CHAPTER 4

"This is coming along well." Kim muttered as she got out of the car. The building was underway and the bare bones of the walls were up. It made the building take shape and have a presence, even if the third floor was only partially done. As Kim walked closer she could see another section of wall being erected on that top floor and grinned just a little to see someone flying up to the workers and dropping something off. It was faster than any other way and it explained the amazing progress. The mutations these people had were being used well.

"Ms Brown." A rather emotionless voice called and Kim turned to see a dark haired woman coming her way. "I'm Sage." The woman introduced herself as she finished getting closer.

"Hello." Kim gave the woman a questioning look. She'd never actually been introduced to her, but she had seen the dark haired woman around here.

"Jean is finishing up a workout at this moment and she asked me to show you the progress we've made." Kim felt a little disappointed and it must have shown, because Sage continued. "She should be out to see you in perhaps an hour and didn't want you feeling abandoned until then."

"Okay, thanks." Kim forced herself to become more professional, it just matched how she was being treated. It didn't make sense that Jean would be working out now, but Kim was a little early again so she couldn't really complain. Not that she would have. "So let's see what you've got."

The tour took them past a lot more people that normally worked any site Kim worked on and Kim got to see some people using mutations, but most of the work seemed to be done the normal way. It felt like Kim was seeing professionals as she watched them. These people knew what they were doing. It didn't paint a pretty picture, knowing that most of their experience came from rebuilding this same building so many times. It really could have been the Professor's work for her dad alone that paid for her education.

Jean would hopefully take it better than Kim would if this place got destroyed again. Kim was going to make sure to keep the plans for this place ready, along with the notes just in case. Her dad would have an easier time. Kim sighed. She had never been jealous of her dad before, but she really enjoyed working with Jean and it would have been nice to think it wasn't a one time deal like all of Kim's other clients.

During the tour Kim found very few problems she had to point out. Someone had been monitoring this construction more closely than normal and making sure the details were taken care of.

"Is there anything else you'd like to see Ms. Brown?" Sage asked as they stood on the third floor, with workers busily putting up walls right before dinner. A white haired and dark skinned woman looked up from her own work and smiled at them.

"This is the infamous Kim Brown?" The woman's voice held a friendly teasing edge to it as she stood up and came over to them. "The one that Jean has been talking about so much?"

"I believe we only have one Ms. Brown in our employ right now." Sage's response seemed to have a very hidden element of teasing to it, and Kim glanced at the woman to see if she could see a hint of a smile, but it wasn't there.

"Right Sage," the other woman grinned a little wickedly, "So this must be the woman I hear so much about." Kim glanced around, feeling a little out of place with the teasing and not sure where it was going. "The one that owns a hot tub and never invites us over, even though we work all day on her building."

"Yes, I do believe this is the same Ms. Brown." Sage did have a little bit of a smirk now.

"I hear even Jean hasn't been invited into that hot tub yet." The woman in front of Kim held out a hand and her voice changed to be a little more serious. "I'm Ororo, Jean's friend."

"Did you two want to come over?" Kim kind of had to ask and she felt her blush grow in intensity. She preferred quiet evenings with a friend or two, not large gatherings. "It isn't a very large hot tub."

"Then we won't tell the others." Ororo glanced over Kim's shoulder and smiled at whoever was coming up behind her. "Jean, you've been selfish, keeping this one away from us, but that's all over now." Ororo moved her teasing to Jean and Kim turned to see Jean smiling as she moved toward them. "Kim has graciously invited us to her house for a night in the hot tub." Ororo's eyes gentled a little as they looked at Kim, "So I think we should provide the dinner. Do you like Indian food?"

"I don't know. Can't hurt to try." Kim started to relax, knowing that these women were offering her friendship. It wasn't something she was likely to turn down. Somehow, in spite of being the one to cheat, Vicki had been the one to keep their mutual friends, or the fact that Kim was now single made her couple friends nervous. Kim didn't really understand it all, she just knew that she no longer got invitations to do things. "I can move the stereo out onto the porch." This could be just what she needed, Kim started to feel good about being able to share her home. "I've already finished the inspection." Kim told Jean. "So if you and your friends want to grab some bathing suits we could go."

"It'll just be us girls." Ororo said and Kim knew she was teasing, but Kim's face turned a bright red. She didn't want to turn and let anyone see her like that.

"Ororo, stop teasing her." Jean said and moved to rest a hand on Kim's shoulder. "I know I have a suit you can borrow if you need it." Jean was speaking with Ororo, and Kim looked over at how Sage was just watching the interactions and not really being a part of them.

………………

They'd managed to leave without too many questions. There were a few, but Ororo had kept the anyone else from inviting themselves along by leaving out the fact Kim had a hot tub when she told them that all of them were going to Kim's.

After a nice dinner eaten around the kitchen peninsula, Kim had left her guests to change in the guest room and found her own bathing suit in her bedroom. Once it was on she stared into her mirror and sighed heavily. She was normal, that's the best she could say about her body. It was normal, not sleek, not warrior honed, and not all that curvy in the right places. At least she had a one piece, to hide that she had no six pack abs, because she was pretty sure all three of the women in the other room probably had them. Along with muscles so toned that their muscles probably did ripple. It was daunting to think she'd be out there in the hot tub with them.

As a lesbian, the idea held some merit and was intriguing, but just as a woman it was hard to not compare herself to the other women. This was the strange part about being a lesbian, the part Kim didn't really grasp. How one could be jealous of another woman's figure or appearance and also find them attractive in a very personal way. She called it the 'I want to be her, I want to have her' syndrome.

Well, it wasn't a disaster and it wasn't like these women were likely to pick on her like the girls in high school had, so Kim grabbed a stack of towels and headed out to the hot tub. She could hear talking and the music she'd set up as she moved into the living room and could see the other three in or getting into the hot tub already. It was good Jean wasn't able to see her, because Kim's eyes widened a little to see Jean climbing up into the hot tub in a two piece that made very little effort to be actual clothes.

"Hey guys." Kim put the towels down on the table and moved to follow the others in, feeling a little too closely watched by all three women, but the expressions on their faces were different. Sage was just watching and it made Kim feel like a puzzle the woman was working on solving. Ororo was grinning and clearly amused by something, and Kim worried the dark skinned woman would open her mouth and say something embarrassing to tease Kim. For some reason Ororo liked to tease her. Jean's expression was the one that made Kim look down and focus more on how she was getting into the warm water. Kim couldn't really say what the expression was, but it made Kim very aware of her own appearance and the fact Jean was seeing more of her than ever before, or that Kim was seeing more of Jean than she ever thought she would. "Oh, hot." Kim hissed a little as she put her leg into the water. It felt nice, but it was a set a little higher than she would normally set it.

"With all the construction, it made sense to try and heat our tired muscles." Sage explained and Kim now knew what the dark haired woman had been doing out on the deck right before dinner. She'd been turning the heat up. "I hope that's alright."

"No it's fine." Kim lowered her body into the water, feeling the warmth envelope her. "I usually just take a long hot shower after a bit too much work, but this is probably better for you." Kim smiled. "I can always get us ice water if it gets too hot."

"Drinking it might not help." Sage offered and Kim decided to tease the woman.

"I was thinking we'd pour it over your head as punishment for trying to boil us." Sage smirked just a little, but Jean laughed. It wasn't funny enough to laugh at, Kim thought, but she smiled at the redhead.

They talked about movies and music and other non-personal things for a while. Kim leaned back against the hot tub wall behind her and enjoyed it for a moment while Ororo explained to them all why Johnny Depp really was very sexy. "Wine?" Kim asked when Ororo finally stopped talking.

"That's right, you probably aren't all that interested in Johnny Depp." Ororo had that teasing smile. "Or are you?"

"I'd love some wine." Jean interrupted the teasing Ororo seemed eager to do. Was that woman always teasing or was it just Kim Ororo liked to tease?

"Okay." Kim moved to carefully get out of the hot tub, but felt herself starting to fall out. She sucked in a panicked breath and then found herself hovering for a moment, half in and half out of the hot tub, before her feet were settled back on the ground gently, one in water and one not.

"Be careful." Jean spoke and Kim turned wide eyes over to look at the redhead. "No, I did that."

Kim swallowed and nodded her thanks. Her pounding heart slowed. She wasn't sure what scared her more, almost planting her face on the floor or that one moment when she thought she might have stopped herself from falling. "Thanks." She felt an embarrassed flush to her skin and carefully continued out of the hot tub.

Kim left the door opened as she went into the kitchen, and the way the house was built let the words from outside travel to her. It was clearly not something the others thought would happen though, Kim guess from the tone of Jean's voice. "Her house is beautiful. She did this deck herself and finished her workshop. You really should see it before we leave." Kim smiled a little while she pulled the wine glasses out, feeling a little proud of the way Jean talked about her home.

"And she's funny, and listens, and let's not forget… what else was it Sage?"

"I believe we've heard Kim is also artistic, kind, and understanding."

"I had to meet her Jean. You made her sound like a rival for my spot as best friend." Ororo was clearly teasing, but Kim was still thinking about all the things Jean had apparently said about her. It was a nice feeling, if a bit scary, to know Jean thought a lot of her.

Kim poured the wine and didn't let herself listen is to the rest, so that she didn't appear to be listening in. The women took their glasses and once they were done Kim found herself driving them home, but not before Jean dragged the others into Kim's workshop to brag about the work Kim had done.

CHAPTER 5

Kim pulled up into her driveway after work and got out of her car with a heavy armload of sample books for Jean to look at later. It had been a month and the construction was way ahead of schedule, so it was time to ask about things like flooring if they wanted it delivered in time. Every flooring and trim book she had in her office in town was now with her for the weekend. She also had color swatches, and counter top samples. The counter top ones were in the trunk and would be their own trip to the door.

Fumbling with the keys she managed to get in and set the samples down. It was on her way out to get the rest that she saw a car she didn't recognize pull into her driveway. At first she thought Jean was using someone else's car, but Kim looked into the windshield and felt her heart plummet. It had been a wonderfully month and a half, Kim had started to not feel like Vicki had ripped her heart out physically as well as emotionally and now Vicki and her slut came to visit.

Kim's body tensed and she just continued to the car, unlocking the trunk as she heard the other car pull up behind her. It felt like Vicki was boxing her in so Kim had to stay and talk. Kim picked up the heavy box of samples and slammed the trunk a little too forcefully, before turning to glare at the woman getting out of the car. She did her best to not look at the other one still sitting in the driver's seat and staring at Kim coldly.

"I was in the neighborhood." Vicki spoke softly, but with no real affection. "And since you haven't been returning my calls I thought I'd drop in."

"I've been busy." Kim held the box to her chest and glared at Vicki.

"We need to straighten everything else out. The house…"

"Is mine." Kim glared at her ex. "I built it, I'm paying the entire mortgage now. You ripped apart my life Vicki, but not this. I'm keeping this."

"I own half of the house." Vicki spoke faster and a little louder. "I sunk my money into it just like you did and I am not just going to walk away."

"Why not, that's what you did to me. You're good at walking away." Kim felt angry and used.

"It's my money Kim." Vicki looked over at the driver of the car, who had opened the door and stood there leaning on it.

"So now you bring your little cop to what? Rough me up? Intimidate me?" Kim shook her head and stared into Vicki's eyes. "You'll get your damned money, since that's all you care about, but you have to wait. I'm not selling. I don't care if I have to work all day and all night, I'm not selling."

"I'm sorry it has to be like this." Vicki spoke softly and shook her head. "But I'm going to get a lawyer."

"You lived here two fucking years Vicki. Two years. You're going to do this to me for the equity we built in just two years?" Tears streamed down Kim's face in spite of her wish and prayer that she could stay strong long enough to at least look in control of something. "You cheated on me. I deserved better and I deserve a chance to at least keep my home. We don't need to sell it for you to get your money back. Just wait."

"I looked up what the house is worth." Vicki sighed. "You can't make enough to pay me off and pay the full mortgage. It would take you years. Dammit Kim, this house is going to drag you down. Just let it go. You don't need such a large place alone. It was too big for the two of us."

"It was supposed to hold four." Kim's voice shook as she said that, her pain and accusation clear.

"Well now it won't. You don't need this much and I need a down payment on a new place for us." Vicki glanced at the other woman and Kim hated her for it. "We can't stay in her apartment forever."

"Well, you should have thought of that before you left me for a cop." Kim didn't feel any pity. She sighed heavily and rested the box in her arms against her car. "Six years is worth giving me a chance to try and pull this off Vicki. I'm asking you to not bury me like this. You know what I put into this house. Haven't you hurt me enough?"

"I'm sorry." Vicki had the nerve to sound like she could cry. "I'm sorry my leaving hurt you, but it was over."

"You never told me that until you'd packed." Kim glared at Vicki. "Months of lies and then suddenly your gone."

"I fell in love."

"Well, isn't that just great." Kim turned to look at the other woman just watching. "But don't forget she said she loved me too. Her love doesn't last and you'll find that out when she stabs you in the back too. I wanted to hate you, and to punish you, but Vicki will do it for me. Just you wait."

"That's bullshit." The woman seemed smug in her self assurance and confidence that Vicki wouldn't hurt her too. Kim hoped their relationship ended in flames.

"I wouldn't do that to her." Vicki protested.

"No, just me? Get real, you don't know what love is."

"I do now."

It was childish and Kim didn't think anything she'd said would actually make Vicki think about how hurtful she was being. "I don't want you dropping by to visit me, I don't want you calling me at the office, and I don't think I'm asking too much there."

"Kim, you're going to have to sell the house." Vicki moved towards the car on her way to leave. "One way or another. Do it before you lose everything else."

Kim glared at them as they backed out of her driveway, and considered replacing the locks on the house again as she did. She was shaking as she carried the box of samples into the house, and she kicked the door closed behind her. With the awkward load in her arms, it didn't swing hard enough to latch, but Kim kept moving into the house.

She put the box down and moved to try and do her normal routine, she opened the fridge and poured herself some juice. Gripping the glass tightly Kim stared at the counters she'd installed herself. The helpless rage inside of her came out as a scream and Kim tossed the glass as hard as she could, shattering it on the cupboards. Another glass followed it, before Kim's anger burned out and she started to cry.

……………..

"Kim?" Jean's voice called into the house as Kim worked to sweep up the glass. Kim just sighed heavily and looked at the results of her tantrum, it hadn't made her feel any better and now she had a mess to clean up.

"Come in." Kim wiped at her eyes, hoping to hide that she'd been crying, but it wasn't likely she'd be able to. "I have the samples on the table if you want to take a look while I finish this." Kim motioned to the glass as Jean was inside enough to see her, but she didn't look over at the woman.

"Kim." Jean's voice was soft and instead of moving to the samples she came into the kitchen.

"I don't know how you can manage to survive seeing him with her every damned day." Kim's voice cracked as she stared out the window.

"What happened?" Jean moved closer and Kim felt the warmth of Jean's hand on her shoulder. Kim's body went rigid, but Jean just moved closer.

"They came over. She told me she'd getting a lawyer to make me sell." Kim could feel she was still shaking a little, the fact Jean wasn't shaking made it more apparent. Jean tugged on Kim's arm and pulled her into a hug. It felt strange, but Kim didn't push her away.

"Oh Kim." Jean hugged Kim to her, "I don't know what to tell you, but you aren't alone." Kim's body started to relax, even as a pang in her heart told her she was alone. Friends weren't the same as having a real partner in life. "You broke the glasses?" Jean spoke gently after silently holding Kim a little too long and Kim pulled back to glance at her mess with some embarrassment. She watched the pieces of glass raise into the air, even the smallest she could see, and float over to the garbage. "No need to risk cutting yourself on it." Jean squeezed Kim's hand and then let go. "And as for your question, it hurts to see him moving on so quickly. It's why I'm so grateful you let us work from here so much."

"Well, I guess we could look at the samples." Kim really wasn't feeling up to working.

"No," Jean smiled at her. "I say what we both need is a night out. No ex's, no work, just fun and a few drinks."

"I don't really feel like fun." Kim sighed heavily, but Jean didn't look like she'd back down.

"That's why you need it, because you don't feel like it. You go get dressed in something nice, we'll have dinner and try and find an opened dance club." Jean studied Kim a little too long. "You'll see, it will help."

Kim didn't protest, but she really felt like this was a waste of time. She dressed in something nicer than her meeting clothes and stood in front of the mirror, hating the clothes, but she knew she'd hate anything at that moment, so she just left the room in them.

"I'll drive, just in case you want to drink." Jean told Kim while putting a sample book down. "We can do the flooring stuff tomorrow. Come on."

Kim slowly locked the door, knowing that wouldn't keep out the one person she really wanted to keep out at that moment. She really needed to get new locks.

……………….