Sin And Redemption

"Hey, birthday boy," laughed my friend Tom. "Have another beer, Jimmy. How's it feel to be 21?"

I grinned. "Pretty good. This is one hell of a party. But with all this alcohol, I'm glad I walked. I'll be in no shape to drive."

"Keep drinking and you'll be in no shape to walk home either," Mike boomed from across the room. "But it's only 5 blocks. You can crawl that far if you have to."

I laughed. "Is that so? How many times have you crawled home, Mikey boy?"

Mike chuckled. "Too many." He walked over. "Have some hard stuff. Here's a couple of screwdrivers."

"Thanks, Mike," I said as I downed the vodka-infused mixture. About 10 minutes later I staggered to my feet. "Oh, man. I don't feel so good." I wobbled towards the door. "I may need some air."

****

The pounding on the front door eventually woke me. "Uggggh," I groaned. I had the worst hangover of my life. I was back in my own apartment, although I had no idea how. I shuffled over to the door. "Go away. I'm not interested in what you're selling."

"We're not selling anything!" snapped a voice from outside. "Open up in the name of the law!"

I pulled the door open. "Uggggh. I feel like crap. Hi there, officers."

Two policemen helped me back to my couch, where I gratefully sank into the cushions. "We're investigating a rape that happened a block from here last night. Where were you?"

I blanched. "W-what? A rape? This is a safe area! Anyway, I was celebrating my 21st birthday with my friends." I gave them the address and the names of the partiers. "I think I way overdid the booze. Last thing I remember was drinking two screwdrivers. I have no idea how I even got home. I'm assuming they got me here."

"You look like you way overdid the booze," one of the officers laughed. "Anyway, we'll check out your story with these people. Don't leave the area until we tell you."

"I don't even plan to leave my house for the rest of the day," I groaned. "And probably tomorrow as well."

The policeman chuckled. "Drink some water to rehydrate, then sleep it off. You'll feel better."

I drank some water, then before I lay down, I popped onto my computer to find out what happened. A 20-year-old waitress, Karen Nelson, at a local restaurant had been walking home from work around midnight and been jumped from behind. She had been brutally raped. The article said that she had been saving herself for marriage. She never got so much as a glance at her attacker, and could provide no identifying details at all.

I didn't want to read any more about that, so I deactivated the computer and lay down. When I woke, I felt better.

****

The knock on my door the next day didn't seem quite as loud. I walked over and saw the same two officers. "Your story checks out," one of them said. "There were at least 20 people who confirm you were at the party. By the end of the night they were all pretty drunk themselves, and no one remembers helping you home, but they must have. You were apparently so drunk you couldn't even walk straight."

I grumbled, "Never again. I'm not going to touch a drop of alcohol in my life from now on."

The cop grinned. "You all say that. Anyway, looks like you're in the clear. Don't worry about the drinking. You only turn 21 once, after all."

I was still feeling a bit zonked, so I lay back down for a bit.

[5 years later]

I had followed the rape investigation and story for a while. Karen had gotten pregnant from the rape and decided to keep the baby. Her religious family was very anti-abortion. They had also pretty much disowned her because she had a child out of wedlock. There were no leads, and after a while the case had been dropped. I moved on with my life, and had gotten a job as a sales clerk in a shoe store. I had a trust fund from my late grandfather that meant I didn't actually have to work to live, but I liked working.

A woman and a young child walked into the store. I put on my best retail smile. "How may I help you today?"

"My daughter needs some new shoes," the woman replied. "Tennies. And I'm not rich, so I don't want a fancy brand."

I turned my attention to the daughter. "How are you, young lady? Let's get your feet measured so we know what size to get you." I sized her feet as I continued the conversation. "How's school treating you?"

"Pre-school," the mom laughed. "She's 4 years old."

I found an inexpensive, simple brand of shoe. "Do you like pre-school, miss?" I asked as I set the shoes down for the girl to try on.

"I'm Kellie," she giggled. "Pre-school is fun. My teacher is nice." She had one shoe on by now.

"What about the other kids, Kellie?" I asked curiously.

Kellie laughed. "Most of them are fun. I have 4 good friends." She made a slightly sour face. "There's one boy who bugs me all the time though. I think he likes me. Boys are gross."

She had her other shoe on. "Why don't you test those out?" I encouraged her. Kellie obligingly walked back and forth.

"These are cool," she squeaked. "Thanks, mister."

"It's Jimmy," I smiled. "I hope you don't think I'm gross."

"Nope, you're good," Kellie laughed. "You're too old to be a boy."

The mom smiled at me. "Thanks, Jimmy. Most clerks ignore her and talk only to me."

I chuckled. "The shoes are for her, so she's the one that has to like them. She's a good kid."

The mom's expression turned wistful. "I just wish she had a dad in her life."

"Why doesn't she?" I asked. "You're pretty, a good parent, and a nice person. Why would anyone leave you?"

The mom pulled out her credit card. "This will explain all."

I looked at the name and blanched. "Oh, my gosh! I am so sorry, Karen. They never caught the guy, did they? I hope he rots in Hell." I paused for a moment. "Would you like me to come over to your house with the fixings for a nice dinner and cook you and Kellie a good meal? Say, tonight at 7?"

Karen's smile was full of light. "Sure, Jimmy. What were you planning on cooking?"

I grinned at the two of them. "How about steak, and a side salad?"

Kellie squealed, and Karen laughed. "Sounds wonderful."

That evening, I arrived with a grocery bag full of steaks and salad materials, plus bottles of sparkling cider. "I pride myself on my cooking," I told Karen and Kellie. "Give me half an hour."

An hour later, I was washing the dishes in Karen's sink. "You don't have to do that," Karen protested. "You're a guest."

"I want to do it," I responded. "A real man is unafraid to do housework. You are a single mom who needs a partner to help you out."

Karen walked over and pressed up against me from behind. "I think you like me," she whispered. "I've been waiting a long time to find a man who cared about me and my daughter. You and I are going to have a good time tonight after she goes to bed."

"That isn't --" I started to say.

Karen's hand clamped over my mouth. "I know," she murmured. "And it's precisely because you came here with no such expectations that I want to get you into my bed."

I shut up and finished doing the dishes. Kellie went to bed at 8:30, and by 9:00 she was asleep. Karen guided me into the master bedroom. "Don't be too loud," she whispered as she closed the door. We both removed our clothes and lay on the bed.

"Karen," I murmured as I held her in my arms. "I don't want a quickie or a one-time deal. If we do this, it means you're committing to me, and me to you."

"Jimmy, you're very sweet," Karen replied softly. "I understand that. Take your time, and I promise to commit to you."

I kissed her lips, gently. She responded in kind. I parted my lips slightly, and she pressed hers more firmly against mine. Her tongue slid into my mouth, and I twined my own tongue with it. We held the kiss until we had to break it to breathe.

I moved my lips down to her neck, giving her soft little love-nibbles and tender kisses. Karen let out an almost inaudible moan. "Keep going, Jimmy," she husked.

I had no intention of stopping. I proceeded downwards to her upper chest, taking my time, kissing the very top of her pert breasts. Karen's body shivered slightly.

Encouraged, I eased my way between her breasts, leaving a kiss and nibble trail through her cleavage. Her hands reached downwards and caressed my neck and back. I lifted her breasts and kissed the base, then proceeded in a helix towards her nipple. When I took it in my mouth and began to softly suckle, Karen let out a soft moan. "Mmmmm... Jimmy, that feels good."

I gave her breasts additional attention, switching back and forth between her nipples. Her soft purrs and shudders of pleasure told me everything I needed to know. I took the nipple not in my mouth and rolled it gently between my fingertips.

After pleasuring her breasts for a proper amount of time, I kissed my way down her belly to her mound. Her swollen clit deserved attention, so I subtly circled it with the tip of my tongue. Her body shook with pleasure. I licked along her slit to collect her honey.

"I love what you're doing," Karen purred. I slipped my tongue inside her to drink directly from the source. Her legs wrapped around my head. I swirled my tongue in circles to collect every drop. Karen's body was trembling. She flooded me with her nectar and let out a muffled cry. When her legs unlocked from around my head, I saw that she'd stuffed her fist in her mouth to keep from screaming out in pleasure.

"Oh my," Karen panted. "That was amazing. Lie down and let me return the favor, Jimmy."

"Works for me," I breathed. I lay on my back with my legs spread. Karen got in between my legs and kissed my neck. She moved her way down to my chest, just like I had done to her.

Karen laughed. "I can tell you like this." She spent a few minutes kissing my chest, causing me to shudder.

"What gave it away?" I half-moaned. "My body quivering or my pole twitching with excitement?"

Karen giggled. "Both." She kissed down to my stiff, throbbing rod. I shuddered as her lips touched the tip. She slipped her mouth downwards, taking in just the head, and the sensation of her tongue teasing the tip of my rod was exquisite torture. I stuffed my hand in my mouth to avoid making too much noise.

Karen's hand moved to my rapidly filling balls. She scraped her fingernails gently across them, and my body shuddered. She slid her mouth farther down, running her tongue along my shaft, and my rod quivered and pulsed.

Karen popped her mouth off my pecker. "Jimmy," she whispered. "How much do you like me?"

I whispered back, "I'm fully committed to you, Karen."

"Good," she husked. "I want to ride you and have you finish inside me. I want to be with you and have a child with you."

My eyes shined with delight. "I'd love that, Karen." She slid her tight, hot box down onto my pole. I lay back and let her slide up and down on me. Her internal muscles gave me a squeeze every time she slid downwards. She was clearly trying to milk the cum out of my balls. I was very close as it was. Karen leaned her torso forward, pressed her chest against mine and kissed me deeply as she climaxed. Her orgasm set me off, and I blasted hot jets of sperm into her. Our moans were muffled by the lip-lock we were engaged in.

When we both regained control of our bodies, Karen climbed off me and lay next to me. "Stay a while."

"I have a better idea," I husked as I brushed my lips against her neck. "You and Kellie should move in with me. I don't actually need to work, so I can play Mr. Mom."

Karen's kiss caught me by surprise with it's intensity. When she unlocked her lips from mine, she giggled, "In case you couldn't tell, that's a yes."

[6 months later]

"You may kiss the bride," the justice of the peace said. It was a small affair, with two of my friends as witnesses. My pregnant wife was beaming.

[8 years later]

"Come home at once," I said over the phone to Karen. "The news is not good."

15 minutes later, she arrived. "What's happening?"

My eyes were brimming with tears. "It's Kellie. She needs a kidney transplant. If she doesn't get one she has 4 months to live."

Karen's face displayed shock. "Jimmy, you've loved that child as much as if she were your own from the day we met. I think you love her more than the two sons we've had since. What can we do?"

I shrugged. "We all take blood tests. If by some miracle one of us or our friends is a match, we donate one of our kidneys. Otherwise she goes on the waiting list."

"Why would you take one?" Karen asked. "You're not her real father."

We'd discussed that for years as well. I had pushed the cops hard to find Karen's rapist, but absolutely nothing had turned up. She and I had seen every police file, could practically recite every word on every one of the reports and witness statements. And 3 years before, the statute of limitations had run out and the police had closed the case.

"I know," I replied. "But I love her, and you, and our sons, more than anything else in the world. Maybe a miracle will happen."

I had cajoled all my friends, and all Karen's friends, into getting tested. Altogether, there were more than 50 of us. Blood was drawn, and there was nothing to do but wait for the results.

Three days later, the phone rang. I answered. "Jimmy, you and Karen need to come down at once." It was Dr. Ross, Kellie's pediatric kidney specialist.

Karen and I were in his office, with the door closed, half an hour later. The doctor looked pale. "Jimmy, you're a perfect match."

Karen looked happy. "Does that mean Kellie can be saved?"

Dr. Ross looked grave. "Yes, it does. Jimmy just has to agree to donate --"

I interrupted. "Go ahead and put me under now, Doc. I love that girl as much as if she were my own daughter. I'll be glad to donate a kidney to save her."

Dr. Ross frowned. "Jimmy, what do you mean by `as if' she were your own daughter? Kellie IS your daughter."

I blanched and passed out. I was awakened by Dr. Ross placing smelling salts under my nose a couple of minutes later. "Doc, that's just not possible. You do know how Kellie came to be, right?"

Dr. Ross nodded. "The whole town knows. Heck, it made national news the next day."

Karen looked at me. "Jimmy, I forgive you. You yourself had no idea what happened, and you've been a perfect husband and father. Now let's get you in that OR so you can save your daughter's life."

I looked at her, with pure love in my eyes. "A wonderful idea, dear."

[Epilogue]

Karen seemed to love me even more after that day than before. "Saving the life of my child -- our child -- put you permanently on my good list," she murmured. We raised our three kids and sent them all off to college. Karen and I are going to be a couple until separated by death.