Dorsai - Next Door Neighbor

As the evening wore on, Amy felt more and more comfortable about telling us things about herself – even though she'd pretty much opened up to us that first night, the things she told us now were more immediate, and somehow more 'personal'. One of the things that she mentioned was that Agent Tom Gallery had asked her out for dinner or drinks a few times. She said that she knew he was interested in her, but until recently, hadn't felt comfortable enough with men to be willing to go out with him. It wasn't that she didn't like his company or anything like that; rather, she'd been concerned that she'd like him too much, and find herself in bed with him – only to be hurt or disappointed again. She liked him, but was afraid that she'd turned him down one too many times, and that he wouldn't ask her again.

After getting a promise that she'd keep what I had to tell her confidential, I told her about the conversations I'd had with Gallery. She was surprised to know that he'd taken notice that she didn't seem to get any 'bed rest', or talk about her friends outside the Bureau. Then she was absolutely amazed that Gallery had told me he was fine with the idea of her being with us – and that he'd seemed to know that the 'us' was more than just her and me. I went on to tell her that his only apparent interest had been that she be happy, and that she broke out of the 'shell' he thought she had around her – and that he'd also noticed the change in her, and thanked me for it.

When she said that she wasn't sure what to do, that she still liked him and thought she was ready to go out with him but was afraid he wouldn't ask again, it was Lucy that surprised her by suggesting that Amy ask HIM out.

Amy tried to protest that she couldn't, and Lucy simply told her "Amy, if you like him, and want to go out with him, you've got two choices. Either you can wait for him to ask you again – which may be a while – or YOU can ask HIM out. You're a grown woman. You're an FBI agent, and you willingly put yourself between crooks and their victims. If that isn't guts, I don't know what is. Besides, if you can bring yourself to be the one to ask for the date, then you can be pretty damn sure that you're ready for what a relationship with him might involve. It might turn out he just wants company while he gets drunk, or it might be that he actually cares about you, and wants something more than just a night in bed. Or it might be that he wants something in between those two extremes. However it turns out, you'll never know what*might* happen between the two of you until there's a *two* of you for something to happen between. "

Even I understood the twisted syntax of that last sentence, and it seemed to make a lot of sense to Amy, too. She sat there for a bit, sipping her coffee, while the rest of us stayed silent. When she finally looked up at us again, she said "I'll do it. I'm going to ask Tom Gallery out. I won't really see him for a couple days, but I'm going to do it. He and I will both have off time in a week or so, and that's when I'll try to make the date for."

Sandra hugged her, surprising Amy a little, before saying "Good for you, Amy. You ought to have someone special, like the rest of us – you're a good person, and a*great* kisser!" – that last part making Amy turn pink while the rest of us laughed.

With the world's problems solved, there didn't seem to be anything left but for us to go to bed – all of us had started yawning, and I think the evenings earlier activities had tired us all.

Amy told us that she didn't think that her bed would hold all of us, and asked Robyn and Sandra if they'd mind sleeping on the couch – that it opened up into a small bed. Both readily agreed, and Amy asked Lucy and I to go ahead and get ready while she got the girls set up. We did as she asked, and a few minutes later, she came in to find us laying on opposite sides of the bed. She looked at us quizzically, and Lucy told her "It's your bed. You get the middle.

Besides, BOTH of us want to cuddle with you. Amy smiled, and climbed up between us from the foot of the bed. When she was ready, Lucy and I both rolled onto our sides. I tucked my legs up, and Amy lifted her legs to let them drape over mine. Lucy and I each rested an arm on Amy, bending them so that our hands laid on her breasts. In return, Amy let her hands rest on the top insides of our thighs. Lucy kissed her on the cheek, and when Amy turned her head, kissed her again on the lips. Amy just looked at her as Lucy told her "Amy, Sandra was right. You*are* a good person, and you*do* deserve to have someone special. And you are a*terrific* kisser!", the last with a smile.

Amy turned her head to look at me, and I softly kissed her on the forehead, then again on the lips, before telling her "Remember what I told you about yourself, that first night? Every bit of it is true. *I* love you. Lucy loves you. Robyn and Sandra love you. I'm a guy, and from the way Tom talks, I'd bet HE loves you, too. But you'll never know for*sure* unless you're willing to take the chance. Amy, one thing I've learned along the way is that it isn't the thing itself that's so hard, but the worrying and thinking about it beforehand."

She nodded her understanding, then laughed when I told her "Besides – if we have to come back here for*another* treatment, I don't think we could stand it!"

She gave me a chaste, but still deeply loving, kiss. The three of us lay there, happy to be holding each other, as we drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up neatly spooning with Amy, who was spooning with Lucy. Both of us had an arm around the person in front of us; and if Amy was doing what*I* was, she had a secure hold on Lucy's breast. Lucy had her arm resting on Amy, her hand on Amy's bare hip.

I carefully eased myself out of bed, and made a trip to the bathroom before heading out to check on Robyn and Sandra – both of whom were dead to the world, snuggled up next to each other. Back in the bedroom, I gently slid my way back into bed, until I was again nestled against Amy's back, and had my arm around her to hold her breast in my hand. After a few minutes, I fell asleep again.

When I woke up again, I was on my back, and Amy was laying on her side, resting against me with her arm on my chest. I turned my head to look at her, and saw that she was wide awake. I also noticed that Lucy was missing from the other side of her.

Amy smiled at me, and said "You were still asleep when we woke up; Lucy told me that she was going to go cuddle with the girls, and that I could have your for a little while after you woke up, if I wanted.

I was laying here looking at you while you were asleep, and I decided that I wanted."

I put a mock-horrified look on my face, and exclaimed "Good Grief!

I've been traded!"

Amy giggled, and said "No, not traded – I don't think Lucy would give you up for anything. You're just being loaned, for a little while.

You don't mind, do you?"

I smiled at her, and answered "For you, no, I don't mind being loaned out."

She smiled back, and I put an arm around her before she nestled herself against me even more. We lay there like that for quite a while before she whispered into my chest "I wish I could wake up like this*every* morning."

"I'd be willing, but I think Lucy might object after a while, though.", I told her.

She giggled, and said "No, as much as I love you, and as nice as you and the rest have been, it's not YOU that I want, but someone of my OWN. Somebody that makes me feel the way you do; somebody that I feel about the way I do all of you; somebody that I can share my life with."

I hugged her, and said "Amy, that person is out there. I promise. It might be Tom Gallery, it might not. But whoever it is, they're out there. You just have to be open to seeing them when they show up, and willing to follow up on it when you find them. You might find a few wrong ones along the way, but you'll never find the RIGHT one if you don't at least try. The only thing I'd ask is that you don't settle for anything less than the best, okay?"