Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 14:54:01 -0700
From: Star Stevenson <starsapphire_34@hotmail.com>
Subject: Street Angels Chapter One     Lesbian Adult/Youth

STREET ANGELS
Copyright 2005 by StarSapphire. All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. No characters are real and no animals were harmed
in the writing of it. This is an adult tale so you must decide if you're old
enough to read it.
Otherwise, enjoy!

(Fg) (mast) (oral) (rom)

Chapter One

It was silly really to think about death like this. At fifty Barbara was
just beginning her prime middle years yet thoughts of her own mortality
plagued her. She was childless and she knew this was underlying some of her
morbid preoccupation with her own demise, but being lesbian she was in the
same barren state as most of her friends and they seemed to be coping fine.
Perhaps it's just a depression, she thought, something a few pills might
take care of. But deep down she knew it was more than that.

Physically Barbara had looked after herself. She still sported a fine body
toned by years of dedicated exercise and diet. She was no chronic illnesses
and had none of the life style diseases that were affecting her less
diligent contemporaries. Rather it was her spirit that was suffering. She
had not paid enough attention to the people in her life, her friends, lovers
and family, and now she was paying the price. She felt terribly alone.

Career had come first she realized. Long, grinding hours spent practicing
law had won her substantial financial security and the ability to retire
well before most, but Barbara hadn't figured in the emotional cost of
finishing the race first, but all by herself. She had had several
relationships, any one of which could have led to something more meaningful,
but work always came before the well being of her partners or their
feelings. She could see now, two years into retirement, how wrong she had
been and how sad it all was.

Sighing heavily she came in from her balcony overlooking the bay, a view
that absolutely thrilled her when she first moved in but today left her
unmoved and uncaring. The bright sunlight reflecting off the ocean only
seemed to sear her soul and mock her with its happy shimmering sparkles. Her
penthouse condominium was at one time her pride and joy, but today it could
have been a hovel in some inner city mid-town for all she cared.

A trip to the gym was in order and sometimes it helped. That, and a quick
drink or two at the neighborhood bar were often enough to see her through
the night, even though the drinks worried her, sensing as she did that three
would be better than two and four better than that and where that could all
lead. Her mother had been alcoholic and Barbara knew enough to be careful.
Still it was tempting.

At the gym Barbara checked herself over in the full length mirrors as she
worked out intensely, sweat pouring from her body. She was 5' 8" tall and
130 pounds, just ten off her high school weight, which thrilled her. Her
breasts were still a firm 36C and her hips as tight as years of a one hour
daily grind of a work-out could make them. Her grey eyes were set in even,
balanced features unmarked by sun damage, sagging or wrinkling, framed by
mid-length sun streaked natural honey blonde hair with a hint of grey at the
temples, a color and look her hairdresser said she couldn't duplicate from a
bottle in a hundred years. She liked what she saw and took pride in her
appearance.

What Barbara didn't see in her reflected images was that, in spite of her
no-nonsense courtroom countenance that she wore most of the day her face
radiated a hidden warmth that took many off guard and drew others to her in
ways she sometimes noticed but didn't always understand. Although
desperately wanting the company and affection of others something always
made her draw back and resist, sometimes fiercely. Going to deeper levels of
intimacy was something she so strongly needed, was frequently offered, but
always refused.

After her shower at the gym Barbara decided to heed her inner warnings about
alcohol and skip the local bar, knowing that the warmth from the drinks was
artificial and only mimicked happiness. In a couple of hours it would wear
off and she'd feel no better, even mildly hung over. She decided instead to
drive around by the park near the beach, intending while there to sit and
morbidly watch the sun, like her life, sink slowly down into darkness.

Leaving her Lexus parked and secure she made her way over to a nearby
intricately formed wrought iron bench and sat down, letting the endorphins
from her workout wash through her, easing her depression a little.  The sky
was full of color from blue to indigo, red to pale pink and yellow where the
ball of the dying sun was half way into the water. Long thick bands of cloud
slashed across the sky like huge brush strokes, picking up and amplifying
the already rich colors, making the evening sunset appear like a surrealist
painting of another world. But beautiful as it was it was not enough to fill
the black emptiness inside her. The next thing you know it'll be a visit
from the ghosts of Christmases past, present, and future, she thought
miserably.

While she sat contemplating the ending of life Barbara was suddenly startled
by a noise from the bushes nearby to her right.  When she turned to look a
figure appeared from between two hydrangea plants not thirty feet away. It
was no Christmas ghost but it was an apparition equally Dickensian, a young
girl who seemed as surprised to see Barbara as Barbara was to see her.

The girl stood stock still for an instant as Barbara took in the sight of
her. She was dressed in worn blue jeans, an old olive drab T-Shirt, a dirty
looking baseball cap, grubby runners that had been through the Salvation
Army store at least twice, and she had an old blue and grey back pack slung
almost insolently over her shoulder that appeared to carry all her worldly
belongings, which it more or less did. Her hair was long, blonde and stringy
and clearly hadn't been washed in awhile.
A shiver of fear and repugnance etched through Barbara but was quickly
replaced by a sense of compassion. Why, she didn't know. She normally
considered the poor, when she did at all, as at best someone else's problem.
And this child was clearly a problem.

"Hello, young lady," Barbara spoke first, surprising herself.

"Hi, you got any spare change, ma'am?" the waif asked. The girl quickly
recovered from her own surprise at finding this attractive middle aged woman
on the bench she usually came to rest on after making her way out of the
park each evening. Not surprised enough though, to miss the chance of
scoring some quick food money. "I'm kinda hungry," she added quietly.

"Do you live in there?" Barbara queried, indicating the heavily forested
park behind them.

The girl turned her head to look where Barbara was pointing then looked
directly back at her, eyes full of pleading. "Yeah, I do for now. And
please, I could use a few bucks to help me get by," guessing by Barbara's
clothes, hair and makeup that she probably had more than just a few coins on
her.

Yvonne was getting desperate. Running away from home, bad as home was,
hadn't turned out to be quite the trip she had imagined. Like sleeping in
the park, although that was way better than running with one of the street
`families', mostly runaways like herself trying desperately to stay hidden
and alive in the niches and cracks of the big city. She tried that for a
couple of months. With them, kind as some could be, there was always
trouble. Better to be on your own.

Watching the girl closely Barbara knew enough through practicing some family
law and criminal defense work early in her career not to ask the obvious
questions of this young ragamuffin. Instead she reached for her purse and
then paused. "Money isn't what you really need, is it sweetheart?" she
asked, looking the girl in the eye.

As Barbara continued looking, dimly at first but with some growing clarity
she experienced a slow, almost miraculous epiphany regarding this poor
creature that had appeared before her almost straight from the pages of
Oliver Twist. What she was looking at was herself for what she could have
been. My God, she thought, it's the ghost of Christmas future in reverse!

Barbara could well have stood in this girl's place thirty eight years ago
given her own wretched home life as a child and her single mother's
disastrous and ultimately fatal battle with the bottle and prescription
drugs. It suddenly struck her that all those years of frantic effort to
achieve success in school, university, law school, and legal practice were
all an attempt to escape the fate that stood exactly in front of her right
now.

"Maybe not," replied the girl. "But it would sure help for now. Please
ma'am?"

"Here's twenty dollars," Barbara said abruptly reaching into her purse.
"Come back tomorrow about this time and we'll see about more. How's that?"

As the girl approached her wide-eyed at her generosity Barbara was able to
notice how pretty she was under all the grit, grime, and grungy clothes.
Standing next to Barbara her odor was only faintly noticeable, indicating
that she was at least trying to stay clean. Her eyes were a beautiful corn
flower blue set above a pert little nose and full red lips, a natural beauty
in need of no makeup. Her body was lean and small but hard to make out
through her loose ill-fitting clothing. Her long blonde hair would probably
look great with a set and wash sans baseball cap, Barbara thought.

"Gosh, thank you, ma'am. I will. Be here tomorrow that is," Amazed at her
good fortune Yvonne grabbed the bill and pocketed it. She could eat well for
the next week if she were careful. Giving the attractive older lady a
stunning little girl smile, she turned and  without looking back walked,
then half ran towards the city lights beckoning in the distance.

Barbara stood watching the girl disappear into the whirling maw of the
metropolis, willing her to be safe one more night, just long enough for
Barbara to what? Make a difference in this young girl's existence? Rescue
her from the appalling, soul destroying life she was leading? Or long enough
to rescue Barbara's own soul, an unwanted thought that crept in, making her
feel selfish, self-serving and questioning of her own motives. And she's so
pretty too, Barbara realized with a flash of feeling.

Wolfing down a dollar slice of pizza Yvonne contemplated her encounter with
her `angel' in the park. She had been around long enough to know that some
kids, mostly girls, had occasional but regular benefactors that gave them
money or other things with no strings attached. Usually older men who seemed
to take pity on the kids down here and did what they could for them for
whatever reasons of their own. Maybe this lady was one of those street
angels? That would be nice.

Yvonne could use a more regular income, not that she was trying to con the
woman in the park. She hadn't been down here long enough to lose all her
sense of conscience, and the look in the woman's eyes seemed so gentle and
caring, something Yvonne was not used to seeing. Could she trust her? Time
would tell.

Trust was not something Yvonne gave out to just anyone. Her young life till
now was an endless string of broken promises and painful betrayals, and
there was that thing that happened, that caused her finally to run away.
That thing she didn't want to think about or remember but that stuck with
her, gnawing away at her like a toothache no matter how much she tried to
tell herself it didn't matter.

Barbara herself spent an unusually restful night and woke up refreshed,
feeling better than she had for some time, she realized. She knew it was
about the girl in the park. She had seen something in her eyes and her
stance that told her this girl was not yet damaged beyond repair, that some
spark of a wonderful human soul remained to be salvaged if only she could be
reached in time. And Barbara intended to reach her in spite of the quiet
voice inside her that said she was doing this for her own salvation and not
the girl's. She chose to ignore the voice for now. And this new sense of
purpose, at least for today, gave her some hope to live on.

When they met the next evening they were both surprised and happy to see
that the other had shown up. Both, for obviously different reasons, had
hoped the meeting last night had not been a one-time thing and it had come
to pass. Barbara could see that the girl had even tried to clean up a bit.
The ball cap was gone and her hair was combed and tied back in a pony tail.
Her white T-shirt looked clean, if several sizes too large. Khaki colored
cargo pants had replaced the jeans but her shoes were the same raggedy pair
she'd worn last time.

"My name's Barbara, what's yours?" she asked as the girl approached her,
hoping she wasn't being too forward.

"Uh, Mandy," Yvonne replied, giving her favorite teacher's name, her chosen
`street name' that every kid down here had to help avoid being taken into
custody by social services or the police.

"Well, Mandy, I've put together something of a survival pack for you. Things
you might need but can't find, uh, out here." This included some tampons,
shampoo, soap, toothbrush and paste, deodorant, some nutrition bars, a
portable radio with ear plugs, a few extra dollars, and a cheap but nice
looking watch. "The watch is so that we can make appointments with each
other, would that be okay?"

"Sure, I guess," Yvonne replied, a bit overwhelmed by the woman's generosity
and concern. Why is she doing this? When it became clear by the woman's
silent warm smile however, that there were no questions being asked and no
conditions attached to these gifts Yvonne said simply "Thank you, ma'am."

"Please call me Barbara, okay?"

"Sure. Thank you, uh, Barbara," Yvonne said uncertainly.

"Please tell me if there is anything else you need. I can only guess what
you're going through and what might help. Is there something else I can get
for you sweetheart?"

Only a whole new life, Yvonne thought bitterly and maybe a big house on a
farm with horses and cars to drive and endless amounts of food to eat and no
one to be afraid of or run away from but she'd start small. "A tent," she
said. "Not too big but enough to stretch out in and keep the rain off. Maybe
that's too much..."

"Of course not," said Barbara. "I should have thought of that myself. Fall
is coming and you're going to get awful damp out there. How about a sleeping
bag too?" she asked nervously.

"Really? You'd buy me a tent and a sleeping bag? Wow!" Yvonne blurted out,
sounding almost like the little 12 year old she actually was and then she
got wary. In her universe such things didn't come without a price or they
always fell through.

"I promise. Tomorrow night at 8:00 o'clock I'll be here. Is that time good
for you, Mandy?" Barbara had noticed her excitement and then her fade into
guardedness.

Yvonne nodded her head and smiled. "Okay, I'll be here Barbara," She took
her new watch out of the bag of supplies she'd been given and put it on. "At
8 o'clock." She turned and started walking away again into the glowing
lights and swirling traffic of the city. This time though, she turned around
and waved good bye before continuing.

Barbara watched her marching away and again prayed to whatever goddess
looked after little girls that she be safe for another night and free from
all the dangers she knew and imagined could befall her. She looked tough
though - and competent for a twelve year old, Barbara thought. She can take
care of herself. She's made it this far or so she reassured herself. God,
what am I going to do? I'm so worried about this child. I know what a fiasco
turning her in to social services would create and that, she felt sure,
would end any trust she'd begun to build up between them forever.

Yvonne spent the night as she usually did; trying to remain out of sight and
mind of most of the world and Barbara's generosity meant she didn't have to
panhandle for awhile either. There was a street youth drop-in that offered
free showers, always a supply of day old Starbuck's muffins (Starbuck's, she
had come to learn, was another `street angel'. If she could ever afford to
buy coffee she'd always buy it at Starbuck's) and occasionally some good
used clothing or other articles people would donate. There were street
friends she ran into too, but most of them always had that desperate look
about them that made Yvonne keep her distance.

Drugs were not her scene, neither was prostitution, alcohol or larceny.
She'd been approached early on by an older man who promised she could make
lots of money turning tricks and making films and she'd run from him like
she'd run from the gangs that broke into cars and boosted stuff from the
large downtown retail stores. And now there was this woman who was buying
her a tent. What did she want? Was she safe? Yvonne hoped so. The woman
seemed so kind and for an instant her street hardened heart opened up to the
magnificent `what if' that this woman, this beautiful, rich, even sexy
woman, might be for real. She gulped back some tears after leaving the
shower in the drop-in and looked down at her new possessions with some
pride, especially her watch. 8 o'clock, she remembered. I'll be there, she
said to herself firmly.

The next day Barbara went to the best outdoor outfitting place she could
find and bought what she thought was the best small tent in the store
designed, it said, to endure the ravages of a windy tropical downpour. Next
an `arctic tested' sleeping bag, whatever that meant, and a foam mat to lay
under it along with enough tin pots, stoves, cooking utensils, and survival
gear to last a whole season in the Antarctic and then she stopped, realizing
that the poor girl could only carry so much and why was she encouraging her
to stay outdoors by buying her all this equipment anyway?

Then she realized she was not outfitting Mandy for the winter, she was
trying to buy her trust. For a moment a wave of guilt washed through her
then she remembered her promise to Mandy and the look of doubt on her young
face just before she had turned away and headed for town. If this is what it
takes to help this girl survive and thrive then, if it's selfish, so be it.
She bundled her purchases into the trunk of her car and drove off, anxiously
waiting for 8 o'clock to roll by.

Yvonne had arrived early and hid herself in anticipation of Barbara's return
tonight. She realized too that she was as anxious to see the woman as she
was to get her new camping gear. There was something about Barbara that was
getting to her, unlocking feelings she hadn't felt before but she knew she
had to be very careful. They were warm, soft almost magical sensations and
she wasn't sure what exactly they were but she knew they were powerful and
needed to be kept in check. She sensed these emotions could turn around and
hurt her badly, something she wasn't sure she could ever endure. Then
looking down at her watch at precisely 8 o'clock she heard Barbara's car
drive up, stop and her door open and close.

Yvonne waited until the woman had seated herself on the bench before making
her presence known. Emerging from behind the hydrangeas she saw the woman
turn to look at her and saw too the huge smile that lit up her face when she
recognized her. The smile seemed to melt something inside Yvonne and she
approached Barbara a bit tentatively but no longer so warily.

"Mandy! There you are!" Barbara exclaimed. "I went a little nuts in the
sporting goods store. Do you want to have a look?"

Curious, Yvonne followed Barbara to the trunk of her car and stood there as
she opened it. When the light went on she could see the clear plastic bag
with the tent in it and the rolled up forest green sleeping bag but in
addition there were a number of camping utensils she could badly use
including a can opener, hand axe, mess tin and an array of cooking gear.
There was also a new backpack, one which looked expensive, too expensive to
wear into the city, but she wouldn't tell the woman that. It would make
Yvonne the target of a robbery the minute she showed up on the street with
it. She'd keep it at her camp site for some special occasion.

"I knew this might be a lot to carry so I got this portable dolly you can
use to get it all to, uh, the place where you live," Barbara said pulling it
from the side of her trunk and piecing it together. I also got you this,"
she said reaching into her purse. "It's a cell phone with about four hours
of prepaid calling time. And this is my card with my home phone, cell number
and address on it. I've put them on speed dial in the cell. If you need
anything or just want to talk..."

Yvonne looked up at Barbara stunned. "You mean all this is for me? And I can
just call you too if, if I want to?"

"Yes of course you can. Any time about anything. It doesn't have to be
important. That's why I got it for you. I know you could probably sell it
and you can if you like," Barbara added nervously. "But I thought this way
we could arrange to meet by phone, or cancel if something came up."

"I'd never sell it! No ma'am. I mean Barbara," Yvonne announced earnestly
and Barbara heaved a quiet sigh of relief.

She watched Yvonne turning the cell phone around in her hands, opening and
closing it, then the look of confusion that appeared on her face. Realizing
the girl didn't know how to operate it she ran her through a quick series of
instructions and was amazed by how fast she caught on to everything. She's a
bright little thing, Barbara mused. Imagine her at a computer?

During this period of demonstrations and instruction Barbara  also noticed
that Yvonne had dropped a lot of her street wise reticence and was
responding to her like any normal twelve year old would. She was even
flashing her a big smile whenever she mastered some new task and Barbara
felt her heart flutter a bit each time. My God, I'm falling in love with
this pitiful needy child she realized.

After the lessons were complete Yvonne looked up at Barbara. "Can I call you
tonight?" she asked expectantly.

"Oh my dear, of course you can. I'd love to hear from you." Barbara was
breathless at this offer.

"Okay then, I'm going to pack all this stuff home, set it up and call you
from there. Think it will work in the woods?"

"Yes, it will sweetheart, don't worry." Barbara smiled.

Together they loaded Yvonne's new backpack with her new camping gear then
placed it, the tent, and sleeping bag on the dolly, ready for transport into
the forest. After testing the weight Yvonne assured Barbara she could easily
manage by herself then she came over and surprised Barbara with a big hug.
In response Barbara wrapped her arms tightly around the young girl and,
after smelling the fragrance in her hair of the shampoo she'd bought her,
reluctantly let her go again.

"Thank you so much Barbara," Yvonne said softly with downcast eyes, then she
turned around, picked up the end of the dolly and started off back into the
park, the dolly rolling along easily behind her. When she was almost at the
tree line she stopped, turned around and waved good bye then disappeared
into the forest gloom.

As she watched her go Barbara felt a tear come to her eye as she stood there
for some minutes gazing at the spot where Yvonne had disappeared. Finally
she turned and headed back to her car and home to await that special phone
call that was now meaning so much to her. Maybe I'm just being an old fool,
she thought. This could all turn out to be a disaster. Hell, I barely know
the girl. On the other hand she hadn't felt this alive in years and decided
to let things proceed as they would.

Driving back home almost on auto pilot Barbara was startled back to
alertness by the chiming of her cell phone. Thinking it was probably one of
her bar friends wondering where she'd been the last few nights she was quite
taken aback when a young girl's voice instead asked if that was Barbara.

"Yes, this is Barbara. Is that you Mandy?" she inquired excitedly. "I wasn't
expecting to hear from you so soon, dear."

"Oh, is it okay me phoning you now? I could always..."

"Of course it's okay sweetheart. I'm just surprised is all, happily
surprised."

"Well I thought I'd tell you I got the tent up okay and it's great! Thank
you so much!"

"It's my pleasure dear. I'm so glad you like it," Barbara said warmly as she
stopped for a red light. "So are you still going to call me when I get home?
I'd like that."

"Gosh okay, in about an hour maybe?"

"Use my home number. I look forward to it honey."

After Yvonne hung up she sat back and pondered the recent turn her life had
taken. She knew that for some reason this woman wanted to be her friend but
she couldn't figure out why. Never having been truly loved before she'd had
no experience of the unconditional giving and acceptance that came normally
to most children through their parents and other family members. As a result
she didn't see herself as particularly lovable and so still doubted this
woman's love and kindness. But there was enough hope left in Yvonne to keep
going in this new relationship despite her mistrust, not to mention how
desperately lonely she was and how afraid of the future she felt and how
wonderful it would be to be rescued from her ongoing nightmare of a life.

And there was something else that Yvonne barely acknowledged. She felt
attracted to this woman in a visceral, sexual way that she hadn't
experienced before. She knew she was attracted to other girls and not to
boys, but she'd never allowed those feelings to go very far. Her only sexual
experience was more an act of unmitigated violence than anything sexual. It
was that memory she kept trying to suppress, of her mother's latest
boyfriend pinning her down, ripping off her clothes and raping her brutally
until she had passed out cold. With a shudder Yvonne pushed those
humiliating nightmarish scenes back into her mind and concentrated instead
on the image and person of Barbara and she immediately felt warm and
aroused. There could not be a greater contrast between two people than
Barbara and that vile boyfriend she realized.

After arriving home Barbara planted herself beside the phone and looked at
her watch. About fifteen minutes to go before she could expect Mandy's call.
She settled back in her easy chair and let her mind wander back to the young
girl. She had looked so adorable tonight with her hair cleaned and hanging
loosely about her shoulders. She could do with a cut, Barbara thought. She
longed to take her to her own hairdresser but felt sure the time was not yet
here whereby she could be that personal with the girl. She needed to be
patient.

Barbara too had to acknowledge some odd feelings of attraction towards this
young runaway. These feelings at first shocked her then she remembered the
girl's eyes, so knowing and grown up and her obvious self-sufficiency.
Twelve going on thirty, Barbara appreciated. That maturity along with her
striking beauty were a potent combination and Barbara saw where her physical
attraction towards the girl was coming from. Still it was a little
unsettling. The loud burr of her telephone stopped Barbara's reveries and
she picked up the receiver in eager anticipation.

"Hello Barbara, is that you?" Yvonne's voice sounded in her ear.

"Yes Mandy honey, it is. How are you dear?" responded Barbara, trying not to
sound too excited.

"Well, first off I should tell you that my name's not Mandy. It's Yvonne. I
hope you don't mind but Mandy is my street name. I wasn't trying to fool you
or anything. Is that okay?"

"Yes it's okay. I understand and I'm touched that you would share that with
me. You don't have to be afraid to tell me anything Yvonne. As I guess you
know by now I think you're pretty special and I want so much just to be your
friend," Barbara told her sincerely.

"Yeah I -- I know," Yvonne paused and gathered up her courage. "But, well,
why do you want to do all these things for me? Why do you want me as a
friend?" she blurted out. "I mean you've got lots of things, cars and stuff
and I don't have anything. And you don't really know me. I'm only twelve and
I could be a horrible brat that just takes your money or steals from you or
something..."

"Honey, listen. I know you're not that kind of person," Barbara retorted.
"Besides I'm pretty sharp and I'd spot your game pretty fast anyway. Why I
want to be your friend is a bit complicated, but I guess I see a lot of
myself in you. I have no problem imaging what  your home life was like and I
can tell you that mine was no walk in the park either. I can also appreciate
how hard it probably is for you to trust me. I accept that and know that I
have to earn your trust and I'm willing to do that a step at a time. That's
also why I'm trying to be completely open with you. I promise, I'll never
lie to you or try to trick you or hurt you. I know what all that feels like
just like I'm sure you do. I've come to love you Yvonne," These final words
came tumbling out of her mouth almost unbidden. Had she gone too far?

Yvonne was stunned by Barbara's revelation, insight, empathy, and promises.
As the numbness gradually wore off following Barbara's remarks all the years
of  hurt, betrayal, fear, and pain that were locked up inside her could no
longer be ignored or denied. Someone understood and cared. Yvonne felt the
tears begin to flow.

"Oh my God, yes! I do! Know how that feels I mean," Yvonne sobbed. Deep
wells of untapped feelings gushed forth from dark hidden places and Barbara
listened intently as waves of emotion coursed through the young girl,
expressing themselves in soul wracking sobs and free running tears. "Oh
Barbara, I feel so alone!" she cried as she tried to regain some control
over herself. "Please, would you come and meet me again tonight," Yvonne
implored desperately. "Please?"

After assuring her that she would be there in twenty minutes, Barbara rushed
out of her condo, impatiently waited for the elevator then willed it to
descend faster when she finally boarded it. Bursting out of the elevator
doors at the parking level she headed immediately for her car, got in and
actually squealed her tires as she made the turn to leave the building,
stopping abruptly to wait impatiently for the security gate to finally open.

When it did Barbara headed back to the park and noted when she arrived that
she had actually made it in fourteen minutes as she pulled into the now
familiar parking space by `their' bench. Pausing for breath she looked
around and spotted Yvonne coming out of the trees. Flashing her headlights
to attract her attention she saw the young girl start to run towards her.

Getting out of the car to meet her Barbara saw immediately the distress in
the young girl's eyes and longed to reach out to her. Not waiting Barbara
ran towards the girl and they met about half way from the tree line and
immediately threw their arms around each other. Barbara could feel and hear
Yvonne's deep sobs as she stroked her hair gently. A thrill went through her
too when she felt Yvonne's young body come in crushing contact with her own
and her breasts compress against the girl's chest.

"There, there, honey. Let it out. Let it all out," Barbara cooed as she
slowly rocked Yvonne in her arms and caressed her shiny blonde hair.

"Oh Barbara, I don't know what's happening to me! Please hold me!" Yvonne
cried into Barbara's shoulder as she continued to comfort her.

"Honey, I think whatever it is it's a good thing. But I'm not letting you
stay alone in those woods tonight. You're coming home with me," Barbara
ordered. Yvonne quietly nodded yes and continued to cry and sniffle quietly
as Barbara led her slowly over to her car, opened the passenger door and sat
her inside, doing up her seatbelt in the process. In the driver's seat
Barbara handed her some tissues from her purse then took Yvonne's small hand
in hers briefly before starting the engine then held it again most of the
way home.

Both woman and girl realized on the drive to Barbara's place that things had
drastically changed in their relationship, that they were on the verge of
making some deeper connection to each other and that felt a little scary to
both. All Barbara could think of was please don't let me mess this up as the
two of them headed up in the elevator to her penthouse. In moments, as they
entered the condo hand in hand, both felt the strange sensation that they
somehow belonged here together at this moment and anxiously hoped it was
mutual.

* * * * *


Star*