44. The date

~Sexual content~

"Okay, rewind. There are ground rules for this date, doll. First, there will be no asking what I have planned. If something becomes too much for you, tell me immediately. If you don't like what's happening, I need to know. If you want to do something, tell me. I'm going to be pretty flexible with everything today, there is little order - which as you know, goes against my better nature. I also know that it will throw you for a loop because you're not in control. My only goal is to make sure you have a good time. Don't protest, doll. Yes a date is about us, but I want to do this for you; you just need to relinquish control and let me lead. Thank you. As long as I'm with you, I'll have good time. I'm looking forward to spending the whole day with you. And above everything else, if you are uncomfortable or in pain, you tell me right then. I don't want you playing coy ror brushing it off. Got it?" Pat demanded softly as he held my gaze. 

"Got it. I have my own stipulations too," I replied with a grin. He smirked as he raised an eyebrow and gave me a curt nod. "I have no problem letting you be the guide, especially since I have no idea what's going on. Now as my boyfriend, you're not allowed to go overboard. I know how much you care and love how you show me all the time - I just don't want our first date to be overly extravagant. I'm good with just this, talking while road tripping. You're not allowed to feel guilty about anything that may happen today either. Especially if I get hurt. I'm naturally clumsy. I also need you to have fun too. I don't want you to spend the whole day focusing on making sure I'm enjoying myself. If you're holding back or not fully there because you're not into the activity, it'll make it feel strained for me. I'd rather not worry about first date awkwardness and bumbling because you're nervous which would make me nervous too. I mean more than I already am. I love the idea of a date with you, but I'm nervous and excited because I don't know what to expect, but I trust you. I just want everything we do today to not feel forced. Can you agree to those terms?"

"I can, doll. Thanks. By the way, I'll enjoy everything just because I'm with you. And, to ease your mind, nothing would be considered extravagant today," Pat replied as he started driving again. 

"Fair enough. One question before we start. Why couldn't we take our cell phones?" I asked. Pat grinned.

"Well, for starters, Jess wanted to make sure we weren't bothered so I can make this the perfect day with you. Also there's a possibility that they could get wet. And before you say we could of stored them in my truck, the heat would destroy them. No, we're not swimming. Nor do we need to cover your cast. No more questions, 'Nettie. Okay so now the date has officially begun, and it's not a conversation as we drive down the road - even if I do enjoy that. In the glove box is a clue to the first part," he replied with a smirk on his face. I grinned and opened it up. 

"A camera? We're taking pictures?" I asked as I pulled it out. "Sorry. No questions. Sweet! We're taking pictures! Wait! I can't. My hair hasn't been brushed in two days." Pat chuckled and pulled into a parking lot by the river. 

"You look lovely. I have a brush if you want to brush your hair, but you don't need it. Yes, pictures," he murmured as he turned off his truck. I looked over at the river and smiled.

"What a lovely backdrop! Lead me on," I exclaimed. Pat chuckled and leaned over the seat. He wrapped his arms around me and unfastened my sling. I gasped, "Pat, are you sure?!" He bopped my nose. "Sorry. I have a hard time sticking to boundaries and guidelines. I keep trying to expand past them." He grinned and got out of the truck. Slowly he walked around the truck. I untied my hair and put the ponytail on my wrist before running my fingers through my hair. I sighed and gave up hope on it, but I took Pat's word that it was fine. I moved the camera to my left hand as it rested on my lap and tried to open the door with my right hand. He leaned his hip against the door and shook his finger at me. I sat back in my seat and looked over my shoulder at him as he moved towards the back of the truck and set up my wheelchair. He brought it to my door and opened my door. I blushed as he offered me his hand. "I do declare, I've never been treated like this before, sir," I exclaimed with a southern drawl and gave him my hand. He grinned.

"Why, madam, I admit you still surprise me. Will you please join me for a stroll?" He replied with a British accent. I grinned and he lowered me into the wheelchair. He shut the door on his truck and wheeled me down the paved path. "Now if you look to your left, you can see Missouri River. The very same from the Lewis and Clark trail," Pat explained. I giggled.

"I hate history class, but if you teach it I might actually pay attention," I expressed with a grin as I leaned back in my seat and looked up at him. He looked down at me and gave me a heart stopping smile. 

"Sorry, doll. That's all I know about this area. I did the bare minimum to graduate as quickly as I could," he chuckled. He stopped in front of the dam and pushed me towards the picnic table. "This is going to sound cheesy, but yes we're going to snap a few pictures, doll. I know you have to have some pictures taken for graduation. If you end up liking them, you can use them for your senior pictures. I figured you would prefer not to have your sling memorialized for all eternity. Mainly, I'm curious to see just how photogenic you are." I giggled and shook my head.

"I hate getting my picture taken. Can I make a barter? Is it going against the rules?" I asked. He looked down at me and grinned.

"I'm all ears, doll. Barter away," he replied softly as he stroked my hair.

"Since you're trying to be sneaky and take my senior pictures without my knowledge and I don't have a backup outfit or two, and since this is supposed to be a date, you have to get your picture taken too. I'll compromise though. For every two of me, you have to take one. With or without me in the picture," I requested, holding his gaze. I bit my lip, uncertain if I had worded it correctly. He rubbed my jaw until I released my lip.

"Deal. We're shooting you first. When we're done, I'll help you stretch," he promised. I grinned.

"So this is a prelude to the date? You said the stretching would happen before the date," I teased. 

"You can call it a prelude if you want. Or you can just call a spade a spade. This is part of my plan to date you," Pat chuckled. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, "you look gorgeous, doll." I blushed and looked down. "May I, beautiful?" He asked as he offered me his hand. I took it willingly. He guided me to my feet, picked me up, carried me away from the picnic table, and positioned me on a rock. Then he stood back five steps and crouched down, snapping a few pictures. "You are a true vision. Definitely a sunbeam," Pat remarked. I blushed, bit my lip, and looked over my shoulder at the water. 

"You flatter me, sir," I retorted as I noticed a light pole down the path by the water. I looked back at Pat and stood up carefully.

"What are you doing, doll?" He inquired as he stood up; I could read the worry and concern wrirten all over his face. I smiled warmly to reassure him.

"Keep shooting. The wind is picking up. You can get some great movement pictures. This dress is perfect for that," I explained. "I'm fine."

"Two more, doll," he stated and began walking over to me. "Please sit. You're swaying. Listen to me," Pat demanded. I beckoned him over with a single finger and a smile. He came over with a grin. I cradled my left arm as he stood behind me. "Promises, doll. I'd rather take pictures with you," he whispered as he wrapped his left arm around my waist, I rested my elbow on his arm, following it down so he could support my tingling left arm, and took my right hand and interlaced our fingers. He squeezed my hand tenderly as his right arm extended above us with the camera; I ignored it and leaned into his chest. "How's the arm, love?" He asked sweetly as he kissed my cheek. I blushed and looked back at him over my right shoulder.

"It's fine, darling," I murmured as I raised my right arm and brushed his cheek. He pressed his lips against my fingers. 

"Truth, Sarah," he whispered.

"Okay, fine. It's tingling and numb. I'm afraid of bumping and hurting it, and letting it swing around does make me a little nervous," I confessed.

"Excuse me for interrupting. Would you like me to take a picture or two of you?" A random jogger stopped by and asked. Pat and I both looked at her in surprise. "I can see you're trying, but I'm not sure if you're succeeding. You two are very sweet together." I giggled and looked back at Pat.

"If you don't mind, ma'am. Thank you," Pat responded and handed over the camera. He grabbed my hand and lowered it to my waist. He pressed his lips to my ear then whispered, "I want to spend the rest of my life telling you how beautiful you are, Sarah Annette. You are very special and sweet. I'm glad you're in my arms right now. I'm never going to let you go. I will always support you. I love you, doll," he crooned as he rubbed his thumb over my right hand. I closed my eyes, grinned, and turned to face him.

"Bit much for a first date, no?"  I teased quietly looking in his eyes. He grinned. "Kiss me, please?" I begged in a whisper.

"Yes, ma'am," he retorted as he leaned in and kissed me, soft and sweet. It wasn't nearly as intimate as our previous kisses but it still left me satisfied. We heard a gasp of delight. We looked back at the jogger. "Thank you for your help, ma'am," Pat said sincerely as he reached for the camera. I blushed; I had already forgotten about her, happy to be lost in my own little world with Pat by my side.

"My pleasure, kids. Your love is so strong and pure. You're both radiantly glowing. I took a few. I hope you don't mind. Thank you for letting me be a part of it," she replied and took off again. 

"Still think it's hard to believe that people are drawn to you, doll?" Pat asked softly as he stroked my hair. I looked up at him, nodded, and grinned. "Why were you standing up, doll? Don't give me the wind bull crap. You could have hurt yourself."

"I saw the light pole. I figured leaning against it would provide some standing up shots. Then I got dizzy so I didn't move," I replied honestly. He pursed his lips and looked down at me in concern. 

"Well this has been fun, but I think I need to check you into a hospital, doll," he said in a semi joking manner. I scowled at him and he bopped my nose. "I'm kidding - that would be overkill on my end and I promised not to go all crazy on you, per your terms. I just can't believe you thought I would be okay with you hopping at least fifty feet without any support. Thank you for staying put. We did get some great wind pictures. Now, would you like to stretch or go to phase two?" 

"I didn't think you would agree to let me stretch when I just told you I got dizzy. So I guess that means phase two," I replied. He grinned at me and put the camera in his pocket.

"Stretching first," he grinned. He tied my shirt around my left arm in a makeshift sling. "Don't you dare move that. I love supporting you, but I'm going to hold you differently than how I usually help you stretch. Behave," he ordered as he put his right hand in the small of my back. 

"Yes, sir," I chuckled as he lifted my right arm into the air. I stood on my toes and leaned backwards. He let go of my hand and I fully extended.

"Now kick your right leg behind me," he ordered as he kissed my neck. I shivered, closed my eyes, and obeyed. His hand rested on the underside of my thigh as I stretched it out, pushing my limits as much as I could. He lifted me back to a standing position and I opened my eyes. "Out as far as you can, to your right," he commanded. His gaze was soft and a smile played on his lips. These stretches were more than just casual and I could sense the sparks flying between us; it left me dazed and breathless but longing for more as he pulled me in closer to him. I could tell he was enjoying it, and I trusted him; I was enjoying it too. I bit my lip and followed directions as his hand traced around my thigh. "That's wonderful, doll," he praised as I smiled at him. "Keep it steady," he demanded as he tilted me to the left. "Use those moves. You can dance. I can show you right now," he whispered. I looked up at him in shock. He smiled tenderly. "Stop me," he ordered. 

"Teach me," I whispered as I shook my head. He grinned and nodded. 

"Yes, ma'am," he whispered as he pushed my right leg around his left, held my right hand at shoulder height, and moved us around gracefully. He stopped, moved his left leg so my right foot fell, and twisted me under his arm, returning me to the starting position. 

"I'm liking this," I giggled. He swayed me around and dipped me backwards before spinning me under his arm again. I gasped, blushed, and buried my face in Pat's chest as an onlooker started playing his music on speaker. Pat pushed me back slightly and rubbed my chin.

"Uh-huh. Chin up, doll. Focus on me," he ordered quietly. I looked back at him and grinned, getting back into position. He led me effortlessly around, pausing periodically for me to elongate my stretches; the movements felt fluid and natural. I didn't feel like I was dancing, just stretching; I felt like we enhanced the music. Pat kept up with the tempo and I just ignored the crowds as ordered, fading tenderly into Pat's eyes. He smiled warmly at me. "I told you would be an excellent dancer," he praised as he dipped me backwards, my back stretched and my right leg rest on his hip as I tried to point my toe. The music stopped and he stood me up again. Our crowd cheered. "Thank you for the music," Pat expressed genuinely. I leaned into him and sighed happily.

"Happy to be of service. That was beautiful, man! Well done! You're a lucky lady, sweetheart! And they say romance is dead. I wish my boyfriend would be that sweet," our crowd chorused in intervals. I blushed and looked down. 

"Pat, I'm feeling a little winded. Can I sit down, please?" I asked, looking back up at him. He nodded, cradled me in his arms, and carried me back to my wheelchair. "I'm sorry to end the fun so soon," I apologized to the crowd. I held onto my chest as I took some deep breaths. I bit my lip as I realized I may have overdone it. I met Pat's eyes and grinned. "I loved every second of that," I whispered. He smiled at me as I turned my attention back to our crowd, realizing they were talking to us.  

"You're fine, sweetie! It was a privilege to watch that much. I've never seen anything like it. I have plans for my next date night," the crowd murmured all together. I untied my shirt and rested both hands in my lap and smiled graciously at them.

"Excuse me, folks," Pat demanded as we began to walk back to the pickup. "Pain, doll?"

"Tolerable. Not bad," I admitted. I could tell I was really sore, but I didn't know if it was due to the stretching or if it was just pain. I explained that to Pat and he nodded "Thanks for asking. That was fun." I looked up at Pat and grinned. He leaned over and kissed my forehead. 

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I did too, doll. That was part two," he whispered. I gasped. He chuckled. "I thought you were in pain but we'll ride it out. I don't want you taking pills if you don't need them. I just want you to enjoy the day and I will too," he confessed and pushed me the rest of the way to his truck. "The date's not done yet, doll." I smiled. 

"I can't wait to see what else you have planned," I told him honestly and with excitement. He grinned.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me," he whispered as he parked me beside his truck. I moved to stand up and he placed his hand on my shoulder. "Not so fast, doll." He leaned against the truck and gazed at me tenderly. "Part three has two options."

"Like I had an option earlier? Stretching or part two? They were the same thing, technically," I teased. He shook his head.

"Real options, doll. I'm sorry I misled you, but I've been looking forward to dancing with you for a long time, ever since you asked if I wanted to be waltzing away with you. By the way, we'll be doing that again. Next time, no crowds and we'll choose the music. Now, plan a requires more outdoor activity. Plan b is a dark room with flashing lights. Which would you prefer? Neither would hurt you. Both have their promises of being intimate," he promised.

"Intimate?" I asked hesitantly.

"First date intimacy, doll. And all the awkwardness that comes with. I'm not planning on seeing how far you're willing to go with me. I might steal another kiss, but that's the extent of the physical part of the intimacy. I swear," Pat murmured as he stroked my cheek. I grinned. "So a or b?"

 
"A," I confirmed with a grin. He stood up tall, leaned over, and kissed my forehead. 

"Well then, my dear, it's time to get on the road," he chuckled. I grinned and moved to stand up. He shook his head. I sat back in my chair and gazed at him curiously. He stood back and opened the door. "Madam, this is a date. It'd be wrong of me to let you do this yourself. He bowed slightly and gestured to the front seat, offering me his hand.

"You're quite the gentleman. Thank you for treating me with such kindness," I replied with a smile as I grabbed his hand. He pulled me to my feet and picked me up, setting me gently in the front seat. "Pat, please kiss me," I begged. He lowered his head and scrunched his brow. 

"You're making this first date difficult, doll. I told you, I don't generally kiss on the first date; it's proper etiquette. You are the only exception but that's only because I can't stay away from your touch. I deeply crave it. I shouldn't have fallen in love with you before we did this," he murmured as he leaned towards me and kissed my cheek twice.

"Pat! Please," I begged as I tried to turn towards him; he kept my jaw in place as he kissed my cheek again.

"You didn't let me finish. I was going to say, I can't turn you down," he whispered before moving to my mouth and kissing it passionately. I wrapped my arm around his neck and pulled him closer. He sighed and pulled my arm down. His eyes twinkled merrily as he gazed at me. "Trouble," he whispered as he stroked my cheek.

"That's what makes me so lovable," I countered. He kissed the tip of my nose and pulled away.

"It is one of the many reasons you are so lovable," he agreed as he shut my door. I sighed happily as he got back behind the wheel. "May I re-attach your sling, doll? I'd rather you didn't hurt it accidentally; I worry about that too." I nodded and looked at him. He flipped his center seat up. "Would you like to sit next to me, Sarah?" I looked at the seat and grinned. He smiled and pulled me over. He kept one hand behind my back as he began to hook me back up. I gazed into his eyes. "Breathe, doll," he whispered. He smiled and pressed lightly against my diaphragm. I took a deep breath but didn't look away from his eyes.

"You have the power to steal my breath and give it back to me. I can't move when your eyes look at me. I love this date," I whispered as he slowly went up my back with the strap.

"I could gaze into your eyes for eternity, doll. My whole world is in them. You can silence me with a single look. Truth be told, you constantly stop my heart and make it beat again. You hold all the power," he murmured as he brought his hand to the base of my neck, his left hand grabbed my right hand, and closed his eyes. "I'm powerless against your whims, but I can't stay away," he breathed. I leaned into his neck and he tangled his fingers in my hair. He pushed my head back with his nose and pressed his lips against mine. I closed my eyes and savored every second. I released his hand and brought my hand to his cheek. His left hand rested on my right hip. His lips parted and I kissed him deeply. I parted my lips in a partial gasp and he closed the distance. When I felt his tongue on my lips, I opened my eyes in a panic and tried to pull back a little without breaking contact. I wasn't afraid of Pat; just of the flashbacks from the past couple of weeks. I tried to calm down and get back in the moment. Pat noticed and took it back a notch. He moved his hand to cover mine on his cheek. He tenderly pressed his lips against my cheek, our hands dropping to my lap. My eyes followed our hands as he stroked my hand gently. He sat back and stroked my lips with his right hand. "You hold so much power, doll, and you don't even realize it." I looked back into his eyes. "With one touch, you control my moods. Keep that in mind, doll. If this ever becomes too much, don't just stiffen and let me keep going. I don't know what happened, but there was one moment where you froze. Then you tried to keep it going. Doll, I need you to be honest with me. I respect you and don't want to hurt you. I love kissing you, but you are in charge. You need to tell me to back off," he ordered. I grinned and leaned into him.

"I don't want you to back off. I didn't like you licking my lips, but I did; I just needed a minute. I trust you, Pat. With all that I am. With my heart. I give you everything," I replied warmly.

"Thanks, doll," he whispered. He kissed my head and wrapped his arms around me. I blushed and looked down then giggled as he buckled my seat belt. I looked up at him as he put both hands on the wheel again. "Gentleman. Date. No hands," he teased, winking at me.

"I'm ready for part three," I giggled.

"Let's go then," he chuckled and started his truck. "Once I'm in gear, I'll hold onto you. If you'd like, doll." I kissed his cheek.

"That sounds wonderful. I love being in your arms. Screw first date etiquette. I want you to hold me and kiss me. I appreciate you asking for permission though. You're very sweet. Thanks, hun. If you want, you can count our first date as the m&ms and the rose at the hospital," I murmured. He grinned and backed out. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the camera. 

"That doesn't count as a date, but if you want to see a flower and small chocolate bites as a date while you were basically tied up in a hospital bed, then I'll take it. I could count any of the meals we shared together at the restaurant a date too, but my favorite would be of you in that teal dress eating french toast. Although you asked for our first date to not be at the restaurant, so I'm going to say our first date, is this one right here: the one where we danced. Go ahead and go through these, doll," he commanded as he merged back into traffic. I took the camera and flipped through the pictures. He wrapped his arm around my back and I snuggled into his side. "Thanks for being my ray of sunshine, Sarah," he whispered. 

"Thank you for being my anchor. I have a question. It's not date related per say. Well it is, but that's only because dating is to get to know each other better. Or so I heard," I stated as I stopped scrolling through the pictures. I looked up at him and smirked, "will you tell me your middle name?"

"Why do you want to know, doll?" Pat chuckled. I grinned.

"I know your birthday is December 3. I know you'll be 23 this year. I know you feel guilty about what happened overseas. I know you are the kindest person I've ever met. I also know that you would do anything to see me smile. I know that you take your coffee black and that bacon is your preferred breakfast meat. I know that you love your mushroom burgers but you haven't had any mushrooms since I told you I was allergic. I could keep listing things about you. You know my first and middle name, my nicknames, what I'm allergic to, what I like, and so much more. I think it's quite possible that you may know more about me than I do about you, which totally isn't fair. What I don't know about you though, is your middle name for starters," I explained. He kissed my head again.

"Okay. I'll spill a few secrets. My favorite color is army olive green. My favorite meal was salsbury steak, but then you made me your chicken pot pie and I have never tasted anything so delicious. I love animals, but a phoenix would have to be my favorite even if they're fake," he divulged. He looked over at me and grinned. "To answer the one question you asked, it's Benjamin. Patrick Benjamin Miller. Pleased to make your acquaintance," he chuckled with a wink. 

"Benjamin. I like that. So am I allowed to call you Rick, Benny, or even Benji?" I giggled as I looked forward again, watching the road as we cruised down it. Pat chuckled softly, and his chest bounced behind me.

"You can call me whatever you would like, doll," he whispered. "My name has never had a bad omen attached to it." I grinned and looked at the pictures again.

"This is my favorite," I stated. I stopped at one of the two of us. It only showed us from the chest up. He was looking down at me with a warm smile. I was turned sideways in his arm grinning up at him. The wind was blowing my hair to the right side of the picture. "It looks so serene, carefree, and intimate without actually being intimate." I showed him, making sure he kept his eyes on the road.

"I believe that was right before you told me to kiss you," he chuckled. I grinned and moved to the next picture; sure enough, we were kissing.

"Well I don't care. It's still my favorite. I like it even more than the actual kissing picture," I retorted. He pulled me closer and rubbed my side.

"Me too, 'Nettie," he whispered. "Although I love any picture that you're the star of." I went back to studying the pictures. I paused on one of just me looking over my shoulder at the water behind me. I bit my lip. For once, I wasn't smiling in a picture; it just didn't look like me. However, I still looked peaceful. My finger hovered over the delete button. "Show me, doll," Pat commanded softly. I held it up and looked at his face. He looked between me and the camera and the road. "You're beautiful, doll, and these pictures capture that. But by far, you are more beautiful in person. I like that one. I see peace, quiet, and serenity. Why do you feel like deleting it?"

"It just doesn't feel like me. I'm not quite sure. But everyone always says I'm overflowing with joy. This doesn't scream joy to me," I confessed. Pat chuckled. 

"No. I see hope, looking forward to another day. Keep it, doll. Sleep on it before you get rid of anything," he replied softly. I nodded and put the camera down in my lap. He turned down a side road. "We're nearly there, doll. Close your eyes," he commanded. I obeyed. He put the truck in park. "Keep them closed. I'm going to grab the camera, unbuckle you, and pull you out my door, okay?" I nodded. He kissed my temple as he unfastened my seatbelt I heard the door open and felt him move away. He slid me across the seat and carried me. He set me down on what felt like a log. "Don't open them yet." I nodded and grinned. I heard his truck door shut and he came back over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder and rubbed it gently. "Now you may open your eyes," he instructed softly. I opened my eyes and gasped. 

"I'm not swimming!" I insisted. I bit my lip as I looked over the lake that was in front of me. I put my hand down beside me and tried to grasp anything to hold me to the ground. A piece of the bark peeled off in my hand. 

"No swimming," Pat promised as he crouched down in front of me. "Remember what I told you, doll. We're not wrapping your cast. I have no intentions of letting you get wet. I promised you before you first kissed me that we could go to a lake and you were excited about the idea." I met his eye as I felt tears threatening to spill; unsure of why I was reacting like this. He held up a picnic basket and gave me a small smile. "Lunch, doll. We can eat here on shore or I can take you out onto the lake in one of those canoes," he said softly as he pointed to the boats to my left. I bit my lip and let out a sigh as I looked down at my feet and released the tree bark. "Remember, you also have the right to say no," he reassured me. I looked back up at him. He smiled and kissed my temple again.

"I don't have to get in the water?" I asked hesitantly. 

"Not even a little toe," he promised.

"What if the boat tips over?"

"I won't let it. I'll be right beside you the whole time. If you think a canoe is too tipsy, we can take their floating dock out to the middle of the lake." Pat pointed to a makeshift raft thing that was anchored to the shore. It floated on two pontoons and it's dimensions easily looked to be 8x6 feet across. "It's connected to an underwater pulley system. It can't drift off. Well it can drift along it's tie, but we won't get stranded," he explained. I took a deep breath and looked at the water around me. Pat rubbed my thigh while I decided. I looked back up at him and grinned. He smiled warmly at me and wiped my eyes. "What do you want to do, doll? Truth be told, I'm about ready to pack you back up in the truck and go find something else for us to do. Your reaction is startling to say the least." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before looking back at the water.

"It's pretty out here. I'll give you that. No boats. I might want to try that floating deck. It'll be easier to have a picnic without ants attacking our food. You won't even splash me?" I asked. 

"Dock, doll. Not a deck. I wouldn't splash you unless you wanted me to," he confirmed as he moved to my right and sat beside me on the log. "We can go back into the truck if it's too much, doll. I don't want you to do anything that will make you uncomfortable." I leaned into him. He wrapped me in his arms and kissed my head again. "My goal isn't to scare you. I just want to give you a memorable date. I knew you would prefer one that didn't cost a lot of money. You have this big opposition of people spending money on you. This was the best option. I thought you might enjoy it," he murmured. "We can go back and do plan b? Same picnic lunch in a private theater while we watched a movie of your choice."

"No, this is fine," I replied softly and turned around and looked at  him. "You have been very thoughtful. Thank you. I love this. Really, I do. It is so pretty out here and I have you by my side; I know I have nothing to fear. I'm sorry for acting like this. I'm sorry for scaring you. I would love to have a picnic with you on the lake," I whispered. He grinned and kissed my cheek.

"Thanks, doll," he murmured. He stood up and gave me his hand. I stood up and embraced him. He rubbed my back until I calmed down and pulled back. Then he held my hand in his and placed his other hand on the small of my back. He kissed the top of my  head. "Will you hold the basket? I'll carry you over to the that floating dock. Or would you prefer to eat here?" I looked at the log behind me, bit my lip, and looked around his shoulder at the at the dock. 

"The dock would give us a better view," I muttered. I looked back up at him. "Promise me you'll be by my side the whole time." He smiled warmly at me.

"I promise I won't leave your side. I promise you won't even get wet," he uttered. "Can I seal it?" I grinned and nodded.I closed my eyes as he kissed my forehead, moved down to my cheek, and finally pressed his lips against mine. I sighed and felt my knee go weak as I fell into him. He supported me and chuckled as I opened my eyes again. "Feeling faint, doll? Guess I should feed you," he teased. I blushed and leaned into him.

"Told you. You steal my breath," I murmured. He chuckled and scooped me up, my left side pressed against his body. I reached over and picked up the picnic basket. "I'm curious to see what you packed for us, darling," I teased as he carried me toward the dock.

"Me too! Jess packed it for us," he explained as he sat me down. "Before I push this in the water, will you be upset at me for going back to the truck for just a minute?" I looked up at him and grinned.

"I'll be right here, darling," I replied softly. He kissed my nose and headed to his truck. He was doing something by side before he shut the door and dug in his toolbox in the back of his truck. He came back with three large pillows and our bag of snacks we had bought at the gas station. I grinned as he set them down beside me and pushed us out. "Can your leg get wet?" I asked as he started to walk into the water and I put the food in the picnic basket.

"The bottom half is stainless steel. The top is some form or plastic and foam. I'm not really sure what the top is made of. I try not to get my leg wet too often, but yes. It's perfectly safe for me to get wet," he replied with a smirk. He climbed on to the dock before his shorts got wet. He pulled me into his arms and kissed my head again. "Once again, your selflessness impresses me, doll." I grinned and handed him the pillows. He stacked them up behind him, laid on his side with his elbow propped up on the pillows, rested his head on his hand, and smiled warmly at me. I snuggled into his side by his hip, but remained sitting up. He tugged my hair softly and I turned to look at him. "Relax, doll. That water isn't going to bite you. I won't let it. You won't be submerged ever again," he promised. I bit my lip. He stroked my lips and I smiled. "You look amazing, Sarah. I can't believe you're mine." I giggled and pulled the picnic basket over.

"Your's. And you're mine. Are you hungry?" I asked as I opened the basket.

"Famished. And you, my sweet girl, have shut your doors again," he chuckled. I looked at him curiously. "Last night you were so open, and we both had company. Now we're alone and you seem to be withdrawing into yourself again." I smiled.

"Love you, Mr. Miller. I'm not running or avoiding anything. Ask me anything, I'll tell you straight. You have made me feel beautiful, confident, and strong today. I love this date, everything about it, darling. I am hungry though," I replied and began pulling the food out of the basket -starting with the bag of snacks he bought from the gas station- and saw all sorts of finger food packed beneath it. I giggled. 

"Shall I call the doctor, doll?" Pat teased as he sat up and rubbed my right arm.

"Crackers. Bits of ham and turkey. Different slices of cheese. Both cut out in cute little circles, flowers, triangles, and other shapes. Grapes. Strawberries. Melon balls. Sparkling cider and these two plastic glasses. Surprisingly everything is still cold. The basket has more items. There's enough to feed an army in here! All bite sized pieces. You think she was expecting us to feed ourselves or each other? As for this sparkling cider, I'm not sure I'll be a fan," I giggled as I pulled the bottle out. Pat joined me.

"What would you have packed?" He asked as he pulled out a bunch of grapes and popped a couple in his mouth. 

"I'm not sure. At least she packed water too," I replied. He raised the grapes above my head and I giggled. I obediently took one in my mouth. "This could be fun," I smirked as I took another grape. He grinned at me and rubbed his nose along my jaw.

"Very," he murmured as he kissed my cheek. I looked up at him and dug for the fresh fruit. I lowered my gaze as his hand brushed mine in the basket. I smiled as he grinned and brought his lips infinitely closer. "Remind me to thank your sister later. A great lunch selection, but being alone with you is better than anything I could have hoped for. Not to mention, the possibilities of touching your hand or cheek are countless," he murmured as he brushed his lips against mine. I grinned and pulled back.

"Are we eating or kissing?" I teased. He kissed me again.

"Both?" He offered with a chuckle. My stomach growled and I laughed. "Guess we're eating, then we'll kiss," he promised. I grinned and looked around at the lake.

"Oh wow! Pat! Look at this view!" I exclaimed. He chuckled and kissed my cheek again. I looked back at him and grinned. His eyes seemed to melt when he looked at me. "The lake, not me, dear," I giggled.

"Why would I ever want to take my gaze off something so breathtakingly beautiful?" He asked as he stroked my hair. I leaned into him and sighed. "I've seen the lake a bunch, but you. I can't get enough of you. You're gorgeous."

"And you're hopeless," I teased.

"Yep. That's me. A hopeless romantic, only with you," he agreed as my stomach growled again. "You need to eat, doll. I'll let you feed yourself." I nodded and dug out some ham, the colby cheese and the crackers. I set them all out on our private dock. Then I pulled out the melon balls. Pat opened up all the containers for me. "She sure outdid herself," he chuckled as he looked at the spread before us. He grabbed a strawberry and ate it in one bit, leaving the stem. He emptied the plastic bag of our groceries into the basket and tied the bag around the handle of the basket and deposited the strawberry stem into the empty bag. He noticed my gaze, grabbed another, and offered it to me. "Strawberry, doll?" I grinned as he put one on my lips. I bit into it and he smirked as he pulled it away from my lips. Half of the berry was left. He moved to eat it and I grabbed his hand pulling the berry back towards my mouth as I finished it. "Can't believe you just stole my strawberry," he teased. I grinned.

"Don't put food in front of my face if you don't want me to eat it," I giggled and put a few m&ms in my mouth. His hand moved to my right side as he snuggled in behind me and we ate mostly in silence. When I was full, I snuggled into him. He wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my cheek. His left hand turned my face to him and he kissed my lips: slow, soft, passionate. I sat back and looked at him. "I love you. Are you done eating?" He grinned and nodded. I put the food away and I looked around at the lake. "It's so pretty. They water is sparkling like stars in the sky. Can you imagine what this place would look like at Christmas time? Oh the possibilities. The lights, the ice, the snow." I gasped in wonder as I imagined it.

"Oh, doll. Nobody decorates up here for Christmas but it would be beautiful," Pat chuckled. He handed me the camera and I happily snapped a few pictures of the landscape. He rubbed my cheek and I tucked the camera under a pillow to protect it from the rays of the sun. "You're beautiful," he whispered. I grinned.

"You're starting to sound like a broken record. I like it," I whispered in reply, leaning ever closer to him. He grinned and pressed his lips against mine softly. After several minutes, he pulled back and studied me again. His brow furrowed. "What's wrong?" I asked looking down at my appearance thinking I squirted red juice down my dress; much to my delight, my dress still looked bright and cheerfully yellow with no stains.

"You're turning a little pink. I think I need to get you out of the sun," he replied.  

"I can't hide from the sun," I countered as I looked back at him. "Apparently I take it with me everywhere."

"True. You are my radiant sunbeam and I love you," he murmured. He cupped my jaw again. He pressed his lips into mine and kissed me deeply. I arched my back as I leaned back and wrapped my arm around his neck. I broke the kiss and leaned back. 

"Ow!" I whimpered. He released me and I relaxed my body. "Don't stop!"

"Doll," he warned. I sighed.

"I think I'm due for another pain pill," I admitted. He grinned and dug a small baggie out of the picnic basket. 

"Here, doll. Thank you for not trying to avoid your pain and for letting me take care of you. Ready for part four?" He asked as I swallowed the pain pill.

"There's more to this perfect day?" I giggled in excitement. 

"There is, love. The date ends when the sun has set and you are ready for bed for the night," he whispered with a grin and moved to the edge of the dock. He reached under it and grabbed onto the rope and pulled us to shore. I watched the shoreline in anticipation. 

"I think we're going to the wrong shore," I insisted as a cabin came into view. Pat just chuckled. I looked at the cabin and back at Pat. "You mean we're actually camping, in a way?" He grinned as he looked back at me. I returned the smile. "You could have told me. I would have packed differently. Or at least picked a different outfit for today."

"Jess thought of that. I figured if she picked your outfit you might have caught on. That or you would be stubborn enough to just pick your own clothes anyways. Besides, I love you in that dress; it's a perfect date outfit and I'm captivated by your beauty. I doubt it would have been the outfit she would've chosen," he smirked and jumped off the dock. He pulled us ashore and secured the dock. "Yes, doll. We're camping. You look ready for another nap. I told you that was part of the plan - that's part four. We can go inside to a couch or a bed, or our other option is we can go to that hammock over there," he offered. I looked at the hammock and grinned.

"I like the hammock idea. Will you be joining me?" I asked.

"Of course, doll. I may not sleep, but I'm definitely going to be right beside you," he replied as he grabbed my hand. 

"Going to go all creepy-pasta-watcher on me again?" I teased as he helped me stand up and looked up at him.

"Really? Sheesh! Make me sound like a stalker," he teased. I giggled and looked down. He lifted my chin and met my eye. "Sarah, I love watching you. I can't keep my eyes off you. After a while, I'm sure I'll close my eyes, but you are fascinating to watch. You are much more expressive when you sleep; Noah says that's new. So yes, I will admire you, my beautiful porcelain doll." I giggled then looked back down at the picnic basket. "It'll be fine here for a while. It's nap time. The rest of the day consists of me making you dinner as you boss me around, snuggling, s'mores, starlight, and lots of kissing - now that you said screw first date etiquette. I figured we could go back out on this thing when the stars are out. If you want, of course." I grinned.

"That sounds perfect," I exclaimed around a yawn. Pat grinned, picked me up with my right side cradled against his body - my arm around his neck, and carried me to the hammock. "I appreciate being able to play hooky from school with you," I murmured into his neck as I tried to run my fingers through his hair, but they just brushed past as his hair was so short. "This is the best date," I confessed as he sat down in the hammock then leaned to his left so we could lay down. I snuggled into him, tucking my right arm between our bodies and under my sling. I closed my eyes as he rocked us back and forth.

"I'm glad to hear that you are liking this date, doll. I am too," he whispered and rubbed my back. "Sarah," I looked up at him. "I love you," he murmured sweetly.

"I love you too, Benji," I giggled as I leaned into him and kissed him.

"This isn't working for me," he stated. I leaned back in confusion. 

"The name?" I inquired. He shook his head as he grinned, sat up with me in his arms, and laid down in the opposite direction. I was now snuggled into his right side. He held my right hand with his left and grinned. 

"That's better. I like to be able to hold your hand. I need you to stop being so fragile. I need to hold both hands," he chuckled. I grinned and snuggled into his shoulder again. I rested my right leg on his and yawned. "Rest, doll. The date's not over yet," he promised. 

"I look forward to whatever else you have planned. We're keeping our clothes on though, right?" I asked as I sat up again. He chuckled.

"I have no intentions of taking your clothes off, doll. You aren't ready for that and I would never force you into anything. I'm willing to wait until you're my wife. Assuming one day you'd like to be," he replied. His voice laced with worry and concern. I looked down at him. His eyes searched mine for any doubt.

"I wouldn't be here otherwise. Pat, I want everything with you. I want to be your wife. I want to carry your kids. I want to grow old with you," I replied with a grin. He pulled me back down and kissed the top of my head. I grinned happily and closed my eyes.

"I want that too, beautiful," he whispered. 

"Thanks for making me feel special and for your patience. I'm very content. I love you," I mumbled into his shirt. He rubbed his thumb over my hand.

"Happy to do it, doll. You deserve to feel special and loved. I do love you very much. Rest, darling," he replied softly. Within minutes, I was asleep. I dozed for a while before I felt him tense beside me. I opened my eyes and looked at him. He released my hand and put a single finger to my lips. I nodded and listened. What got him worked up? I heard branches snap towards our left. He sat up and pulled me with him. His eyes scanned the woods around us. Our woods were completely shaded and it was cooler, but still plenty warm. I had slept at least two or three hours. My breathing started to hitch and Pat turned back to me. "Sorry to startle you, doll. This is private property. No one should be here besides us," he reassured but remained on high alert. I bit my lip and leaned into him. He turned our bodies, leaned back into the swing, pulling me with him. Our legs draped over the edge and he rocked us. "I'm sure it's nothing, doll. Calm down," he ordered and leaned in. "We're still on a date, remember," he teased softly. I giggled and he kissed my nose.

"Well if all our dates end up with you scaring me, we're going to have issues, sir," I teased. "Care for some chocolates? Or maybe more strawberries? The sun is low, it's gotta be close to feeding time again."

"No. I have the sweetest thing right here," he replied softly and kissed my lips. I giggled and pulled in closer to him. More branches broke and he sat up. I struggled to join him. He eased me up as three men came into view. Their clothes were dirty, their hair a mess, I could smell their foul body odor from where we sat even though we were a good 50 yards away, and their eyes seemed crazed. Two of them grinned menacingly as they saw us. "I should have taken you back out on the dock," Pat whispered, as he kissed my jaw. "Stay quiet," he ordered as he turned his attention toward the men.

"Our lucky day," the smaller guy beamed.

"Hair. Military. Can be problematic," the one in the middle murmured into his hand as he looked back at his companions. He wasn't trying to be heard, but I clearly heard him. I tried to take a deep breath as I studied him. He was of a larger build, but it wasn't fat - mostly muscle, I noticed. He demanded attention and it scared me. I snuggled closer to Pat. He protectively wrapped his arm around me, resting his hand on my thigh.

In a soft whisper, I spoke into his shoulder, "Pat! Did you hear. They're gonna h-"

"Shh," he interrupted in a barely audible whisper with a subtle nod. "Good afternoon, gentleman. Can I help you?" Pat spoke in an even tone.

The larger man looked at us and grinned as he spoke sharply, "I'm sorry to intrude. We've been living on the land. We saw the cabin from the top of the hill. We were hoping to find some food. Maybe a change of clothes."

"There's a picnic basket on that dock," Pat gestured. "You're welcome to whatever's in there." One of the men ran down and grabbed the basket and brought it back up after he rinsed and kinda washed up to his elbows in the lake.  

"Forgive us for being rude. We're going to finish off your basket. But that's not all we need," the man sneered as they sat down around the basket and dug in.

"What else can we help you with?" I asked kindly with a smile. The men smiled and conversed amongst themselves quietly, looking back at us periodically. 

Pat put his head against mine, covered my mouth with his arm, and whispered harshly and quickly in my ear, "shh, doll. Please be quiet. Don't give them another reason to look at you. These are not good men. Let me keep their attention. Do not smile. Please, doll. Just trust me, no matter what." I nodded. He looked back down at the lake, down at my leg, then back at the goons. I tried to follow his thinking. If we had to make a dash for it, I would have to swim. There would be no way to get out on the dock fast enough. I was a strong swimmer, but I now had other issues: fear of water, immobilization, and the probability of being hurt again. Pat would have to carry me if he ran, which meant turning his back on the three of them. There was no good option out of this. If I was able to use both legs, I'm sure we would be running already. I shuddered involuntarily. Pat rubbed my thigh in a comforting manner. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it as the men looked back up at us and grinned viciously. "If you don't mind, could you please answer the question? What else do you need?" Pat rephrased my question.

"I'm happy you asked. We'll be going through your cabin and taking some clothes, money, food, and whatever else that meets our fancy. That hammock would be nice too. Also your keys to your vehicle and your wallet. You see, we prefer an advantage in speed. It's nice and quiet out here though. Maybe we could stick around, make a new friend or two. But we are definitely taking your vehicle and the remainder of your money when we leave. Maybe some other treasures we come across too," the man growled, meeting my eye. Pat shifted beside me, trying to hide me behind him better. 

"The road to the cabin was just behind you. I don't have my vehicle; you would have seen it. We were dropped off. My brother is coming back tomorrow with it. I don't know what's in the cabin; we haven't been inside yet. Feel free to look around, take a shower, and eat. We don't want any trouble," Pat replied. He was tense beside me but it didn't come through in his voice. I squeezed his hand again. He covered my hand with his, keeping his appearance relaxed. He turned his head to kiss my temple. "Shh," he repeated.

"We want that hammock," the man repeated as he stood up. 

"It's not the hammock they want," I whispered into Pat's shoulder.

"I know," he whispered as continued to press his lips against my hair. "Stand up, doll," he ordered loud enough for them to hear. I nodded and stood up. He leaned me against the tree as he untied the hammock. The large burly man scowled. "We don't have anything else for you," Pat stated as he threw it over to them. He came back in front of me and blocked my view of them. I looked over his shoulder, refusing to show them fear.

"If it's all the same to you. We'd like to search your pockets anyways," the man grinned evilly around a mouth full of food. I shuddered and ducked behind Pat. Pat reached into his pockets and turned them inside out. They were truly empty. I was glad I was behind him because I'm sure my face showed confusion and shock. When did he empty his pockets? I leaned against his shoulder and took a calming breath. Pat reached behind him, resting his hand on the outside of my thigh. I covered his hand with mine. He threaded his fingers between mine and squeezed my fingers tenderly. I moved my head back to the side of his shoulder, looking at the men again.

"Looky what we have here," one man chuckled as he pulled out the baggie with my pain pills. He met my eye and winked. "These must be yours. Thanks for sharing, sweetheart. If you're on pain medication that must mean your injuries are still fairly new. But since there's only three full pills here, makes me wonder how long you're planning on staying," he taunted as he popped some into his mouth and passed the bag over. The other guys popped some in their mouth too. Pat wrapped his arm around my right hip and pulled me closer. I put my hand over his arm and leaned into him.

"We don't want trouble," Pat repeated. I looked over his arm. The larger guy started walking over to us with a menacing grin.

"Then I suggest you let me search you. Both of you," he sneered. I shuddered again. I didn't want him anywhere near me.

"I just showed you everything. We don't have anything," Pat spat.

"What reason do we have to lie to you," I piped up. The man's eyes glanced at me as he stopped in his tracks. I looked at Pat out of the corner of my eye. "Darling, will you oblige the man and show him I'm not hiding anything. My sling first," I instructed. The man smiled, but it made my skin crawl. Pat looked over his shoulder at me, I kept my eyes on the man, but like Pat requested, I didn't smile - not even with my eyes.

"Doll," Pat begged softly.

"We do it or he'll come do it himself. I told you, I can read people really well. Pat, he wants to hurt us. Hurt me," I whispered urgently into his shoulder. Pat looked back at the man and sighed. 

"Hold onto the tree," he ordered as he looked back at me. I nodded and complied. "I'm sorry, doll. First chance we get, I'm getting you out of here" he whispered. I looked at him in shock. "I can't let you get hurt. Keep your eye on them. Bite your lip and look up as a warning. I'll watch you. Let me know," Pat ordered in a quiet tone as he moved to my side. I blinked once and looked at him out of the corner of my eye to let him know I understood. "We're not hiding anything," he stated again, glaring at the men. The big man grunted and took another step forward.

"Stop right now. We will show you that we're not hiding anything. Take another step closer and deal's off. You ask that we separate, and again, deal's off," I warned; he froze. I glared at him. His two goons smiled me, as they crossed their arms, sitting up taller. Pat let out a frustrated sigh. "Whenever you're ready, darling." 

He kissed my cheek and whispered in my ear, "give me a warning if they come closer." I nodded as he supported my arm and began to unhook my sling. He shook the sling and put it back on. I caught his arm moving out of the corner of my eye, but I kept glaring at the men instead of looking at my boyfriend. "I can't even get a pencil in there right now, so hiding anything in there would be pointless," Pat explained in a stern voice, moving in front of me again. 

"What about under her dress? There's plenty of room to hide something: a knife, a gun, money," the man snarled with a grin. His buddies came and stood up beside him, both with big grins. 

"Seriously!? Does she look like law enforcement or military?" Pat snapped with a huff. I pressed my lips against his shoulder as I began to tremble a little. He reached back and grabbed my hand. I squeezed his fingers and he returned the gesture.

"Boys, tell me. Do you think they're being uncooperative? I still think they are hiding something," the boss chuckled, advancing slowly. I rolled my eyes, pushed Pat back to my left side, and leaned into him as I lifted my dress. Pat's hand stopped me from raising it past my upper thigh. All three eyes widened in delight.

"See. Nothing. No thigh holsters or anything. We're hiding nothing. We're on a date, so I refused to let her pay for anything, not that we needed to out here! Her dress is too tight up top to hide anything on her torso. We have no money, weapons, or anything else for you," Pat snarled, pushing my hand down to drop my dress again. Once again, Pat pushed me behind him and held onto my hip. He barely touched it but my leg protested, and I hid the lower part of my face behind Pat's shoulder. I refused to let them see I was grimacing in pain.

"Oh I don't know. Men? What do you think? I think they still have something to share with us since they are clearly not being very friendly any more. If they want to be hostile, we'll just take what we want by force," the man stated as he grinned evilly and they advanced on us again.

"Tree. Stay," Pat ordered as he gently pushed me back. I pushed myself off of him and braced against the tree as he took a step forward and stood in front of me defensively. The leader stood back with a scowl as his goons attacked Pat. I was frozen to the spot as I gasped as he took a couple of blows. Unable to move or speak, I watched in horror as he took blow upon blow. He stood firm in front of me and dished out his own punches. Pat knew how to swing and was actually making progress on driving them back. My eyes shifted to the boss. He stood back and was glaring; he seemed disappointed with this development. I looked back at Pat who was stepping on one guy's foot as he punched the second guy in the throat. All I could see was fists moving rapidly, a drop of blood or spit flying, and two men tumbling to the ground. My breathing became more shallow and tears flowed freely down my cheeks. Pat backed up towards me again while he caught his breath and the two men recovered and attacked again. At one point, Pat had one guy in a headlock and the other curled up on the ground. The guy on the ground was bleeding out his nose and kicked Pat's prosthetic leg in a fury. This caused Pat to release the guy in a headlock and fall to his knee. That woke me out of my stupor.

"Pat!" I let out a strangled cry as both guys tackled him and rolled a few feet away. Tears fell from my eyes again. The leader approached me with a grin; he was just given the opening he was hoping for. "Stay back," I demanded. He just laughed. I looked above me and noticed a branch within reach if I jumped. When he was within a couple feet -but just out of arm's reach- I jumped, grabbed the branch, and curled my left leg up. I used my momentum, swung forward, and extended my leg out so it connected with his chest and he fell backwards. Unable to hold onto the branch very long, I released my grasp. I landed on my left foot securely but was off balance so I toppled to the ground a few feet away from Pat.

"Ann-" Pat began as one of the goons clocked him in the mouth. I looked over at him as I sat up. Pat's fury was unleashed as he kicked him with his prosthetic leg. The goon fell to the ground and wasn't moving even though he was still breathing. I breathed a sigh of relief as I noticed he was the one who winked at me earlier; now I felt like there was only one threat left. I looked back to the ring leader. He was dazed and out of breath. I scooted closer to Pat as he untangled himself from the second goon. He stood up then grabbed my hand and pulled me up too. He was wheezing. He tucked me behind his body again and eyed the men in front of us. "I'm getting you out of here, doll," he whispered to me.

"Get him!" The ring leader bellowed at the same time, pointing toward Pat and I. 

"He took Zach out," the second breathed. Both men exchanged glances and grinned. They searched the ground and picked up something.

"Now, doll. Let's go. Get on my back, we're running," Pat whispered. I prepared to jump on when the guy at our feet rolled over and grabbed my left foot and I fell to the ground.

"NO! Let go!" I hollered as I sat up and pinched his arms. Pat turned around and kicked him in the face then fell at my feet as his eyes rolled in the back of his head. "NO!" I screamed as I scooted closer to Pat. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and looked around for a branch I could swing. Beside me, Zach's eyes were closed again and his nose was broken. Goon two worked on dragging Pat away from me. "Stop! You can't take him!" I yelled as I held onto Pat's shirt and tried to pin his body in place with my left leg as the goon continued to drag him away. My position was awkward and I was at a high disadvantage. The goon laughed at me, kicked my arm so I released Pat, and took him several yards away.

"He was in our way. Now that we've had a good little scuffle to get the blood flowing, it's time for the real fun," he smirked and took off Pat's leg. "He won't need this again." I saw it get launched in the air as the ring leader approached me again. He kicked Zach a few feet over.

"Ah yes. Real fun," he chuckled. "Come on, sweetheart. Don't make this any more difficult than it has to be. Your boyfriend untied the real fun part, but I can work with this too. How do you like it? On your back? It's probably best, considering. Spread your legs, sweetheart." 

"I'm not interested," I replied haughtily. Tears flowed freely and I squeezed my knees together as the boss stood over me. 

"No matter. Not like you can run away," he sneered as he kicked my right knee softly. I let out soft cry and glared at him.

"Congratulations. You've knocked over two people who can't even stand on their own two feet," I said sarcastically as he lowered himself onto me. "You must feel real big right now."

"You talk too much. Ann, was it? Shut up. You're the prettiest thing I've seen in long time. You can tell me how big I am in about twenty minutes. Remind me to thank your precious Matt for being so generous. I was sure getting jealous of how often his lips were on you. About damn time he shared," he growled as he kissed my neck and rubbed my chest. I pushed against him. He laughed, held onto my wrist tightly, and pushed me down on the ground. "Zach usually likes to help with this part, but for once I'll be able to enjoy the treasure alone. Josiah can have you when I'm done. I wouldn't even be opposed to taking you with us," he snarled and sucked my neck. He hiked up my dress and forced my legs apart. He put enough weight on my left leg so I couldn't move it. I tried to look around him to see Pat as I sobbed. I couldn't see him so I began pinching any skin that I could get a hold of on the man on top of me. One point, I was twisting. The whole time I was begging him to stop. "Keep it up, sweetheart. It really gets my blood flowing," he growled in my ear then licked my face. I felt around on the ground for something, anything.

"Boss. Her hand," the goon stated from above us. 

"I'm busy. Take care of it," he demanded. The goon came around and stood on my hand. I silently cried. The boss undid his pants and rubbed along my underwear with his hand. He shoved two fingers into me and began to pump his hand in and out. "Ooh, still pure," he beamed as he sucked on my neck and pressed hard on a spot inside me that caused me to gasp in pain and shift my hips down. "Matt must not have cared about you that much. Thanks for the cherry."

"Get off of me!" I yelled. Neither guy moved their weight; the boss sucked harder on my neck and moved his fingers in a rotating manner inside of me. "Get off!" I whimpered.

"That's the plan, Ann. Oh so tight. I need to loosen you up a little bit. Then you'll get wet and I'll get off," the man on top of me growled. I felt sick to my stomach as he licked my cheek again. I turned my head to the side and wept as he moved his lips to my ear, breathing into it. The fingers inside me moved quicker and harder his other hand rested on my right breast and he squeezed. I let out a strangled cry. "Oh! Yeah. Come on, sweetheart. Scream for me, baby. No one can hear; no one will help. Take it."

"Stop," I begged, my voice was no louder than a whisper. "Please! Stop. I'm not your's. You can't. No," I thought as he tried to kiss me. I turned my head and refused to let his lips touch mine. I rammed my head into his jaw and he backed off a bit with a growl. I needed to distract them. Battle of strength wasn't going work, so I tried a different tactic. "What did you do to Matt?" I asked the goon, using the same name the boss had given him, kicking myself mentally for not using a fake name earlier. The goon rolled his eyes and looked up in the trees. "What? Can't even look at your conquest?" I spat. The goon looked at me, his look was frightening, but he still seemed simple minded enough for me to get inside his head. "Josiah, was it? I don't have many names that I despise, but I can happily tell you I just added another name to my list. I've been told my hatred is one of the worst things to encounter. What a great boss you have. He takes all the glory makes you do all the dirty work. Does he ever let you have fun too?" I bit my lip as the boss pulled my underwear aside and entered me. Both hands were now rubbing all over my chest. His head rested on my left shoulder. He bit my neck. I whimpered in pain. "You can't. It's not for you," I hollered. I shifted my hips down and he growled. "I will not make this easy. I will not stop fighting," I spat. He slapped my face and I looked back at Josiah's feet. I let out another sob.

"Shut her up, Josiah. I need to focus," the boss growled as he thrusted into me quickly. It hurt. I wanted him off of me. I couldn't move. I tried to shift my hips again. "D****t, b***h. Hold still. Oh this feels good," the boss sighed as he pressed on my right hip, his right hand squeezed my left breast under my sling. "This might be in the way later," he sneered as he tugged on the shoulder strap. He unhooked it and pushed my left arm lower. I bit my lip in pain.

"Get off of me! You didn't even ask. Ah-hha-ow! I'm so glad you think you have a right to whatever you come across. You like being -oww- you like being looked at like a monster. Ow. Stop," I cried angrily. His left hand released my hip temporarily to move up to my neck before he grabbed my jaw tightly, forcing me to look at him.

"D****t! Josiah, shut her the hell up! Listen here, b***h. You want to make sounds of pleasure, it sounds more like this: mmm, ahh, oooh. Those are the only sounds you are allowed to make," the boss demanded. I shook my head, causing him to release my jaw and slap me. "Ow is definitely not in the vocabulary. Nor is any word. I only want to hear sounds of pleasure. No other sound is allowed to be uttered. You will listen, do you understand me?" 

"No. I don't. Stop, you coward," I spat, my voice cracking as I glared at him and continued to cry. My actions just gave me another slap.

"Shut her up!" The boss yelled. My position gave me the opportunity to see both men's reactions. Josiah looked hesitantly down at me. I saw sorrow in his eyes, but he didn't move. I spit in the boss's face as he leaned into me again, his lips pursed as if he was going to kiss me. Josiah was a lost cause. If I could upset the boss enough, maybe I could force him off me.

"You're a pig and a coward. I'm only 17. Does that mean anything to you?" I accused angrily as he pumped inside me again. In and out. In and out. Quick. Hard. Painful. More tears fell. He leaned back, wiped the spit off his face, and took out his knife. His rhythm never stopped. "Stop!" I begged again. He snarled, cut open my dress and strapless bra and then stuck his knife in Josiah's leg. Josiah yelped in pain and went down on one knee, still keeping the weight on my hand. He looked at me sadly as he removed the knife from his leg with a yell. He took off his belt and wrapped it around his leg. "Please," I pleaded. Josiah met my eye, looked at the knife, then back at me solemnly. "Do it. Death is better than this," I taunted. He sighed and dropped his head, still playing with the knife. He moved his leg closer to my side as he moved off my arm. He moved my arm up and out, so now it was even with my shoulder. Then he covered it with his left leg again, pinning me in place. He gingerly moved his right leg over, crossing his ankle over my hand and his foot. My side was wet and I could still feel the warm, oozing liquid create a tiny pool under me. "Get off of me," I whimpered.

"I said shut her up," the boss bellowed as he moved to my chest and put his mouth around one of my breasts and began to suck furiously. I wept. His hand on my bottom grasped tighter and he raised me off the ground.

"Please help me," I begged around a sob. Josiah looked at me full of pity, shook his head, and covered my mouth with his forearm as he leaned over me. I was grateful he was the one who grabbed the picnic basket for at least his arm was clean. The proximity of the stench was making me retch. I turned my head and dry heaved; he moved with me. His leg held down my hand. I tried to pinch him. He shifted his weight and pressed down harder on my hand. I wept as I met Josiah's eyes. 

"I'm sorry, I can't," he whispered. He looked full of guilt and looked away. He moved his glance to my hand and sighed. I let out another strangled sob as the boss thrusted inside me again. Josiah looked at me. His eyes were now kind, not malevolent. He moved his legs again and looked back towards the boss. He turned my head to my right so I could look over and watch his feet. He was now putting his right foot on my arm as his left leg stretched back. His toe tapped on something and he pulled his leg up, rolling my head back to center. I met his eye and he gave me a small smirk. He turned toward the boss one more time and shifted all his weight. The boss shifted too as pressure was released from my chest. "She's only 17, boss. She's correct; this isn't right. Clearly, she's not enjoying it. She's not making any sounds. You stop or I'll make sure you end up HIV positive too. After all, you gave me the tools to do just that," he spoke up on my behalf. More pressure was applied to my right hip as the boss screamed. He shifted and that gave me the option to move my left leg again. I took advantage of it and dug my heel into his right calf.

"AHH! Shut your face. Roll her over. She's being difficult," he ordered. Slapping my left hip and buttock.

"Boss," Josiah began. I heard a thwack and Josiah went limp over my face. I started to panic. It was hard to breathe before, but now it was worse. However, I was able to keep a clear head could finally move my hand. I was able to find a rock about the size of my fist. I felt around it to make sure it was a rock, not Josiah's boot; it was definitely a sturdy rock. I grinned and grasped it tightly. Boss continued to pump inside me. 

"Thank you," I thought as Josiah's actions made sense now. I had to get him off me. "Can't breathe!" I gasped, my voice was muffled. I panicked.

"What was that, sweetheart?" The boss asked, reaching under Josiah's limp body and grabbing my jaw. He repeated the question and pulled down a little bit. I could feel the fresh air on my chin.

"Can't breathe!" I repeated, speaking as I inhaled and bounced my chest to make a point. 

"Ugghh! D****t. I'd rather see your beautiful face as I finish anyways. Having you pass out, ruins the fun," he sneered. He lowered his body on top of me again, pinning my chest down, and slowing his thrusts. "Oh so good! So tight. I want to savor this. Be good, sweetheart, and I promise to make this memorable for you," he murmured as he rolled Josiah off me and I swung the rock into his forehead as hard as I could. He leaned back, swaying as he closed his eyes and moved to cover his temple with his hand. He was sluggish so I hit him again. The thunk was louder, so somehow, I swung harder even though the distance was less. He collapsed on top of me. I pushed and shoved, eventually I was able to wiggle free. I rolled to my stomach and threw up. The spew was close to the boss's face and Josiah's hip. I retched again and this time I made sure I got it on the boss.

"Pig," I spat and began to crawl painfully to Pat. I pulled with my right arm, pushed with my left leg. My right leg I tried to keep steady, straight, and off the ground. I made it to Pat's side after much difficulty. "Pat," I cried. He was lying face down. I rolled him over and gave him a quick look over. He was still breathing, but several bruises were already forming on his face and jaw. "Pat! Please. I need you. I'm sorry I don't have any cool water. I'm not going towards the lake without you. Please wake up," I wept into his chest. I continued to shake him. Finally, he shifted beneath me. I stayed right where I was and held tightly onto his black button shirt; all the buttons were undone, most were missing. "Don't leave me, Pat," I whispered as another sob escaped. He wrapped his arm around me.

"Never. I'm right here, 'Nettie. I'm not leaving, doll," he slurred. I cried tears of relief and sat up. He was wheezing slightly and kept his eyes closed. I looked in the direction they threw his leg.

"I have to go get your leg. I need to get you out of here," I spoke rapidly and sobbed again. He pulled me back into his arms.

"You need to calm down first, doll," he replied. He opened his eyes and squinted at me. "Are you okay? You're shaking." I shook my head and sat up again.

"It's not safe here! Come on. I have to get you out of here," I repeated as another sob shook my body. In the distance I heard dogs barking. "Pat, we have to go! Can you crawl to the dock? I'm going to get your leg," I said as I approached hysteria. "They're going to wake up soon. Please." Pat sat up and looked at me. His eyes shifted to my body. I covered up my chest with my hand and sobbed. 

"Doll!" He exclaimed as he stroked the blood staining my dress and sleeve.

"It's not mine," I admitted. "They held me down. I couldn't," I trailed off as I sobbed. He quickly took it off his black shirt. Then he took off the cyan blue t-shirt underneath and put it on me diagonally, leaving my right arm out. I gasped as I saw his chest riddled with light pink fading into purple circles. His eyes followed my gaze. "I'm fine, doll. Shhh. There. You're completely covered. I got you, doll," he murmured. The dogs were closer. I felt my breathing stagger. After he put his button up top back on, and buttoned the only button left - just above his belly button. He pulled me into his arms -sitting me in his lap- and I buried my head in his neck as my hand wrapped under his arm and held onto his back. "Breathe, doll. Those sound like tracking dogs. Good guys. I'm so sorry, darling. This is not how I wanted the day to go and I can't follow your terms. I'm guilty. I let you get hurt. I'm so sorry, baby," he whispered in my ear. 

"Are you okay?" I sobbed on his shoulder. He gently stroked my hair. "Don't play with that. I threw up; I'm certain I got some in there." I pulled back and fruitlessly wiped my tears. He looked at me in pity and pointed to my hair tie on my wrist. I shook my head and pulled his hand away from my hair. "I need to wash it. I don't want you playing with it right now. Please, Pat, I need to know if you're okay."

"I'm dizzy and I have a headache but I've had worse, doll," he responded, placing his hand on my arm. "Shh. I'll be okay. Tell me about you. I need to take care of you." I shook my head again and placed my hand on his chest. His left hand wrapped around my fingers as his right arm held onto my back. I sobbed, lowering my head to my chest. "Annette," he whispered. "Look at me, doll. I'm right here. If I'm making you uncomfort-" I put my hand on his lips. He pulled my hand down. "Tell me," he whispered as I met his eye.

"He took the one thing I could give you that wasn't beaten or tarnished," I sobbed, leaning into his shoulder, and wrapping my arm around his back. He gently wrapped me in his arms. "I failed you. I don't deserve you."

"No! Not at all, doll. Don't you ever think that. Shh. I'm right here. Do you want me to leave?" Pat inquired. I shook my head and closed my eyes. "Okay. I won't. I'm right here, doll. You have my heart. You are still worthy in my eyes. Shh," he whispered.

"Hands up," a voice ordered. I heard radio chatter and I sobbed again; I didn't trust cops either. Pat moved one hand off my back and continued to rub it with his other hand. I began to shake uncontrollably.

"We're the victims. I'm not letting go of her," he responded. I sobbed again and tried to calm down. "Shh, doll. I got you," he whispered.

"All three unconscious. Get me a bucket of water. We need to clean up this vomit before we move them. Johnson! Don't scare those two any more," another voice said. I heard the dogs sniffing by us. I sobbed again. "Get the dogs away from them. Son, what's your name?"

"Pat Miller. My truck is across the lake. This is my girlfriend Annette Gibson. We were just starting to camp here. I have it for the week. Leave the vomit on them; they raped her," he replied. 

"Ortiz! I need you to come look at Ms. Gibson," the voice demanded. Pat wrapped his right hand around me and held me close. I finally opened my eyes and looked over at the voice. A cop stood behind us and seemed to be conducting a musical production with the way his arms moved about. "Send the ambulance. We got all three. I have five that need medical attention," he ordered into his radio.

"Sir," I sobbed. He looked sympathetically at me. "They threw his leg. That direction. Will you please bring it back?" He nodded and took off as an older female cop came over and knelt in my line of sight.

"Hey. I'm Julie. Are you alright?" She asked kindly. I shook my head and sobbed on Pat's shoulder again.

"I heard their names. Zach and Josiah attacked Pat. Pat defended me and knocked out Zach. The big one charged me. I never heard his name; I don't want to know it. I grabbed onto that tree branch and kicked him in the gut. They took advantage of my injuries and pinned me to the ground. Josiah stood on my hand and covered my mouth. Boss. Rape. Couldn't fight. He licked," I trailed off, sobbing as I tried to breathe and pointing to various spots on my body. "Can I go shower please?"

"What injuries, sweetie?" Julie asked kindly as she swabbed my my ear. I pulled away from Pat and finally threaded my arm through his sleeve. Sobs shook my body. I pulled my knee up to my chest and rested my elbow on it so my head could rest in my hand. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down; another sob escaped, shaking my whole body. Pat noticed my arm sling was unfasted.

"Doll, can I hook this back up?" He asked kindly as he lifted the strap on my back. I shook my head and sobbed. "Dislocated left shoulder. Several broken ribs. Fractured right hip. Broken right leg. That's just what I can remember right now," he replied for me. He gently rubbed my back. His right hand he put on the ground. It seemed he was refraining from touching me. That caused another sob to escape. 

The first voice came back. "Here you go, son," he said as he gave Pat his prosthetic leg. "How did you guys manage to knock all three of them out?" Pat looked at me and opened his arms I leaned back into them.

"I only did the one, sir: the one in the red; with a couple of blows with my prosthetic leg to his face. The others hit me from behind, but I don't know with what," Pat admitted. I reached around his neck and felt up his head. "I'm fine, doll. Tell them what happened," he pleaded, pulling my arm down. "Annette, darling, I'm staying right here. Please tell them." I nodded and looked at the officer in front of me. Her brown eyes were dull and full of pity. Her crow's feet were deep, and worry lines etched across her brow. She gave me a small smile and I noticed the dimple on her right cheek. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly and as my body shook. Pat rubbed my back tenderly.

"Red shirt is called Zach, the boss is in the black shirt, and Josiah is wearing brown. I didn't see the weapon they had when they knocked out Pat. Josiah drug Pat away while the boss forced himself on me. Josiah pinned my arm down and tried to defend me. So the boss got mad. Stabbed his leg. Hit him. Face I think but he fell into my face and I couldn't see what happened," I sobbed, gasping for air. "The boss moved Josiah off me and I pounded a rock into his skull twice. After I wiggled free I threw up on them. If you know his name please don't tell me," I begged. Pat leaned his head onto mine and finally stopped rubbing my back. I looked at his chest, thought to trace a bruise in the middle of his chest, and gasped. I looked up as a daunting thought had crossed my mind. "Did I kill him? Are you taking me to jail? Or Pat? You can't," I panted. Pat was exaggerating his breathing, trying to calm me down.

"Not at all, Ms. Gibson. This would be a case of self defense, but you didn't kill him; all three men are still breathing. Two of them have a nasty goose egg forming, but it looks like all three of them will be waking up with headaches. I'm sorry, we're going to need pictures guys," Julie spoke softly. I sobbed into Pat's shoulders again.

"Doll, I'm not leaving your side. I'm going to put my leg on and pick you up, okay. I need you to work on calming down," he murmured into my hair. I nodded, he set me on the ground to his right, and threaded his arm under mine. I was looking at the cops cuff the three men. I closed my eyes and leaned into Pat's shoulder and shook uncontrollably. He quickly put his leg back on and stood up, grunting. "Annette," he whispered. I looked up at him. He offered me his hand, which I happily took, and he pulled me into him. Now I was facing the lake. My body shook and I was shivering, but wasn't actually cold. "I got you, doll," he murmured into my hair.

"I'm sorry. You weren't wearing that shirt when the attack happened, were you? Do you want to go inside?" Julie asked. I shook my head and held onto Pat tightly. "Guys, stay back," she ordered and pulled out her camera. I lowered my head and let another sob escape.

"Shh, doll. I'm right here. You can cry in just a little bit. I'm going to take this off. I'm not letting go of you," he promised. I looked up at him and he pressed his lips to my forehead. "Just look at me," he ordered. "Right hand, left hip. I'm lifting the shirt now," he said softly. His left arm held onto me tightly. I studied his eyes as sobs continually shook my body; tears brimmed his eyes but they didn't fall. "Going over your head. Switching hands," Pat said softly as he walked me through this. "Okay, doll. I'm going to pick you up and turn you sideways.  Keep your eyes on me," he instructed. My sobs slowly subsided as I kept my eyes on him, but I still gasped for air. I could see the fog in his eyes but he focused on me; he was in a lot of pain. "Have I ever told you how much I love looking into your eyes?" Pat murmured. I looked down. Now I was staring at his collarbone. It wasn't working for me. I looked back up to his eyes and he gave me a small but encouraging smile. "That's right. Focus on me. You're doing great, doll," Pat praised. 

"Thank you for your help. I need to photograph your legs too," Julie stated sadly as Pat put the shirt back on me. I sobbed and leaned into his arms. "I won't touch you, but it needs to go in the file," Julie said softly. I turned around Pat pressed his head against mine. I closed my eyes, grabbed my dress, and lifted it up. "Got it, hun. Thanks," Julie spoke softly. I released my dress and turned back into Pat's chest. He moved me to his side, rubbing my back. I wasn't sobbing any more, but the tears still fell. I shook my head, unable to voice anything.

"My turn, doll. I'm not letting go. Shh. It's okay," Pat whispered. I leaned into him as he slid out of his shirt again. Julie snapped pictures. I looked towards the dock. Our pillows were untouched. 

"Would a picture of before help," I inquired as I faced her. Her eyes got big. I looked up at Pat who had turned his gaze to the dock and grinned as he put his shirt back on. He quickly wrapped both arms around me and pulled me to his chest.

"Yes, it would. You have one?"

"The dock. Under the middle pillow," I replied and snuggled back into Pat's chest, burying my face. I heard Julie's footsteps move towards the dock. "Would be helpful to have our phones now?" I muttered. Pat seemed to sway, or maybe it was me. I bit my lip. "You need to go to the hospital," I stated softly.

"Only if you go. I'm not leaving your side," he replied stubbornly. He lifted my chin so I was looking at him again. "I'm sorry I failed you again."

"Pat, why would you think you failed me? You were doing well. They gave you a low blow when they hit you from behind. I couldn't fight them. I couldn't help you. I couldn't run. I couldn't do anything," I whimpered as tears fell more frequently. He tenderly stroked my cheeks.

"You did what you could, doll," he murmured. Two tears fell from his eyes. "Annette, I'm proud of you. Honestly, when I heard your story and you told me that you repeatedly chose something that could kill you instead of giving up your purity, it pissed me off," he admitted. I gave him a confused glance.

"Knowing what it consisted of, I still would have preferred the water," I replied crossly and lowered my gaze. Pat put his fingers under my chin. I looked up at him and he smiled warmly at me. 

"I know, doll. I was wrong to get mad at you for that, please forgive me. Tonight, my love, I was proud of you for your quick thinking because I really don't, uh no, I didn't want him to touch you. That was a solid blow you gave him. I almost had those two off me when you did that. Then you fell and I was more concerned about your well being then my own safety. You are my world; that makes you my top priority, doll. I couldn't just let you stay there on the ground. I would hate to see you hurt any more. I'm sorry this happened. I'm sorry I didn't prevent this from happening. I'm sorry that I didn't pick you up and get you out of there when I first heard them," he whispered and kissed my head as he wrapped me tighter in his arms. "I'm turning you around, doll. I'll be right behind you," he promised. He turned me around just Julie came back up and gave me the camera. I turned it on and found a picture of me that Pat had gotten from my head to my toe. I shivered in Pat's arms and handed the camera back to Julie.

"Just hold it. I'll take one with my camera. What about one of him?" She asked. I went through the pictures quickly. I paused on the one of us that I loved the most, bit my lip and moved to the next one. 

"This is the only one of him actually looking at the camera," I replied and showed her. She nodded and snapped another picture. I looked up at Pat and sighed. "I only have a profile of the right side of his face." I showed her another picture, Pat's hand was on my face, my eyes closed. He was smiling without showing his teeth. She snapped a picture of that too.

"The ambulance is here. Ms. Gibson, I'm sorry but we are going to have to do a rape kit," Julie said apologetically. 

"Why?" I raged as I glared at her. I leaned forward and was ready to shout. Pat held onto my waist and pulled me back into his chest. I took a deep breath and in a calmer, yet still angry, voice explained, "he's still laying right there with his pants undone. He didn't get a chance to finish. He said he was having issues focusing. He wanted to flip me around so I assume I could be restrained easier. I wasn't just going to let him win. I said anything I could and fought to make him stop. I even tried to throw him off by letting him know I'm still a minor. That's why Josiah tried to help me. It's because of Josiah that there was a rock within my reach. It's because he stood up for me and was telling his boss off. That's why he was stabbed and knocked unconscious. That's why I'm covered in blood. If there was a reasonable doubt about who did this, let me clear it up right now. A freaking rape kit? To say I'm lying? Crying wolf?" My voice raised on every word, my body shook in anger, my left hand I closed tightly into a fist, and I squeezed the camera in my right hand.

"Shh, doll. She's just doing her job," Pat whispered, rubbing my hands, trying to get me to relax. 

"Fair enough, Ms. Gibson. You're right. We have him in custody. The rape kit is usually for DNA, but this time we caught the perp. What about a STD test?" she replied softly. I choked on a sob and felt weak. Once again, my knee buckled. Pat held me tighter and upright. "You're really a minor?" Julie asked. I nodded and leaned back into Pat. My body shook in fury. Pat took the camera out of my hand and stuffed it in his pocket. I held onto his arm. 

"In April, I'll be 18. Legally I'm an emancipated minor so I'm not sure if that changes anything. I haven't gotten that much information on it yet. I was given my papers on Friday. What do you need to do for the STDs?" I inquired. Tears fell down my cheek silently but it felt like they were burning me.

"Doesn't matter. You're still a minor. That's a bigger case. He'll go to jail for a very long time. Urine and blood samples. We'll have to swab you. Inside or you can go to any hospital," she replied sympathetically. I nodded my consent as another sob shook my body. I need a phone number to contact you guys if I have any more questions," Julie explained kindly. She offered her note pad and pen. Pat took it and wrote his phone number down.

"Speaking of phones, can I borrow yours? Neither one of us have ours with us," Pat inquired. He was still slurring slightly. 

"I'm glad you don't have a concussion and can speak coherently, but I believe we need to get you to the hospital," I told him as I looked up at him.

"They can't tell me anything that I can't take care of here with your help," he retorted. He smiled warmly at me. "I can't leave you, doll. I won't leave you."

"I'm not going anywhere," I confirmed. I looked back at Julie. "Anything else, ma'am?"

"No. You kids are good to go. Can I have our medics help you to the cabin?" Julie asked. I looked up at Pat. He looked at the medics and nodded. Julie waved them over. Two medics came over. "You can look these two over, but they would like help getting to the cabin." She looked back at Pat and handed over her cell phone. Pat quickly dialed a number and hit send.

"Hey, Josh... Where are you? I see. Can you take tomorrow off? How soon can you be on the road? Great. Do it... And the sibs? Call them... Now. Sooner is better... It is... Not good... Yeah, get up here... Please... Remember that thing I told you I never wanted to do again? That would be the one... Yep. Thanks, man... Other side. Yes... Yes. It is. We'll need it... Thanks," he stated, hung up, and handed the phone back. "Thank you, Julie." He looked down at me and stroked my cheek. "Doll, I'm going to let go of you. Let them help you up to the cabin please. I might drop you," he begged. I nodded and looked at the medic closest to me. The medic offered me his hand. I scowled at it but took it, hopping one step over. I looked back at Pat. He was pale and looked weak. He smiled warmly at me as he crouched down. I gasped and choked on another sob. The medic supporting me paused and followed my gaze. "I'm fine, doll," Pat insisted as he stood up again. I hopped back in his direction. Pat sighed, raised his hand, grabbed me, and steadied me - pulling me back to his chest. "Doll," he whispered. "Let them help. Please. I'll be fine." I shook my head. He sighed but kissed my temple and rubbed my back tenderly.

"It'll be easier if they both were on a stretcher," the medic noted. The second medic nodded. "Lean into him," the medic ordered. I leaned into Pat's side. The medic walked around both of us and supported Pat under his other arm. The second medic ran back to the ambulance and came back with two stretchers and lay them on the ground. Pat sat gingerly on one. I refused to let go of his hand as I stood over him. The cop who brought Pat his leg back came back over.

"Can we carry them both on one? They don't seem to want to let go of each other?" The officer asked.

"It's not recommended, Davies. You know that. Kids, I need you to lay down. Separately. I'm glad you don't want to let go, but if this is going to work so we don't hurt you, we need you to listen," the medic explained.

"Is the door unlocked, Mr. Miller?" Officer Davies asked. 

"Should be, Officer Davies," Pat confessed. 

"Call me George, kids." 

"Yes, sir. It's okay, doll. Let go," Pat ordered. I released his hand and Julie pulled me into her arms as the two medics took Pat up to the cabin. Julie rubbed my right arm tenderly. I shook in her arms and cried. I fell to my knees and threw up again. Julie pulled my hair out of my way. I sobbed and sat back. Julie looked at me in concern. 

"George. Water," she ordered. "Annette, you have some spew here in your hair. I'm going to rinse it out for you then we're going to take you inside." I nodded wearily, looking up at the cabin. "I'm going to help you lay back on the stretcher right now. Officer George Davies is going to help me, but he won't touch you," she stated. I nodded. They worked together and got me on the stretcher, bringing my head as close to the edge as they could. "Ready, George?" Julie asked. He nodded and propped the stretcher up. I panicked. "It's alright, Annette. I'm working on getting your hair out of the dirt. I'm pouring the water on now."

"Don't get it on my face," I begged, closing my eyes and trying to stop the tears from flowing. "How?" I asked, begging for an answer.

"How'd we find them?" Julie ventured. I nodded as I felt my hair getting wetter and heavier. "Those three men are fugitives with the law. We've been after them for about two months. We had a tip saying they were stated about ten miles away. We could confirm they weren't in a vehicle so we brought out the dogs. Officer Johnson loves having them. It wasn't long before we were hot on the trail. We were hoping it wouldn't be another dead end. I'm sorry that you were in the path," she explained sympathetically. "Okay, Annette, almost done. I'm going to take the ponytail off your wrist and put it in your hair. Then we're going to get you inside." I nodded and she tugged my hair gently. I held up my hand and she took my ponytail off. After a final snap of the hair-tye, she moved her hands away from my head. "Okay. I'm picking you up now. George?" I opened up my eyes and looked up at the sky, silent tears falling down my cheeks.

"Forward we go," he replied and they carried me into the cabin. Pat was sitting on the couch and the first medic was taking Pat's vitals, the second was pulling stuff out of his bag as he looked at Pat's chest. "Ms. Gibson, we're going to help you into this couch. Let the medic give you a once over. Officer Ortiz will stay with you," George stated as they put the stretcher even with the second couch. "Can you try and roll or scoot over?" George asked. I sat up, grabbed the back of the couch and pushed with my left leg over. I bit my lip and lowered my arm. Julie looked at me and readjusted my legs. George picked up both stretchers and looked at one of the medics, "I'll take these back. I'm going to help our fugitives back into custody." I looked over at Pat. Pain was in his eyes, he looked at me longingly. I jumped when the second medic knelt in front of me.

"My name is Mario. What's your's?" He asked as he pulled out his stethoscope.

"Annette," I replied wearily. Julie stood beside my hip and smiled sympathetically. Mario chatted with Julie. I tuned them out as I looked back at Pat. The first medic was taking his leg off. I bit my lip, blinked rapidly, and looked back at Mario as he said my name.

"Annette. Annette. There we go. Stay with me. You're zoning out. I need you to stay awake. Now Officer Ortiz said you have broken ribs. May I press on them? I know the last thing you want right now is another guy touching you," he explained cautiously. I nodded and looked back at Pat. He put his hand at his hip and raised it to his chest. His eyes never left mine. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He made the motion again. Once again, I took another breath. I flinched as Mario touched my sides and pressed gently. I looked down at him then back at Pat.

"They're helping, not hurting, 'Nettie," I mumbled under my breath. Pat crossed his arm and pointed to his left arm. Hope. I grinned. He returned it. "I love you," I mouthed. He grinned. "Mario, my right hip was squeezed awfully hard. It was fractured a few weeks ago. I have been good about not putting weight on it. Did he hurt me more?"

"Can you pull your dress down and the shirt up? I'll look at it," he promised. I looked up at Julie.

"Will you help me stand please?" I asked she nodded. I gave her my hand and stood up. I pushed the dress down past my right hip; it stayed hooked on my left hip. I pulled the shirt up and revealed my hip. 

"That was gone!" Pat gasped. Mario looked over his shoulder at him and I met his eyes. His medic was done and came over to give Mario a hand. "Her bruise on her hip. It was gone. Annette told me there wasn't a single splotch of color on her body. Her nurse looked at that Monday. It was gone," Pat repeated. I looked down at it. Once again it was black and blue. I bit my lip as another sob escaped. Julie snapped a few more pictures before she lowered me back into the chair. "Please do an o2 test on her too. With the injuries she got at the beginning of this month, I don't want you to miss anything. Everything. Don't miss anything," Pat begged. Mario attached my finger to a oxygen reader. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. In-two-three-four. Cough. I tried again. In-two-three-four-five. Out-seven-eight-nine-ten. Better. Repeat. Good. I opened my eyes and nodded at Pat. He smiled weakly at me.

"We got it. Thanks, son. Annette, good work. You're doing just fine. Now, I'm going to have press on your leg. We have to see if any more damage was done. Although, I would recommend going to the hospital and getting it x-rayed," Mario stated. He looked at me. "May I touch your leg?" I nodded then looked back at Pat. He was sickly pale. "Jeff, I haven't done a head check yet," Mario stated. The first medic came over and sat beside me. I gasped in shock as he turned on his light and shined it in my eyes.

"You're pale, Pat. Are you alright? Ow!" I gasped and looked down, but not before Pat gave me a curt nod. Mario was pressing by my knee. "Bad ow."

"I'm barely pressing, Annette. I'm going to hold under your knee. You need to bend it and raise your leg," Mario ordered. I listened and bit my lip.

"It's painful and tender, but the range of motion seems about the same it's been," I explained. I thought back. Did I fall on me knee after the tree? I must have and didn't notice. I explained that to Mario as he lowered my leg and moved down to my foot. "NO! He kicked me! Said it's good I can't run anyways," I panted, nearing hysteria again. I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. I met Mario's eye. He wasn't moving or touching me, his lips were pressed tightly together. I looked over at Pat. He looked defeated and tired. He raised his hand from his hip to his shoulder again. I took a deep breath. In-two-three-four-five. Out-seven-eight-nine-ten. Pat's knee bounced as he looked at me anxiously. I looked back at Mario. "You were in the middle of checking my leg out. You can continue with my foot," I whispered. He gave me a small smile and a nod. I closed my eyes as he touched around my cast. I giggled. "That tickles. Leave my toes out of this."

"I see no external damage aside from a few bruises and scrapes. Your breathing is shallow, but I can't tell if it's because you're worked up, your injured ribs, or a combination of both. Your oxygen level says 93%. It's a tad low, but within normal range. Like I said, you should still go to the hospital. Just to double check everything. I'm sorry you experienced this. Wrong place, wrong time. Now, is there anything else you want me to check out for you?" Mario asked kindly as he unhooked the oxygen reader on my finger. I shook my head, tilted my head, bit my lip, and nodded.

"Josiah said something about HIV positive. He was bleeding all over me," I explained, through my tears. Pat inhaled sharply. I looked over at him. His head was buried in his hands. I looked back at Mario, his eyes were laced in worry and concern. "As far as I'm aware, it's transferred by fluids. I don't think I have any," I tried to make a coherent sentence, but I felt like I was stumbling. I paused and tried to collect my thoughts. "Did he slash the boss' arm? He threatened. There was a knife full of blood."

"Jeff, I need a rag," Mario ordered. Jeff talked to Pat and disappeared into the kitchen. "Annette, that is a very good concern. I need to look at your side and wherever the blood is pooled up on your clothing. You should be fine as long as you have no open wounds." I nodded and bit my lip as Jeff brought back a wet rag. "Would you prefer me or Julie to do this?" Mario asked. I looked between them both and nodded my consent to Mario. I looked back over at Pat as tears clouded my vision. Mario helped me take off Pat's blue t-shirt, but kept me covered. Gently he wiped down my side and inspected my side carefully. "I don't see any scratches. Are we doing a rape kit?" I shook my head as he put the shirt back on me.

"Annette, would you prefer to have us do a STD test?" Julie asked kindly. I bit my lip and looked back at Pat. He smiled softly at me. I nodded. "Walk me through it, Mario. Stay back and let her have a little privacy," Julie ordered as she sat on the edge of the couch. Mario sat behind me and braced me. Jeff handed Julie some gloves and a few other items, and Mario took Julie step by step on what she had to do. Jeff moved behind the couch and drew blood out of my right arm, filling test tubes. The three of them kept talking; I couldn't focus on the words as I sobbed and looked back at Pat. Tears fell quietly down his cheek. He gave me a small smile. 

Julie lowered my legs and covered them up with my dress as she put my samples in their own containers, into a portable traveling medical kit. I lowered my legs and tried to blink back more tears as Jeff took the samples and ducked outside. Mario stood up and looked at me. "All done, Annette. We'll run your tests and get back to you with the results. Would you like help to move across the room? I notice you aren't taking your eyes off of your boyfriend," Mario remarked kindly as he moved to my side. I nodded. He picked me up and transferred me to Pat's arms. Pat pulled me into his lap, draping my legs over his right leg. Mario pulled out a business card and handed it to Pat. "Good news, she seems just fine. Rape victims experience a lot of emotional damage. Better news, she isn't afraid of your touch. Thank you for keeping her calm enough for me to give her a thorough check up. Call if things take a spill for the worse. We'll call you with the results. I'm sorry this happened to you." 

"Thank you. I will," Pat promised. I looked outside. The sun had set. I jumped as the door shut. We were alone in the cabin. I shivered and shook uncontrollably. "Doll, you're going into shock. Do you want to take a shower?"

"Yes, but I don't want to move right now. I'm sorry I'm ruining our date," I sobbed as I grabbed onto his shirt. He stroked my hair softly. "Stop! I smell like a fugitive bum and vomit!"

"No. They got your hair wet; which means the vomit has been cleaned up. I don't smell bum, because you smell like my 'Nettie. A hint of strawberry, some fresh earth, salty tears, and lemon," Pat replied.

"Lemon? Where'd the lemon come from? I haven't eaten or drank anything lemon related. You guys won't let me clean, so it's not cleaning products," I stated as I looked up at him. He was grinning. I shoved his shoulder. "This is not a time for teasing. Please! I can't smile right now," I wept. 

"It was the first thing that popped in my head that was fresh and bright. Yes, doll, that was my goal. I love your smile. I just wanted to be selfish and see it again," he responded as he rested his hand on my neck. I looked down and he dropped his hand. "I'm sorry, doll. Josh is going to be calling your siblings. They should be here before too long. I'd help you take a shower, but I want to respect you too." I put my hand over my mouth as my stomach lurched. "Aim for the floor. It cleans better than the sofa," he ordered.

"I'm not sure if I'm going to be sick. Respect seems to be out the window now," I stated glumly. I looked at Pat's prosthetic leg. The plastic cover on the top was warped and chipped. I furrowed my brow and looked at him. "They ruined your leg? Is that why you were grunting?" He nodded sadly.

"I'll have to go back unto crutches until I can get it replaced. That also means I won't be carrying you around for awhile. Doll, I'm sorry. If you need something right now though, I can get up and get it. It'll be awkward and probably funny to watch, but you are staying here," he whispered as he stroked around my ear. I tilted my head so his hand moved to my shoulder. His eyes brimmed with tears. I wiped them away and leaned into his chest.

"I just need you. I love you, Benji," I replied and thought it over. "Fun to say, but doesn't sound right. I love you Pat," I murmured. He chuckled and kissed the top of my head. "Were you planning on finishing the day with you being unconscious and me wearing your clothes?" I teased as I tried to stop my own tears from flowing. His chest shook as he laughed.

"I love you too, Annette. I love how you can see the humor in everything. I love your selflessness. I love how you still want to me in my arms. I love that you are trying to get through this in the best way you know how. I really love that you are rocking my shirt. Doll, I want you to smile, but if you don't feel like you can, then please don't joke this away. That's not the way this works. Just let me hold you," Pat begged. "Right now you have every right to be broken, but you are so strong and refuse to accept the brokenness. You're worried about me and trying to get me to smile. So amazing."

"We'll be broken together." 

"Broken together, doll," he confirmed. "Sarah, look at me." I sat back and looked at him. 

"Do you need food or a bathroom break or something? I can be your left leg, you can be my right. I'll help you get around," I offered. 

"Oh, doll. Worry about yourself. Jeff and Mario helped me to the bathroom first thing. I'm good, but thank you. I'm sorry about this day," he replied warmly. He looked down at my sleeve and sighed. "Can I help you take the bloody clothes off?" I nodded. "Okay, I'm going to wipe you down too. Just like the medical staff did, doll. You need to tell me if it's too much." I nodded again. He positioned me so my back was towards him and I was on the edge of the couch. Once again he walked me step by step with what he was doing. He left his shirt around my neck as he took off my sling and slid off the sheer shirt. The shirt he threw on the ground. He pulled out the wet towel and began wiping me down. I shivered as it was now cold. "I'm scooting over, doll. There's scissors in the drawer over there." I nodded and he gave me a throw pillow. I held it to my chest as he reached behind me and opened the end table drawer. He pulled out the scissors and met my eye. I looked down at my right side and nodded. He cut carefully around the blood patch and threw it on the floor with the shirt. Then he reached around me again and put the scissors away. He wiped down my side again then wiped my arm as well. Finally, the towel was thrown on the floor. "I'm going to thread your arms back through the the sleeves, doll. When everyone gets here, we'll worry about taking your dress off. With the exception of a little bit on your sling, there's no more blood. And you should be fine, no scratches or cuts." I nodded again, putting the pillow down. Gently he put my left arm through the sleeve as I did the right. He pulled me back into his arms and put my sling back on. I shivered again. "Doll, there's a blanket under the couch. Can you grab it?" I nodded.

"Parts one through four of our date was wonderful. I'm sorry-" I stated as I pulled the blanket out. He pressed a finger to my lips stopping me from saying anything else. I sobbed again.

"You have nothing to apologize for. Come here, doll," he murmured. I leaned into his shoulder, resting my head by his neck. His arms snaked around me, pulled me closer, unfolded the blanket, and draped it over me. My right arm remained free. I grabbed his left hand as he held onto my waist. His right hand covered my mine and rubbed it tenderly. He held onto me until I calmed down and stopped crying. "I love you, Sarah," he whispered as he kissed my temple.

"I love you too, Patrick. Thank you for your patience. I don't know how to move forward. I don't know how you can still look at me in such admiration. Pat, I messed us up," I replied bitterly.

"Shh! Sarah. You are absolutely beautiful. This is not your fault and I won't hold it against you. You hold my heart; I like to assume I still hold yours. Just let me hold you, doll. I'll help you get through this," he promised. "Do you want to look at the better part of the day again?" I looked over my shoulder at him, raising one eyebrow in confusion. He grinned and pulled out the camera. I took it, snuggled back into his neck, and up the picture of us from earlier. 

"Still my favorite," I stated as I grinned at him.

"Mine too. Are you okay?" Pat asked. I bit my lip. He kissed my cheek. "Never mind, doll. Will you snuggle with me like we did in the hammock?" I grinned and he laid down on the couch on his right side, the pillow under his head. He grabbed my wrist since I didn't release the camera, and supported my back as he laid me down. He adjusted the blanket over my back, tucking it around my hips, creating a barrier between us. I closed my eyes as he adjusted his shirt then rubbed my cheek. "Don't let me fall asleep, doll," he whispered.

"I'll still be here when you wake up," I confirmed as I opened my eyes and gave him a confused glance. He pressed his lips softly against my forehead. "Right. Headache. Possible concussion," I remarked and looked back at the camera in my hands. "I'd offer you one of my pain pills-"

"-but those jerks took them all. I know, doll," he remarked. He stopped me from changing the picture as he put his hand over mine again. The display showed the two of us. My chin was down and eyes were closed, a small smile on my face. He was smiling down at me but it looked like he was laughing at his own joke. "I love how easily you blush. You look absolutely stunning in this picture. Actually in all of them. You are quite photogenic. This date didn't end too terribly bad. I still got to hold you in my arms at the end of the day," he remarked as he pulled the camera out of my hands and set it on the table by his head then traced my jawline with his thumb. "You are still the most beautiful person I know." I grinned and looked down. "No, Sarah," he chided. I looked into his eyes again. "Let me gaze into them for an eternity. Let me see that smile until the end of days. Let me love you forever," he begged.

"Okay," I whispered. He kissed my nose. "Thank you for never forcing yourself on me and for not hating me." 

"I could never hate you, doll."

"Pat, why did you want him to take advantage of me?" I spoke softly and lowered my gaze again. He stroked my chin and I looked back into his eyes; they were filled with tears.

"I didn't want him to come close to you. I first heard something off in those woods about five minutes before you woke up: all the birds stopped singing. I should have moved you to the dock and gone back out into the middle of the lake, but I didn't because I couldn't tell where the threat was coming from or what it was. I'm sorry, doll. When you woke up, you picked up on my tension and you became worried too. Your breathing hitched; I couldn't have that either. So then I tried to calm you down and you offered to get me food and your musical laughter filled the air. I loved kissing you, but I needed to shut you up. I swear, it was the only time I ever have had an ulterior motive for kissing you; and the only time I ever hope to have one. Don't you dare think for a minute that this is your fault, doll. I didn't get you out of there; I failed to protect you again," Pat explained. I opened my mouth in protest and he quickly covered my mouth with his hand. "Don't. I was wrong, doll. I made the wrong call again. They kept going back and forth between the road and the bushes on the edge. Our hammock was about 50 yards away from the water and about 125 yards away from the road. I would have been at a distinct disadvantage if I started to take you to the water again. I lose my balance more going downhill, even if it was just a small incline. I pulled you up so that we could have a fighting chance if it came to that. Then I had to figure out a way to get you away safely without hurting you; they were too close for any option to play out in our favor. I saw it in their eyes when they noticed you; the same look I noticed at the beginning of this month. I tried to keep their attention off you. Then they moved towards us and all I was thinking of was your safety. If all three of them charged me, I don't think I would have been able to take them all. Two of them though; well, I had it in the bag. Then they pulled me away from you and the bigger guy took advantage of it. I admired your quick thinking. I just knew that if you kept trying to fight him off, you'd end up hurt again. I can't stand to see you hurt. You are hurt, but I'm glad that you aren't hospital hurt. Please forgive me?" He begged as he removed his hand from my mouth and tugged gently on my ponytail, letting his hand run down the length of it.

"There's absolutely nothing to forgive, Pat. Next time, just keep your finger to my lips. You were tense and I was trying to calm you down. Can you forgive me? I didn't fight him off. He took what I wanted you, only you, to experience," I began to weep again. 

"Doll, stop beating yourself up," he begged. I nodded and leaned into his chest. "Sweet girl, you mean the world to me. I would have liked to enter you first, for sure, but not now. Not in that way. If and when the time comes and we do it, it will be special because we both want to. Not because it's assumed we have to do that. I will never force myself upon you. You have complete power, baby. Even now, if this is too much for you, I will stop." I looked up and kissed his jaw.

"Don't stop. I like being in your arms. Are you sure you aren't hurt?" I asked as I snugged back down. I scowled as I remembered something. "Why won't you let me touch your head earlier?"

"I'm fine, stop worrying about me," he insisted with a smile. I looked at him skeptically. "Really, doll. I'm fine. Nothing popped or snapped. As for my head, there's a good possibility that I have a knot forming, but I'll be okay. I don't want you to worry about me; you are far more important. I can't take as deep of a breath, so I think I have a few bruised ribs. That's the extent of my injuries. Think of it this way, me and my big lungs might actually be able to keep up with your breathing. Thank you for calming down. I didn't think to bring your oxygen tank out here, nor did I ask Josh to bring it up."

"I love you and your big lungs. I froze when you were getting beat up. Nobody has willingly taken somebody on for me. I mean Noah took a few punches from Dad for me, but this was different. There, I was hurt first. Here. Pat, I can't believe that you did that. Even more so, I can't believe you wouldn't let me help. Thank you for fighting for me," I murmured. He wrapped me in a warm embrace, trapping my arm between our chests.

"Always, doll. You're my girl. As long as that statement remains true, I won't give you up without a fight," he promised. He kissed my temple to seal it. "You've finally stopped shaking. Are you going to pass out on me?"

"Probably. It's been an eventful day. Tears drain a body's energy. So does throwing up. Promise me we'll finish our date later?" I asked as I yawned and winced. Pat wiped my cheeks and dried my eyes.

"I look forward to it, doll. I'm glad you are talking about another date after this one ended so badly. Go ahead and close your eyes. My hour's almost up," he replied softly and kissed my forehead.

"I didn't see a clock," I retorted. Pat chuckled. 

"You win, doll; I'm laughing and smiling and still loving you. There's a clock in the corner behind you," he whispered. I wrapped my fingers around his shirt, pulling both sides of his shirt together. He grabbed my hand and rubbed it. When I relaxed my hand, he intertwined our fingers and held them against his chest. "I love you, my delicate rose. You still bloom among the thorns," he whispered.

"Thank you for being my anchor and shield," I mumbled as I closed my eyes. "I love you, Pat." He rubbed my back and kissed my forehead again, comforting me until I went to sleep.