Chapter 11

Even if Mark had been sound asleep, the sight of his fourteen-year-old sister, Becks, standing naked in the door of his room would certainly have roused him. She was still developing, but her body showed the promise of nice, womanly curves. Because of her interest in sports, she was tight and muscular, but it looked very good on her. He did not have to force his smile of appreciation, and could do nothing to stop a vigorous salute from his cock.

"D... do I look OK?" she asked with honest concern.

'How could she not know?' he asked himself. Rather than answering with words, he threw back the covers, exposing his raging shaft. Since she had seen it numerous times before, he was not concerned about her being shocked. What he was concerned about was her knowing his honest appraisal of her body. Waiting a few seconds for a smile to start, he spoke. "Becks, you know you've got a great body, don't you?"

"I... I thought so, but I wasn't sure how you'd..."

"Well, now you know for sure. Um, why?"

Still standing across the room, she told him about how it embarrassed her when he saw their mother naked, and what Norma had told her about the ultimate remedy for that. Mark patted the bed beside him, and she came and sat, staying a little away from him. Trying to show his appreciation, he took her hand and held it.

"Was that the only reason?" he asked.

"No. I was so proud of you!" she blurted out. "All along, I wanted to show my support. I just... couldn't work up the courage."

"You didn't have to get naked to support me, Becks. Just being accepting and not making jokes early on really helped me a lot."

"There was nothing to joke about, Markie. I like the way you look. I'm not doing it because I thought I had to, either. It... it made it feel like there was something separating us when you were naked and I wasn't. I didn't like that. Now, this is something we share."

"I feel really privileged, Sis. I'll bet Dad hasn't even seen you, has he?"

"No, not yet. But I want him to. You know, it's funny. You and Mom have both changed since you undressed."

"You think?"

"Oh, for sure. You seem more confident and, uh, social than ever. And Mom! She's just awesome! I mean, I always loved her, and I was always proud of her. But now... ! Anyway, if running around naked can change you guys that much, I want it, too."

"You're not shy, Becks. What do you need to change?"

"Around boys at school I kinda am. I hate being like all my giggly friends when a boy is around. I want to act like a woman, not a silly little kid."

"And you think this will help, huh? Well, you're just as brave as Mom, I'll tell you. And thank for you for letting me be the first." She blushed prettily at that. "What about Dad?"

"I'm going to be naked when I'm home for the rest of the time Mom is. Could you, uh, walk down to breakfast with me in the morning?"

"Be happy to." Taking a chance, Mark put his arm around his sister and hugged her, making sure only her shoulder pressed against his own bare skin.

Mark set his alarm for Sunday morning, a totally unprecedented move. Not wanting to offend his sister, he still thought it would be best to alert his folks about what was happening. They were awake in their room when he tapped very quietly. Norma laughed when he told them what was up, and Paul looked shocked at first, but quickly joined his wife's laughter. Mark noticed a bulge at his father's crotch and looked him in the face, grinning.

"Hey, I'm human, too, you know," Paul told him. "That stuff Dr. Waxman told us about sexual attraction between family members - well, I guess I'm living proof. Thanks for the warning, Son. It was the loving thing to do."

Mark was back in his bed when Becks came in, naked, as she had promised. He wondered if she had gotten any sleep. As he went to the closet to grab shorts and a shirt, it struck him that she was doing this partly as a show of support for him and for their mother. Why not support her? Forgetting about the clothes, he grabbed her hand and headed toward the stairs, earning a nervous grin from her.

When they walked into the kitchen, both parents were there, beaming. The next reaction, though, was totally unexpected, as Norma disintegrated in tears. Paul was turned away when it happened, but both kids saw it and rushed to hug her, forgetting briefly that they were all naked. Mark remembered as he slipped his arm around her and did not let their fronts touch. It was a minute before Norma could explain.

"I... I was just b... blown away by you guys! I m... mean, all I hear in the news and f... from friends is how bad kids are. Th... then here you are! Doing whatever it t... takes to help me and each other."

Wanting to change the tone and make sure to boost Becks, Paul came over and took his daughter by the shoulders and turned her to face him. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and said "I knew you were turning into a lovely young lady, but WOW!" It was the right thing to say, as Becks seemed to shiver all over with delight, and spontaneously hugged her father, forgetting all about her condition of dress.

That state of high emotion and good will persisted until Tori came into the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks. She blurted out "Oh, No!", burst into tears, and tore off back toward her room. Becks caught on right away and hurried to join her little sister, calling back over her shoulder "She's afraid she has to, now." Within ten minutes, the girls returned. Tori was subdued but not crying, and ended up eating a hearty breakfast.

If Sunday morning at the Ventris' was unusual, with three of the family naked, Lindsey's morning was like a fairy tale. She had barely wakened when a tall, slim, dark-haired bundle of energy came into the little apartment. "Hi! I'm Amy. You must be Lindsey! I saw you on TV and read your story." Though still not fully awake, Lindsey was amazed. This girl lived in the public spotlight, and she remembered seeing Lindsey on TV.

"I've heard all about how my Mom was raised. Then we found Sonja," Amy explained. "Mom works hard to help girls with problems at home, and I want to do the same. I'm glad you came to see us."

Amy stayed so close to Lindsey she might have been embarrassed, except that Amy was just so open and natural she seemed to calm any nervousness without even trying. That natural force of personality had to be a big reason for her stardom, along with her awesome voice.

After the girls had dressed and eaten some breakfast, Sonja shocked Lindsey by suggesting they go to church. "If I know your folks," she said, "it will help a lot to soften their anger over last night. My suggesting it will make it even better." Amy joined them as they went to a church Sonja had been attending.

"Most of the things I learned in church," Sonja explained, "I still believe. They were not wrong, just misinterpreted and misapplied. Plus, an awful lot of personal opinion was added on. This church tells it straight, and I feel at home there." Lindsey had been having many of the same thoughts herself, and it helped tremendously to hear the other girl's comments.

The rest of the day was more fairy tale stuff, as Lindsey became more aware of just who she was visiting. The trappings of wealth and stardom never seemed obvious, though. Jenny and Amy both spent a lot of time talking with Lindsey, finding out details of her life, and telling her of Jenny's. Sonja also told her more of her experience.

And they all sang! There was a complete little studio in the house, and accompaniment tracks of all the Ballards' songs. The other three made sure Lindsey joined in, coaxing her along until she knew some of the bigger hits and could sing with them. Because most of Lindsey's singing had been in choirs, she was not used to any level of flamboyance, and they constantly encouraged her to let loose. When she finally let herself go on one humorous number, the other three cheered loudly, causing her all-time greatest blush.

From her earliest concert tours, Jenny had made it a practice to include potential young stars in her concerts, and Sonja had adopted the same practice. While she was only singing at the emporium, she still saw a chance to get Lindsey in on her act. Lindsey did not consider her voice to be that special, but Jenny told her she had excellent pitch and control, and just needed to be more expressive. They extracted a promise that Lindsey would practice with Sonja until she felt ready to join her on a couple of duet numbers.

Besides the singing and the fun that day, there was some serious discussion of Lindsey's home situation. It was obvious to all that her parents were not bad people, just seriously distorted in their views of life and parenting. Sonja frankly said that if her parents had shown any of the signs of actual love for her that Lindsey's did, she would have done everything she could to make things work. Before she left, Lindsey had resolved to give her parents another serious try. She would commit to spending as much time as possible at home for the next couple of weeks. She would try her hardest to ignore the bad stuff and have some honest interaction with them.

Over and over, Lindsey lamented the thoughtless, cutting things they said to her, particularly her mother. Sonja understood completely, and wondered if there was any way for Lindsey to record what went on. Jenny made a quick phone call, and an hour later, Carl Plonske dropped off a small voice-activated recorder and a box of micro-tapes. Lindsey agreed to keep the recorder with her at all times, and they would discuss the tapes together on her next visit.

Late Sunday afternoon, Lindsey reluctantly left the Ferguson house, eager to visit again. She called Mark to pick her up, since her car was at their place. She wanted to visit him and his family to let them know her plan for the next two weeks.

Lindsey was a very level-headed girl, not easily swayed by most things. It was obvious to Mark, though, that her overnight had been an unbelievable experience, for she babbled non-stop all the way to the house.

When she joined Mark's family for a light supper, Lindsey was glad she had decided to spend more time at home the next couple of weeks. It still bothered her to have Norma naked in front of Mark, but now Becks was naked, too! She tried to keep up the enthusiasm as she described her visit, but Norma, especially, could tell she was bothered, and accurately guessed the reason.

Just as Tori had feared she was expected to undress because Becks had, Lindsey felt ashamed that the younger Becks was willing to show herself, but she, Lindsey, could not even consider it without going into a panic. She knew none of the Ventris expected it or would ever even suggest it. Nevertheless, it made her feel bad. She felt somehow less close to them all because they were sharing something she could not.

Another benefit of her 'stay-at-home' project was a little more separation from Mark. Not that she wanted to be away from him - far from it. It was just that she could not analyze her feelings about him when they were together. Those feelings were definitely changing, and it frightened her a little. Ever since he bared himself to her, she had felt a new closeness to him and possessiveness of him. It was not the same old 'best-buddy' feeling from their childhood. It was a good feeling, a warm feeling, but also disturbing.

Her parents had hammered so many fears into her about boy-girl relationships. Her first instinct was always that such feelings were wrong and dangerous. Her time with Mark and her talks with Norma were changing those instincts, but it was a trying process.

When she got home Sunday evening, she first made sure the recorder was loaded and with her. Then, she told her mother and father all about her overnight, including the church service. She silently thanked Sonja for taking her, as it did soften the criticism somewhat. At first, Mary was restrained, but could not hold back her disapproval of her daughter consorting with such ungodly people as those country singers. Before long, she was in tears, and Lindsey's prospects for a healing time at home looked dim from the start.

With her mother already upset, Lindsey almost withheld the fact that she would be singing a couple of numbers with Sonja. Wisely, though, decided that if complete openness could not improve things, nothing could. As she decided, she did think of the nakedness at the Ventris'. Some things were just too extreme to consider. Mary, in particular, was scandalized at the thought of her daughter performing in 'that place.' Even though she expected it, Lindsey was hurt that they could not share her excitement.

Linsey did not mention her plan for the next two weeks, wanting it to seem just natural and not planned. At that point, there seemed no way she could stick it out for two weeks, anyway.

As soon as Lindsey had left their house, Mark had jumped in the car and driven back to the Fergusons', calling Sonja on the way. He was almost hyperventilating with excitement when she let him into her apartment.

"Is she really going to get a chance to sing with you?" he asked excitedly.

"You bet," Sonja responded.

"Do you have any idea how much good that will do her? That's the most wonderful thing I can imagine for her. Be sure to let me know when it's going to be. I'm going to be sure that place is full to the walls. I'll get everybody who even knows her name to come out and listen... He talked on, almost jabbering in his enthusiasm.

"Whoa, whoa, Mark! Slow down! Tell you what. Let's go see Amy and Jenny. I'd like to have them meet you."

In typical straightforward Amy fashion, she followed 'Hello, Mark' with "So, you're Lindsey's boyfriend, huh?"

"No. We're best friends."

"How come you're not more than that?"

"Lindsey's got a lot of things to work through before she's ready for a boyfriend."

"But you hope it's you, don't you," Amy prodded.

"No doubt. But that's up to her. I just want to be sure she stays my friend, first."

"Aren't you a little jealous of her big chance?" Sonja asked.

"Jealous? Heck no! I'm excited. Do you know how few really good things have happened to her. This will do so much for her!" Mark was practically bouncing with excitement as he talked.

"Mark wants to be sure all of Lindsey's friends get there to hear her," Sonja told the others. "Say, Mark, do you think there is any chance of her folks coming?"

"With liquor served? No way."

"That's too bad," Jenny spoke up. "We'll be sure to let you know what night it's going to happen.

Fran's second day at home, a technician from work came out to help her set up to work from home. Her presence at the office was sorely missed, and she wanted the work to help her sanity.

She already had a broadband internet connection, and she was given access to the office network. Only her right hand could get at a keyboard, and she could not type with it sitting squarely in front of her. Because of the cast, the keyboard had to sit at an angle. The best setup for typing was a laptop with a pointstick for controlling the cursor. However, at the proper angle for typing, she could hardly see the screen, so a separate monitor was necessary. The process took all day, but she finally had a tray that slid over her lap to bring the keyboard into reach and the monitor into view.

Carson had not said anything at the office about Fran having a male nurse, but the technician certainly did, and the buzz was predictable. When Carson again brought dinner, he could not stop chuckling about the gossip that was going around. It upset her at first, but he was soon able to get her laughing about it. Watching that little interaction, Ryan was even more certain there was a definite connection between the two.

After supper, as they were all chatting, Ryan mentioned a particular frustration of his. "Carson, you're an engineer. Isn't there something better than plaster for a cast. The things are terribly heavy and vulnerable to water. Besides that, they don't allow the skin to breathe. They really are monstrosities, and it bothers me to see how hard it is on Fran. I've thought this same thing many times before."

"Here's my wild idea," Ryan continued. "What if we had an open weave fiberglass or polymer mesh that could take the place of the plaster. It would be much lighter, air could get through freely, and she could shower and bathe normally."

"The biggest problem, I guess, would be getting it on." Ryan now seemed to be talking to himself. "The value of plaster is that it can be applied wet and soft, and forms exactly to the body. It holds everything right where it needs to be as it dries. Now, I know fiberglass behaves the same way. Why hasn't it been tried for casts?"

Carson had been listening thoughtfully. "There are a couple of problems with fiberglass. One is protecting the skin while it is applied. It would actually be put on in strips much like a plater cast. The weight reduction might not be that great. You also would not get the ventilation, unless you drilled hundreds of holes. That might be kind of scary."

"You idea of a polymer mesh is very interesting. That would be lightweight, strong, and waterproof. The problems there would be, again, protecting the skin during application and afterwards." He thought for a while, then took the laptop off the tray and began searching the web. Ryan and Fran watched him with some amusement as they chatted. Carson put the computer back after a while, but seemed rather distracted and left rather early.

When he had left, Ryan teased Fran with "I'll bet you're saying to yourself 'typical geek!', aren't you?"

She grinned at him, but shook her head. "Not really. I know how he gets when he's working on an idea. But that's OK. I get the same way on a case. He really is very bright, you know."

"I suspect you wouldn't be friends with him if he weren't," Ryan replied. He wanted to ask if she had thought any more about the previous night's conversation about love. He decided it would be better to let her bring up the subject, if she ever did.

"Hey, Nursey," she teased, using that name for the first time. "I've been thinking about our discussion on love last night. I still don't know what I think about Carson. I will admit this, though. When he leaves, I am so horny I can't stand it. I need relief. Right now."

"Should I call Carson back to take care of it for you?"

"Bastard!" She was actually quivering as she said it. "Get that hand or that dildo or something over here and take care of my pussy! If you don't hurry, I'll scream!"

Ryan was struck by her complete lack of shame as he pulled back the covers and removed her panties. She did as much as she could to help him out. As soon as he had pulled them off, he could smell her arousal. He pushed her feet up towards her bottom and spread her knees apart, with no resistance from her. He could then see the source of her odor gleaming on her labia and upper thighs. He had often heard how women hit their sexual peak later than men, and here was a living example. Then again, he thought, maybe she was even hornier at 35 or 40. He could not suppress a chuckle at that possibility.

The way she was lying, lewdly spread open to him, it was almost as if both her face and her cunt were pleading with him. It was a very sexy, yet somehow poignant sight. It must be very difficult for such a strong, independent woman to not be able to even touch her own face, he thought. Perhaps the helplessness somehow augments the arousal, in the same way bondage does for some people.

Remembering the first time in the shower, Ryan was tempted to go down on her. He even had a feeling she would not object if he fucked her. What held him back was the growing feeling that Fran and Carson might have a future together. If that was a possibility, the level of intimacy inherent in either intercourse or oral sex would be too much encroachment on another man's privileges.

He had to make sure Fran didn't see him smile as he thought how silly his splitting hairs was over the limits of intimacy. As if fingering her to climax was not intimate! Or sucking her nipples. Or fucking her with the dildo. There was no justification for doing any of those things to her. Yet, this woman definitely got to him, and he was not even sure he could refuse if she asked him to fuck her.

Ryan loved women - everything about them. Like every man who truly loved a woman as more than just a toy or a possession, being able to take her to orgasm was a source of awe and great satisfaction. There was definitely a strong, instinctive bond between him and Fran. He had told her things he had never told another person. In return, she had opened and exposed her body in a way she probably had not done before, even to another woman. He was not going to worry about how much was just due to her injury situation. No matter the reason, her degree of trust in him was extraordinary, and he was determined to honor it.

There was one other thing Ryan determined in his mind. If Fran should ever allow Carson to start pleasuring her, he would revert to strictly professional nursing behavior with her.

For right now, Fran needed to come, and it was not just ordinary horniness. From watching her, he had figured out that her frustration over her restricted movement was channeled into sexual energy. She might be a very sexual person in normal life, but in her current state, it was amplified by her 'imprisonment.'

Even though she probably had enough natural lubricant, Ryan applied KY to the dildo before he started to ease it into her. At first penetration, she looked at him and he saw shame. "Fran, there's nothing to be ashamed of. You can't help how you're trussed up, and I think it all goes to sexual energy for you." He saw a look of surprise replace the shame, then a nod. "And this is not a tough chore for me, you know. Making a lovely woman come is one of my favorite things." There was a flash of disbelief in her eyes, but as they stared at each other, she apparently saw truth. A little moisture gathered in her eyes as she closed them and lay back to enjoy the sensations.

In her current state, Fran probably could have come just from vaginal stimulation. Much as he was concerned about intimacy, though, that seemed too sterile and impersonal for Ryan. She had chosen tube tops as her upper wear, which made a lot of sense with the challenge of getting a normal blouse or sweater on and off. He pushed the top up above her breasts and began caressing one breast while he took the other nipple in his mouth. There was plenty of evidence of the sensitivity of her nipples, and she reacted as he had hoped. He held the dildo steady and let her push against it, taking it in at her own speed.

For his part, Ryan was painfully hard. He did not try to disguise his arousal from Fran, but she had made no mention of it. As she became more and more excited, he needed to distract himself to keep from soiling his shorts. To occupy his mind as he sucked and stroked, he pondered why he found her so sexy. She was not particularly curvaceous and had no truly eye-popping features. After some thought, he decided it was her own attitude toward her body that added a lot to her sexuality. She was not young, yet it was evident she had treasured her body since her youth. There was excellent muscle tone and only enough padding to look definitely female. In her own mind, she was sexy, and that is the image others saw.

Ryan's musings had lasted several minutes, and all the while he had increased the speed and force of the thrusts on the dildo. He was moving it in and out with such force that she could not hold still against it. Reluctantly leaving her nipple, he put the thumb of his other hand on her clit and started rubbing vigorously. After a few more minutes of that stimulation, she was writhing, sweating, moaning, and gasping, but she still had not come.

When he had started on her, Fran had seemed so primed he expected a short ride. Now, unaccountably, she was having trouble getting over. An extra boost of some sort was needed. "Fran, Honey, just think how much Carson would love to be right where I am." That brought a quiver and a long moan from her, so he went on.

"Just think how long he has fantasized about just seeing your lovely tits and your sweet pussy. Have you fantasized about that, too? Can you imagine how hard he would get if you let him lift that top the way I did. If you kicked back the sheet to show him your pussy, do you think he would come in his pants?"

"Do you think his mouth would feel the same as mine on your nipple? I'll bet when he touched your pussy his hands would be shaking, he would be so overwhelmed. He must have jerked off hundreds of nights thinking about doing that. If he was touching and squeezing your pussy lips, do you think he would be tempted to run his finger back to your asshole? If he did, could you stand it when he teased around the rim? Could you keep from coming if he worked his finger in and started...

His teasing words were cut off by a scream as she disintegrated into massive spasms, literally bouncing off the bed as she convulsed. She may have had trouble getting there, but when she did, it was incredibly intense. On and on she writhed, her contractions so strong he worried briefly that she might hurt her healing bones from the muscle tension.

All the while she was coming, he kept stroking with the dildo, sometimes barely able to keep it in her and retain his hold on it. It was useless to try and keep his thumb on her clit, but it did not seem to dampen her throes. She had screamed when it started, and moaned and whimpered throughout, but she did not say any words.

When at last she was completely still and her breathing was no longer a pant, she opened her eyes and looked at him. "You were trying to make a point, weren't you?"

"Just exploring a theory," he teased.

She snorted, then said "So, your theory has been validated. But... but... shit, Ryan, I'm scared!"

"Of what? Of Carson?"

"I don't really know," she complained. "I guess I'm afraid to admit that what I scorned all these year might be exciting. No, not just exciting. More like satisfying."

"So, you're able to accept a man touching you?"

"Not just a man. You," she insisted.

"And Carson?"

"Dammit! You don't let up, do you? Are you that determined to turn one lezzie? Will that get you some kind of macho award, or something?"

"No, Fran. I'm determined to make sure a friend honestly explores a chance at long-term happiness. My reward would be to see you find it."

"God, Ryan, I'm sorry! You didn't deserve that nasty remark. I appreciate what you're trying to do. Really, I do."

"So," he ventured a dangerous question, "are you ready for him to wipe your ass?"

She let out a long groan, but surprised him with her answer. "How... how would we make it happen?" He broke into a broad grin, and could not restrain himself from giving her a big kiss.

Monday, Lindsey went to her own house after school, to her mother's astonishment. She did her homework in her room and joined her parents for supper. The little tape deck in her pocket recorded more general moaning about her new friends, about her not being home much, about everything that had always been wrong.

For her part, Lindsey tried to be newsy, telling her parents about things she was doing at school. She asked them about their work, and about various relatives or acquaintances. After trying very hard, she was able to elicit some neutral comments, but nothing close to positive about her.

Somehow, the fact that she was recording for others to hear made all the whining and the negatives bearable. She even found herself doing a little baiting. The thought that someone else would actually know what was happening boosted her morale a lot.

The hardest thing, even though she was now recording the proof, was their interaction with her brother. He got positive feedback on several occasions, and almost no criticism. She had thought she was used to it, but knowing it was being preserved on tape somehow made it sting more.

Lindsey did not leave the house Monday. The rest of the week, she went to the Ferguson's right after school, practiced until she went home for dinner, and spent the evening studying.

Behind the scenes, Jenny and Amy had taken a real interest in Lindsey, and made a deal with Hoss Blackledge, owner of the Emporium. If he would banish liquor from the concert area for the early set one Friday night, Amy would join Sonja, and also sing a couple of solo numbers. Lindsey would do a duet with Sonja, a trio with Sonja and Amy, and a solo, if they thought she could handle it. Hoss could institute a cover charge, but everyone who came to hear Lindsey would get a free pass. He could only use word of mouth to let people know Amy would appear.

Amy's appearance at the Emporium was no small donation, as her performance fees had reached star level. Jenny still felt she owed Hoss for her first chance, though, so she was supportive of the idea. The date was set for the third Friday in the future, giving Lindsey plenty of practice time.