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<sup><h6>As she spoke I found the tears were running down my cheeks. I had failed them all so badly and yet all I could feel from them was the deepest possible love and concern for me.</h6></sup>
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<p><center><a href="https://steemit.com/sfandf-fiction/@arthur.grafo4/little-cherine-book-01-bpost049">Previous Post 049</a></center></p>
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<p><h3><center>511</center></h3></p>
<p>Dommi caressed her cheek softly. “Cher baby, I think I may have a little to add. First of all, what Wendy said, she showed the courage to say what we all felt. There will be no blame in Roberto’s heart for that - he probably admires her for speaking first. Diana, I do not know what to say. What you said, that pain was not only felt by Roberto, it was felt by all of us. But even your pain would not have depressed our Roberto. He is always confident he will find a way to help us with that kind of problem. What really hurt him is that you had this pain and fear in you and he had not sensed it. He took at face value your reassurances and let you suffer. That he cannot forgive himself.”</p>
<p>“But there is no pain Dommi! I felt pain from the love Natalie showed me by giving me her daughter to love, that may be what you felt. I know how you all feel and I know I belong with him and all of you. I only asked because Natalie is not one of us and Sam was still new to us, I did not know how they would feel. She was giving me her baby, calling me her mother. I had to be sure she did not feel she was giving her baby to someone she does not think of as human. That is why Robert never felt anything wrong in me - there never was. What Samantha said, it was so beautiful, I just had to cry. Can I please go to Robert now and explain?”</p>
<p>“He asked to be alone. When he is ready to return, then you can explain. Knowing Robert, my love, it will not be necessary for you to do so, he will find the truth in his heart. He always does.”</p>
<p>I sent my thanks to Sam. This had helped. At least now I did not have to worry about my two small loves. Their childish hearts had not suffered too much because of me.</p>
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<p>“I think the most difficult for him to bear is what he thinks of as his failure.”</p>
<p>“No Dommi. I think that is not his real problem. I think the worst is that he feels betrayed by his protector. He feels he is ultimately responsible for us, his protector had no right to disobey him and make a decision on its own. What must make it worse for Robert is that he knows that the protector is actually just a part of himself.”</p>
<p>Dommi responded, “Yes. If I remember right, that was something you made very clear to him.”</p>
<p>Oh god! I thought, what is Dommi doing? How could she say that, was she trying to hurt my precious Cherine?</p>
<p> “You guessed I was thinking of that, didn’t you Dommi?”</p>
<p>“Yes. It is better we get it out in the open.”</p>
<p>“Guess I was being a bit stupid wasn’t I? Must come from me becoming too much like Robert.” The impish toss of her head was not lost on Dommi though the others were shocked, until she laughed.</p>
<p>Cherine continued, “How do we help Robert then? His protector and Sam explained, if it had tried to stop the alien, it would have killed it; not the way to treat a friend - even if it is only a friend to be, of the future. Yet, still, he feels betrayed.”</p>
<p>Dommi nodded, “Maybe he is afraid at some other crucial time it will betray him again because it thinks it knows better.”</p>
<p>Cherine, her voice suddenly fierce, her jaw set in anger stopped walking. “I’ve had enough, this is stupid!! The protector is part of Robert and I trust <i>all</i> of Robert. He told us his protector has a prime directive, like those science fiction robots he loves; <i>we</i> are it’s prime directive. It will not allow anything to happen to any of us. Sam was already included with us - so why should he not trust it? <i>I do</i>!! I’m jumping to Robert now and I’m going to tell him face to face. He has spoilt the birth day of Sam, for all of us, without reason.”</p>
<p>“Wendy! Use your shield. <i>Now</i>!!” I have never heard Dommi use her voice that way. I was shocked to see Wendy freeze Cherine, locking her in that shield we had thought is useless. In a panic I jumped and fell at their feet. I was back up instantly.</p>
<p>“What is going on!!” My voice was livid. I did not look at Wendy, only at Dommi.</p>
<p><i>“This is between us. Robert do not interfere, go back to your walk.”</i></p>
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<p><h3><center>512</center></h3></p>
<p>“Wendy...”</p>
<p><i>“You leave her out of this!</i>” she glared at me, challenging me. “I gave the order and she will be released when <i>I</i> say so.”</p>
<p><i>*Robert. Please leave. They will not hurt me.*</i> Even her mind voice was suddenly soft, almost timid, as she looked at me and then at Dommi. I could not answer without Dommi at least hearing me. Anything I said would be taken as being against Dommi and if she is to remain the mother figure, I must not do that. I was torn, but had no option. I suddenly grinned proudly.</p>
<p>“I’m starting to get the hang of this. I jumped!” I looked back in the direction I had come from. “I don’t think I want to jump back. I’ll just walk a bit.”</p>
<p>As I was about five steps away a thought suddenly occurred to me. I turned back. “Dommi love, just one question. Since you have done this, do you mind if I ask Cherine a question?” She signified her assent. “Cherine, can you jump out of there?” She gave that wicked grin I love and was instantly about a metre outside the shield.</p>
<p>“Thank you love.” I turned to Dommi. “See? She stayed because of you, not the shield. If you are going to flay her, please don’t take too long. I’m hungry!”</p>
<p>A few giggles changed the mood. Dommi was staring at Cherine. She gave the babies to the other girls, Diana having to hold two, and grabbing Cherine by the arm walked off with her.</p>
<p>“Diana, want to give me Tina?” I took her and threw her up a few centimetres and as she made happy noises I repeated it and made funny faces for her, as if she were really just a baby, as the girls and I walked off giving the two privacy.</p>
<p>Wendy came to me, “Robert, please don’t be...’</p>
<p>“Do not even dare to finish your sentence. Wendy, in this family, Dommi may be your equal as a wife, but she is also your mother, the mother of all of us. No one questions or dares to apologise for her. I am clear?” She dug her toes into the sand, watching them with seeming fascination as she nodded.</p>
<p>They had total privacy so I do not know exactly what they said, though I thought I could guess. They returned with Cherine walking with her arms around Dommi and Dommi had her arm over those tiny shoulders which are always willing to take on my load for me. I watched them as they walked towards me and my heart was swollen with love.</p>
<p>“Samantha love, I am sorry I spoilt the joy of your coming. And thank you.”</p>
<p>I felt a wet baby kiss on my lips. It startled me, coming out of nowhere as it did. <i>*Robbie, there is nothing to apologise for. I felt your happiness when I was born. Never fear I may misunderstand you, I never will. But you will, many times.* </i> There was a sense of humour in her words so I accepted them graciously, knowing she was probably right, and in reply, teased her, <i>*If you understand me so well, that means I’ve got no chance you will love me.*</i> They all laughed at that, even Dommi giving me a small smile.</p>
<p>I got up and went to her. I pulled at her from the waist, kissed and held her to me for a while. Once I felt the warmth return to her I let go.</p>
<p>“Time for some of that delicious Cypriot food…oh crumbs! Sorry girls, we’ll have to go back home. Forgot to bring some money.” Wendy was gone but seconds when she stuck out her little fist full of Cyprus Pounds left over from our previous visit.</p>
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<p>After our meal they all felt sleepy. While I enjoyed my coffee I spoke my thoughts aloud.</p>
<p>“Wendy must teach all of us how to create a shield, I can see it might be more useful than I had imagined. Only maybe we should not call it a shield. How about container? If we are attacked it would be the least violent way of protecting ourselves.”</p>
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<p><h3><center>513</center></h3></p>
<p>“Why? We could always jump.”</p>
<p>“Not really. Say we are among a crowd, there is a disturbance and everyone turns to look at us as we are attacked, and we jump - the whole world would soon know about us. If we freeze an assailant, not many will notice and soon as we are safely out of danger we release him. Only one person knows instead of maybe hundreds.”</p>
<p>I picked up a knife from the table and gave it to Cherine. “Pretend you are my protector. Now, I am ordering you to stab Samantha with it. Do it now!”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“You have to, I ordered you to.”</p>
<p>“No, you know I will not, not even as the protector - as part of you.” She put the knife down. I made her pick it up again. “Okay, I can understand how it goes against your prime directive. Stab me then. Go on, do it.”</p>
<p>“I can’t.”</p>
<p>“Exactly. That is what happened today. What a catastrophe for all of us if it had obeyed. A whole galaxy of Worlds would have become our enemies instead of friends. Thank goodness nobody ever obeys me.”</p>
<p>“I do.”</p>
<p>I gave her a grin. “You do Wendy? How many times have you brushed your teeth in the morning this week? If it wasn’t for our loving at night you would not have brushed them then either would you?” With an exaggerated sadness, I added, “No, the truth is that none of you listen to me.”</p>
<p>I suppose Cherine said it for them, “Only when you are wrong Robert.” Her voice was very small, with but the slightest hint of her cheekiness and even then she glanced at Dommi. I also glanced at Dommi with a question in my heart. <i>*Tomorrow Robert.*</i></p>
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<p>While I am in an introspective mood, I think I should set down something that needs to be corrected, as I consider it very important. If I am right, it will affect the way we treat any alien (to us) species we meet.</p>
<p>Earlier on I mentioned that the shape of the alien betrayed it was not human. Because, as a species, we have been alone, we have used that word to describe Hominidae, the race of Man. It is time we give a broader meaning to the words human and humanity. I intend using them to describe any species which is sapient (sentient), however different they are from us, whether they have a corporeal form or not. If I need to speak of our species in particular, I will describe us as Terrans.</p>
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<p>As soon as we went to the bedroom, Dommi lay down and half buried her face in the pillow and went to sleep. The girls were still giggling and splashing in the bathroom. I watched her, fixing her in my mind. This role she has had to take over, I think only I, of the lot of us, suspect what heartaches it will bring her over the years. My heart ached with my love for her, but then I thought, let her sleep, she will smell so much sweeter when she wakes for me.</p>
<p>The first one back was Cherine. She looked at Dommi and there was a glow of love in her. She quietly climbed on hands and knees to me, lying on top of me.</p>
<p>“Can I be last tonight Robert?”</p>
<p>“Any reason love?”</p>
<p>“You and I have caused too many problems today. Make the others happy first please?”</p>
<p>“You girls played a trick on me today, how did you get Samantha to play along?”</p>
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<p><h3><center>514</center></h3></p>
<p>She just stared at me, her eyes dark and deep. I kissed her tenderly, my hands warmed by her smooth hot body. I gave one final squeeze as the others came in. Diana first went to check on Sam as Wendy rolled over to me. I pulled her to me as Cherine moved off, to lie up against my body, her face flushed. Wendy looked at me and then at Cherine as if not certain why she had left.</p>
<p>“I want my little unicorn girl to be first to give me her loving tonight. You want to?”</p>
<p>“You not cross with Cher?”</p>
<p>“No baby. Not one little bit.”</p>
<p>With that she relaxed and placed her ear over my heart and I was moved, so that I told her, “I wish I could make the way I make love to you be like one of your songs. I wonder if you can really feel how much I love you.”</p>
<p>I ran my fingers through her hair and in answer she raised herself till her face was over mine. I gazed into those eyes of hers which had darkened again and found that they were arousing me. I guessed it must be a little like a woman gets aroused from seeing the physical proof when she arouses a man. Her eyes were dark with the heat of passion which was already flowing through her body. </p>
<p>It is strange. I have read of other men who have loved the bodies of children; some of it just their fantasies, and others claimed ‘real-life’ experiences. However, when I read of the violence they inflict or wish to inflict it sickens me. Despite her own willing participation, she is still not a grown woman. The heart of any child is far more precious than the pleasure of sex and for that reason it is a natural instinct for me, the smaller she is, the more gentle I become. To hurt a child for sexual or domination reasons is far worse than raping an adult. </p>
<p>Since it is a need for us after visiting the void, to gently give her pleasure, to fill her body with a burning, release it for her and feel her bursting with love for me - we both gain and my life is so much richer for having that love. I would not be able to sleep knowing there is a child in pain because of me and that it feels fear and hate for me. I do not believe our gifts dictate the way I am. If I were not this way the girls would not love me, in spite of any gifts…or, especially because of the gifts.</p>
<p>My little Wendy is so tiny, physically she is only seven, but more important, the years with her father stunted her growth, which for some reason her healer has not compensated for - unless it means this is her natural size for her age…as an eighteen year old, at the disco, she was about the same height as me, smaller than most of the girls. I feel a special tenderness for her and knowing that after the horrific tortures she went through she is still able to love me, it has to be one of the most miraculous and beautiful things any person can feel. At times my hands may tremble from my passionate adoration of her, but nothing can make me less than tender and considerate of her heart.</p>
<p>My reward is seeing her come to me with a heart only filled with trust and love; coming to me with a body on fire and that she does not feel she has to hide her need. She knows I will give her pleasure only, never taking advantage of her vulnerability or need for me.</p>
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<p>The best way to keep myself gentle is to have her little body lie upon mine, but tonight I feel the need to cover her with some of my weight - because she is emoting her need for it. After long minutes of beauty, finally she is calm, just her breathing ragged and her body covered in sweat. I sense she is really tired and needs to sleep, so I give her a few kisses, inhaling her sweetness and then hold her to my chest until the beating of my heart has sent her to her own sweet dreams.</p>
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<p>When I raise myself to look at my darlings, Cherine and Diana, I decide to make this a special evening for them too. I tell them so and ask, what would they like me to do. Shyly Diana asks whether I would project myself as the young Robert of about her age. I grin at her.</p>
<p>“The first day you become a mother and you are already yearning for the body of a little boy. I guess you will be giving me sons one day.” She blushes. “Are you sure my love? Will I be able to give you the pleasure you need?”</p>
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<p><h3><center>515</center></h3></p>
<p>The sudden flash of lust, a spear that twists inside her gives me my answer. I recall and project myself. I look to see the reaction of Cherine and though her eyes are glittering, burning in her flushed face, there is also a look of tenderness.</p>
<p>Diana comes alongside me and gently begins to caress and feel my body. Watching this, Cherine groans. “Robert, can’t you project two of you at the same time?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think so love, not tonight.” She nods seriously then a naughty look comes into those impish eyes of hers, knowing she is about to shock us. </p>
<p>“Why not change your projection, make the back of your body and head the same as the front. Then you could make love to both of us at the same time.”</p>
<p>Diana froze, looking up, her eyes wide with shock. “Cher, that is weird!!”</p>
<p>She giggled, excited by her crazy idea. “Yeah, but think. As he comes out of me he is going into you and the other way around. I think it would be exciting. There would also be three orgasms at the same time.”</p>
<p>“Actually there would have to be four...I would have to have two.” I saw the excitement in her eyes as the implications went percolating through her mind. I felt extremely uncomfortable with the whole idea. “I’ve already been through that with the three penis thing we did. Actually Diana is right. It is weird.” I hesitated as I felt her trying to hide her disappointment. “Cherry baby, I have a feeling it will not work out as you want, but if both of you want it, I’ll try to do it. I do think though that you will be taking away some of the pleasure from Diana. She really did want to make love to me in or rather, at this age.”</p>
<p>“You are right, I’m sorry Diana. I’ll wait, we can maybe try it another time?”</p>
<p>Diana seemed to already have forgotten Cherine as the natural sensitivity we have to each other, now augmented by a fantasy of hers coming true, was sending her in a wild and fierce chase to experience the texture of every part of my body, young and hairless as it was, to see and taste and smell all of me. She was literally projecting a shimmering wave of heat that glowed around her body. I let her have her way, I was reverting in my mind also to the youth she saw, and was not able to control myself as well as I can normally. I felt the furious rush and spasm and her body was instantly shaking and jerking wildly. </p>
<p>Once we had both come, she was able to start enjoying the feel of me without losing self-control and I was now also able to start participating. I pulled her up, a bit roughly (as she needed me to), and kissed her deeply. She was a girl of my age and the experience was mind-blowing. A year ago the contrast in my senses due to being younger would have been sharper, but with the constant care by my healer, my adult body is close to peak already. Making love to a girl of my size had taken away that extra feeling of tenderness and excitement the girls awaken in me, but the freshness of my younger attitude to sex made up for that. Even Diana was enjoying the fact that we were loving as equals.</p>
<p>I had never experienced her loving as aggressive as it was now. She took the lead more often than I did and was not shy to show me what gave her more pleasure. Buried as I was deep within my own mind watching them, I found I too was enjoying the differences.</p>
<p>‘He’ asked, “I want to make love inside you. Will you?”</p>
<p>In answer she pulled away and turned her body. She lay down on the sheet as I rolled over onto her. Once our feelings had peaked, in shudders of feelings that gradually quietened, we slipped down the hill of lust until we lay holding each other tightly, in love with just the pleasure of our bodies against each other. I spent a long while kissing and caressing until her reciprocating movements slowed down and she lay happily relaxed and sleepy.</p>
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<p>“It is the first time ever that I heard you ask if you could do that. I wish Diana had said no, you are too young, it would have served you right after refusing us so many times.” Cherine had such a naughty look on her face, she was enjoying the novelty of the situation so much - and of course the others were just as amused, that I did not have the heart to point out I have only ever refused out of my fear of hurting them - also because I would have sounded like a fuddy-duddy pedantic old man, which I sort of am, far too often (I prefer to pretend to myself that I am keeping it a secret).</p>
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<p><h3><center>516</center></h3></p>
<p>“I am sure you will get lots of opportunities to refuse me. Somehow though, I don’t think it will be tonight.” I grinned and she grabbed my ears, pulling her face to mine. After our kiss I smiled. “If you give me a chance to have a coffee, relax a bit, I think you will find me more…energetic shall we say?”</p>
<p>She followed me into the kitchen and sat with me as I had some toast with honey and coffee. For some reason she was a real little chatterbox, a normal little girl with her enthusiasms for matters that may have been childish, but were delightful for me to listen to. It is strange how my heart fills with love and tenderness when she talks and acts her age. The girls quite often chat amongst themselves, but it is rare for any of them to chatter with me like this. She kept stealing pieces of my toast and we soon had to make a second batch.</p>
<p>In the mood that she was, plus having just seen me as a boy, I felt confident that if I speak of those days she’ll enjoy it. “I remember in school, in England, we used to sneak out of the dorm, after inspection, and we would have midnight feasts in a wooded area, just off the school grounds. For some reason the food or sweets tasted nicer. We would get caught every now and then and get caned, but it was worth it.”</p>
<p>“Apart from Nicko, did you have many other friends when you were a child? Did you have any friends in Kenya?”</p>
<p>“No. For one I was very young and secondly we lived on a farm. I played with a couple of black boys, but their fathers worked for mine so they tried not to upset or refuse me. I think that if I had stayed longer I may have really become friends with them, I saw that happen with other boys. From when I was a baby, I had a local woman looking after me, a child’s nurse is called an aya, and because of my aya I spoke Swahili better than I spoke English until I was about five years old, so I had no problems in communicating with the local children. </p>
<p>The last period I had in Kenya after I lost my mother, I did not play, staying in my room mostly, or sometimes walking in the wild woods behind our house, always wanting to be on my own. As for my school years…no, not even Nicko was a friend in the sense of playing with me. He was far more active, he loved sports, played football, though he hated cricket. I tended to sit and read. Travelling to other worlds of the imagination were my only pleasure at school. It is when I discovered science fiction.” I grinned. “The Masters did not mind us reading, but it angered them that I read science fiction. They considered it trash and a waste of time. A strange little fact I barely noticed at the time, they did not seem to mind us reading fantasy stories. Anyway, their disapproval made me enjoy it even more, I thought of them as narrow-minded prigs and detested them…well, except for my art teacher.”</p>
<p>“You stopped reading so much now. When it was just the two of us you read a lot.”</p>
<p>“What world of fiction could be as fascinating as ours my love. You really started something with your emoting, didn’t you?”</p>
<p>“It only happened because of you.”</p>
<p>“No love. As much as I would love to make that claim, the truth is, without you we would have all stayed normal people without any gifts. We say that Dommi is our mother figure, but the truth is, if we are able to change mankind to become like us, you will be seen as the mother of the new Man. You will in the future be a legend.”</p>
<p>“All I wanted Robert is to have you love me and be able to share your feelings with me. I was not interested in making other people join us.”</p>
<p>I grinned. “Really? You may have not thought of it in those terms, but who brought Dominique in? Who loved Alki? Who brought Wendy to us? As for Diana, I need not ask. Who keeps pushing me to bring Pavlo in? No love, you share the responsibility with me.”</p>
<p>“You are making me scared Robert.”</p>
<p>“Don’t. I do not mean to, I just want you to be proud of who and what you are. As I am sweetheart.”</p>
<p>She cuddled up to me and I kissed her sticky lips. I licked the honey off them and she gave me her fingers that were also sticky. The ‘daddy daughter’ feelings were soon replaced by the hollow ache inside us. As I sensed her feelings and she sent her emotions, I wondered again how such a tiny body can have sexual urges that are so strong. The sitting room did not have heat at this time of night and the cold made the body heat we felt in each other a need and pleasure. </p>
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<p><h3><center>517</center></h3></p>
<p>I kept it low key, just kissing and caressing her face and arms. When I could no longer resist stroking her delightful legs I realised we better move to the bedroom. I picked her up in my arms and with her clinging to my neck, her face buried, I moved over to the warmth of the bedroom and the comfort of our family surrounding us. I sensed Samantha was half awake.</p>
<p>As I lay Cherine on the bed she moved over for me to lie next to her. I did so, expecting to lift and place her warm body over mine. Instead she cuddled up to my side and brought her lips to my ear.</p>
<p>“If we make love now the babies will wake up. Can you wait for the morning?”</p>
<p>“Already?”</p>
<p>“Already what?”</p>
<p>“I told you earlier that you will have many opportunities to refuse me, just that I was not expecting it to be so soon.”</p>
<p>I felt the dismay in her until she realised I was kidding. Gratefully she wrapped herself to me and I made sure she drifted off to sleep with the pleasure of my slow feathery caresses. Though I was tired, for some reason I could not sleep and lay staring into the dark, thinking about the wealth of love I have from all my girls, the beauty of the friendships I have been gifted with. Surely I thought, life cannot continue like this forever. It felt like it was too good to be true and I think it always will. When I finally did sleep, it was one of the most restful sleeps I’ve had for a long time. What made it even more beautiful was awakening to the feel of Cherine in my arms with the bodies of the others cuddling against us.</p>
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<p><h3><center>Chapter Sixty One</center></h3></p>
<p>“I had not realised you are such an accomplished actress Dommi.” She was looking the young modern miss, her sunglasses pushed up into her hair as usual, certainly not like a wife and mother. She raised an eyebrow and sipped at her cappuccino.</p>
<p>“What are you talking about Robert?”</p>
<p>I made certain I was not trying to sense her emoting so that there is not a feeling that I’m trying to spy on her. “That scene at the beach, in Cyprus. You must have arranged for me to overhear you so as to help me get over my moodiness. I’m not angry sweetie, just curious. Was your anger with Cherine part of the show or real?”</p>
<p>“You are wrong Robert. None of it was staged for your benefit. Sam was naughty to let you listen. I think she is going to be a problem, she thinks very independently, not like part of the group. The other babies are not like her. I suppose we will have to wait and see, but I think she is another Wendy; devoted only to you, the group comes second to her.”</p>
<p>“Funny you should say that, I keep getting the feeling that all of you are like that and it worries me. Theoretically, our circle should not allow personalities to be dominant. I had thought each of us would be devoted first to the group as a whole. I do not want to be part of a personality cult, Dommi. In some ways it may be nice for me, but it also makes me uncomfortable. The truth is that it weakens us as a group. I would understand if each of us have our favourite sometimes, but it should not be permanent, you know, as in the usual big families.”</p>
<p>“You are very wrong Robert. Anyway, it is part of human nature, even the families you mentioned, there is always one of them who is loved the most. To be the way you want would weaken us, well, not weaken us maybe, but it would make us like ants. Not that it makes any difference, thanks to Cherine we have been moulded into this way of feeling.”</p>
<p>“Cherine!?”</p>
<br>
<p><h3><center>518</center></h3></p>
<p>“Of course, she was the first and set the pattern for the rest of us. But I agree, Wendy, Diana and Sam show more independence. Robert, I do want to thank you. I felt how you instinctively wanted to protect Cherine and yet you sided with me.”</p>
<p>“I would have been very stupid to do otherwise. I keep telling you, they are all children. Dominique my love, as much as we may admire and respect their talents and the maturity they show at times, even though we are wife and husband to them, there will be times they need a father or mother. It is part of our job and relationship. Even if I disagree with you, love, when you discipline them, I will not say so in front of them. Last thing we can afford is to have them play us up, one against the other.”</p>
<p>“They would not do that Robert.”</p>
<p>“You are thinking of them as special again Dommi. I tell you, they are at heart children.”</p>
<p>“You know what I am going to miss most of all Roberto?” I looked at her waiting for her answer. “Having a normal baby. A baby that thinks like a baby. I want the pleasure of the first time it says ‘Mamá’, not have it talking like a grown up from day one. I want to kiss it when it falls and make the pain go away. I want to be a mother Robert.”</p>
<p>She would never get her wish, it saddened me that it meant so much to her.</p>
<p>“I have a sadness too. I see my little Cherine, Wendy and Diana acting with too much maturity. They change nappies, wash and clean up, hardly ever try to get out of any job or skip their homework. It is so rare to see them play and laugh like children. It makes me feel guilty, I feel as if I have robbed them of their childhood by having sex and making them my wives. I do not know where I could have taken a different path Dommi, but I wish I could have.”</p>
<p>She rested her hand on mine, her eyes sympathetic, not at all impatient as she usually is when I talk this way. “We are both being ungrateful Robert. Our family is a miracle everyone would envy us of. Which family has one tenth of the love we share? I am so glad you fell in love with me that day on the beach. If you had not already loved me, Cherine would never have brought me into the circle. It is weird how everything about us that I did not attach significance to, turned out to be important.”</p>
<p>“Remember the day I brought Cherine along as a chaperone?” She smiled and her eyes were full of love for my little girl.</p>
<p>“She got her way didn’t she Robert? She said she was going to marry you and she did. I even half believed her at the time. How outlandish it would have sounded at that time if I had been told that not only would she marry you while still a child, but that I would marry her too - and be deeply honoured to.”</p>
<p>We had taken this time off to be by ourselves, but we spent almost all our time talking about our family and I sensed she was also constantly monitoring them. At least the kids were having a great time with Nicko. I had never expected to find him such a softie with kids. He always brings out the child in them and they played and screamed and did all those things children do when they know there is an adult around to look after them and pamper to their wishes. I guess part of the key to them being relaxed with him is that he sees children and so thinks of them as children and has no expectations of them that are not those suitable to their body ages.</p>
<p>“Robert,” her eyes were now grave, “I have a feeling about Sam. Do you think it is possible Sam might take first place in your heart one day; take the place of Cherine?” </p>
<p>“You can sense she is special? It is very difficult for me to explain. I feel that each of you are special to me in your own ways. I find myself being flooded with love for this one and then that one, including my lovely babies. I can feel already how special Samantha will be to me. Dommi mou, I do not think the person who could take the place of Cherine has been born or ever will be. If any one of you decided to leave, I would be heartbroken, I would be devastated, in a sense I would be crippled, but the love of the rest of you would keep me going. If I lost our Cherine, I do not think I could be made to want to live by the love of the rest of you. I do not see how I could.”</p>
<p>I knew she had expected my honesty and was not hurt by it. With my mind being open to her, my emotions transparent, it would have made no sense to speak otherwise. I was pleased to see her eyes light up at my answer. “I am so glad. I think she would be very miserable if she lost that special place in your heart. I think she too would die if you left her.”</p>
<br>
<p><h3><center>519</center></h3></p>
<p>The girls had respected our privacy and given themselves wholeheartedly to having fun. They were dirty, their faces smeared with chocolate and were tired. My ruling that they do not use their healers to keep them from getting tired was mostly obeyed (except in bed), and once Nicko had left we all tried to fit in the shower together. I don’t know how the water managed to get down between us, but it was great fun. </p>
<br>
<p>The next day, 28th of October, early in the morning, I got the call we had all been waiting for. Rose, my mother, was to have her baby, the last normal nine month baby. We gathered Alki and his family and called our doctor so that they would be expecting Diana to pick them up. We all jumped to Glyfada, straight into the living room of their house.</p>
<p>The bed had already been sent there at the request of my mother. Having been present at so many births, she claimed it made sense to her and she wanted to use it.</p>
<p>Wendy asked what the baby is to be named. My mother said they have decided to call her Cherine. Cherine flushed with pleasure. She went and kissed them both. “Thank you, that is one of the sweetest things anyone has ever wanted to do for me. I think you are making a mistake though. You should call her Laura after your first baby girl and Robert’s sister. That way the first Laura will never be forgotten by anyone.”</p>
<p>Rose began to cry and Themi quickly agreed. Rose wanted to protest, but Dommi cut her off. “Mother, your daughter says she would love to be called Laura. Would it hurt you too much to be reminded of your first daughter all the time?”</p>
<p>As my mother agreed to the name she hugged Dommi. How sweet and gentle was her face now. Suffused with happiness as it was, I could sense the yearning for my lost mother subside entirely and be replaced with the joy of having her back in my life again. I too have finally laid this ghost to rest - I don’t know what it is about human nature that makes it imperative we lay to rest the same ghosts a number of times.</p>
<p>At eleven in the morning the waters burst and it was not too long afterwards that baby Laura came into our world. Thoroughly scared of doing whatever it is I do, I kept my mind muted and only let a brotherly love and welcome be emitted to her. All the female minds that could read me were vastly amused, but luckily they were too absorbed in welcoming Laura to have the time to make any jokes.</p>
<p>When I saw the look on my mother’s face and felt her emoting as she held Laura, I thought of how good a friend Alki has been (finding and bringing her to me) and how much we all owe to my little Cherine. </p>
<p>In the end, I did not even get to hold Laura; by the time everyone else had, she was tired and fell asleep.</p>
<br>
<p>I was quite happy to have the weeks go by without anything more exciting than seeing all my girls acquire their own healers, even the babies. Cherine came up with the idea that delighted us all.</p>
<p>“Robert, apart from wedding anniversaries, only you and I have our anniversary and it is not fair. We should all have a day we celebrate our being a family.”</p>
<p>“Family day! I like that. We better not tell anyone or they will start making it a world wide holiday, with cards etc. Once it is turned into just another good reason to make more money, the real meaning of the day will be lost. Okay, what day should we choose, anybody got any ideas?”</p>
<p>Wendy suggested 14th February as a day of love, but the babies objected as that was already their birthday. Finally we agreed on the first of May. Dommi told them we are a sort of Spring for Mankind, so she thinks it is a good choice. Then we had to decide, I said, would this be only our celebration or would it be a general one for all those who became a part of a circle. They all wanted it to be just for us so we had to decide a new universal date. We could not decide without the others and left it for our next gathering. In the meantime we began telling them individually to think about it.</p>
<br>
<p>I should have known that things had been going well for too long. I got a call from Cyprus. It was Andreas.</p>
<br>
<p><h3><center>511</center></h3></p>
<p>“Roberto, Britta and I had been thinking, with summer over, her parents might cause trouble if she does not return home, she is still underage after all. So we decided to call them and see if they would agree to her staying here a little longer.</p>
<p>The parents were not at home, but her younger sister was. She is about eleven. After they talked a while Britta felt something is wrong. She asked her sister to tell her what is the problem. She finally admitted that the man who seduced Britta is spending all his time at their house and he has been trying to touch her and she says he tried to kiss her and put his hands on her body. He only stopped when she began crying. She is afraid and so are Britta and I.</p>
<p>You told me I am not allowed to use the gifts to hurt anyone, but I am so angry Roberto. I cannot sit back and allow him to do the same to her sister. If you say I cannot use my powers, then I must tell you I will use my fists. I also think we should tell her parents.”</p>
<p>“Let me think about it and I will call you back soon.” The girls had all monitored me so I did not need to explain.</p>
<p>“Why must you be the one Robert. Every time you do something like this it ends up hurting you. Let Andreas take care of it, she is his family now.” Cherine was quite ferocious out of her fear for me.</p>
<p>I pulled her till she sat on my knees, facing me as I held her at arms length. “You know the answer to that love. If he gets carried away and exposes himself publicly, he exposes us and puts all of us in danger. Also, I am the protector. As far as I am concerned, that extends to all the circles, at least until another protector comes into existence.”</p>
<p>She did not protest, none of them did. They were too closely linked to me. Cherine set her face in the look that warned me she would not relent or obey me if I tried to change her mind. “Then I am coming with you.”</p>
<p>“Why, were you thinking I am going to fly there in a plane? We might find it prudent not to have any record of us going there.”</p>
<br>
<p>We first jumped to Cyprus and with Britta held by us (but not Andreas, I did not want to risk his temper causing us problems) we could now jump directly to her home. We materialised in her bedroom. It was obvious her family are not well off, but still, she had managed to make her room a typical teenage girl’s dream. The usual film stars and singers, the usual posters girls of this time swoon over, drawn hearts all over the place and her treasure that she proudly showed us, an autographed photo by David Bowie. That hinted at a level of maturity or depth to her I had not suspected.</p>
<p>Britta was very upset and the reason was obvious to us. Items belonging to a man were strewn all over, his dirty laundry lying on the floor and the room had an unhealthy smell. She took a look at a few of the items and her unmade bed and turned, her face pale, her eyes brimming from anger.</p>
<p>“He is sleeping in my bedroom!”</p>
<p>Cherine was emoting her worry and it was at the edge of fear. “I feel something bad - would your sister be back from school yet?”</p>
<p>“She should be.”</p>
<p>“I think we better check through the house.”</p>
<br>
<p>We only had to open the door to hear the sounds of a little girl crying and pleading. With a gesture to Cherine to stay out of sight I grabbed Britta by the hand and we entered her sister’s bedroom. He was holding her down on the bed, her skirt thrown up, her panties pulled down to below her knees and his other hand was cupped over her sex as he cajoled and threatened her. He had already dropped his pants and underwear and was wearing a ridiculous mask over his face. I did not need to understand the language to understand what he was saying. Cherine was picking up the meaning anyway, from Britta, and passing it on to me. As he heard the door open he turned around and now I was able to see her terrified eyes.</p><br>
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<p><center><a href="https://steemit.com/sfandf-fiction/@arthur.grafo4/little-cherine-book-01-bpost051"> Next Post 051</a></center></p>
<p><center>I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love.</center></p><br>
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<h6>Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου<br></h6>(Alexander Zenon Eustace)<br>
<sup>8th April, 2019</sup>
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* posted on Steemit: 8th April, 2019<br>
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