Three Square Meals Ch. 061

"Alright, I'll speak to her about it," he agreed, then leaned it to kiss her. Their kiss was gentle and intimate, and when they finally parted, he looked into her eyes and said, "Thank you for coming to rescue me."

She grinned at him and said, "You seemed to be doing a fine job of rescuing yourself."

He glanced over at the cyborg assassin they had taken captive, and her mono-edged matte black sword that lay on a gurney, then said, "Yeah, but I'd have been in trouble when she turned up again."

"In that case, you're welcome!" Alyssa said to him with a laugh, and he gave her a big hug before letting her go.

"I'll meet you in the bedroom," he said, as he turned to leave the room.

"I never get tired of hearing you say that," she purred seductively, then waved him goodbye as he walked out of the Medical Bay.

***

Faye was up on the Bridge, sitting on the IntOps Console and staring at the Sector Map, but he could tell by the thousand-yard stare that she was thinking about something else entirely. John stepped out of the grav-tube onto the Command Deck, and when he spotted the purple sprite, he walked across the room to join her. She jumped with surprise when he sat down in the chair behind the IntOps Console, then looked at him guiltily.

"Some Watch Commander I am, when you can sneak up on me like that," she said, looking downhearted.

John smiled at her apologetically and said, "Sorry about that, Faye, I should have said hello. I didn't mean to startle you."

She waved a hand at him, and sounded subdued as she said, "No problem. It's okay."

He leaned towards her, and said, "I came up here to check on you and make sure you were alright, but I can see you're not." Fairly sure he already knew the answer to his next question, he still asked it anyway, "What's bothering you, Faye?"

The four-inch-tall pixie looked like she was going to wave away his concerns, but she changed her mind, and drew a shuddering breath. When she started speaking, her voice was quiet and she sounded deeply upset. "I saw it all happening..." she finally replied. "You fighting against the assassin, and then Jade being killed. I saw it all, and was powerless to stop any of it."

"That wasn't your fault though," he said to her gently. "You couldn't have stopped that assassin."

Her little face shadowed with anger, and she protested, "But I could have stopped it all!"

John's face twisted in confusion as he asked, "How, Faye? I don't understand."

"I activated the ship's anti-personnel defences, and I could have shot that assassin with the Gatling Lasers! But..." she trailed off, stopping herself from continuing with a visible effort.

"But what? You can tell me... what's troubling you?" he asked her sympathetically.

"It was your fault!" she finally snapped. "Because of your paranoia about AI, I was locked out from the ship's defences! I couldn't fire them, so you were captured, and Jade got killed because of it!"

He was startled by her furious outburst, but he forced himself to think rationally about what she had just yelled at him. Settling back in the chair, he frowned, and said, "You're right. I should have started trusting you much sooner, and I'm sorry."

She nodded, but sounded despondent as she said, "I understand why you feel that way, what with Nexus and the Terran's history of rogue AI. It just came as a shock when I couldn't intervene to save you."

"Like I said, I'm sorry, Faye. I promise it'll be different from now on," he replied, but he could see she was still upset by something else. She was looking down and away from him, so he crouched down so he could meet her gaze, and asked perceptively, "There's something else bothering you. What is it?"

She looked at him, and he could see tears filling her eyes as she whispered, "I can't get those images out of my head. I keep seeing it over and over again."

"Seeing what? Jade being stabbed?" John asked her.

She nodded, a tiny fluorescent tear rolling down her digital cheek as she replied, "I've deleted the video file, but it keeps reappearing in my system memory. It's like my central processing core can't let it go."

John looked concerned and said, "If you were Terran, I'd say you were suffering from PTSD. It's something I've had a lot of experience with, and I've lost friends I served with who were haunted by memories from combat."

"How do I make it go away?" she asked him plaintively.

He studied her a while, trying to think of some useful advice to help the troubled girl. "Well, Jade is completely recovered now, so seeing her laughing and smiling as she goes about the ship might make it easier to let that memory go. We've also captured the assassin who stabbed her, so seeing her eventual fate might make things easier too."

"Are you going to kill her?" Faye asked him in a neutral voice.

He paused, thinking it over until he replied, "We'll try and find out more about the man she was working for. We don't want to have to deal with more assassination attempts if we can nip this in the bud."

"That didn't answer my question," she persisted, with a small smile.

"No, it didn't," he agreed. He sighed, before he continued, "I don't like the idea of killing her in cold blood, but she's extremely dangerous. In all likelihood, we might have to. Would you have a problem with that?"

She shook her head, her cute little facing looking fierce as she replied, "No, definitely not."

John nodded while watching her, then after another pause, he leaned over the IntOps console, and clicked on several buttons until a security interface appeared. It rose up above the sprite as a glowing blue holographic panel, listing the various security functions aboard the Invictus. He made some changes to the settings, then said, "I've just given you fire permission on the internal and external Anti-Personnel defences. We've taken the assassin prisoner, but now if you get in the same situation again, you won't be powerless. Maybe knowing that might help you put this behind you?"

Faye looked surprised, but she smiled at him gratefully, and said, "You've been really kind, thank you." She blushed a darker shade of purple, and added, "I'm sorry I yelled at you before."

He laughed, and said, "Don't worry about it, I deserved it." He grinned at her playfully, and joked, "As far as homicidal AIs go, I think you're a lovely girl."

She giggled and beamed a sparkling smile at him as she replied, "Yeah? Well you aren't too bad for a filthy organic."

They both shared a good laugh, and when he rose from his chair, she looked much happier. He smiled at her, and said, "I'm worn out, and I need a good sleep. I'll leave the ship and our prisoner in your capable hands, Watch Commander."

She fluttered up to his face, carried on her shimmering gossamer wings, then leaned in to kiss him tenderly on the cheek. She smiled as she said, "Thanks for coming up here and trying to make me feel better. It really meant a lot."

"Any time," he replied as he waved her goodbye, and then stepped into the grav-tube, disappearing from sight.

Faye turned back to her vigilant watch over the Sector Map, while bringing up a cam-feed image of the Medical Bay. As she stared at the face of the beaten assassin through the clear viewport of the cryostasis pod, she activated the internal defences in the corridor on Deck Seven, bringing the Gatling Lasers online.

She found herself fervently hoping that the assassin would try to escape.

***

John found the girls already in bed waiting for him, so he stripped off his clothes and joined them. The quick boost from being fed by Jade was wearing off now, and all of them looked bone weary, having been heavily tapped of psychic energy to bring Jade back. The only exception was Jade herself, who was cuddling Calara protectively from behind.

"I'm not remotely tired," she said with a warm smile. She glanced down at Calara, and placed her green hand on the Latina's swollen tummy, then said earnestly, "I'll keep an eye on this little kitten, and keep her safe."

"Thanks, Jade," John replied, struggling to stifle a yawn. "Wake me up when she's absorbed the last lot."

She nodded, her fingers moving in broad, gentle circles on Calara's coffee-coloured stomach. The girls spread out to give Jade and her patient plenty of room, so the sleeping arrangements were somewhat disrupted. In the end, Dana and Rachel ended up drifting off to sleep in each other's arms on the far side of the Nymph. Alyssa snuggled into John, holding him tightly, and she beckoned over Irillith, who gave her a grateful, if rather sleepy smile as she joined them. The blondes fell asleep almost immediately, and after giving Jade a final glance, John was soon slumbering peacefully too.

***

He awoke several hours later to feel the delightful sensation of several girls swirling eager tongues around his cock. He was still tired out, so he just sagged back in bed, and let the girls go to work, figuring Alyssa had arranged some kind of team effort to coax another load from his quad. Seeing no need to hold back, he let those velvety soft tongues tease and caress him to the edge, and he reached down to run his fingers through one of his fellatrix's hair.

It only took a moment to realise there was only one girl blowing him. As he made that realisation, he shivered with pleasure and pulled Jade forward, so that her lips were encircling the base of his shaft. She purred with delight, and being fully encased in that vibrating, massaging throat of hers, his quad seized the opportunity to pump their cargo into a receptive female. He came hard, filling her up with his freshly prepared load, and when he was done, he looked down to smile at her as she appeared from under the covers.

Jade blew him a kiss, then crawled over to rejoin Calara, who was sleeping serenely on the bed. She elongated a couple of her fingers, then gently wormed them between the Latina's lips so that she could top up the horribly wounded brunette. John suddenly heard a muffled gasp from Calara, and she jolted herself awake.

He sat upright at the same time that she did, and while he wore a look of concern, she looked horrified as she gaped at the bandaged stump where her hand should be. Alyssa had felt him stir, and she was by Calara's side like a shot.

"Shh, it's okay," she said to the brunette in a calm, reassuring voice.

"My hand!" Calara said in shock, verging on the edge of panic.

Alyssa swaddled the Latina in soothing thoughts as she said, "Will be as good as new in no time." She wrapped her in a hug, and added, "John's going to make it all better."

He was with the scared girl now, and he brushed his fingers through her long, dark-brown hair as he said with confidence, "Don't worry, I'll have you healed up soon."

Jade leaned in, and pressed her luscious lips against Calara's cheek, giving her an affectionate kiss. As she pulled back she said softly, "I died, and he brought me back to life."

The Latina pulled back from Alyssa's comforting embrace, and looked at Jade in astonishment. Her big brown eyes rapidly flicked between Jade, Alyssa, and John, as she struggled to take in what they were saying to her.

John could see she was really struggling with it all, so he said in a firm voice, "You need your meds, Commander. Settle down with Jade, and I'll debrief you."

His commanding voice of authority had an immediate effect on her, and she smiled at him bravely as she took a big breath to steady her nerves. "I think you better bring me up to speed," she said, after a moment's pause.

***

Jade cradled the young woman in her arms, singing to her softly as Calara suckled on the Nymph's engorged breasts, quickly filling her stomach with John's cum. He sat opposite Jade, massaging Calara's expanding tummy as he carefully explained what had happened aboard the Invictus while she'd been unconscious. Alyssa chipped in from time to time, interjecting with her point of view on recent events, and in particular, adding details about her own boarding action. The blonde girl desperately wanted to wrap Calara up in a big hug to reassure the unsettled young woman, but she kept her hands busy by brushing them through the Latina's dark tresses.

Eventually the Nymph was done, and she helped Calara lie back on the bed, resting on her side. John spooned up behind the shaken teenager, wrapping her up in a protective embrace, and letting Calara draw comfort from the strength in those arms. "I can't believe you're going to grow me a new hand," she said, her eyes drifting down fearfully to the bandaged stump.

Alyssa was lying in front of her, and she lifted Calara's chin to avert her gaze from her injury. Her voice was gentle and kind as she said, "Don't think about it then. Just enjoy carrying John's cum inside you, and before you know it, everything will be back to normal."

Calara sighed, and she looked at them each in turn before saying in a small voice, "Thank you for looking after me."

They both cuddled her, keeping her safe in their arms, and she soon fell into a deep sleep as John's cum began to go to work. Or more accurately, it allowed him to channel his willpower through her body, and use the load in her stomach to knit new bone, muscle and sinew on her forearm. Jade was snuggled in behind John, and he felt her chest rising and falling rhythmically as she fell asleep too.

Alyssa looked at John over the sleeping brunette, and thought to him, *Calara's such a wonderful girl, it's awful seeing this happen to her.*

*As you said, I'll make her all better,* John replied with a kind smile.

She nodded, then pulled back from Calara a little way to give herself some room. Her dextrous hands worked quickly to untie the bandage from around the Latina's wrist, and she took great care while she worked, making sure not to disturb the slumbering girl. John watched her nimble fingers with fascination, and when she peeled back the last of the bandage from around the stump, she looked up at him in surprise.

The torn and ragged flesh on Calara's forearm was now completely rejuvenated, ending in a smooth, rounded stump at the wrist. The healing results were always dramatic, but this transformation in just over four hours was nothing short of miraculous. Alyssa's blue eyes suddenly flashed with inspiration, and she climbed out of bed, before darting into the walk-in wardrobe. John watched her leave, wondering what she was up to. She wasn't gone for very long, and when she returned, she was holding a long white glove in her hands. With a broad grin on her face, she waved it in the air triumphantly.

*This is perfect!* she exclaimed, as she climbed back on the bed, then carefully slipped the satiny glove over Calara's wrist, and up her forearm past her elbow. *Now she won't have to look at her arm while it's healing.*

He smiled at her, and said, *Nice idea, beautiful. We can easily remove it in four hours and check the progress.*

Alyssa nodded enthusiastically, and they lay together for a few minutes, staring into each other's eyes. Drowsiness soon overtook them both, and they dropped off to sleep, while cradling Calara in their arms.

***

John felt much better when he woke in much the same way four hours later. Jade's enchanting green eyes sparkled with excitement when she saw he was awake, and when she redoubled her efforts, he soon gave her exactly what she wanted. Once she was satisfied she had every last drop, she sat upright with a lazy, contented smile on her face, and beckoned Calara over to join her.

All the girls were awake now, and once John had stopped seeing stars, he sat up, and watched the tender scene as Jade literally nursed Calara back to health. Rachel had spotted the white opera glove on the brunette's hand, and she bounded over, before leaning in to take a closer look.

"May I?" she asked Calara.

The Latina nodded, holding out her right arm which was encased in the white satin garment. John could see at a glance that something had changed in the last four hours, with only the fingers of the glove looking hollow, and not quite hanging right. Rachel carefully pulled the glove away, and gaped in astonishment at the smooth, unblemished skin on the girl's forearm. When she tugged the glove away completely, she shook her head in wonder.

"You've completely rebuilt the carpals, metacarpals and proximal phalanges!" she gasped, gently turning Calara's olive-skinned hand to get a look at all sides.

Calara looked a bit worried, and released Jade's engorged, dark-green nipple from her lips so she could ask, "What does that mean? Is that bad?"

Alyssa was sitting by Calara's head, and she raised herself up so she could lean over and give the brunette a kiss, while whispering loving words to her telepathically. When they finally parted, Alyssa said, "It means you're nearly there. John just needs to rebuild the end of your fingers, and you'd never be able to tell you were hurt."

Rachel slipped the glove back on her friend's hand, and then looked up at John with newfound respect in her eyes. She looked like she wanted to discuss it further, but she paused, in consideration for Calara who was still unsettled by the whole traumatic incident. They watched the Latina finish emptying both breasts, and she sat up afterwards with Jade's assistance.

Sensing that John wanted to speak to them, Alyssa guided the girls via telepathy, and they fanned out into a semi-circle around the bed. He nodded his thanks to her, then looked up at the hidden camera, and said, "Faye, can you call us on the view-screen please? I want to involve you in all our team chats."

Up on the Bridge, the tiny digital creature's face lit up with a beaming smile. She had observed John and the girls having these impromptu team meetings in their bedroom before, and now he was actively including her, she felt more a part of the group than ever. She activated the screen in the bedroom, and when it came to life a few moments later, Faye's adorable face appeared as a holographic image at the end of the bed. Rachel and Irillith shifted slightly to make room for her, so that she could see and be seen clearly.

John looked around at all the bright, attentive faces that were looking at him expectantly, and he said, "Are you all feeling better now? I'm sorry I had to tap you for so much energy earlier, I'll try not to do that again unless it's an emergency."

There were murmurs of agreement that they all felt fully recovered, and Alyssa smiled at him as she said, "Don't be silly, none of us mind. You brought Jade back to life! How could we be mad at you for that?"

The girls echoed their agreement, and John smiled at them as Alyssa leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek. He made eye contact with each of them in turn as he said, "I don't want any of you to start taking unnecessary risks, thinking I can just bring you back to life if something goes badly wrong. Jade has a unique physiology, and her body works very differently from all of yours."

Alyssa stroked his arm, and said, "There's no need to worry, we'll be careful." Turning to look at the rest of the group, she added, "Right girls?"

They all promised him that they would, and he nodded, somewhat mollified. Turning to Rachel, he asked, "What exactly happened to her, anyway? I've seen Jade regenerate a really nasty wound before, so what was stopping her from healing the sword hit?"

Rachel was animated as she replied, "It's funny you should ask, I was fascinated about that too!" She suddenly looked remorseful, and she looked over at Jade, making eye contact as she added, "Please believe me that I was completely heartbroken when you died. I guess I went into autopilot to cope with the grief, so when I removed the sword, I performed a partial autopsy."