Net Wolf | FROM HATE'S TWISTED VINE, LOVE BLOOMS

From Hate's Twisted Vine, Love Blooms

For Jess.

"What the hell's the problem now?" Fiona nearly snarled at him.

Eric raised an eyebrow in curiosity. He'd not even opened his mouth yet, and already she was pissed at him. Perhaps I should watch myself.

"I wanted to ask when the tiles in the hallway on my floor might be replaced."

"We can't afford it," Fiona said dismissively, with an undertone of disgust.

"It doesn't seem that you can afford much in the way of repairs or renovation here," Eric said, his anger getting the better of him.

"Listen to me, Mister Storm, I don't care if you are blind. I'm not going to take this kind of crap from you."

The seeing-eye dog at Eric's side bristled and began a low growl. Eric reached down and stroked her fur. "Quiet, Sandy."

To Fiona, he said calmly, "Ma'am, being blind, I cannot see which tiles are sticking up or missing. Sandy can't really help me to avoid them. I've tripped and fallen twice already in the last two weeks. Now, I don't want you to take this as any kind of threat or ultimatum, because I wouldn't, but that sort of thing is just a lawsuit waiting to happen."

"I told you, we don't have any money for such a thing."

Eric sighed heavily, his anger mounting again. This wasn't the first thing he'd had to badger her over, and he knew it wouldn't be the last. "Yet I note that you had the money to renovate your own apartment."

Fiona blanched. "I don't know what you're talking-"

Eric raised his hand. "I can smell both the new paint, and the new carpet from here, plus one of my neighbors mentioned all that you were having done. I'm blind, not stupid. Please don't insult me like that. I'll expect the hallway to be repaired expeditiously, however, or another call to the Housing Commission may be required."

"You can't blackmail me," Fiona snarled.

"That isn't blackmail, ma'am. Either you do what the law requires, or I will inform the law that you are not. That's called being a good citizen."

"Get out of my office. Now."

Eric stood up, and he felt Sandy standing next to him. He turned, and Sandy led him out of the office. He sighed heavily as he walked out of the office. When Sandy stopped short, he nearly fell over, not expecting it.

"I'm sorry, Eric. I didn't mean to get in your way," the lovely feminine voice said.

"Not a problem, Brighid. How are you today?"

"I'm doing okay. You?"

"Just went another round with the super."

Brighid's voice conveyed her concern. "I'm sorry. It's about the floor, isn't it? Do you want me to talk to her?"

Eric shook his head. "No, she seems to like you. No point in ruining that for you over something I can deal with. Best if you just stay out of it."

"Okay," she said, her voice obviously not convinced. "If you change your mind, let me know."

"Will do. Thanks. Talk to you later."

As Eric strode off to the elevator, Brighid turned and knocked on the office door.

"What?" came the voice from inside.

Brighid opened the door and stuck her head in. "Fiona? You wanted to talk to me?"

Fiona's face changed when she saw Brighid. "Oh, hey, Brighid! Sorry, been one of those days. Come on in."

Brighid closed the door behind herself and sat down. Fiona straightened up some papers on her desk for a moment, before looking at her guest with a smile. Brighid smiled back, not sure what this was about, but willing to help out if she could, as was her nature.

"So what's on your mind?" Brighid asked, seeing an odd look on Fiona's face that she couldn't readily interpret.

Fiona sat and stared for just a few moments, and then took a deep breath.

"I have a favor to ask," Fiona said, her tone lightening, becoming more amicable.

"Sure, if I can," Brighid said immediately.

"You've met my brother, Ryan?"

"No, not really. I think I've seen him, but I couldn't even be sure of that."

Fiona sat for a moment again before speaking. "I'm worried about Ryan. He's not... look, my brother's had some problems, some mental problems, in the past. The family doesn't talk about it at all, we kind of pretend they don't exist, but they're there. Recently, he got an inheritance, and I'm a little concerned that he's frittering it all away pointlessly."

Brighid nodded for a moment, then cocked her head sideways. "What do you want me to do?"

"He won't listen to me. I know this is asking a lot, but could you maybe befriend him, and just sort of keep an eye on him? Let me know if he really is getting himself into deeper trouble than we should let him..."

"Fiona, if this is your weird way of trying to set me up with your brother..."

Fiona raised her hands in immediate supplication. "God no. I wouldn't wish that on any woman. But I am worried about him. I don't know of any other way to find out what he's really getting into. I'm not asking you to date him, just to become his friend. He'll like you, I think... hell, he likes almost everyone." Except me, she didn't say. "I just need to know he's okay."

Brighid sat for a long moment. She worried that Fiona really was trying to play matchmaker, but she could see the concern etched in Fiona's face. She decided that she couldn't abandon her over her anxiety over dating. Besides, if that was her goal, maybe she'd like him.

What am I thinking? If he's crazy, I don't think I want any part of him! But she would help her friend.

"Okay. What did you have in mind?"

...---===EWPUB.ORG===---...

Ryan sighed heavily. He didn't really want to be here. It was, however, his sister's birthday party. She wasn't having a private party, but had instead turned her birthday into a building-wide event. He felt this had more to do with her desire to get more gifts than in her desire to have these people around her. Their parents lived out of town, and his mother had called the day before to ensure that he would be there.

Ryan looked around at the guests. He knew the building held forty-two apartments, but he didn't see nearly that many people here. The one he did see that caught his eye was a gentleman sitting at a small table. The dog lying on the floor next to him told Ryan all he needed to know. With nothing else to do, he made his way over to him.

"Hello," he said to the man. The man looked up at him and smiled.

"Hey."

"Look, I don't mean to insult you or anything, but, can I get you anything? Like a cup of punch, or some snacks or something?"

"I'm okay. I was just thinking about heading back to my apartment."

"Bored?"

Eric nodded. "I'm not much of a people-watcher."

Ryan chuckled, and then sat down. "I wish I had an excuse to leave myself. Ryan Harbrace."

"Eric Storm." Eric held out his hand, and Ryan took it, shaking it briefly before letting it go.

"And your companion?" Ryan asked.

Eric arched his eyebrows in surprise. "You know, most people ignore her. This is Sandy," he said, reaching down to pet the golden retriever. Sandy perked her ears up at the sound of her name, but didn't react otherwise.

"She's a beautiful dog."

"Yes. You said your name was Harbrace... the same as..."

"She's my sister."

"How sad for you," Eric said automatically.

Ryan chuckled. "Yes, I feel that way sometimes."

Fiona saw her brother talking to her trouble-making tenant from across the room. She figured it was about time that she put her plan into action. Walking over to where Brighid was standing, talking to another tenant, she took her elbow. Brighid looked at her, and the Fiona gestured with her head.

"That's my brother, talking to Mr. Storm."

"Oh. Okay."

"Thanks for your help, Brighid."

"...And so I decided I'd had enough of their meddling, and I moved - Hello, Brighid."

Brighid shuddered. "I hate it when you do that, Eric. It's creepy."

Eric smiled at her. "Brighid, have you met our illustrious superintendent's brother? Ryan Harbrace, my neighbor, Brighid McNally."

Ryan stood to shake her hand. He took quick note of her appearance. She was about his height, with light brown hair pulled back into a pony tail, revealing her beautiful face. Her green eyes twinkled at him as she smiled in greeting. He tried not to stare at her body, though she had the figure of a goddess.

"Pleased to meet you," he managed to get out finally.

"Likewise. So, you're Fiona's brother? I've never seen you around here..."

Ryan motioned for her to join them, and she did. Ryan said, "My sister and I don't get along very much."

Brighid arched an eyebrow. "Then why come at all?"

"Parental request."

"Ah," Brighid said softly.

Fiona watched with a wicked gleam in her eye as she saw Brighid beginning to charm her brother. The pitiful twerp is already drooling over her. Fiona smiled to herself as she turned to talk with another guest at the party, but her eyes never wandered far from where her brother was sitting, talking to the others.

Brighid and Ryan spent the entire rest of the party talking, with Eric mainly listening to the two of them, and interjecting an occasional comment or question. As it seemed the party was winding down, Eric rose to leave.

"It was nice meeting you, Ryan." He nodded politely to Brighid, and then cued Sandy to lead off.

"Nice guy," Ryan said.

"Yes. Kind of a rough break, but he seems to deal with it well."

Ryan nodded, and looked at his watch. "I suppose I've chewed your ear off long enough, and I have fulfilled my obligation to my mom."

Brighid giggled. "I enjoyed it. You said that you don't work, what do you do with your day?"

Ryan shrugged. "Goof off, mainly. I do some writing, just as a hobby. I chat on the Internet, this and that. I can't be too active, with my back the way it is."

"That's too bad. I imagine it gets a little dull. You ever get cabin fever?"

"Constantly."

The two of them rose and headed out of the community room of the apartment building. Ryan stopped in front of the elevators.

"Thanks for talking with me. I'd have gone nuts just sitting in there staring at people until I felt I could leave. You made it a lot more enjoyable."

"Glad I could help. I'll see you around."

"Yeah," he said, not really meaning it. He didn't come here any more than he had to. He didn't know that he would definitely be seeing more of her, and soon. He nodded politely as she got in the elevator, and then he turned to head to his car, glad to have this obligation behind him. He could tell his mother he'd been there. Granted, he'd not spoken to his sister at all, but he had been there.

That would have to do.

...---===EWPUB.ORG===---...

"Hello?" Ryan said into the phone. He'd just gotten out of the shower, and had grumbled a little about answering it, but it wasn't in his nature to let it ring.

"Ryan? This is Brighid. From your sister's apartment building. We met the other day, remember?"

As if I'm likely to forget a girl that pretty. "I remember," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"I hate to be a bother, but I need to go buy a computer. I don't know anything about them. I was asking around to see who might be able to help me pick out the right one, and Fiona recommended you. She gave me your phone number."

"Oh. Um, okay. Sure, I can help, I guess."

"Great! Thank you so much. When should I come get you?"

"Give me a half hour?" he asked, in case this would not be acceptable to her.

"That's fine. See you in a bit. Thanks again."

"No problem. See ya." He hung up and shook his head slightly. What was that all about? Ryan did know enough about computers to help her pick the right one, but surely he wasn't the only person she could find...

Ryan was just tying his shoes when there was a knock at the door. He found Brighid waiting on the other side, her warm smile greeting him. He took stock of her again, and found her just as incredible to look at as before. He tried not to let his gaze linger, however.

"Hey, Brighid."

"Hi. You ready?"

"Yeah, let me just grab my jacket."

As they walked out to her car, Ryan asked, "So, what kind of a computer are you needing?"

She looked at him quizzically. "A PC."

Ryan chuckled as he slid into his seat. "Okay, wrong way to put it. I meant, what do you need it to do for you?"

"Oh. Just the basics, really. Internet, email, writing letters, maybe a couple games to kill time. I don't need anything really high-powered, but I don't want it to be a complete piece of junk, either."

Ryan nodded. "Will you need it for work, at all?"

"No. I work at a restaurant as head server."

"Okay. You've got lots of options then. Mostly it depends on what you might want to do with it, and how much you're willing to spend."

"I figured. Which is why I needed help. I don't know what's a good value in computer things. Thank you for agreeing to help."

"My pleasure."

"I was expecting it to cost a lot more than that," Brighid said, following Ryan up the sidewalk to his door.

"It doesn't have to, if you're familiar with the stuff that's available. Would you like to come in for a bit, have some coffee?" It was clear that he merely wanted company. Brighid wondered just how much time he spent alone.

"I'd like that." She followed him into the kitchen, where he motioned her to a seat and then got the coffee machine going. As he sat down, she said, "I want to thank you for setting that up for me. I'd still be reading instructions, if left to myself." She chuckled at her own inability to understand computers.

Ryan waved it off. "No big deal. I was glad to do it. Will you excuse me a minute? Nature's calling."

Brighid smiled at him and nodded. Once he left the room, she sat and thought for a minute.

He doesn't seem crazy, or the slightest bit unstable. He just seems lonely. Still, I guess his sister should know him well enough to know. Maybe it's just not obvious what he's like.

Brighid got up and wandered into the living room. She liked the decoration, though it was simple and fairly straightforward, without being fancy or at all heavy-handed. She saw his computer on the desk, an older one from the looks of it. There was a bit of clutter, but nothing unexpected, for a guy's house. She was about to return to the kitchen when she accidentally bumped a pile of magazines onto the floor.

Crouching down to pick them up, she found a copy of Playboy that had been buried under all the other magazines, and also a printed copy of a story. The magazine didn't really faze her much; he was a bachelor, after all. The story had corrections marked on it, and she figured it must be one of his. After cleaning up the pile of magazines, she sat down on the couch to read it out of sheer curiosity.

When Ryan came out of the bathroom after several minutes, he spotted Brighid on the sofa, reading something. It didn't occur to him until he got closer just what she was reading, and then he blanched. Just then, she heard him, and she looked up, blushing.

"Oh! Uh... I... um, didn't mean to pry. I was looking around, and I knocked the magazines off the table there, and the story caught my eye. This is very...interesting."

Ryan looked over her shoulder to see which part she had gotten to. Seeing the words "naked" and then "cock," he knew exactly where she was. He took the story from her hands and set it over on the table again.

Great. I knew I shouldn't have left that lying around. To Brighid, he said, "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Brighid got up and followed him into the kitchen. She sat down again while he poured coffee. "Why? You're writing is pretty good. I'll admit, that scene kind of shocked me, but..." She shrugged. "How long have you been writing stuff like that?"

He set her coffee in front of her. "Milk or sugar?"

"Sugar, please."

He grabbed the sugar and sat down. "About a year now, I guess. I've been reading that kind of thing for a while, and just decided to try it out."

"Well, your writing is really good."

"Thanks."

Brighid could see he was embarrassed to talk about it with her. She decided to change the subject, but wasn't sure to what.

Ryan turned his head away, unable to look her in the eye. He had known that this particular issue might cause him trouble in future relationships, but he hadn't expected to have to worry about it. His eyes looked for something to land on, and he saw the paper lying open, and saw the headline, proclaiming an uproar over a movie that was coming to town.

Brighid watched him, and saw where his eyes lingered. She looked herself, and read the headline. "What's that about?"

"That new Oliver Stone film is coming out, and everyone's up in arms about it. It's another conspiracy theory thing."

"Oh. Oh, yeah, now I remember. I'd thought I might like to go see it, just to see what the fuss was about."

"Yeah, I'd thought the same thing. Maybe we should go together when it comes out."

Brighid noted very carefully that he had not asked her out. He had not offered to take her to the movie; he had asked if they might go together. She was not offended; indeed she was encouraged.

"That might be fun," she said. "When is it supposed to get here?"

"Next weekend."

"Okay, good. You want to meet at the theater, or..."

"Better if you come get me, that way we don't miss each other," he said. He didn't offer to come get her because this gave her every opportunity to decide she didn't want to go.

Brighid nodded, understanding his tactic, but accepting it. "All right. I'll call you on Friday to make sure you still want to go. Look, I should get going. I have a computer to learn how to use."

Ryan smiled at her, and rose as she did. He accompanied her to the door, and opened it for her.

"Thanks again for your help," she said with that same warm smile she was often wearing. He nodded with a smile of his own.

"See you later," he said with a hopeful note in his voice. Brighid wasn't sure exactly what she should feel. He didn't seem crazy. His writing, while a little more lurid than she was used to reading, showed no hints of instability... in fact she had thought his story idea was very creative. She shook her head and got behind the wheel.

Fiona knows him better than I do. I've only spoken to him twice. She started the car and proceeded home.

...---===EWPUB.ORG===---...

"So, what did you find out?" Fiona asked eagerly.

Brighid was a little perplexed by Fiona's attitude. She felt that there should be more concern in Fiona's demeanor, rather than a conspiratorial gleam in her eye. Still, she didn't know what to make of it, so she shrugged it off and moved on.

"Well, I've taken him with me on a couple different errands, and I've been in his apartment twice. Honestly, I haven't seen anything that would indicate that he's spending his money unwisely. Hell, I haven't even seen signs that he's spending any significant amount of money at all."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for instance, he's still using a fairly old computer. When we were at the computer store, he didn't even look around for one for himself. I would have thought, if he has a big inheritance, it would be something he would want to buy."

Fiona waved that off. Nothing about his computer would help her cause. "Did you see anything at all?"

"Well, no, not really. I mean, he's obviously interested in sex, given the copy of Playboy I saw, and his writing."

"What about his writing?" Fiona asked, her ears perking up.

"He writes erotica. I stumbled across it once when I knocked some stuff over. After we went to that god-awful movie together, I asked him if I could read the rest of it. He's pretty good, really."

Fiona leaned forward. "What was it about?"

Brighid shrugged. "It's a fantasy story about magic and stuff. It just happens to contain sex. There's nothing in it that would lead me to believe he's unstable."

Fiona frowned, and then dismissed it as irrelevant. "I know it may seem to you like he's okay, but our parents and I are convinced he's not handling it well. Could you please keep doing what you're doing? Maybe if you take him on errands where he's supposed to spend money, it would show up. Find a way to get him to show his true spending habits."

Brighid sat and considered for a long moment, then nodded. She wasn't sure, but Fiona was so convincing with her plea that it was hard to turn her down. "Okay, that might be a good idea, I guess."

"Thanks, Brighid. I mean that. I feel better knowing you're keeping an eye on him." As Brighid left the office, Fiona stood up from her chair and walked back into her apartment.

"Shit. That bitch probably isn't nosy enough. There's got to be something in his life that I can nail him with! Fucker thinks he's so high and mighty, just because Aunt Karen liked him best. I had to put up with that cunt as much as he did! I deserve half of that money!" Fiona made herself a drink, and gulped it down.

"One way or another, Ryan. You little prick."

...---===EWPUB.ORG===---...

Ryan was walking beside Brighid along a quiet path. They had spent the day at the amusement park. Brighid had watched carefully as Ryan had spent without concern, but she certainly didn't consider his spending flagrant or reckless. They had finally tired of the rides and games, and so had left, and walked into the small city park next to the tourist attraction. Trees had been placed to absorb the noise of the rides, and it was a surprisingly quiet place to be, but it wasn't a very popular green space, and so they had the path to themselves. Brighid had led him here for a reason.

"I had a good time today," she said quietly, looking over at him.

"Yeah, it was fun," he agreed readily. Though he'd grown comfortable being around her, Ryan was a little edgy about being this close to her alone. All of their other outings had been in very public places, and they'd gone merely as friends. He sensed something was different, but he didn't know what, and he wasn't able to read her. It made him very nervous.

"Ryan, we've been out together, what... twice a week for the last month or so?"

"Something like that, I guess. I haven't been keeping track." He slapped himself mentally for that comment, fearing it would insult her.

Brighid took the comment at face value. She'd grown used to Ryan's way of speaking, and to his nervousness concerning women. She'd come to have serious doubts about Fiona's 'concern' for her brother.

Brighid stopped, and turned to face him. Ryan did the same, keeping a good amount of space between them.

"Do you ever plan to ask me out on a date?" Brighid asked, rather bluntly. She kept her voice soft and friendly; she wasn't demanding anything.

Ryan immediately blushed crimson, and looked down at his feet. He shrugged, and looked up, but couldn't really look her in the eyes. "I'd thought about it, but I figured you'd say no."

Brighid smiled slightly. She said, "Try me."

Finally, he looked her in the eyes. "Would you like to go out to dinner tomorrow night?"

"I'd love to," she said brightly. "See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?" She stepped a little closer to him. She reached up and softly caressed his cheek, then she leaned in and gave him a very light kiss.

Ryan was stunned, but not so badly as not to kiss back. It only lasted a second, but it was enough to make him just a little dizzy. He didn't move after she broke the kiss, and she gave him a few moments to collect himself.

"So," she said, after he'd finally gotten his senses back and they were walking back down the path toward the car, "where are you taking me tomorrow?"

...---===EWPUB.ORG===---...

Ryan bounced on the balls of his feet nervously as he waited for the elevator. He had not been on a date in a very long time, and he really wasn't sure if he remembered how to react or not. The elevator dinged, and he stepped back to let whoever might be on board out...

...Only to come face to face with Brighid. She smiled at him as she stepped off the elevator.

"That's what I call timing," she said with a smile and a giggle. Ryan blushed.

"I was just coming up to get you..."

"I know. But no point in making you ride that elevator if you don't have to. Can we go? I'm starving."

Ryan bowed to her desire, and motioned her toward the door. He still managed to get there before her, to open it. She smiled and breezed through with the style and grace he'd come to expect from her.

"Isn't this like the most expensive restaurant in town?" Brighid asked quietly after the maitre d' left them alone."

Ryan shrugged. "I didn't go comparing them. I just knew this was a nice place to eat."

Brighid smiled at him. It was more proof to her that Ryan had no status awareness at all, and so was unlikely to splurge money just to show off. Fiona's wrong. I can feel it. There's nothing wrong with him, except he feels alone. With their relationship the way it is, it's no wonder. He has no family here, and the only friends he's mentioned to me are online friends. He's certainly nice enough... maybe he's just too shy for most girls.

Brighid's thoughts were interrupted as the waiter arrived to begin his spiel about the special of the day. She hoped he'd go away soon; she was hoping to get to know Ryan on a more personal level than they'd managed in previous outings.

After their orders had been placed - she'd let Ryan order her dinner - the waiter departed and they were alone again. She smiled over at Ryan, who had managed to order one of her favorite meals without asking. He blushed slightly, and looked away for a moment.

"Ryan... do you have any dreams for the future?"

He cocked his head slightly at her. "You mean, what do I want to do when I grow up?" He grinned at her as she blushed this time. "I don't know. My back makes it difficult to do a lot of things. I haven't really decided what I'd like to pursue."

"Have you thought of trying to be a professional writer?"

"I'm not good enough for that."

"That's not what your editor said." Ryan looked at her in shock. Before he could ask the question, she told him, "If you didn't want me to read the email, you should have removed it from the copy of the story you gave me to read." She giggled at his obvious discomfiture.

"He's just being nice."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"From some of his comments, he didn't strike me as the type who says things to be nice."

"Well..."

Ryan was saved from the situation when the waiter returned with their hors d'oeuvres. After the waiter left, Ryan picked up one of the breadsticks and bit into it.

"These are great," he said.

To Brighid, it was clear he was changing the subject. She didn't want to press him on it, so she let it slide. A moment later, she agreed with him about the breadsticks.

"That really was a great dinner," she said on the way back to the car. She was hoping he wanted to spend more time with her; she hated going home after short dates; they made her feel lonely.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go for a boat ride on the river," he said, as if reading her thoughts. Brighid turned to him with a smile.

"I'd like that."

The ride to the pier was quiet, and she didn't say anything as he bought their tickets. The boat would hold only twenty people, and it wasn't even half full this trip. Brighid followed Ryan to the farthest corner, away from the rest of the people who had chosen to sit closer to the boat captain. Those people were tourists, and wanted to hear the man's monologue about the city. Ryan had no interest in the city at the moment.

As the boat left the dock, Ryan felt Brighid move closer to him. He took a chance, and slipped his arm out from between them, and around her back. She immediately slid over next to him, and smiled softly at him.

"This is nice," she whispered. He merely nodded, as he didn't trust his voice just then. He was having trouble concentrating with her so close to him. He squeezed her a little tighter, and then looked up, seeing the few stars that made it through the city lights. The moon, also, brightened the sky.

"Ryan, look!" Brighid whispered urgently, nudging him and then pointing into the water. He looked down to see a river otter swimming alongside the boat for a short distance. They both watched in amazement; otters weren't common on this river anymore. Brighid leaned closer to Ryan to see over the edge of the boat as the otter moved a little closer.

Suddenly, the otter swerved and dove, apparently catching its final meal of the day. Brighid stared after it for a few seconds, and then she leaned back only slightly. She turned her head to see that Ryan was watching her, instead of the water. She smiled softly at him, and then she turned her head fully toward him.

As their lips met, it was as if the rest of the world disappeared into a mist. For the two of them at that moment, the world did not exist. The kiss was soft and warm, but never insistent. It was a gentle sharing of affection that lasted for a long moment until finally, by mutual consent, their lips parted. Brighid didn't sit back; she pushed herself closer to him, and they kissed again, just as tenderly.

The rest of the boat ride passed without either of them noticing a single part of their surroundings. Luckily, none of the other passengers was offended by their affections, and they were left alone. By the time the boat trip was over, the two people had become a couple.

...---===EWPUB.ORG===---...

Brighid paced uncomfortably in the hallway, waiting for Fiona to come back from her lunch. She checked her watch again, for the third time in as many minutes. She didn't think the conversation she was about to have was going to be an entirely pleasant one. She would not, however, continue to spy on someone she was considering a boyfriend.

Finally, after another five minutes of waiting, Fiona came in the front door. She scowled to see someone waiting at the office for her. Her look brightened only marginally when she saw who it was.

"Hey, Brighid. What's up?"

"I need to talk about... that thing you asked me to do."

Fiona's eyes narrowed in anticipation of what could be some useful information. Finally, she got something on the fucker. Fiona unlocked the office and led Brighid in. Normally, Brighid would have sat down, but not today. Instead, she paced back and forth in the office now, feeling even more confined. Fiona sat and waited as patiently as she could. Finally, Brighid stopped and faced her.

"I've been looking over your brother's shoulder for over a month now. There's nothing in his life that tells me he's wasting money. Hell, there's nothing that even tells me he's spending much in the way of money! The times he's paid for our whole outing, he hasn't been wasteful. Generous, maybe, but not irrationally so."

"So, you had to talk to me to tell me absolutely nothing?" Fiona said, her tone turning darker. She was annoyed that her anticipation was now unrewarded.

"No. I had to talk to you to tell you I'm not going to spy on him for you anymore. I just can't justify invading his privacy for you."

Fiona stood up. "Look, Brighid, I know it may feel that way, but you're not. My brother has serious problems. Maybe he's good at hiding them, better than he used to be. All I know is that he's not capable of handling the responsibility of so much money!"

"Maybe you're underestimating him," Brighid offered.

"No, I'm not!" Fiona was really getting worked up. She was angry that her puppet was trying to cut its strings. "Look, you've already told me about his porn addiction," - she had never called it that - "and his writing only feeds into it. That's not normal!"

"It's not a sign of insanity, either," Brighid replied.

"You don't know him like I do!" Fiona said, her voice rising to almost a shout. "That little brat has been a problem for all of his life! He's always needed more attention! I've tried to put up with it, Lord knows I've tried, but I've had it. For years, it's always been him, him, him! Mom and Dad love him best, you know. I was always pushed aside because of him!

"I'm not putting up with that anymore! He can't handle that money, and the entire family knows it! You've got to get me something I can use against him!"

Fiona stopped abruptly. She knew she'd just said something she shouldn't have. She had been so caught up in the lie she was weaving, and so eager to get Brighid back on her side, that it had slipped out before she realized what she was saying. Unfortunately, taking words back is as impossible as putting toothpaste back in the tube.

Brighid stood stock still, her hands frozen at her sides. "You're not interested in helping your brother at all. You're trying to hurt him. How could you do this to me? You want to hate your brother, that's your business. But you lied to me to get me to help you hurt him!

"I can't believe I listened to all of your crap. Was anything you told me true? I should have paid more attention to what Eric said; he said there was nothing wrong with Ryan. He also told me not to trust you!"

"That stupid troublemaking sonofabitch doesn't know what the hell he's talking about," Fiona seethed. "And I don't need to take this crap from you. Just remember, I hold your lease!"

Brighid took two steps, reached across and slapped Fiona hard. Fiona reeled from the assault, and Brighid's eyes burned in anger. "How dare you threaten me. You just try to have me evicted, and the things that Eric has complained about will seem like a compliment compared to what happens when I call the housing board on you."

Brighid wheeled and went to the door, then she quickly turned back. "By the way," she added as a final insult, "your brother and I are dating." She turned, without waiting for a comment, and left, slamming the door behind her.

...---===EWPUB.ORG===---...

"This is really good," Ryan said. Brighid smiled at his compliment. They were sitting at his kitchen table, sharing dinner. She didn't know how this evening was going to go, exactly, and she was a little worried.

For Ryan, the evening was, so far, a splendid event. He had only been on two formal 'dates' with Brighid, but he'd been spending time with her enough that he felt very comfortable in her presence. He hoped tonight might lead to them making love; she'd hinted that it was a different sort of evening for them.

Throughout the meal, Brighid became more tense. She tried to mask it behind a smile and soft giggles at his jokes, but Ryan was no fool; he could see that there was something wrong. He let it slide, though, hoping it was just something she was nervous about, or that it was perhaps even anticipation.

By the time they got to dessert, however, it was clear that it was not a good tension.

"Is something the matter, Brighid?"

She was at the counter, slicing a cheesecake, when he'd ask. He saw her body tense, and then she visibly relaxed. "No, it's okay. Don't worry about it." She turned and set the cheesecake in front of him. "I hope you like it," she said with an obviously forced smile on her face.

Ryan eyed her for a long moment, but then he went ahead and ate the cheesecake. It was delicious, but now he was far too concerned about what was bugging Brighid to truly enjoy it. When he'd finished, he looked over at her, and noted that, like her dinner, she'd barely touched her dessert.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

Brighid started, as if she'd been lost in her own thoughts until he'd spoken. "It's nothing. Did you like the cheesecake?"

"It was great." He rose and, getting a nod from her, took her plate over to the counter where he set it with the other dirty dishes. Turning back, he saw her get up from the table.

"I need to use the restroom," she said, and headed out of the kitchen. Ryan took the opportunity to set things in order for cleaning up later, then he went to wait in the living room for her. He thought to turn on some soft music, but wasn't sure if that would be too forward, or pushy. He hated his lack of experience with women, and his lack of any instinct of what to do around them. He sat uncomfortably until she came back out of the bathroom.

When Brighid finally emerged from the restroom, she came and sat beside Ryan, but he could tell that she was feeling even more nervous than before. He took her hand and said, "Brighid, what's wrong?" His voice indicated that he wasn't going to let it slide this time.

Brighid pulled away from him and stood up, walking to the other side of the room. Ryan could see she was struggling with herself, and he waited until she turned around.

"I've done something I shouldn't have. I don't think there's any way that I can make it up to you, and I know you're going to hate me for it."

Ryan stood up and went to her. He took hold of her hand gently, and brought her back to the couch. "Tell me," he said softly. It wasn't an order; he was merely indicating he wanted to know about it.

"The day we met," she said, her voice quiet but steady, "you remember, Fiona's birthday party?"

"I remember," he said.

"That was a setup. Your sister asked me to keep an eye on you."

Ryan's jaw clenched, and he let her hand slip from his, because he was afraid of hurting her by squeezing too hard. He clenched both of his hands tightly, trying to control his anger.

"Why?"

"She said that you were unstable, and that she was worried about you. Something about a new inheritance, and you would be unable to handle it..."

"Why did you go along with it?" Ryan asked, trying, and succeeding for the most part, to keep his voice even.

"I didn't know you at all. I thought she was telling me the truth. I was doing a favor for a friend... and I thought it might also help you, if you were unstable, to have help."

Ryan stood up and walked over to the window. He looked out for a minute, but then turned back. "So what have you told her?"

Brighid looked down at her hands. "I told her about your writing. I told her that you look at porn. Mainly I told her that I didn't see anything." She looked up at him, and then looked away, because of the hurt she saw in his eyes.

"So this whole thing has been bullshit. Why tell me about it now? Is my sister done spying on me?"

Brighid's head snapped back around to stare him straight in the eyes. "We have not been bullshit! Ryan, I know what I did was awful, but nothing I've ever told you about how I feel or anything has been a lie."

She could see Ryan's jaw set. Her eyes began to mist as she knew what he was thinking. The tears spilled over when it came out of his mouth.

"How am I supposed to believe you now?"

Brighid's tears spilled onto her cheeks, and Ryan felt a twinge of regret for his actions, but his anger was overriding those more sentimental feelings.

"Why tell me now?" he asked, more harshly than he meant to. He knew he was losing control.

"Because I found out what she was doing," Brighid said through her tears. "I didn't know until just a couple days ago. Please, Ryan, you have to believe that."

Ryan turned away from her, and stared out the window again. Part of him wanted to believe her, and another part wanted to lash out for the pain this caused. A third and more vicious part said that he would make his sister pay dearly for this.

He heard Brighid stand up, and come closer to him, but she stopped about halfway.

"Ryan?"

He couldn't turn around. The hurt he was feeling wasn't really Brighid's fault, and he knew that, but to have her be part of it...

"I think you should leave. I need time to think about this."

"Ryan... what are you saying?" Brighid's voice quavered.

"I'm not saying anything... just that I need to be alone right now."

"Okay. I'll.. leave. I'm..." Brighid's voice cracked, and it took her a long time to recover. "I'm sorry, Ryan." She left the room, and he heard her close the front door on her way out. He didn't move, didn't turn, didn't look. He stayed exactly where he was for a long time, before he finally turned off the lights, and went to bed. Alone.

...---===EWPUB.ORG===---...

Eric stepped out of his apartment, and began to walk down the hall, Sandy leading him. As they moved, Eric heard Sandy whimper slightly. He stopped, and knelt down, worrying that she might have something in her foot. After checking all four feet and finding nothing, he checked her over thoroughly. During this, she continued to whine very quietly.

"What's the matter, girl?" Eric wasn't sure exactly where he was, but luckily, the numbers on the apartment doors were raised. He felt for a knob, and the numbers said thirty-six. Brighid's apartment.

It was then that Eric realized he had not seen Brighid for a couple days, and that this was unusual. He normally saw her every day, in their comings and goings. Since there was no 'standing arrangement' for them to meet, he hadn't paid attention to not seeing her. Now, he began to worry.

Eric knocked on Brighid's door, and waited. He didn't get an answer, so he knocked louder. Meanwhile, Sandy continued her soft whining. Eric's fear grew worse.

As he continued to knock, another tenant stuck their head out.

"Eric? Everything okay?"

"Oh, hi, Tracy. No. Have you seen Brighid today?"

Tracy thought for a long moment. "No. I haven't seen her for a couple days now." Tracy's voice took a concerned tone. "I wonder if she's all right..."

"I'm going to call Ryan. Maybe they got back together and she's been with him," Eric said determinedly.

"Let me know what happens?" Tracy asked.

"Yeah. C'mon Sandy." Eric returned to his apartment.

It had been six days since he'd seen Brighid. He was no longer angry, but he couldn't bring himself to call her. Ryan paced through the house, trying to find something to do that would get his mind off it. Things had certainly fallen apart on him fast. He didn't know what he wanted to do. One part of him said that he couldn't trust Brighid after her acting that way. Another part said he was very much alone, and her company was the only thing that would fill that void.

He was absent-mindedly making lunch when the phone rang. For a brief moment, he thought it might be Brighid calling, but his logic quashed that; she wouldn't call him. He'd asked her to leave, and she would expect him to call when he'd made up his mind. He picked up the phone.

"Hello?" he said in a dead voice.

"Ryan? It's Eric. Brighid's neighbor. You remember, we met some weeks ago..."

"I remember," Ryan said. "What can I do for you?"

"Is Brighid over at your place?"

Ryan felt a stab at that question. He answered sharply, "No."

Eric's voice grew more concerned. "The reason I ask is that I haven't seen her in a couple of days, and that's unusual. And Sandy... you know, my dog... stopped in front of her apartment and whined. That's strange for Sandy."

"I'll be right over," Ryan said, and hung up before Eric could possibly answer. He grabbed his jacket and his cell phone and was out the door in a flash. He was in his car before it ever occurred to him to wonder why he was rushing so fast. Why do I care so much?

Ryan found Eric waiting for him in the hallway, standing outside Brighid's door. Eric turned as he heard someone coming.

"Ryan?"

"Yeah."

"I've been knocking, but I don't get any answer."

Ryan knocked sharply on the door, hoping the more vigorous knock would wake her if she was sleeping. That managed to get Tracy's attention across the hall, but garnered no response from Brighid's apartment.

"Are you her boyfriend?" Tracy asked.

Ryan stopped short of answering, and then he pulled out his cell phone.

"Who are you calling?" Tracy asked. Again, Ryan didn't answer her. She got her answer, however, when the phone in Brighid's apartment started ringing. Ryan knew she didn't turn the answering machine on unless she was going out, so if it didn't kick in...

The phone rang eight times, without an answer. He hung up, now determined to get inside that apartment. "You two wait here. I'm going to get a key."

"The manager will never give you the key," Tracy said.

"The manager is my sister," Ryan replied harshly, "and she'll give me the key or regret it." He hustled down the hall, ignoring the elevator for the stairs. He was on the first floor in a matter of seconds, his back pain ignored for the moment. He burst into Fiona's office.

Fiona looked up angrily. "What the fuck do you want?" she snarled when she recognized him.

"Give me your keys," he said, his voice hard and angry.

"Why should I give -" she started.

"GIVE ME YOUR GODDAMNED KEYS!" Ryan shouted. Fiona was taken aback, and she took the keys out of her drawer and handed them over, afraid that he might actually get violent in his current state.

"What's going on?" she asked to a retreating back. She decided to follow him, thought that proved almost impossible. By the time she even opened the stairwell door, he was already on the second floor and moving up quickly.

Ryan was in front of Brighid's door seconds later, trying to figure which one of the many keys would open the door. He was about ready to break the damned door down when Eric placed his hand on Ryan's shoulder.

"Give me the key ring." Ryan reluctantly handed it over. As quickly as he could, Eric felt each of the keys. It took him only thirty seconds to pick two. He held them up and gave the keys back to Eric.

"How do you know?"

"My key is the one between them."

Ryan tried the first one, to no avail. Cursing, he tried the other, and the lock opened. As soon as the door was opened, they knew exactly why Sandy had whined; the smell was very strong.

"Should I call 911?" Tracy asked.

"Not yet. I'll do it after I know what's wrong," Ryan said. He moved into the apartment. The smell was strong; the odor of human waste and... something else.

When he made his way to the bedroom, he made the unfortunate mistake of gasping in horror. The smell made him nauseous, and he had to fight to control himself. Brighid was in very bad shape. He rushed to her side.

The first thing he did was check for a pulse, but as soon as his hand touched her neck, her eyes opened and tried to focus on him.

"Brighid? Brighid, honey, it's Ryan," he said, struggling to keep his voice steady. She was lying in things he didn't want to think about, and there was a bucket of vomit next to the bed. The smell was fighting to knock him over. He had to get her cleaned up, and then to the hospital. He picked her up out of the bed, ignoring whatever might get on his jacket. She tried to raise her arms to put them around him, but she was too weak.

Ryan fought back tears as he took her into the bathroom and laid her in the tub. He pulled her nightgown off her body, and then he turned on the water in the sink, to let it get hot. Once the water in the sink was hot, he turned on the tub, which let out only spurts of cold water before it warmed right up. He found a wash cloth and soap, and he gently scrubbed Brighid clean.

After he felt she was clean enough, Ryan picked her up and carried her out to the bedroom. He couldn't set her on the bed, so he put her in a padded chair next to the bed. Another few minutes had her dry and covered, though not with all the necessary undergarments. He picked her up one last time, and carried her through the apartment.

He found his sister waiting with the others in the hallway.

"Call County General and tell them I'm on my way. I don't know what's wrong with her, but she is very weak."

"Maybe you should wait for an ambulance," Fiona suggested. He didn't even hear her as he kicked open the door to the fire stairs and made his way down.

"She has a major infection in her spleen. It's a good thing you got her here when you did. She wouldn't have lasted very much longer."

"Is she going to be all right?" Ryan asked, nearly choking on the words.

"I believe so, but she's going to feel very weak and ill for several more days. We'll want to keep her here for at least another day. Once she shows signs of improvement, we'll let her go home if she wants... but she's going to need someone with her to make sure she doesn't take a turn for the worse again."

Ryan nodded. The doctor said, "I'll let you sit with her. Try not to tire her; that will make it harder for her body to fight it."

Ryan nodded again, almost absently. "Thank you, Doctor."

The doctor walked away, and Ryan entered Brighid's room. She looked horrible, with tubes in her arms, her hair matted from being wet earlier, and just generally pale and unhealthy. She was awake, though not terribly interested in the world around her. Ryan walked over and took her hand.

Brighid felt his touch and turned her head to look at him. She tried to smile, but it barely came through her discomfort. His heart broke looking at her, realizing how close he'd come to losing her altogether. He leaned down and hugged her without putting his arms behind her, mainly resting his head on her shoulder. She could feel him shudder with his fear at what might have been.

Brighid turned her head just slightly, and kissed him softly on the cheek. She whispered, "Thank you," to him, and then kissed him again. Ryan pulled away from her just a bit, then, so he could look into her eyes.

"I'm sorry about what I said to you," he said. He'd come to realize just what she meant to him when he thought he might lose her.

"It's okay," she said softly. She didn't have the strength to even muster a louder voice. "I understand."

"Can I stay here with you for a while?" he asked.

"I'd like that," she replied. He could see she was tired. He rubbed her cheek softly with his hand and pulled a few strands of hair out of her face. She pressed her cheek against his hand for a moment, then closed her eyes. Ryan's eyes automatically flicked to the heart monitor, but it showed a steady rhythm; she was only asleep.

...---===EWPUB.ORG===---...

"I don't want you to attempt to return to work for at least three more days. You are not well yet, though you are on your way. The infection itself is gone, but your system needs to recuperate."

"I understand, Doctor," Brighid said quietly.

"Can I speak to you for a moment outside?" he said to Ryan. Ryan looked to Brighid, who just smiled at him and reached for the clothes he had brought her so she could get dressed. Ryan followed the doctor out into the hall.

"What's the matter?" Ryan asked immediately.

"I don't like letting her leave. This is an insurance issue with the hospital. She's going to be okay - I think - but someone needs to keep a close eye on her to make sure she's recovering, and that she doesn't get hit by some opportunistic infection while she's still weak."

Ryan nodded. "I'll be staying with her for at least the next week... should that be long enough?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes. You'd see signs if she was still sick at the end of a week. She should be able to go back to work by then, and be pretty much back to normal. If she's not, you need to get her to see her doctor."

"Okay. Thanks." The two shook hands, and the doctor moved off down the hall as Ryan returned to the room.

Ryan blushed and turned around quickly when he saw that Brighid was just fastening her bra. "Sorry," he said, his face burning in embarrassment.

"Ryan, it's okay. It's not like you haven't seen me naked." He turned around and stared at her, ashen. "I may not have been very coherent, but I do remember you bathing me before you brought me here." She was in the process of buttoning her blouse, and she stopped to walk over to him, and hug him. She laid her head on his chest, and sighed. "Thank you. I owe you my life."

Ryan didn't know what to say to that, and so he hugged her in return and kept his mouth shut. After a long minute, she let him go, and finished buttoning her blouse. She bent down to put on her shoes, and Ryan could see her legs shaking. She was still very tired, and Ryan knew the doctor was right about her condition. He went over to be near her, in case she needed him, but she managed to do it herself.

"Can we get out of here now?" she asked.

Ryan put his arm around her protectively, and the left the hospital together. He'd parked as close as he could, but she was still worn out by the walk. He helped her into her seat, and soon they were off down the road.

It took her a little while to realize something was wrong. "This isn't how you get to my place from the hospital."

"Nope. It's not," he agreed.

"So where are we going?"

"My house." He could feel her eyes on him, so he decided to explain. "Your apartment won't be fully cleaned until tomorrow afternoon, anyway. I hired a professional medical cleaner to come in and disinfect and all that without damaging anything. Besides, the doctor told me to keep an eye on you. I can't do that from a couple miles away."

"Ryan, I..." There was a lump in Brighid's throat, and she was having trouble speaking. He took his hand off the wheel and grasped hers, looking briefly into her eyes.

"You don't need to say anything, Brighid. We'll talk about it later." He kept his hand on hers as he drove, and they finally pulled into his driveway.

As Ryan unlocked the house and opened the door, Brighid said, "Do I have anything else to wear here?"

In response, Ryan just led her back to the guest bedroom. He'd taken about half her wardrobe, and three-quarters of her shoes, hoping that would be enough for her to choose from. She took one look, and turned to wrap her arms around him.

"You're so wonderful!" she cried out. He held onto her, happy to have her in his arms again. He realized how foolish he'd been to push her away in the first place, all because of his sister.

My sister nearly killed you, without even trying. The bitch.

It was clear that Brighid was exhausted from even just the moving around she'd done. He let her go so she could use the restroom, and he turned down the bed for her. He'd bought her a new nightgown, because the old one was ruined. He hoped she liked the color; they'd not had the pale green she'd been wearing.

When she came back in and saw what he'd done, she smiled at him. She pointed to the nightgown. "For me?"

"I don't think it would look right on me..." he said with a chuckle. She began to undress again, and he averted his gaze politely. She smiled to herself, but didn't want to embarrass him again, so she merely finished removing her clothes, and reached down for the nightgown. While she was close to him, she turned and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks," she whispered. She could feel the heat of his blush. Standing up, she slipped the nightgown on. It was a much nicer one than she had been wearing before, and it felt wonderful against her skin. Ryan finally turned his eyes back to look at her.

"You look beat," he said softly. "You need to rest."

She wasn't about to argue with him; she was having trouble keeping her eyes open. He helped her into bed, and then he kissed her softly on the lips. She relished that touch, brief as it was.

"I'll check on you in a couple hours. Holler if you need anything." He ran his hand along her cheek and pushed that same bunch of stray hairs out of her face again, and then turned to go.

"Ryan?" Brighid called out softly. He turned back immediately, a question on his face. "Why?"

He knew what she was asking, he just didn't know if he could answer her. He turned back and sat beside her on the bed, his hand reaching out to rub her cheek again. Finally, he mustered up enough courage to say it.

"Because I love you."

He saw the tears in her eyes as she smiled at him. "I love you, too," she said, her voice choked up with emotion. He leaned down and kissed her again, still softly, but with far more meaning this time.

Once their lips parted, he smiled at her. "You still have to take a nap, little girl," he said in a mock-stern voice. She giggled at him, and rolled onto her side, snuggling into the covers to go to sleep. He ran his hand along her side briefly, and whispered. "Sleep well, Sweetie." He got up and left the room, closing the door halfway so any noise wouldn't bother her.

...---===EWPUB.ORG===---...

It took six days, in fact, before Brighid felt she was strong enough to return to work at the restaurant. All of them were glad to see her, since they knew she'd been in the hospital. She put in a full day, and she was glad to be getting off work. Ryan had made her promise to come to his house, rather than going to her apartment. In truth, she didn't mind a bit.

Ryan met her at the door with a kiss and a hug. He'd heard her pull in the driveway, and he had been missing her all day. She melted against him and pressed her lips against his. He held onto her until he thought he would burst, and then he reluctantly let her go.

"How was your day?" he said with a smile. He followed her back to the guest room so she could get out of her shoes, at least.

"Stressful. God, I'd forgotten how hectic that job is." Brighid ran her hand along the back of her neck, trying to work out a kink.

Ryan stepped up behind her and began to knead her neck and shoulders. She let her hand fall away, and drooped her head forward as he worked out the tension in her muscles. She spent so much of her day looking down at paperwork and then up and around the restaurant that she often came home sore.

After a few minutes of Ryan's massage, she felt a lot better. She turned around and hugged him. His hands, which had not had a chance to move, slid around to the back of her head and cupped it tenderly. She tilted her head up slightly, and his lips met hers. Their lips pressed together harder as they kissed, and her hands rubbed his back.

Suddenly, Ryan felt her hands leave his back, but before he could really wonder what she was doing, he felt her tongue slide out of her mouth and press against his lips. He slowly allowed it entrance, and her tongue slid wetly across his own, and teased it with tiny flicks.

Brighid took hold of Ryan's hands and slipped them down onto her shoulders, which were now completely bare, as she had taken off her blouse and bra while she had distracted him with her tongue. His hands caressed her shoulders and she pressed herself tightly against him, wanting to feel his body against her.

Ryan slid his hands onto Brighid's back, marveling at the feel of the silky skin of her body. Brighid moaned softly as he touched her. His fingers danced small circles across her skin and it felt electric.

After only a little while, she couldn't take it anymore, and she began to pull on Ryan's shirt. It was soon pulled out of his pants and was making its way up his chest. When she couldn't push it any further, she reluctantly broke their kiss. In a flash, his shirt was off his body and on the floor, and she pushed herself against him. She could see that he was a little confused by her forcefulness, but she saw no rejection in his gaze.

Brighid unsnapped and unzipped her uniform skirt, and it fell to the floor. Her eyes never wavered from Ryan's, and she tried to communicate to him her love for him, and her desire. Ryan's hands went back to caressing her skin, slipping down into the small of her back and up all the way to the base of her neck. She began to work at his Tracys, and since she refused to move away from him to do it, it took her much longer than normal.

When the Tracys were finally undone, she struggled to get them off his hips. Finally, the two were standing in only underwear, and gazing intently into each other's eyes, their bodies pressed together. Neither wanted to move, and yet they both knew that their desire would not be unfulfilled this night.

Finally, for the first time, Ryan took the initiative. He pulled away from Brighid just slightly, and stepped clear of his Tracys, kicking off his socks and shoes at the same time. He tenderly pulled her with him toward the bed, and she came willingly. He sat, moving her along with him, until they were side by side on the bed, still gazing into each other's eyes.

Ryan placed his hand on Brighid's cheek, and slipped it back to her ear, tracing lightly along the lobe. She giggled and blushed. His hand trailed down, moving along her neck, and then across her shoulder. She was shivering in anticipation and desire, but she would not rush him: not now.

Ryan's hand slid down her upper arm to her elbow, and then he hesitated. The look in her eyes, however, reassured him, and he moved on, moving his hand forward to gently caress the outer swell of her breast. Brighid inhaled sharply at the feel of his touch, and let out a soft sigh afterward. Ryan allowed his fingers to dawdle, moving in slow, sensual circles over the skin of Brighid's breast.

After some indescribably wonderful period of pleasure, Brighid needed more contact. She gently took hold of Ryan's hand and moved his fingers to her nipple. As his fingers brushed over the swollen nub, she gasped and murmured, "Yes." He continued to strum her nipple, causing her to shudder in bliss.

Ryan's other hand soon joined the game, giving similar pleasure to her other breast. Brighid began to shiver frequently, lost in ecstasy. Her eyes closed and her head tilted back slightly, her mind just letting her body feel.

Ryan, unable to resist himself when he saw her slender neck exposed that way, leaned in and began to kiss her softly on the throat. He could feel her purr on his lips. He slid his one hand from her breast to her side, and pulled her down with him until they were lying on the bed together. She didn't move from his touch, didn't fight him in any way.

Brighid quivered in anticipation as she felt Ryan's hand begin to wander across her abdomen. His fingers danced briefly around her navel, and she squirmed. His fingers then slid down until they were tracing the waistband of her panties. Brighid parted her legs slightly, to give Ryan whatever access he wanted, but he wasn't yet ready to go there.

Ryan slid his hand out to rest against Brighid's hip, and then he slowly moved it down her thigh. Brighid was biting her lip to keep from crying out in pleasant frustration. As Ryan's hand crossed over the front of her thigh, he leaned down and took one nipple into his mouth.

"Oh!" Brighid cried out, not expecting the sudden shock of pleasure coursing through her body. His tongue lapped at her nipple while his lips sucked, and his hand slipped over to the inner thigh of her other leg.

Now, ever so slowly, Ryan's hand moved its way up her inner thigh. Brighid parted her legs even further, giving him ample room to do whatever he wished.

As Ryan's fingers first brushed the moist spot on Brighid's panties, she let out a loud cry, and her body shuddered. He was surprised at her reaction, and as his fingers gingerly rubbed across the fabric, she continued to shudder until she came, her body quaking in pleasure.

Ryan continued to rub until her body's shudders subsided, and then he lifted his fingers. Moving both hands to her hips, he began to gently pull her panties off. Brighid was in no shape to help him, but he managed without her aid, and soon the garment was clear of her body.

Ryan took the opportunity to shed his own briefs before sliding up to lie beside Brighid on the bed. He kissed her jaw, and her ear, and then slid his lips forward to meet her mouth. She eagerly accepted his kiss, parting her lips to let his tongue enter her mouth, and their tongues were soon dancing together as Ryan began to caress her side tenderly.

Gently, Brighid broke their kiss and pushed Ryan away just slightly, so she could look into his eyes.

"I want you to make love to me. Please."

Ryan leaned in and kissed her again, and as he did so, he moved on top of her. Brighid parted her legs widely and brought her ankles around behind his thighs, drawing him closer in, urging him to complete their union.

Ryan broke their kiss and leaned back, looking down at the lovely woman beneath him, and then down at her pussy, upturned and waiting for him. He positioned himself at her entrance, and he pushed forward. Ryan slid inside of her in a long, gentle movement that ended only when he was completely buried inside her. Brighid shivered at the feel of him inside her at last.

Brighid reached up and wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck, gently pulling him back down against her. He came willingly, and their mouths met as their bodies began to move against one another. Brighid moaned into Ryan's mouth as her body shivered and her pussy rippled along his shaft. Ryan groaned with each thrust, awash in the pleasure of her body and never wanting the moment to end.

Ryan slipped his tongue deep into Brighid's waiting mouth as his hips began to move faster against her body, but still smoothly. Their passions consumed their consciousness as their bodies united in a single being, with two hearts, but only one soul. Their movements increased and their bodies danced together, in perfect unison and harmony.

Finally, the passion song reached its crescendo. The couple broke their kiss and screamed out as Ryan poured his seed deep inside of Brighid. The two rocked and writhed together, their bodies still acting as one, and they descended, as one, until they had ceased moving, and simply held each other in silence and unity.

As Ryan felt his arms begin to quiver, on the verge of giving out, he rolled to the side, taking Brighid with him. He slipped from within her, but they remained nestled together on the bed, looking deeply into each other's eyes.

"I love you," Ryan said softly.

"I love you, too," Brighid replied.

After that, no more words needed to be spoken.

...---===EWPUB.ORG===---...

The next morning, Brighid was just sitting down at the table with Ryan to eat their breakfast when there was a sharp rapping at the kitchen door.

"Fiona," Ryan said with a grump. "She's the only one that uses that door, and she refuses to use the front door." He was trying to decide whether or not to bother getting up to let her in when he heard a key inserted into the lock.

By the time she made it all the way in, he was on his feet, facing her, and very upset.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Fiona turned and looked at him, a look of distaste on her face. She saw Brighid clearly out of the corner of her eye, and took note of the fact that she was wearing a nightgown. So it's true.

"You don't come barging into my home without being invited!" Ryan snapped. "I want that key, and I want it now." He held out his hand.

Fiona looked at him as if he'd sprouted wings. "I'm not giving you my key to this house. This house belonged -"

"This house belongs to me. Fine, you don't want to fork over the key, I'll have the locks changed by the end of the day. Why are you here?"

Fiona was angry now. Everything she'd tried had backfired. Not only had her plan to hurt him not worked, but she had, in fact, helped him! It infuriated her. She threw the paper she had been holding in her hand at him. Ryan managed to snatch it out of the air.

"What the hell is this?"

"The bill for your bitch's apartment cleaning."

Ryan held it out to her. "You pay it. It was a necessary expense to make the apartment livable."

"If you think for one moment..." Fiona started, but she didn't have a chance to continue. Brighid had stood up, and walked over behind Ryan. She took the paper out of his hand.

"It's fine, Fiona. I'll pay it." She had a sweet expression on her face. "By the way, I had a nice chat with a friend over at the housing department. He said they might be 'round to see you sometime next week. I imagine he might be interested in your lack of willingness to disinfect a potential health hazard..."

Fiona snatched the paper out of Brighid's hand, snarled at the two of them, and whirled to head back outside, slamming the door as she went.

Ryan turned to Brighid, who wrapped herself around him. "That was classy," he told her with a chuckle.

"You're so sweet!" she gushed melodramatically. They hugged for a long time before returning to their breakfast.

...---===EWPUB.ORG===---...

"I now pronounce you man and wife," the minister said. Ryan lifted Brighid's veil, and the smile on her face filled his heart with love. He leaned in and kissed her, trying to express every ounce of that love for her. The audience applauded as was custom, and then the kiss ended, though it was clear their love never would.

It had been four months since they had declared their love for each other. Four months too long, as far as Ryan was concerned, but he had happily bowed to Brighid's desire to get her situation settled and plan the wedding. As they walked back down the aisle, hand in hand toward the Fellowship Hall and the reception, he couldn't believe his great fortune in having found someone who accepted him for who he was, without asking him to turn into something else.

The reception kicked off in the usual way, and soon the people were chatting and having a good time. Ryan and Brighid shared their first dance as a married couple out on the floor alone, and they made a mess of each other with the cake, and then the toasting began.

Finally, as the formal portion of the reception was coming to an end, Ryan stood up. He felt Brighid's hand slip into his, and he drew comfort and strength from her presence, as he always had. He didn't really feel he needed it just now, but it was still very welcome.

"I'd like to thank all of you for coming today. Some of you came from quite a distance, and I really enjoyed meeting you. Brighid and I appreciate the gifts, the love and support you've all shown us over the last few months.

"I just had a few things I wanted to say before we got down to some real partying." The guests all chuckled at his joke. Turning to his mother, who was sitting next to him, he said, "Mom, I want to thank you for helping Brighid with the wedding. I don't think we could have made it without you. Erin," Ryan said to Brighid's mother, "you, too. You and the girls have welcomed me into your family so thoroughly, I want to thank you for your acceptance."

Ryan went around, giving specific thanks as he and Brighid had decided to do earlier in the week. Finally, the gratuities were over, and he got down to the serious part of his message.

"Now, there's one more thing. Some months ago, I received a fairly large inheritance, and I know the family has been worried about what I would do with it. Until a few months ago, I had no idea what to do with it; it was sitting in a mutual fund earning interest.

"When I asked Brighid to marry me, and the sweet girl said yes, I decided to share this decision with her. We considered quite a few options, but we want to let you know what we decided to do."

At this point, Eric, who had been sitting at the end of the main table as one of Ryan and Brighid's best friends, passed a small box down the table. When it reached Brighid, she opened it. Drawing out the first document inside, she handed it to her husband.

"Mom, I thought about buying you a new house. But I know how you love the one you're in now, and you like the area. So, here is the deed, free and clear." His mother's eyes went wide, and then teared up at the gift her son was giving her. He smiled at her, and he took the next paper that Brighid handed him and said, "And Erin, here is yours."

Both of the mothers were looking at their children with wide eyes now. Finally, Brighid handed him the last two documents in the box, and closed it. These were the two Ryan's mother had been expecting. He'd had to talk to her about this, so she would not be shocked at this moment... at least not unpleasantly.

"And there is one more person to whom I owe a great deal. Someone who desperately needs to be repaid for her actions regarding me. Dear Fiona, without you, Brighid and I would never have gotten together. Had you not lied, tricked, and tried to deceive me, who knows what might have happened."

Fiona had been starting to smile, but that was crushed by his last statement.

"Before I met Brighid, I had considered using the money to purchase real estate, to act as an investment. I had thought about buying your building, Fiona. And letting you run it with a pay increase and better facilities.

"Well, I did buy your building," Ryan said, holding up the deed, and another piece of paper. He handed the deed back down to Brighid, and held out the other paper.

"This is your employment contract with the previous owner," he said, showing it to her so she could recognize it. Then he viciously ripped it in half.

"Fiona, you're fired. I want you out of the apartment by the time we get back from our honeymoon."

Fiona stood, and sputtered. "You can't fire me! There'd be nobody to keep those damned tenants in line!"

Ryan smiled at his sister. "Oh, sure there will. You see, as soon as your gone, your apartment will be expanded and renovated to hold a family. You see, Brighid and I will be moving in to run the building. And we're going to fix up the mess you turned it into."

Fiona turned crimson, and stormed out. The room had a silent hush. Ryan looked down at his newlywed wife, a question in his eyes. She nodded to him, and squeezed his hand. He looked back up.

"The reason," he said, to get the audience's attention, "that we have to expand Fiona's apartment is," and he looked to his mother and mother-in-law, "that in six months, we're going to have a baby."

The room erupted in applause.

...---===EWPUB.ORG===---...