Chapter 32

When Dex woke up early Sunday morning after his big party, Morgan was nowhere in sight. Ignoring the sudden pangs of loneliness, he did his bathroom chores, pulled on his workout shorts, grabbed his shoes and a towel, and headed for the gym. He had finished loosening up and was starting some lat pulldowns when he saw Morgan come round the corner towing a very reluctant Elise. Morgan had found some shorts that sort of fit Elise, and given her one of the thousand or so T-shirts that seemed to infest the house. Poor Elise's face and her bare arms and legs could only have been brighter red from second-degree sunburn.

"This silly girl has been neglecting this gorgeous body of hers, and penance starts today. What's the best way to start for someone with zero muscle tone." It seemed like Morgan was going out of her way to embarrass Elise.

"Please, Morgan, can't I at least fix my face and my hair a little bit," Elise pled. Morgan was staring pointedly at Dex, and he figured out that she was trying to cue him.

"Elise," Dex said when he realized his expected role, "you don't have to worry about how you're dressed around here. Before too long, Kirstin will come wandering in, and I'd be surprised if she had anything on." Elise's eyes widened at that revelation.

"You certainly aren't under-dressed compared to us," Dex went on. "You are going to be staying here for a while..." Elise tried to object at that as Morgan beamed at him. "Uh, uh! That's not negotiable. You know in your heart that if you don't get some serious R&R, you're headed for shock treatments and all that other good stuff. Right?" Elise nodded her head. "Around here, Elise, you don't need your uniform."

"My uniform? What... Ohhhh!" Elise covered her face with her hands and shook her head sorrowfully. "Was I that obvious?"

"Don't worry about it. Come on, I'll show you the machines."

"I know all of them. I used to work out religiously before... uh, when I was younger. I... I really looked good, then."

Dex did not miss this opening. He took a chance and reached out to take both of her hands in his. "Elise, you are beautiful now. I guess I just never let myself think about it before. But seeing you last night and now like this... Wow!"

Morgan had gone over to a machine and started working out, probably sensing the other two might need to talk a little. Elise was blushing again from Dex's compliment, but she took his hand and led him to a sofa not far from the gym. Dex could not believe he actually felt slightly self-conscious around her in only his workout shorts.

Elise seemed to have regained most of her usual composure. "Dex, I'm sure Morgan has told you how I feel about you. Can I ask you something?" When Dex nodded, she went on. "Why have you never asked me out, or even tried to find out more about me?"

After a moment's thought, Dex answered her. "The most important thing to me was winning your confidence. I didn't want to do anything to cause you to doubt my desire to help the women."

"And you thought if you made a move toward me I would not react well?"

"That is the impression I had, yes. Apparently I was wrong."

"You were wrong, but it disturbs me that you saw me that way. Do other people?"

"I couldn't answer that."

"Excuse me a moment." When she returned, she had Morgan in tow. "Morgan, I want your brutal, unedited impression of me. I won't consider it a kindness if you sugar-coat anything." The tough-minded Elise seemed to be back with them.

Morgan protested that she would rather not, but Elise insisted. "Look, I've probably been driving away the only man I wanted for years. If I am that stupid, I need to know about it before I mess up other things, as well. As a fellow psyche major, lay it on me. Please!"

"Okay, you asked for it! You are a perfect example of a monomaniac. Your work is literally your life. Your driving force is still hatred for the man who did this do you, translated to hatred for all abusers. You do care for the women, and they love you, but they are not what drives you."

"You have no tolerance for the ineffective bungling of other groups helping the abused. You are gunshy of appearing feminine because you think that makes you more vulnerable. The result is that you come across as fierce and combative to anyone but the victims."

"Lately, you have become even more stressed than usual from a combination of the frustration of not being able to fix everything, sheer mental and physical exhaustion, and a sense of what you are missing. Your feelings for Dex have deepened the sense of loss."

Morgan walked over and knelt in front of Elise. "Please, I want to be your friend. Don't be angry for what I said. I love Dex, and I happen to think you two should be a couple. But the way you are today, you will not make it together. Do you understand?"

"Oh, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at me because what you say is so true. I've been out here several times lately, and each time, I leave with the feeling that I can't go on like I am now."

"Well, let's get to the workout before everyone in the house is up." But that was not to be because, as predicted, Kirstin came into the gym area, wearing nothing but the smile she displayed upon seeing Elise. She plopped down next to the amazed woman and wrapped here in a hug.

"Are you OK, Elise? I was so worried last night! Oh, I'm sorry! I forget I don't have clothes on, sometimes. Let me go put something on."

"No, Kirstin. Don't get dressed just for me. I... I... sit here and talk for a minute. You look so much better than a week ago."

"Oh, I feel like a different person. I mean, my marriage is still in big trouble, but..."

"I take it running around naked has something to do with how good you feel."

"Oh, yes. Don't think I'm some weird exhibitionist. Please, it's not that at all. From the first night we were here, there were little flirty, sexy things happening. You know how I felt about myself when you dropped me off. That same night I did a kick line in nothing but a towel, then I sat around and talked in that same towel. It's like a different world, here."

"Gary made me cover up all the time. He was ashamed of my body and didn't want to see it. The first morning, I went skinny dipping in the hot tub with Eric." Kirstin waved off Elise's surprised look. "He understood how important it was to me, and he was really sweet. I made him 'streak' back downstairs with me, and we ran into Morgan and Jessica. We just stood and talked as if everything was normal. Dex walked by and just said hello. I tell you, it made me feel so good! I'm way overweight and nobody cares! My body is accepted here, not rejected and ridiculed. I promise, I won't go around like this forever, but right now, it's like this huge boost every time I show all of me and nobody says anything bad."

"Are you going to work out like that?"

"Sure. The mirrors help remind me how much work I have to do. Dex doesn't seem to mind, and it gets my adrenalin up for the workout. My new life has started, and I'm not living it fat."

"Did you know Gary wants you back?"

"Yes, Mom told me she talked to him."

"You know going back almost always leads to more abuse, don't you?"

With a large sigh, Kirstin replied "Yes, I know. But I've learned a lot I think will help." She replayed the Christmas Eve morning conversation with Dex and Morgan for Elise, who listened with growing fascination.

"Wow!" Was all Elise could say at first. "Morgan is really something! So, you think you can be a different person?"

"I already am different. Neither Gary or I were getting what we needed. I know I can give him what he needs, now. I can change things. What do you think, Elise? Should I give it a try?"

"Kirstin, Honey, I'm afraid I'm not a good person to ask. I get so angry at men who abuse their wives! It's hard for me to imagine them changing. It's hard for me to see why you would want to go back."

"After talking to all these other women, I found out a lot. Gary is nowhere near as bad as their husbands. For years, he was a good husband. Maybe not too imaginative in the sex department, but I can fix that."

"Wait! You mean you had sex here?"

"No, I didn't. I still think I can make it with Gary, and I don't want that kind of guilt in the way."

"You think Gary has never strayed?"

"Somehow, I don't think he has. Anyway, something changed him, and I'm hoping he can change back. He's always been good with the kids, and he never beat me like those other guys. I'm not just going to move back in. There's got to be some kind of test or something. I'll bet Morgan comes up with just the right thing."

"Kirstin, do you think Morgan and Dex are in love?"

"Well, they love each other, but I don't think it's the marrying kind of love. Why? Ohhhh?" Elise's composure had left her again as she turned scarlet. "Geez! You and Dex would be perfect!"

"Wh... why do you say that?"

"You both drop everything to help a woman in trouble, for one thing. You both seem to have everything organized and planned, but when things fall apart, you always figure something out. You're really in love with him, aren't you, Elise?"

"Well, he's not in love with me, Kirstin, and it takes two to make a couple."

"How do you know he's not?"

"Because I've been skillfully making sure he didn't think of me as a woman for the last five years, that's why," Elise answered with undisguised bitterness.

After she said this, Elise was struck by the role reversal that was going on. A week ago, she was rescuing a completely shattered Kirstin, and just a couple of minutes ago, Kirstin was confiding in her. Now, this same Kirstin, naked but completely at ease, was ministering to her! Still uncomfortable with Kirstin's nudity, but overwhelmed by the blonde's concern, Elise wrapped her in a warm hug.

For Elise, sitting down at the first exercise machine was interesting, to say the least. The first sensation was deja vu. Something no one in this town knew was that Elise was a two-sport athlete in high school. She had played softball in the spring and field hockey in the fall. Both sports had required a good deal of strength training.

Working out was part of Elise's whole 'before' life which she had tried to purge from her consciousness. Not that her childhood and teen years were bad - quite the contrary, in fact. In her mind, the early years were times of great promise and potential. Promise that was pounded into the ground by that monster's fists and feet. She could not think of the early years with the anguish of the unfulfilled promise, so she didn't think about them.

Elise's parents were as much victims of her abuse as she was, in a real sense. They had lovingly nursed her through her recovery and had done everything they could to help her heal. Now, though, they were a huge part of the 'before' life that brought pain when she thought of it. As a result, she seldom saw them and talked to them by phone only on special occasions.

The next thing that made her first attempt at working out in eleven years interesting was her own weakness. Confidently, she had set the weight at a number a little over half of what she remembered from her high school days. That she was barely able to move it was a disheartening shock. At that moment, Dex knelt beside her.

"It's a shame that you have let that lovely body deteriorate the way you have, but you can't fix it in one day. If you're too aggressive at the start, you'll just get sore and won't make any progress." Having said that, Dex set the weights at a level that was embarrassingly low.

Dex's attention brought up another interesting sensation - the scantiness of her attire. She wondered if maybe Morgan had not purposely given her a shirt that was quite thin and fit rather snugly. The minimal bra she had worn to the party was worse than useless for working out, so her tits were free. The shorts, on the other hand, had wide leg holes, and she suspected the panties she had worn would be visible in some workout positions.

Elise looked over at Kirstin, who was on her back doing pullovers, seemingly unaware that her genitals were completely open for public inspection. Morgan wore only a T-shirt and panties which she could now see clearly. Dex's shorts hid little. How could they be so free and unconcerned about their bodies, while she fretted like a teeny-bopper?

A resulting sensation Elise felt was the old familiar anger. HE had robbed her of the ability to relax and enjoy the comfort of people who cared for her. HE had turned her into the gaunt shadow of her former self that she shied from in the mirror every day. The anger caused her to push too hard against the weight, producing a slight strain she knew would be sore for a few days.

Perhaps the strongest sensation Elise felt was her even stronger attraction to Dex. Previously, she had come to love him because of his character and his personality. This was the first time she had seen his body on display and in action. Her love for Dex from a distance was safe, ethereal, even pure. That was part of the reason for her reaction to his invitation to dance at the party. Suddenly, her fantasy love was exposed to reality in a way she couldn't handle in her run down state.

Now, here was her fantasy lover literally in the flesh. The things happening to her nipples and her groin were things she had tried to deny in her years of hurt and anger. There was no denying them now, as Dex pounded the dummies with his feet and hands.

After a breakfast where Elise was the center of attention, she sat next to Dex in the family room. "I feel like such a slob wearing nothing but borrowed shorts and a T-shirt."

"Would you believe me if I told you that you look more appealing right now than any time I have seen you, except maybe last night?" Dex asked her.

Elise stared at him with wide eyes, and said "I think you mean that, Dex. I did a great job hiding my sex appeal all those years, didn't I?"

"No, you couldn't hide it - nobody's that good. You just made it perfectly clear that everyone was supposed to ignore it."

"I didn't want YOU to ignore it. I thought you weren't interested," Elise said.

"I didn't know that. I didn't let me self think about you sexually."

"And you can do that? Yeah, I suppose you can, from all your training. Well, I still feel self-conscious."

"Describe to me what all the others were wearing at breakfast," Dex told her, trying to make a point. Elise got the idea, and was quiet for a moment. Then, with a mischievous smile, she tried for some points of her own.

"I hear you guys did the ultimate in casual breakfast attire for a couple of days there."

Delighted at this flash of humor from the troubled woman, Dex though a moment before replying. "Yeah, that was one of Morgan's wilder ideas."

"It must have worked. I have never seen women's attitudes change as fast as the ones you have here."

"I hope being here will help change your attitude, too, Elise." She didn't respond to this, so he continued. "Back to the fetching outfit you're so worried about. What did you wear to breakfast when you were living at home with your family?"

"Uh, yeah, I see what you mean," Elise said in a subdued voice. Dex filed her reaction away for later investigation.

"Dex, I need to get back to work. Will you take me home, please?" Elise asked.

"No! I'll take you home, but only to pack your things to stay here."

"I'm OK, now, really."

Dex put his arm around Elise and pulled her close to himself, and she started hyperventilating almost immediately. He released the hug after only a few seconds and she slumped back into the chair. "I... I thought I was," she said, almost inaudibly.

"Will you trust me to take you home to get your things?" Dex asked, and Elise just nodded. They found some boots and a jacket for her, and Dex warmed the Jeep before they departed.

On the way, Dex apologized for causing her distress. "I had to show you how much you need help. I promise, I won't do that again."

"I feel like such an idiot, Dex. I really want so much more, but I just can't. What's wrong with me?"

"You've been trying to give more of yourself than you have to give."

Changing the subject, Elise asked "Where in the world am I going to stay, Dex. Your house is packed."

"Not sure, yet, but don't worry. There's always room for one more."

"I'm, uh, not ready to, uh..."

"I don't expect you to, Elise."

"You've got Morgan there, anyway."

"No, not any more." This revelation by Dex was met with silence.

If Dex had predicted the appearance of Elise's apartment, he would have been dead on. It was spotless, but almost empty. As they entered, she looked at him and gave a shrug. By the time she had packed what she wanted, it was coming up on noon, and they stopped at a restaurant for a light lunch.

Dex had told Elise quite a bit of his story, but not all of it. On the other hand, he knew next to nothing about her, and he had never thought it wise to probe. He had never spent this much continuous time with her, either, and he thought this might be a good time to learn a little more. After they had ordered, he said "Tell me about Elise Padilla. By the way, your coloring does not match your last name, so I want to hear about that, too."

"Oh, my father's family goes back to Spain. There are a lot of light-complected Spaniards, even quite a few blue eyes. As for the rest, well, it's not the stuff movies are made of."

Elise's proud parents had re-mortgaged the house to send her to a highly-regarded college out East. While there, she met, and at age 19, married a man from an immensely wealthy family. In an accelerated version of Megan's experience, the wedded bliss hardly made it to the honeymoon suite. Eighteen months later, her marriage ended with a month in the hospital and three plastic surgeries.

With the benefit of a healthy civil settlement from her wealthy in-laws, she acquired a psychology Masters degree, and took a job with Social Services in their county. She quickly became disgusted with their wrong-minded approach, particularly to abuse cases, and went looking for financial support. Fortunately, her remorseful former in-laws gave her some seed money and the benefit of their connections, and her personal drive did the rest. In just five years, she had become THE contact for battered women in the metro area, and well-known nationally as an advocate for the abused.

"I'm afraid there isn't much else to tell. I guess you know what my life has been like since," Elise finished up.

Not wanting to dwell on anything negative, Dex complimented her. "If I ever need plastic surgery, tell me who your surgeon was. The results are perfect."

"Uh, thank you," she stammered. "Only one was on my face. The other two left visible scars."

On the point of asking where the other scars were, Dex thought better of it. There was much more he wanted to find out about Elise, but just then, their food arrived and he let the conversation move to lighter subjects.

In the few hours Dex and Elise were gone, Morgan had put the network to work. Sonja was bound for Jenny's, Kirstin and the kids were going to the O'Connors', and Carol and Jessica would be staying with Carol's parents. For at least a few days, Carl would provide a bodyguard for Carol and Jessica. Teri had left from the party the night before. Elise would have Carol's room, and Morgan would stay with Kendra. It was likely that Sandra and Eric would be back in their own house before he had to start school.

There were a number of tearful goodbyes, and by supper time, Dex's guest list was a little smaller. He was amazed how close he felt to each of them after such a short time. The emotions in his house had been at an incredibly high level for a week. Each of the women had come to him with an all-time load of negative emotions. Those who were leaving were not necessarily happy, but at least they took with them some optimism and the knowledge that someone cared. Of that, Dex felt proud and happy.

It was going to be after supper before the O'Connors could pick up Kirstin and her kids, so Morgan gathered Kirstin, Elise, Dex, and herself in the master bedroom to talk about Kirstin's marriage.

The first question was whether she really wanted to get back together with Gary. She did not hesitate, but gave an emphatic 'Yes.' Elise pointed out once again how very few marriages were healed after the wife was forced to flee. She recounted incidents from her own work where going back had resulted in very serious injuries, going into detail on her own saga.

Elise's husband, whom she referred to as Max, was into dominance and submission, something he carefully kept secret until after the wedding. Upon hearing this, Dex had to call on every reserve of control to listen without reaction. It couldn't be the same Max that had tormented Connie, could it? He would ask Elise in private, later, but paying attention now would take all of his willpower.

Max was handsome and charming, and swept Elise off her feet. She was not totally naive, but Max was very, very good. On top of that, Max's parents were very fond of Elise, especially his mother. There was no hint of Max's dominance kink during their courtship, and Elise had always wondered why he courted her when she showed not the slightest sign of submissive tendencies.

The initial cohabitation portion of the marriage lasted only three months before Elise fled back home. She absolutely refused even the more playful and erotic forms of D/S, and she could see Max's frustration building to a frightening level. During this first period, he hit her several times, especially in the two weeks before she fled.