Chapter 12

On the drive back, Karl thought about the conversation he had with Annette. At first, he was a little angry to find the girls were analyzing him behind his back. But then he realized it was only natural, especially since he was such an important part of their lives.

It was true he didn't have much experience with women. He didn't even get a regular girlfriend till college. Then along came Jill, so pretty, and so selfish and spoiled. He wondered if she had ever really loved him, or was she using him for her own purposes. She had been the aggressor, taking the first steps to draw him to her. And then she dumped him just before he lost that promotion.

Maybe they're right. Maybe I can't feel real love. Grampa was a cold, hard man, never able to show much affection. I didn't have any feminine influences in my youth, and I've always been a loner. Can I learn to really love someone? Do I want to? He expected Zal to comment, but the alien was silent and Karl didn't ask for his opinion.

Well, if I can't really love the girls, I can sure make love to them, remembering the enticing jiggle of Annette's taut breasts inside her tee-shirt. Maybe when we get home...

His thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone. It was Annette. "I'm at Terri's and she's awake and wants to see you, and she wants to come home."

"Let me talk to her."

"She's in the shower now. I'll ask her to call you as soon as she's out. I think she should come home as long as it's alright with you. She wants to be with you so much."

After the call ended, Zal said, "Terri's physical recovery should be completed now. It would be good for her psychological well-being to be with you."

"Okay," Karl replied.

The phone rang again. "Karl darling, can I come home ... please? I'm all better and I need to be with you. I'll be good, I promise," Terri begged.

Karl told her she could come home as long as her injuries were healed. On Zal's advice, he didn't mention her psychological problems. "Hurry please," she said, "I need you."

It was after five when Karl pulled into the Haight's driveway and parked behind Annette's Mustang, sliding the forty-five under the seat before he exited the car. As he walked toward the house, the front door burst open and Terri ran out to him, hugging him, laughing, crying all at the same time. Then she was kissing his face, his cheeks, the corner of his mouth. "Thank you ... thank you ... thank you."

Terri moved back a little to stare into his eyes, "Thank you for saving me," she said slowly, a calm intensity to her voice. Suddenly smiling, "Are you gonna let me come home? I really need to be with you."

"If you're all better."

"Why don't you check?" she laughed, lifting up the bottom of her shirt, flashing her bare boobs.

He heard Zal say in his mind, "Physically, she is totally recovered," as Karl looked up to see Terri's family watching them out the open front door. Luckily, her back was to them.

"Not here," he said, pulling her shirt down. "Let's go inside."

Taking her hand, he led Terri inside. When they got to the crowd at the front door, "Is she alright?" asked Natalie.

"She's better now, isn't she?" from Terri's mother.

"She seems all right," said Mr. Haight.

"She'll be able to come home, won't she?" Annette asked.

"Yes," Karl said, turning to look at each of the family members. "That's the best thing for her now."

"Thank you for everything you've done for her," Mrs. Haight said, taking his hands. "And her attackers, did ... did you make them pay?"

Karl's eyes narrowed as he looked from Mrs. Haight to Terri, then to the others. "Yes, I made them pay. They'll be paying their whole lives, and they'll never harm another girl."

"Let's go, I wanna go home," Terri said, her eyes focused on him as she took his hand.

Karl asked if there was anything she wanted to bring. Terri started to answer there wasn't when her mother interrupted. "Honey, you should bring some nightshirts. It'll be cold soon and you just got better."

"Okay Mom," Terri said raising an eyebrow at Karl before turning and going upstairs with her mother, Annette and Natalie trailing after. Karl waited a moment, then followed them up to Terri's bedroom.

They were laughing and chattering away as he entered the room. Three nightshirts were laid out on the bed, Terri's mother folding and stacking them in a neat pile. "I've got a bag," Natalie said, dashing out to her bedroom, returning with a small red travel bag. "Bring it back whenever," she told Terri. "I don't need it, I never go anywhere," giving Karl a look.

While the girls were packing the bag, he stepped into the corner, surreptitiously slipped the nanotech container out of his pocket and turned the top. "It is there," Zal said as Karl slipped the container back into his jeans.

Mrs. Haight turned to the girls. "Terri, I want you to take the new perfume I got the other day," she said, leaving, then returning with a small, cut glass bottle. "It's very sexy," spraying the girls as each held out her wrist.

"What do you think?" Terri asked, stepping over to Karl, holding her wrist in front of his face, her eyes on his.

Karl was already well aware of the perfume thanks to his enhanced sense of smell. "Nice," he said, sniffing before gently kissing Terri's wrist.

"How bout me?" Annette asked, holding up her arm as Terri moved away. "Smells sexy, doesn't it?"

"You always smell sexy," Karl answered with a smile.

"Does it smell sexy on me?" Natalie asked, holding her wrist in front of his face.

"Very," he answered, seeing her pupils dilate as he looked into the teen's pretty face. As he raised his head, Karl saw Mrs. Haight smiling, Annette and Terri smiling too as they looked from him to Natalie and then back at him.

Mrs. Haight packed the nightshirts and perfume bottle into the bag."Now, is there anything else you should bring?" She looked around the room, until her eyes focused on a pink teddy bear on the bookshelf. "Do you want to bring Teddy?"

Again, Terri raised an eyebrow before turning to her mother. "Mom, I'm a grown woman. I don't need a teddy bear, I just need Karl," taking hold of his hand.

"I can see that," her mother replied, closing the bag. "You're a lucky girl. And you're lucky too," turning to look at Annette, "you're both lucky to have been chosen by Mr. Warrick."

"We know Auntie," Annette said taking hold of Karl's other hand. He saw Natalie staring at him, then lower her eyes as he looked back.

"Let's go, I wanna go home," Terri said taking the bag, pulling Karl out the door.

When they got downstairs, the whole family walked with them to the driveway. Terri hugged and thanked her mother, kissed her father on the cheek before climbing into the Toyota's passenger seat.

When Karl started the engine Natalie came to his open window. "Can I come visit some time?" she asked Karl.

Looking at her, "You mean visit Terri?"

"Terri ... and you," she answered, her eyes on his.

He turned to Terri. "It's up to you, you're the boss," she said, smiling.

Looking back at Natalie, "Okay, you can come over to visit, but not a lot."

"Thanks Karl, you're great," the teen said, throwing her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his.

"That's enough," he said as he pulled away, peeling her arms off his neck. When she moved back, he put the car in gear and backed out of the driveway, seeing the Haights waving goodbye, a smile on Natalie's face.

On the road, with Annette following in her Mustang, Terri said, "You know, she wants to be with you, to serve you, just like me and the other girls."

Karl glanced at her, then looked back at the road.

"l can tell you're attracted to her, sexually, I mean, and she can too. You can have her, and she wouldn't have to stay with us if you didn't want. It's up to you."

"She's pretty young."

"She's old enough, and it would be great for her, and of course it would make Mom and Dad happy."

He turned to her. "Let's not talk about this any more," he said before looking back to the road.

"All right." Terri was quiet for a moment, then, "I wanna tell you what happened, so you know it all."

"You don't need to."