Reformation Ch 05

Chapter Five

Reconciliation

For the following week, life settled into a comfortable routine for the three people who had been thrown together by circumstance and chance. Owen went to college during the day and back to Heather's every evening to be trained to be a "Proper Master." Rebecca got her family ready for their day, her children off to school before going to the family's Christian Bookstore to help her husband run it. Once the shop was closed, she would go to Heather's (under the guise of a church project) to help in Owen's training. Heather's routine was only altered by the presence of another person in the private apartment portion of the warehouse complex. While Heather liked the friendship and companionship that Owen provided, she did not see him as anything more than a student and friend.

It was Saturday night and the day's training for Owen was already over and Rebecca had already gone home. Owen was busy working on the stack of homework that he had been putting off all week. The quiet of his room in Heather's apartment was just what he needed to focus and make some headway with the homework. Owen was so focussed on his homework that he didn't hear the door open or Heather walk into the room.

"Hard at it, I see," Heather said warmly as she entered Owen's room.

"Oh! Heather, I didn't hear you come in! Yeah, finally getting to this homework I have been ignoring all week," Owen said with a chuckle.

"I guess I have been keeping you busy on The Floor this week," Heather added with a smile as she sat down on the bed.

"Not that I have been complaining! I have learned so much this week! You've opened my eyes to so many things! Thank you," Owen said gratefully.

"You have learned a lot this week, you have picked things up much quicker than I thought possible," Heather added with an impressed tone of voice as she nodded her head.

"I had a good teacher," Owen replied with a warm smile on his face.

"You were a good student," Heather said warmly.

"Were?" Owen asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, were. It is time you decided what you are going to do next," Heather added with a serious tone to her voice.

"Next?" Owen asked with a slightly confused tone of voice.

"You have learned so much this past week that I feel it is time for you to move on, either go back to Taryn and Rosina or strike out on your own," Heather added with a serious yet compassionate tone of voice.

"But I like it here! I have learned so much and I have so much more to learn!" Owen pleaded, as he grasped Heather's closest hand.

"You do have more to learn, this is true but you have already learned the basics. You are ready to return to those who need you," Heather added with a warm and comforting smile as she squeezed Owen's hand.

"I just don't know if I should go back to them," Owen said as he turned and sat hunched over in the chair, facing away from Heather. "I don't know if I could or should resume a relationship with my mother and sister. I just don't want to screw them up like I did my father," he finished with a worried tone of vocie as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Do you love them?" Heather asked calmly.

"Yes," Owen sighed.

"Do you miss them?" Heather asked knowingly.

"Yes," Owen replied, looking down at the floor.

"Do you also miss them as: family, companions, lovers, Slaves or all four?" Heather asked in a leading tone of voice.

"All four," Owen replied in a drained tone of voice after taking a long pause before answering.

"Then don't you think it is time to at least talk to them? Don't you think that they miss you the same way that you miss them?" Heather added with a warm and tender tone of voice.

"I guess," Owen admitted with a sigh. "But I don't know if I should start things up with them again, I don't even know if they want to," Owen finished with a furrowed brow.

"Don't you think that you should at least talk to them and give them the chance to tell you how they feel?" Heather asked with a soft and compassionate tone of voice as she put her hand on Owen's back and began rubbing it.

"I . . . I . . . I'm just not ready yet!" Owen stammered out and flashed Heather a fearful look before looking away.

"You can't stay here forever and sooner or later you will have to talk to them, to at least salvage some sort of family relationship with them," Heather added as she continued rubbing his back.

"I'M JUST NOT READY!" Owen shouted and glared at Heather before looking down at the floor.

"Okay, just think about it," Heather said in a resigning tone of voice as she stood up.

Looking back at Owen one last time Heather shook her head before leaving the room. When Heather had returned to her room she paced the room for a moment while deep in thought over Owen's predicament. Sitting down in the chair beside the phone she picked up her daytimer and flipped through the pages before finding the number she was looking for. Picking up the phone she dialled the number and waited for the other party to answer.

"I have a special task for you and you must do exactly as I say," Heather said after the other person had answered the phone.

* * *

Rebecca turned off the engine of her car with shaky hands, she grasped the wheel and exhaled deeply. She was so very nervous and wasn't sure she could go through with what she had been ordered to do. Pausing momentarily she sent up a quick prayer for the strength to do the task she had been assigned. Guilt immediately washed over her for asking God for help in doing something associated with her "sinful life." Rebecca glanced at the sign of the spa that she was parked in front of before she closed her eyes and rested her head on the steering wheel. Reminding herself that she was here to help Sir, and therefore it was the right thing to do, she gathered up her courage and got out of her car. On shaky legs she walked towards the Spa and opened the door.

When the door to the Spa opened up, Taryn looked up and smiled warmly at the nervous woman entering the spa. The slightly plump, blonde haired woman glanced around the room as she slowly walked towards the counter that Taryn was standing behind. "Hello, dear, is this your first time in a Spa?" Taryn asked in a warm and inviting manner.

"Well, yes," Rebecca replied with a timid and nervous tone of voice.

"Well, you've nothing to fear, we'll take good care of you. What did you have in mind?" Taryn asked in an inviting manner as Rebecca arrived at the counter.

"I didn't come here for any Spa treatment," Rebecca said in a lowered tone of voice before she looked around to see if anyone else was around, before she leaned in toward Taryn. "I am here to talk to Taryn Thompson," she added in a hushed tone of voice.

"I'm, Taryn, what can I do for you?" Taryn asked curiously, with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm here to talk to 'Mistress Red' I bring news from 'Moe'," Rebecca said in a low and shaky voice, her manner full of the nervousness she felt at the moment.

Taryn's eyes closed to slits and her manner turned angry as she glared at Rebecca, it was all she could do not to yell at or strangle the strange woman who apparently knew too much. Glancing the woman over she felt a familiarity about her, she knew her but not well.

"Who are you and how do you know those names?" Taryn snapped in a stern and angry manner as she leaned in to intimidate the frightened Rebecca.

"My name is Rebecca Moore and I live down the street from where you used to live. My husband and I run a Christian Bookstore down the block. I know about you because Sir, or rather Moe has told me about the unique nature of your family. I have been sent here on his behalf to see if you will speak to him," Rebecca answered in a quiet and frightened manner as she looked down at the counter and not at Taryn as she spoke.

"Master sent you? How do you know Master?" Taryn asked with a confused and slightly less angry tone of voice.

"Sir did not send me, but I was sent by my Mistress to bring you to her. She wishes to help heal the rift between the three of you," Rebecca said in an embarrassed manner, still looking down.

"Mistress? Do you mean that YOU are a . . . SLAVE? Aren't you some really religious, church woman? The last thing I need is a lecture from YOUR kind about how I choose to live my life!" Taryn asked with a confused tone of voice, ending with an indignant snort.

"I don't have time to explain my life's story but I am not here to lecture you. I have been serving my Mistress for quite a while now, in the hopes to rid myself of these impulses to serve others, and be dominated," Rebecca said in a low tone of voice and a red face of embarrassment.

"How has that been going?" Taryn asked with a raised eyebrow and knowing tone of voice.

"Not well, the more I serve, the more I want to serve," Rebecca said with a frustrated tone of voice.

"Take it from me, those feelings never go away, you can try to suppress them, but they will never go away, they will surface sooner or later," Taryn said in a compassionate tone of voice as she put her hand on Rebecca's shoulder and lightly shook it.

"I think you're right," Rebecca replied with a saddened huff before she looked up into Taryn's eyes.

"So where is Master and where do we meet him?" Taryn asked calmly.

"I can't tell you. I have specific instructions to pick you and Cat up and bring you before my Mistress. You must come now if you want to see Sir," Rebecca said with a slightly uncomfortable tone of voice.

"If you're going to take me there what harm would it do to just tell me where we're going," Taryn replied insistently.

"You should know as well as I do that when the one we serve gives us specific instructions we must follow them to the letter," Rebecca replied with a furrowed brow.

"You're right," Taryn replied with a frustrated sigh. "Give me a minute," Taryn said before she walked behind the wall.

After simply telling Karen that they were going to talk to Owen, Taryn and Rosina returned to Rebecca. Veronica took over Taryn's place at the front of the Spa. Taryn, Rosina and Rebecca piled into Rebecca's car and without a further word being said Rebecca drove away from the curb, on the way to Heather's.

All throughout the ride, Taryn and Rosina looked out the windows, trying to guess where they were going. Rebecca said nothing as she drove the car on the route she had driven many times over the past eighteen months. Taryn and Rosina got nervous when they entered an industrial section of town and turned down a back alley. Taryn was about to ask where they were going when Rebecca stopped behind a warehouse and rolled down her window. She fished out a plain-looking pass card and swiped it across the unassuming card reader. The card reader made a beeping sound and a nearby large overhead door started to open up. When it was open far enough Rebecca pulled inside and parked.

Rebecca, Taryn and Rosina had just exited the car when the overhead door started to close. Rosina gave Taryn a worried look, yet Taryn put her arm around Rosina's shoulder and the two women followed Rebecca walked towards the metal door. Once inside Rebecca swiped her card over the card reader and the second door clicked and she opened it, ushering her two guests through it. Taryn and Rosina were shocked to see the black guard, especially the way he was dressed but they said nothing and handed him their coats. Rebecca walked down the hall and towards the door at the end of the hall. When they neared this door it just clicked and Rebecca opened it up. Taryn and Rosina paused just inside the door as they looked around at the rich wood panelling and fireplace of the fireside room.

"We are to wait on the couch," Rebecca said as she motioned to the leather couch situated between the two Wingback chairs.

"Wait for what?" Rosina asked curiously.

"For my Mistress to come and speak with us," Rebecca said as she walked towards the couch.

"I thought we were going to talk to . . . Owen?" Rosina asked curiously as she sat down beside Rebecca.

"You will speak to Sir later, My Mistress wants to talk to you first," Rebecca replied as Taryn sat down beside Rosina.

The seconds tick slowly by and what was actually only a few minutes felt like a few hours as the trio of women waited in the fireside room. Eventually Heather entered the room through the door in the wall to the left of the fireplace, the one leading to The Floor. All three women on the couch looked at Heather who strode confidently into the room and said nothing until she was seated in her usual Wingback chair.

"Hello, my name is Heather and I have called you here to talk about your former Master, Owen," Heather said mater-of-factly, as she looked Taryn and Rosina over. "You must be Taryn, or Mistress Red," she said as she looked Taryn over. "And you must be Rosina, or Cat," she added as she looked at Rosina.

"Look, I don't know who you are or what you think you know, but I don't see how any of this is any of your business!" Taryn snapped indignantly as she glared at Heather.

"I am not here to cause trouble but to solve trouble, more specifically the rift that is between you and Owen," Heather said calmly as she smiled warmly at Taryn.

"Who are you and how do you know all this?" Taryn asked with a sceptical expression.

"I was Richard's dominatrix for ten years. I was . . ." Heather started to explain but an incensed Taryn cut her off.

"WHAT! YOU BITCH! STEALING MY HUSBAND WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH! NOW YOU'RE AFTER MY OWEN!!" Taryn screamed as she stood up and stared down at Heather.

"I didn't steal Richard, it was a business arrangement, he paid me to dominate him once a week, that's all. I ended it when I felt we were getting too close. I had no intention of stealing him from you, and as for Owen he is simply my student, that's all," Heather replied calmly, seemingly undisturbed by Taryn's outburst.

"Student?" Rosina asked curiously.

"Yes, I have been teaching him how to be a proper Master this past week. As well I have been giving him time to calm down, in hopes that he would go back to you on his own, but he keeps saying he's not ready," Heather calmly explained as she looked back and forth between Taryn and Rosina.

"Proper Master?" Rosina asked.

"Yes, he has natural abilities as a Dominant, but he lacks some basic understanding of the lifestyle as well as some basic skills. He has picked these things up quickly and I feel that he is ready to resume his relationship with you," Heather explained with a soothing tone of voice.

"So you're really trying to help? Why?" Taryn asked with a puzzled expression as she slowly sat back down on the couch.

"At first I brought Owen home to find out what happened to Richard. I was about to offer you my condolences at the funeral reception but I overheard the fight you had and when I heard Owen say that he killed Richard, I had to know what happened. Once I understood what happened and what Richard had become I was sad and helped Owen realize that Richard was responsible for what happened, not him. After that, my heat went out to Owen, for he seemed so lost and confused that I couldn't throw him out on the street. It seemed the right thing to do to help him, to help all of you." Heather said in a warm tone of voice.

"So you know about the three of us?" Rosina asked with a unsure tone of voice.

"Yes, I know that up until recently, Owen had dominated both you, your mother and your father. I know that you feel more like his wives that his sister and mother," Heather replied calmly.

"Doesn't that bother you? Aren't you shocked?" Taryn asked incredulously.

"In my line of work I see all kinds of relationships and the one common thing that I see in all of the good ones is 'love between consenting adults'," Heather said with a chuckle as she shook her head.

"You said that you wanted to help us get back together with Owen but you also said that Owen wasn't ready to get back together with us, so why are we here?" Taryn asked in a concerned tone of voice.

"What I said was that Owen feels he is not ready, but I believe he is, but is just scared," Heather said confidently.

"Scared? Scared of what?" Taryn asked with a confused tone of voice.

"He is scared that he will affect you two the same way he affected Richard. For that reason he is unwilling to resume a relationship with you. He loves you both so much that he doesn't want to hurt you," Heather said in a compassionate tone of voice.

"That's crazy! Richard made his own choices and kept his resentment bottled up inside until it consumed him. Owen didn't cause what happened to Richard and he could never make us hate him!" Taryn replied in a frustrated tone of voice.

"That is my thinking exactly. That is why I feel he needs a little nudge to do the right thing," Heather said in a conspiratorial manner as she winked at Taryn and Rosina. "Tell me, what would you be willing to do to have Owen back?" Heather added in a curious manner.

"ANYTHING!" Taryn and Rosina replied fervently.

Heather smiled and chuckled to herself as she looked at the three ladies on the couch.

* * *

About half an hour later Owen was in his room, still working on the last of the homework that he had been putting off. The silence of the room was broken by the door opening up and Heather entering the room. Owen was hard at work and seemingly ignoring Heather's entrance.

"I've almost got this done, this is the last of it," Owen said without taking his attention away from the homework he is working on.

"Good, then you can take a break. It is time for another lesson," Heather said confidently as she stood just inside the room.

"I need to get this done, can't it wait?" Owen said as he spun in his chair to look at Heather.

"It is time for another lesson . . . now," Heather repeated sternly as she stood up straight.

"Yes, Mistress," Owen said sullenly as he stood up.

"Get changed and meet me in the fireside room," Heather said before she turned and walked out of the room.

"Yes, Mistress," Owen replied before Heather is out of earshot.

A few moments later, Owen entered the fireside room wearing his "Trainer's uniform" and cannot see Heather anywhere. Owen walked towards the door leading to The Floor but when he nears the door, he heard a noise from behind him. Heather, who was sitting in her Wingback chair, motioned for him to sit in the other Wingback chair. Owen nodded and walked over to the Wingback chair and sat down. All this while Owen looked unimpressed but does not voice his disappointment.

"I know you have homework to finish and you need to get back to it but this lesson is important," Heather started out in a calm and controlled manner, sounding very much like a teacher starting a lesson.

"What exactly is the lesson today, Mistress?" Owen replied respectfully with just a hint of resentment in his voice.

"You have learned a great deal this week and come a long way since you arrived here. For you to progress further it is time for you to take on a Slave for real," Heather said in the same teacher-like manner.

"I'm not ready for that, I'm doing fine learning with Mouse," Owen replied in a slightly defensive manner.

"It is your reluctance that is the problem. I know you are ready, and you must get past this belief that you will poison and destroy anyone who serves you. It is vital for your development as a Master to take on a Slave," Heather said with a stern and slightly chastising tone of voice.

"But I'm not ready to go back to Red and Cat, I don't know if I ever will," Owen said in a worried tone of voice with a wrinkled forehead.

"A number of women in this building have expressed an interest in becoming bound to you. All you have to do is pick one you like and take her on as a Slave. Nobody is saying you have to leave just yet but believe me when I say that this is vitally important," Heather said in a calming and consoling manner.