Valerie

Chapter Nine

Rebirth of Life

Valerie awoke with a start. It took her a moment to realize she was expecting her alarm to go off at 5:00 and it was now well after 6:00. "That's right. I don't have a job anymore," she thought to herself. The fear that being unemployed brings was tempered by the woman in her arms, Sally, and the love they shared. "We

will

get through this, I know we will."

She was surprised to hear a dreamy voice respond, "Of course we will, dear. We have each other." Valerie hadn't realized she had spoken out loud. Sally continued, "And others as well. Lilly is standing by you, Francine will live and we both love her. And there's Master. I know you'll worry, so I won't tell you not to, but don't let the worry drive out the hope."

Valerie leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Would you check my back? It's feeling really sore this morning." She rolled over on her front to give Sally a clear view.

Sally looked at the scars that ran across Valerie's back, a constant reminder of the horrible night when Francine lost control. They felt warm to the touch. "We may have been too energetic last night. They're really warm. Do you want to call Helen?"

"No. Let's just be careful today. If they're still the same tomorrow, we'll give her a call. I'd rather avoid a lecture on what taking it easy means."

"You want to shower first or second?"

"I'll go second. There won't be any hot water left when I'm done. I'll check to see if there are any messages from Master."

"Okay."

Sally's shower was not short, but did leave plenty of hot water for Valerie, a pleasant side effect of the oversized water heaters the apartments in this building had. There was a message from Charles, but he simply said that there would be no long distance orders this week, that they were to concentrate on dealing with the effects of the public exposure and to prepare for the handfasting.

Valerie took a good thirty minutes, letting the hot water play over the sore muscles and itching scars. It took self-control, something she had learned submitting these last few weeks, to not scratch at the scars she could reach. By the time she was done, the hot water was gone and she felt much better. She would have to be careful of how she moved; as too much stretching was painful she discovered when she dressed. She took a dose of the painkiller she had been prescribed and joined Sally in the front room.

Sally had made pancakes. While they ate, Val's computer dinged with an incoming mail notice. She saw that it was from a company called Delgrasi Publications. "Great. Another request for my story rights," she thought. Just about to delete it unread, she noticed this one had a subject line, "Job Application." The inside had just a link with the message, "To apply for a position, click on the link."

"Sally, have you ever heard of Delgrasi Publications?"

"No. Is that one of those story rights things?"

"Maybe. The subject is job application and there's just a link."

"I wouldn't go there. Could be a virus or a Trojan horse."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Valerie closed her email, without deleting it, however.

"What do you want to try to get done today?"

"We need to pack some more. I'd like to see if the offer Francine made on a house was accepted. It's a really good one and it's been fixed up for BDSM play in the basement."

"It has a dungeon in the basement?"

"Not exactly, but Francine was showing me how the features would allow for play with no structural modifications. And it has plenty of space for all three of us."

"That would be great. Wouldn't you already have been called if it was accepted?"

"No, Francine listed her number as the contact number. I'd also like to check in on Francine again, try to keep her spirits up."

"So, we need to go by Francine's, do a lot of packing and visit the hospital."

"Right. I hope you don't mind driving. Between the scars and the meds, I shouldn't."

"No problem. Let's head out to Francine's first."

On the way, they stopped to fill the tank and Valerie picked up a real estate magazine to broaden their search if the ones they'd already checked didn't work out. At Francine's house they saw little strips of crime scene tape that had been left behind when the cops had released the place. Inside, Valerie took three steps in and froze. The ropes that had bound her in the entry between the living room and dining room were still there. Her blood was still on the walls where the whip had splattered it. Her breath caught and she began to tremble.

"Val, it's all right. It's all right to be frightened."

Tears flowed. "I couldn't stop it. She wouldn't stop. It hurt so bad. God Sally, I hate her for not stopping!"

Sally grabbed Val and held her tight, letting her cry. She knew this had to happen, but it was still hard to watch.

"How can I hate her so much and love her so much at the same time? What kind of person am I? What kind of monster?"

"Val," Sally answered, patting her back and brushing her hair, "you're not a monster. You're a normal person. Look inside and ask yourself. Is it Francine you hate, as a person, or is it what she did to you?"

"I…I don't know. I can't tell them apart. Inside it feels like she is what she did to me and I know that's wrong, but I…"

"It's okay. This'll take time. Hold onto the fact that you love her very much and want what's best for her. She needs to heal, both her body and her heart. So do you. It wasn't just your back that was savaged that night, your heart was, too. It

will

heal and you will be able to tell Francine apart from the horror of the beating itself. You've forgiven her already, that's the first step."

"But, I don't feel like I've forgiven her."

"Forgiveness isn't a feeling, it's a choice. You may find yourself having to forgive her again and again as your feelings try to take it back. Remember, forgiveness is for you, not for Francine."

Valerie, tears still threatening, went over to Francine's answering machine. There were twelve messages on it. Playing them back revealed a couple from her job, asking about some programming thing. There were two from the realtor they talked to week before last, asking that they meet with the owners about their proposal. The rest were from a combination of media types asking for interviews and some not so nice calls that fell under the harassment category, one a threat. The threatening voice sounded familiar, but Valerie couldn't place it.

Valerie called the realtor back.

"Hello. This is Valerie Burbon. Francine Traline and I had made an offer on a house and you've been trying to get a hold of us? Yes, that's the one. The owners want to meet us? I'm free anytime this week. Today? Noon. Yes, we can do that. Where? Yes, I know the place. We'll be there. Thank you very much." Valerie stood staring at the phone as the line went dead.

"Valerie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just a little shocked. The owners want to meet at Mephisto's."

"You're kidding."

"No. I didn't even know that they were open in the middle of the day."

"They're not. They don't open until 4:00 on weekdays. On weekends they're open from 4:00 pm on Friday till 3:00 am Monday morning."

"We should go by the hospital. If there's a chance to close on the house, we'll need a power of attorney from Francine. She's the only one of us with the assets to close now."

Valerie called Mr. Moore, Francine's attorney, and asked that he meet them in her room at the hospital. She explained that a house they had made an offer on was possibly closable and that they'd need Francine's power of attorney to complete it. He agreed to see them there.

Valerie and Sally beat Mr. Moore there and chatted with Francine for a few minutes. He arrived, with the ever-present George Twiny and his laptop, to take notes.

Valerie started the ball rolling. "Francine, that house we made an offer on, the owners want to meet with us at noon today. We might be able to get it. With what's happened, you're the only one with the financial resources to support the purchase. Since you can't be there, we would need your power of attorney to do the deal."

"Of course. Just give me what I need to sign."

Mr. Moore interrupted. "As your attorney, I would have to advise against this course of action. Powers of attorney are very powerful documents, easily abused. I know you trust Ms. Burbon, but making such a decision on a moment's notice is very unwise." He held up a hand to dissuade interruption. "There is another concern as well. Given the recent events between the two of you, such a granting could be challenged in court under the guise of inadvertent mental duress. Specifically, your guilt over injuring Ms. Burbon could be seen as making you unable to make an informed decision in this regard. It would be better if your agent was an impartial one, or someone such as myself, who has a fiduciary responsibility towards you."

"You're saying that someone will try to nullify the sale by claiming Francine was not in her right mind?" Sally asked.

"No. I'm saying it could happen. In law, we deal with what can, not what is likely."

Francine asked, "Can I give you specific and general instructions with the power?"

"Of course. In fact, that's normal procedure."

Val asked, "Can you be at the meeting with us today?"

He looked at George, who nodded his head. "Looks like I can. Where's the meeting?"

"At the Mephisto Club."

Mr. Moore's eyebrows rose. Francine's mouth dropped open. "The owners want to meet at Mephisto's? I was right. They're players."

"Sure seems like it."

"Mr. Moore. Prepare what I need to sign. I want to buy that house, no matter what. Put everything I have on the table, even my house. I'm not sure I can stand living there anymore anyway. Of course, get the best deal you can."

"Of course."

"And Mr. Moore, Valerie and Sally are to be equal owners on the deed, even if I'm the only one able to pay anything. We can set up some sort of financial arrangements where they can pay into the house over any length of time they need."

"That's not what I would advise, but a good attorney knows when his client will ignore his advice anyway. I see the nurse hovering again. We're about to get kicked out." Taking a document from George's portable printer, he placed it where she could read it. "This gives me the power of attorney to handle all aspects of purchasing a house for you, but not in any other area. If you need to extend it, we can do that later."

Francine signed the paper and they left the room before the nurse could evict them. "Would you ladies give me a minute of your time? We can use a table in the cafeteria."

At the cafeteria, they bought some drinks and sat down in a secluded corner.

"Ms. Traline had asked that I tell you certain things. The DA has chosen to file criminal charges against Ms. Traline for attempting suicide. The law is almost never enforced and I suspect it's being done here only because he can't bring any other charges now. She has instructed me to plead guilty for her, against my advice. I think she's trying to assuage some guilt over the incident. You should know that her version of what happened is different from your statement."

"I'm sticking by what I said."

"Good. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'd like to call you as a witness during the sentencing portion, to testify about what you know concerning her mental state. It will go far towards getting a treatment sentence as opposed to jail time."

"With pleasure. Just let me know when and where. I seem to have a lot of free time these days."

"The arraignment is Friday and the sentencing hearing is usually a week or two later. I'll let you know. As for the house, it would be best if the arrangement between the three of you isn't that of her gifting to you equal shares in the house. That could actually impact the sentencing badly, taken as sign of guilt. I can prepare contracts that specify that you will repay Ms. Traline for your thirds over the 30 years of the mortgage with no specific time table. You should have your own lawyers look them over as a precaution."

"Sure that sounds fair. Sally?"

"I can live with that."

"Good. It's 11:00 now. I will meet you at Mephisto's in an hour."

The two women left and picked up a quick lunch, before heading to the club. They were anxious, hoping that the owners being players meant that they had a good chance at getting the house. The last thing they expected, however, was to actually know the owners. Waiting outside was the realtor and, of all people, Fred and Daphne.

"Fred, Daphne. That's your house?" Valerie cried.

"Yes, it is. And hopefully soon to be 'was our house'."

Sally asked, "Why are you selling? Valerie says it's a wonderful house with playing opportunities."

Daphne hugged her husband, "We just finished building a new house with a real dungeon in the basement. It's divine."

"Oh, we would love to see it. Maybe even more," Valerie chimed.

"Dear, you're welcome to play with us anytime your Master lets you," Fred replied.

"Val, how bad was it? Are the public tales true? Did you really want Francine to bloody you?" Daphne asked.

"Pretty bad. I'll probably have scars permanently. Can I answer the other questions in a more private place?"

"Sure. We'll have some time after we deal with business."

Mr. Moore pulled up, George in tow. "Good afternoon. I'm Franklin Moore, representing Ms. Traline's interests. Shall we go inside?"

At midday, the inside of the club looked very different. A cleaning staff was present, getting things ready for the night's activities. With the lights all on and the floor empty, it looked like any contemporary dance club. Val could see that there were far more doors lining the walls than the private rooms could account for. She assumed that the extra doors were for storage of the larger pieces of equipment. A lady Val recognized from her auction, Betsy, the one who had explained the consent form, showed them to a large table and left them alone.

Fred started the proceedings. "When we saw your names on the offer, we knew we wanted to sell to you. The house would be perfect for you. It helped that your offer was competitive. There are two offers of more than you bid. What incentive could you offer that would make us willing to take a smaller price? Understand, we would sell to you in a heartbeat, but the law says we have to justify refusing a better offer."

Valerie answered first. "I'm afraid, with having lost my job that I can't even support the offer we made, let alone provide an enticement. Anything like that will have to come from Francine or Sally."

"All I've got is a perfect credit score. That will help at the bank, but not here."

"I believe that Ms. Traline can offer you what you need. She can pay you cash for the house in three weeks, no loan approval needed."

Every mouth at the table dropped. Valerie started to say something, but couldn't think of what. Sally managed to get the first words out.

"She has that much money?"

"Not right now, but there was an offer to buy her house for cash when I got back to the office. That's why I was a little late. I discussed the offer with her and we both agreed that it was best to take it."

"Who?"

"I can't say. Ms. Traline may be willing to tell you, but if she does, be advised that the deal will fall through if the offer becomes public knowledge before it's complete. Rest assured, if it closes, and I'm sure it will, Ms. Traline would be able to buy the house you're looking at four times over."

"Someone's buying her house for over a million dollars?"

"Yes. And they believe they're getting it for a song. Ms. Traline isn't holding out so she can buy the house as quickly as possible."

Fred smiled. "It looks like we have a deal. Avoiding financing is an excellent reason to take a slightly lesser offer. Our realtor has the letter of intent right here."

The letter was read and signed Valerie insisted in putting up the $5000 earnest money that would seal the temporary deal and the two vanilla people left, leaving Fred, Daphne, Sally and Valerie alone with the cleaning crew.

Daphne asked, "Is this private enough to ask those questions?"

Valerie looked around and saw no one near. She nodded her head. "The public story was to keep Francine out of jail. She was charged with kidnapping, slavery, assault and battery. It was a scene, not an attack. The truth is that she was suffering emotionally from being beaten by her boyfriend and she ignored my safe word."

"Oh, Valerie, that's horrible."

"Yes, it was. I love Francine dearly, but I'm not sure I've dealt with the issues well yet."

"Of course you haven't. The betrayal of trust in that is tremendous. You may never be able to trust her again. I hope you can still trust others. People have left the lifestyle altogether because of safe word violations."

"Don't get me wrong. I forgive her. She was under incredible emotional strain and she snapped. But I can't trust that she won't again, not before she heals emotionally and mentally, and I'm 110 percent certain she has. If that happens, I'd be honored to submit to her again. But that'll be quite some time."

"Could we see how bad it was?"

"Not here or now. Everyone will get a chance to see how bad on Saturday. Something special's going to happen then."

"We know. The invitations have gone out already. Congratulations on your love."

"Fred! It was supposed to be a surprise, the invitations and all."

"Oops. Don't let Charles know I let it slip. But there'll be quite a crowd there on Saturday."

Sally and Valerie blushed. They had no idea that their love was to be so widely broadcast. Sally looked at Val, "We're going to have to make the ceremony really special now."

"Yes. Wouldn't want to disappoint our fans. Fred, Daphne, can we ask a big favor?"

"Name it."

"I was evicted last week. We have no where to move to."

"Say no more. I'll have the keys to you in the morning. You can start moving in whenever you want. Since we've accepted an offer, the open houses will stop."

"Thanks. It means a lot. We have a lot to do, so we should be going. See you Saturday, if not earlier."

Back in Valerie's car, Val said, "Sally, would you drop me off at Castle? I have something I want to look into, a surprise for Master. You can keep the car and maybe do some packing at your place."

"Sure. How will you get home?"

"I'll take a cab. I have a card for someone who is discreet and friendly."

"Okay. I assume you're getting something special for me as well?"

"Maybe, Maybe. I might be late, depending."

Valerie was pleased to see Giggy's and Rachael's cars out front, knowing she could rely on their expertise to enable her plan. Inside, there were a dozen customers browsing the various sections. The two ladies were out and about, answering questions from people while a third employee, a man with several tattoos, was behind the counter. Valerie ambled about the store, looking at areas she hadn't looked at before. The magazine area was impressive. The array of titles and the subjects they covered was a little surprising. She found it hard to believe that there were enough foot fetishes out there to support not one, but four magazines devoted solely to feet.

Eventually, Giggy came over to her. "So, Valerie, looking for a magazine?"

"No, actually, I'm looking for something very special. Something to give my Master."

"Oh, a gift from submissive to Master. Just what were you thinking of?"

"I want to give him…I'm not sure how to put this. The whole city knows I'm a submissive now, even if they don't understand what that means. I want to tell them that I'm

his

submissive, not just anyone's."

"You want a permanent marking of some sort, like a tattoo?"