The Modern Day Robin Hood {a Closed Thread for Knightchylde & myself}

[Leetah]

It had been a Hell of a day, Angelique Morgan thought to herself, as she trudged home in the bitter cold. First, she'd been at the bank again, trying to get in to see Leonard regarding the mortgage again, but he was "out" as always. She'd made it to work on time, but then Mr. Robinson had called her on the carpet for a mistake she hadn't made, and refused to listen to what she had to say, while Julie, the little blond bombshell that HAD made the mistake had simply watched the whole thing, pretending complete innocence and batting her baby blues. It was no secret how Julie had advanced in the company, so Angelique had not expected any help from that quarter. Then, when she'd prepared to go home, her 10 year old Pontiac had refused to start, and no manner of coaxing would help. Everyone had left for the day by the time she'd had the tow truck come, so she was faced with a long walk home, with a light snow starting to fall. The tow truck driver had offered to give her a lift, but after seeing the way he was eying her up and down, she chose to brave the cold. Her house was a bit far, but not so much she couldn't make it.

Sighing, Angelique drew her uncovered hands up into the sleeves of her coat. She'd been in such a hurry that morning, she'd forgotten her gloves. Her suede boots crunched in the light dusting of snow that was beginning to stick to the sidewalk. The wind was biting, and she felt it touch the skin of her legs, through her black slim-fitting slacks. Those, and the red silk blouse she'd put on this morning were not keeping her very warm at all, and she shivered. ~Of all the days!~ she mused, quickening her pace a bit. Now was when she missed Frank more than ever.

Frank....how she had loved that man! He'd been everything to her, and taken care of everything for her as well, so when he'd been killed in the car accident a year ago, she had been lost for a short time. She pulled herself together, and in doing so, became much stronger. He had not had much insurance, just enough to pay for his funeral, so she'd had to go back to work. That had not been so bad, except for a few days like today, but the worst thing had been when Leonard Simmons, the man Frank had always dealt with at the bank, had tried to tell her that she was behind on her house payments by several months, and that if something wasn't done soon, she'd lose the house.

Angelique knew that the house had actually been paid off, but Leonard tried to tell her Frank had put a second mortgage on the house without her knowledge. He had produced documents that supposedly supported his claim, but one look at the signature had told her they were forged. For the past year, she'd been fighting for her home, with little success. She was about at the end of her rope.

Half-frozen, she finally mounted the steps to the porch on her beloved two-story white house. Unlocking the front door, she stepped into the warmth of her sanctuary, finding that all she wanted right this moment was a hot bath. Hanging her coat on the rack by the door, she climbed the stairs and started the water in her old-fashioned claw-footed tub. She pulled out some clean, warm clothes and stepped into the bathroom, to pour some lavender scented bubble bath into the tub.

Undressing, Angelique took a quick look in the full length mirror in the bathroom, perusing her body. She was curvy, but not too much so. Her auburn hair fell just past her shoulders, and her green eyes looked tired and sad. At 5'2" she was rather short, but her weight was proportionate, so she was very attractive. ~Not too bad for 28~ she mused, slipping into the tub. She soaked for quite some time, washing her hair and then just relaxing.

When some of the tension had left her body, she climbed out, towelled off, and slipped into an old flannel shirt of Franks and her most faded pair of jeans, that fit her like a glove. Barefoot, she started down the stairs, then paused, hearing a sound below. It had sounded as if someone were walking into her living room. She waited, and sure enough, heard it again. Cursing herself that she didn't own a gun, she picked up a rather heavy vase sitting on a table nearby, and made her way cautiously down the stairs, careful not to step on the places she knew squeaked.

Peering into the dim interior of the living room, Angelique saw a male figure standing with his back to her by the sofa. Eyes widening with anger and fear, she crept into the room, but just as she was almost near enough to hit him, he suddenly turned to face her. "Trying to sneak up on me, Angelique?"

"Jesus, Leonard, you just about scared me to death!" she exclaimed. He laughed, then she said "Wait a minute...what are you doing here, and how the Hell did you get in?!"

"Temper, temper..." Leonard admonished, wagging a finger at her. "Frank gave me an extra key when he signed the loan documents. It was a requirement."

Disgusted, she glared at him. "You and I both know those papers are forged."

"Do we?" He cocked an eyebrow at her, then sat down on the sofa, slowly letting his eyes slide over her body. The way he was looking at her suddenly made her nervous.

"What do you want here, anyway?" Angelique's voice was sharp.

Leonard cocked his head, continuing to look her up and down, causing her heart to begin beating more quickly. "Come sit down, Angel, and I'll tell you."

"I prefer to stand...and don't call me Angel."

Narrowing his blue eyes, Leonard patted the sofa cushion beside him. "Come on...you're not going to find out if you don't. I may have the solution to our little problem."

Sighing in frustration, Angelique obliged him, trying to keep at least some distance between them. When she seated herself, he smiled at her and said, "Perhaps you're right...perhaps, the documents are forged, and I know it. And I could choose to make that known...if..." He stopped, looking at her face.

"If..." she prompted, and he put his hand on her arm, pulling her a bit closer to him.

"If...you should decide to cooperate with me. If not, then I suppose you'll have to lose your home."

"Cooperate with you? In what way?" Angelique felt she already knew the answer, and in a moment, her worst fears were confirmed, as he took his other hand and reached across her body, gripping her shoulder and pulling her toward him. When his lips were almost on hers, he stopped and said "I have needs, Angel....and I want you to fulfill them." Then he closed the distance between them, and invaded her mouth. She tried to pull back, but he was strong and his tongue forced its way between her lips. His other hand pulled her arm, guiding her hand to the hard bulge at his crotch.

Angelique fought against him, managing to bite his tongue, and causing him to pull back with a curse, but he did not let go of her. Snarling, he said, "If you won't cooperate, I'll have you anyway...and get your house in the bargain." He guided the arm he had in his grasp upwards, until he could hold both slender wrists in one hand. Towering over her, he forced her onto her back on the sofa, manuevering so he was sitting on her hips and she couldn't knee him in the balls. A feral grin on his face, Leonard grabbed the front of her shirt with his free hand, ripping it open, exposing her creamy breasts. The rush of cool air against them caused her rosy nipples to perk, and he growled in appreciation. "I knew you wanted it, you slut...." He ground his cock against her pubic bone, as she struggled beneath him. When his mouth closed over her right nipple and his hand snaked between their bodies, sliding over her pussy through the jeans, Angelique found her voice at last, and screamed as loudly as she could. "Shut up, bitch!" Leonard snarled, pulling his hand out for a moment to slap her hard, then he returned to exploring her body with his mouth and hand.

 

[Knightchylde]

Vance Larson was a good man . . . but troubled. At a mere twenty five years old, he was at the prime of his life. Yet, he had only a handful of friends, and even those he kept at a distance. He had no girlfriend or wife; no woman had been able to break down the walls he kept around himself. He had no family, his parents having died in an auto accident several years ago. His parents had, at least, left a rather sizeable inheritance, one of which Vance certainly knew about, but did not expect to recieve for many years to come. He had saved and invested it wisely, not willing to squander his only remaining connection to his beloved parents. As a result, Vance was, while by no means rich, very comfortable. He had very few material desires, so nothing was spent on idle pleasures. He also, of course, had no one else to spend it on.

To stay busy, he worked part time as a bouncer at a local club. Not nearly where he expected to see himself, but it brought some exta income, and he enjoyed it. Always having been in relatively good shape, Vance just sort of "fell into" the position after stopping a thief as he was running out of the club just as Vance was coming in to have a drink. After the police had come and taken the man away, the owner of the club mentioned to Vance that he had an opening, and Vance accepted on a whim. Since then, he has had the excuse to keep himself in peak physical condition, and pick back up on the martial arts he practised as a child, but abandoned years before. Now, after two years as a bouncer, he was an intimidating man, and most left him alone, providing him with the solitude he preferred.

After his parents' death, Vance shut out the rest of the world. He had no one left. No link to his past, and, in his opinion, no future. He had no reason to live, so he merely existed. He enjoyed a few simple pleasures, but always alone. The one constant in his life, however, existing since his childhood, was his loathing for theft. He saw the ultimate dishonor in taking something that was not offered, one of the reasons he had been so active in stopping the theif at the club. That night, he felt an exhilaration at preventing that crime. He had never felt more proud as when he handed the young lady back her purse and saw the gratitude in her eyes, but more than anything, he loved the way he felt ALIVE when he stopped the bad thing that would have happened. In a small way, he controlled that girls destiny in a way that prevented something bad from happening to her. It didn't matter that he didn't know her. He had known enough pain and loss in his own life. If he could prevent that in others' lives, then he would feel that his life might actually mean something.

On his nights off, he began hanging around other areas of town. Watching the back alleys and recessed shopfronts for signs of the types of evils he could prevent. It tore at his heart that he couldn't do more. He knew better than to try to break up a drug deal, or get involved in stopping an armed robbery. But there were more than enough petty thiefs running around to satisfy him.

He knew the type and what to look for. He would follow them as they followed a mark, intervening at the right time, or often catching them just as they climb through a window. Sometimes he could knock them out or trap them until the police arrived, sometimes they got away, but his satisfaction came in preventing the act.

It was all of this that led him to watch the young lady from the shadows as she made her way through the streets toward a residential area. He knew too well what a tempting target a beautiful young woman would make to some of the predators out there, and decided to follow her at a distance, just to make sure.

A short time later, he watched her enter a white two-story house, and breathed a sigh of relief. While he relished the ability to help people, he always liked it better when he didn't need to. Just as he began to turn away, however, he spotted a pickup truck turn its lights off just as it rounded the corner. Warily, Vance stepped back further into the shadows and watched as the truck pulled to a stop several houses up the street. Shaking his head, he watched a tall figure climb out of the truck and walk up the street, until stopping in front of the same white two-story house. Vance tensed as he watched the man look around, and then creep up the driveway, heading for the back of the house.

Once the man was out of sight, Vance waited a moment, making sure none of the neighbors appeared to take notice, then he made his way accross the street and around to the back of the house. Looking cautiously around the corner, Vance just caught sight of the back door closing, the intruder obviously taking great pains in being quiet. Feeling like the proverbial Peeping Tom, he watched the man through the windows until he came to a stop in what appeared to be the living room. Vance hesitated, as the man did not seem in a hurry, nor did he appear to be looking for anything, however he tensed again when he saw the young woman from before creeping up on the man with a vase in hand. She stopped just behind the man, yelled briefly, and then appeared to relax a bit as they started in conversation. It then became obvious to Vance that the two knew each other, and felt that, as this was none of his business, he could be of more use elsewhere. He turned from the house and made his way back up the driveway, prepared to make his way back toward the business district.

Just as he got to the end of the driveway, however, he heard a brief scream. Muffled and short, but unmistakeable, and he turned and dashed for the back door. Bursting in, he saw the woman struggling, pinned beneath the man on the sofa, whose intent rapidly became clear to Vance. Eyes darting around, he spied the discarded vase sitting on a side table. Grabbing it as he strode by, he raised it and without hesitation, brought it down heavily on the back of the man's head. Immediately, he stopped moving and dropped heavily upon the woman. Reaching down, he pulled the man off of the crying and near-hysterical girl, and without ceremony, dropped him to the floor.

Vance's eyes locked with the terrified orbs of the woman who was just nearly raped, and he raised his hands up, showing them empty after dropping the vase.

"I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to help. Are you okay?" He asked her in a deep voice.

 

[Leetah]

The slap stunned Angelique into silence for several seconds. Not only did it hurt, it surprised her as well, although she realized dimly that it shouldn't. Any man who would force himself on a woman was capable of anything. Everything came into sharp focus suddenly, as she felt Leonard tugging the zipper of her jeans, and she began fighting him for all she worth, desperate to get him off of her. She was crying by this time, from the pain of the slap, as well as the situation itself. She didn't want to be raped, but most of all, the thought of being raped by this particular man was more than she could stand.

Suddenly, Leonard's eyes rolled back into his head, and he fell heavily upon her. The next thing she knew, another man was pulling the limp body off hers, and letting it thump to floor. The newcomer's eyes met her own. She could not stop crying. She didn't know this man, and didn't know what his intentions might be. She watched as he dropped the vase and held up his empty hands, not moving any closer to her.

"I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to help. Are you okay?"

His voice was deep and rich, very soothing. Angelique was unable to do anything but stare at him, still weeping, for several minutes. Finally, she raised herself into a sitting position, and managed to answer him. "I...I'm...yes...." Her brain would not seem to work correctly. "Who...how..." She gestured toward Leonard's body without looking at it, not taking her eyes off the man. She stopped trying to speak for a moment, twisting her hands in her lap. She was not even aware at the moment that her flannel shirt lay open, exposing most of her breasts.

Attempting to collect herself a bit, she began again. "I should...I should..." Unable to find the words she needed, she suddenly wrapped her arms around herself, trembling violently. A couple of locks of hair fell over her heart-shaped face, and she suddenly looked like a lost child.

 

[Knightchylde]

Vance looked at the girl, sorrow reflected in his dark eyes. Standing at 6'2", and weighing in at a very muscular 230 pounds, he knew he was not exactly a comforting sight for the frightened girl. He dropped down to his knees slowly, holding one hand in front of him, palm toward her, dropping the other to his side.

"It's going to be alright. You're safe now. I heard a noise from the street and came to help is all. I'm going to leave now, and you can call the police and let all this be put behind you, okay?"

Seeing her sitting there trembling, however, Vance could not bring himself to move just yet. He knew that at this moment, she was incapable of handling the situation alone.

His thoughts were a jumble as he attempted to figure out a way to make sure she would be okay while trying to remove himself from the situation as quickly as possible.

Plus, he was beginning to have another problem. The adrenaline and excitement produced by the situation, accompanied by the fact that this beautiful woman sat before him nearly half naked, were combining to give him the beginnings of an erection. Another reason that he knelt down, in fact, was to hide that from her.

"That's all she needs," he thought "to be saved from one rapist, while, to her eyes, being confronted by yet another".

"It'll be okay, you just need to calm down" he spoke soothingly, but with increasing anxiety. The longer he stayed there, the less time the other man would remain unconscious, and if he woke up before the police arrived, that would only complicate matters further.

He had to think of something.

 

[Leetah]

Angelique watched the tall man very carefully as he knelt before her. He spoke soothingly to her, and the timbre of his voice was deep and rich. She could not seem to stop trembling, no matter how gentle he seemed. She found, surprisingly enough, she wasn't really afraid of him, although she didn't even know who he was.

"It'll be okay, you just need to calm down." His voice was gentle, but she sensed an underlying tension in him. She saw him glance down at Leonard's body, as if he were trying to decide what to do next. She knew she should probably call the police, but she didn't seem to be able to rise from her seat. She was almost afraid to call them, for Leonard had some good friends on the force, and she wasn't sure just how they would handle the situation. Her green eyes filled with tears again, just as she'd almost managed to stop crying.

Finding her voice again at last, Angelique said "Please...I don't even know your name. I'd like to be able to thank the person that rescued me. I'm Angelique Morgan." Swallowing hard, against the lump in her throat, she continued "I'm not sure about calling the police...this man has some friends on the force and....well...I just don't know...." Pausing again, she suddenly blurted out "Could you please not leave me alone for now? I don't think I can stand it..."

The man had not yet spoken, just listening to her quietly, and then she became aware of the draft on her bare skin. Her eyes widened as she realized that for several minutes, this total stranger had had an almost unobstructed view of her breasts. Only the nipples had managed to stay covered, and the way they were now perking against the chill air in the room, they wouldn't be long. Flushing with embarassment, Angelique pulled the shirt closed across her chest, and then looked desperately into his eyes to see what his answer would be.

 

[Knightchylde]

Vance sighed heavily at the girl's revelation that this intruder had friends on the police force. That only complicated matters, and was something he had never expected to encounter. Keeping his hands up, he glanced nervously at the man on the floor, trying to figure out what to do. It was obvious that this would not be as easy as he had hoped.

As the girl addressed him, he gathered that she was, though naturally hesitant, not afraid of him. At her realization of her own exposed state, he looked away, embarassed, trying to allow her the freedom to compose herself without him leering at her with a growing interest he was finding all the more difficult to ignore. Still kneeling on the floor, he turned his attention once more to the unconscious man, concerned about how the situation was rapidly growing worse.

Still trying to keep his eyes averted, he spoke slowly to her, still trying to formulate a plan as he spoke. "My name is not important. What is important is that this man will probably not be out for too long of a time, and if his connections in the police prevent us from calling them, we have to do something."

Suddenly, his head snapped up and he looked at her directly once more as his course became a bit clearer. The only logical choice was "We have to get you out of here. Buy some time until we can figure out a way to get this guy out of your life."

He smiled at her, a bit excited that he had formulated some sort of plan. Suddenly, however, he realized that she was still uncovered and merely sat there, looking at him like a frightened child, trembling. His heart ached and without thinking, he reached out his arms to her.

 

[Leetah]

Angelique listened to this handsome stranger's words, finding it all still very hard to comprehend. This was not a situation one found themselves in every day. She was slightly amazed when the man averted his gaze from her uncovered breasts. That was not the usual behaviour of most men. She watched as he turned to look at Leonard again. She could tell he had been frustrated by her news that the slimeball had friends in high places. She was frustrated by it herself, after all.

"My name is not important. What is important is that this man will probably not be out for too long of a time, and if his connections in the police prevent us from calling them, we have to do something."

Angelique felt her fear and frustration mount again, and absent-mindedly she loosened her hold on her shirt, letting it fall open again. His name was important to her, damn it! Before she could speak, his eyes met hers once again, a light dawning in them.

"We have to get you out of here. Buy some time until we can figure out a way to get this guy out of your life."

His smile was warm and appealing, but she just sat dumbly and stared at him, hating the fact that she felt so incapable of coping at the moment. How could she leave? Where would she go? Tears welled up in her eyes again, despite her efforts to contain them. She was trembling again. Suddenly, the man kneeling before her opened his arms to her. It was so like something Frank would have done, that she lost the last shred of composure she possessed. She crumpled into his arms, falling off the sofa and causing the both of them to sit on the floor. As she wept against his chest, she felt his arms holding her and absurdly she felt safe.

Angelique could hardly believe that she was seeking comfort from this man...this intruder whom she did not know...who would not even give her his name. Yet, for the first time since Frank had died, she felt that perhaps things might work out. This man simply held her on his lap and let her cry. She felt his hands smooth over her back, as if she were a child and she realized she felt like one. Her tears began to lessen at last, but still she clung to him as if she were drowning and he was a life preserver. She found herself feeling an odd lack of embarrassment at her behaviour, somehow knowing he would understand.

Finally, she raised her head and looked up at him. "I...I'm sorry. I just....it's been very difficult, and this is the last straw. Won't you please tell me your name, now that I've managed to soak your shirt?" She offered him a wan smile.

 

[Knightchylde]

"v-Vance . . . my, er, my name is Vance"

I looked down at this lovely creature weeping against his chest, and nearly felt his heart breaking. He had never even met her before tonight, but felt compelled to protect her, to comfort her, to . . . love her. That last thought hit him like a sledgehammer in the chest, causing him to loosen his hold and begin to back away. But, feeling her hands cling to him even tighter at the slightest loosening of his grip, he held her close once more, looking down at her tear-streaked face, unable to help but notice her soft breasts pressing into his chest.

Finally giving in to the moment, he allowed his hands to stroke her back, and, more tentatively, her hair . . . holding her tightly against him . . . feeling her crying ebb, realizing suddenly that she now seemed content simply to hold him. They both seemed to pause at the same moment and he watched as she leaned her head back slightly . . . eyes boring into his . . .

 

[Leetah]

"V-Vance . . . my, er, my name is Vance."

His deep voice shook slightly, and Angelique wondered why. He was still holding her very gently, but firmly, his hands continuing to wander over her back and through her hair, although he seemed unsure if he should touch her that way or not. She couldn't seem to let go of him. Having a man hold her this way again felt more wonderful than she wanted to allow herself to believe. She felt safe again for the first time since she could remember. She tilted her head back to look up at him...and his dark eyes locked with hers. She felt her breath catch in her throat, and her heart was pounding suddenly, but not from fear this time. Something else was stealing over her.

Angelique wet her lips unconsciously, unable to look away from Vance's eyes. She found herself drawn to him in a way she couldn't explain. Suprising both of them, she slid a hand behind his head and pulled his startled lips down to her own. The kiss was light and she did not linger, but his lips were warm and a jolt went through her body at their touch. Shaken, she pulled back looking at him again, her eyes wide, seeing that he looked as stunned as she felt. Her fingers went up to touch her lips. "I..." she started to say, but then there was a groan from the man laying on the floor near them.

 

[Leetah]

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