Chapter 6: Loving Noriko, Loving Bethany

Bethany stared at the key in her hand, indecisive. She looked at the door to the liquor cabinet, then back to the key, fighting with herself. Finally, hand shaking, she made her decision.

Noriko stirred groggily, wondering who would be calling this late at night. She blinked her eyes, focusing on her clock, which read three in the morning.

Her mother's form appeared in the doorway. "Noriko? It's Bethany. She says she needs your help."

Noriko bolted upright. "What do you mean?"

"She didn't say. Noriko, she was crying." Her mother moved aside as Noriko rushed for the phone, a slight smile curling her lips as she watched her daughter.

"Bethany? What's wrong?"

"I'm trying, mistress, really I am. But I want it so bad... I don't know if I can do it." Noriko could hear Bethany sniffling.

"Ok, calm down, pet. What exactly is it you want?"

"A drink. I had... one of those dreams again, and... I'd gotten the key to the liquor cabinet without even thinking about it. I want it so bad I can taste it. Gods, Noriko. Would it be that bad? Just one little drink?"

"Yes, it would, pet. No drinks, not even a little one. Hold on." Noriko covered the mouthpiece, looking to her mother. "Mom, I really need a ride over to Bethany's. It's important."

Her mother raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What's wrong?"

Noriko looked torn for a moment. "It's Bethany. She's... got a drinking problem. I'm helping. She's having trouble right now. I really need to go over there to help her. Please? I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

Her mother nodded. "I know you wouldn't." She slipped her robe off, revealing her slim figure as she bent to the clothes she'd been folding earlier that night. Noriko looked away, blushing, as she found herself noticing.

"Bethany? Just be strong a little while longer. I'm coming over."

"You don't have to do that. Just hearing your voice helps -- it lets me focus on something other than the alcohol."

"I want to. Don't argue with me, pet. You know better than that."

"Yes, mistress," Bethany said in a subdued voice.

"I'll be there in just a few minutes. Just hold on. I know you can do this, Bethany. I believe in you."

"Yes, Mistress. I'll... I'll try."

Noriko hung up the phone, closing her eyes for a moment and resting her head on the cool surface of the wall. "I'm sorry, Mom. It's just, well, she's been doing so good. And I promised her I would help if she needed it."

Her mother walked over and gave her a quick hug. "Noriko, I don't mind. I'm proud of you for helping."

Noriko searched her mother's face quickly, smiling back. "You mean it?"

"Yes, I do." Her mother looked her in the eyes. "Maybe I don't say this as often as I should, but Noriko, I'm proud of you. I'm proud of the way you've grown up, I'm proud of the fact that you care about your friends, and I'm proud of the fact that you are willing to do something for people you care about."

The young girl's lips trembled. "Really?"

"Really." Her mother hugged her again. "Now, don't you think you should put on some more clothes before we go over to Bethany's?"

Noriko looked down at her thin robe and blushed. "Um, yeah. Be right back."

In the car, Noriko took a deep breath. "Mom? If I tell you something, will you promise not to get upset, or scared?"

Her mother quirked her lips, thinking about it. "I'll try."

"Ok." Noriko took another deep breath. "There's something you should know about Bethany. She... wasn't always a nice person. In fact, well... she was pretty bad."

"How bad?"

"Bad enough that if... Mom, I need you to promise you won't tell anyone about this. Even if you think you should. It wouldn't do any good for people to find out about it. And it would hurt a lot. I'm helping her, showing her how to be a nice person, but I couldn't do that if she were... in jail, or a mental hospital."

"Jail?" Her mother risked taking her eyes off the road long enough to glance at her daughter, seeing the serious expression on her face. "Are you sure she's the kind of person you should be spending time with?"

"Yes, I am, Mother. That was... she's not like that anymore. This is one of those things I can't talk about much, but she really has changed. One reason I'm worried about her slipping and drinking is... she's been having nightmares about what she did. I'm afraid she might try to kill herself if she gets drunk."

"Hmm. Ok, if she's having nightmares, maybe she really has changed. But... it worries me, Noriko. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I won't, Mom. She has changed. And she's seeing the counselor at school. I'm going with her, at least for now. I'm not going to fail her. She's... got a lot of potential, Mom. She wouldn't be so bad off right now if she didn't care about people. I've just... I've got to get her through this, get her to come to terms with what she did. And I'm not sure how to do it." The light from the street lights shadowed her face in profile, hiding her expression.

Her mother reached over with one hand, laying it on her daughter's shoulder and squeezing gently. "You'll figure it out. Was what she did really so bad?"

Softly, Noriko said, "Yes. I'm not going to tell you what it was. But it was... I'm not sure I can get any of her victims to forgive her. I'm going to try, and she's made it very clear she's willing to do anything it takes to help them. Anything at all."

"I can't say I'm happy to know this, but... I suppose I'd rather know than not. And I'm glad there's a professional helping her."

Placing her hand over her mother's, Noriko smiled. "Mom, I just want to say... thanks for believing in me. Thanks for letting me make my own decisions."

Her mother sighed. "It's not easy, Noriko. You're still my baby girl, and it's hard... to remember that you are growing up. But I'm trying."

"You're doing good, Mom. You are."

"It helps that you are willing to talk to me about things like this."

Noriko went quiet for a few minutes. "Then I suppose there's something else we should talk about. We should anyway, since there's a good chance that you'll find out when we get there. It's... about me and Bethany."

Her mother looked puzzled. "What is it, dear? I already know that the two of you are... intimate, if that's what you mean."

Noriko shook her head. "No, that's not it. It's the... exact nature of our relationship." She took a deep breath. "We're... not equals in it. I'm... well, she's my... slave. It's a long story, but that's the way we want it, and she's happy with it that way."

Her mother looked startled. "I see. Well, I suppose I should have expected this after our little talk a few weeks ago. You told me that whips and chains, how did you put it, 'interested' you. But it's still a little... startling."

"I know. But... I think it helps her to have some structure in her life, beyond the, um, sexual aspects." She sighed. "You have to understand, Mom, that Miss Sasaki and I are having to, well, teach her how to be a normal person from the ground up. This helps her."

"Are you doing it just for her?"

As the light from passing cars moved over Noriko's face, her mother could see that she was blushing. "No. I really like it. It... satisfies something in me, down inside."

"Well, I told you that anything that was consensual was ok, and I'm not going to change my mind now." She turned in the drive of a large estate.

"Thanks, Mom." Noriko hesitated. "Mom, do you want to sleep over here? I know there's room, and Bethany won't mind. Her dad's out of town on business again."

Her mother shook her head. "No, I'm going to go back home and sleep in my bed. You go take care of Bethany."

Noriko leaned over, hugging her mother. "Thanks for everything, Mom. You're pretty great."

When Noriko walked in the room, Bethany was laying on the floor, curled up in a ball, sobbing. She could see the bottom of a bottle peeking out from between Bethany's arms and for a moment feared that the older girl had given in to the craving; then she saw the still-sealed cap, and sighed in relief.

"Bethany? Lover? I'm here."

Bethany didn't look at her, but shoved the bottle at her. "Get it away." Her voice was muffled. "I can't do it, mistress. I can't. It's too hard. I'm sorry."

Noriko took the bottle, setting it down on the table beside her. "You can do it." She knelt down on the floor beside Bethany, lifting her up slightly and placing the the older girl's head on her lap. "You did do it. You didn't have a drink, did you?"

"No, but I wanted to so bad... I almost... if it had taken you any longer, mistress, I think... I don't think I could have held out any longer. It was... I can't, mistress. I can't."

Noriko gently stroked Bethany's hair, smoothing it back from her face, seeing the anguish in the older girl's eyes. "But you didn't. And I don't think you would have."

Bethany didn't respond, turning her head and burying her face in Noriko's lap as sobs wracked her body. Noriko held her, tenderly, until the sobs eased.

"Bethany, do you believe I care about you?"

Bethany nodded, her eyes red from crying, as she looked at her mistress. "Yes."

"Do you believe I'll be here for you if you need me?"

"I try, but... it's hard. No one ever has. It's hard to really believe you'll be there." Bethany rubbed the tears from her eyes, sniffing.

"I will. I promise." Noriko kissed Bethany gently on the forehead. "Bethany, it's been six weeks now, and this is the first time you've come this close to slipping. I know it's not the first time you've had these dreams. What made this one so much worse?"

Bethany stiffened in her arms. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does, Bethany. You're never going to get over this if you run away from it. You have to face it, look it in the eye and not back down."

Bethany closed her eyes, trembling uncontrollably. "Please, mistress, please... don't make me tell you. Please."

"Bethany, look at me. Open your eyes and look at me." Noriko waited for Bethany to comply. "Whatever it is that has you so scared, don't be. It's not going to make me hate you. It's not going to make me abandon you. I'm here for you. Trust me."

Bethany drew a deep, ragged breath. "Promise?"

"I promise. I promise, pet. I'm here. Always."

"It was... it's bad enough most times, when it's someone I've tortured before, what I'm doing. It's worse that I get turned on by it. But this time... this time..." Her shoulders began shaking again, as fresh tears began to trickle from the corners of her eyes. "It was you. It was you." With that she lost control, throwing her arms around Noriko and crying.

Noriko held her close. "I'm still here, pet. I didn't go anywhere. I'm right here for you."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I didn't mean it, I didn't, I promise. I promise." Bethany buried her face in Noriko's shoulder.

"I know you didn't, pet. I know you didn't." She held the older girl, rocking her gently. They drifted off to sleep that way.

Together.

Noriko awoke first, her back aching. Sometime during the night they'd ended up laying on the floor, Noriko curled around around the larger girl's back. Her left side was numb, and she was shivering. Rolling onto her back, she sat up, wincing as her arm began to wake up.

Kneeling beside Bethany, a soft smile crept over her features as she watched the blonde girl sleep. "You look so innocent and peaceful, lover. I wish you looked like that all the time," she murmured to herself. "But I can't work miracles. I'm sorry."

She watched Bethany for a few more minutes, enjoying the slight smile on her face, before leaning over and kissing her softly. "It's time to wake up, pet. Wake up. We've got to get ready for school."

Bethany made a small murring sound in her throat that made Noriko's heart skip. "Oh, poor baby. I wish I could let you sleep." She kissed Bethany's lips again, more firmly. "Wake up, lover."

Bethany blinked. "Mmm?"

"Time to wake up, pet. We fell asleep."

Bethany struggled up to one elbow. "We did? I'm sorry, mistress. I didn't mean to --" Her apology was stilled by Noriko's finger on her lips.

"Hush, pet. I don't mind. It's ok."

Bethany looked down. "But --"

"It's ok, pet. Really." Noriko stood, holding out a hand to Bethany to help her up. "Why don't we take a quick shower together?"

Bethany smiled. "I'd love that."

Noriko raised her hands over her head and arched her back, stretching, as the hot water ran over her body. The water sheeted over her firm breasts, larger than they had been six weeks ago, her hard nipples protruding through the water. Bethany stared, her breath taken away by the sight in front of her. Unconsciously, she licked her lips, her mouth slightly open.

Noriko smiled. "Why don't you wash your mistress, slave?" She ran her hands up her body, cupping her breasts briefly, stretching again. "All over."

Bethany just nodded, unable to take her eyes off of the smaller girl. Taking a wash-cloth, she began to wash Noriko, soaping her up. She washed Noriko thoroughly, carefully avoiding her breasts and the area between her legs. When she sat the cloth to one side, Noriko raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you forget something?"

Bethany smiled, shaking her head. "No, but I thought such... sensitive areas needed something softer than a wash-cloth," she said, soaping up her hands.

"I see -- oh!" Noriko gasped as Bethany's fingers found their way between her wet lips, her other hand cupping Noriko's breast as she pressed her breasts up against the smaller girl's back. Tilting her head, Bethany nibbled at Noriko's ear.

Noriko tilted her head back, giving Bethany easier access to her neck, and moaned as Bethany trailed little kisses down her cheekbone, onto her neck. Bethany slid two slick, soapy fingers inside Noriko, her thumb sliding across Noriko's clit. She teased Noriko's nipple with her other hand, as she fucked Noriko with her fingers. Just as Noriko reached the edge of orgasm, she stopped, sliding her fingers out.

"Don't stop!"

"Time to rinse you off. It's not good for your skin to have soap on it for too long." Ignoring Noriko's whimpers, Bethany gently rubbed her body down with a clean wash-cloth. "There. Now we need to make sure you are rinsed well."

Bending down, Bethany bit Noriko gently on the shoulder, nibbling her way down Noriko's breast as she turned the smaller girl to face her. Noriko gasped as Bethany reached her nipple, sucking it into her mouth and playing her tongue over it.

"Seems to be ok." Bethany began to nibble her way across to the other breast, biting the nipple gently. "This one too." She ran her hands up Noriko's legs, cupping her ass gently, as she placed a line of kisses down the center of Noriko's chest and stomach, leading downward.

Bethany took one hand and urged Noriko to lift one leg, placing it across her shoulder. Tilting her head, she bit down at the crease of the leg, sucking firmly, as she teased her fingers along Noriko's ass. She nibbled and licked, teasing, until she felt Noriko's fingers tangle in her hair, pulling painfully until her face was shoved into her mistress's cunt.

The heat and steam from the water made it hard to breath, combining with the wonderful pain from her mistress's fingers to leave Bethany breathless, head spinning. She parted her lips, tongue reaching out to taste her mistress, but could taste nothing but sweet, clean flesh. Pressing harder, she slipped her tongue between the folds, searching, seeking the taste of her mistress's arousal. She could feel the roughness of the skin around the opening to Noriko's cunt, her tongue dipping inward, being rewarded with the taste she craved. Noriko's hands tightened, and Bethany shuddered, the pain from the tight strands of hair sending shocks of electricity shooting straight to her cunt.