Bacchus

It was the young man in the rumpled suit. Only today, he was dressed in a casual collared shirt, slacks, and comfortable shoes. His expression, however, was anything but comfortable. Still, he didn't run. Bron gestured for him to approach.

"You're Bron?" he said with a slight quaver in his deep voice.

Bron looked at him and wondered at the man's sanity. Finally, he just nodded.

"She'd kill me if she knew I was here, but I had to meet you. I'm Dale. Dale Henderson," he finished with his hand thrust out. Bron looked at it, took the hand in his, and shook it. When he released it, Dale visibly wobbled.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Mr. Henderson," Bron said quietly.

Dale looked at him with wide eyes and nodded. "Please, call me Dale."

"I'm going to call you Mr. Henderson. Why are you here?" Bron asked quietly.

"I'm from Garroon. I work in the office Angelina Rykov is doing her apprenticeship in." Dale closed his eyes briefly and steeled himself. "Here's the thing. I'm madly in love with Angelina. It was love at first sight for me. Not for her. I had to work hard to earn her love. It seems she was in love with some other bloke. She... might still be." The man froze when Bron physically twitched at that statement. "She wouldn't tell me his name. Wouldn't tell me anything about him. Then I met her friends last night after the party, and I recognized some of them from the news sites. It clicked. It was their expressions that told me. I knew it had to be you." He was talking faster, as if he had to get something off his chest. Something painful.

For Bron, it felt like the exercise machine had reactivated and was exerting all of its tremendous force to his chest, crushing its way in to squish his heart. He cleared his throat and repeated his question. "Why are you here?"

Dale stopped and wiped his palms on his legs. He licked his suddenly dry lips and looked Bron in the eye. "I have to know if you're in love with her and if I'll have to fight you for her."

Bron barked out a laugh. He didn't mean to do that, but the man's statement caught him completely off guard.

"I'm sorry. You surprised me." Bron got control of his volatile emotions and dragged his hands over his face. When he opened his eyes again, Dale was facing him with a grim expression. "You're either an extremely brave or an extremely stupid man. I pray for Angelina's sake it's the former," Bron growled quietly. "That said, if you respected her opinion, you wouldn't be here. That's a mark against you. You're going to have to earn her forgiveness. I suggest you leave before you prove yourself unworthy of her love."

Dale's confusion showed. "But--you haven't answered my question!"

Bron looked at the man. Fighting him was a ridiculous idea, though it appealed to some base need he somehow suppressed. Instead, he slowly leaned forward to look deeply into Dale's nervous eyes. For just a second, he allowed all the pain, which was tearing his heart to shreds, to show in his eyes. Dale rocked back. Bron stood and walked back to his room.

He wouldn't break his promise to Pietr, but for the first time in his brief life, he considered it.

Chapter 28

It took a year, but Bron completed his course. He dedicated himself to doing his best and put all other distractions aside. He was at the top of his class and had three different spas and two clinics competing for him to accept employment with them. The spas paid better, but the clinics had the whole spiritual fulfillment thing going for them, and Bron seriously needed that. The rep for one of the spas saw that and offered to take him on as a freelance to earn a little extra money. He was seriously tempted.

He still saw the gang. Sasha ensured he got to see his adopted daughter frequently. He and Kei became great friends, and he helped her find some balance in her new environment. In a way, she was also much stronger than her peers as he was, so she learned from him how to temper that strength to work for her instead of against her.

Sasha also showed up frequently for a little one-on-one adult time with her big blue lover. She'd become quite addicted to their rough playtime.

He shared his remaining spare moments with the others from time to time. Asami was a little quieter than she once was, but they found comfort in each other's arms occasionally. He was making sure she wasn't bound to the past, but looked to the future as well.

The bodybuilders hadn't worked out for Rachel and Sarah. They still had trouble finding compatible mates on a planet as soft as Walla, but Bron eased that for them, so they found contentment.

Vicky and Van, the physiotherapist, had become a thing. Van had energy to spare and loved to dance, so he earned himself a place in their gang.

Stephie married Marc, the horse trainer, and moved away shortly after Angelina and Bailley left for Garroon. Contact with her just dried up. Several attempts were made to reconnect, but she'd made herself a new life and had cut herself loose from the old. Her friends accepted her decision.

Rhonda was the most vocal about Angelina's change of heart. She was severely disappointed in her friend, but did her best to rein that in when she visited him. Bron learned from her that Angelina moved permanently to Garroon and married Dale. They were already expecting, and it looked like it was going to be twins. The words hurt Bron deeply, but they freed him from his lingering bindings to the past.

Bron tracked down Bailley, who was still in Garroon. She'd graduated from her course and found a job working as an administrator for a women's shelter there. She had hoped to return to Brisbee, but they needed her desperately at the refuge, and she couldn't abandon them. He and Bailley talked on the phone for well over three hours. She told him how she'd discovered about Dale and the major blowout she'd had with Angelina when she learned her friend was getting serious with the man while Bron pined for her. They hadn't spoken since that night. Bailley felt like she'd failed Bron and was too embarrassed to call. He told her that was silly. He still cared deeply for her and told her he would visit her when he could. She told him she'd hold him to that promise.

None of the ladies could explain what had happened to Angelina to make her change her heart so dramatically. Her love for Bron had been so strong then it seemed like overnight she moved on.

The only remaining member of the group they hadn't been able to contact was Laura. Each time they'd tried, they were told she was off in some distant village building a school or organizing a charity event. The last thing they'd been told was that she was in Garroon doing... something for the needy. Bron felt bad about how he'd run off the last night he'd been with her. He still felt uneasy about how he'd had sex with those two women, but they hadn't attempted to contact him, so he tried to put it out of his mind.

Pietr came to see him at the college once after his election and expressed his condolence for how life had once again served him undeserved pain. Bron told him he didn't hold him responsible and was delighted the man would get grandchildren after all. This brought a happy gleam to Pietr's eyes, then a pained frown as he realized his pleasure came at a high cost for an honourable man. Bron assured him he was delighted for the man and wished him future success and happiness.

The new Premier had come through on many promises, and the people of Walla were the better for it. He made sweeping policies granting Genies civil rights. However, He didn't open Walla as a haven for Genies as the populace was still nervous about the planet being flooded with refugee Genies. Currently, Walla's Genie population remained at one. But the rest of the worlds watched and adopted some of the same measures. It was a start.

-=-

The night of his graduating ceremony, the gang gathered at their new favorite nightspot to celebrate. Vicki's beau Van was extra pumped, as Bron would join him at the clinic he worked at in two weeks. Bron liked the man as he was such a source of positive energy, which was very helpful in a clinic. Bron planned on taking the two weeks to decompress from his exam schedule and to visit Bailley. Pietr paid for the expensive flight as a graduation present. While he was in Garroon, he had no plan to see Angelina as she had made her choice very clear, and it was still painful to him.

They danced for hours, and Bron felt amazing being surrounded by so many people who genuinely cared about him. Afterward, Vicki and Van dropped him off at the airport on their way home as Bron's flight to Garroon left at the crack of dawn. The suborbital flight only took three hours, so Bron wouldn't have much time to sleep before they arrived. He changed into shorts and a t-shirt in the airport and put his dancing clothes into the small duffel he was carrying. He was traveling light.

He discovered his seat on the plane was too small to allow him to sleep at all, so he was exhausted by the time he got to the airport in Garroon. He walked out into the arrivals area bleary-eyed, so he missed seeing Bailley's frantic waving until she crushed herself against his chest in a fierce hug.

She felt wonderful, and he held her tight against his body until she patted his chest to get him to release her. She beamed a smile up at his face.

"Bron! I've missed you so much!" she gushed.

He took in her beautiful eyes, lush lips, smooth mocha skin and wanted desperately to kiss her but was sensitive to her--Bailley's soft lips covered his, and his mind left his body and floated to heaven. When she pulled back, he wobbled on his feet, and she braced him with a playful smile. They were drawing stares.

"It's good to see I can still affect you that way," she breathed.

"You always have and always will," he whispered back.

Her smile dazzled him, so she led him out of the airport to her truck. As she'd folded back the soft top, there was plenty of space for Bron to stretch out in. The climate of Garroon was dryer than Brisbee, so convertibles were the norm. His t-shirt and shorts were perfect for the environment and local fashion sense.

She drove him back to the little ranch-style house she was renting out. The property was surrounded by a privacy fence with nasty-looking razor wire coiled along its top. Bron looked at Bailley with a questioning look.

"Not all the locals are friendly," was all she said as she pressed the gate remote. A small pack of dogs burst through the opening to run around the car, barking. "The second line of defense," she said as she eased them through the dogs onto the parking pad under a canopy. Bailley saw all the dogs were back inside the fence, so she pressed the button again, and the gate closed.

They both got out of the car, and the dogs gathered around Bron to give him a sniff. They didn't bark or try to bite him. He had no experience with dogs, so he looked at Bailley again, and she shrugged. She led Bron inside for a tour of her place.

It was a small house, so it didn't take long. Two bedrooms, though one was set up as an office, a decent-sized living room, dining room for maybe six people, a small kitchen, and one functional bathroom. All on one level with no basement, but it had power, water, sewers, net access, and most importantly, air conditioning. The dogs stayed outside.

He helped her get water for the dogs, and once that was done, the pack seemed to accept him and went back to sleeping in the shade beside the house.

Bailley caught Bron yawning and made him explain why he was so tired. When he finished, she led him back inside and pushed him onto her bed as it was the only bed in the house. She snuggled in against his side. It didn't take them long to fall asleep.

A few hours later, Bron woke up and saw he was alone. He saw the sun had set, so it was late evening, he guessed. He wandered out into the living room and found Bailley working with a tablet. She smiled at him and placed the powered off device on the coffee table. She patted the seat beside her.

"It's so good to see you again. I haven't slept that well in a long time!" she said.

"Same here," he responded with a smile. "Can you tell me about the security measures you've taken?"

Bailley frowned, then shrugged. "Garroon isn't as cultured or civilized as Brisbee. There are many really friendly people here, but the... remoteness has led some to revert to a more primitive nature. Old sexisms have resurfaced, and it can get rough for women here. My work at the shelter has brought me into contact with many abused women. Some of their husbands, boyfriends, even fathers have made threats against the shelter staff, myself included, for interfering with family matters. The women are being physically or mentally abused, and these men consider this treatment to be justified because they consider themselves to be the master of their household. We have a list of offenders, but the police have been hesitant to get involved. Laura Augustine has been working with our shelter for the past month, and she has done wonders. Her influence on the local administration and our global government through her father is having a large impact. The police have received special training for dealing with domestic abuse, and they are coming around. She's introduced educational programs to make people aware that this abuse is not natural or acceptable. Children feel more comfortable opening up to their guidance counselors in schools to report abuse they are exposed to. Laura has also expanded our center and brought in more staff. Grants we weren't aware existed have made it possible to fund the center for the next few years. It's not as desperate a situation as it was when I joined. Largely because of her."

"But you still have a wall with deadly wire atop it and a pack of dogs to protect you at night," Bron said.

"Not everyone takes well to being identified as an uncivilized wife-beater," she shrugged.

"So the threats to you are still active?"

"Yes... but these are cowards."

"Primitive, savage, angry cowards. The worse kind," Bron insisted.

Bailley shrugged once more. "I take precautions. The home is wired for security, and the police are just ten minutes away."

Bron tried to shake his nervousness for her. She smiled when she saw his genuine concern.

"You made it possible for me to help these women, you know," she said.

He looked at her in surprise.

"You helped me break out of the prison I had built up around myself. You gave me confidence in myself. I could be intimate without fear, and that made all the difference," she said as she climbed up on his lap.

"I can't take credit for that. You did all the hard work yourself!" Bron blustered.

She ran her fingertip across his lower lip and smiled at how he trembled in reaction. "But it was your patience and caring nature that allowed me to take that chance. Until you arrived in my life, I hadn't progressed at all. If anything, I was becoming more reclusive and distrustful. You made me comfortable. Made me feel safe. I could talk with you without being judged. I felt like you really cared for me."

"Oh, Bailley, care for you? I love you. I thought you understood," Bron said quietly.

The woman froze, staring into his eyes.

"Did I upset you? Was I pushing too hard? These aren't words that can be taken back. It's okay if you don't feel the same way. I understand," Bron mumbled, stumbling over his words.

"But you love Angelina!" she squeaked.

"Yes... I did, and a small part of me always will. But that didn't keep you from becoming a critical component of my happiness. You weren't the only one who felt liberated by those conversations. You weren't the only one whose heart opened when our minds shared so completely. I felt a deep connection with you even then. I didn't know how you truly felt about me, as you always backed off the moment Angelina was around. When you both left to finish your schooling here, it was a devastating blow. I don't mean to make you feel bad. I just need you to understand how I feel about you. Again, I'm not expecting you to feel the same way. You don't even have to say anyth--"

Bailley once more captured his lips with hers as she surged forward to kiss him and wrap her arms around his neck. He sank back on the couch with her body pressing firmly against his. Her tongue slipped into his mouth to stroke across his. She moaned, and he slid his hands down her body, making her squirm and grind against him. Bron moaned when she pressed against his bulge.

She pulled back from the kiss to stare into his eyes. "I love you, Bron. I always have, but I couldn't steal you from Angelina. I promised her I would protect your secret love, then when she said she was leaving to come here, I promised myself I'd protect your love for her, but I failed. I didn't know you loved me!"

Bron slipped his hands into her silky hair and pulled her to his lips once more. He gently stroked her full lower lip against his and felt her tremble. He ran the tip of his tongue over the lips, and she gasped. She tried to kiss him harder, but he controlled the kiss with his hands, and she pressed harder against his bulge in retaliation. He moaned, and he felt her grin in victory.

His pouch opened, and Bailley felt the heat of him thump against her.

"Oh!" she gasped

Suddenly there was a loud shriek of tearing metal outside the house, and the dogs went nuts. Their barking was loud and chaotic, but soon became yelps and cries. Then silence.

Bron's passion cooled quickly, and his pouch resealed. They sat up fast and Bailley's eyes looked troubled.

"Call the police. I think someone just killed the dogs," Bron said.

Bailley connected with the police station on her tablet, and they promised to be there as soon as possible. The units were currently busy with a multi-car accident.

She looked at Bron with fear in her eyes.

The lights went out, and the tablet's connection died. Bailley suppressed her scream.

"Do you have any weapons?" Bron asked quietly.

"No."

"Lock yourself in the bathroom and get into the tub. I think you're about to lose your damage deposit on this place," Bron whispered.

"Be careful!" she whispered.

He gave her a quick kiss, and she ran for the bathroom.

Bron crab-walked over to the living room and peeked out of the corner of the window. He glimpsed motion at the corner of the house. That was One, likely armed and waiting for him to exit. He moved to the front door and listened. Here was Two and Three, ready to storm the house. He moved to the kitchen door next. The latch was beginning to glow from the cutting torch. So Four, the pyro. He peeked out the window in the kitchen door and saw one more by the back wall in the shadows--finally, Five and the one to worry about--no doubt, armed with a powerful long-range weapon of some kind.

Shit.

Well, deal with Four first. Fire was too chaotic to deal with. Bron grabbed a bottle of cooking oil and kicked the door fiercely next to the latch. The door blew outwards to crash against the hand holding the torch and knocked the man back on his ass onto the stone patio. Bron nailed the ground between his legs with the bottle, and the oil sprayed outwards in a huge fan ignited on the intensely hot torch with a tremendous boom. The man began screaming as he was coated with burning oil.

Bron was already moving. He leaped into the living room, lifted the couch, and ran with it under his arm like a battering ram towards the front door. The hinges were blown, and the door fell inwards. Two and Three tried pushing in the door but encountered the sofa's end as it smashed into their chests. Bron slammed them down onto the stone walkway under the couch and jumped behind the sofa's vertical pillar. There was a loud boom as One shot the sofa with his shotgun.