Chapter 101

She jitterbugged across the living room floor to the stereo only to jack the volume up another couple of decibels. Singing along she began to twist and writhe, her mind attempting valiantly to get into the music instead of the barely restrained urge to just go to the airport. "You give love a baaaaaaad name baaaaaaaaaad name."

She glanced over at the bar and for the thirtieth time in thirty minutes fought back the urge to snag a beer cooling in wait for their guys. [i]MOVE CLOCK dammit MOVE![/i] She twisted again as Bad Name moved into something equally as heart pounding, her feet moving to some off beat only she knew.

Kate sat in the center of the couch with her feet tucked under her so she wouldn't get maimed by killer heels. "Sugar, you're gonna hurt yourself!" She yelled over the song. "If you do that twisty thing again," her eyes widened. "Shit," she whispered. "I'm not putting you in traction. It takes too much time."

She whirled and twisted again. "Good thing I'm limber!" Elena yelled over the music then swayed again, as her cheeks began to turn rosy from her exertions.

"Show Richie, not me!" She grabbed Elenas's wrist as she flew by. The little shit pulled her right off the couch. "Honey, calm down! The man's going to think you were fucking a fleet in the navy the way you're all flushed."

Elena stopped a moment, took a deep breath and studied Kate before grinning. "He's got better sense." She grabbed Kate's other hand and began to do a few intricate steps. "COME ON girl, dance!"

"Um, I don't dance unless I'm very drunk or I'm in a nightclub." She plopped down and tucked her feet up again. "You, my friend are nuts."

She reached for her beer and snuck a quick look at her own watch. "Damn," she whispered.

Elena nodded and started the moves again. "Totally Katydid, it’s why you love me."

Kate sat back, stretching her arms across the leather couch they'd acquired. She wasn't sure if it was a necessity for the wear or if she and Jon managed to break it that last time. She buried a laugh behind her beer and looked around the room.

It had gone through some changes with Elena's sudden need to nest. New paint, new furniture. Gone were the college hand me downs and raggy end tables. In its place were sleek mahogany accents and leather. A few club chairs in some feminine finishes, but all in all it was very adult and very Richie. She wasn't entirely sure how her apartment had become the Richie Den, but if it kept Elena relaxed she didn't really care what she sat on.

It was only her super hospital ears that heard the jangle of keys over the obscene decibels. Instead of warning Elena she just sat back and watched Richie walk in.

His back ached something fierce from the asinine position he'd had to sleep in. He was going to put Alec through a wall if he didn't fucking wise up. They'd had to go all the fucking stupid ass away around goddamn forsaken New York City to drop him at some friggin' crack whore of a chick's house. He didn't even know the goddamn address. And now he was well over an hour later than he'd intended on being.

He shoved the door open when the fucking lock finally clicked free and just stood there.

Elena, his Elena dancing to his music. Her lithe little body was curled in an impossible s-shape as she snapped and twisted her way to the beat of Wild In the Streets, belting out the words. Black lace and lycra hugged her from shoulder to wrist, from back to mid thigh with a pair of black pumps causing the lean muscles in her thighs and calves to bunch and retract.

Nothing had ever looked so good to him. "Lains," he said with a hoarse voice. Clearing it, he watched her turn. "Elena," he smiled.

She twisted one final time, her turn ending in her facing the door. As she bent backwards and came up her eyes flickered over a long tall frame standing there google eyed. "PONY!!" She hurled herself forward and jumped up, "It's soooo good to see you!"

Richie laughed as her legs wrapped around his waist and then there was no laughing. Nothing felt like her mouth, the sweet taste of her filling him up, filling out the empty spots. He gripped onto her back, cupping her cheeks holding her tight.

Her kisses rained upon his face from cheek to cheek, forehead to lips, then pressed there her tongue flashing fire across their fullness. "Jesus I missed you."

He stepped forward a pace as Jon pushed him forward. "Uh, sorry, Jonny." He turned back to Elena and put her down. "Oh man, as much as I want to hold you up there Al killed my back man." He tugged her in close. "I missed you like crazy."

She held onto him, a bright smile lighting her eyes. "Well we'll just have to break this Al's back won't we?"

Jon slid around Richie and turned, his eyes looking for and finding the absolution he sought. "Katy, pretty Katy." He grinned and swooped in to pull her from the couch, his lips finding hers swiftly in a welcome home kiss.

Kate tugged him down into the couch and tossed her legs over his and slid onto his lap. "Hiya, Sugar." She traced his lower lip then the stubble that fuzzed his face then his cheekbones before she leaned in and kissed him gently. "You're late."

Jon laughed, "Well Al wanted to be dropped off in bumfuckegypt, to King's never ending sorrow, but we finally got here. Got impatient a bit?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she smirked back at him. "You know they have these things called cabs. Pretty nifty inventions."

Jon blinked then started to laugh, "Damn, I'll just have to remember that next time."

"That wouldn't be so bad, but then he slept like a fuckin' retard on the plane and pushed my spine through my goddamn teeth sometime between the third and fifth hour of the flight," Richie growled.

Elena slipped around behind him and put her hands on his lower back and pressed in. "You poor thing, we'll definitely have to hurt him for that." She started rubbing gently to realign the knotted muscles as best she could while standing. "Next time just kick him."

"Tempting," Richie said and groaned when her little knuckles dug in deep. "You're going to need to continue that in a bit, love." He pulled her around. "Food and you for ten hours uninterrupted is my plan for the evening."

Kate grinned and hopped off of Jon. "Good thing I got a pan of lasagna from Mama's and an antipasto to hold you guys over."

The four of them crowded around the dining room table and started passing food around. The laughter and the joking eased the stress of the travel.

Kate slipped her hand under the table and clasped Jon's hand. It felt good to have someone there; that she didn't have to be strong for that minute.

Jon squeezed her hand as he tucked into the delicious meal. "Now this is good Katy." He winked her way, "But there are better things to fill me up. I'll tell you all about that later."

Kate winked at him and glanced at Elena. The poor girl was lost to Richie-itis. She’d barely touched a bit of cheese on her plate. "Eat up, Lains. You'll need your stamina for that one," she pointed her fork at Richie.

Elena's eyes were honed on Richie, watching him eat as she nibbled at her salad. Turning to Kate she laughed, "I am eating."

"Uh huh," she said and forked in a mouthful of pasta.

Richie watched her eat with a frown. "Gonna take more than lettuce to keep up with me tonight, darlin'."

She slipped her shoe off and lifted her foot to his chair before sliding it along his inner thigh, "wanna bet Richie?" She winked and took a small bite of the pasta before returning to her salad.

Richie choked on an olive, then reached for his beer and laughed. "Minx," he grinned and leaned back in his chair letting his thighs open. His dark eyes studied her pretty face. The months on the road had lengthened her hair. The glossy strands snaked their way around her shoulders and back, tickling her elbows. Her eyes were honey colored, smudgy and sparkly. He wanted nothing better than to see just how beautiful she'd be, wearing only the makeup.

Her toes tapped a path from left leg to right, stopping only a moment in the middle as she watched his eyes began to sparkle. Picking up an olive she rolled it onto her tongue and curled it inwards as she sucked it in. "So how were the concerts?"

Richie cleared his throat at the blatant message that olive sent. "Uh, good. Helluva crowd out there. We sold out," he cleared his throat as her toes lifted his balls lightly before kneading his thigh again. "Nearly every stadium."

She waggled her brows. "Well of course they sold out babe." She took another nibble of pasta and turned to Jon. "How many lil groupies chased ya down each night?"

Kate sat back in her chair. "Yeah, just how many?"

Jon nearly snorted his beer through his nose. "Way too many to count, All of them living on Dissapointment Avenue." He glanced at Kate, "they just don't compare."

Kate leaned over and pinched his scruffy cheek. "Look at how well trained he is already?" she squeaked when he stood and hoisted her over his shoulder. "Jon!"

"What baby?" He grinned as he patted her ass. "Problem?"

She peeked through her hair. "Uh, guess not. Goodnight, Elena! Goodnight, Richie!" When he smacked her butt for good measure she laughed. "Don't worry about cleanup, just stuff stuff," she laughed as the door shut. "In the fridge!" she yelled through the door.