I don't own these characters.
25: Making waves
…I never would have thought that life was better when you've got a person to share it with, but my life has been improving greatly ever since my dear doctor came into it. I can only hope things are always like this. I mean, this is so perfect. It's so wonderful.
-*-(1856)-*-
Sheshona planned her next big outing with Kimberly. She liked doing something big at least once a week with her doctor. It worked out well because she liked having the excuse for the redhead to spend the night and whenever they did something big, Kimberly always spent the night. Of course, she spent the night sometimes when they did not do anything really special.
Whenever Kimberly spent the night, she made a romantic dinner, which Sheshona always enjoyed. They had candle lit meals that Sheshona would have thought pointless with anyone else, but not with her beloved. They also tended to take baths together. Sheshona heated up the water just enough to make sure that they could sit in it, but it would stay warm long enough for them to enjoy the water and being close to each other. After their baths, they retired to bed and continued to enjoy being close to each other.
There were so many things for her to do with Kimberly, but not too many were close by, so it took Sheshona a while to come up with ideas. She had to consider some place special that would get Kimberly in that cute, playful mood that Kimberly never noticed that she got into when she experienced something new. It was a mood that Sheshona thoroughly enjoyed seeing. They would go somewhere enchanting and it would be great, she silently decided.
She was drawn from her thoughts by the sound of her beloved's carriage arriving. She went to meet the redhead, who threw herself into Sheshona's arms as soon as she was close enough to do so. Kimberly cried in Sheshona's arms and Sheshona knew why.
Sheshona sighed; apparently, last night Kimberly had to do what a wife was expected to do. It did not happen often, maybe once every couple of months, but when it did, Kimberly always wept on her the next day. Kimberly saw things as if her own husband was violating her now that she had Sheshona in her life and she absolutely no desire for her husband. It was all very disturbing for the doctor. She could not turn her husband away or he might suspect her affair, which could lead to him leaving with their son, and she did not want to lose her son. So, she obliged him. She felt like such a whore.
"It's all right," Sheshona whispered gently as she massaged Kimberly's back to help calm the redhead down.
"I'm sorry for this," Kimberly apologized, as she always did.
She felt so dirty and she often expected her lover to be angry with her for what happened, even though Sheshona was never upset. She thought Sheshona would be irate because she looked at it as if she cheated on the woman that she loved. Plus, Sheshona always seemed so possessive. The emerald-eyed female never looked at it as cheating. She just tried her best to be comforting to her distressed doctor.
"Don't be. I know you had to. I don't hold it against you. You know I don't," Sheshona tried to assure her beloved in a tender tone and she meant her words, which was surprising to her. Well, they had been surprising to her the first time that she had said them.
Sheshona could not believe she really did not hold it against Kimberly that the doctor gave herself to someone else. Sheshona was certain that in the past, she would have been furious if someone that was supposed to be hers alone slept with someone else. She was fiercely possessive and she had often forbid conquests from seeing anyone else while she was around, even if the conquest was married. But, with her darling doctor, it was always different.
She understood Kimberly could not afford to have her husband suspicious of her. She understood Kimberly did not want to lose her only child. She understood that for those things to happen, Kimberly had to play the loving wife when necessary. She understood and accepted that sometimes she did not have sole ownership of Kimberly's body, but she always had the doctor's heart and soul and that seemed to quell any anger that threatened to arise in her system.
"I didn't want to…" the redhead mumbled through her tears.
"I know. It's all right, Duchess. It's perfectly fine," Sheshona promised while trying to calm her beloved down by rubbing her back, but that was not working.
Kimberly continued to weep, hard and long. Sheshona easily gathered her lover in her arms and carried her into the living room. She sat down on the sofa and cradled the shaken redhead in her arms. She rested her forehead against Kimberly's and occasionally placed a chaste kiss to some part of Kimberly's face to help the doctor believe she truly understood. She did not hold what happened against Kimberly and she wanted the physician to know that.
Occasionally, her understanding actually made Kimberly feel worse. Sheshona was always so wonderful to her and there she was sleeping with someone else. She had to be a horrible person, she thought sometimes. She had to be a whore, she often concluded.
"I'm so vile…" Kimberly whispered.
"You are nothing of the sort. You are my darling, wonderful Duchess. You could never be vile. It's all right, Duchess," Sheshona said again and then placed a soft kiss to the side of Kimberly's head.
"I swear I didn't want to," Kimberly murmured. Her voice was below a whisper now because of the strain that crying so much had done on her throat.
"I know. It's all right. He didn't mean to hurt you," Sheshona said. She knew her words were true. She was not very interested in defending the man, but she wanted her beloved to stop crying, to stop hurting.
Benjamin, though neglectful of his wife for the most part, was actually a good guy. He was a bit out there, but he was a very good man. He cared about his son, he was kind to Kimberly when they spoke, encouraged Kimberly to pursue her dreams, and he welcomed Sheshona into his house just because it made Kimberly happy. He more than likely would not purposely hurt Kimberly unless she managed to hurt him first, which she really would never want to do, even though she was having an affair. In his mind, he was probably just being intimate with his wife, giving her the quality time that he knew he hardly ever gave her, and not violating poor little Kimmie as he was in her opinion.
Sheshona held onto Kimberly for as an undetermined amount of time, kissing and caressing the redhead with the hope that it would get her to calm down. She supposed the trip would have to wait until her lover was in a much-improved emotional state. There was no way that playful Kimberly would come out that day, not after the night she had endured. So, Sheshona just let Kimberly lay against her on the sofa. Being so close and doing nothing at all was almost as good as doing something together for Sheshona, for the doctor, too, actually.
"I'm sorry I always fall to pieces on you," Kimberly said after she had finally gotten herself together. She did not understand why such a thing happened to her now, but she was certain Sheshona had to be sick of it, even though it did not happen very often.
"It's all right, I like when you fall on me," Sheshona remarked with a small smile.
"I suppose I've ruined our day," the redhead commented.
"No, this was fine," the emerald-eyed female tried to assure her lover. "My day could not possibly be ruined if I have you pressed against me."
"You're merely saying that to spare me in my obviously weakened emotions."
Sheshona chuckled slightly. "Not at all. I've got you in my arms, so I'm fine."
"You make me feel so special, as if no matter what I do, you'll be all right with it," Kimberly said. She liked that with Sheshona she could act almost any way and the pale woman would not make her feel terrible about it. Sheshona never judged her.
"So far. Don't go testing the limits by doing something crazy," the raven-haired woman commented in a bit of a joking tone, even though she meant it. She was very tolerant of what happened with her lover, but she did not want to see how far that tolerance went.
Kimberly chuckled a bit. "I only do crazy things when goaded into them by you."
"Well, you're the one that wants to spend the day together out of bed every once and a while. I'd merrily stay there all day long if you're next to me and naked," Sheshona remarked with a smile.
"I know you would. You always want me naked."
"Well, you look best the way nature intended."
Kimberly laughed a little more. If Sheshona was not so emotionally supportive and everything else, she might have thought Sheshona only wanted her around for the intercourse because Sheshona seemed to always want to copulate. But, there was so much more to their relationship than sexual relations and that was why she always came back and it was also why she now felt violated by her husband.
Sheshona was something Benjamin probably never wanted to be. In an ideal world, Kimberly liked to think she would have been able to marry Sheshona. Her "wifely duties" would never seem like a duty then. She would never have cause to stray from her marriage. But, alas, that was nothing more than a dream. And that's all it will ever be.
"So, what were we going to do today before I ruined things?" Kimberly asked while situating her head underneath Sheshona's chin.
"We'll do it some other day," Sheshona answered, moving a hand to rest on Kimberly's thigh.
"And today?" the doctor inquired softly. She wished she had not ruined things. She enjoyed it when Sheshona took her out and showed her some place she had never been before.
"We'll just rest here," Sheshona replied.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
The redhead relaxed against her pale paramour and Sheshona held Kimberly tightly, as if to protect her against all of the world's evil. Sure, she could suggest they get naked, as she usually would if the doctor was resting against her and Kimberly might even go for it. But, she never proposed such an idea when Kimberly came in crying. It just would not be right and she had to treat her dearest doctor like the duchess she believed the woman was.
-8-8-8-8-
…so, I sat with her all day, as I usually do and then returned her to the man that caused her tears. I don't know why I'm so understanding with her, but she does need it. I never really thought it was in my nature to be understanding. I want to be angry, but I don't even know who to be angry with, which is how I usually am when this happens. I hate to say, but I'm actually surprised that it doesn't happen more often. I'm thankful he's an idiot and doesn't think to have intercourse with her more often.
As usual, I felt so bad after it all that I couldn't sleep. It doesn't help that I'm here alone at night after these things happen. Sometimes, I wish that she'd just stay here after it happens. I figure that I'd be able to sleep better and she wouldn't have to worry about it happening a second night in a row, not that it ever does. I guess since she already spends the night here at least once a week, we shouldn't push it. I just want to comfort her and I'd feel a lot better if I could just keep her safe like I should be able to.
I practiced my art for the whole night while thinking about her crying on me. I know it's useless for me to practice since that damned woman died on me so early, but it's all I have left when my Duchess goes back to her husband. Practicing doesn't help. It just makes me feel more useless. I can't protect my love and I can't advance the art since I can't take a pupil. Sometimes… never mind. This isn't a place for sorrowful thoughts like that.
-*-(Present)-*-
"Wow, I never realized how tough an affair must be," Kim muttered as she and Shego finished up another page in the journal.
"At least they have things straightened out between them and things aren't causing friction. Maybe we should straighten some things out, too," Shego suggested, running her hand through her hair.
"Straighten things out? Like what?" Kim asked curiously.
"Like your diet. You need to start eating better."
"Well, if you're cooking, that's what I'm eating," the slim hero pointed out. The underlying message being that Shego needed to cook more often.
"You need to start managing your time better too, so you get more sleep," the super-powered sidekick stated.
"And I want you to stop stealing, but how likely is that?" Kim commented. She was not very interested in being told what to do by a woman that led a life that she did not totally agree with.
Shego looked stunned by the question, even though she guessed that she should have seen something like that coming. "What?"
"Don't try to set boundaries for me if you're going to keep on doing what you do. Accept me for me," Kim argued.
"I'm just trying to look out for you, Princess," the pale woman said.
"I'm trying to do the same. I'd rather you stop getting arrested, just like you'd rather me not simply pass out every few nights. If you can't accept me for me, then don't expect me to just take you at face value," the redhead replied.
Shego was speechless for a moment longer than she liked. She tried to fence Kim in for what she believed was the girl's own good, but she had not considered things from Kim's point-of-view, the same thing might be necessary for her. It probably was not the right move to make. Great, they had hardly been in a relationship for a day and she was already screwing up. God, I'm going to mess this up. Come on, if past Sheshona can stop being an ass and just be with the doc, then I should be able to be with my Kim no problem.
"All right, I might have jumped the gun," Shego admitted.
"Yeah," Kim agreed with a curt nod.
"I just want you to treat your body better than you do, Princess. It deserves some care," Shego said in a voice that she did not even know that she had. She had no clue that she could sound almost gentle.
"I know, but this is how I am." The younger woman shrugged.
"What if I make you a deal?" Shego offered.
"Huh?"
"I'll only steal if it's for Doctor D and you don't stay up past twenty-four hours again, unless it absolutely necessary," the raven-haired woman proposed.
"Are you serious?" Kim asked because she could not see Shego giving up burglary at all, let alone for her.
"Why else would I say it?"
"To be sarcastic," the slim hero replied.
"Well, I'm not being sarcastic. What do you say?" the elder woman inquired.
"Well, if you're being serious, I'll agree to it," Kim replied because she understood for things to work out between them, they would either have to leave each other alone totally no matter what each deemed wrong or they would have to compromise on things. Neither of them was going to just change.
"Good. Look, Princess… I understand why you were so pissed earlier and I'm sorry about just now. I told you, I want this to work, but you might have to bear with me a little while. I haven't had a lot of practice at real relationships," Shego confessed.
Kim smiled. "As long as I know you're trying, I'll bear with you. Experience in relationships doesn't have to mean anything. I've been in my fair share and they always fail."
"I think you were dating the wrong people and I mean that in the sense that they weren't me," Shego remarked with a grin.
Kim laughed. "Maybe that's true."
"Now, let's gather some stuff for our stay at the house," Shego suggested, rubbing her palms together.
Kim grinned. "Right, what do we need to get?"
"Mostly food, change of clothes, bath supplies, and something to sleep on."
"All right," Kim said and she enthusiastically hopped off of her sofa. She hit her fist into her palm, just showing that she was hyped up.
"You do know that all of your energy is just plain disgusting, right?" Shego inquired with a straight face.
"Hey, now you see why I can easily stay up past twenty-four hours," the trim adventurer replied.
Shego only shook her head while Kim collected what she could from around her apartment for their overnight stay at their house. They were more than likely going to have to go shopping for food or get the food from Shego's house considering how picky Shego was about what she ate.
The next day, they set out for the house with everything that they believed that they would need to survive a night or two away from civilization, which was not much. They proceeded to spend their day fixing up whatever was left in the house and making plans for updating the house to suit their comforts. When they were done with that, they settled down in the living room, where they planned to spend the night because the bedroom was totally empty now. They had moved out the things out of the master bedroom to see how big the space was and they figured they would take the room as their own if their relationship worked out, so they would have to design it more to suit their combined tastes. They used a light that they brought with them to illuminate the living room and spent some time reading the journal.
-8-8-8-8-
…I'm going to show my Duchess something wonderful to lift her spirits. She's been rather down lately. I mean, she's still herself, but I can see the sorrow in her pretty eyes. She doesn't want to tell me what it is yet. She probably doesn't want to upset me. She's so considerate and polite.
I'm hoping that spending the day and night with me will change her mood. I so dislike seeing her in such pain. I want only for her happiness, so I'm going to try to get that look out of her eyes. I want her eyes to sparkle like jade.
-*-(1856)-*-
Sheshona hardly let Kimberly enter the house when she showed up. She turned the redhead around at the door and escorted her to a coach that waited outside. Kimberly wondered why the coach was there, but she did not ask. She considered Sheshona's father might be checking on her as he had promised to do. But, no, it was there for her and Sheshona to take a trip. It was the first time that a trip ride had beaten her to the house.
"Where are we going, beloved?" Kimberly asked in a low, curious voice as she cuddled up to Sheshona in their closed carriage, so the driver could not see what they were doing.
Sheshona always got closed coaches just in case she got the urge to do something naughty, which she often did, and she would rather not give the driver a show. Kimberly remembered the first time that Sheshona had done something in the carriage and how she was so surprised that she actually screamed by accident. The driver had gotten so worried that time that he stopped the carriage to check on them and ended up being kicked in the chest when he opened the door. Sheshona had not bothered to apologize for the assault and ordered him to stay out and just drive the coach. She had not been put off by the interruption, but she had warned her lover to be quiet.
"It's a surprise as usual, Duchess. It will put a smile on your face," Sheshona replied. Her arm was draped around Kimberly's shoulders and she caressed the doctor's arm.
"It will?" Kimberly echoed with some hope. "But, being with you already does that," she commented with a small smile that did not reach her eyes.
"You are such a charmer," Sheshona remarked with a warm smile of her own.
"You have me confused with you."
Sheshona laughed a bit. She wished that being with her put a smile on Kimberly's face like the doctor claimed. Sure, it was true, but it was not as true as it had been in the beginning of the year. Lately, she was happy when she was with Sheshona, but there was still an underlying sting that she actually tried to ignore while she was with her paramour.
Sheshona hoped the outing took the sorrowful look out of Kimberly's eyes. She missed her happy little Kimmie. She wondered what happened that had caused the abrupt change in her lover's demeanor. Kimberly had been visibly down for about two weeks now. She had not cried or anything serious such as that, but she did look so distraught.
The ride to wherever Sheshona had them going was a long one, but Kimberly did not mind because she was close to the pale woman. She looked content snuggled up to Sheshona and the emerald-eyed female had noticed that. Kimberly often seemed relaxed when pressed against her, but she could still tell that something scratched at the doctor's soul underneath it all.
Sheshona did not address the matter. She just held onto her darling doctor, occasionally caressing her or kissing her. They both sighed every now and then; the noises were content sounds. They were just satisfied with being together.
It took most of the morning for them to arrive at their destination. Kimberly noted the air smelled strange and when she exited the coach, she found out why. They were at the beach. Gulls cried out in the distance and fresh salt hung in the air.
"Sheshona," Kimberly said in a breathless tone.
"Come on," Sheshona said as she took Kimberly by the hand.
The couple strolled off through the yellow sand. Sheshona only wanted to walk on the beach; it was not the right time of year anymore for swimming and her lover was not in the right mood for her to suggest something a bit improper. She supposed that there was always next year. It was something to look forward to.
The air was cool and crisp. It seemed to be just the thing that Kimberly needed to forget her troubles because her eyes finally cleared of whatever burden that she had been carrying around. She smiled. It was a tiny expression, but her eyes sparkled with it, so it was more than enough for Sheshona.
"You like it?" Sheshona inquired, even though she knew the answer to that question from the look in her lover's eyes.
"It's so wonderful," Kimberly replied.
"It's better if you take your shoes off. You get to feel the sand under your feet," Sheshona suggested.
"Can we do that?" the redhead asked in a hopeful tone.
"Of course."
The pair took their shoes off and strolled through the sand with Sheshona's arm around Kimberly's waist. Kimberly sighed as she wiggled her toes over the small particles and pressed herself closer to Sheshona. They went to water's edge, getting their feet wet. A little titter escaped Kimberly and Sheshona felt a calm settle in her from the sound.
Now, Kimberly seemed truly content, which made Sheshona feel the same. Although, in the back of her mind, Sheshona still wondered what brought down her lover's mood. It had been such a great year with only a few moments of depression and Kimberly's husband usually brought those on. Those moments tended to pass after a few days, but her current mood had lasted a whole fortnight. Sheshona figured she would find out now since Kimberly seemed to be all right.
"Duchess," Sheshona said, caressing Kimberly's hip.
"Yes?" Kimberly replied while gazing out to sea. She had never seen a more awe-inspiring sight than the blue sky meeting the blue-green ocean and how they seemed to go on forever together. She felt like she loved Sheshona all the more for bringing her to the sea.
"Why haven't you been yourself lately?" Sheshona asked.
"What do you mean?"
"For a whole fortnight, you're looked overwrought. Why?" the pale woman asked again.
Kimberly looked away for a moment and then turned her gaze back to the water. "Might I tell you later on tonight once we get home?"
"All right," Sheshona agreed.
In the back of her mind, Sheshona began plotting someone's immediate demise if a person hurt her lover. She would accept anything like that at all. She had to protect Kimberly because she could and that was what one was supposed to do for a loved one. So, someone was going to have to get crushed if they hurt her beloved, even if it was the doctor's husband.
The couple did not stay on the beach for too long due to the chill in the air, but it was still an excellent trip. Sheshona was now determined for them to return sometime in the future, preferably when they could get in the water. She might even teach Kimberly to swim. She also reminded herself that she had to take Kimberly to some other natural wonders because those seemed to get the best response out of the redhead, except for one time when Sheshona took Kimberly to a cave. Hey, not every surprise was a perfect hit.
They returned home in the late evening. It had already been decided that Kimberly would spend the night because Sheshona knew they would get in after sunset. They spent their time in the house as they usually did and later that night Kimberly revealed what had her so down.
Sheshona was speechless when she found out and she had no idea how to react to it. Kimberly had kept it a secret because she was frightened how her lover would react to the news. She thought that Sheshona might want to end the relationship.
-8-8-8-8-
…Dear, sweet, merciful God wherever the hell you reside, my beloved is pregnant!
-8-8-8-8-
Next time: reactions to this news.