Chapter 22

Alarms blared, amber lights flashed, and the Brightdark’s hull shook madly as the ship plummeted towards the Earth. The overwhelming butterflies in Sarah’s stomach made her tense-up and clench her jaw, desperately trying not to pass-out from the g-forces slamming into her. Black smoke could be seen billowing past the windows, briefly blocking the view to offer a short reprieve from the sight of the solid ground that was rapidly approaching.

Sarah, Adam, Zoey, and Steven all held onto the edges of their seats, doing their best to remain stationary. A’luhr was still at the front of the ship, connected to the hanging control devices, and hurriedly pressing buttons on the control panel while doing her best to maintain a collected demeanor.

“We’re gonna crash!” Steven yelled, doing his best not to pass out.

“Oh, thanks for the live updates!” Zoey retorted, “I was wondering why I was filled with the fear of imminent death!”

“My pleasure! Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“I would prefer if everyone just remained quiet and let me focus!” A’luhr grunted. “ I can see an open field on the periphery of the city where the Krinis’s corruption has yet to settle–if we are going to land anywhere safely, it will have to be there.” Neon-yellow sweat poured from her brow as she frantically began to flip switches, which appeared to be powering down the various holographic displays and controls that decorated the console in front of her.

“You’re turning the ship off!?” Adam gasped, panicking even more. “That seems like the opposite of what we want!”

“I said be quiet!” A’luhr snapped back. “If I kill all the onboard systems, the engine may naturally cool enough to momentarily ignite the thrusters before we impact the ground. It will be a hard landing, but one we shall likely survive.”

“What!? That’s insane! Why did you fly the ship so high up if you knew we were going to fall!?”

“This was not my plan; unfortunately we slingshotted out of the tentacles at a higher velocity than anticipated. Now. Be. Quiet!” A’luhr intensely enunciated each word through her gritted teeth before closing her eyes to concentrate. The rest of the group all clamped their eyes shut as well, dreading what was certainly an inevitable and fatal impact.

As the lights within the ship began to blink out, the clunky, whirring sounds of the thrusters died as well. For a brief, terrifying moment, all Sarah could hear was the sound of wind whipping past the hull outside, and her own pulse pounding in her head. She didn’t realize she had been holding her breath until she let out a gasp as she felt a large, warm hand tightly grasp her own.

She opened her eyes to see Adam holding onto her with one hand, and the side of his seat with the other. She felt a sense of comfort wash through her, and squeezed his hand back. If this was how it ended, then so be it. This may even be preferable to being reduced to nothing more than a living meat puppet for aliens to breed with for the rest of her life.

Suddenly, A’luhr’s eyes snapped open, and she lunged forward, slamming a toggle on the dashboard as she yelled something in a language Sarah didn’t recognize. The ship’s thrusters roared back to life, and the entire hull screeched and groaned as if trying to tear itself apart as their descent was abruptly halted.

“Brace yourselves!” A’luhr cried out, this time very recognizable. However, the unexpected events had caught Sarah off guard.

“Ah...” Sarah gasped as the ship jolted, and her sweating palm slipped away from Adam’s. She tumbled out of her seat into the suddenly illuminated walls of the Brightdark, before slamming her head hard against the edge of Zoey’s chair. The last thing she saw before her world collapsed into darkness and pain was the horrified look on her young student’s face.

“-Arah...! Sarah! Wake up! Please!” Adam’s panicked voice filled Sarah’s ringing ears as her vision slowly began to refocus. The darkness surrounding her melted away into blurry, colorful shapes, until soon she could make out the concerned faces of her friends looking down at her. She blinked her eyes in confusion and heard Adam let out a deep sigh of relief. “Oh thank God; I thought I’d lost you! How could I have let you go like that!?”

“Wha...?” Sarah groaned, turning her head to the side to take in her surroundings. She was lying on her back in the grass, with Adam, Zoey, and Steven kneeling on either side of her naked body. Nearby, she could see A’luhr carrying a small satchel as she exited the smoking hull of the Brightdark, which was covered in dirt and broken branches, but still appeared to be in one piece. “What happened?” A sudden burst of pain stung Sarah’s forehead, causing her to wince and suck air in through her clenched teeth.

“A’luhr managed to break our fall enough to not completely crash,” Zoey replied. “But you slipped out of your seat and banged your head. You’ve been out of it for a few minutes now ... and bleeding pretty bad.” Sarah felt nauseous as she reached her hand up to feel her throbbing forehead. Her fingers were met with a warm wetness, and she pulled them away to see them smeared with crimson blood.

“I found the medical kit,” A’luhr announced, jogging over to the rest of the group, her full, milky-blue breasts bouncing freely. She crouched down next to Sarah, where she placed the satchel she had been carrying.

From within the bag, A’lurh withdrew a small thermos-like canister, and pulled an even smaller white cylinder out from an opening on the top of it. “I am hoping that the cellular structure of our species is similar enough for this to work. Try to stay still–this may hurt slightly.” A’luhr pressed one end of the cylinder to the cut on Sarah’s head, and then clicked the other end like a pen.

Sarah could feel a mild tingling sensation begin to build up on her skin beneath the device, which gradually got more and more intense until it began to burn. She let out a small cry of pain, and felt Adam’s hand wrap around hers, which she squeezed tightly. A’luhr guided the cylinder along the length of Sarah’s wound, which spread the stinging sensation. It wasn’t so intense that Sarah couldn’t take it, but even so, she felt tears welling in her eyes, and her chest heaved with shuddering breaths.

“There, that should do it,” said A’luhr, after a moment that felt like an eternity. She used the side of her hand to wipe some sort of pinkish foam away from Sarah’s injury as her r’emuli drooped slightly to match her relieved expression. “How fortunate; it seems to be taking quite well! See for yourself.”

Sarah gingerly patted around the area where the bloody cut had been only moments before, only finding a rough scab in its place. It still pained her slightly, but it was as if several days of healing had already happened in an instant.

“From what I have seen of human regenerative properties, this will likely leave a scar,” A’luhr added pensively.” But at least the bleeding has been quelled.”

“That’s incredible! Thank you!” Sarah croaked, starting to sit up. “Do you mind if I study that medicine late-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Zoey cried out, putting a hand on Sarah’s collarbone, and gently guiding her back to the ground as Adam cradled Sarah’s head. “Hold up; you need to rest for a bit!”

“This is likely true,” A’luhr agreed. “I have only stimulated your blood to coagulate faster. Any internal head trauma should always be followed by at least a brief period of respite.”

“But we need to keep going ... the Krinis-”

“Don’t seem to have found us out here,” Zoey assured her. Sarah felt like complaining – she could hear the “yet” implicit in Zoey’s words–but the cool feeling of the late spring grass against her bare skin was both relaxing and refreshing. How long had it been since she had lain on something that wasn’t slick and pulsating?

“It looks like the Krinis didn’t put this forest high on their ‘places to cover in tentacles and slime’ list,” Steven added. “Maybe because there aren’t really any humans out here?”

“Potentially,” A’luhr agreed, twiddling with one of her r’emuli in a thoughtful manner. “But we must stay vigilant, especially as much of the weaponry on my ship has been lost or damaged.”

“What do we have left...?” Adam asked, apprehension written clearly on his face.

“Not much,” A’luhr sighed. “Only what was stored in the cockpit area, or got lodged in the cargo bay walls. These were all I could find.” She reached down, and turned out the satchel, emptying its contents onto the grass.

There wasn’t much to look at. The small pile of items contained two of the small silver daggers A’luhr had been using earlier, two of the vibrating batons, four of the spherical “impulse detonator” grenades, and several bound mounds of fabric.

“This is everyth-?” Adam began to ask, before nearly being pushed off his feet as Zoey scrambled past him in excitement.

“Are these clothes!?” Zoey practically screamed, eagerly grabbing for one of the folded pieces of cloth. She swiftly removed the straps holding the bundle together, and held it up to allow the garment to unfold down to her ankles. It was similar to the skin-tight jumpsuit that A’luhr had been wearing when they first met, though the colors and design were slightly different, with sections of white, glistening, armor-like shells covering various spots.

“Indeed,” A’luhr nodded. “They may not be as comfortable as the traditional human garb you are used to, but they should protect us from the elements well enough.”

“I’d wear a bikini made of poison ivy if it meant not being naked in front of my brother anymore.”

“Agreed,” Steven snorted. “I still haven’t gotten used to that.”

“Please, never do,” Zoey replied with a slight cringe.

“But do you have anything ... err ... less tight?” Steven was nervously eyeing the crotch of the outfit, which didn’t seem to be particularly roomy.

“I understand your concern,” A’luhr chuckled. “But worry not; the fabric of these suits will react to your body heat to become malleable, and form to your body’s dimensions. At least, the males of my kind have never complained about discomfort, and they are naturally far more... endowed than most of the human males I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing.”

“Ohhhh!” Zoey burst out laughing in Steven’s reddening face.

“Ahem, I meant ‘you’ as a generalization of your species, not you specifically, Steven,” A’luhr tried to assure him, awkwardly scratching her cheek, which also appeared to be discoloring in a sort of blush. Clearly, A’luhr was aware of the mental damage such words could inflict on a man. Sarah smirked in a knowing, mischievous manner. Perhaps penis size anxiety was not a uniquely human trait.

“I mean, I admit I’m not the ... biggest in the world,” Steven coughed. “But after the, uh, changes from being in the hive for so long, I was starting to feel decently confident.” He reached down, and gently cupped his groin. Even the use of both his hands could barely contain his respectable bulge.

Sarah glanced down at herself as everyone else did the same. She hadn’t really thought about it much, but her boobs did feel heavier than before, and her clit seemed to catch the breeze in the air as if it now extended far past its foreskin. The changes in everyone had been slow and gradual, so they had somewhat gone without notice, but upon inspection, the differences were obvious.

Adam’s once respectable length was now nearly a foot-long monster flaccid. His balls, now each the size of large eggs, drooped down to his mid-thigh. He fondled his shaft in an almost reverent manner, making it twitch and start to swell slightly. Realizing everyone was staring at him, he quickly attempted to hide his growing cock, but even his hands and forearms weren’t enough to completely conceal the gigantic erection.

It wasn’t just the guys who were now becoming acutely aware of their bodies’ changes. All of the women’s breasts had expanded by at least one or two cup sizes. Zoey now boasted a pair of supple DDs, while Sarah and A’luhr were both endowed with tits that must have been at least G cups, if not H. Adam and Steven ogled them in bewilderment, as if having noticed the impressively voluptuous globes for the first time.

Perhaps it was due to the slowly weakening effects of the nectar in her system, but the burning heat of shame was starting to bubble up in Sarah’s neck for the first time in a while. Everyone did their best to avoid eye contact with one another while inching towards the pile of suits.

“For the first time, I kinda wish my sight was still blurry without glasses...” Zoey groaned with a grimace. “I don’t wanna see that.” She turned away from her brother’s exposed genitals.

“Hmm...” A’luhr replied, inspecting her own body with her hands and calculating eyes. “I do not know if all of these biological alterations are permanent, or if they will regress without regular consumption of nectar...” Zoey’s face fell slightly at those words.

“I was just kidding ... more or less. But I suppose it wouldn’t be the worst thing if we did go back to normal...” Zoey sighed, holding up her large, plump breasts, and arching her back slightly. “These things are kinda heavy, after all.”

“I, uh, don’t mind it...” Adam mumbled, scratching his stubbly chin.

“Me neither,” Sarah giggled, coyly biting her lower lip, and overtly staring between her boyfriend’s thighs as if trying to mentally will his hefty cock into view. Adam grinned back at her and winked, shaking his booty in a playful little dance.

“Ugh, get a room you two,” Zoey groaned. “Seriously, we just got out of, like, sex hell, and you’re already horny for each other!?”

“Love works in mysterious ways, my young pupil,” Sarah replied, shrugging as best she could while lying on the ground. “Speaking of mysterious ways, though, I wonder why our bodies aren’t as ... well... “altered” as some of the other people in the hive?”

“True,” Steven agreed. “I saw one lady with tits practically the size of her body. All she could really do was lie there while tentacles sucked on them...” he wore a mixed expression of disgust and arousal as he replayed the memory in his head.

“It is possible that the Krinis adjust their cattle’s physiology based on some manner of latent genetic traits, specialized needs for the hive, or simply just over a matter of time as a side effect from the nectar,” said A’luhr.

“It’s certainly a fascinating aspect of the Krinis to research,” Sarah mused, rubbing her hands together with excitement. She continued, her words flowing faster and faster with each breath. “Perhaps this behavior is similar to how some ant species can alter members of their colony for specific roles. This would also explain why some of the Krinis take on different forms. Not every single one of them needs to be combat-ready, or equipped with milkers, or even limbs!”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thi- eughh!” Zoey cried out in disgust, throwing her suit down, and hurriedly stepping out of the sleek fabric. She clutched at her body, grimacing.

“What is it?” A’luhr asked in concern. “Is there something unsatisfactory with the suits?”

“It’s not the clothes, A’luhr, it’s me! I’m filthy!” Sarah was about to respond with some words of encouragement, but in truth, Zoey was right. All of them were still covered in dried slime and cum. Some of it was already flaking off, but for the most part, they were caked in layers and layers of gross, unidentifiable crusts–especially their hair.

“Why don’t we all go take a quick bath in that river over there?” Adam suggested, pointing towards something behind Sarah’s limited field of view. She listened intently, and for the first time could barely make out the nearby sound of running water.

“I do not believe we have the time for unnecessary luxuries like bathing,” A’lhur sighed. “But I suppose if you must, then just make haste. We do not know when this illusion of safety will be shattered.”

She quickly and fluidly slipped into one of the jumpsuits. A moment later, the fabric began to ripple like liquid as it morphed to perfectly fit the erotic curves of her body. Her plump boobs jiggled briefly as the suit expanded around them, but then were cupped taut as the fabric finished its modifications. The tight suit didn’t leave much to the imagination, but it seemed to at least offer good support.

“I shall return to the ship and see what I can fix with the limited tools at my disposal.” A’luhr’s shoulders and r’emuli drooped slightly as she continued. “I must warn you that this is not my area of expertise. I am not particularly confident, but I shall do my best.”

“I’d love to help!” Adam replied, clapping his hands in childish excitement, before realizing his large, engorged penis was now swaying freeing for all to see, and promptly trying to cover it up again. A’luhr eyed him with skeptical appreciation.

“Let us see what you can do, then, engineer,” She grinned at him, arms crossed. “First, go bathe with the others while I gather some tools. Take these with you.”

A’luhr tossed a baton and impulse detonator to Adam. “As you already figured out, to activate the vibrator, simply twist the handle.” She picked up the second baton and demonstrated the process to everyone. “For the impulse detonators, just squeeze until you feel the click, then throw them. Though if you throw hard enough, they will trigger without needing to squeeze them first.”

“Can these things hurt other humans?” Zoey asked, nervously picking up one of the impulse detonators and cradling it in her hands.

“Hm, I suppose they could be used as bludgeons,” A’luhr replied, stroking her r’emuli thoughtfully.

“Or other things...” Steven added with a raised brow, his sight transfixed on the baton’s rapidly vibrating rod.

“Regardless,” A’luhr continued, “unless the human in question has body cells that are keenly sensitive to vibrations in the air, such weaponry will do little harm.” She switched off the vibrator she held in her hand. “That said, these do not have an infinite supply of energy, so use them sparingly.”

With that, A’luhr picked up the dual daggers, and spun them in a dazzling flourish before sheathing them in two loops on either side of her waist. “Now, these could most certainly deal some damage to humans, including yourselves.” She looked at each of them with a serious expression on her face. “So, I shall be the one to wield them. These can be dangerous in untrained hands, understood?” Everyone nodded in agreement. “Good. Now go do what you must. I shall be in the Brightdark. Remember: stay vigilant.”

A’luhr handed Steven the second vibrator with a trusting nod before returning to the ship. Steven’s line of sight clearly followed the slender alien woman’s tight, firm ass as it bobbed up and down with each retreating step. Normally, Zoey would have ribbed him for this, but she was already practically sprinting for the fresh clean waters of the river. He soon followed after her, making a very distinct effort to not stare at his sister’s exposed bottom.

“Are you going to be okay here, or do you want to come with?” Adam softly murmured to Sarah, squatting down next to her. He seemed to flinch in surprise as his testicles slipped from his hands and brushed against the swaying blades of grass. Sarah giggled as he awkwardly attempted to scoop his spilling man-parts back up into his hands.

“I’m alright,” Sarah assured him, smiling up at his rugged face. “I just need to rest a little, and then I’ll meet up with you. Maybe you can help me get clean?” She winked at him. He grinned, leaning over to tenderly kiss her sore forehead.

“Hopefully the cold water doesn’t diminish my, uh, gains too much.” Adam opened his fingers slightly to allow Sarah a view of his impressive new girth.

“It wouldn’t change my feelings for you either way,” Sarah replied in a comforting tone. “Now get that ass moving. I want to watch it.” She giggled and slapped his thigh playfully.

“Alright alright, I’ll be back in a jiffy.” He gave her another little peck on the cheek and then strode off towards the water, making sure to shake his hips in exaggerated movements until he was no longer within Sarah’s line of sight.

She sighed. The warm sunlight and midday breeze danced over her exposed skin, contrasted by the cool embrace of the spring grass that nestled against her back. She crossed her hands over her stomach, and closed her eyes, reveling in the comfort of being alive on such a beautiful day. For the first time in months, she felt at peace.

The pain in her head had already subsided to little more than a dull throbbing. She had fully intended to get up and find the others at the river, especially as she realized her throat was quite parched, but the weight of her exhaustion seemed to suddenly pile onto her heavier than the alien tentacles ever had.

She didn’t remember ever falling asleep while a captive in the hive. Perhaps the nectar–miracle drug as it already was–could diminish, or even remove, the still enigmatic need for sleep? What else was it capable of? Her mind sluggishly spiraled into thoughts of impending scientific breakthroughs from this theory as she gently drifted off into a deep slumber.

Her dreams shifted from untold biological discoveries to her companions. They were back in Adam’s bunker, laughing and sharing stories, all the while feasting on succulent-looking meats and fruits. After eating, Adam took her to his room and pushed her onto the bed, his erection towering over her trembling lips like a pool noodle.

She reached up to wrap her entire body around his shaft, nuzzling her face into his glans, which was practically the size of her head. She planted kisses all around the spongy tip while grinding her gushing pussy lips against the underside of his length, desperate for it to plunge deep inside her, and fill the aching void between her legs.

She moaned as Adam caressed her side, drawing his slippery fingers up her ribs, and gently squeezing her cheek. She opened her eyes and saw that the tip of his cock now sported a pair of lips, which she passionately kissed. The kiss grew more and more hot and intense as she forced her tongue inside, or rather, as it sucked her tongue in. It started to suck a little too hard.

“Adam...” Sarah giggled in her dream. “You’re an animal today!” The sucking grew more intense, and the pressure around her lips slowly turned to discomfort. “Adam, that’s enough! Take it slow! Adam! Admmmmmmmhh!” She let out a startled, muffled moan as she jolted awake.

Her eyes shot open, and she frantically reached up to grab at the slimy thing that was wrapped around her face. A small Krinis tentacle had apparently approached her while she had slept, and was now attempting to force its way into her mouth. The tip of it had opened up like a starfish and latched onto her head, while an internal phallus covered in writhing cilia pushed into her lips.

The tentacle was too slick and powerful for her meager grip to offer up any sort of meaningful resistance. She screamed and cried out for help, but the sounds were dampened by the lump of pulsating flesh covering most of her face, including her nose. Soon, her need to breathe forced her to instinctively open her mouth.

The ribbed appendage within the tentacle hugging her face immediately stuffed itself down her throat. She gagged and arched her back, but found that she no longer felt the urge to take a breath. As with her previous experiences with the tentacles, it was if some property of theirs was supplying her body with oxygen, and removing carbon dioxide ... or perhaps even absorbing it?

She had little time to ponder the Krinis’s physiological wonders, as the grotesque, meaty tendrils wrapped around her face were now slowly beginning to cover her eyes. Just before her vision went dark, she looked to her side and spotted the remaining three impulse detonators that A’luhr had left on the ground nearby.

Sarah could feel the familiar trickle warmth in her stomach as the tentacle began to release nectar into her system. Her head started to swim with lewd thoughts, but she used all of her remaining mental fortitude to roll over and blindly feel for one of the spherical weapons.

The tentacle around her head tightened in a warning manner, but Sarah did not relent. Just as she thought the alien creature might force her to pass out, her sweating palms clasped around the cold metal of one of the grenades. She crushed it between her fingers using as much strength as she could muster.

She felt a click deep inside of the device, and the whole orb shrunk slightly. As a few seconds passed, Sarah worried that something had gone wrong–maybe this one was a dud? Broken from the crash? But suddenly she felt the impulse detonator turn scorching hot as it vibrated madly. She let it fall from her singed hand as she felt the tentacle swiftly pull out of her mouth, release her face, and writhe uncontrollably on her chest.

Now free from the creature’s grip, Sarah took in a deep breath and let out a shrill scream. She brushed the tentacle off of her, and scampered back in the grass as the rest of the group came running. Their cries of alarm mixed together as they approached.

“What’s going on!?”

“Are we under attack!?”

“A tentacle is going after Sarah!”

“Hurry! Turn the rods on!”

Sarah looked over her shoulder to see Adam, Zoey, and Steven racing towards her with their vibrators drawn, genitals and breasts bouncing wildly in the air. Their bodies, which now looked much cleaner, glistened and dripped with water droplets.

Suddenly sensing another presence behind her, Sarah turned and flung her arms up defensively, expecting another assault. However, an attack never came. Instead, A’luhr stood over her with a large metal container, which she used to quickly scoop up the wriggling tentacle and seal it within.

“Are you alright, Sarah Cassidy?” A’luhr asked breathlessly. “I would have arrived sooner, but I needed to find some form of containment for the Krinis. We currently do not have any starfire with which to destroy it, so it was vital that we capture it to prevent it from calling out to any nearby kin. I hope I was not too late...”

“I-I’m fine...!” Sarah panted, stroking her neck where the tentacle had been constricting it only moments ago. “Good ... good thinking.” A’luhr sighed in relief, firmly holding the container under her arm. The tentacle, now seemingly isolated from the effects of the impulse detonator, began to bang around inside of its prison, but it was able to do little more than emit soft thudding sounds.

“Where did that come from!?” Steven gasped as the rest of the group finally reached A’luhr and Sarah.

“Fuck! I should have been here!” Adam chastised himself, slamming his foot down in anger.

“It must have been torn off during our escape from the pit,” Zoey said in a shaky voice. “It probably got stuck in part of the ship’s hull, took some time to regenerate, and when it was big enough to move, it targeted the easiest prey it could find. Um, no offense...”

“No,” Sarah sighed. “It’s my fault; I fell asleep ... even after A’luhr warned us to stay alert. Now we’re down a weapon just because of that. I’m sorry everyone...”

“‘Just because of that!?’” Adam gaped in disbelief. “Your safety is more important than ... uhh ... um...” He trailed off as he noticed that Sarah was idly masturbating herself with her right hand, apparently without even realizing it. “You, uh, need to take care of that first?” He coughed and gestured his chin towards her wet slit. The rest of the group awkwardly looked up and away, as if suddenly overcome with the need to count the number of clouds in the sky.

“What do you ... o-oh!” Sarah stammered, whipping her already dripping fingers away from her crotch then hurriedly closing her legs. Her face reddened as she shook her head, trying to clear away the sickeningly familiar haze of lust that had begun to swirl in her mind. “I think perhaps a nice refreshing bath will, uh, cool me off a bit.” She let out an embarrassed laugh while scratching her blushing cheek...

“Hmm...” A’luhr replied with undisguised uncertainty “I do not know if mere water will cleanse y-”

“Good idea!” Adam interjected. “I’ll help you over to the river to ... uh... ‘help.’” He shot Sarah a sly wink, and offered his hand to her. She took it, sharing a knowing look with him, and uneasily got to her feet. Finally vertical again, Sarah’s head throbbed with renewed vigor, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle.

“You kids go have fun,” Zoey sighed, clearly without any misconceptions regarding what manner of “help” Adam planned to offer her professor. “But ... just be careful, okay?”

“And quick,” A’luhr added, eliciting a barely repressed chuckle from Steven. She raised a long brow at him. “In the meantime, the rest of you don your suits and help me with some of the repairs. I believe that simple patches may suffice for now.”

Adam had already started leading Sarah towards the water, but momentarily froze mid-stride after hearing A’luhr’s words, seemingly torn between fixing up an alien ship or feeling up his girlfriend. Sarah could sense him weighing this dilemma in his head, but before she could suggest he go enjoy himself, he puffed out his chest, held her around the waist, and continued to march towards the river without looking back. Sarah wrapped her arm around Adam’s side, grinning happily up at him as if the past months trapped below the Earth had been nothing but a horrible–if wet–dream.