Where the Heart Lies

Chapter Eleven: Homecomings

Willard sat in the doctor's office, nervously wringing his hands. He kept glancing at the clock, and Dr. Glover chuckled. "Willard, the clock won't run any faster if you stare at it, you know. Be patient, Miss Carsons should be finished with the paperwork soon enough."

Willard stared at him. "I know, but I'm ready to leave. You told Abbie that it would only take a few moments, and I've been sitting here for hours!"

Dr. Glover laughed. "Willard, you've been sitting there for five minutes."

Willard pouted. "Feels like hours."

It was one week before Christmas, and Abbie had successfully campaigned to have Willard released from Bellevue. Willard still remembered the day he had found out that he was getting out…

Willard walked into the visitor's room, his eyes lighting up at the sight of Abbie seated at the table. She was wearing a light blue sweater and blue trousers, and her hair was hidden by a black cap. She looked up and spotted him, and her face split into a large grin. "Hey babe."

He walked over to the table and sat in the chair across from her. "Hi. I've missed you, you know. It's hard sleeping without you next to me."

Abbie nodded, reaching across the table and linking her hand in his. "Same here, babe. But I've got good news. You're getting out. I talked to your doctor, and he said that you could be discharged. He told me you'd probably have some nightmares for a while due to trauma, but I told him that I would help you get through those. I guess I just couldn't bear the thought of you in this place. You might be crazy, but you're not insane."

Willard stared at her in happy shock. "I'm getting out?"

Abbie laughed. "That's what I said. It may take a few days to clear everything, and you'll have to go to a hearing to determine your sanity, but God willing and the creek don't rise, you'll be home in time for Christmas."

Willard gulped. "Abbie-what home? I'm sure by now mine's been condemned, and your apartment just isn't big enough for two people. What home do I have?"

Abbie just smiled mysteriously. "You'll see, I promise."

Willard glanced once more at the clock, and was wondering if perhaps Time had decided to stop completely, when Abbie walked into the office, her arms full of papers. She plunked them down on the desk, and then gave Doctor Glover a mock glare. "There. Everything's filled out. Can I take my man home now?"

Dr. Glover rifled through the pile, nodding and muttering. "Mmm humm, good, good. Well, Miss Carsons, he's all yours. Willard, I'm glad to see you leave, but I will miss you. Is there anything in your cell that you'd like to take home with you?"

Willard nodded, and Dr. Glover smiled. "Well, you may go get it."

Willard grinned, and ran to his cell, returning a few moments later-and Abbie's eyes widened as she spotted a white furred face peeking from inside his shirt pocket. Fortunately, Dr. Glover failed to spot the animal. "Did you get what you needed, Willard?"

Willard nodded, and Dr. Glover grinned. "That's good. Well, goodbye-and Merry Christmas."

Willard smiled. "Merry Christmas to you too, Dr, and goodbye." He followed Abbie out to the parking lot, and looked around, noticing a distinct absence of transportation. "Abbie, how are we getting out of here?"

"I called Cathryn, she's going to come and pick us up and take us to the station. Now, it's my turn to ask the questions. Is that a rat in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

Willard grinned widely and gently removed the rat from his pocket. It stared at Abbie, and she marveled at how much it resembled Socrates. Willard stroked it, speaking softly. "At first, I thought Socrates had come back to me somehow, but…he couldn't have. I think maybe this is his sister or brother. But we had to be quiet, or they would have come and taken him-or her-away from me. I think maybe Socrates is looking after me, giving me a part of him."

Abbie gently stroked the rat between its ears. "I'm no expert, but I think this is a girl. She's slightly smaller than Socrates. What are you going to call her?"

Willard shrugged. "I don't know. What should I call her?"

Abbie grinned. "Well, she's the successor to Socrates, his pupil in a way. Why not call her Plato?"

Willard laughed. "Plato?" He paused, and then beamed. "Actually, that's perfect. Hello, Plato."

The newly christened Plato chittered, and Willard grinned at Abbie. "She likes the name."

"Good. Cathryn's here."

Cathryn's car pulled up in the parking lot, and she got out, face wreathed in smiles. She hugged Willard, and he awkwardly patted her back. Abbie hid a smile-he still was reluctant to receive affection from anyone but her. Cathryn pulled out of the hug, still smiling. "I'm so glad you're out of this place, and just in time for Christmas, too. Do you and Abbie have any plans?"

"No."

"Yes."

Willard looked at Abbie in confusion. "We do have plans?"

Abbie smirked. "Well, we don't, but I do, and you're a big part of those plans." She laughed at his puzzled expression. "What, you think all I did while you were in here was mope around my apartment? I was sure you'd be released, so I took care of some things upstate."

"What kind of things?"

"The kind of things you'll have to wait to find out about. Cathryn, could you drive us to the station?"

Cathryn nodded. "Of course." They all climbed into the car, Abbie and Willard in the back, and Willard immediately pulled Abbie into his arms and planted a soft kiss on her jaw. "I missed this, baby." He kissed her throat, moaning softly, and Abbie whimpered.

"Willard…we…need to behave." She tilted her head and looked up at him, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "After all, it'd be a shame if Cathryn got into a wreck because of us. Just…control yourself for a few more hours, okay?"

Willard heaved a sigh and pouted. "I haven't seen you naked in three weeks, Abbie. There's only so much torture a man can take. I don't know if I can wait any longer."

Abbie patted his arm in mock sympathy. "You poor dear. But you're going to have to wait. After all, you waited three weeks, what's a few hours more?"

Willard sighed again. "Very well, I'll wait."

Abbie leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. "Good."

Cathryn giggled to herself as she listened to their exchange. 'They're so sweet together.' She spoke up as she noticed a road sign. "We're almost to the station, guys. Abbie, which train are you taking?"

"The one that goes into the Adirondacks. I think it's the Mountain Line, platform seven."

Willard was confused. "Why are we going to the Adirondacks?"

Abbie rolled her eyes at him. "For Christmas. Don't worry, everything will become clear."

"When?"

"In a few hours." They arrived at the station and Cathryn dropped them off at the platform. Abbie went round to the trunk and pulled out two suitcases, laughing at Willard's gobsmacked face. "I stopped by the store and picked you up some clothes for the trip. I had to guess your size. You'll get to see them in a bit. Cathryn, thank you for the ride, and have a Merry Christmas."

Cathryn smiled at them. "You too. Willard, I'm so glad you're feeling better."

"Thank you, but I'd feel even better if my girl would quit being so bloody mysterious and tell me where we're going." He gave Abbie a reproachful gaze. "You want to fill me in yet?"

She grinned and shook her head. "Nope! What I want to do is go buy the tickets. Wait here."

Willard sighed, his hands in his pockets. "Fine." A soft chittering came from his shirt pocket, and he grinned. "Plato's hungry."

Abbie pointed over her shoulder. "There's a vending machine over there, I'm sure you can find something to keep her from starving to death."

Willard shrugged expressively. "No money."

Abbie dug in her pocket and pulled out a crumpled dollar bill. "Here. Go get the poor ratty some food. I need to buy tickets."

She went up to the window, and the ticket taker barely glanced up from his computer. "Where you heading?"

"White Creek."

The man nodded, punched in the destination, and then spoke in the same bored voice. "How many are traveling with you?"

"One, my fiancé. He's just been released from hospital."

More punching of keys. "Will he require any medication or special attention?"

"No, he just came from Bellevue. He had a bad shock a few weeks ago."

"Will you want first class or coach?"

Abbie grinned. "First class, please."

"All done. That will be $68 please. Cash or credit?"

Abbie pulled out her wallet and handed the man $68 in cash. "There you go."

He nodded, and printed out two tickets. "There you are, Miss. Two first class tickets. Enjoy your trip."

"I will thank you."

Five minutes later, Abbie and a very surprised Willard were sitting in their own private compartment. Willard looked around, and then stared suspiciously at Abbie. "Abbie, how the hell are you affording all this?" His eyes went wide with pretend fright. "You didn't rob a bank, did you?" Plato was curled up on a shelf, sleeping.

Abbie laughed. "No, I didn't, and I didn't get a gigantic raise at work, either." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded and crumpled sheet of paper, then handed it over to him. "I got this in the mail a few days after you were admitted to the hospital. To be honest, a lot of my running around had to do with that."

Willard set the letter on a nearby table and smoothed it out, eyes widening as he read the contents.

Dear Miss Carsons:

I represent the Law Firm of Dell, Mead, and Fine. We are the trustees of your grandparents' estate. It is our pleasure to inform you that under the provisos given in their Wills, you are the sole inheritor of their estate and monies. Said estate consists of a large cabin in the Adirondacks and a townhome on the Upper West Side. The monies consist of $50, 000 in cash and savings bonds, and approximately $20,000 in stocks and bonds.

I am sorry for not getting in touch sooner, but your grandparents' wished for the monies and estate to remain in escrow until your twenty eighth birthday.

Please stop by our office at your earliest convenience to iron out all details.

Yours truly,

Jack Mead, Esq.

Willard read the letter three more times, his eyes getting wider each time. He slowly turned and faced Abbie. "Abbie…you're rich."

She nodded. "Yes, I suppose I am. It turns out my grandfather on my Dad's side had been a rather shrewd businessman, and he saved up a lot of money. Course, I never knew that. He and my grandma lived pretty simply. They used to come for a visit every summer. It didn't matter where Dad was stationed, the first two weeks of summer, Mamaw and Papaw came to visit. They even visited us when we lived in Germany."

"How old were you when they..."

"Died? Seven, going on eight. They had lung cancer, which wasn't too surprising since they both smoked like chimneys. I remember Papaw smoked cheroot cigarettes. Mamaw preferred Lucky Strikes."

Willard chuckled, then crossed the compartment and sat next to her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her with every bit of passion he could manage. She groaned into his throat and wrapped her arms around him, clutching his back.

He brushed his tongue along her lips, and she opened her mouth, allowing him access, her mind hazy with the delicious taste of him-tangy and spicy sweet. His hands roved up and down her back, and he slowly pushed her down onto the seat, never breaking the kiss. Abbie moaned, and Willard moved to her throat, sucking the flesh almost desperately. "Abbie…god baby I need to make love to you…I need to taste you…"

Abbie groaned in response, and began frantically tugging at Willard's shirt. He smirked inwardly and helped her, tossing it aside as soon as it was loose, and Abbie whimpered in delight, her hands running up and down his chest, and Willard shut his eyes and moaned when her fingers caressed his nipple. "Abbie…"

He took her shirt in his fists, yanking it off as swiftly as he could, then reached behind her and deftly unhooked her bra, leaving her clad only in her trousers. He stared at her, his eyes blazing. "God, baby, you have no idea how horny I am right now."

Abbie smirked evilly at him. "Oh, don't I?" She slid her hands down to his crotch, and her eyes widened in comic shock at the size of his erection. "My, you are rather eager, aren't you?"

Willard kissed her breasts, flicking his tongue across her nipples, and Abbie moaned as they hardened beneath his touch. "Eager doesn't begin to cover it, love. I hope you're prepared for a very long night."

Abbie could only moan as he moved down her body, kissing, licking, and nipping every bit of her. "God Willard…"

He lingered on her stomach, flicking his tongue across her navel, and moaned happily. "Abbie…you feel so damn good…" He slipped his hand inside her waistband, sliding it downwards to rest on her damp curls, and his eyes widened when he felt how wet she was. He looked up at her, eyes full of mirth. "I guess I'm not the only eager one. You seem to be melting, but…I…need…to make…sure." With each word, he slid his hand further down, stroking and caressing her until she was soaked through. "Oh god baby…you are very nicely melted." He slid one finger inside her, gently curling, and Abbie nearly leapt off the seat and softly shouted his name. Then his finger brushed against the hard nub of her clit, and Abbie felt fireworks go off in her head.

"Willard…please…."

Willard couldn't hold himself back any longer. He peeled off Abbie's trousers and panties, moaning in desire as her luscious body was revealed to his gaze. He inhaled, breathing in her peaches and clove scent, then slowly exhaled, breathing on her wet center, and Abbie shouted incoherently and gripped the seat.

He bent his head, gently kissing and licking her inner thigh, and Abbie whimpered. "Willard…please…"

"Please what, Abbie?"

"Willard…" Abbie's voice held a note of frustration, and Willard smiled.

"Tell me what you want, Abbie." He licked her thigh, and Abbie whimpered louder.

"I…I want…"

"Yes, baby?"

"I want you to devour me…"

Willard chuckled darkly and slowly flicked the tip of his tongue against her wet slit. "Do you?" Abbie whimpered, nodding in response, and Willard licked her again. "So good…god, you have no idea how much I've missed this…." He shifted slightly so his lips were firmly pressed against Abbie's center, and gave a small sigh of satisfaction before plunging his tongue deep inside her.

Abbie shouted in joy as she felt her lover's tongue plunging in and out of her, devouring every last inch. Her eyes were half shut, and she gripped him tightly with her hips as white light exploded behind her eyelids. She clenched his shoulders, undulating her hips and muttering incoherently.

"Oh…god baby…Willard….oh god your tongue is amazing…oh…fuck Willard…oooohhh….there….fucking hell baby that feels fantastic…Willlaarrdd…I….I…. OH MY GOD!"

She screamed to the heavens as she felt her orgasms race through her, leaving her breathless and trembling like a leaf-and then Willard swiftly moved up her body, placing the tip of his erection against her, and Abbie had a brief moment to wonder when he had removed his pants when he plunged into her, driving away any chance of coherent thought.

"OHHHH…."

Willard made love to her almost frantically, kissing her passionately as he moved roughly inside her. "Abbie…god…"

Abbie wrapped her legs around his waist, silently urging him on, and Willard obeyed, moving against her body with a growl of pleasure.

"Abbie…I love you…I missed you…you're mine…my goddess…my girl….my world…my lover…mine…."

"God yes Willard…I love you…I'm yours…I love you…I love you…I….WILLARD!"

Abbie screamed in ecstasy as she came, her body shaking and trembling like a live wire. Willard came a few minutes later, roaring her name. "ABBIE!"

They lay where they were for a few moments, panting heavily. Abbie ran her fingers through Willard's sweat damp hair. "I really missed this."

"Mmm."

Abbie chuckled softly. "Wonder if anyone heard us."

Willard chuckled breathlessly. "I'm sure we're not the first people to have sex on a train. And if someone did hear us-let's hope we inspired them." He grinned wickedly at her, and she giggled. "The porter probably won't even mention it."

He turned out to be right. Their porter merely handed them their luggage, smiled at them and wished them a Merry Christmas as they left the train.

Willard looked around. They were in the middle of nowhere-and he had no idea how he and Abbie were going to get to her cabin. He knew what they were going to do there, though. "Abbie?"

"Yeah?"

"How are we supposed to get to the cabin without a car?"

Abbie grinned. "We've got a car. It's a few yards down the road. You'll have to drive it though, I don't have my license."

The car turned out to be a late model sedan. "Abbie, is this your car?"

"It belongs to a friend; she's letting me borrow it. Come on, I want to get to the cabin. I'll give you directions."

Willard followed her excellent directions, and in thirty minutes he pulled up in front of a cozy cabin tucked away in a shady glen. There was a large wrap around porch, and the paint on the cabin looked fresh and new. He grinned-he hadn't even set foot in it yet, and already he felt like he had come home. "It's beautiful."

Abbie nodded, then leaned over and kissed him. "Welcome home, Willard."