This is a work of fiction, using characters from the film, “Proof of Life”.  No insult or invasion of privacy or infringement of copyright is intended. The story is for readers over the age of 18 only, and contains adult language. The writer is not responsible for any "discomfort" caused to the reader by this language and these situations.

Full Length Of The River

©2008 by: Darrin

Chapter Twenty

During breakfast, Terry couldn’t stop touching Stephanie, finally pulling her onto his lap and cuddling her to him.  Stephanie still held an air of confusion about her, but accepted Terry’s affection, returning it with more of her own.  When Maggie brought their plates out, Stephanie returned to her chair and fed herself, looking around as if she wasn’t sure where she was.  Terry decided to call Dan as soon as he could.  But first he wanted to be with his sheila.

Terry changed the day’s routine considerably, first taking Steph out for a long walk in the park and then to FAO Schwarz for some ice cream and a present.  She decided on a Hot Wheels car, watching it being “made” in the “factory” after making her customization choices.  Terry was pleased to note she was much more engaged than she had been since the visit to her flat and was growing immensely confident that his plan had worked.

When they returned to his flat it was time for lunch and Maggie took Stephanie into the kitchen to help her make it, this time with no book, but getting Steph to talk to her.  Terry grinned when he heard Steph replying to Maggie’s questions and grabbed his phone, heading to their bedroom to call Dan with her increased positive responses today.  Dan was just as pleased as Terry and said that they should come to the office for her next appointment.  He wasn’t overly concerned about her confusion, assuring Terry it was most likely that Stephanie was simply “waking” to her surroundings, but also assured him he would investigate further when they came for her visit.

Terry then called Dino and asked how Alaina was doing.  There was a brief blustering pause and then, “Okay, you got me.  Yes, I’ve been seeing her.”

“I’m glad, mate, really I am.”

 

“Yeah, yeah… come on, let me have it.”

Terry chuckled, definitely wanting to give his best friend a hard time, but opted for sincerity.  “No, Dino, it’s good, I’m really happy for ya.”

There was a brief silence wherein Terry could almost see the shit-eating grin on the red-head’s face, then heard, “Okay, thanks, pal.  She’s one of a kind.  But you know all about that, don’t you?”

Terry, sporting his own shit-eating grin, replied, “I do indeed, mate.  We were always gonna end up like this though, you know that, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah!” Dino laughed and Terry joined him.

“So, okay… Why don’t you bring Alaina by tonight?  You’ll be amazed at Steph’s progress today and I’d like to give her something as a kind of… I dunno, reward isn’t exactly the right word, but something to say I have confidence in her.  You know?”

“Yeah, I know.  We’ll be there around seven, pizza and movie night sound okay?”

“Too right.  See ya then.”

Terry rang off and was about to head to the living room when his phone rang.

“Thorne,” he said, returning to the bedroom.

“Terry, it’s Bob.”  Terry recognized the voice of the FBI agent who he’d worked with on Steph and Alaina’s cases.

“Yeah, Bob, good to hear from you, what can I do for you?”

“Well, it’s what I can do for you, I think.  Not sure though.”

“Sounds mysterious, what’s going on?”

“Well, I was going through my hot sheets and saw a request from the Minneapolis’ DA’s office for the current whereabouts of Jasmine Stephens.”

“Why would they be looking for her?”  Terry was deeply surprised.  “The case is closed, the fucks are scheduled to die… How is it something they’d want to know?”

“Apparently, the youngest member of the trio wants to make a contrition statement to Jasmine.  That is, Stephanie.”

“I’ve heard of this.  Typically in the case of a criminal wanting to set up some sort of appeal.”

“Yeah and normally I wouldn’t put any faith in it either.  But in this guy’s case, he’s accepted his sentence… And still wants to say he’s sorry to her.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I know, it sounds insane doesn’t it?  He’s not citing any other reason other than he wants to tell her he’s sorry.  He’s not trying to excuse his actions or even offer anything other than he’s a bad person.  They even added a note here about how he’s not expecting forgiveness – like that’d be an option – and that by all accounts he’s deeply sincere.  His lawyer’s really going to bet for him from what I can see, which explains why they put out a hot sheet.”

“How could this possibly be something Stephanie’d want to do?”

“There’s been a good response to it from the victims for the most part.  Closure, the ability to look the person in the face and be apologized to… I dunno.  Terry, I honestly can’t even hazard a guess if it’s something she’d want to do or even should do, but I saw the notice and I felt you at least should know about it.  In case… you know… if it was something you felt she needed.”

“Yeah, you did the right thing,” Terry said, sighing inwardly.

“Look, let me email you a copy of the notice.  It has the applicable dates and information you’ll need to make an informed decision.”

“Okay, mate, good enough.”  Terry gave Bob his email address and then they ended their call, Bob reminding him he still owed him a big favour from the Bureau.

Terry went back out to the living room uninterrupted this time, but the situation weighing heavily on his mind.  He hesitated to call Dan again because as long as he was the only one to know about this, it could get easily buried and Steph wouldn’t ever have to know this opportunity was a possibility – If you could call it that, Terry thought wryly.  For now, he chose not to say anything to anyone until Dino came by tonight and get his thoughts on it; he’d just let his sheila get used to being “back” and decide later, depending on her progress.

He checked his email to confirm how much time he had and noted the deadline as allowing him more than enough time to investigate and talk to Dan before he absolutely had to decide.  With that in mind, he shelved the whole thing in his mind and returned to the kitchen, determined that for now, Steph’s well-being was the only important thing.

He went into the kitchen to see how lunch was coming along and found Steph very involved in helping Maggie.  When he pulled her into his arms for a kiss, Stephanie kissed back and smiled at him.

“So what are my two favourite sheilas doin’?” Terry asked, happy beyond belief at Stephanie’s responsiveness to him.

“Oh, we’re makin’ a lovely nutritious lunch, aren’t we, Stephanie?”

Steph nodded and turned to show Terry how she was slicing carrots for a salad.  Terry kissed her cheek and while she was turned away from Maggie, raised his eyebrows to which Maggie nodded but waggled her hand to show that while Steph appeared all right, there’d been something of concern while he’d been away.  Terry acknowledged that and kissed Steph again, caressing her cheek.

“Doin’ great, sweetheart,” he whispered to her, receiving a sweet smile, but coupled with a strange look almost as if Steph missed being able to put it all aside as she had been for the last few weeks.

Maggie joined them for lunch and then asked Stephanie to help her clean up, giving Terry a chance to check in at work and get through his emails.  When they’d finished, Maggie made to go and Terry set Steph up at her computer, stepping out into the hallway to speak with Maggie.

“How’d she do, then?” Terry asked in a whisper as he held onto the door, but leaving it ajar.

“Fair enough, Terence, but she needed a bit of prompting every now and then.  She’s not a hundred per cent back, that’s for certain.”

“Yeah, we’re gonna still need to do a lot of work, I reckon,” Terry replied.  “Ta, luv,” he added and kissed her cheek.

“Get on with ya now, ya great flirt!” Maggie laughed and continued chuckling all the way down the hall to the lift.

Terry returned back into the flat and saw Stephanie staring off into space.  She wasn’t rocking, though, that was something.

“Come on, luv, you want to go take some more pictures in the Park?  It’s a lovely day out.”

Stephanie turned immediately at his voice and nodded but remained seated.

“Somethin’ else?  Are you tired, sweetheart?  We’ve had a long morning, did ya wanna lie down for a bit?”  He walked over to her and held his arms out and she immediately raised hers so he could pick her up.  She wrapped herself completely around him and laid her head on his shoulder.  “Reckon that’s what you’d like.  Sure miss hearin’ ya talk though, luv.  Really miss that.  Miss hearin’ you tell me you love me.”

Stephanie turned her head, kissing his neck and whispering, “I love you, T.”

Terry grinned widely.  “Well, that’s more like it,” he whispered back.  “I love you too, babygirl.”  He walked with her in his arms to their bedroom.  “Alaina and Dino are comin’ over tonight for pizza and a movie.”

He felt her grin against his neck and heard her whisper again, “Good.”

“Figured you’d like that.  So a quick rest?  Maybe a walk a bit later and a few photos before we get our guests?”

“Okay,” she replied.

He helped her off with her jeans and shoes then took his own off and joined her on the bed, pulling her to him as he lay on his back.  She snuggled close and they laid quietly for a time.  Terry thought she was asleep and was just dozing off himself when she spoke.

“T,” came the small whisper.

“Yeah, babygirl?” he answered, his heart beating hard as it was the first time she’d initiated speaking.

“I miss it being quiet,” she said softly.

Terry rubbed her shoulder gently.  “I know, sweetheart, but it’ll be all right.  Are you okay?”

“It’s all jumbled up in my head.  I wish there was something that could just make it all go away without me…”  She trailed off and Terry realized she didn’t really understand what had happened to her, but knew that it’d been “quiet” as she’d said.

“We’ll work with Dan, Steph.  He’ll help, I know it.  All you have to do is let us help you, sweetheart.”

“I just… I missed you more than I wanted it to be quiet.  I just didn’t know how to find you again.  I need you so much, T, I love you more than anything and I’m sorry I have this… thing.  I just want to be with you and I wish it had never happened, but then we wouldn’t have met and it makes it all worth it, that I have you and you want me too.”

Terry turned and tipped her chin up, kissing her mouth.  “I do want you, Steph.  More than you’ll ever know.  I can’t imagine how I’ve ever lived without you.”

Stephanie kissed him back and Terry felt the overwhelming surge of her emotion as her arms went around his neck and she engaged him in the kiss completely.  If there was going to be any clear indication she’d come back to him, this was it.  Terry wanted her in every sense of the word but didn’t think he should, that it would be too much, too soon.  But Steph had other ideas and pushed her hips against his, wrapping one leg around him and he heard a small whimper emit from her throat.

His cock was definitely interested, thickening quickly against the heat of her cunnie separated only by the material of their respective underwear.  When she pulled back a little and whispered, “Please, T…” he had no choice in the matter any longer.  That it had been weeks since he’d even thought about loving her in any fashion other than caring for her made it that much easier to succumb to her desire.

He rolled onto his back, bringing her with into a straddling position above him.  Terry grinned up at her as she rubbed her sex against his length and he filled his hands with her breasts.  Frustrated, he began unbuttoning her blouse, sitting up as she tugged at his polo shirt and allowing her only a brief few seconds to get it off him before returning to his task of getting her naked too.  Dispatching her blouse and bra swiftly, he returned to suckle her breasts again, pulling each nipple into a hard peak for him as she arched back.

His need to be inside her increasing dramatically with every rub from her cunnie, he tipped her back onto the bed and pulled her panties from her body.  Steph’s feet pushed his shorts down until he was able to kick them off the rest of the way and push her thighs open with his hips.

The heated moisture his cock was greeted with as he nestled against her folds made him draw in a hissing breath and whisper, “So wet, luv… Fuck, I need inside you…”

“Yes, T, please…” she whispered back and then groaned loudly as he pushed into her with one smooth continuous thrust, grunting as he became completely enveloped inside her wet and comforting warmth.

His hips began moving, slowly, back and forth and she met him thrust for thrust, building up their passion.  He smiled as he heard her breathing become ragged and dropped a hand down her abdomen, smoothing his way across her skin until his fingers found her black curls.  He lifted a little, letting her ride him as he found her little button and rubbed it gently, tipping her over the edge into her climax.  Her “oh-oh-oh” turned into a loud scream, her hips surging towards his and grinding against him with each spasm of her orgasm.

Terry concentrated on her reaction, steeling himself against his own completion, still rubbing her nub to make hers last longer.  She cried out to him again and wrapped her body around his, demanding he come too with a soft growl and a look into his eyes.  He caressed Stephanie’s cheek, kissed her and began moving inside her again, but determined she should come once more when he did.

Leaning to her ear, he whispered to her, “Again, Steph… Come with me, fuck I love feeling you around me, love being inside you, love you…”

She pushed her fingers into his hair and they kissed again, now moving with one purpose, pushing and thrusting together, resolutely working towards their mutual climax.  Terry felt the rush of blood through his body and knew he would come soon and before that thought could be completed, felt her crush his cock deep inside her and felt his seed spurt into her, stretching her passageway further as he drove into her as far as he could, the tip of his cock entering her womb with each firm thrust.

He emptied himself into her body and she responded, coming loudly with cries of pleasured satisfaction, the moisture soaked heat from where they were joined a slick testament to how much they had missed each other.

Neither moved for a long while, the sweat drying on their bodies, the two of them breathing rapidly as they came back to each other.  Finally, Terry raised up and kissed her, smiling down at her as he caressed her face, her eyes filled with love looking up at him.

“I love you, T,” she said, caressing his cheek.

“I love you, too, babygirl.”

Terry rolled onto his back as he slipped from her body and Stephanie snuggled against him, sighing happily and playing with the hairs on his chest and belly.

“You’re furry,” she giggled, pulling on the hairs around his belly button.

He chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair, fanning it over her shoulder.  “Traction, luv.  Otherwise I’d slip right off you and that’s no fun.”

That got him a giggle, the one that he’d missed the most, the one that said she was deeply happy.  He grinned to himself that he knew all her noises so well, the good and the bad and what that meant to him.

They snuggled and caressed each other for long minutes in silence.  Then both their stomachs said it was time to get into the shower and find something to nibble on after all the energy they’d expended.

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the Park, Steph taking pictures and Terry finishing up his emails he’d left that morning.  When the sun began to set, they returned to the flat to wait for Dino and Alaina to arrive.

When the two girls saw each other again, they hugged warmly and began chatting again as if no time had passed.  Alaina had come to visit once or twice during the past few weeks, but Stephanie didn’t have any recollection of it.  They quietly reconnected now as Dino and Terry watched, grinning at how well their two sheilas were getting along.

As Steph and Alaina sat on the couch together, Terry quietly said, “So, is this the one that will finally tame your arse, Dino?”

Dino chuckled and replied, “Could be, man.  You never know.  All I know is, I haven’t felt this way in like… ever.”

Terry chuckled.  “That’s great, Dino, I’m happy for ya.”

Dino gave him an eyebrow, but grinned back.  “And you’ve got your girl back too, I see.  I can tell these things you know.  That self-satisfied smirk can only mean one thing.”

“Bastard, you should not be able to tell if I’ve had a shag.”

Dino just laughed and Terry gestured for him to follow to the dining area so they could talk.

“What’s up?” Dino asked.

“Got a call from Bob at the Bureau today.”

“Yeah?  What did he want?  To bronze us for statues in Central Park?”

Terry chuckled.  “No, ya goblin.  He got a hot sheet today from the Minneapolis’ DA’s Office, looking for Jasmine Stephens.”

“No shit!  What the fuck…?”

“Yeah, that’s what I said, without your classic vulgarity, though.  Apparently one of the fucks wants to say he’s sorry to her.”

“He doesn’t get to do that, the cunt!”

“Well, I agree, but I wanted someone else besides me to know about it and that means you.”

“You didn’t run this by the doc?”

“No, it’s easier buried if he doesn’t know.”

“You think it might be something she’d want?”

“I can’t see how.  She’s only said one thing over and over, that she wants to forget it all ever happened.  How is one fuck’s apology to her ever gonna be a good thing?”

“Heard that twice.  Do you have to reply?”

“No, if we keep her hidden from them, they don’t ever need to know she still exists.”

“I feel a ‘but’ coming…”

“Well, okay, but what if Dan thinks it’s a good idea?  But what if she finds out somehow and decides she wants it?  For whatever reason, it’ll rip her apart if she did want it and she missed the opportunity because I decided for her.”

“Yeah, okay.  Sounds like you need to ask the doc at least, Terry.”

“I know.  I’ll wait and see until I really need to.”

“Is there a deadline?”

“Few weeks away.  There’s time.”

“All right.  Let’s sit on it then and get our girls happy and see what happens down the road.”

“Goodo.  Let’s get that pizza ordered then… You’re buyin’.”

“Cheap asshole, of course I’m buying.  Do you ever crack your wallet out for anything?”

“Yeah, your fuckin’ bail money.”

“I can’t believe you still are bringin’ that up!  It was ONE time!”

“It was numerous times and you still owe me, ya drongo!”

Dino just laughed and cracked out his phone – and wallet – while Terry went to get the girls to pick out a movie.

During the course of the ensuing evening, Terry wished he could see into the future and know which way to decide.  He didn’t want to think how betrayed his sweet but stubborn sheila would feel if she found out after it was too late.  Nor did he want to think about what it would do to her knowing but not wanting it.  He felt fucked either way.

He had time to wait, but he knew he’d have to ask Dan soon enough.

Would Stephanie survive being apologized to by one of the cunts who took away her life?

Chapter Twenty-One