Three Square Meals Ch. 106

"Oh, okay," Jehanna said, looking disappointed.

The redhead turned off the bike and dismounted, then embraced the dusky reporter. "I don't want you living alone for years after we've settled down," she whispered in her ear. "You're part of our family now, you should come with us when it's time to pack in all the fighting. I promise I'll make you an unlimited amount of cool shit if you come with us to Maliri Space..."

"Ah, so you're trying to bribe me too..." Jehanna said, eagerly returning her hug.

Dana grinned at her. "Absolutely!"

"We all want you there," Alyssa said, wrapping her arms around Jehanna from behind. One of her hands delved down to Jehanna's lower belly and she caressed her skin with sensual swirls of her fingertips. *Especially, John... Despite what he's said about wanting you to do whatever makes you happy, he'd love it if you retired with us. As for me, I want to see this gorgeous tummy grow with his baby... and I don't want to wait.*

Jehanna relaxed between the two girls, enjoying their caring touches. "I'm so torn..." she admitted, desperately wanting both futures.

Calara leaned over to give Jehanna a friendly kiss on the cheek. "Us brown-eyed girls need to stick together. Now we've recruited Helene, the blue-eyed vixens are going to have us outnumbered three-to-two if you're not there!"

Alyssa laughed and darted a knowing look at John as she heard his thoughts. "Yeah, you can have me, Dana, and Helene on our knees anytime you like."

John smiled at her, then reached for Jehanna's hand to pull her free from their sensual clutches. "Alright ladies, enough with the hard sell. She's still got months to make up her mind."

"My hero!" Jehanna gushed, pretending to swoon as she fell into his arms. "Thank you for saving me from these sirens!"

"Any time, beautiful," he replied with a chuckle.

She sighed and glanced at her watch. "Speaking of which, we've only got a few hours left before you leave. I better get those interviews done."

"I'm all yours," Calara said, offering her a hand. "We'll go find somewhere nice and quiet where we won't be disturbed."

Jehanna smiled at John, then eagerly clasped the Latina's hand and fell into step beside her. "I've had a few ideas on how we could structure the interview. I thought we'd focus on your tactical genius and start with Regulus; I know how pivotal you were to the success of that battle. Then we can mention your stellar cluster... you are the youngest person to ever win one after all! That'll make a fantastic talking point before we discuss how you saved Terra... twice!"

Calara nodded as she listened attentively, darting a furtive smile back at John as the reporter shifted into high gear.

He watched them leave, then turned to face Alyssa. "Are you up to anything now? I was thinking we should take a look at Jade and her sisters..."

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I'm intrigued to know what's going on with them too. There must be some reason why they could remember their original form but Jade couldn't..."

John glanced at Dana, but she shooed him away with a smile. "Go ahead, I've got a ton of shit to keep me occupied."

He gave her a parting kiss, then walked with Alyssa towards the grav-tubes. "What's Lynette up to at the moment?"

"She wanted to sort out a few things before she goes. I said we'd meet up with her in an hour or so," Alyssa replied, a bright gleam of anticipation in her cerulean eyes.

"The big reveal," John said with a grin. "I'm really looking forward to it."

"We all are!" she enthused, interlacing her fingers with his as they stepped into the grav-tube.

He glanced at the blonde as they floated upwards. "How close are you to bonding with her?"

"Very," she replied, making no attempt to keep the surprise from her voice.

"That's very fast for a Terran girl isn't it?" he asked, thinking about the rest of the crew. "It's only been a couple of days..."

Alyssa nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I've been wondering that myself, but I think I know why. Bonding is mostly about trust... the girls have to have complete trust in me before they're willing to let me see every aspect of themselves. Lynette might have been a bit wary of you at the start, but she has known us for a few months and been aware of everything we've done for the Terran Federation. You already laid a lot of the groundwork with those actions, then you've spent a lot of time talking with her over the last few days, convincing her that your motives are good."

John frowned as he asked, "I thought bonding was about your relationship with the girls, not mine."

"Lynette associates the two of us closely together. As you've been building a strong foundation of trust between you, it's made my job much easier. She also has the perspective of a much older woman and with age comes regrets. Although Lynette always wanted to be Fleet Admiral, now she's finally got the job, I think she's understanding that it's a poor substitute for a loving family. I've tried to make her feel welcome and part of our family, just like we did with the other girls... but it means much more to her."

Alyssa hopped out of the grav-tube on Deck Three then glanced at John, her expression filled with sympathy. "She was leading a very lonely life. Lynette lost her parents a few years ago, hadn't been in a serious relationship for nearly eleven years and had no family of her own."

John nodded his understanding. "And it's not often you get to drink from the fountain of youth and essentially live your life again, but Lynette's now able to do exactly that."

"Exactly," she agreed, walking beside him along the corridor. "Being surrounded by all this love and affection has been a revelation for her. She wants a loving family of her own and we've given her the chance to have that."

"Thanks for looking after her," John said, pausing as they reached the door into the Lagoon. "It feels good, being able to help Lynette like this."

"It was my pleasure," Alyssa said with a smile, which suddenly turned sultry. "Literally... She's a pent-up little firecracker, you're missing out."

He laughed and shook his head in amusement. "I wondered how long it'd be before you two ended up in bed together."

"It's a vital part of the bonding process," Alyssa declared airily.

"I'm sure," he said, lips quirking into a lopsided smile.

The blonde turned to face him, a quizzical look on her face. "Seriously though, how can you keep your hands off her? You know what she looks like now..."

John glanced up above his head. "I'm trying to earn my halo."

Alyssa hesitated, her expression turning serious as she was troubled by a nagging thought. "Lynette said something earlier... she asked if you basically gift-wrapped her as a present for Charles."

He looked at her in surprise. "I think they'd make a nice couple, but I haven't really done anything to push them together.

She searched his face and continued quietly, "I haven't heard you think those precise thoughts, but still... do you think maybe you've been setting this up subconsciously? Charles is your closest friend and we both know how much he admires the girls... It would explain your reluctance to get involved with Lynette first; like you were messing around with his woman."

"Lynette could pick any Terran guy she likes to settle down with and have a family. I definitely haven't lined her up to be a... pet Lioness... for Charles." Stepping closer to Alyssa, he cupped her face in his hand. "As for why I haven't got together with her. You know how much the girls' consent means to me... and I know my abilities have an insidious way of undermining their ability to make a rational choice."

Her face fell and she blurted out, "We've been over that before! I thought you said-"

"Shh," he said, quietening her with a kiss. "You've worked hard to convince me that you and the girls all went into this with open eyes... I really do believe you. But with Lynette, I know she was frightened of me, of what I represent. I have no doubt that she's eager to be with me now, but after filling her up with all that cum, she's been... conditioned... to want it." He sighed and looked into her eyes. "You know I'm right on this."

"What about years later?" she asked earnestly. "You know she's probably going to outlive Charles. Will you give her a life with you in fifty years time?"

"Yes, absolutely," he declared, without a hint of doubt in his voice. "She'll have lived one life as she should have without my interference. If Lynette wants another life with me afterwards... then I'll welcome her with open arms."

She stepped closer to him and said softly. "I'm sorry I had my doubts. I've spoken to Lynette about it and I think you're right... this is the best thing for her."

"You might have disagreed, but you backed me on my decision," he said, holding her close. "We discussed this before... and you were a good girl, you did exactly as you promised you would. You have nothing to apologise for."

Alyssa let out a happy sigh and snuggled into his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "I love you so much..."

"I love you too," he said with a smile, kissing her on the top of her head. "Now, why don't we find out what's going on with these Nymphs?"

She gave him a squeeze before pulling away from the hug. "Okay!"

They entered the Lagoon and saw that Jade was holding court on the beach, surrounded by her four sisters and Helene. Whatever she'd been saying had the five exotic girls listening avidly, each of them hanging on her every word. Jade paused and glanced up the path when she saw the couple enter, a loving smile spreading across her face. The others turned to look the same way and John was met with a chorus of warm greetings and friendly waves. The Nymphs sprang to their feet and jogged up the path to meet him, fawning over John as he walked down to the beach.

"Hey, ladies," John said to them, while hugging Leylira and Marika.

"Jade's been telling us some fascinating stories," the tiger-striped girl purred, a seductive sway to her hips as she sauntered along beside him.

Marika nodded, nuzzling into him affectionately. "This one can't wait until it's her turn, Master."

"Master's much naughtier than this one expected!" Betrixa said with a giggle, her emerald eyes flashing with excitement.

Neysa was walking ahead of the group and made eye contact with him over her shoulder, a demure smile on her lovely face. "You're right, sister. Master is certainly a man of hidden depths..."

John had a quick hug with the second pair of Nymphs before sitting down on a sun lounger with Helene in his arms. He raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Jade. "I know I'm going to regret asking this... but what were you discussing just now?"

Her dark-green lips lifted into a playful smile. "They're Nymphs, John. What do you think they'd be interested in hearing about?"

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "I should've guessed."

Helene blushed and couldn't meet his eyes as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Is it true? Do you want to make love to... our bottoms?"

John suddenly felt hot under the collar and blushed bright red himself. "Jade!"

The Nymph looked at him in amusement but didn't seem in the slightest bit remorseful.

Alyssa squatted down beside the aquatic girl and looked into her baby-blue eyes. "He does," she said softly. "It's an important part of being with John... showing how much you love him by sharing every part of your body. When it's your turn, he'll be very gentle... there won't be any pain and it will feel wonderful."

Helene thought about it for a moment, then planted a light kiss on John's cheek. When he looked into her eyes he saw the unspoken promise there, accompanied by a shy smile teasing her cupid-bow lips.

*You can thank me later,* Alyssa said, winking at him as she knelt down beside Jade. Looking at the Nymphs she patted the sand and said, "Okay girls, gather around please."

As the green-hued women obediently followed Alyssa's request, Helene glanced up at John. "Does she mean me too?"

John shook his head and encircled her waist with his hands, shifting her position so she had a better view from his lap. "Alyssa is taking a look at the Nymph's minds," he carefully explained. "There's something a bit different about Jade from her sisters, so Alyssa wants to see if she can find out what it is."

Helene brightened as she said, "Is that why Jade is able to change into a... oh, what did she call it?" She frowned for a second trying to recall the name. "... a 'dolphin'? Jade swam with me this afternoon... she was so fast!"

John glanced at Alyssa and saw that her eyes were glowing with a brilliant white aura, the psychic blonde completely immersed in her spirit-walk as she investigated Marika's mind. Focusing on Helene again, he gave her an encouraging smile.

"You're right, that's one way that Jade is different from her sisters, but Alyssa's looking into something else," John patiently explained. "The other Nymphs can all remember their original shape, but Jade was only able to remember that after she died."

"Jade died?!" Helene gasped in horror, her eyes like saucers. "What happened?"

John took a deep breath as he tried to think how best to explain Shinatobe's attack to the sheltered Abandoned girl. "We made an enemy of a very evil man, who paid a cyborg assassin, to kill us. Many years ago, he kidnapped Sakura and put special devices in her head that forced her to do anything he told her to. She snuck onto our ship while we were having a party for Jade's birthday and set off a bomb that badly hurt the girls. I fought Sakura, but she managed to knock me out... Jade was killed trying to stop her from taking me from the ship."

"But... she's alive now. How is that possible?" Helene whispered, darting a furtive glance at Jade. "And what about Sakura? How did you save her from the bad assassin?"

He smiled at her and replied, "It's quite a long story, but if you ask Faye, she'll be able to explain what happened and show you the video. The short version is that I've fed Jade a lot of cum. As she's a psychic shapeshifter, it's made her very powerful, which is why she's able to change into all sorts of incredible creatures. We have a very strong connection and because of that, I was able to bring her back to life again."

The Aquatic girl nodded but was obviously struggling to follow his explanation. "And Sakura?"

He slid a hand inside Helene's top and placed it on her smoothly toned belly. "Do you remember how I healed you?"

Her eyes filled with love and she gave him a look of adoration. "John, I'll never forget."

Caressing her lightly, he said, "Well, with Jade's help, we filled up Sakura's tummy. Then I healed her while Rachel took all the metal devices out of her body. Sakura was a prisoner, trapped inside her own mind... she never wanted to do all the terrible things she was forced to do, so we set her free."

He was rewarded with a kiss, then Helene said, "Jade and Sakura are such lovely girls. You did a good thing saving them both."

"Out of everything I've done, the thing I'm proudest of is saving the girls," John said quietly. "None of them deserved the horrible things that happened to them... so I've tried to take away their pain and give them a happy life."

"Like me..." she whispered, gazing at him in awe.

He nodded and gave her a warm smile. "Just like you."

Helene's eyes welled up and she rested her head on his shoulder as she fought to keep her emotions under control. John rubbed her back to soothe her and looked at Alyssa again, noticing that she'd moved on to Neysa now. The jaguar-spotted Nymph sat there patiently, watching the blonde in fascination as Alyssa delved into her mind.

"John..." Helene began, sounding uncertain. "Could I ask you something?"

"Honey, you can always ask me anything you like," John promised, giving her a warm smile of encouragement.

She smiled back at him, then asked quietly, "If you keep filling me up with your cum, will I be able to do special things like the other girls?"

"That's a good question," John replied, easing back on the chair and bringing her with him so that she was resting against his chest. "The truth is, I haven't decided yet..."

Helene waited for him to elaborate, sensing that he needed a bit more time to think.

John finally glanced down at her, his expression deeply troubled. "You're a sweet girl, Helene. I really like your gentle nature and I don't want to do anything that might change that."

"Would having magic powers make me change into a different person?" she asked, watching him with big eyes.

"Well, not exactly," he replied, hesitating for a moment. "But we get dragged into one frantic battle after another and I know that if I give you psychic abilities, you'll end up fighting too."

"I'm not scared," she said, lifting her chin. "One time, a big reef stalker started hunting near our village, killing the men as they worked the kelp. Because I was... broken... the elders let me help the men scare it off with spears!"

John felt a surge of sympathy for Helene at the way she'd been mistreated by her people. He could see her pride at being able to fight to protect her village, but there was no mistaking the undercurrent of pain in her voice as she remembered her tragic life as a 'broken' woman. Once she was no longer able to bear children, she had lost the revered status the Abandoned held for their fertile women... and had been effectively ostracised from her rightful place in their society.

"I'm not doubting your courage, Helene. I remember last night... you were very brave." He brushed his thumb across her smooth cheek and continued earnestly, "But war changes people, makes them harder... fighting and killing can chip away at your soul. I don't want that future for you, I think you're perfect just the way you are."

Helene considered that for a second, then squared her shoulders with firm resolve. "All the girls fight at your side to protect each other and your home. Alyssa said that I'm part of your family now, so I'm not going to hide on the ship while the rest of you are in danger. The only reason Abandoned women don't fight is because they're making babies..." Her breath caught and her hand flew to her tummy, as she looked at him with wild hope in her eyes.

He ran his fingers through her soft green hair and cradled her head in his hand. "I'd love to start a family with you, Helene, but it's not safe on the Invictus; we've been involved in countless battles over the last few months. The girls are waiting until we finish our fight with the Progenitor before they get pregnant, then we're going to retire and raise a family together. If you and I decide that we're going to start having children now, the best way I could keep you safe is to leave you with Edraele in Maliri Space."

"Irillith and Tashana's mother..." she murmured, nodding slowly. "Faye mentioned her when she was teaching me about the Maliri. What's Queen Edraele like?"

"She's a very capable leader who cares deeply about the Maliri. Edraele's also extremely intelligent, resourceful, and fiercely loyal to me and the girls. She's a good person, who tries to do the right thing, no matter what it costs her personally." He smiled wistfully, missing his Maliri Matriarch. "But Edraele has a softer side too; she's kind-hearted, thoughtful, considerate... and very loving with those who are close to her."

*Oh, John...* Edraele murmured, touched by his heartfelt praise.

"She sounds very special," Helene said, smiling at his tender expression.

"She is... I love her very much," John freely admitted. He stroked Helene's back, while studying her face. "Edraele is protecting the Young Matriarchs for me and helping to keep them safe from danger. If you stayed with her, I'm sure she'd love you like a daughter..." He winced as he realised he'd not had a chance to discuss Helene's family with her yet.