand in her own and led her to the bed.

The other woman's body felt unfamiliar but pleasant as Regina pushed her down onto the mattress, and proceeded to then straddle her hips. Blinking through heavy lids, Kathryn looked up into dark eyes as her fingers tentatively ran up and down Regina's legs. A smile tugged at her lips when she felt the body above her shiver, the sensation falling right between her thighs.

Standing, David's heart gave a sudden heavy pound as he spotted Regina straddling his wife, Kathryn's toes curling slightly as their hips ground together. He had never heard his wife talk about being with a woman before, had never believed it was something she was interested in, but seeing her there, eyes wide and glossy as she held Regina's gaze, he thought she looked more than comfortable with the entire situation.

Shifting to sit on the bed, he watched as they continued with their own private show. Regina slowly lowered herself down over Kathryn and, with matching smiles, their lips soon found each other's. When he thought they might just carry on without him, David gently tickled his fingers up and down Kathryn's arm, until she broke away from Regina and offered him a sheepish yet coy smile.

It was with a smirk that Regina lifted herself from her friend, allowing her to sit up and capture David's waiting lips in her own. Regina sat back and drew her hands lazily over Kathryn's back, enjoying the sight. She did not fail, however, to glance down to David's boxers, and a smile tugged at her lips as she noticed the impressive tent.

Deciding to move to the next step, Regina slowly brought herself to her knees and crawled closer to Kathryn. The other woman tensed a little as she felt warm hands playing with her bra clasp.

Regina waited until Kathryn turned to look at her, giving her permission with a small smile, before she unhooked the clasp and allowed the bra to come loose. David was all too happy to remove the garment, and his hands were quickly moulding his wife's pert breasts, pleased with the soft mewls coming from deep within her throat.

Falling back into a kiss with David, Kathryn could not help her surprised moan as she felt a warm hand suddenly dipping between her legs, feeling her through her underwear. God, this was really happening… Eyes fluttering slightly, she shuddered under Regina's skilful fingers and wound her arms tightly around David, pulling him into her, desperate for his closeness.

Regina smirked as she heard Kathryn gasp, her fingers sliding slowly beneath the soft fabric of her underwear, and she had to ask herself why she had never allowed herself to have real friends before. Real friends were definitely proving to be worthwhile…

From over Kathryn's shoulder, she watched as the other woman toyed with the hem of David's boxers. With a boyish grin, he pulled back from his wife and, taking in Regina's fingers with an almost shocked look of desire, he removed the boxers himself, holding no shame in revealing himself to his wife and her friend.

Regina couldn't help her smile, even when Kathryn suddenly turned to her and, with an almost mischievous smile, reached around her - bottom lip held in place between her teeth - to undo her bra. Regina allowed her to undress her and discard her lacy bra over the edge of the bed.

Pulling the other woman closer, Kathryn's shy hands settled on Regina's hips and she pressed their lips together. She felt David shift around the bed, heard a drawer open and close, and plastic packets crinkle until he was settled behind Regina.

Warm arms came between them, fingers gently stroking at Regina's stomach as if to ask for permission to go any further. Pulling away from Kathryn, Regina tilted her head back to find David's eyes and, soon after, his persistent lips as he dipped his head towards hers, his hands bravely travelling up to her breasts.

His touch was soft and gentle, warm, almost soothing, and Regina could not help the low moan that drizzled from her lips as she pulled away from him, her neck aching from the twisted position.

With her fingers moving back to Kathryn's underwear, it did not take Regina long to work the flimsy material down her thighs, already feeling David's hard member pressing into her lower back. Kathryn was soon kicking her panties off, her arousal causing her entire body to throb with want, and she could see much the same sentiments in David's expression as he watched her from over Regina's shoulder.

Not wanting to encroach completely - she must be going soft, she mused - Regina brought her hands up to David's, still covering her breasts, and slowly brought them down so that she could tug the man forward, towards his wife. Kathryn smiled gratefully, as though Regina were merely returning a borrowed shirt, and took her husband's hand in her own.

As much as she was enjoying the show, Regina didn't quite feel as though she wanted to be left out completely. Before David and Kathryn could embrace, she carefully turned Kathryn around, so that her back was pressing into David, and drew her into a quick kiss before looking over her friend's shoulder expectantly to her husband.

Hearing that familiar crinkling of wrappers, again, David glance down to see Regina picked up one of the condoms he had dropped on the bed. She pulled back Kathryn enough for all three of them to watch her open it, discard the packet, and then lean closer.

Breathing shallow, Kathryn almost felt a spike of envy when she heard a soft groan coming from behind her, David's breath tickling her ear. Regina returned to her moments later, as though feeling the change in the air, and vanquished all Kathryn's worries as easily as she did the space between them. Moving her lips to Kathryn's pale neck, Regina flicked her eyes up and shot David an intense look.

Understanding her sentiments, as peculiar and surreal as it felt, David took himself in his hand and gently pried Kathryn's legs further open. His wife was only happy to comply, and her hands gripped desperately onto Regina as he slowly entered her.

David's rhythm was steady, entering her further each time, with his hands grounded on her hips. Regina smiled, satisfied, and moved to bring her lips back to Kathryn's as the other woman clung onto her for balance.

Before long, David's thrusts became faster and harder, and Regina could see he was close. She slid a hand between Kathryn's thighs, finding her clit, and felt her own arousal flare at her friend's answering cries.

Kathryn was soon mewling and moaning into her mouth, teeth nipping almost erratically every now and then on Regina's bottom lip. It didn't take them long, with Regina helping them along the way, and before long Kathryn's body tensed. Her face fell towards Regina's shoulder, lips parting with a moan, and then David climaxed with a grunt.

Regina practically had to catch Kathryn as she slumped forward, body glistening and shuddering as she slowly floated back into her bedroom. She hadn't been fucked like that in… quite some time. David all but fell back down onto the mattress, body spent - for now - and glowing with his release.

It had been a while since he had felt this good, and he was hell bent on making the most of it. Lounging on his back, and after removing the used condom, he couldn't help but watch Regina as she stroked her hands up and down his wife's back. Almost on instinct, the two came together in a kiss, and the only thing David found himself feeling dissatisfied about was the fact that Regina was still wearing her underwear. That wouldn't do.

As if she had been reading his mind - perhaps there really was something worth fighting for yet - Kathryn pulled back from Regina's lips if only to glance down at her panties. She had never been with a woman before, and wasn't fully sure what to expect, but she guided her hands to Regina's hips anyway and slowly tugged the lacy material down her thighs.

Regina took pity on her, it seemed, and removed her underwear completely, but even as Kathryn's tentative fingers were stroking through the dampness between her legs, Regina was guiding her down onto her back. She suspected Kathryn had no experience with what she was attempting to do, and decided to cut her some slack - just this once; they were friends, after all.

With her breathing having just evened out, Kathryn was almost sorry that her had lungs suddenly seized up, but the sight of Regina parting her legs and settling comfortably between them almost made up for this new inability to breathe.

Regina held her gaze for what seemed like an incredibly long moment, asking if she was okay with what she was about to do, and when Kathryn finally gave her a breathy and small, almost cautious nod, Regina lowered herself fully between her legs.

David felt himself twitch with longing as he heard the moan Regina drew from Kathryn. It was hard to believe that the woman eating out his wife was the same headstrong and rightfully feared mayor of their little town. If he hadn't been so consumed by his desire at the sight, David might have actually laughed.

Kathryn's legs spasmed and clenched, toes curling as she drew her knees up and down, unable to process the feeling of having her friend between her legs. Just when she thought she could take no more, David watching the entire performance, Regina had pushed her over the edge, violent and rushed, and a cry was wrenched from her lips as her back lifted from the bed, falling down heavily mere seconds later.

Pleased with herself, Regina wiped the remnants of Kathryn's wetness from her chin with a grin, and sat back on her heels as she watched her come down from her high. She looked spent and tired; though Regina was pleased to see Little Davidhad made a swift recovery.

Leaning over to his satiated wife, David smiled down at her and pressed a long, hot kiss against her mouth, tongue pressing against her own after she allowed him entrance. Regina shuffled to sit, legs folding to one side, as she watched them. Her body was humming with need and it took all the restraint she had to remain seated.

Knowing that she would be practically buzzing with want by this point, and feeling that they owed her, David pulled back from Kathryn and glanced over to Regina. He turned back, then, and fixed his wife with a silent question. Kathryn smiled impishly and bit down on her bottom lip, the small nod she gave telling David that she was okay with what he had planned.

Regina did not fail to miss the exchange, and a shiver licked at her spine as she shuffled onto her hands and knees, waiting until David - seeing her advance - had settled back down beside Kathryn before crawling over him. She settled herself just behind his erection and glanced down to her friend, who merely smiled up at her and passed her the remaining unopened condom.

Seeing she had her friend's consent to fuck her husband, Regina shot David a wicked grin and proceeded to tear open the condom packet. Once she had rolled it down his cock, she carefully lifted herself to hover over him. The look on his face as she slid down his shaft almost overwhelmed her with smugness, and she could not help the gasp of pleasure as she was finally touched where she needed to be.

With her hands resting over David's chest, and his on her hips as he bucked up into her, Regina allowed her heavy lids to slip shut as she ground herself against the man beneath her. She could feel Kathryn's eyes on her from beside them, but not with jealousy, more curious arousal.

David allowed Regina to take charge until her thrusting and clamping walls drove them both over the edge, and she all but collapsed down on his chest. Still twitching inside of her, David's hands slid up Regina's warm back as they each tried to catch their breath. Beside them, Kathryn shuffled backwards a little and allowed Regina room to slide onto the bed beside them, David slipping out of her.

Rolling onto her back, Regina allowed a lazy smile to lift her lips as Kathryn all but snuggled into her side. But she had never been one for cuddling. Once she had caught her breath, and Kathryn's slow tracing of her fingers over her abdomen failed to make her flesh twitch, Regina sat up from the bed and delicately hopped over her friend's sprawled body.

"I'm going to use your bathroom," she told the couple, watching as they shuffled into each other with her absence. Their smiles and happy, sleepy eyes followed her as she picked up her clothes and underwear from the floor before sauntering out into their en suite.

Once she was dressed, Regina fluffed her hair up in the mirror and took in her still pink-tinged cheeks. A smile tugged at her lips - the day had been more pleasant than she had anticipated - as she left the bathroom, eyes instantly settling on the cuddling couple on the bed. Their limp limbs barely protected their nudity, and yet neither seemed shy to have Regina watching them, now fully clothed.

Shuffling slightly to turn to her friend, Kathryn smiled and almost shyly said, "Regina… thank you."

She hadn't felt this close to David in ages and, even though it had taken another woman in their bed to bring them to this stage, she couldn't be happier with the way things had turned out.

Regina smirked and crawled over the bed to hover over Kathryn's sprawled body. "Thank you," she drawled, dipping to drop a quick kiss on Kathryn's lips, "it's been… charming. I'll see myself out." And, with that, she shuffled off the bed and into her heels before bidding the couple goodbye with a small wave.

Finally alone, and hearing the front door shutting from downstairs, David tightened his arms around his wife and hugged her to his chest. The room was silent, pleasantly so, until a belly-rumbling laugh burst from his lips.

Kathryn, shocked by the interruption, looked up with a wide smile at her husband's face. She saw the incredulity and humour there and could not help but laugh along, falling back onto his chest and feeling his arms encircle her in a lazy embrace.

"Can you believe that just happened?" Kathryn asked, fingers tracing a pattern down his abdomen.

She felt David drop a kiss to the top of her head as he breathed out, laughter finally subsiding. "No," he chuckled softly, wondering if he was about to wake up any second from a - very realistic, and very wet - dream.

Sighing, feeling the most comfortable in David's arms she ever had since after his accident, Kathryn pushed herself up slightly so that she was looking down into his soft, blue eyes. Her husband's smile only brightened and, with a breathy laugh, she brought their lips together in a slow and yet passionate kiss.

"See," she smirked, unable to help herself, "I told you this would be a good idea."

Her face crinkled with happiness as she shifted her legs so that she was fully straddling the body beneath her. Even though her words held an echo of her usually whiny 'I told you sos', David could not help but agree. Though he wasn't sure how he would ever be able to look Mayor Mills in the eyes again.