Quaranteam - AU Ch. 04

Alice deadpanned. "You don't seem particularly against the idea."

"Doc, if you'll pardon the crudeness; last I checked, I had a couple of bits dangling between my legs. That generally means I'm going to be receptive towards attractive females, of which you are one spectacular specimen. Every woman in this room is, in one way or another." He gave her a wink and a smile as he continued. "That said, the choice belongs to you here. If I'm not someone you'd be interested in being partnered with, then that's the end of the discussion. We'll still get you to do your Oracle profile, so it's available for later, but all we'll ask of you otherwise is your assistance in preparing for the rollout."

Alice continued to stare at him, almost expectantly. Ty's expression turned blank as it clicked in his head. Lottie's comments; her acquaintance with Alice. Alice's own reactions to his words; his tone. It all fit. No wonder he was drawn to her.

Ty put his phone in front of her, unlocked. "I did say I'd ask you for your number when we next had a chat, didn't I, doc? Why don't you put it in there for me?"

She stiffened for a moment, flushed crimson and fixed her gaze on Lottie, who just gave her the same enigmatic smile she'd given Ty earlier. Hesitantly, she took up the device and began entering data. "Is he always like this, Charlotte?"

"He's new to this, Alice, like me. But he's also quite perceptive and he's used to being a leader, so it does make it a great deal easier for him."

"Will he...?"

"I'm quite sure. But I'll be around to help in any case."

Narmada was watching the interplay with curiosity but seemed to take a different route with her words. "Darling, I have watched Tiberius grow from a young boy into the man he is now and I know he would be a very good match for you. Perhaps the circumstances are not what I would have hoped, but it is certainly true that the reality of the world is now thus."

Alice stood and rounded the desk, throwing herself at the old woman and suddenly Tiberius wasn't looking at a confident and capable doctor, but a young woman exposing her fears in the embrace of her grandmother. "It is a terrifying decision to make, grandma. Please, what do I do?"

"This will determine your very future, darling. I cannot make this choice for you."

"Please?" Alice's tone had become pleading, almost desperate.

"Alice..."

Ty knew that this would become an infinite loop if he didn't intervene. Now that he had it all worked out, he spoke in his command tone, drawing a flinch from both Rai women. "Dr. Rai; Alice, listen to me. Do the Oracle questionnaire. Lottie will stay here with you to help guide you through it. Once you're done, she'll run the test against mine and you can see the results of our compatibility. At that point you can make a final, better-informed decision. Understood?"

Face still buried in her grandmother's neck; Alice nodded. Ty looked at Lottie, who also nodded. Narmada was just staring at him now; an appraising look on her face. Ty met her gaze, then smiled gently.

"Doc - damn. I can't use that when both of you are here. Narmada, I'll take Lettie and Talia and go sit with Zoe for a little while. Could you also give us the use of one of your conference rooms so we can start preparing without you. I think it'd be a good idea for you to stay and see what the questionnaire is about, just to give you an idea. It might help us plan for this evening. While you're watching, could you send out a message to all the hospitals and clinics requesting everyone's attendance at 8PM tonight, with a follow up at 9:30PM for those personnel who cannot be called away while watching emergency cases and the like."

He turned back towards Alice. "Alice, I'm sure Lottie will tell you, but be completely and totally honest in your responses. No living person aside from the three of you will ever see them, so you don't need to feel self-conscious. But if you're not honest, you won't get an accurate result, so it's in your best interest to do it right. I'll say it again. Do the Oracle survey. Be completely honest. Once you're done and get the compatibility results, discuss them with Narmada and Lottie and make your decision. You can take your time. Lottie will inform me of the outcome. Should you choose to join our family, anything further regarding...us...will be a matter for us to discuss in private. But no matter what path you choose, I would like to request your assistance in our planning, so no hard feelings no matter what you decide. Am I clear?"

Alice's muffled, 'Yes, sir' took her grandmother by surprise and her eyes widened when Alice pulled away, looking far more comfortable now. Since Alice had reached adulthood, Narmada had never seen that expression on her granddaughter's face, and she turned towards the big man with a questioning look. He met her gaze with an unreadable expression of his own and spoke.

"Sometimes, doctor, even those individuals that appear most in control of themselves need a push from the right words said in the right way. Some can look in the mirror and do it. Others may need outside help. I'm starting to learn to see the difference for myself. I won't go into any further detail, but I'm sure you'll understand if you listen to them."

Leaving those words behind, Ty turned and left the room, Lettie and Talia at his side. From the moment she'd pulled away from her grandmother's body, Alice's eyes had remained fixed on him.

"What on Earth was he talking about? What did he do to you?" The wizened old woman looked both confused and concerned, watching the two young women speculatively.

Hesitantly, Alice began to confide in her grandmother about her interests and her friendship with Lottie, born of those interests. She explained how she had done basically exactly what Tiberius had mentioned, telling herself each morning about how she was going to conduct herself. A form of self-suggestion, she said. But it wasn't enough, and it showed in her attitude. She became harsh towards others in a bid to protect herself, and it was creating a destructive spiral. Lottie had helped her control it better, but sexual curiosity aside, Alice wasn't willing to submit completely to another woman, so it wasn't a long-term solution. Tiberius had given her something to focus on for the immediate present, and that made everything easier. Narmada sat and absorbed all of this, trying her best to understand.

Lottie waited patiently while grandmother and grandchild had their discussion, offering comment only when prompted. Lottie felt Alice would be a very good match for Tiberius, but the other woman needed to let her armour fall for it to work out. She did her best to reassure them both that Tiberius wouldn't abuse the power he seemed to have over Alice. Lottie had been surprised when Ty had started using his command tone, but when she saw Alice's reaction to it, she couldn't help her smile. Despite telling her what to do, he had still left her enough autonomy to choose for herself.

After a few more minutes, Lottie placed the tablet in front of Alice, gently nudging her to get her attention. Both doctors shifted their focus towards it, showing quite a bit of surprise at the depth of detail the questionnaire demanded. Lottie simply watched as Alice filled it in, hoping things worked out between her friend and her lover.

--

Ty strode out of the room, his mind racing.

Fuck. If I pushed her too far...

He had taken the leap with his assumptions and they had been correct. But he didn't want that to be the driving influence behind her decision.

"Was that what I think it was, big guy?" Lettie didn't sound confused so much as curious as they walked back down the corridors.

Ty tried to play dumb. "That would depend on what you think it was, love. If you're asking whether I just basically ordered the good doctor to complete the Oracle survey, the answer is yes."

Lettie looked somewhat frustrated. "I think I'm more asking whether you just laid claim to that woman, Tiberius. I watched her entire body tense up and then completely melt when you started in your command voice."

Ty's steps slowed almost imperceptibly. "She's Lottie's friend, and that fact and a few of her mannerisms gave me some clues. But as for 'claiming' her? No. She was foundering, so I threw her a lifeline."

Talia spoke, her tone contemplative. "And if she interprets that as you claiming her, Tiberius?"

He said nothing for a good minute as they walked. "I don't know. I've done a lot of reading on this, but it's a different kind of responsibility when compared to shouldering the lives of other soldiers." The words seemed to come slowly, with more deliberation than before. "I don't know for certain that she's that type. It seems more and more likely that she is, so you might be right. If...If I've done something that we deem irreversible, I'll take responsibility."

Ty kept walking, but Lettie had stopped, staring at his back in wonder. So, it was no surprise that he never heard her whispered words. "You still have absolutely no idea of the effect you have on people, you big lump."

--

Marshall Household, Melbourne Southeast, Victoria, Australia - October 24, 2020 - 3:30 PM AEDT

--

Team Marshall spent the next few hours going between Zoe's bedside and one of the conference rooms on the upper floors of the hospital. Lottie, having told Ty that Alice wanted a few hours to mull over her decision, also reminded him not to say anything about it while they worked on the presentation and Ty had done his best to abide.

Ty was inordinately glad that Lottie could stand on both sides of the wire on the subject. She understood Alice's needs and could keep Ty from inadvertently pressuring her into a decision. While he had correctly guessed that Alice was also of a submissive nature, he had also grossly underestimated how close to the brink Alice was. His research into the lifestyle had certainly made him aware that there were those, mostly those without partners, that regulated their lifestyles with almost fanatic fervour, all to prevent anything of their natures from leaking to outsiders. While this information had certainly sunk in, what hadn't was that some of these individuals tended to gravitate towards those others who could act as their release valve. Ty, though he'd certainly been trying to ease her burden, he hadn't realised that the act, even such a minor one, could spark a bond between them. Lottie, understanding how tenuous their situation was, decided to keep the pair apart, asking Lettie and Talia to return to Tiberius' house with him.

So, Ty, Lettie and Talia found themselves in his home, doing a little bit of rearranging before they had to return. Lettie's dislike of hospitals had gotten her more worked up than she'd let on, and so she had unleashed her frustrations on Tiberius, dragging him to the bedroom and mounting him. She rode him hard and orgasmed once while she let off steam and again when he deposited his load in her. Leaving her to take a nap, Ty hopped through the shower before heading back downstairs to check in with Talia. He could hear her speaking to someone in the living room as he entered and she smiled and tilted her phone towards him, showing Zeke and Miriam. They both greeted him as he waved and came to sit down on the sofa next to Talia.

"Good afternoon, Tiberius."

"Good morning, Zeke; Mum. How are you both doing?" Ty slid an arm around Talia's shoulder as he greeted the pair.

Miriam beamed at him at the use of 'mum' and she could hardly contain herself. "I'm overjoyed to see the two of you getting along, dear. It does seem you took my advice to heart."

"I'd never thought about love that way, so yes, I definitely did. In fact, I've already shared that pearl of wisdom with a good friend too, mum. Thank you, on his behalf as well. How about you Zeke?"

"Well, Tiberius. As you know, I'm scheduled to retire at the end of this month, so the days are not as complicated now. And you call Miri 'mum', but I am not 'dad'?"

Ty stifled a laugh as he asked. "Would you like to be?"

He thought about it for a moment and then grinned. "It would feel incredibly awkward, wouldn't it?"

"Probably, Zeke. If you really want me to call you that, I can, but you and I both know we'd die of cringe. Mum's a different story entirely though. It feels really natural and it certainly puts a smile on her face. Oh, and I was meaning to ask. What are your plans for after retiring?"

Zeke glanced sideways at his wife and shrugged. "Relax. Spend time with Miriam. Find a hobby."

Ty met the couple's gaze as he smiled. "If that's the case, would you guys like to move down here? It's going to be some time before we have the freedom to travel to you, and Talia told me just earlier today that she's not on her birth control anymore and hasn't been for a few months now. So really, I suppose I'm asking if you'd like to come live here for the inevitable advent of your grandchildren? You can skip being 'dad', Zeke, and become 'Pops' or 'Gramps', or whatever you'd like to be called."

Miriam sat up straighter at his words and Talia's eyes widened. She had wanted to ask Ty about this, but he'd clearly beaten her to the idea. "You are already planning for children? Did that daughter of mine spring that on you?"

"No, no. Mum, I adore kids. I've always wanted my own, but I've never had a partner for it. I told the girls that whenever they're ready, I am too, and Tal told me that she's ready, so I guess we're going for it. Plus, you know that my parents are long gone, and the twins lost their parents only a few years ago. Of my existing partners, you're the only set of parents still around, so I'd definitely appreciate having a set of grands around to give us advice."

Talia sniggered. "Are you not forgetting Dr. Rai?"

"She's not my partner yet, Tal. And I did say 'existing' partners."

"Please, you and I both know she's going to say yes, so as far as I am concerned, she is an 'existing partner'. Her heart and mind are already bonded to you and you know it. She simply hasn't bonded to you through the serum yet."

Miriam looked concerned, but Talia could see the smile behind her mother's eyes. "Who is this Dr. Rai? Tiberius, are you already looking for new women?"

Ty tried to look offended. "Mum! I wouldn't do that!"

Talia nudged him, the grin threatening to split her face. "No, mother, women seem to come looking for him. I'll tell you the story later but suffice it to say your soon to be son-in-law has basically charmed his way into this woman's heart within a few hours of meeting her. And all of it, he did entirely unconsciously."

"Hey, I was trying to help!"

She burst into laughter. "Help her or help yourself to her?"

Ty could feel his cheeks heating and Miriam finally laughed. "Darling, you shouldn't laugh. You were in exactly the same position when you met him too. We nearly had to peel you off him. Do you remember that, Ezekiel?"

Zeke had been silently watching since the first exchange, but he smiled now. "I was worried at first that Talia would tear his clothing off right on the ballroom floor. I am still thankful that your tuxedo survived the event, Tiberius."

It was Talia's turn to blush, and Ty chuckled, pulling her close. "Me too Zeke. That tux was a rental."

"At any rate, Tiberius. Miriam and I shall discuss your offer." Miriam slapped her husband's arm, amused. "Ok, ok. It would appear that my wife is again wiser than I. She predicted you would ask us this, you know? We will make our preparations, so if there is anything you must do from your side, please do so."

"That's wonderful news. I'll have a word to the Baz and the General about it tonight or tomorrow. There shouldn't be any hiccups." He kissed Talia on the forehead before pulling away. "My dear, I need to place a grocery order so that we'll have things for tomorrow. Is there anything specific you want?"

Talia indicated there wasn't, so Ty bid Zeke and Miriam farewell before heading into the kitchen. The order only took him five minutes, but then he had a thought and went to his study. He had to see if had the right items.

Might be a good idea to prepare for tonight. I think a little bit of ceremony is in order...

--

En route to Marshall Household, Victoria, Australia - October 24, 2020 - 10:40 PM AEDT

--

Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief as they pulled off the freeway ramp. The presentation, for lack of better phrase, had gone as well as anyone could have hoped. Certainly, several doctors had complained about the ethics of the idea, but that had been shut down immediately when Talia pointed out that no one was being forced to accept a pairing. Every part of the process was voluntary and had oversight attached to it. Others had worried about how to prevent mass stampeding from the public for the vaccine, and Ty had outlined his plan for the rollout, starting in the central business district (CBD) for each major city and gravitating outwards, using mixed military and medical personnel as combined teams for deployment. As more military and medical teams were established, the speed could increase proportionally to the number of doses available. Both Drs. Rai had proven to be invaluable once the talk became technical, fielding the lion's share of the questions where Tiberius could only refer the others to the documentation.

Glancing to her left, Lottie watched Alice as she tried to regulate her breathing. The pair had attended the conference from Victoria Barracks, Alice having indicated her acceptance even before the results of her compatibility had returned. Lottie had expected the yes, but she had also expected Alice to at least check the results first. Instead, the voluptuous doctor had simply looked Lottie in the eyes and asked a question.

"Can I trust him with my life, Charlotte?"

The redhead had not hesitated. "Absolutely."

"Then nothing else matters."

"What do you mean?

"Before Oracle, men and women had to determine their compatibility on their own. For those of us in the lifestyle, it was even more important that we obtain the ability to discern our partners' natures. Sometimes it takes months or years to find out. On rare occasions, you can just tell. Today, I saw him and just knew. Admittedly, I fought it since I believed he had bad intentions, but it was there, and it was real. Now, well, anticipation is too shallow a word for what I'm feeling."

Lottie nodded at that. That first night, when she and Tiberius had bonded, had been magical for her. It wasn't anything extreme, that wasn't what she wanted at all, but it had been carnal. Ty had answered her call and thrown his raw, unfiltered lust at her. The memory alone sent a wave of euphoria down her spine.

Alice had been injected shortly before the start of the conference. She could feel the serum's influence feeding her libido; eating away at her self-control, and Lottie could quite frankly smell the woman's arousal. Rayne had very likely been onto something when he suggested the serum impacted Australians differently, as it had only been a couple of hours and Alice was clearly ready to climb the walls. Lottie would forward her observations to her brother later, but for now, she needed to bring their newest family member home.

"You ready, Alice? We're almost home."

"Charlotte, can I ask a favour?"

"What's up?"

Alice's voice wavered just a little as she spoke. "Will you...join me tonight?"

"Just to be there?"

Lottie could feel Alice's gaze come to rest on her. "Maybe play too? It would help me relax."

Smiling, Lottie nodded. "Ty did say he was going to punish me for keeping things from him. That should be fun."

"Ooh. You kept me a secret, didn't you? Of course you did, or he'd have known to ask for Grandma and not Dr. Rai."