CH20
I have noted that there are not that many people who have tagged this story, however that last time I noticed that I got a lot of feedback. And I'm no different. I read lots of stories and hardly ever leave a review, unless I feel the need. I'm on chapter 32 at the moment and while I do have an end in sight, it is going to take some time to fill in the gap.
After that will be Jack and Jill 2, just not a sequel. It will be totally new and unique. And keeping with the Sci-fi theme, just not as much as this story does.
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Lucile has spotted him long before he even stepped onto their property. They had waited to see what he would do next. They followed him as he walked down the garage doors giving each one a few tries. Finally on reaching the end he started climbing up the side of the building using the gear he had brought with him.
On the roof he searched the entire roof. He even went over to the outdoor kitchen and turned on the beer Kegerator for a short time. "Ok, now he's made me mad." Rick tells Kate. Kate just pats his shoulder to sooth his hurt.
Finally stepping over to the door he tests to see if it is locked. Finding it unlocked he opened it and stepped in.
The next thing he remembers he is waking up naked, alone and in a location that looks like a desert area.
"I hope he enjoys his time in Sap Bani Khamis is an abandoned village halfway up a canyon, accessible only by a narrow path.
Kate was at her desk in her office checking papers and making herself available to any students who wanted to talk to her. "Kate Alan Thornton is arranging for satellite coverage of the house in about 3 hours." Lucile tells her.
"Probably wondering where his latest guy he hired is." Kate goes silent for a moment while thinking it over. "Rick?" Kate calls her husband.
"Kate, coming home soon?" Rick asks.
"Has Lucile talked to you about the upcoming satellite coverage?" Kate asks quickly.
"She has, it can't still be on fire so that is out. You want to try doing the exact opposite this time?" Rick asks if she still wants to play with his mind.
"I like it. How about we are all on the roof waiting for the grill to finish cooking our dinner?" Kate suggests. "After it passes by we can go back inside where it is warm."
"I'll get the food and vegetables ready and on the grill. All you have to do is come home and be up on the roof in time." Rick offers.
"You got a deal. I'll see you then." Kate tells him and goes back to grading papers.
Kate had shown up with just 5 minutes to spare. "Sorry, I had a student come in last minute. But we arranged to meet tomorrow and go over all her problems." Kate tells him.
"No problem, dinner should be ready in about 15 minutes. So you'll only be up here for that long." Rick knows it is cold up here.
Rick and Kate are downstairs watching a movie on the projection screen. "That should keep his mind spinning in circles." Rick laughs lightly.
"I'm just wondering what his next play will be?" Kate wonders while she snuggles into Rick a little closer.
"Should we give him something to do instead of us reacting to what he does?" Rick questions tired of being on the defensive.
"As tempting as it may sound, how about we wait until Alexis gets back? I really want to see her and how she has been doing. I really want this to work." Kate tells him worried about her.
"It'll give us an extra pair of hands." Rick agrees. "OH, I almost forgot. The Zoo where she works called. They want to offer her a full time position working with the elephants."
Kate instantly pulls away from Rick to look at his eyes. "REALLY? That's great. She was so good with them when she was younger. You think she'll take. OH, this will mean she has medical coverage. And maybe enough money to get her own place if she wants." Kate is shocked and happy.
"You want her to move out?" Rick looks hurt.
"Rick she's growing up. She's going to want some independence to make her life work for her. I know I did when I was her age. Well ok, not her real age. Based on that we're lucky she hasn't moved out long, long ago." Kate tries to get him to see reality.
"Maybe I'll feel better about the idea after she gets back. However I am glad the Zoo likes her." Rick offers a compromise.
"I really hope this has worked for her. It has been really painful seeing her like this." Kate tells him while tears start to form. "If she doesn't get better soon then I'll relent and let Lucile, you, Jim and Natalie loose on his sorry ass."
Lucile is down in the master suite dancing and doing flying karate kicks itching to get her chance at one Michael Thornton.
It's about a week later and early February:
Kate was at class and Rick was sitting at the airport waiting for Alexis to exit her plane and walk past security.
Finally Rick can see her walking up his way. After Alexis spots him she increases her speed and is in her father's arms in a heartbeat.
"It's good to have you home pumpkin. How was your trip?" Rick decides to get right to the point.
"Oh dad, it was amazing, eye opening." Alexis responds with a wide smile.
"I take it you had a good time then?"
"It was great. Amanda was terrific."
"Amanda was your roommate right?" Rick knows she was talking to her roommate even before leaving as required by the travel company.
"Yea, she was so much fun. She was perfect. I invited her out for a visit in two weeks. Is that ok?" Alexis asks softly. If it had been Kate she would have noted a little shyness in her request. But it went over Rick's head, 30,000 ft. over his head.
"Of course pumpkin. Where is she coming from?" Rick asks since he has no idea.
"She lives in Montreal." Alexis informs him.
"Canadian! COOL! Do we need to send her a ticket?" Rick is more than willing to buy a ticket and more if it made his little girl happy.
"Is that ok?" Alexis does ask shyly and it does not go unnoticed by Rick this time.
"Of course it is. You two can have my car if you want. Your mom and I can share. Does she know about the boys?" Rick can see her smile come back in full force.
"Yup, I told her almost everything." Alexis tells him.
"Everything?" Now Rick is concerned.
"NO, not everything. Not that kind of everything dad." Alexis assures him.
Rick kisses her hair. "That's my girl. How about we go get your bag and go home. Your mother has been chomping at the bit to have you back home. Now that you're here maybe she will calm down a little." Rick chuckles and wraps his arm around her back and heads for baggage claim.
Alexis spends the trip homing telling her father a lot about her trip in a very animated way that only makes Rick smile.
Once they are home. "I'm going to go unpack dad." Alexis tells him and heads up the stairs.
"You can leave your laundry in the laundry room. You're mom or I will do it later."
"That's ok dad, I know how." Alexis tells him.
"I'll but upstairs making lunch then. Come up when you are ready." And Rick heads for the kitchen.
"Kate, have you got a minute?" Rick calls out to her.
It takes a minute for her to answer. "Give me a minute." Is Kate's reply.
"Ok I'm in my office. Are you home with Alexis?" Kate can't wait much longer.
"She's down in her room unpacking. I'm making lunch." Rick tells her holding out on her a little as a tease.
"How is she?" Please tell me this worked out goes unsaid.
"She's as happy as Guinness and Maggie were when we came home from Christmas vacation." Rick tells her chuckling.
"OH THANK GOD! Did she tell you anything?" Kate's voice sounds so much more happy.
"I'm not sure there is anything she didn't tell me. She wouldn't shut up the entire trip home."
"How was her roommate? Did she say anything about her roommate?" Kate hopes she did nothing to upset Alexis.
"Well, do the words "fantastic", "so much fun" and "can she come here for a visit" mean anything?" Rick informs her with a smile.
"Oh thank god. I was so worried about that. How is she getting here, where does she live?" Kate asks. What do Rick and her do to make this happen.
"She lives in Montreal. We may need to learn French real fast." Rick chuckles. "Oh and we need to buy her a ticket to get her here. I offered." Rick explains.
"Ticket nothing. Get her a private jet. Just get her here Rick." Kate wants a happy Alexis to continue.
"As soon as Alexis tells me the dates I'll make the arrangements or Lucile will to be more accurate." Rick promises. "When are you coming home?"
"Better give me about 3 hours. I'll need to bring some work home with me though."
"Not a problem. Maybe we can invite the girls over and we can all help you." Rick offers.
"Excellent idea. Have them bring the babies and the puppies. It'll be fun." Kate tells him.
"Consider it done. I love you." Rick tells her.
"I love you to." Kate tells him and the conversation ends.
By the time Kate gets home Jenn and L and the babies along with Alexis are on the sectional talking with Rick in the kitchen cooking. Guinness and Maggie ignore her since they are too busy playing with Caesar and Zoe.
"Hi sweetie." Kate tells Alexis reaching the sectional.
Alexis leaps up. "MOM!" And wraps her arms around her.
"Well I'm glad you are happy. I take it you liked the trip?" Kate soaks up the hug with one of her own.
"It was amazing." Then Alexis whispers in her ear. "I need to talk to you."
Kate waits thinking Alexis is going to tell her now. "Privately." Alexis adds.
"I'm all yours sweetie. How about after dinner and your sisters have gone home?" Kate offers. And Alexis just nods.
Kate moves over to her other daughter's. "Girls how are you and my grandchildren. Grandchildren! Oh god, I'm a grandmother." Kate suddenly looks deflated.
"You're only just now figuring that out mom?" L asks. "Mom? Earth to mom?"
"And I'm a pregnant grandmother!" Kate is still spacing. "Either you two are way too young or I'm way too old." Kate still looks lost.
Alexis comes up and wraps her arms back around her mom again. "You want us to arrange you have your nanites removed?" Alexis teases since she already knows the answer.
"What? Nanites? Oh hell no!" Kate starts thinking again.
"Good because I'm not ready to lose my mother." Alexis tells her.
"Me two." L adds. "Me three." Jenn adds.
Since only Alexis was in immediate range she's the one that gets a kiss. "What are we having for dinner?"
"We don't know. Every time we offer to help we get shooed out of the kitchen." L tells her.
"You mean no one is watching your father cook?" Kate looks shocked.
"OH GOD!" Jenn comments.
"OH NO!" As Alexis leans her head on Kate's shoulder. "We are soooo screwed."
"I'll go check. You three debate where you want the pizza to come from." Kate tells them and heads for the kitchen, doomed.
"Rick what are you doing?" Kate starts delicately.
"I'm making dinner, DUH!" Rick chooses not to spare her.
"And what are you making?" With just a hint of fear in her voice.
"I'm making Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana
8 thin chicken cutlets, 3 oz each
1/2 cup whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
6 tablespoons egg whites or egg beaters
5 oz frozen spinach, squeezed dry of any liquid
6 tbsp part skim ricotta cheese
6 oz part skim mozzarella (I used Polly-O)
olive oil non-stick spray (I use my Misto )
1 cup pomodoro sauce or your favorite marinara sauce
salt and pepper to taste
"And are you following the recipe?" Kate asks afraid of the answer.
"Since I've never made this before I don't have much choice." Rick tells her not getting Kate's concern or that she even is.
Kate turns to look at the girls who are watching her like a hawk, and she gives them the OK symbol. And can see them breathe out after holding their breath.
"It'll be ready in about 30 minutes." Rick tells her as he puts it in the oven.
Dinner was terrific, the girls were happy, Alexis was happy, Rick was happy. Even Guiness and Maggie were happy until they and the puppies crashed and went to sleep from spending the time playing.
Rick is in the master suite and Kate has headed for Alexis's room. "How are you doing sweetie?" Sits on the edge of her bed next to her.
"I don't even know where to start mom." Alexis whispers.
Kate wraps an arm around her shoulder. "How about at the beginning?"
"As part of the trip to Italy it was required that we be in contact with the roommate assigned to us. Amanda sounded really nice in messages and on the phone. She even has this sweet little French accent.
The first couple of days there we went everywhere together. She was a lot of fun and I liked her. And she wasn't shy. She would strip in the room before going into the bathroom to shower. Her voice and accent is just so romantic sounding.
On the third day we went everywhere together again. We were getting along really well. She is really funny and is full of stories. We went shopping and saw some clothes that we both really liked. She came into my changing room while I was naked and she was half naked and was having trouble getting it on and asked me to help.
After it was on she stayed and helped me put on what I had chosen. We both liked what we had chosen but after it was on we agreed that it just didn't look good ON us. She went back to her changing room and waited out front for me.
That evening in our room she started stripping again for the shower when she saw I was having trouble getting my boots off. She came over wearing only her panties and had me lift my foot to pull them off for me. On the second boot she pulled and landed on her butt. It was pretty funny and we were both laughing. She got up and came in real close to give my my boot back. We were staring into each other's eyes and she dropped the boot and then she kissed me.
I mean really kissed me. And I kind of kissed her back. When we broke for air she looked into my eyes and told me she was going to go take her shower. Just at the door she took off her panties and left the door open.
I didn't know what to do. I was so confused so I went to bed and waited till morning to take my shower.
We still went everywhere together the next day only this time everywhere we went she held my arm hooked with hers. She even started kissing my cheek from time to time and was still incredibly sweet and funny just like the days previously. She even had me laughing and having fun all day.
That evening when we got back to our room we had sex together.
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This is where my beta reader didn't like where the story was going and i dropped it. That and he didn't see an ending, a reason for the story.