4 comments/ 27662 views/ 6 favorites Tanked By: The_Technician Chapter One She awoke to blackness - no, to more than blackness, to nothingness. Her eyes were open, but there was nothing to see. Her ears could hear nothing, not even the beating of her own heart. She was neither warm, nor cold. She didn't feel naked, and yet she could not feel clothing on her body. It was as if her body did not exist. She tried to get up, or even to move and found that she could not. She knew her muscles were trying to move, but she remained in place. Nothing appeared to be restraining her, and yet she could not move. A sudden, horrible thought flashed through her mind, "Am I dead?!" She screamed. She could feel her throat vibrating with the intensity of the scream, but she heard nothing. She willed herself not to panic. What was the last thing that she remembered before the nothingness. The memories floated up to her slowly out of the darkness. She was chairing a meeting at the university. They were finally going to be able to defund that crackpot Dr. Kamachi and his left over from the sixties, hippie-inspired, sensory depravation labs. When meeting Dr. Arnold Kamachi for the first time, everyone expected to see an oriental. They were almost always surprised to be greeted by a tall, thin, red-headed eastern European. "The man at immigration had no idea what name my great-grandfather was saying, so he wrote down 'Kamachi' and here I am." University research isn't what it once was. It used to be publish or perish. Now it is produce and get sponsored or get out. Grants from corporations, the government and the military determined who stayed and who left. Teaching students became secondary to the process long ago. There were always graduate assistants for that. Dr. Angela Quin was the head of the research assessment committee. Her word could make or break almost any professor or department, and she loved the power that her position gave her. No one was beyond her reach. She tried to remember the details of the meeting. She had planned this for months. All her ducks were in a row. Liaison representatives were there from the administrative committees for corporate grants, government grants, and military grants. Once she clearly explained just how useless Dr. Kamachi's research actually was, and got it into the record that no one would want to fund such research, then Arnold would finally be finished. He would be off the campus and out of her hair forever. The last time that Angela had forced a full review of Dr. Kamachi's work, Arnold had claimed that it was a personal vendetta, but that was pure nonsense. Did anyone really think that she would hold it against him that he had tried to seduce her at a faculty Christmas party several years ago. A loud, "No," and a solid, backhand swing that bloodied his mouth reinforced that she would have none of that. Yes, she had way too much to drink that night. And yes, she was snuggled up against him and had even had kissed him softly on the neck. But that doesn't mean she wanted anything more than that. Angela paused in her silent tirade. Even in silent thought she would not allow any errors. That wasn't exactly true. Yes, she wanted more than that. She often desperately wanted more than that, but she had a career to think of. She was going to make a name for herself. She was going to make a difference for this university. She was going to be remembered forever for ground breaking changes brought about by her calm, sure leadership of the research at this great institution. Such intense dedication is why she kept herself away from such things as sex, even if they did call her "The Ice Quinn" behind her back. It didn't matter. Such things did not move toward her goals. Everything was a planned move toward fame and honor. There wasn't time for frivolities in her life. That's what Dr. Kamachi was. He was a frivolity - something that could not be taken seriously. She strained to remember. What had happened at the meeting? Things had started well. She grilled Arnold about substantive results from his research. As expected there was none. It was all talk of expanding one's horizons and uncovering one's inner self - all useless frivolity. She was about to call for a vote when one of the liaisons spoke up. He worked with military grants and research. He asked, "Tell me, Dr. Kamachi, is there ANYTHING at all about your research that would make it useful to the military." "Well," Dr. Kamachi began, "except for the fact that, if it were misused, I could totally re-program a person in twenty four hours and make them do whatever you wanted them to do or tell you whatever you wanted to know, I can think of nothing that would be of use to the military." That son of a bitch! He wasn't as stupid and naive as she had thought. He had set this up to sandbag her. "I haven't seen any mention of that in any of your status reports, Arnold. Do you have any way to prove this? Or are we supposed to just take your word on it? Our recommendations are due in three days." She remembered smiling sweetly at him, "Unless you can clearly demonstrate the results you claim by that time, I am afraid we will have to terminate your research." "I have a proposal," replied Dr. Kamachi, "but explaining it would take us through your meal break. Why don't we discuss this over a late lunch and then we can reconvene and come to a decision?" Dr. Quin didn't want to do that, but the other committee members all agreed. The three liaisons each added, "That would give me time to check with a couple of major grant contributors that might be interested." By the time the committee was gathered for lunch in the side room of a nearby restaurant that catered to campus faculty, the corporate and government liaisons were both able to report no real interest. The military grant liaison, however, was interested. "I have two possible major grants - very major grants - if your research has uncovered a way to do what you claim. But we need proof." Angela knew she had him. "Since you have not published or reported any such capability, Arnold, the only proof acceptable would be to produce someone for the grant donors who has been reprogrammed in twenty four hours. That means someone who will do everything that you command them to do. And it has to be something that can be proven to be totally against what they would normally do. I will give you until 6:00 o'clock tomorrow night to accomplish that." She had expected him to become angry or slink away in defeat, instead he answered, "I'll drink to that. You're on." He then poured a small amount of wine into her empty wineglass and handed it back to her. He raised his glass and said, "To proof that I can reprogram anyone." "Here, here," said one of the professors, and they all drained the small amount of wine remaining in their glasses. Arnold turned to the military liaison and said, "Bring any prospective grant donors to my labs at 6:00 tomorrow night. The committee can reconvene there, I will give you absolute proof that I can reprogram anyone to do whatever I want them to do in twenty four hours or less." Floating in the dark nothingness, Angela tried to remember what happened next. She could vaguely remember fumbling with her car keys as they walked to the parking lot. Someone asked, "Are you OK to drive?" Someone else - Arnold - said, "I'll drive her home. Looks like the rest of the meeting will have to be postponed." She had tried to protest, but things were swirling around her. And then... and then... and then she had awakened to blackness. She knew where she was! "You son of a bitch!" she screamed as loudly as she could. Except for the minor vibration of the throat, she heard nothing and felt nothing. She was in Dr. Arnold Kamachi's sensory depravation tank. She couldn't see because her face was enclosed in a modified full-face scuba mask. She couldn't hear because there were computerized, sound cancelling earphones in her ears that cancelled out any noise that she made. She couldn't feel because she was wearing a very expensive, specially designed wet suit with hundreds, if not thousands of tiny rubber bands on it that held her exactly in the middle of the tank. And she was floating just beneath the surface of a negative buoyancy salt solution at exactly 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Total sensory depravation. "Do you think that you can break me with sensory depravation, you crazy bastard!" she screamed. She couldn't hear herself, but the vibrations of her throat felt good and vented her anger. "You stupid son of a bitch. I've done meditation for years. I could float here in this nothingness for a couple of days before it started to get to me. Twenty four hours from now, your ass is mine!" Then she felt it. It was so slight that she wasn't sure that her mind was not playing tricks on her until she felt it a second time. It was a slight tingle. Perhaps it was a very mild electrical charge. Or maybe some of the tiny bands that held her still were vibrating for some reason. It was almost like someone sliding their fingernail up her back. It didn't quite tickle, but it felt odd, none-the-less. Then it was gone. Then just as suddenly, it was back, but now across her front and there were two of them. The twin tickle-tingle began just above her pubic bone and slowly drifted upward. As it passed her navel, it split into two tracks, each of which continued upward toward her breasts. She shivered as they climbed the mound of her breasts. A silent moan escaped her lips as the tingle reached her nipples. And then... they were gone. She wiggled - or at least tried to - trying to recapture the feeling. She hoped for the tickle-tingle, but instead she screamed as intense electrical shocks slammed into her breasts and her buttocks, followed almost immediately by even more intense lightning that struck her nipples and her clit. Her throat vibrated in a silent scream of pain and terror until she finally ran out of breath. She hung, or floated, or whatever, silently in the darkness. And then the tickle-tingle came back. Now it was on her buttocks. It was as if someone was brushing the tips of the fingernails of both hands slowly down her ass cheeks. She once again shivered as the sensation moved slowly down her legs and disappeared. Again, she tried wiggling to create the sensation, and again her breasts and buttocks and then her nipples and clit were painfully shocked. Evidently movement wasn't allowed. When her body finally stopped quivering from the electrical shots she decided to just float silently in the darkness. After several moments of nothingness, the fingernails returned. Now they were tracing their way down her legs on both the front and the back. They disappeared only to return circling her breasts until they closed in on her ever-tightening nipples. Now they were coming up her legs and down her belly moving toward the area between her legs. The tickle-tingles moved around her clit and flowed into the depths of her vagina. How was that possible? Vibrations on the suit could not go in there. She must have something inserted into her. She clenched down on whatever it was with her cervical muscles, and was rewarded with a sharp electrical shock deep within her pussy and her ass. Within her ass? There must be something inserted there, too. Her mind was telling her to struggle to get out, to do something - anything to escape, but she knew that movement would be punished. Passivity would be rewarded. She lay quiet now, hoping for the tickle-tingle sensations to return. Return they did. Again and again the sensations flowed across her skin... teasing her... tantalizing her... driving her to the very edge of orgasm....... and then stopping. Each time the sensations stopped, they left her hanging in the black nothingness moaning her frustration. Then the voices began. Were they auditory hallucinations? Or was someone speaking to her? What were they saying? What were they asking? Angela concentrated with all her might on the voice that was just beyond the veil of silence. Then she could hear it. "Do you want relief? Do you want to cum?" "Yes, yes," she screamed. "What will you do if I let you cum? What will you give me?" "Anything," she yelled into the silent darkness. "Anything!" And the fingernails returned. They stroked her on the inside of her legs moving away from her now sopping cunt. The slid across her ass cheeks and into the cleft that conceal her rosebud, and then they slid into her and pulsed inside her ass. She convulsed and quivered as an orgasm began and suddenly vibrated with pain as the lightening struck her ass and breasts, with the more intense second strike directly on her clit and nipples. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no," she moaned. Let me cum. Let me cum. I'll remain totally still. I will. I will. I won't move. Just LET ME CUM!" She floated crying in the darkness until the fingernails returned. They again traced their path up and down the inside of her legs. She wanted to open her legs wider for them, but knew that she absolutely could not move, or the pleasure would be gone and the pain would replace it. The voices started again. "Are you a slut?" they asked. "Are you a slut who would do anything just to cum?" "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, I am." The tickle-tingles once again went into her asshole and once again began to pulse within her. She felt the orgasm building, but remained totally motionless. More tickle-tingles traced their way down her stomach and circled her throbbing clitoris. One brushed back and forth across that tender organ while others slid insider her cunt and began to pulse against the walls almost like a moving penis. "Don't move; don't move; don't move," Angela kept saying to herself. It was almost a mantra like she used in her daily meditations. "Don't move; don't move; don't move." But the orgasm boiling within her was consuming her body. It exploded and tore the darkness apart. There was blinding light and sound and chaos - all coming from within her. And there was pain pounding into her body from the outside as her body convulsed in ecstasy. Finally her body stopped thrashing from the pain and the pleasure, and she hung silent once again. At least she hung silently until the tickle-tingles started once again to trace their way up the inner side of her legs. Chapter Two The Research Assessment Committee met in the conference room on the third floor of the behavioral science building where Dr. Arnold Kamachi's research rooms were located. Dr. Angela Quin, head of the committee, sat at one end of the table. Dr. Kamachi sat at the other end. The four committee members and three liaisons plus two obviously military men in civilian clothes sat between them. "So, Dr. Kamachi?" began Dr. Quinn. "Do you have your proof for these gentlemen, or do we schedule the remodeling of these floors in the morning?" Arnold looked at the ten people sitting with him at the table. "First, let me verify the terms of this test. I have to produce someone who has been reprogrammed in twenty four hours. They have do everything that I command them to do. And it has to be proven to be totally against what they would normally do. Is that it?" "Of course it is," she replied disdainfully. "But you obviously haven't succeeded." "Not so fast," he responded. "Let me set out some facts first. Is it an accepted fact that Dr. Quin does not like me?" He looked directly at Dr. Mark Philips. "What do you say Mark?" "'Not like' would be putting it mildly." he replied. "And is it not an accepted fact that, at best, Dr. Quinn is a straight-laced prude who at most, when totally blasted at a party, will tease and run away? What do you say, Dr. Parker?" Dr. John Parker shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Come on John. Aren't you the one who tagged her as the 'Ice Quinn' after she slapped your face at the spring picnic six years ago?" John cleared his throat and answered, "Uh... we.. the committee will concede that Dr. Quinn is... sexually repressed." "So if I asked her to take off all of her clothes right here in this meeting and she did it, it would absolutely be something that she would not normally do for me?" "Or for anyone else," added Dr. Mary Williams. "OK then," said Dr. Kamachi as he rose to his feet and stood at the end of the table. Everyone's eyes were on him as he said loudly, "Command Alpha Six!" The nine sets of eyes rapidly turned to the other end of the table as Dr. Angela Quin shot upright from her seat and walked quickly over to stand next to Arnold. "Command Alpha Three!" he barked, and she began to remove her clothing. Dr. Kamachi had been a little worried about how some of the members of the committee might react, but he was counting on the fact that Angela had trampled over most of them to get where she was and had resorted to outright blackmail and extortion to obtain the chairmanship of this committee. When he saw the tight lipped smile on Mary William's face, he knew he was safe. That was the sweet smile of the satisfaction of revenge. She was enjoying watching Dr. Quin humiliate herself. "On the table," Arnold ordered, and Angela crawled up onto the massive conference room table and lay on her back. "Command Alpha Fourteen!" Dr. Angela Quin, full professor of psychology and head of the university research assessment committee, put her hands between her legs and began masturbating herself. The committee and the two military representatives watched transfixed as she began to writhe and groan upon the table. Soon she was crying out, "Please! Please! Please!" "Please what?" answered Dr. Kamachi. "Please let me cum," she wailed. "Command Alpha One!" was the response and she plunged both of her hands into her sopping pussy and screamed out in orgasm. "If there is any doubt," continued Arnold, "I could have her give you all a blow job." Looking at Dr. Williams, he added, "Or whatever. Or, if you prefer, you can fuck her - either hole. She is very willing." "I think we have seen enough," said one of the military men. The other asked, "Is it reversible? Can it be made undetectable?" "Command Beta Four!" Dr. Angela Quin, lying naked in her own juices, suddenly looked around her and yelled, "What is happening?" She jumped from the table and tried to cover herself with her hands. "Command Beta Five!" Angela stopped yelling and went over to where she had left her clothing and calmly began to dress. When she was completely dressed, she sat back down at the end of the table as if nothing had happened. "Obviously, you have not proven your case, Dr. Kamachi," she sneered. "Can you give me any reason why I shouldn't file for your dismissal from the faculty as well as the removal of your research labs." "Yes, I can," he answered. "Command Gamma One!" Angela's eyes suddenly went wide. "You didn't!... You did! I'll have you arrested. I will get you, you bastard, if it is the last thing I do. You will be spending the rest of your life in prison by the time I get done with you!" "Command Gamma Three!" Angela lowered her eyes and said softly. "Yes, master. I will obey." "I'm not quite sure which state to leave her in," Dr. Kamachi said softly to the military people. "Whatever will keep this quiet," they replied in unison. "And the rest of you," said the older of the two military men - the one obviously in charge. "This project is now top secret. You breath a word of it and just hope that the worst that happens is that you end up spending a couple of days in the Dr. Kamachi's tank." "Command Delta Five!" Tanked Dr Quin looked down at the tablet on the table in front of her. "I see that we have completed our agenda here. Dr. Kamachi is approved for the next ten years. If there is no further business for this committee, I declare us adjourned." As the committee filed out of the room, Dr. Kamachi spoke up, "Dr. Quinn, would you mind staying for just a moment. There are a few things I want to say to you." Dr. Mary Williams looked back at the two of them standing by the conference table and laughed softly as she left the room. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = END OF STORY Please remember to vote by clicking on one of the stars at the end of the story. If you really liked it, click 5. If you really hated it, click 1, but please click something. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Tankgirl Tales " Listen up, cause I'm only telling you this once. I'm not bedtime story lady, so pay attention. It's 2033. The world is *screwed* now. You see, a while ago this humongous comet came crashing into the earth. Bam, total devastation. End of the world as we know it. No celebrities, no cable TV, no water. It hasn't rained in 11 years. Now 20 people gotta squeeze inside the same bathtub - so it ain't all bad." (Tank girl) "Life doesn't come with a manual, signs saying stop, go or this way next. You rumble along and figure it out for yourself. Who could have known what happened next, I sure as shit didn't? Comet hits, life as you know it ends. The dreams of what once was cloud the waking thoughts of the crap that is left and you start all over again. Then some Power and Water scumbag comes along and cleans your life out, and you start all over again." Rebecca finished talking to the ragtag bunch of cavern dwellers. Bringing the resistance together after killing Kesslee, had been a drag. Rebecca needed action, movement, something. Booga curled an arm around her back as he too looked out at the subterranean warren that they had stumbled into. "Right! Tomorrow Booga here will show you how to dig for springs and ration your food better, I'm gonna sleep, so shoo, get the fuck out." The small room they were given was claustrophobic and harsh, mostly when on the road they would sleep outside under the stars, but a bed would be neat, she thought, very nice. She bounced onto the rust stained mattress and fell back like a star fish, "Oh take me Booga, take me, take me now," she growled in a throaty voice. Booga looked around, "But we just got here. Take you where?" "Get your furry little butt over here!" Rebecca rolled her eyes. Booga pounced on her, and they snuggled up together totally exhausted. After weeks in the desert seeking out this group, they finally had some water and could sleep within the relative safety of the caverns. She rolled over and ran her fingers through Booga's fur. One of the Rippa's, Booga had been upgraded to human status by their creator Johnny Prophet. He was faithful and loyal, the perfect mate for her, he did what he was told, and she liked it that way. She woke in the morning with Booga still curled beside her, the dry heat making her thirsty all over again. Rebecca knew she shouldn't whine, she did ok, she couldn't complain much. She was alive, she was loved, but right now that didn't count. "Booga, make me breakfast you lazy bag of fur," she grumbled and stroked his fur. Booga was terribly sweet. He rolled to his back and pulled her close licking her cheek before getting up. Rebecca watched him, loving, obedient and loyal, what more could you want from a well hung, mutant roo. Rebecca pushed the rotting sleeping bag back, twisting and stretching her bruised and aching body. She and Booga took sex to new heights or lows of depravity depending on what rocked your world, and she smiled knowing the price was well worth it. Rebecca stretched her arms above her head looking down to see her nipples pucker above her perky breasts. They were barely disguised by the netted shirt. Not quite ready to face the day she closed her eyes and imagined Kesslee watching her again, his ice blue eyes raking over, sneering at her as her hands travel down the length of her body. It was good fantasy material, 'rilly rilly, it was!' Bending her knees her foot came to rest on the trigger of her gun still holstered in her gun belt, she let her toes caress it as her outstretched arms curled back to her chest to tease at her nipples. She lowered a hand down between her legs to the moist patch Booga loved to lap at so much and sighed. Her finger wormed its way down into her slit and finding her clit swollen and sensitive, she began to rub in small slow circles building up the delicious sensations that crept into her body. Her feet braced against the floor as her hips rose and rocked with her nimble fingers, the rolling thrills taking on a life of their own as she went into a mini orbit, satisfying the consistent itch she felt. Her thighs shook and her body trembled as she drew a deep breath, a footstep sounded behind her, and she rolled snatching up the pistol and aiming to shoot at the closest target. Booga was standing above her in an apron plates in his hands, "Rebecca!" BANG! "Whoops, well you shouldn't sneak up on a girl, ya know. Ya never know if she's packing," she laughed lightly looking at the hole in the wall opposite the door. "Bout time we blew this popsicle stand, I am going stir crazy in here." She sat up and pulled a shirt on with her ragged shorts and patted the bed. "Let's eat already!" ....................... Rebecca hit the road that morning to find other resistance enclaves and information about the scientists that Johnny Prophet was working on a desalination solution with, or so he told his Rippa's. They had come across the last small underground warren of post-apocalyptic nomads a few days ago, about a week out from the Rippa head quarters. Calling them post-apocalyptic nomads always seemed much better than calling what they were, a bunch of dumbass survivors starving to death in the middle of the desert. Normally Rebecca wouldn't have cared, but there were kids with the group reminding her of her adopted little sister, Sam, who had been taken by Water and Power in a bid to lure her and the Rippa's out of hiding. Kids were the chink in her hard-ass, smart mouthed, Tankgirl armor. Leaving Booga in the caverns she had gone out exploring the surrounding area expecting him to catch up and was half a day away from the settlement before she stopped to look around. She missed the lump of fur when he wasn't at her side, but he was better at explaining basic survival crap like rationing food and finding the underground springs than she was. It was safer for everyone that she didn't lose her shit over idiot questions and dumb-assery. She actually admired the doofus's like those in the caverns that could get along around here without looting and killing, God knows she couldn't. The tank rolled to a stop on a rocky outcrop amongst the sand, and she climbed out to look around. Jumping to the ground Rebecca found herself on the wrong end of a pointy stick. She knew it was the wrong end because she was usually on the other end. Kicking the stick holder's legs out from under him she righted the situation, "Who the hell are ya?" She demanded, "And who sent ya?" She poked him with the stick for emphasis. The would-be poker groaned, and as she poked him again and waiting for him to get his face out of the sand she took in her surroundings. When you wander around as much as she did the landscape tended to blur into the same old desert. She hadn't stayed put since Water and Power destroyed the resistance house, killed her last boyfriend and everyone she cared about and tried to imprison her. It wasn't so awful, she didn't make many friends this way, but it made it harder for her enemies to find her. She glanced down at her new friend who spat sand and dirt from his mouth and looked up into her grinning face, "Well what do we have here," she poked him again with the stick, "Not real good with a stick are ya? Ya needs one of these." Rebecca pulled her pistol from its holster twirled it around in a showy move and returned it to her side. "Don't hurt me please," the would-be predator grovelled. Rebecca started sharpening the end of the stick with the knife she had pulled from her boot, "I'll think about. What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere, Dusty? Don't mind if I call ya Dusty do ya? You know the cruise boat left hours ago, don't ya Dusty?" "I'm on a mission," Dusty stammered. "Dun dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun,dun dun dun dun, doo dee doo, doo dee doo, dun dun!" Rebecca sang, "I like missions. What kind of mission, I might choose to accept it," she babbled nonsensically as the man's body shook with the effort it took to respond to her question. The stammer seemed to be worse as he struggled to get out the words, "I am looking for a..." "For a what, Just one more little noun and we will have a whole sentence. A gun? A bun? Some fun?" She watched him struggle to find the word. "Rock!" He finally spat out. "Well," she spread her arms out wide, "Take your pick and stop teasing me with these dumbass missions, Geez! Got me all excited there, Dusty." His whole body began to shake with effort as he slowly wailed the problem, "No! Not the right one. Need a special rock." Rebecca looked at him, this stuttering shit was getting old fast, and the man's whole body seemed to have a stutter. She considered if ridding the planet of the highly annoying madman might be the best option. "Now don't get too excited and think you're special or anything, Dusty," she waggled her eyebrows and patted him down, "I do this to all the boys." His loose badly fitting clothes held no guns, or water, nothing of immediate value to her. She discarded an old compass and left a mouldy piece for bread for him to retrieve before pulling out what looked like a map from one of his loose coat pockets. "Now this is more like it," she twisted the map turning it upside down and inside out as he stuttered back to life. "Now let's see, a rock, hmm? Which rock will we choose, huh?" Dusty lunged at the map, and she let him take it as she snatched up his backpack. "Let's see what treasure's you have found so far." She dumped the contents out onto the ground sorting through them with her boot. Snatching up a square packet she yelled, "Eureka!" The crisp crackle of the breaking cellophane made Rebecca smile. "How does a loopy pirate like you have a fresh pack of cigarettes, huh Dusty?" Sure she could, from time to time, find old packs with one or two broken smokes, or bent ones that could be lit, but a fresh pack was a rarity. She stood over him as he scrambled on the ground for his precious belongings. "I'm not a pirate, I am a soldier," the words came out stilted and slow, the stutter annoying Rebecca who sighed. "Argh, shiver me tits. I love pirates, shoot first, ask questions later, rape, pillage, blood and guts. My kinda people and you had that whole pirate map thing going on, Dusty. What are we gonna do with ya now?" She looked at him and shook her head. "Rebecca!" The bounding shape of Booga leaped over the tank landing on top of Dusty. "Booga! What are you doing here I thought I left you to teach those nasty nuggets how to dig to china or something," Rebecca punched his arm, "and get your foot off his head. "Oh sorry," he looked down, "How very rude of me." He picked Rebecca up and moved a few steps his long ears up and alert, "I heard you and him came to make sure you were good." She kissed him, faithful Booga. Good for fucking, good for cooking, good for protection - she liked those qualities in a mate. Good for conversation, too. When she feel like talking. Most of the time she didn't, she wasn't good real often, "You killed him you big knob!" "Yes. I think I did," he looked at the twisted head and stiffening body. "Well how can I have fun throwing rocks at him for information now," she snapped. "Aww Honey, I can find you another Water and Power scumbag if you really want one," Booga looked at her with immense puppy dog eyes. "He wasn't a Power and Water scumbag he was a pirate, now pick up my fucking cigarettes for me," She pulled the backpack up throwing the rest of the contents back in side, taking time to look at the odd bits and pieces. "And pull that map out of his pocket we might be able to play dot to dot on it." Booga took the map and lit a smoke for Rebecca handing it to her, then hugged her tightly. "Always so happy to see me," Rebecca gloated stepping back slightly her hand trailing down his furry chest. Her hand landed on the knife hilt, groaning and rolling her eyes she grinned as she pulled the giant knife from his belt, "We need to get you a gun!" The sun rose higher in the sky and the heat built more, Rebecca's thoughts turned to water, "Did you bring me anything from that badly filtered mud hole?" Booga smiled toothily and handed her a small bottle of clear-ish liquid. She lifted the tainted water to her lips, the thought of really clean, cold water was almost orgasmic, but she chugged down what they had. "We really should stock up on water," Booga said. "Got any money?" "Sure here you go," she sprinkled a handful of pebbles in his hand. "Um..." he looked at her tilting his head, "that's not money." "Then I guess we don't have any fucking money then, just like not having any water," she threw the backpack up onto the tank. "A simple no would have sufficed, how about something to trade?" He looked at her hopefully. "You bet," she said shaking her hips and making kissing noises at him. "Save that for the really hard times, honey, we aren't that bad off," Booga's tongue was lolling from his mouth. "How hard?" She let her eyes drift down over her mate's torso, flashing a grin back up to his face. It was obvious the only thing these two had to trade was sex, and they saved that for each other. Booga leapt on Rebecca lapping at her neck and tearing at the remnants of her shorts. "Slow down there big boy, I gotta have something to wear." She pulled the shorts off, his muzzle diving in between her legs his mutant face wrinkling even his less than refined senses told him they needed to find a settlement with some sort of cleansing facility. Crawling up her body he entered her roughly and began fucking her wildly. There was no finesse or sensuality about the wild abandon that accompanied their mating, it was rapid, hard and animalistic, and they both reached the screaming heights of orgasm swiftly. Rebecca was pinned within his clawed hands and wide jaw as she ripped at his fur in primal lust. Laying back in orgasmic bliss, Rebecca like many in the dust bowl that was their world daydreamed about water. In her minds eye, she was on a lounge in a blue pool of water with a waterfall cascading near by to wash all the dirt and grime from her body. The water was everywhere, no sand to get in her hair, her butt, or her gun. Beautiful people everywhere, cool water on tap. She knew where to find it but didn't want to take Booga into such a dangerous place. Opening her eyes she growled, "Fucking sand!" The tank fired up, roaring to life. "C'mon Tanky, let's get outta here," "All right," she yelled over the din of the tank, "I'm coming." Rebecca grabbed the dead guys compass which lay discarded on the ground, and they headed west towards Liquid Silver, Power and Waters luxurious resort hidden within the desert. "This compass is as screwy as the mad pirate that had it," Rebecca tossed it to the back over her shoulder and looked through the scope, "Nothing but fucking sand." "Stop the tank," Booga yelled thumping on the broken monitor as it spluttered and the picture fizzled, "I think I saw something." "Wait, hold it, hold it," the tank slowed to her words and she swung up out of the cockpit to the roof pulling her goggles down over her face. "What are you blathering about now?" "Look there," He pointed and she strained to see what his sharp eyes saw, a crate on the side of the road, "Might be something good! Like a box filled with the pirate's treasure." "Yeah like the way your head is filled with rocks, might be a trap ya big furry dingbat," he wrapped his arms around her, "Fine. I can't fucking stand this!" He pulled her with him as he bounded from the roof of the tank. There was a large wooden crate in the distance. They looked at each other, shrugged and walked toward it. At close range, they realized it was only about a meter square. Not as big as they thought, but contained more than enough room for a substantial quantity of treasure as Booga had speculated. Rebecca still thought the idea was ridiculous. They stopped about twenty paces from the box watching as another strange eyed man gripping a piece of the map in his hand sprang up from behind the box, he looked around furtively, "Did you bring it?" Booga swatted him to the side, and he came up spluttering sand, "No, you can't I need the rock." "Honey," Booga stepped to the side. "How's about you and me have a little chat about this rock you all are so interested in, the last guy we met didn't finish the story. Then my friend can look at your booty," Rebecca smacked his ass and steered him away from the box. Booga began to wedge the top off the crate while the man babbled on about a special rock. The crate was full of rocks, and several packs of the same cigarettes Rebecca had taken from the stick wielding pirate. The man seeing the open crate ran back and threw himself over it. "Thank you," Rebecca plucked the map from his hand, and looked at it pulling out the other one. They were identical. "Let's take our friend here, and his crate, with us to his own sort of people," she marched back to the tank, thinking of the one girl who fit the bill. If insane was the name of the day, Barney was their girl. Barney was fatally insane, fatal to any that got to close to her, after breaking her out of the asylum Tanky then had to saved her friends during Barney's killing spree. They had driven east for the rest of the day stopping when night fell to trade cigarettes for water, and beer before camping outside the Power and Water supported settlement. The closer they got to Liquid Silver the more Power and Water settlements were around. It just so happened that Barney had taken over one of those settlements. ............................... Sometimes Rebecca enjoyed some quiet time to herself in the mornings, away from Booga, away from the tank, away from everything. The morning after finding the madman she stomped away leaving Booga to make her breakfast telling him she needed 'me time'. In truth she had walked away from their camp to enjoy something she hadn't for quite some time. She had gone through the meagre belongings of both mad men they had met yesterday looking for valuables, topping the list were boots and guns. No luck there, their boots were older than hers. She did, however, find one grand prize, the unusual treat of cotton panties. They looked almost new, and she stashed them away wondering if they were a trophy of sorts, a remembrance of someone, it didn't matter, they were hers now. She had waited all night. Just the thought of the elastic sliding over her hips gave her thrills that ran up her spine. When she woke she grabbed up her prise and leaving Booga to mess around with their barbeque grill she almost ran away to an outcropping of rock south west of the tank. Ready for a good dose of introspection and meditation she stretched her arms high above her head forcing her back to arch and make sharp popping noises. Bending to touch her toes, her back crunched and she groaned sitting back onto the large rock. She remembered all the things she had lost, ball gowns, designer jeans, clean underwear and looked down at her tattered clothes and laughed mirthlessly, how far had she sunk to be totally entranced by an almost fresh pair of cotton panties. Feeling decidedly limber after crunching her back she bent her back to look down on herself as much as she could while she pulled the tattered shorts away, they may have been combat fatigues once, but they were unquestionably short, shorts now, it had been a long time since she had worn any underwear. Once she was naked she lay back on the rock and let the rays of the evil heat her body. She had declined a dry shower in town, thinking them worse than remaining dirty and allowing the dust from the road to cling to her body made her skin seem pasty in the sunlight as the heat baked her skin. She thought of the stick wielding pirate and that fact that, for once, it hadn't been her that had killed him. She had shot more Power and Water soldiers than the young girl in a ball gown, she once was, would have believed possible. The woman she had become couldn't believe it was possible either. Tankgirl Tales Basking in the sun fully naked gave her a strange erotic feel so different from the hot heavy animalistic sex with her mutant mate. Being somewhat inspired by the feeling she began to massage her breasts occasionally pinching at the nipples. Her hands smoothed over her taut belly, being a post-comet survivor left her with no fat reserves just a sinewy tightly muscled body. The cotton panties gripped tightly in her hand caressed the lines of muscle as her hands travelled over her body. Feeling her skin heating up on the rock she stood and stretched her arms wide and spun around and around revelling in the freedom she felt and nature around her, things she wouldn't normally let down her guard to acknowledge. Sweat began to bead on her naked body as she held up the pair of panties. Rebecca took in the view through them and around them, something else she rarely did with any appreciation. Stepping away from her discarded clothes she placed the prized panties on the rock and stepped to the sand. Bending in half she grabbed two handfuls of sand and stretched her arms up again enjoying the feeling of the loosening muscles in her back with the movement. Relaxing her hands slightly she let the sand cascade over body the tiny granules caressing her skin, closing her eyes she sighed this was as close to a shower as she has had in months. She repeated the sand-shower several times, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of it. Today it didn't feel so harsh. Instead, she let her mind wander feeling beautifully erotic. The edges of the granules grazed her nipples, and tingling sensations began to grow inside her cunt. She continued the sand massage, letting the sand flow down her taut body. Spreading her legs wider, Rebecca felt the cool whisper of a breeze blow across her cunt. It was a titillating contrast to the burning sun. She massaged the sand up and down her legs noting the scars and abrasions, she kept the sand much lower than her cunt having learned the hard lesson of the discomfort of sand against a wet cunt many times over and not wanting to ruin the eroticism of the moment. She brushed the sand from her hands peering over her shoulder at her ass, small but firm, no sand shower would be complete without some back door attention, so she grasped her ass in both hands. Booga always told her she had a magnificent ass, but that was usually when he was ploughing into it so what did he know. She smiled knowing she didn't mind obliging the nasty fucker as he took her tight little magnificent ass. Rebecca began running her hands up her ribs to the tips of her breasts and back down to her ass building up a slow sensual rhythm. "Ah," she sighed out loud 'me time' was working for her and was long overdue. She felt her knees begin to weaken, so she stepped back onto the rock and lay back against its slanted surface, the heat she had felt in her feet searing into her body in fiery waves. Her fingers sought out the one wet spot in the whole dry, beach from hell, landscape and her thighs widened as her hand stroked deeper into the wet patch between her legs. Rebecca rubbed hard feeling the approaching orgasm rise fast, her thighs shaking and she growled out, "fucckk!" Her hand continued to rub through the head spinning sensations. She continued to colour the air around her with choice words finally stretching languorously her hand coming to rest on her gun she sat up rapidly, "Bang! Bang!" She rolled to the side and came up again kneeling on the sand, "bang bang!" Rebecca stood up walking over to the scraggly bushes near by. She kicked at the bodies of two Water and Power fuckers and disappointedly rolled over her pirate mate. She would never find out about the stones now or how to find the pirate booty. Moving back to the Water and Power soldiers she went through their pockets. It never ceased to amaze her how easy it was to kill these dumbasses. She knew they wouldn't kill her while she was giving them some personal up close porn to watch. When she was done though, they had nothing better to keep them entertained other than to try to rape or kill her, and that wouldn't be as much fun as it sounded she thought. Whacking them while their cocks hung out of their pants made for a messy business, but it also meant she was still remarkably aroused and needing more of the thrills she had just given herself. Turning around she saw Booga not to far away, but the big goofy furball knew better than to disturb her 'me time', so he hadn't come over to help her. Throwing her bounty to sand beside the rock, she stood up on the highest point and trailed her fingers over the panties picking them up as he watched her. Rebecca pulled the elastic over her legs revelling in the feel of the snug elastic and feeling her need for more thrilling highs her eyes locking with Booga's bright stare, his tongue hanging from his mouth. There was no way to describe the feeling of the panties against her skin. With her thumbs wedged inside the elastic, the panties grazed her outer thighs as she pulled the soft material higher towards her wet sex. She was panting with excitement keeping her eyes on Booga. Finally pulling the elastic high over her hips, she turned and pulled them higher still wedging the delicious feeling material within the crack of her ass. She was so hot, she didn't know if the feelings were left over from her earlier introspection, the fresh kills or maybe just her new found piece of lingerie but she was once more spinning with her arms outstretched and her face lifted to the hot sun. She put her hands on her hips and gave them a little shake. Booga just stared at her ass as she began to sway and groove dancing around on the rock tugging at the waistband of the panties. Normally Booga would have been on top of her in minutes, but he was unable to move both at the sight of her and the knowledge that she had wanted 'me time' and that meant no interrupting under any circumstances. "Get your furry butt over here already," Rebecca yelled. Booga was beside her in three bounds licking her face and neck eagerly. Surprisingly gently his hands ran over the panties and he squatted down as he slowly peeled them from her ass and wet cunt. Burying his muzzle between her legs he lapped eagerly. The panties lying discarded beside her feet as she forced his head against her harder, bucking her hips and squealing in excited need, "Oh yeah, yeah, yeah!" It was all so hot, and she needed to fuck, grasping an ear in both hands she twisted until Booga yelped and sat back on the hard rock. Rebecca climbed over him and sank down on his massive cock slowly savouring the sensation of being filled to over flowing. His hands reached for her breasts as she settled into a slow rhythm. He could see her building up to her highest point as she squeaked and panted his hand rolled down her body to her hips holding her upright as she shook hard, his own hips beginning to buck up into her as she came hard, his own cum not far behind as he howled out his own need. Pulling off him Rebecca wiped her cunt on his fur before stand up and gathering her booty making Booga carry most of it. Back in the tank they decided to head for Barney's place anyway, she might have heard about the rocks, she did speak 'crazy' after all. Grateful to have stocked up on water and beer the night before, they set out into the desert again. Tank's Farewell [Some of you have never known a man like Tank. I had the privilege. Perhaps this story of fiction mixed with events and feelings quite real will give you a glimpse into what Tank meant to me. I'm putting the story in Romance because from 1968 on it really was love.] * Weather.com gave me the bad news. The drive to Tank's funeral wasn't going to be fun. There was a big storm moving into the area between Salt Lake and the little town in South Dakota where he was being buried. The woman talking on the video said the storm would be dropping almost three feet of snow. Mrs. Good-Times, my wife of thirty-six years, had already said she wasn't going and didn't see why I wanted to go. I explained it to her but she either was more dense or less caring than her usual self and said I was an ass. Tank had saved my ass three times in a year in South East Asia. He had a small piece of lead in his shoulder from the third time. Yeah, I was going. I'd catch and recatch hell for it, but I was going. My truck already had the snow tires on. I had Mike at the station give it a fresh shot of anti-freeze and change the belts and hoses. He also changed the oil and checked everything else. I'd known Mike for almost thirty years and we served on a couple community service organizations helping kids over the years. He agreed to cover for me at the food bank on Saturday. I went to the market and bought emergency food, just-in-case rations. I boxed them and put them inside the cab high shell over the bed of my pick up. Two packing blankets, a big thermos of coffee, me, dressed like Nanok of the north and I was ready to go. Six hundred and seventy miles in three days was the goal. Mrs. I'm-Happy-to-be-rid-of-him saw me off in her housecoat and slippers, without leaving the kitchen table or standing for her Good-Bye kiss. As I left town I used my cell to call our kids and they each said I was nuts to drive seven hundred miles to say good-bye to a dead guy. Sharon, the oldest even used the same tone of voice and words her mother had used. What was it people say about the fruit not falling far from the tree? I sometimes think Sharon was a graft directly from her mother. As I drove east I thought a lot about Tank, Willi, Mike and Jose. Four men I spent a year with, not by choice but they were good companions and all five of us came back alive. Now that Tank was gone I was the last one still alive. Forty years since we came back and four funerals. I'd been at every one. Charlotte, my wife, had gone to the first funeral. She hated it and never went to any of the others. Near home I always listened to the Oldies station on the radio. As I drove east I had the truck radio on that same station. Every fifteen minutes they gave the trucker's weather report. When I was seventy miles from home it started snowing. No biggy, I thought. It was light snow and dry. It came down at a slight angle and blew along the ground. I turned on the truck lights and cut my speed a little. Two hours later the guy on the radio started sounding concerned. Two big rigs had fallen over up ahead. I'd still get by but the four lane was now one. When the traffic backed up and slowed to a crawl I looked at the map and decided I'd stop in Rock Springs. When I got to Rock Springs the weather guy said, "The storm will continue to intensify and by eight o'clock he expected the main roads to be closed. "Get off the road and hunker down. Once the roads close they probably won't open for three days." "Shit!" I said. Before I left home they expected the storm to barrel through and be gone by morning. Now it looked like three days in Rock Springs, Wyoming. I saw a big hotel ahead and pulled in. The people at the front desk gave me a big room on the third floor. Same price as a room with just one bed, but my room had two king sized beds. I used their luggage cart and hauled in my supplies. I was ready. In my room I opened the drapes and saw that I was looking east. The storm was blowing from the west so I had a good view of the snow blowing off the roof and away from my side of the building. It wasn't pretty but better than the view on the other side of the building. I watched the parking lot filling up. At about five-thirty I went downstairs to the restaurant and had dinner. When I went back to my room I used my new cell phone and called the wife. She laughed at me. "I told you not to go. Tank's already cold, he doesn't care if you come to the funeral. Well, enjoy your stay in Dip Shit Wyoming." She hung up before I could give her my retort, "Blow me!" I watched TV for a while and kept the drapes open so I could see the storm outside. I expected to be bored silly by the time the storm freed us. I was wrong. At almost ten-thirty the phone next to my bed rang. "Mr. Peterson, this is the front desk. We need you to come down to the desk, please." "What's up?" "The storm has brought us more people that we can normally accommodate. We need to make some changes and we need to have a conversation with you and some others who have rooms like yours." "Ok, I'll be down." When the elevator doors opened I thought I was at a convention. A man standing just outside the elevator directed me to a room just off the crowded lobby. When all the guests they had invited to the meeting were in the room someone closed the doors and a man wearing the sport coat logo of the hotel stepped to a microphone and spoke to us. He told us all about the storm and how the hotel wanted to help as many people as they could to remain inside and as comfortable as possible. That would mean that they were asking us to share our rooms with the people in the lobby. They would make every effort to let us choose who we shared with, and not cause divorces or murders in the process. Some laughed but we all understood what he was saying. He outlined how the process would go. He would call us out of the room and into the lobby one at a time, in room number order. We would say how many people we could take and then people would step forward. If we accepted them the hotel staff would assist in getting their things and them to our room. I sat and got comfortable. They were going in room order. I was on the third floor. Many people went to talk to the guy up front. I heard some of the conversations. A woman traveling alone who had a room with two queen beds wanted to know if she had to accept a man into her room. The answer was no, but she might be asked to take three women, two in the first round but she might get a call later if they needed a bed for another woman. A man asked if he could take a woman to share his room with one king bed. The answer surprised me. "If one volunteers, yes, you can accept." One by one room numbers were called and people left the room. By midnight there were about thirty-five of us left in our room. My room number was 312. When they called 311 I saw two large truckers stand and walk through the doors. Those men needed a queen bed each! My number was called. I walked into the lobby. It looked to me like the numbers would work out about right. The man with the microphone asked if there were any questions anyone wanted to ask me. A man asked, "How many beds in your room?" "Two king sized." The man with the microphone answered. A woman asked, "Are you married?" Some laughed. I held up my left hand and said, "My wife is not traveling with me." More laughter. "Are you a Christian?" Another woman asked. I nodded. She walked up to me and whispered, "I've got two daughters traveling with me. Would we be safe with you?" I nodded again. She faced the man with the microphone and said, "We'll accept him, if he'll accept us." I hadn't seen the daughters but I said, "Sure." The woman hooked my arm and we moved through the thinning crowd towards the elevators. A bellman followed us with a luggage cart filled with soft luggage. It wasn't until we got in the elevator that I saw the daughters. One word says it all: HOT! Mom was wearing an overcoat and hat so I had no idea what she looked like, really. The teen daughters were dressed warmly in jackets, tights, skirts and boots. On the way up to the third floor I was introduced to the daughters. Teri and Ayla. On the way down the hall to 312 I asked Mom if she had a name or was "Mom" it? The oldest daughter, Teri said, "Her name is Crystal. Crystal Franklyn. We're going to South Dakota and we're supposed to be there tomorrow. We won't make it in time." I opened the door and they swarmed inside. I asked the girls to go into the bathroom and allow the bellman to deposit the luggage in the room. I gave him a ten when he was done and he left. The girls came out and looked the place over. Crystal asked how I wanted them to set up. I sat on the bed, on the side I wanted as mine. I said, "Ladies, as long as I have a path to the bathroom and this side of the bed, you can put your things anywhere you'd like. When I announce a need for the bathroom I don't mean in twenty minutes. I mean either move quickly or in one minute you will have company." They hung their jackets in the closet. That gave me my first look at the three women I was living with. Teri was thin and moved like she had taken dance lessons for years. She seemed proud of her chest and her legs. Ayla wasn't proud of anything. She didn't stand as tall as her sister, wasn't as busty and her hair said "tom-boy". Crystal was all woman. Standing in the elevator I was aware she was slightly taller than my wife. Dancing she would have her head on my shoulder not against my chest. Her large breasts moved nicely inside the dark blue sweater she was wearing. Her legs sprang from slim hips and a pair of ski pants. "Do you have kids?" Ayla asked. "Nope, not anymore. They grew up and moved away. Sharon is thirty--three, Della is thirty and Nick is twenty-five." "You on your way to see them?" "No. On my way to say good-bye to an old friend." "Oh. Sorry." Crystal said. "I invited them to join me for a couple days, but they turned me down. I understand. They have their own lives." The girls started hanging things in the closet and getting their things organized for a two day stay. Crystal and I watched. "Crystal, I have a recommendation. Pretty soon every vending machine in the hotel will be empty and stay empty until we're history. I recommend you take all the ones and change you have and buy anything you're willing to eat. The restaurant downstairs will run out of food before dawn, I'd guess." Crystal and her daughters gathered their money and went in search of food and drinks. While they we gone I took a shower and shaved. I figured Crystal and I would be in bed together soon and even though I had no immediate hope of any action I wanted to be smooth and smell good. I was dressed again when they returned. "That was a good idea, Mr. Peterson." Teri said as she dumped her armload of goodies on the bed. "We didn't know what you liked so we just got lots of things." "In the closet I have a box of things I bring on the road with me when I travel. We can share." One look at the clock and I said, "It's really late. I recommend we get some sleep. I also recommend you each shower before bed. I doubt if housekeeping will change the sheets in the morning. If we go to bed clean the sheets will still be Ok two days from now." "Who goes first?" Ayla asked. "I do," I said. "I did, while you were shopping." "Ayla, Teri get your things and get in there. Take no more that two minutes each. I think the hotel may run out of hot water and I want some before it does." Crystal waved the girls into the bathroom. Four minutes later I said, "I'm sure they will hurry better if you join them in the bathroom. I'll cover my face so they can get from the bathroom to their bed." She opened her suitcase and looked inside. "Shit!" I heard under her breath. "Problem?" "Do you have a t-shirt I could borrow?" "No nightgown?" "No." "Inside my brown duffel. There's a blue, a green and an orange one. Take your pick." She picked green. When she was inside the bathroom I stripped down to my boxers and slid into bed. I wondered how Crystal would look wearing my t-shirt. A minute later I heard Ayla ask, "Mr. Peterson, are you looking?" "No. Do you want me to?" "No!" Teri answered. I put a pillow over my face and called out, "Ok, I'm not looking." I heard the door open and them scampering into the other bed. When they were in and covered Ayla said, "Ok. You can look." I looked and felt a stirring in my boxers. We heard the water shut off and Crystal muttering. "Didn't you hang up your towels?" I asked. "I forgot." Ayla said. "Then tomorrow you'd have a dirty wet towel to use. I'm pretty sure Crystal hung the towels up. Perhaps you could thank her when she comes to bed." "You aren't our Dad." Teri said. "You're right. And, if you think about it you'll see that I'm also right." I shut off the bedside lamp. Crystal opened the bathroom door and came into the bedroom. Reflected light came in through the window giving barely enough light for Crystal to get to the bed without tripping or falling. She climbed in and I heard Ayla said, "Thanks for picking up our towels, Mom." Crystal said, "I started to, and changed my mind. If you want wet, dirty towels tomorrow why would I stop you from having just that?" Teri asked in a hurt tone, "You mean our towels are still on the floor?" "Yup!" Crystal turned to face me and whispered, "I heard you." Teri jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. She ran back in a few seconds. Back in bed she said, "I didn't pick up your towel either." Ayla ran to the bathroom and was back in seconds. She said, "Thanks a lot, Teri ." I said, "Thanks to both of you. That was a nice show." Crystal and I laughed while the girls were embarrassed. Things calmed down and we fell asleep to the sounds of the wind outside. Sometime in the night my bladder made an urgent demand that I answered by getting out of bed and using the bathroom. When I walked back into the bedroom a feminine voice said, "Nice show!" "You're welcome." I whispered. When I got back in bed Crystal moved and in seconds she was spooned back against me. Looking past her I could just see snow bowing away from us against a lightening sky. When I woke up Crystal was still backed up against me. My arm was over her and held her gently. Her breathing was soft and slow. She was content to be held just as I was holding her. I wondered how far away they would be able to hear the explosion if my wife were to walk in at this very moment. I also wondered why she'd be upset. She hadn't spooned with me in years. She wanted to sell or give away our queen sized bed and get twin beds! For as long as my bladder would allow I stayed right there holding this woman I didn't hardly know. Savoring the warmth, the soft feeling of her ass against me, her back against mt chest and the smell of her hair. When the urge to purge got strong I moved an inch. I was going to move all the way out of bed and head for the bathroom, but when I moved that inch she stirred and her hand put mine over her breast and held it there. Our arms were under the blankets so I was pretty sure our two teen chaperones couldn't see what was happening. I waited a long time before my bladder demanded I move or wet both of us. My hand squeezed her breast once and then withdrew. I rolled to my other side and got up, harder than I had been in years. My morning wood was back! Crystal was the inspiration. As I slowly closed the bathroom door I heard two youngsters giggle. I'd been seen. To minimize noise I sat, drained my radiator and flushed. By then I was limp and able to open the door without fear of them seeing something I didn't want them to see. They acted asleep until I was back in bed. I faced Crystal's back and heard Ayla ask, "You like sleeping with Mom?" She whispered. I nodded. "You don't snore. Our Daddy used to snore." Ayla said. "Grandpa was worse than Daddy." Teri said. "Shhhhh. Crystal's still asleep." "I'm hungry." Ayla whispered. "Get dressed. Take twenty dollars out of my wallet and go see if you can get breakfast." In almost total silence the two got dressed and took the twenty. They opened the door and closed the door with only the barest of noise, until the door clicked loudly as they were locked out. I could see the plastic key card on the night stand. Crystal turned to face me and asked, "How do you feel about kissing first thing in the morning?" "Depends. If it's one kiss or many. If it's limited to lips only or can I explore? Am I giving or giving and receiving?" "I'd like it if the kissing went all the way home. I haven't been kissed in three years by anyone except those girls and my Dad." We moved slowly and our mouths met. Just a second later her mouth opened a little and I was tongue touched. I gave her mine and she reached between us and found my interest rising. "Is that for me?" "Yes! If, you want it." "Can you be gentle?" "If that's what you want." I moved. She moved and the instant my cock touched her opening I asked, "What about birth control?" "When Ayla was born He paid the doctor to tie me off. She was six before I found out." Her hands helped me inside her. Then she held my hips and lifted her legs. My hips wanted to go fast. My head and heart wanted to go fast. She had asked for slow and gentle. We mated slow and gentle. "Oh sweet Jesus, that feels so good! I'd almost forgotten how good sex can be." "Me too." Her eyes opened and she said, "Your wife doesn't like sex?" "When we first got together I thought she would wear it out! Then she had kids and said, "I'm done. Pick a day of the month and you can screw me that day, but only that day and only once." "God! I love how this feels. You fit perfectly." "Do you like oral sex?" "I don't swallow! Ever!" "I don't mean giving I mean getting." "No man has ever been there. They think it's disgusting. Don't you?" I pulled back until I was out of Crystal, slid back down the bed and buried my face in her wetness. Instantly her hands grasped my head and she moaned. My hands lifted her legs, tilting her pussy up for better access to her treasures. Four orgasms later she was done. Limp, wiped out, wasted. I didn't need to cum to be able to say this was the best sex of the last twenty years. I helped Crystal out of bed and into the shower. When we came out there was a knock on the door. I pulled on my Levis and opened the door. Teri said, "We've been knocking for ten minutes! Are you both deaf?" She brushed past me and Ayla followed her in. Crystal came out of the bathroom in my t-shirt, wet hair, a towel wrapped around her waist. Ayla took one look and said, "They had sex! They showered together and that's why they didn't hear us." "What did you have for breakfast?" I asked. "Pancakes and sausages. They also had cold cereal but the only milk they have is buttermilk. Ugh!" Crystal said, "Turn on the TV. See what the storm is doing." It came on in the middle of the weather report. We gleaned that the major part of the storm had passed Rock Springs and was hovering over Rawlins. "Crap. Even if the sun comes out we can't go. It needs to be clear all the way to grandpa's." "Where is grandpa's?" "A little town called Hot Springs, South Dakota." Crystal said, looking right in my eyes. I looked at her for a long time before I said anything. I turned to Ayla and asked "Do you live in Rock Springs or just grandpa?" She looked at Crystal before answering. Crystal answered for her. "We have been living in Provo, but when Grandpa died and I asked for a week off for the funeral my boss said I could go, but when I came back my job would belong to someone else." Tank's Farewell I locked eyes with Crystal and said, "His last name wasn't Franklyn. It was Rogers." "So was mine for many years. Right up until I married Johnny Franklyn." Teri sat on the bed two feet from me and said, "You knew our Grandpa?" "Did people call your Grandpa Tank?" She nodded. "In his home is there a picture dated 4 October 1968 showing five men all dressed..." In jungle fatigues. Grandpa was the guy in the middle." Teri finished. "I'm the guy to his right. Pete. Pete Peterson." Nothing about Crystal was showing any surprise. The girls were. Ayla asked, "So you were with him in Viet Nam?" "We got off the plane together and left on the same plane." "What happened to mess up his shoulder?" Crystal asked. "He never said?" "Nope. I think I only saw the scar three times in my whole life, but I knew it was there." "He was saving my life when he caught that bullet. Ten minutes later I caught one in my left leg. We were med-evaced out together. He got the Silver Star. I got the Purple Heart." "I never saw a medal." Crystal said. "No one ever saw my Purple Heart either. It was all crazy. Now, here we are in a snow storm headed to say good-bye to Tank." I got up and walked to the window. I watched the snow for a long time. I heard the door open and close. When I finally turned around Crystal was still there. She was sitting on the bed, facing me and watching me. "You Ok?" I asked. "I don't need to go to the funeral any more. I was going to say good-bye to my Daddy. I feel like I've done what needed to be done to close that chapter. I'll still go, still cry, still let my girls say good-bye to their grandpa." "You knew who I was, didn't you?" "From the moment you came through the door into the lobby. Next to the picture of the five of you is a picture at each of the other funerals. You're in every picture. You're Re-Pete Peterson. Tank used to say your name and then say, "All that was missing was a stutter." I'd heard the same line since 1968. I sat on the bed next to her and asked, "Ok. What's next?" "When the storm breaks we call Hot Springs and schedule the funeral. After that you go home and I start a new life." "What happens to Tank's house and business?" "I have no idea. I guess I'll find out when we get to Hot Springs." Crystal put her hand on my arm. "The girls won't be back until five. They said we needed to talk." I nodded. Crystal continued. "I don't want to talk. I want to take off all my clothes and I want you to hold me and love me again." "If I was your age, I'd jump at the chance. I'm Tank's age and I don't jump anymore. Let's just lie here and hold each other till your kids come back. Ok?" She piled pillows and leaned me against them. She unhooked her bra, snuggled against me and covered us with the bedspread. We shared stories about her growing up with Tank and me living with Mrs. Re-Pete. I got in touch with how Tank was about kids and family. I got in deeper touch with how Mrs. Re-Pete and I grew apart, stopped sharing and became hostile roommates. She didn't ever understand how I was focused on contributing to the community when she thought I should be focused on making money for her and our kids to spend. When the girls came back they quietly opened the door and peeked to see what we were doing. We were looking at them. Teri said, "Darn! We didn't catch you doing anything." My hand slid up Crystal's back and around to her front, cupping her breast. She didn't move at all. "What you mean is that you didn't see us doing anything except lying here on the bed." Ayla's eyes got bigger and she asked, "Are you naked?" "Do you want your Mom to be naked in bed with an old man?" "No. Not just any old man." Ayla answered. "But you aren't any old man. You are grandpa's best friend in the world. He told us and Mom all our lives that if something happened and we needed help he couldn't give, we should call you." Teri said. "I loved my Dad more than I have ever loved anyone else. My husband knew he never measured up to Tank. He gave me two beautiful daughters and left. I moved to Provo when I got divorced to make life easier for Dad. We've been there five years." I turned the TV on. I didn't want them to uncover us. I didn't want to let go of Crystal's breast, even though it was covered. Our TV was on the weather. "The storm has turned south and roads are clearing all across Wyoming and South Dakota." He went on to give details but we had the news we wanted. We ate some food and got ready for bed, figuring to leave at first light. We sent the girls into the bathroom to clean up and pack. They showered, set out fresh clothes for the morning and stashed everything they could back into their suitcases. While they showered, Crystal and I undressed and she put the green t-shirt back on. She didn't put the panties back on. I kept the boxers on. When the girls came out Teri 's eyebrows went up for a second, then she smiled and got packed. As they got into their bed I looked out the window and there was no snow falling or blowing. We snuggled and I fell asleep. When I woke up later to answer the call Crystal whispered in my ear. "Hurry back, I have something for you." I hurried back. I slid into the bed and noticed the girls were sound asleep, facing away from us. Crystal slid down in the bed and fished my penis out of my boxers. It came out of my boxers and into her mouth. She sucked me hard about as fast as it could happen and without any noise at all. She worked me over good and I loved it. I had to stifle moans and gasps. When I came she swallowed it all and licked me clean before she tucked me back into my boxers. Slowly and quietly she worked her way back up beside me. We kissed and then she turned so she was spooned back to me. I slept very well. The alarm woke us at five-thirty. I stayed in bed while the girls grabbed their clothes and dashed into the bathroom to dress. Crystal and I got up and dressed, I pulled on jeans, a fresh t-shirt, western shirt and my boots. Crystal got out of bed and pulled the t-shirt off, leaving her standing there naked. Ayla opened the bathroom door and saw her Mom standing naked in front of me. "Mom! You're naked!" Crystal looked up and said, "Yeah, and?" "Pete's right there!" Teri's voice came from behind Ayla, "He's see her naked before!" Ayla closed the door. We finished getting dressed. I whispered, "I hadn't seen you standing naked before." Crystal smiled. When all four of us were ready I called and a bell man came for our stuff. We took it all to my truck. I could haul it all and that would make their smaller car more comfortable. I told them to take snacks with them and to wait while I went back inside for a minute. Inside I bought batteries and two two-way radios. I gave one to Crystal and kept one. "Just in case," I said. "Just in case what?" Teri asked. Her grin said she knew everything. "Just in case I need sex with your Mother." Her face blanched. Crystal and I laughed and Crystal said, "Just in case we have a flat tire and need help. Just in case we need to stop for a pee break. Just in case Pete wants to stop for a sandwich." "Oh." Teri said, "Good idea." The three of them got into Crystal's Toyota and I got into my truck. I let Crystal lead. Five miles down the road Ayla's voice came over the two-way radio. "Pete? Can you hear me?" I pushed the button and said, "Yes, Ayla, I hear you." "Ok. I just wanted to check these radios out." "I'm about a hundred fifty yards behind you. I'd be comfortable going no more than sixty for a while. Ok?" "Ok. If the roads are still good around noon it'll be warmer and maybe we can go a little faster?" Crystal asked. "Let's talk about that at lunch." "Ok." The radio went and stayed silent for over an hour. As I passed a sign telling us that a rest stop was two miles ahead I called and asked, "Pit stop anyone?" The answer came when Crystal put on her blinker. I followed them in and parked beside them. I used the facilities and so did they. Their bathroom was closer. When I came back Ayla and Crystal were back in the Toyota. Teri was standing beside my truck. "Can I ride with you for a while?" I opened the door and waved her in. Crystal started the Toyota and backed out of the parking spot. I climbed in, closed the door belted in and followed Crystal out onto the Interstate. Once we were back in the groove of travel Teri asked, "Can we talk?" "Sure." "I'm worried about Mom." I didn't respond right away. She'd tell me what was on her mind if I waited. "She's been hurt pretty bed. My Dad was hard on all of us." "And?" "And I saw how she was looking at you over breakfast." "I'm old enough to be her Dad." "Grandpa was sixty-eight last August." "I was eighteen when we were in the jungle. He was twenty-six or seven. I'm sixty today." "Please don't hurt her." "I have no intention of hurting her, or you." An hour passed. Crystal called and Teri answered. They talked about stopping in Rawlins for lunch. My GPS said there was a truck stop there. We could eat and get gas. I didn't say so. I just said there was a truck stop there. We stopped. I paid for gas and lunch. When we went back to the vehicles Ayla joined me in the truck. She was more impatient than her sister. We were barely on the road when she said, "I'm worried about Mom." "Is she sick?" "No, nothing like that. She's thinking about you." "And that worries you?" "I don't know what she's really thinking. She usually talks a lot when she drives. She's not talking." I pressed the button on the radio and said, "Crystal?" "Yes, Pete? I'm here." "Talk to Teri . She needs to know what's going on in your head. When we get to Casper we'll stop for the night. One room, two beds. Pick a nice place." Ayla said, "That doesn't help me. I still don't know." "What do you want to have her thinking?" "About staying in Hot Springs. I don't want to go back to Provo. I don't want to be with my Dad." "He is you Dad." "No! He's the man that knocked up Mom, but he's never been Dad to us or much of a husband to her." "Aren't they divorced?" "They divorced years ago. We moved to Provo and a year later Mom came home from work and he was sitting on our front porch. He was really nice for a few months and she let him move in. A month later he beat the hell out of her and she spent a week in the hospital. She told everyone she had fallen down the stairs." "She didn't toss him out?" "Couldn't. He said he'd hurt us if she tried. It's been hell ever since." "Where is he now?" "In our apartment in Provo. He told us to be back in a week. He also said we have to get jobs. No more school." "Just don't go back." "He knows where grandpa's house is in Hot Springs. He'll be here in three days and Mom will be dead." "In Provo, huh?" "Yup." "Find some paper in the glove box. Write down his name and the address where he's living." As she did it she asked, "Why?" "You really don't want to know." She got it written and I asked, "Does he do drugs?" "Yes! He offered me some a couple of times." "Ok. My cell phone is in that bag." I pointed. "Find it for me, please." She found it and I had her turn it on, then speed dial the second number on the list. I took the phone from her. "Jack? It's Pete. I need a favor. There is a guy living in an apartment that isn't his, in your town." I gave him what I knew. He thanked me and said he had my cell number, he'd call back later. When I hung up Ayla asked, "Who's Jack?" "My younger brother." "He lives in Provo?" "No, but he works there. He's a cop." "Oh my God! He'll arrest Dad and he'll go to jail!" "No, he'll go to prison. There is no excuse for beating a woman or threatening her daughters. He'll be arrested for drugs and maybe attacking a police officer. Maybe, he'll also be trespassing." "He deserves it." I figured when we stopped Ayla would tell Crystal and Teri what had been done. She didn't say a thing. When we walked back to our vehicles my cell rang. I answered. It was Jack and he was laughing. "He was having a party in the apartment. Three plain clothes officers walked in through an open door and were offered coke, speed and heroin. Five arrests and a total of half a kilo of coke on the coffee table. He'll get twenty-five to life, easy." "Do me another favor? Cancel the lease on that apartment and get the landlord to forgive any rent owed." "Not a problem, brother. How did you know all this?" "For now, let's just say I had a dream. I'll tell you the story after he's in prison." "Ok." I folded the phone and looked. Ayla was crying. Crystal and Teri were looking bewildered. "There was a drug party in your old apartment. Five men were arrested. They had half a kilo of coke in the apartment. They are in custody and will be in prison for many, many years. Your lease is over and paid in full." Crystal had tears running down her face. "I just have one question?" "Yes?" "Where's your cape?" I laughed. She explained it to her girls. Then I got what I deserved. I got three kisses. We stayed in Casper. I sent Crystal in to get us a room. The girls and I unloaded the truck and rolled the luggage cart into the hotel. She had gotten room 312. She asked if I minded being in another room 312. It had become her favorite room number. I said it was fine. When she opened the room I looked and didn't see any beds. Two couches, a coffee table and a cabinet with a big TV in it. She walked past the couches and opened a door. "Girls, this is your room." She turned and walked across the room and opened another door, "Pete, this is your room." The girls cheered and grabbed their things from the luggage cart. I pushed the cart to the other bedroom. As I entered she said, "Same price as the room you had in Rock Springs. Ok?" "Price is great, but where are you sleeping?" "If I don't get a better offer, the couches make into beds." "Well, your stuff is already in here, you might as well stay too." "Oh, Thank you, kind Sir." "It'll cost you, however." "I have very little money." "Your job is to keep me warm all night." "Oh, I think I can handle this job." We put things away with the door open. The girls put their things away and joined us. I sent all three down for dinner and I called home. "Well, are you in Dip Shit South Dakota yet?" "No Hello? No how are you?" "No. Are you there? Is the funeral tomorrow?" "I'd like to ask you a question. I don't want an answer tonight. I'll call back tomorrow night for the answer." "What is the question?" "What would it cost me for you to divorce me?" "What?" She screamed. When she stopped screaming I repeated the question. "Are you serious? If I give you a divorce what will you do? You need me to take care of you, you old fool." "I'll call back tomorrow and get your answer." I shut the phone off and went to dinner. The food was pretty good. I had a salad and a baked potato. The girls were on dessert when I arrived. Crystal had waited. When Teri and Ayla were finished with dessert I gave them a room key and sent them to look around the grounds and hotel. We ate dinner and talked. By eleven we were all in bed and asleep. I had locked our bedroom door. We had a four hour drive in the morning. We called the mortuary and made sure everything would be ready for us, late that afternoon. The funeral was at four. We went to "grandpa's house" and changed. I wore my best suit (only suit). All three women wore black. I carried extra tissues in my pockets, in case there was a facial leak in one or more of the ladies. We went to the funeral in Crystal's car. There were lots of people waiting for us. Tank had loads of friends, business associates and a few heart broken ladies. His coffin was draped with an American flag. The Army color guard was there. I was asked if I wanted to be one of the pall bearers. The answer was yes. The service was short. The mayor spoke. A minister spoke. A lady spoke. The minister running the show asked Crystal if she would speak. She pointed at me. I got to the stand and looked at the people gathered. I knew Crystal, Ayla and Teri . I said, "My name is Peterson. Forty years ago Tank and some of my other best friends were in a jungle a long ways from South Dakota." The mayor said, "You're Re-Pete?" I nodded. Other heads nodded in recognition of my name. "Tank saved my life more than once. He still has a round in his shoulder that was aimed at me. Growing up I had no brothers. The U.S. Army gave me four. All five of us came back from the war, alive. Over the years cancer got two of my brothers, a car accident got another one and an angry husband killed one. I'm all that's left. You know what kind of man Tank was. I will miss him every day I have left. I loved him. He leaves behind a daughter, Crystal and two grand-daughters. I tell all of you I am here, alive, and make this commitment to them and to all of you: My life is about having their lives work for them." I let go of the pulpit and went back to my seat. The honor guard led us out. Tank must have lost some weight before he died. He was not as heavy as I anticipated. About thirty cars followed the hearse to the cemetery. At the cemetery the minister said a prayer and the color guard played taps. The crowd slowly dispersed except for one woman in a grey business suit. She carried a briefcase and my guess was that she was a lawyer. She stood in front of Crystal and introduced herself. "I hate bothering you right now, but it's important. There is the matter of your father's will. I'm Alex Keys, Tank's lawyer." "I didn't know he had one." Crystal said. "He did. It took us a while to write the will. What it means is that he put some conditions on the will. Are you married?" "No." "Does your ex-husband live with you?" "No. He was arrested yesterday for possession with intent to sell." She turned to me and asked for my full name. I told her and she wanted to see my driver's license. She saw it. "Mr. Peterson, you inherit all of Tanks property except the house and land it sits on. His business, stocks, bonds, investments are yours as soon as you sign some papers. Crystal, the house and land are yours." She gave each of us a large brown envelope, shook our hands, told us how to contact her if we needed to, and when I was ready to sign the papers, then she left us. Crystal didn't open the envelope. Neither did I. We sat on the folding chairs and held hands for a few minutes. Ayla ended that by saying, "I need to go. Can we go home now?" We got up and went back to Crystal's home. I went into Tank's bedroom. There were two envelopes on the chest of drawers. One for Crystal and the girls and one for me. I opened mine. Re-Pete, I know I'm dying. I can feel it coming. So, there's a couple things I need to say to you. I'm leaving everything to you, except the house. I trust you to take care of Crystal and her girls. I couldn't leave the rest to her, her ex would show up and take it away from her and probably hurt them in the process. This is a tough thing to do to you, burden you with three women to care for, but I have no one else to trust and you can take care of yourself too. There's plenty of money. Thanks, Tank I wondered how much. I found the lawyer's number and called her. She answered after the first ring. "I need a ball park estimate of how much the estate is worth. I need to make some plans for the four of us." "In the envelope you'll find two VISA cards. They both have ten thousand dollar daily limits on them. You could use both cards every day to their limits for the rest of this year before it'd start to be a problem. You're liquid to about eight million, there's about eight more in stocks and treasury bills. The business nets you about ten thousand a month." Tank's Farewell "Stop. I got it. Tank made a lot of money." "Yes, and his money keeps making more money. If you want my advice, send those girls to college. Don't tell them they're rich. Technically they aren't, you are or will be. Give them an allowance and manage them towards being someone, not Paris Hilton. The credit cards are drawing on the business accounts, for now. I can list you as an employee or we can do the paperwork and make you rich." "Who? You telling me I'm going to really be rich?" I laughed a little and so did she. "I hear you loud and clear. What about taxes?" "I work for you and a CPA works for me. Call me anytime and I'll show you the books. Before the end of June you should get someone else to audit the books. Don't trust us. Tank didn't." "If I take all the money and then get a divorce..." "She's entitled to half. If you divorce her while you're an employee, it isn't your money." "Ok. Thanks." We hung up. I sat on the side of the bed and used my cell to call the wife. It rang five times. "Funeral over?" "Yes. Do you have an answer for me?" "Yes. You keep your pension. I keep the house and everything else we have." "My truck?" "Your truck is yours." "Deal. Give everything of mine in the house and garage away except the photo albums from before we were married. I'll give you an address to send them to." I saw the lawyers address on the envelope. "Get a pen and paper, I'll give you the address now. Send them to A. Keys, P.O. Box 882, Hot Springs, SD. I read the zip code to her twice. The same address for the divorce papers. Keys is a lawyer." "So, Mr. Single Man, what are you going to do in Dip Shit South Dakota? "I'm not sure. My pension isn't all that big, so I doubt if I'll buy a Caddy. Maybe I'll go fishin." She laughed. "You've never been fishin!" "You're right. Married to me thirty-some years and always right. Sometimes that made me want to scream!" "Go ahead. I'll hang up so I don't need to listen." The line went dead. I took the battery out of the phone and put it on the nightstand. I went into the living room and the three women were all on the couch. They looked up at me and Teri said, "Grandpa left us the house and no way to live here. Mom has a thousand dollars left and then we're broke, no jobs, nothing." "Wrong. Tank left you me. I promised you at the funeral that I would take care of you. I need to find a place to live, and get a bank account established. I'm not going back to my wife. She's filing for divorce tomorrow, so I have no reason to go back." Crystal asked, "Why do you need an apartment? This old house has four bedrooms. There are only four of us. You can live here." "Maybe I should take a drive around this big town and the three of you can talk. Moving me in is a big step and..." "And, nothing!" Ayla said. "Tank loved you. Looks to me like you're the best man we've ever known. You said you were going to take care of us. Better live here or we might go crazy." "All of you want this?" They nodded. "Ok. Done. Which bedroom is mine?" "Tanks." Crystal said. "Your welcome." It was silent for a few seconds, then Ayla laughed and they all got the joke. "I need sleep. I'm going to bed. First thing in the morning we will get organized and get to living together." I got up and went into Tank's bedroom. I had somehow gotten my primary suitcase in there already. I showered and went to bed. For quite a while I heard them talking low and moving around. I heard water running. Then it was pretty quiet. I started falling asleep, only to be interrupted by a soft knock on the door. "Yes." The door opened and Crystal stood there in my green T-shirt. She smiled and said, "I'd like to return your T-shirt." "Then take it off and put it in the hamper in the bathroom." She closed the door as she came into the bedroom. The T-shirt went up and off as she walked into the bathroom. When she came back out she said, "Now I'm cold." "If you want to sleep with me get in the bed. If you want to play and then sleep, get in the bed. If you want me to warm you up so you can go to a different bedroom, just go." She slid into bed with me. "We can play later. We're both tired." She said. We kissed and spooned. In the morning Ayla knocked loudly on the door and said, "Mom ran away! She didn't even sleep in her bed." I said, "Oh my God! Ayla, come in and tell me everything!" She opened the door and pointed at Crystal. "You didn't abandon us!" "I wouldn't let her." "Ok, the day begins. Ayla can you make breakfast?" "Depends on what's in the house." "Ok. We need an inventory. Look the house over and see what we need. Do we need toilet paper, paper towels, a mop, or what? Make a list by where we need to go to get what we need." They just sat there looking at me. "Go! I want to go shopping and get this household functional!" I got on the phone and got the phone switched to my name, the TV cable to my name, the utilities and the mail service. Any mail that came for Tank would still come to the house for a while. They came back with a list. I looked it over and asked, "You three have enough pads, Tampax etc. for a month or so?" They shook their heads. I wrote it down. "Shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and all the rest of that stuff?" Crystal said, "We have some." I wrote down "Women's stuff." "Do we have a vacuum?" Crystal nodded. "Bags?" She jumped and ran. When she came back she said "No bags." She gave me the make and model so we could get bags. All in all we added lots to the list. We all climbed into the cab of the truck and went shopping. At the entrance to Wal-Mart in Rapid City I said, "There is a snack bar right over there. That's where you'll find me when you're ready to check out. You have forty minutes. Don't just grab things, get the right things. One kind of shampoo, one brand of toilet paper. Get enough that we don't need to come back for a month." "In forty minutes?" "Yes. When you put something in the cart check it off the list. Be at the chock out in forty minutes. Ok?" "Yes, Sir." Crystal said, and she saluted. I kissed all three of them on the cheek and they each grabbed a cart and went shopping. Forty minutes later they were back with three carts loaded with supplies and groceries. I had a brand new credit card in my wallet. We were about to find out of it worked. The clerk announced, "Sir, the total is nine hundred eighty one dollars and twenty-two cents." She swiped the card on the machine and when it was all bagged and boxed we had help loading it into the truck. We had lunch in Rapid City and drove home. On the way home Teri was pretty quiet. Just before we got home she asked, "Nine hundred is a lot. You sure you can afford us?" "I'm not rich. I'm careful. This evening we will discuss a family budget and we'll all know where we stand. Ok?" "Sounds good to me," Crystal said. Ayla smiled and said, "Daddy, I need a bigger allowance." "You'll get one if you can justify it." Crystal looked at me and said, "Sometimes you sound and think like Tank." "Is that bad?" "Just surprising." The conversation we had made out a budget and headed into "What are you going to do with your life?" for the girls. Neither had finished high school. I gave them the job of finding out what they needed to do to finish. Their deadline was Tuesday evening. I gassed Crystal's car and the girls used it to go to the high school and find out. Tuesday evening we had a family meeting and Crystal asked good questions about their future. At some point Teri said, "After I take three classes I can graduate, but so what? If I'm ever going to amount to more than a hill of beans I need to go to college." "Graduate. I have enough to pay for college for both of you. Not Harvard or Stanford, mind you, but college." "There aren't any colleges here." Ayla said. "I can pay for a live away college." They both brightened up and started making plans. When we were alone Crystal asked, "Why didn't Tank offer?" "I think it may have been about your husband. I sense there were bad feelings." "Dad lent him some money to start a business and he blew it all up his nose." "That would do it." "Aren't you worried that if you send them away to school they'll go crazy?" "No. I believe in consequences. If they know what the consequences are for screwing up, they'll make good decisions." "What kind of consequences?" "I get the report cards, in the mail. If they drop below a 3.3 GPA the money stops. When they enroll I get a listing of all the classes they need to graduate. They can take any class on that list and I pay. If they get in trouble with the law, the money stops. No drunken parties, no STD's, pregnancy, AIDS or drugs. Any of that and the money stops and they cannot come home." Wait! Let me understand. If they go away to college and somehow get pregnant, they can't come home?" "Somehow get pregnant? Pregnancy doesn't happen somehow. It happens by them inviting a bareback rider inside them, with no foam, no IUD, no birth control pills. Pregnancy isn't an accident any more. There is only one way either of them gets pregnant: on purpose! They must know what it costs to make that choice." "That's harsh." "Did you ever give them one more chance?" She nodded and said, "Sure." "Did they take it?" She nodded again. "My wife gave our kids a thousand second chances. They took every one. It took Sharon five years to graduate. Nick learned to blame everything on someone else. His wife gave birth to an eight pound daughter when they had been married six months. No second chances. No excuses. I won't listen to 'The teacher doesn't like me.' Find a way to get the grade. Don't cry and tell me the condom broke. Find a way to double or triple protect yourself. Take the pill, use foam and he wears a condom. Learn karate!" "I love my girls. I want to take care of them, even if they mess up." "Ok. I promised to take care of all three of you. If none of you work how much money will it take to have you survive each month?" "What do you mean survive?" "No steaks, no champagne, enough heat in the winter to keep you alive, no air conditioning in the summer, enough gas money to keep you in town, no trips." "I don't know." "How much did you make in Provo?" "Eighteen hundred a month." "Gross or net?" "Gross." "Ok. I'll hire the three of you. I'll pay you two thousand a month. For that I get dinner every night, breakfast twice a week, you do my laundry and the house stays clean. No one needs to go to school, get good grades or protect themselves for STD's, pregnancy or drugs. The day I find drugs in the house I'm gone and the police can have all three of you. The day one of you has an STD or is pregnant, I'm gone and so is most of the money." "I thought you liked us!" "Crystal, listen to me. I like all three of you. I love all three of you. I won't let my like or my love pay for stupidity. Look what drugs did to your ex and what he did to all three of you. I promised to take care of you, and I will. The three of you need to decide at what level of care you want. Two thousand a month to be my employees and take care of me in your house or I pay for college for your daughters and you if you want to go, we eat steak once in a while and take vacations sometimes too while I live here. Maybe when your old Toyota has a few more miles on it I'll buy you a car for your birthday. You three need to decide." Teri burst into the room and said, "We've been listening. I accept the rules. I want to go to college. I want to be someone." Ayla was right behind her, nodding in agreement. "Say what you need to say Ayla." I said. "I want college. I can live by the rules. You believe we can do it or you wouldn't have said it. Momma, please accept Pete as our new Daddy." "I accept." Crystal said. Her tone and body language said she was accepting defeat... for now. Over the next weeks things settled into a pattern. The three went to see a doctor and got whatever they needed to be healthy and disease free. I went to a different doctor (Tank's doctor) and he gave me a good bill of health. The girls started school and I paid bonuses for good grades. Some of the young men in town discovered Teri and then discovered Ayla. When the weather improved enough that we could start calling it Spring we drove up to Spearfish and looked over Black Hills State College. Crystal and the girls walked the campus, spoke to students and a couple teachers. They had a camera and took lots of pictures. I went to the admissions office and got all the information I needed. We ate at a nice place off campus and then drove home. It was just over a hundred miles, one way. All the way home the girls were bubbling with excitement. At home that night I brought up a subject that had been in the background for months. "Crystal, When the girls accepted the rules and asked you to accept, you did. Over the weeks I've noticed there is still an edge to your acceptance. You were used to life a different way, weren't you?" "I think I had more freedom in between leaving Tank and my a-hole husband coming back to us." "You did. You had lots of freedom. And, you can have it back. Is that what you want? Freedom, just the way you had it?" "I can't have it! I want Teri and Ayla to get an education. I want them to be successful. If I take the freedom they lose their chance at an education." I sat quietly, eating my dinner until I was almost done. Teri and Ayla stopped eating. They waited for me to speak. "How much do you want for the house, Crystal?" I asked. "Huh?" "How much do you want for the house? Dollars. How much?" "I don't want to sell it." "How long will it take you to get work?" "Why?" "Because when I move out there will be bills to pay. You will need an income." "You said our choice was two thousand a month or you pay for college and other things. Don't I still get the two grand?" "That depends. I'm offering Teri and Ayla the Peterson Scholarship. They can go to school, live on campus and I pay the bills. They get an allowance. They will have enough for food and necessities. Enough to come to Hot Springs twice a month, as long as they visit me. Upon graduation in the top half of their class they can apply and most likely get the same scholarship for grad school. I promised to take care of you. For you, I'll pay the electric bill and the property taxes. The rest will be up to you." I stood up. Teri stood and asked, "Where are you going?" "For a drive. You three need to talk. You don't need me here for the talk. Freedom isn't free. Never has been. Tank carried a bullet in his shoulder for over forty years as a part of what freedom cost him. We spent years away from family and friends to give you freedom. You want it? Just tell me." I walked out. In my truck was a copy of the paper. I looked and found an apartment. Two bedrooms, furnished. I called the number and spoke to the couple who owned the building. Ten minutes later I took the ten-cent tour and rented it. It would do. When I got home the three were back at the table. I knew they were back at because the table had been cleared and the dishes done. I walked through the house and into my bedroom. I got out my suitcase and started packing. When I had enough for a few days I carried the suitcase and went to my truck. Teri and Ayla followed me. Teri spoke, "Aren't you going to talk to us?" "I figured when you were ready to talk to me, you would. I'm not forcing any of you to talk too soon. Take your time. You are admitted to school in September. Plenty of time to consider your options. If I stay here in the house Crystal will feel like she needs to take care of me. That was the agreement. Until the bills come due, she can take as much time as she wants to choose." "I've already chosen." Ayla said. "If I don't go to school I'll end up hustling drinks at some saloon and fighting for my life every weekend. I want the education. The education will give me a freedom I've never had." Her hands were on her hips. I was proud of her. "I want the education too, but I hate the idea of leaving Mom. She will find another guy who will hurt her. She won't get a very good job." "You may be right, but she'll have her freedom. I lived with a woman who for years hated being beholden to me for anything. She could have gotten a Ph.D. in belittling, sarcasm and venom. When I final left her a few days ago I discovered that I didn't need belittling, sarcasm or venom in my life. If I live the rest of my life in a two bedroom furnished apartment, I'll live without those three companions. Crystal resents having to cook for me, do my laundry, buy my food. I won't live like that. If she was just an employee, I'd fire her. I won't fire her, I'll leave." I got in the truck and drove away. In my mirror I could see both girls standing in the front yard until I turned the corner. The market provided me with frozen dinners, ice cream, diet Dr. Pepper and snacks. I sat in my new apartment and watched TV until late. My truck was parked behind the building. At about midnight I shut off the light and went to bed. I realized that furnished didn't mean everything. I found one small hand towel in the bathroom. I would be going shopping the next day. I ate at a diner for breakfast. The store visit cost me a hundred dollars and I was sure I'd forgotten something. I bought a James Patterson novel in the store and then realized I wanted and needed my computer. I drove to the house and walked in. Crystal came out of the kitchen and watched me walk down the hallway to my bedroom. I disconnected the computer and carried the pieces out, one at a time. On my last trip of the day I said, "I'll have all my things out by day after tomorrow." She didn't say anything. I got cable hooked up and a new phone line. The guy at the phone company wanted to know if I wanted two phone numbers listed or should he disconnect the first one. I got him to keep both active for a month. The diner made my dinner. Swanson, Stoffer's and Cheerios made breakfast and lunch. I got through the James Patterson book in three days. Surfing the net I discovered there were festivals all over the country for foods, music and other things. Ayla saw my truck parked at the diner on the third evening. She came in and asked, "May I sit down?" I motioned her into the booth. "How are you?" She asked. "I'm Ok. The food here is not as good as Crystal's, I've already finished a novel, the apartment is too quiet and my life seems pretty empty." "Momma is really angry. Every time she walks past your room she says "Shit!" She believes you want to take her freedom away. She won't listen to anything Teri or I say. We're on your side. She says she never thought her own daughters would turn against her." "Have you eaten?" "No." I motioned the waitress and said, "Bring her a good dinner." The waitress smiled and walked away. Two minutes later she put dinner in front of Ayla. She ate like someone who hadn't eaten all day. When we were both done I said, "She stopped cooking?" "She stopped everything. She sits on the couch and watches soaps all day." "You still want to go to college?" "More than ever!" "If living at home is too hard, you're welcome to move in with me until time to start college." "That would kill her." "What do you think will happen when you leave for college?" "She'll scream and cry and probably become the drama queen of North America." "So, what's the difference, now or a month from now?" "The difference is ... the difference is I'd have a month of less stress." I wrote my address on a napkin. "Gather your things and show up tomorrow. I'll have a key for you." Tank's Farewell She looked at her watch and said, "I'd better go. Thank you, Daddy." My smile made me feel good. Her kiss on my cheek made me feel even better. The waitress brought my bill. "Your daughter?" She asked. "When my best friend died I sort of inherited her and her sister as my daughters." "You're Tank's friend?" "Re-Pete at your service." I smiled at her. She sat down. "He helped us. Things in my family went sour and he helped my Mom and me for months. It wasn't until he died we found out who was helping. Can I thank you since I can't thank him?" How was he helping?" "He put money in Mom's account at the bank every week. Not a lot, but enough we were Ok." "Write your name, your Mom's name and phone number on a napkin, please. I'll check and find out why it stopped." "It stopped because he died." "If I can ask, What happened that you needed the help?" "My Dad got drunk and into a bar fight. He ended up in the hospital and a week later he died. With him gone we had no income. We were about to lose the house and everything and one day the mortgage was paid current and we had a couple hundred in the bank." "The week before your Dad got in the fight what were you doing?" "Finishing high school." "And, the week after the funeral?" "Waiting tables here. Mom does alterations for the dry cleaners and she works in the office at the Evan's Plunge part time." I gave her back the napkin and said, "Put your address on there too, if you would. I have an idea and I think Tank would like it." She wrote the address and gave me back the napkin. She got up and went back to work. I left a ten as a tip. On my way back to the apartment I stopped and had a key made, changed my mind and had two made. At home, I called my lawyer. She answered. "What can I do for you, Mr. Peterson?" "Tank paid a woman's mortgage current and deposited a couple hundred in her account each month." I gave her the name and address of the woman and her daughter. "I knew about the mortgage but not about the monthly deposit. He must have made it in cash. Would you like me to start doing it again?" " Yes, and make it five hundred extra. I'm sending Teri and Ayla to college in Spearfish in a little over a month. Rather than pay rent, maybe I should by a triplex or small apartment building and then even after the graduate they have an income source." "You want my help?" "Sure. You know someone there who we can trust?" "My sister lives there and is a realtor. Let me call her and see what the story is. I'll get back to you soon." "Ok. Thanks." The next day Ayla arrived a little before ten. A suitcase and two cardboard boxes and she was in. She put them in the second bedroom and said she had to take Crystal's car back. While she was gone I thought about all the things they still needed before college started. One thing was a car. I called Keys again and said, "I need to get a car for the girls. I'm new in town. I want a used car that won't die on the way home. Who do I see?" "Go over to Bison Motors and talk to Jan. She'll help you, and I trust her." Keys was right. She found a four year old Honda that still looked good, ran great and was both a four door and four banger. I bought it. They cleaned it up and put new seat covers on it. They also did a major service: oil, belts, fluids and new tires. The next morning they delivered it to me. Ayla and I were having Cheerios when Jan knocked at the door. She answered. "Daddy, it's for you." "Let her in. Offer her some breakfast and have her sit down." She brought her into the kitchen and Jan smiled as she handed me the keys. Ayla's eyes got big, but she didn't say anything. Jan gave me an envelope with all the paperwork in it. "I transferred title and re-registered it in your name. It has a full tank of gas, so you're ready." "You haven't had coffee or Cheerios." I said. Ayla was starting to fidget. Jan said she had already eaten, but thanked me for the offer. I held the keys out to Ayla and said, "When you're done with your breakfast, would you take Jan back to work, please?" She grabbed her purse and they were gone. A few seconds passed and she was back. She kissed me and said, "Thank you, Daddy!" "Drive safely." I don't know if she heard me. She was out the door too quickly. While she was gone Keys called. Her sister had a listing for a five unit apartment building just a few blocks from the school. She gave me her sister's number and I called her. We set an appointment for that very afternoon. When Ayla came in I stopped the gushing and asked, "I need to take a day trip. Shall we take your car or shall I go alone?" She smiled and said, "My car is already warmed up and ready to go. Let's take my car!" She drove. On the way out of town I reminded her that the car was a shared car. It belonged to me and I would let both of them drive it, use it and take care of it while they went to college. She would have agreed to damn near anything to be able to keep the car. I bought the apartment building. Ayla picked apartment four as the one she and Teri would share. I was thinking about apartment one for myself but on the way back to Hot Springs I realized that would hamper their experience of freedom. When I said the word in my head it hurt. I didn't want Crystal's freedom. I actually wanted to give her some. An old line ran through my head, "You can lead a horse to water..." Yeah, and the same goes for women! Five minutes later I added, "Some women." When we got home I called Crystal. The phone rang eight times before she answered. "Hullo." I might as well have been calling the morgue and one of the dead answered. "I'd like to invite you and Teri to dinner." "You cooking?" "No. I thought we'd go to a restaurant. Interested?" "You paying?" "Yes. You going?" "What time?" "I thought that about six-thirty would be about right." "Ok. What about Ayla?" "I've already invited her. She'll be there." "She didn't come home last night." Her tone wasn't worried, upset, happy or anything with an emotion attached. "She told me. You want to meet us or shall I come get you?" "Come get us." She hung up. "Daddy, why are you inviting her to dinner?" "An experiment. It may not work but it's worth a try." "I need to wait to know what you're doing, don't I?" I nodded. We took the truck and parked behind Crystal's Toyota at six-twenty. I went to the door and knocked. Teri answered. She looked freshly scrubbed and dressed nicely for dinner. She smiled and then looked concerned. "Mom didn't shower or change clothes. She's a mess." "Go get her, please. Remind her that I'm buying." Two minutes later she helped Crystal out the door. She was in jeans and a sweatshirt. Something had spilled on the sweatshirt and it didn't look like it had happened today. I opened the door to the truck and they squeezed in. We drove to the diner. We walked in and I walked to the same table where I always sat. I saw my waitress pick up four menus and look at me. I held up one finger. She came to us with one menu. She aimed it at me. I shook my head and pointed at Crystal. The waitress looked at her, then handed the menu to her. "One menu? Place is a bit cheap." "No. The three of us are going to trust the waitress to bring us a good dinner. We aren't even going to ask what the special is, we just want it." Crystal harrumphed and opened the menu. When her body language said she was done, I signaled the waitress and she came to the table. "Ready?" The three of us want you to bring us whatever you think we'd like. Crystal, order whatever you'd like." She did. The waitress walked away and conversation started at our table. Teri asked, "You didn't come home last night." "I couldn't. Seeing Mom like this hurts. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help her." Crystal looked up at Ayla and said, "Talking about me like I'm not here doesn't help." "Then tell me what does help, what will help." Ayla said. "It would help if Pete would give me my freedom." "He did, Mom." Teri said. "He moved out. He still pays the bills. How much freedom do you want?" "And," Ayla asked, "What are you doing with the freedom, now that you have it?" "What freedom do I have? I barely have enough money to survive. Even if I wanted to go visit your father in prison I don't have enough for gas, much less food and a room." Her voice shared her desperation, her helpless feelings. I stayed quiet. Ayla said, "You've actually been thinking about seeing him?" Teri looked at me and said, "Is there room for me with you?" I nodded. "Momma, I'm moving out! He raped us! He raped all three of us! He gave me to his friends on your bed! Now, you want to go visit him? Do you?" "He... He needs help." Crystal said. "No, Mom. You need help." Teri turned to me and said, "Can I have the keys to the truck, please. I've lost my appetite." I handed her the keys. As she stood the waitress arrived with the dinners. "You're leaving?" She asked. Teri nodded. "Give me a sec. I'll make yours to-go." She served the other three and took Teri 's to the kitchen. Teri walked towards the kitchen and took the meal from her when she came out of the kitchen. The waitress came to our table and said, "Mom and I had a visitor today. How can we thank you?" "Go to school. Quit this job and get back in school. Did your Mom and you ever sit down and do the finances for your little family?" "Yes. Every week." "How much money would keep you two afloat, without the house payment?" "I make two hundred or so a week here. Mom usually makes about seven hundred a month net. Without the house payment we scrape by." I made a note on a napkin. The note said, "$1800 a month." She saw the note. So did Crystal and so did Ayla. "Here's the deal. You go back to school. When you graduate you go to college in Spearfish. I happen to own an apartment building in that town and you'll live there and help take care of the building. I pay books, tuition and an allowance. You get good grades and graduate. I own your house. The deal I make with your mother is between us, but her rent is paid and she'll have enough to live on. Deal?" "I may be a waitress, but I'm not stupid. Yes, it's a deal!" "Then bring me the bill for dinner and after I pay it, quit and go home. Tomorrow I'll come by in the morning and talk to both of you." "Morning is good. Mom doesn't go to the Plunge until two." As I nodded I said, "I know. I did my homework." She went to get our bill and I returned to my meal. She came back and I handed her a hundred dollar bill. "The bill gets paid and you go home. Take the money and go. Buy your Mom and you something nice on your way home." As she turned I saw a tear escape from her eye. The bill was less than sixty dollars and she would be taking a forty-plus dollar tip with her. Ayla and I finished our meals. Crystal was playing with hers. She had mixed the green beans into the mashed potatoes and her fork was making lazy circles in what by then were very cold beans and potatoes. "I'm sorry you didn't like your dinner, Crystal. We're done. Would you like a ride home?" "Why did you do that for her?" She put the fork down and looked into my face. "I made a promise to Tank that I'd take care of his family. I am. I can only take care of the people who will let me. When that young woman's Dad died he left them with a house and a bucket of bills. Tank started depositing money into her Mom's account. He decided she was worth saving. I'm just following your Dad's example. If you allowed me to help you, I would. It wouldn't stop me helping her and her daughter, too. I look forward to meeting her Mom tomorrow." Ayla looked at me and asked, "You don't even know her?" "Nope. I found out what Tank had been doing and that's good enough for me." I stood. "Coming?" I asked. Without a word Crystal stood and the napkin that had been in her lap slid to the floor. She left it. Ayla picked it up and put it over her Mom's plate. Not a word had been said about the rapes. I didn't think the diner was the right place. When I slipped the truck into PARK in Crystal's driveway I said, "Crystal, if you meant what you said about wanting to drive to Utah to visit your ex, I'll give you enough money for the trip. Figure out gas both ways, food and two nights in a motel while you're there. I'll give you the money." "Why?" "If I don't you can say I'm taking your freedom away. If I do, you're faced with the freedom to do whatever you want with the money. I don't care if you go see him. I have freedom too. I have the freedom to stop my heart from caring what you do. I could withdraw all support of you. I won't, because having the freedom also means I can choose to keep supporting you even when you make bad decisions. The girls make good decisions and the support they make is bigger that what you get. The waitress made some good, honorable decisions and both Tank and I reward that." She sat still. I got out, walked around and opened her door. She stood in front of me. I took a step back. "One more thing. If I ever invite you out for anything and you step out of the house looking like a skid-row crack whore I will never see or speak to you again. The disrespect for me, for Ayla and Teri is an open insult." I closed the door to the truck and went to the driver's side. When my door closed both girls were crying. We didn't speak all the way to the apartment. They went to Ayla's bedroom and I didn't see them the rest of the night. The next morning I was sitting at the table with my Cheerios when they emerged from the bedroom. Red eyes and tired faces looked at me. I held out the box of cereal. They ate. When I was done I washed my bowl and put it to dry. I went to my bathroom and get ready for the day. When I came out Teri asked, "You're going to their house?" I nodded. "What do we do while you're gone?" "Go get your things. Go to the market and get more food." I handed Teri a hundred dollars. I walked out. At the front door of the address the waitress had given me I wondered if my first question ought to reveal that I hadn't learned either of their names. I knocked. The waitress opened the door. Not the nineteen-fifties waitress uniform, she wore jeans and t-shirt. Bare feet. She opened the door wide and said, "Welcome. Come on in." She called out, "Mom, he's here." As she led me to the living room. It was sparse, clean and smelled like it got cleaned often. I stopped. "I'm so sorry. I know I should have memorized both your names but, I didn't. Can you tell me again? Please." A woman about fifty entered the room. She said, "I'm Helen. My daughter is Roseanne." Her daughter added, "Rose is just fine." Helen was in a dress that was ironed, clean and beginning to be thread bare. We sat. We talked about what it meant to them that I bought their house. I explained that buying their house made me the landlord. Before I bought it the bank was the landlord. Helen leaned forward and asked, "How do we pay the rent?" "You don't. Rose does. She goes to school and gets good grades. She graduates. She goes to college and again, gets good grades. That pays the rent." "Why?" "Why what?" I asked. "Why are you doing this for us?" I'd been thinking about that question for a while. Why was I doing this? "I'm not doing it for you. When my best friend Tank and I were fighting in a war all we wanted was to live through it, come home and have a better life. We thought that was enough. Now, because of Tank, we can do something more. Tank and I can make a difference for after both of us are gone. If Rose goes to college and does something good with her life, Tank and I live on in whatever she does. If Tank's granddaughters go to college and do something wonderful with their lives, Tank and I live on through them too." Helen looked at me and said, "So this is your way of living forever?" "Yeah, I guess that's it. I have no children, no children who give a hoot about me. They didn't look at life like I do. I could blame my wife for that, but they just look at things differently than I do. But, if I can help someone have a great life, that's better." Rose said, "I won't let you down. I want to be a nurse. I'll be a good nurse." "I believe that." I stood and both women hugged me. When I left they knew what was next for both of them. Getting Rose back in school, getting the bills all paid and having dinner with me once a week. I went to the bank and deposited three thousand in Helen's account. When I got back to my apartment both girls were sitting on the couch. Teri looked up at me and said, "You bought us a car?" "Yes. Was that a bad idea?" "No! I guess I'm a little confused. When Ayla told me you offered college to the waitress I thought we'd been screwed, again. I really want to go to college. I want to do something with my life. Do we get to go to college?" "Yes!" I pulled a chair over by the couch and sat down. "Here's the deal. I want your lives to be great. Tank wants your lives to be great. College is one way to get there. Since Tank isn't here to do this, I get to. I get to act like Dad, like Tank, like Grandpa and assist you towards your goal. Crystal has chosen to send her life down the toilet. If she changes her mind, I'll help her have a great life too. It's all Tank and I ever wanted for any of you." Ayla asked, "Are you going to ask us about the rapes?" "No. If you want to tell me about it, I'll listen. I'm sorry it happened. Nothing anyone can do can undo what was done to you. I'm sorry. If I ever do anything or say anything that triggers bad memories about the rapes, tell me so I can avoid doing whatever again. One more thing, You're both safe here with me. I have never raped anyone and I'm not about to start." "We know that. You're as safe as being with Tank." Teri said.' "Is the waitress going to college with us?" Ayla asked. "As soon as she finishes high school, yes." "So we get to be her big sisters when she comes to college?" "I guess. She will get one of the apartments, and probably a roommate too." "You're going to scholarship another person?" "Probably. We've got the money and I can't see a better use for it, can you?" "Wow! I wish I'd known Tank better. I think you and he are a lot alike and I never got to know him very well, cause Mom was angry with him." Over the next week they did what young women do who are about to go away to college. I went to Evan's Plunge while Helen was on duty and when she had a break we talked. On her day off I took her to Rapid City and we did some shopping. We, meaning she did the shopping and I paid for the things she got. She needed new clothes. She needed new shoes. I sent her into a shop where they sold ladies underwear and I sat out in the mall while she bought the things she needed or wanted. I gave her three hundred dollars cash before she went in and I asked her to spend a lot of it. She was gone almost an hour. When she gave me my change she blushed. On the drive back to Hot Springs we talked. She invited me to dinner. I accepted. "Pete, I don't want you to think wrongly of me but when you come for dinner tonight, think about staying for breakfast." "You don't have to do that." "I know. I don't have to do that. But, what if I want us to do that? It isn't a payback for you being so good to us... Oh, it is. No one has been that good to us, me, in years. How can I say thank you? I can cook for you, and I want to. For the past three nights I've fallen asleep thinking about being next to you in bed. I'll understand if you say no, but I want you to say yes." "What's for dinner?" "I bought a roast and veggies yesterday. We can have that, if that's Ok." Tank's Farewell "And, what's for breakfast?" I smiled at her as I asked. She smiled and answered, "Eggs, pancakes, turkey bacon and anything else you'd like." "What time should I come for dinner?" "I'll need two hours from when I get home to cook the roast. Come any time after two hours after I get home. I have a washer and drier. Bring your laundry and it can be done while we have dinner." I helped carry the five bags from our shopping trip into her house. Rose was sitting at the dining room table doing school work when we walked in. She helped carry bags to her mother's room and thanked me for taking Helen shopping. I got a kiss on the cheek from Rose and a kiss on the mouth from Helen as I left. The kiss from Helen spoke volumes of promises. When I walked into the apartment Teri was holding the phone to her ear and was facing away from the front door. When she heard me she said, "I've gotta go. Daddy's home." She hung up. One look at her face and I could tell she had been crying. "How's Crystal?" I asked. "Miserable. She said for me to tell you six hundred and fifty dollars." I wrote a check and asked, "You want to deliver it or should I mail it to her?" "I can't believe you'd give her the money. She'll go to Utah and visit him... in prison!" "Or, she'll stay right here and drink it. Her choice." I wrote a note to go with the check. The note said, "This is it. If you go to Utah there will not be any more money from me to you. I will pay your utilities directly, but no more money directly to you. If you use drugs bought with the money, that ends the money from me, too. By the way, the girls leave for college in a week." I put the check and the note in an envelope. "I'll take it to her." Teri held out her hand. I gave her the envelope. She put it in her purse. "What would you like for dinner?" "I won't be here for dinner. I've been invited to dinner at Helen's." "So, you'll be out late?" "No. I'll be home tomorrow. I was invited for breakfast too." "You dog!" She smiled. "I wish it was Momma who invited you, but Helen is obviously smarter than Momma." "Maybe, maybe not. Crystal has some issues to work through. We both hope she works through them." "So, you do have feelings for Momma?" "Of course. I still love my ex-wife. I'm happier not living with her, but I do still love her. I feel for your Momma, but I'm not willing to follow her into the cesspool she seems to want to get into." "Yeah. Maybe I should study psychology, just so I can understand Momma." "Better plan on at least the Masters degree then." We laughed and she went her way. I went to my bedroom to get ready for my sleepover date. I arrived at Helen's two hours and ten minutes after I had left. I carried a small suitcase with clean clothes and a duffel full of dirty clothes, in case she was serious about the laundry. She was serious. When the laundry started she served a great roast dinner, with candles. It was romantic. Rose was no where to be seen all evening. After dinner we did the dishes together, then she put some music on and we stood in the kitchen holding each other swaying to the music. Between songs I asked, "Where is Rose?" "She was invited to spend the evening at her Aunt's house. They get together like this three or four times a year. By morning she'll know all about Rose going to college and all about you." "I don't think anyone knows all about me." "I'm sure that's true. She doesn't know some of the things I know. She doesn't know that you dance my favorite way, just swaying to the music. She doesn't know how soft your lips are when you kiss." I took that as a hint. We kissed. We explored and became intimate friends standing together in the kitchen. When we stopped kissing momentarily Helen asked me if I would help her with something in the bedroom. The something was the new bra, panties and stockings she was wearing. She took off the dress without any assist from me, but wanted my hands-on assistance in getting the new items off. I was happy to oblige. The bra and panties were teal lace and she discovered that teal was one of my very favorite colors. Of course, if she had been wearing some other color bra and panties teal would have been my second favorite color. Helen wanted the lights dimmed. She said dim lights made her look better. I reminded her that ojos viejos did that job already. Ojos viejos means old eyes. I wasn't expecting her to look like she was seventeen when we got undressed and I prayed she wasn't expecting me to look like I did when I was eighteen. Gravity had softened her curves and possibly added a few from when she was seventeen. When she slid up close and our arms went around each other I certainly wasn't disappointed. She was warm, soft in the right places and fit well against my soft in some places. We danced some more, kissed some more and explored each other with slow deliberation. By late that evening we were in bed, covered and softly holding each other. With gentle touch and rubbing I helped her quiver and cum. She kissed me and stroked me then invaginated me until we both had reached satisfaction. I hope someday Mick Jagger writes a song about Helen called, "I got my sat-is-faction!". I'll help him sing it. We went to sleep holding each other. When I woke up I was in a strange, Spartan bedroom and I was alone. I heard whistling in the house and kitchen noises. When I rolled over to get up the bedroom door opened and Helen came in. She had on the bra and panties I had removed the night before. No robe, t-shirt or shirt of any kind. "Good morning, Pete." She jumped onto the bed and wrapped her arms around me. I got a kiss that verified that my tonsils and larynx were in place. I gave it right back. After the kiss she said, "Whoa! Breakfast is on the stove! Get up and semi-dressed so we can eat. Then, if you want, you can drag me back in here for dessert!" I pulled on boxers and pants. We had breakfast and she dragged me back in for dessert. I got plenty of nibbles in during dessert time as well. When I walked into the apartment the phone was ringing. I answered and it was Helen. "You forgot your laundry. There's chicken for dinner if you're interested." "Is there dessert, if I'm a good boy?" "There's even more dessert if you promise to be naughty." We both laughed and agreed on six o'clock. Six o'clock lasted until nine the next morning. I got to know Helen and Rose better and better. When I asked about my laundry Helen took me to a closet and showed me my clothes, hanging in the closet. She said, "You can take them with you, if you want. Or, you can leave them right there and bring more and more of your things over until you quit paying rent on an apartment you don't sleep in." "Rose lives here with you, not me. I don't think I should move in like that. Maybe when she goes away to school." She smiled, shrugged and left me standing in front of the closet. The clothes I had worn to dinner the night before were in the wash. I put on clean duds from the closet and took some of the rest home with me. I found a note on my bed. "Daddy, Please invite Helen and Rose for dinner here tonight. Remind them that dinner includes breakfast. We want to get to know them both." It was signed by both girls. I called Helen and invited them. At four both girls came in with armloads of groceries and set to work in the kitchen. They talked and giggled as they worked and they sang along with strange music too. At six the doorbell rang. I answered. Helen and Rose were both in new clothes. They looked fantastic. I kissed them both in welcome and got a "You're very welcome" kiss in return. When my kiss from Helen ended she said, "Plum." "Plum?" I asked. "Your favorite color." I smiled and lost interest in dinner, polite conversation and chit-chat. I love plum. I wasn't even sure what color plum was at that moment. I was sure it was my favorite color. My girls came out of the kitchen and there were hugs, kisses and greetings for a few minutes. Helen and Rose got the five cent tour and then we sat to have dinner. The girls had made stacked enchiladas. They were incredible! I ate and they nibbled and talked and talked and talked. By the time the talking had slowed enough to have us clear the table it was after nine. We sat in the living room and talked some more. Rose asked the girls about moving to Spearfish and starting college. They bubbled all over and talked about clothes, classes they had signed up for and their schedule. Helen and I were polite. I have no idea what Helen was paying attention to but my mind was on the look and feel of plum. Finally Rose said, "On the tour I saw the bed where Pete and my Mom will sleep. I saw the bed you two share. Am I staying on the couch?" Ayla answered, "You get to choose. I could sleep on the couch and leave the bed to you and Teri." Teri continued, "Or I could take the couch and you can sleep with Ayla." Rose finished, "Or we could all sleep in the bed together! I get to choose? I choose all three of us in the same bed!" Ayla held out her hand to her sister. "Pay up! We had a bet about which choice you would make. I won." "What did you think I'd choose?" Rose asked. Teri answered, "Either of the first two choices." "That would have said that I already have a favorite. I don't. According to the plan, I'm going to be living with both of you soon. I want us to be like sisters who like each other. I choose both." Ayla said, "Good! Let's go." As they left the room Ayla turned to us and said, "Try to keep the noise down, Ok?" Before we could respond they were gone. Two days later Ayla and Teri were driving to school. Rose was riding with them. Helen and I drove the truck and the back was loaded with their stuff. While they moved in I met with three students who wanted to rent the other apartments. I also met with the owner of an agency that managed apartments for absentee owners. They would handle the leases, rent, repairs and details. Ayla and Teri shared number four. The three girls who wanted to rent shared number three, which happened to be a three bedroom. The agency lady promised me the other two apartments would be rented within forty-eight hours. The four of us had dinner together and then Helen, Rose and I retired to a motel. I didn't want to make the two hour drive home in the dark. It's a much prettier drive in the light. I rented two rooms, each with a king sized bed. I faced both women and said, "There are two rooms. I'm going to be in 218. You get to choose to join me in 218 or be in 222." I held up the keys to both rooms. Rose smiled and didn't move. Helen looked at Rose as if this was a formal announcement that the two of us were sleeping together, if she took the key to 218. "Momma, if you don't take 218, I'm going to." Helen took 218. She blushed as she took it, but she took it. I smiled the whole time. Rose's statement surprised me and my head made it mean she was prodding her Mom to stay with me, not saying she'd like to. I guessed the girls would be up late getting settled into their first home of their own. No Momma, no parents at all, just the two of them. The anxiety level for me was high. The examples they had grown up with were not very good for learning impulse control. When the door to 218 closed, with Helen and me inside, she found a way to distract me from thinking about the dangers Ayla and Teri were facing. She was wearing a bra and panty set that were the same color as her skin with something woven in to make the fabric sparkle, and be mostly transparent. She helped me undress and when my shorts came off she tossed them into the trashcan. "I bought you some nice, new underwear for tomorrow. You don't ever need to wear those again." "As you wish." We showered together and went to bed. The drapes were open so the lights from the city illuminated our room gently. None of the lights in the room were on. I didn't need lights to find Helen and she seemed to have no problem finding the parts of me she was interested in finding. When both of us had reached satisfaction and exhaustion we kissed again and held each other as we fell asleep. Both 218 and 222 had windows that faced west. The sun came up and brightened the rooms but not directly. At a little after eight the phone beside our bed rang. I guessed it would be Rose. I also guessed she was hungry. I was wrong. "Daddy, can we join you for breakfast, or would you like to come here for breakfast?" Teri asked. "You've been up all night and want to show off your apartment to us?" "Not quite all night. We went to sleep at four and just got up. Will you come?" "What's for breakfast?" "Cheerios!" She laughed and added, "French toast, eggs and coffee." "Let me check with Helen and Rose and I'll get right back to you." I asked Helen and she answered by getting out of bed and heading for the shower. I called 222 and Rose answered. I outlined the plan and she said, "They called me first. I'm already dressed." "Then you call them back and tell them we'll be there by nine." I hung up and went to the shower. Helen was finished and doing her hair when I got in the shower. When I got out she helped me dry and handed me the first colored underwear I'd worn since I got discharged from the Army. These were not camouflage. They were dark blue. Helen smiled and patted the front of them when I had them on. "I like them," she said. I liked them too. We were at the apartment by nine. They had made the sterile apartment feminine and cute in less than twenty-four hours. Helen and Rose gushed over what they had done. I gushed over breakfast. By one in the afternoon we were home. Helen sat me on her couch and she and Rose ganged up on me. Helen started. "Now that Teri and Ayla are at college, why are you living in a two bedroom apartment all alone?" "I need a place for my stuff. I like sleeping in a bed. Occasionally I like having a bathroom." "There is room here for your stuff." Helen said. Rose added, "We already know you sleep well in Mom's bed." "And, my shower is big enough for both of us." "Speak plainly." "Move in here. Sleep with me every night, have breakfast with us every morning, share our lives, our home, your home." "You're sure?" "We've been waiting until Teri and Ayla had moved to push. We're sure." We spent the next two days moving me. I gave the apartment back and got two beautiful roommates and a bigger house. Once a week I spoke to Teri and Ayla. They loved college life and were excited each week to tell us about their adventures. Rose worked hard and by the end of the year she had enough credits to graduate. A little work and she was admitted beginning in January. She got a girl from Iowa as a roommate and Helen and I visited more than they came home. We liked visiting. We met a lot of their friends, we saw how they cared for the apartments and we didn't have to clean up after the visits. On the first anniversary of Tank's death we all met in Hot Springs for the weekend. We visited the cemetery, made sure his grave had flowers and was clean, and we shared Tank stories into the night. I drove by Tank's house once a week. The bills came and were paid. They were so small I knew Crystal had gone to Utah or somewhere and didn't come back. That was two thousand three. It is now 2009. Crystal surfaced in 2007, briefly. She called me and opened the call by saying, "Eighty thousand." "Eighty thousand what?" "You asked me how much I wanted for the house. Eighty thousand." "Done. Where do I send the money?" She gave me an address in Utah. I asked about her, her life and Johnny. She told me Johnny had been killed inside the prison. She never asked about her daughters. Keys sent the check and three days later she told me it had been cashed. I put the house in Teri and Ayla's name. Teri graduated and went on to get her teaching credential. Ayla graduated and got a job working for the college admissions office. Rose graduated and went on to get a Masters in some kind of administration. She came home one weekend, bringing Ayla and Teri with her. I could tell I was being ganged up on and knew I was probably going to lose or win depending on my point of view. They were going to get their way. They cooked and during dinner Ayla began the presentation. "Working in the admissions office I see a lot of kids struggling to get their education. It's not the studies or living away from home as much as it's the money. They get grants and most pile up huge debts so when they do graduate they are paying back big loans forever. It's sad." "And?" I asked. "You helped us through. Not one of us has a student loan to pay back. We want to say thanks." Teri said. "So, say thanks and serve dessert." "No!" Rose said, entering the conversation. "I have a business proposition for you. I want to start a Foundation. The Foundation will sponsor scholarships for worthy students. Rent, books, tuition and an allowance all the way to the Bachelors degree." "You run it, we pay for it. How do we keep from giving them the money and they don't get the education?" "Same way you did it with the three of us. Report cards come to the Foundation. Drop below the contracted GPA, take fewer classes, or classes that won't get you towards graduation and the money stops. They sign a contract that if they stop going to school or break their agreement in any way we can attach a percentage of their earnings until every dime they got is repaid." "And if they graduate?" "The Foundation gets ten percent of whatever they earn for the first five years." Helen asked, "Can all that be legal?" "Yes! One of my professors is married to a lawyer and he says he can draw up the contracts so they are as airtight as a submarine." I sat quietly. Teri started to speak and stopped when I held up a hand. A minute later Ayla raised her hand. I waved at her and she said, "I want to pressure you for an answer, but I'm pretty sure that won't get me the answer I really want. So, when can we expect an answer?" "I want to think about it for a while. I want time to talk with Helen about it and to ask questions. How much will it cost to have your lawyer friend draw up the papers to start the Foundation? How much money do we need to put in to start this thing? Will you be the employee or will we need more?" Rose pulled out a three-ring notebook from her big purse. She handed it to me. "Daddy, my senior project was to do everything to start the Foundation, except the funding. Everything is in there. Any questions that aren't answered I'll get answers for." I turned the binder over and saw the title: "The Tank Rogers Foundation." I knew we were doing this. I sat and read. They checked on me occasionally and Helen asked good questions. By late that night I understood why Rose had done so well in school. The notebook answered every question I had except the one I needed to call Keys to answer: How much money can I safely put into this? Helen and I went to bed. We held each other and she said, "You're going to do this aren't you?" "This isn't just me. This is a family decision. That means I want you as a full participant yes or no. We decide, not me and not you, we." "I need to know about the numbers. I like the idea, but I don't want you to go broke." "You don't get it do you? There is no me. We are an us. You are my partner. That credit card with your name on it has thousands and thousands of dollars behind it. You want a new car, buy it! You need not ask permission. And, another thing, vacation. Pretty soon our girls will be out there having their lives, getting married, making grandbabies, and before that happens I'd like a family vacation. I'm thinking of a cruise." We were quiet long enough that suddenly it was morning. Tanks For The Mammaries SUMMARY: This story is an original literary work. I wrote a story just to stretch my creative muscles. All scientists in this work are fictional. Any resemblance to anyone living, dead or born in the future, is purely coincidental. WARNINGS: Contains transgender themes, Sci-Fi, explicit sex, mild violence, bad words, and strange ideas. It has only the strange things that dribble from my head. If you are not old enough, mature enough, open minded enough, and especially not smart enough to stop reading should you find yourself becoming offended viewing such a story, don't! I hereby grant permission to post this story, make it available for download, or send it to a one or more of your kinky friends, as long as I am given credit for it and no monetary profit is made from it without sharing it with me. (I'm not greedy, but I did write it.) FF+ tg ScFi cons breast Lac hirs oral toys ********** Just a few months ago, I was sitting in my jail cell on death row blissfully awaiting the unjust execution for the murder of my wife. Well blissful compared to some of the things that have happened to me since. My name was Dean Samuels and it all started about a year and a half ago. At that time, I had been married for about 5 years. I had always wondered how an average Joe like me could be interesting to someone like her. By profession, my wife was a Microbiologist, a leading scientist in the area of gene splicing research. Me, I was just a 34-year-old, 5' 10", 200# Electrician working for a major city in the northwest. Granted I am smarter, than your average electrician is. I have often heard I don't work up to my true potential. I've never been what you might call ambitious, but I always seemed to have everything I needed. One day I came home and there was blood all over the entryway of our home, I mean a lot of blood! I freaked out totally and started searching the house calling out my wife's name, "Diane!" I went through every room, every floor, I could find her nowhere. During my hasty and frantic search, the police showed up claiming a neighbor had heard several gunshots. I was promptly arrested, and charged with her murder. No corpse, no murder weapon, no motive but I was convicted. The coroner claimed the blood was a DNA match for my wife's and the quantity was sufficient to indicate she would not have survived the loss of so much. He also claimed I must have used a chipper on her corpse for that quantity to be splattered all over the walls and ceiling. For motive, they claimed I had to be dissatisfied with our relationship due to her long work hours and extensive overtime hours she put in. Hell, I was proud of her! I had been willing to sacrifice some of our time together. I new her work was important to her, and possibly even the human race, which made me, love her even more. I would never harm her! Sure, I would have liked to have more time together, more sex, and more romance. I was content to have whatever time she could spare me. If Albert Schweitzer's wife could handle it so could I. None of these things seemed to matter to anyone during my trial, and due to my "showing no remorse" for my heinous crime I was sentenced to death. Hell, I was innocent, for what was I supposed to show remorse? Around a year later, I found myself on death row with some mutton headed priest wanting me to confess to my sins, as if I was guilty of killing my wife! I get strapped onto the table with and I.V. in my arm, they go through all the magic legal phrases, I feel a warm burning sensation crawling up my arm and my lights go out! ********** Okay, the next thing I expect to see is a bright white light and maybe heaven. The last thing I expected to see was the face of my wife peering at me through the side of a huge aquarium, in which I seemed to be floating. I had several tubes stuck into my body in various places. The weirdest part was nothing was stuck to my face. I seemed to be breathing water! I started to panic and thrash about. My wife spoke into a microphone, "Just relax dear you're all right! You are breathing a super oxygenated fluid, it's very natural, before you were born, in your mother's womb, you breathed a fluid for 9 months, just breath normally." It must have been dreadfully easy to read my face. I figured the afterlife would quite different to what I was presently experiencing. Just my luck too, my wife was a scientist here too! Only difference, I must be a lab rat in this life. She spoke again, "I know you are really confused right now dear, I'll try to explain. A little over a year ago the military and CIA uncovered a plot to assassinate me. They felt I had to go into hiding, but I couldn't bring myself to tear you away from your life and family. I thought if you believed I was murdered, you could forget and go on without me. I love you so much, and I knew I hadn't been there for you as much as I should have. I wanted you to be able to live out a normal life with someone who could devote the time to a relationship you deserve. It might break your heart, but I only wanted what was best for you." Now she was choked up and crying but continued on, "I had been storing some of my own blood for research purposes. I gave 4 pints to a couple of CIA agents so they could stage my death." "I threw myself into my work, because thinking about you, and the pain you must be going through, hurt too much to think about. I missed you terribly, and any time I thought of you, us, all I could do was cry." She had to stop to wipe her eyes and blow her nose, "We are so far remote at this facility in New Mexico, and news about your trial wasn't covered here. I didn't find out about it until one of my assistants came back from visiting her parents in Washington with a newspaper article about when your execution was to be held" "I nearly went insane! I was raising hell with the CIA, the FBI, everybody I could get my hands on, and I even called the President! There were so many agents and high level government official working on how to save you, and also protect both of us it, was like they had moved half of Washington DC here! "The first thought was just to spring you and have you exonerated. The CIA said if that were to happen, the factions that were after my death would figure I was still alive, and you would never be safe from being kidnapped, to be able to get to me." "It was suggested to covertly spring you after your 'execution' and place you in a witness protection program. I told them that would be worse than having brought you with me in the first place!" "Then some penny pinching moron in the state department started with talk about 'justifying the expense'," at this point she lost it completely and started crying so hard she couldn't go on and left the room for a bit to compose herself. Up to this point, I had been content to just float there breathing and listening. Now without the stimulus of her explanation, I began taking stock of my situation. There were the tubes coming from various places on my body with different colored substances flowing in and out of my body. I was feeling pretty stoned, and relaxed the only really uncomfortable issue I seemed to have, was the tube stuck up my ass. Other than that, it was kind of like being Aquaman (no there were no gills). Diane returned slightly better poised, "I'm so sorry honey, but when push came to shove, the only way they would let me save you, was if I agreed to use you as a subject in my experiments. You being a convicted murderer, the government authorities didn't ask any questions, they just turned you over to 'The Office of Scientific Research'. A coffin with a John Doe was buried with a headstone naming it your final resting place." She swallowed hard, "So no one will be looking for you, no cops, no spies, and no bounty hunters. As far as the rest of the world is concerned we are now both deceased." That was the good news. "The bad news concerns you being in there. You were always so considerate, not asking me about my work, since you knew it is classified. Now I can finally tell you, but I wish I didn't have to. You know my field is genetic engineering, you don't know my specialty, which is retro-genetic engineering. In layman's terms I specialize in the modification of living organisms, and you my love must be my next test subject," she couldn't look me in the eye anymore. Her voice kept getting smaller and quieter, "Okay, confession time, you also don't know that before we were married..." "Before I met you..." "Oh hell, you were the first and only man I ever slept with!" she blurted out. She could tell by my expression that I was still puzzled. She took a deep breath, "Honey, I'm a Lesbian. I still can't believe how much I love you, a man no less. I never wanted a man to touch me, until you. You were, so loving and gentle, just like my lady lovers were. I couldn't help myself, my girl friends, and other lesbians, even envied me. Do you know how special that is? I know you don't think you are, and that makes you even more special." I wasn't sure where she was going with this and I tried to say, "So what does that have to do with me swimming in here?" However, it came out, "Gurgle, gurgle buzz gurgle." "Don't try to talk sweetheart the fluid makes that impossible, your vocal cords will not work right with the fluid you are breathing," she explained. "I can guess what you were thinking though, why am I telling you this now. It concerns what I must do to save your life, I didn't want you to think what is going to happen to you would have to mean an end to us," she still couldn't look me in the eye. "It's all my fault. I screwed up both of our lives. I'm so, so sorry!" she lost it again, but this time she didn't leave, she just sobbed into her hands for a while. I tried to swim down a little closer to her face and touched the glass near her, trying to calm her. She noticed and said, "Oh, oh god..." and ran from the room. All alone, again I started to explore my new environment. I discovered the tank entirely enclosed with a round hatch near the bottom, securely locked of course. Outside the tank looked like the set of some Sci-Fi movie, lights, dials, buttons, switches, and monitors everywhere. About that time I noticed Diane come back, this time she brought moral support. The woman with her was a red head, about 5' 8", 120lbs., great figure. My eyes immediately drawn to her large bust, which I only allowed my eyes a mere moment to take in, but I could tell she noticed me notice. Between my wife's strikingly beautiful face, her curly brunette hair and 36B bust standing a mere 5' 6", and the redhead, the viewing gallery was beginning to give me an erection. (Give me a break I just spent a year in jail for Christ's sake). Both of the ladies noticed and looked away grinning. I got hold of my hormones and relaxed things. Even had the ladies not been present I would have done the same thing, it seems I had been catheterized. If you haven't ever had a catheter believe me, you don't want to be sporting a woody too! Way uncomfortable! With her new companion for support she went on, "Ah, honey, I have to change you." She seemed to be studying the control panel intently. The redhead spoke up, "Diane maybe it would be easier if I tell him?" "Okay but be kind, he doesn't deserve this, and I know he wouldn't choose this, remember I still love him," she warned! "Yes my dear Diane, and since I love you, I guess I'll have to carve a place in my heart for, hi... hi..." she cleared her throat, "HIM." "Now dearie, my name is Sophie. I'm one of your wife's colleagues," she went on, "The fluid you are floating in, not only is it super oxygenated, it is doped with estrogens and some very sophisticated mutagens. The tubes in your body are supplying you with nutrition, transporting wastes, and administering drugs and more mutagens. I started to get a clue about what the tank and equipment are to do. I liked myself as I was so I started to try and pull the tubes out of me. Sophie's hand shot out and quickly flipped a switch. I could no longer move a muscle. She clicked another one and I felt warm and distant then she leaned over to the microphone and said, "Sorry I had to do that, but it's for your own good. At this point, we must go through with the experiment. The only options left open to us is certain cosmetic differences and whether or not you can maintain your identity and memories. There was much heated discussion as to what would be the most humane. Most of us tried to convince Diane you would be better off without all the baggage of your life getting in the way. She stood her ground, and she argued that if we did that it would be worse than not letting you die from the lethal injection." "So don't force us into that option, please. Diane means a lot to all of us and we couldn't bear to see how hurt that would make her. Right now you should be feeling very warm and happy so I'm going to turn off the neural block I set, to disengage your motor functions." She was sure right about that. You could have cut slices of meat off my arm and I wouldn't have cared. "Good boy, okay I think we'll keep you doped up like this for a while just to keep you from doing anything stupid." Diane finally spoke again, "Oh god Dean, please don't worry I promise the changes I make will not hurt, and I hope you will even begin to be able to enjoy them, in our new lives. I hope you won't hate me when this is over, but I'll understand if you do." She started crying again and Sophie put her arms around her and held her, while I just floated in the tank blissfully. I heard Sophie tell Diane, "Come on hon., he's going to be out of it for a few days now, and we have lots of work to do!" I must have dozed off. When I woke up Sophie and Diane were outside the tank and this time I observed several white lab coats engaged is various tasks. Diane looked at me, "Oh good you're awake. Please don't do anything foolish, there is nothing any of us can do to stop the changes, since you have already undergone a fair amount. I know you are feeling very weird right now, and everything should be looking a bit larger to you, that's to be expected." She was right too. The tank seemed to have nearly double in size. "You should be feeling weak as a kitten, this is normal too. I'm going to ask you a question, answer by using thumbs up for yes, or thumbs down for no, Okay?" I gave her Thumbs go up. "Good, you should be feeling achy and certain discomforts where the tubes are attached, what I want to know is are you feeling any great pain anywhere?" she asked I signified Thumbs go up. "Oh shit, where?" she was immediately concerned. I placed my right hand on my chest. "Is it a sharp pain?" Thumbs go down. "Does it radiate down your arm?" Thumbs go down. "Is it an achy feeling pain?" Thumbs go down. I think she finally began to catch on, "Is it your heart?" Thumbs go up. She almost whispered the next, "Is it broken?" Thumbs go up. She lost it and ran from the room crying. Sophie went to the microphone and said, "Bastard!" Hit a switch and I was out again. The next time I came to, Diane was there again, "Dean, I really am so sorry, I don't want to do this. I really don't, but I can't bear to loose you again, at least not have you die or have no chance for some kind of life in which you can be happy. I promise I won't run away again, even if you're mean, I probably deserve it. Don't worry about Sophie, she's not allowed back until her attitude toward you has changed. She's been a real comfort to me, but I heard what she said to you, when I listened to the recording of our last time together. I was so mad at her, I vowed that I would be strong and handle whatever you throw at me." Okay maybe she thought I was being a bastard last time, but a lot of shit has happened to me for over a year due to her and it wasn't over yet! I hadn't meant it the way she took it. "Do you understand sweetheart?" Thumbs go up. "Good, now I'm going to explain some things so don't get excited. You are mildly sedated but once again, you have motor control of your new body. You should only be in there another 24 hours, so I want you to start trying to move and use some of your newly remodeled appendages. Can you do that dear?" she asked. Thumbs go up. "Now if anything hurts or, you don't feel comfortable, if you want us to stop, wave your hand Okay?" She asked. Thumbs go up. "Very good honey. Frankly, I am very pleased with the way you have turned out so far. At least as far, everything our instruments can tell us. Now we just need you to do a few things so we can confirm your new body is working all right. Okay can you take your right hand out away from your body and bring it up to touch your nose?" I did as she asked, but it was almost hard to find my nose, it was so small. "Great, now can you move your leg below your knee and bring it back to touch your butt," she directed. Wow, that felt weird! "Now you are in for a shock so take is slow sweetheart take your left hand and bring it up to your right breast," my eyes must have been the size of silver dollars judging by the look on her face. "It's OKAY Deane, go ahead, and do it." I brought my hand up and encountered a B Cup sized boob on my chest! Just the light touch I gave it, felt wonderful. "You can let go now, oh, I suppose I can wait just a bit while you enjoy that," she teased. I didn't want to let go it felt so nice, but I did. Diane had a bright grin on her face like the one I hadn't seen in over a year and a half. Seeing her smile, I couldn't help it I smiled too. She saw, and leaned forward putting her hand on the glass and said, "Oh dean...' She started tearing up again, but fought it down. "This is going to be real weird but we need the feedback. Take your right hand and bring it between your legs and feel, be very careful we don't want you injuring yourself," she was watching me intently while technicians in the background scurried about. I brought my hand down as I spread my legs slightly and encountered just a bare patch of skin, no wait down a little further I felt an indentation, uh oh, my middle finger slipped in between my labia and encountered a tube coming out of my cunt, my catheter. My hand jerked back and ran into my clit. Nuclear powered electric sparks danced through my brain. Wow! My back arched all by itself and I wriggled around in the tank. "Dean, I am so happy. You are going to be one hot little lady!" she was clapping and jumping up and down. I'm sure I was blushing she told me, "Dean dear, don't be embarrassed, I told you to do it, and my staff is all ladies, so believe me they understand." "OKAY I'm going to increase your medication for a while, you need your sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow when you can finally get out of there," she promised. Sometime during the night, I came groggily awake by the sounds of someone moving around outside of the tank. It was Sophie, she was muttering to herself and twisting dials, "Turn Diane against me will he, we'll see how you like packing these around." That's all I remember, I fell asleep right away. "Oh my God!" I heard sharply through the tank speakers, which brought me almost immediately awake. "Honey, what happened?" Diane asked, as if I could I could answer. She ran about the room frantically checking her instruments. When she came back to the tank she spoke, "Was someone in here last night?" Thumbs go up. "Did she have red hair?" Thumbs go up. "She will pay for this, I promise, but for now there is nothing I can do the process is complete and it will be quite some time before we could put you back in the tank and change anything. They're really not that bad sweetheart, to be truthful I've always liked them on the large side," she rambled. Tanks For The Mammaries I had no idea what she was talking about and I guess she finally caught on because she told me, "Dean take your left hand and bring it up to your chest." I started bringing my hand up but I didn't get anywhere nearly as far as I did the day before, before I ended up with a handful of nipple. No I didn't mean boob I meant nipple. They had to be at least 5 inches across. I know my eyes must have rolled up into the back of my head and I think I started convulsing. "Dean, Dean! Can you hear me? Are you all aright? I couldn't respond. My whole body locked, in the grip of ecstasy. Diane swung around and started examining gauges when she turned back I was finally beginning to able to interact with the universe again she said, "Thank God, I was really worried! So how did you like your first orgasm as a woman?" I'm sure I had a massively stupid grin on my face judging by her expression when I gave her Thumbs go up. She was grinning from ear to ear I think this was the happiest I had seen her in two years, "It's time I think that you were born again." "I'm going to go through some of what you can expect so you won't be freaked out by it. I'll be releasing the lock door, just ride the fluid out of the tank I'll be waiting when you exit with one or two of my other colleagues, Not Sophie. Try to relax and let us do all the work. We will be turning you so that you can empty the fluid from your lungs. It will feel really strange and it might be a little difficult to breath at first. Once we feel there is enough fluid out of your lungs, we will place an oxygen mask on you to make it easier for you to breath, until your new little lungs get accustomed to breathing air again. The nurses will be very gently, and I mean VERY GENTLY," she gave a warning glance toward the nurses, "cleaning your lovely body from head to toe while, I and a colleague remove the tubes and wires from your body, I promise it won't hurt," she looked toward the colleague, "we will be using a lidocaine suspended in Dimethyl Sulfoxide in an aerosol can to deaden the area prior to removing them." "The DMSO is used to transport the lidocaine to the deeper tissues to help insure there is no pain." "Once you are cleaned up and bandaged, you will ride a gurney to your room. Your around the clock, nurses will be at your beck and call. If you want anything, anything at all, you mention it to a nurse and if you don't have it in 20 minutes, I promise the guilty party will crawl into your room and kiss your ass while she begs forgiveness!" "You can expect your first ass kissing within the day when I think you are up to it. Sophie should be awake and able to do it by then, after she receives her new implants!" there was a very determined look on Diane's face, and I could see the a frightened looks on all the faces on the other side of the glass, both of these thing told me what she said would happen without fail. "Are you ready now, darling?" she queried me. Thumbs go up. "Here we go!" and she flipped a switch. I was splooshed head first through a short tunnel, dragging all my tubes with me, and came to rest after crossing a grating, on to a very soft blanket. There was Diane and a crew of lovely ladies, quite gently holding my head as I coughed, what to me seemed like gallons of fluid from my lungs. There must have been at least 5 ladies cradling me in their arms. How damn small was I? One of them started crooning and rocking and after only a second, it seemed they were all doing it. Some of the ladies were dabbing at my skin gently to clean me, while Diane and her colleague would squirt some liquid onto each area I had tubes coming out of me. It felt so good I couldn't believe it! "OKAY Dean, now I am going to remove your catheter and anal tubing, try not too tense up. I'm deadening your vulva now," she explained. I felt something cool and wet down there, then a weird loss of sensation, "Now honey I'm slowly spreading your labia, tell me if you feel anything, you know thumbs up or down. Here I go..." All I could feel was the gentle swaying motion of the nurses. "Good, good, you might feel the medicine deadening your inner lips now," Diane continued. To tell the truth I didn't feel a thing just warm and cuddly. "I'm pulling out your urinary catheter now, tell me if you feel anything," she was determined to make certain this was a pleasant experience. Somewhere a little girl was cooing in a high voice, wow did she sound content. Wait, the cooing was coming from me! One of my nurses giggled. Good thing it made me smile, or she might have been in big trouble! "All done with that one sweetheart. One more to go and we'll get you into a comfy nightie and take you to bed." In unison the nurses upended me slightly, "A little cool wetness here. Woops, nurse hand me one of those soft towels. I think you are enjoying this honey, aren't you?" as she took the towel and dried my juices off my butt, "OKAY now the cool fluid." My butt went numb, "For this I'm giving you two shots because it's so deep and you're so stretched around it." I didn't feel any thing but the rocking. "Puling it out now..." "All done! Now you ladies remember his new skin is super sensitive right now. A scratch will feel like a knife wound. One shriek from him and its curtains for you!" she threatened. All those soft tender hands collectively maneuvered me into a downy soft silk nightgown. I was still pretty stoned, but when one nursed hand accidentally brushed softly against my right breast, it brought on another massive orgasm. My back arched everything locked up and my nurses and nightie were drenched in pussy juice! All the nurses froze terrified Diane would think I had been hurt. She just bent over to my face and kissed my lips, this made me orgasm again. "See how sensitive ladies, now you know why I stressed gentleness," she said grinning, "I think he liked it though. That and now we have to get a clean nightie and more towels to clean him up." My nurses started breathing again. One of them cut off the nightie and threw it away, while another ran to get the nightie and towels. While they waited the nurses began crooning and rocking me again. One of my nurses whispered to another, "My God, she's adorable." About this time, the towels arrived and I was dabbed clean and very carefully dressed in another silk Nightgown. This one had pretty pastel pink and had blue flowers all over it. I was placed on the gurney so gently it hardly registered I had been set down. "Time for your ride Dean," Diane said, and I promptly felt the gurney moving ever so slowly. I don't think we could have gone more than 100 ft when Diane announced, "Here we are darling, I know I promised you a private room, but if it's all right with you, I had my bed moved in here so we could spend more time together, and I can personally make sure you are being cared for properly. So thumbs up or thumbs down?" I have to admit so far, other than my transformation, she had taken damn good care of me so far. I knew I had never stopped loving her, even during my executed. I was a little pissed when I learned she was still alive, but I was getting over it. All these thoughts flashed through my head in a mere moment. For all intents and purposes I replied instantly with a Thumbs go up. She was so relieved she forgot herself, much to the dismay of my nurses, and said, "Oh, thank you sweetheart," and gently kissed my lips You guessed it! I orgasmed and soaked the nurses, the gurney, my wife, and myself. She blushed and said, "Oops. Oh, what the hell!" and kissed me again, and the tidal wave struck again. Most of the nurses looked annoyed, but the one who had giggled before, giggled again, and I smiled again. Diane motioned the group out of my hearing range, then pointed at her and said, "You," all the color drained from her face, leaving it nearly the same blonde color as her hair, so certain was she that her life as she knew it was over. "What's your name?" she asked. "Sally," was the nearly inaudible reply. "It seems my husband likes your giggle, you are now assigned to him 24/7!" Diane said smiling, having known all the time the young nurse was ready to wet herself. "Oh, and as of now, consider your GS rating bumped two levels." One of the other nurses had to reach out and steady her because she appeared ready to faint. Diane continued, "You," pointing to one of the other nurses, "What's your name?" "Millie," replied a mid-thirtyish red headed nurse looking like she had to pick the lady or the tiger. Diane asked her, "You are the one who started rocking and crooning to my husband first, are you not?" "Yes, ma'am." "Same deal as the other nurse," said Diane, " and the rest of you have done an exemplary job as well. Consider yourselves on Port and Starboard shifts and care nurses for him, upgraded one GS rating. Just be certain to remember my instructions, as well as my threat! Anyone have a problem with this, speak up now and you can return to your normal duties, with my thanks?" There wasn't so much as a throat cleared. "Great! Now there are a couple of things upon which I'm going to insist. My husband shall be referred to as, he, him, his, Mr., and your husband. At all times, until either he, or I inform you otherwise, and rest assured I will not tell you until he tells me. Now on to a more delicate subject, normally and technically I am not allowed to ask this question if anyone is offended I'll apologize now and those easily offended may again, leave now," she instructed. Again, there were no takers. "I am pleased. I will state the question in a moment but before I do, what we say between us next, remains with us. The people standing right here, right now, if I hear word of anyone breaking this trust, what happens to Sophie, you would beg for, believe me. I want all truthful statements, so I want everyone to feel that whatever is said is beyond any crypto-clearance you have ever heard of, agreed? Last chance to bail out!" Diane offered. Only silence ensued. Diane continued on, "Are any of you lesbians, Bi-sexual, or open to new experiences? Your answers will not effect your status, but I really need help with him that goes above and beyond the call of duty." All but two of the nurses admitted to their willingness to provide any needed services, which might or might not, find themselves asked to perform. Diane breathed a sigh of relief, "Since you have all been honest with me, I feel obliged to be honest with you. I am, and have been a lesbian, virtually all my life, excepting for my all too brief marriage to that wonderful man sleeping there. Now you can see why it is so important to me he receives nothing but the best of care. I love him so much I ignored my sexual orientation." Her voice started to tremble and she started tearing up, "And now I owe him more than I can ever repay. Because of me he was arrested for, he was tried and convicted of, and executed for, my murder. I took away his life, his family, his friends, and his manhood. I don't know if he will accept me any longer. If he retains his normal sexual orientation after what I have done to him, I intend to see that, at least during his convalescence, he receives enough sex to satisfy his increased libido. Even if he does accept me, if he expresses a desire and you are interested, consider my permission given, I am not a jealous woman and I will accept any part of his love he is willing to grant me. I realize this all might sound like it is contradictory, I mean a lesbian in love with a man, so much so she destroys him? I swear everything I have told you is the truth, and if I could swap my life, to return his, I would do so in an eye blink!" By the end of her story there wasn't any of them not crying and even one of the devout heterosexuals volunteered to try womanly sex, if she had the opportunity. I learned all of this later of course. I had a tough morning being born and all! When I woke up the redhead was humming a lullaby and rubbing my tummy. I felt so warm and content, as I can't remember when! She saw my eyes open and said, "I see you are awake Dean, are you feeling well? Just nod or shake your head. There is plenty of time to work on speaking later." I nodded a bit confused. Now I had spent my share of time in hospitals, and no nurse I ever had or heard of treated patients this good! She hadn't even quit rubbing my tummy, not that I wanted her to, it just made me feel wonderful. "My name is Millie. Diane has made me one of your two primary care nurses. Your other nurse's name is Sally. There are four more nurses, full time dedicated to just you. All you need do is make any desire of yours known, to any of us and our instructions are to fulfill it immediately, if it is within our power to do so. Anything beyond our power to grant, we refer to Diane, and if it is humanly possible, I believe she will make it happen. I have only known her a short time now but I would not put past her making a few things not humanly possible, happen as well." I had not noticed but she had pressed a call button and virtually soundlessly four other nurses appeared by my bedside. Millie spoke again, "This is Sally," pointing to the cute young blonde with the giggle. "We differ from the other nurses, only in that we live here 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So if you want either of us for any reason, and I do mean any reason, we have pledged to Diane to provide that service for you, even including sex." By this time, I heard someone running down the hallway. As I looked over Diane ran into the room. Millie looked down at me and whispered, "She instructed me to inform her the second you were awake, so she could be here." Diane was still breathing too hard to speak but she came over and kneeled by my bed gently taking my hand and holding the back of it to her face. The nurses, with the exceptions of Sally and Millie, all quietly evaporated from the room. Diane caught her breath, "Dean, please forgive me!" "It's OKAY Diane," one of the 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' 'Chippettes' said. At least the voice I heard sounded like a 'Chippette'. However, I feel certain my lips had moved. Diane leapt up and went to put her arms around my neck and both, Sally and Millie stopped her. Both of them intoning, "Stop!" Diane realized what she had almost done and quickly straightened up saying, "Thank you ladies." "And thank you Dean. I really wanted to hug you, but your guardian angels were right to stop me. Your body is so sensitive right now, I could have either hurt you, or sent you into an orgasm. You probably remember a few of those already," she grinned sheepishly. "Oh yes, it was wonderful!" I wasn't sure I'd ever get used to this voice, I bet it could shatter glass it was so high! At least it brought a smile to her face. "We have a lot of work to do still, but for the rest of today we still have to keep your activity limited. By later today, the sensitivity of your skin will begin to diminish to near normal levels. I say near normal because you will always be more sensitive than most women will. So we have to keep your physical activity limited for now." She turned to the nurses, "Ladies I have to give him an examination at this time. Millie, please call the others back to help us." With that, even though I didn't see it, I knew Millie had pressed the buzzer that summoned the other nurses. When they arrived the railings were dropped and one of the nurses pulled out a pair of scissors and cut my night gown from the neck hole to the bottom and up each sleeve splaying it open leaving me, that is to say the new me, Buck naked on the bed. I must have been blushing because Diane said, "It's OKAY Dean everybody here is a professional and has already seen you naked many times. Of course there is nothing wrong with blushing so go ahead just know, I have only people around you now, who all love you." "OKAY Diane," the chipmunk said. "First I want to measure how tall you are." Four pairs of hand held the tape measure close to, but not touching my body. "Forty six inches," Diane said, "Ladies we need to lift him now." The ladies touched me ever so gently, only in non-erogenous areas. That is, anyone but the new me. My little heart was racing. With all of those soft hands holding me, I couldn't help but coo. They all paused at once, to allow me to calm down a little. They next lifted me up and Diane wound the tape measure around my waist stating, "twenty eight inch hips, twelve inch waist, twenty five inch chest, and fifty inch bust. Lets see that makes you a 30 M Bra Size, and you wear about a size 14 in girls sizes for the bottom half. We have to probably go with a woman's medium for your blouses." "That's all for now sweetie," and Diane had them set me down incredibly carefully. "I have to go and do some things right now, and since your angels will have to dress you again anyway..." she leaned over and kissed my lips. I came like a force-five twister, drenching everybody. Before Diane left, she looked over to my nurses and said, "Expect to have company at about 6:00," and with that, she left. "OKAY sir, it's time to clean you up, but before we do that I need to know if you need to attend to your bladder?" asked Millie. I hadn't had this body very long. I have hardly moved it at all. So I took stock and there was some pressure in my lower abdomen, not exactly the same feeling, I am used to, so I said, "I think so." Sally told me, "I'm going to bring the head of the bed up, so you are almost sitting up, tell us to stop if it is uncomfortable, don't try and be tough, you're so sensitive it could become unbearable in a mere moment. Can you do that?" "Sure," I nodded, but I thought, 'damn what am I blown glass?' I heard the motor whine while four pairs of eyes watched for any sign from me. I didn't feel anything until I reached enough inclination and my giant boobs gently swung together in my lap! Wow that felt good, I didn't quite orgasm but it was close! I must have looked goofy because I heard one of those infectious giggles come from Sally, it reminded me of the hooker on 'Crocodile Dundee' I would never tell her that though. Everything stopped until I caught my breath. Sally went on with her near 'Chippette' voice (another reason to like Sally), "Now we are going to lift you up, just enough to place the bedpan under your tush, ready?" I nodded, which might have been a mistake. My gelatinous mounds began quivering and sending wonderful electric bolts of pleasure through my brain. Millie said, "Maybe you should try talking, just a little more for now, nodding your head could have us changing sheets all day!" Both Sally and I giggled at that. Then I felt all three pair of hands seek the least erogenous area they knew of, and began slowly raising me up. The instant my butt cleared the bed pan the one nurse not holding me slid it under, and down I went onto it. I gasped sharply, and even cried out a little, while the ladies hovered me above the frigid pan. They were looking back and forth between each other afraid they were toast, and trying to think of how to solve the cold bedpan problem. Sally came up with it first, "Dean, so sorry. I have a change in plan though. The bedpan is right beneath you, as I'm sure you are aware. Do you think you will be able to pee, while we hold you?" I had stopped shivering by then so I said, "It's OK. I can't believe just a chilly bedpan could shock me like that!" I went on, "I suppose I can try, but I have to warn you, when I was a man there would be no way I could do it." Millie reassured me, "Just relax, and pretend you are floating and we are not here." She took one of her hands and gently rubbed my tummy again. Wouldn't you know it, some other girl started peeing because I heard the steady stream, just like when my wife peed? Oh my God, the girl was me! I could feel the pressure reduce, and finally went away all together, and the sound of the stream stopped with it. Tanks For The Mammaries "All done? I wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement of fact I saw the bedpan scooted out and felt a soft cotton diaper dab at my pussy, "There, that wasn't too bad, was it?" "It sure was different," I said. They set me down and Sally told me she was lowering the bed. They brought me down to a less inclined position. I saw two nurses scurry out of my room, only to come back, with a tub of tepid water, a new silk nightgown, and more diapers pushed in on a clean gurney. "Bath time," said mother Millie. Up I went again. All the nurses but Millie had hold of me while, Mother Millie cleaned me up with her oh so gentle touch. "That's taken care of. Into your nightie you go!" and she slipped it over me. They placed me on the gurney while my pit crew stripped and re-made my bed. I was marveling at the teamwork, but I didn't get to marvel long, for in moments I was floating back into my bed. Sally snatched a comforter (I was kind of shocked, never seen a comforter in a hospital) and snuggled it around me. She asked, "would you like to watch television while we bring you some breakfast?" "No, I don't think so, is there music available?" "You bet! Diane picked out some she knows you like, just to have ready if you wanted, anything in particular you want to hear?" Sally asked. "If Diane picked it out I'm sure any of it will be fine," we had pretty much the same taste in music. (We both required it to have more than 4 notes repeating!) She went over to a panel and started a MP3 storage recorder on random play. About then I realized, Mother Millie was still rubbing my tummy. I got the feeling she really cared about me, and what I was going through. With that thought, I started tearing up and she asked me what was wrong. "Everyone is being so nice to me! I really want to thank them all," I blubbered. "There, there, they all heard you just now and I'm sure they appreciate it, you just relax now, you're not used to all this estrogen yet," wow there's a scary thought! I don't know if my nurses were telepathic or what, but via some undiscovered means Millie had communicated her desire to get me a mild sedative, because one of the other nurses appeared by magic with it. Mother Millie said, "This is a mild sedative, it won't knock you out, but it should help to take the edge off for a while. Now open your mouth and lift up your tongue..." Sally squealed, "That is just adorable." She was so kooky that I had to smile, although I saw Millie give her a reproachful glance as she used an eyedropper to place two drops of medicine under my tongue. She tried to hide the label from me but I could see in bold letters 'children's formula' on the bottle. After I swallowed, it occurred to me that I had no idea what I looked like anymore. So I asked Mother Millie, "I have not seen what I look like yet. Could I get some kind of mirror?" Millie looked as if she was going to panic. As if I had said the one thing, she dreaded most to hear. Sally it seamed had thought ahead and said, "Diane has requested to be here when you see yourself for the first time, we will get you the mirror if you can't wait, but I thought you should be made aware, it seems like a big thing for her." "I can wait," I told her watching Millie's heart start beating again. "Please tell me if I ask for something again, that Diane wanted to be here for, or has told you she would rather I wait, I don't want anybody to have to walk on egg shells around me. I like you all too much for that." (I can hardly believe how sappy I sound, especially with that cutesy voice of mine.) Sally assured me they would tell me, and thanked me. Breakfast arrived. It consisted of a small bowl of oatmeal, about two tablespoons, with brown sugar on, and a small glass of luke-warm milk. I stared at it. Millie understood right away, "I know you didn't like milk, but that was your old body. Diane told us you were allergic, but that, it is no longer the case. Could you pretty please try it for me?" She was so nice to me, and as much as I hated the stuff, for her I resolved to give it a shot, hell Diane may have made it so this body liked it for all I knew. I picked up the white stuff, looked at it like 'now don't you bite me', placed the glass to my tiny lips and allow just a tiny bit in. My face must have lit up pretty good because two special nurses seem like proud mamas. It actually tasted good to me now, who'd a thunk it? I allowed myself to take a bigger gulp. I looked over to the dollop of oatmeal and figured they were going to starve me to death. I dug in eating my oatmeal and drinking my milk. I downed about half the oatmeal and two thirds of the milk and had to stop. I was stuffed! Sally came and gathered up my dishes saying, "Ooh, you ate a lot you must have been hungry!" I was watching her face very carefully, and unless she was one hell of an actress, she wasn't being facetious. Just how small am I? I thought back to when Diane had measured me and made some quick calculations in my head. Since I hadn't been around little girls much, the measurements had not meant much at the time, but to my figuring... Oh God! I'm tiny! I tried not to let the realization show, but this was quite a shock! Sally saw me first and stooped to my eye level saying, "Dean you're white as a sheet, is something wrong?" Not having been successful disguising my shock I 'fessed up', "I just realized I'm really tiny aren't I?" My nurses locked eyes with each other. Millie seemed to have come to a decision, "Yes," she said, "but you're not a little girl and we won't treat you like one! Will we Sally?" Sally's eyes were silver dollar sized, "No we won't! Unless of course you want us to, and in that case it would be just pretend!" Millie looked a little miffed but satisfied. "Well maybe we can pretend together later. For now, I'd rather not, okay?" Sally and Millie chorused, "Okay." Sally looked like she was going to jump up and down and clap since I had left the door open to play 'little girl' with her. It looks like I've got angels, a mother, and a cheerleader. I yawned. I was warm, full, and loved. Good thing my skin was so sensitive or I'll bet someone about this time would have picked me up and burped me. As it was, with mother Millie rubbing my tummy again, I dozed off. About noontime, Sally's voice roused me, "Wake up sleepy head, lunch time." If she wasn't so blasted cute I'd have shot her. I was just in the middle of a dream about a beautiful buxom blonde having sex with me when she woke me up! "But before you eat we have a couple little tests, alright?" she asked cheerily. I nodded my acquiescence. "First I need you to reach out and grab my finger and squeeze, can you do that?" I grabbed hold of her little index finger. My hand barely reaching the length of it, and squeezed as hard as I could. "Oh that's nice," she said. Shit, it seems I'm as weak as a kitten too! "As much as I like holding hands with you, you can let go now. Raise your left arm up, as if you have a question for the teacher, please. Tell me how this feels" She took her finger and stroked the outside of my forearm. "Ooh, good it's nice," I answered. "How about this," she asked stroking the inside of my arm. "Way good," I answered with my heart beating fast and me panting slightly. "Wonderful, your over sensitivity is only about two and a half times normal, that's quite an improvement! After lunch we might just be able to take a walk all the way to the bathroom!" "Ooh, I can hardly wait," I said, making Millie snicker. Sally looked hurt so I had to say, "Just joking Sally, being able to stand and walk for the first time is kind of exciting, but it's scary too." She brightened up right away, "You have nothing to be scared of with all of us helping." "I think all of my angels were going to be introduced this morning, but Diane got here too quick. The next time a new face comes in, can I get a name to go with it?" these ladies had all done so much I wanted to at least to be able to call them by name. Millie told me, "The sandy blonde this morning was Cindy, the Auburn haired nurse is Susan, and this afternoon you have two nurses you haven't seen since 'your birth'. They will be in here soon and they can introduce themselves, will that be all right?" "Sure that will make it easier to remember them." as I spoke a tall blonde walked in with lunch. Millie and Sally must be telepathic because when this nurse walked in, she brightly said, "Hello Dean, I'm Molly." Now I really had to know, "Are all of you ladies telepathic and will I be telepathic now that I'm one of you?" They all giggled at that, Millie and Sally exchanged 'looks'. Millie said, "We have a confession," she reached up and pulled a little device like a hearing aide from her ear showing it to me, "We are all wired to a microphone in your bed, so anything you want everyone on duty knows it immediately." "Wow. I have a new question. If Molly has come on shift, how come you and Sally are still here?" I know I'm a little dense some times but it wasn't sinking in yet. Millie elaborated, "Sally and I are living in the rooms on either side of yours, since we have accepted the responsibility for your care and happiness, when you are awake, we are awake and here with you. Unless you insist that we not be, then you can pick anybody to do the job you like better." "Mom would be so proud to know her son is a princess!" said I, hoping for laughs but all I got was confused silence. "Oh come on lighten up. It just seems to me the only other people who might get this kind of treatment would be royalty, and I no longer qualify for King or prince, and with this body all the Queens I ever met had different attachments!" The best they could do was, "Oh." Molly set my lunch on a tray in front of me, macaroni and cheese and a glass of cool milk (not cold). I thought they were trying to starve me again but soon discovered I couldn't finish even what I was given. "You ate well again," Sally, praised me. "Are you pulling my leg?" annoyed, I had to know. "What do you mean, dear?" asked Millie. "I've seen gerbils eat more than I can!" still gathering information. "Our experience has been that patients after a procedure such as this, don't usually eat anything for three or four days. As for the amount, remember you are smaller now than you were, so your stomach is really small, that and other things I'd rather Diane explained, they are a bit technical and she knows more about this than anyone in the world," explained, Millie, "Is that alright with you?" "How much do I weigh now?" again Millie, with the secretive glance. No answer seemed forthcoming, but this time I saw Millie press a button. I didn't say anything. I was sure of what was going to happen. Then I heard the, pad, pad, pad of someone jogging down the corridor. Diane's pretty face popped into my room, a bit flushed and out of breath. Before she could catch her breath and speak, I said, "I'm sorry Diane, I didn't mean for your work to be interrupted." "Oh no sweetheart, I wanted to be here about now anyway. The nurses had sent word you were about done with lunch a few minutes ago, I was just finishing up something when I got the 'Urgent' signal," Diane assured me. "Am I desensitized enough to get a hug?" was my requested. "If you are, or not, you can have one. The nurses might get mad at us if your not, but we can risk it!" she said. After taking down my bed rail, she very slowly leaned over me (It seemed like an Eclipse to me), gently wrapped her arms around me and we hugged. It was massively different than it used to be, her smaller breasts, squished against my giant boobs. I could feel her slower heart beat through my tits. It was warm and very nice, just different. I kissed her cheek. She kissed mine and I shuddered from head to toe. "Was it good for you too honey?" was what I whispered in her ear with my tiny voice. "Oh, I love you so much it hurts!" she whispered back. I squeezed her harder with my tiny arms and hands. We let each other go, when Diane was out of the way, I could see both nurses really close to both sides of my bed like they were ready to throw Diane off of me. That would have been gutsy of them taking in consideration she was the boss! When she stood, she glanced to Millie who said, "He wanted to know his weight." "I see," Diane looked down at me and continued, "I'm not sure how to go about this. Previous test subjects, told immediately, and not in the most pleasant way, there was a reason for that in their cases, that I'll tell you later, did not take it very well. You need to steel yourself for this. Sally, bring some of the sedative we used this morning. Now Dean we are not going to give the sedative to you, unless it looks like your too upset and not handling it well, understand?" I nodded. My brain raced around trying to think. What could be so shocking they need all of this rigmarole? When Sally returned Diane began, "Darling, you know that you are smaller right?" I nodded. "You are only about average height, for a seven year old girl." She paused staring at me, looking for signs I was going to freak out. "That makes you 4 feet tall. You weigh about 63 pounds, ten pounds of which is breast. I'm so sorry, this was as tall as I was allowed to make you." "Oh I am so shocked!" I said in as deadpan a voice, as my 'Chippette' vocal cords would let me. Diane started to dive in for a hug, and both nurses restrained her, "It's OKAY I was going to do it slow and gentle." Both ladies returned, "But he looked frightened at you quick movement," and released her. "Yes you were right. Thank you." Then to me, "Can I hug you slowly now, please?" "Sure," I said, "I was just startled a second, it's OK." We hugged. When we were finished I said, "Wow Millie, Sally, I can't believe you grabbed Diane to protect me, especially after some of the threats she's made!" The two nurses blushed. Diane explained, "They were doing their job, while you recover, they work exclusively for you. They are under orders to protect you from anything, including me, those orders, written, then signed, and properly notarized. I can make requests of them, and you, but I have no authority over them while you recover." "I guess I am a Princess!" joked I. This time both ladies grinned at my 'inside joke'. Diane gave them a quizzical look. They both gave her a real innocent look back. "So you're OKAY with being so little?" she didn't sound convinced. "You can talk you're only 5' 1" tall!" I told her. "OKAY then, we need to take you for your first walk," Diane announced. Millie was about to buzz for the other nurses, when they came in. Molly first then a mousy brown haired nurse followed, "Hi, I'm Kellie," she announced. "Hi Kellie, now I'm going to have to put my foot down, if I'm the boss, the nurses have to do what I say, right?" I queried Diane looked suspicious, "Yes." "Good in that case time out!" I called, "before we start anything new, I have a vital task for my angels!" Diane replied, "And what might that be?" I announce, "It's Pay Day! I owe them all hugs for taking such good care of me!" Diane smiled and shook her head, while all four nurses lined up for hugs. Millie went first. I gave her a little kiss on the cheek while we hugged and the same to each, in order. Out of my hearing range, Diane whispered to Millie, "Do you see what I mean about him?" Millie replied, "Oh God yes!" My hugging duties over, they dropped the rails and held my hands while I tried to stand, I made it to my feet, but it seemed like I wanted to stand on tip toes like a ballerina. I could get my feet flat on the floor they seemed to gravitate to a toe down position. I took baby steps all the way to the bathroom, but by the time I reached the door, I was walking all by myself. "I barely overheard Diane telling Sally about obtaining some special orthopedic shoes. Once at the bathroom Diane insisted on going in with me. She said, "I hear you want to see what you look like right?" "Yes I do, but the mirror in here is too high, I can't see myself!" I complained. "Easy problem to fix! Stand still and relax," she leaned over and pulled me against her breasts, and then she lifted me onto the sink counter top. Diane kept a firm hold on my tiny waist while I inspected the 'new me'. I was as pretty as I could possibly be, given my stature. What a sight! Sure little girls can be pretty, but you have never seen a 7 year old with 30 M Breasts and a twelve inch waist! Diane looked like a little girl playing dress up with her real live Stripper dolly! I was turning myself on terribly. So much my nightgown was getting wet spots front and back! I felt Diane grab hold of me gently lifting me off the counter and set me on the floor. While she had a hold of me she whispered, "I know. I've had to wear a pad for the last two days or everyone would know how much you are turning me on!" "Now I need you to try and urinate. I won't watch if you don't want me to," she assured me. "Well I didn't have any trouble this morning with four ladies watching while they held me in mid air!" I bragged. The seat was down, so Diane showed me how to pull the nightie up and hold it that way while I tinkled. It was much better peeing in the toilet than the bedpan. Diane wadded up some toilet tissue and said, "Important lesson time, when wiping the urine off of your vulva always wipe front to back and never re-wipe. If you do it this way it drastically reduces the chances that you will get a yeast infection." I did as instructed. It felt extremely weird, where I was used to having balls and Dick, were hairless smooth pink pussy lips. When I finished wiping, I just sat there and stared. "Different than you are used to, huh?" Diane broke my contemplation. "Well I'm sort of used to it, but just on you," I answered. "You always did like to stare at my pussy, almost as much as I liked you to," she said with a devilish grin. I crooked and wiggled my finger to get her to bring her face closer, and then I leaned back, spreading my legs saying, "So how do you like mine?" "You little vixen," she said, but took a good look anyway, "I'd say, I outdid myself, what do you think?" "I haven't decided, hell I still need to take it for a test drive, you know kick the tires, see how it corners?" "Oh God please stop," Diane said bringing her hand to the front of her dress at crotch level, "you've got me hotter than molten lava!" as she lightly rubbed her crotch through the dress. "OKAY I'll change the subject. Why do I seem to want to walk on my tip-toes?" I queried. "Hmmm, well since you are so short I gave you legs that will walk in high heels without getting tired and sore," was her explanation. "Have you got any high heeled slippers?" I asked. "Great Idea sweetheart! I'll get you a pair, post haste! Are you up to a return trip?" she asked as her hand extended to steady me as I stood up. Once vertical I looked down to get a glimpse of my cunt, but two giant boobies blocked my view. To be able to see it, I reached up and spread my jugs, ah, there it is, my skinny legs attached to relatively wide hips left a wide triangular area of space between my legs, and my knees were touching! Diane commented, "Now I'll have to change my panties and dress. You made me so hot I just overflowed my maxi-pad! So come on we must get you to bed before I can't control myself any longer and just sit here masturbating!" "Go ahead I can wait. I'll just sit here and drool," I teased. "OKAY smarty pants I will," that got me so hot my knees gave out and I sat back down feeling my juices running down my legs.