To Love a Stray

Hallo readers

Yes I did read all the comments on the last chapter and I have only one thing to say in defense of those contents. It is all about plot.

Read and enjoy, a much happier chapter

Mygypsy

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I glance at the lounge where Rosy lays on her side, a pillow under her head and a blanket tucked around her body. The deep even sound of her breathing tells me she is still asleep. She made herself comfortable on the lounge not long after eating a small supper and was soon asleep.

The dark shadows under her eyes are still clearly visible but she seems to be sleeping soundly while Sam and Mitchell sit in front of the lounge leaning back against it. I study the way one of her hands rests on her lower stomach even in sleep as if to protect the life growing there.

"Where's Rosy going to sleep tonight?" Sam asks his voice tinged with worry.

"Ray will probably try to sneak in to see where Rosy is," Baxter says coolly from a chair on the edge of the lounge room. "He will be hoping to find some evidence Missy here isn't interested in Micah, that it is all just a ruse to keep your sister here against his wishes."

"Rosy will be sleeping in my bed," I state firmly. I have no intention of letting Ray gain any leverage in trying to take her from where she wants to be.

"What about me? I don't like that lumpy old mattress on the floor in the cage room. Besides Rosy is asleep on the lounge. Can't you just leave her here?" Donovan complains.

"We're definitely going to have to take you out one night and get you fixed up with some young girl so you know exactly why Micah wants Rosy in his bed," Steven laughs quietly.

"There'll be time enough to worry about that side of things when we have Rosy back to full health and feeling secure here," I say firmly.

"I've already been out with Beckie Taylor from school. She refuses to do more than kiss," Donny grumbles under his breath.

"Take her to a scary movie at the drive in," I advise.

"Why a scary movie?" Donny asks.

"So you can put your arm around her. If she doesn't want to go, she's not interested in you. Justin, you know any friendly girls with younger sisters?" I ask as I turn my head to look at him.

"Jacinta Perry is real friendly, if you know what I mean," Justin gives a faint laugh, "and her younger sister Mandy always asks how Donny is."

"See if they'll go on a double date to the drive in and you take your girl for a walk during the movie," I mutter.

"Why don't I have a bit of a chat to Celeste? It's time she started trying out toms if she isn't already," Steven says speaking of his own sister.

"You arrange for your sisters to ... that's sick," Rosy mutters.

I look at her to find her awake and glancing between us uncomfortably.

"No. We make sure the tom doesn't hurt them the first time - well anymore than it does at the start. And we make sure the tom wears a condom so there are no accidents. Only trouble is sometimes little sisters take it into their heads to pick out their own first tom and she gets more than she expects," Malcolm says. "The older a tom is the more well developed he becomes. Lotty wasn't expecting to get fully stretched her first time and did a lot of squealing about it when your brother there worked his way into her."

"So the older a tom is the bigger his ... thing is. You're not going to expect me to let you ... I'm already pregnant. That's the aim of it isn't it?" Rosy asks with a nervous laugh as her attention becomes focused on me.

"You won't mind when I've used my tongue and fingers for a while. As I remember it you quite enjoyed that," I tell her. "Maybe I should do it to you again tonight just to see if you like it as much as I thought you did."

"Can I watch when you do it to her?" Donovan asks eagerly.

"Humans don't talk about sex so openly when there are males and females in the room; and little kids don't get to watch that's for sure." Rosy blurts out.

"I'm not a little kid! I been tugging and squirting for over a year now," Donovan denies hotly.

Rosy opens her mouth and eyes wide with stunned disbelief, "You mean you been jerking off!"

"Yeah that's what boys at school call it. I can even get a good sized knot when I try for one," Donny states indignantly.

"That is so not funny! It really hurts when a tom gets one in ... in a she-kitt's cunny," Rosy splutters her voice thick with fear and disgust. "Besides, the traditional beliefs of my father and uncle are that the worst thing a girl can do to dishonour herself and her family is to have sex outside of marriage. It shows a lack of moral fibre and self-respect. The most valuable thing a girl can give her husband is a pure mind and body!"

"You're pregnant and you're not married. Why should your uncle worry? It's not like you weren't on heat," Donny points out.

"What would you ... forget it! I'm going to bed. And don't you dare try anything Micah!" Rosy snaps as she scrambles from the lounge to hurry from the room.

"There'll be trouble ahead for her if she keeps on thinking of herself as human," Baxter says quietly.

"It's just taking Rosy some time to adjust is all," Mitchell protests.

"As long as she is adjusting," Baxter comments. "Well I think I will be sleeping out here tonight, boys. If I sleep in the sunroom, my scent will probably keep her awake all night."

"I'm dragging my mattress up the far end of the sunroom so I can hear Rosy if she calls out during the night," Mitchell says with a hard look my way.

"Sounds like a plan," Sam agrees.

"As long as the walkway to the toilet is left clear," I say firmly. "I don't want anyone falling over mattresses and waking Rosy with a fright."

"Well I am not as young as you lot so if you don't mind, those of you going to your rooms clear out and let the rest of us get to sleep," Baxter orders quietly.

"I'll be on breakfast detail in the morning," I say as I get to my feet.

"What? Not going to lay in bed cuddling up with Rosy?" Steven teases.

"Remember how Rosy often got morning sickness the other time? How she only picked at breakfast when she felt off?" I ask dryly. "I want to make sure there is a wide variety of food for her to choose from. She needs to put on the weight she lost while locked in the cage."

"Pamper that little Miss and you'll soon have a very happy expectant she-kitt," Baxter says with a nod.

"We intend to pamper her," Sam states firmly.

"Good, see that you do," Baxter says making it sound like an order.

"I'm going to my room," I say heading for the doorway.

"Don't you crowd her," Baxter says firmly. "Give her plenty of time to get used to the fact it's not the tom who got her pregnant sticking by her."

Baxter's words keep running through my mind as I head for my room. Does the fact she is carrying a kitt sired by Edwin mean she would be more inclined towards him now?

I hesitate in my bedroom doorway for a few moments then Steven and Donny are right behind me so I walk into the room.

"Do you think Rosy is still awake?" Donny whispers.

"Shhh, leave the poor thing alone," Steven scolds.

I listen to them whispering back and forth as I strip and climb into bed. I can barely make out Rosy's form where she lies on the far side of my bed. I have trouble locating my pillow and realise with some surprise Rosy has all but one pillow lined up as a barrier between us. I retrieve my pillow then toss the other pillows onto the floor. I don't want Ray accidentally finding out about Rosy's fear of intimacy.

"Micah if I wake up because the mattress is too hard or I can't get to sleep can I get in your bed?" Donovan asks in a whisper from the doorway.

"You can hop in with me now as long as you don't kick or you'll be hopping straight back out," Steven warns quietly.

"I thought you were all grown up now you're eighteen," I comment.

"I am," Donny agrees then yawns loudly.

Soon I can hear soft snores coming from Donny and turn onto my side facing where Rosy lies in my bed. Her heart rate and breathing even out until I am sure she has drifted off to sleep. My eyes are just starting to get heavy with sleep when Rosy lifts her head up off her pillow for a few moments before lying back down. She rolls onto her back and moves around for a few moments before giving a soft sigh of pleasure.

She turns her head towards me and is still for a few minutes before turning her head away and lifting one arm straight up. It hangs in the air a moment before falling onto the covers with a soft thud. She lifts her other hand and appears to be studying it, holding it close to her face for a few minutes before placing it back on the bed.

"Can't get to sleep?" I ask quietly.

I hear the soft gasp that comes from Rosy and become aware of the almost noiseless breathing coming from Steven. Obviously he is still awake as well and as interested in how Rosy reacts to me as I am.

"I'm not taking up much room. You've got plenty of room over there," Rosy says sounding slightly defensive.

"You can come over nearer the middle of the bed. Remember just after Alex was injured? You slept in here and I never once tried to do anything to you that you didn't like," I say gently. "The middle of the bed is more comfortable than the edge."

I hear her heart skip a beat then start racing while her breath seems to catch in her throat.

"Ok, stay there if you're more comfortable there," I concede.

I remain still, I make no move, no sound, and finally I hear Rosy's breathing begin to become much more even and deep. She is dozing off to sleep even though she is alone in bed with me. A faint sound comes from her and her arm closest to me twitches several times before becoming still. A few minutes later she murmurs in her sleep before giving a faint whimper.

I give a slight start as she grabs at my arm with her hand and I lift my head to look at her. I can barely make out her features in the dark but I do recognise the soft sounds of distress coming from her.

"It's okay Rosy. I'm here, you're safe," I say softly as I debate moving closer to her.

Rosy murmurs softly at my words and rolls towards me in her sleep. She ends up lying on her stomach only a few inches away from me, one arm flung over my lower ribs.

I pull the covers up over her shoulders properly and inch a fraction closer so that the forearm of the arm over my ribs hangs down instead of balancing stiffly. I consider trying to coax her off her stomach but decide not to disturb her. It isn't long before my eyes drift closed and I momentarily go to sleep. I wake when Rosy moves and I open my eyes not sure what to expect. My eyes adjust to the darkness after a few seconds and I look at Rosy startled to find she is now curled up with her back to my chest. The sound of her breathing tells me she is asleep and I close my eyes with a smile as I settle down to go back to sleep.

"What the ..." Sam's voice out in the sunroom disturbs me, but it is the bright glare of the bedroom light that brings me fully awake instantly.

I roll away from Rosy, tossing the bedclothes back as I move, rising out of bed to confront the intruder in my room.

"What are you doing sneaking into my house, McIntosh?" I demand angrily as I face Ray.

I see Sam and Mitchell hurrying into the room but give no reaction; I know I have their full support and loyalty. Behind me I am aware of Steven moving to stand beside me and though I long to check on Rosy I don't take my eyes off Ray. Mitchell moves around behind me and I know he is going to his sister.

"Why did yous wake me up?" Rosy complains sounding miserable. "I was having such a good sleep; I was nice and warm and comfy."

"Lay back down and go back to sleep," Mitchell tells her softly. "Cuddle the other pillow until Micah comes back to bed."

"Out of this bedroom now, Ray!" I hiss sharply and take a step towards him.

"Yes, it's real unfriendly sneaking into a cat's den while he's sleeping," Baxter says from just outside the door.

Ray glances behind himself uneasily before edging out of the room sideways. "I was only making sure Rosy is being looked after properly! With Edwin staying at the house instead of here with Rosy I wanted to be sure Sam and Mitchell are doing their duty as brothers!"

"Kindly remove yourself from this building now!" I spit angrily and hear echoing growls from most of the warriors. I follow after Ray as he backs down the sunroom and then the hallway before stumbling out the screen door. I shut the reinforced wooden door after him and head back towards my room in a hurry. Tomorrow I will be investigating how he got into a locked building.

"Is he gone?" Rosy demands anxiously as soon as I walk into the room. She looks away hurriedly and I remember I am naked.

"Gone and locked out," I say and watch as she allows Mitchell to ease her back under the covers. He is talking quietly to her as he sits on the bed along side her brushing the hair back off her face. I realise Rosy handled being woken up so abruptly quite well; there has been no screaming or crying on her part.

"Do you want a drink of water or anything?" I ask as I pull on a pair of boxer shorts.

"I just wanta sleep," Rosy mumbles.

"I'm ..." Mitchell begins to talk to her.

"I'll be right here," I say cutting Mitchell off. "I will make sure you're safe."

"Mhhh," Rosy murmurs with a sleepy glance towards me before shutting her eyes once again.

"Mitchell can stay with you until you're asleep," I tell Rosy. "Then he's going to his bed so he can sleep. I will be right here, and Steven is in the room as well. Both of your brothers will be just outside the door, so no-one can hurt you, okay?"

Rosy gives another murmur as she nods her head without opening her eyes. I climb into bed and make myself comfortable so I don't wake her up once she is asleep. A few minutes later Mitchell leaves the room turning the light out as he goes. I listen to Rosy's soft breathing for a short while before allowing myself to drift off to sleep.

* * * * *

"Rosy, Rosy, are you awake?" Donovan's whispered question wakes me and I open my eyes slowly as I smell breakfast cooking.

Donovan is sitting on Micah's side of the bed with a tray in front of him. He grins when he sees I am awake and picks up the tray with great care and moves it closer to me.

"Micah cooked you breakfast and I asked him if I could bring it in here but he made me promise to take it back out to the kitchen if you were still asleep," Donovan informs me. He grins widely looking a lot like Micah and Dwayne as he picks up a large glass of juice and offers it to me.

"I poured your drink for you," he says proudly.

"Wait a moment. I need to sit up to eat and drink," I tell him and he holds my drink while I move myself into a sitting position against the headboard before reaching for the drink.

"Micah got the bacon out special just for you. Steven told Micah he'd spoil you if he makes you breakfast in bed too often but Micah told Steven that he was only worried you wouldn't make muffins for breakfast again. Steven was worried I mean, not Micah. He just laughed at Steven. Are you going to make muffins again for breakfast? Cause if you do I like chocolate chip muffins, or blueberry, or just any you want to make," Donovan says eagerly.

"Really?" I ask with a straight face and pat the bed beside me. "Want to keep me company?"

"Yeah! That'd be great," Donovan says eagerly as he moves to sit beside me.

I hand him a piece of bacon that isn't as crisp as the rest and he chews on it happily while I eat the scrambled eggs on a piece of toast. I look at the sausages and decide I don't want them before passing them to him on the end of my fork. Donovan eats enthusiastically while I chew on the crisp bacon slowly, enjoying the taste and texture.

"I thought I said you were to come back to the kitchen, not eat Rosy's breakfast for her," Micah says gruffly from the doorway startling me.

"But Rosy asked me to keep her company," Donovan protests.

"I did ask him if he wanted to keep me company," I hurry to tell Micah.

"That's ok then. Donny, go make sure there's enough bacon in the fridge for Rosy to have some at lunch if she wants some. Then see what Dwayne is up to," Micah tells his youngest brother without taking his eyes off me.

"If I must," Donovan sighs, sounding as if he was getting the job he most dreaded.

I watch as he climbs off the bed and leaves the room slowly, all the while looking as if he is about to be punished for the next month or more. Micah turns his head from watching Donovan leave the room and looks me over slowly.

"Did he stand in the doorway to check if you were awake or not?" Micah asks.

"It is possible he did before he climbed on the bed and asked if I was awake," I tell him with a wide grin. I feel good this morning and I am pleased by the attention Micah is showering on me. Micah seats himself on the edge of the bed and watches as I pick up another piece of bacon and start eating it.

"He is full of good intentions but he's still only a kid and gets carried away a lot," Micah tells me.

"Well I think he's a nice kid. He is really sweet," I say and pick up a piece of bacon to inspect it before putting it in my mouth. I add, "and it was nice to be woken up to a nice breakfast and have company," I say almost defensively as I remember the lonely meals I have endured over the last few weeks.

"Well you got more company waiting out in the lounge room if you want it. And how would you like to go for a drive later?" he asks as he takes my empty tray.

"Can I?" I ask excited about the thought of being outside again.

"Yeah I'm going to pick up a few parts for one of the vans and I thought you might like to come along if I can talk Wade into removing that darned collar," Micah tells me.

"If he won't take it off I can wear a scarf or something. I promise I'll do as you say," I implore him. "I just want to be able to go outside!"

Micah's expression becomes extremely serious for a few moments before he shakes his head, "I'm sorry Rosy but I won't have you getting too far from that key. We can go outside here at the compound."

"I don't care where we go as long as it's outside," I breathe, hardly daring to believe my good luck.

"You won't be able to get too excited or shape-shift with that collar on," Micah warns me.

"I don't care. As long as I can go outside! Please, Micah, please!" I beg as I walk on my knees towards him, "You don't know what it was like being locked in that cage not able to see the sky or feel the wind on my face! It hurt me worse than what Edwin did to me!"

"I'll take you outside Rosy, I promise. Even if we just end up sitting on the grass for a while," Micah tells me gently. "Now why don't you have a shower or get changed?"

"Ok," I agree and look towards the large built-in cupboard on one side of the room. "Are my things still in the other room?"

"No I moved them in here, so expect them to have my scent on them," he warns me.

I give an annoyed snort as I go to the cupboard and open the door to look in it. My clothes are placed neatly on racks and in shelves near Micah's clothes, and I can't complain too much if I'm honest about it because he took the time and care to put them in my familiar order. I pick a pair of cut off jeans and one of my favourite tops, make a point of sniffing them and sending an annoyed look his way before grabbing what underwear I wanted and heading for the bathroom.

I don't take long with my shower because I want to get outside as quickly as possible, and when I am dressed I make my way out to the lounge room. As expected, everyone is there and I smile happily as I sit on the floor in front of the tv where Steven and Mitchell are playing an x-box game.

"Good morning. What game are you playing? A martial arts fighting game? Who's winning?" I ask.