Hannah's Hero Ch. 03

This is the third part of the "Hannah's Hero" multi-part story. If you haven't read parts one and two, you may want to refer to them so you are up to date on the story. The same disclaimer warnings from precious installments still apply.

***

I couldn't honestly say exactly how long I stood there on the tarmac. I do know that I waited and watched long after Chris had joined the line of soldiers headed into the assembly hall. I was there for a while after he disappeared inside. I was there even after many families had left, though I wasn't the last to leave. In particular, I remember one tow-headed little boy -- he couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 years old -- clutching his mother's thigh in a death grip, tears in his little eyes.

"Mommy, when's Daddy gonna be home? Will he be home for dinner?" he asked plaintively.

"No, honey," the woman said, her eyes still focused on the far off assembly hall.

"Will he be home at bedtime?"

"No honey, Daddy's going to be gone a long time. Remember when Daddy explained he had to go on a long trip?"

"Yeah," the little boy said, "But I hoped he'd still be home to tuck me in." I tried not to listen in on their conversation, not just because it was rude, but because it broke my heart. Together, Jennifer and I got back in the car and slowly drove away. She took her time. Both of us had been crying, and we didn't want to crash on the long drive home.

"I don't know about you, but the last thing I want to do is cook. Do you want to call Angelo's and get a table?" Jennifer asked.

"Sure," I said, but without much enthusiasm. I wasn't really hungry, and the last thing I wanted right that second was to have a good time. But, that wasn't an attitude I was going to display for my best friend and sister-in-law. I wasn't the only one feeling anxious and scared, and I felt I had no right to retreat into myself and cut off the rest of the world. So, I pulled out my phone, did a Google search for the number, and called in a reservation. After I slipped the phone back in my purse, I felt Jennifer's hand squeeze my leg.

"Thanks for not tuning out on me," she said quietly. Her statement was so appropriate that I wondered for a second if I'd said something out loud. She laughed at the expression on my face. "No, Hannah, you didn't say anything. I've known you a while now, and I can tell what you're thinking. Not to mention the fact that I'm pretty much feeling the same way you are at the moment."

I smiled back at her, and I felt a little better. We spent the rest of the drive home chatting and even laughing a little. We got home around 3pm. True to her word, Debbie had parked Chris's truck neatly in the garage and left the key on the pegboard. She'd also left a card for us. I was touched. She's a sexually-aggressive man-eater, but she also has a caring heart. Some people might think that's a strange combination in a person, but there you go.

We went inside, changed into swimsuits, and spent about a couple of hours in the pool laughing and splashing. Afterwards I had a quick shower and changed into a nice dress. Angelo's is a fantastic little Italian restaurant that's belonged to the same family for 40 years. Chris took me there on our fifth date, and it quickly became one of my favorite eating spots. The atmosphere was nice, but the food was definitely the main attraction. When Jennifer and I were seated, I discovered my appetite hadn't left me after all. I picked up the menu and quickly decided on roasted chicken marsala and a glass of Chianti. As we ate, Jennifer and I discussed what our living arrangements were going to be when Chris came home.

Personally, I favored leaving things the way they were. The house had more than enough room, especially since Chris and I wouldn't need separate rooms anymore. I did suggest that I move our things into the downstairs bedroom; that way, Chris and I were less likely to bother her with any noise we made. I agreed to pay half of all utilities, and if there were any maintenance issues we'd go half-and-half there, too. She liked the idea, for several reasons.

I enjoyed the leisurely dinner with my best friend. It really helped get my mind off of my worries. But as it turned out, someone else was going to try to spoil it. I was on my second glass of Chianti and enjoying my strawberry gelato when Jennifer suddenly fell silent. Startled by the abrupt quiet, I looked up to see that her face had gone deathly pale.

"Jen, what is it?" I asked, slightly alarmed. She didn't reply, she simply gestured across the room. I turned to look in that direction and saw her boyfriend, Grant Thomas at a table with a lovely redhead in a strapless blue velvet dress. "Oh shit," I said softly. Jennifer had a little red spot at the top of each of her fair-skinned cheeks, and her fists were clenched. "Maybe she's his sis -- "

"No, Hannah," Jennifer cut me off. "Grant doesn't have a sister."

"Oh," I said softly. It didn't take a genius to see this wasn't going to end well.

"I should go over there and kick his ass!" Jennifer said, vehemently. She paused, and then seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon. "Well, no I guess I probably shouldn't."

"Well," I began gently, "It would suck to get tossed out of our favorite restaurant and then get arrested."

"Yeah," Jennifer said, smirking, "But that wasn't really my concern. Grant and I have been together a long time, but he's made it clear he won't marry me. He's not going to commit to anyone." She sighed and drained her wine glass in one gulp. "I almost feel sorry for that pretty little thing at the table with him. She probably has no idea what she's getting into."

"It's one thing to say he won't marry you. It's another thing entirely to start seeing other women without even bothering to break up with you first!" I said, outraged on my friend's behalf. She smiled sadly and shook her head. I put my hand on hers and squeezed it gently. The waiter returned and I paid the check. As we stood to leave I paused, feeling a wicked idea pop into my head. "Jennifer, I have an idea, but I need you to play along with me. How about it?"

"What are you planning, Hannah?" she asked cautiously. I took her hand and started leading her over to Grant's table. "Hannah! No, what are you doing??!!" she whispered desperately, trying to hang back.

"Follow my lead, Jen, we are really going to fuck up his evening plans!" I hissed back, not letting go of her hand. I got within 2 feet of his table before the bastard noticed me, but when he finally did look up his face turned dead pale.

"Oh, uh, hello Hannah...Jennifer, uh," he muttered helplessly. I'd never seen the deer-in-the-headlights expression duplicated so perfectly on a human face before.

The pretty redhead looked over her shoulder at me, startled. I moved to stand behind her and casually rested my hands on the back of her chair. "Hi Grant! Hello there, pretty girl! I have to say, Grant, you have a talent for finding the most delectable young treats!" I said, brushing the back of my hand gently against the girl's delicate neckline. "I'm sorry we're late, but it took more time than I expected to get everything set up at the condo. But, we're ready to go now. I have the restraints, the whips, and the swing all laid out." Grant's face went even more pale, and his stammering increased.

I smiled evilly at him, placing my hand on my waist and cocking one hip. "Do I have to be blindfolded this time? You know I love to watch the action. Besides, she looks so good, and I bet she tastes even better..." I leaned down and gently nibbled the girl's earlobe, and then kissed the side of her neck.

She stood up faster than lightning. "I had no idea you planned on having a...a...group thing!" she shouted, her expression shocked. "I thought it was going to be romantic! You never said you were into these kinds of twisted -- "

"Oh, but honey," Jennifer said finally, leaning over Grant and squeezing his shoulders possessively, "You'll like it, trust me! Twisting is what I do best!" Her tongue flicked seductively against her lips, making a clear invitation.

"This is disgusting!" She shouted. By now, the whole dining room had its attention on us. Most of the men looked intrigued, and most of the women looked scandalized (but not all of them.) The redheaded girl grabbed her wineglass and tossed the contents all over Grant's tailored Armani suit, and stormed out.

When she was gone, I looked after her as if I couldn't understand what had just happened. Then I turned back to Grant. "Well, I guess we're going to have to start your fetish video series without her, honey. See you at the condo!" I took Jennifer's arm in mine and walked serenely out of the restaurant as if I didn't have a care in the world.

By the time we reached my car, she was laughing like a mad woman. "Did you see his face?! That was priceless!" I laughed too, feeling extremely satisfied. Cheaters shouldn't prosper!

I drove home very cautiously, and when we arrived, we decided to spend the rest of the evening in front of the TV. Jennifer's cell phone rang several times, and Grant's number kept coming up on the screen. She finally just turned the ringer volume all the way down and left it on the coffee table.

"You know, I ought to set it to vibrate and lay it over my clit so he can make me cum one last time!" Jennifer said. I'd just taken a sip of my Coke and ended up almost spraying it.

"Geez, Jen! That's twisted." I paused, then said, "It sounds like fun!" We both laughed. After a few movies we each went to our lonely beds. We both had to return to work in the morning, so getting to bed before midnight was essential.

Saturday morning dawned, and soon the two of us were off to Community Hospital. Jen was on her E.R. rotation, and I was working the third floor, but we worked the same shift so we could still carpool. I had two new patients in my wing, and learning their specific needs and getting up to speed on their conditions occupied much of my time. When the shift was finally over, I felt like I'd been hammered. I drove the two of us home and cooked Hamburger Helper for supper, not having the energy for anything else.

Time passed, even in the absence of my husband. Jen and I both threw ourselves into our work, and more often than not spent our free time together. Occasionally, we would go out with some of the other members of the nursing staff. We both had friends and acquaintances in plenty, and it was much more fun than going alone. Through it all, I prayed for my husband every night. It was the only thing I knew to do.

It was nearly two months before I heard anything from Chris. I didn't know how to contact him by postal mail, and my emails hadn't been answered. Finally, I did receive a short reply.

"I am alright. Join me for skype call tomorrow @ 0200 your time.

All my love, Chris."

I was thrilled and hurried to tell Jennifer. We both went to sleep very early. I woke at 1:45, woke Jen, and then rushed to make myself look good for my man. My laptop was already on. When Chris's face finally appeared on my screen I nearly kissed it. He was deeply tanned (no surprise there), and had obviously dropped weight. I didn't think that was necessarily good, since Chris wasn't carrying much spare flesh to start with.

"Hannah, baby, it's so good to see you!" His voice was a little throaty with emotion. He noticed Jennifer as she came into camera range. "Jen! Lookin' good, sis! It's really good to see the two of you."

"Chris, it's good to see you, too! God, I've missed you so much, baby!" I firmly clamped down on the waterworks. Tears weren't going to do either of us any good, and there was no way I was going to waste a single second of this call.

"Hi Chris!" Jennifer managed. She looked like she was going to start crying too, but she managed to hold it back. We spent 15 wonderful minutes talking, catching up on our lives. He told us as much as he could about goings on in Iraq (which was almost nothing at all). We told him about work. In particular I filled him in on plans for living arrangements, which he strongly supported. Then, Jennifer put an arm around my shoulders and leaned toward the laptops camera.

"I know you don't have long, so I'll let you two be alone now. Don't forget that I love you, Chris."

"I love you Jennifer. I love you so much!" Chris said, smiling at his little sister. Jennifer quietly stepped out of my room, closing the door behind her.

Chris and I stared into each others' eyes, and the distance fell away. I opened my heart to him and the words flowed freely. In that brief moment of privacy I let my guard down, eager for his comfort. Chris did the same, and it did a lot to heal the little wounds separation had inflicted. When I got to the part about Grant and his betrayal, there was no mistaking the look of cold rage on his face. Many men -- the good ones, anyway -- never stop feeling the urge to defend their younger siblings. Clearly it was the case with him.

"As soon as I get home I'm going to rip his fucking balls --"

"We took care of it," I interrupted firmly. I went on to describe the encounter in detail, and in minutes the rage was replaced with delighted laughter.

"You are wicked, my dear wife, and I love it!" he said, clapping his hands.

"I know you do. I wish I could be wicked in other ways, but it'll have to wait."

"I know."

"Is there anything you need that I can send you?"

"Maybe some little things," he replied, and went on to explain how to send things to his APO address. Finally though, he gazed into his camera with deep regret. "I have to sign off now, my love. I don't want to."

"I know, lover." I said softly. "My heart is still there with you. I think of you every day, and pray for you every night."

"I'm doing the same for you. I'm worried about you," he said. I was a little surprised. He's fighting a war, I thought. Why in Heaven's name is he worried about me?

"Don't worry about me, sweetheart, I'm fine. Your little sister will be fine, too. You just make sure you come back to me!" I said, leaning closer to the computer screen. "You have all my love, Chris."

He gazed at me like he did the night he told us he was leaving, like he was burning my image into his mind. He reached one hand toward his computer screen, like he could touch me through it. "I love you Hannah. I love you with everything I am. Please don't worry about me so much that you forget to live. If anything happened to you because of me, I'd never be able to forgive myself."

I smiled, a private smile just for my husband. "My dear love, I'm living everyday. When you get home, we'll start living together."

"Goodbye, Hannah. Sleep now. I'll see you in my dreams."

"Goodbye for now, Chris. Only for now." He smiled, touched the screen, and then his image was gone. I sat there for a moment, composing myself, then I shut off my laptop and went to bed.

***

Chris had been gone for 12 months of his 18 month deployment. We had several more opportunities to talk over Skype, and there had been postal letters and email as well. With the semi-regular contact, I felt much better and I could tell he did too. On our first anniversary, I cooked a nice dinner -- for one -- and set my laptop on the table with my favorite candles. I had put on the same black cocktail dress I'd worn the night we first made love. When Chris Skyped in, he looked hard at his screen.

"You look amazing, Hannah!" he said, his voice almost a whisper. He was staring hungrily at his screen, and I don't think all of his attention was on the food.

"You look pretty good yourself!" I said seductively, bending over slightly so he could see down my neckline. Chris looked down at himself briefly, taking in his ACUs, still dusted with sand, and the sweat-soaked patrol cap he'd just taken off. "You always look good to me, lover," I said, not looking away from the screen.

It was as close as we could come to having our first anniversary dinner together, and we both enjoyed it a lot. He watched as I took the cake topper from our wedding cake out of the freezer and took a delicate nibble. Then, he laughed uproariously as I hurried to spit it into a napkin. The freezer-burned taste was horrible, and the face I made was hilarious even to me.

I was talking about maybe getting a puppy when Chris's head suddenly snapped around to look at something off screen. He stood up fast, and in the background I heard a distinct crack-crack-crack sound. I could see an M-4 carbine leaning against the wall of the room he was in, and he grabbed it.

"Hannah baby, I hate to run, but I need to sign off. I love you!"

"I love you Chris!!" I yelled, desperate for him to hear me before the link was broken. I was getting an error message on my screen, and I didn't know if I'd been heard or not.

That night was a long one. No matter what I did, I just couldn't get to sleep. Finally, I kicked the covers off in frustration. There was one thing I could do that might help. My right hand slid up under my nightie like it had a mind of its own. I delicately caressed my breasts and tweaked my sensitive nipples.

It felt so good I moaned slightly. I gently stroked the satin-soft skin of my belly, teasing myself by ducking under the waistband of my panties but not quite reaching my pussy. Finally, I let my hand slide down over my hot sex. Over the winter I had let my bush grow out some. Now, I played my fingers through the soft, downy patch and tugged it lightly before touching the lips of my pussy. I was slightly moist; pressing down on my lips gave me enough pressure on my clit to start the journey toward orgasm.

I totally let my imagination go wild. I saw myself with Chris on some tropical island. Instead of my hand pressing against my vulva it was his. I slipped one finger inside myself, testing my wetness, and then plunged it deeper. As the feelings got more intense it got more difficult to stay quiet. Before long one hand was rubbing my clit while the other thrust in and out of my needy pussy.

The first shudders of orgasm hit, and I raised my hips off the bed to meet my thrusting fingers. One orgasm, I knew, probably wouldn't do the trick. Besides, I can go on and on. I must have cum four times before I finally slumped back against the pillows, sweaty and exhausted. I licked my fingers, enjoying my spicy taste and fantasizing that it was my husband I tasted. Sleep claimed me at last.

Jennifer startled me awake at 6am. "Hannah, get up! You slept in way too late. If you don't get moving we'll be late!" She paused, seeing my disheveled appearance, and sniffed the air. "Wow, you must have been busy last night."

"Yeah," I muttered as I got up and stripped. I grabbed a towel and jumped in the shower without even waiting for the water to warm up.

"Did you get to talk with Chris last night?" she asked as I rushed through shampooing and conditioning.

"Sure did!" I said, keeping my tone bright. I saw no need whatsoever to tell her that her brother had to sign off early. I knew what that sound I heard in the background was. No matter what you might think, you simply CANNOT mistake the sound of automatic weapons fire for anything else. "We kind of had a romantic anniversary dinner, then we sort of made love. The trouble is I was doing it all myself!"

Jennifer smiled sympathetically when I stepped out of the shower. "I know." I observed my friend closely as I dried off and rapidly brushed my short hair. She had an air of happiness about her that mystified me. Then it hit me.

"Didn't you have a date of your own last night, Jennifer?"

"Yeah I did!" she said, smiling. "You know, it was the most fun I've had since we went to the New Year's Ball!" I smiled, remembering. I hadn't wanted to go at first, but Chris had talked me into it. He'd told me that it was important that I remember not to cut myself off from the world. He'd been right; I had a blast dancing and spending time with my friends. And I couldn't help but notice Jennifer seemed to have paired up with a cute guy from the Radiology department. I think his name was Brad, or something like that.