The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 07

Half way through the movie a large calico cat descended from the headrest and curled up against Sara who rubbed its belly with firm and broad strokes.

"Andrew, meet Psycho. Psycho, this is Andrew." The fluffy cat looked up, a deep purr rumbling in its throat as it gazed at Andrew with hooded eyes.

"I know, she gives good rubs, right?" Andrew said with a smirk as he rubbed the happy cat's neck. Sara was surprised how trusting Psycho was with Andrew, the cat never seemed to like anyone but Sara.

They nibbled on their snacks and Sara fed Psycho once the movie finished. She loaded up an older Asian martial arts movie before returning to the warm sanctuary of Andrew's embrace on the sofa. As they watched the movie Andrew realized how much he still needed to learn about Sara. Her taste in movies was a surprise to him, and not something he had ever really enjoyed before. She seemed to breathe life into a couple of genres he had pretty much written off. He smiled at the way she mouthed the subtitled words, and at how her hands made little jabbing motions along with the action taking place onscreen.

The movie had only been running for for a few minutes, the main character was kicking the crap out of some Japanese guys in a classroom when Sara's cellphone rang.

"Wow, you sure are popular tonight. We need to have storms more often."

Sara paused the movie and stuck her tongue out at Andrew as she sat up and answered the phone. "Yello'... Ohh hey, Karen. Is everything OK?"

Sara put her hand on Andrew's side as she looked at him with surprise. "Sure, we will be there soon. Don't worry, we'll be fine, sounds like the storm is settling so we should be safe."

Andrew wiggled out from behind her on the couch and stood as Sara finished the call.

"See you soon, Karen." Sara hung up the phone and pulled Psycho against her chest while she rubbed the cat's side. "Karen's freakin' out about something. Said she needs to see us ASAP."

The digital clock under the TV said it was almost 1:00am, and Sara was right; The storm did sound a whole lot less intense.

Andrew started moving towards the door as he said, "Well, we can finish the movie later I guess. Is Psycho going to be alright all by herself?."

Sara laughed and continued rubbing the happy cat's haunch. "Ohh yeah, she's a trooper. Isn't that right, Psycho?" Her voice raised as she concluded her statement. The fluffy feline almost fell off of her lap as it leaned into some skillful chin scratching administered by Sara.

The couple threw on their shoes and Sara got a flannel jacket which seemed well worn and slightly too large on her athletic frame. The drive to Karen's was much easier than it had been earlier that evening. The storms intensity had been dialed down to six from what had felt like a solid nine earlier that night. They barely talked through the entire drive as they both wondered what had happened. They worried for Karen, and hoped that they had not inadvertently caused her harm.

Karen greeted them at the door as they approached her house. They could hear soft music playing in the background as Karen took Sara's coat and the young arrivals removed their shoes. They were happy to see that Karen seemed to be in a good mood, though they could sense that she was nervous as she led them into the living room. Sara caught a strong whiff of Karen's musky scent coming from the hallway leading to her room. She glanced in that direction and smiled before taking a seat on the couch beside Andrew.

Karen settled into her reading chair and stated, "I took the liberty of making a fresh pot of tea. You're under no obligation to have any. I understand it's late and you have classes to attend in the morning."

The older woman winced at the words which had just escaped her mouth, and the observant young couple were beginning to wonder why.

"What's going on, Karen? You're acting really weird, and it's me saying that." Sara flashed her most comforting smile and Karen smirked at the young woman's self effacing comment.

Karen looked between the loving couple with an uncertain nervousness that seemed out of place for the woman that they knew her to be. Her shifting glance settled on Andrew a bit longer than she meant, and he found that he enjoyed the extra attention. Karen nibbled her lip ever so slightly as Andrew adjusted himself before taking a sip of tea.

She let out a dramatic exhale and blurted, "I think Andrew and I bonded."

The cup nearly fell from Andrew's hand as he turned to face her mid-sip. "What the hell do you mean?" His voice was shocked yet commanding which Sara and Karen both found arousing.

Karen looked at him sideways and raised an eyebrow as she responded, "Just what I said, I think that somehow, we have bonded." Her shoulders were already relaxing as the anxiety fled now that the conversation had begun.

Sara rubbed Andrew on the back while she smiled at her long time friend. "You can't bond Karen. You told me point-blank when I was younger that wizards and witches do not bond. You said, and I quote, 'Silly girl, bonding is the sole province of Therianthropes, and may very well be an aspect of your nature.' Granted, my grasp of the english language is not as developed as yours is, but I always thought sole meant 'the one and only.'"

Karen shook her head and smiled at her rambunctious student, "No, that is most certainly what I meant. Though in light of recent discoveries I am forced to re-evaluate my understanding of who can and cannot bond. I have never heard of it happening within the magical community, but Andrew as we all know stands in direct conflict with my existing understanding."

Sara shook her head and laughed as she asked, "So, what made you come to this conclusion then?"

Lifting the moonstone from the box at her feet, Karen held it out for the two teenagers to see.

"This is why I believe that Andrew and I have bonded."

The once milky-white stone shone with a faint blue glow, its azure surface mottled with periodic patches of lilac light. They both leaned in and noticed small flecks of bronze alloy that popped in and out of existence just beneath the stones glossy surface.

The cup shook in Andrew's hand and clattered as he placed it on the table. He looked into Sara's smiling face and was shocked that he couldn't see any fear or anger in her expression. She seemed at ease with this heartbreaking news that had turned his world upside down. Turning his attention towards Karen he could see many of his own conflicted and troubled emotions reflected in her false smile.

"What does this mean, Karen?" His voice was shaky as his mind worked through the possibilities. Everything led him back to the idea that Karen and he would be drawn to each other like he had been drawn to Sara.

While Karen prepared her thoughts, Sara spoke up, "Well, so what if you two bonded?" She looked between the two worried faces that stared back at her in shock. "What?" her voice betrayed her confusion as she tried to understand what she was missing.

"Sweetie, what if Karen and I are drawn together like you and I have been."

Sara could see his concern as his eyes misted over. She smiled and pulled him into her arms in an attempt to provide some much needed comfort. Karen watched from her chair and appreciated the acknowledgement of the fear that she shared with Andrew.

"Sara, I don't think you understand, dear. I can already feel an intense attraction drawing me to Andrew."

A tear crept out of Andrew's eye, being absorbed by Sara's shirt as he fought back his building dread. He knew that Karen was right, and could sense an attraction for the older woman as he listened to her talk. Andrew struggled to stop from crying as he thought about losing Sara because of his new bond to Karen. Sara had just entered his life, and already she meant more to him than he could find words to describe.

Focusing within himself he saw a brand new sprite fluttering within his mind. It was faint and tiny, but now that he knew what to look for he found it without issue. He could sense anxiety and fear radiating from it, which was comforting as those emotions echoed his own conflicted state.

Focusing on Sara's bright amber sprite he was shocked as he sensed her happy devotion for him, and her unquestioning acceptance of what was happening.

"So what if you two are attracted to each other? You are a beautiful woman, Karen, and I would be surprised if Andrew didn't recognize that." Sara's tone held no sense of resentment or jealousy which shocked Karen. The teacher had braced herself for yelling, or crying, or maybe even violence, but she never expected the happy carefree acceptance that she was faced with.

"There are so many reasons that this relationship cannot happen, Sara. Most significant of which is that I would never dream of trying to come between the love you share with Andrew."

Andrew pulled back from Sara and held her with a tight grip as he said, "I love you, Sara. I can't lose you already."

Sara could see that he was on the verge of crying and could feel his sorrow bubbling just behind the limits of his control. She cupped his cheek and gave him a tender smile. "Ohh, Andrew. I love you too." She stared into his eyes and made sure he saw the adoration she had for him before she looked at Karen and smiled. "You two are so silly. What does whatever is forming between you two have to do with how Andrew and I feel about each other?"

Karen was stunned by Sara's confident pronouncement and Andrew was struggling to comprehend Sara's acceptance of him potentially falling in love with another woman.

"But I love you, and don't want to lose you." His voice was pleading and Sara couldn't understand why he would ever think he would lose her. As she looked at Karen she realized that her friend had the same thought as Andrew; that somehow Sara's relationship with Andrew would have to be sacrificed in order for something to form between Andrew and Karen.

"Seriously, you guys? I can't be the only sane person here." Her voice had lost a lot of its compassionate tone as she stared between them. "Why in all the fields of green goodness would we have to stop loving each other, Andrew?" She caressed his cheek and leaned in for a soft kiss, but Andrew pulled away.

"That's not how relationships work, Sara." His eyes had a steely determination.

Despite the arousal the young woman felt at Andrew's commanding pronouncement, Sara couldn't help but be irritated by his dismissal of what she had tried to say.

Karen shifted her legs and cleared her throat before saying, "Sara, I have tried polyamorous relationships in the past, and while they can work it is a rare thing indeed. If you desire to have an open relationship with Andrew, that cannot work in this situation. As it is, I am struggling not to pull Andrew into my arms and comfort him. At this moment I want to ease his pain and help him more than anything, and I know my own nature well enough to recognize that these desires are foreign and powerful. We could never have a sexual relationship without emotions entering into it."

"You two..." Sara let out a loud frustrated sigh before she continued, "In this way I think that witches and wizards must be more like humans than they want to admit. I understand the puritanical bullshit that causes polyamorous relations to fail for humans but-"

Andrew interjected, "Sara, I am not like your father, if that's where you are heading with this."

Sara smiled at him and took his hand. "Thank god for that, sweetie. Of course you're not like that festering piece of bird shit. You love your mates, and cherish us which makes me happier than you will ever know." She watched his face and could see him struggling to understand her perspective on this matter.

"Kitten, if I really was like the people in the clowder, wouldn't I be using the bond to control you."

Indecision swept Sara's features as she tried to decide whether she should remind Andrew about an aspect of his gift that seemed to have slipped his mind. She was thankful when Karen broached the subject instead.

"Andrew, I think that Sara is probably right. You may have forgotten, but I think you know that you have the same gift as Sara's father to control your mate through the bond. The thing that makes you such a better person than him is in how you have chosen to apply that gift."

Andrew looked at Karen as he remembered the incident with Will; when he had prevented Sara from interfering as Will kicked him against the lockers. He knew how painful and difficult that had been for Sara, and hoped that he would never have to put her through something like that again.

"Damnit, I have to admit you are right, and I hate that aspect of my gift." He leaned in and shared a tender kiss with Sara who relished this contact with her man. Karen watched with regret at not being the recipient of his kiss, but she used her talents to obscure and diminish her desires as she waited for the young couple to finish.

"I am so sorry, kitten. You deserve better than that, and I will strive to never do that to you again." His eyes reflected the sheer force of his love for her as he peered into Sara's light brown eyes.

"You were right to stop me. If you hadn't, I very well may have killed him. When it comes to you I need to learn some self control."

"Not too much self control, I hope." Andrew's voice was playful and they both giggled before they dove into a deep and passionate kiss.

Karen felt herself moisten as she imagined Andrew kissing her that way. His young lips showed a tremendous amount of skill for someone with so little experience. She shifted her legs and poured herself some tea in an effort to distract herself from the scene before her. They pulled apart with a loud gasp and Karen thought she could smell their arousal drifting in the cool night air.

"All of this notwithstanding, it would still be best if we didn't get involved." Karen's struggle did not go unnoticed by Sara who smiled at her friends arousal.

"Karen, you must have considered that the bond may not give you that choice, right?" Sara's voice still held that sense of confidence that she had possessed all evening.

Andrew was frustrated by the continued conversation, and hated being reminded that he may be getting drawn towards a different woman. "No, we have a choice in this. We have to have a choice." His voice had grown loud, and he stood from the sofa releasing Sara's hand before he concluded by saying, "I refuse to believe that this is out of my control."

As Andrew stormed out of the room Sara rushed to chase after him. Karen grabbed her by the arm as she attempted to pass and said, "Stop, dear. Let him go cool off."

Sara halted her pursuit and fought back tears of her own as she felt Andrew's despair through their bond. She had gotten used to feeling his arousal as it mixed with hers, but this was the first time he had projected such intense and discordant emotions from her own. With every fiber of her being she wanted to chase after him, and convince him that everything would be all right.

She sighed and her shoulders slumped as she turned and collapsed onto the couch. Her eyes watched the flickering fire across the room as she tried to remember their conversation. She wondered if she had presented things any differently would that have changed the outcome. Andrew was stalking around the driveway; Sara could hear his angry footsteps as he shuffled his feet and mumbled to himself outside.

"Seriously, what's the big frickin deal?" Sara's frustrated tone hung in the air, loudly declaring her annoyance with Andrew's behavior.

"This is all very scary for us, Sara. I have had lifetimes to learn how to manage my emotions, and still I struggle with what is happening. While I'm afraid of breaking up a budding young romance, Andrew is scared that he is going to lose the love of his life. My stakes are far the lesser in this situation, no matter how you slice it."

Sara stared at her friend and still failed to understand why this seemed so hard for them to comprehend. "Do you really not understand what I am trying to tell you? Whatever happens between you and Andrew has no effect on Andrew and I. I love him now as much as I did when we got here. Granted, he was a hell of alot sexier before he fled the house like a little girl."

Karen chuckled as she took a sip of tea, finding comfort in its aromatic flavor. Its rich scent soothing her frayed nerves as she still worried about how Andrew was doing out in the waning storm.

"It's not that I don't understand. We just aren't the same as you, Sara. As you got older I wondered how you would behave when you got into a relationship. When you rebuffed all suitors and chose to live a celibate life, I figured I may never know. Your relationship with Andrew has confirmed my suspicions though; like your father's wives, your very nature seems to prevent you from feeling jealousy towards other woman."

This confirmation that her message had at least been received comforted Sara as she watched her friend. "What if it's not my nature? What if this is one of the many aspects of the bond? Before meeting Andrew I was never attracted to anyone, but since we bonded... Well... I think of no one else. Perhaps the bond changes more than just attraction."

"Let us pray that those instincts are correct, because that would certainly ease this situation. Though I hope you understand my concerns about starting a relationship with Andrew." Karen held her cup of tea, enjoying the warmth against her palm as she studied Sara's face.

"Well, getting into a relationship with a student couldn't be good for your career."

Karen laughed aloud as she shook her head. "Ohhh. No, dear. I'm not worried for my job. Let's assume that you are correct; that Andrew, you and I could have a relationship without jealousy or resentment. That's a large ask, but let us grant at least that. What kind of life do you think you could live here in a polygamous relationship with a local teacher? You know how the people here are. There is no way we could possibly keep something like that a secret.

"Even if we can work all of that out, then there is my very nature to contend with. I did not forgo relationships this last century because I grew tired of them. On the contrary, I grew tired of watching the people I loved grow old and die before me. I have cherished your presence in my life, but I have always been comforted by the fact that you would eventually grow up and move away. That you would live an eventful life and I would live in the knowledge that you were out there enjoying it. Your life will be a beautiful feast, but I cannot be present through all of its many courses.

"Now I am confronted with the very real possibility that I will be forced to witness times cruelest joke, yet again. If I get involved with Andrew, by the very nature of that relationship I am getting involved with you. I will be forced to spectate as two people I love wither and die. Helpless to do anything but gorge myself upon the misery and carry it with me into the future."

She thought of not just the loved ones she had yet to lose, but the many people she had lost through the centuries. Her long life and natural gifts had afforded her the ability to hide her emotions well, but despite those prodigious skills Sara could still sense Karen's fragile state.

Sara lunged off of the sofa and wrapped Karen in her arms. She dared not speak, fear of breaking down causing her to hold her friend close. Karen, for her part, allowed herself to feel her emotions, and savored the comfort that Sara was offering. She used her free hand to rub Sara's back, while still holding her tea in a steady grip with the other.

The moment stretched on and as the two woman sniffled back their brimming tears they parted and smiled at eachother in acknowledgement of their shared bond.