Leather And Lace Part 10

'This guy's elevator doesn't stop on all floors, h.e.l.l I'm not even sure it gets out of the bas.e.m.e.nt.' She thought as she high-tailed it back to Harold. "Follow them." She instructed her husband. "I'm not sure if he's crazy or just possessive, but I'm worried." Gwen filled Harold in on what Parker told her.

Bam...bam...bam.

"What the heck is that?" Kris groaned at being disturbed. She woke up just after sunrise and was quietly admiring her lover's face in peaceful slumber when the racket started.

"What's what?" Raven stretched and rolled over, kissing the now trapped young woman.

Bam...bam...bam.

"That." Kris looked towards the suite's living room, deciding that's where the noise was coming from.

"d.a.m.n. I'm supposed to meet John and Sharon for breakfast." Raven jumped up and threw her s.h.i.+rt over her head. "Just a minute." She yelled before the noise could start again. She hopped on one foot, struggling into her boxers, as she headed towards the door. "What's with all the rack...et?" She flung open the door expecting to see John standing there and was actually quite surprised when she found Parker, Gwen and some man standing there instead.

Parker barreled past her into the room. Gwen followed him, slowly edging around the imposing woman, even though she was wearing purple silk boxers with little Dalmatians on them. The unknown man walked in and stuck his hand out. "Hi, I'm Harold, Gwen's husband. Nice shorts." He grinned.

She recovered her composure and shook the man's offered hand. "Thanks." She returned the grin even though she wasn't happy with the situation.

"Where's my..." Parker started and suddenly stopped as the object of his search entered the room.

"What is going on here?" Kris stood just inside the room in front of the doorway leading to the bedroom with her hands on her hips; clad only in the s.h.i.+rt she had borrowed the night before. She moved slowly to stand beside Raven. "What are all of you doing here?" She knew now that the cat was out of the bag. No way to avoid it now, even if she was still a little reluctant, she was not about to be the cause of anymore of Raven's insecurities.

Harold stayed quite; he was going to let Gwen explain. Gwen clamped her jaw shut; she was going to let Parker explain. Realization suddenly dawned on Parker as he stared at the vacated doorway at the now visible bed. A bed that was entirely too crumpled and mussed up to have just been used for sleeping. "You pervert!" He jerked his head around to look in disgust at the two women standing close. "I should have known you were a d.y.k.e and kept you away from Kristen." He walked toward them and Raven put her body in front of her lover's.

"Parker, stop it." Kris maneuvered out from behind Raven to stand beside her. She placed Raven's arm across her shoulder and wrapped her arms around the older woman's waist. "I love her and she loves me. And that's not going to change." She felt a rea.s.suring squeeze from the arm holding her. "I'm sorry, Parker, but I don't love you, I never did and you don't know what the word love means. You just love the idea of having someone under your thumb. Someone to order around."

"I'll tell your parents that you gave yourself to this queer." He looked like he had swallowed something offensive. "That the two of you...rolled around in bed together." He threatened, with a smug expression on his face, sure that a threat of her mother's disapproval would make her crawl back. "You know what that will do to your mother." He coaxed.

Kris was usually a basically non-violent person, wanted to deck this worthless piece of s.h.i.+t and wipe the self-satisfied look off his face. "Oh, Parker, rolling around wasn't what we were doing last night. I'd try to explain it to you, but I doubt you would understand the first thing about making love and believe me, Parker, we both gave and gave and gave and still begged for more. Make sure they know that."

Raven was so surprised by Kris' 'stick that in your pipe and smoke it' att.i.tude, she almost missed Parker raising his arm to strike the young woman. "Don't even think about it." She caught his wrist in the iron grip of her left hand and held on. "If you ever," she curled the fingers from her right hand around his throat and lifted until his toes were barely touching the floor. "Ever, try to touch her again, I'll rip your spine out through your throat and beat you to death with it." She shook him like a rag doll. "Do we understand each other?"

Parker squeaked out a yes, which was all he could manage with his air supply being cut off. He had never been so frightened of anything or anyone in his life as he was of this incredibly strong and very scary and extremely angry woman. He stopped being concerned about his dignity, which was a good thing considering he had wet his pants when she had grabbed him and looked at him like he was the lowest species on the food chain. He was concerned, however, with getting away with his life, so he was d.a.m.n sure going to agree to any and every thing she wanted.

"Good, now get out of here." She dropped him like a sack of potatoes and used his coat to wipe away any trace of him that might be soiling her hands.

He stood just long enough to make sure his legs would hold him before bolting for the door and safety.

Raven turned to Kris. "You okay, Sagira?" She asked as she wrapped long arms around the young woman and held her tightly. She felt Kris nod her head and heard the deep sigh that escaped her mouth. Raven placed her fingers under Kris' chin and tilted her head up. "Has he hit you before?"

She saw the storm clouds gathering in blue eyes and answered quickly. "No. That's why I just stood there. It caught me by surprise." She laid her head down on Raven's chest. "Thanks for coming to my rescue again, Taz."

They both were reminded that they still had company by the chuckling and slightly higher pitched giggling coming from the couch. "Sorry." Two voices said in unison after receiving a dauntingly raised eyebrow from the Captain.

"It...this doesn't bother you?" Kris asked.

"It probably would have a few years ago, but no, not now." Harold answered.

"What happened to change your mind?" Raven questioned.

"My brother introduced me to his boyfriend and I had to either change my bias opinion or lose my bother. It wasn't much of a choice, I love my brother very much." A sheepish grin spread across his boyish face as he explained.

"What about you, Gwen? I was scared of losing your friends.h.i.+p if you found out." Kris held tightly to Raven, still fearing the answer.

"Kris, my college roommate was gay, a lot of our friends are gay and I volunteer at the Aids Clinic at the hospital. So, no, it doesn't bother me. Besides, it shouldn't matter to a true friend." She winked at her longtime friend before looking at the Captain. "You are still scary." She paused and pointed a finger at the menacing figure. "But what you did to that imbecile was priceless."

"Yes?"

"It's me." The low gravelly voice said. He paused waiting until the kid and woman got into the car that was parked beside the pay phone he was using. "I think I've finally got what you'll consider good news."

"I don't pay you to think." Informed the voice on the other end of the phone. "What do you have?"

"The Amba.s.sador's daughter stayed the night at the hotel with Captain Chandler." He opened his notebook, flipping through several pages.

"Go on." The voice eagerly encouraged.

"Early this morning, the girl's boyfriend headed up to the Captain's room like a man on a mission. He was up there about 15 or 20 minutes, no more, before he came charging back down and through the lobby like the hounds of h.e.l.l were nipping at his a.s.s." The voice laughed at the memory. "He looked both terrified and infuriated at the same time."

There were several moments of silence on the other end of the phone. "Yes, interesting." The drumming of fingers against what sounded like a wooden surface. "Keep up the surveillance and keep me informed. And it better not be another five days before I hear from you. I want a phone call at least every other day, so I'll know you're doing your job."

"What about my...money." He started to ask when he heard the click and a dial tone greeted his ear. "d.a.m.n sorry son of a b.i.t.c.h." He slammed the receiver back onto the hook.

Going down in the elevator, Parker had taken his coat off and folded it across his arm. He held it in front of him in order to hide the dark stain that spread across his crotch and down his pants leg. He hurried through the lobby and out the front door, trying to avoid running into his old friend. She had humiliated him yet again but he saw no reason to announce that fact. And now that he had escaped with his life and was safely on his way home, he was already trying to devise a plan of revenge. He was also trying to decide what, if anything, to tell the Whitfield's about their daughter's whereabouts, wondering if it might work to his advantage.

Sharon and John made their appearance after all the excitement had died down and joined Raven, Kris and Gwen in a leisurely breakfast ordered from room service, Harold had to leave for work. Sharon made Gwen repeat the story twice. "I always miss all the fun." She complained good-naturedly and received a raised eyebrow from Raven.

John had been hard pressed during breakfast, to keep the grin off his face after seeing Kris' attire, or lack of it. Only twin glares from his Captain and his fiancee had kept him silent. And the occasional kick to his s.h.i.+n from Sharon when she had seen the gleam of mischievousness in his eyes.

"I don't even know this guy and I dislike him. Honey, I don't know how you put up with him for so long." Sharon said to Kris as she frowned and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Describe his face again." Sharon requested of Gwen.

"Well." Gwen started, then stopped. Turning to Kris she asked. "How did you describe Raven the other day at the house?"

Kris looked confused. "Oh." She started laughing. "Tall, dark and dangerous." She supplied.

John lost it. He had just taken a large gulp of orange juice and ended up spraying it over the table before he could swallow any of it. Raven gave him one of her most intimidating stares, but it had no effect on the howling man considering her face was also generously covered with the juice.

Raven took the napkin from Kris' shaking hand. The young woman was trying hard not to laugh out loud, but her body was vibrating from the effort. "Oh, shut up, all of you." She tried to look annoyed but a grin made its way across her face. "Yuck, this stuff is sticky after it dries." She announced as she wiped her face.

"Give me that." Kris s.n.a.t.c.hed the napkin and dunked it in her water gla.s.s before proceeding to clean her partner's face. "Hold still, Taz." More chuckling and giggling.

"John, if any, and I mean any of this gets back to headquarters." She leaned over the table and poked him in the chest with her finger. "I'll tell'em you've been hit in the head once too often and to put you on a desk job."

"Okay...Deadly." He jumped up and hid behind Sharon and Gwen.

"I give up." Which solicited more laughter from the group. Raven groaned and slid down in her chair. "My reputation is irrevocably in shambles." She glared at Kris who was slowly sliding out of her chair and onto the floor in her continued effort not to laugh.

A short time later, Raven and Kris declined an invitation for a day of sightseeing with the engaged couple and Gwen also left, stating a meeting at the clinic.

"Well...I guess I have no more excuses not to go and face the music." Kris absently twirled a piece of parsley between her thumb and forefinger.

"We," Raven interjected, "will go face your parents." She intertwined her fingers with Kris' unoccupied ones.

A deep sigh. "There's no telling what Parker has told them." She stopped playing with the greenery that had adorned her stack of pancakes. "And you certainly aren't one of mother's favorite people to begin with. Although I think maybe father might have at least a reluctant respect for you now."

"Come on, my dear, I need a real shower after my unexpected one earlier." She pulled the young woman to her feet by their joined hands. "They might surprise you, ya know? Your parents, I mean."

Kris looked at her like she had lost her mind. "Yeah, right. I might develop a total lack of interest in food too. But I kinda doubt it." They walked through the bedroom and into the bathroom hand-in-hand.

"We'll go to the back-up plan then." Raven said when she stopped laughing. She explained after starting the water for her shower. "I'll just walk in, wrap my arms around your mother." She demonstrated on her partner. "And say 'Hi, mom, I'm so happy to be the newest member of the family. I know we'll get along just peachy, don't you?' She'll faint and you won't have to worry about it. We'll be packed and gone before she comes to." She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

Kris stood in Raven's arms with her mouth hanging open and an unreadable expression on her face. She opened and closed her mouth a few times but no sound emerged.

"What?" Raven wondered if she had taken her joke a little too far.

"I, uh...was just trying to picture my 'proper and ladylike' mother, down for the count, spread eagle on the floor. Makes for an amusing and really peculiar picture." She shook her head and looked up. "Would you really do that for me?"

"Oh yeah." Relieved that Kris could laugh at the tense situation. "Just let her start mouthing off and saying bad things about you and I'll change into 'Ms Warm and Fuzzy' so fast her head will spin."

"Ms Warm and Fuzzy, huh?" She kissed the skin that was exposed by the v-neck of the s.h.i.+rt Raven wore. "I'll buy warm, but there's not a fuzzy place on you, Taz."

Raven felt the fire coursing through her body when the lips connected with her skin. "I...ah...what did you say?" She lost the thread of the conversation when Kris' hands migrated underneath her s.h.i.+rt and moved over her skin and a trail of molten lava was left behind.

"I said that you weren't fuzzy." She answered as she cupped two b.r.e.a.s.t.s in her hands. "Although." Kris was starting to breathe heavily, also. "Your mind seems to be a little out of focus at this particular moment."

Raven couldn't take it anymore. She wrapped her arms around Kris' waist, picked her up and carried her into the shower, clothes and all. It wasn't that her mind was out of focus, it's just that it was only focused on one specific little blonde that had stolen her heart and who was proceeding to drive her to distraction.

Continued in Part 4.

The Athenaeum's Scroll Archive.

* Leather and Lace *

by Greek Warrior.

Disclaimer #1: This is an Uber story and the characters that appear in this story may seem familiar but aren't the same as the ones we all know and love. All the characters that appear here are made up from my deranged little mind. They're fict.i.tious and aren't meant to resemble anyone. This is all done in fun and yes I know I need to get a life.

Disclaimer #2: Taz belongs to the folks at Warner Brothers Studios. s...o...b.. Doo belongs to Hanna-Barberra. The X-Files belongs to somebody other than me, anything you recognize isn't mine folks, I got tired of looking this stuff up.

Warning: This story contains explicit consensual s.e.x between adult women. If you're under legal age in your neck of the woods, go away. If you live in a place that frowns upon that sort of behavior, tell'em to kiss your derrire then talk to your Congressman, or move, or both.

Warning: This story contains violence. We are talking about a certain warrior's descendant, you know.

Note: The quote at the end of chapter one is from Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'.

Feedback is most welcome as long as it's constructive. Remember, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, although I've always wondered why anyone would want a bunch of flies! I can be contacted at Thanks for reading.

Note: Astolpho's at the Marcello Hotel is a completely fict.i.tious restaurant and hotel.

Part 4.

Chapter Twelve:.

The drive to the house, Kris didn't think of it as home anymore, was taking less time than she would have liked. She sat lost in thought and staring out of the pa.s.senger window oblivious to the pa.s.sing scenery. Without her knowledge an occasional sigh escaped past her frowning lips.

"You doing alright?" Raven had glanced at her pa.s.senger each time the almost inaudible groan had left the young woman's mouth.

Kris managed a smile as the deep voice of her companion rumbled through her. "Yeah. I just wish I knew what to expect, you know?" She reached across the s.p.a.ce between the bucket seats and circled her fingers around Raven's.

"Yeah, I do." She squeezed the smaller hand entwined with hers. "I'm sorry Parker found out about us." Raven rubbed her thumb up and down Kris'. "Hopefully I scared him enough to make him think twice about causing trouble." She was trying to be optimistic and relieve some of the tension radiating through her lover. She turned the blinker on and made a right turn.

Kris chuckled. "Don't hold your breath. He'll have had time to think about his humiliation and his damaged ego."

They drove on in silence until Raven pulled the car over to the curb a few houses away from their destination. "You ready?" She asked, pulling the smaller hand that she still held up to brush her lips across the knuckles.

"No." Kris answered honestly. "But I need to get this over with." She took a deep breath. "You know, there's really no reason you have to go in there and subject yourself to the rude and insulting remarks mother and father will probably throw my way." Kris had been arguing with herself during the drive. The part of her that felt safe and protected in Raven's arms wanted her lover by her side, knowing it would be easier to face her parents with her security blanket wrapped around her, so-to-speak. But the adult part, an annoying little voice, was telling her to stand on her own two feet and take care of her own problems.

"There is a very good reason." Raven placed her fingers under Kris' chin and lifted until their eyes met. "I love you and I won't let you go through this alone." As the silence grew, Raven became a little insecure. "I mean if you want me to...go with you, I mean. Unless you think it'll make it harder on you...with me there." She forced herself to not look away.

"I do." Kris saw the shattered expression on Raven's face and hurried to clarify. "Want you with me, that is." The transformation was amazing; Raven went from devastated to elated in the blink of an eye. Kris couldn't help but grin at the joy radiating from her friend.

They snuck around the side of the house and headed for the kitchen, deciding a little reconnaissance was more prudent than an all out frontal a.s.sault. Kris opened the back door just enough to stick her head in and look around. "Psst...Issy."

Issy jumped. "Good lord, child, you tryin to give ol' Issy a heart attack?" The cook leaned against the sink with her hand covering her chest like she was checking to make sure her heart was still beating.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Kris tiptoed into the kitchen with Raven right behind her.

"Where've you been? I just sent Miss Vivian to wake you up." She eyed the pair wondering what was going on as Kris turned a colorful shade of red and Raven looked down at her shoes instead of meeting the cook's eyes.

"She's not...in her room." Viv smirked and finished her sentence even though it was obvious where her sister was. "I take it the two of you...made up?" Kris' face darkened by several shades. "Nice color." Viv couldn't pa.s.s up an opportunity to tease her sister.