A Companion's Journey

Chapter 7 - Good News

The alarm clock jolted Rachel from her slumber. Her muscles protested as she stretched and remembered some of the vigorous activities from last night.

Rachel glanced at the clock.

"Shit!"

It was already 8:30 and she was supposed to start work at 9.

She flung the covers off and scampered out of bed quickly into the bathroom. She ran to her dresser and threw on the first set of clothes she could find. Rachel normally rushed through her morning routine, but this time she really was in a rush.

By the time she was dressed and ran a brush through her hair, the clock read 8:40. She grabbed her purse and briefcase, quickly checked to make sure she had her keys and was grabbing her jacket when she glanced back at the bed.

Karson's nose barely poked out from under the covers and Rachel could not help pausing for a second.

She smiled, crept over to the bed, and briefly pulled the cover back from his head. He looked adorable in his usual curled up sleeping position, and Rachel longed to stay and stroke his ears. She sighed softly and pushed those thoughts to the side as she reminded herself that if she were late she would have to work late.

"Love you, sleepyhead," she whispered and kissed his nose.

Then she rushed out to her car and on to work. The apartment was still once more as Karson snoozed under the covers.

Around 10, Karson came awake and crawled out of bed. He made a trip to the bathroom, got some water, and went about his routine of eating and exercising. By the time he finished, it was nearly noon. He decided to check his email and try to catch Rachel online.

The normal amount of forum notifications and the usual advertisements awaited him, but there was nothing from Rachel. Karson was rarely disappointed when she did not email him, but he always enjoyed getting a note from her. As his thoughts centered on his lover, the familiar doorbell chime of the messenger rang. He opened the waiting chat dialogue and Rachel greeted him.

Rachel: Hi sleepyhead. :D

Karson: Ya, sorry about that. I guess I stayed up pretty late. You did not seem to mind tho ;)

Rachel: Certainly not, Mr. Kuddles. Before I forget, I was 30 mins late to work, so I prob won't be home till 7

Karson: Do you want me to fix dinner again?

Rachel: No, silly, we're eating at the Bulldog tonight remember?

Karson: Oh, right. I will be ready to go when you get home then.

...

Rachel: Shoot! Sorry sweetie, I have to go. There is an unexpected conference call I have to attend. So much for lunch! TTYL LOVE YOU!!

Before he could even type a response she dropped offline. Karson sighed in real disappointment, but brightened at the thought of dinner later. It had been a few weeks since he saw Bobby or Molly. Karson decided to surf through some of the major news sights to pass the time.

After pulling up the first sight, he was immediately confronted with the headline: Companion Trial Date Set, Congress Still Silent. Karson clicked the link and quickly read the news story. According to the article, the prosecutors convinced the municipal court judge assigned to the case to proceed with the trial in spite of the fact there was no announcement regarding Companion Rights.

With the trial date set for the following Monday, Karson had a feeling it would be a long week. He sincerely hoped there would not be any further incidents to complicate matters. The article also went on to state that Beverly Augustus and Jefferson were under a gag order from the court, preventing them from making any further public statements. Karson knew that speculation would run wild on the forums and the news until the trial started. The final bit of news he gleaned from the article was the trial testimony would not be broadcast.