The next day Wicks came over for breakfast. Afterward Wicks went outside on the deck to admire how much the pool house had come along. Suddenly Jeffrey had joined him.

"Exterior almost done," Jeffrey said.

"Looks good." Replied Wicks.

They hadn't said much to each other today, but Wicks could tell there were no longer any hard feelings. He was still just a little thrown about the whole thing, considering how he had been feeling since last night. After sobering up completely he realized how much he looked at Leese differently now. He didn't really like this different point of view because he thought everything was great the way it was. Sure he cared about her, and once or twice before the date he even admired small things about her physical features, but now he was starting to find her straight up attractive. She had no idea how much he thought about her last night after he drove home. What made it worse was how damned innocent and naïve she was about the situation. How could she not know that he had wanted to kiss her?

Jeffrey looked out at his yard which was a mess, for the pool was in construction too.

"Look, Wicks, I just wanted to apologize to you for being a prick last night."'

Wicks turned around and looked at Greene. He then held out his hand and Greene took it in a hearty shake. "No problem man."

They both let go and went back to looking out at the porch as the noon sun glared on.

"She had a really good time you know," Jeffrey said. "Thank you for being a gentleman."

"No," he said, "I should be thanking her. She was a real lady."



Wicks saw less and less of Leese over the few weeks since their date. Since she was doing fine with her school work and everything she didn't really need him anymore. He had asked her if she still needed him, which he had never done before. He usually just came over. She took this as him not wanting to be there, so she told him, "no, I'm good."

She tried to play it cool, tried to tell herself that it was okay if he wasn't speaking to her the way he used to. Did she really think it was going to last forever? She had a feeling that his date was a sort of "sendoff" to her in a way. It was a silly feeling but she entertained it anyway.

For her, the date was literally all she could think about; it was so wonderful to remember. Everything was perfect, but that kiss—she couldn't forget that kiss. The way it made her feel was something she'd never experienced before. It was like a hundred butterflies fluttered around in her belly, and she became warm all over. When she thought about the kiss every part of her body tingled exactly the same way as when he actually kissed her. She didn't know that something so simple could make her feel so good.

At night she fantasized about the kiss, ashamed of herself for thinking of him in that way. She told herself, it was just the kiss that made her feel so warm inside, that made her tingle between her legs. She tried to imagine other people kissing her, cute actors and celebrities whom she was attracted to. While the feeling that the fantasy gave her was nice, it made her more lustful than anything. She abandoned this feeling to fantasize about Oliver again. That feeling was more than lust. It was special. So special that she didn't even want to touch herself no matter how hard her nipples got or how wet she became thinking about him. She just couldn't do it. It felt wrong somehow.

Even during the day she thought about him, and about more than the kiss. She thought about how nice he looked and how good he smelled that night. And she began thinking about other things, like how nice he was to tutor her or to help her and Jeffrey with the pool house. She thought about wow he always listened to her even when she had nothing to say. He never made her feel bad or treated her like she wasn't good enough to know him. He had a beautiful smile and those dark blue eyes that went on forever.

When she went on tangents like this she tried to stop herself, by muttering under her breath "he's just your friend, don't be gross." She was almost glad that he didn't want to hang out with her. She was afraid that her thoughts and feelings were written all over her face.

She wanted to talk to him, but was afraid to pick up the phone. Her pride would often prevent her from dialing, but one day, she had to.

Her car had needed some things done to it, and it was out of commission. So, she called Wicks up one Sunday night and asked if she could carpool with him to the base. He agreed.

On Monday morning he picked her up. On the ride there, they were quiet in the car. He was a little distant. Leese was beginning to really worry now, but she still played it cool.

That same day she bumped into Perróne in the locker room. "Excuse me." Leese said after their shoulders brushed. Perróne gave her a strange look as she went into the showers. Leese rolled her eyes and went straight for her locker.

Moments later Perróne came out in her towel dripping wet. Leese paid no attention until the girl sat beside her on the bench. She pulled off her towel and was completely naked. She had the darkest brown of skin with reddish undertones that was still moist with water. Leese wondered what was going on, it wasn't like Perróne to get straight up naked right next to her. She usually tried to avoid Leese whenever she could even though their lockers were near each other. Leese ignored her and rifled through her stuff as Perróne rubbed lotion over her body, her wet jet black hair hanging in her face as she bent over to moisturize her legs. It wasn't until Perróne had turned herself sideways with one knee on the bench so that her ass and pussy were spread and facing Leese that she had sensed something very wrong.

Perróne had one leg on the floor and one knee on the wooden bench. She seemed to be looking for something on the floor as she dipped her head and craned her neck in different directions. Leese tried to ignore her but she finally asked, "What are you doing?"

"I dropped my earring." she said in her thick Panamanian accent. "Why? Does it make you uncomfortable?"

Leese frowned watching the girl wriggle her hips subtly, a hint of moistness on her slit.

"Here it is," the mocha brown girl said flipping back over on the bench. She sat up, spreading her thighs and Leese noticed that her pussy wet and open. She was clearly aroused at what she was doing. Her nipples were rock hard as she began to play with them, rolling the darkest brown little hard nubs between her fingers. She began to moan softly. Leese stood up in a hurry, and looked around her, "Are you fucking crazy?"

"What?" said Perróne. "I thought you'd like this."

"Why the fuck would you think that?"

Perróne closed her eyes and spread her thighs wider until her little pink hard wet clit poked out between her thick mocha brown lips. She licked her lips and began to rub and tweak it between her thumb and forefinger.

Leese was stunned and disgusted, but entranced. Perróne was a totally different person now and she couldn't figure out what the hell was going on. The girl began to flick her wet clit with her fingers while simultaneously shoving the fingers of her other hand inside her wet core. She made gushy sounds as her breathing became more pronounced and her moans louder. Her face screwed up tight and her feet raised off of the floor as she gasped, "I'm cumming for you Harmond!"

Her body shook and convulsed as she coasted through her climax. Leese was mortified. She was determined to ignore the girl, heading to where she originally wanted to go: the showers.

Once she got into the shower she tried to erase the image of Perróne from her mind. It didn't exactly disgust her but it definitely freaked her out. She'd been come on to a lot of times by other females when she was in jail and even nearly forced to do sexual things but she always managed to fight her offenders off tooth and nail. She fought back even though had she just acquiesced a couple of times it would've made her life in prison much easier. She could've been a lover to many of the important and powerful alpha females but she didn't want that. She didn't understand the whole girl on girl thing, though she didn't knock it. All she knew as that she'd came into jail with perfectly strong girls who seemed to know themselves and who they were, only to be turned into humiliated sex objects of the alpha-females. Other times they themselves turned into monsters, going after the weaker girls.

Leese ran her hands over her soft caramel colored skin in the shower when someone had bust into her stall. It was Perróne.

"Get out you bi—"

Perróne put her hand over Leese's mouth. Leese could smell the girl's juices all over her fingers. She was nauseous.

"Shhh!" Perróne ordered, "Don't you hear people out there?" She whispered. Leese was mortified. She was grateful that the stalls were large enough where there was an area for dressing right in the outer area of the stall and an area for the actual shower that was completely hidden from view. No one could see that there were two people standing inside of the shower just by looking beneath the stall door. A new class was probably coming in from a drill, she heard a bunch of voices and laughter. She really didn't want to be caught in here with Perróne, it would be a bad scene.

Leese's eyes glittered with rage. She knew that although Perróne had just as much to lose by getting involved in inappropriate conduct that she would call Leese's bluff. She had all the control and she knew Leese was more afraid than she was to get caught. Leese couldn't wait for the girls to leave (or at least retreat to the showers) so that she could make her escape. Meanwhile she had no idea what Perróne's intentions were.

Perróne put a finger over her lips and shushed. "It's not that bad is it?" she whispered, the cacophony of the raucous women in the background drowning out her voice. Leese's chest heaved as she tried to cover up herself. Perróne's eyes traversed over her body as she nodded with approval.

Suddenly the taller girl darted in and grabbed Leese's face, pressing her lips against hers, invading her mouth with her tongue. Leese grunted in protest attempting to push Perróne away without making a lot of noise. Perróne sucked Leese's tongue and wrapped her hands around her body to cup her wet ass. Leese pushed her away and slapped her face, the wet sound resounding in the shower. Perróne just laughed, "You really don't want me to blow your spot up right?"

Leese just stared daggers at the girl, covering her body and backing away until her back touched the wet tiles of the wall. Leese wanted to yell, to make a ruckus, but she was too afraid. She didn't know if getting Perróne in trouble was worth also possibly implicating herself. People would talk and then there'd be gossip. She loved playing the background so much that she couldn't bear being the center of any sort of scandal.

What would Ollie say? Or worse, Greene?

Perróne moved forward and grabbed Leese's arms pulling them upward. Leese then stretched her arms out and pressed each hand against the shower walls flanking the girls, clenching her fingers against the tile until the tips lost color. She was so angry yet so afraid.

"Let's just get this over with." She said to herself.

Perróne proceeded to caress and lick Leese's round firm breasts. She swirled her tongue around the milk chocolate areolas and hard nipples. The more she sucked and licked at her tits the harder the nips got. She groaned and moaned as she tasted Leese, nibbling at her nipples with her teeth. Leese winced at the bite but couldn't help but feel the sickening tingling feeling between her legs. Her breasts were always very sensitive. She watched Perróne as she feasted on her breasts, enjoying herself to no end, licking and sucking on each nipple until she got Leese to moan outwardly.

Leese couldn't help how good it felt. She bit against her lip and tried to control herself but her body was on fire. She kept remembering how Perróne played with herself, wet and open, moaning and groaning.

Perróne licked down her body between her breasts and down to her navel. She stuck her tongue inside the girl's belly button, pressing hard so that the girl felt the intense pressure. It was almost like being tickled from the inside out. Leese scrunched her toes together listening to the noise beyond them. The other women still hadn't left yet. Before she knew it she saw the girl's raven haired head dip below her belly button, and felt her forcefully push apart her thighs. Leese braced herself against the wall as Perróne began to lick her slit.

"Wet huh? I knew you liked me." Perróne spread the cul-de-sac of Leese's lips apart and began to tentatively stab at the girl's clit. She was definitely enjoying herself making lazy circles around the pink fluffy folds, moaning in her own ecstasy. "You taste so good." She mumbled into the anxious girl's pussy.

Leese gasped as she felt her clit being softly sucked, Perróne's lips were pillowy soft as they gripped the base wetly and warmly. She couldn't help the tight feeling she felt in her belly as the girl went to work on her. She felt the pressure rising. It wasn't too long before the girl began to bob back and forth on her clit as if she were giving head to a guy, all the way trapping the hard and huge pink nub between her lips, drool dripping down her chin.

Leese couldn't take it anymore. Her eyes rolled up into her head and she bit down on her lip as she came on Perróne's face. Her eyes squeezed together so tightly that she saw colored circles and dots behind them.

When ravenous Perróne finally stopped feasting on her prey Leese whimpered and crumpled to the shower floor. Her eyes were closed and her chest heaved as she tried to gather her senses and overcome her incredible guilt and rage. When she finally opened her eyes the stall was empty.

Shaking Leese stood up and finished bathing, wiping and scrubbing at the wetness between her thighs, digging her nails into a scalp frothy with conditioner. She hated herself. This had never happened to her during her four years of jail and yet it happened now. Ironic. Disgusting. She was ashamed of herself and her weakness.

When she turned off the water she listened closely. She heard nothing. As soon as she came out wrapped in her towel she was surprised to find a group of females, in varying degrees of dress. Some wore shorts and t-shirts while others were simply in their underwear or towels. There were six of them altogether, and she recognized them among Perróne's crew. Perróne stood at the forefront leering at her. "She sure tasted good y'all."

The girls giggled and whispered among themselves.

"Wonder if our little Lezzie will let you all try for yourselves."

Leese clenched her fists, ready for a fight. Enough was enough!

"You can't get out of here so easily," Said an extremely tall and voluptuous Latina Amazon. "Doors guarded, locked."

Leese backed away from the group and said, "What the fuck is wrong with you all?"

"Relax," Perróne said. "We're cool now. Now that we know what team you play for."

"We thought you were sucking Wicks's and Greene's dick just to stay in this program," The Amazon said, wearing nothing but the shortest of gym shorts and a satin bra. "But you can't be if you bat for us."

"What if she's a switch hitter?" Someone asked.

"Good enough." The Amazon answered and everyone laughed.

"We wanna extend our hands in friendship.or our tongues." Perróne said. The other girls laughed.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Leese said through gritted teeth.

The tallest one ran at her and Leese punched her in the stomach hard. Though her towel fell off by now she ran to the door as the tall girl doubled over. She didn't get far, someone pulled her by her hair and yanked her back. Before she knew it three or four girls where holding her while the Amazon came over to her holding her stomach, "You shouldn't have done that shit." she said rearing back and punching Leese in the face hard. Leese yelped in pain and screamed, kicking until a couple of other girls held her legs down.

"This'll go quick if you just shut the fuck up," she heard one of them say. Leese just glared and spit into the face of whoever said it to her. Her sight was blurry at this point. She felt herself being punched in the stomach and face again, her arms pulled back so far she thought they would pop out of the joints. She was outnumbered and out won. The blood streaming from her mouth was an indication of this.

She felt herself being laid down on the floor and then dozens of fingers poking, pulling and touching at her body, violating her without the gentleness of Perróne, but of malice and ill will.

She felt teeth biting at her nipples and different tongues licking at her still sensitive clit. She cried out asking for them to stop because that is what hurt the most. After coming so hard, her clit was extremely sensitive. But they didn't listen. They sucked and licked on her until she couldn't control her bladder anymore. While two girls sucked on her nipples one sucked on her clit until she squirted urine and ejaculate all over the girl's face. The onlookers whooped and hollered in approval as Leese fought the tears that threatened to flow down her face. She came and came with wild abandon, but it didn't feel good at all. She felt sick at hearing the hiss of liquid as she squirted, leaving a puddle beneath her ass.

"You like that?" Perróne asked.

"Fuck you." Leese muttered. She felt someone kick her in the face.

The Amazon had her big foot across Leese's neck and was pressing down, "So you don't show appreciation for that kind of initiation? It's the best one we've had yet."

Leese said nothing, afraid of more pain. She could hardly breath with the girl's foot on her neck.

"I've got something that will teach you. We all do." Above her she could see the girl pulling down her shorts and panties. The other girls gave groans and moans of approval.

"It's about to go down!" she heard someone say enthusiastically.

Leese screamed another insult and she felt more kicking and even slapping. They kicked her until she doubled up on the floor curled into the fetus position. Finally when they stopped someone had straightened her out so that she prostrate and on her back.

Leese gulped as she saw the girl standing over her, her legs straddling her head. She could see the girl's bare shaven pussy as it slowly descended on her face. Before she knew it the girl was straddling her face, her pussy pressed hard against her nose and her mouth, so tightly that Leese struggled beneath her to breath, clawing and digging her fingers into the girls bubble ass.

"The more you struggle the worse it'll be bitch. Somebody get her hands she's scratching me up!"

Leese felt her wrists being restrained as the girl continued to squish her pussy on her face. She was really fighting for her next breath, afraid that she might pass out.

"You want to breathe don't you? Yeah you do." said the Latina Amazon. "So do what I say. You're gonna start licking my pussy. The better you lick, the more I ease up on you. Got it?"

Leese wished that she could bite down on the puffy labia that was stuffed into her mouth but she knew it was a bad idea. The girl finally let up some allowing Leese to get a minimal amount of air. She was grateful and her chest had begun to heave rapidly.

"Lick bitch!"

Leese stuck her tongue out and began to tentatively lick the inside of the girl's labia, tasting for the first time another woman's wet sex. It was an indescribable taste. The Amazon's pussy juices were salty and let a musky aftertaste in her mouth. It was hard to get used to. Whenever she'd slack off or hesitate, the girl would put all her weight back down on Leese's face. Finally Leese had begun to cooperate. She slid her tongue around the inside of the girl until she heard the girl moan with pleasure. She felt the girl shift her pussy so that her clit was right over her mouth, and Leese instinctively went for that. The faster the girl was satisfied, the faster this would be over she realized, trying not to pay attention to her own unintentionally hardening nipples and rush of warmness between her own thighs.

She flicked at the girl's wet clit until it became hard in her mouth heard the girl moaning above her. The Amazon began rocking her hips back and forth. "Somebody suck on my titties." she demanded. Someone must've complied because she heard licking and sucking sounds and two women moaning instead of just one. The Amazon's pussy leaked all over Leese's face as she sucked and stabbed at the clit. She was now able to breathe since the larger girl seemed to be supporting her own weight while just rocking back and forth rubbing her pussy across Leese's face.

"Fuck me with your tongue." the girl demanded, "Put it inside of me!"

Leese squirmed her tongue inside of the girl while the girl worked her hips up and down, fucking and riding her tongue and face. The girl was squealing at this point, so sexed she was about to pop. Leese figured out what to do with her tongue to make the girl go crazy, knowing it wouldn't be too long before she would probably be released as long as the Amazon was pleased. She tugged at the girl's clit with her lips and flicked the tip rapidly until the Amazon began to grunt in pleasure gasping as she came on Leese's face. The girl's juices poured into Leese's mouth, so copious she thought she might gag. Soon enough Leese felt the open air on her face and opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, but to her dismay she could still see what was coming next. There was another pussy on top of her face!

"You know the drill Harmond," she heard Perróne say. She was the one on top of Leese´s face by now. She had recognized Perróne´s scent from earlier, but she tasted sweeter than the Amazon, and her weight much lighter. Leese tongued and licked at her slit and then fucked her core as Perróne bounced up and down on top of her face. "Eat me!" Perróne grunted, grinding her pussy on Leese's face until the girl exploded in orgasm.

There was another pussy, and then another. Leese licked and sucked clits and lips until she was good at knowing what made the girls tick. Each one after the last came faster and faster. She would tire them out so they'd have no choice but to let her go.

When the last girl came she thought it was over. But it wasn't.

Vision blurry, she let the other girls drag her over to a bench where they put her in the same sort of position Perróne was in earlier, bent over with one knee resting on the bench and her other foot firmly planted on the floor.

"What the fuck now." Leese muttered. She looked over her shoulder and as her vision cleared she could see the tall Amazon wearing something that looked like a red silicon dong strapped to her front. She saw the girl jerking it as if it were a real dick. It was thicker than a can of soda, and as long as her own forearm with a large monstrous looking tip. Leese was frightened as the other girls laughed.

"Oh God." Leese whimpered. She felt her pussy be spread apart by fingers, and the head of the monstrosity lay flush with her hole.

"Here it goes." said the Amazon who was cheered on as she slid the dick inside of Leese.

Leese grunted and braced herself, gripping on to the wooden bench for dear life. She knew the drill by now: the less she struggled the easier things went. First the large head pushed through, then once it slid inside of her, she felt her insides being stretched out in ways she'd never known. She was filled to the max and then the Amazon began to slowly pump back and forth inside of Leese.

"Oh God look at this tight ass." the Amazon hissed.

"Her pussy is tight too, look how wet! She's dripping down her own thighs!" Perróne exclaimed.

"You can see the lips pull out with the dildo every time you stroke Vee." another girl noted. "Shit, that looks good as fuck."

Leese grunted and groaned feeling her clit stand out and away from the folds of her pussy as she was being deeply fucked. Every hard thrust seemed to reverberate against her hard wet clit. Leese gasped, her back arched as she took every inch of the dildo. The Amazon began to grind deeply inside of her, smacking her ass and spreading the cheeks apart so she could see her little caramel star.

"Fuck." she said, "Look at this shit."

She felt hands all over her body, touching, caressing, more gentle yet still as greedy as before as the Amazon's strokes became deeper and faster. It hurt but felt good as she began to pound into Leese. At one point, most of her pussy felt so numb and so stretched and she could hardly feel her legs anymore. She felt like she would crumble when the biggest orgasm she's ever had in her life began to overtake her. Every muscle in her body clenched up and she spasmed all over the big thick dong, screaming in ecstasy as wave after wave of pleasure rippled down her sweaty body.

When the Amazon was finished, she pulled out with a plop. Leese suddenly wished the emptiness could be filled again—this had nothing to do with sexual desire, as she literally felt empty without the dong inside of her. She just felt so cold and empty down in her pussy now, the juices slowly drying and her muscles contracting back into place. She lay on the bench like that and heard someone say, "Let's get out of here, it's time to go."

The girls were dispersing as Leese lay nearly unconscious on the bench.

"Hey if you don't want anyone to find you here like this I suggest you clean yourself up and get the fuck out of here." She heard Perróne say.

"Why?" Leese whimpered, "Why?"

"'Cause we want you to be down with us. We know you're a dyke. Everyone knows it. Even if you were sucking dick to get by."

Leese's heart nearly leapt out of her chest, "what?" she was still on her stomach trying to regain her strength, pushing herself off of the bench. Someone commented that she could still be sucking dick to get by and they all laughed. But after awhile the locker room was empty. That's when Leese limped to the shower once more, hoping that she would encounter no more conflict when she was finally clean again.



Wicks waited in his car for Leese, looking at his watch. She was usually out here before he was. Finally he saw a girl, cap pulled down over her eyes, a big hooded sweat shirt covering her up. As she got into the car he could tell something was wrong.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Nothing." her voice was hoarse. Wicks bent his head to peek under her hat at her face. He could see a swollen bottom lip and the makings of a bruise on her cheek.

"What the fu—"

"Stop looking at me!" she turned toward the passenger's window.

"Leese what happened?"

She didn't answer him.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me."

Finally, he snatched off her hat.

"Hey!" She said, "What's wrong with you?"

"Shit," is all he answered looking at her bruised and swollen face. "Leese."

"I fell down the stairs this morning." She excused.

"Oh yeah?" he scoffed, "Why didn't you just say that instead of—"

"'Cause its embarrassing!"

"Bullshit. You didn't look like that this morning. You're telling me that you fell down a flight of stairs at the base? Is that what you're saying?"

She was quiet, putting her hat back on until she finally said, "Yeah."

"You're lying to me Harmond."

"Why don't you just drive?" Her head jerked toward him.

He felt a cold front coming on between them as he started up the car. She'd never snapped at him before and he didn't exactly like the way it had felt. However, he had swallowed his pride and began driving.

He drove for awhile on the highway, but then he took the next exit and drove onto local streets.

"Where are you taking me?" She muttered.

Minutes later they found themselves parked in the parking lot of a shopping strip. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what happened." he said.

"Fine." She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of his truck. He cursed under his breath and followed her as she walked down the street.

"You don't know where you are." he said walking behind her, "Don't be stupid."

"You don't threaten me!" She turned around and yelled and then stomped away. Wicks was aware that there were people watching them that evening but he was too wound up to even care.

"Leese where are you going? Come on.stop.talk to me. who did that to you?"

Finally she stopped walking. She stood with her back to him, her shoulders slumped. When he finally made it up to her he could tell that she was softly sobbing, her head bent as she looked at the ground. His heart sunk and his stomach dropped. He had never seen her display this much emotion. She was in pain, and it was more than physical.

"Leese," he said tenderly. He stood in front of her and gently lifted her chin with his fingers. She looked into his eyes, tears flowing down her face. "I don't wanna do this." she muttered."

"Do what?"

"Cry. I don't cry."

"It's okay to cry."

"I don't like it. For the past few months all I've done is cry." Her voice cracked, and her chest heaved, "but I can't control it right now. I don't want to cry in front of you."

She was so small and vulnerable right there that it almost broke his heart. Not knowing whether it was the right or wrong thing to do, he enveloped her in a strong embrace, squeezing her tight. But this only made her cry harder, her tears wetting his chest.

"It's okay," he said, "I swear its okay. Just talk to me. Please."

They walked back to the car, his arm around her shoulders. Once they sat inside Leese told him everything that happened. "I didn't want you to know. I was afraid you'd.that you will think of me in a bad way." She sniffled.

She couldn't tell how angry he was. He tried to keep his cool. All he could picture himself doing was wringing Perróne's neck. He knew who the big tall girl was. Vicky Martinez.

"Don't tell anyone."

"Leese." he whined.

"You know what they'll say? They'll say 'why didn't you say anything while you were in the shower, regardless?' and all I'll say is that I was too afraid. Who's gonna buy that?"

"Look at your face! I'm pretty sure you have bruises all over your body. Not one person's gonna think it was voluntary."

"I can't mess up," she cried. "Not now. Greene was just starting to." she sobbed wiping her face across her sleeve, "I'll get kicked out. Everyone will be talking about me. No one's going to respect me or believe me."

"I believe you." He said.

"All those years I spent locked up, and I was able to fight anybody off who tried anything. And I couldn't even.this makes no sense. Especially why they said they did it."

Wicks frowned, "they said why they did it?"

"Sort of." she sniffed. "Said they knew I was a dyke and they were initiating me into their group."

"What?" He shouted.

"Yeah, they used to think that you and I, or I and Greene were doing stuff so that I could get and stay in the program. That's why Perróne gave me such a hard time. But now she's saying that everyone knows I'm a dyke.and I don't know why they'd say that shit. They shouldn't be talking about me at all. I never do anything, I'm always quiet.maybe I was too quiet."

"Wow," he said his stomach sinking. "Are you serious?" He knew their angle now and why Leese didn't want to say anything. If she accused them of anything Perróne could attempt to clear herself by saying that what happened in the locker room was some sort of "initiation" that Leese was willingly apart of. And since the rumor that Leese was gay had started, it would somehow get her less sympathy if Perróne were identified as being a part of a lesbian "gang" (or whatever they had seen themselves as). However way it could go down it would mean Leese's words versus the words of Perróne and her girls. Perróne was smart enough to know that Leese didn't want to be entrenched in any type of scandal even if that meant that no one were punished.

Wicks was sick with guilt at this moment. When he didn't clear things up with Reynolds or at least say, "I don't know if she's gay or not", he basically started the rumor that motivated Perróne to do what she did.

"You can't let her get away with this Leese."

"Just let it go Wicks."

He almost wanted to let it go. Right now he was too much of a coward to tell her that he was probably the reason why this had happened.

"I don't want Greene knowing.got it?"

He nodded but agreed on only one condition: that he let her photograph the bruises just in case they needed evidence. She was reluctant but followed through anyway, going back with him to his apartment.

Once they were there at his small one bedroom apartment, he was glad that he had cleaned up the weekend before. This was a stupid thing to worry about, but he did anyway.

He got his digital camera and took pictures of her face from every gruesome angle.

"Are there anymore?" he asked, referring to her bruises.

"Probably not."

"Tell me the truth."

"I don't know yet."

He stood there staring at her blankly until she sighed, "Fine."

She pulled off her hoody and t-shirt until she only was wearing her bra and short cargo shorts. Wicks said, "Geez.what the hell did they do to you?"

Her smooth honey complexioned body was covered with purple and red bruises. He had just noticed that there was a big one on her neck that looked like someone's sneaker. He followed that bruise down to her gentle yet firm décolletage and the round breasts that stretched against the cotton of her bra. For some reason this was almost thrilling, seeing her so bare, so vulnerable, never imagining that he would see her this way. He used to just think of her face and think of how beautiful it was, but now he was seeing her body, and he was distracted from the task at hand. He hated himself for thinking like such a guy at this moment, but her body was beautiful in spite of the situation, at least he thought so. She was short and compact unlike the long and lean blonde he was engaged to. But Leese was athletic yet feminine, smooth and soft yet hard and firm, tough and quiet yet sensitive and honest—she was an enigmatic mixture of contradictory features and elements that made up one intriguing package, including the physical.

As nice as he thought her body was he was both disgusted and stunned at her injuries. Her torso was battered, the slightly sculptured muscles of her abdomen marred with the purples and reds of her bruises.

"Are there anymore?" he heard himself almost whisper.

"My thighs hurt." she muttered and then gulped.

He waited until she reluctantly pulled off her shorts saying, "This is so humiliating."

He reassured her as he photographed the sides of her thick yet toned thighs, admiring the way her smallish waist flared down into her hips as she stood in the cotton panties that clung to them. There were bruises on her legs as well that he had just really noticed, and he remembered how a pair of heels could make them look.

"Focus." he muttered to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing.turn around."

There were more marks on her shoulders and on the middle of her back. He noticed how her lower back curved into her round taut ass. He could see the outline of her firm ass in the fabric of her black low-rise bikini briefs.

"Okay." He said. "I'm done."

When they got to Jeffrey's place, he was waiting up for her. Usually he was in bed by now.

She came in and he called her into the living room. Wicks stood with her not wanting her to come inside alone.

"Leese, if you're gonna not come home for dinner you could call someone." Jeffrey said standing with his arms crossed.

Her face was tilted downward, she was hiding.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked.

"Nothing." She kept her head down.

Jeffrey looked into Wicks's eyes. He could see the young man fidgeting with his car keys. Something wasn't right.

"Look at me."

When she did his face opened up like the sky on a stormy night. Thunder.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"I gotta go." She ran out of the room just as Rita entered asking what was wrong.

"Somebody beat the hell out of her face!" Jeffrey yelled, "That's what's wrong!" he turned to Wicks, "What the hell happened?"

"She won't tell me." He lied. "I think she mixed it up with one of the girls.but she doesn't want anyone interfering."

"So you're telling me this is an unreported incident?" Jeffrey yelled. He felt Rita touch his shoulder and he lowered his voice. "You can't be serious?"

"Yes sir. But it wasn't."

"I don't send her there every goddamned day to get her ass kicked at your god damned program. You understand?"

"I know as about as much as you do."

Jeffrey scoffed, "Sure you do soldier. Sure you do."

"I thought you were her friend?" Rita asked."

He gulped, not able to take this right now. The guilt was overwhelming, "I am her friend."

"So then tell us what happened?"

"The only reason I'm not saying anything is because she doesn't want me to. I can't betray her." The irony of his own words hit him like a punch in the stomach. He was nauseous again.

Jeffrey took a deep breath, frustrated.

"Let me go and check on her," Rita said leaving the room."

Wicks and Jeffrey stood face to face.

"Son," Jeffrey said touching Wicks's shoulder, "I didn't mean to yell at you like that."

"I understand you're upset. I was too."

"But you know what happened? And you're the only other person who knows besides Leese and the other girl it happened with?"

"Well."

"So it was a fight between she and that.that girl she's been having trouble with?"

"Yes. You can say that." He was getting more and more nervous. The way Jeffrey looked at him, reading him, it was almost too much. "But the only thing else I can tell you is that she just wants to handle this herself."

"This ain't jail Wicks.she can't fight the girl in the yard while the guards are taking bets.she's not going to get kicked out over some stupid piece of trash." he trailed off balling up his fists in anger. Finally he sighed, "Leese always wants to do things her way. The wrong way. It's childish when she could just do this right."

"But she wants."

"I don't care what she wants. Her pride is going to get her kicked out. Now tell me one thing.did she start this?"

"Absolutely not sir."

He nodded, "That's what I thought."

A few moments later Wicks left their home, worried and anxious for Leese. It was only a matter of time before Jeffrey found out what really happened. He just hoped that the consequences would be something that everyone could handle.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey was stomping up the stairs when Rita practically ran into him. "Oh my God Jeff."

"What?"

"She has them everywhere.bruises. Cuts.it's crazy." He knew it was serious when he saw the genuine concern in his wife's eyes.

"She let one girl beat her like that?"

"It couldn't have been one girl." Rita said, "No way."

While Rita went down to get some ice he finally came upstairs where he found Leese in the bathroom. She sat on the closed toilet seat looking dazed out. She was waiting for Rita.

"Leese," Jeffrey's voice boomed in the bathroom, "You had a fight?"

The girl wouldn't answer.

"Wicks told me that girl bothered you."

"He said what?" Life sprang back into her face, as well as fear and some anger.

"He didn't tell me much." Jeffrey said, "Don't worry. He said you didn't want me to know. Why?"

"I can handle this."

"No. You. Can't. Not by yourself. You're obviously not equipped to handle it by yourself."

"I can't take it if you yell at me right now." she said holding a hand to her forehead.

"Did she have you jumped? She must have. No one managed to see it?"

"I just want to leave it be."

"Why do you insist on doing things by yourself?"

"Because everyone thinks you're the only reason why I'm there!" she shouted. "They don't like the fact that you're always in my business."

"I don't give a shit!" He yelled, "Do I care? They don't know me and they don't know you.they probably have no one who will give a shit about them, and that's why they're hating."

Rita showed up with a cold compress. She brushed past her husband and bent down so that she could place it against Leese's face.

"Jeff, let's just leave her alone for now. Okay?"

"I need to get to the bottom of this."

"Just don't. Please." Leese mumbled, "I'm begging you. Please."

He looked at the two women and asked, "Do you think she needs to go to the hospital?"

"I don't know."

"No hospital!" Leese said, "I hate hospitals!"

"In the morning your face is gonna swell like a blowfish and you're not going to be able to move the rest of your body from the neck down. Trust me. We're going to have to go to the hospital or the doctor or something, 'cause there's no way you can show up on base like this. And you'll need a note."

"I don't have to be in the office until two, I'll take her tomorrow." Rita said.

He thought about this and then sighed, "fine. There's some ibuprofen in the cabinet. Maybe that'll get her through the night."

Jeffrey had been right. The next day she felt like a truck hit her. When Rita woke her up to go to the doctor, she had to force herself out of bed, moving slowly so as not to aggravate the complete soreness and pain running throughout her body. Her bruises had only gotten darker and more monstrously purplish. Every time she breathed it hurt. She was so tender that she was on the verge of tears.

Taking a shower was the worst. It took her a long time to get dressed. Jeffrey knocked on her door just as she pulled on a hoody. "You decent?"

"Yes."

He came in looking a little frustrated, "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." She said speaking in an almost whisper. It seemed the louder she spoke the more it hurt.

"I talked to Franzle," he said. "You don't have to show up today as long as you bring in documentation."

Leese nodded.

"Rita's waiting for you downstairs, I'm going to go to work."

"I'm coming." She said hesitatingly grabbing her bag. She wanted him to leave so that he wouldn't see her struggle to walk down the stairs.

"Can you make it?"

She gritted her teeth and nodded, taking slow baby steps out of the room When she got to the landing of the stairs he'd said, "Hold on." With a sudden swoop he had her in his arms, carrying her as if she were nothing at all. "Put your arms around my neck."

Leese was embarrassed but she didn't fight him on this one. She held on to him tightly as he effortlessly made his way down the stairs. His strength awed Leese who prior to this moment, would never think that anyone could pick her up this way.

She saw the girls' wide eyed stares as he led her down through the family room. They hadn't seen her last night when she came in and now they looked shocked.

"Daddy what's wrong!" Chrissy asked in panicked voice. It must of looked bad if Chrissy sounded worried. Like her father, she was always so reserved.

"Everything's fine," he said as he still held Leese. "Get your stuff, the bus is gonna be here any minute." Leese had asked to be put down but he ignored her, and the girls ignored his command. They refused to move from where they stood and Izzy began to sniffle.

"Oh Geez.RITA!" he yelled.

Rita came into the room and saw the whole scene, including how upset the girls were. "Oh babies, come here, it's okay."

"Why can't she walk? Is she sick?" Chrissy asked as her mother held her.

"I can walk. Believe me I can. See." Jeffrey took that as his cue to finally put her down. She stood holding up her arms, "I'm good!"

"Why is your face so big and bruised?" Izzy asked.

Leese had looked in the mirror that morning and knew her face was pretty swollen and bruised so she knew that she must have looked like a monster to the girls. She wished she had avoided them this morning.

"I'm okay Izzy I swear," she did her best to walk over like normal to the girl, bending down to give her a hug. "I just got into a little accident on base."

As she reached to hug Chrissy the girl asked, "Did somebody hurt you?"

"You need to get fixed." Izzy chimed in.

"Alright," Jeffrey said, clapping "We're gonna get her fixed up at the doctor. Everything's under control ladies. You've got to go to school."

"I wanna go with Leese." Izzy said. Chrissy wanted to go to.

It took a bit of coaxing and reassuring but finally the girls were calmed down enough to make it to the bus on time. Leese waited until they left before trying to make it out to Rita's car.

Jeffrey was still hanging around, this is why Leese asked him, "Aren't you going to be late?"

"Don't worry about me." He answered, holding her up as she made it to the car. He had made sure she'd gotten in and fastened her seat belt. Soon Rita joined her in the driver's seat.

"Okay baby," she said poking her head down so that she could see Jeffrey through the passenger side, "go to work now, everything's under control."

Reluctantly he stood there, hands on his hips, "I can get today off if I want."

"No!" Leese said, "Please don't."

"Alright," he said. "Go on. I'll leave in a minute."

He watched them drive off and then got into his car. The truth was that he wasn't going to work. He had already planned to take at least half of the day off. He was going down to Mil-Ar-Tell operations to get to the bottom of this.



By the time Rita had brought Leese back home she was feeling a little bit better. The doc had prescribed her some pain killers that she took immediately. Before Rita left for work she ran a hot bath and made a quick soup for Leese who was surprised at how maternal she was being with her. She thought about Rita's and her father's protectiveness as she soaked in a soothing bath of Epsom salt. It felt so good she could've slept there, but she got out of the tub when she began feeling woozy. The pain killers had kicked in.

When she got out she slowly made it downstairs to eat the soup. Rita was still there in the kitchen stirring the pot while holding a phone up to her ear, "Yes, I know. He wasn't even in to work.I can fax you the.you know what, I will. Okay bye." She hung up and noticed Leese standing in her pajamas.

"You alright?"

"I feel so much better. Thanks for the bath.and the soup."

"I'm just glad you feel better." She continued to add spices and taste the broth. "Should be done in a little while."

"Don't you have to get to work?"

She shrugged looking at her watch, "I still have time. Will you be okay?"

"I feel so much better," Leese assured, "Thanks Rita."

"The couch is set up in the family room if you want to take a nap." Rita said after covering the steaming pot. "It's better than trooping all the way upstairs." Rita had begun cleaning up after herself, wiping down the counters and putting things away. She always kept her kitchen immaculately clean.

"How come you're being so nice to me Rita?"

Rita turned around stunned at the question.

"I mean, just months ago I was sitting here in your kitchen and you hated me."

She threw the sponge she had previously held down onto the counter, "I didn't hate you. I was just afraid. You get used to things being a certain way for a long time. You think you know how things are even if you don't know how they are going to be, and then something like this comes along.it really scared me. I was afraid things would change so much if you were in our lives."

"But things did change."

"Yeah," she laughed, "and my world didn't end."

A few moments later she set a bowl of soup down in front of the girl and sat across from her. "It's really hot so be careful."

Leese blew at the steam but it kept coming back. She liked the way it felt on her face. She loved the warmness even though the steam made her feel how sore her face really was. She began eating slowly while her stepmother watched her.

"You eat like him." Rita said.

"I do?" Leese blew on another spoonful of broth.

She nodded. "You know he loves you right?"

Leese looked up silently.

"He doesn't say it, I know.but he's just like that."

Maybe it was the pain killers but she said something that she's never even admitted to herself, "I love him too."

Rita smiled, "He's never heard you say it either."

"I didn't expect to feel this way. I didn't expect any of this." She shook her head. "Everyone's so nice and concerned about me but all I bring is trouble." She scratched her head absentmindedly.

"Leese," she said touching the girl's hand, "No matter what, we have your back. Do you understand that? We all have your back."

Leese remembered the way the girls reacted to her bruised and bloated face. They were so upset. She shuddered. Even though she was touched because she knew they cared, she never wanted them to hurt them.

"I mean it's official," Rita said softly laughing, "We all love you. You are apart of our family. Understand?"

Leese nodded, hoping that she'd manage not to cry this time.

"Whoever it is that hurt you, for whatever reason, it's not your fault." Rita said in a steady and calm voice. "We can help you. You don't have to deal with this by yourself."

Leese shook her head, "I know but.it's just."

"Don't worry about it." She said standing up, "Just think about what I said."

"Are Izzy and Chrissy gonna be okay?" Leese blurted out as Rita put on her jacket.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. They nanny will be here at two-thirty so don't be alarmed if someone comes in." Rita gave Leese a kiss on the forehead and then left her alone.

Leese settled in on the couch watching cartoons until she drifted to sleep. Before she went to sleep she thought about what Rita said about the family loving her. She had to come to terms with the fact that she had actually loved them back. It was never in the plan to love anyone, none of this was. But she did. She loved Isabelle and Christina and Rita and Jeff and Wicks.

"Wicks?" Did she really love him? She thought about him and then she thought about what love really meant. Why did she have to question it? After all, he was her friend. It was okay to love her friend right? Even if he probably didn't love her back? Even if she fantasized about kissing him again?

"I do love Oliver," she said to herself as she drifted off to sleep.

An hour or so into her nap, the doorbell rang. She tried to blink away the fuzziness in her head as she lumbered toward the door.

She opened it and found Wicks standing there on her doorstep, Army issued round shaped fatigue cap pulled low over his eyes.

"I come bearing gifts." He smiled holding up a grocery bag from what appeared to be the local convenience store.

She let him in as he explained that he just came by on his lunch break to check on her. He tried not to seem too alarmed by her face, as it was way more swollen and bruised than before. Anger and sadness overtook him as he handed her the bag in his hand. He brought her favorite kind of graham crackers, the kind shaped like little bears in all their anthropomorphic glory that kids eat. He also got her bubble gum, and grape juice. These were her strange but favorite snacks.

"How are you feeling Harmond?" he said as he followed her into the family room.

"I'm sore all over. Fractured rib etcetera, etcetera. But other than that I'm fine." She sat down on the couch and motioned for him to sit down too.

"Damn girl, that's serious," he said sitting, "I know it must hurt like hell."

"Especially when I breathe. But they didn't wrap it or anything, so it's not that bad." She poured some juice into a glass.

"They just didn't want you to get pneumonia that's all. But it's pretty freaking bad."

They sat down on the couch watching TV when she reached for her bottle of medicine and took a pill out.

"Painkillers?" he asked.

She nodded as she downed the pill with her juice. He couldn't help but to stare. Her pretty face was all bruised and swollen, unhidden by her hair which was pulled up into a high curly puff.

"You okay? I mean.I just feel bad."

"Don't." She said. "Everything will be okay. I'll just let it blow over."

He didn't want to say that when she didn't show up today that Perróne and her crew began to look kind of nervous. He made a mental note of everyone who talked to Perróne that day. It was about five other girls and everyone of them looked chatty and nervous, whispering to each other. He knew who each one of them were and had a feeling that they were all involved in the incident. He also didn't want to tell Leese that he could've sworn he had seen her father's truck parked outside as he was leaving to come here. He didn't want to stress her out right now.

They watched TV for awhile and Leese began to feel the medication take its affect, giving her the courage to say what was on her mind. "You know Wicks, I really missed you."

He turned towards her stunned, "What? Really? Don't we see each other nearly everyday?"

"But we never hang out anymore. Not even for lunch. I've been stuck eating The Slop for three weeks," she said holding up two fingers.

He tried not to laugh, "I've been busy. I apologize."

"You never used to be busy before."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"And you don't come over on the weekends."

"You don't need my help anymore. You've got it under control."

"I cant tell you what I need Wicks. So how do you know what I need?"

"Why can't you tell me?"

"Because if you don't want to be here then I can't force you to. I mean, I'm surprised you're even here now."

He frowned, "Why would you say that?"

"Ever since that date we had, you don't even want to talk to me anymore." She pouted.

He nodded, so she did notice?

"I'm sorry Leese, I've just been."

"Busy." She said. "I know. Say no more." She stood up so quickly that it made her dizzy and she flopped back down on the couch again.

"Whoa, take it easy there Harmond." He said as she tried it again, slower this time.

"I'm fine. I don't need your help anymore."

"What's wrong?" he stood up to face her. She seemed very upset.

"I don't want to be around you right now."

"What?"

"I'm mad at you!" She raised her voice and poked him.

"Surprise, surprise." He rolled his eyes, "You were mad at me yesterday too. Remember? You yelled at me?"

She huffed, "Sorry."

"It's okay. Come on, I'll help you upstairs."

He didn't carry her the way Jeffrey did but he helped her up the stairs and into her room. He turned her covers back for her and helped her slip into bed.

Once she was underneath, he said, "Okay, I'm gonna head out now."

"Wait," she said, "Don't leave me."

He stopped cold, floored by the vulnerability in her voice.

"I know I said some mean stuff but I don't mean it." She said in a small voice, "I need you."

"You do?" his heart tugged.

She sat up in bed, "I know I sound crazy right now, but if you leave I'll feel so alone."

He sat down on the bed across from her, tentatively almost. "Okay, lay down. You're tired."

She obeyed him, but lay on her side. She lay on the side that hurt just like the doctor told her to so that her other lung could work freely without hindrance. She kept staring at him.

"Are you okay?" he asked feeling somewhat awkward with the way she was studying him.

She nodded. "I want to make sure you don't leave."

He couldn't believe now needy and vulnerable she was right now. It was okay with him though. It was more than okay. It made him feel good that she didn't want him to go.

"So what if I lay down too, that way you'll feel me next to you, and you can sleep," he said in a low and even voice.

She smiled and cheered, "Yeah!"

He took off his hat and sneakers and got into the warm bed, realizing he'd be late coming back, but he didn't care. Hey lay with his hands behind his head, but he was only inches away from her. However, in a matter of moments she had managed to get closer to him. He could feel her body heat. Soon she was snuggled into his side like a baby trying to get closer to her mother. He didn't even think she knew what she was doing.

"Leese?"

"Hmmm?"

"Come here," he said, putting his arm around her. She snuggled under his arm until her head rest on his chest and her arm was wrapped around his torso. He was so warm and comfortable that she was instantly soothed.

Meanwhile he nestled his face in her hair. It was rare that he got to actually touch her hair. He only smelled how sweet it was from a distance. It was so soft that he wish he could stuff all of his pillows with it. It smelled so sweet and clean like vanilla beans. His head swam with her scent, not believing this moment. He was closer than he ever was to her. The only way they could be closer was.

He tried not to entertain that thought, instead he reveled in how her softness felt against his hard body. How his arm wrapped around her and its fingers touched the very small of her back, her velvet soft skin. He knew that she had no idea of how beautiful she was to him or of how he wanted to protect her and take away any pain she had. He wasn't sure if it was something he could or should tell her but he held her tighter so that she at least knew he was there and that he wasn't going anywhere until she felt safe.

"I just realized something," she said muffled, her mouth against his chest.

"What's that?" he answered back in the softest voice.

"I love people."

"What?" he laughed.

"Greene. Rita. Izzy. Chrissy. Nino. And you."

"What?"

"You're my friend. I love you."

He was stunned, not knowing what to say, or what to do. It was as if his heart almost stopped.

"You're not all I have, but sometimes it feels that way. Like if you went away, I wouldn't have much of anything. It's silly I know, but that's how I know you're important to me. I've never even felt that way about my best friend Nino. I've never needed him as much as I've needed you the past few months. Besides you there's nobody I feel that way about, except Greene. If he didn't come home one day.it would kill me. Until I met him.or you.I didn't think I was able to feel that way. It was always me. Me alone. I don't even remember loving my mother, it was so long ago that she died."

He could feel his shirt dampening with her tears. He squeezed her tighter wanting to say something but not knowing what.

"This is a dangerous thing. This love business." she whispered.

It's the last thing she said before she went to sleep.

An hour later Wicks awoke, cursing as he looked at his watch. It was after three 'o clock. He knew the girls had to be home with their babysitter. He didn't know how he'd explain to any of them about coming out of Leese's room but he knew it would be easier than if Greene and his wife were around.

He put back on his sneakers and hat and tucked Leese in, kissing her on the cheek before he went downstairs. He had to pass through the family room to get out of the front door and that's where he saw the girls doing their homework.

"Wicks!" Izzy yelled, "What are you doing here?"

He realized that they must've just gotten home from school, so didn't exactly tell the truth about how long he'd been there. "I was helping your sister get up the stairs that's all."

"She's upstairs!" Chrissy asked, "We didn't know that!"

"I'm going up," Izzy stood.

"No! She's sleeping Izzy." He told her. It was that point when the babysitter came in. She was an older plump Latina woman with long dark hair.

"Who are you?" She asked startled.

"Leese's friend." Chrissy said.

"Who?"

"Leese. Leese our sister. You've never seen her." Chrissy explained. "She always comes home late. She's upstairs. Her friend was visiting her before we got here."

"She got hurted and he helped her." Izzy said matter of factly as she went back to her homework.

"Your sister?" She asked with a frown on her face.

Chrissy nodded and Izzy said "duh" under her breath.

The woman looked at them all suspiciously but there was nothing she could say. It was strange to Wicks that she didn't even know who Leese was, but he confirmed Chrissy's explanation and then let himself out.

On the drive back to work he thought about what she said to him. "She loves me," he said to himself. Shouldn't he have said it back? After all, he felt the same way didn't he?