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Quaranteam Down Under: Part 5
Tuesday, 6 January, 2026
Quaranteam Down Under: Part 5Preparations, memories, pain, resolve.Based on a post by SilverRyden, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Chapter 5Saegusa Residence, Richmond, Victoria, Australia, October 26, 2020, 7:15 AMRayne enjoyed leisurely mornings. A warm bed under him. A warm body beside him. Another gently gyrating on top of him.His eyes snapped open as the final thought registered and his eyes met those of his partner, smiling as she worked her hips, moaning softly.2nd Lieutenant Simone Jennings. One of the two members of Rayne's security detail. Just 22 years old, she was of African descent, her dark skin contrasting wildly with those beautiful baby blue eyes. He gave her a soft smile as she leaned down, her black hair cascading down around her face, giving him a kiss before slamming her hips back down on his hardness. His hands immediately locked onto her ass and squeezed."Morning, baby. Trish and Hasumi are already up, so I'm just getting me some of you before I get a shower."When she and her counterpart, Lieutenant Patricia Barclay, had appeared at Hasumi's door, she had seemed a little dispirited, and Ray had learned that she simply wasn't sure if he'd like her; a combination of her skin tone and the fact that she was someone he'd had no option to veto. Rayne had shot that particular notion down on the spot and had made it a point to kiss just about every inch of her skin during her imprinting. It was both to his credit and his benefit. He'd discovered several sensitive spots on her that even she hadn't known about beforehand. She had woken up happy and relaxed, and when she opened up, Rayne found the real Simone a joy to be around."Morning, Simone. Have you been at this for long?""No baby, I blew you for a couple mins to get the halfie you were sporting nice and hard for me and now I'm taking it for a ride."Rayne drew his hands up her body, letting them come to rest on her perky B-cups. "My loss. I really love watching you blow me, Simone. And that humming thing you do? Damn."She giggled, "Aww, does my mouth make my ginger giant happy? Well, baby, I'll be happy to teach the girls my tricks later, just let it be something special for me for a little longer, okay?"He gazed at the ebony goddess above him, wondering for the umpteenth time how his life could have changed so much in just four days."Nah, you don't have to do that, Simone. If they ask you, sure, teach them if you want, but keeping it a little less known means it will stay special. I'd like that." He pulled one hand away from her breast and stroked the leg of the woman 'sleeping' beside him. "How long do you plan to fake sleep, Stel?"Stella opened her eyes, a wry smile forming on her face. "Was I really that obvious?""Girl, he knew you were awake the moment he realized I was the one riding him." Simone's laughter was contagious and Ray chuckled, nodding."I didn't want to interrupt." Both Rayne and Simone could hear the quaver in her voice. Stella was still occasionally insecure, and the others had easily spotted this and had been actively trying to reassure her."Stella, you're not interrupting. This beefcake is our man. All of us, babe, adore him, and I'd like to think he feels the same about us. But you, you were the first, and he absolutely loves you. He isn't going to just toss you aside. Not now, not ever. So, stop worrying about it and let's have some fun. Get up and straddle him. Get him to put that mouth to good use. We can use ours and have a bit of a 'chat' too." She wiggled her hips again, a devilish smile still tugging at her mouth. "Ooh, he liked hearing that."Stella gave a small smile. "You're right. I should know better than anyone here what kind of guy he is. Ok, Sim. Let's wear his ass out."Ray could feel himself growing even harder as Stella spoke and couldn't help the grin that formed on his face. "I don't know what the odds are that three out of my four partners would be bi, but I think I've used up a lifetime's worth of luck already. Come on, Stel, don't be shy."He started to assist as Simone reached down and pulled Stella upright, helping her straddle his face. The moment he got her situated, he clamped his hands down on Simone's hips and thrust upwards, pulling a whorish moan from her lips. At the same time, he began to attack Stella's clit with his mouth and tongue."Oh fuck, you're so deep! Stella, get over here and kiss me babe, or I'm gonna start screaming."Ray moved his hands from Simone's hips and groped upwards for Stella's tits. He always loved playing with them and this was no exception. Squeezing hard, he could hear as Stella moaned into Simone's mouth and he used his index fingers to flick the nipples. He could feel her entire body shudder at the pleasure and grinned. They maintained their positions for several minutes until he alternately felt both of them orgasm under his ministrations. Stella bucked her hips as she came, and Simone must have seen his grin."Does this make you a happy man, baby? Groping and devouring your fiancée and railing one of your girlfriends while they're tangling tongues? Making them both cum at your mercy?""At my mercy, is it? Alright then."Moving his hands yet again, he lifted Stella off him. She voiced her disappointment but it didn't last long as he sat up, grabbed Simone and spun, leaving her in the spot he was originally in. His cock slipped out in the process, but he paid it no mind."Get on, Stella. Let's get sassy here to work you over and let me make out with you." he looked down at Simone, who was pouting at him. He leaned in to give her a quick kiss and smiled. "In the meantime, I'm going to work you over, sexy. Don't you worry."He lined himself back up but let the tip rub against her clit a few times. Simone groaned, grinding against his erection, and Ray reached down, letting his fingers gently caress her opening as he pushed himself back in. Nothing rough, nothing violent. Just gently pushing, spreading her, driving himself deeper into his ebony-skinned partner. As his tip bumped against Simone's cervix, he felt her squeeze around him and she gasped out, only to have it muffled as Stella bent down to kiss her. Ray started to grind against that spot, making shallow movements as he took Stella's face in his hands and pulled her up to kiss her. The movement gave her room to shuffle her hips over Simone's face, and the younger woman dove in."Oh god, yes! Eat me!"Rayne continued to grind into her, short, shallow thrusts that kept his tip knocking against her inner doors. He'd found Simone loved that, so he made a point of driving her mad with it. It definitely struck him as odd that he was learning the sexual triggers for women other than his fiancée, but something about the experience felt oddly; comforting, too. The chemical interactions in his body as a result of the serum were still a whirlwind of confusion but there was something clearly pushing them together within that, fostering a sense of closeness not only between himself and the women, but between the women themselves. He knew he'd be protective of Stella and Hasumi. He had history with them. But he was already starting to feel similar emotions for Simone and Tricia, women he'd only really met two days ago.He could hear both women moaning, and he brought himself out of his thoughts, pulling back for a much more powerful thrust as the pressure built."I'm almost there!"The two women's moans grew in intensity, and Stella went off as Rayne's mouth latched on to one of her nipples while his fingers deftly flicked the clits of both women. With a final, deep thrust, Ray exploded, sending Simone into her own orgasm as he filled her. Their collective moan rumbled through the room and Stella pulled herself away from Simone's face, so Ray pulled her into his arms. It had become clearer with each day that there was a suggestion he could make that might make this entire process easier for his fiancée, and it was something that he would welcome with open arms too."Stel, I'll never be letting you go, so rather than worrying about something that's never going to happen, you should be planning for our kids."Stella stared at him, wide-eyed. They had certainly discussed children, and they both wanted them, but were going to wait until they were sure their relationship would go the distance."Ray;”"Stella, babe. What's more permanent than this? We're bonded for life. And you and I both know we were already in it for the long run. So why not? The world has lost an entire generation. We want kids, and our jobs don't need strenuous physical activity. They'll have plenty of family around. They'll have their mom and a bunch of stepmoms, too."Rayne continued. He knew it was getting sappy, but Stella needed this. "I was the luckiest man in the world when you said yes, Stel. And this may not be what any of us originally wanted, but we've been blessed with wonderful people around us. It might be the worst and most self-serving thing I can say as a man in this situation, but let's try and be happy with everyone. One big family."She looked at him for a moment and then down at the woman below her. Simone smiled, raising a hand up to caress her cheek while giving Rayne a complicated look. "It's a bit odd for me to be lying here listening to my partner? My boyfriend? Talk about having kids with his fiancée right after he's pumped me full of baby batter. That said, I'd like to be family, Stella. I didn't have anyone else, until now. Having people beside me, sisters, a partner; that makes me happy. If I got to have a couple of kids too? Couldn't be anything better."Stella let out a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob. "I; I've just always been so afraid of losing him. I know it's irrational, because he's never given me any sign of that or reason to be afraid. But in most of the relationships I've been in, my partner was taken from me by someone prettier than me. And all of you are just; so beautiful;”Simone sat up, ignoring the liquids dripping out of her and wrapped her arms around the curvy blonde."Bullshit, babe. You're fucking gorgeous. As far as I'm concerned, you're probably the sexiest slut in this house. And babe, none of us are trying to take Ray away from you. We just want you to share him with us, so we can all be Ray's sluts. Ya hear me? Can you live with that?"Stella nodded into Simone's neck and giggled. "I hear you, and I think I can live with being one of Ray's sluts. Thank you, Simone, Ray. Were you serious about having kids?"Ray grinned. "Damn right. Hopefully somewhere around a year from now, we'll hear some babies around here; or be close, at least. And Simone, I was including you in those words. For now, let's get in the shower and clean up. The other two are probably nearly done making breakfast and wondering what's taking so long."Simone got up and sauntered into the bathroom, leaving Ray and Stella facing one another.Ray smiled as he stroked her cheek. "I meant it. All of it, Stel. If you're ready, throw out those pills, okay? Think about it. Now, you should go and grab a shower with Simone. I need to make a phone call and then I'll hop through there myself."Stella nodded, giving him a gentle kiss as she followed Simone into the bathroom.Ray pulled on a pair of shorts and stepped out onto the back patio as soon as he confirmed that Stella was in the bathroom. October mornings in Melbourne could be brisk and Rayne let the cool air wash over him. Four days. In just four days he'd started to get used to a new 'normal'. Waking up beside multiple women, one literally riding him, was a dream come true for most men, but while Rayne was getting used to it, he felt no less guilty when he saw Stella struggling with her insecurities.He glanced down at the phone in his hand, wondering if Ty would have any advice for him. No. He couldn't keep relying on Tiberius for things like this. This was his family. His problem. Still, Rayne did need to contact him. He hadn't been able to give the man a progress update last night and he was technically scheduled to be offsite today. Best to get it out of the way before he got sidetracked by something or the other.Navigating to the familiar number, he dialed out. It only rang once before it was picked up and Ty's rumbling basso came over the line. "Morning, old mate. What's cracking?""Morning. Just checking in since I got busy last night and couldn't send you the update. As you know, we ramped up production yesterday. One hundred thousand doses, with us batch-testing random allotments."Ty grunted his approval. "Not bad, but that means it will still take us some time to get enough doses to each state. Are you running at capacity?""I'd say this is about 50%. I'll have them hold it there for one more day and then ramp up to full capacity, just to make sure there aren't any issues.""Sensible. What else is on the agenda?""Aside from that, I'm out of the lab today. I'll be heading to the second plant to help get it set up too.""What's that, about 380k plus doses a day?""And then some, Ty. Once both are running, we'll get around four hundred thousand doses a day.""Good. That should do nicely, mate. I'm overcompensating in my accounting for errors, breakages and other miscellaneous issues, but anything beyond that just gives us options in an emergency."Ray pulled his phone from his ear to check the date. "When are you going to the public?""The 10th. By then your people will have built us a nice supply of the serum and we'll have organized with the docs for the actual delivery, as well as having the majority of the military dosed up to handle security. The actual rollout will begin as of the 15th of November, enough time for us to make the announcement, have people sign up on the website for their Oracle link and get through that." Ty paused for a moment. "Speaking of websites, how many of your coder mates are still kicking?"Rayne knew there were a few of his friends still hunkered down. "Got a few here and there. What's up?""Get me their contact info. I got a bit of work I'd like them to do.""What, exactly, so I can point you to the right people."There was another pause and Ray wondered if he'd asked something dangerous."I need them to pick apart Oracle.""Are you looking into having us make our own version?"Ray could almost see the big man shrug. "As much as I'm happy to work alongside the Americans, I don't want to put all our eggs in one basket. Right now, they're the superpower. They've got all the cards. They made the serum. They designed Oracle. We've got access and they're sharing it freely because if they don't, there won't be much of anything left, but that doesn't mean they're not benefitting from it.""But you're still looking to subvert them?""It's not the same thing. Right now, if we put everyone in Australia into Oracle, there's nothing stopping them from demanding we hand people over at their whim. What happens if they ask for valuable assets? Our scientists? Or inventors? IT specialists? Soldiers? They can claim good partners for them or offer them benefits and whatnot if Oracle tells them they're unpaired. I don't know how the system works, and that lack of knowledge is a problem.""How do you even know we'll be able to do that?""I don't, mate. That's why I'm asking you for your code bro contacts. I plan to make it their job to suss that out for us. Now, enough about that. What else's got you worried?"Caught off guard, Ray faltered. "Uh. Nothing.""Don't give me that. You called me early in the day to give me an update a few lines of text could have accomplished. What's bugging you, Ray?"Ray hesitated and Ty gave a monumental sigh."You're still feeling guilty, aren't you?""I;”"You have got to be fucking joking, mate. The way I see it, you have two options. One, you stop carrying on like a pork chop and get on with your life. We didn't ask for this situation, but we need to make the best of it. Yes, our families are going to be a hell of a lot bigger than we ever imagined, but if that's the end of it, then we'll make do. If Stella is the one with the problem you can tell her this. The only way she's going to be separated from you is when one or both of you drop dead. And you've got decades before that's a problem, so she's stuck with you.""I've told her that. I told her that she shouldn't be worried about that but about planning for our kids. I'm hoping that helps ease her fears."Ty chuckled briefly and continued. "I've talked to my fam about kids as well, so I reckon that's a good bet. Now, your other option is for you to find a fix for the bonding part of the serum and make it not a thing anymore."Ray winced. "Easier said than done. The serum is insane. Everything we're learning is just leaving us with more questions. I'm certain it's messing with our hormones and emotional balance in some way. I honestly don't know if it's even possible to undo it."Ty's tone was flat as he continued. "Well, if you figure it out then all you'll have to do is tell your existing partners that you're leaving them for your fiancée. I don't reckon the odds of you surviving that particular conversation are any better than an ice cube's chances of surviving hell, but if that's your plan, by all means. At the very least, I'll sweep up your ashes when they're through with you. How's that for motivation?""That sounds altogether unpleasant.""Well then, answer me this. Do you dislike any of your partners?""No? I don't know Simone or Trish all that well yet, but I certainly do like them.""Do you wish they were different people? As in, do you feel you're incompatible?""No!""Do they make you happy?""; Yes.""Do you make them happy?"Rayne had to pause before he answered. "; I hope so?""Do you want to?"A significantly longer pause, but he couldn't lie. "; Yes.""Then there's your answer, mate. Get on with your life. Go bang out some kids with your partners and try not to worry about the things you can do nothing about. Instead, worry about what you can do to make them happy. I told you before that that's your responsibility."Ray couldn't help the wry smile. "Can you stop being right all the time? It's really making me look bad.""Get your head out of your ass and maybe I won't have to be." Ty paused and changed tack. "Hey. Next Sunday. The 1st. Sort out your ladies in the morning and bring the whole fam our way. We'll have a barbie or something. Make a day of it. Maybe get fucking legless once before we get bogged down in the rollout."Ray laughed. It was just like Ty to suggest a barbecue and then use it as an excuse to drink with him. "You don't have to run that by your partners? I know my sisters would give you hell for just inviting a bunch of people without warning.""Well, I'm the man of this household and don't need permission but considering Lettie is the one waving a piece of paper with 'invite them for dinner on Sunday' written on it in my face, I reckon we're okay on that front. We'll see you then?""I'll let the girls know. Expect us unless something serious comes up.""Good on ya, mate. Oh. Last question. One or two?""Huh? What's this about?"Rayne could hear Ty's smile. "It's a simple question, Ray.""Ok; one?"There was a moment's pause as Ty muttered something that Rayne couldn't quite make out. Though he thought he could just make out the word 'partner' and didn't like the thought that provoked. His fears proved to be well founded only moments later."Alright mate, one new partner it is. Wednesday morning. Be fresh and ready by 8 AM and we'll have her at your door.""Ty?!" The line went dead and Ray could only stare at his phone in disbelief.Thank fuck I didn't say two.A short shower later, Ray walked into the bustling kitchen and smiled. The four wonderful women in his life were standing around the kitchen island, putting the finishing touches on their meals. He smiled again at the thought of all four of the women standing.He stepped up behind Hasumi and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back into him and turned her head, smiling up at him as he leaned down to kiss her."Morning, Sumi. Looks like you're getting more comfortable on your feet.""I am. They're still a little sensitive, but it's so much better than before."When he imprinted Hasumi, he knew there was a small possibility of her undergoing the 'regeneration' he'd read about, so when she hadn't woken up by that evening, he knew it was happening and called for support. Ty had connected him to Grace and Dr. Morgan, who explained the process and what the next steps would be. Ben Morgan had given Ray a good idea of what to expect and how the Americans had been dealing with it, but with the added caveat that everyone's experiences were different.Hasumi had woken up the following morning, having slept for nearly a whole day, confused and unsure. It had been many years since she'd felt anything below her knees, and suddenly there were sensations like never before, so she panicked. When Ray and Stella had managed to calm her down, they explained what had likely happened and relayed the information they had been given. Ray had asked Hasumi to try wiggling her toes and she gave him a look that would have frozen the sun, until she tried it.Then came the tears, a veritable flood. She tried to stand and managed, but her legs were unsteady, not atrophied as she'd kept her body in shape, but unaccustomed to movement after so long. They were also incredibly sensitive, and Hasumi could have sworn that she could feel every fiber of the carpet with the bottoms of her feet. It was too much stimulation and she became overwhelmed, so Stella had insisted that she use her wheelchair again, at least for the day. Once the nerves settled down, then she could walk as much as she pleased.She had barely waited until lunchtime.They couldn't fault her. After all, she'd spent more than a decade in her wheelchair and now had the chance to walk again. A little bit of sensitivity wasn't going to stop her. Hasumi gestured for Stella to come close and whispered in her ear. Rayne watched as the smile spread across Stella's features and she nodded, pulling out her phone before manipulating it for a minute."Ray; help me up, please?" Hasumi's voice was soft, hesitant and almost fearful. Ray had wordlessly walked up to her and extended a hand, more than willing to lend his dear friend, now partner, he'd corrected himself, whatever help she needed.He pulled her to her feet and she stumbled, her 5'3" frame becoming completely engulfed in his arms as he steadied her. At that moment, the speakers in the lounge came to life, playing a gentle track. Ray just grinned."Would you like to dance, Sumi?"The smile she gave him outshone the sun and she molded herself into his arms as they swayed gently to the music. Her full C-cup breasts pressed against Ray's midsection and her head was buried in his chest. He could feel the warm wet tears as they soaked his shirt and so he fought his own arousal as they danced, unwilling to ruin the moment. As the song ended, Ray gestured for Stella to join them, and to his surprise, Hasumi almost leapt towards her, pulling her in for the next song. The two shed tears together as they danced, happy beyond words.Ray just smiled.Back in the now, Ray and Hasumi swayed gently as she finished dressing a bowl of salad. She bore a different smile to the one of their dance, one of contentment and peace. Tapping his arm, she pulled away and walked slowly to the table and Ray couldn't help but notice the bounce in her step. As much as the serum had brought chaos into Rayne's life, it had brought just as much hope and happiness back into Hasumi's. He'd accept the results for that alone.He steeled his resolve at those thoughts, trying to entrench it into his head as much as he could. He felt himself pulled down slightly along with a gentle brush against his cheek and snapped back to reality, reflexively grabbing the arm of the woman that had just kissed his cheek. He pulled the woman to him and she laughed as she pirouetted and stopped in front of him."Hi Trish. Have a good sleep?"Trish was the tallest of his partners at 6'1", though she was still dwarfed by Ray himself. She flipped her wavy blonde hair out of her face and squeezed Ray's crotch with her free hand."I was; right up until somebody started poking my ass with their cock first thing in the morning, hun." She gave Ray a sheepish look. "Normally that would have been fine, except I'm still a little sore from last night."Rayne winced at that. "Sorry Trish. I didn't mean to go so rough. I kinda got carried away."Trish pulled his face down again and kissed Ray on the nose. "Hun, you got excited, and to be fair, I didn't expect you to actually put me face down ass up and rail me like that. Seriously, that made me go off hard. If the trade-off is that I walk funny for a few hours in the morning, I'll live. Just don't ask for a repeat performance right away.""Fair enough." Ray glanced towards the others and met Trish's eyes. "I have to ask though. Are you okay with all of this? I know you don't swing that way, and you didn't disagree when the others invited you to share the bed, so I was worried that you were in there reluctantly."Trish laughed. "Hun, as long as you don't ask me to play with the other girls, I don't care. I'm an army girl. I've shared spaces with other chicks for years now. Naked, dressed, awake, asleep. Who cares? I won't get sexual, but I'm more than good with platonic intimacy. But none of that's important right now. Long story short, I'm good with where we're at, hun. Now go sit. Breakfast is getting cold."Ray gave her a pat on the ass as she disentangled herself and reached over to grab whatever dishes were still left on the counter when he remembered Ty's words. Bringing the steaming plates over, he started to speak as he helped serve."Here's something else to think about then. Ladies, how would you feel about going to a barbecue on Sunday? We've been invited by Ty and my sisters."Hasumi smiled. "I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to talk to Lettie, so I'd love that. I'll call her tonight, after we get back from the lab."Trish looked intrigued. "Your sisters are Captain Charlotte and Captain Leticia Valiant, right? Which means Ty must be Lieutenant Colonel Marshall? It'll be really interesting to meet them."Ray looked at her, confused. "You don't know him already? Isn't he the one who sent you and Simone to me?"Simone snorted into her coffee. "Baby, please, the army has any number of people in it. He may have signed the papers, but I've never met them. Different divisions, different chains of command. They're SAS and I'm regular army. They're also all basically senior officers and I'm a newly minted Lieutenant. There's no way they're directly meeting with junior officers to give orders. Most likely, they got a list of matches for you out of Oracle and then approached us to see who was interested. That said, I do want to meet them. They're pretty famous."Trish nodded her agreement as she ate. "I have to admit, I've wanted to meet the 'Flame-haired Valkyries', not to mention the 'Chainbound Black Bear', but we've never been on the same base."Ray started to nod and frowned, looking back at Trish. "Flame-haired Valkyries? What? And Chainbound Black Bear? They sound like bosses you'd fight in a video game. Who the hell came up with those?"Trish giggled. "It's been making the rounds among the junior officers. It's even on their unit patch. Two redheaded Valkyries leading a chained-up black bear. I think it got started from the sight of your sisters marching their way into their superior's office, where they demanded they not get promoted, since any further bump would cause them to get bumped sideways and into their own units and away from the Lt. Colonel. As for 'Chainbound Black Bear', the general consensus was that your sisters were never going to let him go, and I think they just used a bear instead of Fenrir. I've never formally met him, but I've seen the Lt. Colonel and a bear motif fits him a lot better than a wolf would. From what I've heard, when another officer made an offhand comment about it, he had such a laugh at the idea that he had the artwork for the patch commissioned."Ray grinned now. "Remind me to ask them about that this weekend. That sounds like a real story. I mean, I knew it, but my sisters really have had Ty wrapped up for years."Trish tilted her head. "What's the story with them anyway? How long have they been together?""Uh, together as in, just as friends or as romantic partners?"Trish looked at Ray like he was an idiot. "Romantic, obviously.""In an actual, romantic relationship? Four days.""Four, no fucking way!"Rayne chuckled. "Yes fucking way. They genuinely only got together when Ty was nearly dying to Duo. But how long have they been emotionally involved? Since high school. The three of them have been playing relationship chicken since high school, the numpties. I got to watch all of the teenage drama growing up."Simone smiled at him now. "Then how about you, Ray? What were your high school years like?"The smile on Ray's face didn't disappear, but it definitely became self-depreciating. "I was the uncomfortably tall, gangly redhead kid. Always afraid I'd get bullied, not realizing that Ty had left a legacy that all but made bullying impossible." He shrugged. "I asked him how to avoid it, and he gave me a look that at the time I didn't understand and said he'd sort it out. Two days later, he came back and told me that we were going to the gym."Stella gave Ray a pained smile; she'd heard this story before. "I still can't tell if you regret that decision or not.""Not. Definitely not. I don't regret it, but it was utter hell. For the first two months, every muscle in my body hurt like hell and I was sure Ty was trying to kill me, but I could see the results happening, so I pushed through. I went from this thin, lanky guy to a reasonably fit tall guy. One of my mates got me into playing footy, Ruck, believe it or not." He chortled at his own joke. "Ty's influence saw me get into gaming too, so I had friends on both sides of the proverbial line. I never had Ty's charisma though, so it wasn't quite the same as the legends from his time. By the time I was in Year 11 and doing my VCE. (Victorian Certificate of Education, basically Victoria's version of a high school diploma) I had dated a bit, but nothing serious. Nobody ever clicked, but then these were the same girls who basically ignored me when I was the beanpole, now fawning over the footy team's 'star ruckman'."There was a note of bitterness in Ray's voice as he said that and they ate in silence for a few minutes before Trish followed up."What ended up happening? Obviously, nothing good."Ray put down his utensils and closed his eyes. "One of the girls I dated. I overheard her talking to her friends. We'd had a few games where pro scouts had come to watch, and they spoke to several of us. Those girls thought I might go pro, so they were encouraging my then-girlfriend to sink her claws in deep so she could get money from me. They talked about baby-trapping me. I wanted kids in the future and had made no secret of it, so they thought if I got her pregnant, she could run with it." Ray's expression was remote and his voice devoid of emotion now. "Needless to say, I shut that notion down real fast. I'd had the presence of mind to record the conversation once I figured out what they were talking about and made sure they couldn't turn it around on me. After all, I was only playing footy because of my mate. Sure, it was fun, but I had no interest in making a career of it. I was a science nerd."Simone looked startled. "But you were good enough to have scouts come to you? And after that; you were still willing to trust us and tell us you wanted children;”"Hardly. I was good for a high school guy. Not good for a professional athlete. Besides, I hurt my leg in Year 12 and quit playing. No career there, but I'm genuinely happier where I am now, so I don't feel it's a loss. My mate, though. He stayed on, got scouted. Now, he plays center half for one of the big teams." He paused, reaching out as if to grasp something intangible, the expression on his face transforming from that remote coldness to the gentle warmth they'd come to know. "As for children, I want them but with women I trust and care deeply about. Until very recently, there were only two women who fit those requirements, apart from my sisters who were obviously out of the question. Now there are four."Rayne looked pointedly at the four women seated around him. Both Simone and Trish looked taken aback and shared a glance between themselves. Simone broke the silence that followed in the wake of Ray's words with a gentle smile."Thank you, baby. That means more than you know."Undisclosed CSL Manufacturing Lab, Victoria, Australia, October 26, 2020, 11:40 AM"I doubt there will be too many more delays, Dr. Valiant. Dr. Saegusa has been working real close with us to make sure everything's rigged up right and she's amazing. Our people are the best, but they're not used to manufacturing something this complex. It's got them a bit unnerved."The portly older man dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief as he led Rayne and Trish through the facility. He had been given orders several days ago about retooling the plant for a new serum. But while they had been light on details, they had needed everyone to work through the weekend, indicating an urgency they rarely saw. Unnerved was the lesser of the words he'd have chosen for the situation.Ray nodded, having trouble keeping the irritation from his voice. This was the third time he'd heard that from as many people. "I understand that Mr. Karstaedt. I'm not here to pick a fight about delays, since some setbacks are inevitable given the short timeline you've had to work with. I also do know that Sumi, excuse me, Dr. Saegusa is exceptionally capable and I'm sure everything will be on schedule. I'm just here to inspect the facility before everything gets underway. You're correct that this serum is complicated, and that's why I'm making sure everything is fine. I'm also here to answer whatever questions I can that your people may have."John Karstaedt knew how to run a manufacturing plant. Thirty-three years of experience could attest to that. What he didn't know was how to deal with bigwigs. He was bad with formality at the best of times and these people, these three scientists and their soldier escorts, while they didn't wear fancy suits or sit in boardrooms, were definitely bigwigs. They had the paperwork, they had the badges, and he'd received numerous calls and emails about doing exactly what he was told. The armed soldiers showing up at his door with a bunch of papers to sign had certainly reinforced that notion.He took only a moment to glance at the attractive female soldier before his eyes fell on the assault rifle she was carrying and he shuddered. Just what were these people into that they needed such hardware? Dragging his gaze back to the towering ginger-haired scientist in front of him, he ventured a question. "If that's the case, sir, can you finally tell me what this thing is even for? It's all cloak and dagger and that gives me some unpleasant thoughts, but I'd rather not make wild ass guesses and find out I'm wrong or stepping on the wrong toes. People get 'disappeared' for less."Rayne gave him a look. This was a situation he'd been briefed for, so he knew just the questions to ask. "You were asked to sign an NDA with the military, correct? Do you have a copy of that with you?"John patted his pockets for a moment before reaching into his coveralls and pulling out a folded document. "I signed it and them soldiers gave me a copy, but they didn't exactly tell me anything, so I don't really get why they needed it to begin with. But they told me to keep it with me, so I did. Guess I know why, now."Ray glanced at it, making sure the proper phrases were in the right place before handing it to Trish. She gave it a more thorough reading before handing it back to the plant manager and nodding at Ray.Rayne gave the old man a grim smile and gestured for him to continue. "Alright then. Let's step into your office and have a quick chat. It's something that will become relevant to you and everyone that works here very soon anyway. Please do keep in mind that you cannot speak of it to others just yet."As they returned to Karstaedt's office they chatted idly, but John could feel his stomach doing flips. But whatever Earth-shattering secret he had expected to learn, the truth was far more outrageous. The old plant manager had just about demanded that he and his people be given access to the vaccine, only to be left speechless as Rayne conceded just that with no argument whatsoever, just the acknowledgment that everyone involved would be required to sign an NDA and maintain their silence until told otherwise.Wiping his brow again, Karstaedt looked flummoxed. "This conversation; really didn't go the way I expected it to, Dr. Valiant. I wasn't sure what you were gonna tell me, and I certainly didn't expect this. And once I wrapped my head around it, I kinda thought I was gonna have to fight to get my people treated.""I can see that, Mr. Karstaedt, but the fact of the matter is, everything we're doing is to save this country. You and your people are making that possible, so of course we'd accommodate you.""But then wouldn't it be better to give people hope? Why stop us from talking about it?""It's simply that if the people knew at this stage that we have a solution, before we're ready to implement that solution, there would be panic. Hospitals would be overrun as people scramble to get a vaccine that simply isn't ready for distribution yet. That would, in turn, bring about another wave of infections and more needless deaths."Karstaedt nodded, his face twisting in distaste at the thought. "; Yeah; and I reckon that'd just be the beginning. They'd start to riot, wouldn't they? Say the government's been holding out on them. Saying all sorts of bollocks what'd just make everything worse; yeah. I get you. I can't say I particularly like it, but I get it."Rayne nodded. "Add to that the unusual twists the serum has going for it, and we have the sparks of a very large fire. So, we, along with the military, are making all the preparations while keeping it mostly quiet. Containing the sparks before they turn into a blaze, as it were. Some people are already in the know and are working with us to get this all readied up so that when we tell the public, we're ready to handle the flow of people and have good responses ready for the inevitable questions."After looking thoughtful for a moment, the old man let out a grim laugh. "I'm gonna have to answer some of those inevitable questions myself when my missus finds out." He fixed Rayne and Trish with a speculative gaze. "The two of you are; 'bonded', was it?"When they nodded, he grinned. "Can I speak freely?" Another nod."You're both youngsters, so I don't doubt that you’re going through what they call the 'newlywed phase'." His grin widened as Trish and Ray blushed. "But there'll come a time in your life, Dr. Valiant, when your missus will start to take her wifely duties with a little less enthusiasm and more as a burden of love. It happens. Just don't take it to mean they love ya any less. At least your missus; missusses? Misses? Bugger it, I don't know what the word is, but at least your partners can share that load." He laughed at his own words, and Trish let out a chuckle and fixed her gaze on Rayne."Well, there's enough variety in the house that Ray here won't be starved for choice, and we won't get to the point where we're being asked so often it becomes a burden." Trish's gaze sharpened, becoming somewhat predatory as she continued. "I rather think he's going to be the one feeling burdened. Any number of women, and just one of him."She punctuated her words with a feral smile and burst into laughter along with Karstaedt at Rayne's expression.Karstaedt had relaxed a bit, and his original good cheer was coming through. "Well, looks like this one's got you all figured out as it is, Doctor. You're in for a wild ride, I reckon."Rayne's smile couldn't have been more genuine. "It gets wilder than this? Alright. Bring it on.""Hasumi, Stella, the others should be just about done with their inspection. Are you close to wrapping up here?" Simone was leaning in, her eyes taking in, but not comprehending the formulae on the screen in front of her charge. The others in the room barely looked up as the lithe soldier turned back to face the rest of the room. Unlike Trish, Simone held her rifle more loosely, but she was no less alert. They really didn't expect any trouble here, but Simone wasn't going to be caught flat-footed.Hasumi nodded and sighed in relief as she hit the last few keystrokes. "Done. A couple of seconds to process and then we run the test batch. We'll stick around for that one and if it's all good, we'll go and let these guys do their jobs."Stella indicated her own assent, still typing away on her laptop. Her work wouldn't start until after that test batch was ready, but she was killing time by looking into the virus again. "Let's call Ray and see if we can get some delivery here."Rayne's voice came from the doorway and they both turned to see him walk in, followed by Trish and the plant's manager. "No need to call, Stel. We're right here, and lunch sounds like a good idea. Would you care to join us, Mr. Karstaedt?"The older man gave the group a smile and nodded as they turned and left the room."If ya don't mind having an old geezer like me around, then by all means. Reckon we should either go back to my office or use one of the meeting rooms. Then maybe you'll be willing to tell me more about your family. I haven't met any of your other partners, right?"Simone grinned at the older man and gestured to the four women. "Actually, you have. Everyone here is a part of Team Valiant."Karstaedt's eyebrows climbed almost to his hairline as he gave Rayne an appraising look. "Well damn Doc, you sure have excellent taste in women. A real bevy of beauties."Rayne smiled, his expression turning playful. "All of whom should normally be considered highly intelligent, except when it comes to having chosen me. I hardly deserve them, but I'm very happy they did." He pointed at each of them in turn, laughing at their growing anger. "And now, they're all stuck with the likes of me. So, I can only say that I'm the winner here."Karstaedt laughed. "So it'd seem."Lunch wasn't extravagant. A simple meal from one of Melbourne's many take-out places and some light conversation. It was after lunch that the real fun began. Stella and Hasumi took only a few minutes to confirm that the serum was working as advertised, so Trish had made a call. Within an hour, a task force had arrived, ready to bring everyone in the facility onboard. Karstaedt had been astounded at the speed, but Ray explained that time was of the essence, and they weren't taking the risk of something leaking because they delayed it and accidentally said something in earshot of someone else.The plant workers were confused, but after a brief explanation, they all signed the documentation. They were not, however, prepared for the revelations afterwards. They had hundreds of questions, and much of the afternoon was lost in answering. People were understandably angry, but when they were informed as to how long Australia had known about the solution, they began to calm down."We need you to understand that your silence right now is imperative." Ray stood before the assembled crowd, watching carefully as he spoke. "As you've been told, we're here to manufacture the serum. We've told you the restrictions, and we've told you the intended timeline. We can't have people breaking down hospital doors to get to a vaccine that isn't actually available in enough quantity to help everyone. It would cause chaos. Riots. Deaths from this pandemic that are now almost preventable.""What about all those children? The teenagers. Did they die because whoever made this was slow? Did we lose an entire generation to someone's ineptitude?" The voice from the crowd wasn't loud, but in the utter silence it carried and dug its way into Ray's heart. It was something he'd looked into, and he'd not liked the answer."No. As it turns out, DuoHalo was utterly lethal to anyone in that age bracket; as is the serum. In the same way it is not able to be given directly to men, it is also not able to be administered to those within that specific age bracket. Even if we'd had the serum from the very beginning, those individuals were beyond our ability to save. We're still trying. We're still making every effort to understand the serum and make changes, to limit the; eccentricity of it.""What about those children who are going to enter puberty? What happens to them?" That same voice, now choked with emotion, came back."There's some good news there. They're safe. Any child currently alive is most likely already immune to DuoHalo and will carry that immunity with them throughout their life. They will not need the serum, though it won't hurt them if administered in the appropriate manner. We have all felt the effects of this pandemic. Some more than others." Rayne paused, having found the man in the crowd who had spoken. He met the man's gaze, not surprised in the least to see the tears streaming down his face. "Sir, I'm sorry for your loss. I don't know who, but I also don't know how to say it any better than that. But believe me when I say that I know words simply aren't adequate. But we have hope. Those that are young are safe. Those unborn, from what I know, are safe as well. After vaccination, the protection extends to them and they will be born immune. That's something we will test extensively once we have the opportunity, but what we know is from the reports we have been given. We will bounce back from this tragedy. I understand that it might be a cold comfort, but it's what I have; It's the legacy I have to live by."The man stared back at him, expression shifting between despair and understanding for a few moments, before he nodded and sobbed; heavy, wracking sobs that carried the utter weight of his grief. Ray could only watch as the man broke down, his heart twisting at the sight. Others, too, were teary-eyed, and it was all he could do to close out his speech without collapsing into tears himself. He briefly had a vision of another young woman, wailing three names; her husband and children's names, as she curled into herself on the cold ground. A letter, delivered to his condo later. The emptiness that followed."I; I want everyone here to remember that we're doing this to protect our homes. Our futures. Please keep this quiet for now. Remember that we're not hiding the vaccine in order to gatekeep it. We're keeping it quiet until we have enough ready that everyone can be given it in a timely manner. So, we can maximize our coverage while minimizing collateral damage. Thank you, for what you're doing. You are among the front line of those fighting to keep Australia safe and put her back together. With your help, we can prevent any more senseless loss of life. We've suffered long enough for a mistake that wasn't ours. T-Thank you."It was too much.Ray couldn't take it anymore and strode off the platform, pausing only long enough to tell the girls to get him when they were ready to go home. He locked himself into a bathroom stall and just stared at the wall until Trish knocked on the door to let him know they were ready to go. He got up to follow, but his mind was far, far away.Saegusa Residence, Richmond, Victoria, Australia, October 26, 2020, 5:30 PM"How's he doing?" Simone spoke up as Stella returned to the kitchen table where the others were sitting. They had returned from the lab a little over an hour ago, but Rayne had just asked Hasumi to use the study and had locked himself in."I can hear him. I think he's talking to some of his friends, but I can't tell what about." Stella looked back at the others and felt a sense of calm come over her. She'd only known Simone and Trish for a few days, but they were wonderful girls and treated her so well. As for Hasumi, well, she adored Sumi. She was wonderful and friendly and Stella knew she adored Ray. And in all their years as friends, she'd never pushed the boundaries. Never treated Stella as an obstacle. They'd become friends and close friends, at that.It was like an epiphany. These girls won't hurt me. They're in the same position as I am. It was almost like the realization broke something free in her head, because the headache that had been building began to dissipate."Girls, thank you. I know I've been difficult, what with my insecurities. It's strange. I look at all of you, and before, I would have seen a group of beautiful women that I'd be scared would take Ray away from me; but right now; I can't feel any of that fear. I look at you and see friends. Sisters. Simone, you said it earlier, we're all his, and I think I'm really okay with that now."Simone laughed and gave Stella a beaming smile before kissing the other woman on the cheek as Stella sat. "His sluts, yeah, babe. And you're his Chief slut. First slut? Sluttiest among equals? Damn, those all sound terrible. I vote we figure out something to call you, but that can wait."Hasumi smiled and said nothing, simply standing up and embracing Stella. Trish smiled and let her gaze flicker back towards the hallway. "We're in this together. I don't want to throw the 'L' word around so readily, but he's really easy to like, as are all of you, so that word is getting closer and closer to the tip of my tongue. But right now, I'm worried about him. That Q and A from before really rattled his cage, but I don't have enough background to understand the specifics of why."Stella fixed her gaze on the table as she searched for the right words. "I suppose; I need to talk about what set him off. Though in saying that, I only know about half of it."When they had returned home, Rayne immediately shut himself away in Hasumi's study. The question about losing children had hit close to home. Naturally, he didn't have any children of his own, nor any nieces or nephews; yet. But one of his best friends, another friend from his school days, had.Stefano R. Scarpelli, "Scrappy", to his mates, had been one of the nerds. Though he was a couple of years older, he and Ray had done the same STEM units, and Ray had requested a tutor as some concepts had been eluding him. The tutor turned out to be Scrappy, and they'd gotten along like a house on fire after that first meeting. Within a week, they were fast friends. Once he had been introduced to Ray's other friends, it was as if he'd always been there.It had actually been Ray that had encouraged Scrappy to ask out his classmate, Jenny; the woman who would eventually become his wife. They'd married right out of high school, but they'd been one of those couples you just knew were going to work out. The presence of the toddlers didn't hurt things at all, either. Twins. Pregnancy at sixteen had certainly been an accident, but a happy accident and Scrappy and Jenny had been more than ready to take responsibility. Their parents, though not altogether pleased, had approved of Scrappy's willingness to do the right thing. They had, however, insisted that the couple do their degrees, and both sets of parents had helped with the twins until that point. Scrappy had achieved his dreams, becoming an aeronautical engineer, and Jenny had landed a job as a forensic accountant.For twelve and a half years, it had been a fairytale marriage. At least, until March 2020.Jenny had been away for work in Sydney and had learned that things were going to be locked down, so she'd hastened home. It was a little under two weeks later that she'd begun to feel ill. Jenny isolated herself, but the damage was done. Scrappy and the kids could only watch as his wife; the children's mother, wasted away, her internal organs succumbing one by one.It was barely two days after their mother's hospitalization that the elder of the twins collapsed. Her younger brother followed only minutes later, and Scrappy panicked. When their mother had become sick, he had started to do some real research on the plague. While what he'd learned hadn't been sunshine and roses, he had been hopeful when he'd learned Jenny was likely to survive. Then he'd come across the words that threatened to send him into a tailspin.Kill Zone.When his daughter started coughing uncontrollably, he knew instantly what had happened to his children and rushed back to the hospital. The doctors had taken just one look before their expressions had shut down and the children had been taken to an isolation ward in the ICU, leaving Scrappy with nothing but despair and solitude.Ray had been at the sidelines, in constant contact with his friend, but unable to do much to help directly. The restrictions and Scrappy's own refusals saw him kept at arm's length. Ray did what he could though, sending food and organizing supplies, but when he heard next to nothing from his friend for nearly a full day, he called it in.Ray would have given anything to have been wrong. To have just called in a false alarm.The hospital called him the next day. Rayne was beyond horrified to learn that his friend and the children had succumbed to DuoHalo overnight. As it turned out, Scrappy had been hiding his deterioration, outwardly displaying strength for the sake of his family. He had known he was doomed, though, and had left instructions with the hospital that Rayne was to be informed immediately, though his wife was only to be told once she recovered. His wife hadn't seen him in person in several days since she was in an isolation ward herself.Protecting her from the knowledge while she convalesced was a sensible course of action. When he'd called Jenny to check in, he'd been trying his best to keep the news from leaking into his expression. He'd told her that Scrappy and the kids were resting. It had been a busy weekend, preparing this and that for when she was released. All of it was true; to a point. Ray had been busy, organizing the burial. It was done, as medical professionals had insisted on cremation immediately, and Ray had no choice in the matter. He had subsequently buried them in their family plot. The house had been cleaned, challenging as that was wearing a hazard suit. He truly thought he'd had at least some measure of success. He was just dreading telling her the truth.Jenny, it turned out, was a better actress than he would ever be, as she gave him a small smile and said she was looking forward to seeing her family. Rayne suspected nothing, but the smile unnerved him. She had just been moved to a regular room, though she was still several days from being released.His fears were once again founded when the hospital called him at 2AM, panicked that she'd disappeared.Rayne knew where she'd be. There was only one place she'd go.He ran through the graveyard, the light mist making it just aggravating enough that he had to slow down to not slip on the cobble path. Still, he could hear her wails. The heart-rending sobs of a broken woman from his destination. As he reached the grave, he had a sinking suspicion and knew it was too late. He'd told the hospital to send an ambulance, but they'd never make it in time. Jenny had heard him coming, but never turned as she spoke."Thank you for taking care of them, Ray. Stefano and the kids loved you. If you have any messages for them, let me know. I'm going to meet them now. Like I said, I've been looking forward to seeing my family.""Jen, don't do this. This isn't right. None of them would want this for you. Please stop." Rayne approached slowly, trying not to set her off, but her head whipped around and there was true madness in her eyes. There was a scent in the air that was somewhat out of place. Familiar, but alien nevertheless."No, Ray. This is my fault. I brought death home with me. Brought it to my children. Brought it to the love of my life. It was me!" She screamed the last word, her hands moving erratically, though he couldn't see them clearly from his angle. The scent grew stronger, and Ray thought it was metal, but dismissed it. There was plenty of it around. Brass statues, grave plates and the like. The misting rain was messing with his sense of smell."Jenny, it isn't your fault. You couldn't know you had it. You had no idea. None of us did. Scrappy wouldn't want this for you. He'd never blame you."Her wails reached fever pitch again as she cried. "Stefano is gone, Rayne! My children are gone! Maria and Max are gone! I brought it with me! I lived because they died! I; paid for my life with their blood! Now I have to share mine with them." She seemed to have a moment of clarity, meeting his gaze with her own desperate stare, but it passed and her eyes returned to their unfocused state and she looked through him once more. "You; you need to fix this. Help; children; Help; parents; not suffer. Find; a cure; Promise; me; You; can't; give up; I; I'm; coming, my; darlings;”Her eyes began to glaze over and Ray circled around her, getting closer. What he saw nearly made him throw up. The metallic smell made sense now. Blood. Blood in quantities that only belonged in a body or a blood bank. He really was too late. He had no idea what kind of painkillers Jen must have been on, because the sight he was seeing should have been painful beyond words.The grieving woman had slashed both her wrists.She'd clearly stolen a scalpel from the hospital, because it was discarded, glinting in the light of his flashlight. No, what really caught his eye was the growing puddle of blood gushing from the woman in front of him. She'd slashed herself open, her lifeblood spilling out onto the ground before the grave. How she hadn't slipped into shock already was beyond his comprehension.The woman let out one final wail, crying out her family's names, curling up on the cold ground, her body going still. An image that would haunt him forever."Oh God. Jen!" He heard others making their way in his direction and raised his voice screaming for help.Help that would do her no good.That night haunted his dreams even now, months later, and Rayne shuddered at the memory of it. He hadn't done enough, in his opinion. He could have done better. He could have done more. He --His phone rang as he spiraled into his head and he looked at the caller ID. Seamus McLachlan. One of the coders he'd texted that morning. He shook his head clear, banishing the specter of Jenny Scarpelli from his thoughts. He had failed her then, but he had kept his word since, dedicating himself to finding a solution. One had been thrust upon him, but that made it no less viable. He certainly didn't like everything about it, but it was something to work from.Ray answered his phone, still shaking himself out of his gloom. "Hey Seamus. Good of you to get back to me."The Scotsman's booming voice was quite the comfort with Ray's current mood. "Heyo mate. You gave me a right surprise when you texted me this morning. You don't usually come to me with work opportunities, after all. Not really your neck of the woods.""Yeah, I know. But another mate of mine came to me to ask if I had coders on tap. I thought of you, Benny and Derek. He'll probably need all three of you, to be honest. The thing he wants you working on is big. I can't talk about the details directly, but I'll put you onto him.""Private?""Military, but you can consider it a government project.""Alright, give me his details. I'll ring him first thing tomorrow."Rayne shot Tiberius a text, and the response came back in seconds. "Hold that thought, Seamus. I'll see if I can get a hold of Benny and Derek and then I can put all three of you through at once. Might be a good time to conference. Let me call you back in five."He made contact with both of his other friends and set up a voice call with all five of them in attendance. After he made his introductions, however, he fell silent, letting his thoughts drift again.The letter had reached him almost a week after Jen had been laid to rest alongside her family. Postal delays had become common, but it was irrelevant. It was far too late. He opened it, and Scrappy's familiar hand greeted him.Hey Ray,If you're reading this, I'm too far gone. Duo's got a hold of me, and that's why I prevented you from visiting to help. I couldn't put you at risk too. The kids; when I read about the Kill Zone, my heart nearly stopped. I knew. I knew if they caught it, they were doomed. No parent should outlive his kids, Ray. If they do somehow survive, please look after them and Jenny. They'll need you.I know Jenny is probably out of the woods, but don't let her know about me until she's out of the hospital entirely and you can keep an eye on her. I stopped the doctors from letting her know that the kids are in the ICU near her, since I know she feels guilty and has been afraid that she brought it to us. I'll make it up to her if I pull through, don't worry.But if I don't, do me a favor. Protect her. I know you've got your girlfriend, but Jen's going to need you too. Be a friend to her, okay? I'm entrusting her to you.I never said it enough, but thanks for getting me off my ass about her. It was the best decision I ever made, with taking your request for tutoring coming a close second.One last thing. Promise me you won't let this situation put you off starting your own family. I know you'll work the problem and find a way through, so do it.Thanks mate, you're a legend.StefanoRay was in tears at the first line, but by the time he finished, he was nigh inconsolable. Stella had found him curled up on the floor, sobbing over the letter, and he'd just clung to her. Hours passed with them holding one another, no words, just tears. Eventually, she'd managed to get parts of the story from him, but he still baulked any time it came up.It had left an indelible scar on his heart.Everyone just stared as Stella finished talking. There wasn't a dry eye at the table, the four women reduced to blubbering messes."How? How can he just pick up and keep going? How can he talk about having children of his own after that?" Simone was bawling, her face in her hands."Because I must. Because if I just gave up, we wouldn't be here. And because I made them a promise." Ray's voice carried into the kitchen and he walked in, still looking a bit haunted. "I take it Stella filled you in?"As everyone nodded, Rayne walked around the table and kissed everyone's temple. "Thanks for shedding tears on my behalf. I won't lie and say it doesn't hurt. I miss them. But they're my foundation. The legacy I'm working to fill."He walked to the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water as everyone watched. Seeing them all worried about him brought him an odd sense of calm, and he could feel the demons in his mind receding."You're not upset with us for discussing this?""Why would I be? It's definitely something I need to talk to all of you about. I was actually going to do so tonight after I finished in the study, but you've beaten me to it, so I guess we'll have to talk about something else." There was a soft smile as he said that, so the girls all relaxed. "For now, I should go and make sure Ty doesn't drive my friends insane. I'll explain that one later too, so don't worry."As he vanished down the hallway again, Trish looked contemplative. "He looked a lot better leaving than he did walking in, I have to say."Hasumi nodded. "I guess really seeing he's got support and knowing the people around him care helps. Can I recommend we love bomb him tonight? It doesn't have to be sex. Just show him how much he's loved."Everyone agreed. It was a simple choice. They spent several minutes making light plans, but no one was getting too serious about it. They'd just show him every drop of love they could squeeze out.Eventually, Simone was the one to change the subject. "I also hate to be the one who brings it up with this timing, but Trish, one of us needs to stay on our birth control, or we need to put in a request for additional security. Can't have us both getting knocked up at the same time."Trish nodded. "I'll stay on my BC so you go first, hun. You've wanted this for a long time. I got a heads up from HQ today as well. We're getting another team member during the week, and probably a second near the end of the week. One of them will be an additional security member, so we're good either way.""It's gonna get crowded, huh." Simone glanced at Stella, who smiled back."We'll make it work. You guys will help, right?"Simone grinned. "The Chief Slut has spoken. We can but obey."To be continued in part 6. Based on a post by SilverRyden, in 15 parts, for Literotica.
