A Big Shiny Blue Marble Ch. 53

After that, we just stayed close to where we used to live. We figured that somebody had to come to us – and they did. Both of the schools were after us."

Sam shrugged, "So we killed everybody they sent and then we went to them. It took a little while, but we sort of finished off both of the schools. I think that none of them knew how close we are," she said, "And we were pissed that we seemed to have been set up to be used for something, though we never found out what it was all about," she said.

"We left and we came to where the hospital is, so Sam could find a little work," Lindsay said, "I work with the roadmen when I can and pick up a bit of coin investigating and snooping."

"He's really good," Sam said, a little annoyed at how Lindsay never gave himself even a little credit, "Lots of times, he sees a better way to do things and he tells D'Arcy, and while D'Arcy often uses his ideas, he never thanks Lindsay. I love our cousins to death," she said, "but-"

"But Lindsay is the family secret that nobody is comfortable around, " Lindsay laughed, "If I didn't already know that I'd starve at it, I'd set up as a whore. Well I probably wouldn't starve. I might get a bit of business from the womenfolk of a place, but out here, the few men who'd want me are far, far between."

"There's lot of men who'd want you," Samantha said, "You'd be surprised at how many."

"Wait, wait!" Randi said, not wanting them to start the argument again, "You guys are good with guns and stuff like that? Do you mind a bit of work?"

"No," Lindsay shrugged, "We grew up on a farm, remember? What have you got in mind?"

She told them of her business preparing meat and selling it. "I could do a lot more business, but I need help with the work and I need a crew for this thing," she said pointing at her tank. "It really needs four people to work it all properly, and once we get to the towns where I'd want to sell, we need a little security. Rudhi has helped on a couple of trips, but she's not really interested and sometimes, she's just gone – off exploring and wandering around. I can't pay you, but if you think you can help and you work at it like we do, I'd take you in as partners, and I've got a big farm where you can live, if you need that."

Lindsay looked at Sam and she nodded, "Ok, We just have to finish this ride, since Lindsay is driving the wagon on this one. I'll give Uncle Clancy back his horse and we can meet up someplace." She looked at the tank for a moment, "So we ride around in this? What's it like?"

"It's cold out here, it's warm inside," Randi laughed, "and you're a girl. What else do you need to know? Come on in and I'll show you."

They climbed up and once inside, Sam looked around with wide eyes as did Lindsay. "So you live in here?"

"No," Randi chuckled, "we can live in here for a few days if we're traveling, like now. When it's warmer, we can sleep outside in that tent out there, and if it's like pouring and the bugs aren't too bad, we can sleep right underneath it. It takes a little squeezing, but that thing there on the floor is an escape hatch, so we can get in or out and not even get wet. I figure it can sleep four, but there's not a lot of room for tossing and turning.

It all depends on how determined you are. Ayt'han's pretty big and he has to be really careful about his wings when he's in here that way, but we make out all right."

"Do you make out a lot?" Sam smiled as she asked and they smiled to each other when Randi nodded. "You?"

"As much as possible, "Sam replied evenly, "or neither of us can sleep."

She looked around "So all of us could fit in here to uh, sleep?"

"Probably," Randi said, "but there wouldn't be a lot of extra space if we loaded it up with meat to take to market. We stow it in every little nook then. Smoked hams and sausages hanging from the ceiling and all. We even put some in the turret, among the shells for the gun. Before we load it up, we make sure to wash it down really well in here. In fact, I think it kind of needs a wipe-down anyway. We were on our way back home when we met you and with all the running around, there's a ton of dust and sand in here now.

Cleaning house isn't tough at all. I just sweep slowly to keep from raising more dust and I get it all to that hatch. Then I open it and sweep it out. All that's left then is a wipe. You can't throw water around inside here, but after a sweep out, it just needs a damp rag pushed around on the floor plating and I'm done."

She picked up a bucket, "I'm going to the river. Wanna come?"

Sam nodded, and then stared as Randi took off her cloak to hang it up and after that, she just took her clothing off.

"Please don't stop on my account, "Sam grinned, "but what are you doing?"

Randi shrugged, "It doesn't make much sense to run around like a frozen human if you've got fur, does it? It's gotta be the same with you, Sam."

Samantha nodded as she looked and after a moment's thought, her clothing joined Randi's on the next peg over.

Randi shrugged, "Ok, don't freak out or anything, but I'm about to get ugly."

As she watched, Randi seemed to grow a little taller, since her legs shifted and Sam watched as the dark fur appeared. She shook her head, "You're not ugly. You're just as beautiful as before, only now you look really hot in a totally different way. And I really like the patterns in your coat."

She looked up carefully as she took a step forward to see better, "That's so cool. It's on your face and everything. I really like it. You look amazing to me."

"Thanks," Randi said as she pointed to the hatch, "it's good to know that I'm attractive for a ... whatever I am."

They left the two males discussing the heavy machine gun that Randi and Ayt'han had mounted on the turret and walked to the river. As soon as they were gone, though, the gun was forgotten and they leaned on the gun mounting ring and smiled.

It was dark, but neither of them needed much in the way of light to be able to see well.

"I don't want to seem nosy," Sam said, "but ... what are you, anyway?"

It made a little more sense after Randi explained as they walked. They washed a little hurriedly in the ice-cold water and laughed after Randi saved Sam from falling in when she'd slipped on a rock. It led to a brief, smiling, shivering hug. That led to some softly spoken agreements about possibilities.

"I finally get what you meant about Lindsay when we me the first time," Randi said, "There's something about you two. It's like you're not saying anything when you look at someone, but at the same time, it's like you're screaming something."

Sam laughed and tried to imitate Lindsay's voice for a moment, "Hey, take me to bed! Hey! Come on!"

Randi laughed, "Yeah, a lot like I was thinking."

Sam wound down and smirked, "The two of us are so fucking needy, Randi. The thought is always right there in us both. If we wanted the pleasure that we're always looking to find so much any more than we do, I doubt we'd never get dressed. These days, we just want something good that's very nice and above all, stable and lasting. I'd give a lot for that. So would my brother."

"I never used to think about girls at all until I met Rudhi," the taller one said very quietly. "We never got to anything, but I'm still a little curious. I love melting together with Ayt'han and I love doing it with him, but I think I'd also kind of like ... well, you know."

Sam reached for Randi again, "Hey, do you like me? I mean for what you're talking about as well? I like that too. If it's ok with your love machine back there, I'd love to help you sometime."

Randi smiled, "Are you kidding? You're the hottest little bundle of dynamite I've ever seen in a girl. I think I'd have to be crazy not to like you. I'd love to try it."

She sighed then as she looked down between them for a moment, "My love machine. I love that boy so much. I had a shitty life until the day that I met him. For what he does for me, I don't think I could love him any more than I do and still remember to breathe. He's a demon. You ever had one of those?"

"No," Sam smiled as she felt Randi's hands reaching for her, "What's it like?"

"Well, with that one - and I can't speak about any others," Randi said, "he's the most tender lover that I've ever known. But there is the other side of that.

Demons never stop. He's nailed me to the bed for hours, over and over, until I have to ask him to stop because both of us are getting sore. But what I can say is that once he cares, he's more devoted than any male I've ever seen and it shows, but not in any sticky sort of way. He just does it and it's not something that he has to think about. I really lucked out when I got him. Is that what you were talking about wanting?"

Sam snorted and it ended with a little snicker, "Let me see... yeah, that's it. And I think I'd want to spend a lot of time with you too. Not trying to sound like the desperately horny bisexual girl or anything. Does it show that much?"

"Well, let's see if we can finesse this then," Randi smiled, "You never know, and I think he likes Lindsay, too. I know that I do and I'm suddenly really hopeful about you as well - and I never used to be like that. I think it's your body or something," she laughed."

Sam stretched up and she kissed Randi once, "If it's not any trouble, I'd love to try whatever we can figure out. Would he mind?"

Randi laughed out loud then, "Ayt'han? Are you kidding me? I don't know what you're thinking of how we'd do that together, I mean all of us, but I know him. If he gets to caring about you guys too, he could do us all, one after the other, all night long. You want that?"

Sam nodded earnestly, "As long as he stays yours and Lindsay stays mine, Randi, I'm in."

Randi nodded, "That won't be a problem, Sam. That's the way that he's wired. He's made to care about others. Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime. But he needs the one. It took him a long time, but now he knows that he has that one. I know what I mean to him and I'd never hurt him, so what you're saying is not even in question."

With it said between them, they filled a bucket and began to walk back, "So like this," Randi said, "I'm trying to be a Long-tail Rohn demon for my husband. He doesn't feel so ... unique then and I really like it. When he's in his other shape – the one that he was born in, well we can fool around like that and I just love it if I'm the girl that I um, used to be, but when I'm like this, we fit together so much better."

She smirked as they came back to the idling tank, "Plus, like this," she whispered as they helped each other up, "I've got this tail and I use it on him in a few places. It's something else that I have to please him with. I know that sometimes, he'd kind of like it with another guy."

"Who?" Lindsay asked as they walked in, succeeding at sounding ridiculously over-interested, "As far as I know, there's no male around here who would want another guy in bed. They're all like they never heard of such a thing around here. Sam and I are pretty much like anybody else, most of the time. We fool around a little, I always complain that I don't get it often enough, - "

Samantha swung then, hitting Lindsay on the shoulder.

"Sam hits me," Lindsay said as he put his arms around her, "I kiss her and say I'm sorry."

"Then we run for someplace quiet to work it out," Samantha smiled.

"But once in a while, at least, "she said, " I know that Lindsay would like a man."

Lindsay was still chuckling and shaking his head when Randi spoke quietly, "Ayt'han has always wanted one too, every once in a while."

As all of their heads turned toward her, Randi grinned, "I know that he used to fool around with somebody a long time ago. I'm not the kind of girl who feels threatened by something like that at all. I love him like crazy, but I know that deep down and as much as he needs me, he wouldn't mind being with the right kind of boy now and then."

She stood next to Ayt'han and stretched up to kiss his slightly shocked face softly, "I think I know Ayt'han's heart pretty well."

"Just what kind of boy?" Samantha asked with a small but rather bright smile as Randi walked to close the two open hatches and dogged them, "I happen to know one."

Randi came back with a couple of flasks of ale and a bit of a grin, "Somebody with one of those bodies, you know? The kind that for some reason, damn near anybody finds insanely attractive.

You know the kind I mean?" she asked Sam, "The kind where it really doesn't matter what's between their legs until you get there and then it stops mattering at all. They could be either and just about anybody would be happy enough to think it's their birthday."

Samantha turned and looked at Lindsay, whose face carried a small smile back at her. "All right," she chuckled, "This is looking pretty uh ..."

"Nice, to me," Lindsay said quietly.

"Me too, "Sam smiled, "but you said that we'd be partners. So there's some business involved here. This sounds really good to us, but I don't want to mess up a possible business arrangement."

"Neither do we," Randi nodded, "We'd much rather start one." She turned to Ayt'han and kissed his cheek, "Happy birthday, baby. I've brought you a couple of presents."

He smiled, "It's my birthday? I haven't even figured that out yet for where we are. The years are different and-"

"Oh, it's your birthday alright," Randi smiled, "I think it must be mine too, and that means that you guys are way overdressed."

Sam and Lindsay smiled and said nothing, though their eyes said a lot.

When Ayt'han's human clothing fell to the floor plates and the other two had managed to keep things to just one gasp each, for just a second, Lindsay looked a little shy as well as very happy.

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D'Arcy was coming. There had already been three gushes from him this time and Rudhi worked him with her mouth for more. She was lying on her front and her side as she made a little more love to him, though he had little choice in it, since she held him down with one hand against that chest that she loved to touch so much. She looked up the long hard torso that she already wanted to have near her forever and she saw his eyes as he looked into hers, so she reached for his hand and guided it to her own head. When he understood and kept it there, Rudhi sighed and opened her mouth to lick down to his knot. She opened her mouth and nibbled a little.

It caused him to groan quietly, so she licked her fingers and rubbed, squeezing that knot a little while she moved back in time to open her mouth for his next release of semen. When this one subsided, she moved up.

"I love that, but I have done it many times for you tonight," she said, "I do not think that I can hold anymore," she smiled and when she was a little farther along on her journey up his body, she put her leg around him and guided his shaft inside her. "I can take the rest here," she smiled before she lowered her mouth to his nipple.

A second later, D'Arcy's head slammed back down against the bedroll and he writhed as he gushed again, knowing that no one had ever been like this for him.

Rudhi sensed it and she smiled when she had the time to let his nipple go, "For you, D'Arcy. And I have never liked doing this more than I do now."

She sighed at the way that it felt as he came into her again and when he was done, she raised her head to look into his eyes again, seeing what she knew was there for her to see. It didn't happen to her all that often, but she felt her tears come to her and she knew that she hadn't been this happy in a long, long time.

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Callie awoke after Shane and watched as he dug through one of his saddlebags for some human clothing. "Where will you be?" he asked her and she smiled, "Around. Don't leave without me, ok? I just need to find Rudhi to see what's going on, and then I'll be getting ready."

He nodded and kissed her before he walked out. He saw D'Arcy inside of about thirty steps as his older brother stood grimacing and trying to work a few kinks out of his back.

"It can't be that bad," Shane smirked.

D'Arcy groaned, "Yeah, it can. How did it go last night?"

Shane shrugged, "What do you want to hear? Callie and I have decided to hang around together. We had a lot of fun and –"

"And she's doing her very best to domesticate you," D'Arcy said, translating so that he wouldn't need to have to hear the rest of the bullshit. "Wonderful, and I'm sincerely happy for you. She's a really lovely girl. Will you be moving out or is she moving in? Rudhi and I will need to know sometime."

Shane began to smile as he looked at D'Arcy. "So I'm guessing that your evening with Rudhi was –"

"It was bloody painful," D'Arcy hissed as he finally managed to stand up straight – more or less. "You wouldn't know it, since I checked in a mirror this morning myself, but she beat the snot out of me a good half-dozen times, it feels like. Man, that girl loves like a natural disaster – except that natural disasters are usually one-time things in any one place where they occur."

He finally found the small flask of whiskey that he'd been looking for in his cloak and unscrewed the cap before he raised it to his lips.

"Rudhi's not like that," he said with a decisive nod afterward, "When she's found something she likes, she comes back again and again. She likes to play 'Hurricane' a lot. That's where I pretend to be a tropical island and she comes out of nowhere so she can fuck me over and pound me to death. "

"So after one night with that quiet sweet lady, you're fit to crawl into a bottle and get drunk first thing in the morning?" Shane let a little of his disapproval show on his face, though it was hard to do when he really wanted to laugh his ass off at his older brother.

"Fuck off," D'Arcy growled, recognizing his brother's expression for what it was – a bit of payback for a lot of early-morning lectures that he'd had to endure from D'Arcy over the years.

"I'm not drinking this to get blasted. I'm drinking this for its medicinal value. I need the anesthetic."

Rudhi walked over then and kissed D'Arcy sweetly, telling him that there was a bit of breakfast for both of them over by the tank if they wanted it. She made a bit of a big deal about asking D'Arcy if he was alright.

He lied and said that he'd never felt better as he smiled at her and asked her the same thing. She replied that she was having a wonderful morning and then she walked away. Shane watched and said nothing as he saw that she walked away a little stiffly herself once she thought that no one was watching.

"So seriously," Shane asked, "you're going to take her as yours then? I heard you say that you and Rudhi will need to know if I'm moving out or if Callie's moving in. By that I guess that she'll be joining the family."

"I dunno," D'Arcy said, "I think we're supposed to talk about that this morning at breakfast. That's what she said to me before she jumped onto my back with her knees."

Shane stared, "She did what?"

"Forget I said anything," D'Arcy grumbled.

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"So I guess I'm asking so that I'll know," Callie said, still trying to get used to the way that she heard Rudhi's speech to her in her head.

"This is the way that it goes here?" Rudhi asked Randi, who nodded, "I think so. If the brothers keep living in the same place and they've both got women that they're going to be living with, it doesn't mean much of anything to regular humans. But I read somewhere that to wildlings there's an order."

Callie nodded, "Shane has to defer to D'Arcy – which he does anyway. I'm fine with that, Rudhi. The part we need to figure out is the way that we'll be between us – you and me."

"What has to be decided?" Rudhi asked. "I do not understand."