Bud White stalked down the sidewalk, grumbling under his breath. This day was completely FUBAR. A homicide case he and his partner Dick Stensland were working went south. Stens got so drunk after work that Bud had to drive him home. Then his car broke down on the way back so he had to walk home. He waited 45 fucking minutes for a bus on Hollywood that never came.

He looked up when he sensed a disturbance, no a change in the air…he was unsure what the hell it was. A woman was lying in the middle of the street, wrapped in a sheet. He looked in that same place a second ago and there was no one there. Where the hell had she come from?

A car was coming down the street. They’d never see her at 2 AM on this stretch of the boulevard. It was too dark.

"Hey, Miss. Get off the street. Hey!" She didn’t respond. "Fuck." He ran out onto the street and scooped her up in his arms. He stepped on the edge of the sheet and half pulled it off her body. He nearly pitched both of them head first onto the street before he regained his balance and threw them out of the way of the car as it weaved by. Damned driver must be drunk. Who else drove in Hollywood at 2 AM?

"What are you trying to do? Kill yourself?" He looked down at the woman or girl. She was in her late teens or early twenties. Her eyes were closed. He leaned close to take a whiff of her breath. He didn’t smell alcohol. She was either drugged or passed out. He noticed something else. She was beautiful and half naked in his arms.

Embarrassed at noticing her body, he rewrapped the sheet around her. She wasn’t dirty. In fact she smelled real good when he got close. Sweet, fresh and clean. How had she appeared in the middle of the street? No one dumped her out of a car. He’d have noticed. He considered where the nearest hospital was. It was too far to walk carrying her. All the shops along the street with phones were already closed. And he was almost home. She seemed to be breathing okay.

Bud made the decision to walk home and call an ambulance from his apartment. He shifted her better in his arms and started the block trek to his place. She didn’t weigh much, though he might feel differently in another block.

She stirred in his arms. She was coming to. He stopped by a lighted window and looked down into her now open eyes. "SID, where are we? I thought I’d be in Cort’s world in Redemption. You can set me down. Just hold onto me for a moment. I didn’t think I’d lose consciousness this time. Maybe the change in time and place is just too much a jolt to the system. I don’t think it was as long this time. I still feel a little unsteady."

Bud set her on her feet. He saw her look down. She almost fell. He grabbed onto her shoulders to steady her. She held tightly on to his arms. The girl looked at her feet, and then looked again. She stood on one of the red stars they were readying for the full Hollywood treatment.

She glanced up at him. Her fingers reached for his short bristled hair and touched it. Her eyes looked wild and excited at the same time.

"Miss, I don’t know who SID is, but my name is Bud White. I’m an officer with the LAPD."

"Oh my God, we’re on Hollywood Boulevard!" She brushed her toe on the star beneath her foot. "How did I get here? I’m home again in Los Angeles." She threw her arms around Bud’s neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Bud White, you have no idea how happy I am to meet you and to be here. Where did you find me? You look like SID, but your hair is shorter." She looked at him carefully. "And you’re bigger, more muscular. I’m sorry I’m babbling Officer White. I’ve dreamed of being back here so many times in the last month."

Bud watched her as she placed her hand gently on her abdomen. The only time he’d ever seen a woman touch herself like that was if she was pregnant. She didn’t look pregnant at all. Maybe she was crazy. She said some things that didn’t make sense.

"Do you need to sit down, Miss? I found you in the middle of the street wrapped in that sheet. What’s your name?"

"My name is Ashley Weston. May I use your phone, Officer White? I can call my father to send a car for me and take me home. Oh, you have no idea how good home sounds."

She hugged her arms around him again, held on tight and started to cry. The flood gates opened. Bud hated that shit. He never knew what to do with a crying woman. He held onto her and stroked her hair. He had to get a handle on this. It could be a police matter.

If there was one thing Bud could sense, it was a woman in trouble. What the hell was this girl doing lying in the middle of the street, in the middle of the night, and half naked? And if she wanted a car sent for her, she had dough. Otherwise she’d want the old man to come pick her up. He saw one earring sparkle in the light of the shop window. He bet they were diamonds.

"Listen, Miss….Miss Weston. Don’t cry. I’ll help you. I live a block from here. You can use my phone. It’s not like I got one in my pocket." He smiled at her, trying to stop her tears with a lame joke.

She cried for a bit longer. He continued to hold onto her and sensed she needed to get some grief out. He had no doubt that something happened to this girl. He felt the anger rise in him along with the urge to protect her. When she started to calm he asked her.

"Are you hurt anywhere? Should I get you to a hospital?"

She took the edge of the sheet and dried her tears. She looked up at him with a last sniff.

"No, Officer White. I’m not hurt. I’ll be fine. I don’t need a hospital. You don’t have a phone?" She looked disappointed and looked around at all the closed shops.

"What time of night is it? Every thing is closed." She looked in the lighted shop window. "Is this an antique shop?" She looked around some more. "Is that why these old cars are parked on the street?"

"Old cars?" Bud was confused. The two cars near them weren’t older than 10 years and the store window sure wasn’t that old shit from an antique shop. He wasn’t sure if she was confused or got conked on the head.

"My phone’s at my place. It’s about 2 AM. Look, Miss….Weston." He looked down at her feet and painted toes. "I’m going to carry you. You ain’t got any shoes. There can be all kinds of crap on these sidewalks."

She nodded. Bud scooped her up in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. She felt good in his arms. The scent of her sweet hair was in his nostrils. She laid her head on his chest. Bud sensed her fatigue and increased his pace. She was just a little bitty thing. Couldn’t weigh much more than 100 pounds.

By the time he got home, she was sound asleep in his arms. She seemed exhausted. Like her journey had left her in that state. She barely roused as he climbed the stairs and managed to open the door of his apartment. He gently set her on his bed and put a blanket over her. Let her sleep.

He looked down at her and gave a yawn. He was lucky. Tomorrow was his day off. He’d be pretty worthless if he had to get up in four hours. A real bear stalking around the station. Besides, Stens needed the day off. He hoped he didn’t spend half of it drinking. He seemed to be spending more of his time off drinking and whoring since his fiancée dumped his ass.

She was a nice girl. She couldn’t stand his running around all the time. She got wise to it before they married and left him. Stens acted like he was happy at first. No ball and chain around him, but he didn’t fool Bud. He knew he fucked up what could have been a good thing and his drinking had gotten worse.

Bud looked back at his new responsibility. She was a real looker with her long red curls and a sweet little curvy body. It was a long time since he had a girl like her in his bed. He grinned. He never had a girl like her in his bed. She was out of his league.

He yawned, grabbed his other pillow off the bed and an extra blanket. The couch was hard and too small for his hulking body. He threw his shirt over the back, kicked off his shoes and settled in the best he could. He was snoring in minutes. He must have walked 5 miles home tonight.

******

Ashley awoke with a start. She had no idea where she was. Redemption? She remembered Officer Bud White on Hollywood Boulevard. She jumped to her feet and nearly fell on her face. She was dizzy. Immediately she thought about the baby. What was she thinking when she took the chance and passed through the doorway again?

She hadn’t thought about the possibilities. She had to get out. But she was okay. Just that same disequilibrium she felt at first in Redemption. She sighed. She hadn’t made it back to Cort as she’d hoped. She had wanted to talk to him. She needed his advice and wanted his comfort. Who could provide that here? Her two best friends were the ones she thought of immediately. And what to do about SID now that she was home?

She didn’t want to hurt him despite being angry with him. He was no longer her captor, but still her lover and the father of her baby. Whether she liked it or not, that was the reality. She wouldn’t let him turn their baby into some world dictator, but he had the right to see his child. She had to analyze her feelings for SID. She was afraid she loved him. And hated him. Was he even a him?

A small smile passed over her face. He sure wasn’t a her. Why was he such a wonderful lover? And charismatic as he was maddening. Kind and caring one moment whilst the next he imprisoned her. Maybe her head was messed up over all this. There was never a time she wasn’t SID’s prisoner. Did she have Stockholm Syndrome? She’d heard it happened to some people after they’d been kidnapped and held hostage for some time.

Again she came back to the fact that SID was not human and couldn’t be judged as such. He required a whole new scale. One that had never been used before and was made up as she went along. She sighed. Perhaps that was the answer. She had to keep making it up as they went forward. She had no doubt he’d be coming for her again. Not after the evidence of her pregnancy she’d left for him in the bathroom.

She was quite surprised at where she was. How had the doorway transported her home? Had getting home truly been one blind step all along? Or in how many other places and times could she have landed? That sudden thought terrified her. She should never have taken the risk of going through the door again. The first time had been accidental. This time it had been her choice. She made it in desperation and it was wrong considering her pregnancy. Both she and the baby were vulnerable in new ways which differed from the woman who was found by Cort.

She focused on the man asleep on his couch. Once again she’d pushed a SID look alike out of his bed. This one was so big. He barely fit the couch. She grinned. He exuded manliness. So had Cort, but in a lither cat-like way. Yet, he was every bit as handsome as Cort and SID. Officer Bud White looked like he walked out of a 1950s film noir right down to his short buzz cut.

She took in their surroundings. No womanly touch in this place. She felt a sudden catch in her throat. Her heart skipped a beat. Everything in here was old. Simple and worn. Lived in yet not worn out. The place was small and drab. More a studio than a one bedroom apartment. She saw the telephone on a small wooden table in the dining area. It was a rotary dial telephone. She tried to remember seeing one of them. Maybe when she was a very small child, but it had been much more modern than what Bud had. This phone looked like something she’d only seen on I Love Lucy reruns.

She felt herself begin to hyperventilate. She struggled to slow down her breathing. A newspaper was folded on the floor aside of the couch. She looked around again. No computer in sight. No microwave. No television. The refrigerator was ancient. So was the rest of his furniture. Bud White hadn’t had a cell phone. She remembered him looking at her a bit funny. She’d forgotten with the relief of being in LA and the disorientation of her journey.

Oh, God! There were no cell phones in this LA. What year was it? She grabbed her sheet around her and ran for the newspaper. She dove toward it; arrived noisily. Her arm was caught in a painful vise-like grip.

"What the hell are you doing?" Bud White was no longer asleep.

"Ow, you’re gripping my arm too tight, Officer White. Bud, please, I have to see the newspaper."

Bud loosened his grip. There were already pink finger marks above her wrist. "You don’t ever rush in on a cop when he’s sleeping, Miss." His voice was both sleepy and grumpy, but also contained regret when he saw the color of the marks deepening on her arm. He looked at her warily.

"Did you think I was going to attack you with my sheet?" She rubbed her arm. "And my goal was the newspaper, not you." Her little nose was tipped angrily in the air. She felt her face flush when he suppressed a grin at her expense. She must look pretty comical.

"What year is it?" She focused back on her target. The LA Times, except it wasn’t The Times. It was the Herald & Express. There isn’t an LA Herald & Express. Not anymore. The date was below the paper’s name. May 29, 1955. Oh, no. This can’t be real. He said something to her. She looked wildly up at him. What had he said?

"1955. The year is 1955. Hey, you don’t look so good. Are you sure you didn’t hit your head on the street? And how did you end up lying in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard?"

"It can’t be. Not again." She began to hyperventilate in earnest. She felt like she was about to pass out. She couldn’t catch her breath. And then to add insult to injury, her stomach lurched. She was going to vomit. "Bathroom!"

Bud pointed to the door. Ashley was already half way there. She threw open the door, staggered in, leaned over the toilet and began to retch. It seemed to continue forever. She finally dropped exhausted onto the cold tile floor. She wiped her mouth with a piece of rough toilet paper and started to cry. It quickly devolved into uncontrollable sobbing.

******

His hand reached past her and flushed the toilet. Bud squatted down beside her and handed her a glass of water. She smiled gratefully at him and tried to take the glass. Her hand was shaking so badly she couldn’t hold it. He held it for her as she took a sip and swirled it around in her mouth, spit it into the toilet and repeated it again. "Thank you," she murmured barely above a whisper.

He set the glass in the bathroom sink and picked her up in his arms. Bud carried her back to his bed. Small hitching sobs escaped from her every few seconds. He laid her down. She curled up in a little ball. Bud covered her with his blanket. He stood looking down at her and rubbed the stubble on his chin. What the hell was he going to do with her?

He grabbed a chair and pulled it up aside his bed. He sat down to be closer to her level. She was such a pretty thing. Best he not notice. He reached out and pushed the long red curls out of her face. Her visible eye opened and fixed on his face.

"Listen, Miss Weston. Ashley. I want to help you, but you have to let me. If you’re sick, I need to call an ambulance. Or give me your old man’s name to call him to come and get you. I want you to tell me what happened to you." His voice was kind, but firm.

She smoothed her hair back and looked at him. Tears on her cheeks, and her lower lip trembled. "You’ve done nothing but help me, Bud. I’m very grateful to you. I’m not sick. I’m pregnant. And I tried to escape from where I was being held. I did a very foolish thing. I could have put myself and my baby in jeopardy. You found me lying in the street?" She gulped a deep breath, trying to regain her calm and equilibrium when he nodded. She stopped crying.

Bud had no doubt that there was a crime involved now. She had said she tried to escape where she was being held. That meant she was held against her will. She was a hostage, probably been kidnapped. That fit in with the rich father if she’d been taken for his money. Had the kidnappers known she was pregnant? That would have complicated matters. Bud stiffened. How long had she been held?

"How long ago were you kidnapped?" Bud held his breath as he awaited her answer.

"It’s been a month. I just found out today I’m pregnant. It was why I ran when I shouldn’t have. It was too dangerous." Her hand slipped down and rested on her flat belly. She looked him in the eye.

"I wasn’t pregnant when I was kidnapped, Officer White. I wasn’t kidnapped for mine or my Father’s money though they were partly what brought me to his attention. I was taken to have SID’s baby. And he’ll be coming to take me back. He’ll know I’m pregnant." She sighed.

"And I wish I could have you call my Father to come pick me up, but the problem is Daddy was born in 1956." She looked him directly in the eyes. "When I escaped, it was 2008. I won’t be born until late in 1983." She held his gaze.

Bud held her clear direct gaze. She believed everything she just told him. She’s a nut case if she wanted him to believe she was some girl from the future who got here by mistake. Was she even kidnapped or did she wander away from some loony bin? Bud lowered his voice when he spoke.

"Listen, Miss Weston. Do you know where you came from? Somebody should be able to help from there."

"I live in Malibu, Officer White. My house hasn’t been built yet. I know you don’t believe me, but don’t try to patronize me. I’m not crazy or delusional. I’m completely lucid and I’m stuck again in the past. That bastard SID. Nothing is ever simple around him." She sighed. Her eyes lit up suddenly.

"Close your eyes, Bud." She hardly waited until she whipped the sheet off her body. Bud’s eyes reluctantly shut. The view was much better with them open. Nuts or not, she was a real looker. "Okay you can open them now."

Bud looked her over. She was covered in his blanket. She was going over the edges of the sheet, looking for something. Finally she held the sheet out to him.

"Look at the manufacturer’s tag, Bud. See the year the sheet was made. I pulled this off the bed in the room I was being held in. I didn’t have any of my clothes."

Bud took the sheet from her to humor her. He looked at the tag. "It says 2006." He did a double take. Sure as shit that was the date on the tag and it wasn’t written on, but imprinted into the material.

Bud looked at her skeptically. "Listen, girlie. Are you trying to flim flam me? Are you some kinda con artist? Remember I’m a cop. I’ll have your ass in the slammer quicker than you can say it."

She looked at him all wide eyed and innocent. Bud gave her a steely eyed gaze. She sure as shit looked truthful or she was real good. She closed her eyes and a tear rolled down her cheek. He didn’t need no more of that crying.

"Listen, why don’t you start from the beginning of all this. Go over it and give me all the details." The part that niggled at Bud was everything she said sounded truthful if crazy. She looked truthful. As a cop you got a sense of people. You could read them. Tell if they were lying through their teeth after a while. He hadn’t sensed any of that with her.

What she looked was scared, tired, stressed and sick. If she was lying, he’d never seen anyone able to make themselves the pasty color she was right now. She started haltingly and poured out the most fantastic complicated bullshit story he’d ever heard. And he’d heard some doozies.

And he was absolutely sure she believed every word of it. Which brought him back to her being nuts. Except she seemed completely lucid. He’d seen some real mental cases that they’d dropped off at the psych ward at County. She wasn’t anything like that. Didn’t seem delusional. Made a lot of sense if what she was saying could happen. She seemed so fucking truthful and innocent.

He sure wasn’t having her carted off to County. He heard some of the shit that went on down there. Everything about her shouted out that she’d been victimized. He wasn’t going to do that to her again. And she’s no danger to anyone and he didn’t think she was to herself either. He had to be sure.

"Were you trying to hurt yourself when I found you lying in the street?"

"Bud, I swear if I’d have known I’d appear in the street, I’d have never tried to escape. I might have been willing to take a chance with my safety to get away, but I’d never have put my baby in danger. Never." She said it vehemently. Bud believed her. She hadn’t tried to kill herself. Now as for the rest of her bullshit story…

He believed she’d been kidnapped. He’d put some tracers out on this girl; quietly at the station. She hadn’t just appeared, despite what she said. This guy, SID, would be looking for her. Her family must be too. And if he had anything to say about it, this scum sucker SID, would never touch her again.

He’d drugged her, kidnapped her and raped her. Then he kept her captive as his sex slave for another month. Bud shook his head. He ached to crack his knuckles, wrap his hands around the guy’s neck and choke the life outta him. He’d give the prick some justice.

He’d be ready for him. For a moment he wondered if he should lure him here so he could have a shot at him. He looked at Ashley. That could put her in more danger depending on how good this scum was. As much as he wanted the guy, he had to protect the girl firstly.

"Look, it’s still early. Why don’t you lay down and get some rest. You’re not looking so good around the edges. Can I get you something?"

Ashley scooted back in the bed toward the pillow. She made sure she was well wrapped in the blanket. She looked up at him. "Do you have any tea, Bud? And a few crackers?"

"Yeah, I think I got them. Let me check the kitchen." Bud puttered around the kitchenette and found some tea and crackers that weren’t too stale. He put water on to boil. By the time he came back into the bedroom, she was curled up on her side in his bed and soundly asleep. He set the cup and crackers down and watched her. Her color was better now that she was sleeping.

He shook his head and quietly made his way to the phone. He dialed the station and talked to a guy he knew to run a check on her. On the quiet. Whatever he could find on her and her family. He told him he’d call him back later. He had no last name on this SID guy to check out if he had any priors. He’d have to see if she knew his last name. He fought back a smile when he recalled SID was a time traveler from the future and might not have a last name.

He chuckled under his breath as he made his way back to the couch. Had she really believed that shit? The guy must have her bamboozled. He must be slick as oil. Including he convinced the girl she hadn’t been raped all month. He’d gotten that as she finished her story. She had feelings for this guy. That was going to make her future more difficult to get back to her other life.

Bud thought of his mother and his life after his old man killed her. It had never been the same after that. Maybe it never could be. No going back. Life changed forever.

Bud was tired. He needed sleep. He grabbed his blanket off the floor where he’d thrown it when he thought she was coming at him. He watched her sleep for a moment before he laid his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. He grinned when he remembered her asking if he thought she was going to attack him with her sheet. She had spunk. Even if she was nuts.

******

Ashley awakened again. All curled up in Bud’s bed. Light was peeking in under the drawn window shade. It’s daytime now. She had to make some decisions on what she was going to do.

SID was coming for her. She had no doubt. But how hard had she made if for him to find her this time? And how mad would he be that she had run from him?

1950s LA had to be more hospitable for her than 1880s Redemption. It was still more than 50 years before her time. Technology would be much less developed than she was used to. And a woman’s role in this society would be different.

She watched the sleeping hulk of a cop named Bud White. She would have preferred being back in Redemption to have Cort help her rather than Bud. She saw the skeptical look on his face. He thinks she’s crazy or deluded. Cort believed her. She smiled at the thought of him. So strong, so true, and sooo delicious. Ah, Cort.

Obviously she had a thing for Cort; make that two of them. Cort and SID. And how is it that each time she’s gone through the door, she ended up meeting and being helped by a man who looked like SID, but couldn’t be more different from him in every other way?

Would it happen every time? And how many different places and times could she have traveled to? God, what if she’d have appeared in a foreign place and time long before Cort’s time? Would one of the men be there? The 1880s American West had seemed harsh and primitive enough. Lack of modern healthcare was a much larger issue now that she was pregnant. Women with difficult births often lost their babies or died themselves prior to the 20^th century. She shuddered at the thought.

What part would Bud play in all this? Somehow there was connection between her and these men. Is it because of SID or was he simply a part? She sighed. So many questions, with no answers forthcoming. Did SID know the answers? And if he did would he tell her? She thought not unless she ever became more than a possession to him.

Could SID love her and she love him back? Well, that was the really important question to her, wasn’t it? Could the top of her head blow off with so many unanswered questions? She grinned. Highly unlikely even if it felt that way.

Ashley was certain SID would arrive here. She should enjoy this journey while she could. She had a chance to experience her beloved Los Angeles fifty years ago. And Bud would be her guide. She grinned. Somehow he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to embrace that role. Her interactions with him and their Spartan surroundings suggested a no nonsense bachelor cop.

Ashley spotted and grabbed the tea and crackers. She took some sips of the lukewarm sweet tea. It felt good on her stomach. She nibbled on a slightly chewy cracker. They were half stale, but tasted wonderful in her empty and currently calm stomach. She watched The Incredible Hulk sleep. She almost choked on the cracker crumbs due to the nickname. She grinned because it fit him so well.

All that bundled up energy seemed at peace as he slept. His face held the expression of a sweet choir boy. His body looked horribly uncomfortable as he spilled over the couch. She remembered what his hair felt like beneath her fingers. Soft and spiky. The smile that curled her lips was very different this time and far less innocent. Her cheeks flushed. She took another bite of cracker and continued to watch him.

"Are you gonna sit there and eyeball me all morning?" His eye opened to catch her gaze on him.

Ashley choked in earnest. She had no idea he was awake. She coughed and tried to catch her breath. He swung his legs over the side of the couch and sat up. His muscular arms in that t-shirt were enough to not only choke a girl to death, but also stop her heart while it happened. They flexed and bunched as he stood up.

The Hulk approached her and stopped. She motioned to him she was all right though she was still coughing. He had a gleam in his eye like he thought he should wallop her across the back to dislodge anything that might be stuck. If he walloped her, she might be propelled across the room. But, that wasn’t what was stopping him.

Bud was partly behind her and looked down on her not in a different way than she had watched him sleep. Ashley was naked in the back from the top of her head down to the cleft between her soft curvy derriere. She had the blanket tucked modestly around her front, but she’d had her back toward the headboard of the bed. There had seemed no reason to be wrapped up like a mummy as she’d been earlier.

She froze as the goose bumps spread across her back. She waited for the feel of his large hand on her skin. But, it didn’t come. He had frozen too. She looked up into his eyes and saw desire there. They were still focused on her flesh. He wanted to touch her, maybe devour her.

Ashley had been devoured by a man that looked at her in the same fashion for an entire month. And that man had looked like Bud. As much as she would probably enjoy being touched by him, now was not the time. She broke the moment when she tucked the blanket around her back and covered herself to the waist.

"I’m all right, Bud. Thank you." She took a deep breath and then sipped the tea.

******

Bud had the best intentions. He hadn’t come up behind her to pull her off the bed, into his arms and fuck her. He meant to hit her on the back while she choked. When he saw the smooth, soft and naked skin of her back as it curved down to her ass, he wanted her. The goose bumps had spread across her flesh in heightened awareness. He wondered if her nipples peaked. His nostrils flared trying to catch her scent.

She’d looked into his eyes. He saw desire returned. What stopped him was the uncertainty he also saw. She pushed the blanket around her. He backed away. He remembered the month she’d had. If he took her now, he’d be no better than that asshole SID who’d took what he’d wanted from her.

He closed his eyes for a moment while he pulled his body back under control. He wanted to pull the blanket off, spread her legs and thrust his cock between those red curly hairs. Had he ever fucked a redhead? Not a real one. He sucked in a breath to stifle a moan.

"Yeah, right, okay. Good." The words came out lamely. Their eyes met. Her cheeks reddened and she smiled.

"Bud, do you think you could find a way to get me some clothes today? I haven’t had real girl clothes on in a month. I’d feel more comfortable in clothes. I’m sure you’d feel better if I was too."

Bud looked at her, but no words came out at first. He’d enjoy it a helluva lot more if she didn’t have any clothes on, but there was no way he could say that and have it sound right. He smiled. Nobody to say he couldn’t think it.

"Sure thing, Ash…, Miss Weston. You’ll have to tell me what you’d need and the sizes. There’s a dress shop two doors down." It wasn’t too expensive. Bud could easily swing something for her to wear.

"Thank you, Bud. And please call me Ashley. I’ve been calling you Bud. I could pawn my earrings to pay for everything if you know a place."

"Miss…Ashley. There is no need to hock those earrings yet. I ain’t that poor. I can afford some clothes and food for you. Especially with as small as you are and as little as you eat. And the places I know to pawn stuff, you shouldn’t be there."

"Okay, Bud, but if the cost becomes too much, I’ll sell an earring. I wonder if the dress sizes are the same here as when I’m from?" She tapped her finger on her lip. "Bud, do you have a tape measure? That way I can write down my measurements and they’ll know what size to give you in the store."

Bud watched her. She was completely lucid, yet she said it again. ‘When I’m from,’ instead of where. Bud figured he’d humor her until he could prove to her she was from here and now. He wondered how things were going at the station on his inquiry. No call yet. He hadn’t answered her question.

"No, yes…fuck if I know. Let me check in the kitchen."

******

Ashley smiled as she watched Bud rummage through a drawer in his kitchen, pulling out pieces of string and other assorted items. No tape measure as yet. If she needed to, she could measure herself with the string and Bud could take the pieces to the store for them to measure her size. She looked around his sparse apartment. This man badly needed a woman to put up curtains, arrange some fresh flowers and put some smiles and sweet touches into his place. She sighed. That was not for her to do. She wouldn’t be here long enough. Somehow she knew that SID was searching for her already. The only question was how long it would take for him to find her this time.

Bud grunted and she looked at him. He was holding up a tattered tape measure that had most definitely seen better days. She suppressed a grin.

"Um, and some tape if you have it? We can fix that up fine. I know most men don’t know their measurements as they have them taken at the tailor’s when they get a new suit. I knew my measurements, but I don’t know if they have shifted around at all. I know I’ve lost weight in the last month, but now…with the baby." She shrugged. It was probably too soon for the baby to show any changes on the tape measure.

Bud carried the tape measure over and handed it and some tape to her. She taped up the areas that seemed as though they’d rip if she put it around herself. When she finished she looked up at Bud. "Bud, have you ever been married?"

"Nope. You?"

"I came close. I was engaged once, but it didn’t work out." He nodded. "Do you want to get married, Bud?"

"Probably not. Hell if I know. With the old man I had, it might be better if I didn’t."

It was Ashley’s turn to nod. She wondered what was wrong with his father, but wasn’t sure he was inviting the question from his answer. She decided not to pry and leave it up for him to share. From what she’d noticed so far, Bud wasn’t a big talker.

"I always thought that was what I wanted, Bud. Love, marriage and children. In that order. Happily every after. I guess that can’t happen now." She rubbed her hand lightly over her stomach. "Maybe it never could except in a Disney picture. But, my best friend’s parents have been married over 30 years. They still love and respect each other. They hold hands when they take a walk in the park. They are happy." She sighed and looked up at him. "Maybe it’s only the lucky few who really find that?"

******

Bud nodded. He wasn’t going to bullshit her. He didn’t believe in happily ever after. That was a fucking fairy tale. She looked so lost and forlorn. Bud wanted to pull her into his arms, comfort her and hold her. He was strongly drawn to her. Bud knew if she gave him a go ahead, he wouldn’t stop at comforting. The guys at the station joked that he was a sap with a woman in trouble. He’d never met one before that practically fell into his arms and needed him this bad. Correction; needed someone. And there was something else with her that he couldn’t describe.

He needed to stay at arm’s length from her. He handed her a piece of paper and a pencil to write her measurements on and then looked away. If he looked in those baby blues too long, he was a goner.

*******

When Ashley looked into Bud’s eyes she knew it was happening again. Despite the fact Bud thought she was daft the attraction was growing between them. Somehow she knew this was SID’s doing. She didn’t know how, but he was responsible. Somehow he’d orchestrated coming to her time and made sure she was attracted to him as he was wildly attracted to her. But each time she’d gone to another time and place, there was another man who helped her and looked remarkably like SID. And the strong attraction existed between them also. How could she explain this to Bud? At this point she couldn’t or he’d really think she was loony tunes.

Ashley gathered her sheet around her and took the repaired tape measure, paper and pencil to his bathroom to get her measurements. She knew his eyes were watching her as she walked away from him. It took everything she had not to put a little sway into her hips to entice him more. She knew she didn’t really need that. The longer the time they spent together, that would happen without any encouragement from her. She shut the door gently behind her.

Ashley sighed as she measured herself and wrote down all her measurements. She most certainly had lost weight. An inch or two off each her bust, hips and waist. Her waist was 19 inches. It had never been that small. She supposed it wouldn’t be for much longer as the baby grew. What was available in 1955 for her to help her baby grow properly? Did they have prenatal vitamins? She wondered if there were any vitamins yet. She’d probably have to wait until she got back home.

She tucked the sheet carefully around her as she emerged from the bathroom. Ashley looked down at Bud’s rather large feet. "Bud, what size shoe do you wear?"

"An eleven. Why? I don’t think mine would fit you." He grinned as he looked down at her tiny feet.

She grinned back at him. "Hardly, Bud. But, that is what I’d have guessed, so the shoe sizes are the same in my time." She wrote size five shoe down on the paper and handed it to him. "That should cover everything I’ll need. Thank you again, Bud."

"Maybe you shouldn’t thank me until you see what I bring back. I don’t know how to dress a girl." He looked at her, trying to figure a way to take her dressed in a sheet. "I hope the shop girl can help." He looked unconvinced.

"Oh, I’m sure she can, Bud. As long as you bring me something to be worn by a girl and it doesn’t look like a potato sack, I’ll be happy." On impulse she leaned up and kissed his cheek.

She swore the big cop blushed just a bit. "Oh and may I borrow a towel, Bud? I’d like to wash up while you’re gone. Bud gave her a clean towel and washcloth and headed out the door.

It felt great to take a shower. The water pressure was awful, but she managed to wash her long red locks and get them rinsed. The soap was harsh. She wondered if they had bath gels yet. Then she giggled at the thought. Even if they did, Bud White would not be a bath gel kind of guy.

She washed his comb and used it for her hair. With no conditioner the tangles were murder to get out. Another thing Bud wouldn’t have would be a brush. With as short as his hair was, he didn’t need one. Sufficiently clean and wrapped up in her sheet again, she started nosing around his place. It wasn’t like she was trying to be a snoop, but she was curious what things were like in 1955 and she was bored.

Everything seemed so old, but functional. Ashley had a feeling Bud was a man who liked things functional and simple. She grinned. She was making a lot of assumptions about the man although she hadn’t spent that much time with him. He certainly was a man’s man and didn’t like fuss. Just about the polar opposite of her who was completely girlie and liked fussy and frilly girl things. Even to a girlie girl like her, a man like Bud was completely intriguing.

Her mind wandered as she imagined what it would be like to be in his strong, solid and passionate embrace. She’d feel so tiny in those big strong arms…with his bulging biceps. She hugged herself and then giggled. This was entirely not the direction her mind needed to be going around Bud White. Besides he couldn’t possibly be attracted to her any longer. Ew, she’d vomited in front of him.

Ashley saw the paper and a pencil still by the drawer the tape measure had been in. She had an idea. It was an incredibly long shot, but maybe, just maybe it could work. There was nothing to lose. And it gave her a chance to thank Bud for helping her if SID came and whisked her away like he did from Cort in Redemption.

She sat down and carefully thought about what she wanted to say and then composed the note. When she’d finished, she signed it, "thank you, Ashley Weston." She started to fold the note, but impulse made her open it again and scroll a few more words down. She wanted to write, "Please believe me," but Ashley had the feeling that when SID came and they exited this time, Bud would have the proof he needed. She wrote Bud’s name on the outside of the paper and placed it folded inside the drawer. She put the tape measure on the edge of the note to keep it in place.

Ashley was bored, hungry and a little sleepy. She crawled into Bud’s bed and fell asleep immediately. She didn’t stir until Bud came fumbling in the front door loaded down with bags.

******

Bud grumbled under his breath all the way home and up the stairs. How the hell could such a little girl need all the shit in these bags to get dressed? The shop girl had been helpful, maybe too much. She found her mark. Bud didn’t have a clue so whenever she said the lady would need this or that, Bud said okay. How the hell did he know what she needed? Bud thought about the last time he undressed a woman and he didn’t remember her having all that shit on to take off. Course she was a prostitute so maybe she hadn’t worn as much to start.

He wondered if babysitting this crazy dame was going to take all day. Probably. And he still had to go get his car and fix it well enough to get it home. He thought it was a belt which would be pretty simple, but he needed the part and the time to take care of it. Not to mention it was on the west fucking side of LA. And he didn’t want to leave her alone. He could only imagine the trouble she could get into on her own in 1955 when she thought it was 2008. He grinned at that.

The bigger reason not to let her alone was that shitbird, SID. He knew he was coming after her and he’d take her if she was unattended. And one thing Bud knew is she’d tried to escape more than once from what she’d said. She definitely needed looking after. This meant she was coming with him to get his car. He rolled his eyes at the thought. At least she wouldn’t be dressed in a sheet.

He fumbled with the lock and doorknob. It was awfully quiet inside. Should he have left her alone? The door was still locked. Bud hurried in. Ashley sat straight up in his bed, bleary eyed…as the sheet fell down around her waist. Bud froze, knowing he should turn around, but it wasn’t till she pulled at the sheet to cover herself that he did. Christ, she was beautiful. Her breasts were full and high with pink nipples that contrasted perfectly with her creamy skin. Bud wondered what her nipple would feel like pinched between his fingers.

Bud had to shake himself to rid his mind of the image of his hands on her breasts. Instead his mind leapt to imagining what it would be like to suckle on one of those beautiful tits. Shit, what the fuck was wrong with him? It must be too long since he’d been with a woman. Then fate had plunked a beautiful naked one right in his bed. He cleared his throat.

"Um, I got the clothes for you." He held up the bags. None too soon, he thought. It was about time he got clothes on her.

She hurried over to him, sheet securely tucked around her. Her face was bright red. She took the bags from him. "Thank you so much, Bud. I’ll get dressed right away."

"Yeah, good idea." He walked out into the kitchen and ran his hand over his face. When he heard the bathroom door close, he threw cold water on his face and dried it with a kitchen towel. He’d gotten a pretty good look at most of her parts now and they’d burned a helluva an image in his brain that he’d have a hard time not seeing every time he looked at her. She sure was a beauty. None of them Hollywood starlets looked better than her.

Bud looked through his frig and saw there wasn’t much to eat. He drank some milk from the bottle and stuck it back on the shelf. Maybe she was feeling better and he could take her out for something to eat. There was a good diner on the corner of Hollywood and Wilcox. He could eat some eggs, toast, bacon and coffee. He ate out most of the time. He didn’t bother to cook much at home. He looked up when he heard her clear her throat.

******

The look on Bud’s face was comical. He was staring at her from the kitchen with his mouth hanging open. Ashley didn’t want to laugh, but a grin definitely came to her face. She felt wonderful to have clothes on for the first time in a month. And she felt like a little girl playing dress up in her grandmother’s closet. Bud and the shop girl had done well. Everything fit adequately and the long full skirt was adorable. She liked the blouse and there was a scarf for her neck and a matching one to tie back her hair in a ponytail. The bobby socks and saddle shoes completed the look. Ashley still hadn’t been able to analyze the look on Bud’s face.

"Well, what do you think, Bud? How do I look?" She twirled gracefully around for him.

"Like jail bait. How old did you say you are?"

Ashley giggled. So that was the look. She tended to look much younger than she actually was because of her diminutive size. When she went out with her friends she always got carded. "I didn’t. Don’t you know it’s not polite to ask a lady her age?"

"Not if she’s a girl who should have her ass in high school instead of being wrapped up in a sheet on Hollywood Boulevard in the middle of the night and who I should be hauling into juvie."

Ashley laughed again and put her hand on her heart. "I promise you, Officer White that not only am I past the age of 18, I’m also past the age of all consent. I’m 24 years old, Bud. So don’t worry. I’m not jail bait. I haven’t walked the hallways of high school for 6 years. I take it that I look presentable other than underage?"

Ashley saw Bud’s eyes linger on her. His face showed skepticism about her age. "Yeah, you look fine as long as nobody from the station sees me. I’d never hear the end of the cradle robbing jokes," he grumped.

"Then we must avoid your division, Bud. What’s on your agenda for the day?"

******

Agenda? Bud didn’t have an agenda. He just had shit that needed to get done on his day off. He looked at her again. She sure didn’t look 24. More like 16. Hell, she’d looked older with no clothes on. That image still seared in his brain. She didn’t talk like a kid. He’d have to believe her on this one.

"I have to get to my car, get it fixed and back here. You’ll have to come with me. I’m hungry. Could you eat something?"

"I’m feeling fine right now, Bud. And I can’t wait to get outside and feel free. Lead the way." She stuck out her hand to him.

Bud grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door. Time to get going. Bud worked a lot of hours. He didn’t take many days off. When he had them, he had stuff to get done. Out of the building he moved quickly down the sidewalk until she called his name. He looked at her for the first time since they left his place.

Her hair shone in the sun light. Highlights of fire where the curls streamed down her back. She was even prettier in the light of day. Big blue eyes. Pink cheeks. Sweet curvy little figure. The guys at the station wouldn’t be asking him where he picked up the jailbait; they’d be wondering how the hell a guy like him was with an angel like her. She was a head turner.

"What?"

"I know you’re a big man, Bud, but I’m not and I can’t walk this fast. I need you to slow down a bit. Please." Her nose was tipped in the air.

Bud grinned. He’d seen that look before. She may be a little thing, but she had a backbone and temper. He put effort into slowing his pace. "Sorry, I walk fast." He glanced down and saw the bruises in the shape of his fingers on her arm. They looked worse in the light of day. Bud felt guilty when he realized he’d grabbed her that hard. She’d followed his line of vision.

"Its okay, Bud. I know I startled you from your sleep. They don’t hurt. Keep going. Just a little slower." She started forward in the direction they’d been walking.

Bud wondered if she always forgave this easily. Maybe that was why she seemed to have feelings for the shitbird who’d kidnapped and raped her. Bud really hoped he’d get his hands on him when he came looking for her. He figured the guy was owed some real payback. Bud was just the guy to give it to him.

They reached the diner and had breakfast. Bud watched her. She seemed to feel better though all she ate was some toast with jam. She asked for a latte. Both he and the waitress gave her an incomprehensible look. She quickly revised her request to a glass of milk. She whispered to him after the waitress left.

"I’m sorry, Bud. I forgot you don’t have lattes and cappuccinos in this time. I need to start drinking milk, but I don’t like it very much. I was hoping to mask the taste with the espresso."

Humor her, White. Bud had to do everything not to roll his eyes at the time crack again. She was so earnest. "So what are a latte and a cappuccino? Sounds like some foreign crap."

She smiled and got animated as she described espresso coffee and steamed milk with some whipped foam on top. "They’re very good, Bud. I bet you’ll like them some day since you like coffee and milk."

"Sounds like some girly crap to me," Bud grumped. "Do you like chocolate?"

"Oh, yes. Don’t all girls?" She grinned at him.

The waitress brought their coffee and milk. Bud asked the waitress to bring some chocolate syrup. She set it on the table. He picked it up and poured some from the can into her glass of milk. "Stir it. That’ll be better than the stuff you were talking about."

******

Ashley chuckled. Of course, Hershey’s syrup. She hadn’t had it in so long, she’d completely forgotten about it. She was pleased to see it existed in 1950s LA. She stirred the milk, added another spoon and savored the sweet chocolate milk. Delicious.

"Thank you, Bud. That’s how I’ll drink my milk from now on. I’m sure happy you have Hershey’s syrup here. It’s nice to know some wonderful things have been around a long time." She drank another long swallow of the chocolate milk. This was a major improvement over simple milk.

Ashley saw the look Bud gave her. The ‘lets humor the crazy girl’ look. She sighed. Eventually he’d know she was telling the truth. A few minutes around SID would erase all his skepticism. It surely had hers.

They finished their very good breakfast. Ashley liked watching Bud eat. He had a very big healthy appetite. He ate as much in one meal as she ate in a day. And the muscles in his arms would bunch up against his suit coat as he fed himself. Not that Ashley noticed.

Their attraction to one another continued to grow in the time they spent together. Ashley should have been more wary, but she was enjoying her freedom so much. She felt joyous even if it was in Los Angeles during a different time. It was the closest she’d been to home in over a month.

As they walked down the sidewalk after breakfast she had to curtail the urge to skip or twirl around. She grinned to herself. Bud really would think she was a nutcase. Well, more than he already did. They were on their way to the auto parts store so Bud could get what he needed to fix his car. Ashley had to be really irritating Bud. She’d suddenly stop to look at a landmark she knew in Hollywood, but looked so different in 2008. It was like taking a living history tour of Los Angeles over 50 years ago. It was fascinating.

Ashley linked her arm in his as they walked toward the store. Every time he glanced at her she gave him a brilliant smile. She felt so happy and free. She had no idea the effect her glances and touches were having on Bud White. She forgot how strongly the attraction ran in both ways.

******

Bud was beginning to wonder what the hell was wrong with him today. Had it really been that long since he’d been with a woman? Each time Ashley smiled at him or touched him it was a reminder of the last time he’d been intimate and he wanted to end his dry spell.

She was under his protection now. She was a victim. Hell, she was pregnant. He couldn’t think of her as merely an attractive, beautiful and alluring woman. Who was sleeping in his bed and he’d seen naked. Again the image of her body flashed into his mind, forcing him to clear it out again.

They stopped at the auto parts store and Bud got all the parts he thought he might need. He knew the owner and could bring back what he didn’t use without a charge. Bud scowled at a couple of men in the store including some mechanics when he caught them eyeing up Ashley. Christ, she should come with a fucking warning sign. She kept smiling in that sweet sunshiny way of hers which made them gawk more at her.

"C’mom. It’s time to get you out of here." He grabbed her hand, pulled her out of the store and down the street. He stopped at a bench. "Sit here and we’ll wait for the bus. It’s too far for you to walk to where my car is."

"We’re going to take the city bus?" Ashley sat down, crossed one leg prettily over the other and folded her hands in her lap. "I’ve never been on the bus before. This will be fun."

Bud shook his head and sat down next to her. Never been on the bus? Yet again she completely lacked guile and seemed sincere as crazy as it sounded. And he remembered that she was rich. She probably was driven everywhere.

They waited about 20 minutes at the bus stop and the bus took another 30 minutes to drop them off about 2 blocks from where his car had broken down. Bud thought about checking in on Stens, but he didn’t want to see if Stens was already drinking on their day off.

Ashley had dozed against his shoulder on the trip over. He had to wake her gently when he pulled the cord for their stop. She stifled a little yawn and looked up at him with those big blue trusting eyes.

"Wake up. We’re almost there." He said it much too gruffly. The bus pulled up to the stop and he had to steady her as she staggered to her feet. His hand shot out to grab her tiny waist, but she stopped him.

"I’m okay now, Bud. Thank you." She walked toward the front door of the bus and stopped by the driver before getting off. "Thank you very much, sir." She flashed that high wattage smile of hers.

Bud swore that was the first smile he’d ever seen on that grumpy old bastard’s face. And miraculously the driver’s face didn’t even crack.

"You’re very welcome, Miss."

******

SID kicked at the senatorial robes on the floor a few times for good measure. He was very angry at her. He caught a glimpse of himself in his full length mirrors and stopped for just a moment to preen and admire his beauty. His expression darkened as he kicked at the robe another time. He’s lost a whole day already. He would try to arrive around the time Ashley got to 1950s Los Angeles, but he couldn’t be guaranteed of the exact moment the way the time fluctuated through the passage. Within several hours.

He’d wasted all that time in ancient Rome and had nothing to show for it. Almost nothing he thought with a grin. He held up the delicate gold bracelet meant to grace the small upper arm of a beautiful woman. Perfect for his Ash-lee. He shouldn’t have thought of her at all after everything she’d put him through. His eyes glittered in anticipation of seeing the coiled gold on her pale skin as she reclined in their bed clad in nothing except the bracelet. He felt his cock stir and looked at it in disgust of its neglect.

He’d been offered two slave girls to keep him company for the night and had to leave before he could partake of them. All because of Ashley and his concern that she or their baby could be damaged. He’d already discovered by that time she wasn’t in the Roman Empire near the pompous puffed up self important general. This was better. The General might have claimed her as his property. SID saw no irony in the fact that was exactly what he had done with her.

As he’d looked at the nubile girls he couldn’t help comparing them to his Ashley. Their ordinary attractiveness could not compare to her beauty and sophistication. He even missed her anger directed toward him. SID scowled at his reflection in the mirror. She must be punished this time for running away from him. Even if she thought she was merely going for a visit with the dirty dusty Sheriff.

Instead she was with the uncouth violent copper. If he harmed her in any way, he would be dead. Just being in his vicinity would probably be punishment enough for his Ash-lee. She would not be used to such a base vile man. She would throw herself on him in relief when he came to rescue her. Especially looking like he did. SID straightened his tie to perfection and smoothed down the wide lapels of his suit. His shoes were buffed to an exquisite shine. As he placed his hat on his head at a jaunty angle he knew he was irresistible. Ashley would beg for him at her first glimpse of his visual perfection.

SID wrapped the bracelet in a silk pouch and placed it in his pocket along with his hand held computer and locator to track Ashley in Los Angeles. He could be drawn to the spot where she entered the time, but tracking her down would take some time if she weren’t in a close proximity to her entry. He didn’t want her to feel the chip’s energy pulsate beneath her skin or she might discover it. He put the loaded revolver in his other pocket. He so enjoyed playing with the tools and toys of the times.

He made his way upstairs and into their shared room. It seemed empty and bare without her presence. SID strode into the closet toward the doorway. The room would soon be filled with her life force again. Lying at his side where his butterfly belonged. All would be complete with his child and his seed inside her.

******

"Oh, and what is that, Bud?" Ashley pointed to something under the hood of Bud’s big sedan. This was exciting looking inside the workings of an antique car as she stood by Bud’s side. His sleeves were rolled up and he was hard at work. He didn’t answer her. She looked up to make sure he heard her question.

Oops. By the look on his face he’d most definitely heard her.

"Don’t you every pipe down? It’s the radiator. Now let me work."

Ashley pouted and quieted for all of about 20 seconds until she was back at Bud’s side with another question. "And what are you doing now, Bud?" She followed his actions eagerly. "Was the problem what you thought it was?"

Bud stopped and looked at her. He grabbed his rag and cleaned the dirt and grease off his hands making sure he wouldn’t soil her dress. He picked her up with his hands around her tiny waist. He carried her like she weighed no more than a feather around the side of his car and sat her on the trunk. He’d have laughed at the comical shocked expression on her face if he wasn’t so annoyed.

"It’s what I thought it was. Now you sit here all nice and quiet until I finish repairing my car. You got that?"

Ashley nodded. Bud knew she was pissed off. Her little nose was pointed in the air again but she didn’t say a word. Bud walked back to his engine to finish his work. He couldn’t help himself when a grin stole across his face as he finished replacing the shredded fan belt. From the noise his car made last night he’d thought that was the problem. It had been so fucking dark and his flashlight didn’t work for shit so he hadn’t been certain.

He worked peacefully for several minutes with not a peep out of Ashley. At least that seemed to work. He was nearly done when he heard the sound of a souped up engine driving by and loud male catcalls and whistles being directed toward his car. Bud jerked up and banged his head hard on the inside of his hood. The string of expletives that flew from his mouth would have done any sailor or cop proud.

Ashley came running around the side of the car. "Are you alright, Bud? I heard the sound of your head hitting the hood. Oh you poor baby. Lean down and let me see."

Bud at first resisted, but Ashley was insistent. He leaned down and her fingers gently brushed through his hair to find the offending spot. Her fingers gingerly outlined the new lump on his skull. She tiptoed up and brushed her lips across the bump. Bud thought to pull away, but he didn’t. It felt cool and good.

"I’m so sorry, Bud. That must have really hurt. At least it’s not bleeding. My Mom always said to kiss it to make it feel better." She smiled sweetly at him. "Are you okay?"

"I’ll be fine." His tone softened. "That did feel better. I’m almost done, Ash. Just a few more minutes."

"Alright, Bud. I’ll go back and sit down." She turned to walk away.

"No. Just sit in the car. I was the one stupid enough to set you back there like a trunk ornament in the first place."

Bud heard her giggle as she opened up the passenger door to sit inside. His head throbbed like hell. He could sure use another one of those kisses.

******

Ashley sat beside Bud in his big car. Now she understood what the allure was for teenagers about making out in cars in the 1950s. The cars and seats were huge. There certainly was plenty of room. She grinned.

Bud was taking her on an outing. She knew it was silly to be so excited by a little trip over to the Santa Monica pier, but Ashley felt like she’d been cut off from the world for so long that simply going out to do something fun sounded fantastic.

They’d gone back to the auto parts store for Bud to return the items he didn’t need. Bud told her he had to make a call in to work. At one point she felt his eyes on her and she glanced up at him. He was talking on the phone while looking at her speculatively. It suddenly became clear. He was checking up on her and trying to track down her family. She only wished it would be so simple. Ashley knew that there would be no trace of her or her father. She wondered what her grandparents would be like. They’d be young and eager to start their life together. She wished she could meet them, but somehow it seemed wrong to her. Like it could mess with the order of the way things were supposed to develop naturally.

The massive freeway system that crisscrossed LA didn’t exist yet. The only freeway was the Pasadena freeway with its winding and turning route. They took surface streets out to the beach. Bud drove down Sunset Boulevard which wasn’t lined with shops, restaurants, motels and clubs all the way through the Hollywood area. There were many houses that no longer existed in her time and had been replaced by a mostly commercial area.

The city itself was so much smaller. It had more of a small town feel though the glitz of Hollywood and the studios flourished in the 1950s. The sprawling city after city interconnected with almost invisible barriers in her time weren’t here. There were many open areas. Open land and open lots. It seemed so much rougher and more western a town than the LA of her time. It was easy to forget the city had started as a dusty western pueblo. It was changing to move toward that city in her future.

The big wide open beach in Santa Monica looked the same. The city behind looked so much smaller. Ashley eagerly grabbed Bud’s hand and pulled him toward the sand.

"C’mon, Bud. Let’s go put our toes in the sand before we go to the pier." The wooden pier stood nearby looming out over the water. "It’s a nice warm sunny afternoon."

Bud gave her an almost shy grin. Ashley wondered when the last time Bud had walked on the beach even though he lived in LA. Ashley had lived in Malibu for the last several years and took a walk nearly every day along the coastline just a few miles north of here. There was something so calm and yet energizing about squishing your toes through the sand and listening to the surf as it broke on the shore.

Ashley pulled off her shoes and socks and gave a look of pleasure as her toes sank into the warm sand. She opened her eyes to find Bud watching her with an amused half smile on his face. His expression was very endearing. "Off with them, Mister." She pointed to his feet.

She grinned. "I don’t care if you have holes in your socks. Get those socks and shoes off."

Bud grumbled, but only half heartedly as he removed his socks and shoes. She saw the look on his face. He was enjoying himself. A pleased little smile stole across her lips as she gathered her skirt around her with the intention of sitting down in the sand.

"No, wait. We can sit on my suit jacket." He took it off and laid it on the sand before Ashley could protest him getting sand all over it.

Ashley was pleased at his gesture and thought it very gentlemanly and gallant. She sat carefully down on the edge and patted aside of her for Bud to sit down. Bud had a short sleeved shirt on. ‘Oh, my,’ she thought to herself as she saw how his arm muscles bulged as he sat down beside her. She pulled her gaze away before she became too obvious. She looked out at the sun sparkling like diamonds on the ocean.

She sighed. "Nature’s beauty, it’s so wonderful. Part of why I like the ocean so much is my mother used to bring me here when I was a little girl, Bud. It always makes me feel closer to her. Some day’s I still miss her so much."

Bud was very quiet and Ashley glanced over at him. He had a sad and dark expression on his face. He was lost in his own memories. She was surprised when he blurted out…

"My Mom used to bring me down to the pier when I was a little kid and put me on the carousel. There’s this one armored horse that looks like it belongs to a knight. She told me I was her knight in shining armor. Some knight. I couldn’t save her when the chance came."

Ashley linked her arm around Bud’s and laid her head on his shoulder. "I’m so sorry, Bud. How old were you?"

"Twelve."

"You were still a boy, Bud. You couldn’t be expected to save her." Ashley knew from his earlier comments that Bud’s father must have been responsible for his mother’s death.

Ashley had always blamed her father for her mother’s death. She’d always examined it from the perspective of the child she was when it happened. In the last month she’d thought about it a lot and she wasn’t so sure all the blame lay with her father. If she ever got home she wanted to talk with her father about her mother’s death for the first time. Even if he was indirectly responsible Ashley was sure that her father never meant her mother to die. She got the impression that wasn’t the case with Bud’s father.

"I was seven when my mother died. I’ve always thought she was watching down over me from Heaven. I’ll bet your mother is too, Bud. And she’d want you to be happy and have a good life." She looked up at him and gently brushed his cheek with her fingers before laying her head back down on his shoulder.

Bud didn’t answer either to affirm or negate what she said. They sat together and looked out over the ocean for a long time. Ashley felt Bud rest his head against hers. She snuggled closer against him to give him warmth and affection. She felt he was a man in great need of both. Not in a sexual way, but in a caring way.

The struggle and stress of her captivity with SID had left Ashley in need of comfort. She cherished those minutes they sat together in silence. It felt like a little part of her that had been depleted and drained was being renewed merely by their touch and camaraderie. Bud didn’t stir against her until she shivered. The sun was arching down and the late spring breeze started to feel cool.

"C’mon, Ashley. Let’s walk and get you warmed up." Bud got up and held his hand out to help her up. She saw the same reluctance in him to break the serenity their surroundings and closeness had given them. She put her hand in his and Bud pulled her onto her feet. Ashley had always been an affectionate girl who liked to hug when she felt happy. She was definitely happy at the moment so she threw her arms around his big chest and hugged him.

"Thank you, Bud. I can’t tell you how much this means to me." Ashley felt Bud stiffen for a moment and then finally relax in her arms. She smiled up at him and tiptoed up to kiss his chin. She couldn’t reach his nose where she wanted to plant the kiss so his chin would do. Her eyes sparkled with humor.

"You sure are a big man, Bud. I can’t even give you a proper bear hug." She teased.

"Well, you’re too itty bitty to give bear hugs anyway." A grin quirked across his lips.

"Are you calling me puny, Bud White?"

"Let’s just say I ain’t calling you an Amazon warrior."

"I can live with that." She gave him one more squeeze and then released him. "And how is your head doing by now."

"Still hard and still sore." He rubbed the bruised spot gingerly.

"If you lean down I’ll give it another kiss." She grinned and gave him a very coy look.

"Nah, I’ll save those lips of yours until later when they can be put to better use."

"Ooh, well said, Bud."

They grinned at each other, gathered up their socks and shoes and walked over to a bench off the beach to sit down and clean the sand off their feet. Bud looked at her feet and chuckled when he saw she had little flowers painted on her toenails. She wiggled her toes at him.

"Do you like them, Bud?"

******

"I’ll be damned," is what came out of Bud’s mouth. Sure, he’d seen girls have their toes painted before, but never with little pictures on them. "Yeah, they’re fine, Ash. Now put on your socks and shoes." He reached down for a sock and suddenly her toes were walking across his knee as she giggled. Bud caught her foot and held it in his hands.

"Christ, its freezing." He rubbed her foot to warm it up. Their eyes met when his rub changed to more of a caress. He cleared his throat and moved his hands away from her foot.

Ashley pulled her foot off his leg and the two of them put their shoes back on in silence. They stole a glance at one another when they were finished. Bud put his hand out to her. It was nearly as cold as her foot was. Bud shook the sand out of his coat and placed it over her shoulders.

"Won’t you be cold, Bud?

"No, I’m always hot like there’s a furnace inside me."

They walked onto the pier and Ashley pulled him toward the carousel. They stood watching it go around while the children squealed happily and waved to their parents. When it finally slowed Ashley pointed toward one of the horses.

"There it is. Your steed, Sir White." She squeezed his arm and smiled up at him.

Bud looked at the horse as it slowly turned from their sight and the carousel came to a stop. He remembered being one of those little kids waving to his mother. He’d been happy. It was a good memory. There were a few.

An hour later Bud was stuffed full of hot dogs and Coca Cola. Ashley was sipping on a chocolate milkshake while Bud was shooting bulls eyes at the shooting gallery on his way to winning her an ugly stuffed bear that was half of her size.

"Oh, you’re really a good shot, Bud." He pinged another target in the middle.

Bud leaned over and whispered to her in his low growl. "I’m a cop. I better be, Ash."

Ashley giggled and took another drawl on the thick milkshake. "I know that, Bud. Still, you’re very good. I’d bet better than most." He shot another target dead center.

"Top of my class at the Academy." He said matter of fact. With some pride, but no hint of a braggart.

"Well, you can protect and serve me anytime, Officer White. I’m in very good and steady hands around you." Her eyes sparkled with mirth.

Bud broke off his concentration before shooting the next shot and looked at her. It wasn’t a secret, but it was an odd thing for her to know. "How did you know the police academy’s motto, Ashley?"

In Ashley’s time ‘to protect and to serve’ was the motto of the whole Los Angeles Police Department and it was painted on the side of every black and white cruiser on the streets of LA. Evidently that wasn’t the case yet in the 1950s.

"Just wait and you’ll see, Bud. Someday it will be the motto for the whole LAPD. Keep shooting. You’re doing so well." She smiled at him.

Bud looked at her for a moment, shook his head and then went back to the targets hitting three clean through the middle in a row. The guy behind the counter congratulated him and told him he could pick out one of his largest stuffed bears for the little lady.

"Your choice, Ash." She leaned excitedly over the counter to peer at all the bears while drowning in his suit coat. She looked about 10 until you looked at her shapely gams. They weren’t the legs of a 10 year old.

"I’ll take that one." Bud followed her finger. She must have picked the fucking ugliest one of the bunch from what he could figure. The carnie guy got it down off the hook and handed it to Ashley. She was grinning ear to ear. The carnie guy had that same stupid smile on his face as the bus driver.

"Thank you, Bud. Isn’t it adorable?"

Bud grunted. He thought that might be better than telling her it was fucking ugly since she seemed so enamored with the thing. They continued their stroll down the pier and Bud took the bear from Ashley and tucked it under his arm before she ran into a piling because she couldn’t see around the thing.

Ashley stopped and Bud groaned when he followed her gaze. Before it came out of her mouth, he knew what she was going to say. She looked over at him and grinned.

"We have to, Bud. We can look at the lights and the ocean. Please?

Bud almost pointed out that they could see the lights and the ocean right from where they were standing, but the pleading look on her face convinced him. He wondered if she got what she wanted most of the time. She probably did; especially with that look.

"Alright, but then we’re heading home."

"Absolutely, Bud. Not one more thing."

The smile she gave him this time could dazzle any man. Bud was no exception. He bought two tickets for the Ferris wheel.

They were loaded onto a swinging car. Bud placed the stuffed bear between them until Ashley started to shiver. He moved it aside of him and scooted closer to her.

"C’mere and I’ll keep you warm, Ash." Bud put his arm around her and she snuggled into his embrace.

"You are warm, Bud. That feels so good."

The Ferris wheel started to spin around once the cars were loaded with the passengers. Bud had to admit the view was pretty spectacular from here and it was nice having a pretty girl he liked cuddled up with him. Finally when the wheel stopped they were swinging gently at the very top of the rotation. Bud pulled her closer into his arms without thinking about it.

"Are you having fun, Ash?" He looked down and met her eyes.

"Yes, Bud. Thank you for doing this. It was wonderful." She slipped her arm around his waist.

Bud leaned down and his lips met hers gently. He saw her eyes slip shut before he kissed her. He applied a bit more pressure to the kiss. Her other arm wrapped around his neck and he pulled her closer to him. They continued to kiss until the Ferris wheel jerked into motion. Bud heard her whisper softly.

"I’m warm now."

Bud continued to hold her as close as he could get away with until it was their turn to disembark from the car. He stepped in front of the ride attendant to help her off before the guy could get his hand on her. They walked hand in hand in silence back to Bud’s car. Bud loathed letting go of her when he held the door open for her, but Ashley slid beside him after he got in the driver’s side. He could see her bright smile and sparkling eyes in the dim lighting.

******

They didn’t talk much on the way home. Bud drove with one arm around her most of the way as Ashley leaned her head against his shoulder. After he parked his car they walked hand in hand toward his apartment. Bud unlocked his door when they arrived, but on impulse he leaned towards her and his lips descended to hers. Ashley closed her eyes and awaited the touch of his lips when she heard the distinct click of a gun trigger being cocked. She gasped as Bud grabbed her and shielded her body with his.

"Uh, uh, uh, copper. That’s not a good idea. Remove your hands from my Ash-lee. She belongs to me. If you don’t stop touching her I’ll blow your tiny little brains out. Come to SID, my butterfly."

Ashley felt the coiled tension and rage building in Bud’s body as he shielded her from SID. She immediately knew this wasn’t going to go well. SID’s voice was condescending and heavy with sarcasm toward Bud. It was meant to incite the officer.

"I’m fine, SID. Bud helped and protected me until you came to find me. He saved me and our baby from a car in the street. We’re both fine." Ashley tried to placate SID. How angry was he with her?

"While I’m pleased that you are well my pretty one, you’ve been a very naughty little butterfly. Your wings will have to be clipped to prevent you from flying away again. Now both of you move inside. We’ll be leaving shortly, Ash-lee."

Bud took SID’s comments as a direct threat to Ashley. He continued to shield her body from SID as he moved them into his apartment. He would have preferred to remain in the hallway where someone might have overheard them and called the police. He had to think fast. There was still a gun pointed at his head. Keeping Ashley protected as best he could, he slowly turned toward his assailant to see him for the first time.

"Listen, shitbird. Put down the gun before this gets any worse than threatening a police officer. You’re not taking the girl with you." BUD studied the face of the slick dandy before him. His hair and clothes were impeccable. His face looked like Bud’s. Fuck. Ashley had said he did.

SID pushed the barrel of his cocked pistol against the middle of Bud’s forehead. He sneered at the cop. "And who do you think is going to stop me from taking her? You?" He giggled. "I think not."

Bud boiled inside. He could barely keep his rage in check. But, if SID pulled the trigger Bud’s brains would be all over his apartment, all over Ashley and SID would take her again with no one to stop him. Bud was carrying a piece. He had to have a chance to pull it. This lowlife wouldn’t best him and all his training if they were on even terms. At that moment Ashley did the unthinkable.

She stepped out from the slight protection that Bud afforded her and inserted her body into the space between the two men. Ashley caused SID’s concentration to falter for a moment. Bud had his chance and pulled his revolver. Except Ashley was now directly in the way and couldn’t be completely protected from a shot by either of them. They were both armed but neither was willing to take the shot that could kill her and her baby. They both snarled at her.

"Get out of the way, Ashley." Each had their pistols leveled at the other man’s head.

"No. Both of you put your guns down. I don’t want either of you hurt. Nobody is going to die fighting over me. This is wrong. And if Bud was going to kiss me, SID, it’s your doing anyway. I know you’ve done something. Cort and Bud were both attracted to me like you are and like I am to all of you. You can’t deny that you’re responsible or at least know who is."

SID smirked. "I never denied it. Did I my pretty butterfly? I will consider putting my gun down if the copper does." SID was confident in his superior reflexes. If they went for the guns or each other, he would win. He would kill the cop and take his girl anyway.

Ashley turned to look into Bud’s eyes and pleaded. "Please, Bud. Let’s resolve this without violence. For my sake and the baby’s." She laid her hand gently on her abdomen.

Shit, she was good. What the hell was Bud supposed to do? He didn’t want to give SID any advantage again. He couldn’t trust him. He was a kidnapper and a rapist. And when he looked into his eyes, he knew SID had no qualms in killing him. He appeared as though he would thoroughly enjoy it.

Bud took the chance for Ashley. She was worth it. "He puts his gun down and I will, Ashley."

"Thank you, Bud." Ashley smiled at him before turning to SID. "Please, SID. Let’s end this now." Her small hand went to his chest and she looked in his eyes. "I’ll go home with you if that’s what you want to do. I know I don’t belong in this time either. I just wanted to talk to a friend. And now I’ve made a new friend here in Bud."

SID was pleased that his Ash-lee was sounding much more compliant to his needs and wishes. But had she really learned her lesson? He wasn’t quite so sure. He put the gun down at the same time the flat foot did although his eyes appeared to never leave Ashley.

"Did you ever consider that the alteration may not be simply in the men, Ash-lee?" He leaned closer to her ear. "You know I can move freely in time. Perhaps it’s in your DNA. I have been to Los Angeles in 1983." A sly self satisfied smirk lit his face. "You are irresistible to us, Cherie. And can you resist me and to a lesser extent, their charm? Now that’s the real question, n’est pas?"

Bud saw the expression on Ashley’s face turn to one of complete horror before it went pale. He hadn’t understood what the shitbird had just said, but Ashley had. He remembered her saying she’d been born in 1983. He didn’t know if that was the significance of the year. He did know this crazy nutcase was good. And he had Ashley completely hoodwinked as he’d suspected. Slowly she began to sink to the floor in a faint.

Bud rushed to grab her before she fell. SID stepped in the way and slammed the heel of his hand into Bud’s shoulder. He staggered back from the force of the blow and landed on his ass several feet behind as his back struck the end table. Somehow the shitbird managed to still catch Ashley before her upper body hit the floor. Bud had never seen anyone move that fast.

"I told you not to touch her. She’s mine," SID hissed at him.

Bud staggered to his feet to rush SID, but by the time he crouched to attack, SID already had Ashley cradled in his arms. Any blow to SID would result in harm to Ashley. SID’s eyes watched him with hatred as he lowered his lips to Ashley’s cheek and gently kissed her. Bud was surprised at the change in SID. Not toward Bud, but toward Ashley. He held her gently; even lovingly. He stroked a finger down her arm. His fingers and gaze were drawn to the fingertip bruises on her fair arm.

"Did you damage her?" He leveled another venomous glare in Bud’s direction.

Bud’s face flushed. "I grabbed her. The bruises were an accident." Bud rotated his sore shoulder to loosen it. It was going to hurt like hell later. His gaze stayed fixed directly on SID’s. He wanted to get his hands on him.

SID considered lying Ashley down on the bed and killing the cop. It would be just like old times in his prior incarnation. He was no longer bound to that purpose even if it would be fun to play. He looked down at Ashley as she began to stir in his arms. Why had she lost consciousness? Was it from the time shift or related to her pregnancy? Her pretty blue eyes fluttered open. She whispered.

"Take me home, SID. Now, please." He saw a tear slip down her cheek. He leaned to kiss away the warm salty liquid.

"As you wish my butterfly." He shot a look of triumph toward the flat foot. There was no doubt she would choose him.

"No, Ashley. You can’t go with him. I’ll help you. Stay here." Bud moved defiantly toward them.

SID grinned. "The decision is made and you aren’t part of it."

"I can’t stay, Bud. I don’t belong in this time. I have to go back and get this worked out with SID. I have to be where it’s best for my baby. Thank you for today, Bud. It was wonderful. I’ll never forget you or what you did for me. Have a good life. Be happy." She smiled at him. "Good-bye, Bud."

Bud took another step closer. "Don’t go with him, Ashley. He’s lying to you. He’ll hurt you again. Tell her the truth, shitbird"

Her eyes slipped shut for a moment before she looked at Bud again. "I think he’s finally telling me some of the whole truth, Bud."

SID was doing something with a small box in his hand. He gave Bud a gleeful expression. "I win. Maybe another time we can play to the finish. Here we go, my Ash-lee."

The stuffed bear was forgotten on the floor near Ashley and she caught sight of it. She reached out and pulled it to her. Bud watched as she mouthed good-bye to him. She and SID vanished from the exact spot.

Bud searched his apartment. There was no sign of either of them. The bear was gone too. His door and windows remained closed. He knew they’d never been opened. Ashley disappeared as mysteriously as she’d appeared on Hollywood Boulevard. There’d been the same shift in space or energy. Bud didn’t know how else to describe it. He only knew it had happened. Ashley Weston was a girl who didn’t exist in 1955. He felt like he’d failed to protect her from a predator.

******

SID laid her gently down on their bed. Ashley turned away from him and clutched the ugly bear to her. She’d not said a word since he’d carried her through the doorway. He’d never known her to be this silent.

"Why did you bring that thing?" He pointed to the bear.

She hugged it closer to her. "It was a gift to me."

"I give you much finer gifts," he said petulantly. SID fingered the gold bracelet in his pocket.

"This one didn’t require payment from me. It was given freely in friendship."

SID’s eyes narrowed. He stood with his hands on his hips. He gave her things to please her. He saw the discarded roses from two days ago. He’d brought those to her, but she’d been gone.

"Remove your clothes and give them to me."

"No."

"Remove your clothes now."

"No."

SID gave a sigh of disgust. "Take them off." He reached for her.

Ashley scooted away from his touch. He’d reached for her gently, but with determination. "I don’t want to be naked all the time any longer. I’m going to wear clothes. Now let me rest, SID. I’m tired." She turned away from him again.

SID sat on the edge of the bed. "I will stay here with you until you fall asleep."

"I want to be left alone."

"So you can run away again? The next time you could be permanently damaged."

"I’ll never go through the doorway again. I was upset. And you never told me there was more than one place or time I could go. I thought I would arrive in Redemption. I’ll not take the chance again. I’ll protect our baby."

"If you had been in the time and place I went to first search for you, you might have been killed. It was almost 2000 years before now. The Romans were a bloodthirsty lot," he hissed at her. He would make sure she was properly warned now.

She glanced wide eyed at him. The shock on her face was evident. He had succeeded.

"I didn’t know. And I was almost killed in 1955. I’d have been run over by a car if it weren’t for Bud. You may have been jealous and angry at him, but he saved my life and protected me until you came." Her nose was tipped angrily in the air.

SID had seen this look on her face before. She was stubborn and angry. "I was not jealous. There would be no reason to be jealous of such an inferior being. He was even more stupid than the cowboy."

Ashley glared at him. She slipped off her shoe and threw it at his chest. "He wasn’t stupid."

SID easily caught the shoe. He looked at how small it was compared to his. He liked her feet. His voice slipped into a seductive silken tone. "Give me the other one now, my butterfly." His fingers skated out to brush up her leg. It had been too long. He wanted her. Now.

"He is inconsequential, my butterfly. SID wants his Ash-lee. Come to me, lover." He crooned to her. His fingers stroked the soft skin of her leg. Sliding up toward the place he coveted. He moved over her body.

"Stop right now, SID." She put her hand on his to stop its upward ascent. "I want to rest and to be alone. Please, SID. Leave me alone."

She was saying stop, but SID saw her uncertainty. He leaned down to kiss her fingers and remove her hand. His hand continued up her thigh. He came in contact with material covering her sex. He frowned.

"What is this?" He demanded.

"Girl’s panties from the 1950s, SID." She took her hand and slammed it against his shoulder. He was unfazed. "A good reminder to boys of where they shouldn’t be. Stop, SID. Now!"

SID had allowed her to strike him. He grinned in response. His butterfly had a temper. He easily lifted her and pulled the panties off her body. Momentarily distracted from his treasure, he examined the cloth and sniffed it.

"They are ugly, but they contain your scent." He threw them on the floor and turned his attentions back to her. His eyes gleamed with his want. It had been too long since he’d been inside her body. He pulled her legs apart and settled himself between them.

"Are you wet for me yet, my butterfly? SID’s thick cock will feel so good inside you. I want my Ash-lee." He crooned to her as his hand slid up her inner thigh. This time nothing would be in the way of obtaining his prize. Her voice came out as a whisper.

"Of course I’m wet for you. I always am. Didn’t you make me that way?" She turned her head away from him as tears slipped down her cheeks. Her eyes slipped shut. "If you fuck me right now, SID, I’ll never willingly be with you again. I’ll never make love to you as you like. Never. I’ll hate you forever as I hate you at this moment!" She spat the words out at him.

SID had never seen his Ash-lee like this. He cocked his head to the side and looked at her. She hit him again on the shoulder trying to pull from under him. He lifted himself to allow her to scramble from under him. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t want her to hate him. She was his. Ashley made love to him. He liked when she pleasured him and enjoyed that she had grown to revel in what he did to her. She was going to have their baby.

He reached for her but she shrank from his touch. SID stopped. For the first time since he took her on the grass their first day together he didn’t pursue her. His need for her was strong, but he denied himself. He gracefully exited their bed. She had pulled her skirt down modestly to hide herself from him. He frowned.

"I will leave you alone, Cherie. Not for too long." He walked quickly from the room, shut the door firmly and locked it. He went downstairs and immediately switched on the monitor to watch her. She had drawn herself up to hug her arms around her knees and was crying. He watched her. Not understanding her unhappiness. SID gave her everything. Including him. What more could she possibly want?

As though she could hear his thoughts she looked directly into the hidden camera. "I hate you, SID," she whispered. "But, I also love you. God help me I do." She hugged around the pillow and within minutes he could tell she was asleep.

He watched her for a period of time. He had read that pregnant women got tired more easily and needed extra rest. The journey had fatigued her. She was human.

She’d been upset that her DNA had been altered. He’d told her to illicit that response. He should have refrained from the urge while he was in the past. He had wanted to punish her for wanting to kiss the stupid flat foot. And for making SID search for her and worry about her. SID had altered her DNA, but only to accept his seed for a perfect match to his nano technology and DNA.

Her strong attraction to him and his to her as well as the others was not something he’d engineered. It had been an unusual by product. He would have to study to find out why it had occurred. But for now his butterfly awaited. He took a shower and prepared himself for her. He donned his silk robe over his nakedness and put the gold bracelet in his pocket. He switched off the monitor to their room, but set the camera to record.

SID took the stairs two at a time to their room. He silently let himself into the room and shut the door behind him. Watching her sleep, he let his robe fall to the floor after retrieving the gold bracelet. He set it on the bedside table facing her. It was ready to unwrap. He spotted her 1950s panties on the floor. She hadn’t put them back on. Smiling he eased himself onto bed beside her. He would allow her to sleep as long as she needed. That should have given her enough time ‘alone.’ She would awaken refreshed and ready for him.

From habit she molded her body to his as he held her in his arms. Breathing deeply in the scent of her hair there was a wide smile on his face. Of course she was in love with him. He was SID.

To be continued and concluded in Come to Me: The Rescue

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