5: Caretakers

Days in Hades and nights in Paradise stretched on for months. I was working at physical therapy six or more hours a day. I was working in the store four hours a day where I practiced sleight of hand. I graduated from wheelchair to walker to crutches. Lisa worked right alongside me. Every exercise I did, she did twice. She was determined that she would be as fit as was required for an excursion on Chaos. When I was working at Shannara, Lisa took instruction in self-defense and Tai Chi. Not to be outdone, Cadence also took martial arts. Twice a week, all three of us went to an archery range and worked for at least an hour. It was hard to find a longbow. Even a recurve bow was a little unusual. Cabela's had a million different compound bows, but no one goes hunting with a longbow. Olympic archery is done with a recurve bow with a men's pull of 48 pounds. That was what we were able to get.

I did a lot of studying and research regarding handmade weapons. What could I get and/or make quickly when I arrived on Chaos? Try finding out how to make a slingshot without anything elastic. I knew they existed, but finding instructions on how to make one and then how to shoot with it was insane. I waded through more freaky survivalist shit than I wanted to know existed. But some of it was very useful. Not only did I need to learn to make a sling, it had to be made out of the clothes I was wearing. Without a knife.

And at night, I made love to Cadence. That in itself was motivation to keep working on my physical conditioning. In a month, I could get on top. Cadence loved it the first time I crawled over the top of her and planted my flag in victory. She screamed so loud her mother came in to watch. When we were finished, she crawled into bed with us and spooned behind me.

I graduated to two canes. I made them myself.

They were absolutely no use at all in the house as the wooden end would slip on the tile or hardwood. I didn't have carpet because it was harder to roll the wheelchair across. I supposed I could change that, but I kind of liked the stark plainness of the hardwood. Of course, I could have put rubber feet on the canes and they wouldn't slip unless the floor was wet. But I knew rubber would not be allowed through the portal.

"Don't even consider it," Lisa growled when she caught me looking at the sapphire ring. She scared me out of my wits. "I don't think you are ready, but when you say we go, we go. Together. I will not have you running around on Chaos without a caretaker."

"You know you will be considered a companion when I take you to Chaos, don't you?" I said.

"I will be your caretaker. On Earth or on Chaos. You have Persephone on Crossroads."

"I need to go soon."

"Linc, are you letting your desire for Persephone control your judgment?" Lisa asked. I looked at her and pulled her to me in a hug. She melted against me.

"You know me so well," I whispered. She lifted her lips and kissed me. Really kissed me. "You've read the books on companions and caretakers, haven't you?" She nodded. "So you know both of them are supposed to provide for my needs," I chuckled.

"Linc, the only thing I won't do is fuck you. I made a vow. I won't break it. Not here and not on Chaos. I'll hold you, bathe you, give you a hand job, a blowjob, or let you rub between my modest little tits. I'll even make sure my daughter is clean and shaved for you. But I won't fuck you. Are there any other needs you think you might have?" she asked.

"I love you, Lisa."

"Even now that you and Cadence make love every night? Don't think I don't hear you when I'm here," she laughed at my embarrassment.

"Honey, I would have you both in bed with me every night if you let me. Cadence has already said you are welcome."

"Sometimes. But still..."

"I know. You won't fuck me. That's all right. I don't want to fuck you. I want to make love to you," I said.

"Oh, Lincoln! When do you want to go make Persephone your lover? We'd better do it soon."

"Tomorrow morning. I'm strong enough now that I can convince Sandy of just about anything. I can go to Crossroads and not only continue physical therapy, but learn combat skills that I'll need on Chaos. I haven't found anyone here who will teach me to throw knives or use a bolo. I need to learn every kind of defense that doesn't involve me moving around on my legs," I said.

"Don't tell Cadence."

"Not until we get back."

"Make love to her tonight. Make her know how much you love her," Lisa said, hugging me tightly.

"You'll be right here with me to make sure I do it right."

Lisa and I stood before the portal in the morning and examined each other. I noticed she had a couple interesting combs holding her hair in a bun. She just grinned. She looked at the two canes I was propped on. I grinned. We were both dressed in just sweatpants and a t-shirt. I held my left cane up and she stepped into my embrace. Together, we stepped into the wardrobe.

We felt a queasy disorientation for a second and then a bright light. We were standing in the portal room on Crossroads. The wall opened in front of us and Persephone swept into the room. She was wearing a silky adaptation of what we'd call spandex. She was dripping sweat.

"Hero Lincoln!" she exclaimed as she ran to me. She was in my arms and I kissed her. It was as if we'd just parted for the day. She was comfortable and sexy and loving and right. I responded to her immediately, her pheromones enhanced by her sweat. "Lisa Caretaker," she gasped as she pushed herself away from me and hugged Lisa. Lisa took Persephone in her arms and kissed her as passionately as I had.

"I am so happy to see you, Persephone Caretaker. What have you been doing?" Lisa asked, holding Seph at arm's length to examine her sweaty body.

"Working out!" Persephone said. "I know how hard you are working on Earth and I wanted to learn everything I could to help you when you arrived. Oh, Hero Lincoln! Have you come too soon? You don't look ready!" She looked at my canes as we made our way to the next room.

It was beautiful.

"I still need more work, but I'm far enough that I thought we could train here for a while before I head out on my first mission. Seph, this room is beautiful. So elegant and yet so comfortable. How did you know what I'd like?" I asked.

"Lisa Caretaker and I had a long discussion about decorating while you were asleep," she giggled. "Did I do okay, Lisa?"

"I think he's already given you his answer," Lisa laughed. "I'd suggest another round in the healing chamber before the two of you get frisky, just to be sure he hasn't injured himself in his therapy and training. Our technology for monitoring such things is not as good as yours."

"Oh! I just wanted to go straight to the bedroom," Seph moaned. "You will make me yours today, won't you, my Hero?"

"Before this day is ended, my love, we will be bound together as mates. But Lisa is right. I'm still getting incredible and unpredictable pains. I feel so spastic at times. Healing chamber first. And you can shower."

"Okay," Seph said. "Perhaps Lisa Caretaker will help make sure I am clean for you," she whispered. That did nothing to soften my erect cock. Nonetheless, I was led to the healing chamber and sank into it with a sigh. It might look like a coffin, but it's a really comfy one. She closed the lid and I was out.

Lisa and I sat on the sofa with Seph between us. We kissed her and petted her from both sides. The poor girl had come half a dozen times and we hadn't even parted her legs.

"Is there an outdoors here, Sephie?" I whispered.

"I love it when you call me 'Sephie.' Can't we make love now?" she asked.

"I really want to see the sky," I said.

"I don't know," she said. She puzzled a moment. "Computer, is there an outside here at Crossroads?"

"Crossroads is a habitable moon with vegetation and minimal animal life. Within the grounds of the Crossroads portals and hero accommodations, there are no harmful species."

"Can we go outside?" I asked.

"There is no rule against it," the disembodied voice said. "You must, however, remember that outside the artificial habitat, the gravity of Crossroads is about 80% Earth norm. Don't jump."

"I would like to go outside with you, Persephone," I said. "I want to see the stars."

"Computer, please show us the passage outside." Walls began to open. "Oh. Is there enough atmosphere to breathe?"

"There is an adequate oxygen-nitrogen supply to sustain life, but you will begin to feel light-headed within ten minutes."

We walked outside.

It was beautiful. The arc of a huge disk hovered on the horizon.

"What is that?" I asked, not expecting an answer.

"The planet Horace," the disembodied voice said. It sounded like it was in my ear. "Crossroads is a moon in orbit."

"Can you show us Earth, Cassandra, and Chaos?" I asked. I had no idea what might be possible here. The voice followed me outside. Why not all the rest of the computer's function? I noticed that Lisa watched from the door, not intruding on my special moment with Persephone.

"Earth trajectory would only be visible from the opposite side of Crossroads. Cassandra's star is located in the cluster seventeen degrees to your right at an elevation of thirty-eight degrees. Chaos orbits a solitary star just appearing over the horizon of Horace, slightly to the left of center and ten degrees higher. Of course, you cannot see the planets orbiting those stars." The computer seemed to take great pleasure in giving information about the universe as if we were school children. I suppose from its perspective we were.

"Look at it all, Persephone," I said. "Isn't it glorious?" Her breath was coming in small gasps and I knew we needed to move back inside quickly. "Out of all that universe, all those stars, we have come together from light years apart. We are unique in all the Cosmos. We have found each other to love." Persephone fainted in my arms. I guess having an orgasm in thin atmosphere isn't the best thing to do, especially when your date is using two canes to walk around. Lisa moved as quickly as possible in the low gravity and scooped Seph up in her arms. I followed her inside and the door to our little habitat silently closed behind us. Moving from half g to earth normal almost collapsed my legs under me. Lisa staggered as well.

Lisa carried Seph to the bed and we crawled in on either side of her. I leaned over and kissed Lisa deeply. I knew what she was thinking. She wouldn't do this with her daughter, but Lisa and I were about to make love with Seph as our intermediary. If Seph could orgasm from just being told that I loved her, she was about to have an exhausting night. We put little kisses all over her face and Lisa said, "Three restoratives, please." Three little vials appeared on the bedside table and we got one to Persephone's lips. She drank it down as her eyes fluttered open. Lisa and I each took the others. What a charge!

"Do you mean it?" Seph asked. "We are here to love each other?"

"All three of us," Lisa whispered. "And when Cadence joins us, there will be four. And each of the damsels Linc brings back to Crossroads will expand our love that much more. Will you make love to us, Persephone?"

"Oh, yes. Teach me about love as you know it on Earth."

Lisa and I did our best. We kissed our Cassandran lover and each other. We petted her and massaged her through multiple orgasms. We suckled together on her breasts. We explored every inch of my diminutive caretaker with our fingers and with our tongues. Lisa planted herself between Seph's legs and licked her to such a powerful orgasm that she passed out again. And then she sucked on me until Seph awoke and took the restorative from us.

"Are you ready, my virgin caretaker?" I asked as I opened her lower lips with my manhood.

"How is it said on Earth, my Hero? Please, pop my cherry!" I pushed and actually heard the pop as I broke through her hymen. Persephone gasped with the combined sensation of pain from her tearing hymen and orgasm as her lover pushed into her. Her scream of ecstasy was deafening and Lisa covered Seph's mouth with her own to mute the sound. Seph stiffened and then went slack as she passed out from the overstimulation of her pleasure centers.

"Can you wait for her, love?" Lisa asked. I was clenching my butt cheeks together in an attempt not to come while Seph was unconscious.

"This is difficult."

"Give it to me. You'll still be hard and back in her before she wakes up." I pulled out of Seph and Lisa slurped me into her mouth, stroking me with her hand as she sucked on me. I exploded.

"I love you, Lisa!" I said. "I love you so much."

"If you didn't, I would never have accompanied you," she said, licking her lips. "My, but she is tasty on you."

"I had no idea you swung that way," I laughed as she continued to nurse me back to hardness.

"I fell in love with Persephone when I read her file. When I saw her picture, I was lost. I was panicked to think that you might choose one of the other two."

"It was never a contest." Lisa pulled me back to Persephone and I pushed inside the younger caretaker. Even having just come it was almost more than I could bear to be gripped in her tight sheath. Seph moaned and her eyes fluttered open.