Three Square Meals Ch. 136

"What did you find out?" Dana asked, her sky-blue eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Did you get a shitload of new schematics?!"

John rubbed his temple and grimaced. "My head's still spinning with everything I learned from absorbing the guide. I'm going to need a bit of time to make sense of it all."

He turned his attention to Alyssa, who hadn't charged across the hangar to join him like the others. She walked closer, her eyes red from crying and her expression haggard. The rest of the girls fell silent and released John from the group hug, letting him rush to close the distance with his blonde matriarch and wrap her up in his arms. She clung to him desperately, burying her head in his chest as she wept with relief.

"I'm so sorry, Alyssa," he whispered in her ear, holding her close. "I had no idea you'd be affected this badly."

"Please don't leave me again," she begged, tilting her head to look up at him. "I can't take being separated from you... not like that."

"I won't," he agreed with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, it's all over now."

"I held the psychic network together for you..." Alyssa said, biting her lip. She reached down to sensuously rub his stiffening cock through his trousers. "You just have to fill up my tummy and we can all be reunited again."

With a supreme act of willpower, John managed to shake his head. "Hold on a moment, beautiful. There's a few things I need to talk to all of you about before we re-establish our psychic connection."

Alyssa's cerulean eyes narrowed in irritation. "No. Let's reconnect first, then you can talk for as long as you like."

"I'm serious, Alyssa," John said firmly, stepping back and holding her at arm's length. "The guide told me a lot of very disturbing things. You all have a right to know what I discovered without a Progenitor bond influencing your decisions."

"I don't give a shit what that bastard said!" Alyssa snapped, her cerulean eyes blazing. "It's torture being apart from you, John! I need you back again!"

Now that he was cut off from their psychic network, John was painfully aware of just how outmatched he was against the furious blonde. While he felt weak and drained, Alyssa had access to the girls' vast reserves of eldritch energy at her fingertips. If she chose to defy him, it was not overstating things to say that Alyssa could simply take what she wanted and there was very little he could do to stop her. The last thing he wanted was to end up fighting her, or heaven forbid, see the girls drawn into an ugly confrontation with one another.

"This is important, Alyssa," John said earnestly, before gesturing behind him at their shocked audience, who were watching the tense exchange with wide eyes. "I'll never forgive myself if I reconnect to the girls without giving them a chance to make an informed choice. Think about that for a second; do you really want me to suffer for eternity with a guilty conscience?"

She grimaced, horribly conflicted by the choices presented to her. With an exasperated sigh, she threw her hands up in frustration. "Fine... but keep it quick! This is a complete waste of time and I can't take being apart from you for much longer!"

"No procrastinating, I promise," John said with a grateful smile. "Alright everyone, let's head up to the Observatory and we can chat in comfort. It's freezing in here!"

"Sorry about that," Sakura said, with an apologetic frown.

"You have absolutely nothing to apologise for," he replied, his kiss on the tip of her nose bringing back her happy smile.

As they set off across the hangar towards his discarded shirt and shoes, Tashana fell into step beside John and slipped an arm around his waist. Flame sprites flared to life from the palms of her hands, then cavorted around his bare chest, the tiny elementals warming him with a gentle heat. He shuddered with bliss as they banished the chill from his clammy skin, feeling the warmth seep down to his bones.

"That felt amazing, thank you," he said, hugging the Maliri with sincere gratitude.

"You're quite welcome... but couldn't you have done that yourself?" Tashana asked, her violet eyes burning with curiosity.

John considered it for a moment then shook his head. "I know what you did and I've got access to all the necessary runes, but you've had years of experience manipulating eldritch fire. There's no way I could control those flame sprites with your level of finesse."

"That's nice to know. I was a bit worried that I'd become superfluous to requirements when you unlocked all your Progenitor knowledge," she admitted, flushing self-consciously. "I'm glad I can still be useful."

He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. "You're an exceptionally gifted pyrokinetic, Tashana. You've embraced the inner flame that's burning so brightly inside you and become incredibly powerful. Trust me, you're quite irreplaceable."

Tashana grinned with pride and gave him an exuberant hug in return. As they walked towards the grav-tubes, John noticed that the rest of the crew had been listening attentively.

"That goes for the rest of you too," he said, stopping in front of the anti-gravity fields. "There are some things I need to discuss with you about our personal relationship, but professionally... nothing changes. You're all highly skilled specialists in your individual areas of expertise and I don't want any of you to start doubting yourselves or your place in our team. Okay?"

The girls all nodded and he was answered with beaming smiles.

"After you then, ladies," John said, gesturing towards the grav-tube.

They all stepped inside and started floating up in the sparkling blue glow, but John caught Helene's hand and held her back.

He looked meaningfully at her glowing eyes. "Are you helping Alyssa?"

"I'm helping everyone," Helene replied softly, her troubled expression revealing the strain she was under. She placed a hand on his bare chest, her fingers soft and gentle as she stroked his skin. "Their hearts ache for you, John... as does mine."

"Thank you for making it easier for them," he said, cupping her cheek and giving the aquatic girl a grateful kiss. "I'm sorry this has been so hard on you."

She leaned into his hand, drawing strength and comfort from his touch. "I'm glad I finally had the chance to repay you and the girls for your kindness towards me."

"So we're even then?" he asked playfully, knowing that Helene would insist that she hadn't even begun to repay him.

Instead she nodded and gave him a weary but satisfied smile. "Lionesses don't keep score... but yes, we're even."

He looked at Helene in surprise, then led her into the grav-tube. "Come on. I promise I'll try to be as fast as possible."

She leaned into him as they ascended through the decks, the teal radiance from her empathic abilities outshining the sapphire glow from the anti-gravity field. After reaching Deck Three, they crossed the Lagoon to enter the Observatory, where John found the girls stripping off their clothes.

"Wait a second, ladies. Can you keep everything on while we chat," he requested, while guiding Helene over to the oval bed and sitting next to her. "You're all way too distracting in the nude."

Dana pouted, then reluctantly tugged her t-shirt on again. "Fine... but the clothes are coming off as soon as we're done!"

She plopped down on the bed in her usual spot, with the rest of the girls taking their places and forming a semi-circle in front of John. Alyssa sat on his right-hand side, her thigh firmly pressed against his as she leaned against him.

"The guide really unsettled you, didn't he?" Rachel asked, looking at him with sympathy.

John grimaced and nodded in confirmation. "He told me a lot of very disturbing things. I know he was lying about some of it, trying his hardest to make me doubt myself... but I'm sure there's a grain of truth to the rest."

"What happened exactly?" Sakura asked, leaning forward with interest. "I could see you were struggling with a terrible internal conflict, but you were locked in a trance throughout the entire confrontation."

Taking a deep breath, John launched into a retelling of the events that occurred in his recent mental battle for control of his body. He explained how he'd started to unravel the runes sealing the psychic prison, but in doing so, began to share memories with his guide as they prepared to merge. Experiencing all those events from the guide's perspective had distracted John, letting his adversary gain the upper-hand and reshape their mental battlefield around him. John glanced anxiously at Calara and Dana as he recounted the scenes they had featured in, explaining the accusations the guide had made. Calara was the first to frown, shaking her head as he talked about her being enslaved, made to adore him, then being selfishly used as his tool.

John felt his heart lurch at her expression of disapproval. "I'm so sorry, honey... I didn't-"

"Why are you apologising?" the Latina interrupted, looking at him in confusion. "The guide was lying about making us adore you... psychically at least."

"What?" he asked in surprise.

"When you saved me from the pirates, I was in awe of you... both of you," Calara explained, her gaze flicking to Alyssa then back to John. She blushed, her cheeks reddening as she continued, "I had a serious crush on my knight in shining armour; I spent lots of time fantasising about you while I was recuperating from my injuries on Port Heracles. Then Rupert Grant started threatening me with a court martial and you swept in and rescued me all over again. You were already my hero weeks before I joined the crew and you fed me that first time."

Dana, Rachel, and Sakura all nodded in agreement.

"I felt totally the same way!" Dana gushed. "I might have been a bit bitchy towards you at the start, but that's only because I thought you were too good to be true. First you save Alyssa from Karron, then you give her the galaxy's most outrageous makeover... and then you come back for my skinny ass?"

She snorted and gave him a self-deprecating smile. "I was already into you in a big way... then you shot up the Diablos and whisked me away from Karron. When you offered to build me a workshop with an unlimited budget, I was convinced I was dreaming. I thought you were the most awesome guy I'd ever met... and that was long before you started loading me up to give me my own makeover."

"When we first met, I think my feelings towards you were self-explanatory," Sakura said, her tone sombre. "I'm sorry that I didn't express them very well at the time, but I was desperate to get revenge on Mikaboshi for everything he'd done to me. I'm sure you remember how I looked when you captured Shinatobe? Rachel showed me pictures of how I was before and after you healed me; I was overwhelmed with gratitude and completely awestruck."

John's face fell and he said quietly, "That was something else the guide accused me of doing. He said that I preyed on girls that had been physically or psychologically scarred... because I knew no one would miss them."

Alyssa snorted with derision. "What a load of bullshit! Do you have any idea how ridiculously hard I have to work to convince you to let anyone join the crew?!"

"The guide was definitely lying about that, John," Calara said with conviction. "I was the second girl to join the crew and my family would certainly have missed me."

Rachel moved closer to clasp his hand. "I've known you for months now and what the guide told you is not true at all. It's not coincidental that so many of us have troubled backgrounds, but that's not because you were trying to take advantage of the situation. Your compassion for our varied plights overrode your instinctive reluctance to recruit new girls; I've seen Alyssa exploit that very effectively to get you to relent and add more wounded little birds to the team."

"I was a prime example," Sakura said with a shy smile.

"Me too," Helene murmured, stroking his arm.

"Don't forget your troublesome twins," Tashana said, darting a grin at her sister. "We're poster girls for the miracles Baen'thelas can perform for a just cause."

Irillith nodded, then gave John a sultry smirk. "You love having all of us around, don't even attempt to deny it. We're all far too intimately acquainted with you in the throes of ecstasy to believe you have any regrets about letting us into your life."

Now it was John's turn to blush. "You're all amazing women; I've never denied the fact that I feel incredibly lucky to be with you."

"So what's the big problem then?" Dana asked, looking at him in confusion.

"I just hate the idea that I coerced or manipulated any of you into being with me," John said, looking around at the group with concern. "Months ago, I listed all the personality traits I like in a woman... and we know they apply to all of you now. The guide said that I removed everyone's jealousy because I didn't want to listen to you squabbling... like the waitresses at my grandparent's restaurant. I remember telling you that... so I'm pretty sure he was telling the truth."

Rachel gave his hand a supportive squeeze. "Even so, you did all of us a huge favour there. I've spent most of my adult life dealing with catty comments from jealous women and I don't miss it for one moment."

Jehanna laughed and looked at John affectionately. "That's one of the things I love the most about being here on the Invictus. Everyone is so loving and supportive; it's incredibly refreshing being able to just relax and be yourself without any judgement or jealousy."

Shifting awkwardly where he sat, John said, "That's something else the guide accused me of. He said that I started pairing you off with each other... so I could focus on the new girls without feeling guilty about neglecting the rest of you."

Sakura went pale and her hand went to her mouth in horror. "Oh no! He said that because of me, didn't he?" Her eyes filled up as she gasped, "I'm so sorry, John! I can't believe I made that fight harder for you!"

John opened his arms to the distraught young woman. "Come here, honey."

She darted across the bed to fall into his embrace. "I knew I shouldn't have said anything!"

"I don't regret that conversation for a moment," John said firmly, holding her close. "I do regret neglecting you and making you feel insecure, but I'm very grateful you told me how you felt. It brought us much closer together didn't it?"

She nodded, but stayed snuggled into his chest. "Two souls united as one..."

"Exactly," he said, stroking her back. Looking up at the girls again, he continued, "I can't give each of you as much individual attention as you deserve... but if I do or say anything that upsets you, please come and talk to me about it like Sakura did."

Alyssa rubbed his shoulder and gave him a supportive smile. "It's okay. The girls know that if they're ever craving a full tummy, they just need to come to you and tell you their woes."

That prompted an outbreak of laughter that broke the tension.

He chuckled and gave the girls a wry smile. "Alright... I guess I am a bit predictable."

"John..." Jehanna began cautiously. "Are you quite sure that the reason you're concerned about us girls pairing off is because you're worried you aren't giving us enough attention? Or do you actually feel uncomfortable with the idea of sharing each of us with a girlfriend?"

That provoked more laughter, particularly amongst Calara and Alyssa, Dana and Rachel, and especially the Maliri twins.

"Trust me... he has no problem appreciating a bit of Sapphic passion," Rachel said, reaching for her girlfriend. "Watch this..."

She looked into Dana's eyes and the redhead's gaze softened with affection. They kissed tenderly, expressing their heartfelt love for each other as their captivated audience looked on. Jehanna glanced back at John, who was watching the pair in rapt fascination, his trousers bulging obscenely as he responded to the sight of the beautiful girls entwined in a loving embrace.

Jehanna tittered at his reaction. "I guess that answers that question." Her expression shadowed with confusion and she continued, "It seems obvious to me that the girls all love each other's company... so why would you feel guilty about that? As the new recruit, I can tell you that it's wonderful to see how close all the girls are. I want to be part of that so much... but I don't feel like I've earned it yet."

She was quickly surrounded by the others and buried in a deluge of hugs and kisses. Jehanna's joy at the spontaneous outpouring of affection was obvious and she grinned at John in delight.

Alyssa stayed at John's side and leaned into his shoulder. "Look at how happy she is. Being in a relationship with you also means that we get endless love and attention from the rest of the girls."

The celebrating crew separated and fanned out to retake their places on the bed.

Rachel looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "I think we all disagree with you that this is a problem, but the fact that you're worrying about neglecting us needs to be addressed. Considering how outnumbered you are, it seems to me that it's very unfair on you to be worrying about keeping us happy. Surely the onus should be on each of us to maintain a happy relationship with you?"

He blinked in surprise, looking even more startled when all the girls nodded enthusiastically.

Calara smiled fondly at his expression. "We're not really your wounded little birds anymore, John... not since you mended us. Now it's our turn to start looking after you."

"What do you think?" Rachel asked, looking at him inquisitively. "Instead of you trying to be an attentive fiancé... or boyfriend... or Master... to over a dozen women, what if we focus on being your attentive fiancée... or girlfriend... or devoted Nymph respectively? If we need to speak to you about anything that's bothering us, we inform Alyssa and she schedules some time with you... just like we all did this morning. Your job is to assume everything is perfect... unless one of us tells you otherwise."

The girls all echoed their support for this idea, without a dissenting voice to be heard.

"That sounds... refreshingly straightforward," John said, looking hugely relieved. He gave Rachel a grateful smile, which faltered an instant later.

"What's wrong?" she asked, bewildered by his reaction.

"This was something else that the guide accused me of doing," John confessed, looking around at the concerned faces. "He said that I'd created... a band of sycophants. He told me that I've influenced all of you so much that you just condone every decision I make and tell me exactly what I want to hear."

"You mean like me yelling at you for recruiting Tamolith?" Calara asked, her brown eyes sparkling.

"Or me abandoning the Invictus mid-battle to chase after Weber and rescue my sisters?" Jade suggested, looking a little abashed as she remembered disobeying her master.

"This is fun!" Dana exclaimed, making a beckoning motion with her hands. "Come on... what else have you got? I bet we can prove that asshole was lying about everything!"

John slowly shook his head. "I'm not so sure... it honestly felt like there was some truth to the things he said."

"Oh, I know!" the redhead blurted out. "That bit about you using us for your own selfish ends... which sounds kinda hot by the way."

He rolled his eyes. "Sparks... this is serious."

"I'm being totally serious!" she protested. "But so what if you got something out of helping us? That's fair... right? You asked me to be your Chief Engineer and make you awesome gear, which I love doing and benefits all of us. So what's the problem with that?"

"She makes an excellent point," Calara interjected. "You recruited me to be your Tactical Officer... a role I'd been preparing for my entire life. I always hoped I'd have an honourable career in the military and in the time I've spent fighting for you on the Invictus, what we've achieved has exceeded even my wildest dreams. Now we're fighting to liberate the galaxy from evil tyrants, but I'm not just doing that for you... it's a goal I believe in with all my heart."