Naiya's Homecoming

Authors note: This story is the fifth (and hardly the last) in a somewhat loose series that begins with "Ashlee and Naiya's Sleepover" and "Macy's Crush" and is directly preceded by "Naiya's Fresh Start." Normally I'd say these stories are capable of standing on their own, but with this one I feel it would be wise to at least suggest that anyone interested should read "Naiya's Fresh Start" if you find yourself confused by the back story as this story is more or less part two of that particular story. Don't worry. It's a good story. If you like this part you'll love that one.

Also, I'm currently experimenting with self editing, so please forgive any small errors and feel free to point out any large ones. I won't mind one little bit. In fact, I'd actually appreciate the help. All other feedback is also welcome as are votes, happy thoughts and other neat things.

Oh, and for whom it may concern: All characters engaged in any sexual acts in this story are at least eighteen years of age in both the story and the mind of the author.

Enjoy.

*

It would be wrong to say that Naiya's Thanksgiving plans had gone swimmingly and that everything had worked out exactly as she had planned. Not that it had gone badly or anything. No, quite the contrary. It had actually gone about as well as one could expect, but that wasn't saying much when you considered the fact that Naiya honestly hadn't expected all that much and instead had been relying almost purely on the power of hope. Luckily, that had been just enough to get her through.

It really hadn't been easy and she probably would have copped out completely if fate hadn't stepped in and forced her hand. The fact that fate took the form of her stepsister Macy was hardly a surprise. In fact, one could even say that it was just about the only way it could've happened since both Ashlee and Naiya had up to that point been very successful at avoiding each other even though Ashlee spent nearly every night sleeping in Macy's bed. It was only during the day that Naiya had free run of her own house and the freedom to talk to her stepsister.

The nature of those conversations ranged greatly from more serious topics to the usual silliness generally brought about by their habit of wandering off to smoke weed together whenever possible as well as just general catching up with the mundane details of each other's lives. Even though they'd been talking quite a bit lately and were hardly out of touch it was just somehow better and more real to talk about their lives and the interesting and not so interesting things they'd done in the past few months in person instead over the phone. They were pretty much sisters, after all. Face to face conversation was what they were used to. It was natural. It was the way they'd been almost from the day Naiya's mother moved them in with Macy's father back when both girls were still in elementary school. It was just right to see Macy roll her eyes in sympathy at Naiya's vivid descriptions of the failings of her professor's instead of having to imagine her doing it even though Naiya had seen the move so many times over the years she could paint a picture of it with her eyes closed.

Still, not all their conversations were made better by this closeness. Conversations about Ashlee for instance were not made any easier by Naiya being able to see the sadness, the pity and the understanding in Macy's eyes. It all just made her feel that much smaller, that much dumber, that much more sick over what a coldhearted bitch she been to Ashlee. She knew she deserved it, though, and because of that she made herself sit there and take it even when Macy's words threatened to bring a self pitying tear to her eyes, or worse, when Macy started on her with the "So when are you going to talk to her?" bit in an attempt to get the ball rolling.

Of course, that part didn't really start until after the first night when Naiya chickened out of the first planned attempt and then locked herself in her room and ignored Macy's knocking when Ashlee left to go buy some rolling papers. Naiya didn't unlock the door until the next morning when Ashlee was safely away at her parents house for one of her many family gatherings, but even then she successfully avoided her stepsister's disdainful stare at the breakfast table thanks in part to the presence of Naiya's mother and Macy's aunt discussing the plans for the evening meal.

It wasn't until after both girls had gone upstairs to change that Macy finally managed to corner Naiya in her room to ask her what happened that Naiya found herself a victim of her stepsister's calm, but forceful attempts at persuasion as Macy repeated the fact that time was short and it was now or never several times and in several distinct ways over the length of a very short conversation before they were interrupted by a shout from the bottom of the stairs telling them to hurry and get in the shower before people started showing up. This led Naiya to think that she'd been granted a reprieve, but if she had been it was a short one because for the rest of the day Macy kept the pressure on whenever she could and didn't stop until Ashlee came over that night.

Once again Naiya thought at that point that she would be free from anymore needling. After all, she was an adult now. She knew what she had to do, what she'd planned to do. Sure, she had definitely chickened out, but the time just hadn't been right.

Same for that night. It just hadn't felt like the time. Besides, it was late and she didn't want to leave Megan hanging waiting on her nightly call. There was always tomorrow when the family would be gone and on and on and on.

She even said as much to Macy the next morning when Macy cornered her in Naiya's room again to once again urge her into action. Macy, of course, didn't buy a word of it and it was then that she made her threat by saying "Look, Naiya. You know how you're going to feel if you go back to school without doing this. I know you. This is going to eat you up from the inside. I mean I'll admit that I wasn't all whatever about this when you first mentioned it, but damn it, Naiya, I'm getting sick of pretending you don't exist when Ashlee is here, so please, when Ashlee comes over tonight just come talk to her and get it over with. Please just promise me you will."

"I don't want to just bust into your room and..." Naiya started to protest, but it just wasn't working. She knew this even before Macy cut across her just by the look on her stepsister's face.

"Look, if you don't do something I will. Okay? Just please try, okay? Please?"

"Okay," Naiya said meekly knowing full well that Macy didn't make empty threats. Still, as the day went on and things became more relaxed she was far from at ease. She tried to put her fears out of her mind, but as time ticked by and cousins and aunts and uncles and what not began to slowly filter out of the house she found herself unable to do so.

Of course, Macy noticed and whenever she could she cornered Naiya and kept the pressure on. Not in an overbearing manner, but with just enough force to let Naiya know she wasn't going to let her chicken out again. It took a lot of this before Naiya finally just accepted her fate and started trying her best to steel herself for the coming confrontation. She even managed to sneak a few bowl hits on the back porch and just tried to settle down as the time ticked on by. When Macy told her to go to her room and wait because Ashlee was coming she amazingly did as she was asked without even thinking of protesting.

She only ended up waiting for a good ten minutes for Ashlee. Still, it felt like an eternity despite the fact that she spent the time talking to Megan until Ashlee knocked weakly and then entered and just stood there staring at her grimly until Naiya said "I gotta go," to Megan and waited just long enough for Megan to say "Good luck. I love you." before responding in kind and then hanging up and staring back briefly trying to look happy before she said "Hi" in a voice that barely escaped her lips before Ashlee responded with "So Macy says you want to talk to me..." in a cold, even voice that stunned Naiya into silence as she nodded her reply.

Naiya tried her best to gather her strength to press the attack and do what she knew she needed to do, but it was all in vain. She simply could not do it. Luckily (though it didn't seem so lucky at the time) Ashlee could.

As one might imagine, the conversation that followed thanks to Naiya's momentary lack of courage didn't start out very friendly as Ashlee instantly began telling Naiya basically everything that Naiya already knew and felt horrible about as Naiya just sat there taking it all in while knowing full well that she deserved it. Even when Ashlee, by then even more put off by Naiya's calm acceptance of her own faults, began to dig deep and raise her voice as she called Naiya a "selfish, childish little bitch" for not talking to her about her fears and doubts (proving that Macy had indeed been talking to Ashlee about their conversations.) Naiya just sat there and took it and calmly agreed to every single accusation because every word no matter vindictive was deserved and every accusation was true. She knew it, Ashlee knew it, Macy knew it and even Megan, who had never really even met Ashlee, knew it.

Hell, everyone who knew even the smallest amount about it agreed: Naiya had been a selfish, immature, childish and stupid person. Those were the facts. They were indisputable and Naiya didn't even try to do so. Even as Ashlee's frustration over this lack of conflict seemed to overwhelm her for awhile Naiya just couldn't bring herself to give to her the denial of fault that Ashlee seemed to crave. Instead, as the volume of Ashlee's voice continued to rise and threaten to cross over from being just a bit too loud all the way over to full on yelling Naiya just continued to sit there and take it. It wasn't until Ashlee finally just put her frustration out on the table by saying loudly "Why aren't you arguing with me?" that Naiya finally found herself capable of speaking her true feelings.

"Because you're right, Ashlee. Look, just please sit down and let me... ugh, I don't know how to say this." Naiya started and then covered her eyes as she paused to collect her thoughts trying hard to remember the speech she'd been practicing in her head for over a month and failing miserably until she finally decided to just let it come as it would, but not before once again insisting that Ashlee sit down. When she did, in the same chair she had been sitting in the night they had first kissed not all that long ago, Naiya took a deep breath and finally started saying her piece.

"Look, you're right, okay. I was a bitch. I know that. I can't even begin to argue with that. You deserved so much more than what I gave you. You deserved the truth, you deserved my trust, you deserved... I don't know... you deserved like everything I didn't do. I know that. Hell, I knew that. I mean the whole fucking time I was talking to Max while ignoring what it was doing to you I knew what was I doing and there's nothing I can say to defend myself. I was being a selfish, cowardly, weak and I was a stupid bitch and even though I know... I..." Naiya paused to wipe away a tear a take another breath while avoiding looking directly at Ashlee somehow knowing that if she did it would be all over and she wouldn't be able to say another word.

"Look," she said after realizing she hadn't said anything for several seconds. She then paused again taking a breath before forcing herself to finally look in Ashlee's direction while somehow avoiding eye contact before she continued her voice getting shakier with every word "I'm sorry. I know that sounds like so much bullshit and that's not even close to being enough, but whatever. I loved you Ashlee and I shouldn't have treated you like that. I was just scared about all the feelings that... I mean look, and please don't take this wrong way, but I never expected anything to come out of it. I mean that night we first had sex, made love or whatever, I wasn't... it was just supposed to be fun. I didn't think it'd end up being as serious as it was. I didn't think..."

Again Naiya paused to collect herself and wipe away a tear, but as she did she made the mistake of looking Ashlee in the eyes and saw, much to her dismay, that there were tears there as well and she immediately lost it. As she turned away from Ashlee she felt the tears begin to flow freely from her eyes as she said "I'm sorry" once again between sobs not at all expecting what happened next.

In fact, she didn't even register the fact that Ashlee was no longer sitting in the chair by Naiya's desk until she felt her bed shift under Ashlee's weight. Even then she didn't react until she felt Ashlee, the person who had only moments before been berating her with words like bitch and cunt while calling her selfish, childish and stupid, suddenly embraced her in a full and loving hug.

Suddenly, any restraint that Naiya had still possessed instantly vanished as she turned and returned the embrace as the tears began to flow freely from her eyes. She had no idea how many times she repeated the words "I'm so sorry" between sobs as Ashlee hushed her and told her that it was okay, but by the time she realized that Macy was there as well when she suddenly felt Ashlee stiffen momentarily and then felt Macy's arms wrapping around them both as Macy joined the hug it didn't matter. She even repeated it a few more times before finally she was all cried out and the embrace ended with a weak laugh and one more apology before Ashlee, would had been silent for quite awhile said in a quiet, somewhat strained voice "Stop apologizing, please."

It was weird, it was irrational and it didn't make any sense, but after that things just seemed to go almost back to normal. Well, not quite "normal" in the sense that everything just went back to the way it had been before. There was still definitely some tension between them because words, no matter how honest and heartfelt, could only repair so much, but when Macy, who after her subtle entry had said absolutely nothing, finally spoke up and said quite simply "I think this calls for a joint" the mood lightened noticeably and pretty much stayed that way for the remainder of the break.

Still, it wasn't like Ashlee and Naiya were suddenly best friends again, but at least they were talking now. It was a start and it was nice. Really, it was pretty damned good despite the fact that the conversation that night was noticeably sparse and tightly controlled by Macy's mediating presence.

By the next morning, however, there was a more natural flow to everything. Ashlee actually stayed over until late in the afternoon and more than once Naiya found herself alone with her and not really that uncomfortable. Sure there was still awkwardness to their conversations (and strangely enough to Ashlee and Macy's conversations as well, but Naiya didn't let herself dwell on that too much because it not only wasn't her business until one of them made it her business, but is more of a feeling than anything concrete), but whatever it was remained below the surface and eventually they rediscovered their old ability to make each other laugh.

That night was more of the same as they all went for a stony cruise and went hiking in the cold, clear late November air liked they done some many times before. The only difference was that when they returned to Naiya and Macy's house and eventually went to bed it was Naiya who ended up alone in her room while her stepsister and former best friend tried and failed to make love quietly in the room across the hall. Naiya, of course, couldn't have cared less because at the time she was too busy talking to her lover on the phone with her hand down her panties as they teased each other to orgasm. The sound's coming from Macy's room were nothing more than background noise to her.

By the time Naiya was getting into the car to head back to school any awkwardness that remained was minimal and all them seemed to be on the same page of just getting over the past and learning to live with the new normal. Still, Naiya was mildly and pleasantly surprised to hear Ashlee say that she really hoped she'd see her at Christmas and that she hoped Megan could come along as well. For a moment Naiya (and Macy as well judging from the way her eyebrows raised ever so briefly when Ashlee said it) was simply too stunned to respond. Ashlee noticed of course and said "What? I can't be nice? Anyway, seriously, from what you told me she seems cool. Just ask her. If it happens it happens. If it doesn't whatever. Just think about it okay?" and there was nothing Naiya could do but agree knowing full well that Megan would likely do everything in her power to make it happen. She then hugged both Ashlee and Macy before getting in her car and leaving feeling both pleased and eager to see them both again.

So, all in all, that aspect of her holiday at home went great. Well, if not great at least a whole lot better than she had expected it to. There was however an entirely different aspect of her short stay at home that had been almost unbearable in a way that Naiya just hadn't anticipated: being separated from her roommate, her friend and her lover Megan.

Sure, she had expected to miss Megan a little bit, but she had not expected to miss her as much as she did. She honestly felt like she was back in tenth grade when she was still very much (and very foolishly as it turned out) in love with Max. She felt like a piece of her was missing, like there was a hole in her heart and a constant dull ache somewhere unspecific that had started almost even before she'd left and that was not at all helped by the fact that she was hardly out of contact with Megan for more than a few hour at a time the entire time they were apart except when they were both asleep.

Even the knowledge that Megan felt exactly the same way did absolutely nothing to ease her suffering. All she wanted was to be at her side again, to feel her body pressing against her, to taste her skin and just to be with her. It was both terrible and wonderful all at the same time.

It was also more than a little surprising. Sure, it was hardly a shock to her that she had feelings for Megan. She'd known that for awhile now. She also knew that those feelings were definitely rooted in that perfect combination of love, friendship and lust. What was surprising to her was the acuteness of it all as well as how oddly good it felt to finally feel this way about someone again and to know that they felt the same way about her.

Still, it was kind of scary. She'd even said so to Macy one night when everyone was asleep and Ashlee was still driving back from her Grandmother's house before they had made amends. Macy had, of course, laughed at her and when that didn't go so well she said simply "That's love, dummy."

"I know, it's just I feel kinda..." Naiya started to retort only to have her step sister interrupt her.

"Feel guilty? " Macy said, finishing Naiya's thought for her. Naiya could only nod in response as Macy smiled weakly at her. "Naiya, don't. You can't help how you feel. I mean, I'm not going to ride you about all that and I'm not going to pretend it's my right to forgive you, but love can't be quantified like that. I mean, like I love you and I love Ashlee, but I don't love you in the same way, but I still love you both just like I love my dad and mom and your mom as well, but it's all like... you know, different, but it's all just as good and true and real."

"Yeah, but that's not it, it's..." Naiya tried to rebut, but once again Macy cut her off.

"Seriously Naiya, don't try to compare this love you feel for Megan to what you felt for Ashlee or Max or anyone. I don't know her, but I'm sure she deserves better than that. You love her. That's all that matters. Trust me; you really can't let yourself fall into the trap of wallowing in your regrets. Shit, if I did that I'd never have sex again let alone have a relationship. Seriously, you don't even know half of the stuff I've done."