Chapter 128: "Rubber Duckie, You're the One…"

"A friend is someone who can see the truth and pain in you even when you are fooling everyone else." – Unknown

"I can forget my very existence in a deep kiss of you." – Byron Caldwell Smith

"All will come out in the washing." – Cervantes (Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra), Don Quixote (I, 20)

"Pleasure is a necessary reciprocal. No one feels, who does not at the same time give it. To be pleased, one must please. What pleases you in others, will in general please them in you." – Lord Chesterfield

"The vocabulary of pleasure depends on the imagery of pain." – Marina Warner


Sydney took the plate out and then returned to the room.

"Are we gonna take a bath…" Vaughn hinted.

Sydney smiled, "Yeah, we should…" she looked over at Amélie, "Do you mind if we leave you alone again for awhile?"

"No Sydney…go right ahead," she said with a smile.

Sydney blushed again, and turned back to Vaughn as Amélie exited the room.

"Can you walk?" she asked him softly.

"I think so," he said, "one way to find out…"

She smiled, "OH! Wait – pills…" she said running off to get them. She produced them several seconds later and helped him get them down before she went back to helping him sit up.

"How's your back today?" she asked.

"Hurts…pretty much like normal…"

"Well, it'll take awhile…probably about 24 hours before the antibiotic starts to work…"

He nodded, "I hope it's soon, cause I'm getting really sick of it."

"We'll look at it when we get to the bathroom…"

Sydney eased him up to a sitting position and waited a few seconds; "Doing ok?" she asked looking at him concerned.

"Yeah, I think so…" he said a little shakily.

"You wanna keep going? Try to stand?"

"Yeah…let's try it…"

She swung his legs over the edge and pulled him up, grabbing him around the waist to steady him, "Ok?"

"Yeah…I'm ok…"

She kept one arm on him and grabbed his robe with the other, and placed it around him. "Should we start to walk?"

He nodded and she smiled and started to move backwards slowly. They made it past the doorway and had moved out into the hall when Amélie saw them, "What are you doing? I would have helped!" she said exasperatedly as she was about to reach for Vaughn.

"No Amélie, it's ok…" Sydney said trying to calm her as they stopped mid-step, "We've done this before – he needs to start walking…"

Amélie looked at the couple apprehensively. Sydney noticed her reluctance, "Why don't you watch us Amélie…" she suggested.

Amélie smiled, "Ok…" and that seemed to calm her.

Sydney looked at Vaughn and nodded, who was starting to get a little dizzy because Sydney had broken eye contact.

"You ok?" she asked, making sure before they started moving.

"Yeah…just…a little…no eye contact there…"

"Sorry honey," she said, as she started to walk backwards again.

He smiled and kept walking with her, Amélie not far behind. They made the turn for the bathroom door and Sydney deposited Vaughn on the chair that was becoming a permanent fixture in the bathroom.

Amélie stood in the doorway for a minute as Sydney puttered around Vaughn, making sure he was ok, and then started the bath water.

She smiled at her son who looked up at her, "What?" he asked.

"That was great Michael…" she said proudly.

He smiled back, "Well, it gets a little…unsteady sometimes, but it's better than it was…"

"It's great Michael," she echoed.

He smiled, "Thanks mom."

She smiled again, "I'll leave you to it…" she said, closing the door.

Sydney looked over at Vaughn from her perch on the side of the tub, "She's proud of you…so am I."

He smiled, "Well…I wouldn't be here if it weren't for either of you…"

She turned back to him and kneeled down in front of him, reaching out her hand and touching his cheek, "I love you honey."

"I love you too," he whispered as he pressed a kiss into her hand.

She brought her other hand up to run through his hair before she leaned up and kissed him. Then she backed off and smiled, and moved to take his robe off, "Gotta check all the bandages…" she said quietly.

He nodded and let her take off the robe, watching as she catered to the wounds on his chest and abdomen first. She gently pried the tape off of each one, and checked them all, looking for the signs she always checked for. She smiled as she had him move forward a little and started to remove all the bandages from his back. She left the infected one for last, preferring to get the smaller and less painful ones taken care of first.

She was gentle like she usually was when she peeled the tape off of the infected one, but he winced anyway, "I'm sorry honey…" she said quietly.

"S'ok," he replied.

She continued to peel it off, closing her eyes momentarily and praying that it would look better. She opened one eye first, testing it out, and then the other. The bandage had the usual drainage on it, but the wound itself looked slightly better, "Vaughn…" she said quietly.

"What?" he asked somewhat nervously.

She prodded gently around the area that was red around the wound; the redness seemed to have receded some.

"I think it's a little better…does it feel any better?"

"Not really…"

She prodded the wound again, "Does that hurt?"

"No…"

"Well – then it's a little better, because the part I just touched was red yesterday…"

He turned to look at her with a sideways glance, wincing in the process, but he kept going anyway, "Really?"

"Yes, really…I think it's getting better…"

He smiled, relieved, "Good…" he breathed.

She smiled, one because he seemed relieved, and two, because she shared the feeling. She leaned down and very gently placed a kiss on the area that was still red surrounding the wound.

He smiled as he felt her do that, "That feels nice Sydney…"

She came around in front of him and kissed him again, "Good, that was my intention…"

He smiled and pulled on her arm, pulling her down to kiss him again.

"You wanna get in this tub or not?" she asked playfully.

"You gonna get in there with me?" he asked equally as playful.

"You bet your ass I am…I think I'm the one who needs the bath more…"

He smiled and chuckled, "Well – it's your own fault – you teased me…"

She started to undress, "Yes, yes, are you complaining?"

"No, just responding to your accusation…"

She smiled and helped him stand and they moved together over to the tub. She eased him gently into the water and then moved to sit in back of him, pulling him back to rest against her, careful of his back.

They reclined in the tub for a while, both just relaxing and laughing, non-stop touching.

Sydney finally suggested that should wash instead of just soak.

"Why?" he asked innocently.

"We need to scrub Vaughn…" she said, leaving his imagination to do the rest.

"Ooo…ok…well…scrub away," he said, moving his arms farther apart to give her access.

She smiled, "Just make sure in all of our fun, that your splints don't get in the water…k?"

He smiled, "I'll be careful…we could let some water out…" he suggested with a raised eyebrow.

"We'll see…let's clean first…"

"Shouldn't we get messy first?" he asked and when she threw him a glance, he said, "Well…logically – you get messy and then get clean…not the other way around…we'll just have to wash again…never mind," he said as he laid his head back against her more.

She laughed, "Actually, your idea makes more sense…"

"No! My idea was bad…wash first…then sex…then wash again…" he said with a delightful smile.

She laughed, "Ok…"

He smiled victoriously, "YES!" he said and came very close to getting his splint in the water.

"Watch the–"

"Splint!" he said finishing for her.

She giggled and grabbed the washcloth and soap and lathed some soup on the cloth. Then she smiled as she sat him up, "Well do your back first, ok?"

"Sure," he said leaning forward to give her access.

She was gentle as always as she moved across the marks and cuts on his back, apologizing and kissing her way around as the soap caused stinging pain. She largely left the infected one alone, not wanting to hurt him and thinking it was probably better left to itself.

Once she finished with his back and neck, she reclined him back into her arms to wash his chest and abs and arms. She was gentle there too, avoiding direct contact with any wounds that were still open. He had his head resting on her shoulder; his body relaxed under touch and the soothing feel of the warm water. He smiled as she determinedly made her way across his chest, so diligent yet so tender. His position offered him easy access to her neck, and he slowly worked his way from the bottom of her neck up to her jaw line, kissing slowly and carefully on all the points he knew she liked.

She smiled when she first felt him doing it, now a heat was rising and it wasn't because of the water. Her hands eventually stopped the washing, more distracted by his kisses, and the washcloth dropped into the water with a soft "ploosh" as her hands became more occupied.

One hand reached down to his abs, massaging there while the other became engrossed in playing with his nipple. He moaned into her neck and groaned in frustration.

She stopped, "What's the matter honey?"

"I REALLY don't want these damn splints on at the moment."

She chuckled, "Oh darn, guess I'm gonna have to have my way with you then…"

"Sydney…"

"Yeah?"

"I wanna have my way with YOU."

"I know baby, I know…soon…k? Soon," she assured as she turned her head to kiss him before tracing the splints with her hand. His left arm was still mostly incapacitated; the three fingers on that hand (middle, ring, and pinky) were the same. She moved to the other hand, taking it in hers and tracing the splint on the pinky.

He regarded her investigation, "Are you checking for water damage?" he asked smiling.

She smiled, "I have an idea…"

"What's that?" he asked.

"You wanna have your way with me?"

He turned to look at her, "Yeah…but…how?"

"Just go with me here…k?"

He nodded.

She pushed gently on his back, sitting him up and moving him away from her. She stood up and moved to sit in front of him, and then pushed him back until he was resting against the edge of the tub, his back resting on the inflatable pillow that she had suctioned to the tub.

She smiled at him devilishly and stood up again in the tub. He looked up at her strangely, "Sydney…if you're like getting out of the tub, this isn't a good idea…" he informed her.

"Just trust me here…I think it'll work…"

He nodded and waited.

She started to walk towards him, between his spread legs, his knees resting on the sides of the tub. She stopped when her calves hit his thighs. His eyes traveled from her smoldering eyes down to her breasts, and then further. At his eye level were her dark curls, her sex glistening with water droplets and moisture from his earlier attention.

"Oh God Sydney…" he said quietly.

She smiled, "Well…have your way with me Mr. Vaughn…" she said seductively, watching as the shock registered on his face. She smiled wider and nodded, leaning towards him, and reached for his right hand. He smiled back at her and eased himself upward slightly. She deposited his hand on her stomach; holding his hand there and making him look up at her. "Be careful…don't hurt yourself…k?"

He nodded and took a minute to just look at her, trailing his hand through her soft curls, tracing the outline of her lips with his finger. She shuddered with the contact. His touch was so gentle, almost like in wonderment. She dropped her hand to his head, running it encouragingly through his hair. He smiled and parted her lips, dipping his finger inside her moist walls. He pushed that one finger all the way in, to the knuckle and then twisted it and brought it out. Sydney whimpered at the loss but was overcome with a sense of lust when he deliberately looked up at her and put the same finger in his mouth. He brought his hand around to grasp her hip, pulling her forward, making her lean down a little more. She complied and placed a hand on the wall for leverage, bent over him slightly. He kept his hand on her hip, but moved it lower then to grasp at her ass, taking one cheek in his hand and gripping her tightly. She let out a low moan as his mouth made its first contact with her center. He flicked out his tongue, flicking her clit gently back and forth a few times.

"Mmm…God Vaughn," she moaned lowly.

He smiled and repeated the motion before taking the whole clit into his mouth and sucking forcefully. She let out a cry, not expecting him to do that, and faltered slightly. Had she not been holding onto the wall, she might have fallen over and half-drown him. She now loved that wall…and his mouth…after that, all coherent thought ended as his mouth made continuous contact with her bundle of nerves. He was incessant, not letting up for a second. She had a fleeting thought of how he was able to breathe, but the sensations were too much to encourage more thinking on the subject.

Her knees began to get weak and shaky, and soon, the wall wouldn't hold her up. A fire was slowly building up inside her, the heat radiating out in waves from that one small nub to her abdomen, and legs, and feet. Her feet felt like they were on hot coals as his tongue lashed out at her sensitive clit once again.

"Vaughn…Vaughn…" she called, "Stop…stoooppp…you have to stop…I'm gonna fall…"

He smiled triumphantly, happy that he had accomplished that task. He added a few more hard flicks before he stopped and looked up at her.

"What's the matter?" he asked devilishly.

"Shut up…" she said smiling, "You know what…" She looked around the tub, trying frantically to find a way to do this that would accommodate both of them.

She looked to the back of the tub, and got the idea she was looking for. She leaned over him and looked at the items that sat on the shelf. What could she do with those? She was far too turned on to stop to move everything, and the other edges of the tub were too unsteady, she'd fall and crack her head open on his first touch. He couldn't kneel…and she had to be able to sit…

"Ah fuck it," she said in a low voice and swiped the items off of the shelf. They fell to the ground, several of them breaking in the process.

Vaughn looked totally awestruck, but extremely turned on, looking at the pieces of broken glass and wax from broken candles that had landed un-surreptitiously on the floor.

Sydney helped Vaughn turn around, helping him to sit with his legs crossed and then planted herself on the ledge, legs spread wide for him, her feet behind his thighs in the water, her ass just barely touching the ledge to offer him more access.

He looked at her in wonder. She smiled and ran her hand across his cheek, "K – get back to it," she said winking.

He smiled happily and dove back in, his tongue plunging into her as his right hand spread her open, his nose nudging her clit. She whimpered, her hands sprawled out supporting her weight behind her.

Vaughn switched positions, moving his tongue to her clit and his finger to her folds. He flicked his tongue across her clit in a side-to-side manner, while he pushed one finger inside her, swirling it around.

She moaned as new sensations hit her, this angle truly different than anything they had done before. He added a second finger, pushing her walls open further, and rotated his hand, causing her to cry out with sensation. He kept up a diligent rhythm on her clit, adding a third finger inside her.

She snapped, desperately needing something to hold onto. She reached out her hand and ran her hand through his hair, holding onto the back of his head as he worked insanely on her nub. She whimpered when he withdrew his fingers, but gasped when he shoved two back in, thrusting them in and out of her rapidly. He slowed then, and slowed the movement on her clit, and started to move his fingers inside her. He pressed them into the sides of the walls first, and then pressed downward, on the back wall. She knew the one wall that remained; he was evil…that was all there was to it…she smiled deliciously though in anticipation. He all but stopped, withdrawing his hand again, making her whimper. He looked up at her, jade orbs flashing. Her lust-filled eyes demanded that he continue, but she knew he was just giving her a little payback for making him wait so long.

She smiled, and he started again, flicking his tongue on her clit again and pressing the two fingers back inside her. He pushed his hand in palm up this time, different from the other times, and she knew he was going to help her out here at some point. He thrust the fingers in and out for several minutes, making her crazy with want, her juices drenching his hand. He finally relented, and plunged his fingers in deeper, curling them on the way out and finding the raised and rigid spot on the front wall. He pressed roughly, and her hand stopped its motion in his hair and gripped it instead. He backed off then, and ran the pads of his fingers over the spot in circles. In a matter of seconds, Sydney was humming, encouraging him as he went back to sucking roughly on her clit. Her legs were shaking; heat surged through her whole body. A flush was rising beyond levels she ever thought possible, and he didn't stop…he just kept going.

God she loved the diligence of this man.

She pushed her hips forward, sending his fingers in deeper, his mouth on her more, and her toes began to curl, grasping for some purchase where there was none on the tub bottom. She came powerfully, the heat erupting behind her eyes, liquid fire rushing to every pore, his name erupting loudly from her lips.

He kept up his attention until her hips stopped jerking and until he stopped feeling her muscles spasm around his fingers. He watched her come down, her cheeks rosy, a slight sheen of sweat covering her body and chest. Her breasts jutting out, the nipples standing out proudly. He couldn't stop smiling…

She looked down at him, finally succumbing to her shakiness and sat back on the tub ledge, "Jesus Vaughn…" she breathed.

He smiled, deliriously happy, "So…did I have my way with you?"

"Holy shit did you ever," she said.

She stood up very shakily and let the water out of the tub, and then turned it back on, and watched as it filled. She helped him turn and sat back, bringing him with her and smoothing his hair that she had grasped just moments ago.

"Vaughn…that was amazing…thank you…" she said.

His continuous smile didn't falter, "Thank you…and you're welcome…"