Chapter 42

The stuffed polar bear completely filled one corner of the living room, the largest room in the house. Eddie couldn't have fit it into any of the bedrooms, even the master bedroom, without having it eat so much of the floor space as to make the room unusable.

But in the living room, he figured the kids could use it as a television chair ... the legs and arms were arranged for children to snuggle into, sturdy enough to support them for long periods of time. Rachel had chosen a perfect gift for Kimmy and Timmy ... provided there was a barn-sized room available. Eddie smiled to himself, happy that such was the case.

Kim came in as he finished filling out the glittered and brightly colored card. It had a hole already punched in it so he could attach it to the bright blue ribbon hanging down from the huge mylar balloon that accompanied the stuffed animal.

After taking in the enormous bear, the card and the balloon, Kim said, "Master, you did not have to do this! You have already been more than kind to my children and me. This is too much!"

He turned and took in the sight of this new addition to his household as she stood there, embarrassed and worried. "Kim, number one, don't call me 'Master'. Number two, yes I did have to do it, but not for me, not for you, not for the kids." He sighed, "My sister is alright with ... well, you might call it 'imposin' on Tamara and me. I'm her brother, she feels it's okay to come into my space, and the space of my fiancé, as a guest. She knows us and we've done everythin' we possibly can to make her feel welcome.

"But you and the kids ... she's coming into your space as well and while she figures that with a lot of apologies to you for the imposition, and I do mean a lot of apologies, everything will be okay ... she expects that kind of reasonableness from adults. With the kids ... well, she needed to make it right, to find the perfect gift to smooth the way with them."

"There is no need, the children realize that-"

"Kim, they do. I'm sure they're fine with her visit. God knows you've told me they are often enough. This is to make it right for her and my sister has her own very strict set of rules for herself. If Hector or Janelle hadn't located this on the internet, I have no doubt with her hoverin' over their shoulders and pesterin' 'em the entire time, if I hadn't been able to pick it up and get it here today ... she wouldn't have come. Even if we somehow convinced her to come, it would've been a really lousy beginning to a really lousy visit. So, much as I like you and your kids, I ain't doin' this for y'all. I'm doin' it for her."

"Does your sister know how much you love her?" Kim asked, smiling in acceptance.

Whereas before the last several weeks the question might have brought Eddie distress, now he was able to smile and honestly reply, "Yeah ... yeah, I think she does."

"Mornin' sleepy-head," Harry murmured as Karen stirred beneath the covers.

"Harry ... you're been ... you've been awake ... for awhile."
"How can you tell?"
"The absence of a hard-on in my ass-crack."

"Good indicator, as indicators go ... yeah, been up awhile. Went and pottied ... came back and cuddled."

"This feels really good, but lemme up ... gotta go facilitate."

Harry watched his long-time friend and partner stagger to the bathroom, bumping into the door facing, and then the door.

"Harry," came a whisper from outside the bedroom door, "tell my darling that I'm on my way to start the coffee."

Harry got up and padded to the door. Opening it he said, "Patricia, how long have you been out there?"

"Oh about a half hour ... just reading and waiting for signs of life ... I recognized Liz's thumping and thudding. So, how'd it go?"

"Not at all like you planned, but very well ... very well indeed. I'll let Sappho tell you all about it. I need to get dressed and get home."

"Sure you won't stay for breakfast?" Karen asked as she came out of the bathroom.

"No, you and your love have things to discuss and I need to get back. It's going to be a busy, busy day."

He turned and hugged Karen, holding on to her tightly, letting his love for his longtime friend flow through him. "Thank you for a wonderful night and if you ever feel the need to do it again, you know where to find me."

"You too," she said, her breath warming his neck. "If not sooner, and I suspect it will be sooner rather than waiting that long, I've got another birthday coming up in a year."

"Thank you ... thank you more than I can say," Andrea whispered, hoping not to wake Galena but unable to keep silent any longer. She lightly caressed her bedmate and was only slightly startled to hear Galena's murmured "You're welcome" as she did so.

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

"Need to get up anyway," Galena grumbled. "You may be a lady of luxury who doesn't have to be at her business till later but high school and the morning bell from hell waits for no woman."

Lisa and Jackie were having breakfast when Harry came shambling in.

"I smell coffee ... I know I do ... please tell me there's some left?" he said, giving each of them a hug and a kiss.

"Of course there is, silly man," Lisa replied. "It's passable, not really close to your standard, but drinkable. Although I'd like to make a suggestion if I might ... why don't you go crawl into bed with the lovelies? It's y'all's day off and I'm not aware of any reason whatsoever for you to be up quite this early."

"Well," Harry said, eyeing the coffee pot with desire, "we do have errands we need to run and we have to have plenty of time to get ready for Dominique's tonight ... still ... to hell with it. That's a remarkably good idea. I'm going to go to bed with my spouses."

"Good man," Lisa said as she and her friend hugged their Master and sent him off to bed.

The two lovers sat the kitchen table, looking at each other over mugs of coffee.

"So you and Harry didn't do anything?" Patricia asked in a voice that was deceptively calm to anyone who didn't know her well. Karen knew the owner of that voice was mere seconds away from sobbing tears.

"No Trish, we didn't. And it was a wonderful, glorious night and I can't thank you and the other women enough for it."

Patricia looked at her partner with stunned incomprehension. "I'm very confused, Liz."

Karen patted her lover, no longer near tears, on the hand and explained to her that not all acts of making love involved sex or gender preferences.

It was almost noon when Harry's wives convened a council over his crotch.

"He doesn't smell like sex," Kelly whispered, sniffing around Harry's cock. "Doesn't smell like anything but normal sweaty husband."

"You think they did it, maybe he cleaned up afterwards?" Carol asked softly.

"Might've," Margo answered in a murmur, "but no matter what," she smiled down at his waxed crotch, "doesn't it look pretty that way? All that hair gone?"

"I don't mind hair," Kelly said, pulling her head back.

"Well neither do I," Carol whispered, "and neither does Margo, but it is awfully cute that way. Think he'll keep it waxed?"

"Not a snowball's chance in hell," growled their husband, opening his eyes to glare at them.

"Eddie," the blonde angel said as the truck rolled through the countryside, "it bootiful." Her eyes were wide and filled with light as she looked out at hillsides and pastures, fields and creeks she hadn't seen since her transfer to Rays of Sunshine many years earlier.

"Not nearly as beautiful as you, Schnicklefritz," Eddie chuckled as they rolled along. "How you doin' over there, you okay?"

"Not 'Schnik'fitz', 'ache' ... I mo'e than okay, I's goin' somewhe'!" Her excitement was plain to see and wonderful to behold.

"So Eddie, you got bea'?"

"Yes, Ratbottom, for the eighth time, I got the bear. He's sitting in the living room at the house and I think we're going to have problems prying Kimmy and Timmy away from him. They watched morning cartoons sitting in his arms this morning."

"Not 'atbottom, I'm 'ache' an' you don' count good, only been seven times. Has he to'd them his name yet?"

"Eight cause I bet you forgot asking me while you were going to the bathroom before we left. They said his name is Wei Shi Li."

"Is seven cause you jus' count wrong. What kinda name that?"

"It's seven because you're my angel of a sister. It's Chinese, the language their mother grew up speaking and taught to them when they were very young."

"Chinese? They don' speak like us?"

"Oh, they speak English, better than I do most of the time. They just speak Chinese as well."

"Then what name mean? What Way She Lee mean?"

"Means "beautiful protector"."

"Bootiful p'tecto' ... thas good bea' name."

"I think so too, Rachel, I think so too."

As Eddie pushed her chair up the sidewalk to the ramp leading to the porch and the front door beyond, Rachel frantically motioned for him stop. Eddie put the brake on and rushed around front, knelt before her and asked, "Sweetie, what's wrong, you okay?"

The fear in her eyes was unmistakable. "Eddie ... is it gonna be al'ight?"

"What, what gonna be alright?"

"This ... my visit ... Kim an' he' kids ... Tama'a ... is me vistin' gonna be al'ight?"

He took her face in his hands, fighting back the tears behind his eyes. "Rachel, it's going to be better than alright ... you have my promise. Now relax ... calm down ... Tamara and Kim and the kids had to have heard the truck, they're probably wondering where we are."

"Can we ... would you ... push me a'ound bit mo'e ... I still ne'vous."

"Okay, let me dart in and tell them what's happening, I'll be right back."

A minute or two later Eddie was back beside her. "Can Tamara come walking with us?"

"Yeah ... I know Tama'a."

After a moment more, the three of them were strolling down the sidewalk, Eddie pushing his sister's chair with Tamara walking beside her.

They made a circuit of the block, enjoying the sun as it shone through the shade trees that lined the route, Tamara holding Rachel's hand.

As they neared the house again, Eddie said, "So, are you ready to go in yet, Bartlesby?"

"Not Ba'tesby, 'ache' ... could ... could we go around b'ock again?"

"Sure angel ... would it be okay if one, just one, of the kids came and walked with us?" Tamara asked.

"Uh ... I s'pose."

"Alright, be right back."

A few moments later Tamara walked out with Timmy. "Timmy, this is Eddie's sister, Rachel. Rachel, this is Timmy."

The two of them looked at each other shyly, then Timmy held out his hand, smiling encouragingly at the woman who was so much older than him physically, yet roughly the same age mentally. She took it and together the four of them walked around the block again, smiling and silent, till they reached the front of the house.

Rachel dropped Tamara's hand and motioned Eddie down to her. "Cou'd you jus b'ing out Kimmy?"

Resigning himself to at least two more trips around the block, Eddie went inside to bring out the little girl. In silence they walked around the block again, Kimmy and Timmy both holding on to one of Rachel's hands as Tamara walked beside Eddie, proud of her sister-in-law-to-be, proud of their roommates and most of all, proud of her lover.

After collecting Kim, the six of them made the circle again, each bump and uneven sidewalk section familiar to Eddie as he smoothed his sister's way as much as possible. A neighborhood dog, perhaps awakened from its nap, thought about barking at them as they passed his yard. A short but authoritative yip was heard from behind the fence, but no one seemed to mind and no more was heard from the dog.

"This was a very beautiful idea you had, Miss Rachel," Kim commented as they neared the house again. "If you decide you wish to take a walk again tomorrow, might I be allowed to help you by pushing the chair?"

Rachel's twinkling eyes and shy "Yes ... thank 'ou" brought a kiss on the cheek from Tamara.

"Rachel, is it okay if we go in now?" she asked softly, her mouth close to Rachel's ear.

"It okay, we go in now," Rachel replied somewhat imperiously. "It a 'itt'e hot out he'e."

An afternoon of errands left the four spouses more than ready for cocktails in the living room as they began preparations to go to Dominique's that evening.

Lisa and Jackie arrived home on the same bus. When they walked in the door, they were greeted by the sight of Harry, Margo and Kelly, wrapped in towels, reclining on floor cushions while Carol delivered drinks and Billy painted the ladies' toenails.

"Madam, if you will give us a brief time to get undressed, we will be down to help Carol serve," Lisa said, dropping to her knees.

"Nonsense," Margo replied. "You just got home from a hard day at work. Go catch showers then feel free to join us for drinks. Billy can do your nails, if you so desire."

"Yes," Carol added, "and if you'll let me know what you want to drink, I'll have it ready. You've been at work all day. We slept in till around noon."

Lisa Tischler and Jackie Wagner left their drink requests and went upstairs to shower, their heads shaking as they pondered the difference in attitudes between where they'd been and where they were.

Minerva Cornelius and her House arrived shortly thereafter. The Grand Dame swept into the living room dressed in a rather plain outfit. In style it was very similar to what she usually wore, but it a rather dull blue while the rest of her House was adorned in new costumes of House Chorale colors.

"Don't worry, Margo," Minerva said, exchanging hugs with her, "I'm not coming this evening. Events during our visit to Chains have necessitated that I spend some time bringing myself under control again and I think it would be best if I did that while dealing with ... her."

Margo had no doubt, given the look on the elderly woman's face that Ophelia was in for a most unpleasant evening. "Minerva, what happened to upset you so?"

"It is quite simple, Margo darling," Madame Cornelius replied. "Laney is not only portraying himself as the guardian of Traditionalist values, but of 'hardcore' values as well. A show he put on at Chains the night before my House and I showed up there was evidently quite spectacular. He was most generous to those in attendance." The woman's voice dropped from her normal rarified tones of complete control to an angry growl, more suited to Li Kuan. "Apparently he dropped over five thousand on rounds for the house and poisoned the well where we are concerned quite completely." Her voice returned to its normal somber and restrained quality. "He's depicting you as complete novices and dilettantes to the traditionalists and as lightweight dabblers to the more hardcore." Her lip curled up into a sneer of disdain that would freeze rabid animals in their tracks. "Unfortunately, by both camps' standards, he's very much correct."

"I'm sorry, Minerva ... perhaps we should have spent time becoming established in the scene before starting this fight," Margo said, taking Minerva's hand in her own.

"Nonsense, let us speak no more about that option," Madame Cornelius proclaimed, "I knew the risk when this began. There is, however, a positive side to this ... several, possibly." She paused and worked back and forth, forcing herself to calm. "He will have given up on such "half-assed, poseur clubhouses like Dominique's" to quote Simon Glaum."

"He would be... ?" Harry asked.

"The oldest and most respected of the serious S&M contingent ... the hardest of the hardcore ... overall a decent man, but it's very hard to change his mind once it's been made up. I've been told that those who deal with me regularly might find that trait quite familiar."

"Oh, you're not that bad, Minerva, we find you very accommodating," Harry said with a grin.

Minerva Cornelius smiled, "So we can operate in any but the most hide-bound and serious circles relatively freely. The other plus is that even with him pandering to those two factions so shamelessly and profligately, there will be those who remember when he had no time nor interest in either, so once we can determine who they are, we have multiple possible courses of action available to us."

"Yes, yes we do," Margo mused. "Sabotage, espionage, agents provocateurs ... this could indeed be most interesting."

"Indeed," Minerva replied, "we shall have to wait and see what develops."

After 'ooh'ing and 'ah'ing over her room, Rachel (and eventually Eddie and Tamara as well) ended up in tears. The three of them sat together and told each other how happy they all were that Rachel was able to visit and that Eddie and Tamara were together and had a place for her to visit until nothing remained but smiles and Rachel's plaintive request "Go swim now?"

Once Tamara and Rachel were in the pool, Eddie kissed them both and said he'd be right back. He walked out the back gate and headed for Harry's.

"So that's the story. I was wondering if Tamara, Rachel, Kim and her kids could stay over here or at your place, Karen, tomorrow night?"

Karen mused, "I think the doors and such are wide enough that we can accommodate Rachel and Tamara, since I'm pretty sure she'll want to keep an eye on your sister. What about y'all, Harry? Can y'all handle Kim and her kids?"

"Shouldn't be a problem but let me double-check. What about it, Mistress of the House?"

Carol grinned, "You just can't stop rubbing that in, can you ... that I'm actually in charge of something, responsible for it. Uh, yeah, as long as they don't mind getting comfy here in the living room, we make up pallets, we've got plenty of blankets and pillows ... they should be just fine."

"So," Harry continued, "you, me, Karen ... who else?"

"I ain't said there was gonna be anyone else," Eddie protested.

"Didn't have to. Matter's not up for discussion. Don't care what you think," Karen growled.

"I'm in," Li Kuan said.

The roomful of people stared at her for a moment, then Eddie laughed. "Of course you are, Li Kuan ... who in their right mind would expect you to miss a chance to kick some ass."

"I have some restrictions," Margo said. "Number one, I'll be there as well, but definitely out of the action ... I'm just thinking you may need a doctor before the night is through ... none of the rest of us though," she added, waving down the protests of Carol and Kelly. "Even staying out of the way, hopefully, puts one too many of us at risk. Harry, well shit, Harry, you better not get hurt. I want every shotgun we can lay our hands on loaded with rock-salt. If Nick's informant is right, these guys aren't going all out and nothing says 'get on outta hyear!' like rock salt. Also it hurts ... a lot. And I'm going to have 911 on speed dial for the moment things are done ... see if we can beat the neighbor's complaints. We'll set up a card table, make it look like we were playing cards or dominoes or something ... at least give the police a reason to believe our bullshit story that we weren't lying in wait for these douchebags."

Harry hugged his wife. "I lurves her, she's smaaaart!"

With the outbreak of laughter, the planning of mayhem drew to a close.

In the limo on the way to Dominique's, everyone sprawled in the back in comfortable costumes in the House colors. The dominants wore long, loose, long-sleeved shirts with billowy sleeves and either kilts or skirts. The submissives wore the same shirts but with thongs ... except for Billy, who wore a Speedo brief so tight he joked 'people can tell my religion'.

Harry and Margo cuddled together and spoke quietly.

"Honey, are you going to be able to 'play me' and let go tonight like Dr. Lowenstein asked?"

"Harry ... I don't know. I'm not sure it's such a good idea, even if I do. I'm not sure I can relax enough to 'be you'. And even if I do manage it, I'd hate to get stupid and do something that would harm any of us or the House's reputation, but I don't want to have one of you watching me every second to make sure I don't. It would ruin your evening and make the whole exercise kind of moot, in my mind."

"Well, you can just say thank you to me right now," Harry replied, beaming. "Figured we might have an issue, called Dommi and got her help. Angela and another employee, a very nice young man called Papa Stripper are going to be escorting you through the evening. They'll keep you away from anyone unsavory or dangerous, make sure you get whatever you want that's available and worth having ... basically, they're going to be completely available to you as well as play ground control for you tonight."

"Ground control?" Margo asked suspiciously.

"Yes dear, I plan on you smoking a lot of dope, under the right stimulation. That should insure that your focus is on pleasure and relaxing, I'm thinking it should work and they'll be there to make sure you're okay."

Margo thought about the effects pot had had upon her libido in the past. "Good plan, my genius husband. I love you. And if someone will pass me the pipe, I can get started on the smoke."

"Done," Harry replied, passing the pipe to her, "and now to get you in the right headspace..."

As Margo took her first hit, Harry slid down between her legs and began gently nuzzling her cunt while Carol, Kelly, Lisa, Jackie and Billy caressed and massaged her, doing their absolute utmost to turn her on with every touch.

Nicki, Sheila, Karen, Patricia and Helen watched, smiling as Margo quickly made the passage from 'worried' to 'aroused', from 'uptight' to 'completely loose'.

"You know, if she's not careful," Karen observed, slipping into an unmistakable true East Texas accent, "that ol' girl's gonna get fucked good afore we even get there."

Hans, Andre, Li Kuan and Puppy were in the Bentley following them wearing their own variations on the theme. Hans and Andre were in matching skin-tight leather pants and rather looser fishnet t-shirts. Li Kuan was in a crimson-and-black leather strap outfit that hid only the bare essentials, showed off most of her scars and piercings and Puppy was naked except for ribbons in the House colors tied to the rings that had been put in every piercing, just for the occasion.

"Is everyone really going to be free to pull any of my ribbons tonight?" Puppy asked Li Kuan as she cuddled next to her.

"Well, anyone allowed near our table, little one," Li Kuan replied. "Any stranger that tries it could lose a limb. I won't stand for that kind of thing."

Pleased by her Mistress' possessiveness, Puppy writhed and wriggled in pleasure.

"However," Li Kuan added sternly, "you are not to come until I give you permission. I don't care who pulls how hard, or who violates you where, you come without my permission and I will make you scream for a very long time."

Puppy hung her head, knowing just how severe that punishment would be and just how far past the limits of her ability to enjoy pain it would go.

Instead of the almost formal march they had performed attending Dominique's the first time, they casually strolled in that evening, allowing themselves to be led to a large bank of tables and seats. Within moments Dommi showed up with Angela and Papa Stripper, a beautiful young man of Caribbean descent.

After a round of hugs, she presented them to Margo and told her to go do whatever her heart desired as the two of them would keep her from getting into any real trouble. With kisses all around, Margo wandered off through the packed club, her two minders in tow.

"Harry, as I understand you're in charge tonight," Dommi said, sitting in his lap and laying his head upon her chest, "I thought you should know. Quite a few minor Houses showed up tonight ... oh, that feels good, you can do that as long as you like ... to make contact with you, and Houses Hurley, Franklin and St. Paul have already called, asking me to reserve them space at your table or near it for the evening. I expect them in sometime in the next hour, half hour." She pulled Harry away from kissing her breast. "Sweetie, do I and my House get something special for acting as your social secretary?" she asked teasingly.

"Name it and it's yours," Harry replied, his face and voice leaving no doubt as to the sincerity of his words. "You are much adored by us and our House and there is little you could ask that we would not readily give."

Dominique was taken aback slightly and there was no disguising it. "Harry, you do this 'being in charge' thing real well ... you sound ... regal."

"Well," he confided, dropping his voice and grinning, "don't let on, but crazy Ms. Kelly has us occasionally acting and speaking like we're characters in some Arthurian drama ... I just fall back on 'playing' Arthur. Seems to work."

"Seems to work indeed, my Lord," Dommi murmured, leaning down and kissing him about the ear. "What I want, at some point this evening, is you and Billy up in my office."

"Didn't you play enough with Billy when he lived here?" Harry asked, amused.

"Oh no, Harry, never with an employee ... Ricky wears a Dominique's outfit more to be invisible here among the crowd than because he works for me ... I keep my House and my business very separate. I haven't availed myself of Billy's talents since before he came to work and live here."

"Fine, we'll be there ... is that all?"

"For now, Harry ... for now."

Margo walked through the club, looking at people — although never staring — and her mind naturally fell back into the way Margo generally looked at the world.

"Angela," she said as they strolled back towards the rear of the club where small bedrooms had been put in, "I don't think I know how not to be me ... I mean ... how not to act like ... or think ... I don't know."

"Madam, your confusion is perfectly normal. It's a hard thing to act against your nature, or your normal way of acting ... so, you're supposed to be Harry this evening, right?

"Yes, a blown-all-out-of-proportion version of Harry ... taking risks and doing stupid things and charming my way through it all ... although how I can fake that last part I've got no idea ... I'm nowhere as good at that sort of thing as he is." Margo frowned, a sigh of exasperation escaping her lips. "I'm not even sure I can manage to be as 'happy-go-lucky' as he really is, much less a, well, super-sized version of him."

"Well, in that I feel we can be of assistance ... we can help you choose ... easy targets. But right now you're thinking too much, not acting on impulse and desire. Come on," she said, taking Margo by one hand, Papa Stripper by the other, we're going out to the parking lot and getting severely lit up."

As they strode back through the club, heading for the entrance, Carol came up. "Can I borrow Angela for just a minute?"

As Carol drug Angela off, Papa Stripper said, "She loves you very much, your little wife."

"Ah, you got the same feeling I did," Margo replied, "that she's giving Angela care and feeding instructions along with threats of dire punishment should something unpleasant happen to me?"

"Was dere ever any doubt," he said, laughing with a deep bass rumble. "She had a look about her dat no one could have missed. As I said, you are very precious to her."

"Yes I am," Margo murmured, resigning herself to waiting a few more moments before moving on towards the front doors.

As they resumed their process through the club, stopping briefly at the bar for shots, Margo couldn't keep her amusement to herself anymore.

"So Angela, did she give you the 'one drink, one water' speech? Threaten you with a slicing courtesy of her razor?"
Angela turned and looked at the woman like she'd just come from outer space and had asked Angela to drive her to KFC.

"Don't you ever, ever let me hear you making light of her concern for you again or I'll forget I'm a happy little sub who'd kill almost anyone to be a part of a family like yours. I'll reach up and hit you so hard you'll become one with the floor, I mean bond with it on a molecular level and forget what fucking century it is," she spat. "Then when you can pick your ass up off the floor, I'll do it again." Angela looked away, embarrassed by her outburst ... but not too embarrassed. "Pardon me, ma'am, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have ... every day people pass through this place either looking for a home or looking for someone to share their home with. We place quite a few, sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't, then we try again. Some of the people here tonight would do anything to have a tenth of the happiness and security your group has found. I ... I imagine it's difficult sometimes, living with a group of people who care about you and stick their noses in where maybe you don't want them. But around here, we live with too much loneliness to listen to you treat what you have so cavalierly." She sighed. "I'll go have Dommi assign you someone else as escort this evening."

Margo grabbed her arm. "You'll do no such thing, young lady. You and I and the pretty man with the exotic accent back there are going to go to the limo and get very stoned ... and if I cry on your shoulder a little it's because you're right."