Chapter 25

Inari and Priya were in their respective seats when the Darkstrider dropped out of hyperspace. It had been several hours since they made their initial jump in this direction, and it was refreshing for Inari to be in the pilot seat again. They had come out at the local waypoint on their way to Veldhern, and like the Phalarn waypoint, this one was empty. It wasn’t every day that ships went to Veldhern though, unless it was a tour group or official business.

Priya was busy going over the navi-computer, picking up the co-ordinates to Veldhern almost instantly. She punched them in, and Inari guided the Darkstrider over to where they needed to be, to make the jump. Once they were in position, Inari had the computer double check the co-ordinates. After it came back green, she pulled the lever and sent the ship into hyperspace again.

“A lot has happened in the last few weeks, hasn’t it?” Priya asked.

“That it has! We were off looking for intel on a bounty, only to wind up making one of the biggest finds, if not THE biggest find of this century!” Inari enthused.

“The Perseus ... I still can’t believe that we found a lost Prometheus ship! Us! A crew of ragtag merchants and smugglers!” Priya gushed as she stood up, stretching.

“Not only did we find it, we made some new friends, discovered a new race of people and have a little hideaway to go to ground! If we need it,” Inari went on. “Lady Luck has been smiling on us!”

“I can’t argue that! We got all the upgrades for the ship we had been looking for and then some! But the best part was what happened during that time!” Priya gushed.

“Oh? And what was the best thing that happened?” she wondered, playing coy with her girlfriend.

“You and me, admitting our love for each other!” Priya told her, before pulling Inari in for a kiss. Inari kissed her back, feeling her passion rise with the kiss, but broke away, all smiley.

“What?”

“I also can’t believe the change you’ve gone through! It’s like five years have melted right off your face, love!” Inari smiled.

“I couldn’t agree more! Having all those scars and aches gone is a huge bonus! Maybe you should look into using the Regen Pod yourself? I know that shoulder of yours can be a pain from time to time,” Priya commented.

“Maybe. After we get to Veldhern and finish our business there, I’ll have a word with Korsa about it. Maybe with the medical supplies she can now purchase, we could have a surplus of the drugs needed to make that serum?” Inari replied pensively.

“With the credits we got from the fence? Definitely! Veldhern’s medicinals can be cost prohibitive, but if we get them right from the source, maybe the price wouldn’t be as bad?” Priya wondered.

“It is something to look into. Now, there is something else I want to see about doing before we get there,” Inari grinned.

“Which is?” Priya asked.

“Using that new toy of ours on you and pillaging every hole you have with it!” Inari told her sultrily.

Priya’s eyes widened as she smiled and kissed her girlfriend. Inari kissed her back as she clutched her ass, drawing her closer into her. They could feel their passion rising as they lost themselves in each other’s mouths. Priya then stepped away mid kiss, leaving Inari hanging for a moment.

Without a word or warning, Priya danced around the woman and slapped her ass hard. Inari yipped at the blow, which made her jump and turned her on even more. She glared at her lover as Priya grinned goofily and tore out of the bridge. Inari chased after her, hot on her heels, catching Priya just before she reached the elevator.

“You’re going to pay for that!” Inari purred menacingly.

“I hope so!” Priya peeped, anticipating the romp to come.

They took the elevator to the First Deck and Inari took hold of Priya’s pants by the belt, preventing her from bolting. She then frog marched the smaller woman forward, and they walked into the Captain’s quarters. Priya whimpered at being denied any shenanigans, but she was certain they would be forthcoming.

“Activate privacy mode,” Inari called out. The door locked, and the sound dampers kicked in, nullifying any sound from escaping.

“Now my dear, just how did you want to apologize to me?”

Alex came to, having clonked out a few hours ago, tired of waiting for the ship to arrive at its destination. He stretched out his mouth, his jaw cracking as he yawned. Taking a deep breath, blinking and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. A pleasing sensation ran through him as he stretched, and the big man smirked as his body was doing its usual things when he woke up.

He was sporting a massive boner and a need, want and desire seized him, telling Alex that he should try to bury it in either Natalya or Kasumi. Smirking, he leaned down and kissed Natalya on the cheek, which made her smile. She blinked and joined Alex in the land of the living, cooing as she stretched.

“Hey! You just wake up?” Natalya asked.

“Just a minute ago, yeah,” Alex replied as he kissed her. Natalya moaned through the kiss before she pulled away, noting Alex’s stiff tool.

“Ooooo! Is that for me?” Natalya asked coyly.

“What do you think?” Alex chuckled.

Purring in delight, Natalya straddled Alex, rubbing herself on the man. The three of them had opted to shed their everyday clothing for something light and comfortable. Alex was in a pair of black boxers, while Natalya wore an emerald green nightshirt and matching panties. Kasumi, on the other hand, went to bed in a plain black thong and was snoozing soundly as Natalya mounted the big man.

“Oh! Feels like someone was having nice dreams!” Alex teased as he felt moisture on his dick from Natalya grinding on him.

“Maybe I was, maybe I wasn’t,” Natalya grinned.

“If that’s the way it is, then let me give you something nice to remember,” Alex smirked.

He then pushed Natalya off him and rolled her over to her back. She squeaked at the sudden movement, then moaned as she felt the heat of Alex’s mouth on her pussy. Natalya moaned even louder as she saw her love shift aside the material of her panties to lick her bare lips. Biting her lower lip, she closed her eyes and let the sensation course through her.

Alex used his tongue to lick and tease the woman, driving her pleasure levels higher. Though he could have gone straight for a few nerves to give Natalya a quick high, Alex didn’t do that. He wanted to have Natalya’s need to cum build, so that when she did, there would be nothing else on her mind but the bliss of the moment.

Keeping his mouth on her nethers, Alex continued to pleasure his woman, making her squirm with each lick. Shivering in delight, Natalya put her hands on Alex’s head, gently pushing it into her. The bolts of electricity that lanced through her were enough to keep her smiling and she moaned at Alex’s oral ministrations.

“You two aren’t exactly quiet, you know?” a voice murmured next to them. Natalya’s head snapped to her left, and she saw Kasumi lying on her side, staring at them. The Japanese-Scot woman wasn’t idle, though. One hand was caressing one of her hefty melons, while the other was buried beneath her panties.

“Where’s the fun in being quiet?” Natalya groaned as her pleasure centers were further stimulated and she yipped at the things Alex was doing to her.

“Touché! You got room in there for me?” Kasumi asked, smiling and giving Natalya big Bambi eyes.

“Just a ... moment!” Natalya breathed.

The Trini-Rus woman then tapped Alex’s head, which he knew as a signal to stop. He came up and smiled at Kasumi, before Natalya put him on his back. She then slid his boxers off, freeing his thick cock for her use. She then put her mouth over it, sucking on the head of Alex’s thick rod, making him gasp happily.

“Your turn,” Natalya told Kasumi, nodding at Alex.

Grinning, Kasumi sat up and slid her panties off, exposing her leaky quim to the cool air. She then crawled over Alex, setting her pussy right on his mouth. The large Croat barely had a moment to catch his breath, but he wasn’t complaining. No man in his right mind would, not with these two beautiful and gorgeous women sandwiching him. Kasumi moaned in bliss as she sat and faced Natalya, who was busy sucking Alex.

“Never ... thought I’d ... enjoy this ... as much ... as I ... do!” Kasumi squealed as Alex ate her out.

“Keep your eyes open, honey! You’ll really enjoy this!” Natalya giggled as she popped Alex’s cock out of her mouth.

Natalya then pulled the nightshirt she wore off, and shucked her panties too, leaving her just as nude as Kasumi. Seconds later, she climbed on top of Alex, lining her pussy up with his steely dick, before she slid onto it. Natalya shuddered as she was stretched out and sighed in bliss as Alex’s cock filled her. She sat there for a moment, just enjoying the feeling of being filled before she moved.

“Just ... watching that ... is so ... hot!” Kasumi crooned as she continued to receive Alex’s oral attentions.

“I know!” Natalya peeped as she leaned in. She kissed her friend and lover, which Kasumi returned in kind. Their hands roamed across each other’s bodies, playing with each other’s tits, while seeking out other’s pleasure points. Kasumi was being driven mad with the dual attention she was receiving and was teetering on the edge of losing her mind.

Natalya too was nearing her peak, as she had been dreaming of some very naughty things that both Kasumi and Alex were doing to her. Her hips kept rising and falling on Alex’s dick, continuing to push her closer and closer to orgasm. She broke away from Kasumi as she felt her pleasure levels soar, as she knew her peak was imminent.

She then heard Kasumi squawk and watched as Alex lifted her off his head and throw her to her back. Natalya then saw Alex sit up and pull her to him and his hands dug into her ass. The chocolate skinned woman stuttered in bliss as Alex ground into her and started moving her up and down on his dick. Her eyes rolled backwards as she felt her orgasm rise up and claim her.

Alex noted the look on her face and picked up the pace, just hammering into the woman. He used his muscular arms to continue to drive Natalya to higher levels of bliss as she howled, her peak smashing into her. The pure carnal force of it knocked Natalya’s senses to where it felt that she’d smacked right into a brick wall. She didn’t care though, as the high she was experiencing was more than worth it.

The big man growled as he felt his cock throb against the fluttering of Natalya’s channel, trying to coax his seed out of him. Though he wanted to, he held off on cumming just yet, as he still had another woman waiting. Kasumi hadn’t been idle as she stroked her gooey quim, keeping herself ready for the inevitable pounding that she’d receive. Alex finally slowed down on his taking of Natalya as she went limp from overstimulation.

“Damn! She really ... got it!” Kasumi breathed.

“That was only the first half of what I’ve got in me. Feel like you can handle what I’ve got left?” Alex growled as he gently removed Natalya from him.

“I am going to drain you dry,” Kasumi boasted as she licked her lips lasciviously.

“The only question is, where do you want it?” Alex questioned as he lay Natalya down on the bed.

“Here,” Kasumi told him, indicating her pussy.

“Kas...” Alex started.

“No arguments, Alex! I want you to fuck me with that massive cock of yours and you will fill me with your cum! I’ve timed it, so you cumming in me now and tomorrow will not result in me getting pregnant. I checked with Korsa about it to be sure,” Kasumi told him.

“Well then! If that’s what the lady wishes,” Alex said as he scrambled over to Kasumi and pulled her into a missionary position. “Then that is what the lady gets.”

Squeeing in delight, Kasumi jittered as Alex drove his dick into her, filling her completely. She had no time to enjoy the feeling, as Alex just took her, plowing his cock deep into her. He loved how her velvety tunnel accommodated his dick, trying to hold him as Kasumi flexed her core.

Grunting in dominance, the big man continued to push in and out of her as he sought to bring them both the release they craved. Kasumi saw the feral look in Alex’s face and knew that he needed and wanted to cum, badly. She licked her lips as she caressed her tits, mainly to keep them from flopping around too much.

“That’s it ... sir! Fuck that pussy hard!” she said, egging him on. Alex’s eyes widened as he heard this, and Kasumi felt the effect it was having on him. Bolstered by her words, Alex did as she asked, picking up his tempo, ramming into her as hard as he could.

“Be careful ... what you wish for!!” he rumbled as he slammed into the woman.

“Fuuuuccccckkkk!!!” Kasumi crooned as Alex continued to take her. “More sir, please!! I want so ... much ... MORE!!”

“More ... you shall ... have!” Alex yelled as his cock throbbed and pulsed even more, needing to unload its contents soon. He shifted and pushed one of Kasumi’s legs back, taking her in a scissor position. The redheaded woman howled as she felt Alex’s dick drive deeper into her and loved every second of it.

“Don’t ... stop...” she begged, as she was hurtling towards her orgasm. Kasumi sensed that this one would cause her to black out, and she welcomed it!

“You ... want ... my ... cum?” Alex breathed

“Every ... drop! Fill me ... use me ... BREED ME!” Kasumi screamed as her orgasm finally hit her, nearly causing her mind to melt with its intensity. Every nerve that Kasumi had was afire with liquid bliss, taking her for the joyride of her life. Her eyes crossed and her tongue lolled out, as Kasumi took the epic pummeling she wanted.

Hearing those words sent Alex tumbling off the edge as he exploded inside Kasumi, saturating her love canal with his essence. He blasted everything he had into her, his balls giving up every drop they contained. Alex’s roar soon petered out, sounding more like a whimper by the time he was done. He stayed in Kasumi and started several times, like he’d been shocked with a taser.

“My ... God ... Kas!” Alex yelped.

“What?”

“You’re still ... clenching ... me!” Alex panted as he felt Kasumi’s pussy muscles continue to milk him for every drop.

“Been wanting to feel this for a while now! Now I finally have!” Kasumi purred as she drew Alex in to kiss him.

“Hope that you have some more starch in you, Alex, because I’m next to be filled!” Natalya told him as she crawled over to join them.

“I’ll ... need ... a drink ... and ... some recovery ... time,” Alex sighed as his breathing went back down to normal.

“For a drink, I know that each cabin was equipped with its own mini fridge. Should be right there,” Natalya pointed at the spot next to his nightstand.

Alex extricated himself from Kasumi’s grip as he scooted over to the spot and went looking for a button or something. He saw a small blinking green light and pressed his hand next to it. Seconds later, a small screen popped up, recognizing who he was, and it opened a hidden compartment within. Inside lay several cold drinks, varying from water to hard liquor.

“Who though about this idea?” Alex wondered as he picked a bottle of water and cracked it open, taking a healthy swig.

“Inari. She was the one who ... shit!” Kasumi yowled.

“What? What happened?” Alex asked, concern on his face as he turned back to the redhead. His eyes widened as he watched Natalya licking Kasumi’s dripping pussy, licking up his seed and her juices. Kasumi’s eyes were closed as she vibrated incessantly, enjoying what Natalya was doing to her.

“Mmmmm! Hey Kassie, I think he likes it!” Natalya grinned as she stopped to turn and look at Alex. The big man stared at her for a moment, before he noticed that his cock was coming back to life, standing at half mast.

“So do I! Fuck Nats! You ARE a freak!” Kasumi yelped.

“Just you wait, sweetie! It won’t be long until you’re doing the exact same thing!” Natalya giggled.

“Jeez! With the way you two are, I won’t need that enzyme again!” Alex mumbled.

“Mphm! Smooth one, charming!” Natalya stated while giving him a smoldering look. “But I would like to see about you using it here and there. I do have a few ... fantasies that I’d like to fulfill.”

“Oh? What did you have in mind?” Alex asked.

“Load me up first, then I’ll tell you,” Natalya teased as she wiggled her ass at him.

Alex grinned as he finished the water bottle, before he placed it on the nightstand. He looked down and saw that he was back to steel hardness and approached Natalya from behind. He slid into the woman slowly, stuffing her full with his dick, before he leaned forward and whispered two words into her ear.

“Challenge accepted.”

Aesha was in the sparring area, working through several of the combat drills and katas that she had practiced with Korsa. She had hoped that her knowledge of how to fight, combined with her experience, would have impressed the war goddess. Instead, Korsa was disgusted with her performance and called her an amateur. Though Aesha did have her pride wounded, the fact that the Khontaran woman was taking the time to teach her, comforted the woman.

It was a far cry from how she had learned back on Talemkha, but she supposed this way was better. On top of which, Korsa had gone and fixed everything that had been wrong with her. Her wounds, both old and new, along with her battle scars, were now fully healed. Aesha felt much like she had when she had first come into womanhood; strong, brimming with hope and feeling like she could challenge the gods.

She hadn’t felt this good in years, and if this was the new normal for her, it could well become the new normal for all the Artucian. She knew that her parents were riddled with old wounds, even though they were still considered very young. She only hoped that whatever technology had been left behind on Talemkha, that her parents would also experience similar things to what she had.

Staying on task, Aesha executed the next sequence of moves as fast as she could. Palm heel strike, backhanded block, uppercut and a spinning heel kick, followed by both arms swinging towards her imaginary target. She then popped up into a ready stance, thinking she’d done it correctly, and took a moment to enjoy the feeling of victory.

Aesha then remembered Korsa’s disgust with how she had performed at first and put herself back into starting position. She knew that much would have to be corrected to impress the war goddess. Though a part of her believed the constant practicing to be foolish, she remembered what Korsa had told her. It was a human saying, which had been said by a warrior, centuries dead, as she launched back into the kata.

‘I fear not the man who has practiced ten-thousand kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick ten-thousand times.’

Alex blinked as he came back to wakefulness, having passed out hard earlier. He smirked and remembered the intense double teaming his ladies had put on him. It was a damn miracle he could still think straight, much less move! The women who lie sleeping next to him had been insatiable! Not that he was complaining, as he’d never rested so soundly after these two had their way with him.

It wasn’t as though they had solely been in command though. The moment the opportunity presented itself, Alex had taken charge. He’d shown Natalya and Kasumi that two could play at that game, and they were more than happy to be taught. He watched them both sleep, as the women were snoring soundly.

Chuckling quietly, Alex wiggled his way out from between them. The moment he left their embrace, they groaned at the loss of heat and instinctively moved closer. Their complaining stopped the moment they found each other, smiles painting their beautiful faces once more.

Slipping a pair of black baggy pants and a white T-shirt on, Alex left the women in his quarters. They looked so happy and peaceful, lying together like that. He padded out quietly, so he wouldn’t wake them with his footfalls. Alex smirked to himself as he recounted the events of the past few hours.

Natalya and Kasumi had been voracious in their desire of him. So much so that they double teamed him relentlessly until he had unloaded his seed into each woman at least once. Natalya had gotten it twice and Kasumi would have as well, but she wanted to try something ... kinky. Alex was only too happy to agree, as it had blown his mind to such a level that even his inner beast was quiet.

He took the elevator to the Second Deck, and he ambled over to the galley. Walking in, he made a beeline for the coffeemaker and set up a pot of the steaming black liquid. Alex sat there and waited for the machine to perk, with the squelching sound finishing nearly twenty minutes later. As steam poured from the spout, he disconnected the machine and poured himself a cup.

After fixing it the way he liked it, Alex moved along to the conference area of the bridge, yawning as he went. He thought he’d take a gander and see just how far out they were from Veldhern. He’d been out for a while and figured they had to be close. He brought up the holo map of the area they were crossing through. With a quick glance, he saw they were at least ninety minutes from arriving in the system.

Seeing as how it might be a bit before the rest of the ship came awake, Alex took a seat and sipped his coffee. He took a deep breath and smiled to himself, thinking about the whole sequence of events that led him here. Many of these events weren’t pleasant, and some were downright horrifying, but everything seemed to fall into place. Almost like it was part of some grand cosmic plan that he still had yet to see.

“Having trouble sleeping?” a feminine voice called out softly. Turning his head, Alex saw Taal’ani approaching, wearing loose fitting lounge clothes. He smirked and turned in his chair to face her.

“Not really. I’m well rested enough that my body won’t be in need of any extra sleep for a while yet,” he grinned.

“Lucky you! I still have a shit ton of sleep to get caught up on. Whenever I can sleep,” she muttered.

“Or do you mean whenever Tahral will let you sleep?” he quipped with a pump of his eyebrows. Taal’ani shot him a dirty look, but the big man just chuckled as he sipped on his drink.

“Oh, hush you!” Taal’ani yowled.

“You know I’m right, just admit it,” Alex teased.

“Is there any more coffee?” the Fel’caan woman asked, trying to change the subject.

“I’ll tell you, if you admit I’m right,” the big man smirked. Taal’ani rolled her eyes and let him have this one. After all, he had caught her flat-footed with that comment, so in that sense, he was correct.

“Fine, you were right! Now, coffee, please?” she asked.

“In the galley. Just brewed a fresh pot, so it should still be hot,” he told her.

In almost no time at all, Taal’ani zipped out of the room. She was gone for all of five minutes, before returning with her own cup of java. Alex noted that she had more pep in her step after a few sips and smiled, knowing that she needed the boost. He took a sip of his own coffee before he started talking again.

“So, you have a good time with your boy?” Alex asked with a smirk.

“It was cuddle time only, per Korsa’s orders as a doctor. But in answer to your question, yeah, I had a nice time with him,” Taal’ani said as she took a sip of her coffee.

“Orders from the Doctor? I can only imagine what would have happened had you defied said orders,” Alex chuckled.

“Trust me when I say, you don’t want to know what happens,” Taal’ani replied with a grimace. “Though the smile on your face is evidence enough to what you’ve been up to. Then there is the smell, which confirms it.”

“Smell?”

“Yeah. One thing that many people don’t understand is that each living being carries their own sense of smell. It is a unique scent that can’t be duplicated, anywhere. No matter the advances in technology, the smell of one person will always be something that is theirs alone,” Taal’ani informed him.

“And this is relevant, how?” Alex wondered.

“Natalya and Kasumi. I could smell their scent on you from a mile away. Among other parts of you that ... carry their scent,” Taal’ani snickered.

“You can smell that?” Alex asked in disbelief, his mouth hanging open.

“Very little gets by the nose of a Fel’caan woman,” she replied, tapping her nose proudly.

“Can you distinguish between fresh and old scents?” Alex wondered, now curious about the woman’s sense of smell.

“That we can! With us, it also takes a while before the scent fades, even with soap and water. That’s why we are great hunters back on Bastellian. More so than the men, which is something they don’t really talk about.”

“Why is that?” Alex queried.

“Male pride and ego. Need I say more on the topic?” Taal’ani asked, shooting him an annoyed look.

“Hmm! I guess there are some things among men that never change,” Alex grunted.

“You got that right!” Taal’ani nodded.

“One thing I can say is how very little that gets by me with other aspects of people,” he said cryptically.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I’m just curious. How long will it be before you admit your feelings for Tahral?” he said, speaking plainly.

“Feelings?” she asked, confused.

“Love, Taal’ani. The love you feel for that boy. It’s painted all over your face, plain as day,” Alex told her.

“Love? Who has time for that?” she scoffed while making an ‘I don’t think so’ face.

“We all do and should make time for that emotion in our lives. Without it, what are we but bags of meat, working on primal instinct?” Alex questioned. “Besides, I have seen some examples of you mooning over that boy more than once.”

“Oh, really?” she asked sarcastically.

“There was that first time you were with him, when you came back to the drop ship on Talemkha. The time when you insisted he come along to the Ark, despite there being other, more suitable choices to help with restoring its systems. Also, let’s not forget how you were close to tears when you saw him get clipped by that Blood Drinker leader. Then there was the very public display of wanting to help Korsa, despite having no prior medical experience. Shall I go on?” the big man asked.

“No, no, you’ve made your point,” Taal’ani replied, the smug sarcasm now replaced by absolute shock.

“If you’re wondering how I noticed all of this, the answer is simple. I didn’t get to the rank of Captain in the Human Systems Alliance before forty by being stupid. You learn to adapt and keep track of your crew, and what they’re up to. It is a commanding officer’s responsibility to know his subordinates from head to toe and what makes them tick,” he told her as he finished his mug of coffee.

“Hmph!” Taal’ani grunted as she took a draw from her own mug.

Outwardly, she looked unperturbed, but inside, she was wracking her brain about how Alex figured her out! Not the least of which, he cited examples of how she was acting towards Tahral! It defied all expectation and belief, but he had read her like a book! The catgirl had to admit, though, that everything lined up, and it all made sense. She was falling for the Artucian man, and hard! But he wasn’t the only observant one.

“You know, as much as you like to read people, you seem to either ignore or be oblivious to certain things,” Taal’ani jibed.

“What do you mean?”

“I know that both Kas and Nats are mooning over your ass. But they’re not the only ones,” she said with a sly wink.

“Could you please speak plainly? The caffeine hasn’t fully hit me just yet, and I might just be having a brain fart,” Alex asked politely.

“There are other women here who want you the same way that both Natalya and Kasumi do. I’m surprised that you haven’t noticed this yet,” Taal’ani told him.

“Other women? Who?” Alex asked, looking a little disturbed and slightly intrigued.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Taal’ani giggled.

Alex was just about to push a little, to see if the Fel’caan woman would let anything slip, but two of the crew just walked in. It was Inari and Priya, both of whom looked a little bedraggled. They both had a steaming cup of coffee in their hands and had some serious bedhead going. Their rumpled appearance had Alex snickering and Taal’ani giggling.

“Well, I’d say you two had some fun,” Alex chuckled as he finished his coffee.

“Judging by the way you’re walking Priya, looks like Inari was a little rough with you,” Taal’ani laughed.

“My ass is sore and so is my quim, my nips hurt like someone stuck needles in them, I’m running on endorphins and caffeine, my skin feels like it’s on fire, and it was totally worth it!” Priya stated with a wan smile.

Taal’ani choked on her coffee and some of it squirted out her nose as she laughed. Seeing that display had everyone cracking up and even Alex had to sit down, he was laughing so hard. The catgirl reached for a napkin and wiped her face off from the hot beverage. Once she was reasonably cleaned, she stood up to get herself more coffee when Alex stood up.