Horseplay
Chapter 15 : Tremors

  Neil realized during his first trail ride of the final week that
he'd been denouncing Mae's reluctance to cheat on Steve while
essentially cheating on her on some mental level with Leah. It was an
epiphany of self-judgement that rattled him, and Neil spent a long
time in the saddle wondering how he felt toward either girl. Each
time he doubted his love for Mae he pictured her face and heard her
whisper "I love you" in his ear and all doubts were suddenly gone.
When he started to doubt his love for Leah he glanced back at her in
the riding line. She was chatting with another girl, her blond hair
peeking out from her black riding helmet and framing her pale face.
In a pale green tank top and jean shorts she was the picture of youth
and innocence, bouncing slightly in her saddle as her brown geld paced
along. He felt the surge in his chest and loins and all doubt was
erased. Neil felt like a real top notch bastard and sighed deeply at
his now clearly illustrated flaws.
	Neil's new riding class had not been much of a surprise. Gail
and Leah were both in for the final week while Gwen moved over to
Harry's dressage class. Of his remaining first class, just over half
stayed on while the others moved to take various rodeo and arena
classes. He picked up six new faces from one of the other counselors
and wound up with a class consisting of twenty girls. With no arena
work to concern themselves with, Neil got to plan several long trips
to the deepest and most secluded parts of the mountain, including two
all day events where they would pack lunches.
	Moving up the line, Neil passed a young tan girl who was
slumped miserably in her saddle. He had to search a bit for her name,
even though he recognized her from his earlier classes. "Stephanie,
what's wrong?" he asked, picking her name from some faded mental
roster.
	The young girl glanced over and shook her head. She tried to
draw herself higher in the saddle, quickly wiping away tears and
sitting up straight. The anguish on her face didn't leave, though.
	Neil moved his horse into step with the girl, who was holding
back sniffles. He gave her a quick once over. She didn't appear
injured, and Neil tried not to allow her attractive looks overshadow
his concerns. She was short but well built and had the curves Neil
appreciated. Short brown hair barely managed to escape the edge of
her helmet. "Steph, come on, you've got to tell me." he insisted.
	She gave him a defiant look and shook her head. "Its nothing...
nothing you can do anything about." she said sullenly.
	Neil frowned and rode in silence for a few moments. "OK, if you
need someone to talk to, though." he suggested.
	Stephanie looked over and shook her head, then shrugged.
	"I could live with maybe" Neil said cheerfully. "Plus I won't
leave you alone until I get one."
	Steph gave him a resigned look and nodded.
	He nudged his mare into a faster walk and moved up alongside
the line. They moved into a less dense area of the woods, dropping
down into a low stream and back up. At the top of the bank the woods
broke and the trail turned East along the treeline. Neil shaded his
eyes against the sudden glare and called ahead for a break.
	Several riders rode back to the stream to let their horses
drink while the rest walked around the clearing for a few seconds
before hopping down and stretching. Most stripped off their safety
gear, airing out helmets and a few sets of knee pads in the sunlight.
Neil tracked down Gail and Leah to swap their lead and follow
positions then found Stephanie sitting with a pair of other girls,
all of whom looked ashen faced.
	"Alright, break it up." Neil said with authority. "I need to
speak to Stephanie". When her friends left Neil crouched down and
gave her a stern look. "Look, Stephanie... I can't have you in this
state if you're going to be riding. You've got to.."
	"I'm pregnant." she said suddenly.
	Neil dropped from his crouch to a seat and gasped. "What? Are
you..."
	"Pretty sure. I'm three weeks late."
	Neil searched for things to say, but nothing seemed very
appropriate. "That.. is a problem, Stephanie."
	She looked up with a "Duh" expression.
	"No, Well... I mean for you riding with us. Do your parents
know?"
	Stephanie shook her head. "I took a test when I first got here,
I grabbed it at a store on the way... but it didn't work right or I
screwed it up or something."
	Neil nodded. "Look, I'm going to pretend you didn't tell me
anything, OK? At least for this ride. I doubt that one day of trail
will affect you much if you're three... or five weeks pregnant. But
when we get back, we'll get you up to the med hut for a test. I'm
going to have to tell the school, though. I can't have a pregnant
girl on a horse without a doctor's note."
	Stephanie nodded sadly. "Don't tell anyone else, OK?" she
pleaded.
	"I won't."
=======================
	Neil noticed Leah more from her absence than presence. She'd
stopped flirting with him after the midmorning break and he missed
it. He hadn't really been avoiding her, but it made his life a little
easier to not think about her and how she affected him. The cessation
of winks, grins, wiggles and other suggestive movements was replaced
with a curious looks each time Neil approached the back of the line.
He finally noticed a hint of frustration in her face and moved back
to talk to her.
	"So you'll talk to Steph but not me?" she accused. There was a
little cadence of sarcasm or joking, but there was an underlying
foundation of jealousy to her pose and look.
	"She's not feeling well. Its my job to check on her."
	Leah frowned and accepted this grudgingly. "Your job. I know
all about your job"
	"I have to do my job, Poppet."
	"Maybe I'll get sick and you can take care of me." she
suggested, peppering her sultry tone with another wiggle.
	Neil was glad to see her flirt a little, it was a much more
familiar state. "I'll send you to the med hut where they'll do
unnatural experiments on you."
	"Well, at least I'd get some attention from the staff"
	"You don't need attention from anyone's staff" Neil said with a
grin.
	Leah made an "eww" face. "So what's wrong with Steph?"
	"Can't say."
	"Can't? What, is her tummy ache a secret?"
	Neil wanted to defuse the situation to save Stephanie's privacy
and pulled a golden nugget from some dim memory of the first counselor
meeting. "Its school policy. We can't discuss anyone's medical
issues."
	"What?"
	"Like if someone had... say.. some hereditary disease, or some
embarrassing issue."
	"Like?"
	"I don't know, sickle cell or diabetes or whatever. Something
you don't need to know about."
	"Why?"
	"Teasing, probably. Safety... privacy laws. Besides, if
everyone else knew you were... shit, say deaf in one ear. They'd
screw with you, wouldn't they."
	"Some.. I guess"
	Neil shrugged. "Anyway, can't tell you. School policy"
	"Just like you can't kiss me" Leah whispered.
	Neil sighed. "Something like that."
	"Not even a little?"
	"I wouldn't stop at a little" he said seriously.
	Leah flashed him a huge smile of victory that hit Neil like a
lightning bolt. He cursed his honesty, his lust and her clear joy at
his response.
=======================
	When they reached the camp in the late afternoon, Neil pulled
Stephanie aside and they went to the beach. He wanted her to go with
him to the medical hut, but Stephanie wasn't ready. Instead they sat
on the pier and looked out over the water. Stephanie cried for a long
time, leaning against a post on the pier. Neil sat in combined misery.
Leah had him imagining ways to drag her off into the woods and
Stephanie had him squirming for things to say. How exactly do you
console a young, scared, pregnant girl?
	"You know what sucks most?" she asked after she finished
crying.
	Neil had a good number of ideas, 'being pregnant at 17' being
one of the topmost, but he wisely let it go. "What?"
	"I don't even know if I loved him."
	Neil had to admit that one was pretty abysmal. It didn't rank
on his personal list of things she should be worried about, but again
he let his worthless opinion slide.
	"It was exciting, you know? Sneaking out, having sex in his car
or at his house when his parents were at work."
	Neil waited, letting her be.
	She ran her hand through her hair, then rubbed tears off her
cheeks. "The sex... I wish it had been better."
	Neil blinked. "What do you mean?"
	"Like... worth it. It was kinda..." Stephanie trailed off,
staring across the lake.
	Neil waited as long as he could before his inner smartass
re-emerged. "Kinda what? Quick? Cold? Ugly? Green? Wrapped in bacon?"

	Stephanie broke into laughter between tears. "Not quick.. well,
maybe it was, but that's not what I mean. We didn't know what we were
doing. Maybe that added something, you know? Exploring, doing things
we'd read about or heard about. But it wasn't really.... very good,
you know? It was short and frantic and... like trying to race a car
without knowing how to drive. We would just be all over each other,
just because we could."
	Neil felt himself getting aroused and clamped down hard. What
kind of bastard was he, getting horny listening to a pregnant girl
describe her miserable sex life? Of course, it was a young girl
frankly describing exploratory sex with her boyfriend, but that was
beside the point.
	"If I loved him, maybe this would be easier."
	Neil had questions, things about her parents or her school, but
the beast snuck past his guards. "Did you use... protection?" He felt
kind of like a sicko afterwards, drawing out her sex history, but it
was too late.
	"Yeah, sort of. He wore a rubber and all, but... I don't know,
maybe we screwed it up. We weren't sure how... well I mean parts of
it seem obvious, but then you've got this... thing and you're all hot
and trying to.... it doesn't seem to work the way you expect..."
	Neil grunted something, seriously questioning his ability to
trust himself to open his damn mouth. The smartass and the monster
were arguing over a series of inappropriate responses. Neil felt like
a real ass for thinking them, and put on his best mask of concern.
	"A couple times, though, we never even got that far. He wasn't
ready for me to be so... interested in certain things." Stephanie
blushed and turned away.
	"Fucking wonderful" Neil thought to himself. He had to fight
down his rapidly expanding erection, unsuccessfully blocking the
picture of Stephanie in his mind and what she might have been
interested in. It was a very powerful image and he tried to turn the
discussion. "You might be worried for no reason, you know."
	Stephanie shook her head slowly. "I'm never late. Never. I've
had periods like fucking clockwork for almost four years." she said
bitterly, not even noticing her language.
	Neil slowed his breathing and banished the beast from his mind.
"We should get up to the med hut" he said quietly.
	Stephanie nodded and stood.
	At the med hut Crystal was on duty. She was a heavyset lady
with salt and pepper hair and a high, shrieking laugh that carried
for miles. Neil had never been friendly or unfriendly toward her,
mostly because none of his medical needs had required the med team.
With one somewhat notable exception, he reminded himself.
	Crystal smiled when he walked in and had Stephanie sit. His
look, however, changed her face to one of businesslike concern.
	"What's the problem?" she asked, glancing over at Stephanie for
signs.
	"Yeah. She's a bit... How much do I have to go into this,
shes..."
	"Stomach, homesick, sting?" Crystal asked quickly and
routinely.. When Neil's face tightened and his eyes shifted she
nodded and sighed. "Pregnant.... what do you know?"
	"She's three weeks late for her period, she said the sex was
like a month or so ago."
	We've got tests, I'll have to walk her through it." Neil gave
her an surprised look and she shrugged. "We get one every few years.
Seventeen, eighteen year olds... it happens. Thankfully not ver
often, but sometimes they're even younger."
	Neil waved Stephanie over and Crystal drew her in and they went
back into the main ward.
=======================
	Neil wasn't in much of a talkative mood at lunch. Dave and
Harriet were mooning over each other on one side of the table, much
to the annoyance of Ruth who plopped down beside Neil with a thud and
seethed. Neil wasn't paying much attention. Stephanie was clearly
pregnant and Neil was overwhelmed by it. She had cried inconsolably
when Crystal had called up to the admin office. Crystal had told Neil
quietly that there were very specific rules about what they would have
to do. Stephanie was underage, pregnant, and the rules of the school
said she couldn't ride without a doctor's note, if she even had that
choice after her parents were told. Doctor Andrews, a doctor in town
the school regularly worked with, had been called for a consultation.
Neil hadn't seen him arrive, leaving Stephanie in Crystals care, but
she said Dr. Andrews would take her into town for a checkup. If her
parents didn't come pick her up, she would probably be back on a
horse by Wednesday or Thursday.
	Ruth spent a few minutes picking at her meal, glancing up at
Dave and Harriet from time to time. Her mood soured steadily and
finally she stood up and left abruptly.
	Dave looked over and scowled. "What's her problem?"
	Neil glowered at the pair. "You don't know?"
	"No.. Jeez, what's YOUR problem?"
	Neil snapped, standing and leaning down to get closer. "Ruth's
problem is that you and Harriet are dating, going out, in love at
some level, whatever lovey dovey term you want to slap on you two
pawing each other."
	"What? We're not.."
	Neil slammed his palm down on the table. "Harriet, let's go
fuck. Right now." Neil said, cutting Dave off.
	There was an exchange of startled glances on the other side of
the table. Harriet started to mutter something, and looked over at
Dave, who looked upset and angry.
	Neil left them both flustered for a second. "See? Harriet, you
don't want to. Two days ago you'd have been in my bed by now. Dave,
you don't want her to. Two days ago you wouldn't have given a rat's
ass. Why do you suppose that is?"
	Dave's anger seeped away and looked over at Harriet sheepishly.
"Well, we..."
	"You two are involved, whatever words you apply to it. That
turns into jealousy and that puts Ruth firmly in the third wheel
slot. She's not in love with Dave, but now she's completely blocked
out of a relationship she's been comfortable in for years."
	Harriet suddenly looked very upset and got up. "I need to go
and... damn... "
	Dave watched her rush off and turned back with a pained look.
"Shit dude... we weren't thinking. I mean, this wasn't a plan or
anything, we just..."
	"Yeah, I know." Neil said, sitting heavily. "As for my fucking
problem, I just found out one of my students is pregnant"
	"What? Dude, what did you...?" Dave clamped his mouth shut at
Neil's hard stare. "Sorry. That sucks"
	"Yeah. So Mae's left for the year, you and Harriet are hooking
up, Ruth's pissed off and I can't touch the camper who's totally hot
for me. My prospects are drying up pretty fast."
	"That sucks, man."
	"You should go talk to Ruth, too."
	Dave slumped and nodded, collecting his plate. "Yeah, hey... if
you and Harriet... you know... we kind of agree..."
	"No" Neil said firmly. "No women coming between us, that was
the deal right?"
	"Well... yeah. That was the deal..." Dave said quietly, looking
over at Harriet. She'd caught up with Ruth near the cabins and the
pair were arguing, pointing and gesturing sharply. Dave piled his
plate onto Harriets and stood still.
	"I'll take them up, go on", Neil insisted.
=======================
	Neil let Ruth into his room near dusk, closing it behind him
and preparing for the emotional onslaught. What he wasn't prepared
for was physical aggression. Ruth pushed him over to the bed and
forced him down. "Say 'no' now Neil or I'm going to fuck you
senseless whether you like it or not"
	Neil was stunned, and barely managed a half nod before Ruth
shoved him back and climbed on top of him. Her eyes were red and
puffy and her face streaked and wet. Neil tried to wipe her cheek but
she brushed him off.
	"Later." she insisted, falling onto his chest and working his
shirt up with one hand.
	Neil could feel her hunger, her anger, her pent up frustration
and gave in to the inevitable. He didn't think she would appreciate a
passive participant, and resolved to meet her initiative with his own
pent up emotions. As she worked his shirt up his chest, Neil reached
back and pulled Ruth's free from the back of her shorts. He knew he'd
made the right decision when she nearly growled while licking his
neck. Ruth started to sit up and Neil moved with her. They pulled
each other's shirts off and Ruth tried to pull back, apparently
moving toward his shorts.
	Neil resisted, pushing her to stand and joined her. He went for
her belt at the same time she went for his zipper and they wrestled
for position for a few seconds until Neil abandoned his attempt and
moved for her bra. He was worried about the clasp, but managed to
twist and unhook it without much challenge. Meanwhile Ruth had his
shorts unzipped and was trying to work them down. Neil blocked her by
opening his legs slightly and struck a defiant pose.
	Ruth's eyes narrowed at the challenge and she unzipped and
dropped her shorts in a swift jerk. She stood in a pair of lacy pink
underwear. Neil saw that they matched her hair and smiled, then
dropped both his shorts and boxers, standing naked in front of her.
Ruth moved as if she were going to take off her panties but instead
she tackled him backwards, pushing him down on the bed with a thump.
Neil tried to roll, but she was faster, pinning him under her and
straddling his stomach. She ground downward for a second, but she was
too high.
	When Ruth looked back to see where his dick was Neil sat up and
took a nipple into his mouth, sucking urgently and flicking his tongue
across it. Ruth gasped and moved back. Neil couldn't sit up with her
on his stomach, so he grabbed her breasts roughly and held her still.
Ruth's eyes widened and she gave him a challenging stare, which Neil
returned. Ruth reached back and grasped Neil's dick in one hand, but
this meant she had to rotate, drawing her breast away. Neil locked
onto her right nipple, stopping her. Ruth jumped and squeezed his
dick in warning, but Neil grunted it off and tweaked, causing Ruth to
groan.
	She let go of his dick and spun, surprising him so much that he
let go of her breasts. Ruth planted herself with her knees on either
side of Neil's head, leaned down and took his dick into her mouth
suddenly. Neil gasped, then pushed his head up into her bald pussy
and licked. Ruth pressed down, nearly suffocating him. She was wet,
drenched really, and Neil had a hard time getting air with her
shifting wet pussy all over his face. She finally calmed down when he
found a steady rhythm, paying attention to his dick in her mouth.
	Ruth's oral attention was aggressive and direct. She slid up
and down his dick with abandon, cradling his balls and fucking him
with her lips. Neil enjoyed it, but her speed and pressure were off,
limiting how much pleasure he could take from it. He slowed her when
she started to wear him down and she got the message, adding more
tongue and slowing her pace. Meanwhile, Neil was trying to give
proper attention to her soaking pussy. Ruth was rocking up and down,
shifting as he licked and even pulling completely away from his
tongue. Neil's neck started to get sore trying to reach upward at a
moving target, and he finally decided to change things up.
	When Ruth reached the bottom of her stroke and had Neil almost
to the base he lifted one leg and pushed off the bed, rolling them to
the side. Ruth gasped and pulled back, giving Neil the leverage he
needed to roll them completely over. He continued to move, coming to
his knees next to her, then moving down between her thighs, dragging
her to the edge of the bed. Ruth wound up with her legs hanging off
the side of the bed with Neil kneeling beside it. He resumed his
licking, now with the proper position and angle.
	Ruth's need was still apparent so he dove in, spreading her
with his left hand and pinching her clit gently to draw it upward. He
then licked rapidly across it, pausing after a few seconds to draw his
tongue down and up her slit to keep her slightly off balance. Neil
then brought his right hand up under her leg and slid it into her
vagina, curling upward with his middle finger until he felt her
pelvic bone. Ruth groaned and shifted, rocking her hips upward and
giving him more access. Neil massaged her g-spot gently while he
continued his pattern of flicking his tongue across her clit and
licking around and across it slowly.
	Ruth eventually reached the stage where she was no longer
responding directly to his stimulation, instead hovering just below
orgasm, moaning and holding herself still while he serviced her. Neil
allowed himself a small grin, then used Deb's favorite trick. With his
index finger, now coated in her lubrication and his saliva, Neil moved
down to her puckered asshole and rubbed it gently in time with his
rocking movement against her g-spot and tongue across her clit. Ruth
made a gasping groaning sound, then pushed even further downward,
increasing the pressure of Neil's fingers. Neil sped up, ending the
breaks between the flicking action across her clit with her tongue
and leaned in to increase the pressure.
	After only a few seconds, Ruth started to moan deeply and
rocked her hips back and forth. She started to speed this up
gradually, making more and more noises until she seized tightly and
locked her knees against the side of the bed. Neil felt the walls of
her vagina spasm while her ass clenched and unclenched. Ruth pulled
the blankets and pillow up around her ears and moaned, pitching
upwards to a wail then relaxing completely with a rush of breath.
	Neil took a second to clean up at the sink, then came over
joined Ruth at the side of the bed. She was too low for him to enter
her while standing so he rolled her onto her front. Ruth
automatically pulled her knees up and wound up kneeling face down on
the bed. Neil wasted no time, climbing between her legs and stroking
his dick along her wet slit, drawing lubrication and getting himself
fully erect. He pushed Ruth forward slightly on her knees and
positioned himself at her warm opening, then he stood still. Ruth got
the message and pushed back slowly, sliding over his dick until she
was all the way back against his stomach and he was buried in her to
the balls.
	Neil stood still and let Ruth start the work. He thought this
position might allow her to work out some frustrations and as she
started to slam back faster and faster he quickly realized he was
right. Ruth was relentless, rocking back on her knees and pounding
into him with her ass, then falling forward until he was nearly out.
Neil watched his dick disappear into her stretched pussy as she moved
toward him until it disappeared below her ass. Her cheeks would
vibrate as she slammed back and Neil could feel his balls slapping
back and forth from the jackhammer blows.
	Neil cleared his mind and fortified it against his rising lust,
forcing his mind to resist the sights of Ruth fucking him, the sounds
of her pleasure and the rhythmic slap of skin on skin and even the
smell of sex in the room. He held out steadfastly, cocooning his
thoughts against the return of the beast and allowed his own stress
and frustration to feed into Ruth's assault. Neil relaxed his arms,
his shoulders, everything except his legs and back, which he needed
to hold out in the face of Ruth's release. When she finally slowed
and fell forward exhausted, he was rested and prepared. He pulled her
over, letting her roll onto the bed on her back. Neil the climbed up
on the bed and slid between her legs, finding her opening easily and
beginning his own session of hammering.
	Ruth moaned gently against his chest as he rammed into her.
Neil was careful, he could tell she wasn't nearly as well lubricated
after her long workout and didn't want to rub her raw. He was not,
however, completely gentle. Ruth clutched at him and grunted
lustfully at each stroke, pulling him in by clutching his back, then
his ass. She spread herself wider and wider, pulling her knees up and
out, then drawing them in until Neil was essentially laying on her
lower legs with her knees draw into a fetal position. This position
squeezed her labia around him for each stroke and Neil sat up and
slowed down to a much more leisurely pace. Ruth looked up and
suddenly smiled.
	"You are great therapy" she said.
	Neil realized it was the first time either had said a word and
laughed, which made Ruth laugh.
	"When you laugh it... vibrates" she said coyly.
	"What vibrates?" Neil asked with mock innocence.
	Ruth grinned and spread her knees, letting Neil fall forward
into her arms. "You are a fantastic fuck.... but I'm actually getting
a little tired."
	Neil smiled and leaned back. "I guess we could finish this up"
he said, enjoying the view. Ruth was spread below him, her large
breasts resting far apart on her chest and jiggling with each slow
stroke. Her short spiky hair was flattened on one side and a sheen of
sweat covered her. Her face was flush but relaxed and she closed her
eyes slightly with each thrust. The sight stirred Neil and weakened
his resolve, but not completely. He drew his knees forward and took
the weight off his arms then he licked his thumbs moved his hands
between her legs.
	He found her clit with one thumb and used the other hand to
steady himself. He managed a good vibration with his thumb as he
fucked in and out of her and she moaned in appreciation. Eventually
though she pushed his hands out of the way and took over. Ruth's pace
was much faster than he could manage while balanced and Neil grinned.
Ruth almost blushed, which made him laugh.
	"Shy?" he asked, slamming into her for emphasis.
	Ruth spread herself and worked her clitoris with practiced
ease. "I don't... normally do this in front of someone." she
admitted.
	Neil grinned and slowed his pace slightly. The sight was
wearing down his resolve and he had to look up at the wall. The flush
on Ruth's cheeks spread and she used her other hand to play with a
nipple. "Good?" he asked.
	Ruth nodded, making clipped "yes" sounds.
	"Do you like having me fuck you while you masturbate?"
	Ruth grunted something, rolling her head to the side.
	"Fucking your pussy while you play with yourself. While you
squeeze your big tits and play with your pussy"
	Ruth grunted and moved faster, pinching a nipple and nodding in
bursts. Neil felt another flush of wetness. He wanted to go faster,
but knew that could end everything prematurely so instead he began to
slow each time he drew out, then slammed into her. Ruth responded with
lower and lower grunts, then arched her back sharply. The hand between
her legs moved even faster and Neil felt her orgasm build from her
thighs. She thrust out and up, lifting into each entry with a
responding push.
	Meanwhile Neil was fighting a losing battle to hold out until
she was done. Ruth's responses, his own words, her lustfull sounds,
it was all ammunition for the beast and his defenses were thinning
out. Ruth seemed to be building at an excruciatingly slow pace,
stepping reluctantly up the staircase to orgasm while he was riding
the express elevator to the top. When her vagina spasmed around him
he let out a gush of air in relief, and looked down. Her face was
compressed into a fist of pleasure, her hands moved rapidly on her
nipple and clit and he watched his dick slide past her engorged and
spread pussy through two thrusts before he lost all sense of the
world and exploded. The sights of Ruth in her orgasm, his last
glimpse of penetration, the sounds of her groans and his own release
spiraled through his mind and down into the center of his spine and a
flood of pleasure washed over Neil. He could feel himself thrusting
into her with less and less force, then Ruth took up the slack and
fucked back, slamming toward him and grunting encouragement. Neil
shuddered to a stop and fell forward, stopping her and resting on her
heaving chest.
	Neil started to get comfortable, but Ruth pulled out from
underneath him. "Where you going?" he asked.
	"To my cabin. I've slept in somebody else's bed every night
here. Yours, Dave's, Harriet's... I'm going to sleep by myself."
	Neil groaned and reached over but she pulled away laughing.
"Why?"
	"Because the more time I spend in your bed, the more likely I
am to confuse lust for love" Neil looked up and she bent down and
kissed his forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow."
=======================
	Neil left showers and stretched. He was tired, but he wanted to
go up to the admin building to see Mom. After dropping off his shower
gear he walked across the grass and into the cool, darkened lobby. He
wasn't surprised to see lights on in the office area and let himself
in quietly. Abbey looked up from one of the desks, a tired expression
on her face. A few papers littered the desk, some looking recently
signed.
	"Hello Neil. I was going to track you down at breakfast"
	"This one's not my fault" he said lightly, followed with a
resigned sigh.
	Abbey grunted and shuffled a few papers. "Pregnant, I'm sure
you know. About a month. Doctor says she can ride, parents ... I
don't know."
	"Sorry, I guess that's not an easy phone call."
	Abbey laughed and leaned back, rubbing her eyes. "Four years
since the last one... it showed up on her physical."
	Neil nodded and leaned back. "How's Stephanie?"
	"Sleeping. In the med ward. I didn't want her breaking down in
the dorms, I have a therapist coming in tomorrow afternoon"
	Neil stood, walked over and patted Abbey on the shoulder. "I'm
going to bed."
	"You'd better not break any more of our customers, Neil... OK?"

	Neil smiled and headed out. When he reached the front steps
though, he paused. She wasn't talking about Leah, was she?

--