Mike & Karen Ch. 31

"Hard to be bored when you're riding a constant tide of endorphins, lovey," Jenny pointed out, winking at her sister and then kissing her cheek. Millie did her best to not react. She had no particular inkling of what her hosts knew about any intimacy between herself and her sister. She doubted they'd care, but Jen was the risk-taker, she always had been. "And this is a wonderful way to end an evening, what?"

"Better than that damnable, drafty old sauna conversion back home at Heatherly," Millie agreed readily. Some decades ago, an outlying building not attached to the main residence had been turned into a sauna at the behest of their father. It was not entirely well-made, and Jenny had only recently begun fixing it. Millie did not relish the memories of dashing to and from it wearing a towel in the dead of winter. Yes, this was much better.

Michael had also added another small delight- he'd suspended a small gauze satchel over the heating stones, filled with spices, and was now dripping wine through it, the mixture dropping down onto and sizzling on the stones, producing a lovely, heady smell. Millie knew she'd be rather drunk by the time they left the sauna. She didn't mind.

"Are you glad you've chosen to stay, Millie?" the titan man now asked, looking through the thick steam at her.

"Not fair to ask me when you're getting me drunk, sir," Millie replied with a smirk in her voice, making Jenny and Kat both giggle. "Yes, in fact, despite my arrival with Percy, I am indeed enjoying myself. Keeping him virtually drugged with melatonin so that he is tolerable might be a crime in some jurisdictions, but I am simply beyond caring at this point."

She turned her head to look at her sister now. "I will be having words with my nephew about his stunt, of course."

Jenny nodded her approval. "You have my full support, Mill. It was a downright grotty move on his part, and he should pay. As for what a prat Percy has become, well, his mother has told me that his Ravensworth great-grandparents spoil him horribly and treat him like a king. Apparently Sammy has yet to figure out how to counter this problem."

Frankly, Millie didn't envy her nephew in that regard. The only person who had ever been able to put the earl of Ravensworth and his wife in their place was Jenny. She smirked as she wondered what would happen if her in-laws had met Kat and Michael. She remembered Jen telling her about Kat beating Lord Hastings' arse with a cricket bat when she was fourteen. She doubted the Ravensworths were any kind of match for that.

"You've never said anything about your son being weak-willed or a pushover, so they must be rather difficult," Karen mused, sitting next to her husband, her glorious body barely visible through the shifting mists of steam. Millie never would have thought it possible, but Kat put Jenny's figure to shame.

"Well, I am keeping you and Michael in my back pocket as an ace for the future," Jenny said, winking at her beloved friend. "Since you plan to come and visit in the near future. Lord Ravensworth won't know what hit him."

"Keeping our own neighbours in line has proven trial enough, of course," Karen sighed. Very few residents in this old-money neighbourhood shared the progressive values of her and her husband, and were all of a more traditionalist and classist mindset. Even the nouveau riche of the area were decidedly insufferable on occasion, with few exceptions. "Still, it is encouraging to see small amounts of progress. More than a few properties are beginning to sport rainbow flags here and there."

"Although the colours are often not in the right order," Mike added, making the women laugh. "But at least they're trying, even if they keep buying knockoff flags."

"Flags are cheap, progress is priceless," Karen stated. "So what plans do you two have come the morrow? We, of course, along with Mona, Janet, and Lisa, will be heading down to the university. Young minds await tutelage, and there is a crusade to begin."

"Since Glenda is taking Percy over to the Kerkyon daycare early, we thought we might accompany you, Kat," Jenny answered, crossing one leg over the other and sitting casually. "Mill has yet to see the campus, and I might have a mission of my own to complete, one that I have been cooking up with your son."

"Oh Lord," Karen sighed, shaking her head. "You and my son in league? No good can come of that."

"I beg to differ, Kat," the countess lilted, her toes stroking up and down her sister's shin casually. Once again, Millie ignored the molestation. Hopefully their hosts couldn't see, but she doubted she was that lucky. "I think this will be rather a good idea, frankly."

"Now I am doubly and triply suspicious," Karen remarked. She didn't actually care, but if Jenny was going to be cryptic, she had to respond in a manner that made it worthwhile. "Still, nothing for it but to see what horrors the febrile minds of you and my spawn visit upon me."

"Oh, well put, Kat," Millie said, impressed. Jen was right, their hostess had a way with words, no doubt. "Jen is right, though, I would like to come down to campus and see things for myself. To be honest, watching as the ladies swing into action sounds like something I don't want to miss. So if you don't mind..."

"You are more than welcome to come along, Millie," Karen said, her radiant smile reaching the baronetess through the steam. "It can't be a bad thing to have even more star power down there while we begin, after all."

"Oh, now seriously," Millie almost groused. "Me? The baronetess of Fraggle Rock? Star power? I think that's a little much, Kat."

"You're a British aristocrat, Millie; the kids and many of the faculty will be in awe, bet on it," Mike pointed out, his deep voice compelling all three women to listen and they believed him without question. "Baronetess or duchess, you'll be a star to ninety percent of them and the great enemy of the other ten percent, just like your sister."

"Is it a problem that most days I tend to agree with the ten?" Millie asked, making everyone else in the steam-filled sauna laugh.

***

A large guest suite on the third floor...

Mona, Janet, and Lisa had all changed into their pussycat pajamas and were lying down in the pillows, cuddling Alexa between them, holding her tight as if not daring to let go. There'd been some more crying, and lots of questions, of course. Alexa knew a lot more about their recent lives than they knew about any of hers.

Mona sniffled as she held the gorgeous blonde. "Y'sure it's okay with Alex if you stay with us overnight, baby?" she asked.

Alexa smiled, a tear on her cheek. "I told you, auntie, he messaged me and said I should. I guess he knew I'd want to. It's... it's my first night with you all in twenty years, after all. I've spent almost every night in Alex's arms since last summer."

"I admit, I'm still slightly miffed about being made to wait that long," Janet seemed to grumble, even if she didn't exactly mean it. She was more or less prompting Alexa to explain from her point of view.

"Don't be too hard on us, auntie," Alexa said gently, smiling and stroking Janet's cheek. Janet smiled and kissed her palm. "It's been... very busy and very awkward. And once Kar and Mike knew how desperately in love Alex and I were, they've been busy. I'm... I'm kinda surprised that this whole sitch isn't more well-known than it is, especially after Little Lord Blabbermouth announced it at the university Christmas concert without telling anyone first."

"Yeah, I haven't heard a thing, even through any legal channels here in Toronto," Janet grunted, thinking on that for the millionth time today. "Makes me suspicious that Princess and Mongo found ways and means to tamp down on it to keep me from finding out."

"Oh, c'mon, Jan," Lisa chided, giving her dear friend's arm a squeeze. Lisa was lying on top of Alexa to cuddle her, since she was the smallest. Mona was snuggled into Alexa's left side, and Janet into her right. "I mean, let's face it... if you'd found out about all this through the legal grapevine... Alli being back, her being engaged to Alex and with no context... you would've freaked out and thought it was nuts."

"Okay, point," Janet sighed. "But I still intend to act butthurt for as long as I can get away with it. Not very often I have any leverage over Kar and Mike, after all. I gotta milk it while I can."

"I'm just thrilled to bits that Alli is going to sleep with us tonight," Mona gushed, hugging Alexa close and almost nuzzling her like a cat. She couldn't believe it, Alexa smelled like a Blackwell girl, just like Karen. The difference was that Karen's breath smelled like roses, and Alexa's smelled like lavender or lilacs. It was the most wonderful thing! "And then tomorrow, we begin the task of getting them married!"

"I don't think any case I've ever taken or ever will take can mean more to me," Janet admitted, stroking Alexa's cheek now.

"Samesies," Lisa agreed. "This is my best and most personal cause yet. One million percent coming up."

"Eeeee!" Alexa squealed, hugging them all to her at once. She was considerably taller and larger than any of them, so she made it happen. "I can't lose with my aunties on my side!"

"I'm glad you think so, baby, but you and Alex could pull this off all on your own, you know," Mona said, hugging into Alexa and smiling dreamily. This was indeed a dream come true. How long had she waited for this day, and despaired of it ever happening? "We're glad to be helping, but you'd have this covered. Two brilliant and amazing people like you? This'd still be a walk in the park."

"Nolo contendere, for sure," Janet agreed. "Trust Alex, Alli. Completely. Y'wouldn't think it was possible to be smarter than Mike or Kar, but... they had a kid who is. And yeah, he's a lunatic hybrid of those two, but he won't ever stop until you're the happiest woman alive. Believe it."

There were tears on Alexa's cheeks as she smiled. "I do, auntie. With all my tits."

Lisa made a wry face. "With all your tits?"

Alexa smirked. "I'd say my heart, but my tits are even bigger."

It took her aunts a good few minutes to stop howling with laughter before they kissed her and everyone settled in for a good night's sleep, finally back in one another's arms.

Morgenmuffel crept into the room and settled down to sleep with them all, purring happily.

***

The security office...

Ari was tapping away on his system, making some final optimizing adjustments to Glenda's apartments over the garage through the firewall before he would turn in for the evening. He was humming a tune to himself, thinking about the fun he'd had trying to retrieve info from Lady Chudleigh's damaged phone the week before, and also trying to adapt Mrs. Heyman-Blefary's clunker to the manor's system.

Even he could only get so far with it, though. He had no control over the phone's technology, or lack thereof. It was so old that it had an analog function. As far as he knew, most of those networks had been shut down as of 2012, at least here in Canada. This old brick of a phone was American, and he doubted it could even sense the 5G network.

He thought about how she didn't seem to like the phone, so she was probably stuck using it against her will, so to speak. Which he found odd, since there were cheap cellphones that could make use of the new generation of technology. He was tempted to ask her, but he didn't want to seem like he was prying, especially since she'd only just arrived, and was now focused on the mission of getting Alex and Alexa married.

He smiled as he thought about Miss Bresciani. He hadn't been much of a cartoon kid or teen, but once his employers had told him about her, and the various cartoons and animated movies she'd worked on over almost three decades in the industry, he was having fun watching and trying to identify her contributions. Even if she was adaptable in her style for just about any studio, she had certain signature looks or bits that marked art or a character as her own.

She was cool, but nerdy-cool as well, and fun. She was always ready to laugh and engage in whatever was happening. She didn't remind him much of the other black women her age that he knew. Then again, she was happily unmarried and never had been, so maybe that was the difference.

And then there was the lawyer, Miss Remington. He could see how irreverent she was, and she wore a smirk constantly, as if everything amused her. They may have joked about her promiscuity among themselves, but she was apparently one of the most high-powered lawyers in the country, not at all daunted by taking on issues that even had constitutional implications. She was a lawyer you wanted on your side, and also a lawyer you did not want to fuck with.

Janet was the linchpin in the upcoming crusade to legalize avunculate marriage, and according to Val, she'd taken on the task eagerly. It amazed him how much these people all meant to one another. They'd known each other and been the best of friends for over thirty years. Their bonds were deeper than just about any he'd ever heard of, forget witnessed. They always had one another's backs and would die for each other. There was a sense in which that was a chilling thought for him.

"If you're still up, you must be tryin' to make the redhead's phone work," Dave mused as he wandered into the office. "How's that little project going?"

Ari chuckled and turned to look at his visitor. He liked Dave, he was gruff but straightforward and honest. He had all the style of a cement truck, which was the exact opposite of the ever-fashionable Ari, who was always the best-dressed member of the crew. Frankly, only Val came close, and only because she was impossibly cute. Dave was dead last, no doubt. If it wasn't jeans, he looked out of place in it.

"I'll be honest, I'm enjoying the challenge," he said easily, holding up Lisa's brick. "If I don't figure it out or fix it easily, that means I'm learning something."

Dave grunted and nodded. "I'd rather just know and get on with it, since I always have new shit to do. But I get what you're saying. Getting my daughter to behave is all the challenge I need."

"She giving you grief again?" Ari asked, knowing it was okay to. If Dave brought something up, he wasn't averse to you asking. He was the most private member of the staff (along with Trilby, maybe), so if he didn't mention something about his life, then you didn't bring it up. The only person who could coax details out of him was Val. Then again, Val could probably con top-secret info out of a Mossad agent.

"Not today, anyway," the older man said, taking the seat that Ari left in the corner for visitors. "She was being a bit of whineball about not being allowed to visit the two weeks of the housewarmings, but she was just trying to push her limits, see what she could get away with."

"How did you make her finally stop?" the cyberguru queried.

"Told her the guest list was full and if she showed up that she'd be conscripted as unpaid help," the older man said with a shrug.

"You probably weren't that far off the mark," Ari laughed. "Mrs. DeBourne could probably con us all into working for her permanently for free and we'd have no idea how she did it."

"I think they've already done that with Prospero," Dave quipped, wearing an unusual chuckle. "So have they told you what you'll be doin' in this crusade or whatever they're callin' it?"

The younger man nodded. "Actually, yeah. I'm joining Alex in the whole cyberwarfare aspect of this thing. He's already on the offensive, and with me working behind our firewalls, we're gonna be tough to beat. Do you know about tables with wireless chargers and so on?"

Dave thought about that. "Like when I can put my phone down on a specific spot on a table and it charges my phone somehow? There usually some weird sticker on the location. Never used one, but I know about 'em."

Ari nodded again. "Exactly. They're all over the university. And anyone who doesn't know better uses them. Alex and a few friends have scoped out the charging stations that people who oppose his marriage to Alexa use. Then Alex hacked those charging ports and once they use the port to charge their phones, he can start downloading just about anything off their phone, or upload anything he wants. He could put terrorist information or illegal porn on their phones if he wanted to. Complete access to any text, messages, or emails they've sent or received. Talk about useful for knowing your enemy's moves."

Dave considered what his co-worker was saying. "That kid can be really ruthless, eh?"

"It's my understanding that it's a Blackwell family trait going back a thousand years," Ari said with a shrug. "They're incredibly nice people, but mess with them and they're gonna put a world of hurt on you. Between them, Alex and Alexa have gotten fifteen students expelled, and somehow blackmailed a few professors into switching sides."

"Remind me to tell my daughter to not piss them off," Dave chuckled. "She can get uppity."

"She'll probably be too busy being awestruck to get uppity," Ari pointed out. "Remember the day we met them all?"

"Never gonna forget that," Dave grunted. "Damned overwhelming. Yeah, Lil won't be an issue for them. She's really only catty with me, and even though she hasn't met any of you loonies, she already likes the sound of all my co-workers."

"Raising kids is tough, and I don't have any," Ari laughed. "You're a better man than I am, gramps."

"I guess this place is changin' a lot of my perspectives on things," Dave mused. "I used to be slightly Drumpf and MAGA-adjacent, even though I knew how toxic it was, because it suited my outlook on things. Now, though, I'm surrounded by gay and bi people, and it hasn't traumatized me. Hell, I'm pretty sure I want you all to be happily married, and I'm not bothered by immigrants. My bosses clearly aren't."

"You're just late to the party," Ari reasoned with a shrug. "You've never been a bigot, near as I can tell. You've always been there for us."

"Just promise to never tell me about your gay sex, because I really don't wanna know or hear about it," Dave quipped.

"You've got a deal, gramps, because I'm pretty sure I don't wanna tell you..." Ari laughed, turning back to get his work for the night done.

***

Lady Penrose's suite...

"Mmmmmm..." Millie sighed, lying naked on her stomach and feeling herself melt while Valentina straddled her lower back and massaged oil into her shoulders. Her sister Jen was lying on her side, also nude and watching quietly, her head propped on her hand. She'd insisted that Miss Prospero see to her younger sibling first. "Jen, this is so decadent and wonderful."

"Told you, Mill," the posh blonde answered. Val was wearing her scandalous maid's outfit, and had even kept her panties on. She wouldn't be required to with Jenny, if she felt so inclined. With Lady Chudleigh, though, it was still respectful, until she was informed otherwise. Millie, though, seemed to be turning into a puddle. "Tunde's stronger, but I find Miss Prospero's touch to be more relaxing."

"You will get no argument from me, Greymoor," the younger sister mumbled, her eyes almost unable to remain open. "Don't forget my bum, darling."

"Yes, my lady," Val said quietly, gently wiggling down until she was sitting on the baronetess' thighs and was able to drizzle oil on and then massage Millie's butt.

"Mill loves a good derrière massage," Jenny seemed to explain, smirking. "She no doubt appreciates this one more than the massages I've given her."

"Gnnnnn, shut your gob just once, woman," Millie groaned, but letting Val continue.

"You two are very close, aren't you?" Val mused, still massaging the slippery globes. She loved this part of her unofficial job.