Talk to Me (The Winner, Part II)

"Hi."

It was like the four of them had practiced saying it together. I looked at Tami who finally stopped trying to swallow her tongue and began to turn pink instead of blue when she started breathing again. Sin and Nicky just kept staring.

"This is Cricket and Andrew." I gestured toward the pair on the stairway. "Cricket, Andrew, this is Sin and Nicky."

"Would you have sex with me?" Nicky blurted out. I put my face into my palms and shook my head. That had to be the worst possible thing to say at that moment. It was worse than Sin asking if I'd already asked Tami if she wanted to have sex with the both of them.

"Sure! When? How about right now? You busy?" Cricket's questions carried clearly all the way to the top of the dome overhead.

Tami started choking again and my hands flew back over my face. Four faces looked at each other then at the two of us.

"What?"

Cricket's earlier comments to Tami had been a dead giveaway about how brash she was but I couldn't tell if she was really serious right now or not. Andrew was definitely interested so I put my foot down about them going off to sleep together. Instead I pointed at the table and ordered the twins to sit! Tami grumped about us commandeering her table but Andrew shushed her and started to sit down right next to Sin who sat beside Cricket, crowding Cricket slightly like she'd done to Tami that one time.

I wiggled a finger at Andrew until he moved around the corner of the table to sit at the end while Nicky took the chair he'd just vacated. Cricket looked surprised that her brother chose to sit with them. I wasn't, Sin was beautiful and had just expressed an interest in having sex. Just about any red blooded male would have locked onto that like a laser guided missile.

Despite Cricket's statements that sex right then would be ok with her, she almost immediately shelved the whole idea because she and Andrew were there to put together a workout program for her so she could get back into shape as fast as possible. Summer volleyball tryouts were coming soon and she wasn't going to miss making The Team. Not unless she couldn't help it.

Nicky looked at Sin and they both looked at Cricket.

"What?"

You should have a fitness assessment done first. One that also lists your goals and your time line. Then you can use that information to create a plan for maximum results in minimum time. Combined with proper nutrition for what you want to do, you'll have better gains than just running or lifting weight on a random basis because you'll have a baseline starting point with a training schedule that will get you where you want to be when you want to be there." Nicky ran his finger around the table surface as he talked.

Andrew looked at both of them in surprise.

"It's necessary basic information for anyone who wants to get fit and stay in shape." Sin shifted a bit more toward Cricket. "Without knowing where you're starting from, you won't get to where you want to be. Nicky and I figured that out a long time ago. We use performance assessments too, to be sure we stay on track all the time. We keep everything in a spreadsheet on the computer."

As she talked Sin leaned closer and slid halfway off the seat of her chair in Cricket's direction. Her voice dropped into an almost husky whisper.

"You're really sexy and cute and very pretty. Nicky thinks so too. He likes your freckles and wants to know if you have them everywhere. I think your eyes are beautiful." She smiled shyly and ducked her head.

"You can kiss me if you want to. I won't mind because I want to have sex with you as much as Nicky does." After closing her eyes for a moment, she continued. "More. I want to sleep with you more than Nicky does. And he really, really wants to."

Aaannnd, we were back to sex. I cleared my throat and everyone looked at me.

"They're twins. Very close twins." I pointed at both of them. "That means any relationship with them is a two-for-one deal. I already told Tami this earlier so I'm telling you and Andrew the same thing now; it won't be two and two. It'll be three, or four, together at once."

Nobody said anything. Sin looked at me with a question in her eyes. I waited and watched her eyes flick toward Andrew.

"Just ask the way you asked Cricket. You won't know if you don't ask, unless you're not interested."

Sin dropped her head for a moment then raised it to look at Andrew out of the corner of her eyes. All she did was smile again very slightly. Andrew put his elbow on the desk, rested his chin in his hand and smiled back.

"Ooo, kinky." Cricket exclamation broke the silence around the table as her snappy attitude reasserted itself.

"We'll see." I interrupted them before that could go any further. They had a basic understanding that they liked each other. They needed to let that stew for a bit to see if it went anywhere. They also needed to interact to see if they were compatible beyond surface appearances.

"Nicky and Sin compete against each other all the time. They run and lift weights and keep themselves in prime shape. It's not an easy routine." I used my finger to include all of them in what I was saying. "If you want, they could probably help you. They know what they're doing."

Cricket ran her eyes up and down both Sin and Nicky's bodies. They were strong and fit and it showed. Nicky was well muscled, though he didn't have the mass of a bodybuilder. Sin's slenderness concealed the fact that she was all muscle underneath her curves.

After her visual scan Cricket pulled her books over and opened the first one, turning it so everyone could see. It wasn't long after that before the four of them were standing at the end of the table, heads clustered together over the books. They used fingers to point with and talked in quiet tones. I saw Andrew slip his hand up Sin's back. Or he tried to. As soon as she felt him touch her Sin stood straight upright and slapped his hand away.

"I am not a sex toy. I like you and I really want to have sex with you, but I am not a toy for you to fondle or grope in public. Ok?"

That's my girl! Tami choked again at the far end of the table where she'd been quietly working while seemingly ignoring the rest of us. Cricket snorted through her nose.

"Bonehead. If it weren't for the hair, I'd swear I was adopted or something."

"Sorry." Andrew mumbled to Sin as they both bent back over the table. Sin rested her palm over his hand for half a second. Point made, apology accepted, everyone moved on.

Part III

"You ok?" Tom slid in next to me as I shifted trying to get comfortable. I felt like a beached whale, being pregnant didn't work out well for those who normally slept on their stomach like I did. "You seem preoccupied. Everything ok? The baby's ok?"

I nodded yes. "My last checkup was fine, no problems. The doctor says I'm right on track but she wants me to eat more."

I made a face at that idea. I felt like I was already eating enough for three instead of two. I didn't want to increase it to four.

"So, what's got you all melancholy if it's not the baby?" Tom ran his hand over my beginning to bulge stomach. To me it felt like I had a cantaloupe growing in there, but everyone else kept on wanting to touch me or put their ear on my belly. Sometimes it was irritating, even when Tom did it.

"Nothing really. Nicky and Sin are interested in a brother-sister couple they met at the library. They've been going there almost every day for the past week to see them." I crossed my arms over my stomach to get him to stop.

"Are you jealous?"

I shook my head no. I wasn't, not really. Ok, I was a bit. I loved Nicky and Sin and seeing them want to have a relationship with someone else bothered me. What if they didn't love them like I did? What if they only wanted to use them? What if they wanted to hurt them? What if they took them away from me?

Tom saw my internal distress and pulled me close. "You knew they had to grow up someday."

I sniffed back my tears and nodded, it still hurt. Eventually Tom shut off the light and rolled over, it was getting late and he had to work tomorrow. Instead of just falling asleep like I usually did, I tossed and turned until around two a.m. when I got up to pee. While I was up I peeped in to check on the twins, they were curled up in Sin's bed. I threw a glance over my shoulder at my bedroom door before giving a shrug, Tom knew how I was feeling. Carefully I eased myself in with them and snuggled close. Sin's hand drifted over to rest on my hip as I put my head down on the pillow next to theirs. I went out like a light.

Cricket showed up at the house the next morning, ringing the doorbell while I was drinking the last of my coffee.

"Cricket? What are you doing here?" I opened the door to see her standing on the doormat in spandex and running shoes.

"Today is her fitness assessment." Nicky squeezed past me while Sin looked over my head.

"Oh." I opened the door wider. "Are you coming in, or are you all leaving?"

"We'll be in the garage." Sin showed me the stuff she had in her hands; their laptop, a tangle of cables, and some other things I had no idea about.

"Ok, have fun." I stepped out of their way.

"Bye mom." Nicky hugged me carefully and kissed me on the lips, Sin bending and kissing me right afterward. Cricket stood on the doormat and watched until we were done. Nicky and Sin moved past her toward the garage.

"Bye blondie." Cricket waved and turned, nearly ramming into Nicky and Sin who'd stopped abruptly.

"Mom." Sin corrected her sharply. "She's mom, not blondie."

Cricket looked at Nicky who jerked his chin down once and flicked his eyes toward me.

"Sorry. Bye mom." Cricket turned toward me for a fraction of a second before facing the twins, her irreverent personality bubbling to the top again. "I think I got gypped, no kisses for the redheaded stepchild. My social development is probably doomed."

I clapped my hand over my eyes. No one said anything. Looking between my fingers I saw Nicky and Sin waiting for my response. I sighed and opened my arms, for them I would do this. Cricket looked at me then back to the twins. Nicky gave her a little go ahead gesture. Carefully Cricket snuck into my embrace and gave me a tiny dry kiss on the cheek.

The twins didn't say anything, they just waited.

"Bye mom." Cricket filled in the blank air.

"Bye Cricket. You guys have fun." I let her go.

She turned and pumped her arm in a victory celebration. "Woot! Wait'll I tell Tami what

she missed out on. She'll turn purple!"

Sin and Nicky stopped again.

"What?" Cricket looked at them. "What'd I say wrong now?"

Sin looked at Nicky and they began heading toward the garage again, Cricket following them a half-step behind.

"What do you mean rules? Nobody said anything about any rules. What kind of railroad are you running here anyway?"

I checked on them after an hour. Nicky and Sin were huddled together in front of the their laptop, Cricket sitting on a weight bench breathing deep and looking hot and sweaty with her hair plastered to her temples and dripping sweat onto the floor. Occasionally one twin or the other would look up at Cricket for a moment then go back to whatever they were doing on the computer.

"How'd it go?" I asked as I sat next to Cricket on the bench.

She shook her head and shrugged. We waited for a bit longer, Cricket kept blowing her breath down her top to get rid of excess heat while the twins went on tapping keys on the laptop and glancing up at us.

"Can I ask you something?" Cricket's voice was low. "What do they really want with me? Do you know?"

I shifted to look directly at her. "They like you. I think that's obvious, don't you?"

She nodded. "But, what do they want? Is this just some sort of . . .I don't know, a game they're playing? Or are they serious when they say the things they say?"

"It's not a game." I tried to reassure her. "They really do like you and Andrew. They talk about both of you to me."

"Tami still talks about you. That doesn't mean she likes you, she just wants another notch on her bedpost to brag about."

"Nicky and Sin aren't Tami." I waited a beat. "I'm not either. The things you do with them here are private, they won't talk about them to anyone. Neither will I."

"The rules." Her voice sounded odd as she said it. "We don't tell anyone about anything. Nobody knows anything. Nobody suspects anything."

I nodded. "Yes. Did they tell you why we have those rules?"

She shook her head no.

"Don't worry. They will. Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"It depends on if you're ever ready to go beyond just friends or not. It's a big step and not everyone can take it. If you ever do, you'll know why that is." I got up from the bench. "Nicky? Cricket is hot, sweaty, and probably wants to clean up. Are you done with her?"

Nicky nodded but Sin looked up at us.

"She'll still be here. She can shower and change in the house and then I want to talk with her. You can join us when you get done with whatever you're doing."

"I didn't bring anything to change into." Cricket plucked at her spandex top.

"Don't worry. We'll figure out something." I held out my hand to her, urging her to get up and follow me.

"We will find a way." Sin murmured quietly before she returned to looking at the laptop screen with Nicky.

Cricket gave me a puzzled glance after Sin's comment.

"It's our mantra. If we want something badly enough, we will find a way to make it happen. Whatever it takes, we will find a way."

Both Sin and Nicky nodded their heads without looking up.

I shepherded Cricket into the twins' double shower, telling her that there was soap and shampoo in there and she was welcome to use it. While she was cleaning up, I rummaged through my old clothes looking for something for her to wear. She was taller than I was, not by much, but she was. She was also heavier in weight so anything I chose had to be able to go from my size to hers. I grabbed several different pairs of loose fitting pants, some thick socks and a tightly knit sweater for a top in case she was shy about not wearing a bra under it. She shouldn't be, given that she'd shown up in nothing but body hugging spandex, but this was different than a workout.

Dropping everything on Sin's bed, I grabbed a fresh towel and went into the bathroom. Cricket glanced at me when I came in but kept on rinsing her hair.

"There's some clothes on the bed in Sin's bedroom. They should fit." I pointed which door to use from the bathroom when she was done. I got a nod in reply.

We were talking on the couch in the living room, Cricket explaining about how nine siblings lived in a three bedroom house with their parents and not much in the way of privacy, when the twins finally came in from the garage to join us. Nicky dropped to the floor at Cricket's feet while Sin slipped in right next to her, sandwiching Cricket between us.

"It looks good. We did two models, one easy but which gets you to your goal and a hard one that pushes you to your potential performance max."

"Potential max?" Cricket wiggled on the couch but there was nowhere for her to go with Sin on one side and me on the other.

Nicky nodded. "It's only a theoretical because no one really knows what their body is actually capable of. If you want to try it, we'll probably have to modify the routine as we go along, to adjust for ability, recovery times, and other things like that, but it's the same cross-training routine we use only set up for you."

I was about to tell Sin she was crowding Cricket when she got up to fetch the laptop from the coffee table where she'd put it. Displaying the screen for Cricket to look at they launched into their explanation of the training program. I listened for a few minutes but eventually left them to their discussion when the dryer buzzed to let me know that Cricket's clothes were ready.

After another hour of discussion Cricket told us that she had a class at the city college that afternoon, saying her mom was a bear if she skipped, but she'd be back tomorrow. I got another 'bye mom' and a slightly better goodbye kiss when she left.

Every day for three weeks Cricket showed up in the morning to work out with Nicky and Sin. She became a fixture for breakfast and finally met Tom, both of them immediately liking one another to the point they were constantly cracking jokes on Saturday mornings while the rest of us groaned and rolled our eyes. Then, it happened.

"Hi mom." She chirped when I opened the door after she rang the doorbell. "Are they ready?"

Instead of answering I motioned for her to come inside, leading the way into the living room as she followed behind. I sat in a chair and waited for her to sit down.

"Nicky and Sin are twins. You know that." I started once she plunked down on the couch, sitting on one foot she curled underneath her.

"Yeah, so?"

"They have some unique characteristics because they're twins. Sometimes they're not what other people expect to see or hear."

She nodded. "Sometimes they say and do weird stuff. What's that got to do with anything?"

"You remember when we talked about the rules?" I could see the switch in topics threw her so I backtracked a bit. "The ones where we don't talk about what happens here."

She nodded, following me but still not understanding where I was going. I slowly explained about how the twins weren't just twins, but twin Chimera twins. They were more than different, they were unique. Their uniqueness was why we had the rules we did.

"What's that mean?" She still wasn't understanding where I was headed with the topic.

"It means that they aren't normal twins. Normal twins have what's called a twin bond. Nicky and Sin have a twin bond but theirs is a lot deeper and stronger than normal. Their bond is as unique as they are."

"So?"

"They can't work out with you today." I said it as gently as I could.

"Why not? Did something come up? Is that why they're not ready?"

"They're in Nicky's bedroom bonding with each other this morning."

She recoiled and stood up, her eyes huge in her face.

"Wait! Please." I held up a hand but otherwise didn't move. "It's not what you're thinking. Everyone thinks just like you did, even I did at first, but it's not what you're thinking. It's not even close."

"They both constantly talk about wanting to have sex with me and now you're saying they're bonding with each other? How is that not what I'm thinking? I'm not stupid, I live in a house with five brothers, three sisters and no privacy. I know what incest is no matter what it's called."

"It's not incest. I'm telling you it absolutely isn't. What I'd like is for you to calm down enough so I can prove to you that it isn't. Ok? I can prove it. You won't need to just take my word for it, you'll be able to see for yourself that it isn't what you're thinking."

I stood up carefully, I didn't need her to run away. It would devastate the twins if she did.

"Come with me. We have to be quiet so we don't disturb them but we can check on them." I waved my hand in a come-along gesture and started for Nicky's bedroom. They'd wound up there after breakfast where they'd barely eaten anything before disappearing with that foggy look in their eyes.

I'd followed them and did my best to have them keep at least some clothes on. In the end Nicky still had his pants on but Sin was naked as the day she was born. Putting a finger over my lips as I arrived at the open bedroom door, I gestured for Cricket to look inside.

Sin was cuddled against Nicky's back, her mouth at the nape of his neck working silently as she talked to him. Cricket recoiled again as soon as she saw them both. I stepped into the middle of the hall to block her.

"They're talking to each other." I whispered to her. "Look at Sin's mouth and you can see it. Listen. She's not making any sound but she's talking to Nicky. Just watch for a few minutes and you'll see what I mean. It's not what it looks like at first glance. Look at them impartially. Don't prejudge, look at them. What do you really see?"