Three Square Meals Ch. 086

John smiled at her. "Does that mean you're saying yes to becoming Mrs Sakura Blake?"

She looked at him in surprise, then laughed joyfully. It was a light, happy sound that instantly banished the previously sombre mood. "Yes! A thousand times, yes!"

***

The flight back to the Invictus was quiet, with the occupants of the Raptor deep in thought. John glanced at Sakura who was sitting beside him, her beautiful face still wearing a look of blissful astonishment as she tried to absorb everything that had just happened in her old home. Alyssa was sitting opposite him, not having spoken a word. She studied him with an intense, speculative look in her piercing cerulean eyes.

John leaned back against the wall, slowly exhaling as he closed his heavy eyelids. Although he'd managed to mask his fatigue during the meeting with Sakura's parents, he'd never used so much psychic energy before and he felt hollowed out by the experience. As much resistance as he'd faced in gifting Rachel with the ability to heal, this had felt massively harder and only his relentless determination to help Sakura had allowed him to push through that barrier.

*Thank you for the assistance back there,* John said to his two Matriarchs. *I'm sorry I was abrupt with you both, I was a bit preoccupied at the time.*

Edraele was the first to answer and she sounded tired but pleased. *There's no need to apologise, I could feel your mind battling to overcome that resistance and I'm just glad you asked me for support.* She paused, then added nervously, *That was a very... unique experience.*

*What was that?* Alyssa asked, sounding more than a little apprehensive. *Whatever you were fighting against felt titanic!*

He slowly opened his eyes to see her staring at him intently. *I've no idea,* he admitted with a slight shrug of his shoulders. *I felt the same kind of opposition when I enhanced Rachel's third helix.*

Her eyes darted to the side, softening as she looked at Sakura. *You turned her world upside down, do you know that?*

John put his arm around the Asian girl, smiling when she let out a happy sigh and snuggled against him. *She's a lovely girl and life dealt her a shitty hand. I wanted to help give her the proper closure she needed to be able to move on without carrying those burdens.*

*How did you do all that back there?* Alyssa asked, leaning forward with a hungry gleam in her eyes. *Your mind was moving too fast for me to follow! You gathered their psychic imprints... I got that bit, but the rest... it just blew my mind!*

*As you say, I gathered the psychic 'memories' of her parents, using them as a guide to recreate Shiro and Emiko. Getting a read of all those imprints let me gauge how they would react to seeing Sakura again. After that, I imbued them with a temporary spark of consciousness and gave them a physical presence.* He glanced down at Sakura as she nuzzled into him affectionately. *So it was very real, in a sense that they behaved exactly as her parents would have done in those circumstances.*

*But how?! I don't understand how you could even start going about that?* she replied, looking frustrated. *You just gave them a spark of consciousness... what does that even mean?!*

*It was a bit similar to the way I revived Jade,* John replied, remembering how he'd fanned that spark of life inside her into a brightly burning flame. He studied Alyssa for a moment, having a pretty good idea what had triggered such intense interest. His tone was gentle and sympathetic as he asked, *Karron?*

She bit her lip and her eyes welled up as she gave him a curt nod in reply.

*Let me have some time with Sakura, then I promise we'll talk about it alone later tonight. Okay?* he asked, his eyes searching her face for a reaction.

Alyssa nodded again and looked away, swallowing back the lump in her throat.

Faye rose from the pilot's chair and turned to look at her passengers, not entirely sure how to handle the strange mood in the cockpit. John looked tired, Sakura seemed happy but shocked, whilst Alyssa's expression was one Faye had never seen before on the young woman. She appeared both hopeful and sad at the same time, which generated a logic-error in her emotional sensitivity programs.

Erring on the side of caution, Faye muted her natural exuberance and informed them quietly, "We've just landed on the Invictus."

John looked at her in surprise, then nodded in acknowledgement. "Thanks for flying us, Faye, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," she replied, giving him a kind smile in return, rather than the cheerful grin she would have preferred.

The three of them rose to their feet, with John putting his arm around both girls as they walked to the grav-tube. They rode down in the red field together, then left the Raptor by the forward loading ramp.

"I'll let Rachel know that we'll need to postpone her visit with her father until tomorrow," John said regretfully, as they reached the Hangar deck. "After that, I'm going to head up to the bedroom to have a rest. You're both welcome to join me."

Sakura slipped her arm around his waist and hugged him back. "I'll come with you."

Alyssa turned to look at him and cupped his face in her hands. "You should go and get some sleep, you look worn out. I'll speak to Rachel and keep the girls company. They're making dinner at the moment, would you like me to save you some for later?"

"That'd be great, thank you. Give me a few hours to recover then wake me. Say around ten?" John requested, pulling her closer for a tender kiss. *Don't say anything to Dana yet. I'll explain why later.*

She gazed up at him, a flicker of worry appearing in her eyes. *Okay, I won't say a word.*

They parted then, with Alyssa heading to the aft grav-tube, while John and Sakura took the two express tubes up to their bedroom. He kicked off his shoes then flopped on the bed, letting out a sigh of contentment as he relaxed on the soft covers. Sakura removed her high heels then climbed on after him, kneeling at his side as she gazed down at him with a look of wonder on her face as if seeing him for the first time.

He smiled at her and opened his arms. "I'm the same guy I was a few hours ago. I could use a hug from a beautiful girl though..."

Sakura blushed and lay down on the bed, nestling against him with her long raven hair cascading over his shoulder. Her warm body felt lovely next to his and as he put a protective arm around her, he felt his eyelids growing heavier until he couldn't keep them open any longer...

The next thing he knew he was being gently jostled awake as a pair of enchanting almond-shaped eyes gazed down at him.

"Alyssa asked me to wake you. It just turned ten o'clock," Sakura murmured, before cuddling up against him again.

She was nude now and so was he, to his surprise. Her skin felt wonderfully smooth and soft as she snuggled closer, one of her golden-brown arms resting across his chest.

He glanced down at her and found that she had tilted her head back slightly so that she could watch his face. "I'm so sorry I flaked out on you," he apologised, giving her a remorseful look. "You must have wanted to talk after that bombshell I dropped on you."

Turning around, Sakura raised herself up so that she could see him more easily. Her breasts felt lovely where they pressed against his chest and it took all his willpower to keep his eyes on her face rather than glancing at her impressive cleavage.

"You have nothing to apologise for," she said in a tender voice, with that same look of awe returning once again. "You exhausted yourself to help me."

"I just hope you didn't feel pressured into saying 'Yes', considering the situation," he said, an anxious undercurrent to his voice.

She looked at him in surprise for a moment then giggled with laughter. For the first time since he'd known her, she seemed like a normal, happy, twenty-year-old girl; a far cry from the troubled young woman who'd been burdened down with so much pain and sorrow.

"Everything you said was just perfect," she swooned, leaning in to give him a kiss. "Everything that happened... it was all perfect."

"I'm sure you must have a thousand questions about what happened with your parents. I'm just sorry I couldn't warn you in advance to let you prepare yourself. I didn't even know I could do that until I got caught up in the moment," he explained, brushing his fingers through her long silky-black hair.

Sakura shook her head without hesitating. "I've been thinking about everything while you were asleep... You granted me my dearest wish and let me say a proper goodbye to my parents. I don't need to know any more than that." She smiled at him in adoration. "As for feeling pressured? I fell in love with you weeks ago. Hearing you ask my parents for permission to marry me was magical."

John felt a surge of relief and he hugged her tight, pulling her in for another kiss. When her soft lips finally left his, he felt a flicker of trepidation as he gazed into her lovely brown eyes. "There is something we need to discuss though, about you being my fiancée-"

She kissed him again to shush him into silence then gave him a beaming grin. "Don't worry, Alyssa already explained that there are several more future Mrs Blakes..."

"You don't look upset by the idea?"

"All of us were planning on settling down together to raise a family with you; this is an easy leap to make by comparison," she said, a soft look in her eyes. "Don't get me wrong though, I'm overjoyed that you proposed; you couldn't have done anything more to make me happier."

"That's what I want, to make you happy," John said, gazing into her eyes.

She gave him a coy look in return. "In that case, there is one thing you could do that would make me positively delighted... if you aren't too tired that is?"

Alyssa heard his concerned thoughts about keeping her waiting and she spoke up immediately, *Don't be silly. Take your time and give her what she needs, then I'll meet you in your Ready Room.*

John moved with the Asian girl as she rolled over onto her back, letting her lie beneath him as she preferred. "No playing at being my Thrall this time," he cautioned her with a smile, while gazing down at her beautiful face.

She parted her legs, cradling him between her thighs as her fingers traced lightly over his flanks. "Can I be the loving fiancée instead?"

"That sounds perfect," he agreed, brushing the head of his cock against her already wet pussy. "As long as I can be the adoring fiancé?"

Sakura bit her lower lip as she nodded, slowly twisting her hips back and forth as she guided his broad girth inside her. John slid his hands under her head, cradling her as he gazed into her eyes, savouring the look of intense concentration on her face.

She let out a soft moan as she took another few inches, then struggled to take any more, the angle too difficult to make further progress. "You'll have to finish the rest for me," she murmured, looking flushed with excitement.

Doing as she asked, he pushed in deeper, loving the look of pleasure in her eyes and the quiet moans she made as he impaled her. Her thighs were splayed wide open to give him full access to her body and her soft fingers fluttered on his lower back as she urged him all the way inside. She had relaxed to take him, and her warm, tight passage readily yielded for his progress, welcoming his cock back into her womb with a rippling squeeze.

"Back where I belong," he said quietly, leaning in to kiss her.

Sakura brought her legs up to cross her calves over his ass as she hugged him tight. "I'm going to be such a good wife for you," she murmured, kissing him back with increasing passion.

John started stroking in and out, watching her breathing quicken as she got more excited. She felt incredible wrapped around him like that and the adoration in her eyes was intoxicating. The look she gave him was something he'd not seen from Sakura before. It reminded him of the kind of reverent glances that the other girls had frequently given him in the early days, before the bond with Alyssa had been broken and reforged. This felt very different though and for the first time, he didn't feel any guilt when she gazed at him that way. He felt like he'd truly earned her respect and trust, rather than it being part and parcel of a Progenitor's normal connection with his Thralls.

"How are you going to be a good wife for me, gorgeous?" he asked playfully, as he stroked into her.

She pulled him down onto her chest, then pressed her lips to his ear. "Every time you come to bed with me, I'm going to leave you seeing stars!"

He grinned and kissed her, his tongue duelling with hers as she moaned into his mouth. "You already do that, so what else?"

"I'm going to learn to cook so that I can provide for you and our family," she gasped, letting out a soft cry as he hilted himself inside her and ground against her clit.

"I like cooking for you, so you're going to have some competition in the kitchen," he replied distractedly, his focus on her body and the trembling in her thighs that hinted at her cresting climax. "Tell me about our family, how many lovely children are you going to give me?"

Sakura pulled back so she could lock eyes with him, her chest heaving as she got more aroused. "Lots!"

"They'll be so beautiful, just like you," he agreed, cradling her head in his hands as he pistoned his cock deep into her womb.

She arched her back as she came, gripping him tightly in her clutching embrace and crying out in ecstasy. Her almond eyes were squeezed tightly closed as she crested that wave of pleasure, clinging to him desperately as he rode her hard. John was relentless and coaxed her through two more fierce orgasms, her pussy gripping and massaging his shaft as her body encouraged him to fill her womb. Sakura was left breathless after her third climax and she sagged back on the bed as her arms and legs relaxed. He waited patiently for her to recover, murmuring loving words in her ear and gently stroking her hair.

"That felt so intense... so intimate..." she finally breathed, her dark brown eyes filled with love.

John nodded, holding her close as he kissed her. "That was just a taste of what's in store, my beautiful fiancée."

She let out a happy sigh and hugged him back. She glanced down at her slim tummy and asked curiously, "How come you didn't finish too?"

He began to move again, kissing her as he picked up the pace again. "I want to look into your beautiful eyes when I do; you had them squeezed shut earlier."

Sakura smiled at him, blushing self-consciously. "I can't think of anything I'd love more," she said giving him a tender kiss. Her earnest expression wavered for a moment and she suddenly appeared torn with indecision.

"What's the matter?" John asked with concern, stopping his thrusts as he noticed the doubt in her eyes.

She hesitated for a moment, then replied softly, "I've been having nightmares..."

"Of Shinatobe's implanted memories?" John asked, taking a calculated guess. "Hopefully they'll be less frequent now. How often are you getting these nightmares at the moment?"

"Every night," Sakura admitted, not willing to meet his gaze.

He looked startled, then hugged her tight. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. "I had no idea you'd been suffering like that."

"The fighting wasn't so bad, but the torture... it was horrific," Sakura murmured, a haunted look in her eyes. "Shinatobe was a monster; women, children, she had no compassion for anyone."

John wanted to tell her that he'd get rid of the memories immediately, but he paused, having had that conversation with her before. Stopping himself from repeating himself, he just nodded sympathetically.

Sakura saw the frustrated look in his eyes and gave him a grateful kiss. "I know you wanted to erase them before, but I asked you not to..." She smiled as she continued, "Rachel spoke to me about that only this morning. She asked me to talk to you about removing them and made it clear she wasn't going to take no for an answer."

John stroked her hair as he studied her face. "You know I'll help you in a heartbeat, you only have to ask. I don't want you to feel forced into anything, but those implanted memories are probably never going to fade with time. The recordings of Shinatobe's murders aren't natural and they don't belong in your mind; that's probably why your subconscious is struggling to cope and making you relive them as nightmares every night."

"Always looking out for me," she said affectionately, her fingers tracing over his cheek. She glanced away, gazing into the distance as she admitted, "I was worried about losing my fighting edge if Shinatobe's memories were erased. I still am if I'm being honest."

"If that happens we can adjust, it isn't a problem," John said gently. "I value your happiness far more than how powerful you are in combat."

Sakura kissed him then, her soft lips brushing against his before giving him a loving smile. "Sentiments like that are why you never need to worry about how much you're influenced by your Progenitor heritage."

He looked at her in surprise for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully.

Her eyes shone with fresh resolve as she continued, "Shinatobe's victims don't need me to be their advocate any more. Irillith has logs of everything that happened and the guilty are being punished. It's time... I'd like you to remove those memories for me."

"Of course, honey," he said, looking pleased. He glanced down where they were joined together and added, "We'd better finish with you swallowing."

She gave him a seductive look. "As long as you stare into my eyes when you cum..."

John smiled at her then carefully withdrew from her snug depths. As soon as they were parted, Sakura moved with nimble grace, crossing the bed then kneeling before the chair. She patted the seat and had a coy smile on her face as she said, "I like being on my knees for you, it makes me feel very submissive."

He went over to join the Asian girl, sitting on the high-backed leather chair and spreading his legs to make room for her. She inched closer, then leaned down to take his rock-hard cock in her mouth, parting her lips wide to engulf his throbbing head. With practiced skill, she eased him into her throat, swallowing as he sank deeper. The rhythmic contractions gripped him like a fist and John let out a groan as she massaged his length.

Adjusting her angle so that she could gaze up at him, John leaned back a little and watched her eyes as she sucked on his throbbing cock. He'd been close before, so he knew he wasn't going to last long, especially not with the way her velvety tongue was gliding over his shaft. The look she gave him was so trusting and filled with such devotion that his sudden explosive climax rushed upon him, the first blast of cum shooting down his shaft and straight into her stomach.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, then were filled with a look of tremendous satisfaction as they gazed at one another through his climax. She sucked hungrily, her throat bobbing as she swallowed, muscles contracting around his shaft to milk his quad of every last drop of spunk. John held her head in place with both hands, feeling an instinctive need to stop anything from interrupting his intense orgasm. She wasn't planning on going anywhere though and hummed happily as his cock pulsated in her throat, long streams of cum pumping into her rapidly expanding stomach.

It was a long, deeply satisfying climax and he groaned with relief when he was done, his four balls feeling numb after such a powerful release. He slumped back in a daze, reeling from the immensely pleasurable sensations. Sakura continued to nurse on him until she was sure he was finished, at which point she led him slide free of her throat, giving his head a grateful kiss as it left her lips.