The Queen of Diamonds

by Raven Cavalleu

  Alex chuckled as she stepped up beside her. "Actually, Kelly, please allow me to introduce you to Nikki." She saw the brief look of confusion cross Kelly's features and her smile widened. "Nikki is Dani's sister. Dani and Rachel should be here shortly."

  Kelly shook Nikki's hand as she said, "It's a pleasure to meet you. Sorry about the confusion, it's just that you look so much like your sister."

  Nikki chuckled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, and the confusion is understandable."

  Just as Kelly was about to introduce her wife, there was a knock on the door behind them. Before Alex could react, the door opened, and Dani and Rachel walked in. Kelly looked between Dani and Nikki then turned to Alex with a shake of her head. "You could have told me they were twins."

  "I could have, but that would have taken all of the fun out of it," she replied with a smile. The remaining introductions were quickly made, and they headed into the kitchen. Kelly watched Alex and Nikki interact throughout dinner, and realized they were more than friends. She drew Nikki into conversation in an effort to get to know her better, wondering about the woman that made her old friend smile, and her eyes shine with love.

  Kelly found a moment alone with Alex as they were cleaning up after dinner and said, "You seem very happy." She smiled when Alex looked at her in surprise. "Is she good to you?" Alex silently nodded her head as she waited for Kelly to ask the rest of the questions she could tell were on the tip of her tongue. "Does she treat you better than Jo did?"

  Alex reached over and placed her hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "There is no comparison, Kelly. The difference is night and day."

  "What are we comparing?" Nikki asked as she walked up behind them.

  Alex saw Kelly's eyes widen, and gave her a wink. "Just you and Jo," she replied to Kelly's surprise.

  Nikki grimaced. "It’s a good thing I don't know what that woman looks like. If I did, I'm not sure I could treat her if she walked into my ER, knowing what she did."

  Kelly looked over at Alex as she asked, "What exactly did she do, Nikki?"

  Nikki leaned down and placed a kiss on Alex's cheek. "Sorry, Tesoro." She looked up at Kelly, who was watching the exchange closely. "That is a question for Alex, not me."

  Kelly nodded as the corner of her mouth lifted slightly. "You're good." When she saw Nikki's expression of curiosity she explained. "Keeping her secrets like that. Smart."

  "Who said anything about keeping secrets? This just isn't my story to tell." She looked at Alex and said, "Don't disappear for too long. I'll go see if our guests need anything."

  As Nikki started to walk away Kelly said, "She's very good."

  Alex hummed her agreement before saying, "Oh Kelly, you have no idea just how good she can be." Nikki turned and blew her a kiss before sashaying out of the kitchen.

  Once they were alone again, Kelly turned back to Alex, allowing her curiosity to show. "Are you going to tell me what she meant by that comment, or do I have to pry it out of you?" She waited patiently as Alex began to rinse the dishes and place them into the dishwasher. After a moment of silence, she began to push. "I know she took advantage of your generosity, Alex. Please tell me that's all she did."

  Alex shook her head. "I wish I could, Kelly." As they worked together to clean up, she described the abuse.

  When they were finished, Kelly pulled her into her arms. "I'm so sorry. I should have been there for you instead of walking away. I knew there was something off with that woman, I just couldn't pinpoint it." She pulled back and looked into her eyes. "Are you really okay?"

  Alex looked up and saw Natalie watching them from across the room, the questions in her eyes plain to see. "I'm doing better, but still have moments of submissive behavior when I'm highly stressed. I'm working on it with my therapist." She held her hand out towards Natalie, beckoning her over. As she walked up, Alex took her hand. "Why don't you explain everything to Natalie? That way if there are any issues, she'll understand." She leaned over and placed a kiss on Kelly's cheek.

  Kelly couldn't hide the shock her suggestion caused. "Are you sure?"

  Alex gave her a sad smile. "I'm sure. Some things shouldn't stay hidden. Maybe if I'd been open in the first place, you and Emily would have talked some sense into me, and I'd have kicked her to the curb years earlier." She dropped her hand, and headed towards the living room.

  Alex turned on the satellite radio, searching for a mellow channel as background noise. She settled on a Classical station, and smiled at Natalie as she walked up to her. "I have a confession to make." Alex looked at her inquisitively. "I am a huge fan of yours, and was rather excited when Kelly told me we were invited here for dinner tonight." Alex looked around the room and noticed everyone else engaged in conversation. "Kelly told me you are a very private person, so I didn't want to make a scene."

  "Thank you for understanding." She looked at her with a twinkle in her eye and said, "May I have this dance?" She watched as Natalie tilted her head to one side, considering her proposition. 'She really is quite lovely,' She thought as she stared into Natalie's blue eyes. She watched as the corner of Natalie's perfectly bowed lips lifted in a smile, raised her hand in offering, and waited.

  Natalie slowly reached out and placed her hand in Alex's. "It's been a long time since I've danced. I might step on your toes."

  "I'll take my chances."

  "Kelly doesn't dance, and refuses to take lessons."

  Alex pulled her into her arms and whispered in her ear, "Maybe we can make her jealous enough to consider it." Natalie's laugh was just loud enough to catch Kelly's attention. They were nearly the same height, and perfectly matched. Alex began to lead, dancing Natalie around the room. As they became more comfortable with each other, the moves became more intricate, with dips and twirls interspersed throughout the steps. A couple of songs later, Alex stumbled as a cramp seized the muscles in her left thigh.

  Natalie caught her and pulled her into her arms, holding her upright. "Are you okay?" she asked as she heard her cursing under her breath. Unable to stand on her own, Alex clutched her shoulders. "How about we get you over to the couch?" Natalie asked as she took one step in that direction. She stopped suddenly when Alex whimpered. "What is it?"

  "Cramp," she hissed through clenched teeth. "I'll be okay, I just need a minute." She stood motionless with Natalie's arms around her waist, while she grasped her biceps and took a deep breath. "Nik."

  Nikki heard the tremble in her voice, and raced to her side. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" she asked as Alex stood stiffly with her forehead pressed to Natalie's shoulder.

  "She said something about a cramp," Natalie replied when she didn't immediately respond.

  Nikki looked down and noticed Alex was favoring her left leg. She scooped her up into her arms, and carried her to the couch. Alex hissed as another cramp tore through her leg. She knelt beside the couch, and began to massage the seized muscles. She winced as Alex began to mutter in Italian, and watched as a tear slid down her cheek. "I'm sorry sweetheart. I know it hurts."

  Dani knelt beside her head, reached out and wiped the sweat from her brow, and said, "Alex, honey, you need to relax your body or the cramps won't stop." When the flow of Italian continued, she tried several more times with the same result, and grew frustrated. "Damn it, Alex. You need to relax or Nikki won't be able to help you," she snapped.

  Alex closed her eyes and pulled away. Natalie noticed her body begin to tremble as she fell silent. She stepped up and placed a hand on Dani's shoulder. "Will you let me have a go?" she asked. There was something in her eyes that made Dani rethink her denial and move out of the way. She watched as Natalie took her place, and in a soothing voice let Alex know she was there.

  "Did you know I went to the 2004 Olympic games in Athens?" she asked as she began to massage Alex's scalp. "I saw several events, but my favorite by far was the softball. I was there for nearly every USA game. That team had some of the best players to ever play." She smiled when Alex slowly opened her e
yes and looked at her. "One of their pitchers was absolutely incredible. Every time she pitched, the stands were full. She set records that will never be broken. I left those games with complete admiration for that woman, as well as a bit of a crush on her and her catcher. Her physical and mental strength were something to envy." She placed her hand on her shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze when she saw her begin to relax. "No matter how tired she must have been, she would continue to pitch until the game was over. She never gave up. I may not know you very well, but you remind me of her quite a bit." She gave Alex a quick wink. "How's the leg?"

  Alex carefully flexed her toes and smiled. "Much better, thank you."

  Natalie's head tilted to the side and she frowned slightly. "I'll take that as a good sign." She stood and began to move away.

  Dani stopped her with a gentle hand. "How did you know what to do?" she asked.

  Natalie shrugged. "She was extremely stressed, and beginning to withdraw. I needed to distract her, so I told her about one of my heroes."

  Dani shook her head at her explanation. "That doesn't answer my question. Her stress was obvious, but how did you know she was beginning to withdraw and needed to feel safe?"

  Before Natalie could respond, Alex spoke up and said, "It's okay, Natalie. Everyone here knows."

  She looked down at Alex and met her eyes, seeing the pain slowly fading from them she nodded, and watched her sit up. She turned to Dani and explained. "Alex told Kelly about her ex earlier, and had her explain it to me. So I know about the abuse. That helped me recognize the signs much faster, but I would have eventually anyway." She looked back at Alex and said, "I'm a psychologist specializing in victims of physical and sexual abuse. I've watched you tonight, and am very impressed with your progress. I never would have guessed you were a victim until Dani triggered your submissive, obedient response. How long have you been seeing your therapist?"

  "A couple of months."

  "Seriously? That's all?" she asked incredulously. Alex nodded. "Now I'm really impressed."

  "She's an amazing therapist. I couldn't ask for anyone any better. Words are my business, and I don't have the words to express my thanks for what she has done for me."

  Natalie looked over at Dani and saw her smiling as she looked over Alex's shoulder. She followed her gaze and saw Rachel staring at the floor with a pink tinge to her cheeks. She watched as Rachel walked up behind Alex, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "The doctor is only as good as the patient. You've worked very hard to overcome your history, Alex, and are always open to direction."

  "Just accept the compliment, Ray," she responded with a chuckle as she slowly stood, testing the stability of her leg.

  Rachel walked around the end of the couch, and stopped in front of her. "I could say the same to you, Lexi." She watched as Alex's eyes dropped to the floor then rose to meet hers.

  "Point taken, Doc."

  "I thought you didn't let anyone call you that," Kelly said from across the room.

  Alex looked over at her, and her sadness was clearly visible. "I don't. It still hurts too much. Only my mother and my sister called me that, and hearing it reminds me of them."

  Kelly's surprise was evident as she said, "I thought you were an orphan."

  "I am."

  "I mean, I thought it happened when you were very young. We all thought you had no memories of your family. You never spoke of them at all. Shit, I didn't even know you had a sister."

  Alex sighed as she struggled to explain. "I was young, but I do remember them. I just didn't want to talk about them because it hurt, and I didn't want to be reminded of them every time someone called my name."

  "Well, that's completely understandable," said Natalie.

  Alex gave her a smile and a slight bow. "Thank you for the dance, Natalie. It was a pleasure. Maybe we can do it again sometime, after this leg heals a bit more."

  Natalie smiled, and with a twinkle in her eyes said, "The pleasure was all mine, Alex. I'd love to dance with you again. You just give me a call." She looked over as Kelly stepped up to her side, and placed an arm around her.

  "Keep your hands off my wife, Alex."

  Alex chuckled. "Take care of her yourself, Kelly, and I won't have to."

  Kelly grimaced. "You know I have two left feet and can't dance to save my life."

  "I did offer to teach you once."

  "Yes, and had the bruises to prove it."

  Alex got a far off look in her eye as the corner of her mouth lifted slightly. "As I recall, those had nothing to do with the dancing." As Kelly began to blush, Alex turned to an obviously curious Natalie and said, "Just let me know when you get the urge to go dancing."

  As everyone began to sip their wine and resume their conversations, Dani stepped up to Alex and pulled her into a hug. "I'm so sorry I snapped at you. I never meant to scare you."

  Alex wrapped her arms around her and gave her a gentle squeeze. "It's okay, you just really surprised me. I wasn't expecting that, especially since I was telling you that I was trying to relax."

  Dani stepped back and looked at her with an exasperated expression. "Is that what you were saying?" She shook her head and chuckled. "Apparently I'm going to need to learn to speak Italian."

  Alex looked at her sheepishly. "I was speaking Italian?" Dani nodded her head. "Well, okay then." She shrugged apologetically. "I didn't realize. Sorry."

  "No problem, but I can see that it might be a good idea for us to learn."

  "So tell me, where did you learn to dance like that?" Kelly asked as she and Natalie settled into the loveseat. "You weren't that good when you were trying to teach me."

  Alex curled into the corner of the couch and reached for her wine. "In the most amazing little club in Florence. I spent nearly a year there recently. I just came home a few months ago." She took a sip of her wine and realized she had everyone's attention. "I met this group of women there that took me in. They helped me begin the healing process after Jo."

  Kelly leaned forward and gave her a devilish smile before asking, "What was her name?"

  Alex blushed slightly before replying, "Serafina. She was a very special woman. Sera knew I was damaged, and never pushed me for anything more than friendship."

  Kelly frowned. "Damaged is pretty harsh."

  "But unfortunately accurate." She snuggled closer to Nikki, who put her arm around her shoulder. "I don't think you would have recognized me, Kelly. She nearly destroyed me, and I let her."

  Kelly closed her eyes as pain and guilt swept over her. "I should have been there for you. I shouldn't have walked away, I'm sorry."

  "You can't blame yourself, Kelly," said Rachel.

  "No, you are not to blame," Alex replied. "Jo is, and I am for staying with her, for allowing her to push everyone away."

  "You remind me a lot of the Alexis I used to know, just a little older, more experienced, and far more open. I'm glad you found someone that is able to help you heal." Kelly looked down at her and Natalie's joined hands, and then back up at Nikki and Alex. "I'm warning you now though. I won't let anyone chase me off this time. I plan on sticking around and making sure you don't become a Stepford wife again."

  Nikki couldn't help but grin at Alex's chuckle. "Duly noted. It's nice to finally meet some of Alex's closest friends."

  As they were saying good-bye, Alex pulled Natalie into her arms for a hug. "Thank you again for helping me out earlier." She placed a kiss on her cheek before stepping back with a smile.

  Natalie met her eyes and said, "I meant it all you know. You're one of my heroes."

  She dropped her gaze to the floor and shook her head. "I'm nobody's hero."

  Natalie reached out and cupped her cheek, lifting her head. When their eyes met, she said, "You're my hero, and not just for your accomplishments on the diamond. That may be where you first caught my attention, but it was what you did off the diamond that left an impression." At Alex's questioning look, she explained as she dropped her hand from her cheek. "You have helped
so many people over the years. You never made a big deal of it by drawing attention to yourself, but you didn't hide either." Natalie smiled at her look of surprise. "I'm sure there are many charitable things you've done that I don't have a clue about, but I do know of a few. Learning what I did tonight doesn't change how I feel about you, in fact, it solidifies everything. It's always nice to know the people you look up to are human and capable of making mistakes. It's even better when you can see they have the strength to correct the mistakes and learn from them." She leaned over and kissed Alex's cheek.

  Kelly stepped up and slipped her arm around Natalie's waist. "Thank you for dinner, it was wonderful as always. I don't know how you manage to stay so thin, cooking the way you do."

  "Just lucky I guess."

  Kelly and Alex watched as Natalie stepped away to say good-bye to Dani and Rachel. "What do you think of Natalie?" she asked.

  Alex watched as Natalie hugged Nikki. "She's incredibly beautiful, intelligent, compassionate, and sensitive. I think you are both very lucky to have found each other. You're a perfect match." She looked back at her with a look that spoke volumes. "I'm very happy for you. You deserve this, Kelly."

  She smiled and tilted her head toward Nikki. "So do you, Alex."

  "Let's not tell them just how wonderful they are, or their heads may swell," Alex said and smiled at Kelly's chuckle.

  "What are you two up to over here?" Nikki asked as she walked up.

  "Nothing, mia cara, nothing at all," she replied as she slipped one arm around her waist and pulled her close.

  They watched as everyone climbed into their cars and drove away. As the taillights disappeared around the bend of the driveway, Alex turned to Nikki and said, "Take me to bed, my love."

  Nikki finished locking up the house and headed upstairs. She stepped into the master bedroom and found the lights turned low, the covers on the bed turned back, and a trail of clothes leading to the bathroom. She could hear the water running and Alex brushing her teeth. She picked up the clothes and dropped them in the hamper on her way into the bathroom. Leaning against the doorframe, she watched Alex prepare for bed. She admired the lean form and womanly curves barely covered by scraps of lace as she leaned over the sink. Nikki's eyes freely roamed over the nearly flawless pale skin, resting briefly on the still angry looking pink scars on her left thigh and knee before continuing up, and finally meeting her eyes in the mirror.