_Chapter 5: New Losses, New Threats_
 
 
 
          For the next several months, Ron was focussed on finding a way to
protect his family.  He knew time was not on his side.  Sooner or later, the
men that he saw, more and more frequently now, would attack his home.  *If
they do, they die.*   Ron didn't even bother tutoring in his Sophomore year,
so intent on preparing for the upcoming fight was he.
 
          However, as time wore on, it became less evident that there was a
danger.  Ron knew that they might be waiting for him to drop his guard.  *But,
I can't stay alert like this forever, can I?*  So, about the middle of Spring,
Ron decided to pick back up on some of his business ventures.
 
          "Bill?"  Ron had called him at home this time.
 
          "Ron?  Is that you?"
 
          "Yeah.  Sorry we haven't spoken in a while.  I'm just calling to let
you know I'll be accepting business again."
 
          "Great!  How soon do you want to start?  I've got a list here
waiting."
 
          "Oh, send one over to me tomorrow night.  That'll give me time to
get ready."
 
          "No problem.  Great to hear from you, guy.  I was starting to worry."
 
          "Thanks, Bill.  We'll have to get together for lunch sometime.  See
ya."  And Ron hung up.  *It has been a while.  Ever since Diane left, I really
have focussed heavily on training me and the Family.  Karen is good; I'd guess
she's at a psion-5 or -6 already.  Michelle is good at defense, and pretty
good with other stuff, I'd bet she's a psion-7 by now.  Kumiko is finally
getting the hang of her necklace.  I hadn't realized how draining that would
be.  I hope we won't need it, but it's good to remember it's there.*
 
          The rest of the family had similarly adapted to the situation. 
Nathan was growing up to be a very healthy young boy, already a year old, and
smart as a whip.  Dawn doted over him more or less constantly while she was
home, and Megan looked after him during the day, while the others were at
school.  Sometimes Ron wondered why he made the others continue in school, but
then decided he didn't want stupid slaves.  Nikki and Tammy were damn near
inseparable, and Ron thought that a good thing, since it meant they always had
each other for protection.  Jessica and Megan took everything in stride, doing
as their master wished.  Kumiko was... well, Kumiko.  Nothing seemed to affect
her, though Ron knew differently.  He had chosen well the leader of his
family.  Kumiko was thoughtful and considerate.  Never jumping to a
conclusion, and always willing to listen, she handled most of the disputes in
the family now, so that Ron didn't have to bother with them.  Life had settled
into a comfortable rut, with the slight edge that Ron kept on it with his
paranoia.  *But even paranoids have enemies.*
 
 
 
          Ron's newest subject arrived at 7:00, as was the usual time for this
sort of appointment.  Ron had dropped the subterfuge, and now all his
customers simply told their wives they were going to see a counselor.  Women
seemed more ready to accept the idea of a counselor than Ron himself would
have been.  It was Bill's idea, and a good one.
 
          This lady was attractive, but not overly so.  Standing 5'4" tall,
with curly dark blonde hair and green eyes, she had a nice, if not abundant,
chest, and slender legs.  She was trim and fit, but obviously not an athlete. 
She was sort of the "average healthy American woman" idea.  It made her look
pretty good.
 
          "Please, Mrs. Rector, come on in.  The doc will be with you
shortly."  Ron's addition to the cover was that he was simply an office
assistant, since he was far too young to be the doctor.  He escorted the woman
to the room he used as an 'office', and asked her to sit down.  He made to
busy himself at the desk arranging a folder, presumably hers, but was really
beginning his job.
 
          This one, though, was a problem.  She was a psionic.  Or, more
correctly, a latent psionic.  *This late in life, I doubt she'll ever find
it.*  But, it was a problem.  He couldn't seem to make the modifications he
wanted to in her.  The manual said messing with latents was okay, so long as
you didn't prematurely awaken their ability.  *Nothing premature about this
one.*  Ron dug deeper into her mind.
 
          After about five minutes, she started to fidget.  She wasn't blanked
out like most people.  *I've got to find a way to get her completely under.* 
Then he realized that it was her Ability Sphere that was interfering with the
process.  *Isn't there some way I can get rid of that thing?  I don't know how
to remove it.... I wonder if I can block it?*  

          Ron made a couple of abortive attempts, envisioning blankets, or
bags.  Finally, he created a hollow black sphere that he clamped around her
Ability Sphere.  This effectively blocked out her Sphere from the rest of her
brain.  She gave a jolt, and, on further inspection, Ron could tell she was
now 'under'.  Now Ron could set about his business.  Five minutes later, the
mental part of the procedure was complete.
 
          It took the woman a few extra minutes to recover.  Ron wondered if
she would notice her missing Ability Sphere.  She had never made use of it,
but it was a part of her, and it was now, well, not missing, but certainly
clouded.
 
          "Okay, Mrs. Rector, just relax.  We're almost through here.  Now, I
want you to stand up and remove all your clothes."
 
          Mrs. Rector stood and reached up to her blouse.  She unbuttoned it
without a word, staring right at Ron the whole time.  As she reached the last
button, she licked her lips.  *She's already hot!  What did I do.... Oh! 
hmm... that could be a problem.*  The lady had reached behind her, and removed
her bra.  Her breasts jiggled slightly as they were freed from their confines.
 
          Mrs. Rector, whose first name was Carol, then moved her hands from
her breasts slowly down her sides until she reached her waist.  She undid the
fasteners on her skirt, and let it drop to the floor.  She bent down to remove
her heels, and Ron watched as her tits swung free with the movement.  Carol
was wearing panties over pantyhose,  but not for long.  She quickly pulled her
panties down and off.  For the pantyhose, she turned her back to Ron.  She
rolled them down past her waist, then slowly worked them down to her knees,
bending over  and giving Ron a pretty nice view.
 
          Next, she sat back down in the chair to finish removing them.  She
rolled them down each leg, slowly, seductively, enticing Ron to her.  *Not
yet, Carol.  Not yet.*  Finally, she pulled the hose the final way off.  She
stood back up, and turned around fully to show her body to Ron.
 
          "Okay, very nice Carol.  Now, come on over here, and start removing
my clothes."  Carol was happy to oblige.  She sauntered over to Ron, and first
gave him a very nice kiss, which he returned.  She was rubbing his chest, and
then started slowly undoing the buttons on his shirt.  He was wearing his good
clothes, to appear more like the assistant he was supposed to be.  She worked
her way down, kissing flesh as it appeared.  When she'd gotten it fully
unbuttoned, she kissed her way back up, and plunged her tongue into his mouth
as she pulled his shirt off of his arms.  She continued the kiss as she undid
his belt and his pants.
 
          They broke the kiss as she knelt to pull his pants down.  She
removed his shoes, socks, and his pants then.  All that was left were his
briefs, and these were soon removed as well.  The woman needed no further
instruction, as she sucked his entire length into her mouth.  *Oh, shit!  Damn
that feels good!*
 
          Carol went to town on his shaft, sucking and slurping away as she
used her tongue to massage his cock as it moved in and out.  Ron played with
her breasts as she brought him closer and closer to coming.  Soon, he let out
a grunt, and a load of sperm splashed down her throat.  She continued sucking
until she had every last drop of his come.  Then she sucked him some more,
until he was fully hard again.  It didn't take long, she'd gotten him horny
enough.
 
          Ron pulled her up, and laid her onto the desk.  He placed her legs
on his shoulders, and his dick at her entrance.  He thrust into her, full
length on the first stroke.  She was already more than moist enough to take
it, and let out only a moan of pleasure.  Ron kept up a frantic pace,
thrusting into her as fast as he could.  It wasn't but a minute or so before
she had her first orgasm, thrashing her head from side to side and growling
like an animal.  Ron kept up his plunging, trying to go even faster.  Carol
had orgasm after orgasm, building in intensity.  Soon, Ron wasn't sure if he
could keep her on the desk.
 
          During one of her relative lulls, he grabbed her up into his arms,
and brought her down to the floor.  Not quite as comfortable as the desk,
Carol didn't even notice.  She began uttering little encouragements to Ron. 
"Fuck me!  Make me cum!  Come on, stud, screw your whore!"
 
          Ron was happy to do as she asked.  He renewed his thrusting, now
with a different angle into her pussy.  It wasn't long before she was
orgasming yet again.  One after another, it seemed she would never stop.
 
          Ron started to feel his own climax building, and so figured it was
time to make her have "The Big One", if he could figure out how with this
lady.  He pummeled into her as fast as he could, then reached down with one
hand and twisted her nipple.  She groaned in ecstasy, but she wasn't there
yet.  He moved that hand down and started frigging her clit back and forth. 
That got her going, she was trembling all over, and bucking back onto his cock
with all her strength.  All of a sudden, her body froze, back arched, and she
let out a long, "OOhhhhhhhhh, YEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!".
 
          Her pussy was clamped down on his prick hard enough to squeeze the
life out of it, but it was definitely pleasant enough to send him over the
edge.  He pushed in as far as he could go and held it, grunting out his own
orgasm.
 
 
 
          Later, while Carol was getting dressed, Ron called Mr. Rector.
 
          "Mr. Rector?  Ron Chaffey.  Your wife's treatment is complete, but
there was a complication.  No, sir, your wife is... fine, I think I'll have to
explain when you get here.  Yes sir.  Thank you."
 
 
 
          Mr. Rector arrived twenty minutes later.  It was all Ron could do to
keep Carol's hands off himself.
 
          "So, what's the problem, Ron?"  Mr. Rector wanted to know.
 
          "Well, sir..." Carol had attached herself to her husband, and was
openly rubbing his crotch.  Mr. Rector looked at her in some surprise, then at
Ron for an explanation.
 
          "This is the problem, sir.  Normally this doesn't happen.  Your wife
is a special case, and some unusual measures were necessary.  I can change her
back..."
 
          "You do, and I'll ruin your reputation in this town!"  Mr. Rector
said with a laugh.  "I don't see a problem, Ron!"  

          "Well, sir, she's probably going to be like this *all of the time.*"
 
          "So?  Can you make it so that she won't whine and bitch when I don't
want to?"
 
          "Already done, sir.  That's part of the normal treatment."
 
          "Then, I don't see a problem, so long as I can make her go away when
I need to do business."
 
          "Also part of the normal treatment.  Well, if you're happy with
things as they are, Mr. Rector, then I don't guess we have a problem.  But, if
at any time in the future, you wish me to make some modifications to make
her... more.... controlled, just let Bill know, and there won't be any
additional charge."
 
          "That's right nice of you Ron.  I'll keep that in mind.  This kind
of makes me wish I had TWO wives!"  Mr. Rector shook his hand, and left,
taking Carol with him, thank God.  *Two wives?  Hmmm.   Let's think about that
plan for a little bit more...*
 
 
 
          As spring progressed into summer, Ron sensed a feeling of unease
building around the family, but he couldn't seem to put a finger on the
problem.  He tried to ignore it, and devote himself to his studies.
 
 
 
          Near the end of the school year, Ron attended his own Sophomore Hop,
and, as surprised no one, ran the sound system.  He had learned many things
since that first time, and now he could anticipate problems before they even
started to arise.  He wasn't much of a dancer, and he'd come alone anyway, so
he just hung around the periphery of the dance floor.
 
          A slow dance came up, but Ron was looking out the door at the
forming thunderclouds.  They were building up to a mighty storm.  Ron couldn't
help feeling the same thing was happening all around him.  Then he felt a hand
on his arm.  He turned to see Michelle.
 
          "Hi, Michelle.  You look great!"
 
          "Hey, Ron.  You haven't moved from this spot for the last half hour."
 
          "You're supposed to be paying attention to your date, not timing my
movements." Ron chided.
 
          "I don't have a date.  So, you want to dance?"
 
          Now, dancing was really the last thing Ron wanted to do, but he
didn't want to hurt her feelings.  "Okay, but I'm not really any good.  I've
got three left feet."
 
          "That's okay, it's a slow dance.  You don't have to do much more
than sway back and forth."  She took his hand and led him out to the middle of
the floor.  She turned to face him, and laid her head on his shoulder,
wrapping her arms around his neck.  He placed his arms around her, and they
started to dance, more of a meandering, cumbersome walk than anything.  It was
more enjoyable than Ron would have guessed, just being close to someone,
holding them and moving in time to the music.
 
          "Why didn't you come with a boyfriend?" Ron asked her.
 
          "Nobody interested me.  Not that way, anyhow.  You know, Ron, you're
the closest thing I've ever had to a boyfriend."
 
          That made Ron blush.  "Michelle, we've never even been out on a
proper date, let alone done any of that other boy-girl stuff."  Not that it
might not be nice, mind you...
 
          "Well, we could fix that, couldn't we?"
 
          "What do you mean?"
 
          "I'm not much for dances, either.  I came because my Mom expected me
to.  Why don't we ditch this place, and you take me on a walk by the lake?"
 
          "Alright."  It sounded fine to Ron.  He cordially despised social
functions of most kinds, and had come only because he had to run the sound for
them.
 
          The two teenagers exited the building and walked into the woods
behind the school.  It was only a short distance to the lake, for which the
school had been named.  No one else was around. *I guess it's too early for
that yet.*  The lake was a favored spot for making out after dances and such,
but the kids would normally wait until the dance was almost over.  Just now,
it was very peaceful here.  Out of some kind of instinct, Ron took Michelle's
hand.
 
          They walked for a long time, talking about a lot of things, but
avoiding the really personal questions they both wanted to ask.  Finally, they
walked on in silence.  Ultimately, Michelle couldn't stand the silence.
 
          "Ron, what do you feel toward me?"  This was the kind of question
they had been studiously avoiding all evening.
 
          "I don't know, Michelle.  I'm really rather confused about the whole
thing.  Why do you ask?"
 
          "Well, I mean, you have all those women at your house.  And you once
told me that you loved Kumiko.  How can you love them all?"
 
          "That's not hard.  I love them all differently.  Of course, for
some, it isn't love.  I don't love Jessica, for instance, or Megan.  I care
for them a lot, but I don't love them.  Of course, Mom, and my sisters, that's
different."
 
          "But what about Kumiko?"
 
          "Well, I used to think I loved her, and she used to think the same
about me, but... I don't know.  I guess it was just a passing infatuation or
something.  I mean, I still love her, I guess, but not the same way as I
thought.  Now, she's really just the headmistress of the house.  That keeps
her real busy, and I trust her to do it right, but we don't really talk much
anymore.  I've said more to you tonight than I've said to Kumiko all week." 
Ron didn't understand why Michelle squeezed his hand tighter just then.
 
          "And Karen?"
 
          "Karen is just a student.  She and I have never gotten together at
all.  She doesn't even seem to be interested in sex, even with as much of it
as goes on at my house."
 
          "What about Mrs. Hayes and Ms. Ford?"
 
          "Well, they're.... different.  Again, I don't think I *love* either
of them.  I turn to them when I need advice, or some sort of help.  They're
wonderful, both of them, but I could do without them if I had to.  Not that I
want to, but...."  He trailed off, and turned to Michelle.  "Why the third
degree, Michelle?"
 
          She stared off into space for a moment.  *What is she thinking? 
Damn, I wish I could scan her.*  Protocol wouldn't allow him to do that
without asking.  In time, she turned to face him.  "Ron, in another four
weeks, I'll be leaving for CAMP, just like you did two years ago.  When I come
back, I'll have slaves of my own, so you've said.  That's fine, for the sex
and all, but what about the emotional part?"
 
          "I don't understand."
 
          "My family doesn't know anything about my Ability.  They wouldn't
get it, and I'm not skilled enough to make them act like your family does. 
You have a beautiful life.  You're satisfied in all areas, physical and
emotional.  I guess I'm just jealous."  She turned her head away before her
voice broke.  Ron could see the tears glinting in the moonlight.  He pulled
her to him, and wrapped his arms around her.
 
          "What are you trying to ask me, Mickey?"  He'd never called her that
before, as much as he'd wanted to, because he'd thought it made her sound too
much like a little girl (or a mouse).  Now it just rolled naturally off his
tongue.  She hugged him back when she heard it.
 
          "I need you, Ron.  You're the only one I've been able to come to for
help, for advice.  Not just about this Thing inside my head.  You've always
been willing to listen to me ramble on about my problems at school, at home,
or whatever."
 
          "But I've never been very helpful at finding solutions..."
 
          "You didn't have to be.  You helped just by listening.  Promise me
that I can always come to you?"  She was weeping openly now.
 
          "Of course, you can, Mickey.  I'll always be here for you."  She
looked into his eyes, and saw the truth there.  He brought his mouth onto
hers, and they kissed.
 
 
 
          "Hello, may I ask who you are?"  Kumiko was answered with a rough
shove backwards.
 
          "Where is Nathan Chaffey?"  The man demanded.
 
          "Who?"  In her confusion, the name did not register with Kumiko.
 
          "Nathan Conrad Chaffey, you stupid bitch!"
 
          "What do you want with my son?"  Dawn demanded from across the
room.  She felt herself flying against the wall, pushing over lamps and
furniture as she flew.  Each jolt bruised her, hurt her, but the man didn't
care.  She impacted the wall, breaking her arm in the process.  She slumped to
the floor, unconscious.
 
          Kumiko, having recovered from the initial invasion, fell back on the
procedure her Master had taught her.  First job, contact him.  She hoped it
would work.  *<Master, this is Kumiko.  Come quickly, there is trouble.>* 
That was all she needed to say.  Kumiko never left the house unless in the
company of her Master, so he knew where she was.
 
          Next job was to look after the child.  Nathan's life was more
important than her own.  She summoned what abilities she could from the
necklace, and formed a barrier around herself.  Then she ran for the stairs.
 
          The man saw her running, and sent an extension after her, but it
floated around her as if she weren't there.  *What the hell?  She's not a
psionic!  Bozhe moy!*  The second man joined him from out front.  They spoke
in Russian.
 
          "The man is not here yet."
 
          "He will come.  He must be aware the family is in danger.  We must
kill the child before he arrives."
 
          "Da, tovarishch."
 
          They made their way up the stairs, where the entire family was now
huddled.  They were in a layered defense, as Ron had taught them. 
Unfortunately, this put the weakest of them, his younger sister and Tammy,
first on the list.  They had both had a good deal of self-defense training in
the last year, but Karate is no match for a psion-13 Talent with a mission. 
When they reached the top of the stairs, Tammy managed to knock one down with
a roundhouse kick to the stomach, but Nikki missed with hers.
 
          The man still standing grabbed Nicole and threw her against the
wall.  He used his extension to throw Tammy down the stairs.  She was knocked
unconscious by the impact.  Blood flowed from abrasions on her face and arms. 
Nikki was still conscious, and she tried another attack, but this, too, was
warded off with 'kinesis.  She was sent flying through a closed door, and she
lay motionless on the floor of her bedroom.
 
          Jessica and Megan were the next line of defense, but they would fare
no better than their predecessors.  Megan wielded a large knife, but got
nowhere near her target.  Not being able to control the subject, one of the
men controlled the knife, and attempted to plunge it into her stomach.  She
had enough strength to fight it off, but not before it slashed her rather
badly across the abdomen.  Bleeding heavily, she fainted from lack of blood.
 
          Jessica wasn't that lucky.  She was carrying a baseball bat, and
managed to connect, but the man had up a kinetic shield, and it bounced off
him with little effect.  He swung his arm and backhanded her, breaking through
another door with her body.  The baseball bat had stung enough to make him
angry.  His extension picked her up, and flung her through the outside window,
shattering glass and splintering wood along the way.  She was in critical
condition long before she hit the ground, some 15 feet below.
 
          Sandra, Nancy, and Linda knew that their stance was useless.  There
was nothing they could do to stop these men.  They were only buying *time*,
hoping that Ron would arrive soon.  Similar to their friends, the ladies fell
to the power of these two men.  Soon they were standing outside the door to
little Nathan's room.  Inside stood his last line of defense: Kumiko, with her
necklace, and Karen.  The K-team, they had taken to calling themselves.  They
feared they were not strong enough to win the day.
 
          The door splintered before the men.  Karen and Kumiko prepared to do
battle, and Nathan started crying.  The bigger man forced a wall of pure
energy at them.  Kumiko and Karen were able to protect Nathan, but not the
wall behind them.  It fragmented into billions of tiny pieces, raining down
into the yard.  In the distance, thunder rolled.
 
 
 
          Ron was sitting against a tree, Michelle in his arms.  They had made
love here, quietly, sweetly.  In a way he had known, and forgotten, the
tenderness of that emotion, *love*, added unfathomable depth to the act.  They
were watching the storm roll in when it hit Ron.  It nearly knocked him over,
so strong was the message.  Michelle, startled, sat up and then leaned over
him.
 
          "Ron?  Are you alright?  Ron!"  His face had grown pale, she
couldn't tell with fright or anger, and she was almost afraid to know which. 
"What's wrong?!"
 
          Ron spoke quietly.  "I have to go now.  The family needs me."
 
          "I'll go with you."  She offered.
 
          "That will put you in greater danger than you need to be in now,
Mickey."
 
          "Let me worry about that, okay?  If they're gonna come after me
sooner or later, well, at least this way I get to pick the day."
 
          "Okay, thank you.  Get dressed, we'll have to fly there."
 
          Michelle got dressed, and they lifted off.  Michelle couldn't make
herself invisible, but Ron grabbed her hand, and then they were both
invisible.  Flying in formation was difficult, but they managed.  They arrived
from behind the house, to see a missing wall, and at least one person lying on
the ground.
 
          "Oh, my God..."  Michelle had no words for the moment, but Ron did.
 
          "Bastards.  They're going to pay for this."
 
 
 
          Karen and Kumiko had fended off the first couple of attacks, but
both their strengths were failing, and they just weren't up to facing two
psionics of this level.  Kumiko feared that she would draw down too much on
Ron's power, and so she was not as much help as she could have been.  Karen
was good, but she just wasn't up to the exercise.  Slowly, inexorably, they
were pushed toward the edge.  With one mighty shove, they were over, and
falling.  One of the men swooped, and grabbed, and had the child.
 
          Just then, lightning flashed, and thunder rolled, but... did it?  It
seemed awfully close.  They were standing on the grass, looking at the three
people lying there on the ground.
 
          "Kill the baby, now, Comrade!"
 
          "Let that child go now, or I will pulverize your skull!"  The voice
was the sound of thunder, but it emanated from... everywhere.
 
          "Who speaks?  What is this!"
 
          The one not holding the child flew back, and smashed into the
outside wall of the house.  The facade, even in back, was brick, and very
painful to get smashed into.  The man staggered forward, in obvious pain.  The
other man released the child, who started wailing and running in no particular
direction.
 
          In front of the child appeared two people.  He was scared at first,
until he realized they were his Uncle Ron, and Miss Michelle.  Michelle bent
down, and Nathan ran to her.  The man, remembering his mission, sent waves of
energy at her, but Michelle was fresh, and better than Karen, and royally
pissed off.  She flicked his energy off like rain drops.  "Go to hell, you
bastard!"
 
          Ron, not having moved from where he had appeared, walked over to
where the K-team was lying.  Both looked up at him, wounded, but okay, or so
they said with their eyes.  He next walked over to Jessica, who wasn't
moving.  He bent down to look, and saw a large piece of glass run through her
neck.  *NO!*  Ron screamed internally, but that wasn't good enough.  What came
out his mouth was the kind of blood-curdling howl that horror film directors
only dream about.  The utter hatred and anger that bubbled out of Ron became a
physical entity, rising up from his body, it took the form of a dragon, some
fifteen feet tall.  Ethereal, with no real substance, it could not be harmed. 
However, it could do fearsome damage to its enemies.
 
          "How dare you harm my family, you cocksucking bastards!"
 
          "Yob tvoyu m'aht!"  Screamed one of the Russians.
 
          "Fuck your own mother, asshole!" replied Ron, and the dragon
advanced on the two men.  Pure, hostile energy cannot be stopped, nor can you
defend against it.  The first man, the man who had already been slammed
against the wall, felt Ron's wrath first.  The dragon grabbed him up, and
pulled him inside.  The very furnaces of hell could not have been worse except
for their longevity, for this man's life was not long for this world.  After
seconds his body burst into flames, and was consumed in a matter of moments,
until not even ash remained.
 
          The remaining man, seeing this, was terrified.  Ron advanced on
him.  "You are the one who did this!"  He indicated the dead form of Jessica
on the ground.  The fear in the man's eyes was his answer.  "Now you play the
game with the big boys, asswipe!"  With that, a terrible snapping was heard.
 
          That sound was immediately followed by the Russian's shriek of utter
pain and holy terror, as Ron began to break every bone in the man's body,
starting with his feet and hands, and working toward the center.  The man's
cries continued and grew in intensity as Ron cracked each vertebrae, without
severing the spinal cord, since that would allow for an easement of the man's
suffering.  "I know you can hear me!"  Ron shouted, speaking not to the man,
but to whomever sent him.  "Your men have failed!  I will win this battle!  If
you can't play with the big boys, get off the goddamned field!"  And, with
that pronouncement, the man's skull shattered, fragmenting into pieces small
enough that a microscope would be needed to see them.  Lifeless, what remained
of his body slumped to the ground.  The dragon, as terrifying as it had been,
dissipated instantly.  The trouble gone, now was not the time for rage, but
the time for concern.  His family needed him now.
 
 
 
          It was several weeks later, and school was out.  The eerie feeling
still surrounded his family.  He couldn't place it, just couldn't figure it
out.  Then, one day, the question answered itself.
 
          Kumiko knocked on his office door.  "Master?  Are you busy?"
 
          "Not really, Kumiko.  What is it?"
 
          She came fully into the room, followed by Dawn.  Dawn was a little
the worse for wear.  She still had her arm in a cast, and some of the bruises
were still visible, though they were fading.  She sat down in the chair,
lifeless and limp.  She hadn't been the same since that night.  Nobody had,
and it pissed Ron off that he couldn't fix this.
 
          "What's up, guys?"
 
          There was no easy way to say what needed saying, and so, Dawn
couldn't bring herself to say anything at all.  Kumiko stood beside her,
trying to give her encouragement and strength.  Finally, she muttered
something, but Ron couldn't make it out.
 
          "What?  I can't hear you.  Dawn, what the hell is the matter?"  Ron
was still a bit testy, as he had yet to come to terms with his losses in the
battle.  Jessica was a devastating blow, but she was not the only casualty. 
Nancy was still in the hospital, not yet recovered from the damage done. 
Megan had almost died from lack of blood, had she not gotten to a hospital
when she did, she would have died most surely.  Not a single family member
except him had escaped unscathed from this battle, and he was still angry that
he had, *again*, failed to protect them.
 
          Dawn shook her head, and apparently came to a decision.  She
straightened her shoulders and said, "Ron, I want to leave."
 
          "Huh?  You came in here-"
 
          "Not the room.  I want to leave this house.  I want to leave the
family.  It's time for me to move out on my own.  I can't live like this, not
knowing what's going to happen to Nathan from day to day.  The people who are
after you are dangerous, Ron.  They almost killed my son!  I don't want to
raise him in this atmosphere."
 
          Ron sat in stunned silence.  He'd already lost one family member,
with one more still in the hospital, and here were two more trying to run away
from him.
 
          "No."  That was all he could utter.  Dawn stiffened, but Kumiko,
wise young woman that she was, had been expecting this.
 
          "Master, may I speak?"  Ron nodded, and she did, for almost a half
hour, which was the longest she had ever spoken in one setting.  In the end,
it was her love of the family that won out.
 
          "Very well, I know you're right Kumiko, but that doesn't make it any
easier.  Dawn, you may leave, and you can take Nathan with you BUT..."  Dawn
stiffened again, not knowing what was coming.  "You may NOT tell him about his
uncle until he is at least fourteen.  If you choose to leave now, there will
be no personal contact between you and the rest of the Family, ever."  He
hoped this would dissuade her, because he really didn't want her to go.
 
          She sat for perhaps a minute, maybe more, and then nodded her head. 
"Very well, Ron.  If that's how you want it.  I'm sorry, I just can't live
here anymore."
 
          "I will find you an apartment, and I will pay the bills for a year. 
After that, you're on your own.  You're a high-school graduate, and you could
probably go to college if you so chose.  If you do, I will pay for it. 
Otherwise, I'd advise you to get a job.  Good-bye, Dawn.  Never forget that
your brother loves you."  He came around and gave her a kiss, and a hug.  He
whispered some instructions to Kumiko, and then he left.
 
 
 
          He found Michelle out in the woods behind his house.  He had been
looking for her for about twenty minutes.
 
          "Here you are."  Ron slumped down beside her.
 
          "Looking for me?"  She asked.  She wasn't feeling wonderful about
herself, either.  *Lot of good I did for my friend.*  Ron had never blamed
her, but that only made it worse.
 
          "Dawn's leaving."  That brought her around a bit.
 
          "What?  Where's she going?"
 
          "I don't know.  She says she can't stay here anymore.  She's taking
Nathan with her."
 
          "Oh, Ron, I'm so sorry."  And she was.  She reached out to him, and
he hugged her tightly.  Then her own tears started, for her own ills and
fears, and in sympathy for a friend who was hurting.  They wept together for
some time, until, as if their tears were washing away the hurt, there just
wasn't any emotion left.  But nature abhors a vacuum, and such a void must be
filled with *something*.
 
          Ron looked into Michelle's eyes, and then kissed her warmly.  She
responded, and then he laid her back onto the ground.  The ground here was
covered with pine needles, and so made a fairly soft thicket.  Ron continued
his kisses, while he moved his hand to caress her breasts.  Tenderly he
massaged them, kneading first one and then the other, back and forth for a
long time.  Michelle was massaging his back, rubbing her hands up and down. 
Then they each started pulling at the other's shirt.  Soon, they were both
bare-chested.  Still kissing, but with more passion, they were working at each
other's jeans.  In their heat, they managed to get them off without tearing
them apart.  Ron sat up, and pulled her to him.  She was sitting in his lap,
his cock nestled between them.  She ground her pubes in tight circles to
arouse him further.
 
          Sensing his readiness, and her own, she lifted herself up, and he
positioned his cock at her entrance.  Slowly she lowered herself down onto his
shaft.  It was a wonderful feeling, being filled by his hard, throbbing
manhood, the cock of a man she could trust.  It is a unique feeling, the one
of complete and utter trust in another human being, and rare.  She trusted
Ron, and so the feeling was intensified.  She rode his cock for all she was
worth.  As her legs tired, they switched positions, so he was on top.  He
pushed into her at a feverish pace.  They were both in heaven.  The emotions
they had both tied up inside were releasing themselves.  They had poured out
their hearts to each other, and now they were giving of their bodies.  Their
forms melded together as if they became one organic unit, undulating back and
forth.  

          Soon, they both started to reach their peak.  Their bodies were so
in tune with each other that their breathing and heart rate had synced.  Ron
pushed, and Michelle pushed, Ron moaned, and Michelle mewled.  Ron grunted,
and Michelle shrieked.  Faster, faster, higher, higher they went, until
finally, in utter pleasure, they both came, grunting and moaning and panting
and sweating and spasming, until they were both completely exhausted.  There
they lay, in each other's arms, and slept.