We went to the kitchen.  It was clean and empty.  “Would you like to try Ripley's apple pie?” I asked him.  “No, but I will wait while you have some,” he answered.  I was reluctant, afraid to leave Ripley for long.  “He will be fine for a few minutes,” Aris told me.  I felt a tear escape my eye and slide down my cheek.  “Oh, Jade,” he rushed to me and put his hands on my cheeks.  Another tear and then another.  He hugged me close, “It is okay.  Let it out.”  I went into full blown ugly crying.  He just held me as I cried it out.  After a few minutes, when I was back to silent crying, he pulled back and looked at me.  “I was so scared,” I told him, “There was so much blood.  I thought that he was going to die.”  He hugged me close again, “but he did not and we all have you to thank for that.”

He led me to the living room.  He sat down on the couch and pulled me down to his lap.  He guided my head to lay on his shoulder.  I relaxed.  I felt myself start to doze.  “Jade, I am going to carry you to bed now,” he told me.  I was too groggy to answer, but I was okay with it.  I really need to get back to Ripley.  I felt a shift as he rose, holding me in his arms.  Then I felt him expertly navigate the stairs.  Then a shift as he laid me down next to Ripley and covered us both up.  “Is she asleep?” I heard Ripley ask.  “Yes,” Aris told him.  “How is she doing?” Ripley asked.  “She is pretty shaken up,” Aris told him, “She will be okay though.”  They were silent for a minute.  I felt a kiss on my cheek.  “Someone will bring lunch and dinner,” Aris said, “ I will be back as soon as possible.”  “Okay,” Ripley said.

I felt Ripley slide his arm under me and pull me close.  I heard the door close.  I moved until my head was again on his chest and let my hand go to where it needed to go.  I fell asleep to him smoothing my hair back away from my face.

“Jade,” Ripley was saying my name softly.  I opened my eyes.  My head was still on his chest.  My hand was just above his private area.  I moved it and lifted myself up to look at him.  “I need to pee,” he told me, “really bad.”  I got up.  He sat up and slid to the edge of the bed.  “Do you need help?” I asked.  “No,” he answered, “I will leave the door open just in case.”  He slowly stood up and walked toward the bathroom.  He left the door open as promised.  I sat on the bed and waited.

After a few minutes, he came back and slowly walked to the bed.  He sat on the edge and scooted over for me.  I slid in next to him and covered us up.  “Jade,” he said before I put my head on his chest.  I looked at him waiting.  “There is some blood in my pee,” he told me.  “That may be why my hand wants to go there.  Are you okay with me touching you?” I asked, “strictly for healing purposes.”  He smiled, “Yes.  I trust you.”  He raised up and kissed me, then relaxed back down.  I put my head down on his chest and let my hand go where it needed to.  Which was right on his shorts.  I slipped my hand inside his underwear.  He tensed up for a minute, then relaxed.  I slowly moved my hand around.  “Move your hand back a little,” he requested.  I did as he asked.  “Right there,” he said.  I stopped where he indicated.  “That feels so much better,” he sighed in relief.

“Ripley, you should've told me you were hurting there.  I could've done this sooner,” I told him.  “I didn't want to scare you off,” he told me.  “That wouldn't have happened,” I told him.  “I am just glad that you are doing it now,” he told me.  “Did you have this problem before you were shot?” I asked, remembering my hand going there before.  “Yes, but not this bad.  I do not know what is wrong or why it happened,” he answered.  “Don't worry about it.  I will fix it,” I told him, “Just relax.”  I felt him slowly relax, then his pulse began to slow.  I must be pushing him to sleep.  His breathing became even.  He was asleep.  I closed my eyes and let my hand go to where it needed to go.  I fell asleep.

“Jade,” Ripley was saying my name.  I opened my eyes.  My hand was still in his pants.  “Yes,” I answered.  “We need a shower,” he told me.  “Okay,” I withdrew my hand and sat up.  It was wet and sticky.  “Are you okay?  What happened?” I asked.  “I promise I am fine.  I will explain after the shower,” he told me.  “Okay,” I got up off of the bed.  He got up, with a lot less effort.  I followed him into the bathroom.  He started the shower and got shampoo and conditioner out of the closet.  He tested the water and undressed.  I put on my usual bikini in baby blue this time.  He got in first and I followed.  The water was power washing us from several directions.  He handed me the bar of soap, “wash your hands.”  I took it and soaped up my hands, rinsed them, then soaped them again.  I started washing his back while he was soaping up in the front.  I washed over his butt, feeling like I needed to.  He paused and tensed up, then I felt him relax and he rinsed off in the front.  He turned and faced me and rinsed his back off.

“Turn around,” he told me.  I turned around.  “Lose the bikini,” he told me.  I did so.  He handed me the soap.  I soaped up the front of me as he soaped up my back, including my butt.  He rubbed, loosening me up.  I rinsed off the front of me then turned around without thinking.  He got a full frontal view of me before I realized my mistake.  I instantly put the bikini back on.  “No,” he shook his head no, “take it off.  I am not going to hurt you.”  I waited a minute, torn about what to do, then closed my eyes and took it off.  I felt him grab my arms.  “Open your eyes,” he said so softly I almost didn't hear.  I hesitantly opened my eyes.  “You are beautiful, inside and out,” he told me, “I do not want you to feel like you have to hide yourself from me.  You have seen what I have.  Why should I not see what you have?”  “Okay,” I whispered.

He put his hands on my face, leaned down and kissed me.  He requested access and I gave it. I put my arms around his neck.  I felt his hands slide down my sides and rest on my butt, where he squeezed me.  I squealed, then giggled.  “Turn around and let me wash your hair,” he told me.  I turned around.  He soaped up my hair, then I let the water rinse it.  He put conditioner in, then I rinsed it out.  “Can I do your hair?” I asked.  He turned his back to me.  I soaped his hair up.  He rinsed it out.  I put conditioner in and he rinsed it out.  He got out first.  He came back with a robe on and brought me one.  I got out and put it on.  We twisted our hair up into towels.

“Lunch is ready,” he told me.  We went in the bedroom.  I checked the dresser for swim trunks and gave him a pair of shorts, “so that we can go sit in the hot tub after we eat.”  “Okay,” he agreed, “but you do the same.  More than those bikinis that you wear for us, though.”  I opened my robe and put on a green one piece tankini.  “You look fantastic with and without,” he told me.  I’m sure my face is still red from the shower, so he probably can't see my blush.  No comment from him.  I tied the robe shut then brushed my hair.  I had the skin put my hair up in a bun and put slippers on.  I sat on the bed and waited.  Ripley finished brushing his hair, then was ready to go.

“How do you feel?” I asked him.  “So much better,” he told me, “thank you.”  He offered me his arm.  He is feeling better.  I smiled and took it.  “You didn't explain about earlier,” I told him.  He stopped on the stairs, “you gave me an orgasm.”  “What's that?” I asked.  “A really good feeling that you get from having sex,” he explained.  “Oh,” I was confused, “but we didn't.”  “No, we did not, but you moving your hand around there caused it.  It is okay.  It is perfectly normal.”  “Okay.”  “Are you ready?” he asked.  I nodded my head yes and we went down the stairs to the dining room.  He pulled out my chair, then his and we both sat down.

I looked up.  Aris was in the kitchen cooking.  I smiled and got up.  I rushed over to him and hugged him.  “Is there something that I can do to help?” I asked.  “Have a seat.  I have it covered,” he answered.  I went back to the table and took my seat.  “You didn't tell me!” I accused Ripley.  “He wanted to surprise you,” Ripley told me.  “It is a surprise,” I agreed.  Aris brought plates for me and Ripley.  Hamburgers and French fries.  He brought himself a plate and sat down.  “It smells wonderful,” I told him.  I took a bite of my burger, closed my eyes and chewed.  It tasted just as good as it smelled.  I ate a French fry.  They were crispy with just the right amount of seasoning.  “This is really good,” I told him, eating another French fry.  “I am glad you like it,” he responded.  I ate it all.  “Are there more fries?” I asked.  “I will get you some,” he told me.  “Ripley?” he offered.  “I will take another burger and fries,” Ripley responded.   I looked at him, “Your appetite’s improved.”

Aris came back with the food.  We ate our food, then waited while Aris cleaned up.  “Are you going to get in the hot tub with us?” I asked Aris.  “Is that an invite?” he asked.  “Of course you are invited.  Why wouldn't you be?” I asked.  “You two seem to be getting along really well,” he answered.  “We are, but I don't understand why….”  “I thought that maybe you would want the time alone,” he interrupted me.  “Oh,” I looked at Ripley, “did we want that time alone?”  Ripley didn't answer right away, “Yaris, you are invited.  Just not everyone else.”  “Everyone else?” I asked, “Who else is here?”  “No,” Ripley looked at me, “I mean that it is a time for relaxation.  I do not want him handling business the whole time.”  Aris walked to the table, “If it gets bad, I will just get out.”  “Deal,” Ripley agreed, “Are you done cleaning?”  “Yes,” he answered.

We got up and followed Aris to the hot tub room.  They both took seats and I sat on Ripley's lap, unsure exactly where to go.  Ripley lit my cigarette then one for himself.  Aris lit his own.  “Has it been pretty busy, then?” I asked.  “Yes,” Aris answered, “that Ian is just a treasure of information.  All we have to do is ask and he answers in detail.”  “Are we still having that tribunal tonight?” I asked.  “Rip, do you feel up to it?” Aris asked.  “I think so,” Ripley answered.  “Then, the two of you should come to the main cabin for dinner,” Aris invited, “We will do the tribunal after.”  “That is fine,” Ripley agreed.  We finished our cigarettes and put them out.

I stood up and stretched.  I took the robe off and went to the hot tub.  I got in and turned to look.  They were both just watching me.  “Are you getting in or not?” I asked them, sitting down.  They both stood up.  Aris changed to swim shorts and Ripley took his robe off at the same time.  They both got in.  Aris to my left and Ripley to my right.