VIII
Time, is going by, so much faster than I You're never gonna be alone And now, as long as I can, I'm holding on with both hands You're never gonna be alone Oh Time, is going by, so much faster than I
And I'm starting to regret not spending all of it with you
Now I'm, wondering why, I've kept this bottled inside
So I'm starting to regret not telling all of this to you
So if I haven't yet, I've gotta let you know
From this moment on, if you ever feel like letting go
I won't let you fall
You're never gonna be alone
I'll hold you 'til the hurt is gone
'Cause forever I believe that there's nothing I could need but you
So if I haven't yet, I've gotta let you know
From this moment on, if you ever feel like letting go
I won't let you fall
When all hope is gone, I know that you can carry on
We're gonna see the world out
I'll hold you 'til the hurt is gone
You've gotta live every single day
Like it's the only one, what if tomorrow never comes?
Don't let it slip away
Could be our only one, you know it's only just begun
Every single day
Maybe our only one, what if tomorrow never comes?
Tomorrow never comes
And I'm starting to regret not telling all of this to you
Never Gonna Be Alone, Nickleback
Five Months Later, July 2005
"Can you believe the kid's gonna be three in October?" Jo looked at her son, David Charles Warner, then over at her partner, Blair Warner. Time seemed to be moving so fast. "Champ you're gonna be three!"
"Three!", he yipped loudly. He was well on his way to talking like "normal people", as Blair had once said, that had made Jo laugh uproariously. "Three n' 'nobember!"
"Wasn't it easier when he didn't know what birthday's were, Joey", Blair said sardonically.
"Yeah, it was babe, but it's more fun now that he gets to enjoy it."
"I can't argue with that", Blair said as they walked around Central Park. "Where has the time gone, Joey?"
Jo nodded her head, looking down at her son, who was holding both their hands. "I dunno, Blair, I've been thinkin' the same thing. It's been twelve years since I skipped town." She shook her head again in wonder. "I never thought during those days I'd end up with what I have now-my beautiful Princess, and with a kid like DC."
"It is incredible, isn't it?" Blair saw the pizza shop they had been walking to, nodding in that direction.
"Pizza", David said joyfully, making his mothers laugh.
"Chip off the old block, I tell ya", Jo said as they picked up their pace to get lunch.
Once in the pizzeria, David was quiet as he couldn't get enough of his pizza. It allowed his moms to talk.
"You know since I got my memory back", Blair began, "I've been doing research on starting something like a Non-Profit to help gays and lesbians. I don't want anyone to go through what you have, when your folks turned you away, with what people have called us, and when you weren't allowed to get information after the crash. It has bothered me every day since then."
"You wanna start moving on that, babe? You know I'll back ya a million percent."
"I'm thinking about it seriously now, Jo", Blair affirmed. "Lord knows I have the resources to start something like this-not just here in New York but nationwide. I think this is my calling. I really do."
"You've always had a good heart, blondie", Jo noted. "Always. But now you're so much stronger than you were years ago." The brunette grinned. "I guess being in love with me has opened your eyes to a few things."
"A lot of good things", Blair said, squeezing Jo's hand. "But also some ugly truths about other human beings as well. This bigotry...it's insane."
"Yep, and I've put up with it a good portion of my life. Now you're thinking you want to do something about it?"
"I do", Blair said resolutely. "I've written out a broad outline on my computer. I haven't shown it to you yet because I've still been working it out, but I think I can show you when I get home."
"Whatcha have in mind, Princess?"
"One, I want to work to get resources on the State and Federal level to protect and help homeless children-not just gay and lesbian, but all homeless children. It shouldn't exist in a nation such as ours. Second, I want to see the laws change on medical consent and visitation rights to extend to same-sex and unmarried partners. It's wrong that you have no rights when it comes to me and visa-versa, Jo. But that leads to the third goal."
Jo knew what it was even before Blair got the words out. "Same-sex Marriage." It wasn't a question, but something Jo and Blair prayed would be a reality some day.
"Exactly", Blair said softly. "The second goal won't become a reality until same-sex Marriage is accepted in the States or on the Federal level. I look around the country, and there's progress being made, but it's maddeningly slow, Joey. More groups, more people need to push this to reality."
"It's been my dream since we started datin' to marry you, Princess", Jo said with equal softness. "It's still my goal."
"It's my goal, too, babe", she said with a smile tinged with sadness that they could not at this point and time. "I want the world to know officially that we're a family."
"That would also mean working on allowing same-sex couples to adopt. That's important as well."
"Funny you mention that, Jo", Blair said with a chuckle, "because I just started to type my thoughts on that issue two days ago."
"I've always said, sweetie, that together we can move mountains. Maybe it's time to start doing some of the pushin' and shovin?"
"Great minds think alike, don't they."
Jo snickered. "You mean warped minds, dontcha?" They both laughed. Jo became self-conscious at that moment, Blair noticing it immediately.
"What's on you mind, babe?"
"Well", Jo said taking a deep breath, "I've been thinking of getting back in the motorcycle business. I loved building that company, and hated to give it up, even though it was a no-brainer to do so."
"I'm so sorry that happened because of me, Jo", Blair said, almost crying.
"You didn't do anything, Blair. It just happened. And I'd sell it again. Maybe with some of our resources I could buy it back from the owners. I hear it's doing well, but the staff, my old staff and some new staff, aren't thrilled with the owners."
"You think we could buy it back?"
Jo grinned widely. "I think we could strategically overpay them and not sweat it-don't you?"
Blair gave her lover a sly grin. "I love your barbarian side, you know that?"
"But", Jo said, stopping the merriment for a moment, "there's something I want to do first."
"What's that, love?"
Jo looked right at her partner. "It's time for DC to have a brother or sister. I want to have a child, Blair. It's my turn."
They had quietly made love that night, the price of having a child that could show up in the room at any moment to cuddle with his parents, but it had been no less electric for either of them. Even after all the years they had been together, the sex had never waned. Maybe the amount of it had, due to life and said child, but not the intensity of it.
As they lay, still naked after their exertions, Blair on her side, a hand possessively over one of Jo's bare breasts as her lover lay flat on her back, flicking her nipple every now and then, Blair talked about their conversation earlier in the day.
"So you wanna get preggers, Joey?" Blair kissed Jo's shoulder.
"Fair is fair, Princess", Jo responded, running fingers up and down Blair's stomach. "DC is almost completely potty trained, and it's a good time to grow the family."
"You realize that probably means waiting another year, at least, before getting back into the motorcycle business?"
"I know", Jo said with a shrug, "but we're both thirty-five now and I don't want to wait any longer. That ain't old", Jo said as an afterthought, "but it's startin' to push it for having a kid. This is more important to me than running a business."
"How about my desire to start an organization or organizations in helping young people and gays and lesbians? You think I should wait?"
Jo turned toward Blair. "Hell no, blondie", she said with a smile. "It's time you start working on that. I can be the stay-at-home Mama for a while. I don't suspect you'll be globe-trotting, especially when tryin' to get this enterprise off the ground."
"I think you're right", Blair said, raising up off the bed, not able to resist capturing Jo's erect nipple in her mouth, then moving to kiss Jo's jaw. "I really want to do this, not just for us, but for anyone who has to go through what we have."
"And I'm behind you completely, babe", Jo assured her, leaning to kiss Blair's still-swollen lips. Without warning, Blair slid her hand down between Jo's slightly spread legs, gently rubbing her lover's clitoris. "Are, uh, you trying to tell me something, Princess?" The words were followed by a moan as Blair sunk two fingers into Jo.
"Yes, my barbarian", Blair said lustily, beginning to pump her fingers in and out of the brunette, again sucking hard on a nipple. "I want one more round tonight, baby. I gotta make you come once more."
Jo moaned again, spreading her legs as wide as she could. "As long as I get to return the favor before we fall asleep."
"Oh, you will, my love", Blair said with a growl.
Boots St. Clair was on the verge of that wonderful explosion, that "petite mort", as the French called it. Her breathing was rapid, marked with small cries. "Oh, God, that's it, Georgia, fuck me harder...faster, oh God, yes!"
Georgia Compton was settled with her face between Boots spread legs and bent knees, sucking furiously at the other woman's clit, three fingers thrusting rapidly in and out of Boots' incredibly wet center. Georgia had never had a lover as ravenous as Boots St. Clair, and she wasn't complaining.
"God", Boots voice went up another octave, "oh, God, Georgia...I'm..."
Georgia released Boots clit for a moment. "Come for me, baby. Come hard." She sucked in hard again on the little nub, swiping her tongue across it at the same moment.
"Oooooh, God, Georgia!" Boots St. Clair flew apart at that moment, as her body felt like fireworks were lighting off inside every inch her being. "Oooooh!", she cried again as the climax almost levitated her off the bed. Georgia didn't let up, sending Boots into another cataclysmic orgasm.
Boots' breathing hadn't even started to slow down when she looked at Georgia. "Crawl up here and sit on my face, baby."
Georgia was straddling Boots quickly, the thrill of their love-making assuring that she would not last too long. They had been at it for hours, this would be the finale, else they both pass out. She ground her labia and clit into Boots face, Boots moaning, Georgia coming in a matter of a minute or so.
"Boots, baby!" Her back arched as she ground down even harder for a moment, letting the electricity shoot through her. "God, I love you!"
Ten minutes later, they were both sated, arms and legs entwined, softly kissing each other.
"You said you love me, Georgia", Boots said when she could think again. "Did you mean that."
"Yeah, I do, Boots. We're both a little nutty-perfect for each other, babe. Yeah, I'm in love with you."
Boots kissed her hard. "I feel the same way, hon." A smile came to her face. "I think we need to set up a date with two friends of mine. If it weren't for them, I don't think I'd have found you."
With that, they both succumbed to badly-needed sleep, still wrapped around each other.