Keeping Company Ch. 04: Revisited

"You stood in front of me in our cabin and asked for the same status Mandy has."

Mandy gave Laurels hand a squeeze to give her strength for what was to come. She nodded her assent before remembering herself and answered, "Yes, master."

"Doctor Hartmann consulted with you and you know what you have and what needs to happen from here on out? We all know that it may take a year before everything is addressed."

This time both nodded their heads.

"So, now we come to the topic of 'hide or pride' you have two choices Laurel I'm sure I could make it three choices however I'm only giving you two. You can hide here at the cabin until everything that can be done has been done, we will protect you and your family will visit often."

It was clear to see even in the half light of the late evening that she didn't like that idea at all.

"The second option I want you to think about tonight, you are only to give me an answer in the morning. You will sleep alone because I want my slave back, Mandy has told you a great deal about our relationship and you now need to decide if it's Mike's lifestyle you need or ours; that is your choice to make. But know this, whatever choice you make cannot be reversed. You choose and stick with it."

Mandy went to speak, my hand came out of my pocket when she did and I looked directly at Mandy.

"You. Put this on."

Her collar came into view. The pause as she recognized it was momentary, her hand automatically went to it and without a word spoken placed it around her neck, locking it into place. Laurel sat mesmerized as she watched everything that had happened, it still took her a moment before she realized that I was watching her and then her back stiffened trying to anticipate what I was about to say next.

"Go inside, shower and go to bed. Care for your collar I will inspect it in the morning before I ask you again what it is you want. Jodie will be here at eight in the morning, your answer will depend on if she has a spare horse with her for you both to take a ride or the pickup to take you back to the house."

Laurel nodded one more time, stood and left. Wendy and Carol-Anna came to the door moments later, when I first told them what I was going to do I did urge them to leave and go back to the city. All three of us knew they wouldn't; they may not agree with what I was about to do but Mandy was mine and they couldn't object.

"Stand, remove your clothes."

Mandy stood in an instant her blouse already undone and dropped to the floor her bra followed within a blink of an eye, her skirt took a moment longer and her shoes quickly followed. Before her hands managed to get to her panties I had placed a hand on her chest, slipped my other hand into the front of her panties and pulled. The fabric gave and her panties were quickly bunched up and pushed into her mouth.

Our faces now inches from each other.

"Do you know why this is happening?"

Mandy's head nodded once. Gagging her right then was a mistake on my part. I should have asked her first and then gagged her. I still felt I needed to emphasize my point

"You took it from me and I want it back. You are slave and if you forget that again then we will revisit tonight and the next time will be with paddles."

She shuddered; I turned and headed for the door; both the girls went back inside leaving Mandy's discarded clothes on the porch.

"Come with me."

*******

I heard Mandy get on all fours and crawl behind me, I automatically slowed my pace as we all went to our bedrooms. Once my door was closed I waited for Mandy to kneel on the bed before I sat on a chair across from her. It was clear to both of us that she expected to be punished, but I wanted answers first. Our stalemate lasted for a few moments before I stood and pulled her panties out of her mouth.

While Mandy moistened her mouth since her panties had made her dry I poured her a glass of water and handed it to her. She thanked me and sipped it, when the glass was almost half empty she once again thanked me and handed it back. Once I set the glass down I sat next to her on the bed, this time both of us were looking at the chair in front of us.

"Tell me what happened and why you took it upon yourself to do what you did. Laurel called you my primary slave, you failed to correct her since we both know you are my only slave."

Mandy paused to collect her thoughts I expected she would talk of the evening I came back to the cabin. Instead she spoke of us all leaving over a week ago and Charlie bringing laurel back.

"The second she got out of Charlie's truck I just knew how close she was to the edge. Mike stripped her of everything the last days of college. At first she didn't know why her brother had dropped her off here rather than back at the house."

Once again Mandy asked for some water, I filled her glass back up again and handed it back to her. When Charlie left, Laurel refused to enter the cabin, Mandy had to stand in front of her and assert control, the submissive in Laurel complied and both went inside. They sat for awhile and over drinks Laurel became more comfortable and little by little Mandy got the whole story from her.

As the days moved on she got more from her causing Mandy to seek help from Amy and then the others of the group until it became obvious that once I was involved my own desire to seek revenge for what Mike had done to Laurel may de-rail any progress the girls had made in stabilizing her.

Yes they planned to tell me but only when they had enough answers to the questions that would soon come once I had seen the damage to Laurel Colson. Mandy was right all along. The first day we came to see the Colson family Mandy knew what Laurel was, just as she knew what Mandy was. That unspoken vibe that this lifestyle gives off I assume.

When she went to college Mike recognized Laurel for what she was and his control was brutal and unconditional, she had to ask for everything sometimes not eating for days at a time because Mike wouldn't allow her too. Laurel gave herself to Mike because she knew no different, it wasn't only her submissiveness she gave him that night it was also her virginity.

The rapes in the guise of Master and Slave followed quickly afterwards, sometimes just Mike mostly Mike and his friends. It took Mandy days to dismantle the conditioning; every time they showered together or slept together Laurel expected Mandy to take her.

"All that you see on her body is but a fraction of what's going on in her head."

After a moment I let out a sigh.

"You believe she will choose to stay?"

Mandy nodded her head before she took another sip of water from her glass.

"If we can separate Mike from her soul then she will be free, she is still a submissive and the times she has seen me naked she cannot understand why I don't look as damaged as her."

Slave paused. She chose now to put into words what we were both thinking.

"My regret my Master is that we never got our hands on her the day we looked across the table at her six years ago. Please my master, we need to correct that mistake now and help her. In a way, she reminds me of me, she has it in her to make a great vet. But you have to grab hold of slave and calm her, bring her back from the edge she finds herself at the moment."

"And what about Mike?"

At my question Mandy looked at me.

"If Laurel chooses to stay then I beg you to focus on her. My sisters will deal with Mike."

My next action caught her unexpectedly as I leaned back slightly and removed her collar. She looked surprised at my actions yet said nothing.

"To do what you ask of me requires all of you. Everyone has to have a voice in this even slut."

Slave nodded her head but remained silent.

I had only been here a few days and what I had heard and seen so far left me so desperately sad. To say we would help Laurel was not in question; it was how to help her. Mandy was adamant that Laurel would accept and choose to stay when it came time to make her choice in the morning.

"Mandy I hate to state the obvious but I'm fifty-two, Laurel is twenty-four."

"So what, you eat well and exercise on a regular basis we all see to that. Please stop thinking of your age, it is irrelevant."

"To you maybe." I snorted.

"No. To everyone, none of the girls see an old man in front of them, they see you. Laurel won't see an old man in front of her she will see her master, should you accept her of course."

Leaning into her I kissed her, stood up and told her to go to bed I needed to think on all this. Mandy knew better than to argue or attempt to come with me, for my own peace of mind I watched her get into bed before I leaned down one more time and kissed her forehead. Closing the door behind me made for a certain degree of finality, the fridge was my next target before making my way once again to the porch.

Mandy's clothes still were she left them, picking them up was therapeutic, folding them and placing them on the chair next to mine made me feel that at least a part of her was still with me.

*******

Echo's of my past, Amy and Ginny's voices, their giggles, all came to me as I sat watching the clear sky and the stars calming my thoughts. Carol-Anne, Wendy and I playing strip poker and blatantly cheating while they did, so that I was naked while they where fully clothed. Mandy and my more dark moments, that girl screamed in pain and cried yet once my dark mood had ceased, she was the first to crawl across to me to tell me she loved me.

How we tried to integrate Beth into our group and realizing all too late that our lifestyle wasn't for her. Now Laurel was in our midst, the meeting with Jonathan and Jodie in this very cabin and their plea that we help with their sister. We couldn't turn away from that, Mandy made sure of that when Jodie sat her down to talk to her. For a family as proud as the Colson's coming to us, must have been the hardest thing they have done.

Knowing the lifestyle even the mildest form that Mandy and I are comfortable with must have still left them all troubled. There own Christian faith and belief was being tested almost daily. Their own sister lived here and knowing that Laurel was a submissive at heart as well as a Colson left them floundering in a sea of uncertainty over what to do with her.

Hank had somehow foreseen the confrontation coming when he told Jonathan that we as a group were the only people he trusted outside of his family. For a man as proud as Hank that was nothing more than an arrow pointing at the cabin saying 'send my daughter here'.

The sound of birds waking to a new morning woke me; the blanket wrapped around me was unfamiliar since I didn't bring one onto the porch with me. I hadn't even planned to sleep here, just settle my own thoughts before returning to Mandy. As more of my senses woke to this new morning the figure of Laurel came into view.

She was knelt on the porch her back to one of the supports watching me, once I settled my gaze upon her she smiled and for a second her own head lowered to the decking before she took a deep breath and once again looked at me.

"You slept soundly, none of us wanted to wake you so Wendy placed a blanket on you."

It was then my hearing picked up on the silence within the cabin.

"Where are the girls?"

"They have all returned to the city. Slave Mandy sat me down when I woke and told me that they were a distraction to both of us. We have to talk and them being here while we did would complicate things."

Once the blanket was folded I placed it on the seat next to me, Mandy's clothes now gone and no doubt on their way back home with her to be cleaned. Telling Laurel to follow me back into the cabin and me pointing to a seat while I got a coffee and joined her moments later, I'm not sure she expected the conversation to start the way it did.

"Are you going to be a good vet?"

It took her a moment; I could clearly see the confusion on her face. Laurel expected our time together to be about her submissiveness.

"Yes I will, I studied hard and scored high marks in all my exams."

"When did you have time to study between the beatings, rapes and being used as an ashtray?"

Laurel stiffened. It also took her longer to answer this time round.

"Master Mi... He allowed me time to study while he was with his other slave."

The only thing that stopped me reaching boiling point was my promise to Mandy. Taking sips of my coffee helped as well.

"Mandy tells me the doctor removed the jewelry from you."

She nodded and then added. "Yes I was given a cream to place on the area. The healing process has started."

For some reason Laurel took it upon herself to look directly at me when she said that, as though there was more than one meaning to her statement.

"You were given a night to think on your future, be it here or back with your family. What is your decision, knowing that once made it cannot be reversed. If you choose to be my slave I won't give slave back. Laurel is free to do as she pleases within the bounds of her family and vet work."

I expected her to take longer; her answer was already on her lips before I had finished the question.

"Slave Mandy told me the rules that would apply to me; you welcome this slave even though she is damaged and this slave thanks you."

The pause in her answer made me look closer at her, my cup now on the table as the conflict clearly raged, it seemed to be Laurel's turn to speak and when she did it damn near tore my heart out.

"I wrestled with myself for many years over whom and what I am. The thought of hurting my family if they ever found out just made things worse, going to college to do my vet training was a blessing because I could explore and hide it from my folks. That turned out not to be true; I knew no different from what he taught me."

It was plain to both of us that Laurel and not her submissive side was speaking, it was left to me to listen.

"The scars both mental and physical he left me with will leave, that I'm sure about because I have seen Mandy. You told me to decide and this is my decision, I offer you my obedience and submissiveness, I won't deny what I am to my family and in return I will be the best vet I can be."

A knock at the door interrupted our conversation, Laurel let Jodie in, and judging by what she was wearing she had a spare horse with her. Laurel looked at me for permission to get changed I nodded and she ran towards her room screaming 'yipeee'. All Jodie and I could do was giggle as the door closed behind her.

"Since I didn't hear from you by the appointed time I assumed all went well, is Laurel yours now?"

"She has asked and for the moment it's a yes, she doesn't know it yet but I will ask again once the damage to her body and her soul have healed as well."

"Do you plan on collaring her?"

This time I shook my head.

"I'm not going to push what Laurel is in your faces. You all need to see the sister not the slave or it will take longer for your family to heal itself as well."

Jodie nodded her head in understanding. Moments later Laurel came out of her room, Jodie gasped and I looked closer at Laurel as she was buttoning up her shirt. A collar around her neck, the word 'slave' in silver letters shone so bright in contrast to the black ribbon it was attached to.

"STAND STILL."

The command rang across the day room and Laurel froze to the spot, fear in her eyes her hands had not moved from the buttons of her shirt. Both Jodie and I walked to Laurel and her eyes grew in fear with each step.

Pointing to the collar I asked. "Where did you get that?"

"Master Mike gave it to me I have to wear it whenever I'm out of his presence... Oh shit."

Her head dropped, her shoulders followed a second later.

"Remove the collar and place it on the floor in front of us."

Laurel did so, her hands shook so much it took two attempts before the catch sprang free, and she knelt and placed it in the space between us and stood once again. Her eyes never going higher than my chest, the sudden raising of my foot and stamping on the collar made her flinch.

"Take your shirt off and hand it to Jodie."

She was already in the process of doing that when I moved past her and into my room, when I came back Jodie had her shirt draped over her arm. All Laurel had on above the waist was a sports bra, my hands went around her stomach and I clipped the chain on her, adjusting it for comfort.

"Do you understand what this is?"

"Yes master it's a waist chain."

"That collar offended me, from now on when you are away from my presence that chain will be your collar. Now put your shirt back on and enjoy your ride, I think Jodie also plans on showing you how far the new building for your clinic has come. I place no time limit on your day so enjoy and I suggest you also catch up with your family as well."

Once Laurel had put her shirt back on, I got a hug and an apology. I got a hug and a thank you from Jodie. The sun was just peaking over the trees as I watched them both ride out, the urge to pull every last item of clothing from her suitcase and burn it was almost overwhelming. For now I settled on picking up the remnants of her old collar and dropping it in the trash.

*******

The phone call to Amy was informative but still too early to do much but wait; an animal like Mike becomes overconfident and that's what Amy was counting on. Mandy went back to work and although she kept up on things from the cabin she still knew she had some long hours in front of her to make up for her week away. By mid-afternoon the sound of laughing women and horses approaching broke into my thoughts.

Both women looked truly happy as they approached, when they dismounted Jodie reminded Laurel that she had to get back to the house, she had a whole family to feed. They hugged and Laurel joined me on the porch, Jodie waved once again and turned the horses around before heading down the road and back to the farmhouse.

"Thank you for today."

My silence hung between us, she knew retribution was coming.

"I was going to do this myself, but then I decided that you will do it for me. I've made dinner; it will be ready in about twenty minutes. That's how long you have to bring me everything that Mike bought you and I do mean everything."

Other than the sounds of the birds and the background noises of the country nothing further was said between us. Jodie was heading down the hill now and only the top half of her could be seen. I turned and went back inside, Laurel went to her room. The sound of drawers being opened and things being moved around in the closet could be heard over my stirring of the sauce.

When it went quiet again I turned the sauce off and looked behind me, Laurel had a pillow case in her hand and it looked about a third full. She knelt on the floor and placed it in front of her, I knelt by her side.

"You knowingly brought the contents of that into this cabin. Does Mandy know you have what's in there?"

Her head shook once.

"Dinner is ready, take that and place it on the porch steps. Once you have done that remove your clothes and place them in the basket for washing later, you can remove and keep the chain. Now leave."

Laurel nodded once and grabbed the pillow case as she stood. I went back to putting dinner on our plates; she was standing next to a chair when I turned with both plates in my hands. We sat and ate in silence, the anxiety clearly growing in Laurel as dinner came to an end.

Once we had finished I stood, the only words that left my lips were 'follow me' as we went back outside. Laurel caught up with me at the edge of the porch, she heard my zip and seconds later I was pissing on the pillow case and whatever contents were inside. I poured a whole afternoon of drinking coffee, water and a heck of allot of contempt onto that pillowcase.