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I must have been the first one up the next morning... at least the first of the humans. The sun was streaming in through the big picture window, Julie and Gwen were still snuggled together on the floor. Sometime overnight Reggie must have joined them as Gwen was hugging him to her under the blankets. Sam started to stir from her spot still atop and snuggle to me.

"Good morning sleepyhead." I whispered, smiling.

She lifted her head with a start, fear and confusion apparent on her face. I smiled at her and she flumped back down. "Oh my God, Jim... I.... for a moment...." she was breathing heavily, apparently she'd gotten quite a fright.

"It's just me, Sam. It's just me." I whispered and patted her back.

"Jim... did we....?" she asked in a whisper.

"No... just cuddled like this. I wasn't about to push you hard and time just ran out in the night for anything further." I whispered back.

Sam snuggled in and sighed. "I dreamed we did... and... then towards the end... you weren't you. Then I woke up, and I was here, and you... and..." she whisper-mumbled.

"It's all alright. Did you enjoy the part where I was me?" I inquired, still whispering.

Sam smiled and snuggled close. "Very much. You know it'd be the first time I let a man... be..."

I kissed the top of her head. "I figured. But that's not talk for now... not those worries and fears. Today is a new day, and you've come this far with me last night - further than ever, I'd imagine. That's something, Sam. It's something to be proud of."

Sam just snuggled close. "I wish we could be like this all day," Sam whispered.

I just chuckled softly. "Would be rather messy... you'd have to pee sometime." She looked at me and I winked, bringing a bigger smile on her face as she laid her head back down on my chest.

"Thank you, Jim. For everything. Do you think... we could come over again sometime? Like... tonight?" I could feel Sam smirk at that comment.

I thought a bit... I'd have to set things up with Judge Clemens for Friday night... get all the transport and such arranged for the equipment, set dressing, then the animals... Friday I'd have to be gone for most of the evening, but tonight.... "You're wanting to try to have some more fun tonight, or repeat what just happened and see how much further it'll go?" I asked, still whispering.

Sam's brow furrowed some. "I.... I don't know, Jim. This.... this is the first time in forever I've felt safe with a man. Let alone been naked with one. I just... I don't want this to end. Even... even with the dream warping badly, I've had the most pleasant night's sleep I've had in years."

I smiled and patted Sam's back again as Reggie and then the two others started to stir from their slumber. "I don't know if you can really push it that much, Sam. Small steps, hon. I won't say no, but I'll caution you that if you go too far too fast, it might bite you in the butt unexpectedly. That and... I don't think it'd be fair to Gwen and Julie if we do this too very often."

Sam sighed and nodded. "I know, Jim. I just... " she looked to me, fear in her eyes but a smile on her face. "I don't want to lose this."

I smiled back. "You won't. You can't. You'll always have last night, no matter what happens. It's now part of you forever just like the bad nights." I considered things. "We can try again tonight. I don't think Gwen has to work tonight because of her brother, so... her and Julie can spend the day, and you and I will be at work. Then... back here afterwards and we can see how things progress."

Sam sighed and snuggled again. "Thanks, Jim. This is... just... so...." she just smiled and sighed happily.

"Honestly, I half expected a strap-on and knotty orgy last night between us and the dogs. I didn't really think you'd.... let your guard down as much as you did. I'm _glad_ you did... as it seems to have benefitted you immensely. It's just not what I was anticipating would happen." I spoke softly to Sam.

"I was... kinda thinking the same thing, in a way. I didn't really know what to expect when I got here but figured I'd just do some stuff and that'd be that. But... I'm glad I let you in, Jim. I'm glad... I let myself be vulnerable. Let myself... quit worrying. Quit guarding. Quit... trying to hide." she looked up at me. "Jim... I love you."

I chuckled softly. "I know you do. And I love you, Samantha Jane. I also know you love Gwen, and the wolves... and you'll love your new apartment." I winked.

Sam laid her head back down. "How'd you manage that all? I know you can't afford to add that on top of your bills here. Not on what you're making from the zoo, unless you're making a shit-ton more than I am."

I chuckled. "I called in a few favors from folks I know. You're not the only ones I've helped over the years. Not that I expect people to be beholding to me, but they just... want to help me like I helped them. Or help others like I helped them." I patted Sam's rump. "We'll get there with you two. I remember when Gwen would have just stayed clinging to me if I removed her shirt like that, not wanting even me to see her scars. And you..." I chuckled softly. "Ms. Feminista. Would barely give me the time of day when we first met. All men should be shot, or castrated, or just stay the hell away from you."

Sam blushed and tucked her head sheepishly. "I know I was an ass to you back then." She then lifted her head and looked at me curiously. "Why did you give me the job anyway, even after how I'd acted towards you?"

I smiled broadly. "I saw how you interacted with the wolves. I saw you sneaking peeks at Kozu's package... so I figured you were zoo... and I saw in your eyes. You weren't a feminista. You were a hurt, worried, troubled little girl deep down inside that built so many fortifications to protect herself that she didn't know how to, or didn't want to, ever come out from her hidey-hole. I was curious which it was. If you didn't ever want to, and wanted to remain a pain in the ass to anyone that dangled... you wouldn't have stayed. But you wanted to be free... to not worry. To not hide. Gwen was my key in with you... and... you make a very good couple." Sam blushed a bit at that part. "And... you let me help you peel back all those defense layers. There's a few more to go, but..." I kissed the top of her head. "You're worth the effort and risk, just like all of the dogs here. Each came with risk to me, some more than others. But the reward..... outshines it all."

Sam sighed happily. "Thanks, Jim. Thanks for sticking with me like that."

I smiled happily. "No charge, Sam. No charge."

* * * * *

While driving in to work with Sam, she started staring at me for quite some time as we made our way into town. I flashed a glance over to her. "Something on your mind?" I inquired.

"Yeah... I..." Sam looked down a bit. "I never told you what happened, have I?" she managed to say, amid gulps.

I shook my head. "No, you haven't yet. You ever tell Gwen?" I asked.

She shook her head and sighed heavily. "No... I just... I don't... know how to."

I looked to her momentarily, my brow furrowed. "Though you think you can tell me easier than you can tell her?" I asked.

Sam waffled there, wobbling back and forth a little. "I don't know. I know I can trust her. Deep down I know I can trust you. I just.... after last night. I think I sort of owe it to you to tell you."

I smiled. "You don't owe me anything, Sam. I told you, no charge. However..." I glanced to her with a serious expression. "If you DO want to tell me... I think it only right for Gwen to hear it too. If anything, you do owe it to her, since you're a couple. Her scars are obvious... most of them, anyway. Yours... aren't." I patted her thigh and smiled. "I think I know what we're going to do tonight... or at least a part of it. And yeah, you'll be snuggled to my chest as you tell yours. You'll be safe."

Sam blushed at that mental image. "I.... What are you going to have us do?" Sam inquired.

I merely spoke two words. "True confessions." Sam looked horrified, and I gave her hand a squeeze. "Sam... you have had trouble in your past. Julie has too, as has Gwen. It won't be a competition of whose life was the worst, or anything like that. It'd be just you, Gwen, and Julie telling what happened that made you how you are."

"And you, Jim?" she asked.

I sighed. "Sam... you'll have to trust me when I say that to be the pillar of strength you three will need tonight to be able to tell your stories to each other, I cannot let my own demons out to dance. It may seem like I'm being rude in not doing so, but... Mine are of a different variety than yours, and the two... wouldn't mix well." I looked at Sam solemnly as we waited at the stoplight downtown. "Sometime, some night I'll let them out to play. Whether with you and Gwen there, or just Julie and I. But... the mix would be caustic, and I wouldn't be able to support you the way you'll need it if I let my own demons draw me down the way they do when I let them out to play."

Sam looked worriedly to me. "Are they... really that bad?" she asked.

I sighed. "Sam... you remember how you were the morning you found Kozu dead in the den? How you locked yourself in your office and wouldn't even come out when I was there, so I had to come in?" Sam swallowed hard and nodded. "That. I could be like that. Only without the shut-the-world-away part."

Sam studied my face as we drove onwards. My jaw was set tight, my breathing a bit labored... trying to stuff those memories back into their box before they escaped further. "I never knew, Jim... I... You're always so strong and centered and.... there for everyone else."

I smiled meekly as I glanced over to her. "Being there for everyone else has its price, too. That means you grieve for everyone else when things don't go right. And usually that means you grieve alone so as not to add to their burdens."

Sam snuggled up to my side again. "It's ok if you don't talk tonight, Jim. I kinda understand now. You can't be both the person I lean on for support, and crumble into a mess yourself at the same time."

I nodded. "Thanks Samantha. I figured you'd understand. I've seen a whole lot of death and destruction through the years. Some I'll share. Some I'll keep to myself. Some.... I wish I could un-see, or un-know. Those bottles I have to leave corked forever. But... I'll let some out to play sometime. And if you're there... then you'll know. I'm sure it'll come up sometime or another, as animals, just like us, can't live forever."

Sam pondered that some as we pulled into the employee lot at the zoo and we both got out to start our respective days.

* * * * *

The day started out like pretty much any other. I'd made some calls regarding Friday Night's activities, confirming what had been previously said, I scrolled through my address book and found a couple folks who could possibly help with the Thanksgiving Day Parade activities, and called them regarding possible involvement. I called Jim Bridger, and he said he had a slow afternoon so he'd drop by for awhile.

Just then my door swung open wide and Pete took two steps in, startling both Ghost and myself. "Grab your gear, Jim. We got an emergency!" I was to my feet nearly instantly and turning towards the locker with the Cap-Chur equipment in it, already thumbing through the keys.

"What's shakin'?" I asked.

"Cougar, downtown River Valley. Don't know if it's wild or captive, but you know how Cresspo gets at times like this." Pete grunted, panting a bit from the stairs.

I tossed him the ultra-long-range powder rifle, I slung the long-range CO2 rifle on my shoulder, grabbed both the blowgun and pistol-belt, then the pharmaceuticals case and headed out. Ghost following behind me as I flipped the lock and shut the door behind me. "You take the truck, I'll tail in my Blazer. If we pick up extra company you can call them off over your radio... or have a car lead us by a half-mile or so to cut the path." I was trundling down the stairs just behind Pete, who had the truck idling in the employee lot.

I threw the gear in the back seat, Ghost piled in, and the engine roared to life. Back out of the space, forward gear, and pulled just behind Pete as he hit the lights and siren at the municipal street.

It took about 25 minutes to make the trip up to River Valley, even running between 5 and 20 over the limit. The roads themselves weren't too bad, but had enough curves and hills to slow us down a fair bit compared to any straight-shot on an interstate highway or anything. Butch Cresspo himself was manning the command post as we pulled up.

"Hi, Butch... hear you have a kitten problem." I smiled.

The Sheriff turned to me with a sneer. "Peters... Well... I guess we do need you here anyway, to cover our asses." He shrugged and gave up the snide attitude for the moment. "The cat's somewhere up near 12th Avenue and High Street... Got folks combing the area but aren't coming up with anything."

I looked around a bit. "Have them look up trees, shed rooftops... under cars, porches... anywhere the cat could hide. Cougars can easily climb so the trees and roofs are important. Not just lower branches. If it's on the run, then it'll be wanting to hide and hole up anywhere it could. Dumpsters, too, if there are any about. Since I'm here now there's no need for gunplay... just locate and hold."

"You ain't runnin' this show, Peters..." Sheriff Cresspo grunted.

"No... I'm not. But I'm sure you don't want one of your boys to go off half-cocked and you have to dance to play mop-up like last month with that taser incident..." I cautioned. "You could spin this all you want, but I think you know how my public statements would read, barring anything wholly exceptional." I smiled as I gathered the gear from my Blazer, which I'd parked on the side of the road near the command post, keys on the dash in case it'd need to be moved.

"Don't remind me..." the Sheriff grunted. "Ok... I'll let you know where it is, and if things go bad, it's your ass."

"I have cats, not donkeys, but that works for me." I winked and piled into Pete's truck.

"Think Ghost will be alright there with you having left the keys?" Pete asked.

"Should be alright. Butch would never do something like that himself, he'd have a deputy move the Blazer if needed. I left them because we _might_ just need it ourselves if we catch a captive cougar." I smiled.

Up along High Street we cruised in idle, seeing patrolmen and sheriff's deputies going door to door, through backyards, checking over fences... I saw something off in the distance crossing the street at a slow lope. "Pete... 11 o'clock, about a quarter-mile."

"Got it..." Pete said and throttled up the engine a bit more to roll up to where I thought I'd seen something. "Got a spare radio?" I asked... Pete unclipped his. "Mobile 18 for the portable, Patrol 30 for the truck." Pete said as I clipped the radio to my belt and mic to my pocket.

"Check," I replied and piled out, with the CO2 rifle, having loaded a dart with 3/4 of a guessed dose of Ketamine while we were diddling along. I started combing backyards as I heard over the radio "Patrol 30 to command post. Three blocks north of current search... Mobile 18 on foot." "Copy that Patrol 30. All foot patrols move to Mobile 18's location. Observation only. Repeat, Observation only. Dart gun on site." I turned down the volume as I moved among the back yards and then I saw it, cornered by a chained dog under a rather high patio deck. The owner stepped out of the back porch to yell at the dog and saw me.

"What the hell you...?" he started.

"Sir... back in the house, please, slowly. There's a situation and it's hiding right... under... your... feet." I aimed the dart rifle carefully. "Don't slam the door, and there's no need to lock it. Your dog's helping so... just please do as I say."

"Oh....kay, mister... " the tubby fellow was visibly shaking as he pawed for the handle of the screen door, then managed to get inside and shut the main door.

"Easy kitten...." I murmured, moving about a bit to get a better shot. The dog was still barking and straining on its chain. I grabbed the mic. "Mobile 18 to Patrol 30. Backyard about a half-block north and one block east of where you dropped me... cat's cornered under a back deck... about to dart. Stand by. I'll need about 10 more ccs of Special K and the pistol if this doesn't knock it out enough to extricate."

"Copy that 18." Pete's voice replied. I turned down the volume some more. "Command to patrol, close on 18's location. Use Patrol 30 as a marker." I sighted carefully. The cat was a bit more balled-up in the far corner than I would have liked, but then nature gave me a break with a cloud over the sun so my eyes could adjust better... a little to the left.... raise just a little.

POP! and then a snarling yowl from the pursued feline. The barbed dart's red tassel visible about where I had expected it to be on the cat's right rear flank. The cat, for its part, squirmed around some under the deck and tried to chew at the dart's metal casing... oh well, they weren't that expensive even if it destroyed one. I could see Pete coming alongside the house and I raised my hand and patted downwards... three fingers indicated the distance, and a pointed index finger the direction. He nodded reply and crouched a bit. He proffered the dart pistol butt-first and I shook my head briefly, indicating I wasn't needing it at the immediate moment.

The ketamine was taking effect on the cat, as its breathing started slowing and it squirmed a lot less. I put my hands to my mouth as though holding a blowgun and Pete nodded, heading back to his truck, which I couldn't see. I didn't want to crawl under the deck any further than I needed to check the cat's responses to see if it was under enough to move. The extra three and a half feet of blowgun would give me a reasonable margin if it weren't groggy enough.

Soon Pete was back and handed me the blowgun... I moved forward... bit by bit to a position nearest the cougar as I could get. The dog had stopped barking, now curious about the other humans. I could see the same man as before peering out the window of the door, but making no move to come out. I poked at the cougar, but received only a halfass hiss as it raised its head in a vain attempt to threaten me.

"Mobile 18... good to go. Animal subdued." I reported. "Copy 18. Any assistance needed?" came in reply.

"Two men to help move the animal, someone to bring my Blazer to location for transport, the rest Jackson and I can wrap up and you can start taking statements." I responded, then started crawling under the deck. "Got the handkerchief blindfold and the tarp?" I asked Pete. "Copy that 18. Foot patrols..." I turned the volume down even more.

"Nope... coming up, though." Pete said and headed back to the truck. I moved to within arm's reach of the cat, crawling on my hands and knees over the bare ground beneath the deck. I touched a hindpaw and received only a gargle in reaction. I hoped Pete would remember the bandage tape. Soon enough he tossed me the roll of tape, dragged the tarp under, ropes trailing, and handed me the oversized bandanna handkerchief to shield the cat's eyes from sunlight.

"Now comes the tricky part..." I said... readying the things in my hand... I reached out and with two hands grabbed the Cougar's muzzle and quickly taped it shut. I didn't really have to worry as all the fight had gone out of it, being consumed by an etherial ketamine-induced dreamstate. I then more carefully tied the bandanna around the cat's head, shielding its eyes, and moved the tarp about, manipulating the cat's appendages, then, bracing a foot against the house to hold the tarp in place as well as give me leverage, I dragged the cat's rump, then shoulders and head onto the tarp. "Haul away! I called out to the two pairs of shined patrol shoes I saw just beyond the deck's edge where the trailing ropes ended.

Fast enough the body of the cougar on the tarp zipped out from under the deck and I crawled out as well. "Let's see what we have here." I smiled and the patrol officers looked down at me. One a municipal officer, the other a sheriff's deputy, from the difference in their uniforms. I lifted the uppermost hindleg. "Male... got your magic wand, Pete?" I asked.

"I'll go get it..." Pete said and stepped over the prone form.

I checked both inner thighs for tattos, then the ears... finding none. "Good condition..." I leaned down and sniffed. "Hmmm..."

"What is it?" the patrolman asked.

I smiled. "It's someone's cat alright. Unless there's a spring around here that has lavender scented soap." I winked. The patrolman laughed and the deputy frowned.

"Damned people thinking they can own whatever they want..." the deputy grumped as Pete strode back up with the RFID reader.

"Want some more shoe leather to chew on, McClusky?" Pete asked.

"Huh? What?" the deputy asked.

Pete smiled. "Jim has all kinds of goodies like this guy at home, and he's no fool."

"I... uh.... I" the deputy stammered and the patrolman smiled broadly at his colleague's foot-in-mouth issue.

I looked up to the deputy. "Stop by the zoo sometime and we'll have a good talk about why private ownership is important. Might not change your mind, but... it'll likely give you something to think about. We're not all rich fucks and crackpots." I winked.

"I'll.... think about doing that Officer.... uh..." he sheepishly tried to address me.

"Not Officer... I'm just a civillian. Kind of. Specialist knowledge. Jim Peters, head keeper at the zoo." I smiled and reached up offering him my hand as Pete scanned the cat.

"Deputy Aaron McClusky. Sorry for shooting my mouth off a bit ago. I didn't know...." He smiled again, embarrassed at his faux pas.

"It's alright. Everyone's entitled to an opinion, and I don't mind that, so long as their opinion has logic and reasoning behind it. An opinion without anything to back it up is like a party balloon... any little thing can deflate it without any hope of recovery. And usually it explodes when tested." I winked and the deputy laughed.

"I guess that's true." His smile broadened as he felt more at ease. "So what are you gonna do with this fella?"

"Got a chip, Jim. Zoo or private?" Pete asked, then we turned our heads as my Blazer pulled up.

"Zoo... Jack can deal with the crap for this one. After all that's why the zoo gets a county subsidy for my services." I shrugged.

"So what's gonna happen now?" the deputy repeated.

"Oh... we'll load him into Jim's blazer... he'll give the cat a longer-acting anesthetic for the trip back to the zoo, and then he'll be quarantined there pending disposition of whatever issue caused it to escape its enclosure." Pete said.

"Oh... well that sounds... like you've done this before." Deputy McClusky responded.

"A few times." I smiled. "Sometimes its easier for them to go back to my home as I can attend to them more readily if they're injured or whatnot under certain circumstances. Under others, they're better off at the zoo, so it's sort of a case-by-case basis with Pete and I. Informal agreements, that sort of thing."

Sheriff Cresspo pulled up just as we were lugging the cat towards the Blazer, Ghost milling about after another deputy dropped the tailgate for us.

"Got a license for that dog?" Butch asked, seeing no tags on his collar.

"USDA, Butch. He's on my inventory. Just ask Pete..." I grunted as we waddled with our heavy cargo of cat. Getting it into the blazer was easier as the carpeted surface helped the tarp to skid along nicely. I then shut the back up tight and brushed the dirt off my hands and clothes. "Thanks for your help, officers." I smiled at the duo that had assisted me.

"No problem Mr. Peters... was quite enlightening!" the patrolman said and offered his hand.

"Yeah, thanks for the education, Mr. Peters. And I'll see you sometime down at the zoo." Deputy McClusky shook my hand as well and they headed off.

"What's he mean about seeing you at the zoo?" Cresspo grunted.

"I offered to teach him some things about Cats, handling, and the like. You know... continuing education of the constabulary to effect more efficient safety practices and resolution of emergency situations?" I grinned to the Sheriff.

"You... and your big words. So what am I going to tell the press?" Cresspo grunted and crossed his arms.

I thought for a moment. "In enlisting assistance from the [name removed] Zoo, the situation regarding a captive cougar on the loose in River Valley was brought to a swift, and pleasant resolution by inter-agency cooperation and teamwork between individuals. Mr. James Peters, Officer Peter Jackson, Sheriff's Deputy Aaron McClusky, and... I didn't get the patrolman's name... effectively captured the wayward animal after it was cornered by a family pet in the ..." I looked around. "800 block of 14th Avenue."

Cresspo thought for a moment. "You do come up with good ways of saying things, I'll give you that." He smiled and then strode off.

"What do you want to bet he'll use that word for word?" Pete asked.

I shook my head. "He'll include "Under the leadership of Sheriff Cresspo" somewhere in that press release, as though he was the puppetmaster of the whole thing."

Pete just laughed and I opened the door for Ghost to get in the passenger's seat, the rear seat having been tipped down for the sleeping prince. "I'll follow you back this time... keep my radio in case we have to pull over if the cat starts waking up."

I nodded and climbed into the driver's seat, and started the Blazer, heading back south towards the zoo, Pete following in the dog truck.

* * * * *

"MR. PETERS!" I heard as I slid my key into the lock on my office door.

Arms full of gear, I turned to look blandly at Jack Benin. "Yes?" I inquired, raising my eyebrows.

"In here! Now!" Jack demanded, pointing into his office.

"No. In there, in 10 minutes. Me, in here..." I pointed to my office. "Unload gear and dump my ashpan." I said just as tersely.

"Do what?" Jack's brow furrowed, confused by my euphamism.

I chuckled at his change in attitude. "I'm going to secure the dart guns in their locker, then take a shit. After that, I'll come visit you."

"Oh.... well... make it quick." Jack grumped and stormed back into his office.

"Yeah... like how fast your ideas sink." I thought as I finished unlocking the door, went through, and made sure to lock it behind me.

About 15 minutes later I walked into the main office. "Keeper Jim Peters for Director Benin, please." I winked at Emily. She giggled a little and knocked on Jack's door.

"WELL SEND HIM IN!" Jack bellowed.

I merely nodded to Emily and stepped into Jack's office, shutting the door behind me.

"Gearing up for another lawsuit? Hostile workplace this time?" I inquired of Jack.

"It's your fault any of this is happening!" Jack bellowed.

I smiled and sat down. "The explanation for this is bound to be good. I love a good mystery."

"Well, it IS your doing..." Jack grumped in a slightly softer volume.

"Um... pardon my ignorance but I have trouble following flawed logic. Just _what_ have I done that has sent you into such a childish tizzy?" I smiled politely.

"You brought yet another animal here without permission!" He scowled at me.

"Um..... One moment." I got up and started looking along the walls. "Ah, here it is." I pointed to one of Jack's plaques. "What's this one?"

Jack got up and strode over. "That's from the County Commissioners, why?"

"Because that's who gave me permission, Jack. Stray wildlife, and stray CAPTIVE wildlife falls under our direct aegis to house, and maintain, at the behest of the county when called upon to do so by the county animal control officer." I grinned at Jack. "Guess who came down to get me, and led me with full lights and siren, to the scene of the situation?"

"But... but you didn't ask my permission!" Jack bellowed.

I sighed. "If I had, what would you have done?" I asked, settling back into one of the office chairs.

"I would have said I had to think about it." Jack griped.

"Exactly. Exigent circumstances clause, Jack. Time is of the essence? Any of these phrases ring a bell with you, or are you just so managerially inept that you fail to comprehend the fact that we just got a couple thousand public-goodwill bonus points, saved the taxpayers a shitload of money, let alone an employee from this facility helped resolve what the public would see as a deadly situation without any injury to anyone, human or animal." I rattled off without missing a beat. "You, Herr Direktor, would have sat on your hands, maybe made a public comment after the animal was shot by some gun-happy deputy or uneducated patrolman, and wiped your ass of the whole deal without one single thing in it for you or the zoo."

"But... but it's PROTOCOL! You didn't even check out!" Jack floundered.

"No, I didn't. But I had my cellphone on me where I could be reached at any time. Not to mention Emily saw Pete sprint up the stairs and jet past the door, blowing through mine like a whirlwind so she had to have known SOMETHING was up, regardless of whatever it was, and the fact that the general alarm didn't sound here meant it was somewhere else." I again harangued the director with rapid-fire answers.

"This will go before the Board... I'll see to that." Jack's bluster was almost out of steam and I knew it.

"Good. Then it'll only prove what I'll be alleging... that you are unable to competently discharge the duties of your office to the advantage of the Zoo itself, and the public at large. We won't even mention the operating company." I smirked.

"You can go..." Jack frowned.

"Thank you!" I stood, swiveled smartly on one heel, and then exited through the communicating door into the outer office.

"I heard you two in there..." Emily smirked.

"Would have been rather difficult not to with how gusty Admiral Blowhard was." I jibed.

"Is it true there's a new cougar here?" Emily asked.

I nodded. "Sleeping off some Ketamine and barbituates in one of the off-exhibit pens in the basement of the cathouse."

"Will he be ok?" she asked, worriedly.

I smiled. "Time will tell with that, but... probably. Oh, that reminds me, was Jim Bridger around while I was out?"

Emily shook her head. "No he wasn't... at least not that I know of."

I smiled. "Cool..." I headed back to my office, then dialed the familiar number.

"West Side Animal Hospital, this is Michelle, how may I help you?" came the voice from the other end.

"Jim Peters, is Jim on his way over here or did he get called off somewhere?" I asked brusquely.

"He should be over there by now, unless he stopped for some lunch. Why? What's wrong?" Michelle asked.

"Oh, nothing wrong. I was out of the office for something unexpected so I just wanted to see if I'd missed him or not. And if I had, then I had an official call to make for him to show up. But since he's headed this way anyway, there's nothing important at all." I rambled a bit, dissuading Michelle from any pretext of gossip.

"Oh, ok Mr. Peters. Anyway... talk to you later," she said perkily and hung up the phone.

I thought about some things for a bit, half waiting for Jim to show up, half pondering the issues of the past few days.

* * * * *

I was in the cathouse, giving a bit of a talk about the lions and tiger when I saw Jim walk in through the main doors. I answered a couple more simple questions and then excused myself and came down to the main level.

"I heard you've got a new face here?" Jim commented with a big smile.

"Yep... Get yodeled at by someone at the office, or did Pete say something since he's in town?" I opened the door for him and then we both walked down the steps to the basement.

"Pete gave me a call after helping you get this guy settled down here. Rather gloomy for him, but I suppose it's better that way waking from Ketamine than bright lights up top, or in the Park." Jim commented as I came to the cage with the single bulb illuminated.

The cat within hissed a little but put a paw up against the bars and I tickled the fur between his pawpads. "He's not a bad cat, all in all. A little cranky, but he's a cougar, and I was unfamiliar..." I commented.

"And stabbed him in the ass with sleepy-juice." Jim smirked.

"Beats the alternatives, doesn't it, Jim?" I looked up to the vet and inquired.

"Yeah, yeah... He doesn't seem any worse off for his trouble. Pete find out who he belongs to yet?" Jim asked.

"Not as far as I've heard, but that's alright... he can stay down here for a few days then get moved topside to one of the empties I had Vic's crew clean out for Jasmine and them, only with all the headache and hassle this place has been the past few weeks I'm sort of glad I never moved them here." I commented.

Jim nodded. "I heard some of the goings-on. Also heard you're setting up a love-nest over at the Club." Jim smirked.

I just shook my head. "It's Sam, the wolf keeper and her partner. You remember Stanley Rassmussen? He was on the Business Council for awhile before he died... had that gas station over on Douglas? His daughter's Sam's partner."

Jim furrowed his brow. "Isn't she the one that you...?"

I nodded solemnly. "Yep... her."

"Oh... well... if I'd have known that, I wouldn't have called it a love nest." Jim chuckled.

I smiled and shook my head. "You know me. I'm as low-key as they get until something really pesters me way too long."

"So... I'm supposed to examine this guy? He's.... not one of your cats, Jim, so I'd rather not do it while he's awake..." the vet looked at me and I pondered.

"I'd rather not put him under again... not that many times in a day. Ketamine, then the longer-acting barbituate... two doses as he was starting to wake before I got here..." I canted my jaw a bit, thinking. I then fished out my keys and opened the lock.

"Whatcha doing?" Jim asked curiously.

"Being your eyes and ears. It really only needs your signature... you can do a cursory exam and come back some other time for a closer look at things if something doesn't seem quite right. Sound like a plan?" I said. The cougar hissed at me a bit but didn't really seem upset. I put my hand out, palm down, and he leaned and turned to put his head up under my hand so I was petting along his skull.

"Well... he doesn't seem too bad with you, so... yeah, we can do that." Jim got out his stethoscope and thermometer, passing them to me through the bars. "You might have a bit of trouble with one of those," the vet joked with a smile.

"We'll see. But you're right... not everyone's Jake." I winked back. "Eaaaaasy boy." I droned as I put the earpieces into my ears, and started slowly petting the diaphragm of the stethoscope along the cougar's chest, listening..."

Jim got out his work clipboard and pen. "Good heartbeat, no arrthymia... clear lungs." I hung the stethoscope on the cage bars and ran my fingernails through the cat's fur. "No noticeable skin issues..." He let me pick up a forepaw. I pressed down on the digits. "Declawed, but professionally. Feels like they reattached the tendons to prevent undue contractile problems. I pet along the cats spine, pinching a bit every so often. "No signs of major dehydration..." I reached the other end, which was sitting on the concrete. "Got some gloves and goo?" I inquired, then moved to the bars to collect the gloves and tube. I pondered a bit how to do this.

"Trouble, king of the cats?" Jim joked.

I patted the loafing shelf and the cat jumped up and laid down. "Nope... just wanted to figure things out." I put on a single glove, then unscrewed the top on the thermometer case, extracted the instrument and checked to see if it had been shaken down appropriately. It had, as I figured, since Jim was old-school. I flipped open the top of the lubricant tube and dropped a fair dallop onto my gloved middle finger. I recapped the tube and stuck it in my back pocket, then pet along the cougar's side with my ungloved hand. I gently raised his tail some... "Entire... though possibly vasectomized." I reported then touched the tip of the small glass rod to the warmed lubricant and put it between the index finger and thumb of my gloved hand, aiming the tip at the opening and gently sliding it in. Having let go of the cougar's tail I started petting his side as I slid the thermometer further into him, causing him to raise his head a bit but he didn't hiss.

"Doing good so far, Jim. You never really practiced this stuff, did you?" the vet teased.

"Not as much as you, no, but then again, I've not really been much for formalities. You know that better than some folks." I quietly bantered, petting the sandy-blonde cat, who had started purring, stretched out on the shelf. I withdrew the glass rod and wiped it on the cuff of the glove. "Normal." I reported... I moved to pass it and the holder out through the bars for Jim to shake down, lest I startle the cage's occupant with the quick motions.

"Now we'll see if you become kitty-chow." Jim teased as I moved back to the cat's hind end.

"Got a sample container?" I asked.

"Just invert the glove. I'll bag it out here." Jim replied.

I smeared the rest of the lubricant around the cat's pucker, eliciting another head-raise but the purring remained. I then centered the tip of my middle finger at the cat's opening and pressed gently. He tensed a bit, then relaxed some and my finger slid into him. I searched around and found a rather firm lump towards his belly. "Normal prostate, no abscesses or nodules. Even texture and parallel midline dimensions. Maybe a little swollen but who knows." The cat's member started peeking out. "He can get erect, apparently." I smiled and Jim chuckled.

"Think you can get a sample if you work him up some more?" Jim asked, jokingly.

"I'm sure... but he's gotta at least take me out to dinner..." I teased back, stabbing the finger into a stink pickle and curling my finger to break some off to test for parasites. Out came the finger, the glove and the piece of poop for testing. The cat half-sat up and licked my face a couple times before cleaning his member and pucker. I inverted the glove and passed it and the tube out for Jim.

"Dental exam?" Jim teased.

"Maybe next time." I winked and pet the cat's side. "Wish I knew his name so I could call him _something_ more than "kitten"."

"I'm sure he'll find out soon enough... I'm half curious to know what happened so this guy got out." Jim smiled. "The only cougars I know up close and personal are these guys here and Peaches at your place, so... whoever's been caring for this guy, I don't have a clue. Especially if you're right about him being professionally declawed."

I fuzzled the cat, who indeed was amiable all through the exam, and exited the cage. "Eyes clear, BTW. I checked when he was out. Also checked his lip, ears, and thighs for tattoos, but Pete found a chip, so he should already have a name."

"If they updated the database or whatever. Might not even be registered to this state, you know how some traveling outfits are, and also how far these critters can wander on their own when the passion strikes." Jim cautioned.

I pondered. "Well... all the states around here regulate cougars as native wildlife... even though none have actually BEEN in the wild around here since... oh... 19teens? I think I remember reading the last natural cougar in the state was shot in 1909 or so. Sounds about right."

Jim just shook his head. "Ah well... at least this guy's safe for now. I'll get this off and filed with the state, Pete, and here. Think His Highness would mind use of his copy machine?"

I chuckled and checked my watch. "Just ask Emily if Jack's in. If he is, then give him a verbal report and when he asks for the paperwork tell him you have only the one copy. He'll have Emily make a duplicate and just gesture how many when you turn to give it to her. She catches on in a hurry. If he's not there... have at!"

"You know your way around this place good enough to be director." Jim winked and grabbed his bag.

I just smirked. "Well... I might just call you as a character reference when I go before the Board."

"Oh! Good... Distinguished gentlemen, before you stands a consummate liar, animal fucker, thief, and all around good person whom you should hire as your director so he can keep things going for you at the zoo, and not have to hire so many new people because he won't piss them off like your old director did." Jim smirked in my direction.

"Bastard..." I winked and we both chuckled as we walked up the steps to the main floor.

* * * * *

I did something unusual and went off-property for lunch, treating myself to an actual meal at Hardee's and parked back at the Powerhouse, grabbing the bag and drinks and climbing the steel stairs to the door. Out on the main floor, the various props and such for Santa's Workshop were strewn about in the big space on the shop floor which, at one time, was meant to house a bigger generator engine, but was never utilized for that purpose. Instead it now contained a mishmash of fake building parts, to comprise the different shops of Santa's Village, and antique equipment I'd scavenged over the years. People-powered wood lathes, post drills, scroll saws, a carving horse with foot clamp, treadle sewing machines for both leather and cloth, a small blacksmith's setup for making metal parts, metal lathe, armstrong shaper, and a huge case of hand tools for literally making the toys that "Santa's Workshop" would sell each year in the gift shop. Not as toys, because of the liability, but "decor art" - officially anyway. In reality they are, and always were, kids toys of generations past.

I stepped into Chet's office and Ghost barked at me, rousing Chet from his pre-lunch nap. "Brought you some food. Hope you like a sourdough burger from Hardees." I set the bag down on the desk. "And you probably wanted a Coke rather than my Hi-C Orange."

"Yeah... give me a cola any day of the week." The powerhouse chief smiled. "And thanks for the food. Your dog ain't half bad, neither." He reached over and pet Ghost's head... tethered to the heavy desk with a length of rope and a spring clip.

"No... not bad at all. In fact, quite a good dog." I tossed Ghost a french fry as I divied up the foodstuffs.

Chet wasted no time in digging into his burger. "These ain't half bad, but not like I remembered them. A lot smaller too." He murphled between bites.

I nodded. "Yeah... prices have gone up, too, but... that's the same all over. We both can remember when you could buy a month's worth of groceries for $50."

Chet laughed. "Yeah... now you're lucky to get out of the store with anything for under 20! Then again, for you, grocery shopping must run into the triple-digits all the time."

I shrugged and frowned a bit. "Yeah... money is getting a little tight, and I haven't really set up much for winter yet. Got the LP tank to fill, got some wood laid up and stacked in the shop so that's alright for the time being. Just been running on LP right now. I should show Julie how to fire the stove in there one of these times so she can do that midday, since she's being a housewife right now. I can fire morning and night when I feed the cats..." I thought out loud.

"I keep meaning to get out there some weekend, but between Brit'ny always wanting to go shopping and stuff here, I don't seem to be able to get anywhere anymore." Chet grumbled.

"Well..." I pondered "Oh! That reminds me. Even though it's an all-hands, think Kody would be good enough to run the Case on Thanksgiving?" I asked.

"I wouldn't trust him with a load of horseapples." Chet grunted.

I pondered "Well... when we do the Santa thing normally, are you involved in much here, or just your usual odds and ends?" I asked.

"Just stay out of the way, mostly. Streams of screaming kids ain't really my idea of fun. Too loud." Chet wrinkled his nose some. "Why?"

I scratched my chin. "Ok, you primary, Zack backup." I smiled "You just volunteered to help me on Thanksgiving unless you get called away for stuff back here."

Chet looked confused. "But we're not working the parade this year, Jim... Are we?"

I shook my head. "Nope. The zoo's rented out to a megaglom corporation for their party, and I'm working the parade as a consultant for the folks putting it on."

"So what does that have to do with me, then?" Chet seemed even more confused.

I smiled "Just keep your dance card open that day, ok?" I winked.

"Ok, Jim... you know I'd do just about anything to help you out. Just about. I ain't gettin' in with your cats, though. Those that are yours-yours or those that are here." He said with a grunt and I just chuckled.

* * * * *

"Mr. Peters.... really?" Jack quibbled as he saw me leading Ghost back into my office after lunch.

"Really, Mr. Benin. My pets, my office, my choice. At least as far as anyone's going to bother with, apart from you." I smiled. "Did you want something in particular?" I asked.

"Yes, actually. I just got the health report on your wayward mountain lion." Jack smiled.

"I know... I was the one who did the actual exam." I smirked, having tossed the leash in behind Ghost and shut my office door, walking towards Jack's as we spoke.

"You did the exam? But you're not authorized to do that!" Jack started getting flustered.

"Quite the contrary again, Herr Direktor... but let us step into your office for such conversations." I gestured to the door and in we went.

"You're not authorized... there's no way! You don't have any veterinary training, and..." Jack started to bluster as I shut the door behind myself. I held up a single finger to silence him.

"Before you start getting all blowhard again, take a deep breath and try not to shit your pants, ok?" I sniped.

"First... anyone can perform an exam under veterinary medical guidelines. There was a board-certified doctor of veterinary medicine present, and even if he wasn't, it's his signature at the bottom of the document, meaning that he concurred with, and is wholly responsible for, the matters stated therein. Period. That's under state laws regarding regulated professions, and the internal regulations of the state department of veterinary medicine. Second, in addition to that, I AM authorized to perform routine medical exams, administer vaccinations, and other such under the FEDERAL guidelines of animal care under USDA and FDA as part of my being the signatory to our USDA Class C license. Lastly, I can perform such exams HERE, because I am an employee, duly qualified by the qualifiying signatory - which happens to be myself - to be in direct contact with animals per our insurance underwriter. NOW..." I smiled. "Please explain to me in 20 words or less how any of that is incorrect?"

Jack looked at me dumbfounded and for the first time in a long time, speechless, so I smiled. "See... there's a helluva lot more to running this place than kissing ass to rich people, and acting like every employee here owes you a blowjob. If you don't know the regulations we're required to operate under, if you don't know who's able to do what, if you don't know who is capable of doing a task even if they're not governmentally sanctified to do so, how in the WORLD can you ever HOPE to manage this place in an emergency when you can barely manage running it day to day?" I asked rhetorically, wheeled about, opened his door and strode out of his office to my own.

* * * * *

It was a bit before closing time when I headed out towards the wolf exhibit, and soon I was petting Janus and Athena through the bars of the indoor den. "Where you at, Sam?" I called out.

"Office... who's there?" came the terse response.

"Loquesha Malaquah!" I called out, walking that way.

"Who? Whoever you are, I've got...." she started griping as I popped my head around the office door. She took one look, then smiled and shook her head. "I should have known."

"Would you prefer it be Kenny G? I figured you had your fill of gay men for awhile." I winked as I pulled up a chair.

"You..." she smiled and sighed happily. "Thanks again for last night. I've been.... kinda thinking about tonight. I don't know if I can...." she frowned a bit.

I shook my head. "You can, Samantha. I know you can. Don't think about it until the time comes. You know you can with me... you even wanted to driving in here this morning. Hang onto that and go with it. It'll be alright."

Sam sighed deeply. "I know you're right up here..." she tapped her forehead. "I just wish the rest of my brain would believe it."

I chuckled softly. "Later tonight you'll know it to be true all the way through." I smiled.

Sam sighed. "I just wish I could believe you that it'll be alright."

I lifted my head as the general announcement went off, saying the zoo would be closing in 30 minutes. I smiled. "You're about done here, right?" I asked.

"Got... 10 minutes more, maybe?" Sam replied.

I smiled. "I'll poke around here a bit. See what new kinkiness you've gotten into with the wolves' medical equipment."

Sam blushed. "I'm sure you'll find it. You're good about finding things out... and remembering."

I winked and went around the corner to the medical bay. It was much smaller than the one at the cathouse, but then again it only had to deal with beings 3 foot long, rather than 9 foot, and it was one of the older structures here, not having been remodeled in a few decades because of its semi-subterranean nature, and its placement within the park itself. The latter restricting it in size moreso than the former, because of other exhibits surrounding it and its placement right at the edge of the zoo property.

There were two stainless steel surgical tables, human sized that had been purchased second- or third-hand. The apparatus clamp rails along the sides making them adaptable to many devices. There was the double-basin scrub sink, surgical soap packets... I fished through the drawers and found the common instrument packs, ET tubes, and such for use with the anesthesia rebreather in the corner with its tank of isofluorane... easier on most animals than halothane. Then I found the "special" drawers... specula of varying sizes, anoscopes, rectoscopes and sigmoidoscopes. In one of the cabinets was a rather large enema set... about the same size as I used with the Cats, but with a wider variety of nozzle ends. I had to chuckle. Then, in the lowest compartment of one cabinet, I found a small duffel bag. I unzipped it and extracted what I figured I'd find. I smiled and set it back in its place without a word. In another lower cabinet I found more of what I'd hoped to find as far as medical apparatus, and filed that location away in my memory for future use. I was right about Sam and Gwen, even though Sam had half-admitted it to me before among wisecracks from me. I exited and turned out the lights, returning to Sam's office.

"Everthing in its place over there?" Sam asked.

I wasn't exactly taking a detailed inventory, but I found what I was looking for..." I smiled and Sam blushed a bit.

"You don't mind.... do you?" she asked without diverting her gaze from the computer screen.

"Nope... not in the slightest so long as it doesn't injure them... or you two. Just make sure to keep the controller set on Low and it'll all be good." I winked, and Sam blushed deeper.

She then saved the document and shut off the monitor. "Ready to go?" I asked. She nodded and I got up from where I'd been sitting.

Out we went, and I turned to check then lock up the cathouse. Walking back from that, I held my arm out and she half-hugged me as her arm wrapped around my back, and she leaned her head on me as we walked. "I just... I'm glad to know you, Jim," she said as we strolled towards the office.

"You might be singing a different tune when we get back to my place and I have you feed the cats while I work on something for a moment." I chuckled.

"You.... " she looked up to me for a moment, considering, then snuggled back in. "No... I don't mind helping."

* * * * *

I moved about the living room, moving books on the one bookshelf, then going through boxes atop my rolltop desk... then looked among the files and binders by the entertainment center, my brow furrowed and jaw canted.

"Something wrong, honey?" Julie asked as I moved books about on a lower shelf of the bookcase.

I shook my head. "I can't seem to find something is all. It should be around here somewhere, unless..." I rolled my eyes. "Fuck it, it's not worth the hassle."

I smiled as Gwen was feeding the canines, Sam the cats, and supper was cooking. I hugged Julie and took her towards the far end of the living room area. I half-peeked around the corner to see where Gwen was, and figured she was outside.

"I have to ask a big favor of you tonight, Julie." I looked solemnly at her. "You saw how Gwen was last night, and how Sam was... We're on the cusp of a really big breakthrough with Sam, but I'll need your help."

"What is it, Jim? I'm certainly willing to help any way I can." Julie smiled at me.

I still frowned a bit. "Tonight will be "True Confessions", hon... Gwen's never really told her whole story to Sam. You've never told yours to me, and Sam's never told hers to anyone, ever. So... you see why... I have to ask you if you'll be willing to go along." I sighed deeply and gave Julie's hand a squeeze. "The way I figure... Gwen can start off, as I know most of hers already. Each of you will get to tell your story snuggling with me... if you want. Gwen and Sam especially, but I figure you'd want someone safe holding you as well when you let your demons out to play. Gwen first, then you, and that'll leave Sam for last. That way she can back out if she wants, but ... I think she wants to let it out."

I looked hopefully to Julie as the words sunk in. "I... Jim, I just...." she stammered.

I smiled and kissed her. "It'll be alright honey. You'll be in my arms, snuggled to me or sitting in my lap. It'll be safe, and it'll be alright hon. That's if you choose to."

Julie's eyes flashed horror and then sadness. "I've... wanted to tell you for a long time, Jim. I just... I don't know if I can." she hugged to me tightly and buried her face in my shirt.

"You can, hon. You can. Just like Gwen and Sam. It'll be alright." I patted her back. She sniffed and looked up to me and I smiled back at her. "But first... food!" I winked and she chuckled a little, sniffing in the tear-snot.

"You're such a goof, Jim Peters..." Julie smiled and headed off for the kitchen while I parked myself in my recliner and pondered just how to do things.

Soon the dinner of Italian glaized chicken and country biscuits was finished, and the girls had changed into their night outfits already. I was seated in my recliner as Gwen came up to me. "Jim... we decided... " she dropped her panties and lifted her nightshirt off, a little hesitantly but without assistance. "That since we're going to be completely nude, you are too."

I chuckled. "I never said you'd need to be for this, Gwen...." I smiled tenderly and first sat up, then stood up. I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "You three sure it'll be alright?"

Gwen nodded. "We've snuggled like that before, Jim. And I know you and Julie have...." she cut herself off and giggled a little. "And... that just leaves Sam. You snuggled with her nude last night too, so we're all agreed that it's whatever she's comfortable with, and I figured you'd agree with that, too... but..."

Sam looked down and blushed. "I... Last night was..." she stammered. "I want more. If I can...." she looked hopeful to me, and Julie just smiled and put her hand on Sam's shoulder. Sam turned to her and saw Julie smiling and nodding.

"It's alright. Jim already talked to me about it. If he can help you... I've no right to get in the way because it's the same as how he helped me." Julie smiled.

"And me..." Gwen added.

I smiled and had already removed my work boots and socks, so I just unbuttoned my work shirt, dropping it onto the pile of my boots and socks, then undid my belt and trousers, letting them fall to the floor and lifting them onto the heap with one foot.

"Briefs too, Jim." Gwen prodded.

I shrugged, dropping those as well and setting them on the top of the pile. "This what you all were after?" I smiled, feeling kind of... questionable but... going with the flow.

Gwen came up and hugged me tight, then sighed. "You sure you want to hear it all?" she asked, looking up at me.

I smiled. "I know most of it, but Sam said you never told her all of it, and Julie's never heard any, so... Yeah. It'll do you three good to let it all out for once."

Gwen looked up to me and murmured. "I... I'm scared to, Jim. She might... they might..."

I leaned down and kissed her forehead. "It'll be alright." I sat down in my chair and offered my lap to Gwen. Sam and Julie sat on the floor nearby, letting Cleo have the sofa as Peaches had been put in her room already.

Gwen climbed up and I reclined the chair, leaving her half-laying against me. "Where should I begin?" she asked.

"Your mom and dad... and this..." I trailed a fingertip down her cardiac scar.

"Well..." she sighed and cuddled up. "I was.... what? 3, maybe 4 years old when my mom and dad first noticed something was wrong. I wasn't as energetic as most kids my age, and though I'd not been to the doctor often, they took me in to see one. After a whole lot of tests they figured out I had a leaky heart valve, and... around age 6 things started to get really bad. So Dad left, since he couldn't deal with me being so sick. Mother... tried her best but she didn't really have the best taste in men back then. Dad argued with her a lot... my birth father, I should say. They argued about bills, they argued about me, they argued about my heart condition. Then he just packed up one day and left."

I cuddled Gwen. "Still see or hear much of him?" I asked.

"Now and again, but nothing really personal or... fun." Gwen looked to me and sighed.

"Well... I had to have an artificial valve put in... And then replaced again later, that's why it's so... noticeable. Scar tissue overtop of scar tissue. Sam says sometimes she can hear it clicking." Gwen chuckled a little at that one. "But that's this scar." she traced along her front, from just below neckline to about 4 inches north of her bellybutton.

"Then, later, about Junior High, I started having bad stomachaches.... and so more doctors, more tests, more getting poked and prodded, which wasn't so much fun for me..." she leaned against me and snuggled. "Some of them hurt a lot, especially when they'd put stuff up my bottom or... down my throat to check my upper parts. Turns out I had something growing inside me, but not a baby." Gwen cuddled. "That's how I got this one..." she traced across her lower abdomen "when they took out whatever it was that was growing along parts of my intestine and stuff."

"That was about the time mom met Dad... or... Dad #2. Stan. He was good but he worked a lot, and mom still bounced around to whatever job she could get that paid well, which usually meant night shifts, so that left me and Alan. Jim here... had worked with Dad some time in the past, or... something." she smiled at me.

I chuckled, interrupting "Stan and I had known each other for awhile with a number of mutual friends in common."

"Well... I started... worrying." Gwen cuddled to me. "I started acting out, and since mom and dad couldn't be home when Alan and I got home from school, they had Jim here there for when I came home, or especially when both had to work really late. He'd make me dinner for us all and then we'd eat. He'd always want to talk and I'd run off to my room. Alan would be in his room playing videogames or trying to hang out with his friends. Well... he didn't know but I was worried that no man would like how my body looked. I didn't even shower in gym class so the other girls wouldn't tease me. That got me teased anyway..."

I pet along Gwen's back as she talked, and kissed her head at that point. "I figured if I'd... let boys do things with me, they'd like me. But since I was worried they'd freak out, I snuck them in with the lights out. Well... that didn't work really well because the first time I tried... sex... I wasn't really ready, and he wasn't really gentle, and... I screamed, Jim came in and turned on the lights, the boy... Clay Masters... nearly tripped over things pulling his pants on and taking a flying leap out the window." Gwen sighed and snuggled closer.

"When I looked for her I found her in the closet. She just told me to get lost." I picked up a bit. "She started screaming that I ruined everything and... acting like a little spoiled brat." I chuckled and Gwen blushed deeply. "I walked over and turned out the lights, asking if that was better. She sniffled and said it was. Then I asked her what was wrong, why she was still crying."

Gwen raised her head to look at me. "I thought he'd ruined everything, that I'd never be loved because Clay saw my scars and ran off. I later found out he was dared to "bang me" as everyone thought I must have something really wrong with me which is why I didn't shower with them after gym. Anyway... I just sat there sobbing... and told him that I'd never lose my virginity now and that everyone would always run away because of my scars. Like my birth dad did."

"I had a talk with Stan about that, and he didn't really know what to do. Bonnie didn't really know how to go about talking with Gwen... not about stuff like that, and her birth father was just gone at that time. So that left me. Stan was worried Gwen would harm herself, so he... wanted me to talk to her. To reassure her." I sighed. "And... we did talk."

Gwen snuggled to me, sighing happily. "We talked, and... eventually he convinced me to show him my scars. It wasn't anything sexual... not then, anyway. I was just so afraid... he'd run away too, and I'd be pretty much all alone. Well... there was always Alan but..." she shook her head and smirked. "He doesn't count. Jim would sleep some nights there when he was too tired from work, and to watch over me until mom and dad got home at whatever time they did. They were always there to get me and Alan up for school, and most of the time there was Jim sleeping on the couch in his work clothes if it was cooler, or just his undies and a wifebeater t-shirt if it was warmer. Well..." she blushed a bit. "I was starting to mature and thinking about.... things girls think about then. And I figured since he was so nice to me, and... didn't mind my scars, then sleeping next to him was a way of confirming that. That he wasn't going to leave me because of my scars."

"I'd wake up and here was this nude teenager snuggled to my front, spooning. Or sometimes face to face if I'd been laying on the floor rather than on the couch. Bonnie, Stan and I had talked about it, but they trusted me so there wasn't anything more than "perhaps it's a phase." I smiled at Gwen. "YEah, I know you never heard these parts of the story before, but... it's alright."

Gwen smiled and snuggled to me. "Well.. one time... he must have had a rather sexy dream because he was... " she giggled. "WEll. I decided to try it, so I tugged down his briefs a bit so it stuck out, and I snuggled back to it, having it between my thighs. It.... felt good."

"I woke to find this horny teenager wriggling around with my cock between her legs. You... have no idea all the thoughts that ran through my mind. Choices... scenerios..." I frowned a bit. "Risk of prison time." I looked to Julie, who was blushing. "Hey, I was a bachelor, hadn't had a date in ages, and it was before I had Peaches. Yes, I gave it _some_ consideration." the trio of girls giggled. "I decided to extricate myself from that situation, both for Gwen's sake and my own. I didn't have any idea what kind of a mess she'd become because of that..." I sighed.

Gwen cuddled to me. "Yeah... I thought he left because of... well... you know. And... I started really not doing much at all, my grades were crappy, didn't have friends... didn't even want to try to make friends. Then... Dad.... was killed in a hold-up at the store. Mother was devestated, and... here I was, worrying about my future. I'd help in the store, and I'd work at school stuff and that was it. Things... just had the same daily routine. In the summer I'd just sit home and that's when some of the trouble started. I... started doing things online. Folks would ask me to do... like.... strip for them. Touch myself... and since they couldn't see my scars, I figured they'd really like me if they only don't see them."

"One night after one of her online bordello "boyfriends" tried visiting the house... he was older than I am now." I smiled "So... you can guess what Bonnie did. She called me."

"I'd grown up a bit since I'd last seen Jim, and... we talked, and talked, and talked." she sighed. "And... I learned that he didn't run because of... you know... but instead he didn't want me to do something that I might have regretted later. And... some other things that made a lot of sense. Like the risk to him if we had... done "it"... the fact I'd have had to keep my mouth absolutely quiet to everyone about it, and stuff like that." she smiled at me. "Logical answers to emotional troubles." she laid her head back down on my chest and sighed. "He'd always been so good to me. And... I was 16, so I found out it was sorta legal so long as my parents didn't complain."

"I should never have shown you how to research stuff on the intenet." I chuckled, interrupting.

"So... one night while I was over there, we cuddled, I just... suggested we go further, and told him what I'd found out. He said he couldn't be in a lasting relationship with me, because of how he'd known dad, and... how he knew me. The age difference. Stuff like that. I told him it was alright... that I knew he loved me and I wanted to experience my first time with someone I knew truly loved me. Not that I expected to marry him, or live with him, or... anything. That I wanted to know what making love felt like, not just sex, especially since that first try with Clay HURT!"

I smiled wistfully. "So... one night... we did. Bonnie had her on the pill for awhile already, as soon as the doctors recommended, since the thing with Clayton had her a little scared that... other things might happen."

Gwen smiled and snuggled to me. "He showed me, though, that someone can love me. And make love to me. Even with... you know..."

"You can say it, Gwen." I smiled tenderly at her.

"Even with my scars." she managed to speak it, even though she was looking down when she did. She snuggled to me and sighed happily.

"They're nothing to be ashamed of," Julie spoke up. "They just make you different is all."

"Yeah... I've never minded them," Sam said. "And you know I love you."

Gwen blushed deeper and leaned up a bit to smile at me. I smiled back at her. "Feel better for sharing that?" I asked.

Gwen snuggled me tightly. "I love you, Jim Peters. And thank you for being my first."

I patted her back. "You're welcome Gwendolyn Anne." I kissed her and she kissed me.

A few moments passed in blissful silence "Ok... who's next?" I inquired, smiling, knowing the likely answer.

Julie stood up and just drew her nightshirt up over her head. Being a bit older than the other two, her body looked a fair bit different, but also much the same as Gwen's. Just... less juvenile and far more womanly. I sat the chair up. "Want to lounge, or just sit, hon?" I asked. She didn't reply but sat across my lap and laid her head against my shoulder as I wrapped my arms around her.

"How should I start?" Julie asked.

"Just begin at the beginning, I suppose. Or whatever thoughts pop into your head. Your heart will lead you, and I'll be here." I gave her a supportive squeeze.

Julie took a shuddering breath. "I was.... raped. By my step-uncle."

I swallowed hard, feeling bad for her. "It was.... when I was 10. We'd always go on a camping trip over summer, my family. Well, just after my aunt remarried, they'd bought a motorhome which was about the same size as our camper, even though there was only my cousin Darryl rather than my two brothers and me for our family. One summer it was decided that since our camper was larger, the boys would all sleep in ours, and I'd sleep in Aunt Helen's camper with her and Uncle Carl, since there was just the sofa bed in theirs, and there was a whole extra bedroom with three bunk beds in ours. That way the boys could drive each other nuts and I wouldn't get pestered by them, as I'd complained about that in the past." Julie just closed her eyes and talked amid shuddering breaths.

"Well, Aunt Helen took sleeping pills to try to sleep because she had some medical condition and the pills she took for that caused her to try to stay up for days at a time if she didn't take sleeping pills at night. They caused her to sleep terribly soundly... too soundly sometimes. And Uncle Carl took advantage of that." She snuggled to me tigher. "First he'd stay up and talk with me, and then it was undressing. He'd be around with his shirt off half the time anyway because it'd be hot outside and he'd sweat a lot anyway. So he convinced me to take my top off... and then my undies. Then he'd take his off too. He started touching me, and... it... did... feel good. The touching, anyway. It also felt weird, and... wrong like. Like we were doing something we weren't supposed to be. He said we'd have to keep it secret or Aunt Helen wouldn't have any money and she'd have to come move in with us. I wouldn't mind that so much, but my cousin Darryl liked to pick on me a lot, allll summer. So I didn't really want that, so I kept quiet."

"Then came the camcorder and making movies for him. He'd bought it while we were out on vacation and everyone thought it was the coolest thing in the world. He told me at night he could make me a movie star... so he'd set up the camcorder and record me walking around certain ways... bending over with my feet apart. Laying back on the sofa bed and spreading my legs wide... Feet up, knees bent, just about any position you could imagine. And then came fingering me. It hurt some the first time he put a finger in my butt, or in my... " she blushed deeply.

"You can say "pussy"... plenty of cats around here." I interjected, causing all to laugh.

"Put a finger in my pussy." She mock-scowled at me, then sighed. "He filled up tape after tape of me... always locking them away in a video-carrier thing. Then... he said it was time I learned about sex, and that he'd have to show me what he meant. I was on my back... feet up in the air... he'd lubricated his cock and he leaned forward to kiss me... his mustache tickled my nose a bit. He said it'll hurt some and to just put my hands on my knees so they'd stay up and the camera could see it all... then he started pushing. I started crying that it hurt... he just said it'll be ok once it's in... and he pushed harder. I cried more... sobbing becuase it hurt a lot. More pushing... a burning sensation, and then... I felt a searing pain down there and he stort of... popped in. I know I must have screamed because I remember Uncle Carl telling Dad I had a bad dream the night before and that I'd wet the bed, so they'd have to do the laundry soon. He'd used a washcloth to clean me up and it was all bloody and ookey from... his.... stuff."

Julie took a shuddering breath. To that point I hadn't noticed the tears rolling from her face and I kissed her cheek. She looked at me with her tear-filled eyes and started sobbing. "Jim here..." she hiccuped. "Is the first man I've... been able to... be with, completely. Ever. Ever since... I've usually made them stop, and... maybe they'd come back a time or two and we'd try... again..." she took another shuddering breath. "But they'd all quit after I couldn't... after I didn't... let them..."

I kissed the top of Julie's head. She sniffed and looked to me, "You're the first that stopped, but didn't stop. You.... didn't leave. You stayed." I smiled lovingly. "Why?" she asked.

"Because I saw it in your eyes that night. The fear... I knew. I knew something had happened to make you so frightened at that point. I knew it couldn't have been me, so that only left your past. Past demons I can battle by making new memories. And that's just what I helped you do. I don't need sex... I can get that anywhere. Helping you, on the other hand... helping you be more than you were. Helping free you of the chains of those memories holding you back... That's why. You're not the first to have experiences like that... and you won't be the last. Thankfully having previous friends trust me enough to share their bad experiences with me allowed me to know what to look for to help you pry away your defenses and side-step that final hurdle. But the biggest thing is you WANTED me to try. You wanted to feel a man inside you in a pleasant way. And... then you got it." I smiled. "I think you've enjoyed what's happened since."

Julie smiled tenderly then laughed at that. "Yeah... I've liked it a lot. Even though at times your life is a bit of a roller-coaster, it's fun riding with you."

I gave Julie a tender squeeze. "These days I hardly ever really think about it, apart from a bit when Jim enters me... or sometimes at other points, but I know if I ask him to stop, he'll stop. He'll ask me what's wrong, but he'll stop." she stuck her tongue out at me.

"Hey... when I find something unusual, I question it!" I winked and the trio giggled. I smiled lovingly at Julie. "Thanks for letting me help you, and thanks for telling the story to us." I kissed her.

"You're welcome, dear." she hugged me tight. "And thank you for tonight." She sniffed again, but this time was smiling.

Gwen looked to Sam. "You ready, honey?" she asked.

Sam looked down, "I...." she took a shuddering breath. Julie got off my lap and I stood. I moved over to where Sam knelt on the floor, snuggling with a supersized pillow they must have dug up somewhere, or got during the day.

"Samantha Jane..." I offered both hands to her. "Take my hands."

Sam looked up to me, fear clearly written across her face. "Jim... I...."

I smiled disarmingly. "Take my hands... please?" I asked.

She raised hers and grasped mine, I lifted up a bit and she stood, then clasped me as tight as possible in a hug. "Jim... I... I want to... but..."

"One step at a time, Sam... Do you want to get comfortable?" I asked. She was already crying and she sniffled some. "You can do it, Sam. I know you can."

Sam looked up at me and took a shuddering breath. Her hands were shaking as she dropped her panties and then she looked at me. "I... I can't, Jim. I..."

I stepped forward and hugged her, and she hugged me tightly back again. "You can, Sam. I know you can. Feel my strength... you can take that next step. I know you can. Just like last night."

She broke the hug and wriggled out of the nightshirt. Her bare breasts rubbing against my chest. I murmured to her, "You know I won't be able to control it, right? So please don't be frightened if...."

She looked up to me and nodded. "Jim. I know you can't. It'll be alright if... if... you get hard." she managed to say it. "Can we... cuddle for a bit?" she asked, hope written across her face as I could see her trying to be bold.

I sat back down and barely got the footrest up before she was in my lap, head against my shoulder and arm across the rest, nearly squeezing me painfully hard. "Easy there, Sam... I'm here... we're all here. You're alright... no one here but us." I murmured.

After a time she took a shuddering breath. She looked at me for a long moment, different emotions coursing across her face before she buried her head in my chest and murphled. "My stepdad pimped me out."

Gwen gasped "What?"

She sniffed deeply and wriggled her head against my chest as I cuddled her. "My stepdad pimped me out. From... 6 years old until 14 when I started my period. I was his whore." she sobbed heavier. I caressed her back.

"He... Mom worked nights, so he was home all the time with us at bedtime. I was the oldest so I guess I got it first." she sniffed deeply, her tears running off my chest like water in the shower. I caressed her back. "I can't really remember times... I remember being ass-up on the bed, and him telling me it was going to hurt when he shoved his cock up my butt, but then I'd feel full and it'd feel good...." She sniffed heavily. "It felt like he sliced me in two with a knife..."

She sniffed heavily and looked at me. "It hurt SOOO bad. Even the next day when I went potty, it just HURT." she nuzzled into my chest. "Losing my virginity... like... the next year or so. I can't remember if I was 7 or 8 when he got paid extra by some guy for it. And then the videotapes...." Sam sniffed and looked at Julie with unfocused eyes awash in tears. "Kinda like you, but... all kinds of different men. All the time." she buried her head in my chest again. "Some of them hurt, some of them felt alright... a few actually took the time to talk to me about things, and caress my hair or skin.... "

I gave Sam a squeeze and she just sobbed. "That's how come I never dated in high school. I was... used.... dirty... and men were scum. They're the ones that hurt me. They're the ones that... used me. Caused me to be undesirable," she sobbed out.

"You're not undesirable, Sam... we both know that." I murmured softly.

"Yes I am. Men just want sex, even you." She raised her head, eyes with daggers in them once again.

"Samantha Jane... you're the one atop me. You can leave at any time if you don't want this...." I said quietly.

Her expression changed and she sobbed all the more. "I'm sorry Jim... I...." she took a shuddering breath. "Please... hold me."

I gave her a loving squeeze. "I'm holding you, Sam. You're safe here. I'm not like those that hurt you. I'm not just after sex. Gwen just told you that, as did Julie.."

"I know... I know and I... I...." she shuddered and took my free hand, shifted her uppermost leg, and placed my hand on her vulva. "Touch me... Jim. Make me a woman instead of a whore."

I kissed the top of Sam's head. "Are you sure, Samantha?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No... but... I want you to. I want to try. I want to try to love you like Julie, like Gwen. If any man can...." she sobbed against my chest. I caressed her back and looked over to Julie with a questioning expression. Julie nodded with a smile and I smiled meekly back.

"What if I can't, Sam. What if I can't help you with that tonight?" I asked.

"I dunno...." came the whine from my chest. "But I really really want to try. I want you to try." She raised her head and looked at me. "Please?"

I thought for a moment, pondering different scenerios in my mind. "I'll try, Samantha Jane... but I need you to try too, ok?" the sobbing head nodded against me. "Do you think you can turn to have your back to me?"

We both shifted about on the chair, I put my feet on the edge of the footrest so my knees were bent and Sam turned around so her back was to my chest, and her head rested on my right shoulder. I used my right hand to come around her side and gently cup her femaleness. She wrapped her right arm around mine and held onto it for dear life.

"Are you sure, Samantha?" I asked, in all seriousness.

Sam sniffled and shook her head. "I'm not sure, Jim..." she cried and hugged to my arm all the more. "I just... I dunno. I want you so bad. I want to feel you in me so bad. I just..." she was visibly trembling.

I turned my head and kissed her temple. "Put your feet up on my knees. It'll be alright..." I murmured. "Have you ever seen what you look like down there?" I asked.

The question sort of took her aback, and she shook her head with a sniffle. I looked to Gwen. "In the upstairs hall, in the dormer window area there's a small framed mirror..."

Gwen hopped up. "Got it!" she said and dashed up the stairs.

I nuzzled Sam. "Would you.... like if we recorded this for you?" I caressed her left side with my free left hand.

"You.... you'd want to see... me.... like this?" Sam sniffled, confused.

"I like seeing you any which way, Samantha Jane. And... this is sort of like your baby steps to being a whole person once again. Something you'll likely want to cherish." I nuzzled her neck. "No matter how far it goes, it'd be something you and Gwen can watch over again, and reminisce while you two enjoy each other."

Gwen was down from the second floor in a flash with the mirror, and Julie was already over at the rolltop getting out the camcorder.

"I.... think I'd like that, Jim." Sam smiled and snuggled to my arm.

I nodded to the gap between my feet for Gwen, and she angled the mirror just right so Sam could see my hand covering her vulva. Julie started recording as I gently spread the fingers of my hand to reveal Sam's femaleness. "Can you see alright?" I whispered to her. She nodded. "Now show me what makes you feel good... guide my hand, Sam. Guide me to making you feel good."

Sam put her hand atop mine and began petting herself with my fingertips... I occasionally allowed one to dip between the closed labia. After a time, she scooted her rump down a bit more and spread her legs wider, causing the tip of my middle finger to catch at her vaginal opening. I could tell she was getting aroused by the plumpness of her labia, and her breathing was getting a little more rapid. Her eyes were closed.

"Look at what you're doing, Sam..." I murmured. "See your pleasure?" I asked, her opening already becoming moist.

"Jim..." she shuddered and took a deep breath. "Please... love me?" her voice was pleading and I saw both worry and a glimmer of hope in her eyes through the mirror.

"Do you think you're ready for that, Sam?" I asked. "It's been a long time..."

Sam twisted to look at me. "Jim... please...." she was nearly crying agian. "This is.... it's as close as.... I've wanted..... Jim...?" the tears started to flow.

I kissed her forehead. "Which hole, Sam? What would you be most comfortable with?" I asked. Julie shifted about a bit with the camcorder but remained as unobtrusive as possible.

"Make me a woman, Jim..." Sam sobbed. "Please...... before I lose my nerve..."

"What position, sweetie?" I asked.

Fear flashed through her eyes as she turned over to snuggle to me. "I.... I need to see your face, Jim. To.... to... know it's you... and..." she swallowed hard. "me... on my back.... you over me... so I can't.... chicken out." she was shaking again.

I thought for a few moments... "Get on the couch, rump at the edge... you know how you'd want to be. You're not quite ready yet, Samantha Jane... but it'll be alright..." I smiled and she rolled off of me to get on the sofa, buttocks just over the edge, and she raised her legs, holding them up with her arms as I moved about.

"Got any small glass toys? Buttplug or slender probe or anything?" I whispered to Gwen as I moved slowly about to kneel before Sam. I gently took her legs from her, placing them on my shoulders as Gwen dug out a couple small toys. A glass Rosebud plug... maybe an inch diameter. Real small. And a slender gently-curving glass probe... I smiled.

"Do you recognize these toys, Sam?" I asked. She nodded. "They're from your present day, aren't they?" I again inquired. "Yes... oh Jim... please... quickly."

I shook my head and started teasing her with the slender probe, dragging it along her labia and circling her opening with the tip. "No... not quickly Sam... lovingly. Slowly. Gently. Tenderly...." I murmured as I slipped the tip of the object up into her. She tensed, groaned a little, and bent forward to put her hands on my shoulders as I did so. "Eaaaaasy Sam... it's me... it's just the toy... are you alright?" I inquired as her breathing grew rapid.

"I.... had a flash... I... hear it's you... I see it's you... I feel it's you... but..." she whimpered.

I caressed her one thigh with my free hand, gently nudging the toy back and forth, going a little deeper each time. "I figured something like tha might happen, Sam... that's why I didn't just try to go in with one fell blow to take advantage of your mood." I leaned up to kiss her, sinking the toy fully into her while doing so. She shuddered and kissed me back awkwardly. I started moving the toy slowly, longcocking her with it... her personal moisture clearly visible slickening and beading on the glass instrument. She started relaxing at the sensations, eyes closed. "That's it Sam... enjoy it... concentrate on the sensations, then look at me to see where those sensations are coming from.... look in the mirror to see what it looks like..."

Gwen was holding the mirror so Sam could see an above view of the toy going in and out of herself. Sam looked up and blushed deeply, then looked at me. Her hand clasped my hand as I worked the toy. "It's time, Sam. Do you want to go further?" I inquired.

"No... Jim. I don't want to... right now I.... I'm scared but I _need_ to go further... I need to feel... I want to feel... I..." She drew my hand and the toy out, which hit the carpeting with a soft thud. "Make me... feel... whole. Please?" the hurt and fear returned to her eyes.

"Plug?" I asked, inquiringly.

She nodded and raised her legs, holding them to her chest as it bared her rump, showing her pucker clearly. A couple drips of liquid lube was all it took, and soon the tapered bulge was pressed gently against her ring. I put her feet on my shoulders, but leaned somewhat aside so Julie could film it nicely. "Sam... close your eyes.... listen to my voice... I'm me... who am I?" I asked.

"Jim Peters" she answered.

I began pressing gently, causing her flesh to part a little. She started to tense up. "Who am I?" I asked.

"Jim..." came the response, and her muscles relaxed a bit.

I pressed more firmly and the ring of muscle began to spread in earnest... gentle, cyclical pressure... press, relax, press, relax, press, relax... her rear was spreading more and more. "Deep breath, Samantha..." I said....

She took a couple halting, shallow ones and then a deep one. I gave a firm push and the bulbous end slipped effortlessly into her. She screamed, her legs tensed, and shoved me back some though I reached for her hands. "Sam... eyes open.... it's me. Who am I?"

Hatred and anger washed across her face, fear and terror joined it, but soon she was looking at me, focusing on my face and she spread her legs widely and drew me close to her in an awkward hug, wrapping her legs around behind my back, she sobbed. "Jim....."

I pet along her back. "Too much?" I asked.

She shook her head, still sobbing. "That's the first time... since... since..." she was shaking. "I.... I...." she looked at me with hopeful eyes. "Please... try...."

I smiled meekly. "Sam... I don't really know if I should...."

She looked up at me, terror and fear on her face amid the pleading expression. "Please.... please try for me? I.... this is... as far as I've come with... anyone... especially a man... please..." her body tremors were quite profound and I held her.

"Are you doing this for me, because you feel obligated, or for yourself?" I asked.

"I dunno... " she whined. "I just... I want to... I NEED to try... Please Jim?" her tearful eyes looked up to me.

I shifted about some, my erection having withered some in the intervening moments, but likely she didn't notice it at all before. I shifted so it rested between her labia and up to her mons. "It will probably hurt some, Sam..." I cautioned. "I'm not small like the toy."

Sam looked even more worried, but swallowed hard. "Jim... I don't know if I'll have the courage to go this far again, perhaps for a long long time. Please..." she clutched my arm tightly. "Please try."

I smiled lovingly at her. While she was pleading I had dripped some of the liquid lubricant into my right palm and covered my member with it, my penis firming some in my grasp. "Sam... guide me," I murmured as I lifted her legs back to my shoulders, the position we were in meaning I was closer to her knees than ankles.

She then moved to put her feet on my shoulders and reached between us to position me. She rubbed my glans up and down her labia a couple times before centering it where she wanted it... I leaned forward some, both folding her more and putting gentle pressure against the opening of her womanhood. I rested my hands on her hips, and she grabbed both wrists once my glans was nestled firmly at her opening. "Please... push Jim..." I could feel the indecisive fluttering of her opening, but I trusted her and took the plunge, applying more pressure with my hips. She tensed, and let out a yowl that rose in pitch as I sank further into her. About 3/4 of the way in her muscles tensed up so much so that I couldn't advance further. I drew back and pushed forward a bit. Sam drew a shuddering breath and I repeated the process, getting a little further, a little further, a little further until my hairs were nestled against her lips, my tip kissing her innermost barrier.

I leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. "I'm inside you, Samantha Jane. I'm all the way in. You did it." I smiled tenderly. Her unfocused eyes came to focus on me and she smiled a bit through the tears. "Does it hurt?" I asked, concerned. "No... it aches a little but... you're really inside me?" she asked in disbelief.

"See for yourself..." I smiled and leaned back some.

She looked first down her front, then in the mirror Gwen was holding... and she started to sob. She grabbed me and clung to me tightly, even to the point of folding herself nearly in thirds with her knees almost touching her ears. I started tenderly moving. Her tunnel would flutter and grip super-tight now and again as she's start sobbing. But I'd quit moving for a time, and then she'd relax some and I'd continue... it felt like hours before her tunnel started to flutter more and more... and then she gripped extra tight and screamed out, clinging tightly to me. I smiled and continued on as I wasn't anywhere near that close... as the fluttering started again, I felt my own orgasm rapidly approaching. I moved my hands to caress her nipples. She grabbed my wrists and put my hands to her hips. "Please... Jim... hard. Breed me!" her voice was shaking, her face was awash with fear, but her voice was demanding so... I did. Long stabbing thrusts into her, bashing my glans against her cervix. She leaned back and her head rolled from side to side as another yowl started rising in her throat... coming out as a scream as I plunged deep one last time and her whole body tensed up. I was deep, held tight by her muscular passage... I groaned as I fired off, and fell forward to hold her tightly as she clung to me. "JIIIIIIM!"

She must have passed out as her body went limp, so with my waning strength I flipped her over so we could lay on the sofa for the night. Gwen brought me a pillow and Julie laid a blanket over us. It was getting quite late so Julie turned out the lights and set the TV to some programs. Julie kissed me, and I reached out my right arm and gave her a half-hug. Gwen kissed first me and then Sam. We whisper-chatted for a bit about things, and Gwen snuggled up to the couch, and I wrapped my arm around her as we chattered a bit. I thanked them for their help and Gwen said that if it weren't for me, Sam wouldn't have gotten her wish. Everyone seemed to be emotionally exhausted... I was physically exhausted so after a bit the girls snuggled together on the floor next to the sofa, Sam was still out atop me, and I worked my arm back under the blanket to hold her close.

I closed my eyes and started to sleep.

It was still dark out, and the TV was still on quietly with episodes of Modern Marvels, when Sam started to stir.

"Easy, Samantha... You're alright..." I murmured.

"Jim?" she murphled.

"Yeah, it's me... you're safe." I quietly replied.

"I had such a nice dream.... we.... Jim? Did we....?" she inquired.

I smiled and patted her butt under the sheets. "I'm still inside you, Samantha. Yes... tonight we did. You accepted me into your body and we mated."

"Jim... I'm not on.... what happens if?" she started to breathe heavier, realizing potential issues with what we had done.

I shushed her with a gentle breath. "It doesn't matter... it won't matter. If you do become pregnant, you and Gwen will have a child of your own. And if not... you have the pleasant memory. And the video file. You transcended your past with at least one man. But all that will wait for morning... for right now, enjoy the feelings and know you're safe." I whispered. "And loved."

"Thank you, Jim...." she sighed happily and I felt her internal muscles give a little squeeze on my glans sill somewhat inside her. "Thank you for everything."

I just silently patted her rump again and closed my eyes as she hugged me so tightly it almost hurt.