The Story Teller

When they got back to the hospital, it was just left for them to get Emily's final medical discharge and then they would be free to leave. The doctor in charge of her case was tied up with another patient but they were assured that he would be along as soon as he could get away. Emily had fallen asleep in the car on the way back from the family law courts and Ryan had placed her gently in her bed. Marissa looked at Ryan as he watched the small girl sleep peacefully. Her heart swelled with the love she felt for him. She whispered softly too him, wanting not to disturb Emily. "I'll be back in a moment."

Ryan nodded and watched as she left the room.

Marissa was only gone a minute or two and when she returned she took Ryan by the hand and pulled him towards the door. "Come with me a minute." She whispered.

When they got out into the hall, Ryan asked. "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see." She replied.

Ryan followed her until they reached the small office that they had used the previous day for their interview with Family Services and she pushed him inside, then turned and locked the door.

Marissa turned back and looked at him, trying not to smile, but failing terribly.

"Um. What are we doing here?" Ryan asked, although from the look on her face he was starting to get some idea. But surely not?

"Well, you know this morning we said we would have to make the most of our opportunities?" Marissa asked shyly.

"Yeah." His face broke into a wide grin recalling the conversation.

"Well. Emily was asleep and …" Marissa bent down and slipped off her thong placing it on the chair.

Ryan knew exactly what she was suggesting but even he was surprised. They were in a busy children's ward of a major hospital. "Here?" he asked.

"Yeah. We shouldn't be disturbed. I've already checked that the room wasn't needed … and what's even better … there's no video camera in this one." She added moving towards him and starting to undo his belt. "Although if you like we could move up to the 6th floor and start our own home movie collection?"

Ryan burst out laughing. "I don't think so. I'm definitely a participator not a spectator." He said as he took her into his arms kissing her deeply. He pulled back slightly and added. "I like to DO … not watch."

"Well how about doing me?" Marissa asked as she pushed his pants and boxers to the ground with one movement.

"Thought you'd never ask." Ryan replied as he picked her up and turned to place her on the edge of the table. "But you do know you'll have to be quiet." Ryan added.

"Maybe I should put a sock in my mouth?" Marissa suggested smiling as she said it.

"You wouldn't want to put one of my socks in your mouth." He added. "You'd probably gag." He suggested then lent in to kiss her, tasting her, their tongues dancing together. "How about if I keep your mouth busy? Then you won't get a chance to make too much noise." He suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Marissa replied as he took her lips back between his. She placed her hands on his hips and pulled him towards her and as he moved between her legs she could feel the need for him build within her. She wanted them to be joined together ... to feel him inside her … for them to be one.

She didn't need to wait for long.

---

The trip home was relatively uneventful. After Emily had been cleared to leave, they had said good bye to Sue and she and Keith had managed to get them back to their car without anyone else being any the wiser. Keith was going to drop them off at the airport and then return the hire car for them. They had encountered a few stares and some double takes but mostly people had left them alone. They knew that once word got out about Emily that they would not be able to move around as easily anymore.

Emily had loved her first plane trip. She had been so excited that she had kept having to change seats. She wanted to sit in between them but she also wanted to see out the window and she couldn't do both. So she just seemed to move every 5 minutes. Ryan thought it amusing but Marissa, who had to change seats with her each time, was starting to tire of the game. After yet another move, when Marissa was back beside Ryan, where she preferred to be, she said to Emily. "Okay missy. How about you just sit still for a while and we'll get you something to drink?"

"Yay." Emily replied. "Can I have juice?"

"I think that can be arranged." Marissa replied and turned to look at Ryan.

He was smiling indulgently at his two girls. Thinking to himself, how could things have changed so much in two days? Was it really only Tuesday night? Hard to believe that Sunday morning they were lying together in bed at the house at Newport not having thought about Emily for weeks and yet now it seemed so right to have her there with them. He linked his fingers with Marissa's and held her hand tightly. They were really going to do this.

---

They collected their luggage and made their way to collect Ryan's car. Emily was still excited about all the new adventures. They had imagined that she would fall asleep on the plane but obviously the cat nap she had after they had left the judge's chambers had been enough to revitalise her. Fortunately they had some children's activity packs on board the plane so when she got bored looking at the clouds, she had managed to amuse herself by colouring in. Not very well of course because of her cast but she was getting better and better with it.

They picked up McDonald's at a drive thru on the way back to the apartment but actually getting Emily to eat once they got there was proving to be difficult. She was too excited.

"Well if you're not going to eat, then how about we give you a bath and get you ready for bed." Marissa suggested, knowing that the sooner Emily went to bed the sooner she could have some 'alone time' with Ryan.

They had given her the closest bedroom to their's and Marissa had promised to take her shopping in the morning to buy some pink sheets for her room which had pleased Emily. Rupert Bear was sitting on the bed waiting for her but still Emily didn't want to settle. Marissa was starting to realise that maybe this was not going to be quite as easy as she had imagined. She finally managed to get Emily in to bed but she didn't want Marissa to leave, telling her that she always had a story read to her before she went to sleep. Marissa made a mental note to buy some children's books tomorrow, but that didn't help much with what she could do right now. She couldn't imagine for a moment that Ryan would have any children's books but in desperation she went to ask.

Ryan was trying to catch up on emails in his study when Marissa walked in the door. "I don't suppose that you have any children's story books in here?" she asked hopefully.

Ryan chuckled looking at the few books he did have which were all either architectural or business texts. "Ah. No. I'm afraid not. Having problems?" he asked.

Marissa sighed. "Yeah. She doesn't want to go to sleep unless she has a story read to her."

"Maybe you could just tell her one for tonight?" Ryan suggested.

"Or maybe you could, since you're so good with ideas." Marissa replied.

Ryan smiled. "I don't think I could share my current ideas with a 4 year old." He said as he looked Marissa over. She was looking a little dishevelled after bathing and changing a 4 year old with a broken arm but to him she had never looked more beautiful. The thoughts running through his mind were obvious to her from the sparkle in his eyes. He only had to look at her like that and she melted inside. If she didn't have Emily waiting for her she knew that she would like to join him in making his ideas a reality.

"Well the sooner we get her to sleep, the sooner you can share your ideas with me." Marissa replied running her hands over his shoulders and making him aware that she was eager to find out just what he had in mind.

As her hands moved across his shoulders, Ryan could feel the stiffening in his groin as his manhood came to life. "Okay, we need to get her to sleep pronto." He stood up and moved to the door. "Let's see what I can do."

---

Ryan moved in and sat on the edge of Emily's bed. "So missy. You need a story to go to sleep with. Do you?" he asked as he pushed the hair gently from her eyes.

"Yes." She nodded. "Either my mommy or my daddy always read me a story." She said miserably. Obviously in the time that Marissa had been in with Ryan, Emily had started to think of her family and was missing them. The girl that had been so happy and excited earlier had been replaced. She was now quiet and sad.

Ryan felt his heart strings pull for this little girl. "Well, I'm sure that when mommy gets out of hospital that she will again. And we'll get some books tomorrow. But for tonight, do you think that you could make do with me telling you a fairytale?" he asked.

Emily nodded. "Does it end happily ever after?" she asked quietly. "I don't like sad things." She added.

Ryan thought for a moment and then looked up at Marissa who was standing beside the door.

Marissa was puzzled by the look on his face.

"I hope so." He replied.

"Okay." Emily replied.

Ryan broke eye contact with Marissa and then looked back at Emily and started. "This story is about a boy that had been abandoned by his family and had no where to go."

Emily looked at him wide-eyed. "It doesn't sound like a happy story." She said.

"Ah but it is. You see he meets a beautiful princess at the end of a driveway" Ryan's eyes met with Marissa's, he smiled and then he added "and they fell in love."

"Okay. I think I'll like this story." Emily said. "There's no wicked witches are there?" she asked.

Marissa burst out laughing and Ryan looked up. "Yeah." He said. "There is one. But their love is too strong for her. She tries to pull them apart but it doesn't work." He added.

"Okay. Is there a clown? I like clowns." Emily said.

Ryan burst out laughing thinking about Seth. "There is definitely a clown. Although he's not as funny as he sometimes likes to think he is." Ryan replied looking up at Marissa again to see if she agreed.

She nodded. "And don't forget the princess's best friend falls in love with the clown." Marissa said.

"That's right." Ryan replied. "But why she would do that, will remain a mystery for ever." Ryan added looking at Marissa as she was having trouble stopping from laughing.

"What about a fairy godmother?" Emily asked.

Ryan thought of Sandy and Kirsten. "Yeah, there's a fairy godmother and a fairy godfather as well." He added.

Emily had never heard of a fairy godfather before but she figured that it could be interesting. "What does a fairy godfather do?" she asked.

"Well how about I start the story and then you'll find out?" Ryan suggested.

Emily nodded her head and settled down into bed. "I think I'm going to like this." she said.

Marissa spoke up from the door. "I know that I do." She said.