 
    Chapter 4: New Friends, Old Friends, and Trouble on the Horizon
 
Chapter 13
 
New Friends, Old Friends, and Trouble on the Horizon
 
 
 
            The next few days were more hectic than Ron would have
preferred for his Christmas holiday.  The next day, Social Services
showed up to claim the girl.
 
            "Hello, my name is Heidi Gallagher.  I am here to pick up
little Karen."
 
            "Please, come in.  Karen is with Ron in the living room." 
Sandra led her in, and introduced her.  Sandra sat down in a chair, but
Ms. Gallagher seemed to be in a hurry.
 
            "Come, Karen.  We need to go."  Karen, startled, backed up
behind Ron, who had risen upon Heidi's entrance.  "Come now, we have no
time for this."
 
            "Ms. Gallagher," Ron interjected, "You have all the manners
of a barbarian, and no interpersonal skills at all."  Ron was
re-reading some of his psychology, and had picked up quite a bit of the
lingo.
 
            "Excuse me, young man, but I am a very busy woman.  I don't
have time for this childish nonsense."  She huffed.
 
            "But, ma'am, she *is* a child.  And it isn't nonsense to
her.  She's terrified of you."  Ron replied reasonably.
 
            "I won't go with her!"  Karen screamed.
 
            "Oh, you don't have a choice, young lady."
 
            "Yes, she does."  Karen moved in what would have been an
aggressive motion, but Ron stopped her.  *<Let me handle this.  I will
protect you.>*  Karen nodded.  Ron turned to the woman.  "What would
you do with her?  Stick her in an orphanage?"
 
            "That is where she belongs."  Heidi snapped.
 
            "No, I don't think so."  Ron engaged the woman's eyes. 
"You will draw up and bring back here the papers to put her in our
custody.  You will handle any necessary court details."  Ron released
her, and, without a word, she left.  Ron turned to Karen, who nearly
strangled him with a hug.
 
            "Thank you!"
 
            "Honey?  I know we've got the room and all, but do we
really want to take on another person?"  Sandra asked.
 
            "It's our duty, Mom.  We don't have a choice.  I interfered
with the police, so that makes her my responsibility.  If I wasn't
going to make sure she was okay, I never should have stepped in to
begin with."  This sounded reasonable enough to everyone, and the
matter was dropped.
 
 
 
            Over the next few days, a small army of people came to
interview the family in the house.  Ron had to make adjustments to just
about everyone, but, in the end, the paperwork was signed and filed. 
Karen Pritchart, newly orphaned, was now a ward of the Chaffey extended
family.  Ron had just one more issue to handle.
 
 
 
            Mike showed up on January 3rd.
 
            "You said you had a minor emergency, Ron.  I can't imagine
much that you couldn't handle alone."  Then they entered the living
room, where Karen was sitting.  "Oh.  Hello, I don't think we've met." 
Mike introduced himself, and Karen nodded sheepishly.  "So, what's up?"
 
            Ron answered, "Well, it's Karen here.  She's a psionic."
 
            "Oh?  New to the area?"
 
            "No, she's been living in the house across the street for
the past four years now."
 
            "Curious.  I'll have to check and see who surveyed this
area last.  So, I guess we'll need to sign her up for CAMP, hmm?"
 
            "Well, that’s up to her.  I have only vaguely discussed it
with her, since I'm not cleared for recruitment procedures.  I'll leave
you two to it, I've got something to look after."  Ron went to leave
the room, and as he did so, noticed the worry on Karen's face.  "Don't
worry, I'm not leaving.  I'll be in the kitchen, or upstairs.  I'll be
back before he leaves.  He won't bite.  Much."  He said the last with a
grin, and at least got a small one in return.
 
            After checking in on family members, handling some personal
things that others couldn't do for him, and getting himself something
to eat, he re-entered the living room.
 
            "No."
 
            "So, you don't want to be a member of CAMP?"
 
            "That's not what I said."
 
            Mike threw up his hands in exasperation.
 
            "What's up?" Ron asked.
 
            "She won't go to CAMP, but she won't refuse membership,
either.  We've never had anyone this... stubborn."
 
*            <What's the problem, Karen?>*
 
*            <I don't trust him, or the guys he's talking about.>*
 
*            <But, Karen, I* am* one of the guys he's talking about.>*
 
*            <You're different.  You saved me.  Why can't you teach
me?>*
 
            "No."
 
            "What?"  Mike, not being the rude type, hadn't been
following along on the mental conversation that had just gone on.
 
            "Why not?"  Karen wanted to know.
 
            "I'm not qualified."
 
            "You're teaching Michelle."  She had stopped by a couple of
days ago, and so the three had a little get-together of the minds.
 
            "Karen, I'm teaching Michelle like, really basic stuff.  I
can't teach the big, important stuff."
 
            "Why not?"  This was from Mike, who had finally caught on,
and couldn't resist a perfect opportunity to get Ron involved in
something he was perfectly suited for, but would resist strongly.
 
            "C'mon, Mike!  I'm still learning this stuff myself.  I'm
no teacher."
 
            "We're all still learning, kiddo.  And you're as good as
any instructor we've got at CAMP.  If she's willing to learn at your
hand, that's just fine by us.  Just use the handbook."
 
            Karen was satisfied.  Mike was satisfied.  Ron was
terrified.
 
            "What if I screw up?"
 
            "What if you do?  We all do, sooner or later.  It's just
like teaching any other subject.  The really important stuff, you won't
slip up on.  The rest, if you don't explain it right, well, it just
won't work, that's all.  Then you can explain it again, and then maybe
you'll get it right."
 
            "Ron?  Please?"  Karen was pleading with him.  She was 12,
and she was really good at pleading.  Ron had been good at pleading at
that age, too.  He hated it when girls pleaded with him, because he
could never say no.
 
            "Oh, okay.  But I'm gonna regret this."
 
            "Nah.  No worries, Ron.  Okay, if we can just get her
parents to sign these forms...then...we...what?"  Ron and Karen were
looking at him with one of those expressions.
 
            "She doesn't have any parents."
 
            "What happened to them?"
 
            "Well, let's say they took an early departure into the
hereafter."
 
            "I killed them!"  Karen was rather more direct.  Mike just
sat, stunned.  "Ron?"  He was looking for an explanation.  Ron took
pity on him.
 
            "Her parents were abusive, and so she finally took matters
into her own hands.  Probably what awakened The Ability so early.  The
police were, shall we say, more interested in closing the case than her
safety, and so I had to come to her defense."
 
            "I see.  Well, then, who is guardian?"
 
            "My mother, officially."
 
            "In other words, you."
 
            "You could say that."
 
            "Sign here."  Mike indicated all the places.  It wasn't
legally binding, as such, because Ron was underage.  However, CAMP
rules forbade allowing the follower of a member to sign binding forms. 
"Well, that takes care of that.  What about her schooling?"
 
            "She goes to the junior high.  She will continue to do so."
 
            "Very good.  No problem there.  Good day, and good luck to
you both."  With that, Mike trotted off to his car.
 
            "Thank you."
 
            "I'm going to regret this..." Ron knew he wasn't going to
like this arrangement.  He was wrong.
 
 
 
            Weeks went by, and Karen's skills started to improve.  As
did both her appearance, and her confidence.  They had taken her
shopping to get her new clothes, and had gotten her all those nice
things that girls like.  Ron did not accompany them on that trip:  he
couldn't bear the thought of watching women wading through clothing. 
But, she put on a fashion show of sorts when they got back, and he
couldn't say he disapproved of their taste.
 
            Finally, in mid-February, The Day arrived.  It was time for
Dawn to lose a little weight, and Ron and Sandra took her to the
hospital.  It wasn't a long labor, only about 45 minutes or so. 
Amazingly easy for a first, his mother said.
 
            Ron and his Mom stepped in after the birth to see them
both.  It was a brand new baby boy.  His eyes were a startling blue: he
realized that they were the color of Kumiko's eyes.  Most babies are
born with blue eyes, of course, but Kumiko apparently had never lost
that brilliance in hers.
 
            "Ron?  We never talked about what to name him."  Ron
thought for a second.
 
            "What would you like to name him?"  He asked.
 
            "I don't know.  Mom?"
 
            "I really hadn't thought about it, Dawn.  I assumed you two
had discussed it."
 
            They hadn't, but Ron came up with a name quickly.  "Nathan
Conrad."
 
            "That's pretty.  Why those two, Ron?"  Dawn inquired.
 
            "That names him after each of our grandfathers."
 
            "Oh.  I didn't know what Grandpa Miller's name was.  Nathan
Conrad Chaffey."  And so, a new life emerged into the world. 

*            I wonder if he'll have my gift?  Better for him if he
doesn't.  It puts an awful lot of responsibility on you.*  Ron didn't
know the half of it, yet.
 
 
 
            One of Ron's jobs, as field agent, was to routinely scan
the latents in his area, to see if any were ready for contact by Mr.
McGavin.  He had yet to find one, but he really didn't expect them to
be springing up like they were already.
 
            He was on the trail of one now.  He was a nineteen-year-old
college student.  Ron looked older than his age, but there was no way
he was passing for a college student.  He meandered about campus,
trying to look inconspicuous, and working to locate his target.  He
thought he'd found him, when a little trouble arose.
 
            "Get off our campus, kid."  This was some jock.  *Probably
here on a football scholarship.*  He was big, mean, and ugly.
 
            "What?"
 
            "I said get off our campus.  No squirts or pipsqueaks
allowed."
 
            Just then, a clean-cut boy with black hair walked up.  He
was 5'6" tall, thin, not muscular, pretty much a bookworm type. 
"What's up, Bruce?"
 
            "Stay out of this, dickweed.  I'm gonna pound this little
dude."
 
            Just then, Bruce found himself lying on his back.  *Huh? 
Wait, I didn't do anything...*  He realized that Bruce must have been
knocked down by the other guy.
 
            Ron did a very quick scan.  *Okay, this is my target. 
Right name, address, there's the Ability Sphere, and it's ready for
contact.*  Ron mumbled a "Thanks," and quickly got out of there.
 
*            Geez.  What is this world coming to?  I can't even walk
along quietly on a college campus anymore!*
 
 
 
            It was April, and life was good.  Dawn and her baby were
coming along nicely.  Ron didn't pay all that much attention to the
infant, not really feeling much in the way of a paternal instinct
kicking in.  He played with the little guy, but not much else.  He left
the less pleasant jobs to more qualified, and less powerful,
individuals, like Megan, Jess, and Dawn.  He had taken some sympathy on
his sister, by assigning Jess to infant duty during the night.  That
way, Dawn could at least get some sleep.
 
            Ron was wandering the halls after school one day, when he
heard a familiar voice coming from an office.
 
            "Oh, yes.  He's a wonderful student, too."  That was Mrs.
Hayes’ voice, he was sure of it.
 
            "Well, he makes a splendid tutor."  And that was Linda! 
Ron couldn't pass up the opportunity to find out what they were talking
about.  He walked in through the open doorway.
 
            "I couldn't help but notice you were chatting about me.  Is
there some reason?"  He asked in a playful tone that both ladies
recognized.
 
            "Well, I just happened to notice that Mrs. Hayes there has
a beautiful necklace that seemed, well, rather similar to mine."
 
            "It ought to.  They're identical except for the stone."
 
            "Yes, so I see.  We were about to, um... compare notes, in
a way."
 
            Ron stepped over and closed the door.  "Go ahead."  He
smiled, and winked.  "I don't mind."
 
            Nancy gave in first.  "I don't think just talking will do. 
How about you, Linda?"
 
            "No, not at all.  I think a visual display would be best." 
The ladies advanced on him, both already unbuttoning their blouses.
 
            Ron feigned fright.  "Now, ladies, please...  I'm fragile,
I might break."
 
            Linda ran her hand across his crotch.  "Oooh.  No.  You're
hard, but I don't think you're fragile."  She pulled his shirt off over
his head.  Nancy bent down to work at his jeans.  She got them off,
then let Linda take over while she removed the rest of her clothes.
 
            Linda pulled down his briefs, revealing his hard, throbbing
dick.  She licked her lips at the very sight of it.  "Oh, it's been a
few weeks since I've played with this."  She wrapped her fingers softly
around his prick, and started jacking as she sucked the head into her
mouth.
 
            Nancy had undressed fully now, and was massaging Ron's
chest as she kissed him passionately.  Both women seemed on fire.  Ron
wondered if he ought not to have them over for a weekend sometime. 
*I'm not sure I could survive both for that long!*
 
            Ron rearranged people a little.  He laid Nancy across the
desk, and dove right into her muff, licking and sucking with wild
abandon.  Linda returned to his cock, taking more of it into her mouth
now.  Nancy was moaning from the attention.
 
            Ron was close to coming, he knew that.  There was no
stopping it.  He increased his pace on Nancy's pussy.  She started the
little shudders he'd come to recognize as a small orgasm, just then he
came himself, pouring his seed down Linda's throat.  She took it all,
and sucked him hard again.
 
            It was only fair that Linda get some attention now, as she
was the only one who hadn't come yet.  Ron bent her over the desk, just
over Nancy.  Linda started eating out Nancy, and Ron pushed his rod
into Linda from behind.  She gave a deep moan, and pushed back.  Ron
pulled out so that just his head was in, then plunged back in.  Slowly,
in and out, in and out.  He worked as slow a pace as he could handle. 
Linda was eating Nancy's pussy, licking up and down the slit, then
taking her clit into her mouth and lightly nipping it with her teeth.
 
            Nancy was shuddering constantly now, and the spasms were
becoming more and more violent.  Linda was fucking back at Ron with
some force, and Ron was pushing into Linda faster and faster.  Just
then, Linda went rigid, and let out a yelp.  She strangled it as much
as she could, for there were other people in the building.  Her orgasm
lasted for almost a minute.  Ron pulled out of her, and pulled her into
his arms.  He kissed her softly, gently, sensuously.
 
            "It was good for me, too."  She responded breathlessly.
 
            Ron gently helped her into a chair.  She had always been
kind of out of it after good sex.  But he still had to please Nancy.
 
            Nancy reached out and took his cock in hand.  He had
softened just slightly, so she sucked him until he was good and hard
again.
 
            "Now I want you inside me, lover.  Make me come!"
 
            Ron plunged into her now well-lubricated hole.  She wasn't
interested in slow today.  She wanted it hot and fast.  She wrapped her
legs around his ass and pulled him into her as far and as fast as she
could manage.  Ron started massaging her wonderful tits.  He squeezed
and twisted the nipples, and she mewled in pleasure.  She loved it.
 
            Quickly she started to climb to her orgasm.  She pummeled
him into her faster and faster.  Then, as she was about to come, she
pulled him down to her and kissed him.  As she climaxed, she screamed
into his mouth, still wrestling with his tongue.
 
            They remained like that for some minutes, both of them
coming down from one of their better performances.
 
            "Oh... Damn...that was...just wonderful!"  Nancy said.
 
            Ron felt a soft body behind him, that embraced him in a
glorious hug.  "We were also talking about something else, Ron."
 
            "Oh?  I don't think I'm up to any more today!"
 
            "No, not that.  Both of us are single.  Both of us live in
a fairly expensive apartment.  Both of us wish we could spend more time
with you..."  She trailed off, hoping Nancy would continue, but Ron
picked up for her.
 
            "So, you were wondering if there was room at the Chaffey
house for you two?"  Both women nodded.  "Well, we do have two bedrooms
left, but I did want to have a guest room..."  He was teasing.  They
knew it, but they also worried that, just maybe, he wasn't.
 
            "We'll share a room!" insisted Nancy.  "That's not a
problem.  Neither of us has much stuff!"  Linda agreed.
 
            Ron just shook his head.  "Ladies, you're impossible.  Of
course you're welcome in my home, so long as you live by the rules, and
you understand who's in charge."
 
            "Why, you are, Ron."  Nancy said.  Linda nodded agreement.
 
            "See?  You know the most important rule already.  You can
move in over the weekend, if you like."
 
*            Well, if I don't survive, at least I'll go out happy!*
 
 
 
            It was late May, school was out, and life was fine.  Little
Nathan was a healthy, growing boy.  Dr. Brown was out to see him every
couple weeks.  She didn't normally do house calls, but Ron hadn't given
her a choice in the matter.  He was still torturing her unmercifully,
making her wet and excited anytime she was near him.  She couldn't
understand it, she wasn't attracted to him at all.  On Ron's part, it
was just a fun diversion.
 
            Karen's skills were really coming along well.  He had
gotten her to master all of the defense techniques early on, and they
practiced on each other regularly, and on Michelle, whenever she would
stop by.  Right now Karen was mastering the art of telekinesis, moving
all sorts of things around the house.  The rest of the family had
gotten used to these lessons, and no longer complained that their stuff
wasn't where they'd left it.  One morning, Ron was teaching Karen about
levitation, when he got a strange sensation, as if he were being
watched.  He knew that was impossible; there were at present three
telepaths in the house, since Michelle was visiting, and any telepathic
communication, send or receive, would have been instantly noted.
 Still, the feeling was there.
 
            "Hang on a second, Kar.  I need to check on something." 
Ron went upstairs to his room.  He had made some modifications to the
window in his room that allowed him to look out, without anyone outside
being able to tell.  *I really ought to just install cameras.  It'd be
easier.*  Sure enough, across the street, was a tall man dressed in a
black trench coat.  *Trench coat?  In May?  Talk about conspicuous.* 
He knew the man was not scanning him, but, since he did not know if the
man was a psionic or not, he wouldn't risk a scan of his own.  He
studied the man for a few minutes, until he moved off.  Ron filed the
incident in the back of his mind.  *Strange.  Very strange.*
 
 
 
            Over the summer, this event was repeated many times.  Ron
began to wonder if someone were watching him because they knew, or
suspected, what he was.  *Or, maybe* he thought, *it's an inspector
from Social Services.  No, that's nuts.  Why would they bother doing it
like that?*  Finally, in early July, an event occurred that solved the
matter for him.
 
            It was late morning, around eleven, when the doorbell
rang.  Nikki went to answer the door, and nearly bolted back into the
living room, where Ron was reading.
 
            "What's up, Nik?  Who's at the door?"  Then he saw past
Nikki to... *No, I must be seeing things.  I can't possibly be seeing
who I'm seeing.*  But he was.  Standing in the doorway, in clothes that
hung from her body, torn and even bloody, stood Marinda.
 
            "Ronnn..."  Was all she managed, before collapsing to the
floor.
 
            "Shit.  Okay, Nikki, go get Kumiko, Mom, and Linda."  Nikki
ran to do as she was instructed.  Ron walked over and closed the front
door.  Then he examined Marinda without touching her.  She moaned, but
refused to wake up when he shook her.  His 'counseling team', as he'd
taken to calling them, came in just then.  They all gasped at the sight
of her, but neither Kumiko nor Sandra would approach.
 
            "Get her out of here, Ron!"  screamed Sandra.
 
            "Chill out, Mom.  She can't hurt you.  Heck, I can't even
get her to wake up.  Help me move her into the spare bedroom."  He
finally convinced them to come over and move her.  "Kumiko, I'm going
to put you in charge of caring for her."  He continued in a whisper to
her, "Use the necklace if there's trouble, and send someone to get me
when she wakes up."  Kumiko nodded, Ron told Linda to stay with her,
and then he took his Mom out of the room.
 
            "I don't like it, Ron.  She could be trouble."
 
            "Mom, you don't understand.  James got rid of her powers. 
She can't hurt you anymore.  And, even if she did still have her
powers, James told me before that it was my fault she could get to you,
because of some things I hadn't done.  Well, I've done all those things
now.  It'll be fine, but I need to know why she came here, even after I
ordered her not to."
 
            Sandra didn't argue, but was not happy about things.  Ron
could tell, but there was nothing he could do.  He needed to know what
Marinda knew.  "So, what's for lunch?"
 
 
 
            She was being chased.  They were getting closer, closer,
reaching out for her.  She turned to fight them off, only to find she
had no hands.  She opened her mouth to scream, but emitted only a
whisper.
 
            "You might as well give in.  You're powerless...
powerless..."
 
            Marinda bolted upright in bed, startling the others in the
room.  Quickly she looked about.  Three feet from her was a familiar
face, though she couldn't put a name to it.
 
 
 
            It was late afternoon when Marinda awoke.  Kumiko was still
at her post, but Megan was sitting in with her now.  Marinda sat
upright and scanned the room.  Kumiko was uncomfortable to be this
close to the woman, but she had her orders.  Even this woman deserved
some sympathy, or so Ron had decided.
 
            "Please be still.  You will not be harmed here."  She hoped
she wasn't lying, but really didn't know.  "Master Ron has told me to
look after you.  Megan, please go get Master Ron."  Megan left the room
to go find Ron.  "Would you like some ice water?"
 
            "Yes, please."  Marinda croaked.  Her throat was parched,
and she had some difficulty swallowing.  By the time she had finished
the glass, Ron had entered the room.
 
            "Good evening.  Megan, you can go now."  He motioned Kumiko
to a seat away from the bed.  "I am going to assume you have a good
reason for coming here.  Your condition would seem to indicate you have
been in some sort of fight.  Are you feeling up to telling me what is
going on?"  

            "May I use a restroom, first?"  Ron nodded, and Kumiko
showed her the way, then brought her back.  She sat down on the bed,
and began.
 
            "First of all, I do remember what you are.  I know you are
far stronger than I ever was.  I have come to terms with what my life
has become.  Unfortunately, I have a problem that I don't know how to
resolve, and there is something that you need to know.  Actually, two
somethings."
 
            "Okay, what are they?"
 
            "First off, your father, my Master, is dead."  Ron nodded,
and Kumiko bowed her head.  "Secondly, you are right.  I was in a fight
that got your father killed.  Two psionics came and broke into our
house.  I'm still not sure if they were after him or me, but, without
my powers, there was nothing I could do."
 
            "Who were they?"
 
            "I don't know, but they weren't speaking English."
 
            "Did you recognize the language?"
 
            "No."
 
            "May I scan you?"  This was not unexpected.  She knew he
didn't trust her.  She figured he wanted to make sure she wasn't lying
to him."
 
            "Yes."
 
            Five minutes later, he looked over at Kumiko.  "Russian."
 
            "How do you know?"  Marinda asked.
 
            "You may not recognize it, but you still remember it.  I've
heard enough languages to be able to recognize regions, at least.  That
one is definitely Russian."
 
            "What does it mean, Master?"  Kumiko queried.
 
            "I don't know.  Marinda, you will remain in this room.  You
may use the restroom.  Until I decide what to do with you, you will be
our... guest is the polite term, but prisoner will do.  I don't trust
you yet."  Ron knew that scans could be faked, but only by a real
expert.  He would do a really in-depth scan on her after dinner. 
Nobody could fake that.
 
 
 
            His further scan confirmed that Marinda was, indeed,
telling the truth.  She had come to Ron because she quite simply didn't
know where else to go.
 
            The death of his father didn't upset him any.  The man was
a shit, and everyone knew it.  The scan showed his theory to be at
least somewhat accurate, in that his father had finally managed to hold
a job for more than a month and a half at a time.  He had been a
security guard at a bank when he died.
 
            "So, what happens to me now?"  Marinda asked of Ron.  They
were alone in the guest bedroom.  "I have no skills, I can't get a
job.  What do I do now?"  It was awkward.  She was fully aware that she
had no real cognitive ability.  Unlike most stupid people, who are
blessed with ignorance of their ignorance, she was quite aware that she
was no longer capable of living in the real world.
 
            "Don't worry about that for now.  I'll think of something. 
Now, I need to look you over, and make sure there are no serious
injuries.  Sit still."  Ron ran his hands lightly over her body.  She
shivered at his very touch, still aware of the Power that ran through
the person examining her.  She was also becoming highly aroused by his
caresses, though they were much softer than what she had grown
accustomed to at his father's hands.  Ron took note of her state.
 
            "Feel good?"  He asked mischievously.  He hadn't had a shot
at Marinda that night, leaving her to James.  And, besides, her body
wasn't exactly ugly.
 
            "Yes, it does, sir.  Very good."
 
            "Would you like me to continue?"
 
            "YES... uh, please, sir."  Apparently her father either
hadn't thought of or didn't like 'Master'.
 
            "Very well.  Stand up."  She did as requested.  Ron held
her gently for a moment, letting his eyes rove her body.  She was
wearing what remained of a very nice outfit, a light yellow blouse and
a tan skirt.  It reminded him of some outfits he'd seen Linda wear. 
Their wasn't much left of it now, however.  He gently undid the
fasteners and removed her outer garments, so that now she wore only
underwear.  He embraced her to remove her bra.  She seemed to like that
a lot.  While he was there, he gave her a kiss.  He had meant it to be
quick, but it lingered, neither of them really wanting to let go.  But,
alas, the bra came loose and Ron pulled back, dragging the confining
lingerie off her shoulders and down off her arms.
 
            Marinda was in ecstasy.  She had not felt pleasant caresses
such as these for a very long time.  Ron's father had been a brutal
man, and he'd treated her like shit.  Her life forced her to accept it,
but it did not make her like it.  She could still remember fragments,
mere tidbits, of what she'd been once, and you never lose the memory
that once you were a powerful individual, one with The Ability. 
Knowing that was gone was the hardest thing for her to take.  Mike's
beatings hadn't made things any better, though.  She was aware that Ron
was directly responsible for her losing The Ability, but there was
nothing she could do, even if she'd wanted to.  *At least he's gentle.*
 
            Ron had removed her panties and stockings, so that she was
totally nude now.  He stood back to examine her form once more.  He
could see the discolorations of faded bruises, as well as the fresh
black and blue splotches.  *Why is it,* he wondered, *that I seem to
see a lot of women this way.  There's got to be some way to stop
maniacs from doing this shit.*  Ron moved back in, and gave her another
quick kiss, this time keeping it short.
 
            He moved behind her, and noticed the striped welts from a
severe belt beating.  *Damn, what did I sentence this poor woman to?* 
Then he recalled what she had done to his family.  *Well, maybe she got
what she deserved, and then again, maybe she's paid enough.*  He
decided to talk it over with the family later, but he was feeling
sympathy for her now.
 
            He reached out and massaged her shoulders.  They were
tight, tense with the day's activity.  She relaxed into his grip,
letting tension drip off her body.  He couldn't effectively do more
than this with her standing, so he had her lay down on the double bed
in the room.  He spread his ministrations out, expanding to cover her
back, and eventually her ass and legs.  He spent a considerable amount
of time just relaxing her body.
 
            Eventually, she turned over to face him.  He had been doing
some healing work while he was rubbing, and she was feeling a lot
better now.  She thanked him with her eyes, but with her mouth, she
said.  "You will hurt me, just like your father did."
 
            "No, I won't.  I may pass you to someone who might, but I
will not personally cause you any physical pain."  He made himself very
specific on that.  He wasn't into sadism, and didn't understand how
anyone could do that crap.  "Look, I punished you for what you did to
my family.  At the time, I swore if I ever saw you again, I would kill
you.  Now, I've scanned you, and I know what you've been through in the
last year.  Maybe you've paid enough.  I'll have to talk to the rest of
the family to see what we'll do about you."
 
            Marinda wasn't sure whether or not to believe him.  She
wanted to so badly, but the last year had taken most of her hope and
stomped on it.  "What will you do to me, then?"
 
            "I think, for right now,  I'm going to screw you."  Ron
said matter-of-factly, and started to undress himself.  This surprised
and pleased Marinda, for she figured if he wanted sex, he wouldn't beat
her up first.  Mike never had.  She couldn't understand that Ron
wouldn't do any of the things to her that Mike regularly did, so
destroyed was her mind and spirit.
 
            Ron lay down on the bed, and had her start sucking him. 
She licked around the head, teasing with light, swift strokes of her
tongue.  Then she ran her tongue from the base of his cock all the way
to the tip.  Finally, she brought his prick into her mouth and started
sucking.
 
            Ron enjoyed this, but it left him with little to do.  He
formed his extension into its snake-like shape, and started to rub it
across her tits.  She froze for a moment, then realized it must have
been him doing it, and sank into the wonderful sensation it was causing
in her.  She resumed her sucking, vowing to make him come first. A few
minutes later, she knew it was going to be a close one.  He moved his
extension down to start rubbing across her clit.  She was sopping wet
down there, and steamy hot.  She was writhing on the bed, having a hard
time focusing on the task at hand.  Finally, she gave in, humming on
his cock as her pussy contracted repeatedly, sending shivers up and
down her spine.
 
            Her humming, however, sent shivers up and down Ron's cock. 
He'd been doing okay until then, but her humming was just like a
vibrator.  He couldn't hold back any longer, and gushed a load of sperm
down her throat.  She swallowed it all, an amazing feat considering the
orgasm she was still in the middle of, and kept sucking.
 
            When he was hard again, he retracted his extension, and she
sat up.  Ron indicated to her that he wanted her on all fours.  She
complied, lifting her ass way into the air and laying her head on a
pillow.  Ron pushed into her, marveling at how hot she was.  He
established a steady pace, not too fast, but enough to keep them both
breathing a little heavy.  He reached around and fondled her breasts. 
They were big, and soft, with very large nipples.
 
            He tired of this position, and had her roll onto her back. 
The tricky part was that he didn't pull out of her, and barely stopped
fucking her long enough for her to do so.  He renewed his thrusts, even
faster now.  Marinda was thrashing about in the midst of another orgasm
below him, but he refused to slow the pace.  He kept up his thrusting
until she came once more, and then changed positions again.  This time,
she was lying on her side, with him behind her, holding up one of her
legs to help with access.  Similar to the position he used with Dawn,
but more aggressive, he wasn't slowing down for anything now.  Finally,
he felt he was nearing a time when he would be ready to come.  He
decided he wanted her ass.  He rolled her onto her stomach, and he
pulled her up to her knees.  He aimed his cock at her rosebud, and
pushed.  She grunted loudly in protest as his cock entered her ass.
 
            "Argh!  Oh, shit that..."  She stopped, because she could
no longer determine whether it hurt really bad, or felt really good. 
Ron didn't care, either way.  He inserted himself all the way in, then
set up a slow stroking.  As her bowels loosened up, he increased the
tempo.  Soon, Marinda was grunting and moaning continuously, murmuring
things that he mostly couldn't make out.  Occassionally, he'd hear,
"Oh, yes!  More!  please More!"  and he'd increase the pace just a
little more.  He felt his own climax approaching.  He reached down and
played with her clit as he fucked her ass.  She screamed in orgasm and
slammed back into him, squeezing his cock with her ass.
 
            That set Ron off, and he shot his load deep into her
bowels.  He continued his thrusting until he was completely spent. 
Slowly, his cock started to shrink inside of her.  He bent over and
embraced her.  "I don't know what we're going to do about you, Marinda,
but that sure was fun."
 
            Ron climbed down off the bed, and started to dress. 
Marinda had rolled to her side, but otherwise wasn't moving.
 
            "Diane."
 
            "Hmm?"  Ron replied.
 
            "My name.  Marinda was something I made up.  My real name
is Diane.  Of course, if you'd prefer to call me Marinda, sir..."
 
            "No, I'd prefer Diane.  It's shorter.  Very well.  You may
use the bathroom, and the small lounge next door.  There's a TV there,
and some books.  Someone will be here with you all the time, until I
decide what to do.  Don't worry, at worst, I'll simply have you leave
the house, in the company of someone who can appreciate your talents. 
I'll see you in the morning.  Good-night, Diane."
 
            "Good-night, sir."
 
 
 
            Ron called for a family meeting the next morning.  Megan,
not having any say in the matter at all, was excused to keep an eye on
Diane.  Karen stood in the doorway, not really part of the gathering,
but listening in.
 
            Arranged around the room were all Ron's girls, Kumiko,
Sandra, Dawn holding little Nathan, Nikki, Tammy, Jessica, Linda and
Nancy.  Ron sat for a moment and stared.  *You know, as much as I
sometimes hate having to deal with everything that comes up, to look
around and see all these girls, and they all answer to me!  That's
gotta be worth the trouble.*
 
            "Okay, I've called this meeting for the obvious reason.  We
have a new guest in the house, one who has, in the past, been a danger
to this Family.  I need to decide what to do about her, and I'm looking
for opinions.  Feel free to voice yours now."
 
            Sandra immediately spoke up.  "I don't want her here. 
She's a danger to us all.  What if she still has her powers?  What if
James didn't do his job right?"  James would have had a coronary at
that thought.
 
            "Mom, I've scanned her, okay?  She's not dangerous
anymore.  Most importantly, she cannot live on her own.  We either keep
her here, or I find someone who wants her."
 
            "Ron, as much as she isn't physically dangerous anymore, I
think she may still have a strong emotional hold on those who were here
during the attack."  Linda was speaking like her teacher-self now.  She
continued, "I wasn't here, thankfully, when the Family was attacked. 
My life in this house has been very pleasant.  I'm not sure that would
continue to be the case if this lady were allowed to remain."  There
seemed to be a general consensus of opinion.
 
            "Alright.  I'll accept that the Family doesn't want her
here.  That only makes me ask another question:  What do I do with her?"
 
            Nobody seemed to have an answer to that one.  A couple of
ideas were bandied about, but nothing sensible or practical.  Killing
her was out of the question, and he couldn't just release her like a
wild animal, either.  Then Ron remembered something he had seen once,
when Bill had taken him to dinner.  He had seen an older man sitting
with a beautiful young woman, in her mid or early twenties.
 
*            "Who is that guy, Bill?"*
 
*            "That's a big oil-man.  Why?"*
 
*            "Great looking wife."  Bill laughed.  "What's so funny?"*
 
*            "That's not his wife.  That's his mistress.  She hangs
around him because he's got money."*
 
*            "Doesn't his wife object?"*
 
*            "Not if she knows what's good for her.  That guy's
divorced three other wives because they complained too much about his
affairs."*
 
 
 
*            I wonder...  I'll have to call Bill in on this one.*
 
            "Okay, I have an idea, but I'm not sure it will work.  I
will find a way to remove her from the house within the next few days. 
Thank you all for your help.  Dismissed."  As the group broke up, Ron
had Jessica tell Megan to bring Diane down.  He waited in the living
room.
 
            Diane and Megan entered together.  Diane looked much better
now than she had yesterday.  "Thank you Megan, that will be all. 
Please, sit down, Diane."  Diane sat quietly on the sofa, wondering
what would become of her.  "We have just held a family meeting.  As you
might expect, the rest of the family doesn't want you around."
 
            "I understand, sir.  What will you do to me?"
 
            "I haven't figured that out yet.  I'm going to talk to a
friend of mine later today.  He may be able to find you a good home. 
Please return to your room, and wait for me there."  Diane nodded and
left.  Ron walked to the phone.
 
            "Hello, Mr. Chaffey to speak with Mr. Simmons, please...
Regarding?  A business arrangement... Yes, I'll hold."  Ron tapped his
foot to the music for a total of about 5 seconds.
 
            "Ron, boy!  How the hell have you been!"
 
            "Just fine, Bill, just fine.  How are you and your wife?"
 
            "Great, great!  Hey, I just got one question for you."
 
            "Shoot."
 
            "I don't suppose there's anything you can do to make her
get her tubes tied, huh?  I mean, I don't want them snipping around on
me, and we don't want any more kids, but she won't get it done.  I
don't guess there's anything you can do, is there?"
 
            "Maybe I can, Bill.  Look, Bill, there's another matter I
need to discuss with you, but not on the phone.  Are you free for lunch
today?"
 
            "For you, anytime.  Where is it this time?  The Remington
again, or..."
 
            "No, I need you to come out to the house.  It won't be a
waste of your time."  Ron promised.  Bill had never been disappointed
yet.
 
            "Okay, no trouble.  What time?"
 
            "Whatever's good for you."
 
            "Around one?"
 
            "That's fine, I'll see you then."
 
 
 
            Bill showed up right on time, as usual.
 
            "Please come this way, Mr. Simmons."  Kumiko escorted him
into the formal dining room, where a meal had been prepared by Nancy
and Sandra.
 
            "Boy, this looks good!"  Bill sat down, and Ron joined
him.  Kumiko and Megan provided service to the two men.  "Ron, you are
living a charmed life, m'boy!"
 
            Ron accepted the compliment, and both men started on their
appetizers.  "You said you were having trouble with your wife, not
wanting to 'get fixed'."
 
            "Kind of a cruel term for it, but, yeah, that's the idea. 
I don't suppose you could make her?"
 
            "Bring her by this evening, I think I can do better." 
Bill, surprised, readily agreed to that.  "Now then, have we had any
dissatisfied customers?"  Bill was basically managing Ron's
"reorientation" business for him.
 
            "Nary a one.  Everyone's just pleased as punch."  Bill
tended to speak in clichés, and it was annoying, but Ron lived with
it.  "So, what's cooking today?"
 
            Kumiko served them their main dish, a Chicken Cordon Bleu. 
"Thank you, Kumiko.  You are excused."  Ron watched her go.  So did
Bill.
 
            "Man, what I wouldn't give to have someone like that
walking around the house."
 
            "Exactly my point, though I hadn't intended to make it that
way."  Said Ron, "What *would* you give?"
 
            "Huh?"
 
            "To have something like that walking around your house,
doing what you told her, being there whenever you wanted her?"
 
            "What're you gettin' at, Ron?"
 
            "Megan, please go get Diane."  Megan left to do as she was
told.  "I'm talking about having...um,... a pet.  Just one that walks
on two legs."  Diane and Megan entered the room just then.  "Bill, this
is Diane.  Diane, please greet Bill."
 
            Upon hearing the key phrase, Diane went over, sat in his
lap, and wrapped her arms around him.  "Hello, sir."  She said in a
husky voice.  Bill was having a very difficult time breathing.  The
outfit Ron had chosen for Diane wasn't concealing very much, and Bill
was getting an eyeful.
 
            "Wow!  Ron, just what is going on here?"
 
            "Well, see Bill, it's like this.  Some time ago, Diane
there tried to hurt my family.  So, similar to what I've been doing in
our business, I made some modifications to Diane's personality.  Now,
she is a completely submissive slave to whomever is designated as her
owner.  Nice idea, but, you see, I already have enough, and the family
doesn't want her around, she brings back bad memories and such."
 
            "Well.  I don't think Mary would much care for me bringing
a brand new pet female home with me..."
 
            "That could be fixed, no problem, or, do you know someone
you'd like to owe us a favor?  Or someone who might be willing to pay
the kind of money Diane is so obviously worth?"
 
            "You mean... you want to... Sell her?"
 
            "Whatever works.  It's not like anything we've done
together has been, strictly speaking, legal, Bill."
 
            "Good point.  Can I make some phone calls?"
 
            "Absolutely.  Diane, let the man up."  Diane removed
herself, and Kumiko led Bill to the telephone.
 
            "How'd it go?"  questioned Sandra, after Bill had left.
 
            "I think OK.  He's making some calls now."
 
 
 
            In the end, it turned out Bill did have a friend who was
looking for a 'faithful companion' who didn't talk back.
 
            "He's willing to pay $2 million for her."
 
            *Geez!  2 mil' for a woman I don't really like anyway! 
This could be a really profitable business.*  "Sold.  When will he be
able to pick her up?"
 
            "First thing this evening, when he gets off work.  He
wanted to know how he should pay you."
 
            "However he likes.  I still pay taxes, just like everyone
else.  No need to tell them WHY he paid me, though."
 
            "Good show.  Alright, just one other thing: what does she
have to bring with her?"
 
            "Just a few sets of clothes, nothing else.  He'll have to
provide whatever else he wants her to have.  Oh, and there is one rule
I didn't mention before.  She is still my responsibility so, if he
beats her hard enough that she needs medical attention, I will reclaim
her, without any form of refund."
 
            "Understood.  I don't think he's that type anyway, but I'll
tell him."
 
            Ron and Bill shook hands, and Bill went back to work.
 
            Sandra, Nancy, and Linda were sitting in the kitchen having
coffee together.  "Well," said Ron as he walked in, "That's taken care
of.  Now, we just have to worry about dealing with whatever it is
that's coming on the horizon."
 
            "What do you mean, Ron?" asked Linda.
 
            "What Diane has told me leads me to believe that there is
trouble for our family, but I don't know when it's coming, or from
where.  We need to be ready."
 
            "How do we get ready?" queried Nancy.
 
            "I'm not sure, but we'll have to think of something."
 
 
 
