Three Square Meals

John awoke this morning with a lovely exotic beauty in his arms. He was lying on his side, wrapped possessively around Irillith, and her warm blue flesh felt wonderful against his skin. She sensed him stirring, and tucked her long white hair back behind a pointed ear, so that she could turn to look at him over her shoulder.

"Good morning, my love," he said, smiling at her as he gazed into her alluring violet eyes.

Irillith seemed to melt in his arms, her expression softening, as she turned onto her back and stared up at him. "I love you too," she replied, the hushed words forming on her full lips for the first time.

After opening herself to him so fully last night, both physically and emotionally, she looked vulnerable this morning. He could see her watching him intently, studying every expression on his face as she searched for clues to his feelings. He decided to be merciful with the inexperienced Maliri girl, knowing this was all new territory for her.

"Last night was magical," he said to her sincerely. "You look breathtakingly beautiful this morning, and it feels like we're closer than ever before."

She nodded slowly, a lovely smile spreading across her face as she relaxed in his arms. He could see her pupils widening as she gazed at him, and he could hear her heart racing as she thrilled to be held by him. "I've never felt this way about anyone before," she admitted hesitantly.

He flushed slightly, wishing he could say the same thing, and she smiled as she correctly guessed what he was thinking. He paused for a moment, then said, "I love you all equally, but it's very different with each of you." He brushed the back of his fingers over her soft cheek, and added, "I love your fiery spirit. You're a very passionate girl."

Her cheeks turned a deep indigo blue as she blushed at his sincere words, and she had a strange smile on her face as she said, "I can't tell you how good it feels, knowing that you love me like you love the others."

He leaned down and kissed her, then a shadow of regret flashed over his face as he said, "I'm sorry that we didn't get to enjoy those first two weeks together. Not properly, I mean. It wasn't the same with my Progenitor-half fucking everything up, and you deserved better."

Irillith smiled at him in gratitude, then she flushed slightly and admitted, "Actually, I enjoyed myself immensely. You know how your cum affects me..." She smiled, then adopted a euphoric look that he recognised well. With a self-conscious laugh, she added, "You've all mentioned it a few times, so I was curious what I looked like, and checked out the video footage."

John grinned at her, and admitted, "I'm not going to lie, I love that blissed-out look you get. It does my ego a world of good when you act like it's the most delicious thing you've ever tasted."

She blushed a darker shade of blue, then said with a shy smile, "I'm not acting..." Remembering what they were originally discussing, she added, "But please don't feel bad about what happened in those first two weeks. I could still feel the real you protecting me when we were together, despite your Progenitor side being around the rest of the time."

Talk of her swallowing his cum had both of them turned on, and when he kissed her again, Irillith's full lips parted for him as their passion intensified. John's hand went to her neck, brushing his fingers down her throat, and he felt the chill touch of metal against his fingers. Pulling back a little he saw that she still had the Crystal Alyssium collar around her neck, and he smiled as he traced his fingers around the edge, making her skin tingle as he caressed her.

"The collar's very sexy, but you don't need it any more, do you?" he asked her with a playful smile.

Irillith bit her lip, and then replied, "No, I'm all yours now." Her tone was seductive as she added, "You can leave it on if you want, though."

He shook his head, and running his fingers down her slender neck, he replied, "It looks incredible on you, but it's not practical. I love being buried down your lovely throat when I feed you."

An excited gleam appeared in her eyes, and she said, "You'll have to remove it for me then, there isn't a clasp."

Leaning up on one elbow, he gestured to the Crystal Alyssium with his right hand. It shimmered a moment, then slowly flowed away from her neck, melting into a glossy white liquid as it floated in a swirling ball a few inches above her. He was just going to turn it into a cube and cast it aside, but a glance at the lovely girl beneath him made him change his mind.

Concentrating on an image in his mind, he applied his will to the roiling crystalline alloy, making it conform to the shape he had imagined. It elongated, with a larger bulb at one end, and Irillith gasped as he added more and more detail to his telekinetic sculpture. When he was done, a beautiful white rose floated before her, intricate petals forming the head, with a long graceful stem which beneath it, adorned with delicate looking leaves.

"I've never seen anything so beautiful," she gasped, thoroughly enchanted by his artisanship.

"Inspired by you," he replied with a smile, as he slowly lowered the flower to nestle in the impressive valley between her pert breasts.

She looked genuinely touched as she picked up the crystal rose, watching it catch the light as she turned it slowly in her hands. He could see tears in her eyes as she turned to look at him, and said, "Thank you, I'll treasure this forever."

He smiled at her and leaned in for a kiss, pausing an inch from her lips as he said, "I feel the same way about you, too."

She sighed happily, then put the rose to one side before pulling him down for a passionate kiss. He'd never seen Irillith like this before, and he throbbed with arousal as she entwined herself around him. Just as they were getting really excited, he heard light footfalls heading down the corridor towards the bedroom. Irillith heard them too, and when she met his eyes, she looked torn with indecision for a moment.

John pulled away slightly and looked at the door, seeing Sakura poking her head in tentatively, clearly looking for him. She gasped when she spotted John in bed with Irillith, and started to beat a hasty retreat.

"Come back, it's okay!" Irillith called out to her, partially sitting up as John moved clear.

Sakura froze, then walked slowly back to the bedroom, and said with some trepidation, "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."

Irillith gave her an inviting smile, and said, "I know you have something important to discuss with John. It's alright, I have an eternity to look forward to with him." Turning to John, her smile softened as she whispered, "I thought last night was good, but this morning was absolutely wonderful. Next time we're in bed together, I'm going to give you a night to remember..."

He gave her a quick kiss, then grinned at her, delighted to see her looking so radiant, but deeply regretting that she had to leave at all. She pulled back the covers, then after a moment's hesitation, climbed gracefully out of bed. Sakura gaped at the stunning blue-skinned girl, and Irillith smiled at her as she sashayed confidently out of the room, the white crystal rose held safely in her hand.

"Good morning, Sakura. Did you sleep well?" John asked the shocked Asian girl.

Barely managing to tear her eyes away from the nude Maliri, Sakura turned to face him, and replied quietly, "The room and bed were very comfortable, but I woke up a few times. Bad dreams..."

He gave her a sympathetic smile, then copying her gesture from last night, he patted the side of the bed, and said, "Tell me about them."

Sakura recognised the gesture, and smiled as she walked over to sit demurely on the bed. She was wearing another of Calara's old outfits, and the tailored trousers and blouse fit her petite frame surprisingly well. After staring at him for a moment, she replied, "I've been reliving Shinatobe's assassinations." She looked haunted as she added, "The memories are so sharp and clear. It's like I'm right there, but I can't stop myself from doing those terrible things..."

John frowned, his face clearly showing his regret at not wiping those memories from her mind.

She could tell what he was thinking, so she interrupted him before he could say anything, and was quite determined as she said, "It's better this way. All those victims need someone to remember what happened, and to make Mikaboshi pay for what he unleashed on them."

"You haven't changed your mind, then? You still want your revenge on him?" he asked her, a sad look on his face.

Sakura studied him for a long moment, then sat up straighter, her expression determined. "I want to join you and the girls," she told him decisively.

John frowned and protested, "You don't know what you're asking. You'd be escaping one life of violence, and just exchanging it for another."

She stared into his eyes, and said, "I want to plead my case. Will you listen to me with an open mind, and hear me out?"

Resting his back against the headboard, he watched her appraisingly, studying the determined set of her jaw and the fierce gleam in her eyes. After a long moment, he replied, "You may make your case, Counsellor."

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Let me start by saying that whatever you decide, I'll always be hugely indebted to you for what you've done for me. I was trapped in my own mind, and now I'm free, and it's all thanks for you."

"I can't claim all the credit," he protested. He glanced at the doorway behind her, and added, "It was truly a team effort, all the girls pitched in to rescue you."

She reached out to touch his hand, and she squeezed it gently as she said, "I know, and I'll thank each of them too. I'm thanking you now, though."

He smiled at her, and said, "You don't owe me anything. If you really want to do something for me in return, you'll do your best to live your new life to the fullest."

"Oh, I intend to," she agreed passionately as she stared into his eyes.

Frowning, he said, "That's not what I mea-."

She squared her shoulders and interrupted saying, "Objection, your honour, the defence counsel is interrupting my opening statement."

Despite himself, he couldn't help but laugh, and said, "Sustained. Please proceed, counsellor."

Her almond-shaped brown eyes twinkled as she smiled at him, then she turned serious as she said, "I understand why you feel the way you do. Alyssa explained everything to me, and I know you're worried that I'm a vulnerable girl, and you're somehow coercing me into this."

*Alyssa...* he said to his impish matriarch, his tone thoroughly disapproving.

There was no playfulness in her voice when Alyssa replied however, and she said, *Sakura's a bright girl, and she knows what she wants. Listen to what she has to say, then we can discuss it afterwards.*

He was surprised at her tone, and his eyes flicked back to Sakura, who realised he was chastising the psychic blonde.

Now that she had his full attention again, she said, "When Mikaboshi abducted me, he didn't just ruin my life, he devastated my parents too. Thanks to you, I can move on to a new life now, but they never had that chance. Shinatobe assassinated four-hundred-and-thirty-two people, but how many more lives were ruined, with the victim's families mourning their murdered loved ones? You mentioned revenge earlier, but I'm seeking it for all those people, not just for me.

Mikaboshi twisted me into a monster, and these hands have done so many evil things. But my story doesn't have to end there, and you have a chance to turn that evil into a powerful force for good. I still retain all my memories of everything Shinatobe did, and at the very least, I can use that knowledge to help you take steps to protect your ship, and prevent another assassination attempt from happening again."

He smiled at her as he said, "You don't need to 'join us' for that, though."

"That's very true, the defence counsel makes a good point," she conceded. Her eyes seemed to sparkle in the light when she added, "But I can be so much more! You're a good man, so I know you wouldn't use me for assassinations, but I could be a bodyguard for your girls!"

"We've taken out all the implants," he replied, with a shake of his head. "You don't have those skill chips in place now. I regenerated your brain to replace the section where the cybernetic device was before."

"You're a swordmaster, you can train me!" she exclaimed passionately. Inching closer to him, she added, "Just think about the girls you have on your crew: Rachel, a doctor, Dana, an engineer, Irillith, a hacker, Jade, a pilot, Calara, the ship's gunner, and Alyssa, your matriarch. You haven't truly tailored anyone for personal combat yet, and I can be that missing link in your team!"

John was shocked at the extent of her knowledge about their organisation, and he knew full well where she'd got this information from. He was about to take Alyssa to task over it, but he stopped at the last moment, and forced himself to really think about what Sakura was saying to him. As much as he hated to admit it, she was making a very convincing argument.

When he focused on her again, she said in a sombre voice, "You saw that video of my parents. What my mother said was true; I loved the law because I saw it as a way of seeking justice for people who desperately needed it."

Suspecting he knew the answer already, he asked, "But you don't see it that way any more?"

Sakura's expression was bleak as she answered, "I spent seventy-seven years as a prisoner in my own mind, watching helplessly while my body was used to murder people. If I learnt anything from that, it taught me I was terribly wrong. The law is there to give false hope to the weak, letting them believe they'll eventually get justice. To truly be able to punish the wicked, you have to be powerful, like you, and Alyssa. If you weren't strong enough to defend yourselves, you wouldn't have been able to stop Shinatobe, and she would've killed you."

"Is that what you want then? To be powerful?" he asked her, as he studied her intently.

She paused, staring at him for a long moment before she replied, "The galaxy is teeming with evil men who prey on the weak. I want to be like you; a force for good. It's all I've ever really wanted."

John sighed, and said, "There's more to life than justice and vengeance. When my fight is done, I want to settle down with the girls, raise a family with them."

A flicker of grief flashed across Sakura's face as she said, "My old life was torn away from me. I've got nothing left to go back to, so I have to start again, whatever happens." She gave him a tentative smile, as she added, "Alyssa understands what I've been through, and I'm sure the others do too. I don't want you to wipe my memory, but I know I can find peace here with all of you. I can't imagine there's a more ideally suited group of people anywhere else in the galaxy, who can help me like you and the girls can."

He nodded, and reached out to stroke her cheek as he said quietly, "It's true, they've all suffered in their own way. Alyssa calls them, 'wounded little birds', and I've done my best to try and help them."

Sakura leaned in closer, and said plaintively, "Please help me, John. As much as you've done for me already, I'm sorry, but I still need you to do more."

His heart lurched with the desire to help her, and he almost agreed right there and then. He caught himself at the last moment though, and asked cautiously, "Do you know what joining us really means, though? Our relationship will change dramatically if we both decide to do this."

She stared at him unblinking and said, "I know what I'm asking, Alyssa explained everything to me." Their eyes met, and there was an electric atmosphere in the bedroom as she stroked his hand with her soft fingers. She gave him a bashful smile, as she concluded, "I rest my case. What's the verdict, Your Honour?"

At that moment Alyssa breezed in through the doorway, having followed the entire conversation by listening to John's thoughts. "Hello you two!" she said in a bright, cheerful voice, a knowing smile lighting up her face.

John glanced her way, and said, "It seems you've been having a very interesting chat with Sakura."

Alyssa shrugged, and said, "I like the girl, I want to help her get what she wants." Climbing onto the bed behind the petite Asian, she hugged her from behind as she continued, "I think she's lovely, and she'll fit in perfectly to our little family. I agree with her too, of course. I think she could be a powerful protector for me and the other girls."

Turning to look at Sakura once again, John held her hand in both of his, then he smiled as he said, "It seems you've successfully argued your case, counsellor." He made eye contact with her as he cautioned, "This is the point of no return. Once I fill your stomach with cum a third time, you'll be bonded to Alyssa and me permanently. There's no going back after this."

He didn't see even the slightest flicker of doubt in her eyes as she said, "I want this more than anything I've wanted before. I'm not afraid."

Alyssa smiled at John over Sakura's shoulder, and said, "Why don't we take things slow and gentle? How about a nice shower to start with?"

John carefully studied the dark-haired girl's lovely face, looking for any hint of trepidation, but she just smiled shyly at him and nodded. He was impressed by her unwavering resolve, and he was more convinced than ever that she was absolutely committed to her decision.

Alyssa grinned at him, and said, "You go first. That way Sakura can check you out, and still change her mind before it's too late!"

He laughed, then flung back the covers before striding towards the bathroom. He glanced back at the girls before he disappeared through the door, and was relieved to see that Sakura hadn't run screaming for the door. Walking into the big shower cubicle he turned on the water jets and enjoyed the streams sluicing over his body.

Alyssa heard the shower turn on, and she quickly scampered around in front of Sakura so that she was facing her. Her beautiful face was filled with gratitude as she leaned forward to give the Asian girl a tender kiss on the cheek. As she pulled back, she whispered earnestly, "Thank you so much!"

"What was that for?" Sakura asked in surprise.

The blonde girl grinned at her, and replied in a conspiratorial whisper, "Shh, he's got ears like a bat!"

Sakura smiled back at her, and then asked again, but very quietly this time, "What are you thanking me for? After you spent all that time briefing me, I should be the one thanking you."

Throwing a quick glance towards the bathroom door, Alyssa explained, "The way you talked him round was magnificent! He normally ends up being plagued with guilt when we've added a new girl to the group. It's not like that this time, he's actually looking forward to helping you!"

With a soft sigh of relief, Sakura said, "I'm glad. It's the least I could do after everything you've all done for me."

Alyssa slowly shook her head as she stared into Sakura's dark-brown eyes, and said, "Don't think of it like that, you don't owe us anything. I discussed this with the girls before I spoke to you, and it was unanimous, they all wanted you to join us." She smiled then as she added, "Just relax and enjoy being with him."

A flicker of doubt suddenly crossed Sakura's face, and she said in a tremulous voice, "I'd never... until those men..."

Pulling her into a hug, Alyssa whispered in her ear, "I know what happened to you, and I'm so sorry, it must have been horrific. John's a kind, gentle guy though, and he's not going to push you into anything you aren't ready for. Okay?"

Sakura hugged her back, and when they eventually pulled apart, it was her turn to have a grateful smile as she said, "Thank you. You've been wonderfully caring and understanding."