The Jackie Bailey Chronicles

"Yes, you can do this." Jackie frowned, looking away for a second, and then looked into Shane's eyes again, her features softening. "Do you trust me, Baby?" Shane stared thoughtfully at her eyes.

"I trust you more than I trust myself, Honey."

"Put your hands on my shoulders." Shane did as she was told, and then felt Jackie put her hands on her hips. "Look at me, look into my eyes." They looked deeply into each other's eyes. Jackie slowly led Shane down the steps deeper into the pool. Jackie felt the water around her waist, tickling her navel. "Look at where you are, Baby." Shane cautiously flicked her eyes to the side. Her eyes shot back to Jackie's. She gripped Jackie's shoulders, shaking even more.

"Baby, you've come this far. You helped me face my fear. It's my turn to help you face yours. Your sister isn't in the water. She won't hurt you; she loves you. She wouldn't want you to be afraid of what you loved for the rest of your life." Jackie pulled Shane into a tight hug. She thought of her dream of her mother under the old oak tree. 'That just might work,' she thought to herself.

She pulled away from Shane's vice-like arms around her neck. "Close your eyes for me."

Jackie watched her partner do as she was told. "Now listen to my voice. The water is your and your sister's favourite place to be. It is your peace and your freedom. You're in the water with your sister. She just hit her neck and fell in. What do you see?" Jackie watched as Shane's eyes moved under her eyelids.

"I see Jessica dead in the water, sinking deeper and deeper. Her eyes suddenly open and her arms reach out for me." Shane cringed, stepping back in the pool. Jackie kept her hands on Shane's waist.

"Okay, look at her face, her sweet innocent face. What do you see now?" Shane's eyes moved again.

"She has a deep sadness in her eyes." Fresh tears ran down Shane's cheeks.

"Let Jessica touch you." Shane froze, stiff as a board.

"She's still reaching out to me. I'm scared Jackie."

"Don't be Baby... I'm right there behind you. You can feel my arms wrap around your waist from behind." Jackie stepped behind Shane doing just that. "Reach out to Jessica. What is happening now?" Jackie pressed her breasts into Shane's back holding her tight.

"Her fingers are tangled with mine. She is smiling at me now. She is trying to say something to me but I can't hear her." Jackie softly kissed Shane's shoulders.

"Listen to Jessica, Baby. What is she saying to you?" Shane focused on the sound of her sister's soft voice.

"I can hear her, Honey." Shane listened then repeated the words as Jessica spoke to her.

"It was never your fault Shai. You don't have to be afraid of the water. I am only watching over you. Grandma is with me, she is just as beautiful as you said. You look just like her now. I love you, Shai. Live your life without fear. She needs you to be fearless." Shane collapsed back into Jackie's arms. Jackie looked over Shane's shoulder; the woman was apparently sleeping or just passed out. Jackie stepped back dragging Shane with her.

She sat on a step with Shane between her legs while stroking her partner's black slightly longer hair. Just then Peter and Bev came in. Peter rushed over to help Jackie get Shane out of the water.

"I thought you two would never get here. You're late for our poolside picnic." Jackie smiled lightly looking down at Shane.

"What happened here?" Peter asked as he removed his shoes and socks.

"We just faced her fear. She passed out in my arms." Peter sighed loudly.

"Let's get her out the water."

After an hour or so, Shane woke up to voices talking around her. She opened her eyes slowly, seeing only blurred faces. "What happened?" Shane sat up on the lowered beach chair.

"You passed out in my arms in the water," Jackie said, leaning closer to Shane. "What do you remember Baby?" Shane closed her eyes.

"I remember saying that I can hear her. After that I'm drawing a blank." Jackie sighed softly, stroking Shane's cheek while she repeated Jessica's words.

"That can't be, Jessica never saw our grandma. How could she know that I look like she did at my age?"

"Baby, I don't think that you were dreaming. Jessica was trying to communicate with you all these years. It's like the dream I had of my mother and me under the oak tree. She looked exactly the same as she did back then but I was as I am now. She told me about you that night after we met. How would she know about you?" Jackie said softly. Shane stared at her for a moment. Beverley spoke up next, looking at the two women with tears in her eyes.

"I had the same experience a few months after my accident. I lost my little girl in that accident; she was four at the time. She came to see me as well. The accident wasn't my fault but I still felt it was. She told me not give up, that I would meet a real man one day and that he is a policeman. It was around that time Jackie and I met Peter." Beverley smiled softly at Peter. "We all have our fears and loved ones we have lost but we gain even more when we face our fears and let others into our lives. I believe we saw our loved ones for a reason. They were there to help us find the peace we were looking for."

"That actually makes sense. I was always afraid of that... dream but hearing what was said... I never told Jackie that Jessica called me Shai. She could never say my name."

"I wish you could have heard it for yourself, Baby. It was like she was talking through you. Your voice sounded different, softer and almost childlike. She wanted me to hear what she was saying. You have to let her go sometime, Baby. She wants you to be happy without fear." Shane pulled Jackie into her arms.

"You're both right." Shane stood up cradling Jackie in her arms.

"Baby what are you doing?" Jackie asked, confused.

"I'm facing my fear." Shane jumped into the deep end of the pool with Jackie still in her arms.

They both came up looking into one another's eyes, smiling brightly. "My god, you're beautiful." Shane pulled Jackie into her arms, hugging her tight and kissing her passionately. Jackie felt Shane's heart beating wildly against her ribs. Jackie pulled away from their kiss.

"You still scared?" Shane smiled softly.

"A little bit, but the reason my heart is beating so raggedly is because I love you." Jackie's own heart started racing wildly.

"I love you too." Their lips locked onto each other in an affectionate embrace with their hands travelling already known territory.

Peter and Bev joined them in the pool a few minutes later. They spent the rest of the day in the locked building Jackie and Bev had hired for the day for a private party of four. Shane got more comfortable in the water as she remembered her days as a champion swimmer at school. Jackie watched in awe as Shane did a few laps. Peter joined in challenging Shane. Beverley sat next to Jackie on the edge, watching the two swim against each other.

"Are you and Peter going to join us on Christmas Eve this week?" Jackie asked Beverley, keeping her eyes on Shane.

"I don't know about him, but I'll be there. I would never miss out on Christmas Eve with my best friend. You know my family wants nothing to do with me after the accident." Jackie faced Beverley with a sad smile.

"I know... it's the story of our lives. We made our own family." The redhead put her arm around her best friend.

******

At eighteen after finishing high school, Jackie left home in search of her grandparents. She found them on her way to Boston. She stood in front of the door with just a beaten backpack swung over her shoulder, filled with only her few essential possessions. The redhead took in a tight deep breath and knocked on the door.

She had had a long grilling bus ride with a bunch of strangers, clutching her bag to her chest. She was tired, exhausted and hungry. She had a days waiting period before her next bus would take her away forever. The door opened slowly, revealing an old frail looking lady with a walking stick. The lady looked her up and down for a moment. Their eyes met and the old lady realised who she was.

"Hi Grandma," Jackie greeted with a small smile. Her other grandparents, the Baileys, had died a year after her parents got married. She never knew them but she knew that she had more family out there somewhere.

"Jacqueline... is that you? Please come in my child." The old lady turned to the kitchen with Jackie in tow. The woman had an old kettle sizzling on a gas stove for tea. She prepared another cup for Jackie. "What brings you here after all these years?"

"It's a long story Grandma. All I can say at this moment is that I'm done with my father." The old woman turned slowly to face her, her face serious. She oddly had a look of knowing in her old dark eyes. The look scared Jackie a little bit. The old woman placed a cup in front of Jackie taking a seat in front of her.

"He did it again, didn't he?"

"Grandma you're scaring me. What did he do?" The old woman sighed with anguish visible on her frail features.

"Your father has been sick for a long time. He used to date a girl in high school. He claimed that he loved her. When she left him before going to university, he started stalking her. He was obsessed with her. He got so bad that he raped and beat her. She was in the hospital for weeks. He was sent to a mental institution." The woman looked up at Jackie.

"That's where he met Mom? She was his doctor?" Jackie asked, searching her grandmother's eyes. She nodded and sipped her tea.

"She swore that she could keep him in check, and she did. Even after he was released into her care, she made sure he took his pills every single day. Annabelle and I talked over the phone once a week." Jackie sighed knowing what came next.

"Grandma he... He has been raping and beating me for the last four years. He stopped taking his pills about three and a half years after Mom died. I just had to get out of there. I couldn't take it anymore. I have a lot to tell you before I leave tomorrow."

"Then you are spending the night here. I'll start on dinner." Jackie jumped in and helped while she told her grandmother everything.

******

A few days later on Christmas Eve, everyone gathered at Shane's apartment. Jackie sighed next to Beverley on the sofa. "I left the next morning early on the bus promising to visit her. She died in her sleep that night. They found my cell phone number on her fridge and called me. I guess she was tired."

"You never told anyone this before," Beverley stated. Peter and Shane were in the kitchen fixing dinner. Jackie shook her head.

"No, I haven't. I was too ashamed to talk about my father's past. I didn't even know my grandfather died after my sixteenth birthday. Anyway... the past is the past. Let's just enjoy the present."

They opened their gifts for each other, had a Christmas meal and sang carols. Beverley sat on the sofa. Peter sat next to her, on her right, with an arm resting around her shoulder. Shane sat on her left waiting for Jackie. Jackie came in from the kitchen with two bowls of popcorn, setting one on the table.

"I hope it's a good movie," Jackie stated and fell into Shane's lap, resting her feet on Bev's lap.

"I hope so too. Did you remember my butter popcorn?" Beverley asked with a grin.

"Of course I did, Sweetie." Jackie placed the other smaller bowl of popcorn on her legs in front of Beverley with a giggle. She rested her head on Shane's shoulder and kissed her neck. Shane giggled. She wrapped her arms around Jackie's waist. Beverley nudged the dark haired woman in the ribs with her elbow. Shane looked at her with a soft smile while Beverley nodded. Jackie looked confused at the two. Shane reached behind Jackie, digging in her side pocket. Jackie couldn't see what her partner was doing.

"What are you two up to?" Jackie asked, raising an eyebrow. Peter just looked at the three women with a huge grin on his face.

"What are the three of you hiding from me?" Jackie asked again. Her face froze as Shane held out a small white velvet box with a little red ribbon on top. She opened it, revealing a tiny diamond ring.

She shot a look at Shane from the ring. "Are you serious, Baby?" Shane removed the ring from the box. "I'm dead serious. I didn't prepare this long speech or anything. I only know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Jackie. Will you marry...?" Shane barely got her words out as Jackie grabbed her face, showering kisses all over until their lips met in a passionate embrace.

"That is so hot." Peter said out loud. All three women burst out laughing. Beverley slapped his arm, still laughing.

"Men... you really know how to break the mood." Peter chuckled scratching his head.

"I can't help it. They are so hot together." Jackie placed one more kiss on Shane's lips as their gazes locked.

"I love you, Baby" Shane kissed her again.

"I love you, Honey" Shane carefully slipped the ring onto Jackie's left ring finger then kissed the redhead again.

"Okay, we know you two love each other. Can we watch the movie now? This popcorn really is screaming at me to eat it." Everyone burst out laughing, cuddling with their partner to watch the movie. Later that night after Beverley and Peter left, Jackie dragged Shane to their bedroom. Shane sat on the edge of the bed in a robe watching Jackie look for something between her clothes.

"Honey, what are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for something I got you for Christmas. I didn't want to give it to you in front of Peter and Bev." Jackie bent forward searching in a shelf between her t-shirts. Shane came up behind her, pressing her hips into Jackie's buttocks.

"Are you maybe looking for this?" Jackie felt a long thick shaft between her legs and started giggling. She stood up straight.

"Why you sneaky... when did you find it?" Jackie turned around facing her partner with a Cheshire cat grin.

"I found it this morning when you asked me to get you a t-shirt when Bev arrived early."

Shane smiled mischievously at her partner, holding her gaze. Jackie looked down at the harness around her now naked partner. She bit her lip. The harness was light purple with black buckles on the sides with a seven inch long, one inch thick purple silicone phallus attached to the front of it. This would be their first try with a harness, or any toy for that matter. Jackie still felt a little apprehensive when it came to look-a-likes of the male anatomy. "Mmmm, I knew you would look sexy and handsome in purple."

"Hhmm, I agree. Are you sure about this?" Shane picked a giggling Jackie up into her arms and carried her toward the bed.

"I am definitely one hundred percent sure about this." Jackie looked down between them at the toy. "Okay, maybe it's ninety eight percent sure but I really want to do this with you. I want us to be able to make love to one another in any way."

"Honey, I promise I'll be gentle." Shane crawled onto the bed and carefully settled Jackie on her back, her head resting on the plush pillows.

"I know Baby... you are always gentle with me. I love you." They stared lovingly into each other's eyes.

"I love you too."

The End

*

I would like to thank my editor, Ken, for answering my plea and for helping improve my writing skills. I hope this submission was to the readers' satisfaction. I certainly enjoyed reading it through after I made the changes.

Love and peace

WilBeLes