The big diesel was humming its song as I headed down I85 southwest of Montgomery, Alabama. It had taken 3 days to get this far from Dulles airport outside of Washington. Most times, I enjoyed the scenery as I drove through the states. I had no desire to do so now. All that mattered now was getting to New Orleans.

Mickey had called saying she had arrived safely after a bit of a scare on the plane. Some guy had drunk too much and was making passes at every woman on the plane. The hostess kept trying to get him calmed down, but it took an air marshal that happened to be on the flight to calm him down enough to get the flight to continue.

When the plane landed at Louis Armstrong Airport, she was detained by security long enough to give a statement. Seems she was the youngest (and probably the sexiest) woman on board. In addition, she was traveling alone. This added up to an object for the drunk's advances. After getting most of the facts, the security team asked if she wanted to press charges. She declined to do so since the man was already charged with several other crimes. I told her to give me another call when Kait had given birth.

She called again while I was on the road to let me know that Ashley Ann had arrived ahead of schedule but was healthy and just the greatest thing that ever was. Kaitlyn had a rough labor, but was now resting and very proud. Louis had shown up at the hospital and convinced the staff that he should be allowed in and when Kait gave her grateful consent, stayed right with her through the whole thing. My estimation of that young man, high as it was already, went up a few more notches. Any man, who cares enough to stay for the birth of a child that isn't even his, is worth a lot.

She had also called her parents. The reaction was indifference from her mother and hostility from her father. They did want to talk to Kait but when she got on the phone, her mother started to berate her to give the child up for adoption and come back. Being exhausted, Kait was in no mood for any of their games. She told her parents in terms even they could comprehend. "Ashley and I will get along fine. And there ain't no fuckin' way I would come back to that hellhole. I have people who love me here and that's something you could never give."

Mickey was very proud of her for standing up for herself and her baby and I was in complete agreement. Once she received her degree and passed the bar, she would be a formidable opponent in the courtroom.

Trouble was restless. She was normally content to lie in the sun on the far side of the dash or on our bed while the coach was moving. Ever since we had left D.C. though, she would lay for a bit then get up and wander around, settle for just a bit and start all over again. I glanced down and to my right to see her sitting on the same step where Mickey had spent so many hours, talking and watching the road with me.

I put my right hand down and she hopped down the last step to rub her head against my knuckles. I scooped her up and brought her up to eye level. "I know, Furball. I miss her too." I sat her on my lap where she curled up into a ball of gray and black. "Now, don't get used to that spot. This is only temporary." The only answer from the kitten was her purring that gave a counterpoint to the diesel's rumble.

And I did miss Mickey. Her smile, the silly jokes that she would find on the net and tell me. The way she insisted on taking care of me while I drove, bring me a snack or a drink and trying to help me navigate using the GPS system.

The nights were when I noticed it the most. I would roll over to take her in my arms only to wake up and find empty space. Lisa had been right. She had brought meaning to my life again. I had felt more alive in the past months than I had for a very long time. Yeah, I missed her. More than I could imagine or even admit to myself.

Just outside of New Orleans, I called Carol's cell phone. I asked where Mickey was and she said that she was at their house. Kait was home now and they were up in Kait's room. I told her that I was about 15 minutes out and to put the coffee on.

Mickey must have heard the engine's sound as I downshifted to pull into the drive because the front light came on and she came running out. I barely got the lock off the door before she was pulling the handle. As the engine died out to bring silence to the neighborhood again, she pulled me out of the captain's chair and into her arms. "Oh God, Dave. I can't believe how much I missed you." She said between kisses and a few tears. "If I hadn't of had Kait and Ashley to distract me, I would have went crazy."

I told her that I felt the same way, returning the kisses with abandon. As Mickey was starting to collect herself, Trouble let her presence be known by meowing rather loudly for such a little furball. Mickey picked her up and cuddled her. Trouble then gave her a look that seemed to say, "About time you showed up again." Then jumping down, she went to her food dish demanding a snack. Laughing at her attitude, Mickey opened her a can of food and then took me in to meet her niece.

I walked into Kait's room to find her feeding her daughter. She saw me and got a huge smile on her face. Then she turned red when she realized she was naked from the waist up. She asked if she should cover up, but I assured her that there was no need on my part.

I moved to the bedside and got my first look at Ashley Ann. A tiny babe (at least to me), all pink and with a full head of dark hair. Her tiny mouth was locked around Kait's nipple and her little cheeks were working slowly as she finished off her meal. She pulled away a little bit as a trickle of milk escaped from the corner of her mouth. Kait then picked her up and patted her on the back a few times and a very dainty burp erupted. Then she gave a contented sigh and fell into a deep slumber. Mickey came over and gently carried her to her bassinette. Kait fixed her nightgown then held out her arms to me.

I went over and gave her a hug. "Congratulations, Kait. She is as beautiful as her mother."

"Thanks Dave. She is the prettiest baby that there ever was"

"I'm sure she is. And how is her mother doing?"

"Still pretty tired. This is the first day we have been home. Since she was early, they kept her a couple of days just to be sure nothing was wrong. They said she is very healthy and there seems to be no problems."

"Since I just got in and am in need of a shower, I am going to go and say hi to the rest of the family. You get some sleep and we'll see you in the morning."

"M'Kay." As I turned to leave, she called out quietly, "Dave? Thanks for letting Mickey come as fast as you did. It meant a lot to have my sister with me."

"You're welcome sweety. She needed to be here too." With that, Mickey and I slipped out the door and down to the kitchen.

Henry and Carol were sitting at the small table that was in the kitchen. Carol got up and poured me a cup of coffee. I took a seat at the bench.

"What do you think of your 'niece'?" This was Carol, putting the 'niece' in quotes with her fingers. She knew that Kris and I always wanted children and I had a weak spot for babies and young children.

"I think she is beautiful and Kait is a very lucky girl. The question is what do you think of having an infant in the house now that yours are out on their own?"

Henry answered for her. "You know Carol, Dave. She is as proud of this one as if it was one of her own. She can't wait to parade her up and down the street in the stroller while Kait is in her classes. Since Kami came out as a lesbian, and Joe may never settle down enough to have any children, Carol was afraid that she would never have grandchildren. Kait has been calling her Grandma Carol."

We all chuckled at that remark, but Carol was smiling. She had come to love the girl upstairs as if she was her own daughter. Henry felt the same way but he just didn't let on. Carol had told us that he was as protective of her as he had been of their natural daughter, Kami. On her time off, Kait would often go to the courthouse with 'Yer honor" as she called him and listen in to the cases being tried in his courtroom. Then, they would go and have lunch talking the various aspects of legal procedure.

We talked a bit of how things had been going in our lives since we had seen them a little over seven months ago. It was getting late and Henry had to be in the courthouse at nine in the morning, so Mickey and I headed out to the coach.

I plugged into the outlet on the side of the house for lights and went inside for a quick shower. Mickey was waiting for me on the bed when I came out. She reached over and pulled the towel loose and let it drop to the carpet. She ran her fingers over my abdomen as she picked up the head of my cock between her lips. She ran her tongue over the head, causing a groan to escape my lips. As I got hard, she started to get more into a serious blowjob, bobbing her head in slow rhythm taking me further into her mouth with each stroke. I reached down and stroked her silky hair as she put both hands on my ass and started to take me in as far as she could.

I was really getting into the sensations when she pulled free. Flipping back the covers she hopped in and turned her back to me. Giving me a smoldering look over her shoulder she said, "I want you to fuck me from behind hard. And after you cum, I want you to stay inside. I want to fall asleep with your cock filling me up."

I moved onto the bed behind her as she pulled her legs up and open exposing her very wet pussy. I slid into her with one stroke savoring the liquid velvet of her tunnel along the length of my cock. I adjusted my angle of penetration until the head of my cock was rubbing across her G-spot with every thrust. This sensation caused Mickey to come even closer to her release and she started moaning. I reached over her body and circled her clit with two fingers. That was all it took and she went off like a rocket, her body vibrating with spasms of pleasure.

Between the blowjob and the feel of her tight pussy milking me, I lost it. As she was starting to come down, I started thrusting into her with short fast strokes shooting my seed with each inward thrust. This caused her to have another orgasm, less intense, but still very satisfying.

I remained plugged into her as she asked, and just moved my hand from her tummy to lovingly caress her breasts while I nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear. She was starting to drift off so I reached down and pulled the sheet over us. I squeezed her in one last hug and drifted off into the first restful sleep that I had managed since she had stepped onto the plane.

I awoke the next morning to a knocking on the door of the coach. My cock had slid out of her pussy during the night and had found a resting place in the juncture of her thighs. I disengaged slowly and grabbed my robe and opened the door to find Henry standing there in his suit and tie. He said that Carol was fixing breakfast and we had about 20 minutes before it was ready. I thanked him and returned to the bedroom to find Mickey still sound asleep. I studied her naked form for a few minutes before I woke her up. She sat up and smiled a good morning to me. I gave her a quick kiss and told her that Carol would have breakfast ready soon. She got up and walked quickly to the bathroom to let the remainder of our combined juices from last night come out. She then washed up and slipped on a sundress. We gave Trouble some attention and fresh food and water, and then headed into the house.

We found Kait and Henry already seated as we came in. We took a couple of the remaining chairs, and started in on the waffles that Carol was cooking. Kait looked tired, and responded that after Annie's 2AM feeding she couldn't go right back to sleep, so she had been up until almost 5. Mickey volunteered to keep an eye on her this morning while Kait went back to bed for a couple hours. As soon as breakfast was done, the two sisters went upstairs, Mickey cradling Annie in her arms. Henry finished his coffee and headed out to the courthouse. He was awaiting the jury's decision on a drug related murder case and hoped that they would return with a verdict today.

It was just Carol and I in the kitchen when I asked if she would have time to take me downtown to do a little shopping. I wanted to get something for Annie, and Mickey's birthday was coming up in little over a week. I wanted her opinion on something to get that Mickey would like. She agreed and we were soon on our way.

It had been years since Carol and I had done something together, just the two of us. As teens, we got along better than many of our peers. We had spats every now and then, but I always stood up for her, and she did the same for me... And we always seemed to enjoy each other's company compared to just hanging out at the local hot spots - at least when we were not dating someone. I had actually been the one that took her to the shops and bought her the 'perfect' dress for her prom. It had been my present to her.

This time I was buying some dresses, and other things, for another princess. She was still about 17 years away from prom, but she still needed some nice things to wear in the meantime. With Carol as a guide and consultant, we soon had the back of her minivan filled. We stopped at one of the small outdoor Bistros to have some lunch before I got what I wanted for Mickey.

During lunch, Carol brought up the same thing that I had been thinking. "You and I haven't done something like this since before you and Kris got married. I really missed not having you around to talk to my last year in high school."

"Well I was around, but by then you had so many boyfriends, you had forgot about your brother."

"I didn't forget. Some of those guys were a little bolder after you moved out though. If they tried to push me too hard, all I had to do was remind them how you beat Joey Cummings after he tore my clothes. That made them think about what they were doing."

I joined her in a good laugh about that incident. Joe Cummings was a weasel of a boy that Carol had gone out with more as trying to be friendly than having any real interest. However, he took it as a sign that she wanted more, much more. He tried to kiss her when he brought her home and she refused. He tried to force the issue, and they started to struggle. I was walking home from Kris' house and came upon them just as he ripped her shirt and bra. I normally was not a violent person, but I ended up beating him pretty good. I pretty well knocked him out with the first blow, which happened to coincide with Carol giving him a well-placed kick. When he returned to school that Monday, he had two black eyes and a broken wrist. He swore up and down that Carol had beaten him up. After that, his reputation was shot, and Carol's went up a lot. Common knowledge was that if a guy messed with Carol, he took his chances.

"I wonder if he ever knew the truth?" I asked her.

"I don't think so. But the lesson worked. The next girl that went out with him was treated with kid gloves."

We had a last cup of chicory coffee just basking in the afternoon sun. As we left, Carol headed to a shop for some things she wanted and I finished up what I needed to get. We met back at her vehicle after about an hour. She took one look at my purchases and broke down in laughter.

"You didn't really buy that thing, did you?" She asked through her giggles.

"Every little girl needs a teddy bear."

"But Dave, that thing is huge. She will be able to use it for a bed after she gets out of the crib."

"I know, but I couldn't resist. Besides I got her a soft little rabbit that she can snuggle with too." So what if this pink and white bear was big enough to be buckled into a car seat. I thought it was cute.

Still giggling we left with our bounty and headed home. We went in carrying all the smaller purchases and stopped to put the majority in Kait and Annie's room. We pushed the door open quietly to see Kait sitting up on the bed holding a book on her lap. Her head was bent forward showing she had dozed back off. Mickey was walking back and forth across the room cradling Annie in her arms. The child was asleep but Mickey continued to walk looking down into the infant's face and singing softly to her. She looked up and saw us at the door and motioned us to be quiet. I set the first load down softly and then returned to the van to retrieve the rest of it.

When I brought the bear in, I could see Mickey's eyes dancing with laughter. I set it over by the window, set the rabbit down in Annie's crib, and turned to leave. I was almost to the door when Kait stirred. She saw the bags sitting by the bed and me sneaking out.

"Dave, just where do you think you are going?" she said in a low voice.

"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you."

"You didn't. What is all of this?" She pointed to all the bags.

"Well, I guess I did go a bit overboard. But Carol would say 'this is cute' and somehow it ended up in the pile."

"I really appreciate it, I don't think we will run out of clothes." Mickey walked over and handed me little Annie so she and Kait could look at all the stuff I had brought in.

I took the little bundle in my arms. It had been a very long time since I had held a baby. Probably, it had been Kami when she was about a year old. Annie seemed so tiny snuggled down in my arms breathing gently. I sat gently down in the rocking chair that was across from the bed.

"Hi there, little one. You are sure lucky to have a mommy who loves you and an aunt that feels the same way. When you grow up, we can go and see all the things you will like. Tell you what, when you get big enough, I'll teach you to drive that big ol' bus outside and we will take you on all kinds of trips."

About then, Annie opened her eyes. They were the deepest blue I had ever seen. I continued to talk to her and she would coo back to me. She must have heard and felt the rumble in my chest as I talked and was reacting to it. But part of me wanted to think that she just enjoyed my company. I was touching her hand and she suddenly gripped my finger in her tiny grasp. Such a perfect little girl. I could imagine that Mickey and Kait must have looked like this when they were born. If it was true, she was going to be a heartbreaker when she grew up. Hell, she could melt my heart now.

The flash of a camera suddenly blinded me. I looked up and through the spots I saw Mickey holding a camera. "Got to have a picture of the first time Uncle Dave held her."

I tried to act mad, but I guess my smile gave me away. Annie started to fuss a bit, so I gave her back to Mickey. Before I could head out the door, Kait came over and gave me a hug. "Thanks for all the stuff, Dave. You have done more for me than I can ever thank you for."

"Hey, I just wanted to give her something from Aunt Mickey and Uncle Dave."

"It just isn't the stuff today. It's bringing me here. Helping me pay for college, for being there when I needed someone so desperately. You'll always be my knight in shining armor." By now she was sniffling. I looked down and saw the tears in her eyes. I just held her tighter swaying back and forth. I had heard that a woman would be emotional after giving birth, but this kind of took me by surprise.

She moved back wiping the tears from her cheeks. I bowed at the waist and in a very bad English accent said, "You are welcome, M'Lady. Rescue of damsels, a specialty."

I got a chuckle as she went over to retrieve Annie. Mickey had changed her and now it was feeding time again. "Tell Carol I will be down for dinner tonight." Kait called as Mickey and I went down to see if Carol needed some help.

Dinner was delicious as usual. Annie joined us riding in one of those carrier things you see women carrying around all the time. The phone rang as we were finishing our coffee.

"Kait, it's for you. Sounds like long distance." Henry said as he held the receiver out for her.

"Hello? Oh, hello Mother. I have Annie in my arms right now so I am going to put you on the speaker phone." She pushed the button and then replaced the handset. We could now hear both sides of the conversation.

"Kaitlyn, I called one last time to try and convince you to return to where you belong. We could give the baby to a good Christian family. That is as long as it isn't half black or Mexican."

"No mother, the guy that raped me was white, as if that would make any difference."

"Thank the Lord. At least you didn't tempt one of 'them'."

"I didn't tempt anyone. Why can't you get it through your head that it wasn't my fault?"

"Well, no matter. You must return here. You can't stay there and be around all those heathens in that Godless place."