Three Square Meals

"So, this is what I really look like?" Jade marvelled, turning one way and then the other as she looked at herself in the four mirrors.

John watched her from one side of the walk-in wardrobe, and smiled as he replied, "Still just as beautiful as ever, little catgirl."

She turned to grin at him, her cute nose wrinkling as she did so, and revealing her pointed canines in her sparkling smile. Jade saw his gaze fall on her pointed teeth, and she giggled when she looked in the mirror and bared her fangs. "These won't be practical at all," she said, throwing him a naughty, mischievous smile.

The Nymph still looked like herself, or at least her facial features were still definitely all Jade, but the pointed cat ears, the tail, and the close coat of green fur were all definitely new. She turned to look at him studying her, and she did a little pirouette for him to show off her new physique, lashing her tail playfully before disappearing in a shimmering green haze. When the blur dissipated, she was back to her familiar Nymph-shape again, and she glided over to him and into his arms.

After he'd revived her, and the initial shock had worn off, Jade had been overjoyed to see him safe and well, positively brimming with energy in her enthusiasm. Now that she had shifted back to her normal Nymph form, it turned out to be quite literally true in her case, as the light viridian lines that emphasised her curves were glowing with an ethereal radiance.

"Aren't you going to stay in your natural form?" he asked her in surprise.

She shook her head slightly, looking up at him with her emerald cat-like eyes, and replied in a soft whisper, "You fell in love with me looking like this. This is the 'real' me now." She paused, looking away from him with a thoughtful look on her face, and she smiled to herself as she admitted, "This form actually feels more comfortable and satisfying than copying Alyssa now. I wouldn't change it for the world."

He wrapped the nude girl in his arms, and held her tight as she nuzzled her head against his chest, purring with contentment. "I love you, whatever shape you're in," he told her sincerely.

"So you'd like to go to bed with me looking like a big hairy spider?" she asked him, a teasing gleam in her eyes.

He chuckled and replied, "Let's just say some forms are better suited for different activities than others."

She giggled, and nodded, running her tongue over her Terran-like teeth, and said, "Those pointy teeth would never do. Not for what I like doing with you most." She paused, and looking thoughtful, she mused, "My natural form is quite exotic though. Perhaps my Master would enjoy ravishing his fiancé as a petite catgirl for a change?"

John coughed and avoided her probing gaze but he couldn't deny he found the thought intriguing. With Jade watching for the slightest shift in his expression, she caught the spark of interest, and gave him a knowing look. Her emerald eyes gleamed with excitement, and he could feel her smooth skin warm up beneath his fingers.

He smiled at her as he caressed her sleek body, and said, "As fun as it is flirting with you like this, we'd better get started if you're going to start nursing Calara back to health."

"I can't wait," she sighed looking up at him with several emotions playing across her beautiful face. He could see a burning lust in her eyes, intertwined with a look of love and adoration.

They walked back into the bedroom hand-in-hand, and Jade was gentle as she helped him strip off the training gear he was still wearing from his fight with Yamamoto. Rachel had bandaged the wicked cuts across his arms that he'd received fighting against the deadly ninja, so Jade was especially careful not to brush her hands against those wounds. When he was as naked as she was, she gave him a smouldering look and tugged his hand impatiently, leading him over to the bed. They passed the big comfortable chair, which he'd sometimes use to relax in while watching the girls playing together, and he quickly took a seat, pulling her back to him.

"Here," he said, looking up into her eyes and placing his hands around her waist.

She nodded with excitement, and he lifted her effortlessly into the air, then brought her over his lap. Jade was agile and very limber, so she raised and spread her legs as he carried her over his thighs to straddle him. When he positioned her over his cock, she sank down his shaft in one long smooth motion. The Nymph linked her arms around his neck, then leaned forward, pressing her full breasts and svelte tummy against his torso.

"This is different," she noted, her full lips twitching into a smile.

"More intimate," he agreed, wrapping his arms around her, and holding her protectively against him.

Their faces were only inches away from each other, and as she gazed at him lovingly, he could see the cat-like irises in her emerald eyes grow big and round.

"You saved me," she murmured in a soft whisper, her mood shifting as she stared at him in wonder.

Ever since he'd brought her back to life, she'd been perky and upbeat; but now, in this moment of quiet, she suddenly seemed overawed by what had just happened. She leaned into him and started placing small, tender kisses on his lips, repositioning herself slightly so she could cradle his face in her hands.

"I love you, Jade," he replied. "I'm not going to let anyone take you from me like that."

She whimpered with arousal, her kisses growing more passionate and full of desire. He placed his hands on her firm buttocks as she started to gyrate in his lap, and she began to massage his cock with her incredibly tactile internal muscles. She alternated from rubbing his cock with what felt like the soft hands of a gaggle of eager girls, to what seemed like a dozen questing tongues licking every inch of his shaft. He groaned as she rode him, stroking his length inside her with a variety of different sensual rhythms.

"I'm yours forever," she whispered to him, giving him a smile of tremendous satisfaction as she watched him relish her talents.

He gasped as she picked up the pace, the tongues and soft hands vying with each other to see who could bring him to climax first. "I won't last much longer if you keep that up," he panted, staring at her beautiful face.

"I don't want you to," she purred, lowering her hands from his face and placing them on her slim stomach. Not interrupting that exciting rhythm for a moment, she tilted backwards to give herself plenty of room to expand, and he could clearly see the big bulge in her abdomen where his cock was fully impaled inside her. She sighed rapturously, and said, "Fill me, my love."

"Calara?" he asked her through gritted teeth.

"Will be sharing your cum soon," she reassured him, her hands massaging the head of his cock through her taut skin.

The wanton look of desire she gave him prevented him from holding out any longer, and he grabbed hold of her trim waist as he began shooting his load inside her. Jade cried out in ecstasy as she felt the heavy splashes of spunk filling up her womb, and her thighs began to tremble as she joined him in his climax. Her delicate fingers cupped her growing belly, her hands spreading further apart as her tummy rapidly expanded to carry everything his quad could give her.

Soon their stomachs were touching again, but hers was now bowed-out with several pints of cum filling her up. His quad gave up its last spurt, his balls now fully emptied inside her, and he sagged back into the chair with a disbelieving groan. They shared a happy grin, and he stroked the huge bump she was now carrying, her skin feeling soft and smooth where it had stretched to carry his load.

"Happy birthday," he said with a playful smile.

Jade giggled, and said, "My favourite present, ever!"

He helped her up, and she gave him a gentle kiss when he stood up beside her. "Thank you," she told him, her expression open and full of gratitude.

Giving her a warm smile, he replied, "You're very welcome, but I'm going to be very unhappy with you if you let yourself get killed again."

She sighed with contentment, and said, "I'll be more careful, I promise."

"Good girl," he said to her, pulling her into his arms for another hug. When they eventually parted, he said, "You better get down to Medical, I'll get dressed and join you in a moment."

"Whatever you say," she said with a dreamy smile, and she glided from the bedroom, humming a soft tune to herself.

He watched with a smile on his face as the nubile Nymph padded out of the room, then strolled into the bathroom to get cleaned up. *Are you there, Edraele?* he asked the House Valaden Matriarch.

*I'm here,* she replied, and he could hear the relief in her voice, although she sounded exhausted.

He turned on the shower, and said, *I'm so sorry I haven't been able to thank you properly since the rescue. Things have been non-stop crazy since I broke out.*

*There's no need to apologise,* she replied soothingly. *I'm just so happy that you're all safe and well. I was so worried when you were knocked out.*

John felt a sharp pang of regret that he wasn't on Valaden right now, and able to give the remarkable woman a heartfelt hug of thanks for saving his life. She was being so selfless and giving with him, and he wished there was some way he could repay her for all she'd done.

*You already have,* she told him quietly. *You literally made me the person I am today, and I can't tell you how rewarding it's been, living this new life you created for me. I'm filled with a drive and sense of purpose I've never experienced before, and It's been lovely growing closer to Luna and the girls. Irillith and I are rebuilding our relationship too, and my world is starting to feel complete for the first time in what seems like forever.*

*It's great to hear you're happy,* he replied, as he washed himself under the warm sprays of water. *I just wish I could do something more tangible for you to show my appreciation.*

She laughed, sounding tired but happy, now that her worries about his safety had fallen away. *Just stay safe, and return to me. Making love for the first time will be reward enough,* she told him, her voice full of longing.

*I'll look forward to it,* he said with a smile. He stopped washing himself under the splashing water for a moment, and his tone was earnest as he added, *Thank you though, Edraele. You saved my life back there, and I'll never forget what you did for me.*

She didn't reply, but he could feel the warm wellspring of positive emotions flooding from her as she basked in his praise. It was a lovely feeling, and his mind savoured the glorious sensation of her happiness washing over him. He finished his shower, and dried off quickly before going to get dressed, all the while enjoying the lovely connection he had with Edraele.

By the time he'd returned to the Medical Bay, Calara was now sporting an impressively curved abdomen, which he could see tenting the sheets. Jade was sitting in one of the comfortable visitor's chairs with Dana cradled in her arms, the redhead sucking greedily at the Nymph's slightly swollen breasts. Irillith licked her lips, a satisfied smile on her face, and her full lips spread into a gorgeous grin when she saw him arrive.

"Hello, John," she greeted him warmly, stepping over to him for a hug. Alyssa and Rachel had lazy smiles on their faces, and he guessed they'd received similar tender care from Jade.

He smiled back at the Maliri girl in his arms, and noted, "You look much happier."

She blushed, then smiled at him coyly as she replied, "You know why."

"Mmm, I can guess," he hummed, running his fingers over her slim stomach, and drawing a soft sigh from the exotic blue-skinned girl.

Rachel laughed, the sound both light and cheerful, and it brightened up the Medical Bay as it echoed around the room. "I'm glad I've been able to help you guys with research. You certainly don't need me for my medical expertise, Doctor Jade seems to be taking excellent care of everyone," she joked with a smile.

The Nymph's emerald eyes gleamed as she turned to look at John, and she said breathily, "He's grown so powerful, death isn't even a problem any more."

"I think you're a special case, Jade," John protested raising his hands in the air, urging caution. "Please don't start getting complacent, everyone!"

Rachel pouted, and said, "It's too late for that. Dana wouldn't even let me splint her broken ankle! She said, and I quote: 'Don't waste your time, babes. John will stuff me full of spunk and I'll be good as new'."

Dana had emptied Jade's breasts of their delicious, sweet-tasting contents, and she lifted up her shirt to run her hands over her slightly curved stomach. "It's true though," she said with a languid smile. "Now I'm carrying his cum, it's almost like I can feel him looking after me."

Alyssa put her arm around Rachel, and said to the frustrated brunette, "Don't listen to Dana, she's just cum-drunk. Calara was bleeding to death, and you saved her life. Please don't think for one second, that I'm not eternally grateful for your medical expertise."

John had walked over to join them and he placed his hands on Rachel's hips as he looked down at her, and said, "Alyssa's totally right, and thank you so much for what you did for Calara." He sighed as he added, "As miraculous as this healing is, it's not always exactly practical to just top you up. Besides, if anything happened to me, like this abduction attempt, then I need you to look after the girls."

Rachel was listening to him attentively, and she smiled when he finished speaking, then said, "Of course, I'd rather no one got hurt in the first place, but I'll always be there to help where I can." She blushed but kept eye contact with him, as she added, "I'm being a hypocrite anyway. I was just as eager to be nursed by Jade as the others."

Raising his left hand, he lifted her chin so he could get a better look at the numerous cuts and abrasions that she'd sealed over with a wound closure gel. His right hand slipped under her shirt, and began to gently caress the spot on her lower belly where the swallow tattoo had once been. "Good, I want to take care of you too," he said protectively.

She gasped at his touch, then stared into his eyes while giving him an alluring smile.

"Talking of abduction attempts," Alyssa said, glancing over at the occupied cryostasis pod. "What are we going to do with the deadly elephant in the room?"

John saw that the cryostasis pod was now banded in thick strips of Crystal Alyssium, and he knew even he would struggle to break out of there. "Nice precautions," he noted when he turned back to Alyssa. She just raised an eyebrow, declining to comment. He heaved a sigh, and continued, "Despite the temporary high from Jade's pick-me-up, I know you're all still tired from being tapped for psychic energy. I'm worn out too, and I need some rest. I suggest we interrogate our prisoner after a nap, and we can try to find out what she knows."

"I'll be looking forward to that," Dana said ominously, the smile dropping from her face as she glared at the captive ninja.

John looked at Alyssa and asked, "How long until we reach the Dragon March?"

"Just under twelve hours to go," she replied immediately. "Despite all the shit with the assassination attempt we only lost about two hours from all that."

"Alright, time for bed then, all of you. We'll be able to get a good rest, and still have plenty of time afterwards to assess what just happened," John said, his voice firm and authoritative. He turned to look at the slumbering Latina, and said to Alyssa, "Can you bring Calara with you, please? We'll need to keep her topped up so I can continue healing her."

The girls nodded obediently, and started filing out of the Medical Bay. As he watched Alyssa gliding over to Calara, he held out his hand to stop Rachel, and asked her, "Are you sure it's safe leaving the assassin in cryostasis? She won't be able to break out?"

Rachel stood still, and turned to look back at the cryo-pod. She stared at the bloodied and battered captive for a moment, then replied cautiously, "If she was an ordinary woman, then she'd be totally helpless until we bring her out of cryostasis. I gave her a full body scan when we put her in the pod, and she's had dozens of invasive cybernetic enhancements. Until I analyse all her implants, I can't give you any guarantees, but she's probably safely contained in there."

"Alright, thank you, Doctor," he said to her with a grateful nod.

"Any time, Rear Admiral," she replied with a teasing salute. With an amused chuckle she added, "Believe it or not, I'm actually a Second Lieutenant. Not that I really care much about ranks, but it's amusing how much you outrank me now."

He raised an eyebrow as he said, "And yet, according to Terran Federation regs, you're still able to judge me unfit for command on medical grounds, and have me removed from active duty. Quite the responsibility you have there, Second Lieutenant."

"You better be a good boy then, and do exactly what I want," she replied flirtatiously.

He grinned at her as he asked, "And what might that be, young lady?"

"You'll have to come and visit me in Medical some time to find out," she teased him in reply.

He laughed, and swatted her on the rump, saying, "Off to bed, I'll join you in a minute."

She gave him a playful wave goodbye, and sashayed out of the Medical Bay. When she had gone, he turned to see Alyssa sitting beside Calara's bed, gazing intently at the sleeping girl and gently brushing her fingers through her lover's dark hair. When she realised she had his attention, her piercing blue eyes flicked to his, and a wry smile formed on her face. He strolled over to join her, and she raised an eyebrow, and asked, "So now it's just us, are you going to tell me about 'Radiant Alyssa'?"

"Ah, so you know about her then?" John asked hesitantly.

She frowned, and replied, "While you were spirit-walking, it was really difficult to hear what you were thinking. I did hear you bump into someone you referred to as Radiant Alyssa, and whoever she is, she shocked the hell out of you."

John gently stroked her cheek as he said, "I don't have any real answers for you yet. You're right though, I did run into her when I was Sprit-walking, and she helped me bring Jade back. We were too busy to talk at the time, but she said that if I go back and see her, she'd tell me what I want to know."

"Who or what do you think she is?" Alyssa asked him, her bright blue eyes looking huge as she stared at him, waiting breathlessly for his response.

He hesitated, then finally replied, "I think she's been helping us for months, but that's about all I'm certain of. I really want to find out more about her, but there's a problem." He looked troubled as he continued, "She wasn't the only thing I saw there. There's an echo of Progenitor John on the Astral Plane, and I'm guessing it's probably got something to do with the ethereal prison I banished him to. Trying to peel myself from my body is probably ten times harder than it should be because of it, so I'll need to be fully rested before I try another spirit-walk."

The blonde girl smiled at him, and said, "Don't worry, I can wait a few hours to find out more." She turned to look at Calara, and then added, "I'll take her back to the bedroom with me, but there's someone you should see first before bed, if you're not too tired."

John nodded, and asked, "Faye? Yeah, I was planning on heading up to the Bridge in a moment."

"Good," Alyssa replied. She met his gaze, and said, "She watched Jade get killed and was powerless to prevent it. I think it hurt her a lot more than she's let on."