They pulled up to the apartment and got out. "You dont have to go in, if you dont want." Mysty said to AJ as he climbed out of the car. "I want to." AJ smiled, taking her hand in his and helping her up the stairs. She walked down the long dark hallway to her apartment. AJ shook his head subtly. He looked around, feeling like he had stepped into some low budget horror film. Paint was peeling off the walls, light fixtures hung open and bare from the ceiling. Roaches and rodents ran against the edge of the wall, spiderwebs hung from doorways, and AJ shuddered.
"Here we are." Mysty said as she opened a door towards the end of the hall. Stepping inside, AJ felt his heart jump into his throat. The place was a mess but it was so obvious that someone had tried really hard to make it seem like a home. Crayon drawings hung on the water stained refridgerator, small flower pots sat outside the window. Mysty walked towards the back room, picking things off the floor as she went.
AJ wandered around the apartment, noticing the stale cigarette smell, the old beer bottles scattered everywhere. The cigarette burns in the furniture, the holes worn in the carpet... "Ok, I'm done." Mysty said, walking down the hall with a suitcase in her hands. AJ reached over to pick it up for her as she walked into the kitchen, pulling off the drawings Joey had done and taking them with her. AJ took her free hand in his and they left the apartment. Just then, the next door neighbor's door opened and a plump black woman peered out, smiling sweetly at Mysty.
"Where are you going sweetheart?" she asked, looking at AJ. "Its ok, Mama." Mysty said with a smile. "This is my friend, AJ and I'm leaving Jimmy." "Ooh baby! You tell him girl! Dont you let him push you around like that anymore, its 'bout time you left that sorry son of a bitch! Take care baby, and you Aj boy better take good care of her or you'll have Mama to deal with honey!" The woman smiled and gave Mysty a hug good bye. Then slowly, peered around again and shut her door.
Mysty grinned at AJ's confused face. "Thats the neighborhood Mama. She takes good care of people." They continued down the hall and out to the car. Mysty climbed in the passenger's side while AJ put her stuff in the back, smiling as he gently laid Joey's drawings on top of her suitcase.
Climbing into the car, he laughed. "You sure you wanna leave Mama?" Mysty shoved him playfully. "Yeah. I'm sure." Just then the smile flew from her face as she watched Jimmy climb out of his car. He looked at her, trying to figure out who she was. Then recognition dawned on him. He started shouting and cussing, struggling to pull out the gun he carried at all times.
"Go! AJ, go!" Mysty shouted, as AJ peeled out of the parkinglot, but not before having a bullet narrowly miss his head, shattering the front and rear windows. "Shit!" He shouted, driving rapidly down the street... Mysty curled into her seat, crying and shaking.
Once they had reached the safety of AJ's garage, he turned to the trembling figure beside him, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Mysty?" he asked. "I'm so sorry, AJ. I told you I shouldnt have left. I knew it was a bad idea..." tears streamed down her cheeks, and AJ felt his heart stop. "No, Mysty- this is not your fault. He has the problem, not you." AJ puled her to him as best he could and hugged her. "Dont you dare feel that this is your fault."
She continued crying as he lugged her suitcase into the house. But a smile tugged at her mouth as he walked directly to the refridgerator and hung Joey's drawings. She stood infront of the pictures, cocking her head to the side.
"You look confused. Did I put it upside down?" AJ asked, standing back to look at the picture. "No... I was just noticing something..." Mysty said quietly. AJ stood behind her, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. "What were you noticing?" AJ whispered in her ear. "Thats supposed to be me, Joey and his daddy..." Mysty started... "But the man in the picture has dark hair.. Jimmy is a blonde."
AJ looked at the picture, then remembered the man that had shot at them moments before. She was right. He turned his face towards her, gently kissing her just below her ear. She gasped, slowly resting her head against his shoulder. He kissed her neck, slowly and carefully, just barely grazing her bruises with his lips. She turned to face him, pressing her lips against his. Goosebumps ran the length of her body as she felt his soft mouth against hers. She slowly opened her mouth, probing into his mouth with her tongue. He teased her with his own, pushing, pulling, sucking, tasting... Pulling apart, they looked into each other's eyes and smiled. "Beautiful..." AJ whispered as they walked hand in hand out into the livingroom where Joey lay asleep against Nick's chest.
Nick looked up with a crooked grin on his face. "He got worn out beatin' me at this stuff... funny part is, I dont think he knew what he was doing... just pushing a bunch of buttons. It kinda sucked!"
AJ laughed, thanking Nick for watching 'squirt', and let him go on home. AJ leaned over, gently lifting the sleeping little boy and carried him back to the extra room, which would now belong to Mysty. He laid him down on the bed, covering him up with the blankets and kissing him on the forehead. Mysty watched from the doorway. Tears burning her eyes, pride and love filling her chest. AJ turned, and blushed when he caught her watching.
He tiptoed to the door, shutting it behind him and catching her in his arms. "I saw you with him." Mysty whispered. "So?" AJ asked with a smile. "I think its great..." Mysty reached up to brush her lips against his. "I think you're a wonderful man. I like that you want to take care of my baby..." "I want to take care of you too...He's just an added bonus." AJ replied, kissing her back. "But he's definitly a bonus..."
Jimmy was angry. Mysty had never seen him this upset. He strode towards her with long easy steps, and she felt her heart constrict. Though she was terrified, she couldnt move, it was like facing her fate. She closed her eyes and winced as the felt his hands tighten around her neck like he always did. She felt the cold steel of the gun through her thin shirt as he pressed it against her chest. "Listen here, bitch. I told you not to do that. You knew you were asking for trouble when you ran away that night. Well, you were right. Here I am. Its a shame you werent conscious for the nice job I did on your boyfriend. Open your eyes, look around." Jimmy's beer breath against her nose made her gag, but she opened her eyes, surveying the damage. There was AJ, laying in a bloody heap on the floor, his chest taking in ragged gasps of air. She screamed at him to get up- but he didnt. Jimmy smiled, an evil smile and pushed the gun harder against her breastbone. She whimpered. He reached back and punched her in the face, over and over. In the stomach, he hit her, kicking her even, in the legs... She screamed and cried but no one came. AJ looked up into her eyes at one point before she saw the beautiful flame die out. She cried.
"Mysty. Honey wake up!" AJ shook her gently, not wanting to scare her. She wiggled, trying to get away. Her eyes flickered open once, seeing the dark eyes only inches from her own, struggling to wake up- she saw him, alive and wept some more. He opened his arms, letting her crawl into them, snuggling against his warm, bare chest. Her tiny arm wound themselves around him, holding him tightly as she cried against his skin. AJ felt the warm trickle of tears run down his stomach, and he wanted to cry himself. Slowly, the tears dried out, and her weeping softened to a small sniffle every now and then. Mysty backed away from AJ, looking into his eyes.
"I had a terrible dream, AJ. Absolutely awful." Mysty began... her eyes welling up again. "Shh.. come on, lets go out in the livingroom and you can tell me." AJ replied, noticing how easily Joey had slept through his mother's nightmare. Although, AJ realized, Joey must be used to hearing those noises nightly. Holding onto his hand tightly, Mysty followed him out into the still dark livingroom. It was only 2:37 a.m. The air conditioner had cooled off the livingroom nicely and Mysty huddled against AJ on the couch as she told him about the dream. She began crying again when she mentioned how hurt AJ had been.
"Mysty Mysty Mysty... Its ok. I'm ok, not even a scratch on me. And you're safe. You're here with me, and we're ok." AJ said soothingly, running his fingers through her hair and down her back. His fingers traced circles across the portion of bare back exposed by the tiny spaghetti strap she wore to bed. It had a very low back, and goosebumps began to rise on her arms from the warmth of his touch. She snuggled close to him, wanting to be nearer. AJ laid down on the couch and pulled her ontop of him. She rested her head on his shoulder, as she ran her hands down his chest, stomach and back again.
AJ shook his head trying to clear the thoughts that were so vividly running through. Feeling her nails gently scratch across his skin was driving him mad, and he struggled to keep his body calm. No such luck. Mysty noticed his physical reaction to her touch and looked up into his eyes questioningly.
AJ shrugged with a grin and said, "You're beautiful. What can I say?" Mysty smiled and snuggled closer still, continuing her gentle torture on his body. Breathing was becoming more difficult for him, and he ached to be closer to her. But this wasnt the right time. It had only been 2 days since she showed up bloody, bruised and soaking wet needing his help. What kind of help would he be if he went and got physical that quickly? Especially the kind of physical he wanted to be right now. He moaned softly as her hand slid into his boxers, wrapping around him. She kissed his mouth, tasting him, wanting to be closer. AJ felt himself getting more and more turned on as they kissed and as she gently moved her hand along his body. He shook his head, pulling away from her mouth and groaning as he removed her hand from his boxers.
"Not now. You just had a terrible dream, and you've been through too much. I cant take advantage of someone just because they're vulnerable after a traumatic event." AJ said softly.
"Its not taking advantage of someone if that person wants it just as much." Mysty said. "Yes it is." AJ replied. "Because you dont know what you're getting into. I'm not ready for a commitment yet... I cant do this yet..." Mysty smiled sadly. "Who said 'commitment'? Do you know how long its been since I was with a man? Since I've been touched or held by one? Years, AJ. Years..."
AJ saw the raw desire in her eyes. No attatchments, no commitment. Just want, lust and desire. He sighed, knowing that even though all she wanted was to be touched and he wanted to be the one to touch her....he also wanted to be the only one to touch her, now and forever. But that went along with commitment and he was torn between his happy life of dating and a wonderful life with this beautiful woman and her gorgeous little boy. He looked down into her eyes again, seeing the pleading and begging. He wondered to himself if she'd really ever had anyone make love to her. Probably not, he figured, knowing Jimmy. It was probably all rushed, hurried and not very meaningful. AJ smiled, knowing that she needed to be shown how it was really done... how a woman was supposed to be held and touched...
AJ stood her up, and climbed off the couch. Lifting her in his arms like a baby, he carried her to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Walking over to the bed, he laid her down gently, and began the slow, painstakingly slow process of making love to this woman like it was the first time...
Mysty and AJ lay tangled together between the sheets even hours after their love making. Too content to move, too afraid to ruin the moment. AJ stroked the golden hair that lay beside him on the pillow, feeling her feather light breathing across his chest. He had gone slow with her, very very slow... and she had still winced as bruises were hit- but he couldnt help that. She had still thoroughly enjoyed herself, though. That was obvious. She had cried... and at first, AJ thought maybe it was too painful, but then later realized she hadnt ever been loved by a man's touch. It was a great feeling for AJ to have been the first to love her, to really love her.
"What are you thinking?" Her thick voice asked quietly in the dark. "I was thinking about you." AJ replied in a raspy tone. "Oh? And what were you thinking?" she inquired. "I was thinking about how beautiful you are." AJ said honestly, remembering the way her body had felt underneath him, around him. "If anyone is beautiful, its you...you're my angel...my perfect guardian angel." Mysty whispered, kissing his chest.
"Mmm... you'd better watch your behavior there, Myst. Otherwise you're going to find yourself with another little Joey." AJ laughed, trying not to focus on her warm mouth gently placing kisses along his chest.
"I wouldnt mind having your little Joey." Mysty replied sincerely, sitting up, brushin her hair out of her face and looking deep into his eyes. "What?" AJ shook his head, trying to figure out if she had just said what he thought she just said. He sat up too.
"I said I wouldnt mind having your baby, AJ." Mysty said evenly, looking at his body bathed in the soft light slipping through the blinds. "Mysty- dont say anything that you cant back up." AJ said, wishing she hadnt repeated herself. "How's this for backing myself up?" Mysty growled as she climbed ontop of him, straddling his waist and easing herself down onto him.
AJ moaned as he felt her body surround him. He wanted to stop her, to pull her off. But something wouldnt let him. He laid paralyzed, as she began to move. His brain screamed at him to stop, but his heart screamed louder, telling him not to let go... He murmured in her ear as she laid down on top of him, and began to move his body against hers.
"Hey Mysty." Howie said cheerfully walking through the door. 3 more guys followed close behind. "This is Brian, Kevin, and you've met Nick." Mysty extended her hand to each guy, smiling happily. She hit it off right away with Kevin and Brian seeing that they were country boys. Nick sprawled out in the middle of the livingroom floor playing video games with Joey and AJ ran around crazily, talking to everyone and taking time to stop and kiss Mysty every two minutes or so.
"Ok, so whats the big deal?" Brian asked, as everyone sat down in the livingroom. Mysty walked in, seating herself comfortably on AJ's lap. "Well...?" AJ looked at Mysty, who just smiled and nodded. "Mysty is going to have a baby..." He paused for dramatic effect. "MY baby."
"Oh my God." Howie mumbled, looking in amazement at AJ. The others sat dumbfounded for minutes before exploding with yells and laughter. The news was a shock, but happiness was everywhere, and AJ knew the baby would be welcome.
