Chapter 18

8 Section 80 -- Ares Clipper

Karl Rauser was the last of his rather large party to step off the transporter pad into the empty Copernicus Station living unit. His wife, his fifteen-year-old daughter, his eleven-year-old son, his daughter's best friend, and five of his wife's friends with their young children were crowded into the living room.

The AI introduced itself and supplied the standard opening explanation. The children were happy to adjourn to play on the upper level, guided and supervised by the AI. Snacks and beverages were supplied and the adults settled themselves in the living room.

The standard orientation was delivered. As usual, the two eldest of the women lamented that they were too old to start a new family. As usual, the AI displayed holograms of the six mature women and encouraged them to request modifications. When the two teen girls complained of being left out, their hologram likenesses were added. Alterations were made until the women were delighted with the results. Karl sat in bemused silence. When it came to the point at which the AI would have undressed the holograms, it stopped.

"Thus far," said the AI, "the standard orientation has been delivered to you. Karl Rauser is a sponsor with a CAP score of 6.9. He is allotted two concubines. Before the deadline tomorrow, you must decide whether to irrevocably commit yourselves to become concubines or, in the alternative, to be returned to Earth. If you choose to become concubines, and even if you are immediately bound to a sponsor, you will be nude for the foreseeable future.

"At this point in the orientation, standard procedure is to unclothe the holograms and have you make any further alterations that you desire. In an all-female audience, the holograms would be unclothed as a matter of course. The holograms are not you, but they are a perfect representation of your appearance, as altered. Not only are you of mixed gender, you are not all family. We are mindful of your modesty at this early juncture. Your modesty will be a hindrance when you commit yourselves to concubinage. It is recommended that you allow the standard presentation to proceed. The unclothed holograms will in a small way help to acclimate you to nudity. You should spend time now discussing this matter. You should also begin to come to grips with the fact that only two of you can be sponsored by Karl Rauser."

Silence. Utter, complete silence weighed on the room. Karl was smart enough to keep his mouth shut and to feign indifference. The women alternated between exchanging embarrassed glances with each other and intense examinations of their laps.

"Karl Rauser," the AI broke the silence, "you and your group are scheduled to remain in the moon until you are boarded in the cube transporter Valhalla in about three weeks. However, the Kilo-class transporter Ares Clipper is now in Earth orbit and is in the process of extracting passengers for transit to a breeder colony. If you wish, you may select three concubines from among those in this room and be transferred to Ares Clipper."

"Yeah!" screeched Karl's daughter, Liesl. "Take us, Papa! Take Mama, and Alise and me!"

"Liesl," said her mother softly, "do you understand what you are asking?"

"Of course! We'll all live together, and I'll have my friend Alise for always!" Her mother gave her a long, sad look. "What's wrong? It'll be perfect!"

Margret Rauser was silent as she composed her thoughts. The rest of the group sat in pained silence, watching the tableaux. Liesl's elation began to turn into distress. "Liesl," Margret said softly, "if you go with Papa, then you will bear his children. Do you understand that?"

Liesl was poleaxed. She looked from her mother to her father, to her friend Alise and back again. She turned her gaze to the silent women, hoping one of them would speak up, rejecting the awful words her mother had spoken. Every single person in the room remained silent as she processed her mother's words. Tears started to flow freely down her cheeks. "That isn't what I wanted, Mama! Papa is yours! I can't do that to you! I can't do that with Papa!"

Margret sighed and tried to put on her most sympathetic expression. "Liesl, the choices for a concubine are quite limited. You can decline as many sponsorship requests as you want. You can't make a sponsor choose you. You can't make a sponsor choose both you and Alise. A sponsor might choose both of you -- I don't know whether that is likely or not. Your sponsor might be transferred to another colony and we won't be able to see you -- maybe never again.

"If Papa asks me, I will go with him, no matter who else is with us. If you want to be with me, then you will have to be with Papa and he will father your children. If you want to be with Alise, then being with Papa and me is the only way to make sure that you and Alise are together." She turned to Karl. "Do you want me with you?" Karl nodded and smiled. "If Liesl and Alise want to be with us, will you sponsor them?" Again, Karl nodded and smiled. Margret turned to Alise. "Alise, would you be willing to live with Papa and me if you could live with Liesl?"

Alise nodded vigorously and smiled brightly. She clearly wanted that to be the final decision. "That's what I have been expecting since Liesl invited me to join the pickup."

The AI said, "Karl Rauser, it appears that you are inclined to accept the invitation to be boarded in Ares Cruiser. It is recommended that you and your prospective concubines retire to another area of this living unit while you settle the matter. There is much important information that must be imparted to the other prospective concubines in this room. If any of you decide against being transferred into Ares Cruiser, you may return to this room at any time."

After obtaining a slight nod of agreement from Margret, Karl rose to his feet. "Where do you suggest we go?" he asked.

"It is recommended that you step into the hall, turn left and enter the first room on your right." Karl led the way and found himself in a room with an enormous bed. The room was so large that several pairs of upholstered chairs and side tables along the perimeter did not begin to make the room feel crowded.

"Papa!" cried Liesl as she turned from the huge bed to face him. "I'm a virgin! I can't have sex with you now! Not here, not now, not with Alise and Mama watching!"

"Karl," interjected the AI, "Liesl is obviously reluctant to submit to you as a sponsor. A test-drive is indicated to ensure her compliance."

"I see that tact is not your strong suit, AI," smirked Karl as he looked at Liesl. "I do not think that a 'test-drive' is what is needed right now."

"I don't know if I could ever have sex with you, Papa," Liesl said softly as she lowered her gaze. "I love you, Papa, but you're... old."

"I'm only forty-one," he chuckled. "I don't think I'm old."

"But I'm only fifteen!" she shot back.

"Stop," said Margret firmly. She sat on the edge of the bed and gently tugged on Karl's arm, guiding him to sit beside her. She smiled and waved the girls into facing upholstered chairs. "AI, please show us a hologram of Karl aged twenty-five." The image of a younger Karl immediately appeared, his head full of hair and wearing the same clothing Karl presently wore. "Please add a bit more muscle to his arms and chest." The image instantly changed.

"Would you please make holograms of Liesl, Alise and me as we modified them before?" The three images appeared. "Please regress my age to eighteen." A younger Margret image appeared. "Liesl, would you like to be my twin?"

"Oh, yes, Mama," Liesl said with glee. "Can I have breasts like yours?"

"Ha!" chuckled Margret, "I would like to have breasts like yours! You can have big breasts -- if Papa approves. Mine are always in my way. I think small breasts are more sensitive. Now is not a good time for girl-talk. AI, make the Liesl and Alise images age eighteen." When the images changed, she continued, "Give Liesl somewhat bigger breasts. Please make mine a little smaller." Turning to Alise, she asked, "Alise? Bigger breasts?" Alise nodded vigorously and giggled. "Bigger breasts for the Alise image, please."

Turning to Liesl, she said, "We aren't truly twins, but we do look at least like sisters. Shall we three have the same haircuts and such?"

"I've always wanted to be blonde," Liesl giggled. "Alise, can Mama and I copy your hairstyle?" Alise giggled and nodded. The images changed.

"Liesl," Margret sighed, "I think all of us fantasize about what it would be like if we were picked up." As she spoke, she began slowly and inconspicuously to unbutton her blouse. "I always thought Papa would be picked up and I wouldn't be with him at the time. I thought I would be picked up while he wasn't with me. It always upset me to think that I wouldn't have Papa with me anymore, and that made me sad. I have always hoped that we would be at the same pickup, and Papa would choose me to come with him. I have thought a lot about being one of Papa's two concubines. I have come to terms with the fact that I will share Papa's affection and attention."

"Mama," what are you doing?" squawked Liesl. Margret had shrugged off her blouse and was reaching behind her back for the clasp of her bra.

"If the stories are correct," Margret said softly as she let her bra fall to the floor, "then I will have to be nude when we are moved to the transport ship."

"If you choose to be a concubine," said the AI, "then you will be nude regardless of whether your sponsor is transferred to Ares Clipper."

"I am going to be a concubine," Margret said firmly as she continued to undress. Turning to Karl, she asked, "Do you want me, husband?"

"Marriage does not exist in the Confederacy," said the AI.

Karl grinned, ignoring the interruption. "Yes, Margret. Will you be my concubine?"

With tears in her eyes and a serene smile, she firmly but softly said, "Yes."

"Recorded," the AI said as the couple tenderly hugged and kissed. "The concubine Margret is bound to Karl Rauser."

As the couple broke their hug, Liesl asked, "But Mama, why did you undress first?"

Margret gave her a rueful smile. "Liesl, you are an adult now. You have to make a decision tonight that you will have to live with for the rest of your life. I wanted to make myself vulnerable right now, to show you that I feel safe and protected by Papa, by Karl. I think I look pretty good for a forty-year-old woman. I confess that I'm looking forward to being eighteen again very soon. I may be eighteen for the rest of my life. I don't know how things work in the Confederacy. I want you to know what it looks like -- what it feels like -- to be a forty-year-old woman." With that she stood and approached Liesl. "Stand up, Liesl. I want you to feel my breasts -- I didn't know you liked my breasts! -- and see whether you really want that." Margret collected Liesl's hands and placed them on her own breasts. When she was sure that Liesl's hands would remain there, she let her arms fall to her sides. Liesl gently stroked, hefted and caressed her mother's breasts, the doubtful expression becoming one of interest and even some pleasure.

"Feel my waist and my tummy," she directed, and Liesl complied. "I was once slender like you," she chuckled sadly. "I'm not as fit anymore. Move around and examine my bottom." Again, Liesl complied. "I swear, if I can have a tight butt again, I'll never let it go as I have."

Margret guided Liesl back in front of her and wrapped her into a loving hug. "We have been affectionate in front of you, but we have kept our intimacy private. I suppose that was for the best but now I regret it. I will tell you that Karl is a wonderful lover. He is considerate, and passionate and playful. I have never felt unsafe with Karl, in bed or anywhere else.

She brought them to arms' length and looked her daughter in the eyes. "If you decide to go with us, then I will be your twin and I won't be your Mama anymore. If you decide to go with us, then Karl will be your sponsor, your man, and he won't be your Papa anymore. If you decide not to go with us, then we will still be your Mama and your Papa but we won't live on the same planet.

"There isn't going to be any sex with anyone in this room right now. If you decide to take Karl as your lover, I want you to wait until you can go to him willingly, happily and confidently. I will be with you and Karl if you want me to. Right now," and she reached her hand out to Alise and urged her to her feet, "I want you and Alise to kneel on both sides of Karl's knees." When she had settled them, she continued, "I want you to help each other undress Karl. You can touch him, or not -- it's your choice. Karl isn't twenty-five again yet. Karl would be unable to tell you truthfully how he feels about you as women, but his body cannot lie."

Liesl gasped, looking frantically from Margret to Karl to Alise and back again. The others were silent as she worked through her feelings. Finally, with a look of resignation mixed with acute trepidation, she looked at her friend. Alise winked and raised her hands toward the top of Karl's shirt. She kept her hands suspended there until Liesl's hands joined hers.

With shaking hands, Liesl managed to get two buttons undone before she sank back and dropped her hands to her lap. With a pleading look to her mother, she said, "Mama, why are you making us do this?"

Margret knelt between her daughter and Alise. "Liesl, I'm going to tell you a bit about myself. I thought about asking you to tell me about yourself, but I think that would be too stressful for you right now." She sighed, looked down as she prepared herself and then looked up to engage her daughter's eyes.

"There are dreams, and there are fantasies and there is pretending. All of them are in your mind and no harm is done. You can't control your dreams. Sometimes dreams are acting out what you really want -- even if you are not consciously aware of your want. Sometimes dreams are acting out what you deeply fear. Fantasies and pretending are harmless. You can imagine or pretend the most outrageous things and, when it's over, nothing has changed.

"When I masturbate," and a gasp escaped Liesl's startled expression, "I have a few favorite fantasies that help me reach orgasm. I like to masturbate in the shower. I like to imagine that someone has turned off the bathroom light and it is completely dark. The shower curtain is moved back and someone steps into the shower with me. I cannot tell who the person is. I am already facing the showerhead in the front of the shower. The person bends me forward. I have to hold the faucet handles for balance. The faceless person presses himself into me from behind and strokes powerfully for a long time. Finally, he fills me with his seed and I explode in an orgasm so powerful that I fall to my knees. When I recover, he is gone."

They were silent for a while. Liesl asked, "Why did you tell me that?"

"Liesl, I have imagined lots and lots of sexy things. Some are things that would be terrible if they happened in real life. Some are things that will never -- should never -- happen in real life. Lots of them are things that could happen. I have imagined a lot of things that might have happened if I were picked up without Karl.

"I know you have hormones coursing through your body. I assume you have learned how to pleasure yourself." Liesl blushed crimson. "You are a virgin. Is your hymen intact?" The blush deepened. After hesitating, Liesl nodded. "When you pleasure yourself, do you fantasize about one of your teachers? Boys at school? Karl? A movie star?" Liesl couldn't look at her mother. "Do you fantasize about what it must feel like to have a man thrust deep inside your body?" By now, Liesl was so embarrassed and ashamed that she began to quietly sob.

Margret turned to Alise. "Will you help us out here, please?" A smiling Alise began to unbutton her blouse. "No, no, no," laughed Margret. Even Liesl giggled through her tears and stopped sobbing. "Stay dressed for now. I've told you that I am a sexual person. I have vivid fantasies. I have thought a lot about being picked up, about different sexual encounters. I know you are a healthy young woman. Will you share some of your hopes and fears about being picked up? Will you acknowledge your growing sexuality?"

Alise blushed and glanced at Karl before returning her gaze to Margret. "I sometimes think about Mr. Wagner, the math teacher," she confessed.

"He is a handsome man," Margret agreed with an encouraging smile. "Have you caught him looking at you in a way he shouldn't?" Alise giggled and nodded shyly. "Have you ever noticed someone trying to get a glimpse up your skirt, or down your blouse?" Another shy nod. "And did you shift your posture so he can see more, but not too much?" Shocked at the suggestion, Alise's blush deepened and she looked away before nodding shyly. "Isn't it exciting to know that someone is attracted to you?" Both girls giggled happily. "Have you seen evidence of a man's attraction in his pants?" The giggling girls blushed and nodded.

"If you are typical teenagers," Margaret continued, "you probably think that your parents stopped having sex on the day your youngest sibling was conceived."

Alise giggled. "My parents keep their activities behind closed doors but they make a lot of racket!" Liesl and Alise laughed. Margaret nodded understanding.

"Liesl, I hate to have to break this to you here and now, but my sexual desire has never been higher in my life. A woman's libido peaks at about my age. If you want to be with Karl very infrequently, that will be fine. Karl will not suffer any lack of female attention. I suspect that Alise will be an eager and frequent participant once the ice is broken."

"During the initial screening, for all adults the libido is enhanced and inhibitions are relaxed," intoned the AI. "The effects will become increasingly apparent over the next few days."

Margret looked at Karl with hooded eyes. "Oh, my darling, you're in for quite a time," she said softly. Karl blushed and smiled but otherwise kept still.

"I have thought about being with my dad," Alise supplied. "I got powerful orgasms from that. I have thought about being sandwiched between... Karl... and Liesl, both of them kissing and touching me. Those were great ones, too."

"Alise, have you ever touched a boy's privates? Has a boy ever touched yours?" asked Margret.

"Only though clothes," she blushed. "I've never let a boy under my blouse or in my panties." She looked at Liesl for a moment before adding, "Boys, that is...."

Margret gave a knowing smile. "Alise, I have been paying attention mostly to Liesl because she's distressed about her choice. Do you want to find out what my big boobs are like?"

Alise nodded and giggled. She shifted her knees a little so that she was nearly facing Margret. She reached out, let her hands hover over Margret's breasts for a moment, and then began caressing them as she smiled serenely. "Yes, I would like THESE," as she gently rubbed and pinched the nipples. "It is so hard, waiting to finish growing. I feel so...."

"Gangly," Liesl supplied. "I've grown UP more than I've grown OUT. My titties are so small. I don't have much of a waist yet. My legs are like sticks...." Her tears began anew. "How could anyone want me as I am?"

Margret gave her a wry smile. "Oh, you'd be surprised. Men have a special weakness for young girls. Usually, they don't act on the attraction. Tell me that you haven't noticed your Papa appreciating your beauty?"

"He has?" Liesl was thoroughly surprised.

Now it was Margret's turn to blush. "Sometimes when we go to bed, I pretend to be a young girl. Karl enjoys that very much. It isn't you that we are pretending me to be, just some imaginary young girl. But I'm sure you -- each of you -- have starred in Karl's fantasies. Fantasies are not real, and they do no harm. Now, our reality has changed. I'm sure he will allow you to advance the age of your bodies, but I hope you will be with him at least once before the changes are made." Both girls looked at Karl, Margret and each other with dawning understanding.

"Now, you two, strip off Karl's clothes as fast as you can." Alise went right back to his shirt buttons. Liesl hesitated only a moment before she started to pull the shirt from under the pant waist. Now giggling, they helped each other get the shirt off and discarded. As Liesl hesitated, Alise shot to the floor and began untying a shoelace. Liesl recovered and quickly followed suit. The shoes flew over the girls' shoulders, followed by the socks. Again, Liesl balked. Alise made for the belt and had it open in a flash. She worked on the button, now hindered by Liesl's hands working the zipper.

"Lift up! Lift up!" Alise laughed as she grabbed the side of his pants and began to tug. Liesl was only a beat behind. Karl dutifully raised his hips off the bed to let his pants come down. Liesl had to go back for a fresh handhold when she discovered that Alise was pulling down both pants and underwear at once.

The girls' attention was on Karl's lower legs and feet as they struggled to finish their task. When they were done, they turned and looked at Karl. His cock was at half-mast and pointed right at them. Both girls gasped. Margret was right there to take the lead.

"Karl, move forward and open your knees," she instructed. "Girls, watch as Karl becomes fully erect." As predicted, Karl's cock continued to inflate, pointing ever upward until it flopped onto his abdomen.

Alise moved in closer. "Can I touch it?" she asked. A smiling Karl silently nodded. She brought her hand in and gingerly surrounded the shaft of his cock. The expression on her face was priceless. She looked at Liesl and giggled. "You do it," she said. Alise moved her small hand toward the base of his cock. Liesl's hand found its way to the upper portion and the head. Her face expressed wonder and excitement.

"Is that semen?" asked Alise.

"No," answered Margret, "that is lubricant. Your bodies make a lubricant very much like that. Together, they make it possible for a man to enter a woman without injury."

"When does the semen come out?" asked Liesl, who was becoming more comfortable by the moment.

"You know what you must do to achieve orgasm," chuckled Margret. "You have to RUB. The equipment is not the same on girls and boys, and the rubbing is not the same, either. For now, open your hands until you are just touching him. Start to stroke up and down the shaft."

It took a bit for the two girls to get in rhythm. They were completely enraptured with their activity. Karl's hiss of pleasure caused the girls to withdraw their hands as though from a hot stove. Margret's laugh was musical. "That hiss means you're doing it right," she chuckled. This time, Liesl's hand was back first and she resumed her stroking. Alise's hand was right behind.

"Not that we're in any hurry," smiled Margret, "but why don't I help you?" She rose from the floor and sat in a nearby upholstered chair. "Men respond to visual stimulation much more than women do. Karl loves to watch me masturbate. I'll give Karl a show, and I guarantee that he'll act like a human fire hose," she laughed. Karl groaned. The girls giggled. They looked at each other. Liesl was at first scandalized at her mother's planned action. She looked at her own fist stroking up and down Karl's cock and decided it was all right.

Margret scooted forward in her chair and leaned against the chair back. She ran her index finger up through her pussy lips and showed the girls. "I'm already pretty wet," she giggled. "I think I'll get used to nudity very fast." As the girls gawked, Margret brought her finger to her mouth and made a show of cleaning it. "Don't stop," she reminded them. The girls restarted with renewed vigor. "Not too fast, and not too hard," she warned. "Share that lubricant all along the shaft."

Margret often tortured Karl by stretching out her masturbation session for a long time. She wasn't confident that the girls weren't chafing his cock, so she decided to expedite the show. She was putting on a show for the girls, too, so she started a bit slowly. She stroked up and down her body, lingering here or there before moving on.

It wasn't long before her right hand was stationed between her legs; her left hand had breast duty. Karl had laser-like focus on her right hand and the parted lips beneath it. The girls' attention was divided between watching Margret, keeping their own hand rhythm steady while watching the hard cock, and watching Karl's face as his heart rate and blood pressure soared.

Soon, he began gasping for breath and his face was perspiring. Margret, too, was flushed with arousal and exertion. "He knows I'm about to orgasm," she breathed. "He'll be right behind me." Soon, her body began to spasm and she keened her orgasm. Right on cue, with a huge groan Karl shot jet after jet through the air and onto his abdomen. The girls trilled with excitement. Liesl jerked her hand away but Alise held on for dear life. The last of Karl's spend flowed over her hand.

Margret quickly recovered and approached the girls. She made a show of bringing Alise's hand up and licking it clean. The girls squawked in surprise. Margret gathered a fingerful of Karl's spend and offered it to Alise, who doubtfully accepted it. Alise's face registered a range of expressions, ending with a smile. Liesl was every bit as doubtful but accepted her gift and ended up smiling as well.

"Karl will be soft for a while," smiled Margret. "Are there any other concerns you have about joining in a happy, loving family?" Both girls giggled and shook their heads. "Well, if you're going to be concubines, then you know the uniform of the day," she chuckled as she pointed at her own body. The laughing girls immediately began stripping off clothes, tossing them here and there. When they were done, Margret gathered them in a hug. She turned them so the three could face Karl.

"This is the part where the sponsor asks..." smiled Margret.

"Liesl, Alise," asked a smiling Karl, "will you be my concubines?"

"YES," they answered.

"Molly Fagan, Eamon Fagan, you are each entitled to two concubines," said the AI. "You and your group are scheduled to remain in the moon until you are boarded in the cube transporter Valhalla in about three weeks. However, the Kilo transporter Ares Clipper is now in Earth orbit and is in the process of extracting passengers for transit to a breeder colony. If you wish, you may each select three concubines from among those in this room and be transferred to Ares Clipper."

Twins, Molly and Eamon had been part of the secondary extraction of their mother's 'dependents.' Nora Fagan had contacted Molly while she was at school. Molly and Eamon had gathered their brother Declan, six of Molly's friends and three teachers. Two of the teachers had each brought two children.

Molly's friends were all atwitter at the body changes that they had made to holographic images of themselves. Miss Riley, at twenty-four the youngest of the three teachers and the one who taught art, was enjoying and encouraging the girls' enthusiasm. Mrs. Grant, the history teacher, had kept her two small children with her and was absorbed in their play. Mrs. Sullivan, the oldest of the three teachers, was watching the goings-on in bemused silence. Her two children were still minors but were older than those of Mrs. Grant. Fourteen-year-old Declan sat alone, rather bewildered at the entire affair and completely unsure of his future. His 6.3 CAP score was not high enough for him to volunteer. He had wanted not to come to the moon at all but his twin siblings had insisted.

Nora was in rather bad shape. She sat alone with her head held high but a river of tears ran down her cheeks. Earlier, Molly had tried to console her mother, who was deeply distraught with the loss of her husband and the unknown future facing her. Nora had been unwilling to participate in the body-sculpting exercise.

Molly and Eamon turned to face each other. Both were surprised at the AI's offer. "This is rather abrupt," sighed Eamon. "It's been a kaleidoscope of sights and sounds, a whole range of thoughts and emotions. We've only been here for a few minutes. Now, the AI wants us to choose our families for the rest of our lives."

"We've been a family," sighed Molly. "Ma's not doing too well over the loss of Da and what her future holds. If we take up the offer, I guess our family will be split up."

"Molly and Eamon," interjected the AI, "it is permitted for sponsors to combine households."

Molly blushed deeply but had a quick riposte. "Ah, Eamon Fagan," she said coyly, "would you be wantin' to bonk yer sister?"

Eamon hadn't recovered his bearings after the AI's point as quickly as his sister. He smiled at her gibe but she could tell that he was lost in thought. His head shook a bit as though he had snapped back into consciousness. "I may as well," he sighed, "it looks like I'll be bonking my ma and you'll be bonking my brother."

Molly's surprise was palpable. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it," reasoned Eamon. "Even if we don't go now, what is the only way to make sure Ma is taken care of? What is the only way to make sure Declan is sponsored? We can stay here, wait for the next boat to sail, see whether Ma can catch a sponsor, see whether Declan can get himself sponsored. Even then, how do we know how Ma's sponsor will treat her? How will we know whether Declan has the chance to grow into sponsorship? The only way for you and I to take care of our family is for you to sponsor Declan and for me to sponsor Ma. We may as well have a joint household. It would keep our family together. I wasn't looking forward to the end of our twin relationship. I've never said much, but you have to know that you're more to me than just a sister."

The entire room -- saving only the four children -- was now focused on the twins. Silence prevailed as Molly processed Eamon's words.

Molly sighed but smiled at her twin. "You're right. I would like to keep our family together. Can we help each other complete our combined household?"

"Can we ask for some help?" asked Eamon. "Our teachers are pretty smart. There are nine women here and only four places open. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, and I don't want to make a poor decision. I for one am not sure I'm as mentally sharp as I need to be at a time like this."

"I think that's a good idea," Molly answered. Turning to the group, she said, "I'm afraid we've made a fine mess of it. We didn't intend to help you escape, only to abandon you. Will you gather your thoughts and share with us, please?"

"If it weren't for you, Molly," said Fiona Grant, "we'd still be on Earth, waiting to become Swarm food. Thank you for saving my life. Thank you for saving the lives of my children. Whatever happens from now on, we are far better off than we were yesterday."

With that, the room fell silent, each member of the group considering the issue at hand. "Perhaps the problem can best be solved if it is broken into pieces," said Esther Sullivan. "Together, you have six places to fill. Eamon and Declan will be enough males. Nora takes one more spot. That leaves, as you said, four spots for three teachers and six young women." Molly's friends tittered at the adult appellation. "There is no one here who would serve as a companion for Declan. In any case, for the foreseeable future, Declan will be focused upon earning the adult status that has suddenly been bestowed on him." Declan blushed but nodded agreement.

"Nora needs a companion," Esther continued. "Nora, I don't know you very well. I like what little I know of you. I will say, though, that you seem not to have the strongest will. I suspect that your husband made the important decisions in your household." Nora dropped her chin and, after a moment, nodded agreement. "The choice of which one of us three can come later.

"That leaves three places to be filled from among the six young women," said Esther as she turned her attention to the girls. "The AI said the destination is a breeder colony. To me, that means that the three of you who go with the Fagans will be having A LOT of babies. You will be living in a household with eight adults. Molly will be there but, as a sponsor, she will doubtless have a day job. She may even be deployed off-planet from time to time. You will have yourselves, one of us teachers, Nora and Declan with you pretty much all the time. I'm quite sure that Nora will get into the swing of things very shortly. You'll probably be prevented making Declan your boy-toy, but he will be a good companion, I'm sure." Declan blushed deeply.

"Those are my thoughts. I'll let someone else add more. I have no qualms remaining here. I was younger once, but I'm a good mother and a good mate. I'm sure I'll find a sponsor I will be very happy with."

"What will happen to us if we aren't chosen tonight?" asked Aislin.

"If you choose to become a concubine, you WILL be sponsored," intoned the AI. "It will be for you to wisely choose a sponsor. In the unlikely event that you remain unsponsored until arrival at the colony, you will find a suitable sponsor there."

"Concubine or Swarm victim," sighed another girl. "There isn't really a choice at all. I'm going to live!"

The group fell silent for a time as they waited to see whether anyone else had something to add. Eamon said, "Mrs. Sullivan, you have summarized the problem very well."

"We're not your teachers anymore," smiled Esther. "In fact, you're the sponsors and we're merely concubines. I hope you'll use our first names."

"This is all rather sudden," Eamon smiled ruefully. "We need to choose one of three teachers, and three of six young women. Now the problem is that, for myself, I would be happy to have any of you join us. I am completely unable to choose among you. Molly, do you have any ideas?"

"Maybe..." Molly said slowly, maybe we should let them choose us rather than us choosing them?"

"How would that work?" asked Eamon.

"Well," answered Molly, "I agree with you that I would happily take any of the teachers and any of the girls. The teachers understand that whichever of them comes with us will have to be the den mother, the disciplinarian for the children and," she giggled, "sometimes for some of the rest of us. Ma is a good mother but she isn't very good at saying 'no.' She has always told us to do as Da would want, or wait and ask Da when he came home.

"The girls understand that you and I will be the sponsors. They will be looking primarily to themselves for entertainment. They'll be mothers soon, and often. We're not really giving Ma and Declan much of a choice since, for them, choosing not to go with us has parlous consequences.

"I think we should invite the three teachers to decide among themselves which of them will come with us. I think the girls should decide among themselves which of them will come with us. When all is decided, we will sponsor them and be on our way."

That is what they did. Nora remained in her own little gloomy world. Molly and Eamon engaged with the two little Grant children. Declan spent some time with the older Sullivan children. The three teachers were able to give each other their undivided attention.

Dara Riley was first to speak. "I'm very thankful for the opportunity to be evacuated. I like Molly and Eamon. I think I would be happy as a member of their family. As a teacher, I am accustomed to being a den mother. But I don't have any children and I know nothing about being a mother. I think the girls are going to need guidance through their pregnancies and childrearing. I will go with Molly and Eamon if you wish, but I don't think I'm the best choice for the family as a whole."

Fiona Grant and Esther Sullivan considered. "You're probably right, Dara," said Fiona. "Esther, I don't know that there's much difference between us from the Fagan point of view. I think we both like the lot here. Either of us will be able to mentor young mothers and be the den mother. I'm willing to go. I'm not afraid to stay here with my children and find a sponsor. What do you think?"

"The only real difference between us is the ages of our children. Mine are ten and eight. Yours are, what, two and four?"

"Mara will be two in three months," answered Fiona, "and Colm is three and a half."

"Like you, I am willing to stay or go." She sighed and smiled. "Don't you think your children will be a better teaching aid than mine? Only Nora has experience with such young children. You can surely handle them, but having the group exposed to very young children ought to give them all a leg up when the babies start to arrive."

The girls were huddled nearby. Four of the girls were close friends. The other two weren't particularly close to each other but were friends with Molly. Ona and Yvonne agreed to go. The close friends could stay and look out for each other. The next problem was how to choose one of the four to go in the Fagan family. They cast about for a manner of selection.

"Mrs. Sullivan," said Aislin, "can you help us, please?"

"Of course. How can I help?"

"The four of us are pretty tight. Ona and Yvonne wouldn't have anyone to rely on if they stayed. They've agreed to go with Molly and Eamon. Now we don't know which of the four of us should go. Do you have any ideas?"

"Is none of you particularly anxious to go? None of you is particularly averse to going?" The girls shook their heads. "You realize, don't you, that those of you who remain may well be split up in the selection process?" The girls all nodded. Esther took a moment to consider. "I suppose some kind of a lottery is needed. We haven't anything at hand to use to draw straws. A coin toss doesn't seem apt. Why don't you use Rock, Paper, Scissors?"

"How would we do that with four people?" asked one of the girls.

"Humm.... Let's say that the winner goes with Molly and Eamon. Why don't you pair off. The first of each pair to lose, stays. The two winners play each other. The first to win one goes with the Fagans. Does that sound fair?"

The girls decided that that sounded like a good method. Soon enough, Joyce was the winner.

Esther turned to Molly and Eamon as Fiona gathered her children to her. "Molly and Eamon, I think we have made our respective decisions. If you are willing, then Fiona will serve as den mother for you. Ona, Yvonne and Joyce will go with you as well."

Molly started the cheering and applause and the rest -- saving Nora -- joined in. "You must formally offer sponsorship," intoned the AI. "Each concubine must accept verbally. Concubines will be nude before transfer to Ares Clipper. Five unbound concubine candidates will remain in this living unit. At the deadline tomorrow, concubine candidates will be returned to Earth or will be naked. It is recommended that concubine candidates take advantage of this relatively safe environment to become accustomed to nudity."

Molly grabbed Eamon's hand and they approached Fiona, who sat with her children at her knees. "Fiona," said Molly, "will you be our concubine?"

"No!" interjected the AI. "You may have a joint household, but each concubine must be sponsored by a single volunteer. Your joint household is not necessarily permanent, although you may remain together as long as you like."

Eamon and Molly were nonplussed. "Right, Mol," said Eamon. "How about I take Ma. You take Declan. I have a grown woman. You take Fiona. Which one of your friends do you want?"

Molly nodded agreement with Eamon and turned to her friends. "We're all going to live in the same household. Eamon will father your first children. Declan will father your second children -- unless his CAP score improves to 6.5 and he decides to set up his own household." Turning to Declan, she added, "I hope you remain with us -- and your children -- even after your CAP score improves. You will have your own concubines, but you will be part of our family." Declan smiled and nodded. Molly turned back to the girls.

"Then it doesn't really matter which of us is sponsored by Eamon," said Ona. "Time for use Rock, Paper, Scissors again. They played a three-way match. After several trials, Yvonne 'lost' and went to Molly. Joyce and Ona went to Eamon.

"Now that that is settled," chuckled Molly, "Fiona, will you be my concubine?"

"I will," smiled Fiona.

"Recorded. "Fiona is the bound concubine of Molly Fagan."

Molly offered sponsorship to Declan and Yvonne, one at a time. As each accepted, the AI droned the same recitation.

Eamon glanced at his mother and found her in the same black mood. He offered sponsorship to Ona and Joyce and they accepted. With a great sigh, he knelt in front of Nora.

"Nora," he said firmly, "I offer you sponsorship. Will you be my concubine?"

Nora didn't answer and wouldn't look at him. He tried to gently turn her jaw to face him. She let him do so, briefly. She was not sobbing but a flood of tears ran down her cheeks. She looked at him only for a moment and then brought her chin down. She would not let him lift it again.

Fiona approached. She gestured for Eamon to step back a bit and then stood in front of Nora. "Nora," she said sharply, "stand up!" The authority in Fiona's voice was enough to get Nora to her feet. "Look me in the eyes, Nora. You will do as you're told. Do you understand me?" Nora nodded doubtfully. "Undress me!" Nora recoiled. "Do it!" Nora tentatively reached for the buttons at the top of Fiona's blouse. "Quickly!" Nora's fingers flew as the buttons gave way. "Faster!" Fiona said as Nora began to tug the blouse out of Fiona's pants. "Don't stop, don't slow down until you are done!"

Off came the blouse. Nora started to go around Fiona to reach the bra clasps but Fiona stopped her, keeping Nora directly in front of her and guiding Nora's hands around her own body. The bra was released and Nora pulled the straps down Fiona's arms to the floor. The pants fastened in front. Nora soon had the hooks and zip released and the pants fell into a heap atop Fiona's shoes. "Do it!" Fiona snapped when Nora balked at her panties. Down they went.

Now Nora had to contend with the pants as she worked the shoe and stocking from each foot. The pants and panties were pulled free and Nora was done.

"Stand up!" Fiona barked. When Nora was erect, Fiona first put Nora's hands at her sides and then used both of her hands on Nora's jaw to gain eye contact. "Stand still until I tell you otherwise. Do you understand me?" Nora nodded fearfully. "Keep your eyes on mine." Fiona waited until Nora nodded acceptance.

Fiona went to work on Nora's blouse buttons. Several buttonholes tore a bit. Fiona kept her eyes locked onto Nora's. The blouse was yanked out of the pants, off Nora's shoulders and onto the floor. The bra clasps gave way and Fiona threw it to the floor. Fiona knelt, lifted a leg at the knee and swept the shoe and stocking from Nora's foot, never losing eye contact. The other shoe and sock met the same fate.

Standing again, Fiona ripped the button flap and pulled down the pants side zip. Down went the pants and panties in one swoop. "Step out of them," Fiona growled. Nora quickly complied.

Fiona went nose-to-nose with Nora. "You are naked. I am naked. Molly and Eamon are our sponsors. Molly and Eamon will protect us. We will obey them. Do you understand?" Nora nodded fearfully. "Molly and Eamon and all the rest will be our mates. We will go to their beds willingly, joyfully and enthusiastically. We will bear their many children. Do you understand?" More nodding from Nora.

"Eamon, please offer sponsorship to Nora," Fiona said while holding Nora's eyes.

"Nora," said Eamon, "I offer you sponsorship. Will you be my concubine?"

Nora nodded, her eyes still locked onto Fiona's. "Nora, say the words. Say 'Yes, Eamon, I will be your concubine'."

"Yes, Eamon," Nora said in a faltering voice, "I will be your concubine."

"Recorded. Nora is the bound concubine of Eamon Fagan."

"Don't move," she told Nora. Fiona turned to Declan. Her facial features softened and she smiled. "Declan, if you don't have a stiffy, I don't know what.... Please undress now." Declan faltered before he began to comply, but slowly. "Save the slow striptease for when you want to arouse your lover," she told him kindly. "Don't race, but don't dawdle, either."

Esther stood and began to undress. "All of you," she said to the girls, "now." Dara immediately stood and began. First one and then the rest of the girls stood and complied.

"But we're staying!" whined Aislin. "Why must we undress?"

"Are you going to go home to be Swarm victims?" asked Dara. Aislin shook her head. "Do as you're told. You'll be glad of it later."

"What about my napkin?" Aislin whined.

"There will be no need to contain your menstrual flow," intoned the AI. "The nanites will attend to and dispose of the waste products. Fiona Grant, your tampon is no longer necessary."

Molly turned to Eamon. "We are the sponsors, but I'll not lord it over the family." She too began to undress. Eamon followed suit.

Soon they were all nude. Clothes were strewn everywhere. "AI," asked Eamon, "will any of these clothes be needed in future?"

"No," responded the AI. "Prospective concubine candidates, please recover your CAP cards, place them in lanyards and put them on. You will find lanyards in the replicator. Money is of no use in the Confederacy. Everything -- including money -- can be replicated precisely. If you have personal possessions that you insist must be original, please collect them. Please deposit the clothing and everything else in the recycle bin.

"Concubines of Molly and Eamon Fagan, you will find red collars in the other replicator. The collars indicate that you are bound concubines and also serve as communication devices. The collars are not optional. Each of you, put one on."

"Declan, Ona, Joyce," said Molly, "please see to the clothes. Yvonne, please distribute collars." Declan commenced with a will, hoping that his erection would subside. Ona and Joyce quickly joined in. The collars and CAP card lanyards were found and distributed. Nora, obeying Fiona's command, stood stock-still, taking in the flurry of activity. Fiona and Esther shepherded the four children into an adjacent room. The AI agreed to entertain the children and to alert either mother at need.

Aislin, Ryann and Chloe found themselves with nothing to distract themselves from the fact that they stood naked in a crowd of people, especially the two boys. Their obvious discomfiture attracted Dara's attention. She collected them in a group hug and spoke quietly to them.

With tacit permission from the twin sponsors, Esther guided everyone to seats in the U-shaped sofa-loveseat-sofa furniture. There being thirteen adults and seating for only eleven, Molly plunked herself down on Eamon's lap. Declan sat on the floor opposite the loveseat. Esther and Fiona flanked Eamon.

"Ireland is far below us, and far behind us," Esther told the group. "It will take quite some time for you to fully comprehend how much your lives have changed.

"Declan," she sighed, "you're over there squirming around, trying to hide your erection. Every woman in the room wants to see your cock. Most of us want to touch it, or more. Here, Declan," and she threw her leg over the loveseat arm, "now you won't be the only one with your genitals hanging out." Everyone laughed. "You can't see between many legs, but there's a room full of boobies. Every pair should be displayed with pride." A blushing Declan leaned his upper body on outstretched arms behind him, stretched his legs out with his knees pressed to the floor, and parted his feet. His painfully erect cock sprang free, slapped against his abdomen, and stood pointing to the ceiling.

Esther continued, "In the old days -- before today -- sex was seldom discussed and only performed in secret. Those days are gone. You Fagans -- your last name just changed, ladies, but you're not married -- you Fagans will be living in a single household of eight adults. All of you are going to be having sex with each other. All of the rest of us will be living with a man and at least one other woman, be they sponsor or concubine. I don't know whether we'll see sexual activity in public...."

"Sex acts in public are common during the sponsorship family formation period," interjected the AI. "During the family bonding phase, sex acts in public are frequent until the sponsor subjugates his or her concubines." Everyone quailed at the term 'subjugate.' "Public sex act frequency tails off after that but remains common and is not deemed worthy of notice."

Esther looked at each of the girls in turn. "I believe the Fagans will have a happy and loving home. If the rest of us choose our sponsors properly, then we also will enjoy happy and loving homes. But make no mistake: concubines have no rights whatsoever and may not even fight off an attacking sponsor." She let that thought hang for a long moment.

"I want to lighten the mood, here. I care not a whit about anything that happened before today. I would expect that almost all of you young people are virgins."

"Some of us only wish we were virgins," giggled a blushing Ryann.

"That bad, eh?" asked Esther. Ryann nodded. "Have you had good experiences after the first?"

"Well, the best wasn't a halleluiah moment, but it was a lot better than the first."

Esther nodded understanding. "The rest of you young women, I won't ask you directly whether you're virgins. I don't care one way or the other. I don't care if you're more experienced than I am. Our world has changed, but you doubtless have much baggage remaining to be shed. I will ask how many of your hymens are intact?"

"What's the difference?" asked Eamon as Molly and two other girls raised their hands. "I thought when the hymen was broken, then she wasn't a virgin anymore."

"It is possible -- quite common actually -- to tear the hymen while horse riding or doing other vigorous athletic activities. Some young women can't wait to get a man inside them and use a substitute -- fingers, a hairbrush, a vegetable, or such."

She looked to Declan. "Come here, Declan. Virgin or not, you almost certainly have never had an opportunity to closely examine a woman's genitals." As a crimson Declan made his way and knelt in front of her, she scooted herself out toward the front of the loveseat. "Closer, Declan," she chuckled, "these lips have no teeth. Eamon, can you see as well?" Eamon nodded as Declan brought his head forward.

"These are the labia majora, the outer lips. They are fat, to help protect me when my partner's pelvis is banging into mine. The amount and location of pubic hair naturally varies quite a bit. The variation is greater when the woman trims or shaves part or all of her pubic hair. I have trimmed the length of mine, up here, and have shaved the hair down here." Declan nodded understanding. "These are the labia minora, the inner lips. On most women, they are closed until she is aroused." She pulled her labia apart and, with her index finger, indicated her clitoris. "This is my clitoris, my clit. It is the most sensitive part of a woman." She pulled back the hood. "See, it's shaped like a tiny penis. It has a hood, much like the foreskin of your penis. My clit remains under its hood until I'm near orgasm. It is quite delicate and should never be rubbed without lubrication of some sort. Don't ever let your teeth come in contact with it."

Declan drew back, his expression a mixture of surprise and revulsion. "Declan, when you shower, do you wash your face and neck?" He nodded, confused. "You wash your shoulders and arms and legs, you wash your genitals and your bum?" More nodding. "When you come out of the shower, are you clean?" Nodding. "Are your genitals clean? Is there any difference between licking your tummy or licking your cock?" Understanding dawned on him. "See the moisture around my pussy? That is lubricant. That is not waste. You make the same lubricant. Together, they help assure that there is no chafing when you enter a woman.

"The sperm that you eject when you orgasm is most certainly not waste. As you will soon discover, there are lots of places on the body known as erogenous zones. If they are stimulated properly, it enhances the sexual experience." To the room, she said, "I hope you will teach this young man to be a considerate, thoughtful and passionate lover. Declan, and Eamon too, it takes more stimulation for a woman to achieve orgasm than it does for a man. Spend the time and energy to make sure that your partner is ready before you enter her, else you will finish before she reaches her goal. Sometimes a woman wants little or no foreplay, but that is not the usual case.

"By the same token, women know that many men don't last long enough in their first bout of sex. Young men are blessed with the ability to be ready to go a second time pretty quickly. Don't be surprised if your sexual encounters include you getting a blowjob, you licking your partner to orgasm and then one or more sessions of fucking." She looked up and around the room. "The world has changed, hasn't it? I can shed some of my own baggage, can't I? I can say 'fuck' in ordinary conversation!" The whole group laughed.

"Back to our lesson, Declan. This is where the piss comes out of a woman. Down here is where the man goes in, and the baby comes out. Beyond that a bit is the anal sphincter. Some women -- and some men -- like the sphincter played with during sex. Remember our talk about showering. Some like the sphincter penetrated with one or more fingers. Be gentle. It is easy to cause pain. Inside a man's sphincter is the prostate gland. Stimulating that during sex gives a man a very intense and powerful orgasm.

"The lesson is over for you, Declan. You and your new family will be leaving soon. I doubt you'll be a virgin in the morning. Five of us are not going with you. Some of us have absolutely no experience. That experience will come all too soon. You can help make that first experience a good one. Declan, I would like you to stand up, step back several paces and make yourself available for inspection by these young women."

Declan's blush deepened but he smiled, nodded and complied. His cock stood at rigid attention. Dara moved to sit in front of him, knees out and feet beneath her. She guided Molly and the six girls around her. Ryann, with a wry grin, moved to the back of the group, allowing more room for the novices.

When the girls were settled, Dara looked into Declan's eyes and parted her knees. "I'm still somewhat hidden in fur. You're welcome to see what you can." He smiled and nodded his thanks.

Dara wrapped her hand around Declan's cock. He hissed his pleasure. The girls flinched. "Perhaps I am the first besides yourself to touch your cock?" Dara asked softly. Declan nodded. "I trust my touch is not unpleasant?" Declan shook his head. "I'm afraid the girls thought I had hurt you."

Declan smiled and looked to the girls. "It feels so much better having someone else touching me than my own hand. You won't hurt a cock unless you mean to. My balls are another story: please don't squeeze, pull or twist too hard."

Dara collected Molly's hand and guided it up to Declan's cock. Molly wrapped her hand around the shaft. Dara withdrew her own hand. Molly's face expressed awe and wonder as her hand slid up and down, squeezing and caressing. Aislin sat on the other side of Dara. Her hand was guided to join Molly's. Dara withdrew and encouraged the other girls to come close. Soon, there were six female hands fondling and exploring Declan's equipment. He was in heaven. "Gently, ladies," Dara said softly, "and slowly, else you'll have him erupting all over the place. He can have that fun later." The girls giggled.

"Before, masturbation and petting and sex were performed in secret," said Dara. "In spite of the fact that you'll be naked all the time, in spite of the fact that you'll be having and observing sex quite a lot, you will find it difficult to shed your baggage about sex. The first thing you should endeavor to be shed of is secrecy. Say one of you decides you fancy a bonk, but you think it should be 'her' turn next. But you don't know that she just satisfied her itch because she did it on the sly.

"Or say you have the urge but you don't know who might like to play with you. You're too shy to come right out and ask him for a romp, or ask her if she'd like a lick. It might be best if you simply rub one out for yourself, right in front of all, and see if you find someone willing to help out. At worst, you'll get a good orgasm, made all the better because they've watched you pleasure yourself." The girls tittered at such a naughty thought.

"Declan, as I said, I doubt you'll be a virgin in the morning. Fagan girls, you face the prospect that two of you, maybe as many as four of you, will not be with a man tonight. In the Fagan household, even if Eamon and Declan could satisfy two women each, that still leaves two women out. You'd better plan on pleasuring each other.

"Esther told Declan that using his tongue will be very important. Declan had never seen a pussy a short time ago. Do you think he knows how to please a woman with a tongue? A woman knows what will please another woman. You will have to teach him to be an excellent carpet muncher as well as an excellent lover. Never fear: he will teach you how to use your hands and mouth on him.

"Masturbation was shameful and intensely secret. For both boys and girls, masturbation was often performed as fast as possible. Not so any longer. Sex is often much more satisfying if your peak is delayed, kept out of reach for a time. Antici... pation is an agonizingly wonderful thing for both men and women."

Dara approached Declan and gently moved the girls away. "You're near exploding, aren't you?" she asked Declan. He nodded. He was flushed and sweating. "I will give you ladies a bit of a demonstration of the exquisite agony you can cause." Dara brought her face toward Declan's cock, mouth open and about to devour him. She closed her mouth and pulled back a bit, smiling innocently at his face. He groaned.

Again she approached. With her hand, she pressed his rigid cock into his abdomen and made for his balls, mouth open. Instead, she gently blew. He quaked and groaned again. With the very tip of her tongue, she slowly traced the underside of his cock from base to tip. Tremors rippled through him and he could not stand completely still.

"You could make him suffer for quite a long time," she said softly to the girls, "before it stops being fun for you and for him. You can make a woman desperate for release as well. I think I'm not going to torture Declan much longer. It is, after all, his very first blowjob. Usually, I swallow. It's otherwise very messy and men love it when you swallow. This time, I'm going to let you see the geyser he makes when he cums." With that, she enveloped his cock in her warm, wet mouth. She kept taking him in until her nose was in his pubic hair. She held there, doing wondrous things to his cock, and then quickly withdrew until only the head was in her mouth. She made a show of sucking, her cheeks collapsing into the void inside her mouth. She pulled away with a loud pop and swirled her tongue around the head.

Declan was trembling, shuddering, hissing and groaning. He had never felt anything like it in his life. "One or two more times ought to do it," Dara chuckled. Again, she took him completely into her mouth and throat. She gently fondled his balls with her hand. Back she came, to the head. A swirl and a pop, a stroke or two with her hand down his shaft for good measure, and he exploded, roaring out the most powerful orgasm he had ever had. Dara held the shaft straight up. Even she marveled at the height his spunk achieved before falling back. The girls all screeched and laughed at the sight.

Dara's hand was covered with his jizz. She first took him into her mouth again to clean him up. Then, after looking significantly at the girls, she made a show of licking a part of her hand clean. The girls gasped and giggled. "Try some," she told them. Molly didn't hesitate. She collected some, rubbed it between her fingers, smelled it and popped it into her mouth. After a moment's consideration, she smiled. The rest of the novice girls each did the same. Together, they collected all that remained available on Dara's hand and lapped it off their fingers.

When they were done, Declan knelt facing Dara. "Thank you," he said softly but firmly, "thank you from the bottom of my heart." She smiled serenely. "That was the most amazing thing that ever happened to me."

Molly stood and coaxed Declan up. She pulled him into a full body hug. She kissed him on the lips, not with passion but with a promise of more in the future. She broke the embrace. "Hug everyone," she told him. "I think it's time to go."