Incest/Taboo Nolan and Jessica

All characters are at least 18. This is a rewrite of a story that I had on here before, so there's no need for you to accuse me of plagiarism.

Jessica was cold and shivering despite piling several old blankets onto the bed. It was winter and the old farmhouse was cold, especially since the electricity had been turned off. The woodpile was getting very low, Jessica had noticed that evening when she got home from school. What would they do when they were completely out of wood? She managed to build a fire in the lone fireplace in the house each morning, but she was hesitant to build another fire when she got home from school because she didn't want to use the small amount of wood that they had left.

Her father, Marty, was often not at home for days on end. When he was there, he was usually too drunk, or high, to get a good fire going. He usually bought a few groceries once a week, but not nearly enough to keep Jessica from being hungry. With no electricity, they had practically no perishable goods. Jessica usually ate some bread and, on rare occasions, a banana for breakfast. At night she usually went hungry, but sometimes opened a can of soup and ate directly from the can. The lunches at school were almost unpalatable, but they were free and she forced them down. She sometimes wrapped part of it in a napkin and brought it home for her supper.

Jessica Smithson had just turned 18. She was a Junior in high school, the oldest in her class. She had missed so much school over the past couple of years that she could not pass her course work. She should be graduating this year. She was so withdrawn that she had lost all of her friends. The teachers had shown concern for her, but she was unwilling to admit to anyone the horrendous conditions in which she lived. She often walked a mile down the road to catch a ride to school with a neighbor, but refused to discuss the situation at home.

It had not always been this way. When Jessica was a Freshman, 3 years previously, she had been among the top students in her class. Her older brother, Nolan, had been valedictorian of his class that year and was a popular athlete in both football and basketball. He had gotten an academic scholarship and moved 200 miles away to go to college. All of that happened before anyone, including Nolan, knew that their parents, Marty and Beth Smithson, were both addicted to prescription drugs.

Shortly after Nolan moved away to college, their mother began staying out all night several times a week. Their father, Marty, drank every night. Jessica gave him a wide berth. He had been such a kind, gentle man when she was younger, but now he yelled at her and was verbally abusive in other ways, as well. He often called her names, like "bitch" and "little slut". This puzzled Jessica, for she had never even had sex, nor had she ever even come close to doing so. She had never even been kissed. She had never had a date. She had become scared of her father and tried to stay away from him.

After a few months, Beth had been arrested for breaking and entering. When the police searched her car, they found stolen property. Apparently, Beth would drive to homes in isolated areas and, if no one was home, she would break in and search for pain pills or valuables that she could pawn. Jessica was shocked, having never suspected that her sweet mother was capable of such things. Her mother was a beautiful woman and had brought her children up to go to church, to read their Bibles every day, and to practice the Golden Rule. Then, almost overnight, she had changed. They quit attending church, although Jessica sometimes got a ride from a family who attended their congregation. Jessica started noticing that her parents drank in front of her, as if they no longer cared that they might be setting a bad example. They had taught her and Nolan that drinking was a vice. Jessica couldn't understand why anyone would want to drink or do drugs.

When Jessica was in the eighth grade, her father had an accident at work, injuring his back. He had several operations, but was still in constant pain. He was put on disability and soon was addicted to pain pills. During this period of time, Beth slipped on ice and hurt her hip. The doctor gave her a prescription for pain meds, but refused to continue to refill them. She was still in pain, so used her husband's pain medicine. She soon recovered from her injury, but was addicted to the pills. Her husband's prescription was not enough to satisfy their addictions, so they started buying them from drug dealers. Her addiction became so pronounced that she lost her job. Soon, practically all their income went toward providing themselves with pain pills and alcohol. Nolan had moved away to college, leaving Jessica at home, but almost totally ignored.

Beth wrote letters to Jessica from jail. She explained to her how she had gotten addicted to pain pills and had become so desperate to feed her addiction that nothing else mattered. She had broken into homes to search for drugs and to find valuables to sell.

Marty's income consisted of a disability check. Jessica wondered if they were not eligible for other relief, but when she mentioned it to Marty he had become enraged and she was actually fearful that he might strike her - something that he had never done.

Jessica had never thought of herself as anything special. She was 5-10, and had always been lanky and thin, but she had been pretty. She had very dark, almost black, straight hair and brown eyes. Many people told her that she resembled Tina Fey, but her hair was much darker and she was a lot taller. Two years of malnutrition had changed her looks. She was now painfully thin, her hair lacked luster and her face looked shriveled. Nobody ever told her that she was cute or pretty like they once had.

As Jessica lay in her cold bed, shivering, alone in the old farmhouse, she realized that she had to act. She was hungry and cold. If there was a real cold-snap, she might actually freeze to death, she feared. She had been reluctant to tell anyone what was going on, but her clothes were ragged and it was difficult to stay clean with no electricity. She carried buckets of water from a stream that they used for drinking water and to bathe. She had asked her father to buy bottled water to drink, but he had ignored her. She was thankful that she could shower after P.E. class at school. It seemed such a luxury.

The next day she entered the office of the Guidance Counselor, Miss Watson. She was a kind, middle-aged woman that had, several times, tried to talk to Jessica about her situation. Everyone, of course, knew that Beth was in jail. Jessica was obviously depressed and looked haggard, unkempt, and had obviously lost weight.

"Hey, Jesse! Come in," Miss Watson said as she closed the door and Jessica sat down. "What's up, Honey?"

Tears began to stream down Jessica's face. She sniffled, wiped her face, blew her nose, and said, "Miss Watson, I was wondering if you would let me use your phone to call my brother?"

Miss Watson regarded her with concern. "Jessica, do you not have a phone at your house? Not a landline or a cellphone?"

Jessica ducked her head, unable to look her in the eyes. She shook her head, but offered no explanation.

Miss Watson got up and sat in a chair next to Jessica, taking her hand and stroking it kindly. "Jesse, you know that we are here to help you, don't you? We WANT to help you, Honey." Tears came into her own eyes.

Jessica suddenly looked directly in her eyes and jerked her hand away. "I just want to use the phone. Is that too much to ask?" she demanded.

Taken aback, Miss Watson paused for a minute, studying Jessica's face. "Of course you can use my phone, Honey. I'll just step out. How long do you need? Is 5 minutes enough?"

Jessica nodded. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"No, it's okay, Jesse. I know you're going through a tough time. I wish you would talk to me about it. That's my job, you know," she said as she got up and walked to the door, opening it.

"Thank you," Jessica nodded. Miss Watson closed the door as she stepped out into the hall.

Jessica called her brother's cellphone and informed him of her situation. She apologized over and over for bothering him. Nolan was not aware that she and their Dad were living without electricity and running water. He knew, of course, that their mother was in jail and was very aware of Marty's addictions. He promised Jessica that he would see what he could do.

Nolan was extremely upset by the phone call. He had been worried sick about Jessica. He had not heard from her in several weeks and had no way of calling them to check on what was going on. He had planned on calling a friend to ask him to drive out to the farm to check on his sister and father. What his sister told him was a shock. It made him fearful for her.

Nolan was a tall, handsome boy. He had just turned 21 years old and was a Junior in college, where he maintained almost a perfect average. He, like his sister, had dark brown hair, neatly trimmed and even darker brown, almost black, eyes. He had routinely lifted weights a couple of times a week since he first played football in Junior High school. He was no body builder, but he had a great physique and was widely admired by girls. Incredibly, however, despite having dated several girls, he had never had sex. He had been taught by his parents and Sunday School teachers that sex was something very special and wasn't just for recreation. Marriage, ideally, was the province of all sexual activity. He hadn't dedicated himself to "saving himself for marriage", but he totally subscribed to the idea that it would have to be with a very special person.

Nolan's favorite Bible verse was "whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might". He had excelled in football and basketball, not because he was a natural athlete, but because he worked at it diligently. He was the top student in his class in high school because he, unlike nearly all of the other students, dedicated himself to perfection in his homework and study. Whatever he did, he did it in the very best way he could. This sometimes cost him friendships in high school, but the teachers and adults, in general, admired him. Now, as he pondered what his little sister had just told him, he wondered what was the best way to handle this. In his heart, he felt he already knew. He went to his dorm room, read his Bible, which he did every single day, and prayed. He had gotten out of the habit of praying daily, but still believed in its efficacy. He knew what he had to do, now. He had known what the best course of action should be even as he hung up the phone with Jessica, but now it had been confirmed. He went to the administrative offices of the college, explained the situation, and withdrew from school. He was assured that his scholarship would remain in place if he returned to school within a year.

Nolan was soon packed and on his way home. He had called a few friends and explained his situation. Most of them told him that he was doing the right thing. There was nobody on earth that was more important to Nolan than his little sister. He had watched as their parents' neglect had changed her from a blossoming, intelligent, happy young girl to an unhappy, undernourished girl who was failing many of her classes. He felt great guilt that he had not put more effort in intervening on her behalf already. He knew that she was highly intelligent - way more intelligent that he was - and that it was just a crying shame that situations beyond her control had caused her to be a failure in school.

She had been so cute and pretty, her body beginning to develop in her young teen years, until, almost overnight, she wasn't attractive anymore. She was emaciated. She wore old, ill-fitting clothes. Most of her clothes now hung off of her because she had lost so much weight. She wore sweaters over the top of her clothes, hiding whatever curves that she might have had.

Nolan drove until late in the night, arriving at the farm after 10 PM. There were no lights at all. He wondered what they used for light. Candles? Lanterns? Flashlights? He used the flashlight on his cellphone to make his way to the front door. He managed to get the creaky front door open and noticed immediately that it was just as cold inside as it was outside. It was less than 40 degrees and he knew that there had been sub-freezing nights recently.

"Anybody home?" he yelled.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he heard his father reply. "Why aren't you at school?"

"Jessica called. She said that they've cut the utilities off. I came home to see what I can do," he replied as he made his way toward the living room where he heard his father's voice.

"What the hell are you gonna do about it? Are you working for the power company? Jessica needs to keep her damn mouth shut and get her lazy ass in gear and get a job."

Nolan shone his light on his father, who was reclined in his easy chair with several quilts piled on him. Liquor bottles littered the floor. "What was for supper, Dad? Did you cook, or did Jesse?"

"Shut the fuck up. You know there's nothing to eat here, you smart ass. I can't work. I can't do anything about it. Your whore mother got herself thrown in jail!" he shouted.

Nolan strode across the living room and grabbed his father by the collar. "Do not call my mother a whore! She did what she could to supply your drug habit, you useless old man!"

Marty pushed his son's hands away from him. "She stole shit to support your lazy sister. Spoiled brat! She's fucking 18 years old. She should be supporting ME - I'm disabled. Then she goes and tattles to you, as if you can come in here and straighten everything out! Well, what are you gonna do, Hoss?"

"Dad, please do not talk about Jessica that way. She is not at fault here. I am sorry that you had that accident and I know it took away your ability to support your family. I get it. As bad as things are, you can't lay blame on Jesse. She's a child. She's innocent!"

"Innocent my ass," Marty replied. "She's a selfish little bitch. 'Dad we're out of food', 'Dad we're out of wood', 'Dad we need this. Dad we need that!' She whines all the time instead of going and getting a job. She's pretty. She could strip or give blowjobs. She's young. Men will pay a lot for a teenager."

This enraged Nolan. He grabbed the bottom of the recliner and lifted it, turning it over and spilling his father into the floor. "Get up, old man. You're not going to talk about Jessica that way. You can say anything you want to about me, but not about her! Do you understand me?" he shouted as tears coursed down his cheeks.

"Ohhhh, oh fuck you've hurt my back," Marty moaned. "Son, help me up. Why the fuck did you have to show up here? Everything was going fine. Help me up!"

Nolan was so angry that he was on the verge of hyper-ventilating. He considered kicking his father. He was angry enough at that moment, he thought, to kill him.

Then he felt someone touch his back. Startled, he turned. He still held his cellphone in one hand. It momentarily blinded his sister, who stood there, wrapped in a blanket, visibly trembling.

"Jess," he said, then put his arms around her and held her to him. Her body shuddered as she wept. She didn't return his hug, but merely stood there allowing him to hold her, soaking in his love for her.

"Dad?" he said, through his own tears, "How can you have done this to her? How could you have neglected your own daughter for this long?"

Marty groaned, reaching behind him to indicate that his back was hurting. "You're a couple of spoiled, sniveling brats. You come in here and throw your own father in the floor. I am ashamed of both of you."

Nolan gently helped his father to his feet. "Dad, I should not have done that and I'm sorry. I was out of control," he said, as he placed the recliner back in its place. "I am here to try to help. Not just Jesse. You, too. I still love you, Dad. I want everything to be okay, again. Will you cooperate with me?"

Marty moaned as he took his place in the recliner again. "Just let me sleep. I'm tired," he said as he reached for his whiskey bottle and took a long draught. He reached for a bottle of pills, poured some into his hand and chased them with another swig.

"Dad, you're going to kill yourself with that stuff. We need to get you in rehab. Seriously," Nolan told him.

"Nah! Just let me sleep. We'll talk tomorrow," Marty said as he pulled the handle on his recliner and closed his eyes.

Nolan guided his sister back to her room and covered her with several blankets. He tucked her tightly and kissed her forehead. "Jess, everything will be okay. It may take me awhile, but I'm going to fix this. You're not going to live like this any longer. I'm so sorry for not being here for you sooner."

Jessica wrestled her arms out from under the covers and flung them around his neck. "Nolan, I love you so much!" she cried. "You're the only person on earth that I trust."

His sister's sniffling and tears broke his heart. Fresh tears coursed down his cheeks as he remembered the bright, pretty girl that his sister once was. Now she was scared and hungry. She clung to him as if she couldn't bear for him to ever leave her.

"Get up, Jess."

"What? Why?" she asked through her tears.

"Let's drive into town and get you something to eat. Have you eaten supper?" he asked.

"I can manage. I had a peanut butter sandwich," she told him.

"Come on, get up. We'll buy a few groceries, too. I'll go tomorrow and see if I can get the utilities turned back on."

Jessica got out from under the covers and, unashamed, took her pajamas off. Her back was to him, so Nolan couldn't see her breasts, but her legs and bottom were too skinny. He could easily count her ribs. She pulled a bra on and turned to face him. The bra was way too big for her. Nolan figured that the bra probably fit her well before she lost so much weight. Even before he had moved away, she had shapely breasts and a nice figure; he hoped that her body could recover. He was going to make sure that she had enough to eat from now on. He would make sure that she was warm and safe. He would get her out of this environment where she was suffering verbal abuse.

They drove into town and ate fast food in the car. Only drive-throughs were open at that late hour. Jessica ate two hamburgers, a large order of fries, and a large milkshake. "This will probably make me sick," she observed. "I'm not used to eating this much."

"I hope not, Jess," he said as he reached and stroked her face. She was still pretty, even though she was emaciated, he thought. Her face hadn't suffered as much as the rest of her body. She wasn't as pretty as she used to be, but she was still the same cute girl that he remembered from before her world collapsed.

She smiled as she grasped his hand. "I knew you would save me," she said as, once again, tears poured down her face. "You're the best person I've ever known, Nolan."

Nolan couldn't keep his emotions under control. He wept, his muscular chest heaving. "I'm so sorry, Jess. I was worried about you, but I should have been here taking care of you."

Jessica pulled his head to her chest, kissing his face over and over. "I love you so much!" she keened over and over through her own tears.

"I'm going to take care of you, Jess," he sniffled.

"I'm gonna let you!" she laughed through her tears.

They drove to a grocery store and picked up several staples, things that didn't need refrigeration. Then they drove back out to the farm. Jessica lit a candle in her room and another in Nolan's. She reminded him that, if he needed to use the bathroom, that he would have to do it outside because there was no running water. They had bought some bottled water and shared a bottle as they brushed their teeth. Nolan had told her to stop drinking the water from the creek. It could make her sick.

Nolan once again tucked her under her covers, told her he loved her, and kissed her forehead. He then went to his own room, found a couple of extra blankets and was soon fast asleep.

He was awakened a couple of hours later. Jessica was touching his shoulder. "Nolan?" she whispered.

"What is it, Jess?" he muttered sleepily.

"I want to sleep with you," she stated.

It went through his mind that, in normal circumstances, this would be highly inappropriate. But he knew that this situation was not normal. His sister needed his comfort. She needed confirmation that she was loved. She needed to be warm.

"Crawl over. I've got my spot warm," he muttered.

Jessica climbed over her brother and managed to work herself underneath his covers. She was dressed in cotton pajamas, but Nolan was only dressed in boxer briefs. She turned her back to him and scooted against him.

Nolan placed his arm around her and pulled his little sister to him. She felt so boney, but she was soft and feminine and it felt good to hold her against him. She was so eager for his warmth, for his love, that he delighted in hugging her to him.

"You're warm!" she whispered. "This feels good! I have never been in bed with a man before - not since I was a little kid, anyway!" she giggled.

Nolan was pleased to hear her giggle. That told him that she was already feeling better. Her warm body felt good against him, too and, despite the fact that she was his sister, he felt his cock begin to stir. He was, after all, a man, and despite her emaciated condition, his sister was a woman. He tried to reposition himself, embarrassed that his body was betraying him - his mind and heart told him that he absolutely could not become aroused in this situation. It was wrong on every level. Yet, he loved her deeply and the warmth of her body and the softness of her curves were arousing, despite whether it was wrong or right.

"Nolan?" she whispered.

"Yes?"

"I want to kiss you."

"What? What do you mean?" he asked.

She rolled over so that she was facing him, her body laying partially on top of him, her face near his own. She leaned to him and pressed her lips to his.

"Jessica, what are you doing?" he gasped. He had to admit that her sweet kiss was very pleasant. But it wasn't appropriate! Not on the lips!

She kissed him again, just a few seconds of her lips pressed to his. "I just wanted to - is it okay? It just makes me happy!" she told him in a low voice.

"But Jesse, I'm your brother. Believe me, if you weren't my sister, I'd love to kiss you," he whispered, knowing that his cock was hardening because of his sister's sweet kisses.

"I've never kissed a boy before now," she admitted. She leaned forward and kissed him again, slightly more insistent this time. Nolan put his hand on the back of her head, holding her there as he returned her kiss.

"I like it," she gasped.

He could hear her heavy breathing. Was she turned on? He supposed that she might be. She had never been kissed. She was lonely. She hadn't had anyone express love to her in so long. Her actions were understandable. Still, he should not be a willing participant. He loved her, but not like this! He should not be kissing his sister. In fact, he should not have allowed her to sleep with him.

"Nolan? Did you like it?" she asked.

He could barely see the outline of her face in the dark. He could tell that she was gazing at him, her face mere inches from his own. Her leg was thrown over the top of him and she had to realize that his cock was fully hard now - but did she even know what that meant? What did she know? How naïve was she?

"We should not kiss, Jessica. Even if we want to. It's not right. It's incest," he managed to say, even though he was dying for her to kiss him again. Only that - nothing else. Her kiss was the sweetest of his life, despite the fact that she was his sister.

She giggled. "It's not incest to kiss!" She leaned forward and kissed him again, this time licking his lips gently. "I love you, Nolan. I don't know how to express it!" she gasped, her body trembling.

Jessica had never been this aroused. Sure, she masturbated from time to time, but she had never been in an intimate setting with a boy. Her brother was her hero - she didn't think she would ever love her own husband more than she did him. He had come to take care of her. He was going to make everything right. And now she was in bed with him. He was wearing almost nothing and his body was incredibly sexy. Her panties were so wet that she was afraid he might smell her arousal. She was thankful that she had gotten a shower at school that afternoon.

She could tell that he was also aroused. She could feel the outline of his hard penis. She didn't want to embarrass him and she certainly did not want to do anything sexual with him - but she imagined that if they were not brother and sister that they might have sex. That thought made her throbbing pussy even wetter. She longed to spread her legs and rub herself until she climaxed. She didn't want him to know how aroused she was. That would be awful.

She lay her cheek against his as she moved so that her body was practically on top of him. She could feel his hardness pressing against her hip and crotch. It was tremendously arousing and terrifying at the same time. Then she felt his hand on her butt. She almost orgasmed. She had never planned for anything this intimate to happen. She only wanted to kiss him. She was starved for affection and her young body had never experienced the intimate touch of a man.

Nolan could feel his sister's young body against his swollen cock. He couldn't tell for sure, but he thought that her crotch must be at that very spot. How delightful it would be to feel his sister's body against his own. Even in her emaciated state, his love for her drove his desire for her. She was so sweet. He rested his hand on her bottom. He heard her gasp and then she was kissing his lips again.

He kept his hand on her bottom as she began to move her hips, obviously rubbing her pajama-covered crotch against his swollen member. He kissed her, inserting his tongue into her mouth. Oh, she was so sweet! Her breath was warm and her mouth was delicious. He had never experienced a kiss that shot such bolts of pure lust through his body.

He began kissing her back. She rotated her hips, trying to rub her swollen clit against him, no longer caring if he knew what she was doing. She needed this. She knew that her wonderful brother loved her and that he would understand. His hand, massaging her bottom, was now moving her against him. She could feel his hardness as if they were both naked, despite the fact that she was wearing panties and pajamas and he was wearing boxer briefs. Her pussy was so wet, though, that her panties and pajama bottoms were drenched with her juices. How wonderful it would be to be totally naked with this magnificent man - her brother - and give herself to him!

Nolan began to rotate his own hips, rubbing himself against his sister. He used his hand on her bottom to guide her, making sure that her pussy was rubbing directly on his desire-hardened prick. They were now devouring each other's mouths. They both were striving to suck the tongue of the other. Nolan stuck his tongue into her mouth, reveling in the delicious taste of his sister's tongue, teeth, lips, and saliva.

Suddenly, she spasmed. "Oh Nolan! I love you!" she moaned as her orgasm overtook her. Nolan knew what was happening even though he had never experienced a female having an orgasm. He kept his cock pressed to her, rotating his hips to massage her pussy with his hard cock. She moaned and gasped. Her heart was beating so hard that he could feel it in his own chest. Her chest was heaving. Finally her climax abated. She kept her cheek against his, her mouth practically against his ear.

After a few minutes she lifted her head and delicately kissed his mouth again. "See, a kiss is not so bad," she whispered, then turned over and was soon fast asleep.

"Nolan, can you drive me to school?"

Jessica was gently shaking her brother to awaken him. "I'm gonna go get dressed if you can drive me. Otherwise, I don't have a ride."

Nolan opened his eyes. His sister stood before him dressed only in panties and a bra. She did not present a sexy sight. She was way too skinny. Even her panties were baggy. The bra was obviously too big for her, even though she was certainly not flat-chested. Her arms and legs were too skinny. Her stomach was flat, but lacked tone. He suddenly remembered what had happened the previous evening and wondered if it had been a dream.

"Go get dressed. I'll drive you. Go."

He then got climbed out of bed, dressed, went outside to pee, and made his way to her room. She was dressed but, again, her clothes didn't fit her well. She wore one of their mom's sweaters which, if anything, only made her look worse. Her hair was in disarray.

Nolan picked up a hairbrush and had her sit on the bed as he brushed her hair, giving it some shape. He then gathered it and pulled it into a pony tail. She looked ever so much better, he thought.

"Listen to me, Jess. I'm not chastising you, okay? But one of the first things you have to do is start taking pride in your appearance. You're a pretty girl!" he told her.

"I know, I know. Whatever your hand finds to do, and all that, right?" she smiled at him.

"Exactly. We're going to fatten you up and get you some new clothes. You're going to be the prettiest girl around," he told her as he kissed her forehead. "Of course you're already the prettiest to me!"

She beamed. "You're so sweet! I love you so much!"

Nolan drove them through McDonald's drive-through, making sure that Jessica got enough food for both breakfast and lunch. She actually seemed happy as she ate her breakfast as they drove to school.

Much to Jessica's surprise, Nolan parked and went into school with her. "You go on to class. I'm going to talk to the principal about something. Go on. I'll pick you up at 3:30, okay?"

The principal was Mr. Armstrong. He recognized Nolan and immediately asked him into his office. After a few minutes of small talk, Nolan said, "I am here to try and help my sister."

Mr. Armstrong looked very sad. "Yes. I understand that your folks are going through a rough patch."

Nolan considered how much he wanted to tell Mr. Armstrong. "Yes. Dad is disabled. Probably permanently. He's also addicted to pain medication, as is my mother. She's in jail; did you know that?"

"Yes, Nolan, I knew it. I want you to know how this saddens me. Your mother is a wonderful woman. I really believe that."

Nolan fought tears. Yes, his mother had been a wonderful person and he was convinced that she could be rehabilitated. "My concern is Jessica. I truly did not realize how bad things were at home. She hasn't eaten right in I don't know how long. The utilities have been cut off..."

"What? The utilities have been cut off? Isn't that against the law? Especially when it's this cold?" Mr. Armstrong asked.

"I really don't know the legalities of all of it. I feel like that there is government assistance available for which my father has not applied. I don't want to impose on you, sir, but I respect you and I wondered if I could reach out to you for help? I really hate to do that, but I am so worried about Jess..."

"Son, I guarantee you that those utilities will be turned back on. If not today, then tomorrow. I will personally see to it. I wish Jessica had told us this. I'll also ask around and see if there is more assistance available for your family. I'll call some churches, too. They're often able to give some help."

Nolan felt tears come into his eyes. This was a good man. The kind of man he wanted to be. The kind of man that tried to do good for others. "Sir, I am ashamed to ask for help..."

"Nolan! Do not be ashamed. This is not your doing, son. We all know you. We know your work ethic. We know that your daddy and mama raised you right, too. Addiction is a great evil. It has your folks in its grip. Your sister is the victim here. She's the main one we have to help. Agree?"

Nolan wiped at his eyes. "Mr. Armstrong, I appreciate any help you can give us. Jessica deserves better than this. She was a top student until all this happened. All her clothes are worn out, they're too big for her, and she looks like she just came out of a concentration camp."

Mr. Armstrong stood and reached for Nolan's hand, pulling him up. He put his arms around him and hugged him tight. "Son, everything will work out. Give me your cellphone number and I'll inform you what I find out."

Mr. Armstrong called Nolan that afternoon and informed him that the water and electricity would be turned on the following day. Unfortunately, the temperature was to be in the teens that evening. Mr. Armstrong offered to put them up in a hotel room, at his expense, but Nolan assured him that wasn't necessary. He also told him that his father was eligible for food stamps and, perhaps, other aide. He just had to get him to the correct office and fill out the paper work.

Meanwhile, Nolan had put in several job applications that day. After placing his applications at several grocery stores and fast food restaurants, all of which paid minimum wage, he decided he would visit the hardware store that was managed by the father of one of his best friends from high school. He was hired on the spot and the pay was substantially better than minimum wage. His hours would be flexible so that he could take his sister to school and pick her up at the end of the day. In fact, he was told, they could use her on weekends if she wanted a job.

Nolan was beaming when he picked Jessica up that afternoon. He stopped at the Sonic for hamburgers and ice cream and, unable to wait any longer, gave her all the good news. His sister was over-joyed and, with neither of them really thinking about it, she pulled him to her and kissed his lips.

Nolan ordered a large cheeseburger and an order of fries for their father. When they arrived home, he grabbed a bottle of water and took it into the living room to offer it to Marty.

His father was dozing. Probably drunk. "Dad? Wake up."

"What the hell do you want?" Marty demanded.

"I brought you something to eat. Want it?"

"No. I ain't hungry."

"When is the last time you ate a meal, Dad? You're going to kill yourself with all this drinking and no nutrition," he stated.

"Why the hell do you care? You'd be better off if I was dead."

"Dad, that's not true. I love you. I want to help you. Will you eat the food, please?"

Marty regarded him warily. "Son, how could you still love me after what I've done?"

"Dad, it wasn't your fault that you got hurt. Pain has a way of making us do things that are contrary to who we really are. Am I right? Dad?"

Marty took the sack. "I'm not sure I can eat this, Son. I've drank a lot. It was nice of you to bring it, though. Let me just set it down here and I'll try to eat it later. That okay?"

"Sure, Dad. By the way, the utilities are getting turned back on tomorrow," he stated matter-of-factly.

"How the hell did you manage that? I ain't got no money. I ain't accepting charity! You hear me?" he yelled.

"Dad, you've paid taxes all your life. Those taxes are used to help people who are down on their luck. That's how it works. You and I are going together, tomorrow, and see what other government aide you can get until you're back on your feet," Nolan told him.

"The hell we are. I ain't going nowhere."

Nolan chuckled. "Dad, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a lot bigger than you. I'll carry you to the car, put you in, and then carry you in. You can fight me, if you want. I'll win, and you'll be embarrassed."

Marty picked the sack up and reached in to procure a french fry. "You're a big man, now, huh?" he asked as he munched the fry. "This is pretty good, by the way. I wish we had fucking electricity so that we could throw them in the microwave!" He gazed at his son, then burst out laughing. "I'll think about it, okay?"

As predicted, the temperatures plummeted. Nolan took Jessica into town to eat. They went to an Italian restaurant where Jessica ordered spaghetti and Nolan ordered pizza. She finished her spaghetti, ate the bread that came with it, then accepted Nolan's offer to eat a couple of slices of his pizza.

"Sis, you look fatter already," he laughed.

"I seriously do need to gain weight. I just hope that, when I gain my weight back, that I can control my appetite. I don't want to be a fatty!" she said as she smiled at him.

"There's nobody in our family that is obese. Genetics pretty much decides if you'll be overweight or not," he remarked.

"Nolan?"

"Yeah, Jess?"

"I love you! More than anybody on earth!"

Nolan smiled. He had no doubt that his sister meant what she said. "I love you more than anyone on earth, too, Jess. I love you more than I love myself."

"See? When I think I can't love you any more than I already do, you say something like that. It just melts my heart," she said as she reached for a pizza crust that he had discarded.

On the way out of town, they noticed that the current temperature was 20 degrees.

"Brrrr," Jessica said. "It may get down to 10. I heard that today at school."

"Yeah, too bad that they're not getting the power back on until tomorrow," he replied.

"Well, that just gives us an excuse to sleep together again. It's way too cold to sleep alone," she muttered to herself.

"What was that?" he asked. It had sounded like she was asking to sleep with him again. Absolutely not. Not happening. No way.

Nolan waited until Jessica had enough time to get into bed before going in to tuck her in, as he had promised to do. He found her under several blankets, but she was shivering, nonetheless. There was enough moonlight that he could see her face in deep shadow. He took the tops of the blankets and tucked them tightly in around her shoulders.

"Good night, Jess. I love you," he said as he kissed her forehead.

"No, on the lips. Please?" she begged.

He saw no harm in it, particularly after what had happened the previous evening. What could it hurt? He leaned forward and kissed her soft lips. He let the kiss linger for a few seconds, not wanting to disappoint her - and not wanting to disappoint himself, either.

"Your kisses are so sweet," she murmured.

"I was thinking the same thing about you," he told her as she stroked her face.

"What if I wasn't your sister?" she asked.

Nolan could feel his cock beginning to harden. He was still somewhat aroused from the previous evening. He had thought about what had happened several times that day, and had considered jacking himself off. He felt guilty, though, so decided against it. He would jack off soon, when he had time, and when he could think about something other than his little sister.

"What if you weren't?" he replied.

"Would you want to date me? I mean, I know I don't look good, but would you like me enough to go out with me?"

"Jessica. You're beautiful to me. Stop saying that. Sure, you're a little underweight right now, but you're still gorgeous," he told her, meaning every word.

"You do always say the right thing. That's one reason I love you so much! But you didn't answer me. It's just hypothetical!"

"If I'm being honest, I don't know. I mean, I love you because I know you. I know how you are. I know your values. I know how pure and good you are. There's nothing about you that I don't love. I can't imagine meeting someone that I could love like I do you. Does that make sense?" he asked, afraid he was saying something that might offend her.

"It makes me feel good for you to say that. I would go out with you! You're so good looking, and you're kind and good. Everyone thinks so," she whispered.​