Rating: NC17

Spoilers: None

Author: Vasalysa, with many undying thanks to Geek.

E-mail: cmbower@ennorath.net Comments are always welcome

The credits for 'Never Give a Sucker an Even Break' rolled and McQueen stretched his arms over his head. He smiled down at Lysa, head on his bare chest, as she turned off the movie with the remote. "Still comfortable?"

"With you as a pillow? Of course." She ran her hand lightly from his ribs to his hips, not quite tickling his skin. Deliberately, she avoided his groin, stroking his inner thigh next to her own. She nudged his legs further apart, caressing down to his knees while she planted kisses on his chest.

Running his hands through her hair, feeling it slide over his skin, he sighed, satisfied with life for now. She sucked on one of his nipples and he moaned, moving a hand down to her breast, which he kneaded briefly before rolling the nipple between his fingers. When she switched nipples, so did he and he used the other hand to caress her throat. Her breath on his flesh sent ripples of electricity through him.

Before he could react, she shifted so she straddled his thighs and sat up stretching the kinks out of her back. The feel of his hands on her ribs made her smile as he moved them upward. She slid her hands down his arms, the fine hair on them almost tickling her hands. Fingers dancing across his chest and stomach, she wriggled until she sat just below his hardening cock. She leaned forward to kiss him, trusting him to take her weight, which he did, hands below her breasts.

"Not a lot of room here," he murmured, kissing and licking her jaw back to her ear, holding her up so only a couple of inches remained between them.

"I think we'll manage." Her hands darted down to stroke him firmly. She ground her hips against his, enjoying the feel of his hardness against her belly as he thrust upwards.

"I think you're right." Her fingers curled around him and he moaned, wanting nothing more than to thrust into her depths, to drive them both over the edge hard and fast. But he had other plans. "Not yet," he managed. "Slower, love. We have all the time in the world. I want to go slow this time. I want us to both really enjoy it to the fullest beforehand. Ok?"

"Yes." She gave him one last lingering stroke before sliding her hands up his belly, across his chest and to his shoulders. Massaging the neck and shoulders junctions, she shifted enough so that she took her own weight back. "We've done enough fast and frenzied today."

Seeing her above him, breasts so temptingly near, made him smile. He ran his hands up to frame her face. "Will you drink from me tonight?"

"Do you want me to?" Her emerald eyes gazed solemnly at him.

"Yes. It's been too long."

"Very well. And since it's your idea to go slow, you can start." She returned to an upright posture.

He chuckled softly. "Serves me right. Ok. Now, tell me, love, is that rug by the fireplace comfortable?"

"Very."

"Then let's move over there."

Time lost meaning to them both while they explored one another leisurely for the first time. Both knew there would be no Chig attacks, no duty in the morning to get up for, no one to pause outside in case they made too much noise, no interruptions of any sort. Trading places as desired, they explored, aroused and lowered the tension over and over again.

Once, he sucked and licked her toes, enjoying the sight of her squirming, panting for breath. In retaliation, she repeated the toe assault she had performed at the pool, adding licking and sucking on each toe in turn.

Kneeling between her legs, licking and kissing the hollow of her hip, hands kneading her buttocks, he decided that he didn't want to wait any longer. His fingers slipped into her easily and he moved them until he found the right spot. Her breathing became hard and fast as she thrust herself onto his fingers. Before she could climax, he pulled his fingers free, grinning at the moan of disappointment.

Her legs wrapped around his waist and he found himself flipped over onto his back, grinning up at her as she moved her legs outside his. She sat up on his thighs, fingers toying with the head of his cock. "Sit up."

He raised an eyebrow, but did so.

Smoothly she rose and moved up until she was right before his face. Hands in his hair, she slid down, his tongue licking her thigh, then the hollow of her hip, her stomach quivering under the relentless licks, and then he latched onto a breast. Going to her knees, she gently bent his head down so he continued sucking on her breast.

He started kneading her other breast while continuing to lavish attention with his mouth on the first one. Totally unprepared for the hot breath caressing his navel, he moaned, hands tightening unconsciously. The warm, wet tip of her tongue circling it sent waves of heat through him. The heat ignited when she ran her tongue over it lightly and he wrapped his arms around her, shudders coursing through him. He tried to raise his head as her tongue resumed circling, but realized that she had shifted enough to trap his head between her arm and chest. Another lick and he didn't care where his head was as a raging fire swept through him. The wet warmth resumed its torturous circling, licking him often enough to keep him on fire. He mumbled incoherently as the sensations built up. When it felt as if the flames could burn no hotter, he cried out as she sucked on his navel, delicious internal combustion searing a path along his nerves, making him tremble with the force of it. Once, twice, three more times she sucked on him, each more intense than the last until he would have fallen back onto the floor, shaking, if she hadn't been holding him up.

It took him a moment to focus after she lowered him to the floor and started caressing his heaving chest. "No one's ever done that to me," he admitted. "If they went near it, they usually sucked it hard. It was the fastest way to get me hard, and going."

She leaned over and kissed him. "Did you enjoy it?" she asked, grinning broadly.

"You know I did. Could you feel it?"

She nodded. "Part of why I did it. I wanted to feel your reaction to it." When he levered himself up onto an elbow, she leaned forward to kiss him. "You are so damned delicious, Ty."

The touch of her fingers on his aching cock made him gasp softly. A soft touch to his navel in addition made him writhe, eyes closed as the intense sensations overcame him. His breathing hitched as she repeated the touch several times. He moaned, thrusting up with his hips, needing more friction. As he slid up into her, he blindly grabbed her hips and slammed her down onto him fully, making her cry out with pleasure.

He stayed on his back for a moment longer, enjoying the feel of her riding him hard and stroking his navel. But it wasn't enough. He needed more. With a needy growl, he rolled them onto her back and started thrusting hard as her legs wrapped around his waist. She met every thrust and continued to send fire through his navel until he was moaning continuously. Sliding into a frenzy of sensations, he lost himself in the hard and fast rhythm, head dropping down onto her shoulder.

Her mouth on his throat barely registered. His pleasure doubled and he thrust even harder, suddenly desperate in his need to finish. His climax overtook him, shocking him with its suddenness. As he spiraled out, he felt her with him, intertwined spiritually as well as physically.

Recovering, he found himself sprawled on her and reluctantly started to roll to the side.

"You're fine right there, love." She moved a leg over his.

"Good," he breathed, settling back in place. "I'm wiped out."

Her hand ran through his sweat-dampened hair, over his ear, down his neck to his shoulder. "Just relax then. You don't need to move."

His breathing evened out and he felt himself falling asleep. "I don't think I'll make it to the bedroom."

"Ok. We can sleep here." She slipped out from beneath him, rolling him onto his back. "Before you sleep though, you better drink from me."

He drank her blood and sighed, letting his head drop back onto the rug. "I am so tired."

"Go to sleep, love. After all, I did promise you a massage tonight."

"I'll be asleep in minutes," he warned.

"Go ahead." She took his softening cock into her mouth, sucking him dry gently and cleaning him up.

When she returned from a quick shower and a closet rummage, she found him snoring softly. Blankets were tossed on the couch before she tucked a pillow under his head and set a bottle of massage oil down near him. She arranged him so that she could give the promised massage and smiled as she started.

He woke up, feeling a hand tracing patterns on his back. "How long?" he asked groggily.

"Only an hour. Go back to sleep."

He nodded once and snuggled back down under the blanket, content.

The next time he woke up it was to the smell of breakfast.

"You have time for a quick shower. Any longer and it'll either be burnt or cold."

"Going." Getting to his feet, he tossed the blanket on the couch and headed for the bathroom.

The hot water felt wonderful as it sluiced over his body, washing away mingled dried sweat and oil. He smiled on seeing both his usual shampoo and her strawberry one on the shelf. Washed and rinsed off, he turned off the water and grabbed one of the fluffy towels on a rack and quickly dried off.

He stepped into the kitchen, inhaling deeply. "That smells good."

Giving him a quick look, she said, "You look better than it smells." She slid the omelet onto a plate beside another one that had several bites already taken out of it. "This one's yours."

He grabbed a fork and sat down at the breakfast nook, pulling the plate to him. "I like the look."

She pirouetted in the apron that barely covered her making it fly out from her body. When he reached out for her, she let him pull her close for a hungry kiss. Released at last, she laughed softly. "Love, you need to eat some real food."

"Later." He started nuzzling her neck.

"Now." She pushed away slowly. "As much as I would like to start the day off that way, you need to refuel."

His stomach growled and he laughed ruefully. "All right. Two to one. Guess I have no choice."

He ate quickly, watching her as she ate and cleaned up the kitchen. "You know, I can help with that."

"You just eat. This is my second meal this morning. I woke up some time ago." She wiped the skillet dry.

He paused, fork nearly to his mouth. "And you didn't wake me?"

"You needed the sleep." Setting the skillet back in the cupboard, she took off the apron and set it on the counter. "Besides, I didn't think you wanted a romp through the woods at oh dark hundred. I caught a couple of rabbits, they satisfied my hunger." She pushed the fork into his mouth. "Eat." She sat down opposite him, watching him.

Eating mechanically, he realized that sooner or later he was going to have to see her hunt and kill in her other form. He waited until he finished his omelet before saying, "Lysa, I want to come with you next time."

"Sure?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll wake you." Pointing to his empty plate, she said, "You can help by cleaning that."

While he washed the plate, she ran her hands up his sides, down his front, over his thighs and back up. "I'm going to drop this," he warned.

"Consider it training for keeping your cool under extreme conditions." She pressed against his back, hands grasping his hips firmly.

He had just set the plate down on the counter when her tongue started circling his navel. She refused to let him move as the heat built up. His hands clenched the counter edge as she drew her tongue slowly over the top of his navel, the warmth igniting the fire in his body. A groan tore its way loose as she repeated the movement.

Dipping her tongue into the hollow several times, she caught him as his knees buckled, pulling him back into her so that he didn't hit the counter on the way down. She held him against her with one hand as she resumed working around the outside of his navel. The other hand eased his hands from the counter one by one. Another slow lick across it made him arch against her, head rolling back onto her shoulder. He allowed her to lower him down onto his side on the floor with the help of another slow tongue washing.

In his ear, she whispered, "I want to see how you react if I take you the distance. Are you up for it?"

It took him a moment to be able to speak. "How can I say no?" He wanted the burning fire back.

"You can, love. Any time," she breathed softly in his ear.

"Do it," he moaned. "All the way." He bent his head away from her, giving her complete access.

Her breath on his navel made him twitch and the fire flared up. Soon his reality consisted completely of her mouth's delicious torture and the raging fire that seared his nerve endings. He lost all awareness of the fact that she held him firmly around the chest as he thrashed and writhed on the floor, whimpering from the sheer magnitude of the pleasure overwhelming him.

She eased up on the assault to give him a chance to breathe when he started gasping for air. Before he fully recovered, she flicked her tongue in and out of his navel several times, sending him back down into the flames. As he drowned in the sensations, she started adding an occasional light suck to her repertoire.

Lightening flashed along his nerves. Stars burst behind his eyes.

She added dipping her tongue in and out while sucking. By the fourth time, she knew he would not last longer. He thrashed and writhed so hard, sobbing from the sensations; he nearly tore loose from her hold.

A nova went off in his body and he screamed, convulsing with the intensity. Glimpsing the universe briefly, he felt her arms holding him tightly before soothing darkness engulfed him.

Holding his twitching body, she stroked him until the convulsions mostly disappeared. He still labored to breathe as she stretched him out on the floor. After cleaning both him and the floor, she carefully picked him up and carried him to the couch. Occasional twitches jerked his arms and legs so she tucked a blanket around him and sat beside him, caressing his cheek, running her fingers over his sweat soaked skin and through his damp hair.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, he opened his eyes. "If they had done that to us, they'd have had us begging to dig the mines. Thank god they had no idea."

"Up to a shower?"

"Yes."

Getting up, he discovered that his legs had different ideas about his readiness. He abruptly sat back down on the couch. "That usually doesn't happen," he said sheepishly.

"This time we'll do it together."

She helped him to the downstairs bathroom and into the shower. "I'll get you something to wear."

The water turned on as hot as he could stand, he said, "Please."

His body responded to the invigorating spray, reviving and recovering. He washed thoroughly, enjoying the fact he didn't have to ration water.

Dressed, McQueen strode outside onto the deck, standing looking out at the scenery. He breathed deeply, the earthy smells enticingly close.

He smiled as he felt Lysa's hands slip around his waist. "What's making you smile, love?" she whispered in his ear

"Fancy a walk in the woods?" he asked her, turning around to kiss her full on the lips.

She nodded, "That'd be nice. Shall we get geared up?" She turned toward the door.

Catching her arm, he laughed, "No, no gear, a walk, not a run. I just want to take a stroll with my wife. "

She raised her eyebrows, "A stroll? In these woods? You'll be lucky."

"I hope so, " he grinned.

They'd been walking, or as Lysa teased him, strolling, an hour or so, when they came upon a waterfall, splashing down into a clear blue pool. Wild flowers grew along the banks of the pool and trees overhung it. It was cool and shady, the perfect spot to sit and rest.

McQueen tugged on her hand, the hand he'd been holding ever since they left the cabin. "Come on," he grinned. "Let's take a swim. I've never been skinny dipping in the wild before! And this looks perfect."

She laughed and nodded. Hastily they shed their clothes, leaving them heaped at the water's edge.

"You knew this was here, didn't you?" he asked her as he floated on his back, enjoying the contrasting feel of the cool water and the heat of the sun on his exposed skin.

"Of course I did." she grinned, "Been skinny dipping here for years!"

She swam up to him, and flipped him over. He disappeared under the water, emerging coughing and spluttering, "Hey, that's not fair!" he laughed, grabbing for her head to push her under.

It soon turned into a play fight, each struggling to keep the other from getting out of the pool until eventually Lysa declared herself the winner, worrying that she was tiring him out.

They clambered out and stretched out on the grassy bank to dry off, McQueen pulling her close as he closed his eyes. "I could stay like this forever," he whispered.

"Could you, Ty? "

"Oh yes. As long as you were here beside me." He began to trace little circles on her bare flesh, his eyes still closed, but a smile spreading across his face, as he felt her stomach quiver under his touch.

Gently he pulled her closer, opening his eyes. He watched her face as he kissed her, tasting her lips as if he'd never kissed her before, slowly, gently outlining her mouth with his tongue before pushing inside and sucking her tongue into his mouth. His hands began feather light touches to her body, gently stroking her neck, her throat, her shoulders, as he worked his way down her body. Each touch followed by a soft kiss, a lick or a nibble, as he moved his head to follow his hands. Reaching her breasts, he spent time kneading them, burying his face in them, suckling them each in turn, rolling her nipples in his fingers, as she moaned his name, reaching out to touch him, to stroke him, to run her hands up and down his back, gently scraping him with her nails.

"No, love," he whispered, lifting his head from her breasts. "This is for you, " he grinned. "After this morning, it's the least I can do."

His attention returned to her breasts. He swirled his tongue around her erect nipples before slowly working his way further down her body. Each scar, each rib, received the same loving attention, a gentle kiss, a lick and a nibble before he moved on to the next.

By the time he'd reached her navel, she could barely hold still. Her hands were on his head, fingers twisted into a tight grip in his short hair, desperately trying to push him lower.

Using both hands on her hips to hold her down, he began to suckle on her navel, to swirl his tongue around it, repeating the actions she'd used on him earlier that morning. Feeling her writhing underneath him, he smiled and increased the pace, slipping his hands down to her thighs, gently pulling her legs apart enough for him to move his head lower, to search out her clit in the hot moist depths of her center.

One hand continued to hold her down, as she bucked beneath him, the other he used to slowly slip two fingers inside her, searching out the spot that he knew would make her scream. He concentrated on sucking her nub into his mouth, licking and nibbling gently on it, while starting a slow but steady rhythm inside her.

As she began to buck more wildly, pulling at his hair and whimpering with each thrust of his fingers, he increased the pace, determined to bring her over before entering her himself. He felt her muscles tightening around his fingers, her hot fluids gushing into his hand, as she bucked fiercely, almost throwing him off her. As she collapsed back onto the grass, he slowly slid his fingers out, and licked them clean, enjoying the taste of her, pleased with his efforts.

He looked up to see her watching him. "You look like you're enjoying that," she laughed.

"Oh, I am," he grinned, and buried his face back between her thighs, licking her clean, before kissing his way back to her breasts.

Positioning himself he pressed against her, smiling as she groaned when she felt him sliding inside of her. Bending his head to kiss her, he reached to pull her legs up. Lysa wrapped them around him as he began to push himself into her deeply, this time he was going to love her as hard as he could. Knowing that he couldn't hurt her, he pumped her with all his might, feeling her thrusting upwards to meet him. He kept up a hard and fast pace, until his own orgasm threatened. Determined to wait until she'd come he slowed down a little, causing her to grip him firmly with her thighs, unwilling to let him stop.

Finally when he could hold back no longer, he felt her tightening around him. Her whole body went rigid as the force of her orgasm swept her away, dragging him along, his own joining hers. He collapsed on top of her, unable to catch his breath, her arms wrapped as firmly around him as her legs.

They drifted to sleep like that, waking hours later when a light rain began to fall. Laughing, they hurriedly dressed and headed back to the cabin, the rain chilling them as they ran.

After they dried off, he volunteered to make lunch if she started a fire in the living room. He brought out a huge Cobb salad and a pitcher of ice water. He found that she had put on another movie. Together they demolished the salad, sharing the bowl, watching the movie from the couch. Head in her lap, he kept losing track of the movie as she ran her fingers through his hair, over his ear, along his jaw to his throat and down his chest.

"Ready for another round, are you?" he asked when he'd lost track of what was going on for the fifth time.

"Always, love. But I'm not trying to arouse you. It's just supposed to be relaxing."

"It is, but I also feel like I should be reciprocating." He looked up at her face.

"Not necessary, Ty." She kissed his temple. "I enjoy touching you, love. Just because I'm touching you, stroking you, caressing you, it doesn't mean that you have to do it back. You can just lie there and enjoy it. As you've no doubt noticed, I can barely keep my hands off you when we're alone. "It's not changing because we're married."

"Should I worry if you stop touching?" He meant it half jokingly.

To his surprise, she answered seriously. "Depends on the circumstances. If I have a reason to be distracted, no. If there's no visible reason why I've stopped, ask me." Again she kissed his temple. "Now, what I'm doing here, it just feels good to run my hands over you. I enjoy the feel of your skin."

"Pretty rough in spots."

"So's mine." She smiled at him. "Character building, I believe the Corps calls it."

"We've certainly got the character part right." He chuckled. "Is there any popcorn in this joint?"

"If you can stand my leaving you for a few minutes, yes."

"Popcorn, popcorn, how can you watch a movie without popcorn?" He pulled her down for a kiss. "Please."

"Ok."

The movie paused; he watched her walk into the kitchen, admiring the way her body moved. He thought about some mischief when she returned, but decided that he would rather have hot popcorn to watch the movie with. There was always after the movie.

Staring up at the star studded sky, McQueen felt replete in all ways. The deck's roof rolled back, he could see the constellations clearly. It seemed remarkable to him that out there, billions and billions of miles away, people were fighting an alien race.

"Penny for your thoughts."

"Probably not worth that much." He sighed and pulled her down onto his chaise lounge. "You make a mean lasagna, Lysa."

She laughed, cuddling against his chest. "Why thank you. I have picked up a few tricks over the years. Mother insisted that we learn how to cook."

"Tell me something. How the hell did you end up a teacher?"

"Mother. She insisted on a compromise between Father and me. I had to finish at least four years of college and try a job before I could enter the Marines. Needless to say, that inspired me to finish my college courses quickly. After a year of teaching, I couldn't stand it anymore and enlisted. Mother said I fulfilled my side of the bargain."

"A formidable woman, your mother."

"Oh, yes. No one has won an argument with her yet. Not even Father." She chuckled, stroking his hair, then his cheek.

Pulling her all the way down beside him, he wrapped his arms around her. "I expect there will be some terrific fights between us." He sighed as her arms snaked around his chest.

"No doubt. We'll face it when we have to. I'm too besotted with you to even think about it." She kissed him tenderly.

As they kissed, arms and legs becoming entangled, he remembered the mischief he'd started after the movie had finished. They had ended up on the rug again, her above him the entire time. The firelight had imparted a glow to her flushed skin that had driven him wild. His hands had wandered everywhere.

"You know, this isn't going to be very comfortable, love." She raised herself onto an elbow to look down at him. "There's the bed upstairs that we haven't even slept in yet."

"Sounds good to me."

The sun hadn't risen when he woke up in the comfort of a large bed. Warm breath on his stomach wrung a moan from him.

"Awake at last."

"God, woman, you're insatiable." He grinned and flung back the covers in time to see her move upward to his chest. As her mouth started licking and nibbling, he reached down to find one of her nipples and play with it.

"You don't seem to mind," she chuckled, a finger running up the length of his now quite hard cock.

"Not in the least."

The sun had climbed up over the trees by the time they headed down to the kitchen for some food after a shower that had led to yet more fun. As she pulled out the ingredients for two more omelets, he chopped, diced and sliced them according to her wishes. While she cooked using two pans, he cleaned up. The delicious smell of the omelet made his mouth water and his stomach growl.

"We'll feed you, greedy gut." She laughed, tossing a towel at him so he could hang it up.

"Good. I'm starving."

"You're a Marine. You're always starving. It's part of your training to become a bottomless pit that will eat whatever the chow boys put before you. Couple of plates, please."

He set two plates on the counter by the stove and went to the refrigerator. "What do you want to drink?"

"Besides you?" When he gave her a mock frown, she grinned. "OJ sounds good."

He poured two glasses and grabbed a couple of forks. "Where do you want to eat?"

"How about the deck?"

"Ok."

After they ate, he carried the dishes inside and returned to find her sitting on the deck stairs looking out into the forest. "What's up?"

"Nothing. Just wondering if I wanted to go out now or in a bit."

Running his hand down her back, he said, "You just ate."

"If that's a vote to stay, then I will."

"Not necessarily a vote to stay." He ran his hand up to her neck and twined his fingers in her hair. "I don't feel like running anywhere right now."

Her lips curved into a smile. "I wouldn't do that to you."

"Then let's go now."

After a pause, she nodded and rose. With swift economical movements, she stripped off her clothes and folded them neatly on the deck. Her body twisted, shimmered and suddenly the four footed beast he had seen stood staring into his eyes. "Shall we go?" Her voice came out guttural and harsh.

"Yes."

As they walked into the woods, he found that her shoulder fur brushed his fingertips.

They had walked for fifteen minutes when she stopped and glanced up at him. "There's a glade up ahead with a rabbit warren. I spotted it yesterday on the way back."

"Shall I meet you there?"

She nodded. "The trail runs right up to the glade."

"Go on."

He watched as she faded into the undergrowth. With a wry shake of his head, he took a deep breath and mentally changed his attitude, switching from relaxed to the stalking hunter. With careful steps, he advanced along the trail, avoiding the loose branches and other noisemakers. An increase in the light level told him the glade was ahead and he moved off the trail. Crouched behind a large pine tree, he eased around to peer into the forest clearing. Several rabbits nibbled on the rich clover while one, a sentry, stood on a slight embankment.

A brown blur raced into the clearing. Two rabbits flew into the air before the sentry could sound the alarm. As the remaining rabbits bolted for the warren, he saw Lysa grab one of the rabbits, sink her teeth into it, and shake it violently. She held the still body partially under a foot and tore it in half, gulping down the part in her mouth. The other half followed. She repeated the performance on the second rabbit.

As she vanished back into the undergrowth opposite him, McQueen headed back to the trail. She was waiting for him thirty feet down the trail, cleaning her fur. A last lick and she looked up at him.

"Where to now?" he asked. "Maybe skinny dipping?"

She nodded once and rose to all fours.

In silence they walked side by side. At the water's edge, Lysa shimmered, returning to her human form as he undressed. The cool water felt good while the hot sun beat down on him and he submerged completely before floating. He watched as she dove under the water, reappearing near him, treading water.

"You were faster than I anticipated," he said quietly. "You surprised me."

"Supposed to be that way."

He heard a trace of apprehension in her voice. "Lysa, it changes nothing between us. Except deepen my respect for your skills. I still love you and I'm looking forward to the time we both go on a mission together and I get to see you in action." Changing to treading water himself, he pulled her close for a kiss.

The water closed over their heads as they kissed. Parting, they kicked for the surface and, laughing, they swam for the shore.

Kissing again, McQueen felt a chill as the sun disappeared behind clouds. He glanced at the sky and frowned at the heavy dark clouds.

"Looks like a storm is brewing." She gently pushed him toward his clothes. "Let's resume at the cabin. Where there's a fire and food."

A breeze swept through the trees and McQueen shivered slightly. "Good idea." He grabbed his clothes.

Back in four-footed form, Lysa paced him on the trip to the cabin. She changed at the steps, scooped up her clothes and headed inside as the sky opened up.

McQueen closed the door, grateful to be shutting out the weather. "Still have some movies to watch?"

"Of course." She crouched before the fireplace.

"Good." He moved behind her, hands on her waist. "We'll watch one in a little while." He nibbled her neck.

The fire caught and Lysa closed the screen before leaning into him. "Another good idea."

Lounging before the fire, McQueen felt content, holding her in his arms. A growl from his midriff made him smile.

"Sounds like it's time to make dinner," laughed Lysa, rolling away.

"Guess so, since we skipped lunch," he sighed ruefully, watching her stand up, but enjoying the sight of her in the firelight.

"Want to help?" She held out her hand. "You can make the salad."

"Sure."

Pulled onto his feet, he let her walk into the kitchen ahead of him, admiring the view. He caught the apron tossed to him and shook his head as he put it on. "Ruining my image."

"Protecting the assets," she grinned, opening the refrigerator.

"I'll go with that." As he took the salad ingredients handed to him, he smiled remembering the workout the 'assets' had gotten that afternoon. Two short and frenzied sessions before the movie and a long leisurely time after it, resulting in them napping for a couple of hours.

As he made the salad, he kept an eye on the food Lysa was making. Pork chops, garlic bread, and melted chocolate that she dipped strawberries and raspberries in were prepped. "Looks good."

She smiled at him after putting the chops into the hot skillet. "Should taste good, too."

The food met McQueen's expectations as they ate in the living room, side by side, knees touching, their plates on the coffee table.

Lysa rose and started gathering the dishes. "I'll get dessert."

"I thought you were dessert," he grinned.

"And you call me insatiable." Shaking her head, she headed for the kitchen.

As she walked away, he watched, realizing another thing that appealed to him about her. Being naked for extended periods of time didn't bother her. Spending most of his first five years of life naked in the mines had led to some awkward moments after earning his freedom. Discovering that most normal borns had difficulties dealing with nakedness outside of sex, he had quickly learned the proper behaviors. But there were times he longed for the freedom of his youth.

"Ty?" she asked quietly.

Jerked back to the present, he blinked and looked up at her. "Sorry."

She sat facing him, setting the bowl of chocolate covered berries on the coffee table. "You were somewhere else, love."

"Just remembering something."

"What?" Her hand caressed his jaw.

He didn't answer directly. "Are all vampires and Remal free of sexual and body hang-ups?"

Raising an eyebrow, she answered, "Most. There are those like Patrick who suffered traumas as children. Or those who, for some reason, weren't raised by vampires and Remal families, like Rhonda. Now why?"

He stared at his hands, clasped in his lap. "In the mines, the guards kept us naked, the better to control us. After all, why bother clothing tanks that were just going to die? It helped to make us less human. The only time we got clothes was for the two or three yearly inspections. And the clothes had to be clean and undamaged when turned in." With a sigh, he looked at her. "I've never met people who didn't have a problem with nakedness. Until you and your family."

Rising to her knees, she kissed his forehead. "My poor beloved Ty. If I could, I would punish every person who ever mistreated you."

"You and Glen are the only ones who ever felt that way."

"Don't forget your kids. They'd go to hell and back again for you."

He nodded briefly. "But they are not my friends, like you and Glen. In time, I think they will be, but I'm still a father figure to them."

Closing her eyes and leaning her head against his forehead, she sighed. "Ty, they are also your friends. You are more than a father to them now love. You are their friend as well. You need to recognize that and treat them accordingly from time to time. You wouldn't have spent as much time with them if you were only a father to them."

"You're right." He raised his hands to her face, cupping her cheeks. "I need you to remind me of such things. I still have a lot to learn."

"So do we all, love. That is the adventure of life." She smiled and kissed him properly. As she pulled away, she popped a chocolate covered raspberry in his mouth. "Dessert time."

When they finally retired to the bedroom, she gave him a massage, hoping to ease the tension still coiled in his body. She cuddled behind his sleeping form, slipping her arm around him.

Waking, Silver frowned briefly on finding herself alone in the bed. She padded downstairs and smiled, seeing him sitting before the fireplace, basking in the warmth he had created. "What's up?" she asked quietly, sitting down behind him, sliding her hands around his waist.

He felt her head on his shoulder and sighed. "Lysa, how many others have you done that to?"

"Done what... Ah, the navel trick." When he nodded tightly once, she smiled softly. "One."

"Only one?" He tried not to sound disbelieving.

"Yes. It's not something I do lightly. It's an intensely personal experience that I get to share, to a degree." She rubbed his chest. "Orion came to us after two owners. His first was a real bastard, but he fell into debt to Luke, a friend of Father's. Luke took Orion as payment of the debt. He treated Orion well, but it took him over a year to earn Orion's trust. Luke... Luke was a good man, but he had epilepsy and leukemia from an accident in his youth."

He heard the sorrow in her voice. "You liked him."

"Everyone liked Luke. He never let the bad things get him down. Even confined to a wheelchair, he managed to really enjoy life. Anyway, Luke refused to have a live-in nurse, so Orion became his watcher. I guess knowing that Luke trusted him to take care of him helped Orion to realize that not everyone was like his first owner. Luke also had Orion taking classes at our place so he could see how our folks were treated."

"What happened?" From the way she talked, he knew Luke was dead.

"Orion called in a panic. Luke had a severe epileptic attack. He had done everything he could, but it refused to stop. Father rushed over. He stopped the attack and took Luke to the hospital. Between the leukemia and recurring epileptic attacks, Luke's strength drained away. It took him three days to die. At the end, he took Hakur's gift and died peacefully."

"Was Luke a Remal?"

She shook her head slightly. "No, though he knew what we were. He was a true friend."

"And Orion? What became of him?"

"Luke deeded him to Father, knowing that Orion would gain his freedom after a couple of years."

"So how did Orion... how did you find out about the navel?" He tensed.

She sat straight and started massaging his shoulders. "I was fourteen and determined to join the Marines. Father wanted something else. I stormed off. Orion found me two hours later while he was hiding out. He was feeling awkward, unsure of himself in the new surroundings and he was still mourning Luke, though he was having a hard time understanding what he was feeling. We talked. We talked a lot. Once he realized that I would answer any questions he had, he asked a lot of them. He finally asked me what I wanted to know. I asked him about his navel. I knew about them, but I had never had the chance to see, touch, and explore one. He allowed me to. Orion was my first Invitro and I learned a lot from him."

With a sigh, she continued. "One of the things he told me was that his first owner had learned to use his navel against him. By inflicting pain through it, he controlled him." She felt McQueen's shudders of revulsion. "It took him nearly eighteen months to let Luke get any where near his navel. Orion cried when Luke treated him gently, lovingly and showed him that it didn't have to hurt. It was Luke who realized that he could give Orion pleasure to the same degree as the pain had been. They explored the possibilities, but with Luke so ill and lacking strength, Orion had feared hurting him if they went too far."

"So Luke never got to see Orion 'go the distance'?"

"No. Orion regretted that. A week after our talk, he asked me if I would be willing to try it. I agreed. It took me two weeks to work up to completing it. I wanted to make sure I knew what to expect on the way. He would ask me from time to time to do it. I decided that it's something too intensely personal to just do to anyone."

"Is Orion still here?" From the way she talked, he suspected not.

Hands stopping, she leaned her forehead against his back. "No. It was a stupid accident. We were riding, not too far from here in fact. His horse shied, some damned bird exploded out from under the horse's feet. He fell and his horse in its panic kicked him in the head. I held his hand for ten minutes or so before realizing that he wasn't going to make it. I gave him Hakur's gift. We buried him deep in the forest. He loved the forest."

"I'm sorry. It's sounds like he learned a lot from you."

"It's ok. I remember him quite fondly." She kissed his shoulder. "So, I haven't done it to anyone until you, Ty. I've given them some of the pleasure, but never the entire thing."

Reaching back to grip her hand, he said, "I'm sorry if it sounded like I was jealous. I didn't want to be. I wanted to be above all that."

She squeezed his hand. "There's a lot about my past you don't know, Ty. I don't mind your asking. I'll tell you anything I can."

Leaning back into her, he sighed. "I know." When she pushed him forward slightly so she could resume the massage, he said quietly, "Part of why I asked about it was..." He dropped his head forward, chewing his lower lip. "I wanted to ask you if... if you would do it again." His voice trailed away.

"Any particular reason why? Besides the fact that it felt good?" She hugged him tightly.

"That is a large part of it. The other is..." He paused then continued in a rush. "After this, we won't be anywhere alone where you can do this again for who knows how long. I want to experience it at least once more."

"Just desiring me to do it again is enough, Ty. Just tell me where and when." Rubbing her face against his back, she inhaled his scent mingled with the faint smoke smell.

"Here and now?"

"Positive?" She grinned at the traces of eagerness and hesitation in his voice. Breathing softly on his navel made him squirm and press back against her.

"Yes," he groaned as she started nibbling his neck.

"Ok. Let's go ahead and have you lie down on your side then."

Working slowly, she built up the fire in his body by just circling his navel and occasionally running her tongue over it. She could feel the tremors coursing through his body as she continued. When he completely relaxed, trusting her to keep him safe, she rewarded him with several dips into his navel. He bucked in her arms, moaning. His heart pounded in his chest and she could feel it hammering under her hand as she drew her tongue over the raised bud slowly, letting the tip of her tongue stroke just inside.

His moans dissolved into whimpers as the sensations completely engulfed him. A blazing inferno inhabited his body, the sheer pleasure of it devouring him. Even stray coherent thoughts vanished as she sucked lightly, igniting a fusion reaction at his core.

Another light suck and she tightened her grip on his twisting body. An arm snaked free and flailed for several seconds before she recaptured it, tucking it back against his straining chest. She slowed down, letting the tension lower and giving him the chance to breathe.

"No," he moaned. "More."

"Don't worry, love. You need to breathe every so often." She ran her tongue over his navel, holding him as he bucked and twisted futilely against her arms. "Just a reminder of what's to come."

"Yes." He sobbed softly when she started the slow circles once more. "More, now, please," he pleaded, bending his head forward.

She continued the slow circles for several minutes. Then she dipped her tongue three times fast.

A needy moan escaped as the fire sped through his nerves, leaving him twisting under its influence. Head thrown back against her shoulder, he shuddered hard enough to nearly break free when she sucked on him. Lightening flashes started zinging through him as she alternated sucking with her tongue flicking in and out.

Once more she deliberately stopped the intense buildup.

He sobbed in frustration, his body drenched in sweat. Her tongue moved to the side of his neck, licking and nibbling. It took him a minute to manage "Please!"

"Easy, easy. You'll get there. I promise." She continued nibbling on his throat. Loosening her grip on him, she let him think that she had no intention of resuming soon.

He lay trembling in her arms from the aftermath of what he'd already experienced. Her mouth suddenly covering his navel, sucking, as her tongue darting in and out rapidly slammed him back into the intense pleasure, sparks showering behind his eyes.

Taking him right to the edge, she held him there for a moment as he thrashed wildly, incoherent in his need, totally uncontrolled and helpless. A dim portion of his brain begged for her to finish it, to send him out, to let him glimpse the workings of the universe, but his mouth could only mumble.

Lifting her head slightly, she breathed on his navel, letting him suppose she was slowing down again. She sucked once more, her tongue going fast and deep into his navel repeatedly.

The force of suns exploding sent him flying, his screaming body in the throes of convulsions as he saw and understood for a split second why everything happened the way it did.

Holding him tightly, she settled in to wait as he sank into oblivion at last. The twitching lasted longer than the previous time. Once he lay mostly still, she cleaned him up before going to get a warm washcloth to clean the rug and a hand towel to wipe him down and dry his hair. She snuggled up behind him, pulling a blanket over them both, and whispered sonnets until he returned.

With a shudder, he returned to awareness. "That was even more powerful. All I can say is it's a damn good thing the IVA doesn't know about this." He rubbed his head against the arm under it and stroked the arm over his chest. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Ty. Now why don't you just sleep for a while? It is the middle of the night, you know." She laughed softly.

"Not quite yet." He turned over and kissed her soundly, exploring her mouth once more.

"Love, you really need to rest now." She ran her hands up his arms to his shoulders, stroking the well-muscled body lovingly. "Remember what happened before?"

"I'm not trying to stand up on my legs. And what you gave me is not something I can just accept without reciprocating." He laved the hollow of her throat, making her moan.

She gave up protesting, running her fingers through his hair, loving the feel of his skin under her hands.

He rested on his side, head propped on one hand while the other stroked the sleeping body next to him. Briefly he debated whether to stay on the rug or move to the bedroom, but decided that he would rather stay where he was. Soon enough they would have to leave this idyllic place and such peaceful times would be few and far between. Reaching over to the couch, he drew down the blanket, covering them both. Two pillows followed and he carefully tucked one under her head, smoothing her hair out, playing with the strands, enjoying the rare fact that he was still awake while she slept.

The fire crackled and he suppressed the jump his body tried to make. Telling himself firmly that there was no danger, he settled down behind her, sliding his hand down to press her back against him. A deep breath and he closed his eyes, seeking the sleep that had eluded him earlier.

He woke as cool air slid down his back briefly. "What are you doing?"

"Coming back to you, love. On the way back, I saw there was a message on the vid-phone. It was Mac, sorry, MacIntyre. He says we don't have to report back to the house until this evening. Our departure has been delayed and he saw no reason for all of us to wait around at Loxley longer than necessary. He's already informed the others."

"What time is it?"

"0530."

"Time to get more sleep then."

"I agree."

He squirmed until he felt her firmly against his back. As her arm draped over his chest, he gave a sigh of pleasure. "Later, love."

"Later, love."

Opening his eyes, he smiled on finding his head on her shoulder. Sunlight shone on the wall, telling him they had slept for some time. He licked the firm mound before his mouth and felt the sigh she gave. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long. I was just enjoying the fact you were sleeping peacefully and on me." She stroked his hair. "You rarely sleep with your head on my shoulder or any other part of me."

He chuckled. "Hard to do in those skinny, barely room for one, things called beds on the 'Toga."

"I know. But even on the Bacchus, you slept apart from me." Her thumb rubbed his throat.

"Maybe it's because now it's official." His fingers traced patterns lightly on her belly, making the skin quiver. "Whatever the reason, I'm glad to know I can do it."

"So am I. Even if it's a while before it happens again." She pulled him up for a kiss. With one hand, she reached down to grasp him firmly and pumped several times while the other hand curled behind his head, fingers massaging his scalp.

"So when do we have to leave?" He shifted onto his hands and knees over her, nibbling her neck, enjoying the feel of her hands on him.

"To make it by dinner, fifteen hundred." Her hand moved from his head to his shoulder, fingers kneading his muscles. "Mac is joining us for dinner."

"Good. Plenty of time then."

The sun rode high in the sky by the time they started making brunch. As she washed some tomatoes, he slid his arms around her, under the shirt she wore, and kissed behind her ear, nuzzling aside her damp hair. He breathed in the strawberry scent happily.

"Don't ever change shampoos," he growled.

"Is that an order?" She set the tomatoes down and reached up to run her fingers through his almost dry hair.

"Does it have to be?"

"No, but as I'm now your XO-"

He spun her around, staring into her eyes. "You gave up the co-commanding slot? Why? Was it because of the squad?"

Shaking her head, she cupped his cheek. "No, Ty. You are the 5-8's commanding officer. I'm content to be the XO. After all, I kept my last name."

"Yeah, poor Glen. Imagine how confusing it would have been to have him bellow, 'McQueen' and have us both responding." He chuckled. "But seriously, Lysa, you didn't have to do that. You could have kept the position."

"I know. It's one of my gifts to you." She kissed him lightly. "Now, let's get brunch made before our stomachs rebel. It's been a long time since we fed them."

"I'll be right back." He strode out of the kitchen.

Raising an eyebrow at his abrupt departure, she reached along their bond and smiled. He was up to something and pleased about it. She turned her attention to the hamburger she needed to make patties out of.

He trotted back into the kitchen. "I ordered these from the 'Toga and had them sent to your parents. I brought them with us."

Turning around, she saw that he held out both hands, fists closed. He opened one and revealed a Swiss Army knife in matte black with Silver engraved on it. Opening his other hand showed an identical knife with McQueen engraved into the handle.

"Ty, it's lovely." She immediately picked it up and started going through its many modes, finding that its action was very smooth. "Excellent quality, too." Spotting the maker's mark, she grinned. "And it's really Swiss, too."

"Top of the line, love." He slipped his into his breast pocket. "Your other present should have been delivered to your parents' house by now."

"And I have a gift or two for you there too. In my room."

"Maybe we should head back a little earlier." He remembered the time they'd spent in her room.

"It's 1100 now. Do you really want to?"

He hesitated, reluctant to really lose their time alone together, but there were some things he wanted to do before leaving for the war again. "Yes."

"Pick the time, then."

"How about after we eat?"

"So be it."

McQueen stood in the dusk, waiting for their transport to arrive. His gaze kept straying to where Lysa stood with her parents and Cassie, hugging them good-bye. Just beyond them Wang exchanged a tearful farewell with his mother and somehow managed to face his father with a straight back and calm demeanor. Nearby hovered Damphousse, anxious about Paul. The rest of the 5-8 stood behind her. From the house, Ross and Rhonda strode out, talking and holding hands.

Smiling and shaking his head, McQueen knew from a brief talk with his friend that Ross and Rhonda had taken the time for a brief second honeymoon. Rhonda had given her blessing on any sexual activities Ross might indulge in, so long as it was with only Silver and him. In return, Ross had given her permission to explore her Remal heritage, but that she wasn't to join any circle until he had a chance to meet them personally.

"Ready to go?"

McQueen gave Patrick a nod. "Yes. There's a war to be fought and now I have a reason to fight and come out the other side alive."

"Come back to us, T.C." Patrick smiled sadly.

"I will."

Solemnly, Patrick said, "I'll hold you to that."

Realizing he had just made a binding oath, McQueen nodded. "And I'll bring her with me, I promise."

"I know you will." Patrick gave McQueen a wistful smile. "Take care of you both."

He knew Patrick wanted to hold him one last time, but felt constrained to stay away physically. "Come here." He hugged Patrick tightly, breathing in the scent of raspberries. "Have you said good-bye to Russell?"

"Yes."

"Good." Releasing him, McQueen said, "Take care of yourself."

"I will." Patrick strode away, back straight.

"Colonel Dad?"

"Yes, Private Daughter?" He smiled at her.

She flung her arms around him, squeezing him as if her life depended on it.

He felt her breathing hitch. "Hey, no crying. Marines don't cry when saying good-bye." He patted her back gently.

"I'm not a Marine yet," she sniffled.

"Keep working on it." He ruffled her hair. "Just do me a favor, ok? No bunny slippers. I'd never live it down."

"Ok. No bunny slippers it is." Cassie let him go and stepped away.

He was wondering what else he should have told her was on the 'don't send' list when Silver stepped up beside him. "Well, love, ready?" She ran her hand up his arm casually.

"As ready as I'll ever be. To paraphrase W.C. Fields, you wouldn't happen to have a snake on you?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No, but I could scare one up if you wanted to try out that new stimulant holder." She laughed softly.

Patting his left back pocket, he grinned on feeling the engraved steel hip flask she had given him, filled with Patrick's best Scotch. "I'm sure I can think of a reason to sample it. Perhaps during a movie marathon." Tucked into his sea-bag were ten optical disks with every movie W.C. Fields, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton had ever done.

"Perhaps."

The sound of the transport's engines reached their ears and she looked skyward. The fading light caught the emerald chips in the hair clip he had given her, reminding him of her eyes, darkened with passion. He smiled, pleased.

MacIntyre stepped out of the house as the ISSAPC landed. "All right, folks. Let's get this show on the road. We have a war to fight. And win."

As the military personnel turned their backs on the civilians and started boarding the transport, McQueen paused and looked around at the darkening sky and the surrounding landscape. He thought, "Yes, I will return. Come Chigs, AIs, hell or high water. I will return to this place."

He boarded the ISSAPC, ready for whatever the universe threw his way.

Finis

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