The Way

By

Scoutfan22

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Disclaimer: I don't own "Strangers in Paradise". Terry Moore does the damn genius.

Summary: Katchoo and Francine's first time in Issue #48. Even though they didn't do it (damn you Terry Moore)!

Notes: I fell in love with this comic when one of my theater friends let me borrow an issue. I wanted to write this after reading issue #48 and getting all depressed after reading issue #60. So here it is. All hardcore SiP fans can criticize me on the SiP fan forum boards. But I'm not going to give you non-members the link because I only want the people on the forum boards to criticize me. : P I have also decided to write my own AU SiP story. I believe it will be multi-chaptered. I think this will be a prequel to it. Yes, that's what this is, a prequel to the AU story…

Aw Dammit, I'm rambling again…

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It's in the way that you know me

And the way that you tease me

The way that I want you tonight

It's in the way that you hold me

It's in the way that you told me

And if I can't find the right words to say

You'll feel it in the way…

-Clay Aiken, The Way

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­ Casey was mad. She'd had enough. She looked at Francine. "Do you love her?" she asked, pointing to Katchoo. "Yes!" Francine replied, giggling. Casey looked at Katchoo. "Do you love her?" she asked again, pointing at Francine. "Oh yeah!" the other blonde replied happily, tears running down her cheeks.

"THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!" she howled at the top of her voice. "GET YOUR BUTTS OFF THAT COUCH AND GO TO BED! NOW!"

"I guess that's our cue." Katchoo said, grinning with the tears still falling down her cheeks.

"Guess so." The brunette grinned back. She helped the blonde up and almost cried out with joy when Katchoo fit so easily at her side.

"I'm really glad she came over." Katchoo said, slipping her arm around Francine's waist. "Me too." The brunette replied.

"Go on… shoo." Casey said as she waved the two of them into Katchoo's bedroom. "Let's ask her to move in with us." The blonde said.

"Agreed." Francine answered as she followed Katchoo inside. The blonde closed the door, and Casey yelled, "And I don't want to see you leave that room for the rest of the week! You have a lot of catching up to do!"

Katchoo rubbed her eyes and turned and looked at Francine, who was sitting on her bed. She opened her mouth to say something when Casey yelled once again, ""I'll make your meals and slide 'em under the door!"

She looked over her shoulder and waited for a moment, then turned back again to Francine only to be interrupted once again. "LIFE IS SHORT! GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!"

She shook her head and turned around to see Francine now sitting on her bed wearing nothing but a smile, her hair down from her ponytail.

Katchoo's eyes bugged out of her head, and she gulped. "Oh… wow…"

"What?" Francine said blushing and looking down. "It… it's not like you haven't seen me naked before."

"No. No, that's not it. It's just… I never thought you'd be there… on my bed… w-wanting me to…" Katchoo gulped again. "Uh… yeah."

This is nothing Kat. You've slept with girls before, what makes this time any different?

Because it's the love of my life sitting there, that's why.

"Katina…"

Katchoo was knocked out of her reverie at the use of her real name. She watched as Francine stood up and walked up to her. She froze like a deer in the headlights as she was given a view of Francine in all her glory. Soft hands cupped her face, and the brunette put her forehead against hers. Hazel eyes gazed into blue as Francine murmured softly:

"I love you."

The tears came again as Katchoo sobbed happily. "I love you too, Francine. Oh god, you have no idea how long I've been waiting to say that. I've waited for this moment for so long and I just want to make you happy. I love you so much!"

Francine smiled, "I know." Her grin turned slightly mischievous as she leaned forward and whispered, "You know, you've got too many clothes on."

Katchoo wiped her eyes and smiled, finally feeling the desire and love coursing through her veins. "Oh, I am, am I? Want me to do something about it?"

Francine nodded, "Mmm hmm" then was surprised to be gently pushed towards the bed. The back of her knees hit it and she tumbled backwards, laughing as Katchoo pinned her arms above her head. "We'll take care of that in a moment. But first, my lovely creature…" Katchoo smirked and then lowered herself onto the bed by the brunette, leaned over and whispered huskily in her ear "…allow me to worship you…"

Francine gulped in anticipation and nervousness, then gasped as one of the blonde's hands trailed down her body and drew lazy circles on her pregnant belly. "Did I ever tell you how incredibly sexy your tummy is?" Katchoo murmured in her ear. "I love your curves so much, baby…"

Any coherent thought had escaped her, so all Francine could do was moan softly as Katchoo nibbled on her ear tenderly. The hand on her stomach then slipped up to cup her right breast, squeezing gently. The brunette groaned loudly, arching her back as the double assault on her breast and her neck (from Katchoo's now moving lips trailing kisses down it) slowly drove her insane.

Katchoo, meanwhile, was in heaven herself. She couldn't believe that Francine was actually here with her in her bed; that it wasn't another one of those wacky dreams (SiP fans know of which I speak). God, Francine's skin is so soft… she thought.

By this time she had reached Francine's chest and was confronted with the sight of her breasts. Her hand stilled itself and the other let go of the brunette's wrists as she shamelessly stared at her lover (boy she loved the sound of that!).

The pleasurable sensations stopped and gave Francine a moment to catch her breath. When the blonde released her wrists, she looked down and was surprised to see Katchoo gawking at her, eyes wide and shining with something she recognized as desire. "Katchoo?"

"Hmm?"

"Look at me."

"I am."

"At my face, sweetie."

Katchoo blushed and looked up at Francine, grinning. "Ahem. Sorry, I was… distracted."

"I noticed." Francine said shyly and blushed too. There was silence between them for a moment, and then the brunette grabbed Katchoo by the collar of her black t-shirt and hauled her up for a passionate kiss; after which she divested her of said garment and threw it to the side. The blonde sat up, grinning playfully as the brunette sat up at the same time.

"Oh, so I take it you want me to get rid of these clothes now?"

"Well…" Francine said seductively as she reached out a hand and traced the top of Katchoo's bra just above her cleavage (thereby drawing a gasp from the other woman), "since you put it so nicely…"

She needed no further prompting. The blonde stood up quickly and undid the clasp of her brassiere, letting it fall. It was promptly followed by her jeans; but before she could remove her panties, Francine giggled. "What?" she asked indignantly, putting her hands onto her hips.

"It's just… hearts? On your underwear? I would've expected maybe Casey to wear those, or even me. Where'd you get those?" she asked.

Katchoo looked at the ground then back up at her soul mate. "Uh, they were a birthday gift from David."

"David!"

"They were a joke, he said. But I actually kind of like them."

Francine grinned. "Well, they look good on you. But at the moment, I'd kinda like to see you without 'em."

"I can manage that." And without a further word she pulled them off slowly, giving Francine a good long view of the most perfect pair of legs she'd ever seen. She swallowed as Katchoo stepped out of them and threw them aside, then stood up. She realized she was holding her breath and let it go; shivering. Oh god… Katchoo's so beautiful…

At that instant Katchoo suddenly remembered a poem she had written not too long ago, and in a verse of it, she had written some words that described this moment perfectly…

'Heated gazes

Across the room

Set my soul aflame

And the desire I feel

Consumes me and burns me

And I know that this love

Is real…'

She bit her lip, then walked over to the bed and sat down beside the other girl, taking her hands into her own. She began to kiss them, saying a word in between each kiss…

"You brand me… with your lips… marking me forever yours… with every tender touch… I become you lover… to be only yours…" she gently pushed Francine back onto the bed and began to kiss her way down her neck once again. "In your arms… I have become light… and I glow in the darkness of this world… alone no longer… for you have made me complete…"

Katchoo was now kissing Francine's lips in a series of soft butterfly kisses, murmuring the last few lines of her poem. "I am whole… when I am with you… because of your love." and with one more kiss on her lips she lowered her head and then enveloped a dusky nipple in her mouth; licking it gently.

"Aah-aah!" Francine cried out, arching her back and tangling her hand in the thick blonde hair, pushing her lover closer to her breasts.

Katchoo grinned, and then switched breasts. After a few more moments of this the brunette's soft cries became more insistent. The blonde decided she was going to be a little (well, maybe a lot) evil and pay her back for the torture Francine had put her through before. She let go and looked up at the girl, smiling devilishly at the same time as her hand trailed down and fingered dark brown curls.

Hazel eyes misty with longing gazed into hers. Katchoo leaned and whispered into her ear teasingly, "Do you really want this? Do you really want me to make love to you? Is it what you want?"

"Y-yes..."

"You're sure?" the blonde purred into the brunette's ear as she ran a finger over her nether-lips, enjoying the moist warmth; and grinned as Francine's hips followed the caress.

The only rational thought in Francine's mind registered that the woman was driving her crazy. Unable to answer, she simply moaned as Katchoo stroked her again.

Katchoo smirked as she continued to torment her lover with the lightest of touches; even though Francine kept trying to tell her to stop teasing her (all that came out were little gasps and moans that made the blonde feel quite turned on). Just a little bit longer, and then she'd—

"Omigod, Katina, please, please… please, I'm begging you… please…"

That did it. Katchoo rolled onto her lover and gently pushed her fingers into Francine.

Francine let out a little scream as Katchoo moaned; Francine because the feeling of Katchoo inside her was so intense; Katchoo because the sensation of Francine's muscles contracting around her fingers was amazing. "Oh my love…" she murmured as she began to thrust her hand slowly, "…you feel so good…"

Suddenly she was surprised to feel a hand reach up and grab one of her breasts, squeezing gently; and the other hand slip down and rub against her clit.

"Oh Jesus!" she burst out, beginning to move her hips in time with Francine's hand.

Francine grinned and then groaned as Katchoo quickened her pace. Erotic words were exchanged between the two of them as the passion grew and grew.

The brunette could feel herself getting close, and looked up, gasping at what she saw: Katchoo above her, head thrown back, blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, gasping and saying her name over and over like some holy prayer. She realized in that moment as she felt the first trembles of ecstasy run through her body that she was finally in heaven. Here was her true dream, where she finally belonged. And as her climax hit her full-on, taking her breath away, she was pleasantly surprised to hear Katchoo's own beautiful voice screaming her name.

As they both came down from their high, the blonde collapsed beside her, pulling her fingers out. After a few moments, Katchoo sat up and leaned on one hand; licking the other clean. They gazed into each other's eyes, and Francine laughed; a sound of pure joy, and Katchoo giggled. She leaned over and gently rubbed their noses together, then stole a sweet kiss.

"Mmm… I don't think I can move." Francine murmured softly and stuck her lower lip out so it brushed the other girl's again. "You turned me into jelly."

"Anytime, baby. Anytime." Katchoo said happily, placing a hand on her lover's tummy. She bit her lip, and then looked at Francine.

"Darling, what is it?" she asked as she ran a hand through the blonde's hair. She watched as Katchoo looked down at where her hand was placed. Suddenly it dawned on Francine, and she smiled. "Of course you can, sweetie."

Katchoo grinned, then scooted down a little and gently laid her head on Francine's belly. A huge smile lit up her face as she heard the quiet thumping of the baby's heartbeat. "Oh wow." She whispered in awe.

Suddenly her mind was full of so many things. One, she definitely had to ask Francine to marry her. Two, she had to call Tambi and speak to her about work. And three… they had to pick some names.

But there'd be more time to think about that later. Right now, she wanted to be content where she was: Here with Francine, at the beginning of something wonderful and new…

As Francine drifted off to sleep with her head on Katchoo's shoulder a little while later, the blonde was just about to follow her into dreamland when a thought struck her:

Mm… Caleb or Gregory if it's a boy, Ashley or Marie if it's a girl… hey yeah… Caleb Matthew or Gregory Zane… Ashley Katina or Marie Elizabeth… those are good names… got to remember those…

And without another thought, Katina Choovanski asleep.

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You know what other good baby names are? Elizabeth Rose or Michael Jonathan…

7/28/2005 10:48 PM