[4.1]

Over the course of the next few months some interesting things started to happen. It began with the initial cookout. Damien got Rachel come over with Nicole and Toni. Toni and Jay immediately were up to no good as they sneaked inside to play with Jay’s toys. Niccole and Paige became fast friends, from that point forward constantly in communication between the phone, FB and other means. The real surprise was with Rachel and Ezriel. Rachel passed Ezriel’s test with flying colors and for the first time with someone outside of his wife he opened up a little. Damien thinking that was weird and would up feeling jealous but not being to place the cause of it would sit on the edge of the conversations to eavesdrop and when Paige saw the two together Damien didn’t see anger or jealously in her face, he saw relief. “This shrink helped Ezriel out of a extremely rough spot and to see him even happier now is the world to me” Paige would say to Damien on a few occasions. Soon because of Ton’s and Jay’s refusal to spend more than a few days apart the trio of women became a regular fixture inside the household. Nicole and Paige would hang on a regular basis as would Jay and Toni. Ezriel would nudge Damien to try and speak with Rachel outside of the therapy because the both of them (Paige and Ezriel) could see a bond forming behind Rachel and Damien. At for and for the longest time Damien would protest and disavow any knowledge or action of any type of feelings he could have had for Rachel. (Little did he know that 1. Rachel was doing the same thing and 2. Both parties were trying to hook them up.) The next time they hung out as a group was for Jay’s birthday party. While Jay and Toni ripped and roared with the other children through the house Nicole, Paige and Ezriel were secretly putting their plan in action. “Ok when the cake comes out have Jay hit Rachel in the face with a piece so we can goad Damien into the next phase of our plan.” Ezriel said with deviousness in his voice. Paige secretly loved with Ezriel messed with Damien for he didn’t really fight back and the aura of toughness turned her on. If it weren’t for birth control and the fact they couldn’t afford another child, they would be swimming in children. To say that their love life wasn’t stale was an understatement. Damien had to often “Block” out their “bedtime” noise level’s with TV in his room. While Damien was glad he would also get into a slump and as of lately he spent more time in quiet contemplation with his passed wife’s picture. Ezriel told Rachel about it and she vowed she would get to the bottom of it.

On the way to the party Rachel could feel Nicole’s excitement over something but couldn’t put her finger on it. She wanted to push but the rule of the house was Rachel couldn’t shrink anyone unless they came to her first. While this initially pissed her off she came to accept it and brushed off Nicole’s excitement as to hanging with her girl Paige again. “They are like twins” she thinks to herself as the others agree. Wisdom pipes in “Be careful this is different than the usual level of excitement. Things are happening” and Rachel choses to ignore her paranoid part of herself. Once they get to the house and everyone parts ways the terrible 3 huddle in Ezriel office and discuss the game plan. All night was a chess match to ensure their plan worked. First while watching movies with the kids (including Toni who became a 6 year-old around Jay) they arranged the living room to ensure Damien and Rachel were sitting next to each other. As time progressed into the many movies they watched Damien fell asleep and shortly Rachel followed and eventually turning into Damien’s body for warmth (trick of AC manipulation by Paige and Ezriel. Huehuehuehue) Soon Damien awoken to a nub poking him in the abdomen. In an effort to escape the ordeal Damien tried to rise without waking her but found “something” else has arisen and to shed embarrassment he stayed put. Rachel inside her mindspace asleep at an imagined beach while her emotions had fun didn’t notice this but Love did. As Love crawled closer to Rachel she noticed her nipples were getting hard. Giggling she called her sisters to look upon their “Owner” and after stifled laughing and giggling all retreated outside of hearing distance and began to discuss the development. Outside of her mind Damien was uncomfortable. Since Rox’s **** he hasn’t been near another woman much less slept with or near another. After a while of willful and mentally **** relaxation he got up to go to his room and gently laid down Rachel’s head but she woke up. As she woke she looked up at Damien and they connected. They searched each other’s faces, eyes and lips. They searched every crevice in their face. They were both looking for……. something. To them this feels like forever but in actuality lasts mere seconds. While looking into Damien’s eyes Rachel can see all the hurt and how much he has grieved in his life. While looking into her’s he sees beauty and strength. He feels something stir inside him that has been long abandoned but he pays it no mind. As he excuses himself and goes to his room he passes Jay’s and hears talking inside. Opening the door, he only finds the toddler inside. “Who were you talking to Korppi?” Jay turns away bashfully and says no one. Damien wants to push it farther because this wasn’t the first time she talked to herself but he doesn’t push it for fear of the tiny time bomb of emotions going off and siccing the hellhound known as “Big Sister” (Toni) on him. Later in the evening the next event orc stated by the Terrible Trio was to have the 2 make Jay’s cake together. The whole endeavor was to get them in a space they could further manipulate. While Ezriel was on the grill Paige and Nicole were cooking in the kitchen and called Damien and Rachel into the room. “Hey while myself and Nikki(Nicole) make the dishes I need you guys to make the cake and cookies. Paige says as she smiles. Rachel notices that and Nicole’s stifled snicker. Rachel arches an eyebrow towards Nicole but Nicole turns her back to Rachel before any digging could be done. Watching their masterful plan unfold over there should was something to behold. Rachel would avoid eye contact with Damien except when he wasn’t paying attention. She would drink in his features on a level she knew was unprofessional but at that was in the work environment. Putting it off in her mind she went to her task and not knowing Damien was doing the same. As he maneuvered around Rachel he could tell she was shapely. She filled out a dress in the office nicely but in jeans there was no comparison. While she was curvy in the right places she did have somewhat of a wider torso. Not thick but wider he thought ot himself but as he passed behind Rachel she jumped placing herself into him as they met below the waist The frosting bag burst in her hand startling her(Nicole used “Something Spicy” to ensure that would happen and Paige giggled not knowing who or what Nicole was truly.) As they both met Damien put his hands up quickly and tried to back up as Rachel looked over her shoulder and the tiniest glimpse of a blush spread across her face. “Part 2 of the plan is a success the ladies said in a whisper as the toasted to the embarrassment of their 2 best friends. Later on that evening after all the food was cooked and eaten; the cake and cookies were made; everyone was good and stuffed the birthday girl got her presents. After everyone’s presentation and Jay’s childlike delight Damien was finally able to give hers to her. “I hope you like it my little Korppi” he says as he gives her a gentle kiss. Rachel’s eyes widened at the expression and Toni/Nicole noticed it also. As the evening rolled along and eventually ended with Jay’s ultimate gift Spending a night at her big sister’s house all 4 of them (now including Toni into the nefarious plans) could notice something particular.

Rachel couldn’t take her eyes off of Damien.