Modern Crusaders:
A Thousand Miles
By PsiDraconis
Chapter Eight
Alleandre was engaged in one of her favourite
activities: she was watching Evelynne sleep. It wasn't
something she often was able to do, since by habit her lover usually awoke before
she did, which meant that whenever she did, she was careful never to do anything
to shorten the experience.
Right now Ally was lying on her side in the bed,
simply running her eyes over her partner's slumbering features inches from her
own face. A part of her desperately wanted to stroke the beloved face with her
fingers, but she knew that doing so would disturb the sleeper, so she remained
still, listening to and feeling warm breath on her cheeks.
Now, though, somewhere in the back of her mind,
tickling along her Link with Evelynne, came the knowledge that her bedmate
was waking up. She had never been able to adequately explain exactly how
she knew those kinds of things, although Evelynne,
at the other end of the Link, knew how it felt. It felt to Ally as though she
herself was the one waking, but at some indefinable remove, more as though she
was remembering feeling Evelynne wake up.
Now, with the desire to let Evelynne
sleep no longer so urgent, Ally let herself raise her hand and gently stroke
soft skin, starting with Evelynne's forehead and trailing
down the side of her face to her chin. She carefully brushed her fingers over
short flame-red hair as her lover wrinkled her nose slightly and made an ever-so-faint
interrogative noise. Ally couldn't help but grin at the sound, and continued
smiling as Evelynne's eyes opened sleepily.
"Good morning," Ally murmured, still trailing
her fingers down the side of her lover's face.
Evelynne turned her face into the caress like
a cat. "Mmm," she hummed, closing her eyes
again briefly. "G'morning." In a quick,
wormlike movement, she suddenly wriggled forward so that she was within the
circle of Ally's arms, her head tucked comfortably beneath the taller woman's
chin. "What're you doing?" she asked sleepily, her voice muffled.
"Well, I was watching you sleep,"
Ally admitted, closing her own eyes and transferring her caresses to Evelynne's
back, while the sensation of her lover's breath between her breasts created
interesting sensations throughout her body. "But this is good."
"Mmm," Evelynne agreed, arching her back as Ally's hand slipped under
her oversized night-shirt. As usual, Ally was sleeping naked, but Evelynne had never been completely comfortable doing the same,
preferring at least a t-shirt and underwear.
Ally watched, fascinated, as she felt the various parts of Evelynne's
mind awaken fully. It always reminded her of listening to a hot car motor cool
down, with various pings and clicks as the metal cooled, although
admittedly this was somewhat the reverse. Still, Ally knew better than most
just how active the mind was, even during sleep – more so at times – so perhaps
the analogy was still a good one.
"I'm sorry about last night," Evelynne said softly into Ally's chest. "I was a real
nusek, and it really wasn't your fault, and you didn't
deserve that."
In reality, Evelynne hadn't
truly done anything the previous evening. Once again she had become silent
and curt, completely shutting out her partner's tentative verbal and mental
probes. And, Evelynne was learning, that was one of
the worst things one could do to an empath like Ally.
On a subconscious level she was constantly aware of most others' mental states,
and the confusion created by the loss of that awareness – especially from someone
she was usually even more aware of – was difficult to deal with. Even
anger or sorrow on Evelynne's part, unpleasant though
they were, would have been easier to handle.
"I understand," Ally said softly, and
even now Evelynne could feel the subtle release of
tension as she relaxed. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked,
referring to the stressful events of the day before.
"Not right now," Evelynne
replied, her voice growing husky, and her hands beginning to move with more
deliberate intent. "I have other things on my mind." She nipped lightly
at the hollow of Ally's throat.
Despite the very pleasant haze beginning to cloud
her thoughts, Ally managed to pull back slightly and to look carefully into
her lover's eyes. Evelynne, sensing her intent, let
her, opening her mind completely to Ally's gentle probe.
They had few rules when it came to sex. It could
be simple, exotic, slow, quick, gentle, rough, or experimental as they wished,
but it must always be based in desire. Sexual "obligation"
wasn't to exist, and "debts" were never to be paid in sexual favours.
If one of them wished to make love to the other without… reciprocation, that
was one thing. The idea, Ally said, was to prevent turning making love into
some sort of domestic commerce.
Evelynne could have been insulted by the lack
of trust the rule implied, she supposed. However, mysterious psychic bond or
not, she knew Ally espoused the concept of clear communication, and it was one
she whole-heartedly agreed with. Her and Ally's relationship
had almost been destroyed twice already, once nearly before it had even started,
due to secrets and lack of communication. Besides, it was all very well to intimately
know your partner's emotional state, but the bond couldn't tell you a thing
about why they were feeling as they were.
Whatever Ally saw in Evelynne's
eyes must have satisfied her, because she smiled slowly. "Something on
your mind?" she murmured, slowly pushing her lover onto her back and stretching
out on top of her. "Well, that's good, because so do I. Several somethings, actually."
She bent her head to place her lips on Evelynne's
neck, and then Evelynne felt a dozen phantom hands
stroking her, caressing her, and rapidly lost all control.
Claire lay in bed, trying to ignore the
muffled sounds that were emanating from the next room. It was difficult, because
a part of her – a fairly large part, actually – was incredibly intrigued, not
to mention aroused, by the suggestive sounds. If she had been alone in the room
she might have engaged in the guilty pleasure of listening and private fantasy,
but she wasn't alone. Corey was snoring lightly in the other bed just a few
feet away, so instead of guilty pleasure Claire was feeling incredibly exposed
and embarrassed.
When she had realised what she was hearing, Claire
had considered getting up and leaving the room in order to get away from the
muffled sounds of pleasure. She hadn't for two reasons. First, she had been
afraid of making some noise, thereby alerting those next door that she could
hear them – although now it seemed unlikely they would notice if she started
tap-dancing – which would cause massive amounts of embarrassment all
around. Second, Claire hadn't wanted to wake Corey. It seemed somehow… sacrilegious
to have yet another person listening to the sounds of Ally and Sophia's lovemaking.
So instead Claire lay back in the bed, put the pillow
over her head, and tried to ignore both the sounds leaking through the wall
and the highly arousing images they evoked.
Then suddenly the images were no longer a jumble
of speculative pictures, as Claire's treacherous mind inserted her into
the room next door. Her eyes opened wide, and the image of the room in which
she was physically lying was overlaid by a vision as though she was looking
down over the bed where Ally and Sophia were making love. Claire instantly knew
what was happening, and was torn between relief that the attack had sent only
one extra vision to confuse her, and cursing that it had chosen this
image from her imagination to do it with.
In the vision, Ally lay between Sophia's legs, her
face buried in her red-headed lover's neck. She was braced on one elbow, her
other hand obviously active between their bodies, if the glassy-eyed _expression
and sheen of sweat on Sophia's face were any indication.
Damn, where are my pills? Claire wondered, stumbling to her feet
and trying to figure out where the door was, while in the vision Sophia clutched
her lover's shoulders and arched. In the bathroom, right.
Claire stumbled her way to the door through her
doubled vision, vaguely aware that her noise had woken Corey, but the only thing
on her mind was to end this experience. Even though she knew it was only a virtual
image, a trick cooked up by her bizarre brain chemistry, it still felt like
she was intruding on something intimate and private that she had no right to
view. A personal fantasy scenario was one thing, but this... This was too much
like spying on her friends, like watching a video of them taken without their
knowledge.
Claire finally made it to the bathroom, almost falling
once when she misjudged and collided with the doorway, not even hearing Corey's
confused query as her vision was suddenly joined by perfect imagined sound.
Sophia's gasps and breathless moans were suddenly loud in Claire's ears, as
was Ally's quick, heavy breathing. The two lovers' vocalisations came faster,
more urgent, as Claire fumbled in her toiletry bag for her medication, feeling
her own body involuntarily respond. Claire had just franticly grasped the small
orange bottle when she saw/heard the Ally in her mind whisper, "I'm
here, Evelynne, I've got you," saw Sophia stiffen
before latching her teeth into Ally's shoulder to muffle her long, drawn-out
moan, and then Claire was slipping to the floor of the bathroom, small white
tablets scattering, and the vision faded, leaving her own body pulsing in reaction.
"See you in a moment," Evelynne said, smiling at her lover as she left the bathroom.
"Mmhmm," Ally
replied from her position by the mirror, where she was putting in her contact
lenses. Slipping one in, she blinked rapidly several times, then smiled at Evelynne in the mirror and winked.
Evelynne grinned back, blowing a kiss and then
turning back into the hall. She couldn't stop grinning as she thought about
their morning. They had spent quite a long time in bed enthusiastically exploring
each other before finally rising to shower and dress. The shower had delayed
the latter action, however, and now Evelynne was feeling
extremely sated and very hungry – for food this time.
The morning had also let her and her fiancee reconnect on a very direct spiritual level, letting
Evelynne realise that she and Ally had grown... not
distant, but disconnected over the last weeks. It hadn't been the fault
of either of them, really, just a result of the ongoing stress of making this
new life together.
The events of the last few days had simply emphasized
that disconnection. The fact of the Atlantlan mass
memorial service had hit Evelynne especially hard.
She had been raised practically from birth to feel a direct, personal connection
with the citizens of her homeland, and being unable to participate in this important
rite had shaken her deeply. For all her compassion and affection for her adopted
country, Ally lacked that sense of personal obligation, and the subconscious
realisation of that difference between them had been a factor in the way Evelynne
had treated her the night before.
Now, though, she had explained how she
felt to her lover, and apologized, and had cried into Ally's shoulder for a
long time, and now felt… better. Not wonderful, but more stable, knowing she had
Ally there for support. It made her wonder if there was anything Ally wouldn't
forgive her for, and then she hoped she'd never find out.
Lost in her own thoughts, Evelynne
missed the tension permeating the kitchen until she was nearly inside, and Claire's
terse voice could be easily heard.
"Listen, Corey. No, I'm not alright,
and no, I'm not going to talk about it. So just back off, will
you? It's none of your business."
Evelynne's brows rose in surprise at the asperity
in Claire's normally quiet voice. She had obviously come in near the end of
the discussion, because she almost ran into Corey on his way out of the kitchen.
"If you don't want to talk to me, fine,"
he was saying over his shoulder. "I have to get to work anyway. Oops, sorry.
Oh, hi Sophia," he said, as they narrowly avoided colliding in the doorway.
"Sorry to greet and run, but I have to get to work." He lowered his
voice. "Watch out. Claire's in a really bad mood, and I don't know why.
Maybe you'll have better luck." He glanced at his watch. "Anyway,
say 'hi' to Ally for me, 'kay? Bye Sophia, bye
Claire." Then he was out the door, barely giving Evelynne a chance to call a farewell after him.
Shaking her head bemusedly, Evelynne
walked into the kitchen, catching sight of Claire hunched over a cup of some
hot beverage at the tiny table. She frowned at the way the other woman was sitting
so tensely and refusing to meet her gaze.
"Good morning, Claire," Evelynne said, keeping her tone light. "Wow, that was
quick, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, you've never seen Corey after two cups
of coffee, have you?" Claire's tone was distracted.
"Apparently not." Evelynne poured
herself a cup from the pot on the stove, then took
a seat across from Claire at the table. "So, how was your night? I'm sorry
I didn't stay up to see you come in, by the way."
"No, that's okay," Claire said, her gaze still fixed on her coffee. This close, Evelynne could see that her hands were gripping the cup so
hard the knuckles were white. "And the night was fine. Great, actually,
considering that if it wasn't for you I’d probably have been in a homeless shelter."
"Good." Evelynne
looked across the table at her friend, noticing that she was actually shaking
slightly. "Claire, are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm-" Claire snapped, her head whipping
up involuntarily. She stopped abruptly when she saw Evelynne's face, and Evelynne watched,
fascinated, as Claire's own face changed from its normal white-and-black pattern
to pink-and-black. Just then Ally walked into the small room, and Claire's face
turned a deep red-and-black as her eyes fell on Evelynne's girlfriend before dropping like a stone back to
her coffee cup. "I'm fine," she whispered.
Ally paused, uncertain, as she saw the reaction,
and she looked quizzically at Evelynne.
*Something's wrong,* Evelynne said silently.
*Just be… calm, alright?*
Ally nodded slightly, and moved quietly to the stove,
grimacing at the sight of the coffee in the pot. "Morning, Claire,"
she said evenly, putting a kettle of fresh water on to boil and getting an herbal
teabag. Satisfied, she took a seat at the table between Claire and Evelynne.
"Hi, Ally," Claire, muttered, her voice
tight. Her eyes remained fixed to the tabletop.
"Claire?" Evelynne
said, trying unsuccessfully to meet the other woman's eyes. "Claire, you
know you can talk to us about anything, don't you? You don't have to, but we're
here if you want us, alright?"
Claire's response was a choking bark of half-hysterical
laughter as she nearly shot coffee out her nose. "Sorry," she said,
finally looking up, and her face had lost a fraction of its shuttered expression.
"It's just that something's really funny… in a completely inappropriate
way."
"That's okay," Ally said. "You don't
have to be sorry. You just have to know that there are people here who want
to help if you need it, okay? Or you can tell us to push off, if that's what
you want."
"Thanks," Claire said. "It's just…"
She was obviously struggling. "I had an… attack
this morning, and it was really… confusing."
"Oh. Are you alright now?" Evelynne asked. "Physically, I mean?"
"Yeah, I think so. I tripped and hit my shoulder,
but that's just a little bruise." She paused. "I just… I've never
had one like this before, y'know? You know how I normally
just… see pictures, and hear things, right?" Ally nodded, and Evelynne murmured an affirmative. "Well, this time… I
had a… reaction." The red-on-black blush was back, and Claire sipped her
coffee to try to hide it. "A… physical reaction.
That's never happened before. And it… scared me, kind of."
"Oh. Do you want us to take you to see a doctor?"
Evelynne asked. "We can, if you want."
Claire shook her head. "No. They've already
done just about every kind of test they can think of. What more are they gonna do? I'm not hurt, I'm just…"
Just scared, Evelynne finished. She
looked at Ally, who reached across and was gently massaging one of Claire's
tight shoulders, which seemed to be relaxing slightly under the ministrations.
I know how Ally gets scared sometimes about the things her mind does and
how it's developing. She knows what that's like.
"I think… I think I'm going to call in and
take the day off," Claire continued, her voice now measurably more relaxed.
"The world can get by without me selling things over the phone today."
She looked up finally. "If that's okay, that is."
"Sure," Ally agreed. "Do you want
one of us to stay with you? I have a student in about an hour, but I can postpone
if you'd like."
"No." Claire shook her head. She was still
obviously embarrassed and uneasy, but the brittleness that had been present
earlier was gone. "I'll be okay. Thanks, though."
"No problem," Ally said. The kettle on
the stove began to whistle, and she stood to tend to it, then
winced as the movement pulled at her shirt. "Ouch." She pulled back
the collar of her shirt and rubbed at the red mark where her left shoulder met
her neck.
Evelynne blushed as she saw the reminder of her…
enthusiasm earlier that morning. She looked away from her lover and saw Claire
looking at the same mark with a half-puzzled, half-wondering expression on her
face. As soon as Claire saw her staring the other woman looked away, but not
before Evelynne thought she heard her mutter to herself,
"That's some imagination…"
"Chorus, good to see you again,"
Taldas Islin greeted, standing
to shake the other man's hand.
"Bon'jier'a,
Taldas," Chorus replied, returning the handshake
firmly. "Sorry I'm so late, by the way." Rounding his desk, the young
man half-collapsed into his own chair and cast a quick eye over the messages
waiting for him. "So, how have things been?"
"Not too bad," Taldas
said. "The research is… progressing, but without the Boss there…"
He shrugged helplessly. "She was… is the heart of our team, you
know. And much as I hate to admit it… Laura… was the brain."
The degree to which Laura McGarrity's betrayal had
affected him personally was evident in his hesitation in saying her name. "I
seem to be spending half my time doing paperwork these days, even with the new
people."
Chorus looked at him sympathetically. "And Rena and Marjorie? How are they?"
"Marj is doing well.
She's going to be calling you in a day or so to get your input on a translation
she's working on. As for Rena…" Taldas' face
fell. "I haven't seen her recently. She's still an Acolyte so she's still
in seclusion."
"Oh yes, she still wants to become a priestess,
then?"
"Most definitely. I told her I'd wait for her, but… I
still miss her."
The revelation of Ally's abilities during the Invasion
had deeply affected all those who had witnessed them, although they had all
reacted in different ways. Some, like Taldas, while
awed, had accepted Ally's powers as an aspect of her natural talents. Most,
of course, were still unsure of the implications but, for the most part, were
ready to adopt a "wait and see" attitude. The reactions of a few,
however, were more extreme.
Like Rena bel'Oman. Rena
had seen in Ally's impressive display proof of the existence of the Gods she
had always worshipped, albeit heretofore with much less fervour. She had expressed
her belief that Ally was, in fact, the earthly Avatar of the Goddess
"So how long does her Initiation last?"
"Fourteen months," Taldas
said. "Then, if she continues, she'll become an Acolyte. I get to see her
once every three months until then."
Chorus nodded. "Well, the business reason I
asked you to meet me was that I was hoping you could become… my teacher, I suppose."
"Teacher?"
"Yes. As you know, I'm doing a lot of work
for Guard Intelligence now, and these days obviously a vast amount of that work
involves computers." Taldas nodded in understanding.
"Well, you also know I'm a Savant when it comes to languages, and one day
it came to me that I could be really effective if I could… talk to the
computers. Literally."
Taldas looked shocked. "You mean… speaking with a
computer?"
"Well, maybe not literal speech. I just thought
that if I could really understand how they… 'thought'
then I could communicate with them to their full potential. Now I did some research
and found out that the most basic computer language is 'machine language', which
is straightforward enough." Taldas stared at
him. This was the first time he had heard anyone refer to machine language as
"straightforward." "The problem is that machine language interacts
with the hardware, and that's where I get lost. Unfortunately my skills do not
extend into electronics, any more than they extend into neural biology. That's
where you come in. I need someone to be my 'interpreter', and teach me how to
talk to the machines. Preferably someone who knows about talents like mine,
and also can remain discreet about speaking about it."