Kris smoothly redirected the conversation. "Okay, Viv, spill it. What was that smirk for when I asked why you were late?"

Viv laughed. "Well first we were late leaving the airport because Martin had to argue with dad about who was going to drive. Then we ended up going south on the interstate because a certain step of the directions was skipped over."

"I didn't skip it on purpose, you know." Martin said indignantly, but had the good graces to join in and laugh at himself.

"Let me guess, it was the 'make sure you get in the left lane to merge with northbound I-5' step?" Kris asked.

"You got it." Viv answered, and then continued the story. "Then we got off and got lost because we ended up going west, away from the interstate. Anyway, by the time we found the signs for the interstate heading north, we ended up hitting the rush hour traffic leaving the city."

After the playful ribbing had died down, Kris and Viv cleared the table and Martin excused himself to take a shower before bed. All had agreed earlier to plan their day tomorrow over breakfast.

Andrew stopped Raven from helping in the kitchen. "I wonder if I can have a minute?" He requested.

"Sure." Raven returned to her chair. "And here I thought I had escaped the 'what are your intentions toward by daughter' speech." She grinned and Andrew chuckled.

"I think you've made it very clear that you care a great deal for her. Not many people would willingly die for someone else." He stopped and offered her more wine. Raven declined and he poured half a gla.s.s for himself. "Even though that Major Otis was after you, you could have saved yourself or tried to save the both of you. But you put yourself in danger to save Kris. That tells me that you'll do your best to take care of my daughter." He paused and sipped from his wine.

"I love her more than I can say and I'd do anything for her." Raven looked him directly in the eye.

They stared at each other in silence, both refusing to be the one to break eye contact. After what seemed like minutes, Andrew finally looked down. "Are you going back to work?" He glanced up and saw the mixed emotions flash across her face. "I know my daughter and she would never ask you to stop but I know she would worry herself sick every time you left. Wondering if you would be hurt or killed."

"The Division has given me several options that I haven't discussed with Kris yet." She sat up and leaned forward, resting her arms against the table. "If I go back into the field, it's not just me that I have to think about and that scares me."

"In what way?" He prompted her when it was clear she wasn't going to continue.

Raven stared at the wine gla.s.s she held by the stem and slowly twirled between her thumb and forefinger. "Before I really didn't care...if I lived or not. In some cases I think that may be why I did survive. I took dangerous chances that ended up saving me and if I hadn't taken them, I would surely have been killed. And now, I wonder if I could take those chances without second-guessing myself. Because now I care if I come back." She looked up to find a sad smile on the Amba.s.sador's face.

"I envy you." He admitted.

'Well that's the last thing I expected him to say.' Raven waited for him to explain.

"You figured out a lot quicker than I did, about what's more important." He sighed regretfully. "All I could think about at your age was my work and status when I should have been thinking of family and raising my children without dragging them all over the world." He focused his gaze on her blue eyes. "I have no doubt that you'll do the right thing for you and my daughter. Whatever that may be." He added after a slight pause.

"What do you think they've been talking about?" Kris asked as she loaded the last of the dishes into the dishwasher. Viv had been periodically sticking her head around the doorframe to peer into the dining room to see if her father and Raven were still talking.

"Probably you." She grinned. "They just toasted each other so I guess they're done."

The two siblings returned to the dining room. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hitting the sack." Viv stated as she pushed the chair she was standing behind, under the table.

"That's a very good idea. I'm beat." Andrew stood and offered his arm to his youngest daughter. "Can I escort you to your chambers, my lady?"

"Thank you, kind sir. I would be most honored. Good night everyone, see you in the morning." They called over their shoulders as they left.

"Goodnight." Raven and Kris replied together.

"You ready to hit the sheets?" Kris asked while standing behind her partner, ma.s.saging her shoulders and neck.

"Let's sit in the living room and relax for a bit." Raven answered. "I know you're dying to know what your father and I talked about." She stood up and held her arm out in invitation.

Kris melded her body next to her partner's and they held each other close as they made their way out of the dining room. "So, you gonna tell me?" She asked as they sank into the cushions on the couch. With Raven sitting at the far end so Kris could lay down with her head in her lovers lap.

"What'cha gonna give me if I tell you?" Raven's fingers played with the soft blonde hair that fanned out across her thighs.

"How about what I'm not gonna give you if you don't?" Kris poked her in the ribs.

Raven chuckled. "We haven't even been together a year and you're already threatening to withhold s.e.x to get your way."

Kris snickered. "Who said anything about s.e.x? I'm talking about withholding food and making you cook for yourself."

"G.o.ds, that's worse." Raven threw her hands up in surrender. "I give up, I'll tell, I'll tell."

"Hey." Kris poked her harder in the ribs.

Martin tiptoed out of his room after he heard the bedroom doors closing. He wanted to catch Raven alone so the two of them could have a nice friendly chat. At the bottom of the staircase he looked into the living room and saw Raven sitting on the couch. He scanned the rest of the room but didn't see his sister anywhere. 'Perfect.' He smugly thought. Just as he was about to make his presence known, Kris sat up beside the Captain and pulled the dark head towards her. He ducked back behind the doorframe to hide. His heart was racing and perspiration broke out across his forehead. 'That was close.'

He cautiously stuck his head out to see if he could quietly sneak past and get back to his room. His eyes almost bugged out of his head when he saw that his sister was straddling the Captain's lap and the kiss had become hot and heavy. He could see Raven's hands moving underneath Kris' shirt and could tell by both women's moans, that they were becoming more intimate by the minute. Now his heart was pounding for a different reason and he had to tear his eyes away from the two women when he felt himself getting excited.

"Off...now." Kris commanded and tugged on the shirt that was hiding her partner's body.

"Wait." Raven removed her hands from Kris' b.r.e.a.s.t.s and stopped their counterparts from their task. "We need to go upstairs, baby. Don't think you want your father walking in on us." She reminded her anxious lover.

Kris leaned her forehead against Raven's. "Oh yeah, that's probably a good idea."

Martin hid in the kitchen until he heard their bedroom door close, then he quietly returned to his room. He paced back and forth trying to calm his raging hormones. But every time he got control of his emotions, his mind would drift to the room down the hall and what he imagined was going on behind the closed door and he would start his pacing once again.

Continued in Part 8.

The Athenaeum's Scroll Archive.

* Leather and Lace *

by Greek Warrior.

Disclaimer #1: This is an Uber story and the characters that appear in this story may seem familiar but aren't the same as the ones we all know and love. All the characters that appear here are made up from my deranged little mind. They're fict.i.tious and aren't meant to resemble anyone. This is all done in fun and yes I know I need to get a life.

Disclaimer #2: Taz belongs to the folks at Warner Brothers Studios. s...o...b.. Doo belongs to Hanna-Barberra. The X-Files belongs to somebody other than me, anything you recognize isn't mine folks, I got tired of looking this stuff up.

Warning: This story contains explicit consensual s.e.x between adult women. If you're under legal age in your neck of the woods, go away. If you live in a place that frowns upon that sort of behavior, tell'em to kiss your derrire then talk to your Congressman, or move, or both.

Warning: This story contains violence. We are talking about a certain warrior's descendant, you know.

Note: The quote at the end of chapter one is from Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'.

Feedback is most welcome as long as it's constructive. Remember, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, although I've always wondered why anyone would want a bunch of flies! I can be contacted at Thanks for reading.

Note: Astolpho's at the Marcello Hotel is a completely fict.i.tious restaurant and hotel.

Part 8 (Conclusion).

Chapter Twenty-Seven:.

Everyone was up bright and early the next morning, everyone except Martin that is. He came stumbling down to the kitchen about an hour and a half after everyone else.

"Nice of you to join us, sleepyhead." Andrew teased his son.

"You want breakfast?" Kris asked.

He knew he would start blushing if he looked up and saw Kris' face so he blew on the steaming cup of coffee Viv handed him. "No thanks, just coffee." He knew it was going to be a long day when he saw Raven enter the kitchen and wrap her arm around Kris' shoulder and couldn't stop the flood of erotic pictures that paraded threw his mind. He knew he'd be spending the day h.o.r.n.y with no relief in sight unless he took matters into his own hands. 'I haven't had to do that in a long time.' He tried to think of a distraction. "So, what are we going to do today?"

"Well, Snoqualmie Pa.s.s is out. It's snowing like crazy up there today. We could go to the Seattle Center or Underground Seattle or take a ferry ride to one of the islands." Kris listed a few choices. "We might want to take advantage of the sunshine and save underground for another day. Is Granny coming with us?" She asked Raven who had just returned from inviting the older woman.

"No, she said for us to have fun. But she said she'd join us tomorrow."

"I vote for the ferry, then the Center." Viv said. "There's also Mt. Rainier and the Olympic Peninsula."

"The Peninsula could be a day trip, maybe stay overnight." Raven suggested.

The ferry ride took up their morning with lunch at the pier. The afternoon was spent at the Center with dinner in downtown.

The ride home was cheerful with everyone planning the next day's activity, everyone but a quiet Martin. Kris turned towards her brother who was sitting alone in the third row of seats in the rented van. Are you okay?" She kept her voice low.

"Uh...yeah, yeah sure. Just a little tired." Martin looked out the window at the headlights flashing by in the dark. 'I will not be turned on by thinking about my sister and Raven.' That had become his mantra. All day he'd tried his best to avoid looking at them since every time he did, he felt himself getting hard. He re-crossed his legs for the hundredth time on the drive back to the house. 'G.o.d, it's going to be another long night.' He wished they would hurry up and get back so he could escape the close quarters he was forced to share with the two people that tormented his every thought.

Granny was at the house when they arrived. She met them in the living room with coffee and home made brownies with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and nuts.

"Oh my G.o.d." Viv leaned back on the couch and groaned after cleaning her plate. "That ought to be against the law." She pointed at her cleaned plate.

"I second that." Raven cleaned the fudge off her lips with her tongue.

Martin watched the pink muscle appear from between sensuous lips and followed with his eyes until it completed it's journey and disappeared back into it's home. He let out a sound somewhere between a moan and a grunt.

"You okay?" Andrew asked him.

"Yeah." He squeaked and cleared his throat. "Way to much to eat. If you'll excuse me I think I'll head up to bed." He was off and up the stairs before anyone had a chance to answer him.

"He's been acting a little strange all day." Kris observed.

"He's just at that awkward teenager growing into adult stage. He'll be okay." Andrew stated.

Martin went into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. Turning on the cold water, he cupped his hands under the flow, leaned down and splashed the chilly wetness on his face. He repeated the process twice more before turning off the faucet and leaning over the basin, letting the drops splash from his face into the sink.

"I've got to get myself under control. I've never let a woman affect me like this before. You're not a h.o.r.n.y teenager." He sternly told his reflection in the mirror. But all his eyes could see, was Raven's tongue as it traveled the path across her lips. Which in turn brought back the memory from the previous night's unintended voyeurism.

Martin looked down at the bulge in his pants, convinced that he just needed a quick o.r.g.a.s.m, and then he could once again be in control of his desires. He quickly undid his pants and pushed them and his underwear down until they fell to his ankles. He looked at his erection that had parted the tails of his shirt to stand at attention. His hand closed over his manhood but even though his palm had no calluses, it felt rough and crude.

Vivian made her way up the stairs and headed towards her bedroom. As she pa.s.sed the bathroom door she heard rhythmic grunting noises coming from inside. At first she thought Martin was sick and was going to open the door to check on him, but quickly realized what was going on when she heard the 'Oh yeah' repeated over and over. 'Oh G.o.d, he's jerking off.' Viv put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. She pressed her ear to the door to trying hear if there were any other exclamations forthcoming, but only heard her brother's ragged breathing. 'This is gonna make great blackmail material.' She thought as she tiptoed to her room.

Raven and Granny sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee. The sun had barely started reclaiming the day from the night, turning the eastern sky into a soft pink, so it was definitely too early for anyone else to be up and about.

"I really think she wants to try and get to know you." Granny stated. "Just give her a little time. She has a lot of adjusting to do." She was referring to her dinner companion from two nights ago.

"And what about Kris? Is she really willing to accept us?" Raven looked up from studying the dark liquid in the mug in front of her, to stare into her friend's...aunt's eyes. 'That's gonna take some getting use to.'

The older woman grinned. "That's part of the adjusting she has to do. But yes, I think she's started to realize that she can have her faith with out being tied down by the rules of her church." She stated more seriously. "You might never be a family again, in the traditional sense. But I think Kris, Lisa, Cynthia and you could learn to be friends, the jury's still out on Philip. I don't think I've met a more unpleasant d.i.c.khead in a long time."

"I don't think Philip and I could ever put the past behind us." Raven paused to search her feelings. "But I hope you're right about the rest." She said sincerely.

"How's it going with your guests?" Granny changed the focus of the conversation from Raven to Kris while she added a spoon full of sugar to her newly poured cup of coffee.

"Kris really likes having her father and sister here. But to borrow your phrase, the jury's still out on Martin, she thinks he's up to something." Raven's brow creased in thought. "Are all brothers a pain in the a.s.s or are Kris and I just lucky enough to have gotten two of the dysfunctional models?"

Granny laughed. "Sorry, I couldn't say."

Kris walked up behind Raven's chair and wrapped her arms around the seated woman's neck. "Morning." She addressed both women. "You gonna come with us today?" She asked Granny.

"Depends on where you're going." The older woman smiled.

"Snoqualmie I think. I just checked the weather and it finally quit snowing." She poured herself a cup of coffee and joined them at the table.

"Oh, I think I will, I haven't been up there in a long time. We could have lunch at the lodge if you want to."

The next several days turned out to be very good ones for Kris. She got to spend quality time with her father, something that she had never gotten to do before and she and Viv became closer than they had ever been. Lisa had also joined them on a few outings and she and Viv quickly developed a close friendship. The only thing that dampened the reunion was Regina's refusal to accept her daughter's relationship with Raven.

The morning of the last day of their visit, Martin had set his alarm early knowing that Raven worked out before the others got up. He wanted to catch her alone. Dressing quickly, he quietly made his way downstairs to the bas.e.m.e.nt where Raven had her equipment set up. He had convinced himself that there was absolutely no way she could resist him if he just turned on the charm.

Martin stood silently watching the woman work. She was wearing a sports bra and cotton shorts. Very short, wet with sweat, sticking to her body, cotton shorts. He actually had to check his chin for drool as he watched the play of muscles bunch and flex as she worked with the free weights. 'Mother is wrong, muscle can be a very good thing on a woman's body.'