The Athlete and the Genius

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The Athlete and the Genius Part Five

By Chris

When TK woke up the next morning, she had to smile as she knew that this was the beginning of a new semester and that soon she would be playing softball for real. In a month and a half, she would start practice for real and soon thereafter, the real games would begin. She got up and went to the bathroom where Carmen was combing her hair as she talked to her mother as she did every morning. TK gave her a kiss on the cheek and then went on to the toilet to pee. Carmen didn't bother to step out as her mother already knew what was going on between her and TK. When TK had finished, she washed her hands and then she took the brush from Carmen's hand and she began to brush it out for her. TK could see Carmen smiling as she did this. When she had it brushed out, Carmen handed her a hair clip to put up her hair for her. Carmen was wearing her hair out everywhere now except for when she attended class or was going to work in the lab. It was just easier for her to have her hair out of the way at those times and TK couldn't blame her for that as she put her own hair in a ponytail when she was working out or playing. It just kept it out of her eyes and out of her way. They helped each other get ready and then they made their way out of the room.

TK had taken easier classes this semester as she knew she would be spending a lot of time practicing and playing games. She wanted to make sure that she could pass her classes and once she got this semester over with, she would have a better idea as to how much time she would have to study. TK and Carmen also knew once the season began their time to make love would be limited as either TK would be away playing softball or she would be to tired from studying and practicing to do more than kiss Carmen goodnight and then go off to sleep. So they would make love almost every night before falling asleep. And then on weekends, they would make love several times a day. They would mostly just use their fingers and mouths but when the mood struck them, then the toys would come out.

TK started practice in mid February when the weather was still cold so they mostly practiced indoors and only going outside on the real warm days. After a couple of weeks of practices, the coaches began to pick out the starters that they would start the season out with. TK tried hard to be one of those players but she just didn't seem to be able to break through. She tried hard in practice but after being a starter all four years of high school, it was a hard pill to swallow when she found that she would start the season on the bench. TK felt herself feeling down as the week before the first game wound down. Then the night before the she was to fly off to Arizona for a three game set with the number one team in the nation, TK was feeling really depressed about not starting. That was her goal when she came there was to start her first game and it wasn't going to happen. She knew that she would be lucky to play considering who they were playing. Carmen tried everything to cheer TK up but nothing was working, all TK wanted to do was to curl up on the bed and feel sorry for herself and all of Carmen's attempts to cheer her up were starting to get on her nerves.

Finally TK had enough of Carmen and she blurted out, "Will you just leave me the hell alone, you don't know what it's like to not get what you worked so hard to get. You are so damn smart that you reach all your goals before you have time to figure out what they are." TK had her back turned toward Carmen so she didn't see the anger rise inside of Carmen or see her face turn as red as the eye of a stove and she was about that hot inside. TK did hear Carmen let out a harsh squeal and then she heard her stomp around the bed. When she looked up at Carmen, she saw the face of pure and unadulterated anger. She knew that she was about to be chewed out worse than any of her coaches or her parents had ever chewed her out.

"Sit up and listen to me and listen to me good as I'm going to say this just once!" Carmen shouted at her and TK was afraid to do anything other than what Carmen told her to do so she sat up at the edge of the bed.

"Just how old are you?" Carmen shouted at her.

"I'm eighteen, you know that and you don't have to shout at me, I'm sitting right in front of you." TK told her.

"I'll shout at you if I want to and I goddamn want to. I have listened to you bitch and moan all week about not starting and I'm fucking tired of it. It's time you started acting your age and not like the spoiled child that you are!" Carmen shouted at her.

"I'm not a spoiled child you bitch." TK said as she stood up in front of Carmen as she was pissed now. She was feeling down and the one person who she thought was has friend and who would understand her didn't and she wasn't going to take any shit off of her. TK then put her face a few inches from Carmen's and she said very slowly and venomously, "And if you call me a bitch again, I swear that I'll knock you into next week!"

Carmen for her part didn't back down to TK getting in her face like that. "Well you sure are acting like a spoiled child. All you have done is moaned and groaned this week about how you're not going to start your first college game. I hate to be the one to tell you this but right now you're not the best third baseman on the team, Monika is. She can field the base better than you, she can bunt better than you and she knows what it takes to win. She's a team player, and you're not." Carmen shouted right back at her as she moved her face even closer to TK daring her to do as she threatened to do.

TK heard those words and they hurt like hell. The words seemed to tear her heart out and since it was Carmen saying them made them ring more true. If her coaches told her the same thing TK would have thought that they were trying to motivate her and while she would try harder, she wouldn't have believed what they had said. But it was Carmen who said them so she knew they had to be true. She started to cry, she didn't want to, she wanted to knock the shit out of Carmen for saying that to her. TK felt her knees go weak and she started to fall. She then felt Carmen's arms around her and she was being helped to sit down. She felt Carmen's hands stroking her back as she sobbed. She felt Carmen giving her a tissue to blow her nose and she did loudly. It was only when she had stopped sobbing, that Carmen began to talk to her in a soothing voice.

"Just because I believe that Monika is better than you right now, doesn't mean that I will think the same thing at the end of the season." Carmen told her and TK turned her head to see Carmen's eyes to see if they were saying the same thing that her mouth was and she saw that they were.

"Do you really think so?" TK asked as her confidence was gone and she needed to be reassured.

"Yes I do, I really do. I think in the end you will turn out to be much better but you got to put your time in. Monika did, she sat on the bench and cheered for her teammates until the middle of her junior year, then the coaches turned to her and she performed so well that she made them keep her in the lineup. I see you doing that but honey, but you will never be able to convince the coaches of anything if you pout and feel sorry for yourself. I told you back in the fall that you had to put your time in. I have watched this team and these coaches for the past two years and I know how they think and putting a freshman in the lineup in the first game of the season playing the top team in the nation on their home field isn't going to happen. They will put you in as soon as they feel they can and not a moment sooner. You see what I'm saying?" Carmen asked as she continued to caress TK's back.

"Yea I do, it's just that I so wanted to come in here and be the player that they go to." TK say.

"I know you did and that was an unrealistic goal and you know it. You have to earn your way into the starting lineup and you haven't done that yet but you can and I believe that you will. But first you have to prove that you are a team player and you know what that means?" Carmen asked her.

"What?" TK asked even though she knew the answer, it was the same thing that her coaches had been saying.

"When Monika does something great, then you make sure that you are the first one to congratulate her and make it real, everyone knows a phony when they see one. When she does something wrong then you make sure you go to her and lift her sprits, tell her that she will get them the next time. But like I said you had better fucking mean it. Be that person you were last fall when you got the second teamers fired up to play the first teamers. And you know what else you should do?" Carmen asked her.

"What?" TK said feeling like a broken record with her responses.

"Ask to room with Monika when you are on the road and when you are alone with her ask her how you can get better. Quiz her on everything she knows about softball. Ask her to make you a better player." Carmen told her.

"Like she would do that, I'm trying to take her job away from her." TK said laughing that absurd idea off.

"I bet she will, humor me this weekend and do what I ask. If she laughs you off, then I will keep my trap shut about softball for the rest of the season and I won't give you any more unasked advice." Carmen told her.

"And if she does as you say she will, and then what happens?" TK asked.

"Well then, you are stuck will me telling you what you should do for the rest of the season." Carmen said smiling.

TK thought about that for a second and then she burst out laughing. "Now who is in a dream world, whether you are right or wrong, you will be telling me what you think whether I want to know or not."

Carmen laughed before saying, "You're probably right but will you do what I ask this weekend?"

"Yea I will, I know that you are right and Monika is the type of person that will try to help. She has tried to help me before but I never fully trusted her, maybe it's time that I did." TK told Carmen and then she reached out and hugged her.

"Are you still going to knock me into next week for calling you a bitch?" Carmen said into TK's ear as they hugged.

TK laughed and she gave Carmen a squeeze and said, "I believe I said that I would if you called me a bitch again, you didn't so you're safe."

Carmen giggled and then she said, "You're still a bitch."

"You couldn't resist could you." TK said as she pulled back and held Carmen at arm length. Then she swung Carmen around and pushed her onto her back on the bed. "Here comes next week." TK said with an angry look on her face and she made a fist and she drew it back. TK saw a moment of fear come to Carmen's eyes as if fearing that she indeed went too far. TK laughed and she reached down to Carmen's sides with her hands and she started to tickle her. Carmen let out a squeal and she started to laugh as she twisted around on the bed.

"Quit... I give... I'm sorry..." Carmen said between giggling and trying to grasp her breath.

Carmen tried to reach up and push TK's hands away but TK only moved her hands away from Carmen's hands and continued to tickle her until she was struggling to catch her breath. She then dropped down on top of her as Carmen slowly got her breathing under control and she stopped tickling.

"So am I a bitch or do I need to tickle you some more?" TK asked her.

"No you're not a bitch, an asshole maybe but not a definitely not a bitch." Carmen said as she gave TK that shy smile of hers that TK couldn't resist.

"What am I going to do with you?" TK said with an exaggerated sigh.

"Seeing how you are going to be gone for the next three days, it would be nice if you made love to me all night long." Carmen said as her eyes showed her need.

TK didn't answer her, instead she got up off of Carmen and she stood up. She reached down for Carmen's hand to help her up. TK could see the questioning look in Carmen's eyes however she chose not to answer it quite yet. Instead she went over to the lights above their computers and turned them out. She next went to her computer and she flipped over to a folder that she had made and clicked on the first picture which was one of Carmen batting when they were at her house at Thanksgiving. She then set it on slide show and she let the pictures flip from one to the other and they were all of Carmen, most taken at Thanksgiving and some that she had taken with her own camera. The room was dark except for when Carmen's pictures came up. She even had a couple of Carmen sleeping that Carmen didn't know about and one of those came up just as TK got back around to her. Carmen first hit her for taking the picture and then she kissed her and TK could feel the tears on Carmen's cheek as they kissed. TK put her hands to Carmen's sides and she began to pull her top up. When she got it to Carmen's neck, she let their lips part and she pulled the top on off and then got Carmen's long hair through it before dropping it into the floor. She leaned back in and she kissed Carmen again as she eased her hands around to Carmen's back and she unhooked her bra. She brought her hands forward taking the bra with her. Carmen dropped her arms down from TK's shoulders to allow TK to remove from her bra. TK dropped the bra to the floor and she moved her hands up to Carmen's breasts. She squeezed them lovingly and she let her finger tips tease Carmen's nipples. Carmen was letting out little whimpers as they kissed. TK lightly pinched Carmen's nipples and Carmen broke off their kissing to let out a squeal and then she giggled. TK smiled and then she dropped her head down to those beautiful puffy nipples and she kissed each one. Carmen whimpered again and then she moaned as TK sucked the right nipple into her mouth. TK moved her hands down to Carmen's ass and she caressed the cheeks as she sucked and kissed on Carmen's nipples. TK felt Carmen's hands come to her head and she held it in place as TK loved on her breasts and she felt Carmen kissing the top of her head. Just as she felt Carmen begin to pull up on her tee shirt, TK slowly dropped to her knees and she began to kiss on Carmen's belly making her giggle as she pulled down Carmen's sweat pants and panties. TK let her mouth follow Carmen's sweatpants on their downward journey. She soon ran into the Carmen's full bush and she inhaled Carmen's arousal. She let her mouth stop at Carmen's pussy as she pushed her sweatpants on down. TK pushed her face into Carmen's pussy and she began to lick at her slit triggering Carmen to squeal out her delight. TK held Carmen's sweatpants and panties down to allow Carmen to step out of them. TK then placed her hands on Carmen's stomach and she pushed her backwards. Carmen squealed loudly as she fell back and her legs went flying. TK lost contact with Carmen's pussy for only a moment as Carmen fell. TK put her hands on Carmen's inner thighs keeping them spread out wide and she lowered her head back to Carmen's pussy. She licked up the juices there and then she moved her tongue to Carmen's slit and she parted her lips with her tongue. She licked up and down the slit, pausing every few strokes to lick and suck on Carmen's clit. This would send Carmen into spasms of pleasure and then she would groan as TK went back to her pussy lips to lick. Each time she would go back to Carmen's clit she would stay there just a little longer as she brought her ever closer to a climax. Soon Carmen was begging for her to stay and eventually she did. She sucked Carmen's hard clit into her mouth and she used her tongue to tease it as she sucked. Carmen put her hands on TK's head holding her in place as she began to go through the throes of her orgasm. TK lowered her mouth to Carmen's pussy and she began to lick up all of Carmen's girlcum.

"Come up here and let me get you naked girl. I want to make love to you." Carmen said as she came out of her orgasm.

TK lifted her mouth from Carmen's pussy only long enough to say, "Nope, you said you wanted me to make love to you all night and that's what I intend to do." Then she began to lick Carmen again and she could feel the fresh juices that she was causing Carmen to produce. She heard Carmen let out a little whimper and she thought she had Carmen just where she wanted her. But then she felt Carmen's body stiffen a little just before she felt Carmen's thighs come against her head. She at first thought that Carmen was just holding her in place at her pussy but then her thighs tighten on her head even more.

"Come up here or I will squeeze your head tighter." Carmen told her.

TK tried to raise her head to say no but Carmen was holding her too tight so she just went on licking her pussy and she tried to move her mouth up to Carmen's clit to get her to relax her grip only Carmen squeezed her head tighter and she was trapped where she was.

"Give up or I will squeeze your head more." Carmen told her and TK was beginning to think that Carmen was going to crush her head. She didn't think Carmen's thigh muscles were that strong. TK decided another method of attack was in order so she reached up and she tried to start to tickle Carmen and it was a good idea except for the fact that TK couldn't see what she was doing and Carmen could so it was easy for Carmen to grab TK's hands before they got to her sides. TK knew she was screwed and she tried to hold out for a little longer but in the end, she gave up. She stopped licking Carmen and she raised her fingers up.

"You give?" Carmen asked as she released her grip on TK's head slightly.

"Yes." TK said with her voice muffled by Carmen's pussy.

Carmen released her head and TK started to lick her again. "Oh no you don't girl, you gave up so get your damn clothes off."

"I said it under duress so it didn't count." TK said and then she felt Carmen's thighs clamp down on her head even tighter and TK had to giggle as she raised her hands up in defeat.

"Now you give up for real or do we waste your last night at home for three days?" Carmen asked her as she released TK's head.

"I give." TK said as she got off the bed. "You know you got some strong thighs there girl."

"Just remember that the next time I tell you to do something." Carmen said in her best imitation of her mother's voice.

"You mean that if you say to jump, I should just ask how high?" TK said as she pushed her jeans down off her thighs.

"If you know what's good for you." Carmen said as she put her hands behind her head all proud of herself.

"Yea right, like I'd do that for anyone." TK said as she put her hands on her hips in defiance.

"You'd do it for me wouldn't you?" Carmen asked as she arched her eyebrows.

"Yea, for you I would." TK said as she knew that she would do anything for the girl that lay naked on the bed in front of her.

Carmen held out her arms for TK who fell into them and she kissed the girl who was lovingly wrapping her arms around her. TK rained kissed all over Carmen's face and lips and she could feel Carmen's naked body pressed up against her. TK pressed on her attack as she moved her lips to Carmen's neck and she was just starting to kiss her there when she felt Carmen's hands on her shoulders pushing her away.

"Oh no you don't." Carmen said as she slipped from under TK.

Carmen pushed TK down onto her stomach and TK could feel Carmen sitting on her butt. She could feel Carmen leaning down and she could feel her wet pussy pressed against her ass. Then TK felt Carmen's warm lips kissing her right shoulder. Slowly they kissed their way over to her left shoulder and she let out a mummer of her approval of her actions. TK felt Carmen's lips go to her spine and she kissed her was down to her lower back as she felt Carmen's butt slide down to her knees. Carmen's lips stayed on the lower back kissing her and then gently biting down on her skin. Slowly Carmen's lips made their way on down and they went up the right slope of her left ass cheek. TK moaned loudly as Carmen bit her gently on the top of her ass cheek and then she felt those wonderful lips move to her left ass cheek and they began to kiss her. By reflex, TK lifted her ass up off the bed and Carmen kissed her way down to where her ass and legs met. Carmen kissed and nibbled her there and then TK could feel Carmen getting up off her legs and she felt Carmen's hands pushing her legs open. She felt Carmen crawling between her legs and TK lifted her hips up more as she spread her legs out as wide as she could. She felt Carmen blow onto her pussy with her hot breath and that made TK shiver in anticipation of what was to come next. She then felt Carmen's tongue reach out and it began to lick her pussy lips.

"Oh god that feels good." TK croaked out as she felt Carmen press her face deeper into her pussy. She could feel Carmen's nose press against her ass. Carmen started to lick deeper and then she felt Carmen's fingers opening her lips so that she could stick her tongue in deep into her pussy. TK moaned aloud and she pushed her hips backwards into Carmen's face. TK could feel Carmen's tongue slide in deep and she could feel it move around inside the entrance of her pussy. She then felt Carmen's fingers on her clit and they started to rub her there. TK was so aroused that any touch to her clit sent shivers of pleasure throughout her body. Carmen began to rub her clit harder and faster as she licked and sucked on her pussy lips.

"I'm about to cum babyyy..." TK cried as she felt her clit get real sensitive and then she felt a flash of pain just an instant before her pussy exploded with a massive orgasm. TK shook and cried out as she came and she felt herself floating away when she had a good orgasm and any with Carmen doing was a good if not great one.

As she came back from her orgasm, she felt Carmen's tongue licking up her girlcum and TK was content for the moment to just let Carmen lick her. Then as she felt herself becoming aroused again, she went to pull Carmen up in the bed only Carmen slipped from her grasp. TK at first thought that Carmen had to use the bathroom only she didn't head in that direction, instead she went over to the drawer where they kept their toys. TK had to smile when Carmen turned around and she was holding the two dildo's that Aunt Mae had gotten them at Christmas.

"Let the games begin." TK said without thinking and she could see Carmen blushing even in the dim light that her monitor was putting out. TK then had to laugh at Carmen's embarrassment.

"Hush up or I'll put these babies back up." Carmen threatened.

"Now let's not do anything rash." TK said suddenly serious.

"I thought that you would change your tune there." Carmen said as she came on over to the bed and she gave TK the dildo that she liked having used on her and kept the one that TK liked. The first time that they had played with them they each tried both dildo's and they found that they each had their own preference and it worked out that it wasn't the same one. So from that that day on, they each had their own dildo to use on each other. They had always took turns using the dildos on each other so TK was a little surprised when Carmen got up on the bed and she went into the sixty-nine position with her on top.

"This is going to be interesting." TK thought to herself as she placed the dildo she was holding on her chest between her breasts and she put her hands on Carmen's ass guiding her down to her mouth. She began to lick as she felt Carmen's mouth on her pussy. She let out a moan as she licked and sucked on Carmen's pussy lips. TK licked deep into Carmen's pussy getting her wet again and then she reached down and got the dildo. She took it in her right hand and she moved the head up and down Carmen's slit. She heard Carmen whimper and she felt Carmen's lips leave her pussy for a moment. Once she got the head wet, TK used her left hand to part Carmen's lips and then she placed the head of the dildo to the entrance of Carmen's pussy and she began to push it in. She saw Carmen arched her back as the head of the dildo penetrated her pussy. TK watched as Carmen's lips parted and she pushed the head on inside of her. Once it was in, she let Carmen get use to it and as she did this, TK moved her head up and she licked tenderly on Carmen's clit making her squeal. TK then slowly pushed the dildo on inside of Carmen until she had most of it inside of her. Carmen's pussy was gripping the dildo tightly and TK let it stay in place as she licked on Carmen's clit. Carmen squealed some more and then TK felt something firm at her pussy and she moaned as Carmen began to push the dildo into her pussy. She felt her pussy opening up to accept the dildo. She loved feeling that the dildo was giving her as it filled her pussy. Carmen pushed the dildo all the way in and then she felt Carmen pull the dildo back and then back into her. TK put her right hand back up to the dildo that was in Carmen's pussy and she began to fuck Carmen's pussy with the dildo. They both started to fuck each other with the dildos and they used their mouths to add to the pleasure that they were giving each other. TK moved the dildo in and out of Carmen's pussy and she could see Carmen's juices coating the dildo that was going in and out of her lover. Carmen was pushing and pulling the dildo in and out of her pussy at an ever increasing speed. TK began to use her hips to push back and she noticed that Carmen was doing the same thing. TK pushed and pulled on the dildo and she sucked up the juices that came pouring out of that pussy. Soon she felt Carmen's mouth clamp down on her clit and she did the same to Carmen. TK really pushed the dildo deep into Carmen's pussy and she licked on her clit until she felt Carmen start to spasm which was the same time that she felt her own clit get sensitive and she jerked and bucked as she felt her own orgasm flush through her body. Carmen collapsed down on her body as she rode out her orgasm.

When they had recovered, TK flipped Carmen over onto her back and she got on top of her. She still had the dildo deep into Carmen's pussy and she began to fuck her again and she felt Carmen reach up and start to fuck her with her dildo. TK went easy at first just sliding the dildo in and out of Carmen's pussy as she licked up the girlcum that was still flowing from Carmen's pussy from her last orgasm. TK loved the taste of Carmen's juices' and she just kept on licking. Soon they were both pushing the dildos in and out of each other's pussies and they brought each other to another orgasm. When they had rested for a few minutes, TK found that she was back on the bottom and Carmen was fucking her yet again. They did end up fucking and sucking each other into numerous orgasms until the alarm went off telling them that it was time to get up and go to class. It was only then that they stopped making love and went to the bathroom to shower and kiss until it was time to go get breakfast and go to class.

As they walked out of the room to go to breakfast, TK could feel how sore her pussy was and she had to walk carefully and she saw that Carmen was doing likewise. They both looked over at one another and they had to giggle at their funny walk. TK had more than a little trouble staying awake during class that day but she was just able to do so. She didn't see Carmen until the team was about to get on the bus that was to take them to the airport.

"Are you going to miss me while I'm gone?" TK asked Carmen as they talked for a moment in a small alcove of the softball stadium.

"Nah, I've got three or four girls lined up to take your place while you're gone." Carmen said with a little grin.

"You wish." TK said laughing and then she gave Carmen a hug and a quick kiss.

"Are you going to do as I asked?" Carmen asked as she held TK close.

"Already a step ahead of you, I talked to Monika before you got here and she agreed to room with me on our road trips. I think she was pleased that I asked." TK said. "The weird thing was that she seemed to expect me to ask her that when I told her that I wanted to ask a favor of her." TK went on to say as she looked carefully into Carmen's eyes.

"Okay, I talked to her a while back asking her to help you out and to guide you and she had told me that she would be glad to help, all you had to do was ask." Carmen said sheepishly.

"You just don't know how to keep your nose out of my business do you." TK said trying to sound angry but not quite pulling it off.

"Your business is now my business baby." Carmen said hopefully and she gave TK that shy grin of hers that made TK go weak.

"Damn you." TK said with a smile and then she kissed Carmen on the lips again and she took off for the bus where everyone was waiting to board. Just before getting on the bus, she turned and gave Carmen a wave and then she disappeared inside. Carmen waited there until long after the bus had left before she turned and went back toward the dorm missing TK already.

TK slept on the plane as it headed west toward the first game of the season. That night, she and Monika did talk about softball and Monika told her about how she had to wait until she got her chance to start and TK knew then that not only had Carmen talked to Monika sometime before but also had talked to her sometime today as Monika was just reinforcing what Carmen had told her last night. TK listen carefully and she talked about how she wanted to play and Monika told her what she had to do to get that playing time. She also told her that she would help her all she could but she wasn't giving up her starting spot without a fight and TK told her she didn't expect her to as she sure as hell wouldn't and they both laughed at that. They talked until lights out and then they both went to bed. As TK lay there, she thought about what Monika had just told her and also what Carmen had told her the previous night. They both added up to the same thing, she wasn't ready to be a starter yet, she had much more to learn and she finally accepted that fact. This gave her some peace but she could feel the drive in her to become a starter get stronger. She now knew what she had to do and she was determined to do it.

"Did you win?" Carmen said not bothering with "Hi" or "How are you?" when she answered the phone.

"No we lost five to two. They worked us over pretty good and we only got the last two runs in the seventh, until then we didn't even get a hit." TK told her sadly.

"Did you get to play?" Carmen asked next.

"No, but I did as you told me to do and I cheered everyone on and it was fun, more fun than I thought it would be. I have always been a starter and I thought that sitting on the bench would be pure torture. However I found that it wasn't, I was able to get into the game and I truly wanted everyone to do well, even Monika. It was like I wanted the position I play to be the hero of the game and she did get one of the few hits that we got. So I was proud of her but all the same I wanted to be in there playing." TK admitted at the end.

"You should feel that way, which will keep you motivated to get better. I'm glad that the first game went okay with you. I was worried all day about it." Carmen told her.

"I know but enough about the game, how are you doing?" TK asked.

"Other than tossing and turning all night because you weren't in the bed with me, I'm okay." Carmen said.

TK smiled when she heard Carmen say that and she so wanted to have Carmen here with her but that wasn't possible. "I missed you too last night, Monika just wasn't as much fun in bed as you are." TK said as she hesitated for a second, she heard Carmen suck in her breath and she knew that Carmen was about to explode on her so she added, "Especially since she stayed in her bed and I stayed in mine." TK added and she heard Carmen exhale aloud.

"I had you going there for a moment didn't I?" TK said.

"If you were here right now I would beat the shit out of you!" Carmen said loudly.

TK laughed before saying, "I'm glad that I'm not there right now then, I don't want the shit beat out of me."

"And I may beat the shit out of you when you get back just to keep you from scaring me like that again." Carmen said and TK could hear that she did upset Carmen with that comment.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that but you know I would never do anything like that, you're the only girl I want." TK said to make amends.

"I had better be, if you know what's good for you." Carmen said.

"And I did miss you so much last night and am still missing you. I wish I could take you on all my road trips." TK said sincerely.

"I wish you could too but you'll be home Sunday night and we can make up for it then." Carmen said.

"That sounds good to me, real good." TK told her.

They then went on to talk about the game for a while before going on to what Carmen had done that day and what she had planned on doing that evening. They talked for about two hours before TK had to go to go to the team dinner and then to the team meeting that the coaches had scheduled. TK wasn't looking forward to that meeting considering the way that they had played. TK called Carmen on Saturday night and this time she got to tell her that they had won two to one and she got to go in as a pinch runner. She was all excited about that and Carmen shared in her excitement. She had more free time and they talked longer and would have go on talking but Monika told her to turn off the phone and get some sleep as it would be a long day with having to play a game and then fly back home. So TK told Carmen goodnight and she settled in bed. Sunday did turn into a long day. They had an early game which they lose three to two and then they had to rush to catch the plane back home. Then they got delayed twice on the way home which made for a very trying trip home. TK was able to sleep going to Arizona but after the game she was too keyed up to sleep. They ended up getting back to the campus until about midnight and TK was pleased to see Carmen there waiting for her.

"How you doing?' Carmen asked as she came up to her.

"Worn out," TK said as she put her arm around Carmen and she gave her a hug.

"Well come on and let me take you home and put you to bed." Carmen said as she gave TK a kiss and then she led her away.

"I think I need a shower first." TK told her.

"That can be arraigned too, you know." Carmen said as she gave TK a squeeze.

"You know the trip was fun but it wasn't what I expected. I thought staying in a motel would be fun but it was really boring. All I could do was study or watch TV when we weren't playing or having meetings." TK told her.

"That's because I wasn't there with you." Carmen said.

"Very true," TK commented with a sigh and then she fell silent as she really was tired.

Carmen talked to her not bothering to let TK respond. TK finally figured out that Carmen was just keeping her awake long enough to get her up to their room. Once there, she led TK into the bathroom and she undressed her. She turned on the shower and she stripped out of her clothes. She then helped TK into the shower and she stepped in after her. She let TK stand under the warm spray for a few minutes before she began to wash her. To TK it felt nice just to stand there and let Carmen do all the work. She felt her body begin to relax and she began to feel human again. She kept her eyes closed as Carmen's hands caressed her body and she began to feel a little aroused but she was afraid to start anything as tired as she was. She knew that she couldn't do Carmen justice tonight. She promised herself that the following night she would make love to Carmen until she begged for mercy but tonight she just wanted to sleep. It was only when she felt Carmen's mouth on her pussy did she realize that Carmen had long since stopped washing her and had been caressing her. TK let out a long moan as Carmen's tongue went between her lips and into her pussy. TK put her hands down to Carmen's head and she held it to her pussy as Carmen ate her out. TK knees were shaking and she was having trouble standing up as Carmen's tongue started to caress her clit. She felt Carmen's mouth start to suck on it and she moaned again. Carmen pushed a finger into her pussy and she began to fuck her as she sucked harder on her clit. TK let out a cry as she felt her orgasm begin to take shape and she felt her body lifting off into space. From there she didn't remember much until she woke up the next morning to Carmen's gentle shaking.

"Time to get up baby." Carmen said softly and then TK felt Carmen's lips on her lips kissing her lovingly. TK reached up and she wrapped her arms around Carmen's' body pulling her down into the bed with her. She hugged and kissed her for a few moments before letting her go.

"What did you do to me last night? The last thing I remember was you making me cum and then I was gone." TK asked her as she pushed Carmen's hair from her face.

'I just made sure that you were completely relaxed from your trip. I didn't want you to toss and turn from being too tired to sleep." Carmen said.

"Well I'm going to return that favor right now." TK said as she turned Carmen over in the bed.

"Oh no you don't, we got classes to go to." Carmen said pushing TK off of her and then getting off the bed before TK could grab her back.

"Spoils sport," TK said as she sat up in the bed.

"Tonight baby, now get your ass out of that bed and get ready." Carmen told her.

"Yes mother," TK said and then she laughed as Carmen turned and gave her a dirty look.

TK laughed and Carmen threw her a bird. This at first shocked TK as she had never seen Carmen throw anyone a bird and she laughed harder. Carmen then picked up one of her class books and she acted like she was going to throw it at TK so TK decided it was time to get up and she did. She then walked over to Carmen and gave her another kiss before heading on into the bathroom.

That evening, once they had completed their studies, TK took Carmen to bed and she made love to her. First using just her mouth and fingers and then she brought on one of the dildos and she fucked her until Carmen was exhausted so TK thought she was but after a brief respite, Carmen came on and she returned the favor making TK cum all so hard. Then they fell asleep in each other's arms.

The following weekend TK had another road trip and it was against another good team so TK only got into a couple of games and that was as a pinch runner. She didn't get to play in the field or bat and that disappointed her but Carmen kept her pumped up and Monika continued to instruct her both on the road and during practice. Since the weather was still cool, the first month of the season they played away games going south to warmer weather. TK did get to pinch hit a couple of times but TK was so hyped up at getting to bat and she wanted to do so well that she ended up striking out or hitting a little pop up that was easily caught. This only served to tense TK up more and made her try even harder to hit one out of the park and that led to more strike outs. TK knew that the coaches were not impressed with her play even though they kept trying to get her to relax and expressed their confidence in her. This also led to many long talks with Carmen, who did her best to get TK to understand that by trying so hard she was making things worse. Then she asked the critical question that got TK's attention.

"When you were hitting all those home runs in high school were you trying to hit a home run or just get a hit?" She asked.

"I was just hitting. I wasn't trying to the long ball." TK admitted.

"And now when you hit are you just hitting or are you trying to impress everyone with your ability to hit the long ball and win the game?" Carmen asked her.

TK thought for a moment and she knew what her problem was. "I'm trying to hit a home run." She said sadly.

"Well stop doing that and just try to get the bat on the ball; once you get that first hit, you'll be fine." Carmen assured her.

The next weekend was when they had their first home series. It was a Friday game and then two games on Saturday with a game starting at one in the afternoon and then the second one at seven that evening. Carmen was there for the Friday night game and TK was sure that she was going to get to play but then the starters played so bad and the other team played way over their head that it was a struggle to win and TK only got to pinch run again. But then on Saturday they got three runs in the first and three more in the second and TK was finally put in. She was so excited that she about pissed her pants when Lagina told her to go play third base for Monika who slapped her on the back and told her to go get them. TK didn't get anything hit to her that inning or the next and it was the following inning that she finally got to bat.

There was a runner on second and one out. Herman told her to get the runner to third as Francine was coming up next and she was their best hitter. To say that TK was nervous when she came up there was an understatement. TK took a couple of practice swings and then she stepped up to the plate. She got ready and the first pitch was just perfect and TK went back to her old habits and she swung hard, missing the ball completely. She knew she just screwed up the best pitch she would see and she was mad at herself. She stepped back out of the box and she looked at Herman who was motioning to her to relax. TK started to step back into the batting box when she happened to glance up into the stands and she saw Carmen motioning to her to bunt the ball. That was the last thing she wanted to do and she disregarded Carmen's advice until she looked out at the defense and she saw that everyone was playing back. After her first swing, the other team knew she was going for the fences so they were playing her that way. She glanced back up at Carmen and smiled, and then she stepped up to the plate. She acted like she was going for the fences again and then as the pitcher pitched the ball she brought the bat down and she bunted the ball. She then dropped her bat and ran toward first base. She never looked back until she had stepped on first base and she heard everyone cheering as she had caught the other team off guard and she got the runner to third just like she was suppose to. She had dreamed that her first hit in college would be a home run but after all she had been through, the bunt seemed just like a home run to her. As she walked back to first base she looked back up to Carmen and she saw that she was smiling from ear to ear just like she was.

"Good job!" Herman told her as she got to the base. And that made TK feel so good, she had done something right for a change. TK looked over at her teammates and they were all hollering for her and for the first time she really felt a part of the team and Monika was doing most of the cheering for her. Francine then did her job and she got the runner in with a single and TK ended up on third. She didn't get to score but she did her part in getting helping to get the runner in.

"How did it feel to get your first hit?" Carmen asked her as soon as she got out of the locker room.

"Nice, really nice, thanks to you." TK said as she leaned over and gave Carmen a kiss not caring if anyone saw her.

"I just saw how they were playing you back and I knew you were a fast runner so it was easy. I'm surprised Herman and Lagina didn't tell you to bunt." Carmen told her.

"I think they would have if the game was on the line but since it wasn't, they must have decided to see just what I would do." TK said.

"You're probably right; anyway you got that first hit out of the way so you're on your way now." Carmen said proudly.

"I do have one problem though." TK told her.

"What's that?"

"What am I going to do when you're not in the stands telling me what to do?" TK said and then she laughed.

"I guess, I'll just have to start traveling with the team them, just to keep you straight, won't I?" Carmen said as she took TK's hand and she squeezed it.

"Yes you will, but first let's go someplace quite so I can relax, as I have to be back here in an hour and a half for the next game.

"I know just the place." Carmen said as she pulled TK toward the dorm. Then once she got there, she made TK lay down and she lay with her after first setting the clock to wake them up.

The second game the coaches put some of the second team in after the first inning and TK got to be one of them. At TK first at bat, she looked at the coaches to see what they wanted her to do but since no one was on base and there was two outs, she was allowed to just swing away. She then looked up at Carmen who smiled at her and she gave her the same instruction, hit away. TK then stepped into the batter's box and got a clean single. Her next at bat, she went through the same routine, looking first at her coaches and then at Carmen. Carmen followed the coaches' instructions and told her to swing away again. This time TK was completely relaxed and she waited for her ball and she swung like she had always had done. The ball snapped off her bat and it went toward the right field fences. At first she thought that she may have hit her first home run but then the March wind caught it and it hit the fence for a double. TK pumped her first at Carmen when she came to second base and Carmen was standing and cheering for her. She could hear her over the rest of the crowd there. Her third time at bat, she ended up popping out to the left fielder but she did get a good lick on the ball and the left fielder had to make a hard run to get to it.

"You had fun today, didn't you?" Carmen asked as they settled in the bed.

"Yea, I did and the best part was having you there to watch me." TK said as she leaned in and gave Carmen a kiss.

"I like watching you play, getting all sweaty and dirty." Carmen said as the kiss ended.

"Or I see now, you're into dirty girls." TK said kidding her.

"The dirtier the better," was Carmen's quick reply.

"Oh okay, the next time, I won't bother to change out of my uniform and I come up here and get you in the bed and rub my sweaty body all over yours." TK said as she rolled on top of Carmen and she wiggled around as if she was trying to coat Carmen's body with her sweat. Carmen just giggled and she wrapped her arms around TK and she kissed her hard. TK used her knees to spread out Carmen's legs and she pressed her pussy down on Carmen's who groaned then she pushed her hips upward. They kissed and ground against each other, getting aroused. TK could feel her pussy getting wet and she could feel that Carmen's was too. TK also felt Carmen began to dig her fingernails into her back. She moaned in pain and pleasure as she pushed her hips down harder against Carmen's pussy. They soon got into a natural rhythm in their motion of their hips. They had made love many times before like this and they had found the best way to get the maximum pressure against each other's clits. Carmen moved her legs up and she wrapped them around TK's hips. She whimpered and moaned as they ground hard and faster against each other. Since she was on top TK could usually make Carmen cum first and tonight was no different. Just as she came, Carmen dug her fingernails deep into TK's shoulders and she bit her on her shoulder. This shot of pain matched what she was feeling in her clit and she came harder than normal. She cried out Carmen's name as she came and then she fell down on top of her. Between the day's play and then making love, TK didn't have any energy left and since her orgasm left her in such a state of bliss, she had no trouble falling asleep. Carmen just hugged her tighter and she kept TK on top of her as she fell asleep.

After those two games TK began to get more playing time, sometimes playing third for Monika but also some first base for Vickie. But mostly she did a lot of pinch running and pinch hitting. Now that she had quit trying to hit every ball out of the part, her hitting improved immensely. The coaches began to pick her to pinch hit when they needed something to happen and TK was able to come through for the most part. She still made her share of outs but most of the time she was able to move a runner over or get on base, which ever was needed. With Carmen's help she was also able to keep her studies up. The only thing that she hated was that she had less time to be with Carmen but they both knew when the season started that was going to happen. So when they had some free time together, they usually spent it in bed making love.

The first weekend of May, they had a big series with one of the other conference teams. TK didn't get to play much, but when she was in there she tried her best. Then in the last inning of the Sunday game. The other team had a player on first and there were two outs. TK's team was up by one so they needed to get that last out. The batter ripped one into left field and the left fielder came running in to get it. It was a clean single and the player on first tried to make it to third. The left fielder got to the ball quick and she threw it to Monika who caught it clean. She then put the glove down to tag the runner out. The runner seeing that she going to be tagged out went into the base hard hoping to knock the ball loose, it was a clean play but a very aggressive one. Monika got her glove down and tagged the runner out but then the runner's foot caught Monika on her upper ankle. There was a loud pop and then they all heard Monika scream in pain. She did manage to hold onto the ball but she was curled up on the ground by the base screaming in pain. The crowd went silent and TK could feel her heart sink and she started to cry as did the rest of the players as they all knew that Monika had just broken her ankle and her season was over.

"You know you will probably be starting now at first base. Carmen said as they lay in bed that night.

"I know but this isn't the way I wanted to start. I didn't want Monika to get hurt, I wanted to beat her out of her job fair and square but not this way." TK said as she felt the tears beginning to flow for Monika who once was her rival but was now her friend.

"I know that and so does she." Carmen told her as she held her tight. "She didn't want her senior season to end this way but it did. Now it is your turn to show what you can do and to show everyone that you can do that job."

TK cried a few minutes more then she told Carmen what was really bothering her, "I... I feel happy about knowing that I will be playing every day, does that make me a bad person."

Carmen took TK head in her hands and she said softly, "No, it doesn't. You didn't want Monika to get hurt did you?" She asked.

"Of course not, I don't want anyone to get hurt." TK said forcefully.

"Then it is alright to feel good about starting. You're human like the rest of us so morn for Monika's injury and then take that job and do something with it. Tell you what, tomorrow we'll go see Monika at the hospital and you can talk to her."

"I'd like that." TK said as she pulled Carmen to her and she tried to get the sound of Monika's ankle breaking out of her ears but it was difficult.

The next afternoon they did go see Monika at the hospital with Francine and Shannon. They had operated on her on Sunday night and her foot was in a cast propped up. First they all cried with her and then Monika started to joke with them as she was always the one that tried to keep everyone up. They stayed there for an hour or so before the nurses started to chase them out the door. Then as TK got up, Monika told her to stay for a minute.

"Third base is all yours now." Monika told her.

"I know Monika but this isn't the way I wanted it, I didn't want you to get hurt." TK said as she started to cry again feeling bad for her friend as she knew how she would feel to get hurt and not being able to play.

"Oh I know that honey. I didn't want to get hurt either. I wanted to keep you on the bench just as much as you wanted to put me there, that's called competition and we both are fierce competitors. But I did get hurt and now I want you to go out there and bust your butt for the team." Monika told her as she got serious.

"I will, I promise I will do you proud." TK said.

"Good because if you don't I swear I will shove this cast all the way up that fat ass of yours." Monika told her.

TK laughed at that thought but she knew Monika was serious and she would chew her butt out if she slacked off any at all. "I'll do my best, I promise but I want you there helping me."

"I'm here and I'll help you. Just stay relaxed and play the game the way you know how to play it. Don't go and try to win the game all by yourself. There's a whole team there ready to help you." Monika warned her.

"I realize that now, as Carmen keeps telling me, the homeruns will come when they come and until them a bunt single is just as good as a home run." TK told her.

"You've got a smart girlfriend; I'd hang on to her if I was you." Monika told her.

"I plan on it." TK said and then she leaned over and gave Monika a hug. They then talked a few minutes more before the pain medicine that the nurse gave Monika kicked in and she fell asleep in mid sentence. TK pulled the sheet up and made sure she was okay then she slipped silently out of the room.

"What did she say to you?" Francine asked as soon as TK caught up with them.

"Basically that if I don't play well then she will shove that case she has on her foot up my fat ass." TK said with no emotion on her face.

"That sounds like something she would say." Francine said laughing.

"And do." TK added and then she laughed.

"Oh yea, she will be keeping her eye on you girl." Francine said.

"With the team and Carmen here helping be, I'll do fine." TK said.

"Yes you will." Carmen added as she took TK's hand in her's and they all left the hospital.

"The next game was on Wednesday and it was against one of the local universities that was much smaller than TK's university. TK did get the start and it was a home game so Carmen was able to come and see it. TK and Carmen had gone to see Monika earlier in the day as she was still in the hospital but due to get out the next day so after Monika gave her lots of encouragement she felt better though TK was still nervous at first. The other team batted first and thus she had to go play at third base first. The first batter came up and swung at the first pitch, sending it right at TK. She didn't have time to think, she just reacted and she snagged the ball out of the air thus recording the out. It was only then that TK began to calm down and she knew she was going to be alright. She also got to bat in the first inning as two of the three batters in front of her got hits putting them on first and third. TK looked at her coaches and they signaled in to hit away and then she looked at Carmen as she saw her smiling and giving her the thumbs up which was her way of saying to get a hit. TK stepped up and she took a strike and then two balls before she got the pitch she was waiting for and she sent it against the right field fence thus driving in the first two runs of the game and the first two runs of her career. She was pumping her fists hard when she got to second base and she looked first at Carmen who was standing and cheering and then at her teammates who were doing the same. She got another hit in the game and she flied out in the last at bat. Then in the fifth inning, the coaches took her out so that another player could get some game experience. That brought TK back down to earth as she knew the coaches were getting somebody else ready to replace her if she should get hurt.

"You did great tonight." Carmen said as she came to her after the game and she gave her a big hug.

"Thanks but it will be this weekend that will be the real test. This is a game that we should have won easily. This weekend will be a different story." TK said as she hugged Carmen back.

"Well enjoy this game tonight and tomorrow we'll start worrying about this weekend's game." Carmen told her.

"That sounds like a good idea and I know of a great way to celebrate." TK said as she gave Carmen a wink but she also took note of the way Carmen said "We'll start worrying..." and not "You can worry..." It was like it wasn't just her playing out on the field but the both of them playing and as things had worked out, that was very much the truth.

"I bet you do sugar." Carmen said in reply and they both giggled. And as soon as the door shut to their room, their clothes went flying and they dived onto the bed naked. The kissing then started and they didn't stop until they both had more than a couple of orgasms.

As the rest of the season played out, TK played well and she managed to keep Monika from shoving her cast up her fat ass but she didn't play as she had dreamed that she would. Her main regret was that the first home run that she hit was away from home and Carmen didn't get to see it. However Carmen was able to see a couple of her home runs as she ended up with ten for the season. They did make it to the post season but they lost in the super regionals. TK cried on the plane ride home and then again when she was alone with Carmen in their room.

Most of the team that didn't graduate stayed over the summer and they played in a summer league to keep their skills honed. Carman came to each game that TK played in.TK also took her calculus classes over the summer and she depended on Carmen to get her through them. That was the last of the math classes she would have to take and she took them in the summer so that if she failed one it wouldn't hurt her eligibility to play the next spring. However Carmen was determined to not let her fail and she didn't. She got three C's in the classes and she was very proud of those C's.

The next three years passed by quickly for Carmen and TK. Carmen got her masters in short order and then she worked entirely on her doctorates degree and her doctorates thesis which was published in one of the leading scientific magazines.

TK and Carman had some up and downs as the three years passed. After their first fight when TK was upset over not getting to start her freshman year, they learned that they could fight and still love each other. TK was usually the one to give in first as Carmen was the more stubborn of the two of them but she did win a few arguments. They just had to learn when to give in and they did so. All of this served to bring them closer as a couple. TK also became a part of Carmen's family as every time that Carmen went home, she took TK with her except for Christmas when she was able to fly home to see her parents. Carmen's mother started to treat her as one of her daughters and she would fuss at her just as much as she would fuss at Carmen. This made TK feel more at home and she grew to love Carmen's mom almost as much as her own mom. Then there was Aunt Mae who came often to visit her and she also came to a few of TK's games each year.

TK's sophomore year was better than her freshman year as she solidified her position at third base. She also improved on her hitting as she doubled her home run total as well as her on base percentage. TK also made it to the college world series that year but they only won one game and lost two thus they were out quickly as two losses put you out of the series. Carmen couldn't afford to come that year and TK hated that but that was just the way it had to be. TK's junior year she made first team in her conference and she was a second team All American. They also made it to third place in the World Series. It was only in her senior year that the team was able to really put it all together and she became a first team All American.

"I wish I could be there for your first game." Carmen told her as she hung onto TK as TK waited to board the bus that would take them to the airport for the Women's Softball World Series her senior year.

"I wish I could be there for your graduation. I mean you are getting your doctorate's degree. I will have to start calling you Dr. Carmen from now on." TK told her smiling at her.

"Don't you dare call me that, call me Dr. Callaway." Carmen said formally.

"Yea right!" TK said laughing and Carmen laughed with her.

"Anyway, Aunt Mae and I will be there for your second game for sure. I just know you all will win it all this year." Carmen told her.

"I hope so but it'll be tough, almost all the teams there could win it." TK said trying not to jinx the team but she felt the same way as Carmen, she really thought that they could take it all. Then she heard the coaches calling everyone to the bus. "Hey I got to go but call me as soon as you land. I don't know how much time I will be able to spend with you. They keep us on a tight leash there but I want you there."

"I'll be there and don't worry about me, I'll be fine and I want to be there with you too. I want to be your talisman." Carmen told her.

"You have always been my talisman." TK told her and then she gave her a quick kiss and she was off.

The first game they played had to be the worse game that they played all year. The team made four errors with TK making one of them. They, of course, lost and when they got back to the locker room, the coaches took turns chewing them out and TK caught her fair share of the chewing out. By the time that the coaches got through with them, all the girls had tears running down their cheeks. Then they were bused to a nearby park in their sweaty uniforms and made to practice. All of their cell phones were collected so TK had no way of knowing if Carmen got in on time, until they got to the field and she would either see her or not.

The next day they had to play in the second game and if they lost it or any other game before the championship games then they were out. When they got to their locker room, the coaches told them that they would be playing in yesterday's uniforms that they had played and practiced in the day before. The coaches had decided that since they had chosen not to play in them yesterday then they would play in them today. This didn't make any of the girls happy but none dared to question the coaches. They all pulled out their stinky uniforms and put them on, including the socks. TK wanted to gag as she pulled her top on as she had sweat a great deal the day before and her uniform had soaked up all that sweat and now it smelled awful. They then had to sit close to each other as the coaches gave them the game plan for the day and told them about the pitcher that they would be facing. TK slowly got use to the smell but it wasn't easy. Then the coaches finally allowed them to go out to watch the end of the game going on and to get warmed up. The girls flew out of the locker room wanting to get some fresh air. They all gathered out by the left field fence and TK immediately started to look for Carmen and Aunt Mae. She searched up and down all the stands but she couldn't find them and she began to worry. She found her parents quickly as they had been there the previous game and she had been able to talk to them the day that the team had arrived but not since. She saw her mother waving at her and she waved back. The game that was playing was slowly winding down and TK was starting to panic. Then as they were gathering their things to go to their dugout, TK spotted two women dressed in bright orange coming into the stands. She thought it might me Carmen and Aunt Mae but she wasn't sure until the shorter woman turned to go into the stands and she saw the long black hair and she knew that they had made it after all. TK watched carefully as to where they sat and she was happy to see that she would be able to look at Carmen before she batted.

Once the field was put back into shape, both teams got a few minutes to warm up and then the game started. TK's team was designated as the visiting team so they got to bat first. The first batter got a good lick on the ball but the second baseman jumped up and snagged the ball. The next batter slapped the ball into right field and she made it to first base. Then it was TK's turn to bat. She figured that Herman would ask her to bunt the runner to second but she was surprised to see him signal to her to hit away. TK then glanced into the stands she found Carmen who gave her the sign that they had made up to hit a home run. TK smiled at her as that was one sign that Carmen rarely gave her. TK stepped on into the batter's box and she got ready. She got two quick strikes as she was looking for the right pitch. Then the pitcher tried to get her to swing at a bad pitch but she wouldn't fall for it. The pitcher tried two more times to get her to swing at bad pitches but TK held firm. Now the count was three balls and two strikes and the pitcher was forced to make a good pitch or walk her. TK gripped the bag a little tighter and then she relaxed her grip as the ball came toward her. TK cocked her bat and then she swung. She made contact and as soon as the ball left her bat, she knew that she got all of it. She didn't even bother to watch the ball as she knew where it would land and that was somewhere over the centerfield fence. She rounded first base to cheers from her team and when she got to home plate, all of the team was gathered there to congratulate her after she stepped on home plate. TK got two more hits that game and they won five to one.

The coaches told them after the game that since they had decided to actually play then they wouldn't have to wear the uniforms again and would have clean ones for the next game but then TK spoke up as she was a senior and now a leader of the team. She told them that she believe that the uniforms had some play left in them and they would be wearing them until they won it all. The other players looked at her with a stunned look but then one of the other seniors came to TK's side and said that TK was right and they would be wearing the uniforms for the rest of the series. She did concede to let them change their socks if they so desired. The rest of the girls came around and the coaches didn't contradict them. The coaches then went over the schedule for the rest of the day. They were allowed a couple of hours for free time then it was back to the hotel for dinner and then a meeting. From there it was to their room for a good night's rest as they would be playing two games the following day that is if they won the first game. If they didn't win that game then it was all over.

As soon as TK got showered and dressed, she went looking for Carmen first and then her parents. She would prefer it to be just Carmen but her parents came all this way to see her play and she couldn't avoid them, nor did she want to. She found Carmen and Aunt Mae just outside of the stadium waiting for her.

TK ran to Carmen and gave her a big hug and then a kiss. "I was so happy to see you in the stands." TK said after the kiss ended.

"We called you when we got in this morning but you never called back." Carmen told her.

"Well since we played like shit yesterday, the coaches took away all our cell phones. So I didn't have a clue if you made it in or not until I saw you in the stands." TK said as she gave Carmen another hug. Then she saw Aunt Mae standing behind Carmen and she let Carmen go to hug her.

"I'm sorry Aunt Mae." TK said smiling.

"That's okay; I know who the important one is here." Aunt Mae said with a laugh.

"Hey you're important to me too." TK said as she hugged Aunt Mae tighter.

"I know." Aunt Mae said as she released TK but not before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"I think there are two other people that's important to you waiting to see you." Aunt Mae then told her and TK looked around to see her parents standing nearby. She rushed over and gave them both a big hug and a kiss then she pulled them over to where Aunt Mae and Carmen were standing.

"Mom, Dad, I want you to meet Carmen and her Aunt Mae" TK said as she introduced them.

"It's very nice to meet you both; I have heard so many nice things about you both." TK's mom said as she gave both Carmen and Aunt Mae a hug. "You can call me Lexie and this is my husband Terry."

"Just call me Mae and I think of TK as my adopted niece." Aunt Mae said.

"Well now that all the niceties are over with, let's go find somewhere cool to sit. I've been playing in this hot sun and I'm about to melt." TK said.

"I think that sounds like a great idea, I could use something cold to drink." TK's father said as he put his hand around her waist and started to lead her toward a shaded area under a huge oak tree. When everyone was settled, he recruited Carmen to go help him go get some cold drinks. TK watched they walked away and she was almost jealous of her father. She so wanted some alone time with Carmen but she knew going in, she was here to win a championship and her time with Carmen would be very limited. Once her father and Carmen were out of sight, TK laid back on the cool ground and she rested her eyes as Aunt Mae and her mother talked. It was an hour later that she felt someone shaking her leg.

"TK wake up, you need to go and meet with the team." TK heard and she opened her eyes and she saw Carmen looking down at her.

"Where's everyone else?" TK said as she sat up and saw that they were alone.

"Aunt Mae decided that they needed to go and search out a good place for us to eat tonight." Carmen told her.

"Do you think it's such a good idea leaving Aunt Mae alone with my parents?" TK said with a laugh.

"Probably not, but it does give us a few minutes alone, which reminds me that you haven't kissed me yet." Carmen said shyly.

"So I haven't and after you came all this way just to see me." TK said as she leaned in and she kissed Carmen tenderly and very lovingly.

"Now that was nice." Carmen said, "I only wish we had time for more of that but I need to get you back to your hotel and I need to find Aunt Mae and your parents before she teaches them the joys of using dildos." Carmen said with a giggle.

"Oh god, I would never hear the end of that." TK said laughing and then Carmen's giggles turned into a full blown laugh.

Once they got over their laughing fit, TK got up and she took Carmen by the hand and helped her up. They then made the short walk to where TK's and her team were staying. There they found an isolated corner where they could kiss and hug for a few moments, then TK was off to meet her team.

The next morning the team was up and out to the stadium early as they would be playing in the first game of the day, then hopefully a game later in the afternoon. They warmed up and then got their instructions for the game. TK looked for Carmen and she found that she and Aunt Mae were sitting with her parents. Aunt Mae and her mother were talking away as if they had been friends for life. They were the home team for this game and that meant that they would be in the field first. The other team got a couple of hits but none crossed the plate. TK's team did nothing against their pitcher and TK struck out. The second inning the other team scored a run and they got nothing again. The third inning neither team scored and in the forth the other team got two more runs in. They were now behind by three and it wasn't looking good. TK was the only player to get a hit off the opposing pitcher. They got to bat last in the seven inning and they had to score three just to stay in the game. TK was working hard to keep the team pumped up. The first batter was able to bunt her way to first base. The next batter bunted to get the runner to second and the first baseman messed up the throw and she was safe. They now had two runners on with no outs. The next batter struck out so there was now one out. The next batter was able to get on base with another error from the other team. The bases were loaded now with one out. The next hitter had the best hitting percentage on the team but she too struck out. Now it was left up to TK, who stepped up to the plate. She was strangely confident as she had looked at Carmen moments before and she had given her the home run sign. The catcher ran out to the mount as did the head coach for the opposing team. They all talked for a while and TK went to Herman and he gave her no advice what so ever. He just talked about how privileged he felt for having her around to coach for these past four years. They talked for a couple of minutes more and then the conference on the mound was over. TK went back to home plate and she looked again at Carmen who gave her the same sign. However the other team had other plans for her as the first ball went way outside. TK then knew that they were going to walk her and let a run score rather than risking her getting a hit. The next ball was just as far outside but TK stayed ready. The next ball was high and now there were three balls and no strikes against her. TK tightened her grip on the bat and then relaxed it. The pitcher threw the ball and she screwed up. The ball was supposed to be high riseball but she didn't get it high enough. TK took a hard swing at the ball and she felt it hit the bat. TK swung on through the ball and she watched it leave her bat and fly into the air. TK knew she got all of the ball but she wasn't sure if she got enough of it. She saw the left fielder and the center fielder rush toward the ball and they met at the fence. TK started to run toward first base and she kept her eye on the ball. As she rounded first base, she saw the center fielder jump up as the ball went toward her glove. TK knew then that either the center fielder or she would be the hero of the game. When the center fielder landed, TK didn't know if she had caught it or not but then she saw the look on the girl's face and she knew that on this day she would be the hero. TK heard her team roar and she swore that she heard Carmen's excited squeal over the roar of the crowd. TK started to jump for joy as she rounded the bases but then she saw that the second basemen for the other team was already crying and she didn't want to rub it in. It could have just as easily been her doing the crying. TK rounded the bases and met her teammates at home plate. They celebrated together and then they lined up to shake the other teams hands. TK could see the tears in all the girls' eyes and when she got to the pitcher, she saw that she was crying the hardest.

TK stopped in front of her and she hugged her tightly and told her, "You pitched a great game; you had us all guessing out there today. I just got lucky, that was all it was, just luck."

"Thanks," She said as she wiped her eyes. "You all deserved to win, now go out there and win it all. I want to be able to say that I lost only to the champions." Then she went on to join her teammates as did TK.

They had one more game to play and that was to get into the championship series and they only had a couple of hours to rest as another game was played to see who they would play if they should win their game. TK only got a few minutes to talk to her parents, Aunt Mae, and Carmen before she had to join her team. But then since this was the third game that they had played in these uniforms and she stank pretty good, no one really wanted to stay around her too long. Her mother really fussed at her after she found out it was TK's idea that the team keep wearing those stinky uniforms. She then went to rejoin her team to get then scouting report on the next team that they would face. If they won that game then they would be in the championship series. This game would prove to a tight game. TK got her team on the board with a home run in the second and they would score no more. They did manage to keep the other team from scoring at all but they did get a runner to third a couple of times but each time either the pitcher would strike the next batter out or someone would make a play in the field to keep the runner from scoring. TK celebrated with her team and then once she had showered and changed, she went out to meet Carmen and the rest of her gang. She was allowed to spend the rest of the evening with them and only had to return to the hotel by ten. TK quickly mentioned how hungry she was and they all laughed at her thinly disguised hint. But they did take her hint and they went to a famous steakhouse to eat. TK stuffed herself as she had worked up a big appetite after playing two games that day. She was also so excited about being in the finals and she talked all through the meal about it. No one seemed to mind as this was TK's moment in the sun and they all wanted to bask in it with her. TK only got a few minutes with Carmen when they got back to TK's hotel. They talked for a few minutes and then kissed until it was time for TK to head to her room. She was about to be caught out past the team's curfew and thus not be allowed to play the next day.

That night as TK lay in her bed, she began to think about how the season was coming to an end and what that meant. Thought she had missed her graduation ceremony, she had graduated and she had been selected to play on the USA team. She was to report to them as soon as the World Series was over with. She had dreamed about playing on the team for almost her whole life and it was about to happen. Her dream was within her grasp but she felt like it wasn't where she should be. Carmen had gotten a job at a research firm in Florida. This firm was going to pay her big bucks to do what she had always wanted to do. That being to work with stem cells and hopefully be able to cure many different diseases. She and Carmen had sat up many a nights talking about how they would be going in different directions. They decided together that they could make it work. TK could come to Florida at every break she had and when the season was over then she would come back to Florida and stay until it was time to get ready for the Olympics. Now that she had time to think about it alone she began to realize that it was Carmen who directed these conversations and like always she found that she couldn't or wouldn't disagree with her. She truly did want to play on the USA team but now as she thought it through, she started to wonder if she didn't want to stay with Carmen more. She kept this running through her mind until sleep would wait no more.

The team had breakfast together and then they went out for a short practice at the field. Then they went back to the hotel for a meeting and once it was over, they were sent to their rooms to rest. TK so wanted to call Carmen and talk to her but from now until the series was over, they would be secluded from every possible distraction. TK felt like an animal pinned up in its cage and there wasn't anyone around with the key. She finally took a clue from her freshman roommate and she laid down for a nap.

When she woke up, it was time to get ready for the game. When they all got to the locker room, they found all new uniforms hanging by their lockers instead of their dirty sweaty ones. This upset them all as they had gotten used to these uniforms and they felt confident when they wore them. TK said that she would take care of it and she was starting for the coach's office when Lagina came walking in. TK demanded that they be given their old dirty uniforms back but Lagina told them all that since these games would be televised over national TV then they would have to have to represent their team and university properly. She added that it was time that the team proved that they were the best team out there no matter what uniform they were wearing. TK knew from the way Lagina was talking that she had done her best for the team but she too was over ruled so TK being a leader of the team she turned and supported the coach. But then she added she planned on playing hard and would be getting her uniform dirty soon enough. The team echoed this sentiment and they got dressed in their new uniforms. Then as they took the field to warm up, TK reached down to the infield dirt and got a hand full and smeared it across her new jersey. The other girls were watching her and they all mimicked her action. TK looked over at the coaches and she saw that they were all smiling. They couldn't tell the team to dirty their uniforms in protest but the team was more than welcome to do so on their own.

The first game was another tight, tense game, every time that TK's team scored, so did the other team. When they got to the seventh inning, the score was locked up at three apiece. TK had scored the run to get them even in the previous inning so she would be a spectator for this inning. It didn't look good when they had two outs and there was a batter at second. The only problem was that their worst hitter was up. TK looked for the coaches to pinch hit for the girl but she was surprised that they chose not to. They sent her up to the plate even though she hadn't had a hit for the whole World Series. TK stood with the rest of the girls at the rail of their dugout and cheered and chanted for the batter. She stood there confidently and she stroked the first ball over the right fielder's head as she was playing in to keep the runner from scoring on a ball hit out of the infield. The runner at second was one of the fastest on the team and she took off as soon and the batter had hit the ball. She easily scored and just like that TK's team was up one to nothing in the series. TK rushed with her teammates to greet the runner as she got to home and they celebrated their win. Once they had shook hands with the other team, she celebrated with her teammates for a moment before she was able to go see her parents, Carmen, and Aunt Mae for a few minutes. Then it was back to the locker room and on back to the hotel.

That night as TK tried to go to sleep, she thought again about having to leave Carmen for so long. They had been apart for only short periods for the past four years and she hated those times as she spent her whole time away from Carmen wanting to get back to her. Now she was facing long periods away from Carmen and that scared her to death. She felt comfortable and safe when she was with Carmen and quiet the opposite when she was away. And it wasn't that she was afraid that she wouldn't make in on the USA team, she was sure that she would fit right in and she could be a star as she was now, but being the star didn't have the appeal that it once held for her. It just wasn't that important to her and she liked it that way. She still didn't know what she was going to do once the series was over but she knew that there would be only one or two more days to figure it out.

When they got out on the field the next night with their new uniforms, they did so with instructions from the women's athletic director not to intentionally get their uniforms dirty. So when they went out to the field to warm up, all the players were watching TK and they were taking their cue from her. TK went toward third base and just as she got to the infield, she accidently tripped landing on her knees getting dirt on them. She got up and she nonchalantly brushed the dirt from her knees and then she wiped her hands off on her jersey. TK then started to warm up by tossing the ball to the first baseman and as she noticed that somewhere through the warm up all the girls managed to fall and get dirt or grass stains on their uniforms. When she got back to the dugout, Herman just smiled at her as she found a way to be a leader for her team and make the athletic director extremely pissed off. As the time for the game to start drew near, Carmen felt the need to get this over with. She wanted to win this game and then she and Carmen could talk.

So when she stepped up to the plate for the first time, she did so with a purpose. She zeroed in on the ball and sent the first pitch over the right field fence. She ran the bases not feeling the excitement that she had always found when she hit one out of the park. That put them up by one run and they were off and running. She came up again in the fourth inning and there was two runners on base and the pitcher couldn't afford to pitch around her. This time she put the ball over the left field fence. Again there was little emotion in what she had done but she made herself feel excited when she got to home plate where her teammates were waiting for her. They were up four to nothing now and when she came up to bat in the seventh inning, the game was all but over. TK wasn't trying to get a home run this time but when she swung, she knew it was gone. She rounded the bases excited for real this time as she knew it was over and they would be the champions. The other team did try to mount a comeback and they scored two runs but that was it. TK watched as the second baseman caught the pop up that was the third and final out. TK cheered and she ran to the pitcher where all the team was gathering. They laughed and cheered as they celebrated their championship. Now TK was happy as she had fulfilled her dreams, she was a champion and no one could ever take that away from her. When they had congratulated each other, they went to the other team and they congratulated them for a great season and a good game. The other girls were crying as they accepted the kind words and TK felt bad for them. She didn't want to lose but she hated that the other team got so close but came up short as her own team had done the three years before this year. She had shed her own tears before so she knew what they were feeling. They then did the trophy presentation and then the MVP which TK got hands down with what she had done in the whole series as no one had come close to putting up the numbers that she had. As she went to get her trophy, TK looked over at Carmen who had tears in her eyes and she thought about how when she was a freshman and she was pouting because she wasn't a starter. Carmen had read her the riot act and now she knew that she had become the best third baseman in the nation much less the best one on the team. Carmen had as much to do with this trophy as she did. It was Carmen that kept her feet on the ground all these years.

Finally when all the presentations were done and she had given numerous interviews, including the one that was televised nationally right after the game, TK was able to go see her parents and of course Carmen and Aunt Mae.

"You did it!" Carmen squealed at her as she rushed over and gave her a hug and she snuck in a kiss on the cheek.

"Yes I did, thanks to you." TK said as she squeezed Carmen tight and she held onto her not wanting to let go but then she saw her parents waiting in the wings and she let go of Carmen.

"You did great, we're so proud of you." Her mother told her as she gave her a hug and a kiss.

"See all those hours I made you pitch to me paid off." TK said to her father as she gave him a hug and he hugged her back lifting her off the ground as he did so.

"I loved every second of it." He told her and when her father put her down she saw tears in his eyes and that made her start to cry and she had to hug him again. No one said anything as TK and her father had their moment and when they parted the second time they were both embarrassed at their show of emotion so they parted and TK turned to Aunt Mae and went and gave her a hug.

"You know if you would have lost, I would have had to take back my adoption of you as my niece." She told her.

"Yea right, the adoption papers have already been sign so you're stuck with me being your niece." TK told her and she laughed.

"Oh you think so?" Aunt Mae said arching her eyebrows.

"Yea I do.' TK said back and then she gave her another hug and she went back through and hugged everyone again saving Carmen for last and she hugged her just a moment longer than everyone else.

"So do you have to go back with your team tonight?" TK's mom asked.

"Yea, we're having a meeting here in a few and then we'll go back to the hotel. Then in the morning there will be one last meeting and after that we are free. Some are going back to the university with the coaches and the rest of us can go our own ways since the semester is over and since I have graduated, I'm on my own. They did ask for me to return to the university if the school and city decides to do something for us. Then when the season starts next year, I am going back for the first home game." TK told them.

She talked to them for a few minutes more and she introduced her parents to some of the other players as they came over. Then she went back to the locker room with her team where they had another celebration where Lagina, Herman, and the rest of the coaches got soaked with cokes that had been shook up before opening. They and the locker room was a mess by the time the celebration died down and the coaches gave them all a talk about how proud they were of them. Then the coaches left leaving the team to shower and get dressed. When they came out, most of their fans were waiting for them and they got more cheers as they boarded the bus to go back to the hotel.

TK had hoped to be able to spend time alone with Carmen the next day but that was not to be. It seemed that while TK was planning on what to say to Carmen the next day, Carmen and her parents with Aunt Mae's help had made plans for her so that when she finally got to meet up with them, she found that the day had already been planned out for them. They went from one tourist spot to another and as the day went along, TK saw that while she had been with her team, Carmen and her mother had become great friends and they spent a great deal of the day talking. And she was occupied with Aunt Mae and her father so she couldn't get in on all that Carmen and her mother was talking about. Then that night, she found that she was going to be spending the night with her parents as Carmen roomed with Aunt Mae. Time was running out for TK and she knew it.

Carmen's plane was going to take off first and then there would be another four hour wait before TK's plane would take off to take her back to California with her parents and then from there she would join the USA team. TK went with Carmen and Aunt Mae after they had gotten through the security gates, letting her parents go on.

"Aunt Mae, if you don't mind I need to talk to Carmen for a minute." TK said.

"That's fine, I'm just going to sit here and read but the plane should be here any minute so don't be too long." She told them but TK had already taken Carmen by the hand and was dragging her over to the end of the terminal where no one was standing.

"What's the matter?" Carmen asked.

"I don't think that I'm going to join the USA team. I want to go on to Florida with you." TK said in a rush which wasn't what she wanted to do but she had run out of time.

"No, that's been your dream forever and you have to go. We talked about this before and we agreed that you would go and play for the USA team and I would wait for you in Florida. You will be coming to see me often. We've been apart before and we survived it and we can do the same here." Carmen told her.

"I know we talked about it and we agreed but I have been thinking about it a lot lately and I'm not sure it's want I want now. I want to be with you." TK said and she felt the tears begin to come to her eyes and she fought them off. She didn't want to get emotional right now.

"I want to be with you too but first you have to go and play the game you were born to play and I will go do what I was born to do. We'll get through this, I promise you. Just go and try it and if we find that we can't live apart them I'll quit my job and come to you but I won't let you give up on your dream. You're going to go home with your parents and then you'll join your new team. We'll do whatever we need to do to keep our relationship together; nothing's going to stop that. Now give me a hug and a kiss and as soon as we can we will get back together and we'll see where we are." Carmen said and then she pulled TK to her and held her tight. TK felt her will weakening. She just couldn't say no to her when Carmen decided to put her foot down as she had just done. So TK accepted the hug and when Carmen kissed her, she did so passionately hoping that her kiss would do what her words couldn't do. When their lips parted, TK opened her eyes and she saw that indeed Carmen's resolve was weakening but then just like that, the resolve was back. Carmen never lost control for long and this was the case here. TK gave up at this point as she knew she wasn't going to win so she kissed her again and then she returned her to her Aunt who was waiting to board the plane.

TK came to Aunt Mae and she hugged her tight and as she was starting to let Aunt Mae go, Aunt Mae whispered into her ear, "Don't leave her alone for too long." TK pulled back and she looked into Aunt Mae's eyes to try and see what she was trying to tell her but she wasn't sure what that was. She then went to Carmen and hugged her tight and she gave her a kiss. She looked into Carmen's eyes and she still saw the resolve but she also saw something else. To her it almost looked like fright but she had never seen Carmen fear anything.

TK let Carmen go and then she watched as she went through the door leading to the plane. Once she was out of sight, TK went to the window and watched as the plane loaded and then slowly was pushed back. She saw someone wave from a window and she waved backing hoping that it was Carmen that was doing the waving. TK felt the tears finally come and she started to cry as she watched the plane go to out the runway and then take off. The tears fell from her cheeks and she felt paralyzed. She couldn't move from that spot even after the plane had long disappeared into the sky so she just stood there alone in her pain and loneliness.

"I don't think that it's going to turn around and bring her back." TK heard from a voice behind her and she turned around to see her mother standing there.

TK quickly wiped her eyes but it was obvious that her mother had seen her there crying and it was even more obvious to her that her mother knew more about her and Carmen's relationship than she thought that she did. "I wish it would." TK said and then she started to cry all over again and she felt her mother come to her and hug her tightly.

"I know you do baby but it's not going to so that leaves you with a decision to make, doesn't it." Her mother said as she let her go and she wiped the tears from TK's eyes.

"Do you know..." TK wanted to ask but couldn't finish the question.

"That you and Carmen are more than friends and that my daughter is a lesbian?" her mother said.

"Yes, how did you know, did Carmen tell you?" TK asked not believing that Carmen would do something like that but if she did, it relieved her of the burden of doing so.

"No, I knew that you were a lesbian long ago. There are some things that no matter how hard you try to hide from your parents, they still see it. Your father and I saw it when you were in high school and we didn't say anything letting you decide when you were ready. Now about you and Carmen, she just confirmed what I already knew but she didn't do so directly, it was in the way she looked at you and how she talked about you. I made sure that I got to talk to her these past few days and she is everything you told me she was. She's a special young woman, that is for sure and I can see why she has such a hold on you." She said.

"I do love her." TK said relieved that she didn't have to hide it from her mother anymore.

"I know you do but that puts you back to square one doesn't it? To play on the USA team, you have to leave her for long periods of time. To stay with her you have to give up on your dream of playing softball for the USA team. No matter what you chose, you have to give up on something. But then you can do both but it will take work from both of you. I don't envy you having to choose but that is something that you will have to do." Her mother said.

"I know what I want to do but Carmen insists that we do it this way." TK said.

"What is it that you want to do?"

"I want to go with Carmen to Florida." TK said.

"Then what's stopping you?" Her mother asked using the simple logic that she always did on her.

"Carmen's stopping me. She says that I need to go play for the USA team and forefill my dream." TK said.

"Maybe she is saying that because it is the right thing to say and not what she really wants."

"You are probably right, she would do that for me as I would for her. I wouldn't make her give up her dream job to follow me around the world playing softball." TK said.

"So what are you going to do?" she asked.

TK thought for a moment and then she said, "I'm going to catch a plane to Florida and be there when she gets there."

"And what about playing for the USA Team?" Her mom asked.

"Mom, I've won my championship and it felt great. But now I need to be with someone that needs me and wants me. She has always been there for me and I need to be there in Florida when she gets there. She'll be all alone and she was alone for too long and I won't let it happen to her again."

"Okay then, let's go trade in your ticket and tell your father." She said.

"Do you think that he will be mad at me?" TK asked not wanting to disappoint her father.

"Yes but not for the reason that you think." She said and she didn't elaborate leaving TK wondering what she was talking about.

"Your daughter has something to tell you." Her mom said after they had exchanged her ticket for one that would take her to where Carmen would be going.

"What's that honey?" he asked.

"I'm not going home with you and mom. I'm going to join Carmen in Florida. I have to be with her." TK said and she waited to see what her father would say but he didn't say anything at first. He just reached for his billfold and he started pulling out IOU's that he and TK's mom exchanged when they made a bet with each other which they did quite often. Since they didn't have extra money they used the IUO's to pay off the bets. He counted out a hundred dollars worth of IUO's and handed them to TK's mom who accepted them cheerfully. "I should have known better than to make that bet." He said finally.

"You're not mad at me?" TK asked.

"I want you to be happy and if that means that you must go to Florida then that is what you must do." He told her as she stood up and hugged her tightly.

TK felt relieved as this day was going better than she thought it would. She didn't get her way with Carmen but that wasn't over with yet. However her secret was out with her parents even though it wasn't as much of a secret as she had thought that it was. She then talked to them about Carmen and herself and how the relationship had begun. She left out the imitate details of course but she gave them an idea of where they both had been and how they got to this point. She waited with them until they took off and she went to her terminal and she had to wait another couple of hours until she would have landed with her parents and she gave Carmen a call. They talked for a while and TK never told her about her change of plans. Instead she talked about how excited she was about playing on the USA Team and that Carmen was right to make her go no to California. Carmen told her how she was going to fly out the next morning to go to Florida and that Aunt Mae would be bringing her a car down about a week later. They had suppose to go down together but Carmen had decided that she wanted to spend some time alone in the house that she and Aunt Mae had picked out. TK had only seen pictures of it as they had done their looking on the weekends that TK played away from home. She knew everything about it as Carmen had described it in imitate details. They talked for about an hour then TK told Carmen that she had to go as her mother was calling for her. TK told her that she would talk to her the next evening after Carmen had gotten to her new house. TK then boarded the plane that would eventually get her to Florida just before Carmen got there.

TK was sitting on the steps of the old but well build house when she saw a taxi turn the corner and come toward the house. TK didn't know whether to stand up and go to the taxi or wait for her on the steps, she finally decided to wait until Carmen saw her before getting up. Her nerves were on edge as she didn't know how Carmen would react to seeing her there. Would she be happy to see her or mad because she had changed their plans without first talking to her about it? With Carmen one could never be sure how she would react. She liked things to go as she had planned them and this was definitely a change in those plans. By the time the taxi pulled up in front of the house, TK was about to jump out of her skin, she was so nervous. She watched as Carmen got out of the taxi from the opposite side of the car and she went to the back to get her bags from the trunk. She then picked them up and she started toward the house. She didn't look up until she was on the sidewalk in front of the house. She saw Carmen's eyes light up as she dropped the bags that she was carrying. TK stood up and she walked down the steps and on toward Carmen who still hadn't made a sound. As she got closer she saw that Carmen was silently crying and TK covered the last remaining feet that separated them in a flash. She opened her arms and she gathered Carmen up in them. She hugged her tightly and then she began to kiss the tears that were running down Carmen's face away.

"Oh god, I wanted so badly for you to be here when I arrived." Carmen whispered as she pulled TK to her and hugged her tightly.

"I'm here baby, I couldn't leave you alone." TK said as she started to cry with Carmen.

"What about softball and the USA Team?" Carmen asked as she gathered her wits.

"I called them up and told them that I had retired from playing. I had something more important to do." TK told her.

"What is that?" Carmen asked.

"Take care of you baby. You looked out for me all through college and now it's mine turn to take care of you." TK told her.

"But you can't give you on your dream, I won't let you." Carmen told her.

"I've already told them that I'm not going to play. It's over and done with. So come on and show me our new home." TK said.

"I like the sound of that, "Our new Home"." Carmen said.

"So do I baby, so do I." TK said as she let Carmen go and she picked up her bags and started to carry them towards the house. "Well, you coming or are we going to stand out here all day?"

"I'm coming!" Carmen said excitedly and she ran by TK and got to the door where she dropped her keys twice before she could get the key in and unlock the door.

Once inside Carmen gave her a quick tour of the house then they both hit the bathroom as it had been a while since they had been able to visit one, especially for TK who had been waiting at the house a couple of hours before Carmen got there. TK got the downstairs one and once she had peed, she took a few moments to get her hair combed out and put on fresh perfume. When she came out Carmen was nowhere to be seen. She called out to her once, twice, three times but she got no response from her calls. She began to worry so she began to search in earnest. First she checked the downstairs and then she went up the stairs where there were two bedrooms and a full bath. She looked in the first bedroom and there was just a double bed and a set of dressers. Then she went to the bathroom and she could see that Carmen had been there but she wasn't there now. TK went on down the hall and she saw the last remaining door was closed and she began to worry. She came to it and knocked getting no response. She knocked again and called out to Carmen only to again hear nothing to the call. She reached down to the door knob and found that it was unlocked. She turned the knob slowly and she eased the door open. She first saw Carmen's hair on the bed and then she saw her face and there was a shy smile on it. TK eased the door open more and she saw that Carmen no longer had her top on and that made her smile. TK let the door swing on open and she saw that Carmen was completely naked. Her breasts were in all their glory with those puffy nipples sticking up from them. TK's eyes made their way down Carmen's body to where Carmen had her legs slightly parted and TK could see the glistening wetness that were on the full bush that Carmen had. Carmen had once asked her if she should trim her bush like she did but TK wouldn't let her. She loved to bury her face in the bush and get lost forever. The few hairs that she got in her mouth as she ate Carmen out were a small price to play. As she looked as Carmen's pussy, Carmen opened her legs open a little more and TK could see her pink lips from beneath those lovely pubic hairs. TK stood in the doorway for a moment just gazing at the beautiful creature that lay on the bed before her and she knew in her heart that she had made the right decision. There was no way she could ever leave this girl alone to face the world.

TK took a step into the room and stopped. She didn't say a word as no words were needed. She just put her shaking fingers to her blouse and she began to unbutton it. When she got to the bottom button, she took the blouse and pulled it off her shoulders. She then reached behind of her and she unhooked her bra. She brought it forward and she let it hang on her breasts for a moment then she let it drop exposing her breasts to a smiling Carmen. She lowered her hands to the front of her jeans and she unsnapped them open. She pulled the zipper down and then she pushed the jeans down her hips leaving her light blue panties on. She could feel that her pussy was wet and she knew that there was a wet spot forming on her panties. She pushed the jeans on down and then she used her feet to pull them off. She then hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her panties and she began to push them down. She saw that Carmen's eyes was taking it all in as her bush was first exposed and then her pussy. She could feel the crotch of her panties stick to her pussy as she pushed the panties on down. When they got to her knees, she let them drop and she stepped out of them. She let Carmen look at her for a moment before she stepped up to the bed. She leaned over and placed a gently kiss on Carmen's lips and she felt Carmen reaching out to her. She felt Carmen's arms grasp her shoulders and pull her down onto the bed. TK slid over so that she was lying completely on top of Carmen and she kissed her again. She felt Carmen open her legs and she wrapped them around her hips. TK propped herself up on her elbows as she slid her hands under Carmen's shoulders. She kissed Carmen tenderly on the lips and cheeks as she began to use her hips to push down mashing her pussy against Carmen's. This caused Carmen to let out a whimper and she pushed upwards. TK was getting really wet now and she could feel the Carmen was too. TK moved her lips back into Carmen's mouth and she let her tongue slip into Carmen's mouth. Carmen sucked hard on her tongue and she felt Carmen press her tongue back against her tongue. They kissed and kissed as they continued to ground their pussies together. It had been well over a week since they had made love and they both needed it badly. Soon TK felt Carmen's fingernails begin to dig into her back and she knew that Carmen was getting very aroused. TK pushed her hips down harder and she increased the tempo of the movement of her hips. Carmen pushed back just as hard and her legs gripped her hips harder. TK felt her clit was getting sensitive and from Carmen's whimpers that she was getting close too. TK's breathing increased to the point that she was panting and she couldn't keep kissing Carmen so she put her head on Carmen's shoulder and she drove her hips downward as hard as she could as she moved them up and down. They were both groaning and panting as they closed in on their orgasms. Carmen came first and she dug her fingernails deep into TK's back causing her a great deal of pain but it also spurred her own orgasm to start and she cried out as the pain turned into pleasure.

"Oh baby, that was so nice." TK whispered to Carmen as she stared deep into her eyes.

"Yes it was, let's stay here all day and make love, okay?" Carmen asked and TK could see the need in her eyes.

"There's nothing more that I want to do today baby." TK said as she lowered her lips down to Carmen's and kissed her tenderly and with as much love as she could.

When the kiss ended, TK slipped down in the bed until her head was over Carmen's breasts and she kissed each of the puffy nipples. Carmen let out a little squeal and TK felt Carmen's hand at the back of her neck pulling her head down to her right breast. TK kissed the nipple again and then she sucked it into her mouth. As she sucked she brought her hands from under Carmen's shoulders and she cupped Carmen's breasts. She squeezed them gently as she sucked and nibbled on her breasts. She would go from one to the other as she caressed them with her fingers. Then she looked up to see that Carmen had her eyes closed tight and there was a peaceful look on her face. TK made love to Carmen's breasts for a few minutes before giving them a kiss and then she slipped on down Carmen's body. She first inhaled Carmen's womanly aroma and then she nuzzled her face against Carmen's bush. She just breathed in her scent for a moment and then she stuck out her tongue and she began to lick Carman's slit, making long slow strokes up and down. Carmen squired under her and TK could hear her squealing as she caressed her pussy with the tip of her tongue. Slowly TK slipped her tongue in deeper into Carmen's pussy and she drank in the juices that was coming from her pussy. TK used her fingers to pull Carmen's lips open and she pushed her tongue in deep. She moved her tongue around inside of Carmen and she felt Carmen lift her ass off the bed trying to get TK's tongue deeper into her pussy. TK stuck her tongue out as far as she could and she fucked Carmen with it and she was rewarded with lots of juices and more squeals from Carmen. As Carmen became more forceful with the motion of her hips, TK slipped her index and middle finger into Carmen and she moved her mouth to her hard clit. TK sucked it into her mouth as she pushed her fingers in deep. She pulled them all the way out to whimpers from Carmen and then she pushed them back in. She then began to fuck her with her fingers as she teased Carmen's clit with her tongue. She moved her tongue around the sides of the hard little bud before she sucked it back into her mouth. She used her tongue to continue to tease the tip of the clit as she sucked hard. Her fingers moved in and out of Carmen's pussy at a faster rate and she felt Carmen's hands on the back of her head pushing it down onto her clit. TK fucked Carmen harder and faster as she started to lick at Carmen's clit with her tongue using fast short strokes. Carmen let out a series of loud squeals as her orgasm began. TK kept licking her and fucking her making sure that the orgasm went on and on until Carmen couldn't take it anymore and she pushed TK's head off her clit. TK removed her fingers from Carmen's pussy and she licked them clean, and then she put her mouth back to Carmen's pussy lips and she licked up Carmen's girlcum. She used long slow strokes of her tongue so that she got every last drop of Carmen's girlcum.

A few minutes later, TK felt Carmen sitting up and she was being pulled up by her shoulders. She sat up facing Carmen as she saw her smiling at her just before she felt Carmen's hands on her shoulders pushing her backwards. As TK fell, she was thankful that Aunt Mae had insisted that Carmen get a king size bed because if they were still on that little twin bed back at the dorm, she would now be sprawled out on the floor and not still on the big bed. She then felt Carmen's hands on the back of her knees and her legs were being pushed upwards. Carmen fell down on the bed and as TK held her legs up as she felt Carmen's tongue began to explore her pussy.

"Oh baby that feel so fucking good!" TK cried out as she felt Carmen's tongue go between her lips and into her pussy. She felt Carmen's tiny hands on her ass cheeks caressing her cheeks as her tongue moved in and around her pussy. TK closed her eyes and she just let Carmen's tongue work its magic on her. Carmen's tongue would go up to her clit and she would tease it until TK felt like she was going to cum and then Carmen would go back to her pussy and lick up the juices that had gathered there. Carmen kept bring her close to a climax and then she would back off until TK was screaming at her to make her cum. It was then that TK felt three of Carmen's fingers enter her pussy and she began to fuck her hard. They filled her up and then they were gone only to fill her yet again. Over and over this happened before TK felt Carmen's tongue back at her clit and this time it stayed there. It moved around her clit and then she sucked hard on it until it became so sensitive that she thought she was going to die. Her orgasm gathered in her pussy and exploded outwards through her body. TK let her legs fall back to the bed as her body rose above it. And when her body returned to earth, she found that Carmen was still licking her pussy with a passion. TK pulled her up and then she turned her around so that she was looking up at Carmen's pussy which was wet with her juices. TK put her hands on Carmen's ass and brought it down until she could reach Carmen's pretty pussy with her tongue. Carmen had wasted no time at all in getting back to her pussy and TK felt her licking and sucking away. They licked and finger fucked each other through a series of orgasms then they rested for a while before beginning again. They did make love all day long and it was well into the night before their pussies got too sensitive to touch and it was then that they laid next to each other and fell asleep.

When TK woke, it was dark outside and she heard Carmen talking from somewhere across the room; she opened her eyes and she tried to find her in the darkness and finally her eyes focused on her standing by the doorway.

"Who you calling?" TK asked as she sat up in the bed.

"I'm trying to get you a plane ticket back to California but no one seems to want to help me." She said and TK could hear the emotion in her voice.

"Oh no you don't!" TK cried out as she jumped from the bed. She knew she had to put an end to this quickly.

Carmen started to run from her but TK caught her in the hallway and took the phone away from her. She closed the phone thus ending the call. "What's got into you?" TK asked with fear in her eyes.

"I woke up and saw you beside of me and I began to think about you giving up your dream for me and I started to feel guilty. You gave up on it just to keep me from being alone and that's not right. I have no right to do that to you. So you have to go back and that's all there is to it." Carmen said as if that would end the discussion but this time TK knew that it wasn't going to. She was going to get the last word.

"Come here with me!" TK said as she grabbed Carmen's hand and she practically dragged her downstairs and into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and all she found was a bottle of wine that Aunt Mae had obviously put there. TK was looking for cokes but since she was left with only wine, she figured that she would put it to use. She brought it out and found a couple of glasses. She opened the bottle and poured them both a half of glass full.

"Take a drink!" TK ordered and she stared Carmen down. Carmen took the glass and took a big swallow and TK saw her face twist up from the foreign taste. TK then took a long swallow and she too felt her face screw up from the tart taste of the wine.

"I want you to listen to what I have to say and I want you to listen carefully." TK said and she again stared Carmen down and finally Carmen nodded her head yes.

"When the Softball World Series started I began to realize that my college career was quickly winding down. I then thought about what was going to happen when it was over with. I thought about our discussions about how I would go and play in California and you would come here. I know that we agreed that this was what we both were going to do but as I thought, I began to realize that it wasn't what I wanted to have happen. I also realized that you were the one that directed all those conversations and you lead them where you wanted them to go. I went along with you because I thought that it was what we both wanted but then it hit me that it wasn't. We were both saying what we thought the other one wanted to hear and not what we wanted to say. I think that if I had really thought about what would happen, I would have said something different and I know that you didn't want me across the country from you. I then thought about what it would be like to play for the USA Team and being on the road all the time. I hated road games in college because you couldn't be there to see me play. And I knew that you would never get to see me play again and that made playing less appealing to me. I then thought about what I really wanted to have happen and that was for us to be together either here or in California. And I knew that there was no way for you to help find cures of all those diseases from your research with stem cells if you were in California. And that is a lot more important to me than playing softball, so I decided to trade my dream for yours and I when I did that, I felt like it was the right thing to do for me. That was what I wanted most in the world and when I saw your face when you got here I knew I was right. So you can say anything you want but I know in your heart, this is where you want me to be and if I'm not here then you can never be happy. And if I'm not here then I can't be happy no matter how many home runs I hit. So here I am and here is where I'm going to stay no matter what you say or do."

"I just don't want you to wake up one morning hating me for taking your dream away from you." Carmen said softly.

"Carmen I'm sure that there will many a morning where I will wake up regretting this decision but it won't be cause of you taking my dream away, it will be because you are driving me up the wall like you something do when you get on one of your stubborn streaks and you won't listen to a word that I say. It will be your way or no way. It is those times and there will be many, that I will regret ever setting eyes on you." TK said and she saw Carmen start to smile.

"I do want you here with me. I was so scared thinking about being without you for so long." Carmen admitted finally and she started to cry.

"You'll never be without me again baby." TK said as she pulled Carmen to her and she hugged her tightly. They both cried for a while and then they separated and kissed. TK then suggested that they take their wine to the living room and talk. They sipped their wine and got a little drunk as they talked about what they were going to do now.

Aunt Mae came down a week later with a car that she had bought for Carmen and then she insisted that they go out and get one for TK since she was now going to be there. TK and Carmen, of course promised, to pay her back as Carmen's salary was in the six figure range but at that moment they had very little money between them. Aunt Mae was glad to help and she stayed a couple of weeks before announcing that she was going to return home and settle her affairs there. Then she was moving back to be near her sister. This made Carmen happy as she didn't want to think about Aunt Mae growing old alone without any family nearby.

TK went looking for a teaching job as that was what she got her degree in. Her search didn't take long as the county next to where she and Carmen lived was opening a new high school that fall. They also needed a softball coach for the girl's team and since TK had just won a championship, she was put in as coach. TK had to recruit players to play as all the girls had played before and would have been assigned to the new school found ways to stay with their old schools. So TK had to start from scratch. Some of the girls had played a little but none were of star quality and TK knew it would be a long season. When she had a fall practice, she got Carmen to come and watch her girls practice. TK was the only coach so she was stretched thin. So that night when she and Carmen talked in bed about her team, Carmen mentioned how the pitcher was not stepping right. She didn't have a good rhythm and thus her pitches tended to end up all over the place.

"I know that but I don't have time to work with her. I try but I can't spend the time with her that I need to." TK said and then she added, "But you can."

"Wait a minute, I'm can't play softball, you're the softball player, not me." Carmen protested but TK could see a light go off in Carmen's eyes at the thought of being a coach.

"You don't have to have been a great player to be a great coach. The sports world is full of great coaches who failed at being a player. What you need is an understanding of the game and you have that. I'll talk to the principle tomorrow about you being a volunteer coach. You'll have to change your schedule at work so that you can attend practices and I know they will let you do that to prevent losing you." TK told her.

"You really think that I can help her?" Carmen asked.

"Yes I do. We have practice again tomorrow at three thirty, so be there." TK said and then she kissed her closing the deal.

The next day, TK saw Carmen pulling up right at three thirty and she introduced her to the team. She started to work with the two pitchers that they had as TK turned her attention to the hitting and fielding which needed a lot of work. They got a lot done in the fall practice and TK could see how happy Carmen was to be helping out with the team. After every practice, she was full of ideas and she told TK every last one of them before during and after they ate supper.

When the season started, they got beat up pretty bad at first. The made many errors and they were lucky to get a hit or two much less score a run. But TK and Carmen kept their spirits up and had them watch how the other team played and what they did. She wanted them to know how winners played and acted. TK and Carmen also learned to work as a team in their coaching and soon they each were able to know what the other was thinking. TK was the one in charge and if they did disagree on what to do, Carmen would always let TK make the decision and she would back her up no matter what it was. As the season progressed, they got closer and closer to winning. Then when they got to the last three games, it all seemed to click for the girls. The pitcher started to throw more strikes than balls and the hitters were starting to get on base. The fielding errors also went way down and this all lead to their first win. It took all of TK's strength to keep from crying as she watched her girls celebrate their hard fought win. Carmen wasn't that strong and she cried her eyes out.

The next game they were able to do it again and the girls celebrated just as much and Carmen cried just as much as she did at the first win. Then in their last game they had to play the top team in their district and they were also the team that beaten them the worst. TK told the team that they were much better than they were then and that she would take them any day over the other team. So the team went out onto the field with confidence and TK used every trick she knew to give them the advantage. The other team scored some runs on them but TK's team scored their fair share of runs. So when they came up of their last at bats the score was tied. TK had always made it a rule that everyone played which wasn't that hard as she didn't have that many players but since the game was so tight that she had forgotten that rule until then. She looked over at the bench and saw three girls that hadn't played. These girls just liked being on the team and they didn't mind not playing much and this is why TK always made sure to play them as they worked just as hard as the other girls on the team. She thought for a minute and then she thought of a way to win with them. She had the first girl go to bat and she asked her to bunt as she had taught that skill to all her players. She saw that the other team relaxed when she saw who was at bat and who was next in line. The girl laid down a perfect bunt and she got on base. She then had the next girl do the same and the team was again taken by surprise. TK was going to have the third girl do the same when Carmen came up with a better idea and TK went with it. The girl acted like she was going to bunt and then as the pitcher pitched the ball, she drew her bat back and she slapped at the ball sending it over the third baseman who was charging in to get the ball she thought was going to be bunted. The girl at second took off and Carmen waved her around third base. The play was close at home but she made it. They had won their third game in a roll and TK couldn't be prouder of her team, they had beaten the best team in their district. TK's and Carmen's coaching careers had gotten off to a great start.

The next year TK's and Carmen's team won as many games as the lost. TK then had more girls wanting to play and she took all who wanted to play. If you tried hard gave it you're all then you were on the team. It got to the point where she couldn't play everyone every game but everyone got to start at least one game during the year. This made for a happy team and they were able to win that way. The following year, they won more than they lost and they got to go to the district tournament. After that, they became the best team in the district. TK also became a popular coach and she was asked many times to leave the high school to coach a college team but she always turned them down as she loved to teach her classes and she loved being able to mold young players. This was the time that they learned the most about playing softball and TK knew that with Carmen's help that they were turning out well rounded players and young women.

Carmen's other career was also a success as she did make numerous breakthroughs with her research in stem cells. While TK couldn't help her as Carmen helped her in her coaching, she could support her. When Carmen felt like she was hitting a brick wall in her research, it was TK that kept her going and got her to think of other ways around the problem. So they found ways to help each other as they always had. That was what made their relationship so strong and was how they were able to last so long together.

The End.

Please let me know what you think of my story. I welcome all comments good or bad. You can email me at numlfl@hotmail.com