Chapter 21

"Things are moving awfully fast," John told the Core Group to begin their meeting. "We all need updates on our various achievements so we can best coordinate our efforts. Who wants to be first?" He looked significantly at Andy.

"I can take a hint," Andy chuckled. "John's new slave market is doing a tremendous service for the community. A number of people have been matched up already. I don't think you'll be very surprised to learn that a number of sponsor husbands have let me know that they won't be taking their current wives, but don't want to start a war at home by telling her. Likewise, a number of wives whose husbands aren't going to be able to volunteer want to make commitments to become concubines, also without having to tell their husbands. Father Murray and I are doing our best to make suggestions for favorable matchups."

"Would it help," asked Michael, "if the AI aided you in your efforts?"

"I guess I can't imagine how that would work," admitted Andy.

"Maybe it would work like this," answered Michael. "Say you have a laptop connected to the database. Say Mrs. Jones wants you to help her find a family. You call up her record in the database and ask the AI for suggestions. It returns several names. You use your judgment and the AI's suggestions to mention some or all of the names to Mrs. Jones. Or, you contact the people listed and suggest they contact Mrs. Jones."

Andy at first brightened and then immediately turned pensive. "I'd hate to have that information fall into the wrong hands," he said.

"Child's play," Michael smiled. "I'll give you and Father Murray each Bluetooth headsets. The AI can tell you verbally, and make notes in a file not accessible at the bakery. You can review that file elsewhere to refresh your memory. The AI never forgets."

"Child's play, if you're a child," smirked Sarah. "Can you still do that? You're not a child any more, you know." Everyone chuckled.

"No problem," Michael assured them. "I'll set it up tomorrow evening."

"Speaking of the AI," Bob said, changing the subject, "the CAP re-tests are going well, if slowly. We've only been able to do about a hundred since we started last week. We have a lot more who still have to do the first re-test. None of the adult Program participants have been re-tested yet. I think we need more testing stations." There was general agreement around the table.

"CAP scores are generally a bit higher than before," Bob continued. "Only a few have broken though the magic 6.5 barrier. We're trying to keep the kids optimistic and motivated. Poor Michael here jumped two tenths of a point and now is burdened with the task of adding two more concubines to his harem." Everyone got a good-natured laugh from that.

Michael blushed but smiled. "That's nothing compared to your own improvement," he chuckled. "You've gone from out of the running to five concubines." The group actually applauded Bob's achievement, to his great embarrassment.

"Onward and upward," Jim changed the subject again. "The town council has approved the documents that will cancel the charter and distribute the remaining assets. The treasurer and I are working on some formulas that can be used when the amount of money and the number of remaining people are known. We're thinking that a fixed amount in lieu of a pension makes the math easier. The treasurer is already working to liquidate the liabilities and accumulate cash. We'll be ready in a couple of weeks." That met with much approval all around the room.

"I'm next, I guess," said Dave. "The paintball exercises begin tomorrow. The kids have done an outstanding job of organizing and managing the program. I observed a demonstration today. There is a lot to it and great opportunity to demonstrate both leadership and obedience. I don't know how much ammunition we have, but many repetitions will be needed." The discussion devolved into whether more paintball ammo was warranted, how the Elks were responding, and much more.

Amy changed the subject again. "The original parts of the Program are doing very well. Handmade shirts are showing up on many of the teams, each with seemingly different color patterns. Kids are moving from one station to another doing somersaults. Some are even able to do handstands. Matt is quite pleased with the judo progress. He has them sparring most of the time now. Matt's wife Junko has been able to help proctor more and more often lately. She's focused mainly on advanced training with the pugil sticks."

"The academic side is doing just as well," added Jean. "The four teachers are very pleased with not only the work itself but with the way the students are working together to teach themselves and their classmates."

Ellen said, "You may have heard of the excitement with Margaret Honig yesterday. Both Margaret and Abner went through the med tube and came out fifteen years younger and in perfect health. I used the excuse of wanting to check up on them to visit the skeet shooting on their farm. I didn't get to see Abner and Margaret, though. You could hear their cries of passion all the way out in the driveway." That brought hearty laughter to everyone, including Ellen.

"The shooting itself is going very well," Ellen continued. "I checked in at Bill's indoor shooting range as well. Both the skeet range and the indoor range are fully staffed with volunteers. They seem to rotate through so they can keep up the rest of their lives. I was deeply impressed with their commitment."

"I'm last, I see," blushed Sarah. "The cherry-popping problem we discussed earlier seems to be sorting itself out. It is widely known that there are discreet solutions to the problem, and most of the stories I've heard are of unforgettable, wonderful experiences."

"It sounds like everything is well in hand," John summarized. "We'll get more CAP testing centers if we can. I'll begin work on that tomorrow."

"I'll check with Brian Quincy, the Confederacy representative," Bob said. "He's already aware of the issue. He may be able to help."

"Don't you think we should invite Brian to join our group?" asked Sarah. They discussed that and agreed it would be a good idea. That led them to discuss whether it was necessary to begin drills to assemble evacuees. Considering the close cooperation from the Confederacy and the fact that many families had yet to be arranged, the idea of drills was tabled. After discussing a few other points, they wound up their meeting.

"I know it's late," lamented Amy as she and Jean walked home, "but you and I should go see Stephanie Kent's dad." Jean nodded agreement and headed for the Kent home.

When Ben Kent answered the knock on his door, Jean said, "Ben, we're sorry to call on you so late, but we'd like to talk to you for a few minutes. May we come in?"

"It isn't so late," Ben smiled. "It's only 9:30 or so. Please, come in." They made their way to the living room. None of the children could be seen or heard. "Sit down, please," Ben said. "May I offer you a beverage?"

"No, thank you very much," answered Jean as she found a place on the sofa. Amy sat on the other end of the sofa. Ben returned to what appeared to be his favorite chair.

Jean gathered herself and began. "Ben, we're concerned about your children. We do not want to interfere with any plans or commitments you may have already made for the extraction. If you haven't made any commitments, I want to volunteer."

Ben was silent for a moment. "That's very kind of you, Jean. I haven't made any plans yet. Some part of my brain thinks that if I deny long enough, I won't really lose my children. I'm sure you and Mike will make a good home for my three kids."

"This slow-motion extraction has been very hard on a lot of people," Jean said sadly. "An instant extraction doesn't give the participants time to consider until it's too late. Stephanie is legally an adult, and must make her own decision. She insists that it is you who will decide."

"Jean," Ben said, "I'm not a very good mother for the kids. I do my best to be both mom and dad for them, but the dad part dominates. I've never been very good about the give and take that I think goes on between mothers and daughters. My own dad was strict with us, and my mother moderated and softened his strictness. As much as I try, my dad shines through in me, and not my mom. I wish I was able to make Stephanie shine with confidence, but I have failed."

"I think you shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Ben," replied Jean. "Stephanie is smart and talented. She has a bright future before her." Ben nodded in thanks.

"Let me tell you about the family Mike and I have assembled. Mike and I are both going to be volunteers, and we've decided to merge our families. Our Megan will come with us. You know Amy, I think?"

Ben smiled. "Amy, I know you to nod and say hello is about all. You're a teacher?" Amy nodded agreement.

"Amy was a teacher," Jean corrected, "until we began the CAP improvement program. Now Amy is my most trusted assistant. Amy is coming with us. Amy's sister, Angie, and Angie's two young children are coming as well. Heather Olsen, the school secretary is coming. We would like to take a young man who tried valiantly to improve his CAP score, but failed. We would also like to take one very young adult female, whom we would shelter and nurture to her full capacity. We think Stephanie should be that young woman."

"So, there would be six women and two men in the family," Amy summarized, "plus Angie's two and Heather's three children."

"Heather's oldest son is the same age as your Jacob," Jean added.

They fell silent. Jean and Amy saw that he was considering, contemplating. Presently, he mentally re-joined his guests. "I would be eternally grateful to you, Jean," he said softly, "if you would take my three children with you in the extraction. Every child deserves a mom and a dad. Mine have been without their mother for a long time."

Jean smiled and nodded. "Stephanie told us she would come with us if her sister and brother came with her. We will give them all the love they can handle and we will see them on their way to happy and successful adulthood."

Amy turned to Jean, somewhat embarrassed. "There is paperwork that needs to be attended to," she said quietly. "Both parents must agree to the guardianship."

Jean nodded sadly and turned to Ben. "Linda has been gone for a long time, Ben. Do you know where she is?"

Ben shook his head. "We haven't had any contact from her in over five years. She was a free spirit and she wanted to make her mark in the big city. I have no idea where she is."

Jean was thoughtful for a moment. "I'll take this up with the Confederacy and with Jim Beatty. One way or another, we'll get this resolved right away. I presume you would prefer the children be with you until the extraction?"

Ben was flooded with relief. "I would like that very much. I was terribly afraid you would insist on taking them right away."

"This is hard enough," Jean smiled. "They're in good hands with you, I'm sure.

"I did have a thought, though," Jean continued. "There are a few young female volunteers who need a male to be the dad for all of their children. Not the father, but the dad. Some of those girls won't risk taking a boy for fear he won't be up to the challenge. Would you consider starting all over again with a new family?"

If the word 'radiant' was ever applied to a man, then Ben was radiant. "I would love another chance to grow a family, to see my children grow and prosper."

"I make no promises," Jean said. "If you are selected, and you want your Lea and Jacob with you, then we can do that."

Ben was pensive for a time. "I thank you for whatever you can do for me, Jean," he said. "But Lea and Jacob might be better off with their sister and, more importantly, with a real mom and a dad who never had to try to also be a mom. I've done my best, but my best hasn't been good enough. For Lea and Jacob, the transition to me being just the dad might be rough. They don't need any more rough. If you'll have my three children, that's how I'd like to leave it, no matter my fate."

"No word from Dad?" Sarah asked when she arrived at home after the Core Group meeting.

"No, Sarah," Gabby answered. "He's never done this. I don't know whether he'll come back and act like everything's normal, or whether he's gone for good. I don't know what we'll do for money either."

Sarah saw that her mother was clouding up. She drew Gabby into a loving embrace, a mother-daughter embrace. Sarah knew that her mother's entire world would change forever. She hoped she was up to the task of managing her new family.

"That bed is awfully big for just one," Sarah whispered. "You aren't used to sleeping alone, and I'm not used to sleeping with someone else. Gabby, I'll try to make the changes in our lives as smooth and gentle as I can. How about tonight you and I just cuddle for a while and then go to sleep?" Gabby could only nod, still wrapped in Sarah's embrace.

Jean decided to take the Kent guardianship problem to Brian Quincy first. Jim Beatty had done his part earlier. The tough call would ultimately be for the Confederacy to make anyway.

Brian was chatting with Ellen and Bob in the CAP training center when Jean arrived. They were reviewing the population of Program participants awaiting re-test versus the number of CAP testing stations available. Brian was coming around to the same conclusion as the townies -- more stations were necessary, especially if the Confederacy wanted interim re-test results. Brian agreed to work for delivery of a second CAP test station.

When they had finished with that subject, Jean explained the problem with the Kent children and, especially, the absence of their mother. As the four began to discuss solutions, the AI interjected, "A reverse-DNA test of the father, Benjamin Kent, and Stephanie Kent revealed that the mother, Linda Kent, is a previously unidentified murder victim in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Police have been notified."

That took the wind out of their sails. They sat in silence, contemplating the implications of the news. "My initial reaction," said Ellen, "is that neither Ben nor the children will benefit from this information. Linda has been gone these many years. The family is being broken up as it is. Inflicting additional unnecessary pain doesn't seem warranted."

The rest reluctantly agreed. The guardianship issue was now well covered with the document that Jim Beatty had drafted. Brian, pointing out to the others that the AI couldn't lie and was poor at being diplomatic, instructed the AI not to reveal the information except in answer to a direct question. The AI acknowledged.

"Heather!" exclaimed Amy as she answered the door. "Come on in. Make yourselves at home." After a hug of greeting, Amy led the way toward the center of their home, the kitchen. Heather's three children trailed after her, shy in an unfamiliar environment. Heather accepted hugs from Mike, Jean and Megan.

Amy led introductions all around. "Heather, this is my sister, Angie. This is Ethan, who is four, and Ella over there is almost two." Angie and Heather greeted each other and hugged briefly.

Heather continued. "My Corey is eight, Faith is five and Lucas is three. Gender doesn't matter much to playmates this young. Corey can get into enough mischief by himself. I'm sure there will be neighborhood kids for Corey to play with."

Heather was served a glass of white wine. Mike, Heather and Amy chatted while the rest finished preparing dinner. When it was ready, six adults and five children crowded around the dining room table and began to eat.

"Heather," Jean said diffidently, "I hate to pry. Can you share how it went with Carl last night?"

"Carl understands," Heather replied. "Carl knew it was coming. He knew I would be going and that he probably wouldn't. It just came sooner than he expected. He'll be alright."

Amy asked, "Have you thought about a baby? Do you want Carl to be its father?"

"We talked about that," said Heather shyly. "I offered to take his baby with me to the stars. Carl thought about it for quite a while. He was grateful for my offer. He told me that he thought it would make his heart ache if he knew he had a child that he could never see.

"I *was* able to have him help make sure I was in practice for *making* babies," she blushed. "But I'm going to stay on the Pill, at least until after we're extracted," she smiled.

"You're staying?" Megan exclaimed. "You're moving in with us right away? Goody."

Heather blushed. "I've been invited to join your family in the extraction. I don't think I've been invited to move into this house with you."

"Well, of course you are," smiled Jean. "We've even brought a bed from Amy's house and put it in what was the den. It'd be three in the master bedroom -- in rotation, of course -- three in the queen bed in Megan's room, the three older children in Brandon's bed, with the one in the middle at the foot of the bed, and the two youngest in the den."

"The adults are going to be cozy, aren't they?" Heather observed.

"Three in the king sized master bed has been fine," Mike answered. "We haven't had three to put in Megan's bed yet. If that seems too crowded, we'll go get more furniture. Same situation with the children. If two on one end and one on the other doesn't seem to work, we'll do something else."

"I brought toothbrushes for tonight," Heather blushed, "and clothes for tomorrow. Beyond that, let's just play it by ear."

"We could use some more toys around here," Angie said. "I wasn't able to bring many, and my kids get kinda bored. Although that should change now that they have new playmates!"

Dinner was finished. Mike and Jean shooed the rest into the living room to begin to get to know each other better. They did dishes and cleaned the kitchen. When they finished, they joined the others in the living room. Heather's children were exploring a bit. All of the kids seemed to be getting on famously. Even the eight-year-old Corey was engaged with the rest.

Mike and Jean had to bring dining room chairs for themselves. They rejected offers of more comfortable seating and settled themselves in. "Stephanie Kent will be joining the baby production department at Stevens & Stevens when we are extracted," Jean announced. Megan and Amy were aware of this, but she wasn't sure whether Angie knew; Heather didn't.

Amy continued, "Stephanie's sister and brother will be coming with us as well. Lea is eleven, and Jacob is eight." That brought a cheer from Corey -- a boy his own age was just what he wanted. Everyone voiced approval.

"Now we only need to find and invite the young man for our family," said Mike. "I guess, by our own criteria, we won't be able to identify him until the very end."

Megan said, "Can you use that AI thing to help you narrow the list?"

Jean brightened. "Good idea, Megan. I'll ask it for help tomorrow."

"It's bath time," Angie announced. "We have five to shuttle through. Heather, do you want to split them by age, or by gender?"

"As you pointed out," Heather answered, "gender doesn't matter much to children that young. Let's split by age. Are we going to do two baths, or three?"

"Let's ask Corey," said Angie. "Corey, do you want a bath with Ethan and Faith, or by yourself?"

"By myself," Corey shyly replied.

"Let's do youngest first. When they're finished, we can get them in their jammies and put to bed. The two youngest on one end of the bed, Corey can go on the other. The little ones will be asleep before Corey climbs in."

Heather smiled. "That sounds like a great plan, Angie." The two mothers found pajamas while Megan brought out towels and began to run the bath water. The two youngest were herded into the bathroom, stripped and popped into the water. The bath toys were at least new to Lucas. A different playmate in the bath was fun for them both.

Angie sat on the floor in front of the bathtub. As soon as Ella began seriously splashing, Angie pulled off her top, exposing her bare chest. Seeing Heather's surprise, Angie motioned her to sit on the toilet. "Heather," she said, "we're all sharing the same man. We're all loving each other. There's no use trying to keep our escapades secret. Most of us are screamers, anyway. It's a little awkward the first time. Can you just go with the flow?"

Just then, a wadded up tee shirt flew into Angie's face and Megan began to laugh. Heather looked up and found Megan standing in the doorway, topless. "Some of us like clothing less than others," Megan giggled. "We were going to greet you nude, but Mom thought that wouldn't be a good start for us."

With a shrug, Heather pulled her top off and immediately followed by removing the rest of her clothes. "I pretty much got over being body shy working at the pool," she said. "It was kinda nice knowing all those hard dicks were because the boys were looking at me."

Megan and Angie were not to be outdone. They peppered each other with discarded clothing, laughing. The laughter was infectious and soon the kids in the tub were laughing as well.

Noticing Heather's full bush, Megan teased, "Angie will shave your puss smooth as a baby's butt any time you ask. She does a great job. See?" and she put her foot on the counter, fully exposing her hairless crotch.

"Carl kept asking me to do that," said Heather, "but I was chicken."

"It's a whole lot easier having someone do it for you," said Angie. "You can get yours right after the kids are abed." Her eyes twinkled and she smiled broadly.

"You're on," laughed Heather.

There being three baths in a row required for the five children, Heather and Angie got busy washing toddlers. Soon they were done. With Megan's help, they were wrapped in towels and marched into the bedroom, dressed in pajamas and popped into bed. Megan withdrew to draw a fresh bath for the next batch. Heather and Angie spent a few minutes getting the children on their way to sleep.

Second verse, same as the first. The now-nude mothers herded the next two into the bathroom, stripped off clothes and put them in the bath. A few minutes were allowed for play, then the kids were quickly washed and rinsed. Out of the tub into towels, they were marched into the den. Pajamas were put on and the kids were put feet-to-feet into the bed. Angie and Heather settled them down and started them on their way to falling asleep.

For the final verse, only Corey was in the bath. Angie decided to remain with Heather and Megan anyway. Megan made a show of laying out the equipment and supplies they would soon need to make Heather's pussy bald. Angie alerted Megan by telling Heather that the best place to do the deed was atop the kitchen table, where the light was good and the victim could be semi-comfortable. Corey didn't say anything about all the tits in the room but he got an eyeful. He had no idea what the grownups were talking about.

Once again, out of the bath and towel dry. This time, however, Heather dressed him in his pajamas while they remained in the bathroom, fearing that Corey's antics would awaken the sleepers. Heather collected Corey into her lap and talked to him about the sleeping arrangements while settling him for sleep. She led him to the bed, turned down his end of the bed, arranged his blanket after he was comfortable, and bid him goodnight. She cautioned him against doing anything that might wake Ella and Lucas.

The three women adjourned to the living room for a break before the haircut. They found refreshed glasses of wine for themselves. Amy, Mike and Jean had enjoyed their antics, if mainly by hearing. They were still dressed and made not the least mention of the girls' nudity. The six enjoyed a few minutes of idle chat.

Presently, Megan rose and announced that the beauty salon was now open for business. She collected the equipment from the bathroom while Angie and Heather headed for the kitchen. The table had been draped with several layers of towels and a pillow was on one end. Angie guided Heather into position and had her lie down with her head on the pillow.

Megan returned from the bathroom and had to weave her way through the crowded doorway. "The attire for the audience," she said, sing-song, "is the same as for the participants. The price of admission is... all your clothes. Pay up, or move along, folks." Angie cackled in glee.

For the trio, this was too good to pass up. Soon they too sported birthday suits. Heather didn't know what to think, except that she appreciated the physique of all three spectators. She was able to tear her eyes away from Mike's engorging cock before she embarrassed herself. Megan and Angie busied themselves in preparation for the big show. Megan drew a bowl of hot water. Angie brought the waste basket ready. Megan brought a chair for Angie's use. Move this, do that! Finally, it was time to begin.

At a signal from Angie, Megan approached and helped Angie arrange Heather's legs so the bottoms of both her feet were together, her knees splayed and her most secret place was wide open to view. Sensing Heather's discomfiture, Megan cooed calm and moved herself up close to Heather's face. Amy approached and stationed herself opposite Megan. Angie set to work with scissors.

"I'm so glad you've joined our family," Amy said softly and looking deeply into Heather's eyes. Heather couldn't keep her own eyes away from Angie's work for very long. She strained her head up, watching with rapt attention. Megan helped hold her up, trying to give her better support. She didn't miss the fact that her tits were almost in Heather's face.

When Angie was ready to lather up the area, Megan signaled Amy with her lips. Amy leaned over Heather's face and kissed Megan softly and sensually. They continued biting each other's lips. Megan reached over, cupped Amy's breast and began to caress her nipple.

Angie had been doing her part as well, pulling and pushing freely on body parts while she cut the hair short enough to shave off. Her touches became even more pronounced as she began to shave the area. Heather was beginning to lubricate in spite of her discomfiture. The scene directly in front of her eyes was adding to Heather's heat.

Amy broke her kiss with Megan and looked at Heather, inviting a kiss. Amy moved close to Heather's lips, waiting for permission to close the gap. Heather closed her eyes and puckered her lips. Amy lost no time closing the circuit. The kiss began softly. Soon Amy's tongue was on the surface of Heather's lips, seeking entrance. Heather opened her mouth and met Amy's tongue with her own. Soon the kisses became increasingly passionate.

Megan began to caress both of Heather's breasts, paying particular attention to the areola and nipples. When she sensed no resistance, Megan bent and collected a nipple in her mouth, sucking, licking and gently biting.

Angie was beginning to have a moving target as Heather's hips began to move involuntarily. She was concerned that she would nick the tender area. Her additional care had the salutary effect of increasing her handling the most sensitive parts of Heather's pussy. The lubrication was now flowing freely.

Angie caught Mike's eyes and signaled that he was about to be called upon to plug a leaky hole. Jean was thoroughly amused at the girls' steamrolling Heather. Mike didn't see the humor but he was deeply aroused. His rock-hard cock was leaking copious quantities of its own lubrication.

Angie was done, or at least as done as she was going to be tonight. After toweling the area, collecting remaining shaving cream, she began to lick and kiss. She was gentle at first, hoping Amy and Megan had Heather's entire attention. When she felt no resistance she became more and more bold, until she was alternating between Heather's clit and the entrance to her body. Angie let Heather's lust rise but didn't let her reach her peak, slowing and moving away whenever a peak approached.

She again signaled to Mike. This time she rose and moved her chair out of his way. Mike approached and slid his cock into Heather all the way to the hilt. Heather was so surprised that she immediately screamed out a powerful orgasm as she thrashed and quivered.

"Oh, good," chuckled Jean, "another screamer."

Amy and Megan went right back to work on her upper body while Mike established a steady rhythm pumping in and out of her. Heather was unused to so much simulation. Her body seemed to enter a state of continuous low-level orgasm, punctuated with powerful bolts through her body and much keening. Mike could feel the walls of her pussy rippling along his shaft. The intense pleasure he felt caused him to increase the speed and force of his thrusts. When he could hold out no longer, jets of his spend sprayed her cervix. She felt the jets as another giant orgasm washed over her.

With Angie ready with a towel, Mike stepped back, withdrawing from Heather completely. Angie quickly cleaned him up, grinning like the cat that ate the canary. Angie turned and cleaned Heather as well, at least until Heather sat up. Megan and Amy cooed and continued gently kissing and fondling Heather's face and upper body.

Jean stepped in beside Amy. When she saw that Heather had recovered a bit, she smiled and gently said, "Welcome to the family." Heather was serene in the aftermath.

"I'm glad your family is nearly assembled, Amy" smiled Sarah. "I have taken George and Karen Lasher. I still need three more. My mom's going with Kevin and Katie, and they need one more."

"It sounds like you need to go see Andy at the Bakery," Amy giggled. "And it sounds like you should let it be known that you're on the hunt for three girls. Maybe it'd be better if you let your family find you, instead of the other way around."

"Yeah," admitted Sarah, "I probably should. I was thinking I'd leave slots open until near the end to help anyone in a fix. I still might do that. Test drives would be a problem for me right now."

"Oh?" asked Amy. "How so?"

"My dad," sighed Sarah. "We had a big fight last Sunday, and he left. We haven't seen or heard from him since. It'd be just my luck to have him finally come back and find me in bed with George Lasher and a couple of girls."

Amy brightened. "Sarah, why don't you use my house?"

"What?" asked Sarah.

"Sarah, I moved in with Jean and Mike. And Megan, and my sister, and her two kids, and Heather, off and on, and her three kids." Sarah laughed. "Yeah, it's quite a houseful. But, seriously, Nobody is using my house any more. You use it!"

Sarah was pensive. "I don't know, Amy," she sighed.

"Do it!" Amy chirped. "You're head of your household. You can't do that when you're living under your father's roof. You should move into my house and have the Lashers move in with you. Here..." and Amy reached into her purse and removed a key from her key ring. "Here's the key. Do it, Sarah. You didn't get to be president of the senior class for nothing. Do it."

Sarah brightened. "I will," she announced. "I'll tell Kevin and Katie what I plan to do, and let them know they can invite Mom to join them if they want. Thank you, Amy!" and they hugged.

"I need some advice," Ellen said to Bob. "Would it be alright if I bought lunch for you and Kathy at the cafe?"

"Sure," smiled Bob. "I'll call her right now. Shall we meet at noon?" Ellen nodded.

They met in the cafe at the appointed hour. They chatted about unimportant things until they had been served beverages and had placed their orders.

"I'm a hypocrite," lamented Ellen, "and I'm afraid, and I don't know what to do about it." Her eyes were full of tears, but none yet ran down her cheeks.

"Let us help you," cooed Kathy. "We're in this together now. That's what family is all about, Ellen. We work together for all of our benefit. If you're not happy, soon enough it'll affect us all." Bob suspected that it wasn't him that Ellen needed to talk to, but Kathy. He was more than willing to express his support, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. Sure enough, Ellen and Kathy focused their attention exclusively on the other.

"It's about the boys," Ellen said. "I feel like we should invite them over so they can begin to know us. But, in my mind, that means they ought to have sex with at least a few of us whenever they visit. Kathy, I've set this up so you have to share your Bob with a whole gaggle of women, and you have to share yourself. Those are good boys and our family will be better having them. But Kathy, I can't bring myself to have sex with them. I just can't do it." Now the tears ran down her cheeks, but she ignored them. Kathy collected Ellen's hands in her own, smiling at Ellen.

"Wasn't it only two weeks ago," Kathy said softly, eyes locked onto Ellen's, "that you were essentially a virgin? Weren't you one of the most private persons in town, saving only your very own housemate?" Ellen nodded shyly. "And since then, have you not rescued the Millers, and participated in the deflowering of Katherine and Ashley? And have you not been party to a great deal of intimate activities that would have been impossible for you before?" More nods. "So, you're trying to tell me that your own healing isn't going fast enough to suit you? That you're upset with yourself because you can't bang any swinging dick, any time?" Both Ellen and Kathy were now smiling broadly, but Ellen was also deeply embarrassed.

"I guess that *is* about what I was saying, Ellen said. "It wasn't playing like that in my mind, Kathy."

"Ellen," Kathy smiled, "we're gonna have a strong, loving family. A lot of us are going to have a lot of healing to do along the way. How about we have the boys over for dinner tomorrow? Ask them if they'd like to spend the night. We'll figure out the sleeping arrangements later, when we find out who wants to sleep with whom," she chuckled.

"Thank you, Kathy," said an obviously relieved and brightening Ellen. "I feel so much better. What would I do without you?"

"I hope you never find out," she giggled.

Bob said, "Can I change the direction of the discussion a little bit?"

Ellen seemed almost surprised to see him sitting at the table with them. "Bob, I'm sorry Kathy and I excluded you."

"Not to worry," smiled Bob. "I know when to stay out of girl-talk. If it's OK, I'd like to spend a moment on the remaining unidentified members of our family."

"You're right," said Ellen, "we need to get those women at least mentally committed to our family, if not moved in. If you don't mind, I have a list that I'd like to collect in order of their condition and circumstances." Kathy and Bob nodded assent. Do you think it'd overwhelm any of our family if we brought another one over nightly, or every other night?"

"We still haven't heard the last of Mack Miller," Kathy pointed out. "These women you have in mind are all with an abusive male, aren't they?" Ellen nodded. "Was Mickey a lot worse off than these other women?"

"I don't really know, Kathy," answered Ellen. "I'll talk to them individually. If I get the sense that they need to be rescued, I'll share that with you. If any of them wants to stay with her man until the extraction, we'll see that she can."

"Ellen, if they need shelter, bring them home to us," Kathy advised. "We'll find a way to get their feet under the table and a warm place to sleep."

"Hey, Honey, I hear you need a man," Ryan said loudly to Katherine as both walked down the hall. Katherine and her team were headed outdoors for training. Ryan and his team had just come in.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Katherine spat as she marched right up to Ryan. "OK, lover boy," she said loudly as she yanked down her gym shorts, "show us all whatcha got. You can stick it in right here." She stood glaring at Ryan, her crotch fully exposed.

Ryan visibly shrank from Katherine's unexpectedly forceful response. "I was just kidding," he said defensively.

"You were just being an asshole, Ryan," Katherine retorted. "Don't offer anything you can't deliver again." With that, she pulled her shorts back into place and continued walking.

"Wow," her teammates babbled all at once, "where'd that come from?" "Who are you and what have you done with Katherine?" "You go, girl!" "Good job, Katherine!"

Katherine grinned broadly as she walked along but said nothing. She made a mental note to thank Sarah and Bob but, down deep, she knew they had simply helped her release the strength that had been there all along.

"Come in, Sarah," Karen greeted her at the door. George was in the living room and the two women joined him.

"I brought you both a key," said Sarah brightly. "Amy Rogers has moved in with Jean and Mike Stevens. Amy insisted that I use her house for the duration. I'm here to invite you to come live with me in Amy's house."

Karen and George were surprised. They looked between themselves and Sarah while they gathered their thoughts and collected themselves.

"George," said Karen, "in an ordinary extraction, we'd be out of our house and never come back. I know some time remains before the extraction, but I think we ought to jump at Sarah's offer. We've dedicated ourselves to her service, and she's been polite enough to make her instructions sound like an invitation."

"You're right, of course," George answered. "I guess I jumped to finances, and all our stuff, and Kevin and Katie, and all those other unimportant things. I say let's go, and we'll solve the future problems in the future. Let's bring toothbrushes and a change of clothes for in the morning. We can move some stuff over there tomorrow, after we help Sarah move her stuff."

"Have I told you," giggled Sarah, "how glad I am that we're a family?" George and Karen smiled broadly.

"First, you two better wash up for supper," said Karen. "It's nearly ready."

When dinner had been served and the three were eating, Sarah said, "Are Kevin and Kathy out partaking of the wild nightlife this town offers?"

"I suppose so," answered George. "This week has been as strange as any in my life. The twins don't have to sneak around anymore and have been inseparable, even in bed."

"We did take your suggestion," blushed Karen. "I'm glad I did it, and I'm glad I don't have to do it again -- at least with the twins."

"Maybe," Sarah said, "we can take this time to talk some more about the other three we need for our family. Have you had any thoughts?"

"We have," answered George. "We think anyone you like will be fine with us. We'll work with any you choose. We do hope that none of them are whiners." Karen nodded agreement.

"Have you told people that you're looking?" asked Karen.

"Yes," said Sarah, "but only beginning today. Amy suggested it, and suggested that we go visit Reverend Evans over at the bakery."

"Then maybe we ought to stop there on the way 'home' and have some dessert?" suggested George.

That proved to be a winning suggestion. George and Sarah cleared the table and cleaned the kitchen. Karen busied herself gathering a change of clothes and toiletries for herself and for George. When she returned to the kitchen, Sarah was reading a slip of paper and laughing. Sarah handed the paper to Karen.

"Dear Kevin and Katie,

Karen and I are running away. You have been mean to us. You made us parent you for a long time. We can't take it anymore. Don't ask us to come back, because we won't. Sarah felt sorry for us and took us in. We three are hiding out at Amy Rogers' house. We might sneak back in tomorrow to collect more of our stuff. Gabby's going to be awfully lonesome. Sarah thinks you should invite her to take our place as your servant and pillow.

Love, George (Dad)

Bob came in with a bag of groceries in each arm. He set them on the table and went to one knee to collect hugs from Travis and Becky. The twins hovered a little distance away. Bob looked up to see them watching intently. Travis and Becky raced away, giggling. Bob stood and, after a few beats, held his arms out to the twins. They slowly approached and let him embrace them.

"Thank you," Mindy said softly.

"Thank you for what?" asked Bob.

"For everything," answered Mandy. "For rescuing us, for keeping us safe...."

"For giving us time to adjust," added Mindy. "Time to begin to trust you."

"You're very welcome, girls," Bob said softly. "Take your time. We want you well. We want you full members of our family. You're worth waiting for."

"We've watched you," said Mandy. "We see how gentle you are, but strong."

"And caring," said Mindy, "and thoughtful."

"We're almost ready," whispered Mandy.

"Not yet," Mindy said softly.

"But soon," said Mandy.

"Hi, Reverend Evans," said Liz as she and Jeff entered the new bakery annex.

"Call me Andy, please," he replied as he greeted them warmly. "What can I do for you this afternoon?" They seated themselves for a chat.

"You tell him," Liz said to Jeff, "you're the volunteer."

"I've invited Liz to be in my family," Jeff explained. "We need to find a mother and another female to complete our family. We don't know whom to pick. We hoped you could help."

"Would you be interested in taking a mother and daughter?" asked Andy. "Remember that the Confederacy can alter appearance as you see fit." Both Jeff and Liz nodded their interest. "The problem with this extraction being arranged over weeks is this: at an instant pickup the women get selected and go, and the man goes home alone. Here, many of the families are being arranged while the current family is intact. It isn't possible for the wife to move in with the new sponsor. Even if it were, the jilted husband is still around. Most of the men know if they aren't going to be selected. Those men know their wives will be selected and they'll be left alone. They just don't want their noses rubbed in it."

"So, how should it be handled?" asked Jeff.

"The daughter usually has a longer leash. You are an attractive pairing, and many will be most interested in joining your family. Please, let me discreetly mention you to a few mother/daughter pairs that I know of. It will likely be the daughter who contacts you at school. You may wish to wait and see how many times you are contacted. I don't know whether it will be easier for you, or harder, to choose among several candidate pairs. Remember that the mother will have limited ability to meet with you for an interview and test drive.

"Speaking of which," Andy continued, "what are your own living arrangements now? Are you free to live like the pair you are?"

"Not really," sighed Liz. " Each of our dads is going to volunteer and take his wife. My dad and mom are also taking my mom's sister. Jeff's folks are taking his sister."

"Both sets of folks know we're a pair now," added Jeff. "None of them restricts us, but we're not very comfortable being together in the bedroom when the parents are right down the hall."

"That is a problem," allowed Andy. "Let me put my mind to the problem and see whether I can find a workable solution."

A completely nude Katherine opened the door for Mary and Joe. "Welcome," she said with a smile. "Come on in."

Joe was shocked, but in a rather pleasant way. Katherine was eye candy for him. He just didn't expect that form of greeting.

Mary seemed to connect instantly. As soon as they were inside, she began to undress. "Where shall we put these?" she asked Katherine, referring to their garments. Joe was a bit slow on the uptake but soon began to follow suit.

"Let's use this closet," answered Katherine. She opened the closet door and took a couple of hangers from the coat rack. Katherine stepped back a bit to give them some room to maneuver in the small foyer. Soon the clothes were put away and the closet door closed.

"Chrystal's in the kitchen waiting for us," said Katherine as she began walking that way. "Let's join her."

"Dreading our arrival is probably more like it," said Mary. They entered the room to find Chrystal working on dinner, as nude as the rest of them. Mary went to her and wrapped her in the kind of embrace meant for family rather than as a social nicety. "How are you doing, Chrystal," Mary said softly.

Chrystal found herself gaining strength from the embrace and she returned it with some conviction. "What am I going to do, Mary? How can I go through with this?"

Mary kept Chrystal in the embrace but moved her head back so the two could look at each other. "Your problem is how will you force yourself to have sex with a man while his wife and your daughter look on. My problem is not so different from yours. How can I bring my husband here and let him -- help him -- have sex with two other women?

"Chrystal, you and I are sisters now, and for the rest of our lives. Joe isn't my husband any longer. I will forever be grateful to Katherine for allowing me to have Joe as my mate for the rest of our lives. I will be just as grateful that you are part of our family. This is the chance you asked for. You're going to be eighteen again and a member of a loving, supportive family.

"This isn't awful. Joe is a wonderful, considerate lover. The first time between you and Joe will be awkward. The first time between you and me will be awkward. Soon enough, you will have the loving family you have always dreamed of. You just have to let go and accept the gift God has given you."

The eyes of both women were full of tears, but they smiled at each other. Mary broke the embrace and beckoned to Joe. He stepped into the embrace and simply held her, unmoving, until he felt her relax a bit. He broke the embrace, put his hands on her shoulders and moved far enough away to see her face. "I'm a little scared myself, Chrystal. We all want this so badly that I'm afraid I'll fail."

Chrystal knew that she had been thinking only of herself and hadn't considered Joe and Mary. She drew Joe close to her again and said softly, "You'll be fine, Joe. I'll be fine. Mary's already fine. I'm not afraid anymore." She brought her face up, seeking a kiss. Joe hesitated only briefly before closing the gap. Their first kiss was warm but rather chaste. It felt very good to both of them.

Mary approached and wrapped her arms around both Chrystal and Joe. When the kiss was ended, Mary approached Chrystal for her own kiss. Chrystal didn't hesitate a bit. Soon something of a three-way kiss was underway. Mary instigated a little tongue-on-lips action with Chrystal and french kissed Joe passionately.

Her deep kisses had the predictable -- and desired result. Both women felt the stirring in Joe's loins. An embarrassed Chrystal made to escape but Mary held her in the three-way embrace. "Look me in the eye, Chrystal," Mary said softly, "and reach down and grab it."

Chrystal started at that, but did as she was told. She looked from Joe to Mary and back again. Both were smiling. Chrystal smiled too -- another hurdle overcome. Joe moved in for another kiss. After a moment, his tongue tentatively touched her lips. Her mouth opened and they were off to the races.

Katherine had been observing from a respectful distance. "Now that you have your greetings out of the way, is anyone else hungry?" They all laughed, stopped what was going on, and set about serving dinner.