Note: This is the fifth and final chapter in this series, but it is not the end of the story. I will return to these characters again, in time.
ANDY -- WAKE UP
I was not surprised when she slid into bed beside me, early in the morning. In fact, I was expecting her and woke almost immediately. A glance at the VCR told me it was not quite four.
"Are you awake?" she whispered.
"Nope. I'm dreaming that an irresponsible and headstrong girl has just joined me in my bed, despite the fact that her father's guns are stored in the next room. I know that no one could be that foolish."
She giggled. "Well, I've been told several times that I should think before I act. But, I just find living that way much too boring. When I want something, I prefer to just go and get it."
"And, is there something that you want right now, Chris?"
"Yes, there is. Andy, I want you."
"I'm right here."
She giggled again, taking my hand and sliding it between her legs. She was already wet. "I know. But, I want you in here. Would you please make love to me? I saw how you were with Allie. It was different than with me and Ros. Can I have that? Just once is all I need."
"That's really dangerous, Christine."
"Why?"
"Because if I treat you like that, we could fall in love. Are you ready for what that means?"
"If it means I get to carry your baby, yes."
That was like a slap to the face, but I was sure that she didn't even realize it. I tried not to react angrily. "Chris, think about what you just said. Last night, you took something from me without permission. You thought it was all fun and games, a neat way to get what you thought you wanted. But the way you did it was completely wrong, and you don't even understand why. If it had been the other way 'round, you would have had every right to hate me. And now, instead of coming to apologize and ask me to forgive you, you want me to give you something very personal. You want me to love you the same way I love the most important person in my life. Do you really think that you deserve that? You just said you only want what I can give you, you don't really want me. I should tell you to go to a sperm bank and take your chances."
"What do you mean?" She was totally confused by my response. "Don't you want me?"
I took her hand roughly, slapping it over my erection. Still, I kept my voice quiet. "Does my body want to fuck your brains out? Hell yeah. Do I think that you deserve me to treat you like someone I love? Fuck, no. If you want me to treat you any different than a five-dollar whore, you'll need to make me believe that you care about more than what's in my balls."
She burst into tears and turned away. As good as she was at manipulating people to get what she wanted, I could soon tell that it wasn't faked. I let her cry for almost ten minutes before rolling her over to lie against my side. It had not really registered in the dark room, but she was completely naked. Her tiny breasts pressed against my lower ribs as she cried against my chest.
"Tell me why you are crying," I said softly.
"Because you hate me. I've messed everything up."
"Why do you think I hate you, Chris?"
"Because I stole a baby from you, and I'm trying to steal the love you give Allie."
"If I hate you, why am I holding you right now?"
"Probably 'cause you want to fuck me like a cheap whore."
I shrugged. "Maybe. But, if that's all I wanted, I could have done it while you were crying. Why am I holding you instead?"
"I don't know," she whispered.
I stroked her hair, letting my fingers trail across her ear and along her jaw. "I think that you do, but you're afraid."
"You can't love me, Andy. You don't even know me, or the kind of things I do. I can't let you fall in love with me. And I can't fall in love with you; you already said you won't stay here with me."
"I can still care for you. Besides, Shelby and Al are going to be apart for most of the next four years. They accept that, and they have a lot more to be afraid of than you or me."
She looked at me, her face barely visible in the glow of the electronics. "Andrew, what do you want from me?"
"I want you to understand."
"Understand what?"
I thought about how to get it across to her. "If you didn't know us, what would you think if you saw Al and I making love, knowing that we are brother and sister?"
"I think it's kind of hot."
"That's because you know us, and you know that we love each other. Take that away. Think of some other pair of siblings that you know. They're just a couple normal people. And then, you find out that he's having sex with his sister. Now, what do you think? Is incest good, or bad?"
"Well, it's usually bad..."
"Why isn't it always bad? After all, that's what the law says; that's what society says, that incest is illegal, immoral and completely wrong."
"But, like you said, Andy, sometimes they really care for each other. Like you and Allie."
"And yet, that's rare, isn't it? When you hear of incest, what's usually going on?"
"It's usually like Link," she said bitterly, "just taking what he wants without caring what his sister feels. Sometimes, I think the only thing he loves is making her feel like dirt. I'd like to borrow Daddy's gun just once..."
"Careful, there, Chris. You're starting to care too much about one person. Think about what would happen to you if you did that. Think about what it would do to Shelby."
"Why would she mind?" Christine hissed. "He'd be gone. And, if it helps her, I don't care about me."
"Why should she mind?" I asked. "Sure, I mean, he's abused her for years, and he's a complete douche. But, he's still her brother. And if you went to jail, how would your family feel? Your father, who loves you unconditionally, despite how much of a brat you are. Your mother, who loves you enough to keep trying to teach you to be a responsible young woman, even though you throw it back in her face with every attempt. The brother who looks up to you as his big sister. What about them? And your friends ... Ros, Shelby, Al. Me. What would happen to our baby? Do you want her to grow up in a foster home?"
"I...I never thought about that," she whispered.
I lifted her chin so she was looking at me. "Christine, you are a beautiful, smart girl. You have so much potential. But you'll never achieve what you're capable of if you only care about your own pleasure. Or, if you don't consider the consequences of your actions. You know who only thinks of himself? Link. He's the kind of person who would take something without asking, just because he wanted it. And, if you complained, he'd try to convince you it was your own fault. Consider that, and how you treated me last night by tearing that condom."
"You feel like I raped you?" she asked, astonished.
"I don't know that I'd go that far, but you did abuse our friendship. I might have agreed if you asked, but you didn't give me the chance. You didn't trust me enough to offer what you wanted. You didn't consider my rights or my feelings."
"I'm sorry, Andrew," she said softly. I could feel her tears on my chest again. "I was wrong. Can you forgive me?"
"If you tell me why you think you were wrong."
