Three Square Meals Ch. 116

Tony glanced her way, a haunted look in his eyes. "I can't... they'll think I'm a total asshole."

She patted his hand. "In that case, perhaps it'd be helpful to speak with a sympathetic stranger?"

Looking at her again, his gaze swept over the cheerful bright-eyed girl. "You wouldn't understand..."

"Probably not," she agreed with an encouraging smile. "But I've been told I'm a very good listener."

Tony thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "Nah, just forget it..."

Faye studied him quietly, noting his obvious distress with concern. "Maybe you'd find it easier to trust me if I shared something personal with you first? I've got a secret I'm willing to share, if you promise you'll talk to me afterwards?"

"Why do women have to talk about every goddamn thing?!" Tony exclaimed in exasperation. He rubbed a hand over his face. "Alright, what's the big secret?"

She nibbled nervously at her lip, looking up at him with her big luminous eyes. "You promise you won't get frightened?"

He snorted an incredulous laugh as he looked at the chirpy purple sprite. "Yeah... I promise."

Faye leaned in closer and whispered, "I'm actually a robot!"

Tony stared at her in surprise for a moment, then scoffed, "Yeah, sure you are."

She grinned at him and shifted position to sit on her bottom. Raising a slender purple leg in the air, Faye tapped a point behind her knee and her calf flipped open, revealing circuitry and power cables connected to the anti-gravity generator built into her lower leg.

"What the fuck?!" Tony blurted out, stumbling backwards out of the chair and staring at her exposed limb in shock. Looking unsettled, he stammered, "Alright, so you've got some kinda... fancy bionic leg... but that don't prove you're a robot!"

Faye closed the panel and smiled as she placed her hands below her ears. "I can remove my head if you like?"

He gave her a wild-eyed look and frantically waved at her to stop. "No, don't! I believe you!"

When she lowered her hands, he peered at her warily, as if searching for more hidden panels. The purple sprite spread her arms and slowly twisted from side to side so he could satisfy his curiosity.

"You look totally real," he marvelled, shaking his head. "I thought you'd just had a derma-dyejob to be all purple like that..."

Faye shook her head, then folded her hands in her lap and looked at him expectantly. "Now, I believe we had a deal? You promised not to be frightened and that you'd talk to me after I told you my secret. In exchange, I promise I'll treat anything you tell me with the utmost discretion." Seeing he was still torn, she reached out to gently stroke his hand. Tony flinched but didn't pull away, the big ganger relaxing as her soft fingertips brushed over his skin. "You can tell me anything, Tony. Nothing will shock me and I won't judge you."

He stared at her for a moment, then sat down again, his shoulders slumping in resignation. "They're all gone... all the gang... everyone I ever knew..."

She nodded her understanding, a forlorn look on her face. "I'm so sorry..."

Tony acknowledged her sympathy with a half-hearted nod. "But that's not the worst part... when the bugs hit our base, I-I..." he faltered, swallowing thickly. "Some of those guys were like my brothers... I'd known 'em for most of my life..."

Faye clasped his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

He shook her off and curled in on himself, holding his head in his hands. "Bob... he begged me to help him. But I just ran... left him to get fucked by some fucking bug! He brought me into the Diablos... saved my life a shitload of times... but I just left him there. I couldn't handle it... I didn't wanna get raped by some goddamn monster, so I ran off like a pussy... and now he's dead... they all are..."

Raising herself up, Faye put her arms around him and gently stroked his back. It was just a simple gesture of comfort, but there was no judgement there, only sympathy. Tony's shoulders began to shake as he let go of the guilt that had been torturing him for days. Clinging to Faye he cried for his friends, the blood-brothers that he'd deserted when they needed him most.

"It must be awful losing all your friends like this, I can't begin to imagine what you're going through." Letting his grief play out, Faye finally sat back and looked up into his reddened eyes. "But I hope you realise that there was nothing you could have done to save them."

Tony let out a heavy sigh and brushed his hand across his face. "Yeah, I guess..."

"What you're feeling is called survivor's guilt," she said gently, stroking his arm. "A company of Terran Federation troops would have struggled to defend that colony against such a large Kirrix force, so lightly-armed civilians had no chance at all. There were over 13,000 people living in Karron but only three of you managed to survive the invasion... and from what I've heard, Perl and Kelli only made it because you took them with you and kept them safe. Please don't punish yourself, you didn't do anything wrong."

"What are you? A robot shrink?" he asked with a wan smile.

Faye held her arms out stiff and jerked from side to side as she said in an emotionless monotone, "Tell me about your mo-ther."

He couldn't help laughing at her impression of a robot and they shared a smile as Faye returned to normal. "That was good, thanks for the laugh."

She patted him on the knee. "You're welcome." Studying him for a moment, she asked gently, "Was what I said helpful?"

Tony nodded, giving her a rueful frown. "Yeah, I guess you were right earlier... we never really had a chance. The bugs busted through our defences and just started shootin' everybody. If I'd gone back for Bob, I guess I woulda just got shot too... but I still feel like a shitheel for runnin'."

"You mentioned that Bob had already been shot. If you had gone back, could you have helped him escape too?" she pressed, studying his face.

It only took Tony a few seconds to shake his head. "The poor bastard could barely move. I got shot in the back later on and I know how much that fucking hurt. Me, Kelli, and Perl had to walk all day to get to the deep mines... there's no way he coulda made it." Looking more at ease now, he gave the purple sprite a look of gratitude. "There really wasn't anythin' else I coulda done, was there?"

"I don't think so, not from the way you described the attack. That you managed to help Kelli and Perl escape with you was remarkable," Faye said, looking at him with admiration. She raised an eyebrow and added, "They're very beautiful girls... is that why you rescued them?"

He frowned and shook his head. "It wasn't like that! I was scared shitless... I wasn't thinkin' with my dick!"

"I didn't think so, but it's important you recognise that too," Faye said, clasping his hand again. "You had nothing to gain from helping either of them, but you did anyway, even though doing so put you at risk. If you'd been in a position to help Bob or any of your friends, I believe you would have... but you instinctively knew you couldn't save them. If you had tried, you would have been shot and captured... which would have resulted in Kelli and Perl also being raped and killed."

Tony grimaced at the thought, then nodded as that sank in.

"They're really fond of you, Tony," she said with a warm smile. "And I can see you feel the same way about them as well."

He smiled self-consciously. "Yeah, we got close, runnin' from the bugs." His smile faltered and he gave her an anxious look. "Faye... what the fuck am I gonna do? They wanna start a new life with me, going straight and shit... but I've got no education, no skills..."

Faye tilted her head to one side as she studied him. "You're worried about being able to provide for them?"

He sighed, looking depressed as he nodded. "Yeah... and who's gonna employ some asshole ex-ganger? I could maybe get some lame manual job, but I won't be able to hack that shit for more than a few weeks..."

"What about the credits the girls stole from the Diablos' vault?" she asked, studying his reaction to that idea.

Tony waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, no way. They earned that being owned by Pitbull and putting up with his crazy shit for years. Anyway, that cash is gonna run out eventually and then what?" He clenched his jaw and said through gritted teeth, "I'm gonna end up doing shady shit again, or they go back to bein' whores... and there's no fuckin' way I'll let that happen!"

Faye nodded with sympathy, but inside her, processing streams were whirling through hundreds of possibilities. Rising to her feet, she leaned over to give him an affectionate peck on the cheek. "Perl and Kelli were right. You are a good man, Tony."

He snorted, but managed a forlorn smile. "Nah, but I'm tryin' to be."

She returned the smile, then gave him an apologetic frown. "I'm afraid I have to leave for a while. I have some important matters to attend to, but I'll be back a bit later to bring you some dinner. I hope you can forgive me for badgering you into talking about this, it seemed like you really needed someone to confide in."

Tony stood as well and shook his head. "Nah, don't worry about it. Talkin' about all that shit was good; I'll figure somethin' out for me and the girls," He paused, blinking in surprise then looking at her askew. "It's so fuckin' weird you're a robot... I totally forgot there for a minute."

Faye held her arms stiffly again and said in a monotone, "Your counselling session is now over. You are cured. You will be billed automatically for your use of robo-shrink."

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I shoulda known that was comin'."

She gave him a cheeky grin, delighted to see how much happier he seemed, then waved goodbye as she bounced out of the bedroom.

***

Alyssa stretched on the bed, savouring the delicious ache after using her muscles in new and intriguing ways. "I can't wait to try this on John..."

Perl brushed her fingers along the blonde's magnificently sculpted thigh. "It took me and Kelli years to train our bodies to do that. I can't believe how fast you picked it up."

"We're highly-motivated," Alyssa said with a coy smile. She affectionately hugged her petite bedmate. "And we had excellent teachers."

Kelli glanced at the door and nibbled at her bottom lip. "We should probably go check on Tony... I'm worried about him."

Faye appeared beside her on the bed in a purple flash. Her holographic wings thrummed in the air as she quickly said, "I had a long chat with Tony earlier and he's calmed down now. I wanted to make sure you were all well-fed before you depart, so I just brought him dinner... would you like me to bring you some food too?"

"That would be awesome! Thanks, Faye," Kelli replied with a grateful smile.

"Please can you bring their dinner to the Commander's Quarters?" Alyssa requested, catching the sprite's eye. She turned to look at Dana and continued, "I thought it might be nice if we all shower together and there's so much more space up in our bathroom. Could you take them up there please? I'd like a quick word with Faye, but I'll be along in a minute."

Dana grinned and sprang off the bed. "Sure! If you two would care to follow me..."

Alyssa watched them leave, then turned to smile at Faye.

***

Dana activated the huge shower and hot water sprayed over the three girls, making her petite guests coo in bliss.

"This place is amazing," Kelli gushed, running water through her long brown hair.

Dana collected some shampoo from the dispenser and massaged it into the brunette's scalp, making her groan in ecstasy. "Home sweet home..."

Perl sighed with delight as the water soothed her muscles. "Nothing beats a good shower after fucking..."

"We're in here a lot," the redhead admitted with a wink, making the two girls giggle.

"Hello, ladies," Alyssa said, greeting the threesome with a smile as she entered the shower. She stepped behind Perl and began conditioning her blonde hair.

Dana gently squeezed Kelli's shoulder. "There, you're all done."

The brunette turned to give her a grateful smile, but Kelli couldn't take her eyes off Dana's spectacular figure as rivulets of water ran between the redhead's impressive cleavage. "I should get my head examined. I can't believe I'm actually going to turn down all this..."

"It's not too late to change your mind," Alyssa purred, rinsing off Perl's hair.

Dana rolled her eyes at her friend. "You've got a one-track mind. They're giving up a lot because they love the guy, don't make it any harder."

Alyssa pouted, then wrapped her arms around Perl. "I can't help it... they're such sexy little girls."

The petite blonde giggled and leaned back into her embrace.

Kelli bit her lip and caught Dana's eye. "Sparks, would you let me wash you?"

"Sure," the redhead replied with a look of understanding. She broke into a grin and added, "You've already explored me inside, you might as well get familiar with the outside too."

The brunette gave her a coy smile, then began gently washing the taller girl's body, her delicate hands following Dana's curves. She cupped both breasts, testing the weight and exquisite firmness, not a hint of sag to be found anywhere on her glorious figure.

Shaking her head, Kelli marvelled, "You've got the hottest body I've ever seen..."

"I've got a lot to be grateful for," Dana agreed with a wistful smile. She closed her eyes and let her shower companion have free reign with her body, tactile fingers stroking and caressing every inch of her skin. When the brunette had finished, Dana reopened her eyes and looked at her under long lashes. "Thanks for this afternoon. I know you two think we're crazy for giving you so much money, but I learned a lot... and if I can make John smile, it'll be worth every credit."

"You've got it bad," Kelli said with an affectionate smile. "I never would've thought I'd see the day that Sparks was all loved up."

Dana's expression flickered, the gorgeous redhead looking hurt as she self-consciously brought her hand to a cheek.

Quickly shaking her head, Kelli leaned in to give her a kiss. "Not because of the scar! Because you always seemed to love machines more than guys."

The redhead wrapped the brunette in a fierce hug. "Thank you."

They shared an affectionate embrace, then the foursome took their time relaxing under the water. After finishing in the shower, they dried off and returned to the bedroom.

Faye was sitting on the end of the bed next to two covered plates and a pair of suitcases. She greeted them with a friendly smile. "Hey everyone!" She glanced at Alyssa and patted the cases. "All done."

"Thanks, Faye," the blonde said, walking over to the bed and flipping open the lid of the closest suitcase.

The purple sprite gave Kelli and Perl a quick hug. "I'll tell Tony you're nearly ready to leave. Enjoy your dinner, but no sneaking away without saying goodbye!"

They assured her they wouldn't and watched Faye leave, before turning to face Alyssa again.

She glanced into the case, showing them the piles of neatly folded clothing. "I stocked up on clothes in your size a few months ago, just in case John wanted to recruit any more petite girls. I asked Faye to give you enough outfits to tide you over until you can go shopping."

Kelli ran her fingers over the soft cotton. "That's amazing, thank you!"

Alyssa smiled as she walked over to the holo-projector built into the bed. She swiped her hand across the interface, glanced through the details on Faye's message, then clicked on the link. "There you go," she said, displaying the banking information on the large holographic panel. "100,000 credits each as promised."

Perl and Kelli stared at the holo-screen, disbelief and wonder warring in their eyes.

Alyssa gave them a moment to mentally adjust to their newfound wealth, then gently clasped their hands. "I know you've made up your minds, so I'm not going to try to convince you stay. I just want to say one last thing: if your relationship with Tony goes bad and you do have a change of heart, don't hesitate to call me."

"Same if you get in any trouble," Dana interjected, slipping an arm around their waists. "Get in touch and we'll come running!"

"We're usually rushing around the galaxy, but we'll help as soon as we can," Alyssa agreed.

Perl welled up, overcome with gratitude. "Why are you being so nice to us?" she asked, hugging the athletic blonde.

"We're the only ones that survived Karron, so that kind of makes us like family," Alyssa murmured, gently stroking her back. "Me and Sparks were orphans, so that means a lot to us. You're basically like my... cousin..."

The petite girl pulled back a little, smiling through her tears as she nodded. "Yeah, that sounds really nice. My cousin the Lioness."

"Kissing cousins," Alyssa said with a flirtatious twinkle in her cerulean eyes.

Perl laughed and flashed a sultry smile back. "Plus a whole lot more..."

Alyssa reluctantly separated from her and glanced at the covered plates. "You better get dressed and eat your dinner before it gets cold."

Kelli and Perl turned to their suitcases and searched through the clothes to pick an outfit. Alyssa gave them a lingering look, then headed into the walk-in-wardrobe.

*What's up with you?* Dana asked, looking quizzically at the blonde as she followed her inside. *You keep looking at them funny... it's like you're desperate for them to stay.*

Alyssa paused by the clothes rails, her expression heavily conflicted. *I asked Rachel to do a DNA test this morning just in case. She checked using their glasses from last night...*

Dana's eyes widened in shock, remembering who had been the focus of Alyssa's attention. *Perl...*

The blonde nodded and said quietly, *Distantly related, but she's still blood. She's a third cousin...*

The redhead snapped an excited glance back into the bedroom, then rushed over to hug Alyssa. *That's fucking awesome! You should go tell her now!* When Alyssa didn't react, Dana stared in confusion at her friend's sorrowful expression. *Wait... why do you look so sad?*

*I've finally got some real family, Sparks... but I can't tell Perl we're related. If she lets it slip and the wrong people find out, she'd be in deep shit; it's not like Lynette can protect her with a security detail, not way out here.*

*Okay, so she should stay with us then!* Dana said urgently.

*It wouldn't work out,* Alyssa said with a mournful sigh. *I tried convincing her to stay, but you know why I have to let her go.*

The redhead nodded and wrapped the blonde in a comforting hug.

***

"I can't believe I'm wearin' the Lion's clothes..." Tony muttered, turning to look at himself wearing tailored trousers and a crisp shirt in the mirror.

"John's got lots and Alyssa said he didn't mind," Faye said with a smile. "It's lucky you two are roughly the same build."

Blowing out his breath, Tony walked over to join her, slipping on the matching jacket and picking up his suitcase. "Okay, I'm ready."

Faye approached the door, blinking to open it as she approached. They walked out of Tony's quarters to find Perl, Kelli, and Dana talking quietly together by the grav-tube. The blonde and brunette turned to look at him and wolf-whistled when they saw his suit.

"Damn... you look fine!" Kelli gushed, looking him up and down with a grin.

"Well hello, Mr. Businessman," Perl said with a seductive smile.

Tony blushed at their admiring glances. "What? I normally wear this sh... stuff."

They all hugged each other and then it was his turn to admire their chic outfits. "You two look smoking hot... but respectable too..."

"Of course," Perl said, posing coquettishly. "We're good girls now."

"Not too good I hope," he said with a grin, making them giggle.