Chapter 3

(Sixteen years earlier)

When Mike and Karen Ferguson hung up from the fateful call, they just sat motionless, Karen weeping softly, Mike in a trance. Donna, their sixteen-year-old daughter, roused them. She had heard the phone ring, then her mother's shriek, and had been standing for some time watching from the next room. She walked over and knelt by Karen, hugging her mother around the waist, and laying her head on her mother's lap. A sensitive girl, and loving her parents very much, she knew it was not the time to talk. Mike brought a chair to the other side of his wife, and pulled her head onto his shoulder.

They sat that way for at least twenty minutes before Mike gently raised his wife to her feet and led her to the bedroom. As Donna started to move toward her own room at the top of the stairs, Mike took her arm and motioned her toward the master bedroom. Donna waited while her parents used the bathroom, then went herself as they climbed into bed. She returned to her parents' room and snuggled up to the other side of her mother. It was at least two hours before Karen collapsed into sleep. An hour later, Donna woke, and went to her own room.

Perhaps wakened by her daughter's departure, Karen felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness and need. Inexplicably, these feelings morphed into lust. Mike was spooned behind her, sleeping soundly. Becoming rather frantic, she tore off her panties, bent over, and reached between her legs to open his boxers and get at his penis. Almost roughly, she began pulling on it, interrupting his slumber.

For several strokes, he was unable to determine if this was dream or reality, but the sound of her whimpering and panting brought him fully awake. He was first puzzled why this was happening, but quickly realized that she needed this badly and that he needed to help her out. He hardened almost instantly, and a single touch verified that she was more than ready. Ordinarily a gentle lover, he somehow knew that gentle was not her need tonight. Lifting her upper leg, he was guided into her by her eager hand, sinking all the way in remarkably few strokes.

He used his other hand to push her torso forward so it was perpendicular to his body. Keeping a hand between her legs, he went right for her clit and began rubbing with a firmness that would normally cause her to recoil in pain so soon. Not tonight. Even his first strokes were deep and intense and he felt the goosebumps sprouting on her legs from his efforts. He settled into a rhythm, determined to bring her to multiple orgasms before letting go. His sexy wife usually required about a ten minute build up, but he did not think it would take that long tonight. Releasing his grip on her neck, he moved that hand to her bottom and searched out her anus with his thumb. She was already lubricating freely, and he brought his thumb right to their joining to moisten it. Then he began inserting it in her back door millimeter by millimeter, stroke by stroke.

Nerves already crackling from the night's emotional deluge, Karen launched quickly, thrashing under his hands. Determined not to let her recede from her peak, he fought to keep contact, then fought even harder to forestall his own climax. Anal sex was not something they practiced, and he did not know why he chose to stimulate her there. Perhaps it was a desire to maximize erogenous zones, and he could not easily reach her breasts. Whatever the reason, his instincts were good, because she barely slowed her thrashing as his thumb sank deeper into her. Now, she was responding with a combination grunt and shriek with each of his triple strokes. It was barely five minutes more when she seemed to come apart in massive convulsions.

He knew it was hopeless to try to keep his hands in place, so he used them to straighten her out on the bed on her stomach, while keeping his thrusts perfectly in time. He hoped the stroking would serve the function his hand usually performed to keep her orgasm rolling. He grabbed one of the pillows and raised her enough to get it under her lower abdomen. He idly wondered if the pillowcase would recover from the stains it was about to receive.

Her climax was fading, but her vagina still spasmed around his cock in incredibly arousing ripples. He knew he did not have long to wait for his ejaculation, so he concentrated on pushing each stroke as deep as possible and wriggling at the deepest penetration. From her breathing and her grunts, he knew she was still highly aroused, and might even come once more. He couldn't worry about that now, though. He just couldn't hold off any longer. His legs and back stiffened, his sac tightened, and his cock grew impossibly rigid until it all released in huge, lurching squirts. It seemed like he lost count, especially when she joined him in bucking and heaving around the bed. Their mutual throes were so violent he almost flopped out on several occasions.

All of a sudden it ended. They were both gasping and motionless. Fearing he was crushing her, he rolled to the side. She pulled away briefly, turned over and plastered herself to him, now wailing in long, pathetic sobs. Bedding and bedclothes were tangled, sopping, and sticky from sweat and combined juices. As he hugged her, feeling suddenly helpless to blunt her grief, he was shocked to hear the bathtub filling. But not nearly as shocked as when Donna leaned over him and whispered in his ear.

"Daddy, take Mom and get in the tub with her. Stay with her and don't let go."

"Oh, Baby, did you see?... You shouldn't... !"

"Daddy, that doesn't matter now! It was beautiful! Mom is hurting so bad! She's all that matters. Go! I'll change the bed, then I'll bring you towels and clean clothes."

Completely torn between shock, shame, and pride in his wonderful, thoughtful daughter, he got up from the bed, penis semi-erect and dripping, boxers down around his knees. Donna, still at his side, helped him step out of them. Between them, they got Karen upright and mostly carried her into the bathroom. They stripped her and got her into the tub. Blushing furiously, Mike got in behind her and wrapped his arms around her. The water was still running, and was well up their torsos by now.

Seeing his discomfort with the situation, Donna knelt by the tub, took his face in both hands, and kissed him quickly but firmly on the lips.

"Daddy, please don't feel ashamed about this, and please don't be angry. You are a beautiful man, inside and out. I have never been prouder of you, and I have never loved you more. Mom is the luckiest woman alive. Daddy, I'm not ready for sex yet, and I think it will be a while. But I'm telling you, someday I am going to make love with you. I'll never be a complete woman until I do."

"Oh, Baby, don't say that. We could never..."

"Yes, you could, and you're ready right now. I can feel it, Stud." Father and daughter were stunned, thinking their mother was totally oblivious. "Donna, Honey, I'm glad you know what happened tonight, and I'll bet this bath was your idea, wasn't it." Seeing Donna's wide-eyed nod, she continued. "I guess I should be angry that you spied on us, but I could talk to you for weeks and not teach you as much as you learned tonight. Your Dad is a real man, and I hope you never settle for anything less. He knows just what I need, and he gives it to me. You've probably guessed, but our sex is not usually like what you saw. Tonight, I needed an affirmation of life. I needed to be driven to total exhaustion. He made sure I know that I'm alive - we're alive. For a while, there, every nerve in my body was so alive, it knocked me out."

"So you were aware all the time."

"Yeah, pretty much. But I wasn't able to do anything about it until just now. I'll have to admit to just wallowing in all the love and care. Give me a kiss, Honey." Donna leaned over and the two women shared a gentle kiss.

"Does it bother you that I saw Daddy naked?"

"A little, but then it excites me. He's my man, and I'm proud of him. It's good for my little girl to see how lucky I am, and to give her a goal to strive for. Come to think of it, you've hardly ever seen me naked." No one said anything for a little while, then Karen continued, "You know, it still feels like lead in my heart because of Kathy, but this got me back in control, at least. Thank you both so much."

"Donna, Honey, this is a weird setting for a family meeting, with us naked and all, but we have a serious question to discuss. How would you feel about acquiring a little brother?"

"Ohhh! You're thinking of taking in Dex, huh? Well, I'll be off to college in a couple more years, so I'm not the most affected. What about you guys? Weren't you looking forward to an empty nest? And what about one more to put through college?"

Mike responded this time. "Those are all good questions, Baby, but the important question is 'What about Dex.' He's been hit with a blow no one should have to take. You probably didn't hear, but John killed her, and Dex could not stand to be with John's family. Both of our parents are too old, and Kristen is too fragile from her divorce. That leaves us or a foster home. No way could I let that happen."

Karen interjected. "From what Kathy has been writing, I don't think little brother applies, either. He may be only fourteen, but he is almost six feet, and is apparently an exceptional basketball talent. In fact, his coach is the one who is looking out for him through all this." Mike then explained about getting Dex out of town to escape the politics, etc.

The question of where they would put Dex came up. The home had three bedrooms upstairs. A fourth bedroom with bath had been built in the basement. Chris, the oldest, had lived there first, then Ron took it over for two years when Chris went to school. Karen at first wanted to keep the downstairs bedroom and bath for the boys when they were home, but it had a single queen bed, while the third upstairs room had twins. Donna pointed out it would be less awkward for Dex if he did not have to share the upstairs bathroom with the family.

Both Chris and Ron had opted for accelerated graduation schedules, allowing them to finish in three full years and three summers. The were only home for two weeks before and after summer session, and at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break. Chris was in his last year, and would most likely have his own place after graduation, possibly out of town. They all knew the boys would not raise any objections, so they decided to put Dex in the basement.

They talked for several more minutes before Donna got up to change the bed and bring them robes.

Acting on intuition, Coach had gone back to the State Patrol office late at night, and convinced the Sergeant to get an order sealing the house as a site of potential evidence of corruption. The next morning, a Trooper sealed off the house, and just in time, because two of John's brothers arrived with a moving van, intent on gutting the place. The Trooper wisely called for backup, which arrived just after the local police. In the middle of this melee, word was received that the entire police department had been suspended, and that the mayor and the Council were being charged with corruption. The State Patrol was now in charge of the whole town.

The meeting between Coach and the Fergusons to hand over Dex was a solemn one. After the introductions, Coach told them he thought they should get Dex a lawyer immediately. He didn't trust the Madison clan not to make a custody move on him. He was sure it would be just to get control of John's assets, and he wanted to see Dex's future protected. He also made them promise to ask him for financial help with legal fees, etc. He had spent almost nothing for several years. Karen asked him why he was doing so much for Dex.

"I never had kids. If I had a son, I would want him to be like Dex. I envy you the chance to have him in your family." Surprised at the show of emotion, Karen and Mike encouraged Coach to visit whenever he could. Leaving Dex alone for a while, Coach told them what he knew of the home situation.

Mike had had no dealings with lawyers, and did not know where to look. Harold, Karen's father, had a close friend whose daughter had recently passed the bar and was attempting to establish her own practice. They were concerned about her level of experience, but decided that since she knew the family, she would be the best choice.

Martha Granville, or Marty, as she preferred to be called, proved to be a sympathetic, conscientious, and very bright advocate. Everything she had to do was new to her, but she made up for it with hard work. Marty, citing the testimony of the deputy regarding corruption in the local law enforcement, petitioned federal court for several injunctions; the first enjoined the Madison family from any attempt to take custody of Dex. The second enjoined them from entering the property for any reason. The third froze all assets of John and Kathy Madison pending probate. Since the state Bureau of Criminal Investigations had already forced the suspension of the local Police Force, and charges of corruption had been filed against the mayor and the Council, the federal court granted the petitions.

Uncle Mike turned out to be the father Dex always wished he had. He lived his life with the concerns of his family, now including Dex, uppermost in his mind. Marty quickly discovered that Dex's father had a $250,000 insurance policy as part of his benefits package at work. He probably had forgotten he even had the insurance. The next six months involved round after legal round of battles with the insurance company. First, they claimed the death was suicide, invalidating the policy. At that point, Mike hired Marty again with his own meager funds, and vowed to fight until Dex got his money. A referee ruled in Dex's favor, so the company then tried to void the payoff because of the sequence in which the deaths occurred. Marty, in a show of charity, offered to sue the insurance company on contingency, excluding the face amount from her percentage. In other words, she would benefit only from punitive damages and compensatory damages. In only her second year of practice, her colleagues thought this an act of unnecessary desperation. She stubbornly declared the kid had been through enough, and she couldn't let him get screwed by the company.

The financial burden on Mike was eased, but the time demands did not abate. He was at Dex's side through endless rounds of depositions, interviews, and court appearances. Marty worked tirelessly, gathering mountains of documentation refuting every possible dodge by the company. The judge ruled in Dex's favor, but with only compensatory damages for Mike, and $100,000 punitive damages. The lawyer's take was a modest $30,000.

Dex was old enough to recognize a true act of generosity, and he had grown very fond of the young lawyer. In boyish gratitude, he promised she would be his lawyer for the rest of his life. She responded graciously, not wanting to embarrass him. He surprised her by asking her to set up and administer a trust with his money. Mike agreed wholeheartedly. Later, the proceeds from the sale of the house were also placed in the fund, bringing the total to about $375,000. All of the furnishings, many of them very nice, were distributed among Kathy's family.

Despite his brutish nature, John Madison, Sr., was a good businessman and made a good living. As Kathy's family went through her belongings, they were appalled at how little she had in comparison to the quality of the house, cars, and furniture. Dex appeared to have none of his father's domineering personality, but he did inherit his intuitive business sense.

As soon as he moved to their house, Dex begged Mike for martial arts lessons. - and kept right on begging. He repeatedly told Mike of his feelings of helplessness in the face of his father, and how determined he was never to be helpless again. Mike was sympathetic, but he could see the boy becoming even more narrow and reclusive than he already was. After a month of begging, he worked out a compromise.

"Dex, you will be starting as a freshman at a new school soon, and I want you to have a high school experience that you will remember fondly later on. You have the brains to be a top student, and the talent to be a basketball star. I will make you a deal. You can start the martial arts classes, but you can only keep up the training if you get the grades, and make the team. You have the ability to earn either an athletic or academic scholarship someday. I want you to work toward one of those, and not use up your trust money for college."

At first, Dex considered this a very tough bargain, but his desire was so strong he would have done anything to keep up his training. He was fortunate to find one more person who took a real interest in him. His sensei was a wise man who taught him about balance in life in ways even his beloved aunt and uncle could not. His training ended up greatly improving both his studies and his sports. After two B's his first Freshman semester, he began an unbroken string of A's for the rest of High School. He made the Varsity as a Freshman. He didn't play much at first, but by the end of the year, he had moved up to seventh in the rotation, and had gained a reputation as the sparkplug who could turn a lackluster game around.

Dex had not seen his cousins, including Donna very often. Travel for family reasons was not something his father took time for. She was two years older, so at the few family gatherings that both attended, they did not gravitate together.

It was early summer when Dex came to the Ferguson house. Donna had a part-time summer job, but plenty of time to spend at the neighborhood pool with her friends. She was an attractive girl much in demand for dates, although she accepted only a few. Like all of her family, she was a good student and seemed to have her head on straight. She was apprehensive about a new 'younger brother, ' but willing to give him a chance and not rush to judgement. She saw Dex for the first time in about three years when he arrived with her parents.

The record of her cousin's tragedy could be easily read from his face, yet he greeted her with a smile and a complement. She fairly reeled from the impact. She seldom received that much warmth even from her prospective dates at school. The very first evening, she made it a point to spend a little time alone with him to let him know he was welcome. When she told him she was glad he was with them, she realized that she really meant it.

The Ferguson boys arrived home two days after Dex got there. They both went out of their way to make Dex feel at home, especially Chris. The boys were fairly athletic, but neither had played a varsity sport. It was soon apparent that Dex surpassed both of them, and was easily able to enter into their games and horseplay. The hoop on the front of the garage got a serious workout those two weeks in June.

When Dex found out Chris was a business major, he became almost a shadow, constantly asking Chris questions, many of which surprised him with their intelligence and perceptiveness. From then on, the two had many sessions together whenever Chris was home.

The day her brothers went back to school, Donna asked Dex to go with her to the pool. At first, her friends were merciless to her, but Dex greeted each of them in such a friendly, interested manner, they were soon won over. There were obvious limits to how much Junior girls could associate with a Freshman boy, but at least for those few weeks at the pool, he was accepted and enjoyed. It would be hard to overestimate the boost to his psyche.

When school started, Donna watched her cousin turn into a maniac. He seemed to be either studying or doing his exercises and drills every waking hour. In the third week, she came into his room, turned his chair around, and sat on his lap facing him.

"Hey, cuz! What does a girl have to do to get a little time with the guy who used to talk to her all the time?"

He was first embarrassed by her physical boldness, then chagrined when he realized what she was talking about. Surprising both of them, he placed his hands on her hips. "Donna, you're right! I'm becoming a real grind, aren't I? Tell you what, let's agree to meet in front of the downstairs TV every night at ten. We can watch the news, or talk, or whatever. How's that sound?"

"Great! It's a good start at least. See you at ten." Without thinking, she gave him a quick peck on the lips and left the room.