Happy Ending?

This had to be a nightmare. But then why couldn't Skye wake up from it? And weren't you not supposed to be able to feel pain in dreams? Skye looked up at the leader of the guards, whom she had finally come to realize was officially called the Squad Leader. Even though she couldn't see his face well, she could practically feel his grin.

"I'm not good at this." Skye tried weakly to dissuade him.

He scoffed. "I'm sure you've done this plenty of times to that boyfriend of yours. Stop stalling."

She took a deep breath and reached out to touch him. "Like this?" Skye stroked the top of it with her fingers.

"Wrap your hand around it." He folded her hand into the desired position and showed her the movement. He let go of her hand, and she performed the movement quickly and roughly the way The Boss had seemed to like the night before. The Squad Leader inhaled sharply and grabbed her hand. "Maybe you should use your mouth to get things slippery before you start trying to give me a friction burn." When Skye grimaced and hesitated, he took her head and forced her mouth onto him.

Skye gagged and tried to pull away, but he kept her stuck in place by holding onto her hair. The tangy smell of sweat that had been sitting for too long assaulted her nose. She experimented with her tongue, trying to figure out how to make him finish this as quickly as possible. It was already a quarter to seven. Thankfully, he began to use her hair to guide her in the motion he wanted.

Her thoughts drifted back to the cave, where she and Keith had had so many deep conversations. And the beach... if she closed her eyes, she could hear the ocean roar as mightily as when she lay on the sand that warm night watching the stars with Keith. She remembered their splash fights in the shallow waves, the shells she had collected and strung together for him, their nervous and poorly orchestrated first kiss under the moonlight.

A flash of inspiration struck Skye, and she imagined grass under her knees instead of the cool tile of the kitchen. Yes, that was much better. She felt her body relaxing ever so slightly as she let the Squad Leader control her head. The ocean was roaring just over that hill, and he would stay home and rest and fish tomorrow instead of going out like usual. She always worried about him when he was out. Maybe when they finished she would make more of that mushroom stirfry he enjoyed--

Her thoughts dissipated abruptly as he pulled her hair and kept her head still and close to his body. Salty, hot bitterness spewed into her mouth, and Skye choked and sputtered on it, caught completely off guard. He released her head, but it continued to shoot out onto her cheek and nose. She forced herself to swallow what was in her mouth and reached up to dry her watering eyes and get his bodily fluids off her face.

"Skye?" The voice came from the doorway. "What do you think you're doing to her?"

With a snort, the Squad Leader zipped up his trousers and stalked out of the room. Skye curled into a fetal position on the floor, facing away from Keith. What did he think of her now? She didn't want to find out.

"Hey." Ugh, his voice came from right behind her. "Are you okay?"

He dabbed something soft at her eyes, absorbing the tears. Was that a tissue? If the situation hadn't been so mortifying, she would have been thrilled to discover that Kleenex still existed in the civilized world. Keith gently wiped the slime off her face without any traces of revulsion that she could sense. "I'm sorry." She stayed facing away from him. "I didn't fight him or anything."

"And get killed?" Keith laughed in that quiet way of his. "Don't even worry about that. We're just trying to survive."

Skye took a deep breathe. "I lost my virginity last night. The Boss..."

"I know." Keith patted her shoulder. "I figured it out while making rounds this afternoon. Dense, huh? Do you want anything to drink?"

Skye sat up and nodded. "You're not angry?"

"Not at you." She heard the sink water run for a few seconds, then felt a metal cup with water being pressed into her hand. She accepted it gratefully and swallowed it in three gulps. Keith continued, "I've had some violent daydreams running around in my head since figuring it out, but I figured it would be more productive to work on an escape plan."

Skye felt her mood leap up several points. "Have you found a way out?"

"I think so. I need until tomorrow night to work out all the details, though."

Skye smiled. "That's alright. As long as I know how long this will last I can handle it." Her smile faded. "But Keith? Please do be careful..."

"I always am." He helped her up off the floor. "I'm supposed to take you to The Boss's room." She could hear his gritted teeth as he spoke, then sighed. "But not for another half hour. Do you want to sit outside until then?"