Finale

Author's Note: This is the "final" installment of "My Sister Stacey". I've never been happy with the way this story has gone, but these things happen. I think it is time to close the box. Thanks to all that have read this series and my other stories. I'm still working on chapters for my other series including "Was it the "Wrong" Number?" I also have three new series that I'm making good progress on. I'm very excited about all three of them, but I will not post them until I have them close to finished, so that I can release chapters in a more timely manner. Hope you enjoy this one.

-Nosebone

*****

I woke up the next morning to find Stacey still curled up next to me. She'd removed her t-shirt during the night and her soft, smooth skin rested against mine. I managed to wrap my arm around her as she slept and lightly caressed her bare back. She moved in her sleep and snuggled in closer to me.

I began thinking about the previous day's events. I'd been reliving them in my sleep. In my dream though, Mom had found out and she'd accepted the love Stacey and I shared. I knew that in reality, that was not the case. Mom had not accepted it and likely never would. I wasn't going to let that change my feelings for my sister though. I couldn't. I felt Stacey stir and she woke up and looked up at me.

"Good morning," I said before I kissed her on the forehead.

"Morning," she replied. She snuggled against me before spoke again. "Yesterday was just a bad dream, right?"

"No, baby," I replied. "I wish it was, but it wasn't."

"Me too," she said.

"I was just laying here thinking about all of it," I said.

"What are you thinking," she asked.

"That I'm not going to give you up," I replied.

"That's good," she said quietly.

I knew she'd just waken, but her lack of enthusiasm worried me.

"Hey, are you okay," I asked.

"Why," she replied.

"You just blew off that I said I wasn't going to give you up," I said.

"Yeah, I guess I did," she said.

"What are you thinking," I asked.

"Shawn, I'm thinking lots of things. I kept having these dreams last night that we went to prison for loving one another and the only person that was talking to us was Mel, and it was just awful," she said.

"They were just dreams, babe," I offered.

"Yeah, but they still make you think," she said sadly.

"Are you not sure," I asked.

"I don't know," Stacey replied.

I sighed and brought my free hand to my face. She laid her head back against my chest. After a long silence, she spoke.

"Shawn, maybe we could make it look like that we've stopped," she said.

"And how will we do that," I asked impatiently.

"We'll get Mel to help us," she said.

"Baby, we can't ask her to pretend to be my girlfriend because Mom caught us fucking and flipped out," I said firmly.

"She doesn't have to pretend," Stacey replied softly.

"So, I'm free to sleep with both of you," I asked angrily.

"Yes," she said.

"I don't see how that's going to work. Besides, what are you going to tell Mom when she asks you in six months why you're not seeing anyone," I asked.

"I'll think of something," she replied softly.

"Stacey, we can't do this," I said. "Honestly how would you feel if you knew I was with Mel. I know how I'd feel if you were with someone else."

"Look Shawn, I see we have three choices. We do what I'm suggesting, we end it, or we do something else to make Mom all right with it," she said.

"How would we do that," I asked. Stacey had turned her head to look at me. I looked in her eyes. It hit me suddenly. "Stacey, no, huh uh. We can't do that."

"Why not," she asked.

"You think she freaked out about yesterday, how do you think she'd react if I suggested that," I asked in reply.

"Daddy didn't touch her for over two years," she said.

"Holy fuck, how do you know that," I asked in disbelief.

"She told me. She called the other day when you were at the gym. She said he lost interest in her and she began to think that he was messing around. She was also hinting around to see if he'd tried anything with me. I told her I began to feel weird around him and about how he sometimes looked at me. She told me the girl he'd been seeing looked so much like me," she said.

"So, it's fucked up that Dad looked at you weird, but I'm supposed to be cool with trying to get into Mom's pants," I said.

"Shawn, it could be a completely different situation and it was just a suggestion. We don't have many good options," she admitted.

"No, we don't," I agreed. "And I wouldn't say that's a good one."

"You haven't ever thought about Mom like that," Stacey asked quietly. "She's really beautiful."

"Are you fucking kidding me," I asked. "It was one thing with you. We grew up together and shared a lot of experiences. Mom, well, that's totally different, Stace."

"Okay, jeez, sorry. I was just brainstorming," she said.

"So, really our options are we use Mel to keep up appearances, I try to fuck Mom, or we give up," I reiterated.

"Shawn, don't be so harsh," she said.

"I'm trying, but I love you and I'm not going to give you up," I insisted.

"I know you do and I love you, too," she said.

"Let's just think things over," I said. "Maybe we can go back home this afternoon and we won't feel pressured to make a decision."

"I don't know if we should go home yet. I don't want Mom here in this empty house drinking herself senseless," Stacey replied.

"I guess that's true," I replied. "She got pretty shitfaced last night."

"Yeah, she did. We should get up and make breakfast for her. She'd like that," Stacey suggested.

"Okay, we can do that," I agreed.

We went to our separate bathrooms to get ready for the day. After I finished dressing, I went downstairs and saw that Mom's door was still closed. I continued to the kitchen to see what there was to cook for breakfast. There were eggs and ham, so I decided to make a breakfast scramble. Mom also had a melon that I could cut up. Stacey joined me and we soon had everything prepared. I left her to finish and went to knock on Mom's door. She didn't answer so I opened the door and peered inside. She wasn't in her bed and I was just about to call to her and tell her that we'd made breakfast when she walked out of the bathroom, naked. She was drying her short, dark hair and oblivious to my presence. She entered her walk-in closet and disappeared from sight. I quietly closed the door and stood outside.

I realized I was still holding my breath. There was no doubt in my mind where Stacey had gotten her sexy body from. There was the obvious age difference between the two of them, but Mom's figure was still firm and shapely. Jesus, I had been ogling my own Mom. Fuck! I knocked on the door and heard her reply.

"Yes?"

"Mom, we made breakfast," I called through the door.

"Okay," she said. "I'll be out in a little bit."

I walked back to the kitchen and saw Stacey look at me.

"What happened to you? You look like you saw a ghost or something," she smiled.

"I just saw Mom naked," I replied.

"Oh, really," she asked, her smile intensifying.

"Hey, stop that. I opened the door to see if she was still asleep and then she just walked out of her bathroom," I explained.

"Do you see what I mean," Stacey asked.

"Stacey, please," I said.

"Okay," she said, rolling her eyes. We picked up the food and moved it to the dining room. Stacey had already set the table, so we sat and waited for Mom to join us. When she did she sat at the end of the table as was her custom with Stacey and I on either side of her.

"This looks good. Thanks. I need to get something in my stomach immediately," she said.

"You're welcome," I said.

Mom spooned some eggs on her plate and forked a few slices of melon. Stacey had poured Mom a cup of coffee, but it sat untouched as she ate. She stood to get up.

"What do you need, Mom," I asked.

"Some water," she replied.

"No, sit down. I'll get it," I said. I walked to the kitchen and got her a glass before I made up a carafe of ice water. With as much wine as she drank the day before, I was sure she was parched. I returned to the dining room to see the two of them eating in silence. Mom took a long drink of the water and thanked me.

When I sat back down, I looked across the table at Stacey. Her expression spoke volumes about the collective mood in the room. I glanced at Mom who hadn't lifted her eyes from her plate as she ate in silence. When I looked back at Stacey I could see the sadness in her eyes and could see she was on the verge of tears. Finally, the silence was broken by the sound of Mom's chair sliding back across the stone tile floor.

"Thank you, but I think I'm full," Mom said quietly. She reached for her plate, but I reached to stop her.

"Mom, it's okay. I'll get it. Don't worry about it," I said. She looked up at me briefly, her face emotionless, before she stood and left the room. I looked back across the table and saw tears beginning to stream down Stacey's cheeks.

Mom: I walked back into my room after breakfast and laid on the bed. I needed the ibuprofen to work as my head felt like it was about to explode. I'd drank too much the night before, which was never my habit, but I felt like I'd needed it to block out the continued downward spiral of my life.

Things began to change not long after Stacey's 17

th

birthday. She had grown up to be a lovely young woman. I was so proud of who she'd become and her aspirations. Thomas was proud of her as well. When Shawn had rejected the life that Thomas had planned for him, he focused on doing everything possible to ensure that Stacey didn't err off the course he had planned for her. He was always overbearing with both of the kids, but it became much more with Stacey.

There were several events over the next few months that troubled me. He'd scheduled a visit with Stacey to a prospective university on a weekend that he knew I would be busy with one of my charity events. He did it again a few weeks later. I confronted him when he'd announced this second trip that seemed to have been planned spur of the moment. He'd tried to lay the blame on me since my schedule was so busy. I reminded him of the many times I'd waited for him, the many times he'd ruined plans because of his schedule. He then said that he'd never really had much one-on-one time with Stacey growing up since he'd been working such long hours. I reminded him that he didn't "need" to work those long hours. My brother's Joe and Robert had taken him on as a partner at the law firm practically the moment he'd passed his bar exam. They'd done it in spite of our father telling them that Thomas was an idiot and if he would have been able to persuade me otherwise, he'd never accepted my marriage to him. Thomas responded that night with his usual bluster that he needed to prove to everyone he was capable. I knew differently. He was useless, but I'd made the mistake and married him. I'd just tried to stay sane until the kids were on their own.

Then, I began to notice the way he'd started looking at Stacey. It was subtle at first, but he became more brazen. He looked at her with a hunger in her eyes. I could see it. When she was out by the pool in swimsuit he would just glare at her. Despite myself, I felt helpless. I could see him undressing her with his eyes, but how would I confront him?

Thankfully, after she graduated from high school, Stacey got an internship with a law firm out of state. It was a college friend of my brother Joe. Thomas had been disappointed to say the least. He'd wanted Stacey in his own office, but I'd impressed upon Joe the need for Stacey to spread her wings and Joe did what he could to sell her on what a great opportunity it was. She'd had a wonderful time and seemed to learn so much during her brief tenure.

I suppose I could have remained quiet when Stacey returned home for two weeks before she left for Harvard. I could have ignored the obvious, but I couldn't. Thomas started going out of his way to spend time with her, but not in the normal way though. He'd make plans with her that she didn't know about and then if she'd already made plans with her friends, he'd try to shame her into spending time with him. One night after he'd pulled that, I asked him if he needed female companionship, why not spend time with his wife. He got very angry and asked what I was talking about. I laid it all out to him and he became even more furious. I ended up telling him to pack a bag and come back when he could be rational and not yell. He was gone two nights and everything was fine the remainder of the time before Stacey left for college.

Still, despite everything with Thomas, nothing could've prepared me for the sight of Stacey and Shawn in the pool the previous day. They hadn't been having sex, they'd been making love. The passionate sort of lovemaking that only people that have a deep love and familiarity with one another shared. I'd stood staring out the patio door for far too long as they'd coupled. As much as I tried, I could not push the images from my mind. It was like they were etched there. Stacey's shapely figure pressed against Shawn. His broad shoulders and back holding and supporting his little sister as he ravaged her. The look on Stacey's face as she'd obviously climaxed.

What could I do about it, though? In my heart, I knew I had to find a way to make them stop. What if someone at school found out? Could they get arrested? What if Melanie found out? Her mother was one of my closest friends. What had happened with Thomas was bad enough, but I always knew that once the kids were grown and gone I would divorce him. I'd never imagined this. My friends had always commented on how great my kids were. What would they think if they'd witnesses what I'd seen the day before? Siblings making love in broad daylight.

I could feel the ibuprofen finally begin to work as I laid there. As my head cleared, I knew I needed advice from someone I could trust. It would have to be Joe. Not only was he my attorney, he was my brother and I knew I could trust him. I reached for the phone and dialed his number.

--

I was still sitting at the dining room table when Mom walked back in. She had her purse and it looked like she was going somewhere. She looked at me quickly and said she was going to meet Uncle Joe about the divorce.

"Okay, Mom, I understand," I replied.

"What are you and your sister's plans," Mom asked.

"We were planning to stay as long as you wanted," I said.

"That won't be necessary, Shawn. I think I need some time to myself," Mom said.

"Are you sure," I asked.

"Yes," she insisted. "I may be awhile. You two should go back to school. I know you have summer classes starting next week. Be careful and I'll talk to you both in a few days."

"Okay, Mom. If that's what you want. We love you," I said.

"Yeah," she said and walked down the hall to the garage.

Shit, I thought to myself. She was telling us to go home. She didn't want us around. I walked upstairs to break the news to Stacey.

--

Mom's visit with Uncle Joe (Mom's Narration)

The drive to Joe's house seemed longer than ever before. He lived some distance outside of town to be sure, but everything seemed to be in slow motion that day. I knew I needed to talk to him about it, but could I just tell him everything? Time would tell. I pulled down the driveway and was relieved to see that Joe's truck was the only vehicle parked in front of the house. He'd lost his wife Evelyn to cancer in 1986 and had never remarried, raising Ally and JJ (Joe Junior) on his own. I parked and walked to the door. Before I had a chance to ring the bell, he opened the double door.

"Good morning, I'm sure you have a good reason to be here," Joe said.

"I do, and thanks for meeting me," I said.

"What are big brothers for," Joe smiled. His words made me think of what I'd seen the previous day and I quickly turned my eyes away from him. He noticed immediately. "Jane, are you okay?"

"No, Joe. I'm really not," I admitted.

"Jane, please, come into my study," he offered. He gently placed his hand on my shoulder and led me to the big, overstuffed sofa he had facing the large window overlooking his pond. It looked so serene compared to the turmoil that I felt churning inside me. We sat down and I turned to face him.

"Jane, has Thomas approached you? We can get orders from the court. You know that," Joe said.

"Joe, no. It's not about that. I wish it was something that simple," I replied.

"Then what is it," he asked.

"I don't really know how to explain. It's something I never could have imagined...," I said.

"Jane, you're not giving me much to work with. Is there something wrong with Shawn or Stacey," he asked. I felt myself wince when he said their names. He nodded at me before he began again. "What is it?"

"Joe, I, uh...they have some sort of relationship. They've..., they've been intimate, Joe," I said. Even with my admission, his stone-faced courtroom demeanor didn't fail him. He looked at me soberly and asked me the obvious question.

"You're serious?"

"Yes, very serious," I replied.

"You know this for certain," Joe asked.

"They were fucking in the swimming pool yesterday. Yes, I'm certain," I blurted out before I burst into tears.

"Jane, please," Joe said. He moved over on the couch and wrapped an arm around me.

"I just can't believe everything that has happened to me in the last month. I mean, I knew eventually I would divorce Thomas, but to find out he was fucking his 20-year-old secretary in the office our grandfather started. And now this," I wailed.

"Janey, please one thing at a time. We will have Thomas as part of your past soon. Shawn and Stacey are another story altogether. Have you spoke with them," Joe asked.

"Yes, I have. They say it's only been going on for a few weeks. How am I supposed to know and believe that's the truth, though? It's just so wrong. They could go to jail," I said as I regained my composure.

"The prisons are not full because of incest," Joe replied calmly.

"I know, but still. What if people find out," I said.

"Are you going to tell anyone," Joe asked. "I know I won't."

"Well, no, of course not," I said defensively. "How could I ever do that? Wait, what are you saying?"

"Jane, I'm saying you're a brilliant person, more intelligent than either Robert or me ever were. You've probably already realized that they're smart kids and will likely go on doing what they want no matter how hard you try to stop them," he said simply. I just stared at him blankly.

"Am I right or wrong," Joe asked.

"What if it was Ally and JJ," I asked in reply.

"I'd have to say the same thing," he answered.

"You can't be serious," I said.

"Jane, I am. They're adults. What they do with one another is their own business," Joe said.

"I can't believe you're saying that," I said. "I came over here hoping you'd have advice for me, not condone their relationship."

"I'm not condoning it. I'm just telling you that there's likely nothing you can do to stop them without alienating them," Joe said. "My advice is just let this pass for now. We need to get your divorce from Thomas finalized. It won't help matters if he finds out about any of this."

"That's true," I admitted.

"Tell them to be discreet. There's no need in flaunting it. They're still young, Janey. This may very well pass for both of them," Joe said. He reached over and patted my hand.

"I hope so," I said.

"We'll just have to see, Jane," Joe said with a comforting nod. There was a long pause and we looked at one another. Finally, I had to ask.