Chapter 23

"You're all alone tonight?" Connie asked in a low voice as she stood in the doorway to Charles' bedroom.

Charles looked up when she spoke. His gaze fell on her and he smiled. Connie smiled back. She was wearing Charles' old hoodie. It hung just below the V of her sex. Her long, red hair was pulled up, though ringlets fell on either side of her head. She looked as beautiful as ever.

"I am," Charles replied with a sigh, looking down towards a pile of papers that he had been reading. "Anna wasn't feeling well tonight, and Jennifer and Katherine have begged off as well. They claimed they were tired."

"I hope this doesn't mean..." Connie started to say teasingly.

"No it does not!" Charles growled emphatically, cutting Connie off. "I've been exceedingly careful on that account. Not only do I use condoms with them every time we have sex, I've also made sure that all three of them are on the pill."

"I know," Connie said with a bit of a chuckle, "and I'm sorry if my teasing upset you. I didn't mean to make you mad. Besides, I appreciate that you haven't gotten any of the Taylor's pregnant. It actually means a lot to me."

"It does?" Charles inquired, raising an eyebrow in response to Connie's words. "And why would you be interested in whether I'm fathering children or not?"

"Well there are several reasons," Connie answered, giving Charles a mischievous look. "One of course is the fact that any child sired by you runs the risk of being able to control people. That is a risk that should be limited if at all possible and two the fact that you haven't impregnated the Taylor's tells me that you care about them. They might be your willing slaves but I know that you don't abuse them."

"You said several reasons," Charles muttered when Connie fell silent. "That was only two."

"True," said Connie in agreement, giving Charles a smile as she replied, "but those two points should cover things for now. After all, I didn't drop by to discuss your sex life."

"Okay," replied Charles in a thoughtful manner, "why don't you come in and we can chat."

"Okay," Connie said in agreement.

Charles put the papers that he had been reading away in a folder and then he put the folder on his bedside table. Connie walked into the room and then sat down on the end of his bed. As she did, her eyes ran quickly over his body. He was naked and she knew it. A bedspread covered him from the waist down, but it could not obscure the outline of his manhood. She bit her lip in thought.

"So," Charles asked as he turned his attention back to Connie, "what do you want to talk about?"

Connie didn't answer the question right away. Instead she sat there for a moment and gazed with interest at Charles. It was now eight long months since the world had fallen to the desires of a kid with too much power. Charles was now eighteen while she had just turned seventeen. They had been together since that fateful day and looking back, Connie was thankful that Charles had been there that day. Without him she might not have survived.

For a moment a cloud slipped over her face as the memory rose within her of what had happened. Then she saw Charles face. His face was filled with concern, and in response Connie smiled at him. Charles returned that smile. Connie knew he cared.

"Don't worry friend," Connie said softly. "I'm okay. I was just thinking about the day we met. A lot has happened since that day."

"True," Charles replied, his gaze turning all thoughtful as he too remembered that day. A shiver slid down his spine, and he shook.

"Not a pleasant memory!" Charles muttered as Connie looked at him with curiosity.

"Some parts are," replied Connie in a warm fashion. "We met that day and you saved me, and then we became friends."

"True again," nodded Charles, "and as you say, a lot has happened since then."

"We moved here," said Connie, "and set up house. We learned why this mess occurred and made certain it wouldn't happen again. We've worked hard making the world as normal as we can, and in the process we learned to love."

"You and Melissa!" nodded Charles as she spoke.

"Yes," replied Connie with a bashful grin, "and we arranged for peace in the Middle East."

"That is true," chuckled Charles in response, "but what has that got to do with you needing to talk to me?"

"I guess..." Connie started to say and then she stopped. Connie looked down at her hands in her lap and fell silent once again.

"You guess what?" Charles asked, pushing Connie to respond.

"I guess I was trying to say how close we've become," Connie replied, with her eyes still fixed on her hands in her lap.

"Of course we have," Charles said as reassuringly as possible. "I care for you Connie. We're friends!"

"Friends," Connie repeated with a nod. As she did, she glanced up and looked into Charles' smiling face. "We are that indeed. You've been with me since the beginning and you're the only man I trust on this planet. When Clyde tried to take over the world, you stood up to him. You saw that what he was doing was wrong and you said no. Then when we found out the size of the mess we were in, you stood up again and instead of exploiting your power, you sought a solution to the problem. You accepted me loving your sister and you've welcomed me into your family. In a way, you're my hero!"