Three Square Meals Ch. 131

Looking shocked and queasy, Charles slumped back in his chair. "Jesus..."

John sighed, hating to see his friend upset like this. "Look, I know this is weird and awkward as hell, but you need to remember that Lynette went through the Change before you two got involved. When we rescued Lynette from Tartarus, she was critically injured; she'd been shot through the spine and crippled below the waist. Rachel could have healed her with no side-effects, but I gave Lynette another choice: I offered to heal her myself, which would also turn her into a beautiful young woman. I knew Lynette regretted not having a family, so I wanted to give her that opportunity again, as my way of saying thanks for putting her life on the line against Buckingham."

Gazing off into the distance, John remembered the awkward conversation with the wounded admiral. "We respected each other as loyal allies, but I could tell she was afraid of me personally. To make it all easier for Lynette, we used Jade as a proxy, so there was never any physical intimacy between the two of us. The whole process took about four days and was like a dispassionate clinical procedure. I healed Lynette's wounds, reversed the effects of aging, and gave her a beautiful athletic body."

Charles downed his drink and grimaced. "Is that everything?"

John shook his head. "Do you remember I talked about the side-effects? With the rest of the girls, I grew very close to them when we started sleeping together and they became fiercely loyal. I think that's why Jehanna has struggled with being separated from me... while Lynette has been perfectly happy living here with you. I've never slept with Lynette, but you have, and she's devoted to you, Charles. Lynette will never cheat on you like your ex-wife did."

"This is all so..." Charles faltered, unable to find the words. "I believe you... that nothing happened between you and Lynette... but part of me wishes you'd never told me the truth."

"Believe me, I feel the same way," John said, nodding emphatically. "I wouldn't have said a word if I hadn't been pushed into this."

Charles' eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Because of Lina..."

"Yeah... because of Lina," John echoed with a frown. "I've discussed this with Alyssa. We think that Lynette is trying to recreate the setup I have here with my girls... but centred around you instead."

"What?!" the older officer blurted out, his eyes like saucers.

"Lynette loves you, Charles... but she's been mentally conditioned to be part of a harem. If Lina goes through with the Change, she'll be totally loyal to you for the rest of your life... just like Lynette is now. They'll be solely focused on keeping you happy in every way they can. You'll be living a life that most men only dream about."

"Holy fuck..." Charles muttered, just imagining it.

"I'm not going to lie to you; having two beautiful young women doting on you is as close to heaven as a man can get. Lynette wants that for you... but there's no way I'd agree to Changing Lina if you were already sleeping with her. You understand why, right? You're my closest friend and I couldn't do that to you behind your back... I'd never do anything with a woman you're involved with."

Charles snorted and shook his head. "Lynette was pushing so hard for a threesome with Lina... I did wonder why she seemed to have just given up on the idea."

John gave him an apologetic shrug. "Alyssa asked Lynette to wait until we'd all had a chance to talk about this in person. At the moment, Lina's still basically single. I could do this for her with a clear conscience because you two aren't together yet... but we're riding a fine line and this all makes me very uncomfortable."

"You're not the only one..."

"Right." John glanced at the tumbler on the table. "Want another drink?"

Charles waved his empty glass at him.

John took it and walked over to his desk to retrieve a half-opened bottle of McGregor '61. He refilled their glasses and returned to the sofa, handing one to Charles.

"You okay?" he asked with concern.

The older man nodded, but his moustache twitched downward into a frown.

John looked at him with sympathy. "I'm sorry. This must be a hell of a bombshell to have dropped on you."

Charles just nodded again as he sipped his drink.

"Alyssa's currently explaining everything to Lina. She won't go into this blind, Charles; Lina will know exactly what's involved before she makes any decisions. Then, after we're all done discussing it, I'd like you to take some time to decide if this is what you really want. Even if Lina is desperate to become a Lioness, I'm going to give you a final veto."

"Why me?" Charles asked, startled that the ultimate decision would be up to him.

"If I Change Lina and you can't handle it, I'll probably have to bring her aboard the Invictus as another Lioness... and I really don't want to do that."

His friend gave him a sceptical look.

"I really don't," John repeated emphatically, shaking his head. "I swear to you, the last thing you need to worry about is me trying to steal away Lynette or Lina. I already told you how many girls I'm involved with at the moment. I'm trying to divide my time equally between all of them and it's becoming a nightmare... I can't deal with any more. Just this morning, Sakura was in floods of tears because she was feeling neglected."

His friend's expression shifted to one of sympathy. Charles put his drink down and patted John's forearm. "I suppose you really can have too much of a good thing."

John nodded, and let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah... you can."

Charles suddenly snorted with laughter and shook his head in bemusement. "Why the hell am I feeling sorry for you? You're sleeping with a harem of two-dozen beautiful women, for God's sake!"

Now it was John's turn to chuckle. "Alright, it's not all bad..."

"I bet," Charles said with a broad grin. He sipped his drink again, then looked John in the eye. "I hear what you're saying about Lynette. I guess I do believe you... that you're not interested in her that way."

"I just want you two to be happy, Charles," John said earnestly. "That's all I ever wanted."

***

Lina stared at the holo-screen, studying the images of Lynette at various stages of the Change and shook her head in awe. "If I hadn't seen you before and afterwards with my own eyes, I never would've believed this was possible."

Alyssa smiled at the stunningly attractive brunette. "John's finest work yet..."

Colour bloomed in Lynette's cheeks and she returned her smile.

Tearing her eyes away from the miraculous transformation depicted on the holo-images, Lina looked more than a little intrigued. "So... how exactly does John do that?"

The statuesque blonde rose from her chair, then sat down beside the older redhead. "Watch this..." she replied, a husky edge to her voice.

With a flick of her fingers towards the holo controls, Alyssa activated the next file that she'd prepared and the video began to play. It showed John sitting on the edge of the bed and Dana kneeling before him, the redhead sucking lustily on his thick cock as he came down her throat. In the footage, Alyssa was kneeling behind her friend, gently stroking Dana's tummy as it swelled with John's cum.

Lina's eyes were like saucers as she gaped at the screen. "Oh... my... God..." she whispered in a hushed voice.

The seconds ticked by and John was still climaxing, Dana's belly rounding out to take several pints of spunk. When John was finally spent, the teenager eased his cock from the clutching confines of her throat and gave the head a grateful kiss as it passed her lips.

"He's hung like a horse!" Lina gasped, staring wild-eyed at the screen. "And he came for what... a minute?! How the hell did she swallow all that?!"

"With a great deal of satisfaction," Alyssa replied with a sultry smile.

Lina blinked in surprise, then turned to stare at Lynette with a mixture of newfound admiration and awe. "You did that too?"

Lynette licked her lips reflexively, then shook her head. "Actually... no."

"Lynette was scared of John and he didn't want to upset her, so they did things a bit differently," Alyssa explained with a frown of disapproval.

She glanced at the holo-controls to activate the next video. The footage began to play, showing Lynette suckling on Jade's breasts as she filled up her tummy with John's cum.

"Wow..." Lina murmured, gazing at the holographic images in fascination. She was looking slightly flushed as she gave the brunette a sly smile. "You really are a lot more fun than I gave you credit for, Lynette!"

Edging closer to the prospective Lioness, Alyssa slowly unbuttoned the admiral's jacket. Lina watched curiously but did nothing to stop the blonde from slipping a hand inside to stroke her trim stomach.

"If you were joining us properly..." Alyssa purred, her soft fingers tracing circles on the older woman's navel. "You'd be on your knees in front of John for days, letting him fill you up over and over again. When you have a full tummy, he can change your body just like he did with Lynette... and all the rest of us." She reluctantly withdrew her hand. "But your situation is a bit different, so we'll have to do it the same way as Lynette... with Jade feeding you instead."

"This is crazy..." Lina marvelled, leaning back in her chair. "I've got so many questions, I don't even know where to start..."

"You're not repulsed by the idea?" Alyssa asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lina slowly shook her head. "It's pretty wild and not at all what I was expecting... but John's a handsome guy and I've done a lot naughtier things than that." She glanced at Lynette and gave her a knowing grin. "I can see why you were so coy about the details with Charlie."

Lynette's brow furrowed and her anxious gaze flicked towards the doorway. "Is John really going to tell Charles how he changed me?"

Alyssa sat back on the sofa, a conflicted expression on her face. "He already has."

"Already?!" Lynette asked, her hazel eyes widening. "How did Charles take it?"

The blonde slowly shrugged. "I'm not sure... you know how uptight men can be when they're discussing anything sexual with each other."

Lynette nibbled nervously on a nail. "Why did John have to tell him? Doesn't he understand that I'm doing this for Charles!"

"Charles is his oldest friend, Lynette," Alyssa replied, looking at her with sympathy. "John understands what you're trying to do, but he's got a lot of misgivings about it."

Lina frowned and looked curiously at the pensive Fleet Admiral. "I must admit... I still don't understand why you were so eager for me to become a secret Lioness. Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered and very grateful, but I'd have been up for a threesome without all this."

Turning to face the redhead, Lynette shook her head. "It's not just about sex. If you join us, I'll have another infallible ally in High Command. You'll also be around Charles all the time, which means you could help me protect him." She hesitated and flicked a glance towards Alyssa. "There are a few other reasons too..."

Tutting playfully, Lina smirked as she said, "I thought John said there was to be no more beating around the bush? Are these the eccentricities that you hinted at earlier?"

Alyssa nodded in confirmation. "Becoming a Lioness gives you incredible physical perks. You saw Lynette in action and you'll have a gorgeous athletic body just like her... but there are a few mental changes that occur as well."

"Go on..." Lina said cautiously.

Tilting her head to one side, Alyssa pursed her lips as she considered how to phrase her reply. "You heard John earlier... he's currently sleeping with all fourteen girls on the Invictus."

"And nine more Maliri apparently," Lina interjected, shaking her head in admiration.

"Yes, we can't forget about them," Alyssa agreed, her cerulean eyes sparkling. "We've all been given a few tweaks, so that everybody gets along with each other famously. Nobody ever gets jealous and we're all close friends." She idly brushed her fingertips across the back of Lina's hand. "Very close friends..."

Lina closed her eyes to enjoy the gentle caress, then gave Alyssa a sceptical look. "No jealousy? I find that very hard to believe. I went to an all-girls boarding school... I still remember how spiteful those little bitches got with each other."

Alyssa raised her hand to stroke Lina's temple. "When you go through the Change, your personality will be affected as well as your body. I love seeing John with the other girls and they all feel the same way towards me. You saw me with Dana in that video... did it look like I was jealous when I was stroking her tummy as John filled her up with cum?"

"No... you looked delighted," Lina replied, remembering Alyssa's contented smile.

Alyssa turned to look at the brunette sitting beside her. "That's how it'll be for the two of you when you're together with Charles. Or at least I hope it will be."

Lina quirked an eyebrow. "You hope?"

"If you were joining us to be with John, I wouldn't have any doubt... but this is new ground we're covering here." She shrugged. "If it turns into a disaster and you two can't stand each other, then we'll just have to take you with us aboard the Invictus. John wouldn't be happy about it, but he's got quite a soft spot for redheads. One session with you and Dana on your knees and that'd put an end to his complaints."

"You're that confident that I'd just go along with it?" Lina asked, curious rather than indignant. "That I wouldn't change my mind?"

The blonde nodded. "You're a smart woman. I think you recognise the opportunity of a lifetime when it comes your way... if you'll excuse the pun. We're offering you a rejuvenated body like Lynette's, the opportunity to have children and a loving family, immortality..."

"What?!" Lina exclaimed, gaping at the teenager in astonishment. "You can't be serious!"

Alyssa gave her a teasing smile. "Oh... I take it Lynette forgot to mention that part?"

***

Rachel swept into Med-Centre Four, her arrival heralded by raucous cheers. Every medic in the facility was waiting to meet her, each and every one of them desperate to see her miraculous healing for themselves.

The senior consultant stepped forward, fidgeting with the wire frames of his spectacles. "Fleet Admiral Devereux left orders that you were to be escorted directly to the cryo-stasis suite, Doctor Voss."

She gave him a grateful smile. "I'd appreciate that. Thank you, Doctor Bowman."

He looked pleasantly surprised that she remembered him from her brief visit to the facility after the Battle of Terra. "You're welcome. If you'd like to follow me."

He turned and led her from the reception area, with Sakura and the entourage of doctors following behind them. They proceeded through the security doors and headed deeper into the facility, passing branching corridors that led to the wards.

"I'd like some privacy with my father and the cryo-patient please," Rachel requested as she strode along at his side.

Doctor Bowman's shoulders drooped in disappointment. "Of course, Doctor Voss."

She glanced his way and smiled. "Thank you. If you could also arrange a tour of the wards afterwards, I'd be delighted to offer my assistance with the rest of your patients' recovery."

That put an extra spring in his step and he nodded eagerly, pushing the round glasses back up his nose. "We'd greatly appreciate any help you could give us! We received so many casualties after the terrorist attack, we're at maximum capacity."

It didn't take long to reach the cryo-stasis suite and once Doctor Bowman had opened the security door, he stepped aside for the two Lionesses. Sakura entered first then stood guard at the door, her eyes filled with sympathy when she saw Henry Voss' dishevelled state. Henry rose from his chair and turned to see who had arrived, a flicker of hope in his eyes.

Rachel was beside her father in moments, hugging him fiercely. "Daddy!"

Henry put his arms around her, returning the hug just as hard. "Rachel... thank God you're here."

"I was scared out of my mind when I heard Olympus was under attack!" the tawny-haired teenager exclaimed, pulling back to look at her father. "I was so worried that something awful might happen to you!"

"I'm alright, sweetheart," he said, stroking her hair. His anguished gaze flicked to the cryo-stasis pod beside them. "She saved my life, Rachel. Abigail got shot trying to protect me. Please... I'm begging you... help her."

Rachel gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I will... don't worry."

She pulled away from her father, her grey eyes already starting to glow. As her fingers danced over the cryo-stasis controls, reversing the hibernation process, a nimbus of psychic power began to roll down her arms to envelop the pod. The eldritch aura penetrated the stasis-chamber's outer casing, swirling like a billowing cloud as it rolled over the occupant within. Abigail's pale face was covered in a dusting of ice crystals, but as colour began to return to her cheeks, the coating of hoar frost quickly receded.

Rachel frowned in concentration as she undid the damage the bullets had done, knitting torn flesh together and regenerating damaged internal organs. By the time the cryo-stasis pod cracked open with a hiss of cold air, Abigail's eyes had flickered open, her state of bewilderment quite apparent in those lovely blue orbs.

Henry yanked open the lid, joy lighting up his face. "Abi!"

She looked up at him, her confusion replaced by elation. "Henry! You're alright!" She took in his bedraggled appearance with a frown of concern. "Why haven't you been taking care of yourself? I know I've been indisposed, but-"

He laughed with relief and leaned in to hug his fiancée, abruptly cutting her off. Abigail closed her eyes as she embraced him, her beautiful face a picture of contentment. They stayed like that for a long moment, until the raven-haired personal assistant realised they weren't alone. She glanced up at Rachel and beamed a radiant smile at her as she mouthed, "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," Rachel said quietly, returning her smile as she stroked Abigail's arm.

Henry pulled back abruptly and offered his fiancée a hand to get out of the cryo-stasis pod, while also trying to hug his daughter with one arm.

"Thank you so much, Rachel," he gushed, squeezing her awkwardly, his eyes brimming with tears. "I know I don't deserve your help after everything I've done... but thank you."

"Don't be silly, Daddy," she replied, smiling at him affectionately. "That's all in the past now. Besides, Abi's lovely; I would have healed her even if we'd still been fighting."

He smiled gratefully at his daughter, then pulled his raven-haired P.A. into a three-way hug. "I want to get married!"

Abigail wiggled her finger at him, making her engagement ring sparkle as it caught the light. "You already proposed, Henry."

Shaking his head, he said earnestly, "I mean... I want to get married right this minute!"

His fiancée frowned in disapproval. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I haven't had time to organise a pre-nup to protect your assets. Let me speak to your lawyer in the morning and we can plan-"

"No, I don't care about all that," Henry declared, gazing into her eyes. "I would've died if it wasn't for you, Abi. I love you... and I trust you with my life."

"Oh, Henry..." she whispered, biting her lip. "I love you too."

Rachel laughed and looked fondly at him. "Who is this reckless, lovestruck fool and what've you done with my father?"

He blushed, but didn't back down in the face of his daughter's teasing. "I know you're in a rush to leave, sweetheart... but can you stay for the wedding? Please? It would mean the world to me and Abigail if you were there."