Chapter 28: A Moment of Rest

The next two hours were a blur of exercise and pain. Sergeant O'Malley never broke a sweat as he first had everyone run around the clearing while he promised to train us to fight and then he proceeded to show us a series of dirty tricks and holds we could use to disable an opponent. When Jessica, Jason, Morgan and I were too tired to continue, he had us lay down while he took the ladies around and showed them how to break free from any hold a person might try.

It was exhausting, but at the same time the smiles on the faces of my friends grew every time we showed that we had learned a new technique. By the time Sergeant O'Malley ended the session Jessica, Jason and I were planning on making morning training in the clearing a daily event. Morgan and Kyle were less enthusiastic, but both men admitted that the training had been fun.

When the training came to an end, Jessica grabbed Kathy and Millie. They headed to the lower parking lot and the black SUV parked there. Kyle said he needed to get home so he could do an afternoon project. Matti asked to be allowed to spend the day with Kelsey and after I nodded approval, skipped off with her friend.

Ashley and Lenore both hugged me close. Then Lenore kissed me on the cheek and headed off after Morgan. He was leading a small parade towards the minivan that brought everyone. Angelique clung to me as her mother walked away.

"Lenore has to work," Ashley reminded me needlessly. "So what do we do with the three year old munchkin?"

I looked down at Angelique. A month ago when she first arrived with Lenore, this shy girl would barely look at me. Now she held me close whenever she could. "We could head over to the swings," I said.

Angelique started nodding her head, rubbing it up and down my leg. Ashley watched this and giggled. "She likes that idea, Daddy."

My heart warmed when Ashley said that. "I only wish I really was her father. No, that's not exactly right. I'm too young to be her father, but it's a crime that Lenore was abandoned after getting pregnant. Angelique here is such a gem."

I reached down and lifted Angelique into the air. I put her on my shoulders. The girl giggled and grabbed my hair to steady herself as Ashley and I walked from the clearing. A small grove stood between us and the park's playground. Angelique just held my hair and laughed until the path we followed revealed the playground. The young girl immediately started shouting "down" once she could see the swings.

I lowered Angelique to the ground. She wobbled for a moment and then ran towards the sand as fast as her tiny legs would carry her. Ashley and I jogged to keep up with her. She leapt into the sand and immediately grabbed one of the larger swings. It was a bit too high for her to climb in and the child looked back at me with an annoyed expression on her face.

Ashley laughed. "The queen demands her servant help her."

I shook my head as I caught up to Angelique and lifted her into the swing. She immediately started pumping her legs back and forth. The swing fought her uncoordinated motion, but I grabbed the chains and pull her back and up until she was a foot above the bottom of the arc. When I released her, she pushed her feet forward. I stepped back and watched. She was a bit slow bending her knees after she reached the peak of her swing, but she held her legs in until the swing stopped moving backward. After that I walked to the side and watched as Angelique kept the swing moving.

Ashley walked up and put a hand on my arm. "She is adorable."

"And loving and giving," I said back. "Much like her mother."

"You must be so frustrated with Lenore," Ashley said.

"Why?" I asked. Angelique had tried pushing only her right leg forward as the swing moved forward, the swing started to twist due to the uneven forces. I moved to rescue the girl. Once I steadied the swing I realized she was laughing merrily.

"Do it again!" she pleaded.

I pulled the swing back and released her again. This time I immediately returned to where Ashley was standing to the side of the swing. She smiled at me.

"Isn't Lenore keeping you from making love to me every night? And she won't even have sex with you. I'm surprised you haven't thrown her back out," Ashley observed.

"And if I did, you'd never trust me not to throw you out over something insignificant," I pointed out. "Lenore has her own demons to slay. Meanwhile, her daughter is a huge source of happiness for everyone in the household, and just having her around is helping you learn to care for a child. If all goes well, in a few years you'll have more than one child of your own."

"They'll be both of ours," Ashley said firmly. "Mark, some of what Kyle said worries me just a little. He's right when I leave Earth with you, I'll be considered nothing more than a sex slave."

"Not to me. Ashley, I love you. I'm falling in love with Lenore, and I think Kelsey is a wonderful young woman I can fall in love with once she is old enough to join us. Sex slaves aren't loved by the men who own them," I snapped.

"But the rules say that we will be," Ashley protested.

"Rules are made to be broken," I interrupted. "Ashley, I can't change the rules, but I haven't heard them say that I cannot love you. I also haven't heard that I can't try to make you into something much more. If you'll permit me, you will be beloved companions."

"Naked beloved companions," Ashley said with a giggle.

"Hell no! I'm selfish. The sight of your nipples and pussy are reserved for me, Lenore, Kelsey when she's old enough, and a woman to be named later."

Ashley burst out laughing. "You make it sound like some baseball trade. I'll take Ashley naked for Angelique, a relief pitcher and a double A infielder to be named after the draft."

It was my turn to start laughing. I enveloped Ashley in a hug, but she pushed away. I stood there in shock as she reached up to hold my cheeks in her hands. "Mark, are you going to make love to Lenore tonight?"

I sighed. "She rarely gets home before eleven now that the restaurant is so popular."

"It seems people go there hoping to be there during a pickup. Lenore told me that they have some people stay for four hours at a table ordering as little as possible. Cliff has talked about trying to find a new building because the people get belligerent if you ask them to leave," Ashley said with an answering sigh.

"I know. She really needs someone at home to cuddle with. I know she'd cried on your shoulder a few times once she gets home," I replied.

Ashley blushed. "Mark she sleeps in my bed with me. We have never been naked together. We don't even kiss when you aren't around, but..."

"You want to kiss her and lick her," I said with a smirk. "Ashley I'm thinking that tonight when Lenore comes home we should tell her that tomorrow we'll be taking her to the treehouse. Once there, I'll have my wicked way with both of you."

"Promise?" Ashley said. The leer on her face would have been more natural on a college age man and I burst out laughing as she leaned toward me.

I playfully formed my index fingers into an X and pushed them away from me as I backed away from Ashley. "Foul succubus, you shall not cause me to descend into lustful fantasies of you."

"I won't?" Ashley asked. Her leer vanished and she looked uncertain.

"How can I descend when I'm already there?" I asked with a wink.

"Fiend! Brute!" Ashley shouted playfully as she swatted my chest. "Don't scare me like that."

"How should I scare you then?" I asked calmly as I turned to check on Angelique. She was obviously growing tired as her legs hung limp and she just held onto the swing as it twisted around slightly. She leaned against one of the chains with her eyes closed.

Ashley touched me on the shoulder. "She was up before dawn. We told her that you would be playing with her today."

I smiled as I walked over and plucked the sleeping girl from the swing. She opened her eyes long enough to smile before her chin dropped to rest against her chest. I lifted her up, and Ashley raised the girl's chin so she rested on my shoulder as I held her.

"I think we need to take her home," I said

"And I don't have a vehicle," Ashley informed me. "Shall we go for a stroll."

I laughed and we left the playground. In the warming morning we made our way out of the park and down the sidewalks leading back to Ashley's home.

The walk proved to be pleasant, and we were smiling when we arrived back at the house. Angelique was still dozing against my chest. We brought her inside and took her to the television room where we laid her on one of the couches. Ashley placed a throw pillow under the child's head. Angelique curled up on her side and grabbed the pillow with both of her hands as we crept back out of the room.

We ran into Letty and Jason in the dining area. Letty had changed her outfit and was wearing a sundress as she read a book. Jason had his laptop on the table and was browsing the net. Both of them just waved when we walked up.

Ashley noticed and shrugged. "I guess we could walk to the mall."

I nodded but frowned. "Shower first I think. We've been sweating for hours."

"It was fun though," Jason said without looking up. "I bet if we keep this up we'll be in great shape at the end of the summer."

"I enjoyed it," Letty added. "It was something I never got to do at home. Mother always told us that women should just work hard to avoid angering the men in their life."

Ashley gave me a hip check. "You can't shower with me today. We need you to save up energy for tonight and tomorrow morning. Oh, will your father have any issues with you having a sleepover."

"He's in Europe right now. At least I think he is. I know that some of the groups he is with were planning some trips to Asia and South America," I said.

"Why?" Jason asked.

"Officially, to try to make the fight to end CAP scoring global. You know that many areas in Africa, Asia and South America have been told that no pickups or CAP scoring will occur. From what my father said in his phone call they want to use that to prove that the tests are discriminatory. They are already trying to obtain a breakdown of scores by race and sex," I said.

"But some of that will be automatic," Jason said. "If you are testing to see who would be a good soldier a man will most likely score higher. Human beings do have instincts, and they are a bit different for men and women. Why do some people insist that everyone should get the same score on every test."

"Because if they can make everyone the same, they don't have to feel inadequate," I said. "I'll run home to shower Ashley. As for the sleepover at my house, I'll just say that I like that idea if Letty and your mom are willing to watch Angelique."

Letty clapped her hands. "Oh, I'd love to watch the little Angel for a night. She's just so precious. Jason, think you can survive a few games of Candyland."

Jason laughed. "Mark, you better be careful, or I might win that little girls affection from you. Then I'd have Lenore with me and Letty since she'd never break her daughter's heart."

Letty and Ashley giggled as I shook my head. "A pox on all your houses," I said playfully as I walked to the door ready to run home for a shower.

Laughter followed me out the door. Alone for the first time in a few hours, I smiled as I began jogging the half mile home. My legs were sore, but seemed to welcome the additional exercise as I made my way. I arrived at the house and found it still locked up from the morning.

I went inside and climbed the stairs. The clothing I had on was coated in dried sweat so I pulled everything off and pulled out clean clothing for the fourth time in a day. I then headed to the shower.

In the morning I had been rushed by the presence of Kelsey and her parent's downstairs. This time I was in no hurry, so I took my time and allowed the warm water to cascade over my body as I used shampoo to clean my hair. I had been in the shower for about fifteen minutes when I heard a doorbell ringing.

I cursed and jumped out of the shower, shutting off the water as I stepped onto the tile. Frantically, I grabbed a towel and dried by body as the doorbell rang again. "Coming," I shouted to the empty hallway.

I threw on the clothes that I had selected before getting into the shower. The instant I had the jeans fastened, I ran down the stairs carrying my socks as the doorbell rang for a third time. I hurried to the door and opened it to find Ashley standing there with a worried look on her face.

"What took you?" she asked. I noticed that her long hair was laying flat against her back. The shine made it clear that it was wet.

"I was in the shower," I replied.

"I finished and had time to drive over," Ashley said with a pout.

"Come in for a moment," I said. "I didn't get time to comb my hair and I need to put my shoes on. Then I'll be ready to go. Why did you drive over?"

"I thought we'd go to Paradise Faire," Ashley said.

"Why not Town Center? We could visit your mom and Becky at their boutique," I said.

Ashley blushed. "Mark! I don't want to go there and purchase lingerie. I'd be embarrassed. I can't let my mom know I'm purchasing that kind of underwear! I mean, yes I've been a bit of an exhibitionist with you, but allowing Mom to see me purchase sexy undergarments."

I looked at Ashley; she was wearing a white halter top that was cropped above her belly button and a black mini skirt that came down her thighs about an inch. "Bend over," I ordered my blonde friend.

"What?" Ashley said as her eyes widened in shock.

"Turn around and bend over," I said firmly. "I need to check something.

Ashley blushed, but turned her back to me and bent at the waist. The shirt rose up. From where I sat I could see the bottom half of her ass checks and her pussy. I slipped my right hand between her legs and ran my index finger along her pussy. Ashley sighed and pushed back, trying to get my finger to slide into her vagina.

"Good," I said. "You remembered the rule.

"Mark," Ashley whined. "That's not fair. You need to save your strength so you can give Lenore a wonderful first night, but now I'm going to be turned on all day."

I knelt and put my arms around Ashley's thighs. "Humm. I smell something nice," I mused. "I wonder if it's this luscious pair of lips in front of me."

Ashley gasped as I pulled her to me. I stuck my tongue out and began running it up and down her pussy lips. Moments later I was rewarded with a moan of passion from Ashley.

"No fair," my lover gasped as I began rolling my tongue up and down her pussy. I was making clockwise circles around her pussy, which was soon weeping as she leaned backwards.

"I decide what's fair," I said as I continued to explore and invade Ashley's pussy with my tongue. She was now moaning continuously. My hands stopped using her thighs to pull her toward me, as I had to hold up her torso. A series of small but noticeable orgasms wracked her body as I allowed my tongue to quickly circle her clit. Her head fell forward, and I finally ended my assault and allowed her body to ooze onto the floor.

Ashley purred as she lay on the floor. "You can turn me inside out so easily. But you didn't get to enjoy it."

"Ashley, I love to hear you moan as you cum. And to see you lying there, sweaty and glowing is a great tribute. I know that tomorrow we'll sneak Lenore out to the treehouse and show her just how much she is a part of both of us. I also know for that I need to be able to fill her completely, so I'm willing to wait."

"She already knows," Ashley purred. "Just the fact that you've made her a part of your life already has convinced her that she wants this. I guess she's been listening to one of the new waitresses they hired."

"Which one?" I asked as Ashley started to struggle to her feet. It was obvious that my lover was still a bit dazed from my surprise tonguing of her pussy.

"Frances I think," Ashley said. "All she said was that the poor woman is so desperate to escape that she accepted an agreement with a man who demands that she fuck not just him, but his three closest friends, who it turns out don't have the CAP to volunteer themselves."

"Somehow I'm not too surprised, but I could never do that. I feel that it dishonors the agreement a man must make with his concubines if he allows others to abuse them," I said.

"And it is abuse," Ashley said. "Notice that I said that this woman's chosen master forces her to fuck others. It's not love. You and I make love when we get together. From what Lenore tells me, her fellow waitress is subjected to emotionless fucking. The woman even said she's debated turning tricks on the side because then there would be more emotion in it."

"Ouch," I said. "Meanwhile I think it's time for us to get to the mall."

"With my hair showing that I've just been licked to orgasm?" Ashley said in mock outrage. "What will the people at the mall think?"

"That you are a very lucky woman who has found someone to love her," I said. "And we should get going. I think we should look for something that both you and Lenore can wear to show that you are claimed."

"Like a ring?" Ashley said happily.

"Not yet. I'm going to give you rings once we have left Earth. On that day I'll make it clear that I am making a lifetime commitment to you. I never want you or Lenore to think that I might decide to abandon you for any reason," I said as I helped Ashley stand up.

My blonde lover threw her arms around my neck. "How do you always know what to say?" she asked.

I shrugged and Ashley started dragging me toward the door. It was clear she wanted to look around for something immediately. She gave me time to lock the door, but then pushed me to the minivan parked in the driveway.

I had to allow Ashley to drive, so I got into the passenger seat and buckled up while she started the vehicle. She had some trouble backing out of the driveway, but soon had us moving toward the Paradise Faire mall.

Ashley turned up the stereo in the minivan while we drove to the mall. She had loaded her music player with a mix of classical and country music. It was a bit of a surprise to listen to Venus by Gustav Holst and have the wonderful piece followed by Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo. Ashley was still gigging at that when we pulled into a parking spot.

"Where do we go first?" Ashley asked.

"I thought we'd find you a couple of..." I paused and felt my face grow warm. Ashley noticed and started to giggle.

"Seductive bedroom clothing," she said as she pulled me towards the door of the mall. "We can do that. I even got Lenore's sizes before I drove to your house. I expected you to want clothing for both of us."

"At work Lenore needs to look professional. I won't say no to her going without panties, but if she's doing that at work, the skirts better be knee length," I said firmly.

"Yuck! She can't do that at work. Health rules and such," Ashley said. "But she will appreciate that you realize that."

I nodded as we walked into the mall. Ashley led the way to the mall's lingerie boutique. She seemed to be on a mission as we dodged the other shoppers. Once inside, she almost ran to the back where she started looking at some high-end negligees. Most were so sheer as to be transparent. The shoulder straps were thin and appeared far too fragile for the cost of the outfit. I pointed this out and Ashley giggled.

"They are meant to be torn off the woman in a moment of passion," she informed me.

"At this cost? That is crazy. I don't mind getting something like this, but I'm going to be careful with it," I replied.

Ashley nodded, but then started concentrating on the outfits available. She selected a half-dozen different negligees and in each case found two that were identical with the exception of size. She also picked up matching panties for each one. When I reminded her that she promised to only wear panties during her period she giggled.

Shopping here took about thirty minutes, during which I felt a bit like a pervert. The sales clerk said nothing, but one older woman noticed me standing inside and started waving to someone. When Ashley came over and gave me a hug the woman just scowled and turned away. She seemed to be looking for someone.

We had just completed our purchase and were walking out of the boutique when the woman returned leading a security guard. The guard was clearly unathletic with a waist that seemed larger around than Matilda was tall. He was wheezing a bit as he followed the woman. She saw Ashley and me walking out and pointed towards us. "That boy! He's the pervert I told you about. He was hanging out in that women's underwear shop and looking at the outfits."

The guard walked up to me. "Son, this woman says you were in that shop."

I sighed as Ashley helpfully held up the bags holding the items we had just purchased. "As you can see," I said. "We just purchased some things."

"You don't need outfits from there!" the woman spat. "That's for adults!"

"If you have been paying attention," I said calmly. "The aliens consider us adults at fourteen, and the laws have been getting changed to reflect that."

"You should be in school, not ... not," the woman just waved at Ashley who only increased her ire by kneeling at my feet and gazing up at me with adoration in her eyes.

The guard looked at me. "Did you really make a purchase there?" he asked "Or did you just ask for the bag so you could brag to your friends?"

Ashley reached into one of the two bags she was carrying. She dug into the bottom for a moment and then pulled out a receipt. We had purchased so many items that the receipt was more than a foot of paper. My blonde lover said nothing, but placed the receipt in my hand.

I turned it so the guard could read it. He scanned down it and whistled at the amount of money we had paid. "That's a big purchase."

I shrugged. "Coming here multiple times seemed to be a waste of time. It makes more sense to purchase multiple outfits."

"I also see more than one size here," the man said quietly.

"It's for a friend of ours," Ashley supplied. "And I don't understand why you are giving us a hard time. We haven't committed any crime."

The guard looked at the old woman who had dragged him over to confront us. "True. This lady claimed that your young man there was acting perverted because he was trying to hide inside the store."

"I didn't feel comfortable in there," I growled. "Any man would try to avoid drawing attention to himself inside a store like that. Letting just anyone see us looking at women's undergarments isn't exactly manly."

The guard laughed. "Son, if your girlfriend wants to shop for panties with you, you smile and pull out the checkbook. It's not like you'll have many chances."

"That's what he thinks," Ashley whispered in my ear.

I held out my hand offering to shake the guard's hand. "Good advice," I said. "Now unless there are additional issues, can Ashley and I go? We have a few more stores we want to visit before we head home."

The guard shook my hand. "Sorry to bother you. You can go about your business."

Ashley and I immediately started walking away, behind us we could hear the guard speaking firmly to the woman who was apparently protesting the fact that he had allowed us to go. Ashley waited until the crowd blocked the sounds of the argument before turning to me. "We need swimsuits."

I nodded. "Where..." I began to ask.

Ashley pointed to a store called Beach Gear for Babes. I raised my hand to my mouth to bottle up the laughter that threatened to pour forth. Instead I nodded and started walking to the store.

Once Ashley was sure I was heading to the store, she ran ahead of me. I watched as she entered the store and immediately headed to the right. I followed a bit more slowly, checking to see who might be in the store. I could hear several young women chatting about some of the outfits, but they were to my left as I entered. I did see a bored looking college coed manning the cash register. She frowned as I entered, but said nothing.

Ashley ran up to me before I was more than ten feet into the store. She held up a hanger that seemed to have a couple of strips of sky blue cloth on it. "What do you think?" she asked.