Sera Ch. 03

"Why don't we go to the library? I'll have Delores bring some wine and we'll have a nice chat, you and I, until you're ready for bed."

" ... Okay."

Soon after, she looked at me with a smile from the other end of the short, black leather couch we sat on as I enjoyed the yummy shortbread wafers Delores had brought with the wine.

"So, you prefer white?" she asked.

"Wine?"

"Yes."

"Um, well it's more what I know. I've had red wine a couple times, but it was yucky."

"Some are better than others. It's an aging process, you know."

"Uh huh. There's this little outfit in a strip mall back home that brews wine for people. Someone Mummy knows had some done up and they gave her a bottle."

"And you didn't like it," my aunt assumed, her sparkly blue eyes on me.

"No."

"Perhaps if it'd been older?"

"Maybe. Who can say?"

"Precisely, until one tries it, maybe twenty-one years later."

She was getting at something. I held my reply and looked at her openly and she soon clarified.

"I don't mean to intrude, but... Like wine, age sometimes improves a person. I hope you'll give Sheila a chance to prove her flavour and not judge her based on her past, younger days."

" ... I know what you mean, but... It's not like she and I are ever going to be close."

"She never did anything to you."

"Yes, she did. She abandoned me and Daddy. She cleaned him out, took off on us and broke his heart after ruining as many lives as she could stuff her pussy with."

"Well, this is what I say about how people change. A lot of us have done things in our youth that we're not proud of, myself included and, one day, you may very well find yourself in a position to look back and say the same."

"I did want to talk to her."

"That's good. That's a good start. She'd like to talk to you as well."

"Really?"

"Of course. She's hoping you'll give her a chance."

"She is?" I asked doubtfully. "At what?"

"A dialogue," Ashleigh shrugged, "maybe some kind of explanation, for what it's worth. It's not much, considering you also want a dialogue with her. Is it?"

"No."

"Good. You know, she's really a very nice person."

"I've heard she could be when she wanted to."

"No, she's naturally personable."

"I've heard about that part, too," I remarked with a raised brow. "'Party-girl Sheila'."

"Okay, we'll drop it. I only wanted to know you'd be fair, is all."

After a proper pause, she asked, "Is it bad?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"There's a reason the staff are accommodating, sweetie pie."

" ... A- Oh!" I tried, flushing red with embarrassment.

"It's alright, I'm the same way. So is Sheila, Kathleen and Steven. "Like I said in here earlier, it's the 'Burchell drive'."

"Uhh... really? I mean, I knew Sheila was horny, but..."

"Oh, yes. Again, consider my staff."

"I couldn't... do that."

"No?"

I shook my head and said, "I have someone. Back home."

"Ah, of course, she nodded with an understanding smile, adding, "I was going to suggest you summon Lamarr. He has a nice big cock and all kinds of staying power."

"(Giggle!) Auntie!"

"What?" she challenged with a smile.

"(Giggle!)"

"You do like cock, don't you?"

"Yeah," I grinned, squirming in my seat a little so miffy could put in her two cents worth.

"You're adorable."

"You're beautiful."

"Thank you. Did you like your kitten?"

"Yes! Oh, thank you, Auntie, he's so cute!"

"I'm glad you like him. He's your kitty for when you're here."

"So, I can really come here whenever I like?"

"Kitten, no matter where you are in the world, if you call me and tell me you need to come home, I'll come get you myself, if need be."

"Whoa. You're not kidding, either. Are you, Auntie?"

"No, sweetie pie, and I'm not pressuring, either. However, I did say that each of us in this house is at a point in our lives where decisions should be made and, while you may think that doesn't apply to you, I beg you to think again. I'm hoping you stay long enough to see this for yourself and understand the choices you have before you go back to your father's house."

"Well, we're staying for two weeks, but... You know..."

"You can't see leaving your life behind. I do know. However... (siiiggh) Kitten, I'm going to tell you something, alright?"

"Okay," I allowed, looking into her sparkly eyes again as miffy itched for attention.

"This family that you're a part of has a long history that is somewhat unique."

"You kinda mentioned that to us a couple of times earlier," I noted.

"Yes, I did. Unfortunately, you probably also remember the things I said to Gina. Perhaps she shared our conversation with you."

I nodded.

"To be blunt... Gina is not directly involved with certain things pertaining to the history of this family. What you choose to tell her, of course, is up to you, but you must understand that while you mightn't have a problem letting her sit in on some family discussions, others may."

"I understand, Auntie. It wouldn't be fair."

"Right. I'm glad you understand and I hope Gina does."

"She said she did."

"Good. I like her, you know. You chose a good friend there, but know that another reason she has to be left out at times is so that you yourself can choose what and how much to tell her according to what you're comfortable with."

"I understand, Auntie, and I appreciate it too, but... what kind of things about our family would I not want to tell Gina about?"

"Let me put it to you this way, sweetie pie: In your father's house, are there not certain family secrets that everybody understands as such?"

If she only knew.

"Yes."

"And nobody would speak of these things to outsiders, not even to good friends, correct?"

"Yes."

"It's no different with this side of your family. Certain questions you may or may not have had about yourself will be answered and that's yours and our personal business."

"Okay, I understand, Auntie."

"You're a good girl, kitten."

"Thank you," I smiled.

"So, how bad is it?"

"Auntie..." I almost giggled, flushing again.

"Don't be embarrassed. Like I said, it's one of those family things we were talking about just now."

"It's just..."

"Scale of one to ten," she prodded with an understanding smile.

"(Giggle)" I answered.

"Uh huh," she said. "And masturbating doesn't make it go away, hardly even makes it better. Hmm?"

"Yeah. I- I got all worked up."

"Did you not bring a toy?"

"No. I don't like those, anyway."

"Ah, a traditional girl, huh?"

"(Giggle) yeah," I agreed as I slowly rubbed the top of my thighs with my hands.

"It's okay if you need to touch yourself," she offered in a soft voice with a warm, reassuring smile while her eyes sparkled lovingly at me.

"Uh... but I couldn't... Really?"

Having just met her that day and wanting to make a good impression, I was quite naturally unsure of doing that in front of her, as unsure as I was excited about the prospect.

"It's really okay," she assured with a smile as she moved closer. "A lot of things are okay for you here."

A firm, yet soft hand on the inside of my knee pulled my thighs apart and I only sat there, looking at her in a daze while she looked back with a loving smile. Her hand casually moved between my legs and covered my crotch, making me flinch a little, a little more when she squeezed.

"Oo-ooh... Auntie..." I gasped softly.

I couldn't believe it was happening, couldn't believe I was allowing it, even spreading my other leg and arching my back as she moved in and kissed me so passionately on the lips.

"I've loved you for so long, sweetie pie," she whispered like the lightest breeze to my ear.

"Oh, god- ohhh, god..." I moaned, looking down between my legs to watch her hand work miffy so well through my jeans.

After that, she continued kissing my face and neck all over, the lightest kisses that told of how sincere her words were, my dark and loving aunt who'd been watching from the shadows for years.

She'd dragged the front of my tank top down quite a ways and was kissing my cleavage, seductively tickling with her hot, wet tongue when I came. My broken wails were free to fill the room as the hand that wasn't over-joying miffy reached around my back and held me so comfortingly firm.

After I finally stopped flopping and jerking in her embrace, I realized my eyes were shut. I opened them and the most beautiful sight I could have wanted greeted me, that of my aunt Ashleigh's smiling, caring face as she regarded me with love and pride.

"Ohh, Auntie," I managed in a small, awestruck voice.

"Better now, sweetie pie?"

"Oh, yes. Yesss," I assured her as I squirmed in her embrace and the afterglow of a really great orgasm. "Thank you!"

"My pleasure. Anytime you're in need, you can always come and see me. Auntie understands you."

"Okay," I sighed with a big, stupid smile as I wallowed in her pretty eyes.

We stayed like that for quite a while, both of us making non sexual love as she played with my hair, stroked my arm and talked of little nothings. I don't remember closing my eyes or going to sleep and it seems that at one moment I was there in the cozy little nest of my auntie's arms, the next I was waking up fully clothed in my bed.

Steven

"Well, now we know who was mucking around in your grandmother's head, don't we?" Mum asked.

I'd returned to my own room the evening before in order to keep up appearances, but she now stood at the foot of my bed in a long white bathrobe, waking me up with her revelation. Her brow was raised in the manner that seemed some sort of trademark expression in our fucked up family.

"What I don't get," she continued, "is how I didn't think of Ashleigh before. Furthermore, why didn't Mum? She was the only logical answer besides Sheila, but both Mum and I never even thought."

"(Yawn) Umm... Yeah, well she said that somebody was messing around 'in our heads'. If it was Ashleigh, chances are she disallowed the idea from our minds that it could be," I said, thinking of how what Mum had done to me back at the funeral home did much the same thing.

"But she left no trace of herself. That can be done when just holding someone, but to make suggestions and such... That's why Mum only held you, she knew I'd catch her if she tried anything else with you. Furthermore, when would she have had the chance?"

"So... Ashleigh's good," I surmised.

"I could have told you that anyway," Mum admitted. "I couldn't touch her in the library yesterday, but can she actually nudge someone from a distance?"

"No offense, but I'd have thought you'd have had us out of here last night for that reason alone."

Mum put a thoughtful expression on her face as she came around the bed to sit on the edge. She ran her fingers up and down my arm and seemed to concentrate on this before speaking.

"No offense taken. There may come a time when it's wise to do that and I've had to learn the hard way one too many times not to let my ego get the better of me. Still, this is Ashleigh. As my sister, I do tend to want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but I have some questions I'd like answered and, if she does turn out to be unfriendly, now is the time to find out what we'll be dealing with."

"Ever think we're a bit paranoid?"

This seemed to hit her out of the blue, but a moment later we were both chuckling.

"Hon, that's why I give Ashleigh the benefit of the doubt. In case that's all it is, but normally-"

We were interrupted by a knock at the door, my mother looking towards the living room, then getting off the bed and advising over her shoulder, "Right back."

There was a short, muted conversation at the door, during which time I stretched, listening to the desperate clawing of what must have been the kitten making its way up the covers to the top of the bed. It was. It looked at me like I'd never appreciate the feat it had just accomplished simply to be there, laying down and closing its eyes afterward.

"It was for me," Mum said, walking back into the room. "Mistress Ashleigh of Montreal has requested my presence for her- oooh! Oooh, lookit the little boo-boo!"

She was talking about the cat, reaching out and grabbing it, cooing like it was a baby. A moment later, she held up the tail, proclaiming, "Male. What'd you name him?"

"I didn't."

"You have to name him, hon."

"I figured it'd be best to not get attached."

"Well, he still needs a name!"

"Fine," I sighed, thinking for a second. "Stanley."

"Oh, no."

"Stanley."

"You can't name him Stanley!"

"I don't see why not. What were you saying before you saw Stanley?"

She gave me a funny look then, a very brief one of seeming incomprehension before she smiled and replied.

"You're a brat. As I was saying, Ashleigh wants to speak to me in her den a bit later."

"Her den?"

"That's what Lynette said. Hey, have you seen the staff list by the phone yet?" she asked with a sudden leer.

"No, but what do you think she wants to see you about?"

"Who knows? I'd think she'll want the inside story on how it was that our father came to... you know. But, who knows? I've learned not to have specific expectations in situations like this, it only surprises me all the more when it's something I never would have expected while planning for something else."

"You'll tell her what happened? With he and Sheila and all?"

"Sure."

"How do you think she'll react?"

"I don't know. I imagine her self-professed good will is going to be strained where Sheila's concerned, but I don't know her, so..."

"Mum... maybe you should try being a bit more, um... toned down than you were yesterday?"

"I promise I won't try to choke anyone to death," she joked with a somber expression while she petted the purring Stanley.

The thing was, when my other mother said something like that, it really wasn't a joke. I only laughed with her because it was the correct response as I once again vaguely wondered at her method of offing my father and his lover, Phyllis.

"But seriously," she said, looking at me with something of the same incomprehension she had earlier, "I'm sorry about yesterday. It was just... seeing her again after all these years. It sort of brought it all back."

"It's okay. I think everybody in the room was pretty freaked out."

"I know. Poor kitten didn't know what to think."

"Yeah, I'd say she's in the dark about our little family secret, huh?"

"Oh, yes. I'm actually concerned for her. No way would Ashleigh invite her here with the rest of us unless she intended to tell her."

Remembering Sheila's admission of the fear she'd felt since she saw Marie that day, I wondered what it would have been like for her, roaming around alone in the world with her parasite, damned few answers and her mother's fate to possibly look forward to.

"Maybe it's for the best," I said, throwing back the covers and moving to the edge of the bed, rubbing my face. "She might know stuff that'll answer some of our questions if she's bold enough to invite kitten here to clue her in."

"I was wondering what all she knows, too... And you could very well be right about that. She's very... capable."

"That doesn't mean she knows much more than we do, if any more at all, but I think we'll find out soon enough," I said as I stood, moving for the door in the nude. "If she's as open handed as she lets on, she'll be up front with what she knows, especially if she's wondering what we could share with her."

With Stanley hugged safely and securely against her chest, she followed me out to the kitchenette, speaking as I grabbed a beer from the fridge.

"That's true. In fact, we're the only two Burchells who've experienced this with one another. Ashleigh and Sheila wouldn't have had anybody with whom to compare notes."

"Right," I said. "It'd be only natural for her to want us all together for that alone."

"Yup."

" ... What if she is on the up and up? How will you...?"

"How will we get along? Sweetie pie, I bow to nobody, and I'd sooner be the queen of a tent than second banana to Ashleigh in her castle. Does that answer your question?"

"Yup," I said, taking a large mouthful of beer afterwards.

Mum had left to get ready for her appointment with Ashleigh when I got into the shower. Getting out again, I opened a fresh beer and got some clothes from the dresser Delores had packed from my bags.

Remembering how distracted and upset I was when I packed for this trip, I wasn't surprised that I hadn't noticed the clothes Mum got for me while I did. I couldn't help smiling.

A half hour later, I was looking pretty spiffy in a pair of dark gray casual dress pants and a white button up shirt, eating a breakfast of fried eggs, toast and bacon at the same island I'd shared with Sheila the night before. Jeffries, the day chef, prepared it for me and we watched the news on a small television at the end of the counter, me eating, he working.

I wondered where I should go afterwards. I toyed with the idea of visiting the library to see what kind of books Ashleigh had been collecting over the years, but decided that was premature. Ashleigh had already spoken to Sheila and would soon be speaking to Mum. I had no idea if she'd spoken to kitten or not, but it was reasonable to assume that whatever I didn't learn from Mum, perhaps even Sheila, I'd find out from Ashleigh herself if she was willing to tell. Besides, her real book collection would be in this den of hers. Wouldn't it?

I decided to check out the basement.

Somehow expecting to see a scene straight out of Silent Hill, I was mildly surprised and somewhat relieved to find an open stairwell towards the back of the building that led down a level to a brightly lit hallway. On one side was a glass wall separating the corridor from a fully equipped gym, the other featuring unmarked doors down its length.

I wasn't the only one exploring, either. At the end of the hall was a door that was a bit heavier than the rest. Behind it was an indoor pool with a bar. The pool itself was irregularly shaped with supporting posts and walls at intermittent intervals, hiding parts of the pool around corners and pillars, but leaving the view from the bar area clear. Plants were everywhere and the dark earth tones along with the proper lighting here and there made the place feel like a luxury cave with deck loungers. There was a bartender as well, but she was occupied.

Sheila, her back to me and wearing a short, yellow summer dress, had the young woman with the deep red hair pressed against the end of the bar, her skirt pulled up to her waist to allow Sheila's hand down her panties.

"Mmm! Ohh, Ms. Burchell!"

"Ya like that, huh?" Sheila breathed as she pulled the younger woman's white blouse open.

"Yes, uhh, yes!"

"You gonna cum like a bad girl?"

"Yuuhh!"

"You gonna show me what a little fuckin' whore you are, babycakes?"

The pale redhead only cried out as Sheila appeared to fingerfuck her. I had to force myself to back out of there when Sheila roughly spilled the pale beauty's tits from her black bra and the only thing that distracted me from my raging hardon once outside the door was my humour over the scene.

"Heh! Right on, Sheila. You go, girl."

Somehow, I just couldn't help but like her.

Kitten

"You haven't dressed like that for a while," Gina commented.

I stood in front of her with a grin, wearing a pair of soft, stretchy black shorts that were really short, especially in back. A light blue tube top finished my outfit and I was quite pleased with how I looked and felt, especially after the way Auntie Ashleigh took care of me the night before. In fact, because of that, I wasn't even upset about Gina having fallen asleep on me.

She remembered and apologized for what had happened, telling me that she was exhausted from the trip and all the excitement, plus going out with Auntie Kathleen and everything. I accepted her apology gracefully, telling myself that had nothing to do with meeting up with my alluring Auntie the night before.