Babs’ New Year’s Resolution 78 ©Beverly Taff 2021

List of Characters.

Lola Smith Bab’s adopted trans daughter.
Callista Denton (Callie). Transgendered Duchess of Denton.
Margaret Denton (Maggie). Callie’s wife.
Molly Denton Callie’s grandmother
Ellie Denton Callie’s mother.
Bab’s Barbara Smith. Lola’s adoptive ‘Nana’
Olivia Smith Bab’s adopted daughter. (Excellent Artist.)
Angela Smith Bab’s newly adopted daughter
Erica Bab’s foster daughter.
Sergeant Bridie Davies Lady Police detective protecting the girls.
Sergeant Brian Davies. Bridie’s twin brother.
Inspector John, Heading up the anti-rape-gang operation.
Gareth Jenkins, Police office trained in firearms and protection.
Belinda Harrington Lola’s university girlfriend.
Aaron Talbot Surgical registrar – married to –
Shirley Talbot Lecturer at Local university.
Mickey Talbot Aaron and Shirley’s oldest son.
Jessica Talbot Aaron & Shirley’s middle daughter.
Bianca Talbot Aaron & Shirley’s youngest daughter.
Henry Denton Callie’s only son.
Charlotte Denton Callie’s only daughter.
Beverly Callie’s maternal great aunt (Ellie’s paternal aunt)
Wendy Smith Beverly’s Operations Manager for Hull
Louisa Wendy’s Daughter
Griselda & Mia Wendy’s younger twin daughters.
Susan Harvey Prosecution counsel advocating for Erica in court.
Han’s The German policeman’s son whom Erica really fancies.
Uncle Phillip CIA Agent.

Chapter 78

As Uncle Phillip left with his niece, Erica gave a long yawn.

“Eeehj! I’m tired, it must be the jet lag.”

Babs’ smiled and reciprocated the gesture.
“I think we’re all just about ready for bed. How about you lot?”

“We’re always ready for bed Nana,” Angie giggled as Olivia reached across their settee and pushed her toes between Angie’s thighs.”

“Lucky bloody you,” Lola sniffed, “my partner’s back in England.”

“All right! All right!” Babs censured them with a wag of her head. “No need to rub it in. Off to bed now all of you, I need my sleep.”

“Can I sleep with you Nan?” Erica pleaded.”

“If you must. It’s a big enough bed.”

“Having gained permission, Erica wasted no time and lunged for the bathroom before the others had even contemplated moving.”

“Sneaky bitch!” Olivia squealed as she struggled to extricate her toes from Angela’s thigh grip.

“Let her go,” Angela offered, ”Who goes last gets to shower longest.”
When Erica emerged, Ollie and Angie dived in together but such was their intentions to luxuriate on the huge double bed that each room provided, they wasted little time showering and forewent washing their hair. They emerged and smirked self-consciously before disappearing into their chosen room while leaving Lola stretched on the settee as Bab’s gazed at the view from the window.

“Seems it’s you or me next nana.”

“You go.” Babs’ conceded. “Your hair will take longer to dry. Besides, I want to give Erica time to get to sleep. She needs it.”

Lola nodded and finished her shower quickly in deference to Babs’ needing hers.

Finally, Babs’ had her shower and cautiously entered her bedroom. Erica was curled up into a tight foetal ball that left Babs plenty of space to climb into bed without disturbing her.

As always, when Erica shared her bed, Babs’ left a bedside light on low to reassure the girl if she woke up in the dark. In the soft, low glow, Babs’ slowly fell asleep but not before Erica had almost unconsciously uncurled and spooned herself into Bab’s embrace; there to resume her foetal curl.

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Sometime in the early morning about two o’clock Babs was disturbed by a whimpering and was surprised to find the room pitch dark. She groped blindly for the light and quickly realised the power was out. Her movement had caused Erica’s whimpering to increase.

“Nana!”

“Where are you babes?”

“O- over h- here!”

“Where’s ‘here’” Babs demanded.

“By the bathroom.”

Cautiously Babs felt her way towards the bathroom until her knee bumped into Erica’s shoulder. She reached down and felt Erica’s face only to realise from the damp tears that Erica was crying.

“They’ve switched off the electricity!” Erica squealed. “They’re coming for me!”

“I doubt it babes, the electricity has gone off, I expect it’ll be back on in a minute. Come back to bed.”

“I need a wee. Check the bathroom with me.”

“There’s no need to be frightened darling, but I’ll check it all the same.”

So saying, Babs’ felt her way in and groped around the small room before reassuring Erica that the bathroom was clear. Erica eventually followed her in and settled on the lavatory pan to relieve herself. Babs’ checked that the water was running and stood by the door in total darkness. Eventually Erica completed her ablutions and groped for Babs. Her hand caught Babs across the cheeks and Babs gently kept it pressed to her lips.

“Safe now; come on back to bed.”

Erica needed no encouragement and clung tightly onto Babs under the duvet.

“Why’s the electricity off. It’s been nearly an hour.” Erica shuddered as she spoke.

“I don’t know. I’ll phone the security block. My mobile’s in my handbag in the bottom drawer of the bedside table, let me go and I’ll be able to get it.”

Reluctantly, Erica slackened her embrace enough to let Babs roll over and reach into the bottom drawer. Soon the room was bathed in light from Babs’s mobile.
“Damn! I forgot about that!”

“What?” Babs asked.

“The light. The light on my phone. I should have remembered.”

“You were too stressed out I suppose. Those bastards must have really fucked you up!”

Now able to see, Erica plugged her portable micro-charger in and set her mobile to illuminate the room without blinding them.

“That’s better,” Babs exclaimed as she picked up the dressing table phone and confirmed with security.

After a brief conversation, she crept back into bed and savoured Erica’s body warmth for the room was already beginning to feel cold.

“It’s a general power outage. Everything’s off, lifts, heating, kitchens; everything. They say it could last a couple of hours or more. Most of the down town and the whole of this base including the suburbs outside.”

“A couple of hours!” Erica almost shrieked. “They don’t usually last more than a few minutes; like back home!”

“Things are different here.”

“Why?”

“I’ve no idea. We’d better ask Uncle Phil when he comes to collect us.”

“The whole downtown area as well.” Erica repeated disbelievingly. “How does that work?”

“As I said, I’ve no idea.” Every thing’s bigger in Texas, including their blackouts apparently.”

This ironic crack caused Erica to giggle and she squeezed tighter to Babs. Babs sighed with relief as she contemplated the damage Erica must have suffered at the hands of the rape gang. Being locked away in black holes must have been but one of the many different cruelties she had endured.

Eventually the dawn arrived but it was ten o’clock before the pair stirred and assembled in the military style canteen to meet the others. The air-force hostess explained that power outages often lasted several hours and revealed that they expected to have some hot coffee by noon. Apparently, outages in Texas were not unusual.

Amongst themselves, and very privately so as not to cause offence to their host, the girls concluded that some things about Texas were not always as they were portrayed. Power outages of nearly ten hours were almost unheard of in the UK unless there had been some sort of national catastrophe. They also learned that Texans were every bit as good as the Brits at complaining.

They later learned that the kitchens and accommodation facilities had been the last parts of the base to be connected to emergency generators, in typical military fashion. It was all about functionality first.
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