Rachel Comes To Visit Part 2

"More?" Dave asked.

"No, thank you," Rachel said smiling. "I'm stuffed and couldn't possibly eat another bite!"

Kea grinned patting her belly. "D'Hayv cook good! Thank you!"

Dave smiled at them both as he cleared the plates. "You're very welcome! Something more to drink?"

Kea and Rachel looked at each other and grinned holding up their glasses together and saying in unison. "More mimosas!"

Dave laughed but nodded and took their glasses. "Coming right up!"

Rachel smiled and said to Kea, "Kea lucky. Eat good food Dave make. Becareful not get fat."

Kea grinned and shook her head. "No whirry." She leaned in close to whisper in Rachel's ear and started making enthusiastic gestures as they both looked at Dave.

He couldn't hear what Kea told Rachel... but he could certainly guess as Rachel blushed and they both grinned and giggled as he blushed too making them more drinks. He reached into the cabinet and pulled out some whiskey, adding a splash to his coffee. *If you can't beat 'em, join 'em,* he thought.

He passed them their drinks and started cleaning up but the ladies protested wanting to help. So Rachel took off her jacket, rolled up her sleeves and started cleaning. She passed Kea certain things to load into the dishwasher and others to Dave to dry and put away. They laughed and had a good time having fun as much as work together and in short order everything was cleaned up. Mister was even given some cut up bits of steak that he greatly appreciated.

"It's a nice day," he said. "Shall we sit and drink on the porch?"

They all agreed and the three of them, and the cat, made their way towards the porch.

"Warm out today," Rachel said popping a button on her Blouse and eyeing Kea's get up. "Kea's lucky!"

Kea laughed and grinned at Dave who was trying not to stare at the lovely women. "Raychel good? Be... cum... Kum-for-table! D'hayv-Kea like!"

Dave chuckled and nodded slidding her a footstool. "Yes. Put your feet up. Make yourself at home, Ray."

Rachel blinked as Kea grinned. "Who?"

"Ray-Ray!" Kea said happily about giving Rachel a nickname.

"No good?" Dave asked sipping his drink.

Rachel smiled and shook her head. "Nobody's called me Rach or Ray in awhile. Ray is fine." She slipped out of her heels and proped her feet up and took a drink. "Oh! That's good!"

"Murrowow," Mister said and Dave patted his lap for him to come up. Mister blinked then jumped into Kea's lap so the girls could fawn over him instead. "Traitor... Can't say I blame him though."

"So all this is yours?" Rachel asked scratching Misters head while indicating the farm.

Dave nodded. "My folks left it to me so yes. This and more."

"More?" She asked.

He shrugged and pointed. "I was getting paid well and didn't want anyone pressuring my folks to sell. Real-estate developers will do that to places like this. So... I bought all the area around it years ago. Nearest neighbors are just over a mile that-away."

"Big," Kea said indicating that she understood the gist of the discussion... or maybe she was talking about Mister.

"Are you going to farm it?" Rachel asked.

Dave shrugged. "Haven't made up my mind just yet. I was thinking about it." He looked at Kea. "Kea know farming?"

Kea paused in patting Mister to nod but then shake her head. "Kea tribe no farm. Hunt. Uhmm... ga... grater!"

Rachel blinked and Dave smiled. "Gather?"

Kea nodded going back to paying attention to the cat. "Gather," she said.

Dave smiled. "Kea-Dave can hunt and gather together."

Kea smiled. "Kea-Dave hunt and gather two-get-her good. Kea learn farming too Dave teach." She yawned and started dozing absent mindedly patting Mister.

Rachel smiled too. She liked how these two were getting along, progressing and supporting one another. It was coming naturally to them. And... "This is a nice place," she said softly. "Quiet. Peaceful. Restful." She looked at Kea resting then Dave. "A good place for her to recover from her experiences."

Dave smiled and nodded. "I hope so. She is strong. She cried a little in her sleep last night but she settled down. She is so brave. Strong will and heart. I think in time she'll be alright." He looked at Rachel. "I promise to help her in anyway I can, Ray."

Rachel smiled at him. "I know." She looked around the place. "When Kea talks you into having more, this could be a really good place for some of them."

Dave almost chokes on his drink and Rachel chuckles. "You know, right?"

Dave nodded. "I *cough* excuse me. I heard about it from Edward. They have a tendency of forming "groups" centered around successfully bonded pairs creating a "harem network", of sorts."

Rachel smiled at him. "Yes. And are you up for that?"

Dave shook his head. "No," he said but smiled and nodded. "But if Kea wanted that for us..."

Rachel nodded. "Then you would be open to the idea. She sure got you wrapped around her finger quick!"

Dave nodded but was smiling. "It works both ways."

Rachel nodded too. "True. Especially in Kea's case. I have no doubt she'll push your boundaries. Probably redraw your whole map for you. But the way she looks at you? She'd move heaven and earth for you."

Dave smiled. "That's how I feel about her too. Whatever Kea wants, Kea gets... if I have anything to say about it, that is."

Rachel smiled and sipped her drink. "I was right. Lucky girl."

Dave shrugged. "I think I'm the lucky one. But what about you, Rachel?"

She blinked and then batted her eyes at him. "Why Mr Stark!"

"Drop it," he said rolling his eyes. "I don't buy that for a second. You know what I meant."

Rachel sighed. "Don't be too sure... business?"

"Business," he said. "I know you're not a flake. You're very beautiful but you have brains and a formidable intellect hidden away. It's what makes you so good at your job. You can compartmentalize and it's not just multitasking but work on multiple levels. You're the superior Edward mentioned. Once I pieced that together and observed you through that lens and others, I got a much better understanding of who you are and how you operate, Ray."

Rachel smiled sadly. "So my secrets are just laid bare to you, huh? Remind me to never play cards with you, Doctor. Must be disappointing-"

"On the contrary I find you intriguing and am quite looking forward to working with you, Ray, and helping you to your goal," he said.

"What?" Rachel asked surprised.

Dave shook his head. "It's not that surprising is it? From the inferences of Edward, Roz and others you're climbing the hierarchy of your organization. That implies dedication and drive both. You have a way of using your charm as well as intellect and said drive that allows you to excel at both your job but also maneuvering through your workplace. Your willingness to bend and break the rules, manipulate and charm people..."

Rachel looked down but Dave wasn't finished. "However your care for others isn't fake or false. Infact it's quite genuine. Especially for these "monster girls". Some part of you identifies with them and you derive genuine joy from interacting with and caring for them. Frankly it's not something that was even recognized in psychological circles until recently so a clinical name has yet to be given but term "Compassionate morality” gets thrown around. You likely deride yourself privately every time you break or bend the rules. Feel an intense guilt for it. Yet you do it to help others as best you can in a system not of your own making. You're very pretty and with a pleasing nature because of your low self-esteem derived from manipulating the system and others even if it's for a good end and cause." He reached over and patted her hand. "You're a good person, Ray. A little different but a good person. A rare one too. You care too much."

She swallowed and held his hand. "Thank you... and you?"

Dave smiled and shook his head but gave her hand a squeeze. "Similar but no. I had a decent upbringing and loving parents. My traumas were war. But learning to cope with them I became similar. I developed a drive, a need, to help. But mines motivated by not only empathy but a mix of a desire for redemption and a need and responsibility to be better than I was. The Tao of Peter Parker. I wish I felt it as keenly as you. It's a rare gift as well as a curse. This crazy mixed-up world could use more crazy empathy like yours." He squeezed her hand again. "You're okay, Ray. Better actually. You're great."

She wiped at her eyes and downed her drink. "Thanks, Dave. I... I've needed someone to tell me that for awhile. You're... really good. Amazing at what you do, actually!"

He shook his head. "Honestly, no. I don't "do" anything. Just counciling. I let the client do the work. I just hold the toolbox for them. I'm an over glorified golf caddy."

She smiled at that and gave him an arch look. "Now you're being far too modest!"

Dave shrugged. "I didn't tell you to do anything and haven't asked you to do sessions or work with me, have I? That's something that's your choice if you do... and then my job is to be the guide or sherpa on the path you choose to take. Advise on the best way to proceed. Support and guidance. Help you climb your mountain. That's the problem with a lot of the psychological approach. The importance, or self importance, of the doctor. It's all to easy to try to take control. Try to "fix" the patient in hubris of "knowing best". Counciling is different. You offer an opinion and analysis but you let the patient make the decisions on how they'd like to proceed. Some require coaxing or drawing out but most of it works exactly that way. I sit in the passenger seat if not the backseat. I try to never get in the driver seat if I can help it. That's where the patient should be nine hundred and ninety-nine times out of a thousand."

Rachel smiled. "You prefer to help people heal themselves."

Dave nodded. "I think for most cases that's the best medicine, mentally and spiritually." He squeezed her hand again. "I think you're just fine as you are, Ray, but if you ever want or need to do some self maintenence, you let me know. I'll happily hold the light and man the toolbox for you while giving advice and being a sounding board. Whatever you need. Free of charge." He winked.

Rachel laughed. "I'll keep that in mind! And thanks for the assessment. It's... reassuring to know someone thinks I'm "Okay". My folks... didn't understand when I was younger and the doctors I saw... didn't have that opinion."

Dave sighed. "That's the flaw in a lot of psychology, in my opinion. Doctors place either too much importance on themselves or on "fixing" a patient. The truth is we're all functionally messed up. But I think that's the key. Nature designed us to be that way. Only a very small percentage of people are "normal", clinically speaking. That means that they are actually the abnormality. As long as we all can reasonably manage our individual flavor of crazy and be functional, then there's no need to overanalyze the problem. Most folks only need a bit of self-maintenance and someone to help by holding the light as they work."

Rachel nodded. "Less is more and don't tamper too much... and what about those who aren't functional?"

Dave smiled sadly. "They're the exception. I mentioned "functionality" because as messed up as people can get most fall somewhere in that category... but some don't, can't. The sad truth is people can break or be broken. Everyone has different breaking points. I... I've seen it. I had a fellow soldier who had been through similar experiences as me. We became friends. We were attending meetings together, getting help in helping ourselves or trying to do so, but..." he trailed off looking into his cup half-full of dark liquid. "They... didn't make it. They couldn't see their way back to the light. They took a quicker way out to end their pain and despair. I was the one who found them."

Rachel was the one who squeezed his hand this time. "I'm so sorry. That's also a part of why you do what you do, isn't it?"

He nodded and squeezed back. "It is. Anyway enough about me. If you want to create a program for that, I'll happily support it-"

"I want you to lead it," Rachel said cutting him off. "I want you to build it, oversee it's operation and those operations execution and run it for AWIO."

Dave swallowed. "That's a... tall order, Ray. I... I assume you don't just mean from some comfy desk chair somewhere."

Rachel nodded and she wasn't smiling now. "I know. It's a big thing to ask. But right now we have Security tasked with handling these things but that's not really their job or what some of them are suited for. We need rescue response teams that can handle danger but also, and more importantly, bring desperately needed help where it's needed. Safe extractions for those in trouble, resolving issues with minimal force expenditure and then critical aid and care monitoring wellness in the aftermath."

Dave nodded but didn't respond as he slowly let go of her hand and stood up.

Rachel sighed. "I-I know it's not fair, Dave. Its not your problem. If that's too much to ask for-"

"No," he said and turned to her smiling taking her empty glass. "I didn't say that, Ray. But if we're going to get into this you're going to need a refill. What we're discussing needs to be comprehensive. Let me... get my notes. We'll outline this together, alright partner?"

Rachel smiled genuinely relieved. He saw her for who she was just as she'd seen him. He was exactly the kind of person she had hoped he was... and more they had an understanding!

Kea woke to low voices speaking she saw Dave and Rachel scribbling ideas and poking at their devices. But both were clearly enjoying collaborating together. She smiled because it made her happy to see them becoming fast friends.

She went inside and fed Mister the cat and made fresh drinks for them. She had watched Dave so it was easy to do with the help of the stool to stand on. She finished up her work and went to bring them refreshments... turned around, went back to the kitchen and after double checking that the magic cold larder box door was closed and that she'd put things away properly nodded, smiling and pleased with herself.

"Kea feed Master. Make Dinks!" Kea said proudly carrying out the beverages to the porch.

Rachel chuckled but Dave smiled and patted her head. "Drinks," he said. "And thank you, Kea."

"Yes, thank you," Rachel said smiling too. She liked observing these two.

"Drinks," Kea corrected herself, smiling. "D'Hayv-Ray welcome! Kea do good?" She asked Rachel looking for approval from her friend and mate.

"So good," Rachel said with Dave adding, "Good-Good!"

"Wot D'Hayv-Ray do?" She asked interested in their discussion.

They filled her in on their plans. It took some explaining and she didn't understand all of the particulars but she got the gist of it. "Kea do too! Kea want help! Ok?"

Rachel blinked but Dave, after a momentary pause, nodded and smiled. "Ok," he said. Of course Kea wanted to help. She was a goblin with a very big heart.

"You sure about that?" Rachel asked.

Dave nodded. "Yes. Kea needs to progress her studies and she's probably got some lingering trauma from her ordeal-"

Rachel nodded. "Yes. That's my worry. She didn't react too well with the crowd of people yesterday."

Dave nodded. "Which is a perfectly reasonable reaction to a bunch of strangers, especially after everything she's been through... But she didn't run or hide. Also helping and participating with others can be good for her as well as them and she'd be a big help."

Rachel smiled but asked, "In what way?"

Dave shrugged. "Lots of ways. For one thing Kea's participation alone can help draw other participants in just by the nature of being who she is. It was one of things I noticed right off dealing with my fellow Veterans and other trauma survivors for example. If you get a councilor or therapist involved in a group but they don't have anyway to connect they most often meet opposition with crossed arms and cold attitudes," he explained and physically showed her by crossing his arms, frowning and leaning back in his chair. "It makes the work even harder because they have to build a report and trust in the face of a room full of opposition and distrust. Forget starting from "zero". They're starting at a negative. No one wants to go first in exposing a vulnerability, that's just nature. Period. But if they, or someone else, start by sharing similar experiences the opposite happens," he leaned forward his hands on his knees, face open and paying attention as he nodded. "They become engaged and by doing so shift their mentality from "completely non-participatory" to the passive participatory role of a "listener" and slowly start engaging bit by bit." He smiled. "It's Almost... magical and beautiful in a way, watching the dynamic shift, change and evolve. Grow into something accepting, supportive and open not just between the councilor and the participants but between each other as well." He stroked Kea's hair. "Kea brave. Kea strong. Kea want help? Kea can help... learn first."

Kea nodded. "Kea learn! Kea like learn!" She decided to tell her friend about some of the things she learned this morning to convince her! She turned to Rachel smiling. "Today num-bah three!" She pointed at Dave, then Rachel and herself. "D'Hayv. Ray. Kea. Threesome!" She said holding up three fingers.

Dave blushed but Rachel laughed, grinning and nodding. "Yes! Very good Kea! We are a threesome... of friends," she winked at Dave teasingly. "What else did Kea learn today?"

Dave went even redder. "O-Oh! We don't need to get into-"

"Today letter "C"," Kea informed Rachel excitedly as Dave became an alarming shade of red. Kea had watched and singalong with the blue fuzzy puppet expressing his love for cookies this morning... and then she had sung her own version of the song with her new favorite word as she did now for Rachel.

""C" iz for "Cum", that good for Kea! C iz for Cum, that good for Kea! C iz for Cum, that good for Kea! Oh, cum, cum, cum start wit C!"

Dave turned a very colorful red he was blushing so hard as Rachel tried to encourage and sing-a-long with Kea... but found it difficult to do while having a full blown giggle fit. Kea thought it was wonderful that they could all have fun together!