A Fresh Start
Chapter Two Hundred Eleven
Under Sam's supervision, Jeffrey and William finish setting up their bedroom while Richard and Billy take care of the TV and electronics downstairs. Ava, Cassie and Stace are in the kitchen putting the food and dishes away when Sam, Jeffrey and William come downstairs. When they finish, they walk into the living room as Cassie asks. "Is everything ready upstairs?"
"Yes." Sam says. "Thanks you guys for helping."
"Yes, thank you." Jeffrey says.
"You're welcome, but we can help you guys put some of this away." Ava says.
"No, you and William go out and do something. We don't want to monopolize your whole Saturday."
"The day's almost gone." William says, looking outside.
"But the night's just getting started and Emma's at her friends, so you guys go out and do something." Sam says, looking at them. "In a few months, you're gonna wish for days like this." She says, smiling.
"Alright, we'll go." Ava says, looking at William.
"We're going to go too." Richard says.
"So are we." Billy says.
"You don't all have to leave." Jeffrey says.
"We'll let you get settled for tonight." William says, as everyone walks towards the door. He opens the door and then turns to Jeffrey. "I really like the house."
"Thank you. We'll help you and Ava move in when the loft's finished." He says, looking at Billy."
"It's going to take a few more weeks to get it finished, but I'll push the crew…."
"There's no need to push them. We're fine at the boarding house." Ava says.
Jeffrey shakes William's hand and then hugs Ava. While he has her attention, he whispers. "No more forgetting to eat."
"I promise." She says, leaning up to kiss him.
"I don't want you in the hospital until it's time for you to have this baby. I don't care how stressed you get."
"I will be fine." She says, looking at him. He hugs her again and then she and William leave.
Billy leaves next and then Richard and Cassie. Jeffrey is at the door, shaking Richard's hand. "You're a lot different than you were when you came to San Cristobel. I like this side of you."
"She's this side of me." Jeffrey says, glancing at Sam.
She slips her arm around his waist as she says. "We're the best of each other."
He leans over to kiss her before she releases him to hug Cassie. When Sam steps back, Jeffrey hugs her. "You did good. This is what you wanted when we were together."
"I cherish ever moment I had with you, but Sam is what's right for me." He says, looking at her.
"I really like this place." She says, looking around the main room again.
"Thank you." He says stepping back, as Cassie slips her hand into Richard's.
"We'll see you soon." Richard says, leading Cassie out of the house.
"Thank you again." Sam says, as they stand in the doorway.
Richard leads Cassie down the steps to the back walkway and they watch until they turn the corner before Jeffrey closes the door behind them. Turning to Sam, he pulls her to him. "So, what do we do now?"
"We've got a house to unpack." Sam says, slipping her arms around his waist.
"Well, I say we stop for today. We order dinner and sit back and relax, watch a movie and then go to bed."
"But we've got so much to unpack." Sam says, releasing him.
She turns for the living room, but he reaches to stop her. "We're both tired. And you've been working all day. I think you need to sit down and relax."
"We can at least unpack a few…."
"Or, you can go upstairs, run a hot bubble bath and soak for a while, while I get us something to eat and then I'll join you and we'll relax together."
"A hot bubble bath."
"In your brand new spa inspired bathtub."
"You hate…."
"I do not hate bubble baths." He says, turning her towards the hallway leading to the stairs and their suite. "Now, go draw the bath and I'll call for pizza and then I'll be up as soon as it comes."
She looks at him and then at the boxes surrounding them. "We've got…."
"It will wait until tomorrow."
"Are you insisting on this because of the amino?"
"I'm insisting on this because you're my wife, you're pregnant and you've barely sat down since we got up this morning, so please go upstairs, draw a hot bath and we'll relax together as soon as I get something for us to eat."
"Alright." She says, walking up the stairs and he pulls his phone from his pocket.
Once she reaches their bedroom and she looks around and sees all the boxes waiting for them to unpack, she can't just ignore them. Walking into the closet, she opens one and begins to unpack some of his clothes. Ten minutes later, he comes upstairs to see why he hasn't heard the water running. Walking into the closet, he sees her carrying some of his clothes to the dresser. "Sam."
"I know. I'm sorry. I came in here and saw these boxes and I can't just let them sit here." She says, putting his clothes away before she walks over to him.
"You need to slow down and…."
"Just let me get this finished. I'll only put up our clothes, so we don't have to search in the morning and then I'll stop. I promise I'll run the bath." She says, as he sighs.
"Alright, I'll help and then once we're finished with that, you're stopping." He says, as she leans up and kisses him. "The pizza will be here in about ten minutes." He says.
"Okay." She says, opening a box. For the next ten minutes they unpack several boxes, not just clothes but bathroom supplies and other things. The things that weren't essential for them, she agrees to leave for later.
"I'll be right back." He says when the door bell rings for the pizza. She nods, carrying towels into the bathroom, making a mental note that she will have to go by the store and buy stuff for the powder room downstairs. She's coming out of the bathroom when he comes back upstairs. "Come on, stop and eat and then we can take the bath." Taking her hand, he leads her out of the room and downstairs.
Leah looks at the house where her son has been living since he left Florida. It fits in well for the neighborhood that he's living in. Slowly, she walks up to the front door and knocks. A few moments later, Dorian opens the door. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you."
"How did you find where I live?"
"I followed you from the center. May I come in?"
"We have nothing…."
"There is something I need to tell you. At least let me explain what happened."
"What is there to explain?" DJ asks, opening the door for her to enter. "You cheated on Dad with a man you did not know simply because you couldn't have your way when you wanted it." He says, closing the door behind him.
Leah takes a deep breath. "I want you to sit down and I'm going to tell you want happened and you're going to listen to me."
"You can't tell me…."
"Sit down, Dorian Joshua, now!" She says, pointing to the chair behind him. "You're angry, you can stay angry, but right now, you're going to listen to what I have to say. Yes, I cheated on your father. I made a mistake. I'm human. I wanted to have children. He wasn't able to have children and he didn't want to adopt a child. For a few months, we spoke of getting a divorce.
The night that I went to that bar, your father and I had a huge fight. He packed some clothes and he left. I didn't think he was coming back. I was upset and scared of loosing him. I went to that bar with no particular thought in my mind. Your biological father was there. He had just found out that police was giving up the search for his wife. He was more upset than me. We started talking, and then drinking and dancing and by the end of the night I went back to his hotel room.
The next morning, he left nothing to tell me where he went. And to be honest, when I woke up that morning, I didn't want to know where he was. I wanted to forget that anything had happened. I went home. About a week later, your father came home.
We started to piece things back together and things were looking like it was going to be okay, until about six weeks later, and I missed my cycle. And then I started having symptoms of pregnancy. I went to the doctor and she did a pregnancy test. When she gave me the results, I was physically sick, right there in the exam room. When you father came home that night, I had no other choice but to tell him the truth. He was furious when he found out."
"Of course he was. You cheated on him with some drunk you picked up in a bar."
"Your biological father is many things, but he's not a drunk. We were both hurting that night, for different reasons, but we were still hurting. Your father left again that night but this time I stay home. I had learned my lesson and I wasn't going to tempt fate anymore than I had already done. I didn't talk to your father for a few days and then he came back home, and we talked. He agreed to raise you as his son."
"But you didn't think that maybe you should have told me the truth."
"Why should we do that? You were a happy well adjusted boy. Your father loved you. He treated you as if you were his son."
"But I'm not his son. And all the things you ever said to me, was all lies."
"I raised you to be an honest, decent, caring, hard working young man. I raised you to be everything you should be. It doesn't matter if your father was genetically connected to you, he was your father and he loved you. And I love you because you're my son."
"You love me because I'm the last connection you have to him." Dorian says, getting up.
"Sit down, I do not want to connected to you biological father in any other way than I already am. I loved your father with all my heart, till the day he died. I still love him and that's the way it is. Now you can believe me or not, but there is something else that I need to tell you." She says, taking a deep breath. "Do you remember the guy that you found me talking to at Company?"
"The one that tried to force me to apologize to you for speaking the truth." Dorian says, as she sucks in a deep breath.
"If you ever call me that again, I will box your ears. You maybe upset with me, but you will never show that sort of disrespect towards me in public again, do you understand."
"What am I ten?"
"No, you're a grown man acting like a ten year old. I made a mistake that I am deeply sorry for. You can accept that apology or not. But back to the man at Company, he's more important than I let on."
"What are you talking about?"
"He's your father. He's the man that I slept with that night."
"He's my… Joshua Lewis is my father!" Dorian says, getting up.
"Yes."
"You're lying. It comes so easy for you." Dorian says, as Leah stands up. "Why would you even make up that sort of story? I have no parents. The man I thought was my father is dead. My biological father is a sanctimonious, self righteous jerk and you're a lying whore." Leah reaches up and slaps him. "Get out, now!" He says, walking over to the door. "Do not come back here. Do not come to the center. I do not want to see you."
Leah sits down in the chair. "I'm not leaving. You're my son and I will not walk away from you. So can we sit down and talk about this rationally." Dorian looks at her and then turns and walks out the door, slamming the door behind him.
Reva is in the living room when Josh comes downstairs. For a moment he stops to watch her before he walks over to her as she looks up. "How are you?" He asks, turning to her.
"I'm fine."
"I wanted to tell you thank you."
"For what?"
"For staying, several years ago, I'm not sure how this would have affected our relationship."
"Several years ago, we were different people."
"That's true we were. Are you really okay with this?" For a moment she doesn't answer. "Reva, you have…."
"It hurts to know that you turned to her just hours after they called off the search for me."
"I wanted you."
"I know that. I know why you did it. But it still hurts." She says, as he reaches for her and she moves into his arms.
"If I could go back…."
"There is no point in wishing for something neither one of us can change. Maybe we're both to blame for this."
"My infidelity is not your fault."
"Would things have been different if I had told you what I was feeling before we went to Florida? It's something neither one of us can answer. We can only move forward. Just like you've got to move forward."
"What do you mean?"
"I know this reunion is tenuous but you have to move past your fear that I will leave you for Jeffrey and accept that he is your brother and a part of this family."
"Can you understand why I feel the way I do? You've been with every man in this family, me, Billy and HB."
"As I've said before and just a few minutes ago, we were and are different people. I want to think we've learned from the mistakes of the past. Jeffrey is your brother. That is all he will ever be to me. You need to hear me about this." She says, looking him in the eye.
"You felt the same way about Billy."
"Josh think back to those days. You had left me and by the time you came back I was with Billy."
"And by my leaving I pushed you into his arms." Josh says sighing, as he looks at her. "Do you know that Jeffrey and Sam moved into the house that he bought for her?"
"They moved into their house?"
"Yes."
"How do you know that?"
"I drove by there this afternoon. He, Sam, William and Ava, Richard and Cassie, Billy and the new woman he's dating were over there unloading Billy's truck."
"Did you stop?"
"No."
"You have to take the first step at some point." She says, looking at him. "Have you talked to her?"
He looks down, surprised that she would ask him about that. "Yes, I've talked to her."
"What did she say?"
"Reva, I don't know that we need to be discussing…."
"I'm your wife Josh. And if we're going to keep this marriage together, we have to talk to each other."
He sighs softly and then says. "She's admitted that her son Dorian is mine. She doesn't want to tell him that I'm his father because he's already upset about the fact that she lied about the man he believed was his father."
"What does she say about you?" Reva asks, looking down.
"That hasn't even come up in the discussion. It doesn't matter anyway. We were one night, when both of us were in a lot of pain."
"What happens when something happens that hurts you?"
"I'm not going to her or any other woman. Leah and I both made stupid decisions that night. We won't repeat them. I only want to know my son."
She looks at him for a moment and then lays her head on his chest. "So who is this boy?"
"He's not so much a boy. He's about a year younger than Shane."
"Have you seen him?"
"Yes, I've met him on a few occasions. One thing that Leah says is true, he is angry."
"Is he angry like Jon was angry?"
"No, I don't think he wants to hurt anyone. He works with at risk youth on the south side. We talked about joining our two programs but he turned me down."
"Does he know who you are?"
"No, he only knows that the man he believed was his father wasn't and he's too angry with Leah to listen to the rest of the story." Reva lays her head on Josh's chest as Dorian looks in through the window. He watches them for a moment and then turns away.
Jeffery puts the pizza in the refrigerator and then walks back into the living room. Sam is lying on the couch. He sits down beside her. "I didn't realize how tired I was." She says, as he reaches for one of her feet, massaging it.
"You barely slowed down today. I should've made you…."
"I'm not broken J. I'm just tired." She says, sitting up.
"Come here." He says, reaching for her. She moves over to his lap. Laying her head on his shoulder, she settles against him. "Just sit here and relax."
"What do you think about Billy and Stace?"
"I don't know. Billy's better than her ex husband was."
"How do you know her ex husband?" Sam asks, looking up.
"I met him a couple times at City Hall."
"What was he doing at City Hall? Did he come to see Stace?"
"No, I don't think that was the only reason he came to City Hall."
"What do you mean?"
"Her ex husband was Ralph."
"Ralph, as in the man that Olivia hired to break into my apartment in DC and then was going to use to kidnap you, that man?"
"Yes. He was outside City Hall the afternoon I went for my run after Ava told me about Olivia slapping her. He said he wanted to see Stace, but I'm not sure if that's the only reason he was there that day and then I ran into him while I was jogging that evening."
"You didn't suspect that he was the man that broke into my apartment. He totally matched the description Reva gave us."
"The thought did enter my mind, but I had other things on my mind at the time."
"That's why he came to the loft that day. He knew you."
"I know that he knew me. I think the day he came to the loft he panicked for some reason and decided to force the plan before they were ready. Are we going to talk about Stace and her ex or are you going to go run that bath?"
"Will you come up there with me?"
"If you want me too."
"I won't put any…." She says, moving off his lap.
"If you want bubbles, then put bubbles in it. I'll take a shower in the morning anyway." He says, teasing her as he stands up.
"You like my bubbles." She says, taking his and walking towards the stairs.
"Actually, I like more than your bubbles." He says, as she laughs.
Taking her hand he leads her over to the stairs and then up them. When they reach the doorway to their room, he turns around and sweeps her up into his arms. "J." She gasps, as he leans in, kissing her. Pulling back, he sits her down "I thought we were going to take a bath."
"We are, but right now I've got something else in mind." He says taking her by the hand, as he pushes the door closed behind them, staring down into her eyes he says. "I think it's time we make this our home."
He leans in searching for her lips. Seizing them, his tongue slipping inside as she slips her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his. With one arms wrapped around her waist and the other hand buried in her hair they kiss for a few minutes. Drowning in each other's taste, their hearts beating as one in double time. Their breath is shallow and short. After a few more seconds they break apart. He moves down from her mouth to her neck as she buries her hands in his hair and holding him to her heating body. "Jeffrey." She whispers, closing her eyes
Her hands are still buried in his hair as he brings his head up and she reaches for his neck, nibbling on his ear. Her warm breathe washing over him. He closes his eyes tightly, trying desperately to control the feelings washing over him. He moves back up to her neck to her ear, stopping to nibble as he slips his hands under her shirt, caressing her back as he works his way up, pushing the shirt up. While he is busy with her shirt, she's busy as well. Reaching for his shirt, she pulls it out of his jeans and slips her hands underneath. He sucks in a deep breath as she presses her cold hands against warm skin. "What's wrong?" She whispers, pulling back from him kiss.
"Your hands a cold." He whispers. His body already acclimating to the coolness of her hand and slowly warming them up. She glides her hands up his chest, softly scratching as she works the shirt up. All the while, they are locked in a kiss full of heat and passion. She runs her nails up and down his chest, scratching him and stirring a raging fire of desire within him. Pulling back, he holds her face as he watches her intently. She glances up through her lashes, watching, waiting for his next move.
He holds on tightly, his eyes are closed. His breathing is shallow as her hands once again slide down his chest to his waist, reaching for his belt buckle. She works it open as he steps back. Reaching for his shirt, he pulls over his head before he reaches for her again. He reaches for her shirt, pulling it over her head after she releases him and lifts her arms. For a moment, she stands there before him. Her eyes laded with passion and desire. He steps towards her, wrapping her in his arms. His mouth once again searching for hers, seizing it.
As they kiss her hands glide around his waist, reaching for the button on his jeans. She unfastens them as his hand glides up her back to her bra. He works to unhook it. Once she has his pants unfastened she reaches for his zipper. Her fingers softly brush against his erection. He sighs deeply as she glides her fingers down him, unzipping his pants. She slips her hand inside, wrapping her fingers around him firmly. She caressed him as he moves his hands up to her shoulders, slipping the straps of her bra off and down her arms. She caresses him until he takes a step back.
He looks down, seeing her firm breasts reaching for him sends a rush of desire coursing through him. Take a step back, he has returned to her neck and is working his way down towards her breast as she slips he hand inside his pants, pushing them down as he nibbles on one nipple, softly biting, flicking at it with his tongue drawing wet circles, and drawing gasps of ecstasy from her. When his jeans fall to the floor, she reaches up and buries her hands in his hair, pushing him to her, silently begging him to continue. He can feel her passion rising.
She moves restlessly. Desperately reaching down, trying to bring him to her. He can feel her desperation. He glances up and catches the glazed look of passion and desire in her eyes. He once again reaches for her mouth as his hand slips down to her waist. He unfastens her jeans and then pulls the zipper down before slipping his hand inside her underwear. She slides her hand inside he boxers, softly caressing him, sending shocks of electricity up his spine.
Moaning softly he devours her, sucking the air from her lungs. His arms wrapped tightly around her heated body. She releases him. Pulling her hand free, she reaches for his waist, tugging on both his pants and boxers. He moves his hands back down her heated body, tucking inside her panties he caresses her lower stomach, drawing her underwear down, while she sweeps his pants and boxers off him. He gently but briefly reaches in caressing her, bring a sigh of intense pleasure from deep within her. "Jeffrey!" She moans, with her eyes closed and her breathing shallow and short.
Once they are completely undressed he sweeps her up into his arms, carrying her across the room to the bed. He gently lays her down, and then lies down beside her. His head resting in the palm of his hand, the other one caressing her face gently. He traces her eyes, nose and mouth. He watches intently waiting for her to react. "Do you know how much I love you? I love you so much that I can't begin to tell you how much. I can't put into words the feelings I have every time I look at you, touch you, talk to you, or hold you. I loved you when we were partners, saving the world." He says, as she smiles. "But this time, it's so much stronger and maybe it's because we had all those years apart, loosing the thing I valued the most makes me appreciate so much more. And as vulnerable as those feelings make me, I wouldn't have it any other way."
"I love you too. I understand the way your feel. And I think you're right about loosing each other made us appreciate being able to be together now even more. The feelings you invoke in me overwhelm me as well. The connections I feel to you even when you not around amaze me. I can be alone working and I feel you there beside me. I know what you are thinking sometimes. When I'm alone in a room or with a group of people I know the minute you step into it. I know when you are watching me. I can feel you holding me when you're away from me. And as scary those feeling are. I wouldn't change them."
He leans in replacing his hand with his mouth, searching for her lips. Softly nibbling on her lower lip, his tongue silently slipping inside to duel with hers as his hand slip down her body, caressing her upper chest, working his way down to her breast, rolling her nipples between his fingers, he breaks the kiss to watch them swell and harden. He leans over, catching one in his mouth, his tongue softly flicking at it. His warm breath washes over her, heating her already heated flesh. He moves her hands down her body, softly caressing her stomach. For a moment, he stops and looks up, catching his gaze. He leans over and softly kisses the gentle swell of her stomach. "I love you too, little one." He whispers, as he looks up.
Her eyes are translucent with love, passion and desire. He can read all that he is feeling in her gaze. He leans in gently brushing his lips against hers, as his hand slips between her thighs lightly caresses her. She moves restlessly, arching her hips, moving her legs apart silently inviting him. "J please, I need you to…"
"You need what?" He whispers, leaning in to kiss her.
"Oh, I need… touch… me… please… ah please." She begs as she reaches for his hand, pressing it against her.
He plays her softly, caressing her hidden pleasures. His fingers thrusting inside her, bringing her higher and higher almost to the point of no return, sensing that she is close to loosing control he quickly withdraws, leaning in his mouth catching her cries of shock and disappointment.
His tongue thrust inside, promising her that it is not finished. He moves over, letting his weight sink down onto her. Her body welcoming it and him. He glides along her outer body, caressing her lightly as her hands caress his back, pulling him to her desperately, begging him to continue. Her nails scratch his back almost brutally begging for release. Her neck is arched as his mouth caresses her, nibbling on her neck and ear, as he moves against her, drawing moans of pleasure for both of them.
He moves down her, slowly lying kisses against her heated body, across her stomach, down her outer thighs, working his way up her inner thighs, deliberately reaching for her passion. Her hands are buried in his hair, pressing his mouth against her. Her legs spreading farther apart. He gently caresses her. Slipping inside her, flicking the tip of his tongue against her desire. She moans softly, arching her hips against his mouth. The more she responds the more he tries to please her, driving her once again towards the peak. "Oh… Ah… J." She moans while he continues on until the pressure from her hands becomes too much and he glances up, catching her begging eyes. "I need you, now! Please!" She begs.
"You have me." He whispers back
He moves up, catching her mouth with his as he moves in, slipping inside her barely able to keep from thrusting. He begins slowly, sliding out of her, and then sinking back in, only to slide back out again. Working to prolong the pleasure as long as possible, but soon they realize they must increase the tempo.
With a touch of her hand, his rhythm changes. Each thrust comes quicker, each withdrawal shorter. Sweat and heated passion speeds them closer to the top of their world. They are in sync with each caress. Each thrust draws moans of fierce, almost painful pleasure from them both. As they begin the final climb she slips her hand between them, running her hands and nails down his chest, caressing him, as he pushes his body into hers joining them both as one. She reaches down a little farther cupping him, scratching softly.
A moan escapes her as she arches her back. The first waves of climax grips her body. He can feel her grip tightening around him. Driving him over the edge a loud groan escapes from deep inside his heated body. He enters her quaking body one last time, arching his back, pressing his lower body against her, holding himself inside her. He feels each throbbing pulse sweep through her, tightening her body even more around him. He collapses against her his head buried in her neck. Her arms are wrapped around him, holding him tightly; both of them are exhausted and completely satisfied.
They lay there, holding onto each other for a while until he feels her shiver from cold. He pulls away and looking down he asks. "Are you cold?"
"A little bit." She says, trying to keep her teeth from chattering.
He pulls the cover and then urges her under them. "Here, lay here while I draw the bath."
"Can you just hold me?" She asks, as he moves to get up.
"Sure, just let me turn the heat up." He says, moving off the bed.
He goes out into the hall and then returns a few moments later. He pulls the covers back as she moves over to let him lay down beside her. Once he's settled, she moves over to him, laying her head on his chest. "I think we christened this house quite well." She says, as he laughs softly. "Do you realize that every place we've lived together we always end up making love the first night we move in?"
He thinks about it for a moment and then he says. "I guess you're right. We even did it in Russia."
"I don't think any place can feel like our home unless we've made love the first night we're there." She says, as he leans over to kiss her forehead.
"It's a great way for us to christen our home." He says, playing with her hair.
"I was watching Ava and William today."
"What about them?"
"They sort of remind me of us. When we first go together after Belfast, you were so protective of me. I didn't think you were ever going to let me do my job. I was afraid the director would figure out what was going on."
"I didn't care if they did figure it out. I wasn't going to let anything happen to you."
"It was frustrating at the time, but I like that protective side of you." She says, closing her eyes.
"Maybe we should try to get some sleep." He says, still playing with her hair.
"We do have a lot to do tomorrow." She mumbles, snuggling in closer to him.
"We don't have to do it all in one day."
"But we need to get it done." She says, looking up.
"Close your eyes and don't worry about the boxes. We'll get them unpacked and everything put away before you know it."
"I don't like…."
"I know you don't like it being cluttered. We'll have it in order soon enough. Go to sleep." He says, lightly kissing her forehead as she sighs softly He feels her falling asleep as he lays there holding her.
watch?v=tqi98mlZDSE&feature=colike