[Note: Rated PG-15 for intimacy in the second half of the chapter. Nothing crude.]

Day Seventeen ∞ Saturday morning

"OKAY, KID. Time to get moving."

Danny sat up on the bed with a start as a straw hat landed at his feet.

"You'll stand out too much if you don't cover your head when we get out there, princess. It's the desert," Atlas said and left, closing the door.

Mickmi met Danny's gaze—she was already dressed in her jeans with a long-sleeved shirt over her T-shirt. She stuffed the lunch boxes in the garbage bin as he reached for the hat and turned it over, noting the slightly soiled inside lining.

Shop-worn? What shop would be open so early in the morning? Or maybe there were. They were in Vegas after all.

She smiled, took the hat from him, and hitched it onto her bag. Within minutes he was ready and topped up his canteen. Atlas was waiting outside when he opened the door for her, and he was about to follow Mickmi when Atlas startled him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen, kid," Atlas said with a quiet voice, "one day you'll understand all of this. You might even understand and forgive me. Until then," Atlas jerked his chin in the direction of Mickmi, "you make sure you take care of Princess. She's special."

"Y-yeah," Danny said, uncertain of how he should react. That was the kindest thing Atlas had ever said to him. "Yes, she is... I'll take care of her." Danny's brow furrowed as he watched Atlas walk off. Is that supposed to be an apology?

Danny caught up with Mickmi at the car as Atlas entered the reception office to return the key. He paused as he opened the passenger door, his gaze roaming the area. This didn't feel like the same place they'd arrived at last night. The glamor of Las Vegas had evaporated—everything looked bleak and bleached in the early sunlight, full of dust and grime.

"You should call home," Mickmi said from the backseat.

He bent to meet her gaze as she indicated the reception. "Good idea." He left his load with her and headed for the building as Atlas came out.

"I've got to make a phone call," Danny said before Atlas could question him.

"Make it quick. Under thirty seconds or not at all."

Thirty seconds? "I'm gonna need more time than that. You said, someone better get control of my mom. Well... this is me getting control of her. If she hears I'm okay then she won't worry so much and try to get somebody to look for me."

Atlas studied Danny a moment, then nodded curtly. "Keep it under a minute long."

The payphone was just inside the lobby area next to three cheerfully colored slot machines. To his relief, Gina answered first as he noted the second hand on his watch.

"Dan! I'm so glad you called. We've been so worried about you."

"I know, I'm sorry. I can't talk long though, I've—"

"Phil stayed last night, so you know. But he's gone to work now. He said he'll take a couple of days off to be here."

Danny sighed, a small weight lifting from his shoulders. "Tell him thanks for me. I'll thank him myself when I... can."

"He wasn't convinced of my explanation though—he's asking questions," Gina responded in a hushed tone.

"Is that your brother, dear?" Danny heard in the background.

"Just tell him the same thing you told Mom. I love you, Sis. Lemme talk to Mom." Hurry up. He glanced at his watch and drew a deep breath as he listened to the exchange on the other end of the line.

"Danny, where are you? You didn't come home last night."

"I know—hi, Mom. Don't worry. Mickmi and I will be away for a few days."

"Worry? Of course I'm worried, dear. You didn't even tell me you were going anywhere. And it's been raining cats and dogs here. Where are you?"

"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. We just need some time alone." He checked the second hand—it was moving too fast.

"I did promise I wouldn't interfere."

"Well, I'm holding you to that promise. I'll be back when I'm ready. Okay, Mom?"

Danny heard his mother take a breath to say something, but he didn't wait for it.

"'Jehovah answer thee in the day of trouble, the—'"

He depressed the lever, cutting her short. Three seconds left. Sighing, he replaced the receiver, then stared vacantly at the floor.

Day of trouble... They were going to need that answer very soon. He swallowed, glanced around, and noticed the man at the reception watching him. Danny nodded to him before exiting through the door.

∞

"D'you know where our sister is?" Toni said as she helped Ramiro to prepare breakfast. "I haven't seen her since last night."

"I'll find her," Sleek said, spinning on his heel. "There's so many nooks and crannies in this place, I bet she found a cozy one for herself." He made his way from floor to floor, on the balconies, the patio and poolside, the garage, the garden and surveyed the roof without finding a sign of Lora. Eventually he decided to knock on Jagg's door and pushed it open.

"Hey, Jagg, we can't find—" He broke off at the sight beyond the foot of the bed. Ruffled brown hair fanned out on the rug, bare shoulder exposing a clawing paw, a sheet partially covering the lower extremities.

It took a moment before it hit him, the feeling of a stone dropping into the pit of his stomach. "Oh... shit."

Jagg lifted himself up on his elbow to look back at him, calm. His leg was resting across Lora's, and he did not try to hide the fact that he was naked.

"Sorry, sorry, my bad!" Sleek shut the door, his head pounding. He only made it a few steps away before he dropped against the wall. Sinking to the floor with bent knees, he shook his head, then hit the back of his head against the wall twice.

It was over for him now. He had to get that into his head. The one vestige of hope he had left for having something more with Lora was gone.

It couldn't have been five minutes before muffled sounds leaked out of the bedroom. Sleek jumped up, grimacing with the sick feeling in his stomach. He rushed downstairs and passed through the kitchen-diner with images in his head that he didn't want to see.

"Hey, Sleeky, found her?" Toni called after him as she laid the table.

"Something like that," he muttered without stopping. He continued out onto the terrace and sat down on the step, resting his forehead in his hands.

Toni came after her brother. "Hey, what's up with you?" She sat down beside him. She gazed across the pool, smiling at the view. All this was going to take time to sink in. Living in a place like this.

"I'm screwed." He was massaging his head.

"What? What are you talking 'bout? Didn't you find our sister?"

"Yeah, I found your sister alright... I'm pretty sure we'll hear the good news from the Jagg-man soon enough."

"Whaaat? Aren't you dripping with sarcasm." She studied him, frowning.

"Or maybe your sister will tell you herself."

Toni's jaw slowly dropped as realization sank in. Then a hand flew to her mouth. "Oh – my – God." She was grinning now. "Jagg and Lora? Good for them."

"Yeah... If you say so." He should care less.

"I knew there was something... I know she's been walking around with some humongous burden she won't talk about. Maybe this is what she needed all along! And Jagg, he's never stuck with any one girl before. D'you think this might be it for him?"

Sleek turned his head sideways in his hands to look at his little sister. "Well, I'm glad you can see things in a positive light. I sure can't."

"Aaaww, Sleeky," she said, throwing an arm around his shoulders. "What's your problem? She's our sister, remember? Don't we want her to be happy? Besides, you're free to roam and find your own, even more now that Jagg's found his. They'll be flocking you with a place like this!"

"Yeah... Right."

∞

Jagg eased back, spent and satisfied, withdrawing himself with a long exhale to rest on the soft rug on the floor. He eyed Lora as she reached for the sheet to cover their hips, their entangled legs. The inked tail curling around her navel was quietly rising and falling as she caught her breath, her glistening skin defining her toned body. She fell back beside him, her face flushed, not attempting to cover the rest of herself, nor her heaving chest.

She'd met his expectations and then some, allowing him to have his way with her and matching him every step of the way. She'd been game and daring, almost feline. He liked that. Except for his initial breach and a few quiet moans along the way, she had not uttered a single sound for the entire night. He knew he'd given her both pain and pleasure, but he still wondered what was going on in that head of hers.

"Lora," he said huskily and waited for her to angle her head to meet his gaze. "Did I make you forget?"

Her face remained still as she stared back at him, her lips parted. She did not reply, but after a moment there was a slow smile on her face, her honey-brown eyes reflecting the morning light from the window.

"Yeah, I think I did... At least long enough for you to catch some sleep." He pushed up on his elbow and attacked her mouth with his, entering it, and she responded just as fiercely. He chuckled and growled, then pulled back, holding her chin.

"Yeah, tiger. I think we've gotta take a break now. The guys are wondering... Not that it's any of their business. But I'm gonna take a morning swim. That'll be my new routine now."

He sat up, studying her, devouring her every curve with his eyes. "You can stay as long as you like." He traced the tail around her waist with his fingers, suggestively following its loop around her navel. She started to tremble at his touch, and a corner of his mouth lifted as he withdrew his hand. She was easy to turn on.

"Sit up," he said and reached for his nape.

Lora sat with her back against the foot of the bed with the sheet crumbled around her. She watched him take the slimmer of his two gold chains off his neck and hold it in front of her. The spiral pendant swung gently.

"This kinda reminds me of you," he said, angling it for both of them to look at it. "The real you is buried right there in the center." He locked his gaze with hers. "Are you gonna let me find the real you? No? Well... you ain't gonna stop me from trying."

He smirked at her silence, then shook his head. He put the necklace around her neck, feeling the tingles from her choker run through his wrists as he secured the chain. Then he positioned the pendant dead center on her chest, just above her tight breasts. He pressed his finger on it.

"There. I'm gonna find you... right – there – in the center." He bent forward, tilting his head to kiss it under her chin, then pulled back a little, facing her.

"You know what that means now? It's a symbol, marking you as mine. Everybody'll know you're mine... Don't ever take it off. Got me?" His voice wasn't hard, but he meant what he said. "You understand?"

She lowered her head in acknowledgment, still not saying anything. He studied her, then gave her another forceful kiss before he got up, the rest of the sheet falling to the floor.

∞

Lora cut off the hot shower and closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of water trickling down her back and abdomen, down her arms and legs like multiple fingers touching her skin.

Heightened awareness...

Waves of tingling fire shot from the thick and tender center within her pelvis to every single nerve ending of her body at every step she took toward the full-length mirror, vividly reminding her of last night.

The boundary she had crossed, the heights she had soared.

It had hurt—she was still sore—but she welcomed the pain. It cut through the burden that haunted her, the sorrow of the unchosen loss of an entire life, tearing her unwanted loneliness apart.

Last night, she had finally been able to sleep, dreamless.

Getting her tattoo was nothing compared to this—those sensations had lasted only a few days. This—she turned sideways to view the uninterrupted leopard on her back, then pressed her palm against her heaving chest, fingering the pendant—this made her feel alive again. More alive than she had felt since she arrived in this world.

She had not answered Jagg because for the entire night she had not trusted her own voice. But she had found her answer. Now she knew what to do. With this, she could finally learn to put the past behind her.

Her naked mirror image smiled back at her.

When she came downstairs dressed in a loose tunic, everyone was already having breakfast at the large dining table. Jagg looked at her with a satisfied smile, waved her to him, and made Pace vacate the chair to his left.

"In case y'all haven't figured it out already, Lora's officially part of our family now," Jagg said, pulling her to him. "Come here."

She bent so he could kiss her—another heady rush that made her face flush.

"Sit. That'll be your place now. Next to me."

Lora dipped her head in acknowledgment, smiling with an odd sense of shyness, and looked around as she sat down. The expressions around the table varied from Toni's and Ramiro's grins to Pace's surprise and TJ's thoughtfulness. Sleek looked like he was going to be sick.

"So," TJ said, "she's your old lady now?"

"Yeah... Got a problem with that?" Jagg responded, but his eyes were on Sleek.

Lora looked at Sleek across the table, targeting him with a calm that made his face relax.

"You know you're gonna stand out like a sore thumb," TJ continued.

"Since when did I care what other people think?"

"Never."

"Damn right," Jagg said, his eyes still on Sleek. "Anybody with a problem with us being together can leave."

"I'm cool," Sleek said.

Jagg lifted a brow and nodded. "Good. You'd better."

∞

They were all buckled up in the Cessna—headsets donned as Atlas did his preliminary checks. Danny looked at the tarmac through the window, feeling a twinge of uneasiness. Taking off was still difficult for him.

Atlas spread an aeronautical chart out in front of him as he turned to Mickmi. "I've taken you this far. From now on, you'll have to direct me. I'll get you as close as I can, but we'll be approaching restricted airspace, so we'll have to fly around, then hitchhike and foot it the rest of the way. So... where is your ship?"

Mickmi stretched herself in the seat, slowly turning her head. "Hundred and sixty-eight kilometers," she said, pointing. "Between two mountains."

"Yeah..." Atlas chuckled dryly, "everywhere over there will be between mountains."

— ∞ —

*Bible reference:
Psalms 20:1 [ASV]: Jehovah answer thee in the day of trouble; The name of the God of Jacob set thee up on high.
Psalms 20:1 [DARBY]: Jehovah answer thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob protect thee.

©2018 by kemorgan65

*An image of Weaver, a.k.a. Atlas, done in Daz 3D with assets Genesis 3 Male + Konstantin and Miles Hair. Just a tinsy bit of Photoshop-ing.