Try To Remember
Epilogue
“There ya go, Jess. All set.”
“Thanks, Swansong.”
“For the third, and last, time, it’s Kristen. We saw things together yesterday that are almost impossible to believe. You also saved my life. The Chinese say that makes you responsible for me from now on, just as Jill was for you... somehow. Who knows... maybe that’s part of why she stuck around, too.
“So it’s Kristen, yes?”
“Okay, Kristen. But I think Jill saved both our lives, and mine more than once. If she hadn’t been there....”
“Hey! If you hadn’t been there, and so quickly, she wouldn’t have been there either, and I’d be dead. But even that is beside the point, as it’s in the past, and tonight is about the future. So no more looking back for a while, okay?”
“Okay... you’re right. Besides, I have promises to keep. So, if you would...?” Jessie nodded her head toward Crimson Jewel’s apartment door.
“Gotcha,” Kristen said with a quick smile, “and good luck, Jess.” Then she reached up and rapped sharply on the door before running her fingers over Jessie’s cheek, and heading off toward the stairs.
Jessie shivered, for a multitude of reasons, as she heard from the other side, “Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Jessie. Could we talk for a bit?”
The door opened a second or two later and Clarissa stood there, looking out. She was dressed in a simple white blouse and jeans, off duty now, and if she was startled to see Jessie in her Glider Gal garb, she didn’t show it.
“Sure, Jessie,” she said. “I’ve so meant to talk with you all day, but things were so hectic down at the docks, what with all the shootings. That, and with you gone most of the day handling the police necessities from last night, I just couldn’t make the time for us to get together. How are you feeling, now that everything has finally settled down a little?”
“I’m good, Clarissa, and feeling a lot better about everything now. Swansong... um, Kristen and I put almost everything in our reports, and I’m wondering if you got a chance to read them fully.”
“Oh yes... I made sure to make time for that, and find it all rather stunning and unbelievable. But both you and Swansong swear to it, and the only fingerprints found on the knife were NightBytch’s and, well... Danger Lass’, so I have to believe it all happened exactly as you’ve said.”
“It really did, yes. But I need to know, in terms of what you read, do you think I’ve remembered everything you sealed up in my mind during that hypnotic session with you? Because if not, I’d like you to put me back under and bring all my memories back, please. I know I remember everything that pushed me into the deep end, but I want to remember it all... everything there was to know about my past with Jill.”
Clarissa nodded. “You’re right. I do think you probably remember it all, but there’s no harm in putting you back under and making sure all my mental memory blocks are gone now. If you’re willing, that is....”
“Yes, I want that, Clarissa.”
“Fine, and sheesh, please come inside... where are my manners?” Clarissa stepped back and let Jessie walk into her apartment. “But before we do that, I distinctly heard you say ‘almost’ in regard to your reports. May I ask what you left out?”
“Well,” Jessie answered, trying not to blush, “there were some things that happened here in my apartment, between me and Jill, that didn’t get in there, as they weren’t relevant. Still, they were pretty steamy, so perhaps you could ask me about them while you have me hypnotized, as it might make it easier for me to describe them to you.
“I mean, doing things that way worked out pretty well our last session, didn’t it?”
It appeared Jessie wasn’t the only one struggling not to blush. “Oh, well... um... sure, Jessie. We can do it that way if you want. Anything else?”
“One other thing. Something Jill mentioned to me and Swansong before she finally disappeared.”
“Oh dear. What was it? Should you have put it in your reports?”
“No, as it was personal, and certainly nothing for anyone but us to know.”
“Am I included in the ‘us’, Jessie?”
“Yes, as they were about you, actually,” Jessie continued, trying not to both blush and grin now.
“Me?”
“Yes. It seems that, well... dead Jill was as nosy as live Jill, so she told us she sort of hung around in your office, unseen, while you were hypnotizing me.”
“Ohh... she was there, huh?”
Jessie found herself almost loving how uncomfortable the strict, strong, older woman was becoming. She didn’t want her too uncomfortable, though, so hurried on. “Yes, and she admitted that even after that, she didn’t leave. She stayed all curious, and followed you into your bathroom, and hung out there, too, until you were, um... finished.”
“Ohh dear. She told you about... that, did she? Do I need to apologize profusely for reacting that way to our session?”
“Oh no, not at all, Clarissa. But speaking of such things, I was wondering if you could do me a favor?”
“Of course, Jessie. What is it?” Clarissa replied, with Jessie wondering which of them was the most flushed right now.
“Well, it’s just this,” the smiling heroine told her, spinning partially to the side and showing Clarissa her cuffed wrists, the ones she’d had behind her back the whole time they’d stood near the door. “For some goofy reason I wanted to practice picking handcuff locks tonight, and I seem to be failing miserably. I put the key to them on top of my tall dresser in my apartment, just to put me under a little pressure. You know how that works....
“Anywho, because I haven’t been able to get them open, I’m sort of stuck like this at the moment, and was wondering if you could help me out, Clarissa?”
Jessie had been uncertain about her rather bizarre, and brazen, plan tonight; but her fears vanished when she saw the smile that crossed Clarissa’s face, and the look in her eyes.
Jill was right. We both want this... I can tell. Thanks for everything, my friend, and have fun until I get there.
“Well, you’re certainly in quite the predicament there, sweetie. I mean, like that, and knowing how attractive you are to some of the rest of the crew, anything could have happened to you, and there’d be nothing you could do to stop it. Look at your big breasts, for example... so completely open and defenseless, don’t you agree? How could you keep anyone from just randomly groping and fondling them if they wanted to do that?”
It was all Jessie could do to keep from moaning aloud as she whispered, “I probably couldn’t, no.”
Stupid nipples. Do they have to be so obvious this quickly? Jessie thought, as a rather deep and delicious shiver rippled all through her.
“Agreed, so let me be of what assistance I can. Please step into my... apartment, Jessie. I mean, what sort of commander would I be if I weren’t capable of seeing to your complete release?”
Jessie could only shiver again, step forward, and whisper, “Yes, Clarissa.”
“A good response, Jesse... such a very good response,” the leader of the Superheroine Haven purred, moving past Jessie to firmly close, and lock, the door.