Disclaimer:
All characters are 18 years of age or older while actively engaging in sexual activity. This story is an offshoot of my running story, Mike & Karen. While not completely necessary, being familiar with that story (and Alex & Alexa) will no doubt help mightily. Reviews are welcome; flames will be snickered at and deleted with extreme prejudice by my webmaster. Enjoy!
***
Chapter I -- Getting It Out of the Way
Dawn heralded a pleasantly warm morning, unusual for mid-October, but nobody was objecting. Perhaps it might even make the week ahead more bearable for all involved. Nobody was looking forward to it, but the necessity of the situation trumped all other considerations.
"I'm sorry I can't come with you," Alex said as he carried the luggage through the house for his wife, who walked alongside him, gazing at him adoringly. She had two suitcases to take with her, in addition to her personal bag.
"It's okay, my love," replied Alexa, genuinely unhappy that they'd be parted. "But it'll good to spend some time with just Kar; we're still getting in the habit of doing sister things together, you know?"
"You'll need one another after dealing with the Blackwells for more than an hour," chuckled the young man. "Trust me on this; I've met them and they make me want to drink, especially Uncle Rod and his snot-nosed son Rip."
Alexa smirked: "His nickname is Rip?"
"No, that's his real name. Ripley, actually," Mike replied, walking just behind alongside Karen and towering over everyone else. "Alex keeps 'mistakenly' calling him Shred any time they meet. I thought Rip was going to take a swing at him last time, he got so angry."
"Alex can handle himself," Alexa said rather proudly, squeezing his arm. "He's my staunch defender and valiant knight."
"Who isn't gonna be there to defend you," Alex said almost apologetically. "Just follow mom's lead on how to deal with them. They're all intimidated by her, same as they're scared to death of dad."
"Well, now I can hardly wait," Alexa mused, her eyes glinting with mischief. "So how long is the flight?"
"Just under two hours," Karen stated as they all convened behind the largest vehicle in the driveway. "We're not due until the day after tomorrow anyway, so that'll give us a chance to check into the Frontenac and enjoy Quebec City before linking up with our beloved family."
"Your enthusiasm is showing, Kar," Alexa giggled, knowing that her older sister was not actually looking forward to this affair at all. Not only were the Blackwells meeting Alexa for the first time in nearly twenty years, but there were matters of inheritance and the will left behind by Jonathon, their father and the patriarch of the family, to be discussed. It might prove tiresome.
"Let's just get it over with," Karen sighed. "Spending time with you is about the only part of this I'm going to enjoy."
They got into the SUV, with Mike driving. Alex and Alexa sat in the back, with her snuggling into him, kissing his hand and whispering about how much she'd miss him. Within an hour, they'd arrived at the airport, where Freja and Jeanie were already waiting to say their farewells. Karen and Alexa checked their luggage and then said goodbye to their husbands and friends. Freja and Jeanie gave the sisters rather involved (and decidedly wet) kisses promising to take good care of Mike and Alex while Karen and Alexa were gone. Karen hugged Alex, while Alexa tried to hug Mike, which looked like a Barbie doll trying to hug the Hulk. They switched partners and Alex kissed his aunt lovingly, telling her to enjoy herself. Mike and Karen were similarly lost in one another, even more so, perhaps.
"What will I do without you?" Karen asked, hugging herself to her giant husband, snuggling as close as she could, as if memorizing what he felt like.
"I was just wondering that myself," Mike replied, caressing her shining, bronze hair. "Don't worry, you've got this. You hold all the aces, Gordon."
"Maybe," she murmured, nuzzling against him. "Doesn't make being without you any easier."
"All the more reason to wrap them up in a tight bow and get your cute little behind back here," Mike said, smiling. "I'll be counting the minutes. You know how hard this'll be for me."
A few steps away, Alexa took Alex's hands in hers and held them to her heart, looking deep into her husband's eyes.
"Just remember, Alex," she whispered against his lips. "Go and visit Freja and Jeanie at least once for me while I'm gone. They'll take good care of you."
"More like tear my clothes off and ravage me, I imagine."
"I'm counting on it," Alexa agreed, smiling. "And it's okay, I mean that."
"Still baffles me ..." Alex sighed.
"We've talked about this," she cooed, caressing his cheek. "How many concubines did Shi Hu have?"
"Over ten thousand." Alex muttered.
"But only one wife, who held his heart," she said quietly. "And guess who's lucky enough to be that wife? Go, enjoy yourself with Flopsy and Mopsy, they'll appreciate it too."
She kissed him again before finally letting go. The sisters waved and headed into the waiting area, turning around one more time to look at the people they loved before they were gone from view. Alexa sighed as she looked at her older sister, who was just staring at the tinted glass wall separating her from everything she held dear.
"Well," Alexa sighed, smiling forlornly at Karen and holding out her hand. "Shall we?"
Karen nodded and took her hand. If this week was going to be Hell, they'd face it together.
***
They sat side-by-side on the small but well-appointed charter jet, having just lifted off. Alexa, who had the window seat, was gazing down as the ground receded beneath them.
"How often have you flown over the years?" Karen asked, reaching over and giving her little sister's hand a gentle squeeze.
The blonde girl smiled at her and considered. "Not too terribly often, I think. To be honest, getting around the EU by car was as easy as anything. Whatever time you saved with flying was usually squandered waiting in the destination airports. I mean, if I were going from Stockholm to Rome, then yeah, I'd fly. But mostly it was cars. Even if we were heading to the UK, we'd mostly just take the ferry across the channel."
Karen smiled as she thought about it. "And it takes two days just to cross Ontario by car, never mind the Prairies or over the mountains to the west coast."
"Alex says the Prairies are really boring to cross," Alexa said. "You can watch your dog run away for three days in Saskatchewan, according to him."
"Alex's patience for crossing the Prairies is low, even for a DeBourne," Karen agreed. "I think there's a serenity to it, but he also probably objects to Michael and I singing with the radio the entire way. Hence, I keep him well-stocked with batteries for his handheld gaming systems. Everyone wins."
Alexa giggled and brought Karen's hand up to her lips, giving it a kiss. "Thanks for doing this with me, Kar. I know you'd rather stuff razor-weasels down your panties than deal with certain branches of our family."
"The price one pays for impeccable breeding, I guess," Karen sighed. "I'll weather this storm if it means I get to spend time with you, Alli. We haven't had nearly enough time together since you arrived, just the two of us."
"I know," Alexa agreed. "Alex is my world, but there's still so much about me I have to discover."
Karen smiled and gently turned Alexa's face by the cheek, looking into her eyes. "And who better than your big sister to show you the ropes, right?"
Alexa nodded readily and the both leaned in to give one another a light kiss on the lips. Alexa sighed happily and then rested her head
on
Karen's shoulder, shutting her eyes. Karen closed hers and they let the world slip away as they rested, waiting for their lives together to unfold.
***
The flight had been quick and efficient, getting them to Quebec City on time and with no hassle. They each sent their husbands a text, letting them know they'd arrived and all was well. Alexa, of course, had about thirty pictures to send to Alex once they were off the plane. A limousine took them to the Chateau Frontenac, the hotel where they would be staying. Towering over the city, it was a magnificent edifice, and Alexa was thrilled to be staying there. They were escorted up to their suite, which Alexa gaped at once they were inside.
"It's beautiful," she breathed, looking around in wonder. "But ... is it necessary?"
"Only because we're dealing with the Blackwells," Karen said dryly, as she tipped the bellhops for their assistance and shooed them out. One of them could not stop looking at the two gorgeous sisters. "They would be scandalized if we visited without staying in the very best accommodations. Such an affront to their status is unthinkable."
"But it must be insanely expensive."
"Michael and I are well-off enough as is, but this is all going into the Blackwell expense accounts, which are rather obscene by any standards," Karen remarked, her hands on her hips as she looked around, nodding. "Pretty much how I remember it."
"You've stayed in this suite before?"
"Michael and I always do, when we're visiting the Quebec Blackwells. If Alex is with us, we give him his own suite so that he has his own bed."
"Oh, there's only one bed?" Alexa asked.
"One massive king-size bed," Karen confirmed. "Does that bother you?"
"Not one bit," Alexa said readily, opening the curtain wide and gazing out over the city. "I'm just surprised, since this suite is big enough to fit a rugby team in. Nope, I'm perfectly happy sharing a bed with my sexy big sissy!"
"Glad to hear it, so let's unpack and then decide what we're going to do with the rest of our day," Karen announced as she brought her luggage into the sprawling bedroom. Alexa whistled as she looked around. "Do you need a nap after the flight?"
"Oh, no, I'm too excited to be sleepy," Alexa answered, seemingly positively giddy now that she was adjusting. "So, we've got a living room, a dining room, this huge bedroom ..."
