Beyond Repair

Summary – this is a ‘first time’ story. ;)

Spoilers – well…No, unless you haven’t seen Beyond Repair or have no clue who Sandy Lopez is.

Rating – strong R

Disclaimer - Constant C, John Wells and NBC own all these characters ( – and I even usurped some of their

dialogue…heehee)

Kerry followed her inside, almost falling into her. They had been drinking and she was slightly tipsy.

The apartment was small but nice and well furnished. Kerry took in her surroundings, the dark sofa with dark wood end and coffee tables, the window with exotic, multi-colored minblinds, the small collection of pottery by the door and near the edge of the entranceways to what Kerry assumed was the kitchen and the one that led towards what she assumed was the bedroom.

“Nice place.” The redhead said simply before the firefighter regarded her.

“Really?” she said softly, shedding her jacket, turning on a nearby lamp. “It’s small.”

“It’s quaint.” Kerry added with a little smile.

They stood in silence for a moment before Sandy smiled to herself.

“What?” Kerry inquired gently, leaning on her crutch. “Do I have spinach dip on my face?”

Now, the other woman chuckled. “No.” She said regarding her. “But you seem nervous. If this was a bad idea then…”

Kerry shook her head. “No. Not a bad idea – just…” She shrugged. “Do you have any coffee?”

Sandy smiled again. “I’ll get it. In the meantime,” she called from her kitchen. “have a seat. It’s okay, really. That’s what my couch is there for.”

Kerry nodded and shed her own jacket before seating herself in the middle of the couch. It was extrememly soft and seemed to envelope her weary body. The doctor and the firefighter had spent a large part of their evening trying to find a suitable place to dine, then when they found it, it had been closing. After eating a rather quick dinner, they spent another hour looking for someplace to have a drink. When they stumbled upon the closest bar in walking distance, it turned out to be a straight bar where old men sat wearing Harley Davidson jackets and shooting pool and complaining about their ‘old ladies’. The thought made Kerry smile…or maybe it had been that third shot of tequila.

“Coffee’s on.” Sandy came back into the room, slipping out of her boots. “Get comfy, Dr. Weaver. I hate to think I’m ruining your evening.”

Now, it was Kerry’s turn to chuckle. “Nothing could ruin my evening after that rousing conversation we had with ‘Joe’ the truck driver.”

Sandy rolled her eyes, smirking. “Hey – it was your idea to go in there.”

Kerry snorted. “I was cold and tired of walking. At that point, I just needed a drink.”

“Well…I think that guy Joe had a little crush on you.”

Another snort from Kerry. “Great. I should have written his number down on the back of my hand.”

“Funny.” Sandy smiled at Kerry, taking a moment to watch her face, the porcelain skin, the professional demeanor, the reddish, well-kempt hair hanging at almost shoulder length. Her blue eyes had changed color three times in just the few short hours they’d been together - and that smile. Sandy sighed softly. Her smile was brilliant, shy, confident, covert – everything all in one. She was beautiful. Sandy still couldn’t get over the fact that she had returned her call.

“And it was you…” Kerry seemed lost in remembering the bar setting. “…who engaged that guy in an arm wrestle. That was…”

“We were dueling for the girl…in a sense.” Sandy joked, grinning and Kerry seemed at a loss for words before shrugging.

“Well…in that case, I’m glad you won.”

Sandy met her eyes briefly before standing. “I’ll get the coffee.” She disappeared again in the kitchen before calling out. “How do you take yours?”

“Umm…” Kerry had to think about this. “Black – with sugar, I guess.”

“You sure?” Sandy poked her head out of the doorway and regarded Kerry. The doctor blushed.

“Umm…yes.” She snorted a laugh as Sandy disappeared again with raised eyebrows and a wide grin. She was making fun of her, Kerry knew, but somehow, it didn’t matter. The only thing she could focus on now was the fluttering in her stomach. It had been quite some time since she had been ‘courted’ by another woman, and it still felt a little strange, a little…different. But Sandy was amazing. She was funny, intelligent, witty, gorgeous…Kerry lingered on that thought for a moment. God, was she beautiful. Her dark eyes were so deep and caring and honest, her wavy caramel-colored hair cascaded down her back in clouds of unbelievable softness, and her smile was dazzling – so bright, so beautiful, so welcoming. Kerry’s eyes drifted shut as she thought of her and she didn’t even hear the other woman return to the sitting room carrying two cups of the fresh java.

“You awake?” Sandy inquired gently, sitting next to Weaver handing her a mug.

The blush colored Kerry’s cheeks before she even realized what had happened. “I’m awake.” Eyes now open, she took the mug from her companion and glanced into its darkness. “Smells good.”

“Mountain Blend.” Sandy said, taking a sip and watching Kerry’s gaze dance lazily across the room as she sipped at her hot beverage.

Kerry chuckled, sitting her mug on the table. “I cannot believe how much I drank. I feel…” She met Sandy’s eyes. “ …I guess I feel a little …wild?”

Sandy raised her eybrows. “Uh Oh. Doctor Weaver feels wild – alert the presses. I think I may have missed it.”

Kerry’s face became a mask of mock-indignace. “You always make fun of your guests?”

Sandy smiled. “I’m joking. You’re the best company I’ve had in….God …like forever…”

Kerry nodded. “And was your last guest a…ummm…hopeful?”

Sandy laughed out loud. “You definitely have a playful streak in you.”

Kerry took another sip before responding. “Thank you…I think…”

Now, the women sat in comfortable silence until Sandy placed her mug on the table and regarded Weaver.

“So…tell me about your last…how did you put it?” Sandy searched for the words. “ ‘Hopeful’? ”

Kerry coughed once. “Do I have to?”

Sandy nodded without hesitation. “Yeah. It’s part of your initiation.”

“Ahhh…” Kerry rolled her eyes. “I didn’t know I was joining a sorority, but…”

Sandy raised her hands in front of her. “Well…when you put it like that, it almost sounds too painful to remember.”

Kerry raised an eyebrow. “Come to think of it…”

“Painful?” Sandy inquired and Kerry nodded.

“Yeah…a little.”

“Sorry.” Sandy scooted closer to Kerry. “Well…if she gave you up, then she must be insane.”

Kerry cleared her throat. “Are you trying to be charming or does it come natural?”

The firefighter was breathing in Kerry’s scent, sending shivers up the other woman’s spine. “You smell good. What are you wearing?”

Kerry swallowed deeply. “Umm…it’s french…”

Sandy was so close to Kerry’s neck now that she could feel her smile. “If I’m making you uncomfortable, I’ll back off, Kerry.”

The doctor shook her head lightly. “No. You’re fine.”

The feel of the other woman’s lips grazing her neck sent her pulse into an uncontrolled frenzy. She could almost feel her heart beating inside her chest, pounding against her ribcage. ‘Relax, Kerry…’ she told herself. ‘…you’ve done this before…’

It was so slow, so calculated. Each brush of Sandy’s mouth along her jugular was like a new awakening, and involuntarily, she felt her hands come up to close on her shoulders, drawing her closer.

‘Getting bold, are we Dr. Weaver?’ her inner voice chimed in as she got more lost in the firefighter’s kisses.

Now, she kissed her way up Kerry’s jaw and along her mandible finally stopping to pause when their eyes met. There was a spark of something playful, a question hovering between them, but Kerry didn’t want to talk. Her body had taken the lead. Leaning inward, she met Sandy in the middle for a kiss. It was soft, exploratory, but not forceful and not pushy – just nice. Appropriate considering it was only their first.

Sandy was the first to pull away, and Weaver felt a loss immediately when they parted.

“Sorry…” she said, clearing her throat. “…did I…”

Sandy shook her head, holding the other woman’s hands in her own. “No. You’re good. I just…I wanted to look at you.”

Kerry smiled, blushing. “You’re a good kisser.”

Now Sandy grinned, brushing strands of red hair out of Weaver’s face. “Better than you expected?”

The doctor frowned. “I dunno…” she leaned in again. “…lets try again, shall we?”

Now, their lips met, and this time, Weaver held the sides of Sandy’s face, holding her to her, using it as leverage to kiss deeper, explore more of the mouth, dipping in lightly with tongue. Sandy sighed and traced her fingers down the side of Kerry’s face and into the hair to scratch gently at the scalp.

Kerry definitely felt the arousal flood her senses as the firefighter pulled her closer, and she knew she was reaching a point of no return, but didn’t care.

When Sandy pulled out of the kiss this time, it was to trace a path down Kerry’s neck again and across the clavical, going dangerously close to the opening of her blouse, then back up towards her shoulder where she could get a glimpse of lavender bra-strap. At seeing just this tiny hint of the doctor’s undergarments, she felt the sharp pang of longing in the pit of her stomach and pulled back again.

“Kerry…I…”

The red head nodded, breathless. “I know…I…”

“I’m getting really…stirred up here…”

Kerry nodded again. “Yeah…well…we can see where it leads…”

Sandy touched her chin lightly and raised it so their eyes met. “I want you so bad right now Kerry…”

At those words, Kerry wrapped her arms around Sandy and kissed her deeply, mouth wide to allow her eager tongue entrance. Her hands were acting on pure impulse alone as she reached blindly for the buttons on Sandy’s blouse, slowly undoing them one by one as Sandy suckled her tongue and toyed with it hungrily.

This was their third meeting. Well, actually she had met Sandy Lopez weeks ago, but they had failed to call one another, playing a little of the phone tag game, talking whenever they could between shifts, having coffee once, dinner twice – and now, as Kerry realized she didn’t really know anything about her, it didn’t matter when she felt the woman’s hand gently grasp her breast through the thin material. She needed to soothe this ache in the pit of her stomach. She needed to cool this fire in her loins, and who better to put out a fire than a firefighter?

Sighing, she allowed the other woman to push her gently back onto the couch, kissing her sternum, reaching for the clasp of the bra. Their eyes met as she revealed Kerry to her and the cool air made the nipples stand out erect as if inviting her to them.

“You’re so beautiful, Kerry…” Sandy murmured before bending over her and kissing each breast lovingly. Kerry sighed and buried her hands in the forest of caramel waves that was her partner’s hair.

The kisses became urgent almost immedieatly as Sandy took a nipple between her lips and grazed it gently with her teeth. Kerry bit her lip and turned her head, feeling the warmth of a blush overtake her pale body. God, she couldn’t remember it feeling this good. The softness, the sweetness of another female body above hers, exploring hers, driving her slowly insane. She gasped out loud as her other nipple was suddenly assaulted by the warm mouth.

“Sandy…” she moaned as the other woman devoured her breasts, licking back and forth over her nipples, biting at the tender flesh around the nipples, cupping and lightly squeezing the entire breast. God, she was a breast woman, Kerry thought gleefully.

“Do you want to go to the bedroom?” Sandy asked in a hoarse voice, brushing the hair from Kerry’s face, noticing the light beads of perspiration there.

Kerry could only nod as she allowed herself to be pulled up into a sitting position.

Sandy took her hand and helped her up and into the bedroom.

It was dark and when Sandy found the lamp switch, she cleared her throat lightly.

“Sorry about the mess.” She murmured, gathering a pile of clothes off her bed and pushing them to the floor. “I went through about ten outfits for our date.”

Kerry hugged herself , grinning as she watched Sandy clearing the bed. “I guess in the end, it really didn’t matter what you wore.”

The latina glanced up at the redhead and smiled, realizing she had been without her shirt for a while now. She approached the doctor and took her into her arms. “I guess in the end, it really didn’t.” she murmured before claiming the sweet mouth with her own. They stood in the threshold, kissing, wrapping their arms tightly around each other, pressing their breasts together before Sandy broke away first.

“You.” She pulled Kerry farther into the room. “Bed. Now.”

Kerry raised her eyebrows, playfully. “Okay. Since you asked so nicely.”

The doctor lay back on the bed, anticipation overwhelming her as Sandy kneeled above her, bending down to claim her mouth for another long and passionate kiss. Kerry burried her fingers in the hair, slid her hands down the shoulders and down the muscled back, holding her close.

Her mouth trailed down to kiss the sienna skin, enjoying the warmth, feeling the fire. “Sandy…” she breathed against her left breast before biting at it through the sport bra.

The firefighter’s hands came up to push through the red hair, darkened in the twighlight, mussing it, giving Kerry a wild look as it fell across her face in animalistic disarry.

“God…” she moaned against Kerry’s neck. “…so sexy…”

Kerry felt her hands drift to the fly of Sandy’s jeans and unbuttoning and unzipping them slowly to reveal a pair of flannel boxers.

Now, the doctor raised her eyebrows and regarded Sandy with a grin. “This is just like in my dream.”

Sandy smirked, tickling Weaver’s stomach with light touches. “You dreamed about me?”

Kerry nodded. “Mmhmm.” She allowed her hands to linger at the edge of the boxers. “Only…you weren’t wearing quite this much clothing.”

Now, Sandy yelped as Kerry yanked the garment down her legs with one swift tug.

“Whoa…” Sandy chuckled, sliding them the rest of the way off. “…you’re a fiesty little thing, aren’t you?”

Kerry slid her hands up and down the now-naked thighs, marvelling in the sculpted muscle tone. “Who are you calling ‘little’?”

Sandy allowed most of her body to rest on Kerry and brought her face to within inches of the redhead’s.

“You okay?” she asked softly, settling between Weaver’s legs, adjusting to the soft material of her slacks.

“Mmhmm…” Kerry moaned, closing her eyes, enjoying the naked woman above her.

Sandy kissed her lips, then pulled away. “I want to make love to you.”

Kerry smiled through her arousal. “I thought that’s what we were planning…”

Sandy’s smile was sly as she kneeled again. “First, I have to get these pants off of you.”

Unbuttoning Kerry’s slacks, she pulled them slowly down and over her hips, dragging them down her legs with practiced care.

Now, Kerry wore only her lavender panties, and Sandy gazed down at her in awe.

“You’re amazing, Kerry.” She said softly, bending to kiss her, holding her breasts in her hands, kneading them gently. Kerry bit her lip, reaching up to trail a finger down Sandy’s torso as her own nipples pebbled in the firefighter’s palms.

Now, she allowed her finger to travel the length of her partner’s stomach, dipping inward and outward with ripples of ab muscle before getting to the navel and circling it, maddeningly slow. Sandy gasped lightly.

“That’s…nice…” she whispered laying down beside Kerry and running her own hand down the flat expanse of tummy before getting to the edge of lavender waistband and slipping just inside. Kerry’s eyes fluttered shut as she felt the fingers explore lower and tangle in her light dusting of red pubic hair.

“Mmm…” Kerry closed her eyes, exhaling unevenly as she felt the fingers slide between her lower lips, gliding easily inside her wellspring of slippery moisture.

“Sandy…” she whispered, reaching out to hold onto the arm that was flexing as she slowly drove her fingers in and out beneath the lavender panties, making the doctor roll her hips in time to the rhythm. “…mmm…yesss…”

The firefighter bent to kiss the other woman’s temple, her cheek, her lips, lingering there, dipping her tongue between the parted lips as Weaver suddenly kissed back, fiercly, sucking the tongue, licking the other woman’s tongue, still gyrating her hips slowly.

It went on like this for several minutes, Sandy toying with Weaver, until she found the hard nub and began to rub it lightly. Kerry raised her hips off the bed and moaned, loudly as Sandy concentrated on this spot, rubbing it, manipulating it with the aide of Kerry’s arousal.

“Oh…Oh…Oh God….” Kerry held the edge of the bed, tight, panting as she felt the orgasm take her to heights she had never been to before. It was like molten lava, shooting through her viens like heroin, straight from her loins and back again. As her eyes rolled back, she saw the smoldering face of the woman who had done this to her, and felt another tremor go through her body. Sandy’s hand was still nestled between her legs and she thought she’d surely die from sensory overload if she didn’t somehow remove that woman’s saint-like fingers.

Reaching downward, she withdrew the firefighter’s hand and let it rest against her tummy, which was rising and falling with her shallow breathing.

“Was that good?” Sandy whispered, kissing Kerry’s hair.

The doctor could only nod before exhaling slowly. “You… have to ask?”

The woman above her smiled brilliantly, tracing patterns on the sensitive tummy. “I want to see you naked.” She said and hooked her fingers into Weaver’s panties before sliding them down her hips and legs, tossing them aside.

“Better?” Kerry asked, still breathless but beginning to get restless again. She raised up on her elbow and faced Sandy. “That was incredible…I feel so…” she sighed. “…lets just say, I needed that.”

The firefighter chuckled and pulled Kerry to her, kissing her deeply before pulling back to regard her. “I love your skin against mine. You’re so…hot…”

Now, the doctor blushed and rolled on top of Sandy, straddling her hips. “I want to talk dirty to you.”

Sandy laughed. “How about you talk ‘doctor’ to me…”

Kerry raised her eyebrows. “Talk ‘doctor’ to you?”

The beautiful latina smiled and nodded. “Yeah…I wanna hear you use all those umm…fancy terms and stuff…”

Kerry rolled her eyes. “You don’t think I actually know any of that stuff do you?”

Sandy cocked her head, folding her arms behind her head, shifting a bit under the doctor’s light weight. “Talk doctor to me, Kerry.”

The redhead could only smile as she bent forward and kissed the other woman’s neck gently.

“Okay…” Sandy breathed, “What’s the technical term for that?”

Kerry murmured against her skin. “Sternocleidomastoideus trapezius.”

Wide eyed, Sandy snorted. “Come again?”

“Well…” Kerry continued her journey downward. “…you wanted to know.”

Now, she kissed just below her clavical and murmured. “Infraclavicular fossa…”

Sandy arched and brought one hand to tangle in Kerry’s silky red tresses as the doctor continued lower.

Planting an opened mouth kiss just above her breast, she murmured. “Pectoralis major…” Now, she avoided the hardening nipple as Sandy groaned beneath her and went on to kiss just below the soft mound. “Serratus anterior…” Her stomach. “Rectus abdominis…” Sandy was losing her cool…

“Kerry…” she moaned as the doctor continued her journey and torturous medical lesson.

Kissing steadily downward, she licked along the crease where her lover’s thigh met her hip. The act caused a tremor to shoot straight to her loins.

“The umm…” Kerry was speaking against the other woman’s thigh and Sandy had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. “…anterior superior…um…something…I forgot…”

Now, she dragged her tongue slowly downward, following the crease until she got to the soft bush, glistening with the juices of her arousal, but to the firefighter’s dismay, she avoided the aching center.

“Kerry…” It was a whimpering plea, and Kerry had to stifle the chuckle by kissing the outside of the opposite thigh.

“Tensor fasciae latae…” the red hair was spread against the slender dark thigh, and Sandy thought she might pass out from need until Kerry slowly moved inward. “…adductores…”

“Kerry…please…” Sandy grasped handfuls of red silk in her hands, arching her back, willing the other woman to touch her, when out of the blue, she felt the soft warm hand brush against her sex, lightly. “Oh God…”

Kerry smiled as she ran her hand over the hair and brought her mouth down to kiss it, almost too lightly.

“Kerry!” Sandy arched, covering her eyes with her arm. “God…don’t do this to me…”

The doctor grinned to herself. “You still want ‘doctor’ talk?”

The other woman shook her head. “Touch me, Kerry…do it…please…” It was a breathy sob as Kerry bent her head and obliged, spreading the wet folds with her fingers before licking straight up the slit.

Sandy raised her hips and released Kerry’s hair, her hands grasping the matress, tugging off the fitted sheet. “Mmm…Kerry…”

Weaver continued her assault, licking slowly, savoring the other woman while her free hand reached up to tug at a pebbling dark nipple. This was something she had missed. The taste of another woman, the feel of a woman beneath her, writhing against her, calling out her name, sighing as they made love. The thought alone made her redouble her efforts as she stroked the other woman’s nub with her tongue, caressing it lighly.

Sandy arched her slender body against the doctor’s skillful tongue, desperate to hang onto the pleasure she brought. “Kerry…yeah….God…” she moaned softly, moving her hips in time to Kerry’s strokes. Her mouth coupled with the squeezing and teasing of her nipples caused Sandy to cry out and shudder as the beginnings of her orgasm coursed through her body like a warm electric pulse, but the doctor didn’t let up.

With her other hand, she released the thigh draped lazily over her shoulder and used that hand to insert two fingers into the tight canal, causing her Intimate firefighter to cry out and grasp her hair again.

“Kerry….Ahhhh….baby, yes…” She sang as her eyes rolled back in her head and the orgasm became coital and long while Kerry’s probing digits found her g-spot and manipulated it roughly as searing waves of pleasure washed over her body like hot liquid passion. God, Kerry was good.

Coming down from her heights, she sank against the bed and was enveloped in Kerry’s warm embrace.

The doctor kissed the firefighter’s lips as she stroked the hair and touched her skin, lightly tracing patterns against her stomach, noticing the light tremors making the muscles dance almost imperceptibly.

“Kerry…” the voice sounded so rich, so fulfilled. Kerry blushed in spite of herself.

“I’m here.” She responded as the arms came up to encircle her and pull her closer.

“Kerry…you…” Sandy chuckled, kissing the other woman’s brow. “…you told me you were new at this…”

The redhead smiled and said softly. “I picked up a few things.”

Sandy chuckled again, rolling her eyes. “Mmm hmm, Weaver. Whatever you say.”

Kerry reached down and pulled the sheet over them as she settled back into the arms of her new lover. “Is this what contentment feels like?”

Sandy seemed taken aback by the question before she replied. “Well – if you don’t know…then I’ll just have to teach you.”

Kerry smiled and they snuggled beneath the blankets, falling into one another, sharing the same dream of waking in each other’s arms.

Morning came over Sandy like a sudden afterthought as she woke, somewhat disoriented before glancing next to her and seeing the sleeping redhead, lightly snoring.

She smiled and touched her hair, softly so as not to wake her then got up to pull on her boxers and a discarded tank top from last night. Freezing from the early morning cold, she decided to start a pot of coffee and found herself racing to get back to the bed in seconds flat before the air could catch her with its mid-winter chill.

Jumping beneath the covers, she instinctively curled alongside Weaver who jumped up with a start.

“OOOh!” she sat straight up in bed, wide eyed. “Your feet…are like ice…”

Sandy smirked. “Sorry. I put on some coffee.”

Kerry smiled and stretched a bit, snuggling back down next to Lopez. “What time is it?”

“About seven thirty.”

Weaver nodded, contentedly. “MmmHmm.”

Sandy scooted closer to the doctor. “You sleep okay?”

Kerry nodded. “Yeah – you?”

Sandy raised an eyebrow. “Yeah – except for the snoring…”

“Ahh…I don’t snore.” Declared Weaver, a mask of seriousness on her face.

“Yeah right …” Sandy teased. “ – like a truck driver…”

Kerry shook her head, smiling even as she was denying the accusation. “I don’t snore.”

Now, Sandy closed her eyes, snoring loudly, imitating Weaver who rolled her eyes. “Stop it.” She said it like she was addressing an annoying child who was actually amusing her somewhat, but Sandy continued with her snores and even got louder. “Okay…” Weaver, who had had enough and was blushing profusely decided to quiet the firefighter by stuffing the nearest pillow over her face.

“Oh No!” Sandy shouted playfully, as Weaver pushed the pillow onto her face.

“Oh yeah…” Sandy threw off the pillow and tackled Weaver, snoring and giggling against her neck as Weaver giggled and laughed and pulled her close, bringing the comforter over them.

“Okay…okay…” Kerry finally said through her laughs. “I give…”

Sandy stopped and looked down at her. “You give?”

Kerry nodded, innocently. “Yeah…I give…” she said and added under her breath. “ - and I don’t snore.”

Sandy kissed her gently and hugged her tightly. “I don’t mind if you do – it’s cute.”

Kerry sighed, pulling the woman closer. “I don’t want to go to work. I want to stay here in bed with you all day.”

Sandy nuzzled her neck. “So don’t go.”

Kerry rolled her eyes, sighing. “I wish it were that simple.” Stroking the dark hair, she smirked. “I guess I could call in late – I don’t do it often.”

Sandy regarded her. “So, do it today…”

Feeling the firefighter settle between her legs, she ran her hands up her slim form. “Somehow… you’ve convinced me…” she said, wrapping her legs around the other woman.

“Oh…have I?” Sandy snuggled between Weaver’s thighs. “I wonder how I did that.”

Kerry arched against the other woman. “Mmm…or maybe I’ll just be late.”

Sandy chuckled against her. “That’s always an option.”

Now, as the smoldering latina began her lovemaking preliminaries, she heard Kerry sigh beneath her.

“You make me so happy…” her voice trailed off. “…but for how long?”

Sandy brushed loose red locks from her face and gazed down into twin pools of blue uncertainty.

“I can make you happy for as long as you want, Kerry.” She said softly, still stroking the hair. “But you have to want it.”

Now, Kerry hugged the woman to her, losing herself in the words, in the promise. “I want it.” She whispered as the other woman showered her with more affection, and she basked in the knowledge that maybe this time, contentment would meet her in the middle.

FIN