The Caretaker

Summary: Carol decides to fly to California to be with Doug, and thinks about their first night together.

The show ER, and all characters and situations borrowed from it, are property of Constant-C, NBC, Warner Brothers, etc. This fanfiction is for entertainment only, and no money is made from it. The story contains graphic scenes and words which may offend some readers, and as such, it is not appropriate for children under 18. This story is not to be archived or distributed without the permission of the author.

This story takes place during "Father & Sons"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dancing shoes
On the wall above your bedside
Saw it all as we performed
our pirouette
Fleshes fused
As the flicker of the candles
Threw upon the wall a
single silhouette.
Tu es dan ma coeur et dans ma tete
- Dan Fogelberg
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Caretaker, Part One

by Jordan
jxp@my-dejanews.com 

Carol opened the door to her house and embraced the warmth. It was a chilly November day and she was happy to be inside. She hung up her coat and walked over to the answering machine. Three messages.  Pressing the button, she sat in a chair, tired, listening.

"Hey, Carol, it's Doug. I was hoping to catch you before you went to work. We're here in Barstow, still, we're cleaning up and...I was just thinking about ya...wishin' you were here. I just miss ya and...I just wish you were here. So I'll, uh, I'll...I'll call you tomorrow. Okay, bye."

Beep.

In those few moments, she had heard a longing, a need that she'd never heard before. Now she regretted her request that he not call her at work. Hearing his voice made her feel guilty about it.

"Hi, Carol, it's Tracy. Do you want to go to Gurnee Mills this weekend and get some early Christmas shopping done?" Carol stopped the tape and rewound it.

"I just missed you...I just wish you were here."

Carol made an instant decision. She dialed the travel agent. Made a reservation for the very first flight out, early the next morning. Got a rental car. Called Doug's motel. No answer in the room. The front desk answered. Yeah, can I get directions from the airport? Last thing, call work.

"Hey, Lydia, it's Carol, I need Kerry."

"Hang on."

"Yeah, Carol, what's up?"

"Kerry. I need a couple of personal days."

"Personal days? This couldn't come at a worse time. Can you... reschedule?"

"No, Kerry, please. I never take time off. Never. This is important."

Silence for a minute. "Okay, sure Carol. We'll find someone to cover for you. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it'll be fine. Thanks so much."

Carol went in to the attic for some short-sleeved shirts, her suitcase, and she packed. Before going to bed she called a cab company. "Yes, I need a cab tomorrow morning to Midway Airport. Yeah, I'll hold. Thanks."

*****

Finally on the plane, early in the morning, exhausted, she leaned back and filled her mind with all of her favorite thoughts of him. Late in the summer, impulsively, he had taken her go-carting. It was a hot, sticky night, and they had raced again and again. She was cut-throat competition for him, laughing as she passed him, "Left you in the dust!"  Later on they'd had beer and nachos, savoring the last of the summer.

She thought about the October day just a few weeks earlier when he had surprised her with a picnic lunch, taking her to the Indiana Dunes. They drank wine, ate apples, grapes, and cheese all afternoon, lying on a blanket, overlooking Lake Michigan. Talking about everything. Which color tree was more beautiful against the blue sky, the orange or the yellow. What shelf-ice was and how it was formed on the lake in the winter. The sad, short life of the mayfly in summer. Her hopes, his fears. Her childhood. His. How all he had ever known was that people you loved would hurt you and leave, no matter what you did. He was looking up at the sky watching the white clouds float by, holding her.  It was then that his arms got just a little tighter around her and his voice was very quiet. "Carol," he'd said, "I think I've been looking for you my whole life."

At that moment she realized he'd given his heart to her. She was the caretaker, she could nurture it or crush it. It was a solemn moment for her. A wonderful day. It was, she thought, the most perfect day of her life.

*****

She smiled to herself and reclined the seat, thinking about their first real conversation. Oh, they'd had conversations before, consisting mostly of his hounding her for a date and Carol refusing every attempt. But one night, out drinking with everyone from the hospital, they'd had a real conversation. It was different than all the rest.

Everyone was chatty that night, teasing, sexual innuendo was tossed in the air by a different person each minute, someone else catching it. The topic got around to orgasms and who had it better, men or women. The guys contended that of course, it was guys. It was "quick, easy, guaranteed," Mark had said, "obviously superior." Oh, no, Conni, answered, what the women had was "stronger, more intense orgasms," lasting far longer than a man's. Obviously, it's quality, not quantity.   Carol was laughing along with the rest of them, not saying much. She looked at Doug and he was smiling at the camaraderie, but stayed generally quiet. She really did like him. He was quick with a joke, not pretentious, and totally at ease directing a trauma. He had fit in quickly and despite his apparent womanizing ways, Carol thought they could at least be friends.

She glanced up again and he was staring at her. She smiled and looked away, self-consciously. He walked over to her and grinned. "So, Nurse Hathaway, how do you cast your vote?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your vote. Men or women? Who wins?"

"Oh," she laughed. "Well, I guess it's just a matter of individual experience." She had the feeling that her words were just a bit ahead of her mind, thanks to one too many Long Island Iced Teas. She looked back up.

"Well...how so?" His eyes. God, his eyes, his voice. Careful, Carol.

"I mean..." She chose her words thoughtfully. "If you're a woman and you can...you know...all the time, any time, well then..." Her voice trailed off.

He bent his head slightly and lowered his voice. "Can you?"

"What?"

"All the time? Anytime?"

She looked into his eyes to see if he was ridiculing her, but he was serious. She saw in that moment the fire in his soul, his sensuality, something that could be dangerous, exciting if it were unleashed. It disarmed her. Before she could stop, she heard herself answering quietly, pensively.

"No. No. I can't. You know, how some women can? Just by screwing?  No, I need more."

His eyes still warm, he seemed pleased by her honesty. He smiled and stayed quiet, leaving the door open as she continued.

"Sometimes it's...it's embarrassing, you know, you want something but you don't know how to ask for it. Or a guy, he expects it to be somehow easier, or maybe he gets bored, or something..." All of the sudden, her better sense came to her conscious mind and she realized what she was saying, where she was, and she was mortified. Here she hardly knew this guy and she was sharing intimate sexual details with him, things she wouldn't talk about with her best friend.

She concentrated on her drink and was unable to look at him for a time. His hand touched her arm and his low, quiet voice filled her ears.

"Well, what's wrong with that? It should be fun, you know? It's fun."

Her wide eyes looked back at him. "What's fun?"

"Well, everything about making love to a woman, watching her get aroused, knowing you're responsible for it. Making someone climax, it's like...I don't know, like...creating something beautiful for someone and watching her enjoy it. Why wouldn't that be fun?"

Carol now could not take her eyes off of his. She was incredibly aroused and she was afraid that he might know it. But there was no mocking in his face, no threat. He just smiled back. She recklessly ventured deeper, her curiosity and the liquor spurring her on.

"Why would you wait, though? If you're a guy, why not just go for your own? Like, what do you do?"

Realizing the conversation had taken a turn, not at all displeased, he tilted his head slightly and smiled. "Are you asking me, specifically, what I would do?"

"Specifically."

"Well, the fun of it is, ladies first. I mean, if I know from previous experience..."

"Or conversation," she interrupted.

He grinned. "Or conversation, that she needed something more...direct, well, I guess I would find out what she likes."

Carol moved closer to him, unaware that her co-workers were whispering, unaware of the look on her face, all too aware of the warmth of his voice, the softness of his eyes. She was totally, completely captivated.

"Like...what would she like?"

Doug leaned in, close enough for her to catch his scent, speaking softly so only she could hear. "Well, maybe...hands, fingers. Or...oral sex, sweet and slow. Or maybe a combination of things...." His eyes were seductive. "She might like...anything at all."

Their eyes locked, brown on brown, desire on desire. Doug was about to speak when Mark walked up to them, unaware of their private conversation.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?"

His voice brought them both back to reality. Not taking his eyes off her, Doug answered. "We were just talking...getting to know each other a little better."

"Well, you guys want another round?"

"No more for me, Mark," Carol said, finally averting her gaze.

"Nope, I'm done, I'm headed home. Goodnight, Mark. 'Night, Carol." Doug smiled at her and walked out.

"Whoa." Carol took a deep breath and a long gulp of her drink.

"Whoa?" asked Mark.

"Whoa." answered Carol, and she finished her drink.

*****

Lying into the little airline pillow, Carol smiled to herself, remembering the intensity of her feelings then. It had been just a few weeks after that evening that she had finally said okay to a date.

*****

They had just finished stitching up a toddler and he starting chatting. "So, Carol, what do you say we go out and grab bite to eat tonight?"

Carol, surprised at his continued boldness, laughed. "I'm not in the mood to get all dressed up tonight. I'm beat."

Doug persisted. "C'mon, nothing fancy, just a deep dish pizza, some beer or wine, casual!"

Carol looked at him and thought, what the heck. "Okay, okay, pick me up at seven."

Doug smiled. "Seven it is."

That evening, Carol was late getting home. She ran into the apartment, stripped off her clothes. Showering quickly, she stepped out and toweled off. 6:45 p.m. "Ugh!" she yelled. A quick make-up job, she coiled her hair into a bun, pulled on panties and jeans. The doorbell. Carol eased her sweater over her head and ran to the door. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and there he was. He was holding a small bouquet of roses and looked...delicious.

"Hi, c'mon in!" she grinned as he handed her the flowers. "This is sweet, thank you!"

"It's my pleasure. You look great, Carol."

"Thanks, c'mon in. I'll put these in water."

Doug followed her as she walked toward the kitchen and as they approached the doorway, he stopped, letting her walk through.

"Ladies first."

Carol stopped and turned around. Doug smiled and clarified, "Into the kitchen."

She nodded and walked through the door. Flustered now, not sure of the meaning of his words, she leaned down to get a vase from the cabinet and everything fell out. She struggled to put things back and he was right there beside her, helping her. The nearness of him put her off guard and she turned around to face him. They stood up. He was very close.

"You look great tonight, really," Doug said.

"Thank you."

They stared at each other forever and finally he reached up, touching her hair, pulling the clip that held it up. Her hair tumbled down to her shoulders, around her face.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I've made a mess of your pretty hair. I just...I wanted to feel it, to see what it was like in my hands." He ran his fingers through her hair, feeling its dampness on the nape of her neck. It was soft and fluffy, just as he imagined it would be.

He put his arms around her and they kissed, slowly at first, then hungrily, hands searching each other, their bodies grinding. Doug moved his hands under her sweater and stroked her back, surprised and excited to find her braless. He slowly, tentatively moved toward the front, feeling the undersides of her breasts, thinking they were the softest things he had ever felt in his life.

Carol's desire for him grew and she was breathless. Quiet, involuntary sounds escaped from her throat. She pressed against him, trying to get closer still. The feel of her in his arms, the way she made those little sounds of arousal, enticed him. Finally, Doug pulled away, took her face in his hands, and ran his thumb gently across her lips.

"Carol, let me show you," he whispered.

"Show me?" She was gasping.

"How it should be."

Carol looked at him, bewildered. "Right here? In the kitchen?"

"Say yes."

"Yes." She submitted to him, to her body.

Doug carefully laid her back on the floor and kissed her again. He unbuttoned her sweater and slowly peeled back one side, then the other, revealing her bare breasts.

"This is what you hide under those scrubs? Look at you. You're beautiful." He bent down and kissed her breasts slowly, her nipples gently, and she moaned and thrust her pelvis up to him. He unzipped her jeans and slid them off her legs, then deftly removed her lace panties.

He could not believe the beauty of her slim body, the heat of her, how she wriggled and moved from her desire. He wanted to please her, to show her the way he could make love. He was captivated.

"What do you like, Carol?"

She looked up at him but was too shy, too embarrassed to let him know.

"Well, then, let's see..." Doug gently parted her thighs and was pleased to see that she was aroused, all swollen and wet. "Ah, look here," he smiled. Gently, so gently, he spread her slickness over her clitoris and Carol threw her legs apart, exposing herself even more, amazed at his sweetness, his ability to please her. She felt a growing desire to have his mouth on her.

"Doug?"

"Tell me what you want."

"Please."

Doug smiled again, happy she was enjoying herself. Slowly, gently, he kissed her inner thighs, working his way up, and he brought his mouth to her.

"This?"

"Please." He began tenderly exploring her with his mouth, his tongue, nibbling and licking, feeling her squirm beneath him. She was talking now, telling him she loved it, begging him not to stop, that it felt so good, that she wanted to come. He knew she was close and eased his thumb into her. At once, she moaned, writhing, and he felt her gripping his thumb, squeezing and releasing it, straining to come.

"Go on. Go get it," he murmured, his mouth covering her again.

Carol was in another world, another place now, the strength of her climax amazed her. Never before had a man done this with as much skill, as much passion. His mouth, his hands, his tongue knew just how to please, and she rode it out fully, breathing deeply and contracting every muscle to intensify her orgasm. She heard herself, her voice, uttering his name again and again. She wanted to feel him, to have him inside of her, and when she was finished, she pulled him up to her face and kissed him.

"Will you make love to me?" she asked.

"I just did," he teased.

"You know what I mean!"

"Tell me what you mean." His hand slowly crept between her legs and he played very gently, stopping just short of penetrating her again.

Carol closed her eyes, trying to maintain control. "I want you. I want you to...I want to feel you enter me, pushing me apart. I want you between my legs, inside of me. I want you to fuck me. I don't want this to stop."

Doug kissed her and smiled. "Right here in the kitchen?"

Carol smiled back. "Say yes."

"Yes."

She was in heaven. He entered her so slowly that she thrust up to meet him to feel him. He moved, he felt, like no other man. He praised her, he told her how wonderful she felt, how much he liked feeling her move underneath him, what a fantastic lover she was. She was absolutely enthralled.

*****

"Coffee, ma'am?" Carol was jolted back to reality. She smiled.

"Yes, thanks."

Pouring some sugar into the cup, she returned to daydreaming. So many good memories. She was so happy lately, having such a nice time with him. The day they stayed in bed,when Doug rented all that video equipment. They had so much fun. At one point, things got so hot that Doug was the breathless one. He was so into it, so into loving her. He stopped in the middle of satisfying her and kissed her long and hard.  "God, Carol," he'd said, "I love making love to you. I love doing this with you." They both came again and again that day, while they taped themselves, then after, when they watched it.

Carol fell asleep, finally, somewhere over Arizona. When she woke up, the flight attendant was asking everyone to get ready for landing. She straightened up and rubbed her eyes. Looking out the window, she could see the beginnings of daylight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Things haven't been the same
Since you came into my life
You found a way to touch my soul
And I'm never, ever, ever gonna let it go

Happiness lies in your own hand
It took me much too long to understand
How it could be
Until you shared your secret with me
- Madonna
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Carol got her suitcase and, armed with a map and a compact car, she set out to find Doug. The roads were desolate and dusty. After making one wrong turn, she got breakfast and directions at a diner, then finally found the motel. Stepping into the air-conditioned office, she smiled at the woman behind the desk.

"Hi. I'm Carol Hathaway, I called from Chicago."

"Yes, about those two doctors. Glad you made it okay. I haven't seen them since yesterday."

Carol's face fell. "They haven't left yet, have they?"

"No, honey, their stuff is still here. How about I give you the room key. It's the one whose father died, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Poor thing. Here, here's a key. Why don't you wait in there, get some sleep where it's cool."

"Thanks." Carol walked outside and headed for the room. She saw him first; he looked tired and stiff, walking with Mark. Standing still, she was so happy to be there, soaking him in. He and Mark were talking, then Doug reached to unlock his door. Looking up, he did a double-take as though he could not believe what he'd seen. In the distance she looked like an angel to him, an apparition. Seeing him, his look of happiness mixed with relief, her heart surged. Tucking the room key in her pocket, she made her way towards him, her love for him plain on her face. He walked toward her smiling slightly, squinting in the sunlight, towards the shade. Keeping his eyes on her. Wordlessly they kissed, their arms wrapped around each other and she enveloped him, feeling the tension leave his body. Mark looked on, smiling slightly.  Amazed to see this naked display of love from them, feeling he was somehow intruding on this private moment.

They stayed like that for a few moments; he could not let go. Finally, she pulled away and kissed him lightly again.

"Carol...I can't believe you're here."

"Hey, Doug."

"I can't believe you're here," he repeated.

Taking his hand in hers, she softly said, "I'm here. Let's go say hi to Mark."

She led him to Mark, smiling. "Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag!"

"Hi, Carol," he grinned. "The cat was already out of the bag."

Carol turned around and looked at Doug. "You told him?"

Doug chuckled. "It's a long story."

Mark said, "Well, I'm hungry, you guys want to go get a bite to eat?"

Doug looked at Carol. "Are you hungry?"

"No, I ate on the way."

"Mark, why don't you go ahead without us. Can you bring me something back, a bagel or something?"

"Sure. See you later."

"Thanks, Mark." Doug opened the door to his room and they stepped in. "It's not very fancy, but it's comfortable, and there's a big Jacuzzi in the bathroom."

"Really?"

"Really." Doug flopped on the bed, rubbing his face in his hands. Carol smiled and lay down next to him, just looking at him. He looked tired, but his eyes were warm.

"Carol, could you just...hold me?" Taken aback, she stared at him briefly. He had never before asked for anything like this.

"Oh, Doug, c'mere."

He laid his head on her shoulder and she gathered him into her arms, holding him gently, stroking his hair. "How are you doing? Did you get...everything taken care of?"

"Yup, just about. Mark did a lot. It was a mess, here, everything was a mess. The room, his stuff, his wife's stuff."

"His wife?" Carol asked.

"Yeah, evidently." Doug was quiet now, thinking.

Carol continued, ""Was anyone else hurt besides them?"

"The other man...the other family is..." His voice failed him and Carol felt him tense in her arms.

"Doug?"

His body was shaking. He was trembling, convulsing, then she knew; he was crying. He was clutching her, he couldn't breathe, and he was sobbing, deep, violent, choking sobs, trying to speak, burying his face in her neck. She tried to make sense of the incoherent words that poured out of him. His father, the bastard. The fucking bastard. The car. The accident, the father of six. The little boy, another little boy's life ruined. Carol tried to console him, she held him and rocked him, telling him, shh, shh, it's okay. I'm here, I'm here, it's okay.

She tried her best to soothe him, never letting go of him. He told her everything. All the years of abuse, the pain and the hurt. A little boy's heart broken time and again. A man searching to find someone to give it to, someone who could make it whole again, take care of it. How he loved her, he had always loved her. The only person he could ever count on. How terrified he was at first, of needing her, afraid she'd leave too. How he had screwed up, watching her walk away, into Tag's arms, then Shep's. How it killed him, thinking about her loving them, underneath them. He only wanted to make her happy. He wanted to do it forever.

Carol listened, withstanding the torrent of words, soaking everything in, encouraging him to talk. Slowly he collected himself, finally he calmed down, and he was spent, falling asleep in her arms while she dried his face and stroked his back. She held him like that for a long time.

Later on, hearing a quiet knock on the door, Carol got up and opened it. It was Mark. She stepped outside.

"Hi, I'm not...interrupting anything?" asked Mark.

"No. He's sleeping."

"They didn't have any bagels. I got coffee and donuts."

"Great, thanks. I'll leave it for him." Carol took the bag from Mark.

"How's he doin'?"

Carol smiled. "He's...he'll be okay. Thanks, Mark. Thanks for being here with him."

"Well, I dunno how much I helped."

"You did. You were here."

Mark ducked his head and looked away, then chuckled. "So, uh, you and Doug again, huh?"

Carol laughed. "Yeah."

"I was...surprised."

"Me, too, Mark."

They looked thoughtfully at each other in the sunlight and Doug opened the door to his room. "Hey, where the hell's my bagel?"

Mark was surprised to see his face, his eyes were red and swollen. "Sorry, coffee and donuts."

"I'll take it, thanks." Doug took the bag from Carol and reached for the coffee, taking a sip.

Mark was tired. "Well, guys, I'm goin' to my room and catch a quick nap. See you for lunch?"

"Sure, buddy. See you around one."

Carol and Doug stepped back into the cool room He laid the bag and the coffee down on the dresser. "C'mere, you." He smiled and held his arms out, and Carol snuggled to him. He kissed her hair and held her face in his hands. "I'm sorry about before...I never meant to...I'm sorry I dumped all that on you..." he began.

"No. No, don't apologize. I'm glad you did. That's why I'm here."

Doug smiled. "And here I thought you just missed...other things."

Carol laughed at him. "Yeah, well, I missed other things, too."

"I'm hot and I'm sticky and I'm sore from driving. Whaddya say we go soak in that big tub?"

"That sounds perfect."

Doug went in to run the water and he took off his T-shirt and his jeans. Carol walked in wearing her bra and panties. Doug caught a glimpse of her in the mirror and took a deep breath. He turned around and watched as she unhooked her bra and tossed it aside. Her breasts were so beautiful, and he loved how they felt pressed against him. Her panties came off next, revealing a wild tangle of dark hair. Doug pulled her to him and kissed her neck, traveling up to her earlobe, softly sucking it into his mouth. "Thanks for coming. I missed you," he whispered. She was already responding to him, her body loving every bit of this, anticipating him.

Carol kissed his mouth, his broad shoulders, down to his nipples, and continued on. She pulled at his boxers and his hard penis slapped up against his body. She took hold of it and spread his salty lubrication over the tip, where it met his shaft, causing his knees to buckle slightly, his eyes to close. She loved the way he felt, hard in her hands.

The tub was full and she let go of him and extended an inviting hand. Doug joined her and they laid down in the big tub together. He took water in his hands and let it pour over her shoulders, watching it run over her nipples, between her breasts. Taking the soap, he slowly lathered her shoulders, her arms, her chest, and then her breasts. Her nipples responded and he circled them, watching her face change, her chest heave and her breathing rapidly increased.

"Let me wash your back," Carol said and he complied, turning around. She took the soap from him and washed his neck, his arms, then rubbed his back, soaping it, massaging him, scratching lightly with her fingers. All tension left him and he sighed, contented. He laid back against her, feeling her press into his back, and she lathered his chest, making slow, lazy circles around his nipples, watching his erection in the water.

"Carol, I want you on your hands and knees."

Carol moved, turning around, hands and knees in the water. Doug lathered her back, her thighs, her hips, her rounded bottom. He took the soap and reached down between her legs, and dragged it against the dark pubic hair. Using both hands, he rubbed, searching her, caressing her, hearing her moan and cry out softly. She tried to stop him, saying she was here to please him.

"You are pleasing me. I love this," was his reply.

"No, I want you to come first."

"Why? Just relax and enjoy it."

But Carol wanted to concentrate on him. She sat him back in the water and took the soap from his hands. She rubbed it up and down the length of him, lathering his balls, his shaft, the head, everything. He laid back in the tub, now helpless, and closed his eyes, letting her hands work over him. She stroked up and down, played with him, put his penis between her breasts and rubbed against him, watching his face, squeezing his balls gently. The head grew larger and she knew he was ready. She loosened her grip slightly and slowed her strokes, waiting for his climax. Doug grimaced and his stomach muscles contracted. He groaned and her hands were filled with his hot, white liquid. Then it spurted everywhere, on her chest, on his stomach, in the water. He cried out, saying he loved her. She slowed down and waited for him to stop, then rinsed them both off. He leaned back into the tub, his eyes still closed and extended his arms to her. She sat back in the water and laid her head on his chest, pulling his arms around her.

"Carol...God, Carol..."

She could still feel his heart pounding in his chest. "Was that okay?"

"Very okay."

They rested in the tub together until something occurred to him. He looked down at her and smiled. "Hey, I was on a roll there with you and the soap and you never got a chance to finish."

"I can have my chance later."

"Promise?" he asked.

"Promise."

Doug turned her to face him and kissed her softly. "Do you know what you are?"

"No," she whispered, "what am I?"

"You are the keeper of my secrets."

Carol looked into his brown eyes and saw nothing but love there. "The keeper of your secrets," she repeated. "And the caretaker of your heart."

"Caretaker of my heart. I like that. I like that a lot." He pulled her close to him again and kissed her as they sank deeper into the warm water.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not a word was spoke between us,
there was little risk involved
Everything up to that point
had been left unresolved.
Try imagining a place
where it's always safe and warm.
"Come in," she said,
"I'll give you shelter from the storm."
-Bob Dylan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End