Keeping Katie Ch 30
There was no sign of Charlene and the kids when he got home. Her car was gone. He pulled into his spot and hurried into the house. "Karen?"
The door to his quarters were open. "Karen?" he called tentatively. He looked inside.
Karen was on her feet, looking fragile, in a great deal of emotional pain. "I'm so sorry." she said as tears flowed freely down her face.
He was afraid she was going to collapse. He leaped forward to scoop her up in his arms. "Oh, Don, she's gone. My baby's gone." she howled, clutching desperately at him.
"Karen. Oh, my God." he held her close, burying his face in her hair against her head. He held her as close to him as he could get and still be separate. She was shaking from head to toe and he moved them over to the couch in case she collapsed entirely.
He wrapped his arms firmly around her talking to her quietly and letting her know he was there through her hysterical crying, her blaming herself for what she couldn't help, nearly incoherent babbling and her fear of losing her mind, BB, Laslo and him. She'd so quietly worked herself into a hysterical state he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it. It was a wonder she had kept it together as long as she had.
He gave up trying to counter all her fears and just held her while she let it all out. His shirt was soaked and wrinkled but he didn't care. She was back with him. It took over an hour for her to calm down enough to be coherent. She was limp against him, exhausted. "I'm sorry, Don. I'm so sorry." she kept repeating.
"It's okay. Oh, my Darling, it's okay." he kept telling her. "We're together, that's all that counts."
"Can you forgive me?"
"There's nothing to forgive. I'm sorry, too. I should have done something sooner. I promise you, I won't ever let this happen again. You'll never think you're alone again."
"I knew you were here. I knew I didn't deserve you. I just couldn't reach you. I didn't know how. And the harder I tried the harder it seemed and then it was too long and I thought you'd think I was such a schmuck."
"I've never used the word schmuck in my life and I certainly never thought of you as one." Don said with a small smile.
"Never?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"Never. I've used other words, but never about you."
"Tell me some of them."
"Smart, beautiful, sexy, sweet, wonderful…."
"Not those words. The other ones. But thank you."
"I'm not interested in those other words. Just the ones that explain to you how much you mean to me. How much I love you, how much I want to be here with you and keep you safe, how happy I am to be included in your life and have you in mine. Those are the words that mean the most to me."
"I am such a fool. I should have known. I should have been paying closer attention."
"It's okay. You are hurting and so am I. We'll be okay together. As long as we have each other. I'm sorry, Karen. I shouldn't have taken him so lightly. I never expected him to lie to the judge and have the judge believe him."
"It's done now. She's gone."
"No, sweetheart, she's not here but she's not gone. Not until I find out what Jones is keeping from us. I know there's something about him that isn't right. When we were in court he almost slipped up but he stopped himself. Now I have to figure out what he really meant to say."
"Can we do this another time? I just can't take any more right now."
"Of course we can. Just rest, my love, I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you."
Karen fell silent, snuggled against him and he thought she'd fallen asleep. "You know, Charlene and the kids are gone for a few hours."
"Oh? Where'd they go?"
"I sent them for shoes. And BB has to try on every pair in the store in her size."
"What about Laslo?"
"Give him a pair of fuzzy pink slippers that fit and he'd be happy if they don't pinch."
"So what are you saying?"
"We have the house to ourselves. And I've been so cold and lonely. Unless you are too tired." Her voice had turned sultry.
"I don't feel tired in the least." He said with a smile.
"Then maybe you'd like to tell me again how good you and I are together?"
"I'm better at showing than telling."
"Are there visual aids?"
"All you can handle, my love."
She lifted her face to his and kissed him. It was good, nice, and he absorbed it like a sponge. His partner was back. He kissed her many times and she kissed him back urgently opening her mouth for him. Drawing him into her. "I missed you so much." she said to him.
"I missed you too." he said. "Let me get this stuff off first."
"Hurry!"
He grinned at her and got up. It didn't take him long to remove the extras. What was hard to do was take the time to put them away properly before turning to her and making the connection again. They moved to the bedroom where he laid her on the bed and slid down beside her. "I feel like we've been living in separate countries."
"I feel as though I went away and I couldn't get back. I don't ever want to go away again."
"You won't because I won't let it happen."
"Don't talk. Just feel with me."
He rolled her over on the bed, kissing her lips ther neck working his way down to her beautiful full breasts and her stomach then moved back up to her lips again. She rolled him over and kissed him too running her hands over his torso and legs rubbing against him, exciting them both. He groaned and turned her over so he could sink into her with a satisfied sigh. "Karen, I love you so much."
"I love you, too. Yes, do that, Don. Please, more."
He growled at her and started to move inside her. She arched against him to drive him deeper. He took the invitation and moved strongly inside her, faster so she'd never, ever feel alone again, never doubt for a minute his commitment to her. She moaned and squirmed closer tohim. It was all he could do not to explode inside her right then, he could feel her start to tighten around him, it was wonderful. He could tell when she was nearly there, he put extra twists in his thrusts and then it happened. A mind blowing experience for both of them, a wonderful, glorious explosion.
Don would have moved off immediately, but Karen held him where he was. "Please don't go."
"I'm crushing you." he said.
"I want to feel you here. You feel so good."
"I'm not going anywhere, my love."
She loosened her arms and he slid down beside her still touching her. She turned into his arms and he held her tightly, burying his face in her neck. She pulled her arm free and put it under his head and clutched him to her. They held each other tightly, injured hearts seeking solace in their reunion. "I'm sorry, my love. I'm so sorry." Karen said.
"I let you down. I tried not to." he said brokenly.
"No, you didn't. I should have turned to you. I won't turn away again."
He drew in a ragged breath. He slid down so his face was resting against her chest, holding onto her with strong arms. She held his head and kissed his head, rubbing his back and snuggling him close. He just held onto her. In a minute she began to hum. The sound was so unexpected he stilled to listen. She began to sing sofly.
"Donald Cragen is a man
Yes, a big man
With an eye like an eagle
and as tall as a mountain
is he.
From the brown cloth cap
on the top of My Dan
to the heel of his dress shoes
The rootinest, roarinest, fightinest man
New York City ever knew
Donald Cragen is a man
Yes, a good man
And he fights for his city
To made all America free."
Don smiled against her. "Where did you come up with that?"
"That old show Daniel Boone with Fess Parker. It describes you to a tee. You are my mountain and my rock."
"I don't feel much like either right now."
"Even mountains have rainy days and rocks shift from time to time. That doesn't mean they're any less of what they are. You are a mountain and a rock, you can't help but be who you are. I wouldn't have it any other way."
"You make me feel good. That's how you are. I like that. It makes you a special person."
Karen just kissed him and held him. The night closed over them. Charlene and the kids came home but they were quiet and didn't disturb them. Don heard them, but they didn't need anything so he just stayed where he was, warm, safe and with Karen. She slept through the commotion. Late in the night she got up, did her business in the bathroom and came back to bed. She murmured "I love you" to him and went back to sleep.
TBC
