A/N: It's been hard to write anything lately, so yeah. It's been hard. So here's this… I don't know if I did this chapter justice, but I tried. In honor of Katie's birthday being this week, I hope you enjoy xx Mariah
Ned woke up as soon as the sun poured over his face, making him groan and toss onto his side. His arm moved around Katie's waist then and he kissed the crook of her neck.
"Happy Birthday to you," he sang in a low tone. "Happy Birthday to you." She turned onto her back, laughing softly as he cupped her cheek. "Happy Birthday dear Katie, happy birthday to you."
"Thank you," she smiled. "But ugh. I feel disgusting." She squirmed and pulled herself deeper into a fetal position in bed.
"Why's that?" He replied as he easily slid Katie back into his arms and up against him. "And when did you put on these old things?"
After years of wrestling and football, he was stronger than Katie any day of the week, and especially this week. Katie had to admit, his well-worn t-shirt and sweatpants felt like heaven against her tender body, and she instinctively snuggled deeper into his side. As Ned wrapped one arm around her, she grabbed his free hand and pressed it to her stomach, where he began to massage away her dull cramps.
He chuckled knowingly, "Oh. It's kind of early for your period. Isn't it?" They played this game once a month.
"I woke up to it a little earlier, around eight. That's why I showered." She said softly. "Luckily it didn't get on the bed."
He nodded, remembering hearing the water turn on earlier and then going back to sleep. It was his day off after all.
And as her longtime boyfriend and now husband of three hundred and sixty-nine days, Ned knew what to do during this week. He usually recognized Katie's PMS before she could. But this time had completely slipped past him.
For years he'd been there to cheer her up through a bitch session, since the way someone blinked was enough to set off her off some days or to bring a half gallon of ice cream. Or to rub her sore stomach and back. Many times, he'd even risked losing his man card to pick up a box of tampons so she wouldn't have to go out. Hormones and Katie required delicate maneuvers, but it was all good practice.
She was quiet for a while, his hand switching to her lower back and eliciting a moan from her. "Mmm, you know what Hannah told me?"
"What?" He asked, rubbing her back.
"She said she's heard that an orgasm works wonders for cramps," she explained, wiggling her hips a little at his ministrations.
"Oh, I believe it," he laughed, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "It relaxes the body. Even if it's only for a little while."
"Oh, please. I doubt it. Plus that's like so gross," she said with a nonchalant soft snort, though Ned didn't miss the hint of tension in her voice.
Not knowing what else to say, Ned uttered a noncommittal "Mmmm-hmmm" and started to resume his small, gentle circles on her abdomen. She closed her eyes and focused on the relaxing motion of his hand, and their conversation about Hannah's comment was almost a distant memory when Ned spoke again.
"Do you want to?" He asked.
"What?" She asked, opening her eyes.
"Have sex," he smiled, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "It is your birthday after all."
"What?!" Katie bolted upright.
Ned quickly drew both arms away from her, palms up in a defensive gesture as his face grew red. "What, yourself!" he retorted in confusion.
"Ned! I'm not talking about this with you. It's too… too ewwwww." She cringed and then shook her head.
His hands dropped to his thighs and his blush faded, replaced by a slightly tense expression. "Too ewwwww?" he repeated. "Since when did the thought of having sex with me bring a response of disgust like that?" He thought back to the last time they'd done the deed, in that case, their anniversary. She sure didn't seem adverse to it at the time. "I thought you liked what we do?"
His thoughts must've registered pretty clearly on his face because Katie touched his face with both hands and rushed to reassure him. "It's not…that… in general, the sex? It's fantastic. You're fantastic, I love you so much, you know that" she admitted. "It's… well, it's doing that while I'm like this is not going to be happening." She gestured helplessly at herself.
"Adorable and sexy?" His eyes twinkled.
She wrinkled her nose. "Hardly. You can't touch me when I'm… not clean and fresh."
He laughed. "You sound like a commercial. And I love you. Don't you know by now that I'd do anything to make you feel better?"
"This isn't chicken soup, Ned. Or even chocolate." She whimpered. "I hurt everywhere."
"No, it isn't, Katie. It's going to make you feel much better than chicken soup could." His voice dropped to a stage whisper. "Or. Even. Chocolate."
His hand returned to her abdomen and began making soft circles again, but slowly, his hand moved tentatively down the slight swell of her aching stomach. His fingertips skimmed the waistband of her sweatpants before dipping beneath them. At the edge of her panties, his fingers plucked playfully at the elastic.
She clamped her hand down on his. "Hey! I told you – no touching."
His hand stilled as he leaned over, his nose barely grazing hers, his warm breath ghosting over her cheeks. She still wasn't used to the feelings that overcame her whenever his incredibly green eyes stared her down. Mesmerizing. Somehow, they always made her worries dissolve. She felt so safe with him, so brave like she could risk things she wouldn't normally do.
The truth was, not all of her aches at the moment were related to her current condition. She felt a rush of warmth down below that had nothing to do with her time of the month, and everything to do with the way he was looking at her.
"I've never - we've never," she stammered out.
He nodded solemnly in understanding. "You've known me forever, Katie. Better than anyone else. Trust me," he murmured. "Let me take care of you."
His hand began to move again. She felt the pad of one of his fingers press down on the thinnest of fabric that separated his skin from hers. His hand had remained over her underwear to give her the modesty she'd wanted. Even so, she definitely knew what else she desired. Twitches of pleasure simmered through her as she watched his hand moving under her sweats, sliding over her panties from top to bottom.
He continued to tease her this way until she pouted at him, seeking more pressure from his ministrations. Her hips and legs wiggled. She needed more. She'd began to touch herself over her t-shirt, making just the whisper of a caress over her aching and swollen breasts. Her fingertips mimicked his movements, teasing her nipples with small touches. As a tiny mewl escaped her lips, Ned's attention was immediately diverted from between her legs to where her hands had landed.
He watched her eyes fall shut, head lolling slightly to the side as she rubbed more urgently over he two, beautiful mounds, pushing up her t-shirt just enough for him to spy the soft curve of the underside of one breast. He nearly came as she gasped and bit her lip before he reached over with his free hand and pushed at the edge of her shirt, fully exposing her breast to him.
Katie grabbed his head and like a starving woman, he brought his mouth down to the dusky nipple, laving the already hard, red bud with his rough tongue. After a few moments of his greedy mouth devouring one breast, she pulled her top off completely. He moved his attention to the long-neglected second breast, licking it like the finest of sweets.
His hand worked her without interruption as he continued to suckle her. Her hips bucked in response to his attention and she began making small rotations of her hips against his fingers.
He grinned against her breast in response, her throbbing nipple grazed by his teeth as he spoke. "Nice moves. I thought your back was sore, too."
"Oh, shut up," she retorted without any real sting in her words, eliciting a deep chuckle from her husband that vibrated against her breast and triggered another rush of desire between her legs. Her hips thrust against him again and she gasped his name.
He resumed his work on her breasts while he pressed harder against her panty-covered center, creating more friction by rotating his fingers in the opposite direction of her gyrations.
Katie openly moaned now. She met the pressure of his hand with wild thrusts, wishing desperately for him – any part of him – to be inside her, time of the month be damned. Even without that kind of contact, she already began to feel the familiar swell of tension throughout her body. Ned was bringing her so, so close without even being skin to skin. Damn, what this man could do to her. He seemed to know her body better than she knew it herself.
All she could concentrate on was the tight bundle of nerves that Ned was now stroking with a frenzied pace. She vaguely registered the sensation of a bead of sweat making its way down her neck and his tongue chasing it into the shallow valley between her breasts. But most of her focus remained on his fingers, and the building up that had to end, must break, or she might die from the searing agony of it all.
"Ohhhhhh…" she uttered even as she tried to gather her breath. Ned was making it near damn impossible to breathe. "I'm so close Ned. So close."
And then the ripples began, the tension finally breaking but immediately replaced with something just as agonizing, for each sweep of pleasure threatened to overwhelm her senses. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't speak, she couldn't even see as her eyes squeezed shut; she ceased to hear anything. All she knew was his touch, her whole being focused on that tiny spot that Ned continued to incite with his rough fingers. She grasped his hand with one of hers and pressed down, prolonging the waves of aching satisfaction as she sunk into the bed, her chest heaving, and her body riding out the coil of flame that swept through her.
The feeling began to subside and she moaned in exhaustion. Her other senses began to return to her one by one. She could hear her own labored breaths, taste his tongue as he swept it across her lower lip, smell the cinnamon and spice on him as he nuzzled her neck. She opened her eyes to see his smile as he pulled away to take in the sight of her.
He sat up and raised an eyebrow at Katie. "Was Han right?" He ducked as he laughed, and she threw a pillow at his head before quickly pulled her near him and he leaned back into the bed beside her.
She looked gorgeous, face flushed, eyes sparkling, soft breasts pressed against his chest. She kissed him soundly, moving on top of him, the ache in her belly a dull memory. "You're gonna save us a lot of money on ibuprofen and ice cream if you keep this up," she whispered and then kissed him again.
It was not long after ten when Katie began getting ready, despite how awful she still felt. She looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes red as she rubbed them awake more, but it didn't rejuvenate her anymore.
She set out for a shower, needing a boost of alertness, despite not actually needing a shower. She stripped down to nothing and slid into the shower, turning on the water. The spray was warm and steady, spraying over the top of her hair and face as she brought her hands up to run through her hair, turning away from the showerhead.
She reached for her luffa and squirted some body wash onto it, bringing it around her waist and down her legs. She rubbed her arms and under them and over her chest before feeling someone take it from her as she turned around to get her back.
"I got your back," Ned whispered as he spread the suds over her back. "You gonna go see your mom?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna go talk to her. Not sure what I want to say yet, you know?" She asked, looking up into the water to let it spray over her face and down her torso before she turned to face Ned. "What do you think I should do?"
"Yeah, I get that." he began to wash himself and leaned closer to her. "I do, but I don't think you should back down just because you feel bad."
"Yeah," she sighed. "I still owe my mom an apology. I was really harsh."
"Ok. Then do just that," he smiled. "You'll know what to say." He leaned in to kiss her cheek, pressing his face against hers. "You always do."
"I know," she smiled, looking up at him. "That's why I was the English major."
He nodded and stepped around her for the spray. Katie hadn't needed to wash her hair, so she slipped out and began to dry off.
Ned soon shut the water off, and slipped out beside her, grabbing his own towel. He watched his wife as she swung the towel over her shoulder, leaning in to look at herself in the mirror. He tied his towel around his waist and then ran his hand through his hair, shaking the water from it as he walked toward her.
"You're quite a view," he whispered into her neck, his hands running down her sides to grasp her ass. "So sexy."
She chuckled and leaned into him, kissing his neck as she turned to look up at him. "Mmm… thank you, baby," she whispered as reached for her brush on the counter and combed through her wet hair. His hands went to part her thighs right the right amount, wanting to explore over her body more. She chuckled and looked back at her husband. "Not now," she kissed his lips. "I need to get ready."
"Is that a challenge?" He whispered into her ear. "Because I'm always up to one of those." He spun her around and attacked her neck with his lips.
She leaned into him, chuckling again. "Baby," she moaned, humming her laughter. "We don't have time."
He sighed into her neck, pulling back to smile at her. He knew she was right. If she wanted to catch her mom with enough time she had to get there before one. It was almost eleven. "I'll see you later then?" He asked.
She nodded. "I'll call you when I'm done with my mom," she rubbed his back and then leaned in, pressing her lips against his.
The kiss obliterated every thought. The worries of the day evaporated like a summer shower onto a hot car. Katie's usual mode of hurrying from one thing to the next was suspended, she had no wish for the kiss to end. Drunk on endorphins her only desire was to hold her husband close, to move her hands over his shoulder and chest.
In moments the soft caress has become more firm, she savored his lips and the quickening of his breath that matched her own. A kiss like this was a beginning, a promise of much more to come, but Ned pulled back.
"Happy Birthday," he whispered, running his hand across her cheek. "I'm gonna go play some video games downstairs and probably make some food."
"Alright. Save me some," she smiled at him, her lust made her want to lean in to kiss him again, but she knew she had to get ready. "Thank you," she whispered, leaning in to kiss his lips briefly once more because just couldn't resist. She had more than enough time.
Katie had debated texting or calling her mother before she came to the store, but suddenly she was sitting in her car in front of the store. A good amount of people roamed around, she could even see her mother from here, talking to a couple looking at the crib that Emma was probably taking a nap in.
Her mother always talked about how good a sleeping baby would sell a crib. Especially her sleeping children, her mother would always say with a prideful smile.
She went to move out of her car when there was a knock on her window. It startled her and she turned to see the person.
It was a man, dressed in a suit. She couldn't see his face yet, but she froze. Was it Mason?
She hesitantly moved to look up at his face. She was met with the familiar, blue eyes and bright smile of her father. He must've had a meeting this morning. That was the only reason he'd wear a full suit to work anymore. He would always dress nice, but it wasn't always to the nines unless someone from the board was going to be there.
"Oh, hi dad." She whispered, trying to wipe the look on her face. "What brings you across the square at this time of day?"
"What's up, bug? I saw you when I was walking over to see your mom after I got out of the board meeting at the hospital," he smiled, walking with her toward the sidewalk. "You look pretty startled, I didn't mean to scare you."
"Oh, I'm fine. You just caught me off-guard," she laughed and waved him off. "Just didn't expect anyone to come knocking on my car window."
"Are you coming to talk to your mother?" He asked.
"Um, yes. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to say," she whispered, shaking her head. "I presume you know what happened?"
"Of course. Your mother tells me everything," he nodded, moving to sit on the bench. "Sit with me?"
She nodded, moving to sit next to her father. His smile was comforting, reassuring hre that he wasn't upset with her which meant her mother probably wasn't either.
"I'm sorry about what happened at the store the other day," he said, resting his hand on her leg. "But I just wanted to let you know that I think you and Ned should go to his boss and tell about what's been going on."
"Dad," she sighed. "It's not that serious."
"No, Katie, this is getting extremely serious. Your mother and I are very worried about you," Her father rose his voice, silencing her with a sigh. He never rose his voice unless it was necessary. Maybe he did have a point. Maybe she should come clean. Maybe Josh could help them. "This man, Mason, he has come into your home, he has taken pictures of you and taunted you and Ned for months. And now he has the audacity to come into your mother's store when you're helping out and kiss you in public without your consent?"
When he put it like that she didn't know how she could tell him no. She didn't have an excuse other than she was afraid.
She was afraid of what Mason could do. She was afraid of how the everyone would think of her when they found out that once again she found in the middle of the town drama.
"He has a point," her mother's voice was small too, but she came toward them from where she'd exited the store's front doors. "I know you don't want to see me, but your father texted me when he saw you drive past him at the hospital."
She nodded and then sighed. She still didn't know what to say to her mother. She just gestured for her to sit in the space other the other side of her on the bench.
"Happy Birthday," her mother whispered, sliding a small box onto her leg. The cool box on her bare leg made her want to pick it up. It was a hot day, the usual weather on her birthday, so she'd gone with a yellow sundress. "You can wait to open it if you want."
She opened the box and there sat a little black book.
"What is it?" She asked.
"It's a photobook, for when things get sad and you can look at them." Her mom kissed her cheek. "It's small so you can keep it in your purse."
The first photo was one from her first birthday. Her father was presenting her the tiny cake he'd made for her that represented the sun. It was her favorite part of the Teletubbies show was when the baby sun would come on.
Her mother's handwriting was under where the photo sat on the page.
You are our sun, darling. Never forget that.
The next photo was one of her with Melinda and Aaron on the day he came home. Katie had been so excited to meet the little brother who her mother had been holding in her tummy all those months. She delicately touched the little boy's face as she looked up at her mother excitedly.
Photo three was one of her and Hannah, on the first day of school. Katie was the smaller of the pair, clothed brightly in a yellow dress and black sneakers.
The next photo was one of her and Mackenzie at the beach. She remembered that day fondly and laughed as she noticed Ned behind her, glancing at her a little too much for being nineteen when she was fourteen, but she knew all about that day and how hot his glances at her got him.
There was a photo of her and her mother, both asleep in the car. Melinda was sitting in the backseat for some reason and eight year old Katie was fast asleep against her side in her soccer uniform. Melinda was asleep too, leaning up against the car seat where Aaron sat, happily awake.
The photo next to that was one of her and Ned again, this time when they were together. It was from that December when they'd first started dating. Katie looked comfy in a big blue and silver Christmas sweater, drinking apple cider and reading on the lounge chair with Ned tucked behind her watching sports with Aaron and Jim who were pictured laughing on the couch as they played cards in their Christmas sweaters.
Photo seven was one of her and Lana. They were making silly faces to the camera. The little girl couldn't have been older than a two years old.
Photo eight was one of her entire family. It was at Emma's baptism when she was a few months old. It was such a proud moment whenever her parents would introduce their new child to the church, but the photos were the best part. To see everyone engraved in that mom. Her mother and father, Ned, Aaron, Mackenzie, Lana, Emma, and herself. The entire clan.
As she flipped over the page she saw her own family. Picture nine was of her and Ned from their wedding day. They looked so happy as they left the reception late that night. Everyone had gathered with sparklers to send them off. Katie grinned, holding her own sparkler as Ned stood next to her, his tie undone as he grinned happily, looking off where the camera couldn't see.
Picture ten pinched her heart. It was a photo of Katie holding onto Charlie's little hand, pressing it to her lips. She could feel that something was behind the photo in the sleeve and pulled out the stills of the foot and hand prints.
It was the best present she could've ever given her. She turned and engulfed her mother in a hug. "Thank you," she whispered. "This was perfect."
"I wanted to make you something special, I'm glad." Melinda cupped her cheek, smiling at her. She could see that Katie was trying to think of what to say next and she beat her to the punch. "What's up, bug?"
"I'm just so scared," she broke then, her voice barely a whisper as she talked to her parents. "After everything with Charlie, I was so scared of ever being that vulnerable again, and now Mackenzie's dreams are worrying me that Amber is working with Mason somehow. I don't know what they could do together." She looked down at her hands in her lap. "I'm scared of what they could do."
"We'll all get you through this. Your dad is here and so is Ned. You know your brothers and sisters have your back no matter how little some of them are," her mother reassured her. "And I'm you mother, Katie. I'll always try to mother you."
"I know," she whispered. "I'm really sorry for how I reacted last night."
"You were overwhelmed and I wasn't being as supportive as I should've been," she hugged her mom then, wrapping her arms around her again. "Oh, Katie. Happy Birthday. We should try and make things a little happier."
"How about lunch?" She suggested, smiling.
Melinda nodded, standing up and collecting her hand.
"Want to join us?" She let her pull her up and looked at her dad.
"I would," Jim smiled, kissing her cheek. "But I have surgery soon."
"Good luck," both women said, smiling at him.
"Thank you," he nodded to them. "Happy birthday, Katiebug." He hugged her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll see you both at dinner later, right?"
"Yes," Melinda said, walking toward him as he stepped back. "I'm gonna go grab my purse. I'll be right back."
Katie nodded and looked down at her phone as it buzzed. A phone call from Unknown. "I'll wait here," she said, her finger hovering over the answer button.
She knew who it was. Who else could be other than him?
She pressed and answer and slowly brought it to her ear. At first, it was silence, just the soft hum of a car radio in the background.
"Hello?" She said.
She heard laughter, one that made her blood run could.
"Miss me?" Mason chuckled. "I've missed your legs in short dresses."
"Where are you?" She turned around, looking around her. She saw too many moving people, too many moving cars. Not one person she saw looked like him. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"
"Why would I do that now sweetheart?" Mason asked, making a tsking noise with his tongue. "Don't you know by now that I get what I want, Katiebug?"
"Don't call me that you son of a bitch. You have no right," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"Now would Jim or Melinda want to hear you speak to someone like that? That's how they raised you to be," the man taunted her, chuckling. Her mother came back out of her store with her father, sharing a kiss with him before they parted. "Now if I were you Katie, I would start listening to me if you don't want to see anyone you love get hurt."
"What do you want me to do?" She whispered, watching her mother luad as her dad stole a third kiss from her before she finally came back over.
"Ready to go?" Melinda asked, holding her purse. She gave her a slight nod, going to follow her toward her jeep as she hung up the phone. "Who was on the phone?"
"Mason, he wants me to do something for him," she whispered. "I think we might have to go to my house and talk to Ned. Would you be okay with ordering lunch there?"
Melinda nodded, sighing. "We have to do everything we can to stop this guy, of course, we can have lunch there. Let's get going. You tell me more once we get to your house."
Katie nodded, walking toward her car.