This story contains violence, detailed descriptions of the human body and actions. If these offend you you may want to stop reading now. Though this chapter contains none of that.Reviews are welcome if you wish to leave one I can be emailed at happiest_in_shadows@yahoo.com just be sure to mention the story in the title so I know it isn't spam.

Upon taking the floor Michael took a few moments to look around the room. Seated around the lab area were various colleges and executives. A few particularly important investors were also amongst the audience and he counted around ten politicians. He was grateful that he didn't have to handle the introductions and had only been called onto the stage to actually run the experiment. "Thank you David and now if everyone would either direct their attention to the box in front of me or one of the video monitors we'll begin."

Opening the lid of the small grey box inside wrested a single human bone engulfed in a thick gel. The gel was actually a form of synthetic blood that was used to keep certain organs alive during transportation. Though it had only met with limited use in humans as the gel was thicker then blood and hard for the heart to pump.

After slipping on a pair of gloves to protect his hands Michael reached into the gel and took out the bone. He then proceeded to take a paper towel and clean the gel off. Once that was done he wrapped a wire around it which was already connected to a scale. The massive dial on the scale insured that everyone in the audience could see the force read out in Newton as he pulled down on it.

When Michael was done pulling down on the bone with all his strength and mass to show its strength he removed it from the scale. Setting the bone down on a small pan in front of him he picked up the hammer and wedge that had been provided. Placing the wedge over the bone he gave it a quick tap with the hammer a knocked a sizable chip away from the bone. "Mm tougher then it looked." Giving a slight shrug Michael gave the bone two more cracks.

There were a few mummers amongst the audience and even some chuckles. Given that it was from his colleges he imagined it was in reference to the number of times it'd taken him to shatter the bone. He had told them he wanted something more substantial to break the bone then a five kilogram hammer.

"Well now that we've established that this bone is not brittle in anyway we can get to the actual demonstration. Even with modern developments recovering from a break of this nature would take weeks and maybe months depending on the age of the person in question. What we've developed is a way to get this person back up and active within days if not hours."

As he spoke Michael reached into an additional container and took out a small metal test tube. He then began to speak once again as he opened it. "The eighth step is the solution to speeding up the long tedious natural healing process. Now this isn't just a new medicine or stimulant but rather is an actual living organism. A symbiot that is meant to work with the human body and help in repairing damage."

The symbiot wasn't placed directly on the break but was set on the point further from it. "The eighth step requires no intervention from human's outside of the initial application as you're all about to see."

As David watched the presentation from the corner he slowly made his way around the room. He finally came to stand in front of Michael though outside of the audience's and camera's view. It was hard for him to believe that Michael had been their best speaker amongst the projects research and development staff. "Too close. You're leaning forward."

For a moment Michael didn't notice David and nearly forgot to keep a strait face whenever he looked up at him. At last he got what David was saying and quickly backed away from the test area. He just loved watching the symbiot at work was all.

The eighth step didn't act at first but seemed to lie dormant for three to five seconds. At last though it began to move, slowly expanding outward until it had engulfed the bone width wise and then pulling itself forward. As it neared the brake those that were closest or watching the monitors saw the creature reach across with small tendrils formed from its greater mass.

Using the tiny bridges it formed the symbiot then proceeded to pull itself across and seep down into the fracture. Several gasp where heard seconds later. When Michael had driven the wedge between the bones he had forced them further apart. Then when the symbiot entered the space it pulled the two parts closer together so that the gap between the only represented the missing materials.

Michael waited a few moments for the symbiot to fill the gap and settle before he continued. "Now this is only one fracture of course. What happens if there is more then one?" Grinning he took up the hammer and proceeded to break the bone in two additional places.

Once again it took the symbiot a few moments to respond. It didn't leave its current location though but rather left enough of itself behind to still feel the gap. As it made its way over to the additional two breaks and filled them in the same way it had done the previous one. "As you can see the symbiot doesn't just fill in one damaged location but is capable of detecting several and taking care of them. Now if everyone would just wait five minutes we can move on to the next step."

In truth the symbiot didn't need five minutes to be ready for the next part. Two would have most likely been enough once it had settled in but Michael gave it the extra time to be certain. Then he picked up the repaired bone and once again placed it on the scale.

David grinned as he noted the scale reading the same amount of force it had previously clearly displaying that it could handle as much tension as the bone could once it had settled in. What would happen next should truly surprise the audience though.

Taking up the hammer and chisel once again Michael placed it against the bone though this it was on the symbiot. He then proceeded to give it a single sharp strike. More them a few mumbles could be heard going throughout the room as various people commented on the fact that it hadn't even chipped the symbiot.

"As you can see not only is the eighth step as strong as the bone it has replaced but is actually stronger. Now if you'll direct your attention to the screens." Turning to face the screens himself Michael waited for a display of a close up of the project to show. "The first thing the eighth step does when introduced to a body is detect nerve impulses. As you saw it was able to detect that the bone had been damaged. After that it moves to the damaged location and works to replace the damaged tissue or bone."

The video on the screen began to show up so that what would have normally taken hours could be seen in minutes. "After the eighth step fills in the damaged area it begins to take on the finer dimensions of the damaged tissue. It actually reads the body's genetic layout and uses that to determine its new dimensions. Once it has taken on the shape of the damage tissue the real event begins.

Instead of just acting as a substitute for the damage materials the eighth step works to truly replace it. The cells of the symbiot of the symbiot actually convert themselves into the same type of cells they are currently standing in for until finally you couldn't even tell that the symbiot had ever been there."

As she watched the show one of the audience members stood up. "What about the excess materials?"

Turning away from the screen Michael focused his attention on the woman. "Once the symbiot has begun to convert itself into the same type of cells as its host the excess material begins to break down. I can assure you the compounds the symbiot breaks down into are perfectly safe and many are beneficial to the body. The final stage of taking on the form of the host's cells takes the longest however there is no need to wait for this stage to end. A few hours after the symbiot has been introduced to the host's system it's safe for the host to become active again."

"Why is there a need to wait a few hours? It seemed to work within minutes."

"That was under direct application situations. When being applied to a living body the symbiot must be introduced more slowly and it takes it longer to work though the body. When dealing with damage skin it must first remove the damaged flesh. Allow me to show you. Well that is what we suspect we have yet to test the symbiot on a human being as you all know."

Once again the displays switched to a close up of the table as Michael took a moment to remove some of the symbiot from the bone. After placing the bone back within its container he proceeded to lay out a strip of flesh. "Okay as you can see the top layer of skin has been severally burned. This level of damage isn't actually repairable. The lower region however hasn't been touched by the flames."

"Now the eighth step symbiot I have remaining doesn't have nearly enough cells to engulf this entire mass. Fortunately it has to remove the damaged flesh as well as replace it." As Michael spoke he placed the symbiot on the burned flesh. Once again the creature stayed dormant for a few moments and then it began to move though this time it wasn't anywhere near capable of covering the entire area.

"Please direct your attention to the monitors once again. This process takes a little while so we conducted the same experiment earlier. Also it's hard to appreciate without a microscope." Turning back to the monitor Michael waited until the seen changed and began to play. "Now what is happening is the eighth step is identifying those cells that are dead or too heavily damaged for it to help. At this time it will actually begin consuming those cells. Now to optimize the recovery time the eighth step was designed to produce more of its own cells then begin the shift once the job was done.

It's quite possible to change the eighth so that it would only produce the cells of the host. However while this speeds up the replacement stage it slows down the treatment stage which is the primary concern."

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Michael had a smile on his face as David walked out of the demonstration area and back into the hallway. He could hear the guest filing out of the exits in the viewing area. "Well do you believe that we got the funding and the go ahead?"

For a few moments David was silent as he glanced over his shoulder back to the demonstration area then to Michael again. "I believe we made a good first impression which is important but this technology isn't going to set well with everyone. It also hurts that we don't have any tests with humans instead of just a few parts."

"I know but we can't get those until they give us the go ahead."

"What I believe we'll get from that conference is permission to begin searching for human tests subjects. Of course you've already begun that. How is it going?"

"It depends on what's happening week to week. Broken bones and burns don't last forever. What about the funding?"

"I don't see the funding that we are already receiving being cut thanks to that conference however I don't see any extra coming in either."

A sigh escaped Michael as he turned and began to make his way down the hallway. "I'm going to get back to the lab. Let me know whenever they give us permission to begin human testing. Once it has been granted we'll have to dive on it."

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"You've got to be kidding me."

It was easy for David to understand the frustration of the research and development team so he said nothing to the developer about his outburst as he continued. "No I'm not kidding. Whoever, you test this on must be in critical condition. If someone dies during the testing stage we want as little of it as possible to be our fault."

"So we have to wait until someone suffers a critical injury, rush out to the hospital while they are still in intensive care, get all the paper work taken care of and apply the eighth step. All before they're out of critical."

"Yes that is the situation."

Before the researcher could speak up once again Michael beat him to it. "Relax people are getting injured all the time. It's not nearly as difficult as you make it out to be. I take it the more severe the injury the better though."

"Right, in truth the board of directors would prefer if the person wasn't expected to live."

"I see their decision serves two purposes then. One if the person dies then we can hopefully redirect blame. It's true that the eighth step might be seen as a failure but it can't save everyone. The other reason is if it does succeed it'll seem all the more miraculous."

"I suspect that is their reasoning as well."

Michael gave a nod. "Okay here is what I want everyone to do. First start monitoring the hospitals for any ideal cases. Several broke bones, internal injuries, severe burns anything like that or any combination. I also want everyone to contact any friends they have in the medical business. Let them know what we're looking for. Be sure to think back to classmates you had in collage that were going into medicine we need a lot of eyes and ears if we're going to jump on this."

"So the first case we get we move on it?"

"Mm no I don't believe that is a good idea. This is supposed to be something of a show we need to go for something that would impress the audience. So let's think about what kind of candidate we're really searching for. I mean beyond the injuries."

"What do you mean?"

"Well we don't want to rush into save someone and find out we just saved some thug. That's hardly the type of spoke person we need. We need someone to save that the public will be glad to have around."

"I see."

As David listened to the conversation he couldn't help but chuckle slightly before he spoke. "Well I'm not sure we'll be able to find out a person's complete history in time."

Glancing over at David Michael couldn't help but ask. "What was that chuckle for?"

"Well it's just that you're looking for someone to miraculously heal and now were trying to take into account what kind of person they are. It just led to a funny thought."

Giving a slight shrug Michael returned to the conversation. "It is true that we probably won't be able to learn everything about the person in the time we have. So I want you to gather what information you can and make the best decision on whether or not this is the type of person we want representing us or not."

"You know most people in that sort of situation won't be in any condition to sign release forms allowing us to run the experiment."

"Mm that is true. We'd have to get someone with the legal authority to sign for them."

After a moment more of contemplation Michael spoke up. "Okay so far we've established that we need someone that people would be glad to see saved. They won't be able to sign the release forms themselves so we'll need someone to do it for them. We also need them to look nice for a camera. So the short of it is we're looking for a child and a young one most likely."

"A child would most likely fit all the criteria of the person we're trying to save."

"So should we just ignore every other case and focus on looking for a child that's been critically injured?"

After a moment of thought Michael shook his head. "No. Look for other cases as well but a child would be ideal."

"Does age have any affect on selection on candidates other then the fact that a child would be our prime choice?"

David gave a quick nod. "Of course it does. What's more dramatic? Letting someone live for five more years or letting someone live for seventy more years? Michael was right whenever he said the younger the better. Of course that is assuming the candidate doesn't die."

"I believe that it is worth the risk."

"So what should the cut off age be?"

"We'll leave that to the individual team member. Remember I don't care when it is but if you hear about a good candidate you call me. I'll make sure the others are contacted about it and we'll have a quick meeting to decide if we want to contact the family. There won't be much time to act so everyone needs to be ready until we've had a successful test on our first human subject."

"So you've already decided that the test would be successful?"

"Of course, let's face it if the kid dies the bored may be able to redirect blame and avoid any legal trouble or extremely negative press. However, we'll at least get a black eye that will slow the project down."

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As Michael walked through the hallways sipping the coffee he'd picked up at an all night shop he had to hate himself. He was the one that had announced that they should contact the entire team no matter what time it was. Now it was two fifteen in the morning and he was at work. He hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep for his liking and even if he were to go home right at that moment he wouldn't get enough sleep for that day. Still, this was important.

Brigit looked around the conference room. She'd been the first to arrive of course she'd also been the one to send out the call. One of her friends had faxed a file on a patient. This was of course a violation of patient confidentiality. Thankfully they had been and were still very good friends. In truth she'd been happy just knowing that someone had arrived she might be interested in and only ask for that favor. Her friend had been nice enough to take it a step further.

The sound of familiar muttering took her attention away from the file she held in her hands. A few moments later she watched as Michael walked by the window of the conference room and towards the door. She had often been left wondering if he realized what he muttered whenever one of his own ideas bit him in the buttocks. "I take it you weren't ready to be woken up?"

For a moment Michael was made to glair at Brigit as he resented her energy. "I swear at times I wonder if I should have you tested for drugs. Someone being so bright eyed and busy tailed all the time just isn't natural. Please tell me the others just stepped out for a moment."

"I can't do that."

"So we're the first ones here?"

"Oh quit pouting like that. Is your sleep that important to you?"

Walking over to Brigit Michael noted the file in her hands. "May I see that?"

"Sure."

Michael didn't dare set his coffee down as he took the file. Instead he placed the thin package on the table then opened it up. Of course Brigit's friend had only managed to send her the bare bones of the file. This consisted mostly of the child's current condition. Even this wasn't a professionally done report but a few hand scrawled notes. "Ouch that has to hurt."

"Yeah I would say I wished we had more information but honestly I don't. I doubt we have time to review much more with those injuries. She fits what we were looking for though."

"Mm yes I'd have to agree. Just eleven years old."

"Why'd you call me I'm not part of this?"

David's groaning drew Michael's and Brigit's attention away from the file as he stood in the doorway. Clearly he wasn't the type that enjoyed being woke up early either. "You're the project's financial director. We need you to grant permission for unusual expenses such as a sudden need to travel and quickly."

"Huh, I didn't think of that one. It must be the lack of sleep. So have you decided on a candidate?"

"No the rest of the team hasn't arrived yet. Still, here is some information about Brigit's find."

As David walked over to Michael he continued to rub the sleep out of his eye until he looked at it. "Damn, are these all her injuries?"

"I'm not entirely certain. Brigit didn't have much time to look the child over or gather much information from the examining doctor as he was going down the hall after all."

"Yeah they'd want to get her in as quick as possible I bet. Are you sure she won't be dead before we get there?"

Michael gave a slight shrug. "Honestly I don't know. It's quite possible with that list."

"Do you believe that the team will agree on this person? If so I'll go ahead and begin making travel arrangements. I know you'll want to move quickly."

Before Michael could respond the sound of a group running down the hallway got their attention. A few moments later three more members of the research and development project began to file into the room. "What do you have?"

Walking over to David Michael pushed the file until it was near the center of the table. "Just see for yourself. David you should go ahead and be making those travel arrangements. Brigit I assume you vote a yes on this person don't you?"

"You assumed correct."

"Okay. Then I want you to go down to the lab and get the eighth step ready to move."

As the three members read over the file they quickly realized why Michael was so confident they'd say yes. One reason was that the young girl was truly a great candidate if she lived long enough for them to get there. The other reason was that he was their boss and he had David on his side already.

"So what do you all think?"

"She looks fine to me." "I doubt that we'll be getting a better chance any time soon." "I'm not really sure that she's our best option but she'll do. I suppose. Though, I was hoping for someone that would have a better chance of being more energetic."

For a moment Michael just looked at the third new arrival as he gave his judgment. "So in other words you disapprove? What one of the criteria does she not meet?"

"Oh she meets everything we decided in the meeting. I was just hoping it'd be a boy sense they tend to be more active. We want our first success to be out showing how wonderful the treatment worked."

A slight chuckle escaped Michael as he shook his head. "You clearly have no kids of your own."

"Well no. I don't however it isn't hard to observe."

"Okay, does anyone else feel we should wait around for a male candidate?" After a few moments of silence Michael gave a shrug. "Okay that is five to one in favor of helping the little girl."

"Well I'm not opposed her being a test subject I was just saying she isn't what I was hoping for."

There wasn't really a chance for Michael to respond as he heard someone else coming down the hallway. As the seventh arrival entered the room he pushed the file towards him. "Read this and answer yes or no."

Giving a slight shrug the newest arrival walked over to the table and began to read the file. After a few moments he looked up. "I thought we were going to discuss whether or not we should use the eighth step on the person. Not vote as we came in."

"Well we need to move quickly."

"Alright, well then I say yes."

Michael gave a quick nod and turned to David. "Okay, hurry up with those arrangements we need to move as soon as Brigit gets back. We now have enough votes that even if the others all say no we can go ahead and with her as our choice."

It was impossible for David not to grin despite his lack of sleep. "How do you get that?"

"Because I'm the head of the team and my vote counts for more then the others. So that with the six yeses I already have the choice can't be over written."

"I see. Okay then. Well I believe if you take the stairs then by the time you get to the top floor the helicopter should be ready. That is once Brigit gets back. You can only take six passengers though so make your choice."

"Okay I'm going and Brigit as well. You're coming to. So who here wants to go home and get some sleep?" A slight chuckle escaped Michael when everyone in the room responded. "Come now it doesn't work if everyone wants to go home and get some sleep."

"Isn't three enough?"

"I suppose it is. Well okay. Once Brigit gets back we'll be on our way. I wonder if we should call those that haven't arrived yet and let them know they don't have to come."

"I'm sure they'd appreciate that."

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Tears had quit flowing from Karen's eyes an hour ago though her sobbing had yet to quit. The only reason the tears had even stopped is that she had no more left to cry as she looked through the window into the operating room. The doctors and machines that filled the room blocked her view of her daughter and in some ways that was a good thing. Still, she didn't turn whenever the door to the observation room was opened.

Claude sighed as he looked at his wife. As he walked over to her he had to move her right side and put his left arm around her. He couldn't use his right arm due to the cast it was currently in. "You did everything in your power to protect her."

For a moment Karen said nothing she just looked over at her husband. His right arm had been badly burned in the fire when he went in searching for their daughter. He hadn't put his good arm around her sense he didn't have one at the moment. His left arm had simply taken less damage whenever he had dug his little girl out. "Do you believe she'll pull through?"

"Of course, she's your daughter. She's too lively to die so soon." As Claude looked through the window he wished that his voice had sounded more convincing. In truth he had been astounded to realize that his little girl was still breathing whenever they had found her.

Reaching her hand up Karen went to take hold of Claude's hand as she began to take hold of it though she felt him wince and she quickly released. She'd forgotten that his hand was burned for a few moments despite the several layers of wrapping around it. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." It had taken Claude a while to get to the observation room as his injuries had to be treated as well. As he tried to comfort Karen he began to replay the events of the night in his head.

They'd gone out to dinner to celebrate a small but recent victory. Thanks to a powerful storm ripping through the area Claude had been getting a lot of overtime fixing downed power lines. This had allowed them to take care of a few credit card bills they'd been working on getting paid off. So when they both realized that the minor financial demons a few slips ups had born had been slain they went to celebrate.

Their little girl had been left with one of her cousins as a baby sitter. So they were more then a little surprised when they came back to find their home was on fire. While Claude did a quick search of the area Karen had called the fire department. A grimace was made to appear on Claude's face as he remembered one of the key reasons he'd chosen their homes location.

He wasn't fond of having too many neighbors so they'd chosen a fairly secluded spot. It was impossible for him not to be a little upset with himself for that decision as he wondered. If he hadn't been so concerned about privacy would the fire department been called in sooner?

After searching the area outside of the house and calling his little girl's name he'd finally heard something. It was hard for him to remember what happened beyond that point. He could remember throwing something through the window to break the glass and going through into the choking smoke. The next memory he had after that was one of the moments he wished he couldn't recall.

There wasn't time to reflect as one of the nurses entered the viewing area. "I'm sorry to disturb you but they'll be moving your daughter soon."

Karen quickly moved away from Claude accidentally brushing his burned hand away a bit more roughly then he would have liked. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Your daughter has several second and third degree burns, her lunges suffered damage from smoke inhalation and she has broken bones. Honestly we're all amazed that she's lasted this long. The doctors have done all they can do to stabilize her for the moment but we don't know if she'll make it through the night."

A sharp sob escaped Karen and it seemed like she might break down for a moment but she held her ground. "Is there anything more that can be done?"

"We've done all that we can for the time being. Now it's up to her body."

"Can we see her?"

"Yes, but she's heavily sedated. So she won't be waking up for some time."

Walking up behind his wife Claude carefully put his hand on her shoulder. "We just want to see her."

"Okay, follow me and you can wait in her room. She'll be in shortly."

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As Claude looked at his little girl he noted a small bit of hair sticking out from her bandages. He couldn't see her face due to the bandages that concealed it. Most of her hair had been burned away by the fire even before he'd found her. He hadn't realized it at the time but his little girl had been following the escape plan incase of a fire when she was caught.

They'd rehearsed the escape rout with her on numerous occasions and in the choking smoke he had instinctively followed it. However, she'd been prevented from making it out when part of the wall had fallen in on her. That is where he believed the broken bones had came from it was also then that he'd received his burns.

There wasn't any real thinking to that moment. He hadn't even realized that he'd been burned until he'd dug his daughter out, carried her back through the window and over to his wife. She'd had to point it out to him before he even realized it.

"If only I had come up with a better escape route for her."

A sigh escaped Karen. She had been waiting for this. "Claude it isn't your fault. That was the best escape rout."

"Really, then why did it collapse on her?"

"You couldn't have known that would happen. It was the best escape rout. If not you wouldn't have found her in time."

As Claude took in a deep breath he realized how close he'd come to saying something that he'd regret. Still, he couldn't help but think that he'd only made it to her in time to see her die in the hospital.

The nock on the door was an odd moment for Claude and Karen. Despite the grave situation they were thankful for the distraction as a nurse stepped into the room. "Pardon me, but they are some people that wish to speak with you."

David and Brigit were both doing better thanks to a limited amount of the sleep on the flight over. Michael was as well though his sudden surge in energy was due more to adrenaline then rest. He just hoped the sudden rush of energy wouldn't make him jittery.

Claude didn't know what was going on as he followed the nurse. Karen had stayed behind to be with their daughter incase something should happen. He felt a little anxious when he saw that not one but three people were waiting for him. "What's going on?"

Instead of waiting for the nurse to respond Michael stood up and moved to address Claude. "Mr. Angeye me and my colleges here have come to speak to you about your daughter."

"What about her? Do you know something?"

"Please set down. First let me introduce myself. My name is Michael Guarsen and I'm part of a research project in a revolutionary new treatment. One that we believe can save your daughter's life."

"You mean she's going to die?"

"I don't know that. However, surely the staff here has told you how dire her situation is. You realize that they don't even expect her to last through the night."

Without his wife around Claude couldn't hold himself together nearly as well. "They haven't said so much but yes. I know they don't expect her to live. So are you here to tell me you have a solution?"

"We believe that we have but I can't make any guarantees. Please have a seat and I'll explain exactly what we're proposing to you."

Claude hadn't even noticed the first request to be seated however after mentioning his daughter Michael had his ear. So that now he seated himself without really thinking about it. "What are you talking about?"

"We've been developing a treatment to repair extremely heavy tissue damage with exceptional speed. We believe that it's capable of not only saving your daughter's life but also insuring she doesn't even have damage after words. Surely you realize that even if she pulls through this the damage to her lunges will hinder her for years to come. Your daughter's name is Lucy. Am I right?"

"Yes you are. Just what are you going to do?"

"Do you know what a symbiot is?"

"Yes it's a living organism that lives along side another."

"Well what we've done is develop a symbiot that we can inject inside of the human body. The symbiot responds to the body's own nervous system and seeks out the damaged tissue and replaces it. The symbiot is much more efficient then the body itself and can heal in hours what would normally take weeks or months."

"Is it dangerous?"

"Here let me show you this." Reaching into his coat pocket Michael brought out a small video viewer and placed it on the table in front of Claude. He then turned it so that he could see the TV screen. "This is a demonstration of the symbiot's abilities I put on a few weeks ago for our investors and executives. OH you don't need to see that." Reaching around the TV so Claude could see what was going on Michael fast forward it through David's speech.

While the recording was being fast forwarded Claude decided to keep questions. "What's the risk?"

"Honestly we don't know. You see we've only tested the symbiot on parts of the human body and not once on an entire human. Your daughter would be our first human test subject. However, all our tests say that it should function exactly as intended." As Michael pushed the play button he continued to speak. "The symbiot will go inside of your daughter and remove the damaged flesh while at the same time using itself to take its place. Then over time it will transform itself into the same cells as your daughter and begin to break down. I assure you the compounds the symbiot breaks down into are not harmful to the human body and many are quite helpful."

"I don't know."

"Claude I hope you don't mind me calling you by your first name."

"I don't mind."

"Claude, there is a risk that this would be worse for your daughter. However, all our studies say that it will help her. Even if she survives this the physical scars may not be repairable and even if they are it will require extensive surgery. She shouldn't have to go through that and this is assuming that she lives. The odds of her living as they stand now are exceptionally bleak. I can assure you that the odds of the symbiot helping her are just as great if not more so then the odds of her dying just from her injuries."

Even though the recording wasn't finished playing Claude was aware that he couldn't waste time. "Can we go upstairs? I believe that her mother should see this as well."

"Sure, just remember that your daughter doesn't have much time."

Karen bit down on her lower lip as watched the video. As she watched the burn damage being repaired she turned to Michael, Brigit, David and Lucy's doctor. "What are the chances of my daughter surviving?"

"Without further treatment we don't expect her to last much longer. We were able to give her a chance but it's a slim one."

"How slim is slim?"

"If I had to assign a value to it I'd say her chances of living are one in fifty at best. Her pulse is still weakening."

"Could this eighth step really save her?"

A sigh escaped the doctor. "I've read some articles on it but it's still an experimental treatment. Everything that I've read is promising but you never know until at the very least the first human experiment. Even if she did die your daughter's and your sacrifice could lead to many others being saved."

Before Karen spoke she rewound the recording and proceeded to once again watch the burn damage being repaired. "Is that how the inside of my baby's lunges look right now?"

For a moment the doctor was silent but he finally gave a nod. "The smoke she inhaled did burn her lunges so yes. That is approximately how they'd look though that isn't lunge tissue in the video."

"Could you use me as a test subject? My hands and arm were burned."

Turning to Claude Michael shook his head. "No, by the time the experiment will be over your daughter will most likely be dead. She needs to be injected with the eighth step as quickly as possible and we don't have the legal ability to use you. Only someone that is in critical condition may undergo the treatment."

Nodding his hand Claude put his bandaged left hand on his wife's shoulder. "Can we have a few moments to talk this over?"

Giving his head a quick nod Michael turned to Brigit and David. "Sure, keep that video incase you want to review it."

"Don't go far this shouldn't take long."

************************************************************************

"Wait on the video didn't he use a lot more then that?"

Brigit smiled as she glanced up at Claude. "He did but we can't put that much of the eighth step into her system."

"Are you sure that'll be enough?"

Instead of continuing to talk Brigit pressed the needle into Lucy and began to slowly inject the eighth step. "This won't be enough to save her by itself but it'll get things rolling. After the symbiot has had time to work its way through her system and get to where it is needed will add in some additional injections."

While Brigit injected the symbiot David looked over the paper work Karen had signed. Thanks to his burned hands Claude hadn't actually been able to fill them out. He had actually watched as the paper work was being filled out and answered the couple's questions which were surprisingly limited. Now he was just reading through the paperwork to insure that he hadn't forgotten anything.

Turning around Brigit handed the now emptied syringe to Michael who placed it in a special container. They had no intention of leaving any of the eighth step cells at the hospital except in Lucy. "Okay so when do I add more?"

"It's now four thirty five so we'll give her another injection at four forty five."

"Are you sure that ten minutes is enough time?"

"I believe it's the optimum time in this situation. We not only have to inject it into her safely but we also have to get enough in quickly enough to make a difference."

After a moment Brigit nodded her agreement and walked back over to Lucy. "The poor little thing, would you mind telling me what happened?"

Claude gave a nod. "We had gone out to dinner just me and Karen that is. When we came home the house was on fire. After searching the outside and not finding anything I thought I heard something coming from the inside and went in through Lucy's window. I found her caught under a bit of the wall and roof that had given in."

As Brigit listened to the story and looked at Lucy she was sure she didn't want the details of that event. "That was rather brave of you to go into a burning house."

A slight chuckle escaped Claude and he gave his head a quick shake. "Na it's not bravery motivating you when that happens. It's a fear greater then the fear of losing your life."

"So where was the baby sitter during all this?"

"We don't know. I didn't see him whenever I went in and got Lucy. The cops haven't been by to tell us anything yet."

"I see."

"Come to think of it though" for several long moments Claude became completely silent though he could still hear something very well. The sound of his own heart beating as his adrenaline began to pump. "I didn't see the little bastard's truck whenever we arrived."

While Claude and Brigit had been talking Karen had been watching the monitors and listening to her little girl breath. As she heard the change in Claude's voice she quickly grew concerned. "Now Claude don't jump to conclusions he might have been going for help."

"I'm going to kill him." Apparently Claude didn't hear his wife as his anger kept building. Suddenly it didn't matter that he only had one arm that he could really move.

Realizing what might happen, Karen quickly worked to defuse her husband's anger if only for the time. "Claude, Lucy needs you with her here and now. We can look into this later."

There was no real sign that Claude had calmed down. Still, he slowly sank back into his seat. His wife words had reached him and his concern for his daughter did override his anger for the moment. "I swear he'd better be using every minute that I'm in this hospital to put distance between us."

When Claude looked away for a moment Brigit quickly glanced over at Karen and mouthed her apologies. Karen's response was to quickly wave her hand to show they weren't needed. In truth she was quite upset over the situation as well.

The four occupants of the room were distracted as David came back in. As he entered the room Brigit could have sworn that she heard him mumbling something about the cost of the hospital room. After David had entered the room it seemed to take him a moment to regain his composer then a grin formed on his face. "Okay people. We have this whole room to ourselves for at least the next five days. So Claude Karen if you want to use the extra bed you can go ahead.

Michael I managed to acquire some of the hospitals equipment to allow us to better monitor the symbiot. I'm also having some equipment brought in from the lab."

For a moment nothing was said then a slight chuckle escaped Claude. "Well I wasn't expecting that? You seem to be really concerned about our little girl."

David gave his head a quick nod. "Well I can't say that she's like a child to me but yes her well being is very important to me." Especially after what I just went through was the dominant thought in David's head as he continued. "Michael you did say that it'd be best if we didn't have to move her back to the lab didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. Well that's good news. Brigit if you don't mind it's been eleven minutes now go ahead and give her the next injection of the eighth step."

Nodding her head as Brigit readied the syringe she took a moment to look at the monitors before she proceeded. "Okay, when will you want me to administer the next injection?"

"Let's keep it in ten minutes intervals of the same dosage until she's reached the maximum safe level for her body. If we notice any changes in her condition we'll adapt the dosage accordingly. Mm well I already see one thing that we're going to have to work on back at the lab." Upon seeing Claude's expression Michael quickly waved his hand. "I'm just talking about the administration process we need to speed it up."

Brigit didn't bother giving the syringe to Michael this time but took away the container. "You know we're going to have to start looking into accommodations ourselves and bringing in other team members to monitor her progress."

Michael gave a quick nod. "Agreed, David is any of the other team members coming in with that equipment?"

"Yeah and don't worry about accommodations I'll start looking into a hotel that is near by. After that I plan on getting some shut eye." Looking past Michael David addressed Claude and Karen. "Do you want me to set you two up with a room as well?"

For a moment Karen looked a bit surprised but she quickly waved her hand. "No, we have some relatives that we can stay with."

"Come on. It'll be on us."

"What? Why would you do that?"

A slight chuckle escaped David. "Did you even read the contracts I had you sign?"

"Well yes but" Karen didn't get to finish.

"But you didn't read them in enough detail. All well I can see why you had other things on your mind. The contract guarantees you quick and easy access to your daughter during testing. So as long as she's in my team's care it's up to me to insure that you have easy and quick access. So how far away does this family member of yours live?"

"They live a bit over an hour away."

"Well it's up to you if you want to go there but we can set you up in a hotel for at least the five days that she's going to be here for certain."

Karen didn't bother glancing up at her husband as she nodded her head. She already knew what his answer would be. "We'd be glad to."

"Okay then that makes five rooms for five nights at least and one room for one night."

Michael quickly turned to look at David. "What do you mean one room for one night?"

"I mean I've done what I needed to do here. You can call me if you need anything else. So I will be getting some rest then heading home." For a moment David grew silent then gave a shrug. "Well never mind that idea. I believe that I'll just hop on the helicopter after it drops off the team members and the equipment and head on back. It'd be a waste of money for me to get a hotel room."

A sigh escaped Michael as he realized there wouldn't be any talking David out of his plan. To do so after he planned his schedule out required an exceptionally good reason. "Well alright. Brigit I'm going to step out and make a quick phone call before my family starts worrying about me. Anne is not going to be happy about this."

For a moment Brigit was made to giggle but she quickly gave her head a nod. "Okay and yeah you're probably right. If I recall she doesn't like it when you take these sudden vacations from home."

"Yeah after this one I'll have to do something special for her if I don't want to end up sleeping on the couch." A sigh escaped Michael as he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

Before the door could swing shut David quickly caught it. "Brigit what do you want me to bring you back to eat? Some restraints should be opening up soon so I think I'll go and get something to eat. Claude, Karen I can bring you something if you want as well."

While she was speaking Brigit went about preparing another syringe. "An egg sausage, cheese and bacon biscuit would be fine. If you can't find that well I guess egg and sausage would do."

"Well someone's carnivorous in the morning. What about you two?"

By now both Claude and Karen knew that David probably wouldn't just let them say no. So they went along. "I'll take some eggs and pancakes what about you Claude?"

"I believe I'd like to have the same as Brigit."

"Okay, I'll be back in a little bit."

Standing up Claude gave a slight sigh and turned to his wife. "I believe I'll take them up on that offer to rest on the spare bed."

Reaching over Karen gave her husband's side a quick pat. "Yeah the doctors said that you needed to rest. Go ahead deer."

It had been less then fifteen minutes and despite her husbands first mutterings about the bed Karen could tell that he was asleep. Turning her attention to Brigit she had to ask. "So when will we be able to tell what is going on?"

A large smile was on Brigit's face when she looked at Karen. "Just listen to her breathing and think how it was a short while ago."

"You mean you believe she's already getting better?"

"That is what the signs are telling me."

Standing up Karen walked over to her daughter and knelt down beside the bed. She then carefully listened to her breathes. "Oh my, you're right. She's breathing easier."

A delighted giggle escaped Brigit. "The eighth step is really an amazing organism. It makes me feel a little sad that in the end it dies considering what it does for us."

"Is it aware?"

"No at least not as far as we can tell. Still, it's like getting attached to a vehicle I suppose."

"It must be wonderful to work on something so amazing."

"It's interesting though for a long time it felt like we were just trying to catch up with Michael. At times it still feels that way."

"What made you feel that way?"

"Early on we weren't so much researching with him rather we were taking notes. It was at least a few months before we understood fully what was going on and were able to help out. Then once in a while we'd hit a snag that none of us could figure out. Then Michael could come along with a solution and it'd take us a week just to understand how he'd done it." A slight chuckle escaped Brigit. "He often said we are all critical to the project. If that's the case I'd say he is as vital as heart is to a human."

"You should listen to him then. So do you have any family?"

"No, which is a good thing this current project has left me with quite a heavy work load."

************************************************************************

The beeping hadn't been a problem at first however as she lay there it began to become more and more annoying. In an attempt to stay asleep and resist her growing frustration Lucy's hands were made to clench the bed only to note the odd texture of it. The sudden realization only brought her further into consciousness and let to her noting how odd her body felt.

At first she wasn't sure where she was upon opening her eyes as they needed a moment to adjust to the light. As her vision became clearer she was rather alarmed to see a large machine setting beside her. After a moment she recognized the machine from various TV shows. "Daddy, Mommy?"

Claude had been looking out the window whenever he heard his daughter's voice. Quickly he turned in her direction and made his way over to her bed. He started to take hold of her hand whenever he remembered her burns and his own. "Daddy is right here sweaty."

For a moment Lucy did nothing as she looked at her father. The girl's mind was still a heavy fog due to the sedatives she'd been injected with and the traumatic events of the last few hours. As she looked at her father though the young girl's body was made to convulse, tears began to flow from her eyes and she began to cry.

Even though he was worried that he might hurt her Claude couldn't help himself. Reaching his left arm around her he leaned forward in a partial hug. A few moments later he felt his daughter's bandaged arms and hands reach up and wrapped around his neck. "It's alright Lucy. I'm right here."

For a long while Lucy was quiet and just let her father hold her. However, she finally looked behind him. "Who are they?"

Standing up a bit Claude kept his hand on his daughter as he turned to look at the men. "These are some special doctors. They came here to help you. Are you okay? You're not in any pain are you?"

Now that Lucy knew her father was there the young girl calmed down considerably. As she spoke and she relaxed she noticed there was another problem her arms, legs, stomach back and just about every part of her body was itching. So much that even as she spoke to her father she began to try to scratch herself through the bandages. "Where is mommy?"

"Mommy is at a hotel near the hospital. Do you want me to call and tell her to come over?"

Placing his hand on Claude's shoulder one of the researchers spoke up. "We'll take care of that. We need to call Michael now that she's awake anyway."

"Why is something strange about that?"

"She should have been out for another hour or two. We need to take a blood sample and see if perhaps the eighth step is neutralizing sedatives faster then it should be."

"What? She just woke up and you already want to take a blood sample?"

"Yes, if we're going to find out why she woke up so early. Don't worry. We only need a very small sample."

For a moment Claude was about to protest. However, he'd examine the contract Karen had signed sense she left. They might have easy access to their doctor but the researchers also had certain rights as well. "Lucy, the doctors need to take a blood sample from you. Okay?"

"Okay." Lucy watched her father as he walked around to the other side of her and placed his hand on her shoulder very lightly. "Daddy I'm hungry."

"I imagine you are. You've had a long night. What do you want and I'll have mommy pick it up for you?" Claude watched as one of the researchers prepared a syringe and walked over to his daughter. "Hold it."

"Is there a problem?"

"What are you doing sneaking up on her while I talk to her?"

"Well I was thinking to do it quickly before she noticed."

"No. You tell her what you're going to do then you do it. You may have the right to examine her but that is within the confines of what the family doctor says is safe. I will get him up here if you try to sneak up on her like that again. That or I'll just talk to your boss."

The researcher gave a slight sigh and bent down so that he was closer to Lucy. "Okay Lucy, I need you to keep your arm held strait for me while I stick this needle inside of you. You'll feel a bit of a pinch when I do. Then you just need to hold your arm still until I tell you that you can move. Okay?"

Lucy gave a slight nod. She'd had blood work before after all, though it wasn't her favorite thing in the world. Claude had actually had his blood work done the same day so that she could see how it was done. "Okay."

Nodding the researcher stood up and began to gently feel of Lucy's arm. He wasn't sure how far the eighth step had progressed and was now worried that he might hurt her. He knew that one little scream from the girl and he'd either have to hope the child's doctor gave the okay or Michael did. In either case it would delay their work. After finding the vein he removed the protective cap from the needle and pressed the needle into Lucy's arm.

As Claude watched the researcher he noted an odd expression on the man's face as if he'd been surprised. He held his tongue for the moment sense he didn't want to make his daughter nervous but he had to ask her. "Are you okay Lucy?"

"Yeah Daddy I'm fine. I've done this before."

For a moment the researcher was made to look at his college then back to Lucy's arm. He had been quite surprised by the resistance he had encountered. "So Lucy, do you like climbing trees?"

"Yeah I do! But daddy won't let me climb the really tall trees anymore at least not to the top."

It was impossible for Claude not to grin as he could have sworn his daughter was trying to make him feel bad. "There wouldn't have been a first time if you hadn't snuck out and done it."

************************************************************************

It was hard for Claude not to seem a little annoyed as Karen tore off a bit of his biscuit and used a fork to speed it to him. "Karen I can feed myself I know."

"No you can't. You know the doctor said to avoid irritating your burns."

"I've been using my left arm all this time."

"Claude, I took a look at your pain pills. Either you have an addiction or you've been in more pain then you've let on." Using her free hand Karen reached into her purse and brought out the bottle of white caplets. Indeed it was clear that Claude had taken more then he should have. They were still plenty left but sense it had been full when he first got the bottle it was clear he'd taken several.

Looking through the window at Lucy as sigh escaped him. "Fine, but that means you'll have to take care of more things."

"That's just fine.

"So I hear you wanted to speak to me?" Michael smiled as he walked over to the couple and pulled out a seat.

"Yeah, it's about Lucy. Some of your team said the sedatives had worn off more quickly then they should have. Is that true?"

"From what I saw of her blood work yeah it's true."

"Then how is she moving around like that? She acts like she's ready to claw those bandages off."

"I imagine she's already recovered enough that we could take off the bandages."

"How is that possible? You said that it would take several days."

"Well she's no where near healed yet though she is progressing far more quickly then I believed she would. Do you recall in the video how the symbiot first replaced her cells with its own?"

"Yes."

"I believe that is the stage she's currently at. We could remove the bandages but I'm not sure if you or she will like what she sees. As well we were never able to adjust the symbiot so that it would make itself look like human skin. How would your daughter respond to learning that a good deal of her body is albino?"

"Neat!"

Claude, Karen and Michael quickly looked back towards the window and noted that Lucy was both setting up and looking strait at them. For a moment nothing was said then Claude slowly stood up. He then turned his head so Lucy couldn't see his lips move. "Lucy, wave your hand if you can hear me." The moment Lucy responded a slight chuckle escaped Claude. "Well I'll be. I thought that glass was thicker then that."

It was very hard for Michael to repress the grin that was trying to spread across his face as he stood back up. "It is. She shouldn't be able to hear us at all. She also shouldn't have been able to yell quite that loud with damaged lunges." A slight chuckle escaped Michael when he noted the researchers in the room rubbing their ears. Clearly they hadn't enjoyed Lucy's little outburst.

After a moment of looking at her daughter Karen turned to Michael. "Has something gone wrong?"

Placing his hand on Claude's shoulder Michael gestured down to the seat. "Go ahead and finish your breakfast. We've never tested the symbiot inside of human after all perhaps its presence is beneficial to the sense of hearing. That little out burst could just be the result of it strengthening her lunges before it converts to her cells. Just enjoy your breakfast and I'll go check on her."

"I can't believe how tight these are. What were the doctors thinking?" Brigit openly grumbled as she worked on removing the bandage from Lucy's arm.

As the bandaging was removed Lucy let out a slight sigh. She hadn't noticed it herself but indeed the bandages were quite tight. The feeling of relief when they were cut away was welcome. It was almost as welcome as the sight of her skin which was at the moment as white as milk. "I bet I wouldn't even need a costume to dress up like a ghost now."

Despite the situation and the previous developments Claude just rolled his eyes. "Well she isn't in any pain that is for sure."

After walking over to her daughter Karen took old of her hand and began to examine it. "Well don't get too comfortable with it young lady. This should only last for a week tops."

"Ah." Lucy grew silent for a moment as she looked down at her arm. She then looked back at her mother. "Mommy I'm hungry."

"Oh so that wasn't enough to fill you up?"

"It did but I'm hungry again."

This time Michael didn't wait for either Claude or Karen to turn to him before speaking. "I guess the symbiot's energy needs contribute to the host's hunger." Before continuing Michael turned to the researchers that had been working with Lucy when she'd screamed. "Go down to the hospitals kitchen and get her something."

"I think we're going to need to call in a barber."

Claude and Karen were both rather surprised when they noticed their daughter's hair upon turning around. While Lucy's hair was far from growing back to its original length she still had a full head of hair. However, those strands that had remained from after the fire seemed to have grown as quickly as those that had recently grown leaving her with a mixture of very short and very long hair. The overall effect wasn't complementary.

A slight chuckle escaped Michael upon seeing Lucy's hair. "Yes I believe that we should. Though, I don't know of any in the area."

After a moment Brigit gave a shrug. "Okay all the men folk out and close those blinds."

************************************************************************

A slight giggle escaped Brigit as Lucy made her way around the room as she examined the various machines. "What does this one do?"

"That one let's us see inside of you and find out exactly where the eighth step is."

"That's what you put inside of me to fix me right?"

"Yes it is."

"So where is it now?"

"At the moment it's all over you. It is in your bones, on your skin and even in your lunges." Brigit didn't see a reason to tell Lucy that the eighth step wasn't just on her skin but at the moment it was actually serving as her skin.

For a few moments Lucy was quiet as she looked at her hands, arms, legs and feet. "Does it like being there?"

"I'm sure that it does."

After a moment of contemplation Lucy gave her head a quick nod and walked over to the basket that had been left in the room. She then retrieved another apple from it and began to snack on the fruit as she continued to look at the various wires and buttons. "I started out inside of my mommy. Does the eighth step feel the same way about me?"

For a moment Brigit grew silent as she considered the best way to answer Lucy's question. The child was clearly beginning to think of the symbiot as something of a friend and she wasn't sure how she should handle that. She didn't want to risk frightening her but at the same time she didn't want to make her worry about the symbiot. "Yes it does. However, much like you left your mommy the eighth step is going to leave you eventually. You see it can only stay just long enough to make you better then it needs to go."

There was a moment when Lucy didn't respond but looked herself over again once. After a short while though she looked back to Brigit, "like a fairy?"

"Sort of yeah like a fairy."

Nodding her head quickly Lucy made her way back over to the basket and tossed the apple core away. Reaching inside she took out an orange and began pilling it.

************************************************************************

"Are you sure that she's okay? I've never seen her eat like this."

"Yes it just seems that the symbiot is causing her body's metabolism to become a bit over active so she's staying hungry. Well she gets full and then she gets hungry quickly."

"Is eating so much healthy?"

"At this moment I believe the best thing to do is just to insure the basket of snacks stays full. We'll have to find out why the symbiot is causing this change in her metabolism and fix it before we can market it."

Karen couldn't help the concern in her voice as she took a step closer to Michael. "Do you believe this could be harming her?"

"Well I don't believe it'd be healthy if she ate like this all the time. However, at the moment the reason she feels hungry is because she is hungry. If she didn't have anything to eat her body would start burning its stored fat and begin using up its good protean or in other words her muscles once that was done. Trust me her body is using every bit of energy she's taking in."

"So you're saying that she's fine?"

"As long as she has plenty to eat she'll be just fine. Just make sure that its fruit, vegetables and protean. Come to think of it perhaps she hasn't been getting enough protean. I'll have some peanut butter sandwiches put in her room. Does she like those?"

"Sure."

"What type of peanut butter does she prefer?"

"Crunchy and she likes strawberry jelly. Are you sure that having her metabolism so over active won't hurt her?"

"I don't believe that it will when you consider her young age and health. However, even if there was some tissue damage the eighth step would automatically repair it."

"Could you give her something to slow her metabolism down?"

"I'm not willing to take the chance that it would harm her. The chances of her worked up metabolism harming her are far slimmer then the chances of introducing drugs into her system harming her while the eighth step is already misbehaving to an extent."

"So this isn't beyond anything you believe you can handle?"

"Karen, this is within safe parameters as long as Lucy is kept well feed. The only reason I believe we'll need to fix this problem before we can market the eighth step is incase someone isn't in such an ideal situation. We hope the eighth step can serve as an emergency rescue method on such arenas as a battle field or after a natural disaster."

For a moment Karen said nothing as she looked at Michael as if trying to figure out if he was as sure as he seemed to be. At last she relaxed. "So you have a family of your own?"

A grin formed on Michael's face. "Yes I do. A wife Anne and a son Albert, I'm afraid Anne isn't going to be too happy with me spending so much time away from home."

"Michael, I have to ask. You've seemed quite clam every time Lucy began to show an abnormality did you expect this?"

"In all honesty yes Karen. I expected that you're daughter would manifest some symptoms that we hadn't expected in the lab. The improved hear and her increased vocal strength didn't surprise me. Well the hearing did to an extent the vocal strength I understand. Her throat and lunges had some burns so the eighth step is standing in for those tissues for the time and it is stronger. The hearing I'm not quite sure how that happened."

"So how are you so calm?"

"The reason I'm so calm is so far none of the symptoms have been damaging though many of them are interesting. In most cases we spend great quantities of time, effort and money preparing for something bad to happen. Then even after that's none something manages to sneak up on you. So it's a nice change of pace when the unexpected is beneficial or at least easily managed."

"Would you mind telling me what some of your fears were?"

"Well I'll just tell you two of the worse case scenarios. The first is if the eighth step didn't stop at consuming the dead cells but began consuming the living. Even the eighth step can't repair brain damage or retain memory. The second is if it kept growing or stayed in a specific area it could end up stopping her blood from flowing. The first case is the worse of the two."

"So what would you have done?"

"We developed a solution that can easily kill the eighth step. If it had begun to behave in such a manner we would have injected her with it and it'd caused it to break down. It happened before with previous generations of the symbiot though not for the last twenty."

For a moment Karen was silent. "You mean the one inside my daughter is twenty generations removed from the problematic version?"

"Yeah and there is no need to worry. None of the previous twenty were seriously problematic. We basically spent that research time streamlining the symbiot's behavioral patterns. It used to take in upwards of a 270 seconds for it to even begin functioning."

"Is something the matter Lucy?" Claude bent down in front of his daughter as she kicked the shoes off her feet.

"They hurt my feet."

Reaching down Claude carefully pulled back the tongue of the shoes his daughter had been wearing. Sense Karen had started seeing to his pills he had to be more careful about irritating his burns. "Mm I could have sworn this is the right size. All well later on we'll all go shopping together and pick you up some new clothes."

Brigit smiled as she looked over at Claude and Lucy. "Well I would have been asking her to take off her shoes soon anyway. So how has the search for Lucy's cousin been going?"

"The police haven't found Kevin yet and please don't call him Lucy's cousin again."

"Ah so you've began the process of disowning him."

A slight chuckle escaped Claude and he gave his head a quick nod. "Yeah, though it looks like some of the family may disown us as well."

"This is one of those times that test the bonds of blood and speaking of blood. Lucy, would you mind if I took a blood sample from you?" Brigit didn't wait for Lucy to say anything but held up a candy bar so the child could see it.

Giving her head a quick nod Lucy quickly dashed over to the chair and took her seat. For a moment this stunned Claude until he noticed the candy bar. "Oh so that's how you do it."

"Well we have had to take quite a few blood samples from Lucy in the last three days. If we're going to cause her pain I figure she should got a reward and don't worry. This is a protean bar." As she prepared the syringe Brigit handed the candy bar over to Lucy who quickly bit into it.

"Don't people normally have to fast before you take blood samples? I know my doctor always tells me to."

"That depends entirely on what you're testing." While Lucy held the candy bar in her left hand Brigit prepared her right and began to feel around for the vein. "Of course blood sugar is one of the things we're testing. Unlike most cases though we're testing how the symbiot affects it."

"What have you found?"

"Even with her constant snacking Lucy's blood sugar is fine. The symbiot also seems to be working exceptionally fast far quicker then we anticipated. It seems that whenever it's inside of a living body the symbiot will not only handle repairs but it'll work together with the body to speed healing up further. The problem with that is it boosts the metabolism to a level that would be dangerous in some situations."

"What type of situations?"

"Any type where she didn't have enough to eat could be quite dangerous. Okay Lucy I'm going to need to get a skin sample from you. Now I won't lie to you this is going to hurt a bit. Is that okay?"

Before his daughter could speak Claude stepped forward. "Why can't you numb her?"

"Well the eighth step has acted up a bit as you know and we don't want to risk dangerous complications that may arise if we give her any sedatives. After all our previous experience tells us that for some reason the eighth step neutralizes sedatives until we know why we can't risk giving her more."

"Why do you need the skin sample?"

"We need to examine the eighth step and see how much progress it has made. Sense it replaced a lot of burned skin it's the easiest for us to get to and the least dangerous."

A sigh escaped Claude as he walked over to Lucy. "Lucy Brigit here needs to take a skin sample from you. What she's going to do is take a knife and cut you a bit. It's going to hurt but I need you to do this. It'll be sort of like when you fell of your bike and scraped your knee and arms really badly. Do you remember that?"

"It is okay daddy I'll be fine."

"Yeah you're a tough little girl."

Standing up Claude backed away and watched as Brigit moved in front of his daughter. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not as he noted the way Lucy watched Brigit taking the skin scraping. As Brigit removed a tiny sliver of Lucy's skin she couldn't help but be surprised. "That's odd."

"Yeah I'm surprised. You did really well Lucy."

A slight giggle escaped the girl. "It didn't really hurt."

"Well the way she handled herself was impressive but it wasn't what I was talking about. Your daughter's skin is tougher then I expected. It took quite a bit more force then I expected it would to remove the scraping."

"Well didn't you say that the symbiot was tougher then human skin?"

As she set the scraping to the side and took a moment to tend to Lucy's injuries Brigit spoke to Claude. "I did and it is but from the coloring of your daughter's skin it seemed that the symbiot's presence was diminishing. However, when I took the scraping it seemed to be fully present. Okay Lucy you can get down now."

Hopping down from the chair Lucy once again began to wonder around the room. She'd always been what some would call over active but as of late her energy had been even greater. It was nearly impossible to get her to stand still for very long.

"Perhaps it isn't progressing as quickly as it looked?"

"That is possible."

"Hey Daddy, Miss Bright! Look I used to only come up to here." While Lucy had been wondering around she'd made her way over to a scale.

"So you're growing like a weed are you? How many centimeters have you put on sense your last visit? I bet you've grown a whole ten centimeters."

"Nope, I've grown twenty."

For a moment Claude was silent he then made his way over to Lucy. He had been joking whenever he'd said that she'd probably grown ten centimeters sense her last check up. Now that she'd told him that she'd grown double his joking sum he couldn't help but take a look. As he examined the scale he noted Brigit move behind him and look at the number as well.

A sigh escaped Brigit as she noted the measurement. While she hadn't known Lucy before hand she did now have complete access to her medical records and she'd read over them. "I'm going to have to tell Michael about this."

"So how did the testing go?" Karen smiled as she noted her husband and child entering the room. Though that smile was somewhat tempered by the expression on Claude's face.

"Well it was interesting. Lucy, come here for a moment."

At first Karen wasn't sure what was going on whenever Lucy moved to stand in front of her father. However, a few moments after looking at and taking note of the buttons on Claude's shirt she quickly looked down at her daughter's feet. She was even more surprised to find that she wasn't wearing shoes.

Despite the situation Claude couldn't help but chuckle as he noticed the stunned look on his wife's face. "She's growing just like a vine wouldn't you say?"

Slowly Karen nodded her head and stood up. Walking over to her daughter she stood next to her as if preparing to take a picture to make sure what she saw was real. It only took her a second of standing next to Lucy to realize that her daughter had put on quite a few centimeters sense her last visit to the doctor. "Yes she is."

************************************************************************

"Didn't you say that you shouldn't worry whenever the unexpected events are beneficial?" Karen glanced across the table at Michael who had been silent for a while now.

"Yes I did and that is true but this is different. Her increased metabolism, hearing and vocal volume where unexpected side affects but she'd returned to normal once the eighth step began to break down. However, not only will she not return to her original height whenever the eighth step is finished but nothing in the previous testing indicated that this might even happen. We don't even know how the eighth step is causing her height to increase."

"Well at least we now know why her metabolism was so active. There was a lot of construction going on."

"If that's the case couldn't we stop her from growing by limiting how much food she takes in?"

The looks that Michael, Brigit, Claude, Karen and have the other staff told the researcher that was a stupid suggestion. It was Brigit that spoke up. "Given how the eighth step is behaving at the moment I don't believe we should risk starving the girl or it. Perhaps, we should just give her the injection and kill the remaining eighth step in her system."

A sigh escaped Michael. "We'll need to run a quick scan of her body and see what tissues the eighth step is still standing in for before we do that. If there still a great deal of tissue that needs repaired then it could be just as bad as when she was burned."

In truth Claude wasn't overly worried about his daughter's sudden increased in height. However, upon hearing that she might be returned to the same way she was after the fire he was very concerned. "Hold on a minute is these extra centimeters hurting her?"

"Honestly we don't know."

"Okay, but if you killed the symbiot that is currently standing in for the tissue it would hurt her for certain?"

"Well that would depend on how much tissue it is still standing in for."

"You will not return my daughter to the way she was whenever I pulled her out of that fire."

"Sir, understand your daughter has grown around twenty centimeters in just three days. We don't know what other affects the symbiot might be having."

"That's it you don't. You want to do something that will hurt her in an attempt to negate something that may or may not hurt her. That's an idiotic proposal if I ever heard one."

Before anyone else could speak up Michael responded. "Claude we will only give Lucy the compound to cause the eighth step to break down if at least fifty percent of the total damage had been already repaired."

Karen quickly shook her head. "I don't want you giving my baby that stuff until you know for sure that the symbiot is hurting her. If I have to choose between her becoming a young Valkyrie or her having server scarring all over her body and inside her lunges for the rest of her life I'd rather she be tall."

After a moment of silence Michael gave a nod. "I understand your feelings however you must understand that the human body isn't designed to grow much beyond eight hundred centimeters and even then there can be difficulties. Now even allowing for the time that has passed between Lucy's last checkup and the three days the eighth step has been in her system she has grown some fifteen centimeters. That isn't enough to warrant injecting her with the serum yet but we may have to if this keeps up."

After a moment Claude nodded his head. "Yes but that is not a potential risk that is a clear risk. How much more do you believe she could grow before she'd be in danger of outgrowing what her body was designed to handle?"

"I would say she could grow another fifty centimeters but letting her grow more then that would be dangerous."

Before her husband could agree Karen spoke up. "Fine if she grows another fifty centimeters or you can find clear proof that the eighth step is harming her beyond these changes you can give her the serum. However, until she reaches such a height or such evidence is found you're not to."

"That's reasonable we don't want to endanger your daughter either."

As she spoke Brigit leaned further over the table so she could better be seen. "Well now that we know how we're going to handle this. What should we do now?

Michael gave a sigh and rubbed his forehead for a moment. It was clear by the expression on his face he didn't like the next part. "The first thing that I'm going to do is write a report and send it to David. The bored of directions will want to know about this I'm also going to request a further release of funds."

Lowering his hand from his forehead the grin on his face told the others they weren't going to like the next part. "The first thing you're going to do though is gather up all the data that we've gathered about Lucy and the eighth step's interaction with her body. Now I want to write this report by this night so that means you have some five hours."

Instead of groaning Brigit stood up. "Well then we had better get to work."

"Don't worry about drawing conclusions just give me raw data. I'll also send in a report of Lucy's condition before we introduced the eighth step."

"Do you believe that will appease the bored?"

Turning to the researcher Michael gave a quick nod. "Of course it will. We took her back from the brink of death though the doctors had operated on her so it isn't as dramatic. She's been healthy and active for a bit more then forty eight hours though some unexpected complications have arisen. I have no doubt that with that information David will be able to easily secure a further release of funds and insure that none of us lose our jobs."

"What should we do about the; Lucy?" As the researcher looked at Michael and Brigit it was clear he'd nearly slipped up. Michael had already explained to everyone that Lucy was never to be referred to as the candidate or test subject. Of course after working in labs for so many years it had become a hard habit to brake especially on demand.

A sigh escaped Michael. "She's been really good when it comes to letting us test her for quite some time now. However, she is still a child and I'm sure that she'll grow tired of it eventually. I believe that the best thing we can do is tell her that we're going to have to do a lot of tests. We'll need to come up with some fun things for her to do to take her mind off that though."

For a moment Claude was made to chuckle. "Don't worry Lucy maybe energetic but she knows when something has to be done and how to behave. You don't have to worry about her screaming kicking or biting anyone. Even though they are times that if you take your eye off her for more then five seconds you'll turn around to see her shooting up a tree. I don't know if she's a little imp or a little angel at times. All you need to do is explain the situation to her."

"Oh I don't know about that. If she learns that the symbiot is helping her to grow she may not be willing to give it up." Karen couldn't help but smile as she placed her hand on her husband's left hand ever so gently.

After nodding his head Michael proceeded to stand up and take out his wallet. Reaching in he took a few moments to fish out a few hundreds which he held out towards Claude and Karen. "Even with just those extra twenty centimeters I imagine she's outgrown most of the clothing you have for her. It's kind of odd that she hasn't been complaining about them getting tighter."

For a moment Karen just looked at the money Michael held out towards her. Finally she has to ask. "What is that for?"

"For new clothes of course I doubt it'll replace all of them but it should start. Now I know that you don't want to wait until David convinces the bored to release the additional funds so just take this for now."

"Why would you be doing that though?"

"It's quite simple. Lucy's sudden increase in size is due to our symbiot. Now incase you're wondering. No we are not legally liable for this medical complication due to the contracts you signed. However, it is company procedure to help with such incidences especially during the treatment stages."

After a moment Karen gave her head a quick nod and took the money from Michael. "Thank you."

"After Lucy has some new clothes I want someone to gather up all the ones she's worn and bring them to me. I want to examine them and see why she wasn't complaining about how tight they felt."

"So when are we going to be begin our examinations again?"

A sigh escaped Michael as he put his walled back into his pocket and sat down. "As soon as possible is best. However, like I said we'll need to make a report for David to give to the directors. So we'll begin out studies tomorrow. Brigit you seem to get along with Lucy quite well. So you're in charge of the morning examinations I'll take over during the evening."

For a moment Brigit was made to giggle. "Well that is surprising. I felt certain you'd ask when she'd be the crankiest."

For a moment Michael was silent then he quickly snapped his fingers. "Darn it I should have. Well regardless of that over sight. Brigit, I'll need you to decide who you'll need for the day tests tonight as well."

************************************************************************

As David exited the meeting room he couldn't help but sigh. The directed had been quite happy to hear that the eighth step hadn't killed the young girl at least not at the moment. There had been some concern but that had been eclipsed by their excitement over the fact that the eighth step could make people grow alone. Michael had assumed this happening would be an area of worry instead it was an area of great hope to the bored.

With the positive results out weighing the negative by such a large margin at the moment it had been easy to secure the release of funds. However, there was enough concern caused by the negative that the release of funds had come at a price. The bored would want to know what had caused the negative and unforeseen side affects very soon.

They were excited about the prospect of marking a treatment that would allow people to grow several more centimeters quickly. On the downside though, they also realized that this might be a rare fluke, dangerous or fatal. So on par with their prospects for making a large profit was their desire to quickly find out just what the situation was.

This extra pressure that was going to be placed on them wasn't the only price to be paid though.

Karen and Claude set across from Michael as they ate their breakfast. This wasn't a purely social gathering though. He had spoken to David on the phone and now he had to hope that the couple would be cooperative. He thought about making small talk but quickly resolved to get strait to the point. "I spoke with the financial director of the eighth step project and he informed that they've given their go ahead for us to continue the research and have allotted some extra funds for further unforeseen expenses. However, before we can access them we have to move Lucy to one of our facilities."

After a few moments of silence Claude spoke up. "Where would you need to move her to?"

"We need to take her to our main lab in Anona. Of course we are prepared to provide you with housing for the duration that we keep her there and even give you some time after the studies are complete should you choose to accept. However, I also know that you have a lot going on here with your home being burned down."

A slight chuckle escaped Claude. "Yeah, we're waiting for the insurance to process everything and let us know what kind of check we'll be getting. Could we have a few hours to talk it over?"

"Sure. We have the hotel rooms and the hospital rooms paid up for around another forty eight hours after all."

Before Michael could speak up Karen had to ask. "What if we say no?"

"Then we'd have to remain here to conduct our studies as we are now. However, we wouldn't be able to assist you with Lucy beyond her health or after the testing was over with and the eighth step had vanished from her system."

************************************************************************

It was fortunate for Michael that he was alone as he looked over Lucy's clothing as it meant he didn't have to hide his smile. Currently he held up a pair of Lucy's pants he had been looking over the tortured waste band. The material had been stretched and in several threads had been broken. The interior of the legs followed a similar pattern and several tears could be seen forming.

The pants made it very clear how Lucy had managed to fit them on. She hadn't been able to. Instead she'd forced them on or had grown after they were put on. Had she continued wearing them he had no doubt that they would have burst if her rate of growth continued.

Knowing that Lucy hadn't been fitting the clothing on but rather had been forcing it on did answer one question however it didn't answer every question. The dominate question for most was why hadn't she complained about pain or even minor discomfort. A secondary was how she'd managed to damage the clothing so badly just by putting it on. The material wasn't exactly paper after all especially in regards to the waste band and yet it bore a striking resemblance to a cotton ball that had been plucked apart at the moment.

A knocking at his door took his attention away from the clothing. Even before he'd set the pants down he'd already managed to wipe the grin from his face and replace it with a look of curiosity. Standing up he made his way over to the door and checked through the peep hole. A moment later he opened the door. "Claude, Karen what brings you to here so late?" As Michael spoke he stepped aside and gestured for them to enter.

After taking a few steps inside and making enough room for Claude, Karen turned to Michael. "How long do you believe we would be set up? We're being asked to make quite a move and while our home burning down makes it easier that is still a lot to ask for."

"I fully agree. Well legally you would have at least two weeks. Sense if we grant you permission to stay in one of the accommodations we have to give you at least two weeks notice before eviction. So that would be two weeks even if the project was cancelled the moment you arrived. Of course I believe you'll have much longer then that. I imagine we'll need to observe Lucy very closely for at least six months after the eighth step has been removed from her system."

Once he realized that Karen wasn't going to comment Claude spoke up. "That's quite a lot of time away. I couldn't ask them to hold my job for six months."

A grin formed on Michael's face. "Surely you don't believe that we wouldn't compensate you financially as well as little Lucy."

"Well we felt a little awkward asking about that given how much you've done for us already."

While Michael didn't show it he was very happy with the Angeye's responses. It was always helpful when everyone involved cooperated with one another. "Come now you must be more willing to press your contract. We guaranteed you easy access to your daughter. How can you have easy access if you don't have the money to stay local to her?"

"Will there be additional paper work?"

"Of course there will be. What type of agreement would this be without paper work? Claude, would you mind coming inside a bit more so that I can close the door?"

In response Claude quickly stepped further inside and behind his wife. "I didn't realize that the door was still open."

"That isn't a problem. I figured you'd ask about the paper work and additional stipulations tomorrow but fortunately I already had them fax the paper work. So I can go ahead and let you see it."

Karen gave a nod as she followed Michael. She knew that her husband still wasn't in any condition to be handling a pin. "That would be nice."

"Keep in mind this is negotiable but not with me you'd have to talk to David about it if there is something you want to change. That said I believe it's a pretty good offer. One question, have you told Lucy about it?"

"Yeah, she wanted to know if you'd give her a better bed then the ones she's been using in the hospital."

"I'll let her know that the answer is yes in the morning. That is unless you want to speak to David."

"Are these the papers?" As Karen spoke she indicated a small stack that was resting on Michael's desk.

"Yes they are. Feel free to read through them now if you want."

As Claude walked further into the room he caught sight of Lucy's old clothing. "Karen would you mind reading over those for me?"

A slight chuckle escaped Karen. "I suppose so. Just don't start thinking that this is all free. The moment those bandages come off you're going to be handling all the paper work for a while."

For a moment Claude was made to chuckle he then made his way over to Lucy's clothing that Michael had been examining. "So did you figure out how she was fitting her clothes on?"

"Yes I did. Well I did in a sense. All one has to do is look at the waste band and it becomes clear that she wasn't fitting the clothing on she was forcing it on." As he spoke Michael walked over to Claude and held up the waste band of Lucy's pants so that he could see the tears.

"They're shredded. She didn't mention being in pain though. Do you think that the symbiot is numbing her?"

Michael quickly shook his head. "No I'm certain that isn't the case. None of our tests have indicated that her sense of touch has been diminished in the least. Also there was no mention of markings on her skin or bruising. The fact that there was no bruising is the clincher really. As to be honest given the damage to the waste band of her pants there should have been bruising."

"So what do you believe happen?"

"Well at first I suspected that the material of the jeans might have been inferior but." Picking up the clothing Michael took hold of both sides of the jeans and gave them a few quick jerks. "I don't believe that is the case. Would you want to test to?"

A slight chuckle escaped Claude. "I'd like to but" instead of saying more Claude held up his left hand to remind Michael that he was burned.

Both of the men's attention was drawn to Karen as she giggled and turned to them. "Claude, you know you've been forgetting your burns as well every time you mention work. There is no way you'll be going back to work for at the very least a month. So let's see our home is burned down, you can't work and I really think it's best if we get away from here for a while."

For a moment Claude was silent then a slight chuckle escaped him. "So the only thing that is keeping us here is your job and well. I know she's putting up a brave front but don't you believe Lucy will miss her friends?"

"Yes but here let me show you this." As she spoke Karen made her way over to her husband and bent down to show him the paper. "Do you believe that we can really afford to pass up their offer?"

It only took Claude a few moments to respond. "It would make things a lot easier then they will be otherwise. I'm just not going to enjoy telling her she won't see all her friends whenever school starts back."

While the couple had talked Michael had remained silent but now he chose to speak up. "Pardon me, but it sounds like you're planning on moving. You know that isn't necessary. Just think of it as an extended vacation while you recuperate from your injuries and handle the financial and legal problems you're facing."

Claude gave his head a quick nod. "That's true but honestly. I don't know if it'd be a good idea for us to stay around here. Karen and I talked about it and with everything that's going on with Kevin we just want to get away from here."

"Ah I see. Well I'll keep my thoughts to myself on that subject as I don't know the finer details."

"Karen, why don't you let me read through those papers and I'll see what I think to."

As she nodded her head Karen set the paper work down in Claude's lap and moved to set next to him. "So you were going to tell us how Lucy got her clothes on?"

A grin once again appeared on Michael's face. "Well sense it doesn't seem to be shabby material I've come up with a few theories. Now the eighth step is actually more durable then human flesh and her body was pretty much covered in it. It could have increased her endurance so that the pressure wasn't enough to harm her. The problem is I don't believe there was a thick enough layer on her skin to increase her endurance that much. That or perhaps it did actually harm her however the eighth step healed her bruises but then she should have still complained about pain.

Of course this is all assuming that she had her clothes on while she was growing. That would mean that most of it would have had to happen in the final hours of the day we noticed."

After a moment Claude gave a nod. "Because otherwise endurance alone wouldn't have been enough she'd also had to force the clothing on. Hey wait a minute. Whenever Brigit was testing Lucy I tried to put some shoes on her and they wouldn't fit. I managed to get them on but she complained about them hurting her feet and quickly took them off."

"That would seem to indicate that she's been growing for a while now. In that case she'd have to be strong enough to force the clothing on. Then they are other possibilities. After all we're assuming that Lucy didn't know what the eighth step was doing to her at the moment."

Turning away from her husband Karen addressed Michael. "What do you mean?"

"Well let's say that Lucy realized that the eighth step was helping her grow. Perhaps, her clothing was hurting her but she didn't tell us about it because she was afraid we'd make it stop. In that cases the scenario in which her bruises simply healed becomes far more plausible."

"Our daughter" Karen was cut short when she noticed Claude looking at her.

"Remember the firecrackers? She hid the fact that she'd burnt herself despite the pain. If she figured out that the symbiot was helping her do what we say vegetables do. Help her grow up big and strong she might very well hide the pain to keep it."

For a moment it seemed like Karen would protest but at last she sighed. "She really can be a little scamp at times."

After a moment of silence Michael spoke up again. "Of course this is all just speculation. Tomorrow after we've conducted some tests we'll have a better idea of what is going on."

************************************************************************

"Okay Lucy, are you ready?"

"Yeah" Lucy smiled as she laid on the table a slight giggle escaped her whenever she felt Brigit press the metal pad to her stomach and began to move it over her body. The sensor was a horribly ticklish device so that Lucy had to struggle to keep from moving.

A grin formed on Brigit's face as she quickly moved the sensor over Lucy's belly far more times then was needed. The sudden movement was more then the young girl could handle and she soon burst into laughter while her body jerked slightly. As Lucy's body suddenly jerked to the side and pushed upward Brigit gave a slight yelp though her smile quickly returned.

The force with which Lucy's body had moved had been far more then she'd expected. While it wasn't enough to be painful it was enough to easily push Brigit's arm away and caught her off guard. Still, she didn't let Lucy see her concern as she turned to the screen. "Okay let's see just where that symbiot is now."

Once the ticklish sensation stopped and Lucy began to get control of her body again she looked to the screen. She had been through this before and knew that anywhere that was green the eighth step currently resided. Those areas that were blue it could no longer be found. "Did it leave already?" As Lucy looked at the monitor she couldn't help but feel somewhat saddened. The layout of her body was coming out entirely blue.

"That can't be right." As the monitor gave its reading Brigit found herself moving the sensor over the same body parts again and again. Despite her repeated test the result was always the same the layout of Lucy's body stayed blue meaning the machine wasn't detecting the symbiot. "Huh, something must be wrong. Well just give me a minute to call someone in here to fix this and we'll move onto some other tests while we wait for it to be fixed."

"You mean symbi hasn't left me yet?" As she spoke Lucy set up a smile returning to her face.

While the eighth step had been behaving in an unexpected manner there was no way that Brigit could believe it had already replaced Lucy's damaged flesh and broken down. "No symbi is still with you. The machine is just messing up so we can't see it." A slight giggle escaped Brigit as she used the nickname Lucy had given to the eighth step.

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy and a smile appeared on her face as she hopped off the table. While Brigit had told her that the symbiot would be leaving her it hadn't stopped her from hoping that it would stay with her for a long time. She'd even named the eighth step though the name wasn't exceptionally creative she liked the sound of it. The symbiot was her friend after all it had healed her though she had never really got to see it.

They hadn't realized it at the time but the researchers had also helped Lucy come to think of the symbiot as a unique friend. If they had only let her know that the symbiot had healed her she might have not become as attached. However, upon learning that the reason she was so hungry as of late was due to the symbiot being inside of her she'd come to believe that she could help it. While she hadn't made any mention of it she'd also began hoping that she could convince it to stay with her. The fact that she believed when she ate she was also taking care of the symbiot appealed to several aspects of Lucy's nature.

After getting off the table Lucy made her way over to the chair where they had taken a few skin scrapings and quite a bit of blood. While she didn't like giving the blood and hated the skin scrapings the young lady didn't hesitate whenever it came to climbing into the chair. "My mommy and daddy told me this morning that we'd be leaving soon. They said you were taking me to a special hospital."

Upon hanging up her phone Brigit made her way over to Lucy and began to prepare the syringe. "You know Lucy you're a really brave little girl." As Brigit prepared to continue Lucy didn't give her time.

"Not for long if symbi has anything to say about it! Mommy and Daddy said symbi is making me into a brave big girl." A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she looked at the chair and noted how much smaller it seemed to be.

For a moment Brigit was a little stunned by Lucy's response soon though a grin returned to her face. "I see. So how do you feel about growing up so quickly?"

"It's neat I can reach things I couldn't before and it's easier to hug daddy and mommy. Daddy says that if I grow too much he won't be able to give me piggy back rides anymore. Then I told him that perhaps I'll grow enough that I can give him a piggy back ride!"

A slight chuckle escaped Brigit. "So you like growing then?"

"Yeah, I do! It is lots of fun. Things feel a lot lighter now to."

Upon pressing the needle against Lucy's arm Brigit was surprised when it didn't sink in right away. Carefully Brigit increased the pressure she was exerting on the needle until it finally began to push through into Lucy's skin. As Lucy's blood began to fill the vial she could hardly believe what she'd felt. It had felt like she was pushing the needle into an adult body builder's arm instead of a child's. "Wouldn't you prefer if your daddy gave you a piggy back ride?"

"No! I want to be able to give daddy a piggy back ride."

Despite the danger involved in the situation Brigit couldn't help but play along with Lucy. The child's enthusiasm was simply astounding. "So you'd like to grow big enough to give your father a piggy back ride, is that all?"

In response Lucy quickly shook her head. "No. I want to be even bigger."

"Now why is that?"

For a moment Lucy grew silent as she considered the question. After a short while though a delighted giggle escaped her. "It'd be fun!"

Brigit had been expecting an answer more along the lines of not having to listen to anyone anymore. So she was actually rather surprised when Lucy gave such a simple and strait forward answer. Once the shock had worn off she felt herself giggling and was forced to wait to take the skin scraping. "Wouldn't you miss climbing trees?"

"Nope, I like to climb them so that I can look around. If I was really big already I wouldn't need to climb them and that way daddy wouldn't have to worry about me falling and hurting myself."

"I see. Well it seems like this has all been positive for you."

"Yep it has!"

"Okay Lucy, I know you don't like this but I need to get that scraping now. Are you ready?"

While Lucy's response wasn't enthusiastic she still wore a smile on her face as she leaned back in the seat. "Yeah go ahead."

Carefully Brigit pressed the blade against Lucy's flesh. While she needed to get enough of a sample to be tested she didn't want to take anymore then she had to or make Lucy feel anymore pain then was absolutely necessary. As she drew the blade across Lucy's skin though she was a bit surprised when nothing happened. When no flesh came off the first time she made another pass and this time increased the pressure. Once again she didn't even get a sliver of skin. "Well that is odd. Is the blade dull?" Holding up the instrument Brigit gently touched her finger to it and quickly withdrew it. "Ouch, no it is not."

"Is something the matter?" Upon seeing Brigit jump slightly Lucy leaned forward. Her smile was still there but it was mixed with concern.

"No, I'm fine. I just cut myself being silly. Remember that never test to see if a blade is sharp by touching it. You'll either find out that it is or regret that it isn't." Standing up Brigit went and bandaged her finger while retrieving another scalpel. As she retrieved the instrument she couldn't help but wonder. Had she used that delicate of a touch while working with Lucy or was the girl's skin that durable?

Even though she didn't like the pain Lucy watched as Brigit pressed the new scalpel into her skin. She didn't think anything of how the woman's fingers visibly tensed as she drew the blade forward but she did grip her seat. "You said symbi was on my skin as well didn't you?"

While Brigit was focused on removing the sample without hurting Lucy too much she knew how careful she had to be with that question. "Yes however do you remember how pale you were whenever you first took off your bandages?"

"Yes."

"Well your skin returning to its normal color should mean that symbi is finished and moving on. So right now symbi should only be inside of you. We're just checking to make sure that is the case." Upon removing the skin sample Brigit carefully tucked it away in a small container and sealed the lid. "Now why don't you come with me and we'll drop these off at the lab? Then we can begin some other tests."

After giving her head a quick nod Lucy hopped of the chair. "What type of test are we going to do?"

"You'll see. Don't worry I'll do these tests along with you if you want."

Upon entering the hospitals rehabilitation room Lucy was delighted to see both her parents waiting for her. Her walk became a swift trot as she crossed the room. "Mommy, Daddy did you come to help with the tests?"

"Well we came to watch. I'm sorry that we didn't make it here in time for your blood work. We had a bit of a delay at the apartment."

"It's okay mommy."

Walking over to his daughter Claude bent down and gave her a half hug with his good arm. The delay had been due to Karen having to help him with his bandages something she still didn't have much experience in. "So are you ready to show us what you can do?"

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she hugged her father in return. "I sure am."

"I swear I haven't even told her what she is going to be tested on and she's already saying she's prepared for whatever it is." Brigit grinned she adjusted the equipment for Lucy.

As he straitened up Claude gave his little girl a few pats on the head. "Whatever challenge she's cooked up you're ready for it aren't you Lucy?"

Lucy gave her head a quick nod. "I sure am."

"Well then. You just come over here and lie down on this." Brigit couldn't help but grin as Lucy quickly dashed away from her parents and climbed onto the bench press. "Okay can you reach the bar?"

Instead of answering verbally Lucy reached up and wrapped her fingers around the bar. She didn't bother waiting for Brigit to tell her what to do next but proceeded to lift it off its mount. The ease with which Lucy lifted the bar was absolute making it clear the bar didn't have nearly enough mass to challenge her. "Hey, daddy does this one weigh as much as the one at home?"

It took Claude a few seconds to speak. "I'm not sure Lucy. How much does that bar way?"

"It weights twenty kilograms by itself." Despite having more time then Claude to get over her surprised it still took Brigit a moment to speak.

"Yeah Lucy that one weighs as much as the one we have at home."

"Neat! It feels so light now."

"Why don't you put it down and I'll add more mass?" After giving a quick nod Lucy set the bar down and Brigit began the task of adding an extra five kilograms to either side. "So Lucy you've done this before?"

"Yeah, I've done it several times with daddy." Once the extra ten kilograms had been added Lucy once again reached up and lifted the bar from its mount. Once again the bar didn't seem to offer any resistance. Instead of setting it down right away though Lucy proceeded to do a few quick repetitions.

"I take it you can handle more then that." Brigit grinned as Lucy set the bar back down.

"Yeah" a delighted smile adorned Lucy's face as she looked over at her father. "Isn't this neat daddy? I can handle more then just the bar now. I bet I can even handle some disks like you."

"You're doing great sweet. Do you believe that you could handle double?"

"Yeah I can." Before Brigit could add any extra mass to the bar Lucy once again reached up though this time with only one hand. While the bar's dimensions made it somewhat awkward for her to balance it was clear as she lifted it that she had no trouble handling the mass even with one arm.

After Lucy set the bar down Brigit took a moment to step around behind Lucy. Reaching down she lifted the bar from its stand as if testing to make sure this wasn't a prank. After a moment she set it back down. "Well then, I guess we can take it up to sixty kilograms then. Now Lucy tell me when you're having trouble lifting it."

"Okay." As Lucy watched Brigit remove the two five kilogram weights and add on two twenty she spoke up again. "Hey those are like the ones daddy uses though he uses more."

As Claude listened to his daughter he couldn't help but grin. "Be careful Lucy but don't hold anything back. You've already lifted more then what I can now." For a moment Claude worried that he might have said something wrong as he noticed his daughter's expression change. So he was quite pleased when her smile returned a few moments later though he did make a mental note of the moment.

There had indeed been a moment whenever Claude had mentioned her lifting more then him in which Lucy had been saddened. It wasn't because she had lifted more then he could at the moment but rather because it made her think of his burns. Claude and Karen had both assured Lucy that it wasn't her fault but she still felt to blame at times. "Okay, I'll do my best."

Michael had been the one that told Brigit to test Lucy's current strength levels. This was in order to find out if she had the strength to force her clothing on as they had speculated. At the moment Brigit was fairly certain that the young girl did have such strength. Now she just needed to find out how much that truly was. "Okay Lucy, go ahead."

Reaching up Lucy once again took hold of the bar. This time as she pressed up on it though there was a moment of resistance however the lift was still smooth and easy. Once the bar was off the mount Lucy once again proceeded to do several repetitions to show the ease with which she could handle the mass.

"So what do you think Lucy?"

"It's light." Lifting the bar once again Lucy set it back on its mount. "Would you add some more mass now?"

"Sure, should I double it again?"

"Yeah" as Lucy eagerly nodded her head her father spoke up.

"I don't know if that is safe it looks like it took you a moment to lift it that time."

"I can handle it daddy." While Lucy contradicted her father her tone was far from spiteful or defiant. Rather it radiated energy and confidence.

For a moment Claude grew silent. "Lucy do you remember what you promised me back home?"

It took a moment but Lucy responded. "I promised that I would ever try to lift any of the weights unless you were there and watching me but daddy you are here. I can do it. Please let me try."

A sigh escaped Claude. He was very pleased to see his daughter's confidence but he was worried she might hurt herself. Even if his arms hadn't been burned handling one hundred and twenty kilograms would have been tough. As he was now he knew that he couldn't. Before he could speak up though, Karen walked by him and made her way over to the bench press. "Don't worry me and Brigit can lift it off of her if she gets into trouble."

Seeing his wife taking her position and helping Brigit exchange the weights Claude gave a sigh. "Okay, but be careful."

Nodding her head quickly the little girl reached up and took hold of the bar. Gritting her teeth she pressed up on the mass. A few clinks could be heard as the bar began to wobble about and Lucy's face began to turn red. Then slowly the bar lifted half a centimeter off the mount, not even enough to get it over the hooks that held it in place when a sharp gasp escaped Lucy. A slight clang went throughout the room as she released the bar and it landed back on the mounts.

For a while nothing happened until Claude made his way over to the bench press. A wide grin was on his face as he bent down and placed his left hand on his panting daughter's forehead. "You did great Lucy. There is no way I could have lifted that before."

There was a long moment in which Lucy just looked up at her father. Her failure to lift the mass was something of a blow to the young girl's ego and it did sadden her to an extent. It had effectively destroyed the high she'd been feeling after realizing how much stronger she was. The smile she had worn before hand hadn't vanished but it had been dented. "I believed I could lift it."

A slight chuckle escaped Claude and he bent down. "You nearly lifted six times your weight and you sure could have lifted five. I couldn't even come close to that. Still, if not being able to carry six of yourselves with your arms alone bothers you that much then we'll just have to start weight training. Of course we'll have to find a few people to help out."

Immediately Lucy's eyes lit up. "You really think that I can do it daddy?"

"Well I don't know for sure but if you're willing to try I'm willing to teach."

While Lucy hadn't gotten the answer she wanted she was still quite pleased with her father's response. "Then I'll do my best." Before Lucy could continue the young girl reached down and pressed her hands to her stomach as she felt a slight rumbling. She then looked up at her father and mother. "I'm hungry can we go eat first?"

Seeing his daughter perking up again Claude was made to grin. "Well I believe Brigit has more tests she needs to run first. I'll tell you what you stay here and I'll go and get your snack basket."

Okay, daddy could you also get me something to drink?"

"Sure what would you like?"

"I want some chocolate milk but if they don't have that some orange or grape juice."

************************************************************************

"So you didn't get to check for the eighth step?"

"I tried but the machine wasn't working. It didn't show the symbiot's presence at all."

After a moment Michael gave a quick nod as he looked at the report Brigit had brought him. "You chose to store the blood and skin samples?"

"Yes, we'll be returning to the lab soon after all. We can run more exact tests there and I really don't want to have to take more samples then what is absolutely necessary."

"That's good thinking." Michael took a moment to flip through more of the pages in the report Brigit had brought him. As he came to the weight lifting session a sharp whistle escaped him. "It seems that her strength is going up faster then her height."

"Yeah, I have to admit I was quite surprised but relieved as well."

"Indeed, now we know why she wasn't complaining about any feelings of weakness. Her bones and muscles are strengthening so fast they more then compensate for the additional mass that she has to carry around." A slight chuckle escaped Michael. "A child that could bench press most adults, that's really something else."

"Yeah it's a shame that we didn't have this data whenever we had David commission the bored of directors for more funding."

"To be honest I'm glad that we didn't. They're already going to put enough pressure on us to find out why Lucy grew so much so quickly. If they found out it had also made her stronger that would be a whole other question they'd been pressuring us to answer. Of course we still have to answer the question but this way we don't get pestered about it. That and incase it looks like they're about to pull the projects funding we can reveal it to them then."

"Ah I see. Yeah it would be quite hard for them to pass up a treatment that could make the body taller and stronger as well regardless of the projects cost. After all she's an eleven year old with strength surpassing many grown men. Can you imagine what it would do in an adult?"

"What it might do in an adult you mean. We don't know if the eighth step will affect grown ups the same was as children."

For a moment Brigit was quiet then a slight giggle escaped her. "What it might do to adults or boys. After all it may not have the same affect on a little boy. Oh wouldn't that upset some people?"

A slight chuckle escaped Michael. "That is true. Well that is impressive. You clocked her top running speed at thirty kilometers an hour?"

"Yeah and she nearly ran off the treadmill when she speed up too quickly. Apparently the machine couldn't accelerate as quickly as she could."

"Mm maybe we should have her participate in the Olympics for publicity. I don't believe she'd get any of the gold medals but with that type of acceleration she might have a chance in sprinting. I wonder if the bored would be willing to sponsor her. What are the age requirements for the Olympics?"

It would have been impossible for Brigit not to grin even if she hadn't wanted to. "I believe that she's too young and I'm not sure if the bored would be willing to go quite that far."

"I don't know. Perhaps, I'll just mention it to David."

A slight giggle escaped Brigit as she noted the thoughtful look on Michael's face. "I swear I wish I could tell if you're being serious or not."

Instead of responding right away Michael glanced over at the clock and set the report back down. "Brigit would you mind going over the finer details with me on our flight back to Anona?"

"Sure but what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to step out for a while. They're a few things that I need to get if I don't want to end up sleeping on the couch tonight."

"Huh, you think that Anne would be angry enough to put you on the couch just over five days?"

"Well probably not but honestly I just can't take that chance."

"Ah is the couch that uncomfortable?"

A huge grin appeared on Michael's face as he looked at Brigit. "No but I miss having Anne lying with me enough as is. To have her just a few rooms away and not be able to be with her is a torture that I can not stand."

************************************************************************

"I can get it daddy."

As Claude reached down for the suitcase he was a bit surprised when he felt Lucy's shoulder press into him. Whenever he didn't relent the force quickly increased until she'd managed to nudge him aside. It wasn't a violent shove though but rather a gradual push. He then watched as the young girl took hold of the luggage and lifted it smoothly out of the cab. "Now Lucy, I know you meant well but you shouldn't push people like that."

"Daddy your hand is burned and Mommy said that you are to use it as little as possible. I can carry the suitcase now." As if to illustrate her point Lucy shifted the suitcase around until she was holding it with one arm. She then reached into the trunk and proceeded to remove the second largest item of luggage that she could find.

It was impossible for Karen not to be concerned with her daughter's condition even as she lifted the suitcase. While all the outward appearances of her daughter's condition seemed beneficial she couldn't help but worry that there may be dangerous complications down the road. Still, she couldn't help but address her husband. "You know she is right."

For a moment Claude was silent he then gave a quick nod. Turning to his side he noted that there were only three small cases left now. "Well then I guess I'll leave the lifting to you ladies then."

"Go right ahead." Karen couldn't have carried the two cases that her daughter had lifted with such ease however the three remaining didn't even have the mass of one of those. So she had no problem in lifting the three remaining bags and closing the trunk.

As Brigit watched Lucy carry two suitcases that rivaled her in size she couldn't help but chuckle. The expression on the cab driver's face was priceless as far as she was concerned. Despite her amusement though she was glad that they'd realized such an event might occur so they had set the Angeyes up in a company home where the witnesses to the event would be extremely limited. The cab driver was the only pair of outside eyes. "Mm we should have used a company car. I'll have to make sure David knows better next time."

While the size of the suitcases forced Lucy to carry them in an awkward position her strength was more then enough to compensate for the lack of leverage. Once she reached Brigit the young girl quickly turned around to face her parents. "See Daddy, I can help out with the big stuff now."

At first Claude considered both praising his daughter but also scolding her for just pushing someone aside. The willpower needed and even the notion that he needed to scold her for being rude vanished the moment he looked at her. "You sure can. Just make sure that you don't try to carry too much and injure yourself."

"I'll be careful Daddy."

Walking over to his daughter Claude gave the young girl a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks for the help."

What had been a slight smile became a huge grin as Lucy turned and quickly made her way up the steps. Brigit gave Claude a grin before following behind the young girl. "Well have one of the company cars brought by later. You can take today to get settled in you'll probably want to do some grocery shopping. Tomorrow we'll show you where Lucy will actually be being treated." After she unlocked the door and grasped the handle Brigit turned to face the group. "Now if you take Lucy out with you is up to you but you must keep her condition a secret."

In response to Brigit's reminder Karen quickly waved her hand. "Don't worry Claude hates shoppin. He and Lucy can stay here."

"Your cooperation is appreciated." Turning around Brigit quickly turned the doorknob and stepped inside. "Tomorrow while I show you around the lab if Lucy likes the park. I'll also show you around the recreational area and trails."

Once the door was open Lucy quickly dashed inside of the house ahead of her parents. Instantly the child was struck by an observation. "Ah this house is smaller then our old one."

"That is strange it didn't look like it from the outside." Upon stepping inside of the house Claude couldn't help but chuckle. "Um Lucy this house isn't smaller then our old one."

Lucy seemed to have forgotten the luggage or simply wasn't troubled enough by them to think to set them down as she turned to face her father. "Yes it is. Everything is smaller."

Walking over to Lucy Claude stood next to her so that she could see how much further she now came up on him. "No Lucy. It isn't that everything is smaller you're just bigger."

For a moment Lucy just stood there looking at her father. A moment later a slight giggle escaped her. A delighted grin came to adorn her face as if the young girl had just truly came to comprehended the fact that she'd grown quite a lot. "Whoops."

Walking over to Karen Brigit tapped her on the shoulder. Once the woman turned around she handed over the keys. "Okay, I'm going to get going now. I'll leave room arrangements up to you."

"So you're not going to keep Lucy in the lab?"

"Not unless it is absolutely necessary. At this moment we don't believe that such steps are needed." Reaching into her pocket Brigit brought out a card which she handed to Karen. "If you need anyone just call that number and ask for them. I also wrote down this buildings address so that you can inform them where to send your mail. You'll probably want to get in touch with your insurance in regards to your husbands injuries."

"Yeah, I'll need to get in touch with a hospital as well. We've been so busy with Lucy that we haven't begun planning for more extensive surgeries for Claude."

"Hey don't rush off to get surgery. Who knows, once we figure out what is happening with the eighth step we may be able to use it to treat your husband."

As Brigit and Karen spoke Claude whispered to Lucy. "Hey do you want to go and pick out your room?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay let's go take a look at the upstairs first." Standing up Claude watched as his daughter once again dashed ahead of him. Before she could get up the steps though he called out to her" Lucy you can put the bags down now."

A somewhat embarrassed though very happy looked formed on Lucy's face as she set the suitcases down. Apparently the young girl had forgotten that she was even carrying them despite their mass. "Come on hurry up Daddy."

Brigit had turned to see what was going on when Claude had called out to Lucy. Upon realizing that the young girl had forgotten that she was even carrying the suitcases she turned back to Karen who seemed fairly surprised by the event as well. "I'm beginning to think that we're going to have to do periodic strength tests on Lucy. Tomorrow when you come to the lab we'll discuss such things as buying her more clothing if she continues to grow."

************************************************************************

A sigh escaped Lucy as she gave her covers a swift kick. Her eyes jerked open suddenly and glanced to the wall as she heard a sudden impact. It took her a moment to realize that what she'd heard was the hefty comforter smacking into the wall. In her half asleep state she hadn't noticed how much force she had put into the kick.

For a moment Lucy just looked around her new room and listened. The current furnishing was quite Spartan. The only toys where three dolls that her parents had purchased for her when they took her clothes shopping. All her other toys were burnt to ashes. After a short while of listening she felt certain that she hadn't woke up her parents. Reaching up she then placed her hand on her chests.

"You know Symbi I might have lost all my toys but I would have traded them all for you. Even though you can only spend a little time with me. You're better then all of them put together."

Turning around Lucy glanced down at the clock that set next to her bed. She was actually surprised to see that the clock read five thirteen. After a moment of thought she realized that she had only slept for seven hours. In truth she had slept for even less then that. She'd woken up some time during the night and tried to get back to sleep but found that she couldn't so she'd lain in bed for a while. She normally slept for far longer easily nine or ten hours.

At the moment though she felt entirely rested so she wasn't certain what to do. A rumbling in her stomach moments later told her what she should do. Turning around she gently lowered her feet to the hardwood floor below. Her parents wouldn't be awake for another two hours and she had no desire to wake them up.

As Lucy crept throughout the house she didn't even stop to think to turn on any of the lights despite being in a strange house and having no real knowledge of the layout. While she could tell that it was still night she could see as well as most could during sunset. This didn't even register with the young lady though as she made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Karen had gone shopping that day and Lucy had helped her put up the groceries and dishes she had bought. Lucy had been so eager to make use of her height that she'd insisted on putting up those food items that went on the shelves though she was still limited to the lower most shelves. So now she knew exactly where the bread and peanut butter was.

As she opened the fridge to retrieve the strawberry jelly she also grabbed an apple out and bit into the fruit. Holding the apple in her mouth she then closed the fridge and proceeded to twist the lid of the jelly jar off. Instantly the child's eyes lit up as she looked at the paper seal. She'd always had to ask her father to open jars for her if they hadn't already been opened or if he had sealed them too tightly.

Quickly she made her way back over to the table and set the jelly down. Picking up the peanut butter she eagerly removed the cap and was delighted to find that it too was still sealed. As Lucy was overcome with excitement she soon forgot what time it was.

The sedatives Claude took for his pain also tended to aid a great deal in sleeping. However, even he couldn't remain asleep when twenty eight kilograms of pure energy and excitement landed at the food of the bed. As he was jarred into the conscious world he felt as if his heart had skipped a beat and he quickly looked to face the bed's new occupant.

"Mommy, Daddy look, I opened it all on my own." As the young girl held the jar out towards her parents she seemed oblivious of the fact that they'd just be woken up very quickly and could not see in the dark.

A sigh escaped Karen as she felt her heart rate slowing down. She'd been just as surprised by the child's sudden appearance as her husband. Reaching to her side she fumbled around for the lamp for a few moments before turning on the light. The first thing she noticed though wasn't Lucy but rather the door behind her.

While Claude didn't care for the wake up call he wasn't angry once he felt his heart settling down though he was indeed wide awake. The rush of adrenaline that had come with the wake up call had scene to that. "Lucy what are you doing up so early?"

"I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep but look Daddy. I opened it on my own."

It took a moment but at last Claude's eyes adjusted to the light. He then noted the can of peanut butter his daughter was holding and a slight chuckle escaped him. "I see. You're toughening right up." Reaching out Claude took the can and turned to his wife. "I guess my little girl doesn't need me anymore."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy her father often teased her this way whenever she managed to do something for herself. "I'll always need you Daddy." With that Lucy proceeded to give her father a hug.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm one hundred percent sure."

While Karen didn't mean to interrupt her husband's and daughter's moment she had to speak up. "That isn't the only thing that she opened."

"What do you mean? Oh." Claude blinked as he looked past Lucy and at the door. They'd shut the door before bed and apparently Lucy hadn't thought to turn the door knob. In her excitement she'd torn off a chunk of the door frame whenever she'd forced the door open.

With her excitement settling down Lucy looked to see what her parents were looking at. The moment she saw the door frame her smile vanished, "oh no. I didn't mean to break the door!"

A slight chuckle escaped Claude as he patted his daughter on the head. "It's okay Lucy. It shouldn't be that hard to fix."

For a few moments Lucy was quiet she then looked up at her father. "I'm not in trouble?"

"Why would you be? It was an accident."

Now that she was assured that she wouldn't be punished Lucy's smile returned. Though she had calmed down considerably, "can I help you fix the door?"

Despite the wake up call and the broken door Claude couldn't help but grin. He was quite proud of his daughter. Even though she was quite young she'd learned that sorry wasn't always enough. If she broke something even on accident she'd help in whatever way she could. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of the door though I don't believe I'll be fixing anything myself. Now what were you doing before you came in here?"

"I was making a sandwich."

"Well then. Let's go do that and then we'll get you back to bed."

"Daddy, I'm not sleepy. I tried to go back to bed already."

"Mm well then what do you want to do?"

As Lucy looked at her father she gave her head a quick shake. "You're still sleepy. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"I know. Now that I'm awake though what do you want to do?"

"You should go back to sleep I won't wake you up again." As Lucy spoke she carefully made her way off the bed. She turned around again though when she heard her father getting out of bed. "Please go back to bed."

"Okay, let me get up and make sure you don't cut yourself while you make your sandwich then I'll go back to bed. Okay?"

At last Lucy gave her head a quick nod. "Okay, but after that you go back to bed."

"What are you going to do though? You don't have your toys."

"If I keep the volume down can I watch some TV?"

"Sure."

"So will you go back to bed then?"

"Yes I'll go back to bed."

Carefully Lucy turned up the volume on the television. It wasn't that she was having trouble hearing it but she wanted to create some background sound for herself. She'd just finished off the last of her sandwich and made her way back into the kitchen. Once again she retrieved the peanut butter, jelly and bread. As she placed the spoon she used to make the sandwich into the sink though she stopped and turned back to the cupboard where the peanut butter was.

An impish grin adorned Lucy's face as she removed the peanut butter. She'd tightened the lid before putting it back up however she'd only turned it as many times as she had when removing it. That way it wouldn't be too tight now she'd decided to change that. This time she tightened the lid several times over so that she'd be the only one in the house hold that could open the jar. Her father had done this a few times though it had been accidental.

After placing the peanut butter back Lucy quickly opened up the fridge and gave the jelly jar the same treatment. While she wasn't certain if she'd tightened them enough to prevent her mother from opening them she felt confident that she had. If not she'd just try against the next night. As she set the jar back she retrieved her sandwich as well as another apple and made her way back into the living room.

Now that she was alone and left entirely to her own devices Lucy couldn't help but let her mind wonder. While the experience with the weights had been a lot of fun she hadn't really gotten to experiment with her strength. After a few moments her eyes settled on the rocking chair. She wasn't sure if she should be moving furniture around but she'd never been told not to.

Quickly Lucy dashed back into the kitchen and retrieved one of the chairs. The light frame work was so light to her that she nearly slammed the seat into the sealing. Had her height been any greater she would have. This didn't really register with her though as she dashed back into the living room and set the chair down in the middle. She then quickly climbed up into the seat.

Despite her additional centimeters Lucy didn't feel that she was quite enough to get a full view of the room's layout without some help. As she took a few moments to look around though she couldn't help but forgot her plan for a few moments. "I wonder if I could really grow to be this tall." Turning her eyes upward Lucy reached up and placed her palm against the sealing for a few moments. This only held her interest for a few moments as she began to once again look around the room. The feeling of pressing her hand against the roof only prompted her to search for something even taller.

Hopping down Lucy quickly dashed over to the sofa and more leapt then climbed onto the back of the chair. As she stood atop the thickly cushioned chair Lucy didn't look up at the sealing. Rather she looked around the room as she felt the top of her head just barely brushing against it. After a few moments of looking around Lucy looked down at herself and spoke. "Symbi, could you make me this tall? Miss Brigit said you're the reason I started growing so quickly so will you be with me long enough?"

As she climbed down from the couch Lucy couldn't help but try one more thing. After hopping down from the couch Lucy quickly sprinted over to the front door. Fortunately she remembered to unlock the door and open it before forcing it open. Though, she did forget to put on her shoes. Stepping out onto the porch she took only a moment to examine the support beams before taking hold of them.

Even before she'd been strengthened Lucy had been quite a proficient climber. So that with her strength enhanced to the point that she could support herself easily with one arm she had no trouble quickly climbing up onto the porch. She then scurried up onto the roof of the building and began to look around.

While the eighth step had only caused Lucy to grow twenty additional centimeters that had been in a three day time period. After such a rapid increase in her height Lucy couldn't help but let her imagination wonder. Perhaps, she really could grow into a giant as she had at times pretended. Considering that the symbiot had made her grow so much within only a few days it seemed exceptionally possible to the young girl's mind.

After a few moments Lucy's eyes fell upon the car that had been brought by for them to use sense theirs was a few districts away. She then held her hands out in front of her so that they appeared to be able to grasp the vehicle like it was one of her doll cars. After a few moments she closed her eyes and just let her imagination play with the thought.

They had been living at their new home for a month now and Claude currently found himself in the garage when the sound of several soft impacts got his attention. Walking to the front of the building he looked up as his massive daughter stepped around the side of the house. "Good morning Lucy."

"Morning Daddy, whatcha doing?" As Lucy spoke she bent at the knees and leaned her head to the side so that she could better see inside of the garage.

"I'm looking for the jack. I don't know who is in charge of maintenance but the car really needs to have its oil changed."

Turning her head to the vehicle Lucy gave a quick nod. "Can I help?"

"Well sweaty you can't really fit in the garage anymore."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy. "I know but I can do this." Turning around Lucy reached down and took hold of both sides of the vehicle. She then easily lifted it from the ground and even above the garage door. "See Daddy, you don't need a jack."

For a moment Claude just looked on as his massive daughter held the car in her hands as if it was meant for large dolls. "So I see. Well then let me know if your arms start getting tired so I can get out from under it."

"Sure." Lucy watched as her father walked back into the garage and retrieved a screwdriver, wrench, pan and a new oil filter. As he came back out she made sure to hold the car up so that he wouldn't have to even slouch to get under the vehicle.

Lucy's eyes fluttered open as she felt warmth on her face. Upon turning her gaze from the car in the driveway she looked out towards the morning sun. Realizing that her father wouldn't be happy with her climb on top of the house the young girl quickly made her way down to the roof, onto the porch. She'd spent longer in up on the roof then she'd realized.

Now her day dream had come to an end as she made it down the support to find her father waiting for her. As she saw him she couldn't help but notice the bandages on his arms. In her dream he hadn't had burnt arms or even scars. In truth there was no way he'd be working on any vehicles in a month even when doing something as simple as changing an oil filter. His arms would take more time and many more treatments to heal that far.

"I thought I heard something up on the roof. Now Lucy we've talked about this." Claude grew silent when he noticed the expression on his daughter's face and realized she was looking at his bandages. Without really thinking he moved closer to the porch and started to use his left arm to help her down. "Come on down you naughty little imp."

After a moment more of looking at her father Lucy gave a nod though she didn't take his hand. Instead she proceeded to climb back down onto the porch by herself. "I'm sorry Daddy."

A sigh escaped Claude. "Lucy these burns aren't your fault. We've talked about this come on now." Claude could tell that Lucy wasn't apologizing about being on the roof. Whenever the young girl was caught doing something she knew she shouldn't she'd smile like an imp. The expression on her face now was of remorse. "Show me my little imp."

It took a few moments but slowly Lucy's expression changed. She still wasn't over the thoughts that she'd caused her father's burns but his assurance was helping to slowly banish such thoughts. "Okay daddy."

"That's my girl. Of course you do realize that you lost all TV privileges for day by climbing onto the roof."

"Daddy, that's mean."

"Now young lady, you knew better then to be up on the roof before you ever climbed up. That is why you turned up the TV so much." As Claude glanced down at his daughter he noticed the impish grin on her face. When that grin spread into a full blown smile he quickly realized that wasn't the only thing she'd done while the volume was up.

"So she was outside." Karen smiled as she moved the seat back into the kitchen.

"Yes she was and now she's not allowed to watch TV for the entire day."

After placing the seat in the kitchen Karen walked back into the living room. "Oh. Where was she?"

"She'd climbed up on the roof."

A sigh escaped Karen as she looked at her daughter. "Lucy, we've talked about this before. You could fall and hurt yourself."

There was no attempt on Lucy's part to defend herself. Like her mother said, this was a conversation they already had. "I know mommy."

"I know you know. That is why I don't think that losing the TV for a day is enough as clearly it's not working."

Now Lucy's eyes widened and her smile diminished. "I was only on the roof though and it isn't nearly as tall as the trees."

Despite the situation Karen couldn't help but smile. Most children would promise not to climb up on the roof again only to repeat the act later. Lucy had used the same tactics once before but learned after words that when she broke a promise the punishment was far worse especially when that promise was made to her mother. When that happened Karen made it very clear that the punishment was harsher then normal because she'd broke a promise. "Lucy, if taking the TV away from you for a day isn't going to keep you off the roof or out of the trees then we're going to have to do something else."

There was a moment when Claude considered helping his daughter but he knew that Karen was right. After a moment a sigh escaped him. "You're right honey. Okay Lucy, go take a seat in the kitchen. You can snack if you want but no talking for thirty minutes and you still don't get any TV for the entire day."

Lucy's grin turned into a slight pout as she made her way into the kitchen. Though, it wouldn't be long before it returned. One of the primary difficulties in really punishing Lucy was the rate at which she bounced back from the punishment.

As Brigit looked at the blood sample from Lucy she felt her heart rate speeding up. It was with trembling fingers that she turned to her computer and quickly brought up a genetic profile of the girl. After a moment of detailed examination she looked back at the sample and was made to chuckle. Looking at Lucy's genetic profile had been a complete waste of time and she'd known it already. It was just that what she currently found herself looking upon seemed so impossible.

Once again Brigit turned back to the computer and set the machine to save what the microscope was currently showing her. As the machine did its job she brought out her phone and dialed Michael's number. They had a lot to talk about.

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As the last member of the research team entered the meeting room David set up in his seat. "Okay Michael, you got us all here what is it?"

Standing up Michael walked to the head of the table and picked up the small remote that was resting there. He then quickly brought up a display. "What you see now is a fairly standard DNA pattern for a human." Pressing a button he brought up another image beside it. "Now this is the DNA pattern of the eighth step which you all know we introduced to Miss Lucy not even a week ago. Sense then the eighth step has begun to behave in an unpredicted though so far safe manner. Though, it has resulted in some unusual changes in the young Lady.

In order to better understand what was causing these changes we attempted to locate the eighth step in her system. However, every time we scanned her it came up negative for the presence of the eighth step. At first this was thought to be equipment error but that doesn't seem to be the case. You see the eighth step has changed while the equipment was designed to detect it in its displayed state."

After waiting a moment Michael pushed the controlled once again and switched to a view of Lucy's original DNA profile. "This is the DNA profile for Miss Lucy we received from the hospital." After a moment Michael clicked the button on more time and brought up the second image. "This is Miss Lucy's current genetic profile and the current profile of the symbiot that we introduced into her body."

Silence dominated the room as every research team member was made to examine the profile more carefully. Much like Brigit didn't need to look at it none of them needed to look at Lucy's original genetic structure to know that it had changed. Though, many of them did as if hoping it would give them some answer. What they currently found themselves looking at clearly wasn't the genetic makeup of a human. Even David who only had only studied genetics to a very limited extent in collage knew that what the display showed wasn't the genetic profile of a human.

After giving the team time to digest this information Michael continued. "It seems that the eighth step has integrated itself with the young lady to the point of becoming a part of her cells. So far we've only tested the skin and blood but we have to assume that it's integrated itself with every aspect of her being."

"How is that possible? The eighth step wasn't designed to join with the host cells and none of our test indicated it was possible. They all showed that it was impossible."

"I'm aware of this but regardless of what our tests showed this is what happened."

While David was the least trained of the group he couldn't help but speak up. "Don't you believe it would be faulty to assume that the symbiot was the one that merged with her cells? Perhaps, her cells interacted with the symbiot instead."

"I'd say that is impossible however it was also supposed to be impossible for the symbiot to merge with hers. So I don't believe that we can throw out any theory."

"So what are we going to do now? We can't inject her with the serum now or it would destroy her entire body."

After a moment Michael gave a nod. "That is assuming that the serum would even affect the symbiot now. With these changes I'm not certain what would happen. They're three things that we need to do. The first thing we need to do is find out why this happened. We still have several blood samples from when we first injected Lucy to this day.. I want each and every sample carefully dissected. You are to find out everything you can.

The second thing we need to do is find out how to prevent it from happening. However, that depends entirely on the first stage.

Now the final thing that we must do is find out exactly what this has done to Miss Lucy. This is going to be by far the most difficult of the three assignments. So I'm going to assign Brigit to work on this project exclusively. Lucy is the most comfortable with her so she's idea to conduct the research."

After a moment David spoke up. "What about returning the young lady to normal?"

A sigh escaped Michael. "Yes that is an objective. However, the likelihood of such a thing even being possible is beyond slim. I'll be amazed if we can even learn where the eighth step is going with these changes."

"So what are we going to tell the family?"

There was no hesitation on David's part. "We'll tell them the truth of course. The contracts have us covered in the case of a medical mishap like this one. What they don't have us covered for is withholding information from the family."

A slight chuckle escaped Michael. "That's our David, champion of honesty and morality."

"I do what I can."

"Okay, so where is the family now?"

"At the moment Brigit is showing them around the hiker's path."

"Well then I suppose I'll go and get them. I take it Brigit knows the situation." As David spoke he stood up.

"Yes she's the one that discovered it."

"Then I'll let her know that she needs to inform the family about the recent complications in Lucy's condition."

As Karen looked around at the tall trees she couldn't help but give her thoughts voice. "I never imagined this would be part of a research complex."

Looking over her shoulder Brigit smiled at Karen. "Not many people do. It was built shortly after the facility itself was though. Researchers that feel strained or feel they need to get out of the lab will often walk this path. The layout of the trees and the path itself was actually designed that for at least thirty minutes one can't even see the lab."

"So how long does it take to walk the entire path?"

"On average it takes forty five minutes. Somehow Michael has been known to turn it into an hour and thirty minutes though."

"So at any time employees can take a forty five minute break. That seems awfully generous."

A slight giggle escaped Brigit. "Well it's the results that are important. If a forty five minute break every now and then improves productivity then the higher ups are fine with it. Of course such breaks are a privilege not a right. It's up to the head of each research team to decide whether or not an employee is abusing the privilege."

"So how often do you go on walks Brigit?"

"I tend to get to work early and go on a walk each morning. I find that a nice walk helps to wake me up."

The two women's conversation was interrupted for a moment when Claude's voice suddenly wrung out. "Don't even think about it young lady."

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she turned to face her parents and Brigit. "What? I wasn't doing anything."

Currently Lucy was standing in front of a massive tree. From her position Karen guessed that Claude had caught sight of her just before she could shoot up into the branches. "I guess you weren't kidding whenever you said that she was fond of climbing."

"You don't know the half of it. Yesterday she saw fit to climb up onto the roof of the house while Claude and I were still in bed. Those are some awfully tall trees though. How long has this trail been here?"

"Believe me no where near long enough to grow trees like that. They were actually brought here from other locations. You can tell how close you are to the end of the trail by the height of the trees."

"Oh why is that?"

"As you get closer to the facility you need taller and taller trees to block ones view of it. This actually had an unexpected affect on the workers. A while back a team decided to review the security footage. What they found was that as people enter this area they slow down even without realizing it. I guess even if one likes their job they are rarely eager to get back to it. So their subconscious mind causes them to slow down."

"Speaking of unexpected results we need to talk." David smiled as he made his way towards the group along the opposite direction of the trail.

A sigh escaped Claude as he looked at David then Brigit. In truth he'd expected something like this ever sense they hadn't taken Lucy into a lab first thing. "Lucy, come here. You'll need to here this to."

While the smile didn't fade from Lucy's face the tone of her father's voice told her this was important. So there was no hesitation on her part as she dashed back to her parents to stand between them. "Is it about Symbi?"

Despite not having spent enough time with Lucy to realize she'd nicknamed the eighth step the name gave David a pretty clear idea of what she was talking about. "I believe that it is. Brigit, please tell the Angeye's what you found out about the eighth step while examining Lucy's blood."

"I take it this means that whatever has caused her sudden increase in height and strength is more profound then you first believed." As she spoke Karen turned from David to face Brigit entirely.

"I hope you don't mind but I couldn't inform you of anything until the meeting this morning."

In response to Brigit's comment Claude gave a slight chuckle. "It's fine. So what is going on with the symbiot and Lucy?"

"It would be best stated what is going on with Lucy or the eighth step. There is a bench further up the path. Why don't we go a little further so you can all set down?"

"Sure."

As Bright looked at the seated family she first address Lucy. "Lucy, do you know how I said that Symbi would leave you one day?"

"Yeah I remember. Is Symbi going to be leaving me soon?"

"Lucy, how would you feel if Symbi never left you?"

Instantly Lucy's eyes lit up and she learned forward in the chair. "That'd be wonderful. Can you get Symbi to stay with me?"

"Well it seems that Symbi decided that. Mm is Symbi a he or a she?"

"Symbi is a she."

A slight giggle escaped Brigit as she realized how right Lucy was now that the symbiot had become part of her. "Well it seems that she decided that she was going to stay with you on her own. You know how Symbi was originally inside of you like you were inside of your mommy?"

""Yeah I do. Mommy told me about it a long time ago."

"Well now Symbi it actually become a part of you. Instead of being like you were with your mommy. Well now Symbi is like your blood or skin. Do you understand?"

"Yeah I think so. Does that mean Symbi will always be with me!?"

"Yes it does."

As Claude listened to Brigit explaining the situation to his daughter he was quite relieved to see that Lucy was happy with this turn of events. Now he just needed to find a way to voice his concerns without scaring his daughter. "So what do you believe is going to happen next?"

"Honestly we aren't certain. We don't even know why Symbi decided to join with Lucy on such a close level." Despite the situation Brigit turned to Lucy and gave the girl a quick poke in the stomach. "Maybe she just likes you."

A slight yelp escaped Lucy when Brigit suddenly poked her in the stomach. There was no pain but it caught her off guard. The teasing comment after words insured that the young girl was relaxed. "I hope so I like Symbi as well."

It took Claude a few moments to formulate his next question so it wouldn't offend his daughter. "Just how conscious is the symbiot?"

"The eighth step basically isn't conscious. At best you could say that it is half asleep." As Brigit spoke she pointed her finger downward so Claude could see it. The look on his face told her that he'd got her message. The eighth step wasn't meant to be self-aware at all.

"Well I know that the eighth step responds to injuries so it has to be able to sense the body's nerve impulses. Do you believe that Lucy's feelings for the eighth step might have resulted in its decision to stay?"

David had stayed behind to see how the conversation went. However, he was rather surprised by Claude's theory. So much so that he spoke up before Brigit could even respond. "Brigit I need to go. If you need me call me on my cell phone and I'll answer any questions that I can."

Even Brigit had been rather surprised by Claude's suggestion. Could the eighth step picked up on Lucy's feelings? It didn't seem possible but then again none of the other theories seemed anymore likely at the moment. Strong feelings of joy or fondness did cause chemical reactions in the brain after all. She was fairly certain that David's sudden need to depart was to tell Michael about the suggestion. "That's as possible as any of the other theories."

After watching David leave Karen turned to Brigit. "So what do you plan on doing now?"

"We're going to continue with our plan to examine Lucy in more detail. However, sense Symbi's decision to stay with Lucy we've been forced to give up our plans to separate them for the time being."

"You were going to take Symbi away from me!"

Brigit was made to noticeably jump in response to Lucy's sudden outburst. Despite the child's voice the tone she used had carried plenty of power in it. It was clear to Brigit that it wasn't the wining of a child but an angry exclamation of a young lady. The expression on Lucy's face told Brigit that she was very angry.

Realizing that Brigit wouldn't know how to handle her daughter Karen spoke up before she could. "Lucy, the only reason Brigit or any of us would have taken Symbi away from you is if we believed Symbi was hurting you. It's like when you climb up tall trees. We know you enjoy it but we can't just allow you to keep doing it as you might hurt yourself or even get killed."

It took a few moments but slowly the anger began to vanish from Lucy's face. "How could have Symbi hurt me?"

"Do you remember playing with your blocks?"

"Yes."

"Well you know that when you build a tower too tall it falls over. That is the way humans are in a sense. If we grow to be too tall it's very dangerous."

"But I want to be really tall."

"I know sweaty."

After a few moments of thought Lucy's anger finally seemed to fade though she wasn't done with her questions. "Does that mean Symbi could hurt me by making me grow?"

"We're not sure sweaty." Once again Karen fell back to the blocks metaphor. "You could only build a tower so tall with your blocks but well do you remember what happened whenever you got hold of your father's super glue?"

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy. "Yeah I managed to build a really big tower that time."

"Well that was because the glue strengthened the tower. Now it seems that Symbi is strengthening you almost like the glue did the tower." While Karen had been far from pleased whenever she'd found the numerous bottles of empty glue. She was grateful for the event as it allowed for an easy metaphor. Indeed it worked on many levels. "Of course do you remember what happened after you used the glue?"

"I got sent to the corner."

"Well yes but after that."

"Oh you had to get me knew blocks because the tower couldn't be taken apart."

"That's right. You seem Symbi was supposed to go inside of, fix your burns and then leave. However, like the super glue Symbi decided to stay and we don't know what might happen."

After a short while of contemplation Lucy gave a nod. "So what are you going to do to me now?"

For a moment Brigit was surprised. Lucy had listened very well it seems whenever they'd first explained the situation. She knew that if they were going to do something to the eighth step it would happen to her to. "At this moment we just want to run some tests. We need to find out why Symbi decided to stay with you for certain."

"Are you going to try to find a way to separate me and Symbi?"

"We're going to try to find out if Symbi is harming you. If Symbi is then yes we will try to find a way to separate the two of you."

"What if Symbi isn't harming me but keeps making me grow?"

"Then we'll have to talk about it with your Mommy, Daddy and you. Okay Lucy?"

It was clear that Lucy wasn't pleased with the situation or the answer. Still, she wasn't angry anymore. "Yeah that is okay."

After a moment Claude spoke up. "So what is going to happen now?"

"We had planned on Lucy staying with the two of you during her testing period. However, with these new developments we need to move her to the lab for closer observation."

Instead of responding to Brigit Claude spoke to Lucy. "Lucy, do you mind spending some time at the lab? It'll be like the hospital."

"I don't mind. I did like my room though."

Now Brigit risked smiling again. "Oh it won't be like the hospital. Here we're far better equipped to insure Lucy's comfort. Of course you're all welcome to give your feed back on the accommodations."

"Daddy, Mommy will you come and visit me like you did in the hospital?"

Reaching around Lucy Karen gave her daughter a hug. "We'll be by to visit you every day and if you need us you can just call and we'll come right over."

"Okay, but I don't know our new number."

Now that Lucy had calmed down and even began to smile again Brigit felt far more relaxed. Though, she now planned to inform everyone who would be dealing with Lucy that they must be careful with the words they use. "Don't worry. I'll write your Mommy and Daddy's phone number next to the phone in your room."

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As David stood before the bored of directors he did his best to keep a confident front. For the last two months the bored had been pressuring him and his department to find the answers they sought and now it was time to present them. As the doors to the bored room were closed and everyone was seated he began. "Two months and five days ago we had our first field test of the eighth step symbiot. As expected there were some complications.

What wasn't expected was the level of those complications. The first complication of note was when the host one Miss Lucy Angeye showed a very notable increase to her hearing and vocal strength. It was believed that the increased vocal strength was due to the symbiot that had begun work inside of her lunges and throat. The improved hearing was far more difficult to explain.

These complications were minor though and while they were looked into it didn't seem to reflect badly on the project. The first sign that there might be some trouble came whenever Lucy was found to have suddenly increased several centimeters in height. This was profound as unlike the other two anomalies this one wouldn't be repaired when the eighth step was removed from her system.

Shortly after the sudden increase in height the young Lady also showed a great increase in strength. Her strength went from being that of a healthy eleven year old girl to an exceptionally fit adult.

At this time an attempt was made to locate the symbiot and see why these changes had occurred. However, all attempts to locate the eighth step symbiot came up negative. This wasn't because of the symbiot was no longer present but because the equipment used was meant to locate the symbiot in its pre-injection form and along a predicted path. However, the symbiot hadn't followed this path and changed in ways that we had not expected and had no way to anticipate.

A few days later the symbiot was found to still be inside of Miss Lucy however it was no longer a separate organism. While previously thought to be impossible the symbiot had managed to integrate itself with Lucy on a cellular level. Instead of being two separate organisms they had become the same organism.

Fortunately during the days after the symbiot was injected into Lucy several blood and skin samples had been taken. What we were able to find is that the symbiot began to change roughly twenty seven hours after being introduced into Miss Lucy's body.

By examining the previous blood samples we were able to find out what happened. The eighth step had been designed to seek out injuries to the body and repair them and had been made highly adaptable to do so. Well apparently the symbiot was more responsive and adaptable then we realized. It seems that the eighth step responded Lucy's feelings that she needed the symbiot.

At least that is our best guess at this moment as to why it behaved the way it did. You see instead of replacing her cells or even remaining inside of her as a separate being the symbiot began to merge with the young lady's cells. We're not sure how long this took however it is believed that after just three hours it would have been impossible to separate the symbiot from the girl.

Once the symbiot's cells and Miss Lucy's cells had merged they began to replace both the eighth steps cells and her old cells."

At last one of the bored members spoke up. "So have you found a way to prevent this?"

"Yes we have. Despite believing that it was Miss Lucy's feeling a need for the symbiot that triggered its joining with her we aren't sure of that. However, even without that knowledge we know that it couldn't have merged with her cells if it wasn't so adaptable. So all we had to do was decrease the symbiot's adaptability.

Of course this means that its overall effectiveness has been diminished as well. While it can still stand in for nearly any damaged tissue except brain tissue it can only shift forms into certain types of tissue. Based on the version of the eighth step used, this is the only way we've found to reliably insure that the symbiot doesn't merge with the host.

This poses another problem though. Sense the symbiot can only replace certain tissues we had to make it last longer incase the proper symbiot isn't at hand. In order to do this we had to make the symbiot capable of surviving in the hosts for longer periods of time and remove the feature where it would break down once it was finished.

Now the eighth step acts more like a part of that person's body then ever before. Then to trigger the break down you need only inject the person with the serum meant for that specific symbiot."

"What is the cost of having the symbiot remain within the host?"

"The main change is an increased metabolism. As now they must sustain themselves and the symbiot. However, we believe that it may be possible to adjust the symbiot to give some benefits other then healing if it is going to be remaining in them for extend periods of time."

"David, from the way you've been talking. Are these symbiot's already prepared?"

"For the most basic of testing yes but it will be some time before they're ready for a human test."

"I see. Well the progress with the eighth steps development has been staggering to be honest. It's disappointing that it must be diminished to be safe but it seems that can't be helped. Such set backs must be expected. It still stands to revolutionize medicine. I have no trouble giving the project my support."

As the notion went around the bored room David felt a wave of relief. While not everyone said it the same way everyone did back the project. However, one person finally brought up the inevitable question. "What about the young Miss Lucy? How is she doing?"

"She's still growing Sir and has even become stronger. As of yet we have no idea how far this is going to go."

"I see. How tall is she now?"

"The last time I checked she was one hundred and fifty four centimeters tall. Sense her initial increase of twenty centimeters the rate of growth she's shown has been quite constant."

"So she's grown somewhere around thirty centimeters in a bit more then two months. That's quite impressive. David, what would you propose we do about the young lady?"

"I believe that it would be in our best interest to assist the family in meeting her basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. At the very least until we know how far this is going to go."

"If I remember you originally chose Miss Lucy to be something of a good first impression for the project."

"That is correct."

"I believe that she can still fulfill that roll. Also, we don't want it getting out that after our project made her body into something other then a human's we abandoned her. So I have to agree. It's in our best interest as well as the young lady's if we assist the family."

After a moment David had to ask. "How do you believe she could still fulfill her roll?"

"Simple, she's alive and healthy when she would have been dead and buried other wise. Despite the side affects the treatment was a success. After all, was it not meant to save her life?"

David knew that the symbiot was meant to save Lucy's life and restore her to the way she was before. However, that wasn't a point he was willing to argue with one of his bosses. "That is very true."

"As long as she is healthy and happy as is the family I believe her condition could still work out quite well for us. If we're careful, after all how many ladies would like to have a few extra centimeters and mean be able to lift a few more kilos?"

"Sir what are you proposing?"

"In addition to the medicinal uses I want the team to see if they can find a way for the symbiot to help with height and strength. At least the new generations of the eighth step you're working."

End chapter 1

This story is meant for adults only if you're a minor or are offended by sexual material or verbal depiction of violence stop reading now. If you aren't a minor and such things interest you feel free to read on. Reviews are welcome if you wish to leave one I can be emailed at happiest_in_shadows@yahoo.com just be sure to mention the story in the title so I know it isn't spam.

"Do you want me to help?"

It took a moment but as a sigh escaped Brigit she looked up at Lucy. "If I'm going to get this blood work I believe you're going to have to. Let me guide though you only push when I tell you to okay?"

"Sure." As she spoke Lucy used her free hand to take hold of part of the syringe that Brigit was currently trying to press into her. The needle itself was a special alloy that was more suited to punching through rhino or crocodile hide then human flesh. However, as Lucy's strength had increased so had her endurance and while she was not the same scale as such animals she seemed to be as strong and durable.

Once Lucy took hold of the syringe Brigit carefully positioned it. After taking a few seconds to insure it was on the correct spot she began to push. "Okay Lucy, slowly increase the force with which you're pushing now." Even when Lucy began to exert force upon the needle Brigit had to be very careful to make sure it went in properly. Fortunately Lucy's hand eye coordination and response time had proven to be nothing short of astounding. "Okay right there."

After she was told to stop pushing Lucy released the needle and watched as Brigit slipped the glass tube that would hold her blood onto the back of the syrenge. "That's one of the big ones right?"

For a moment Brigit just chuckled. While Lucy seemed to be very in control of her body her sense of scale had been thrown off slightly. "Yes this is one of the big ones."

"I thought so due to the red top."

As she removed the vial and replaced it with another Brigit took a moment to look at the hand that helped her press the vial down. Even though Lucy was still very much a child, not even a teenager that hand was bigger then hers. Not only that, but Lucy had surpassed Brigit's height a few weeks ago. "So Lucy how does it feel being taller then your mommy already?"

"It's a little odd but neat to. It's kind of fun not having to yell for Mommy or Daddy whenever I want something from a tall shelf."

"I imagine that it is. After we get your blood work how about we find out just how tall you are?"

"Yeah" in response to this Lucy quickly turned her attention to the scale. She was always eager to find out how much she'd grown whenever she came in for a checkup which was still very frequent though not as frequent as it had once been.

Even though she had seen it several times Lucy's response to having her height checked always amused Brigit. As she set the last of the vials aside she was at least grateful that she didn't have to have Lucy's help to push the syringe out. At least not her conscious help though she did have the aid of Lucy's body. Apparently her current muscle structure was extremely adept at forcing out foreign objects.

Instead of letting Brigit put a cotton ball on her injury the moment the syringe was withdrawn she stood up. This wasn't due to her being overly eager to have her height checked. Rather it was due to the fact that the needle didn't cause a significant enough injury for her to bleed. As soon as the syringe was withdrawn from her Lucy's body would stop the blood flow.

It took Brigit a few moments to walk over and join Lucy as she quickly placed the vials of blood in a special carrying case. Due to Lucy's current condition they were being very careful about transporting tissue samples from her around. Nothing had arisen to show that exposure to her may be dangerous but all agreed it was best to be conscious. As she placed the syringe away she could already hear Lucy working the little slide bars to find out what her mass is.

"Hey, I'm ninety kilograms. That's even more then Daddy."

As Brigit finished locking the case down and walked over to Lucy she couldn't help but think that she didn't look like she had a mass of ninety kilograms. Despite Lucy's appearance though Brigit didn't feel the need to look at the reading to believe her as they'd already confirmed Lucy weighed more then her volume would indicate. Her reformed muscle was clearly a fair bit heavier then that of a human's. "I hope you're being careful not to step on anyone's toes."

"I am."

As Brigit spoke she moved the bar into position to check Lucy's height. "That's good. So have you given your dad a piggy back ride yet?"

To this Lucy shook her head forcing Brigit to wait a moment before checking her final height. "Not yet but I did get to carry him around some mommy to."

"Are you waiting until you're a little taller to give them a piggy back ride?"

"Yeah I want to be able to give them a real piggy back ride like what they gave me. Not just carry them on my back."

"Oh and what's the difference between a piggy back ride and carrying someone on your back?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "For it to be a real piggy back ride you have to be a lot taller then them like they used to be to me."

"Ah, I see. And here I thought that piggy back ride just meant being carried on the back."

"Nope, so how tall am I?"

It took Brigit a moment to respond as she was made to chuckle at Lucy's antics. The young girl was just so sure she was right. "At the moment you are one hundred eighty eight centimeters tall."

"Neat! I wonder how long it'll be before I reach two meters."

"At the rate you've been growing you may reach it in a bit less then two weeks." As she spoke Brigit walked over to her clipboard and wrote down Lucy's height. She'd need to take some more measurements but she knew those in charge of Lucy's clothes wouldn't be happy. While a woman being so tall wasn't too unusual it wasn't common. To further complicate the situation Lucy was lacking in the curves of a developed women and the clothing meant for them didn't really suit her. There were also limits on what was socially acceptable.

"Brigit are we going to do any strength tests today?"

"Yeah just as soon as we are finished here and I get these blood samples back to the lab we can do the strength tests. I hear you've been having trouble exercising at home though."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "None of the weights have enough mass to challenge me."

"So have you been doing something instead?"

"Yeah, Daddy has been taking me swimming."

"That is good exercise. Where have you been going to swim though?"

"Michael has been letting me swim in the wave pool here."

"Oh I bet the engineers love that." An amused giggle escaped Brigit the moment she realized how Michael had most likely arranged that. Generally speaking the use of the lab's pool for such purposes would never be allowed. However, thanks to Lucy's change in muscle density they'd need to regularly test to see how buoyant she was. That would allow Michael to justify making use of the facility and indeed it was something they needed to test. "Have they been making waves for you?"

"Not at first but now they do."

"That must be fun."

************************************************************************

"I can't believe I let this slip my mind." As Claude looked over the paper work before him he couldn't help but sigh. He was already exhausted but was no where near finished.

"A lot has happened in the last few weeks. With scheduling your surgeries and Lucy's growing situation it was inevitable that something would escape us."

"I know but if Lucy hadn't mentioned it to us I wouldn't have thought of it until I saw the bus." After a moment more Claude finally set down the pin. He needed to take some time to wrest his head. "What are we going to do Karen? This is perhaps the first time Lucy's actually been eager to return to school and we have to tell her that she won't be able to go."

Instead of responding right away Karen proceeded over to the table and set down. She then picked up the document Claude had left off on and began to read through it. "We will have to tell her the truth. That instead of attending regular classes a special teacher is going to come and tutor her."

"Damn it. I was hoping that Lucy could make some new friends but now that doesn't seem like it is going to happen."

"Claude, even if Lucy hadn't been treated with the symbiot and survived there is no way she'd be going back to school right now. Then when she was finally able to return to class she'd have to worry about surgeries and most likely still have several disfiguring scars."

"That is true and at least people aren't asking a lot of questions. So far all I've had to do is show them Lucy's initial diagnosis from the fire and they quit asking questions. That isn't really surprising though." For a moment Claude was made to chuckle slightly. "They even seem surprised whenever I start talking about having an instructor come to our house and teach her."

"How's that going?"

"It's going a lot easier then I thought it would. Of course David and Michael have been a lot of help in the process. Sense they're providing an instructor it means that one won't have to be pulled from the school system or at least make trips out here. Though, they haven't actually told me who is going to be instructing Lucy."

"They may still be deciding on that. I imagine they want to find someone who won't mention Lucy's condition until they're ready for Lucy to make her debut."

"That makes sense. You know even once Michael and the other researchers prove that Lucy isn't dangerous to be around I don't believe she'll be able to return to school. Even if her height wasn't a factor she's just too healthy. It's kind of a funny thought."

A sigh escaped Karen as she set up. Still, she smiled when she turned and gave Claude a kiss on the cheek. "I know. Even if she doesn't pose a biological threat to anyone with her strength her hands could be considered lethal weapons. Did you see their findings on her last strength test?"

"If I remember correctly she was able to bench press over ten times her own body weight right?"

"Yes she was."

"At least that means that she is healthy. I'd be worried if her strength wasn't keeping up with her increases in mass."

"We will tell Lucy that she won't be able to attend school whenever she gets home. Later we can speak to Michael about Lucy's mental needs. No matter how big or strong she gets she needs friend to spend time with after all. Even if she's taken it well so far she still needs social interaction."

While it had only been a more recent occurrence Brigit had still seen Lucy's strength in action before despite that as she examined the readout for the press she was astounded. "Lucy, how are you doing now?"

"I believe I can handle some more pressure."

"Okay then. I'll take up the pressure another five percent."

A grunt escaped Lucy as she felt the machine pressing down on her. As the hydraulics began to force her arms backward she gritted her teeth and returned the force and then some. Slowly the press was forced back up into its original position though the strain could now be seen on Lucy's face. "How much is that?"

"You are now up to one thousand five hundred kilograms." As Brigit spoke she took a moment to look to her side and examine Lucy's vital readings. For the moment the readings came second to how Lucy felt given that they didn't know what were normal safe parameters for her body and what wasn't. She had however been given a cap that she wasn't allowed to push Lucy beyond regardless of how she felt.

"Really?!"

"Yes Lucy you really are holding up one thousand five hundred kilograms."

"That's a whole car isn't it?"

Despite the situation Brigit couldn't help but smile. She much preferred Lucy enjoying her new found strength and height then being afraid of it. She was however made to worry what would happen whenever Lucy found out what her new found height and strength may cause her to miss out on. "Some vehicles have that much mass some have even less though."

"How much mass does the van that came and picked me up have?"

"I believe it has a little more mass then that."

"Ah dang, um Brigit would you please decrease the pressure now?"

"Whoops. Sorry about that." Even as she spoke Brigit quickly hit the dial to return the machine's hydraulics to their waiting position. She was a little surprised when she heard Lucy sigh after words. "Ah it seems that you do have a limit to your energy."

Lucy's tongue quickly darted out from between her lips and stuck out at Brigit as she set up. Only after she'd raised herself to a setting position did Lucy withdrawal her tongue. "You just wait one of these days this machine won't even be able to tire me."

Even if Lucy hadn't put much thought it the statement it wouldn't have surprised Brigit if she was right. Considering the trend Lucy's strength and volume had been following it seemed that day was approaching quite quickly. "Okay Lucy we have one last thing to do."

"What is that?"

"I'm going to take you to talk to someone. Her name is Elaine and she's going to ask you some question."

"Like a test?"

"No. She just wants to talk to you about how you've been feeling lately and get your thoughts on a few things." As Brigit spoke she began shutting down the equipment she'd been using to test Lucy. She also began the task of gathering up the data she'd gathered during Lucy's strength test.

"Okay. Let's go meet her."

Due to the nature of some of the research done at InCon's main lab Elaine had been stationed there and handled regular psychiatric evaluation of personnel. This was both for safety given the dangerous natures of some of the compounds kept there and it helped them spot security risk in the form of an unhappy employee that might make off with a bit of research data.

As she read through the report though Elaine felt that the project heads had really dropped the ball this time. While she could understand them not taking Lucy to her initially she still felt that she should have met with Lucy weeks ago. Given how easily Lucy could kill someone it was crucial that they kept track of her mental state. From what she read Lucy had continued to do as her parents told her so far but there was nothing saying that would hold constant.

"Elaine, are you in there?" Even as she called out Brigit continued to nock on the door. It had been some ten seconds sense she started though and Elaine had yet to respond. This didn't deter her though as she knew how distracted Elaine could become with her thoughts.

"Yes I'm here. Come on in." Elaine waited for the door open before speaking again. "Sorry I was busy fiddling with my thoughts."

"It isn't a problem." After stepping into the room Brigit stepped aside and let Lucy walk in. "Okay so I'll just leave the two of you alone."

As Brigit moved to leave Elaine gave her head a slight nod. "Thank you I'll call whenever we are finished. Why don't you have a seat Lucy?"

While Lucy wasn't happy to see Brigit leaving given that she didn't like being left alone with people she didn't know. She didn't say anything about it but proceeded to set down. Her parents had taught her to be weary of being alone with people she didn't know but she imagined this woman was like the advisor or instructors at her school. "Did you want to speak with me?"

"Yes I did. So Lucy, how are you doing today?"

"Wonderful I managed to lift a whole car's mass just a few moments ago. It was so neat."

"So knowing that you could pick up a vehicle makes you happy?"

"Yeah, of course it does!" A huge grin had spread across Lucy's face as she thought of the feat of strength only a few minutes past.

"What do you like most about being able to lift an entire car?"

"It's fun."

"Okay let's see if we can find out just why being so strong is fun."

************************************************************************

As Karen looked at the clock she couldn't help but wonder why Lucy wasn't home yet. The tests they ran did occasionally ran over however not by this margin. After a moment more of contemplation she quickly turned the stove down and picked up the phone. They had been provided with a number to call incase they wanted to know how Lucy was doing on a day they didn't accompany her.

It hadn't surprised Brigit whenever Elaine took her time speaking to Lucy or whenever she'd seen the two going to eat lunch together. Given the situation Elaine had a lot to learn and she most likely wanted to learn it quickly. She was surprised though whenever she realized that dinner time was approaching so her phone was already at the ready whenever it began ringing. "Hello."

Given that the phone hadn't been allowed to ring more then once Karen felt certain that they had been expecting to call, "Hi Brigit I imagine you know what I'm calling about."

"Yeah, I didn't mean for Lucy to be kept so long but at the moment Elaine is speaking to her."

"Ah the company therapist you mentioned. I didn't know Lucy would be speaking to her today."

"Well I wish I could have told you but I was instructed not to. Elaine didn't want to risk you telling Lucy to be on her best behavior or anything along those lines."

"I see. So is that the reason Lucy isn't home for dinner?"

"I'm afraid so. You two may end up eating alone. I hope you don't mind if we keep Lucy a while longer but I'm thinking she'll end up eating here."

"She's really analyzing Lucy thoroughly to keep her this long isn't she? Perhaps Claude and I should just come out there."

"We'd actually prefer if you didn't. It's important to see how Lucy behaves with no one that she considers a real authority figure watching her. Sense she knows me rather well I'm not even allowed to be in the room with her."

As soon as she heard that Brigit wasn't in the room with Lucy Karen immediately resolved to ask her daughter about what she and Elaine talked about in very fine detail. "I see. I suppose you couldn't tell me how she's doing then."

"Honestly I believe Lucy's already caught on to what is happening and is playing with Elaine."

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"I've been listening in when I can. From what I've heard Lucy picked up on what was going on shortly after I left her and Elaine alone. I believe that she's trying to answer Elaine's questions in such a way as to worry her."

"Oh and how is that?"

"Whenever Elaine started showing Lucy ink plots one of her answers was, someone that I stepped on for asking me too many questions." The sound of a door opening and quickly being shut drew Brigit's attention for a moment. To her amazement she wasn't that surprised whenever she saw Lucy walking towards her.

"Brigit, I want to go home now." An annoyed grunt escaped Lucy whenever the door opened behind her a short while later. She didn't need to look back to see that it was Elaine.

It had surprised Elaine whenever Lucy had suddenly stood up and walking out of the room. What had been more surprising though was how quickly she could run. "Lucy, we're not done talking yet."

For a moment Lucy said nothing as she took in a deep breath. She then quickly spun around to face Elaine. "Yes we are. I'm going home."

Even Brigit was surprised by Lucy's sudden behavior though her amusement surpassed her surprise. "Karen, don't let the food get cold I'll be bringing Lucy back now."

Despite being surprised by the suddenness of Lucy's decision Elaine was far from horrified. Of course Lucy would only indulge her questions for so long. After all she wasn't an authority figure. What she was impressed by was the fact that Lucy had simply stood up and left instead of throwing a temper tantrum like some children. "Lucy, I just want you to know that you did very well today."

Now it was Lucy's turn to be surprised as she looked at Elaine. "Huh?"

"You put up with me questioning you for such a long time and yet you didn't break a single thing. After I ignored your subtle and not so subtle request to go home you finally stood up and left yet you didn't break anything."

"Humph you're just lucky that you didn't try standing in front of the door."

A slight chuckle escaped Elaine. Apparently Lucy didn't like the idea that she had somehow been outsmarted. Though she had indeed kept away from the door incase Lucy should decide to depart suddenly. "Now Lucy I hope we can talk again later but don't worry. I won't keep you so long again. We just haven't had any chances to talk until today and they were some things I really had to learn about you. I also want to say that it was mean of me to ignore your request to go home and I hope you're not too upset with me."

To this Lucy gave a rather annoyed humph before speaking. "I don't want to speak to you anymore."

"I'll tell you what Lucy. If you'll come and speak with me next time I'll try to have something fun for us to do. You deserve it after today."

The expression on Lucy's face told Elaine that she still wasn't fond of the idea of coming to see her again. After a moment of consideration she resolved to relent a little. "I'll let you question me one more time but if you annoy me like you did today I'm leaving."

Though she chose not to push the issue Elaine could tell that there was more there then Lucy had verbally said. Lucy's tone showed her annoyance as if promising that if there was another day like today she'd be the one to regret it after words. "Okay Lucy. Next time would you like your mommy and daddy to be there."

"No."

"Okay then. Brigit, why don't the two of you get going?"

"I'll see you later Elaine."

As Elaine watched Lucy walk away she felt confident that she had reached the threshold of Lucy's patience. The greatest proof to that was the fact that Lucy said she didn't want her parents to be there despite clearly wanting to go home to them. This meant that Lucy intended to do something that she knew her parents wouldn't allow if they were there. Just what that something was would have to remain speculation. Elaine wasn't about to push Lucy beyond that threshold.

************************************************************************

Generally Claude was a fairly average sleeper. He wouldn't wake up at the drop of a dime or pin but you couldn't drop a frying pan or glass without waking him up either. There was one thing that would wake him with exceptional ease though and that was the smell of breakfast. A young life time of waking up to freshly prepared meals had taught his body and when you smelt eggs or bacon it was time to get out of bed. So even before the alarm went off he was already roused from bed.

While his eyes adjusted to the darkened room he glanced over at the alarm clock and was a bit surprised by the hour. At times Karen would wake up before the alarm went off. If there was less then twenty minutes left between her waking time and her planned time of waking she'd go ahead and prepare breakfast. However, it was still thirty minutes before the alarm was set to go off. Once his eyes had adjusted to the dark he was a bit more surprised when he looked over and saw Karen was still asleep.

Fortunately when Claude woke up to the smell of food cooking he tended to be fully awake. So it didn't take him more then a moment to realize that there was only one person in the house that might be cooking. He was grateful that Karen was a fairly average sleeper herself as he quickly climbed out of bed and made his way into the living room and from there to the kitchen. He was both amused and somewhat concerned when he saw his daughter preparing a rather large pan of scrambled eggs.

"Good morning Daddy. Did I wake you?"

"Well yes but not in a way I mind but Lucy what are you doing?"

"Making breakfast, you said Mommy had to leave today so I wanted her to wake up to a nice meal. I thought of it after I woke up this morning."

A sigh escaped Claude as he checked around the kitchen. His first instinct was to go over and take the pan from Lucy but now that he was awake there was another concern. "Lucy, do you mind if I get some of the toast?"

"Yep I made plenty for everyone."

After giving a nod Claude picked up one of the heavily buttered slices of bread and began to quickly eat it. Hunger wasn't his actual motivation though rather he needed to have something on his stomach before he took his morning pain killers. "Um Lucy would you mind turning down the stove and stepping away? Once I take my pills I'll handle the eggs."

"You don't need to Daddy I can handle this."

"Sweatie I don't want you to get burned." As Claude finished speaking he noticed a rather playful smile on Lucy's face.

"You don't have to worry about that Daddy. Watch this." With that Lucy quickly pushed the pan aside. She then wasted no time in pressing her thumb down upon the red hot burner and holding it there.

"Lucy!"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she noted the concern on her father's face. Before he could come around the other side of the counter to try and remove her finger though she held it up for him. "See Daddy the burner isn't hot enough to hurt me anymore."

When Lucy had pressed her finger down onto the stove Claude felt like his heart had leapt into his throat. His heart was still beating frantically when he looked upon her undamaged flesh. It was only when he had walked around the counter and looked upon Lucy's thumb closely that he was able to convince himself to relax. "Lucy, please don't do that again. You might have hurt yourself."

"Don't worry Daddy I knew it wouldn't hurt me. I found out when I accidentally touched the pan earlier." As she spoke Lucy moved the eggs back onto the stove and continued cooking. She had been allowed to scramble eggs while her father or mother watched closely before so she knew when they were done. Before they had always been the ones to hold the pan handle while she only used the spatula.

Now that he was relaxed Claude made his way back to the other side of the kitchen. As he gathered his pills and water he took his time to consider the situation. "I know you just wanted to do something nice for Karen but Lucy you know you're not supposed to be cooking alone."

"But Daddy I can reach everything on my own now and you've let me help before."

"We've let you help before. Plus you said it yourself. You'd burned yourself already if it wasn't for your endurance."

"You and Mommy have burned yourselves." As Lucy spoke her tone was far from defiant instead her tone had lowered considerably and she had turned her eyes away from her father.

While Lucy had done something she wasn't supposed to do Claude didn't have it in him to be stern with her. She had only been trying to do something nice for Karen and he'd known for a while that she'd want to see what all her body allowed her to do now. "Okay Lucy you know that you did something you weren't allowed to do don't you?"

"Yes Daddy."

"Now I don't mind you cooking however next time wake me or your mother up. Even if the stove isn't hot enough to burn you that doesn't mean you can't start a fire."

"You mean I can actually cook now and not just help?"

"Well after seeing that I don't have to worry about you burning yourself I don't see a reason that you couldn't. As long as you have someone in here to make sure you don't burn down part of the kitchen or the entire house. Still, the next time you want to try something new I expect you to tell your mother or me. I won't be able to let it slide the next time."

To this Lucy gave a quick nod. "Surry Daddy."

After a moment of silence a grin formed across Claude's face. "Lucy your eggs are going to burn."

A slight yelp escaped Lucy as she quickly worked to flip the browning eggs. After giving them a frantic look over she proceeded to shovel the partly toasted fragments into near by plate. "You distracted me."

For a moment Claude was made to chuckle as he noted the expression on Lucy's face. "Oh and how often do you decide to start a conversation whenever your mother or I am trying to cook?"

A sheepish grin formed on Lucy's face as she proceeded around the counter, past her father and over to the fridge. "This is when you normally put on the biscuits and bacon right?"

"No the biscuits should have gone on sooner. If you try to make them now the wrest of the food will be cold by the time they're through. Yet another reason you need someone in the kitchen with you. You haven't had much experience cooking."

"Ah I wanted biscuits."

"Well I'll make some for lunch in that case. Just don't tell your mother she isn't fond of me eating breakfast for lunch."

"No I am not so you won't."

Both Claude and Lucy's attention was quickly drawn to the kitchen entrance were Karen stood. She had been woken up whenever Lucy had pressed her finger to the burner and Claude had called out her name. "Come on Karen it's not like I do it often."

"That's only because I won't let you. I remember what you were like when we first met and I also remember what the doctor said."

"Yeah but I'm fine now."

A sigh escaped Karen as she proceeded into the kitchen to see how Lucy had been doing. "Okay sense it's a special occasion I'll let you."

For a moment Claude went silent as he found himself wondering what Karen was talking about. After a short while though, he assured himself that he hadn't forgotten any important dates. "What are you talking about?"

"It's the day you get rid of me for a little while."

"Ah okay I see. Well then. Lucy I hope you don't mind waiting but how about we have that breakfast lunch whenever your mother comes home?"

To this Lucy gave a quick nod. "I don't mind waiting."

Despite being woken up somewhat early Karen couldn't help but smile. "Now Lucy did you remember to wash your hands first?"

For a moment Lucy froze and moments later she began to blush. "Whoops."

An amused chuckle escaped Karen as she noted the expression on her daughter's face. "Well it's a good thing you weren't making a salad. I'm sure the hot pan killed any bacteria just make sure that you wash your hands after handling that bacon. Mm I guess sense I don't need to cook breakfast I'll go ahead and start getting my things ready."

"It will only be a few moments before the bacon is ready."

"I know sweatie. Just call whenever it's ready and I'll come in here and eat."

After giving Karen some time to make her way back to her bedroom Lucy turned to her father. "Daddy, why aren't we going with Mommy?"

"The police just want to ask her a few questions about what happened. They need an official statement from her as to the night's events."

"So they arrested Kevin?"

"Yes they did."

After a moment of silence Lucy removed the bacon from the pan and placed a few strips on each of the three plates she had set out. "Mommy the bacon is ready."

"Okay Lucy I'll be out in a moment."

As he looked at the plates Claude couldn't help but chuckle. "Lucy I believe that you might have over did it."

"What do you mean?"

As Claude spoke he made his way around the table and began shoveling a large portion of the mountain of eggs Lucy had made onto another plate. "Too eggs are plenty for me."

"Ah darn it." A sigh escaped Lucy as having four of her mistakes pointed out to her in the last few minutes finally began to get to her.

"Don't worry about it you're still learning. It's just that your Mommy and me can't eat that much. Two eggs, some bacon and toast are plenty for us. You're the one that needs the six other eggs."

"I guess I have been eating a lot lately."

"At the rate you've been growing I would be worried if you weren't." Despite his words Claude couldn't help but feel a little concern. It wasn't due to Lucy over eating though but rather the fact that it only took six eggs, some bacon and a few slices of buttered toast to serve as her breakfast. Granted it was a great deal but given her strength levels and the amount of energy it would take to sustain such a body he couldn't help but wonder if that was really enough.

************************************************************************

While Karen set within the police station she closed her eyes and mentally went over the list of events that Claude and Lucy had told her. The details Claude had been able to give were limited most likely due to the fact that he wasn't really thinking when he lunged into the fire. At least he wasn't thinking the sort of thoughts that one recalls. Despite that she would have liked to have him with her at the moment.

There was good reason to keep Claude away though. One was that he was still very temperamental about the subject. Karen didn't want to risk him doing something that he may regret later while in a police station. They also needed someone to stay behind with Lucy whom at the moment was somewhat limited in her movements.

The police had expressed a desire to speak with Lucy as well. Fortunately due to the severity of Lucy's previous injuries and the fact that she had undergone a new procedure it had been easy to explain why she couldn't come without really answering any questions about her current state. For a moment Karen was made to chuckle as she wondered how the police would respond to Lucy if she had came along.

Karen's thoughts were put on hold as the door to the office she currently set in was opened and an older looking officer entered. "Sorry to have kept you waiting. I take it that you're Misses Angeye."

"Yes, I am."

"Hi I'm detective Robert. I just need to ask you a few questions to get a better idea of what happened that night."

"I'll help in whatever way I can. Have you been able to find out what started the fire though?"

"I'm sorry but I can't discuss that with you right now. I can't risk telling you anything that may affect your answers whether I believe it will or won't. Now if you don't mind tell me misses Angeye do you or your husband smoke?"

"No. Claude use to but he gave it up shortly after Lucy was born."

"So did you have any ash treys in your home?"

"We had one in the living room incase company was over. Though, I would normally request that they go smoke on the porch."

"So you find smoking to be distasteful?"

To this Karen shook her head. "Smoking doesn't bother me a great deal. We just didn't want Lucy exposed to such things anymore then she had to be."

"Did Lucy have a baby sitter often?"

"No. We were able to adjust our work schedules so that one of us could always be home with Lucy."

"I see. So she didn't have a regular baby sitter that you would call upon?"

"No. At least we didn't have a regular baby sitter such as someone Lucy saw weekly or even monthly."

"What about during emergencies or special occasions?"

"Yes, we normally would have her cousin Megan come and baby-sit if we were taken away from home quickly."

"I see. So was this Kevin's first time babysitting Lucy?"

"Yes it was."

"Did you have any reason to believe that Kevin may leave Lucy home alone?"

"If I did Claude and I would have cancelled our evening out and stay home with her instead."

"Have you asked your daughter about what happened leading up to the fire?"

"Yes I have."

"Please tell me what she said. I'll need to speak to Lucy eventually to get a first hand account but given her situation this will suffice for now. It will at least give us a better idea as to the night's events."

"That's a little tight sweatie."

As Lucy helped her father re-apply his bandages she took a moment to loosen the bandages around his elbows. After taking a moment to slacken the material she looked at her father. "How is that daddy?"

"Much better, thanks for the help Lucy this would be quite difficult to do alone."

"You're welcome. Daddy, when are you going to see the doctor again?"

"I have an appointment set up for the day after your mom returns."

"Are they going to try and fix you arms more?"

"Yeah so I won't be able to do much for a while after words while I heal from the surgery. You're going to have to help your mother around the house. Hey what is that grin for?"

"Will you need to me to carry you into the living room?"

It was impossible for Claude not to grin as well when Lucy asked her question. "You like being able to pack me around don't you?"

"Yeah it's fun. Do you mind?"

"So long as you ask me first I don't mind normally. I can't say there won't be occasions when I don't want picked up."

"I know. Am I putting your bandages on the right way?"

"According to what the doctors showed me you are." As Claude watched Lucy working the bandages around his hand and fingers he couldn't help but be impressed by how focused Lucy was. It seemed that he was actually more repulsed by the site of his burns then she was.

As Lucy slipped the pin in to hold Claude's bandages secure she retrieved the salve he'd been provided. The compound served to accelerate the healing process but most importantly protected against infection. As she picked up the tube Claude extended his arm so that she was able to leave a thick trail of the compound along his arm. She then began the task of smearing the ointment on his forearm while he tended to his bicep.

"I swear Lucy I think the most annoying part of this is feeling my muscles turn to jelly."

"Apparently around nine Kevin received a phone call. From his friend Travis Beard who had got himself into a bit of a situation. He'd been kicked out of the home of one Miss Tina Smith and ended up leaving his keys inside. Unwilling to force his way in he called Kevin to come and pick him up. We suspect that he was in the kitchen at the time and tossed a lit cigarette into the trash can. From what Lucy told you it sounds like we were right about that. What he didn't see is some papers in the trash catch fire."

As Karen listened to the story she quickly recognized Tina Smith's name. Her father Joe Smith was actually a police officer himself and was a well known bastard. The odds of him letting even a little infraction slide were exceptionally low. If Tina had thrown someone out of her home it was fairly easy to understand why they would be motivated to get away before her father came home yet very unwilling to force their way back in. "So have you spoke to Joe's daughter?"

"Yeah she confirmed seeing Kevin's truck pull into the yard and Travis getting in."

Reaching up Karen placed her left hand on her forehead as if to steady herself and closed her eyes. "I have no idea how I'm going to tell Claude this. Not only did Kevin leave Lucy home alone but it was his cigarette that started the fire in the first place. If you don't mind telling me just how did you find Kevin anyway?"

A knocking at the door drew both people's attention for a moment. At which time Robert leaned over so that he could see past Karen. "Come on in."

Joe was silent as he opened the door and slipped into Robert's office. A slight sigh escaped him as he looked at Karen and shut the door. He then proceeded to walk over to her. "Karen I just wanted to say that I'm sorry all of this happened."

"It's not your fault Joe there is nothing for you to apologize for."

"Thanks for saying that. I just can't help but feel that sense Tina was involved I had some part to play in all of this mess."

Before Karen could respond Robert spoke up. "Joe here was the one that found Kevin after we filed an actual warrant."

To this Karen gave a slight nod. "Well then. Thank you Joe, it's nice just to get things started."

Now Joe was made to grin. It hadn't been hard for him to find Kevin he had just asked his daughter about Travis and his friends to get an idea of who Kevin's friends were. He had then began keeping a close eye on them and ticketing them for every little infraction. It hadn't taken long for them to become sick of helping Kevin. "You're welcome it was kind of fun."

After a moment Karen lowered her eyes to the ground. "I'm an idiot. I should have known that Kevin couldn't be trusted with anything of importance."

In response to this Joe placed his hand on Karen's shoulder. "Hey we all want to trust family."

It was hard for Lucy to keep her mind focused on what she was doing as she smelt the chocolate. Periodically she'd glance over to her side to see how it was coming along as her father continued stirring the thickening liquid. Her mother had called a short while ago and informed then that she'd been home shortly so they were finally going to get to enjoy that breakfast for lunch and Lucy was glad they had waited. If they hadn't her father probably wouldn't have decided to make more then biscuits, bacon, and eggs. Now she got to enjoy chocolate and oatmeal as well.

While the drive way to their current residence was shorter then the one at their old home Karen felt like the walk was longer as she made her way to the front door. Taking in a deep breath she held her hand on the door knob for a few seconds before finally twisting it and entering. "I'm back I hope you two haven't broken anything."

Upon hearing Karen enter Claude quickly turned down the heat on the stove so the chocolate wouldn't burn. He then made his way around the counter and into the living room. "Welcome back."

As Claude wrapped his arms around her Karen wrapped hers around him and they gave one another a quick kiss. For a moment they held the position then released and stepped back. "So how have you two been?"

"We've been just fine. Lucy's been a big help sense you've been away." As he spoke Claude made his way away from Karen and back into the kitchen.

After Claude had taken a few steps Karen began to follow behind him. "It smells good in there."

"The food is just about ready. Just give the chocolate some more time to thicken and let the biscuits get done. So how did things go at the police station?"

"It appears to be going well. They seem to have a pretty good idea as to what happened however they still need to speak to Lucy."

"Yeah I had thought as much. Okay after breakfast I'll give Michael a call and we can start talking about Lucy going to speak with the police."

Even though she hadn't said anything about it Lucy couldn't help but smile at this news. It had been so long sense she'd been out in public that she couldn't wait to see how people responded to her height increase. There was another reason as well. "Do you believe I'll get to speak to Kevin?"

Lucy's question actually caught both her parents off guard so it actually took a moment for Claude to respond. "I'm not sure about that Lucy. Do you want to speak to him?"

"Yeah I do."

Instead of responding right away Claude gave Karen a quick glance. He then turned his attention back to Lucy. "I suppose we could look into visiting hours but what do you want to talk to him about?"

"I want to ask him a few questions."

Given Lucy's tone and her answer both Claude and Karen couldn't help but wonder what was going through their daughter's mind. Finally Karen spoke up. "Let's wait a while so we can talk about it."

To this Lucy gave a quick nod. "Sure. Daddy you said you have a doctor's appointment tomorrow didn't you?"

************************************************************************

As Lucy nibbled on her last bits of breakfast she turned her attention towards the living room. School had restarted which meant today she'd be meeting her home instructor for the first time. In truth she was a little down that she wouldn't be attending regular classes. She couldn't help but think it would be fun to tower over the instructors however she didn't bother making a fuss. Even at her young age she knew that her body would require certain adjustments to her life style.

Unfortunately the knowledge that she wouldn't get a chance to see what it's like to be the tallest kid in school had taken away a bit of her drive. So her response to hearing someone pull into the drive way was less then energetic. Rather she continued to focus on slowly picking up the last scraps of eggs with the edge of her toast.

Lucy wasn't the only person that had actually found a reason to dislike the current situation. Claude tended to enjoy a more comfortable form of attire when in his home then what his wife was currently permitting him to wear. It wasn't any more then he wore whenever he went shopping with her however it wasn't the t-shirt and old worn pair of jeans that was his home preference. Still, upon hearing someone at the door he tried his best to look awake.

As Patrick waited at the door he couldn't help but wonder what the day was going to bring. He had been fairly surprised whenever he'd received the phone call and even more shocked when he had to fill out several papers preventing him from talking about his student. This wasn't entirely new but in this case the restrictions seemed rather extreme. At last the door opened and he prepared himself to find out just why there was so much secrecy.

"Good day, so are you Patrick?"

"Yes Patrick Ames. I'm here for Miss Lucy's home schooling."

To this Claude gave a quick nod. "Come on inside." As he spoke Claude stepped to the side and allowed Patrick to enter. "She's in the kitchen right now."

Despite not getting to see how a class would respond to her current scale Lucy was made to grin a little whenever she heard Patrick enter. It was true she wouldn't get to see what it was like to tower over the entire student body but she wondered how Patrick would respond to her. As soon as her father and her instructor entered the room she spoke up. "Hi Patrick I'm Lucy."

At first Patrick wasn't sure what was going on as the person setting at the kitchen table didn't appear to be a child. However, the moment she introduced herself and turned around his jaw nearly hit the floor. Despite Lucy's height her features were indeed that of a young girl just magnified beyond the normal scale.

Even with her father in the room Lucy couldn't help but giggle. Lucy had meant to surprise Patrick and it seemed that she had succeeded as he just stared at her. She even gave him a few moments to look her over before she spoke up again. "You know you shouldn't stare at people."

Finally Patrick gave his head a quick shake. Though he still wasn't certain that this was a child he was looking at. She had the features of a child but he had never seen or heard of a child this large. "Pardon me but could someone tell me just what is going on?"

"You mean no one told you about Lucy?"

"They said that she had undergone a medical procedure that had surprising results. I wasn't expecting this though. Lucy, are you really eleven?"

"Yes I am but I'll be twelve in just a month."

"Lucy's height has been increasing at an alarming rate ever sense the medical procedure of which you were informed. They're still testing to see if she may present any dangers to those around her so until that testing is done home schooling seemed to be the best option."

If it hadn't been for all the paper work and the payment he had received in advance Patrick wouldn't have been able to believe the situation. Despite that if it hadn't been for the fact that he doubted a cooperation like InCon would go through such trouble just to prank him he wouldn't have been able to believe it. "Um well. Well then. I suppose we should get started."

To this Lucy gave a nod and resituated herself at the table. "So what are we going to do first?"

"The first thing we need to do is see how good your math skills are. I brought a little test that I want you to try to work so that I know where to begin."

Claude couldn't help but smile as he watched Lucy ready herself for the test. Whenever Lucy would bring home homework he or Karen would always set down and help to insure she understood the problems and what she was doing. They also took the time to praise her for her efforts. The constant reassurance meant that she always felt ready for tests and the help insured that she was ready. It always made him happy whenever he saw that if his daughter lacked anything confidence wasn't one of them.

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It was hard for Claude to be certain of how he should feel as he watched Lucy doing her literature work. A few weeks had passed sense Lucy began her home schooling and during all that time she hadn't needed his help to finish her homework even once. What made the situation even more surprising was that she was finishing the work far more quickly then she had been originally. After waiting a few more moments he gave a sigh and made his way into the living room.

Helping Lucy with her homework could at times be a time consuming tasks however it wasn't one that either parent minded. At times they had both even enjoyed helping Lucy as it allowed them to better see how their daughter was progressing. Despite that Karen hadn't expected Claude to be so down whenever Lucy didn't bother ask for his help. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine." While he spoke Claude made his way over to Karen and set down next to her. "It's just a little odd that she hasn't asked for either of our help even once. What's even more surprising is that she doesn't seem to need it. Did you know that I set down with her just to see if I could help her understand the material a little better?"

"How did that go?"

"There really wasn't anything I could do to help her out. The only thing I seem to be able to do is quiz her on spelling and question her about stories that she read."

There was no desire in Karen to see Claude feeling down however she was made to smile as she listened to him. "You really miss helping Lucy with her homework don't you?"

To this Claude gave a nod. "Yeah, they were times that I wished I could be doing something else but most of the time I enjoyed it."

"So now your feel down sense Lucy doesn't need your help. You knew it was bound to happen eventually though."

"I know but I at least hoped that I would have until she turned sixteen before she quit asking for my help."

An amused giggle escaped Karen as she leaned over and gave Claude a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm sure you'll find another way to help her."

"Maybe the material just isn't challenging enough for her. Do you believe I should talk to Patrick about speeding Lucy's lessons up a bit?"

"If you really believe that the material isn't challenging enough for her sure. Just make sure that you're doing it because you think she can do better and not because you want to hear your little girl asking for your help."

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"So you're worried that the material I've been providing Lucy with isn't challenging enough for her?" Patrick currently set opposite of Claude while Lucy and Karen had both gone to the labs for a medical update on Lucy's condition and further testing on her progress.

"Well normally Lucy calls me in to check her work and help her understand if she's done something wrong. Lately though she hasn't needed my help in the least."

A sigh escaped Patrick as he gave his head a quick nod. "I know. So far Lucy has been getting one hundred percent of the questions I asked her correct. I've actually tried to step up the difficulty level but I honestly wasn't prepared for this."

"Prepared for what?"

"Claude, I don't know if you realized this but your daughter is a border line genius. Not only has she been keeping up with the lesson plan that I had prepared but she's well ahead of schedule."

For a moment Claude said nothing as he considered what Patrick had said. After a moment of contemplation though, he gave his head a quick shake. "That can't be right. Lucy has always been bright and we've always been proud of her but a genius?"

"So she wasn't like this before?"

"Normally Karen or I would set down and observe Lucy as she did her work. If she began to struggle we would lend a hand or if she made a mistake. I will say she never needed much help but normally she'd need us to help with two or three problems. At first I thought it might be the one on one lesson that were allowing her to progress so smoothly but even if that is the case it seems a bit too easy for her."

"You're right. The amount of guidance that I've needed to give Lucy has been the minimum at best. As of late I actually believe I've began to bore her but she hasn't said as much."

For a moment Claude was made to chuckle as he gave his head a shake. "Some things never change it seems."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh there would be days Lucy came home complaining. After assigning homework most instructors would normally take some time the next day to answer questions. Lucy tended to find such events to be boring. She felt the teacher should give the days assignment ahead of this so that those that already understood the material could be working ahead."

"So she doesn't like feeling she's being held back for the sake of others?"

"Yeah, it wasn't just in class either. Lucy wouldn't willingly and had an open dislike of being forced to participate in a team sport." Even though Claude knew that it was far from a virtue he couldn't help but smile and even chuckle as he remembered this aspect of his daughter's nature. "Care to guess at what Lucy said whenever we told her that you can't win them all?"

"Yes I can?"

To this Claude shook his head. "No. Her response was, but I can win most of them. She really got upset whenever the team she was forced to be part of lost because of a few members clumsiness or goofing around."

"Ah so she had trouble accepting defeat."

"I really don't believe it is that to be honest. She'd admit to losing if she was asked. What made her so angry was whenever she lost because of something she couldn't do anything about. Good grief did she ever teach me a lesson whenever I tried to teach her a little humility and showed her then beat her at checkers."

"What happened?"

"She started asking me to teach her how to play better. At first it wasn't so bad but soon it became a daily routine. That wasn't the most surprising thing though. Soon she began asking Karen to play with her. I didn't realize it until later but she was intentionally getting additional practice so that she could beat me. Eventually she got to the point that she couldn't beat me all the time but most of the time.

It seems I didn't teach my daughter to be a good loser instead I taught her to swallow her pride so that she can learn to win."

After a moment Patrick gave a slight chuckle. "No wonder she hates working with others then. She probably can't stand to be restrained by those that don't match her drive."

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For a moment Lucy tapped her pencil against the desk as she looked up at the clock. A large stack of paper set just opposite of her while her math book set before her over two thirds open. For a long while Lucy had enjoyed not needing as much sleep as she had once required. It was fun being able to set up later then her parents and still wake up sooner. However, as she looked at the clock she was for the first time made to regret it. Yet another sigh escaped her as she looked back down at the book and resumed her work.

"Lucy what is wrong?" Karen had been fairly surprised whenever she had come into the kitchen to find Lucy at the table working away. As she looked at the stack of paper she couldn't help but wonder how long she had been at it.

Almost sense the changes in her body had become noticeable Lucy had been more aware then she once was. So she was somewhat surprised when she realized that not only had she failed to notice the alarm clock going off but her mother had entered the kitchen without her realizing it. "Huh? Good morning Mommy." As she spoke Lucy turned to face her mother.

"Good morning to you as well Lucy. Now tell me what is bothering you?"

"Nothing is bothering me."

"Oh then is all of that home work?"

At first Lucy said nothing as she glanced over her shoulder at the stack of papers. "No. I was just working ahead a little."

"Lucy how long have you been working ahead?"

"I'm not sure. I came into the kitchen and got a snack when I woke up. There wasn't anything I wanted to watch on TV so I decided to work ahead."

As she spoke Karen made her way over to the table and began to thumb through the stack of papers Lucy had been working on. "It looks like you've worked ahead quite a bit. Did you do all of this tonight?"

"No. I've been working on it for the past few nights. I was thinking that I'd show Patrick whenever I was finished."

Taking hold of the seat next to Lucy Karen pulled it out and set down next to her daughter. For the moment the fact that this meant Lucy towered over her didn't even register. "Lucy I know that something is wrong. Now I want you to tell me what is bothering you."

"Nothing I"

"Don't lie. Lucy, turn around and look at me while you're talking."

At first Lucy made no motions to turn and face her mother. As she held her ground she bit down on her lower lip until she finally spun around. When she did tears were flowing down her face. "When I don't have anything to do, I feel so sad."

No words came from Karen instead she reached her arms around Lucy and hugged her.

************************************************************************

"So how is Lucy doing now?"

"When I left she seemed to be doing fine. When I told Claude about what happened he immediately resolved to spend more time with her. I don't think that will be enough though."

Elaine gave a nod as she listened to Karen. "Most likely it won't be. What Lucy needs at this moment is someone her own age to spend time with. A parent's attention can be helpful but it isn't the same as a peer's. I don't believe that is the only cause though. The restrictions on her mobility have undoubtedly played a large part in her current condition."

"So what can we do?"

"At this moment Lucy really needs a friend to spend her time with. A friend that isn't also an authority figure that is. I had actually been expecting this to happen I had just hoped that the lab work would be finished before it occurred."

Michael had been quiet while Karen and Elaine spoke up until that point. Now he had to step in though. "We have actually done plenty of testing confirming that it's safe to be around Lucy. That is we have in regards to her posing a biological hazard to anyone else. I also believed that Elaine's evaluation of Lucy would show she poses no threat as well."

"So long as her boundaries are respected I don't see Lucy posing any threat. However, I did establish that Lucy seems to have limits to what she can stand. While her initial reaction was to leave my office I'm not willing to chance what would have happened if I tried to physically stop her."

A sigh escaped Karen. "I can see that causing trouble in an environment such as a school. To further complicate matters I don't believe Lucy would be content being in a class of her peers. She'd most likely find the learning material to be less then stimulating."

"I imagine family is out of the question."

"Given what is going on with Kevin? Yeah that unpleasantness would make convincing them to send one of their children over for a play date with Lucy difficult even more so when they realized her current condition. There is also the little matter of the contract. Though I have been wondering, wasn't Lucy going to serve as a sort of spokes person for the eighth step?"

"Yes she was. It's just that the bored wants six more months of testing. Once Lucy is in the public eye they really don't want anything to go wrong." A sigh escaped Michael and he leaned back in his seat. "Still, in that time we don't know what might happen to Lucy. Depression isn't healthy regardless of how strong the body is. I guess I have no choice in the matter then."

"What do you plan on doing?"

"Lucy needs someone her own age to keep her company. Now I won't be able to convince the bored to drop the six months of testing that remains. So I'll just have to introduce Albert to her."

"Who's Albert?"

"He's my son. He's a year older then Lucy but I believe that's close enough. Perhaps if I show my confidence that Lucy is no danger to anyone the bored will be more likely to drop the six months of testing."

"Don't you need to talk to your wife about it?"

"Anne and I have already discussed the issue actually. Albert is still in the dark but that shouldn't be much of a problem. I have a pretty good idea of how Albert will respond to learning that he has to meet someone new but it should be good for him. Hopefully Lucy won't have too much trouble getting him to come out of his shell."

************************************************************************

Claude couldn't help but grin as Lucy rushed about the kitchen. She had nearly run him and Karen over numerous times until they had finally resolved to stay out of her way while she was setting the table. He had actually seen Lucy in such excitable states before however she had been much smaller back then. "You know Lucy it'll be a little while longer before they arrive."

"Yeah but we can already have everything set out."

As Karen watched Lucy she couldn't help but grin. It seemed that the news that she'd be meeting someone new was enough to perk Lucy all by itself. She just hoped that the meeting went well. Given Lucy's current situation she truly needed a friend.

It was hard for Michael to resist reaching back and ruffling his son's hair as the boy kept his attention focused on the vehicles window. Two things prevented this from happening though. One was that he was currently driving and the other was the fact that Anne would darn near break his hand for doing so. The effort she had to expend to get Albert out of the layer he called his room and dressed up had been monumental.

Anne smiled as she turned in her seat ever so slightly to face Albert. "Now sweatie I want you to be nice to Lucy and try to get to know her."

"I know Mom. Don't I always behave?"

"Albert this isn't just about behaving. I want you to really give Lucy a chance and try to get to know her." Anne couldn't help but chuckle when she heard a low groan escape her son. "Now Albert you haven't even seen the girl yet and you've already decided that she isn't worth knowing. What kind of attitude is that?"

While Albert was no where near eager to meet Lucy he knew better then to argue over such things with his mother. "I'll try to get to know her."

Reaching into the back of the vehicle Anne slipped one of her fingers into Albert's shirt collar and gave him a slight pull so that he was forced to set upright and quit leaning on the door. She then waited until he had turned to look at her to speak. She wasn't surprised whenever she found her son's face to be perfectly strait. The boy almost never frowned but he almost never smiled either. "You know Albert you just might get along with Lucy better then you believe. She isn't like the girls in your class."

"Yeah she's a year younger."

"Don't be a smart aleck. Oh so that gets a grin out of you. Well what would you say if I told you that Lucy is almost as tall as me?" An amused chuckle escaped Anne as the expression on Albert's face changed.

"I thought you said she was only twelve."

"She is."

"Mom it's impossible for a twelve year old to be as tall as you are."

"Now Albert that just isn't true especially when your father is involved."

"Hey you make it sound like this is a regular happening when it comes to my work."

At first Albert didn't say anything but focused intently on his mother as if trying to figure out if she was playing around or not. After a few moments a smile spread across his face. "That is neat actually. So Dad really messed up this time did he?"

"I did no such thing. When something performs beyond expectations it's hardly a failure." As he addressed his family Michael slowed the vehicle and pulled into the driveway.

"They're here." In response to hearing a vehicle slowing and then turning into the drive way Lucy quickly bound past her parents. As she passed Claude she actually had to weave to the side slightly in order to avoid plowing her father over due to his slower reaction time.

A slight chuckle escaped Claude as he watched his daughter bound past him. Her movements had been so swift and close that some of her hair had actually smacked him in the face as she darted past him. "I hope she doesn't tear the door of the hinges like she did in the bedroom."

Karen waited until she heard the door open to respond. "I think she might have heard you."

The speed with which the front door of the home opened was so great that for a moment Albert thought it must have been torn off its hinges. He was actually surprised when he looked to the side and noted that it was still quite attached though he still imagined it had been loosened considerably. There wasn't much time to focus on this though as a figure that did indeed rivaled his mother in height appeared in the doorway.

Upon seeing her son's surprised expression Anne gave an amused chuckle. "I told you she was nearly as tall as I am." Anne for her part was quite an oddity. Standing two meters tall and possessing an exceptionally fit build Anne could have easily passed for a Valkyrie. So it was rare for Albert to see a man taller or even as tall as his mother let alone a woman. Now here was a young girl of twelve years and while not as tall as his mother she was quite close.

Lucy practically had to grab onto the doorframe to keep from running out to meet their guest. She hadn't said anything but ever sense she'd spoken to Michael she had been interested in meeting his son and wife. She was a little surprised whenever Anne climbed out of the vehicle followed by Albert and Michael a few moments later. "Hi and welcome."

As this was the first time Anne had actually seen Lucy in person she took a moment to appraise the girl. Lucy most assuredly seemed energetic enough. The smile on her face also told Anne that she was very hopeful that this meeting would go well. "Well hello there. So you're the young Miss Lucy that Michael has been telling me about. I'm Anne."

"I'm glad to meet you. Wow Michael said that you were tall but I didn't expect you to be taller then what I am now."

"That's nice of you to say but from what I hear you won't be seeing me as tall for much longer."

As Anne neared the door Lucy took a few steps back to let them in. She still glanced to the side and past Anne to see Albert. "That is Albert right?"

"Yes it is."

Before his mother or Lucy could say anything more Albert quickened his pace. It only took him a moment to come to stand beside his mother. "Hi Lucy, it is nice to meet you."

Upon hearing Albert and seeing him stand next to his mother Lucy's first thoughts were to pick him up. Fortunately her parents had explained to her long ago that she couldn't just go around picking people up without asking. Mostly due to her decision to help her father get around when he was still heavily medicated. "It's nice to meet you to Albert. So your father says you like to play checkers."

"It's a fun game though I actually prefer chess."

To this Lucy gave a quick nod. "I've never actually played chess though I believe the pieces for it came with the checkers bored. Perhaps you'd show me how to play later?"

"I'd be happy to."

After observing Albert and Lucy for a moment Anne continued on into the house. "Hi so you must be Karen."

Upon hearing Lucy and Albert talking Karen had come out to watch. Her attention had been taken from the conversation though upon seeing Anne. Apparently Michael was fond of woman of the larger variety. "Yes. It's nice to meet you." As she spoke Karen offered her hand to Anne

Upon taking hold of Karen's hand Anne gave it a light shake. "Well it smells like dinner is already prepared."

"Yes. Please give me a moment. Lucy, why don't you and Albert come in here and get a plate?"

"Okay Mommy. We'll be there in a moment."

As Karen finished off a bit of the roast on her plate she turned her attention to Anne. "If you don't mind me asking just how did you and Michael meet one another?"

"I was an experiment of his actually."

While Karen had expected a rather interesting response given Michael's back ground. She was rather stunned whenever she heard this. "Huh? What do you mean?"

An amused giggle escaped Anne the moment she noted the look of shock on Karen's face. "In collage Michael was doing an experiment on the affects of exercise, proper diet, exercise and proper diet and intensive medically guided exercise and diet. Well it was easy for him to get materials on the first three but not the final one. So he came to me.

Now I've always been tall but back then I was also exceptionally fat. Michael and I had known each other for a while so he approached me with a little deal. Sense he knew that I had been trying to lose some flab for a while. He would take care of the expense of the exercise equipment, medicines as well as the food so long as if I would stick to the routine that he had planned."

"So you agreed and just what was he testing exactly?"

"Well I can't say that I agreed right away. However, I realized later how often are you going to have someone offer to pay for your meals and exercise equipment if you'll just follow their plan to get in shape? It took a day or two of thought but yeah I took him up on his offer. If I remember correctly he was not only seeking to prove that with proper diet, exercise and the application of certain medicines one could achieve superior results faster. He also sought to prove that it could be done safely."

"It looks like the experiment worked."

For a moment Michael was made to sigh as he shook his head. "Not as well as I had hoped. Anne actually exceeded my original expectations however I needed more then one person to prove my point. Unfortunately I was never able to get the type of funding or number of volunteers I needed for that."

An amused giggle escaped Anne as she reached over and placed her hand on Michael's shoulder. "His professor was actually going to give his project an eighty percent due to lack of experimental data until I came and spoke to him. As I recall you didn't make anything less then a ninety nine perfect for the wrest of the year on anything."

It was impossible for Michael not to grin as he looked at Anne. "No I didn't."

"Are you being serious? Did you improve that quickly?"

"Yes I am."

"Wow, just what were you taking during all of this."

Before speaking Anne turned and looked directly at Lucy. "Something similar to what Lucy received. Though far less refined and not actually a living organism a good deal of the research Michael did while working with me went into the development of the eighth step symbiot."

"Mom may I be excused?"

Upon turning her head to speak to Albert Anne was a little surprised to see that he had already cleared his plate. "Albert did you even bother chewing your food?"

"Of course I chewed my food Mother."

Before a comment could leave Anne's lips she noted that Lucy had already cleared her plate as well. It was very hard for her to keep from smiling as she noted this. "Well you must not have done a very thorough job then. You may be excused but next time I don't want to see you rushing through your meal."

"I will." Placing his hands on the table Albert went to push his seat away. A slight grunt escaped him though when the chair didn't move in the least. After a second of pushing he looked up to see a smile on Lucy's face. "Hey!"

Instead of respond to Albert Lucy glanced over at her mother. I'm going to go and show Albert around okay?"

"Sure but remember Albert is a guest."

"I know." As she spoke Lucy removed her foot from behind the bar in Albert's chair that she had used to hold it in place. She then gave the chair a gentle nudge sending it sliding backwards a few centimeters.

While Albert didn't care for Lucy preventing him from scooting his seat back he didn't say anything as he stood up. As he made his way to the entrance to the living room he quickened his pace as he noted Lucy's much louder strides following close behind. There was a slight desire on his part to stop in the door way to force Lucy to stop but as he listened to her foot steps he felt it was more likely that he'd end up being run over. Upon entering the living room he began to get a better look at the structure. "This is one of the company houses."

Once they were in the living room Lucy made her way from behind Albert to stand beside of him. "Yes it is. So are they others like this?"

"They follow a similar design though they're not exactly the same. I believe you got one of the nicer ones."

"Do the others have higher roofs?"

"I don't believe so." At last Albert turned to face Lucy. Upon realizing how close she was though and having to lean back a bit more then he liked he also took a few steps away from her. "So you really are a year younger then I am."

"If you're thirteen then yep I am."

"Wow. That's really neat."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she reached behind herself and folded her fingers together. "I think so as well. So what do you want to do?"

"I'm okay with talking if you are. You could also check to see if you have some chess pieces and I could teach you how to play."

"Sure. The bored games are in the game room."

"What game room? Oh you're talking about the study."

In response to this Lucy quickly stuck her tongue out at Albert for a moment. "Study to you game room to us." With that Lucy proceeded across the room. As she did so she made certain to keep her strides long enough and fast enough that Albert would have to jog a little to keep up.

Instead of trying to match pace with Lucy Albert kept the walking speed that he was comfortable with. Given that he already had a rough idea of the structure's layout he felt no need to dash after her. Of course he noted after a few steps that Lucy's pace slowed considerably. The sudden change of pace brought on a realization of what she had been trying to do and a slight chuckle escaped him. "So I've been told that my father had a part in your sudden increase in height."

"You mean increasing height."

"So you're still growing?"

"The last time they checked I was."

"Even if your height is still increasing though, it's still a sudden increase. So were there any other changes?"

"You bet there is! I'm a lot stronger then what I used to be and not just due to my height."

"How much stronger are you?"

"I can easily lift several times my own mass now." Upon entering the study Lucy made her way over to some shelves and began to rummage through a few items in search of the checkers bored. Had it been in her old home she'd been able to find it in moments but as those were all burnt to ash she was still learning the placement of the games.

"Wow that is impressive. So would you say that you're the strongest person in the world?"

"It's a safe bet." For a moment Lucy was made to giggle as she glanced down at Albert. "Are you thinking of asking your father to inject you with the symbiot?"

"No."

"Why aren't you?"

To this Albert gave a slight shrug. "I don't know. It just doesn't really appeal to me."

"You seemed so interested in my height though."

"Well you're interesting. It's just not something I have much interest in myself."

In response to this Lucy quickly turned her face away from Albert as she felt her cheeks warming up a bit. She then busied herself searching through the various bored games even as she happened across the checkers bored. For the moment she was exceptionally grateful for her greater height and that she hadn't found the checkers bored before hand. She had no desire to let Albert see that he'd just caused her to blush. "I see."

"Hey you're the little girl my dad helped in the hospital. Well I feel stupid now. I should have realized you're the one that he was talking about while he was away."

"Yeah that was probably me. I hope I didn't cause him to miss anything important."

"Don't worry about it you didn't and I got a new video game out of the deal. Well three new video games actually but not yet."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

A slight groan escaped Albert as he pulled out a chair from a near by desk and set down. "My dad has been playing the other two."

Finally taking hold of the checkers bored Lucy carefully removed it from under the other games as she turned to face Albert. "You've got to be kidding."

"No I'm not."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she opened up the box and looked around for a moment. After a few seconds she pulled out a small bag of chess pieces. "It looks like the bored came with chess as well. So how is your dad playing more then one game at once?"

"I honestly have no idea." As Lucy placed the bored in the floor Albert got up and took a setting position opposite of her. He then began to pick up the pieces. "Okay these are the pawns. You just put them in a strait row right across here. Pawns can only move forward and can only attack diagonally forward. They can only move one space at a time and if a piece is occupying the space in front of they can't move forward except during the first move when they can move two spaces."

"Okay."

"The rooks go here and here. A rook can move any number of spaces vertically or horizontally however they can't jump other pieces. Next we have the knights. A knight is the only piece that can jump other pieces and moves in an l fashion. It can move either once in one direction and twice to either side or twice in one direction and once to the side. After that we have the bishop whose similar to the castle except a bishop can only move diagonally."

"So except for the knight I have to get all the darn pawns out of my way before I can use any of the pieces that have any real ability."

"Hey don't put down the shield. Now we have the queen, the queen can move any number of spaces vertically, horizontally or diagonally however even she can't jump her own pieces. Then last we have the king, the king can move in any direction like the queen however he can only move one space at a time."

"So the queen is the most important piece in the game?"

"Well she's the most valuable destroyer that is for certain. However, capturing the king is what decides if you win or lose. In order to win at chess you must put me in checkmate. You do this by getting my king in a position to be captured that is check. Whenever you get my king in a position to be captured that I can't move it out of that is checkmate. Oh and you must always move the king out of check and can never move it into check."

For a moment Lucy said nothing as she looked down at the bored. She then turned her attention back to Albert. "So the most valuable piece is also the weakest except for the pawns while the only other one of a kind piece is the most powerful and is the queen who must protect the king."

"That's right."

At last an amused giggle escaped Lucy. "I like that!"

"Like what? Oh I see." A grin formed on Albert's face as he gave his head a slight shake. "Yeah it is rather amusing that they made the queen such a powerful piece while the king is basically the prey in the game that she and the others must protect."

"It sounds like fun to me." An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she turned her attention back to the game. She'd already resolved that as the queen was her most powerful piece that would be the first one she'd get out from behind the front line of pawns.

"One more thing, if you can get a pawn down to the other side of the field that pawn is promoted to any other piece you want. This for the most part means that you get another queen. As honestly I've never heard of anyone taking any other piece when that happens."

"Okay who makes the first move?"

"You're the white pieces so that would be you. Hey Lucy sense you've grown so much and you're apparently still growing just what do you plan on doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"What are you going to do when you're finished with school? Try out for some professional sports?" I know they don't have any females in certain sports however I bet you could be the first." As Albert was speaking he watched as Lucy made her first move and he followed up with his own.

"You know that would be fun but I don't know if they'd let me play. I didn't think it was possible before but it seems that I might be too healthy for such things."

"Well yeah given how strong you said you are it would make it a rather one sided game. Huh, that doesn't seem fair to you though. Not being able to participate in something because you're over qualified really doesn't seem fair at all."

"It would be kind of fun though. Stepping out onto the football field and being the tallest player around." An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she moved one of her pieces. "Perhaps they could try to tackle my knees."

"It might not even be your knees perhaps it would be your ankles."

"That or perhaps my toes" for a moment Lucy turned her eyes away from the game and looked back at her feet. She then gave her toes a slight wiggle. "It's quite a neat idea."

"So what do you have in mind or have you given it any thought?"

"I believe I'd like to become a researcher. Sure being an athlete would be fun and feeling an entire football team trying to pin my toes would be wonderful. That said I think I'd prefer to become a scientist though if I grow that large I don't know of any labs that I could work in."

"Huh, well if you could find a place to work you could do both I imagine. It isn't like you'd have to remember any plays or practice to be a world class athlete even now. After all how many people do you believe it would take to tackle you?"

"I can lift at least six times my own mass so I'd have to say around six."

"I bet you could plow through most defensive lines." A sigh escaped Albert as he looked down at the bored. "Just like your queen is going through my pawns."

"So do you like sports?"

To this Albert shook his head as he continued to focus on the bored in an attempt to see a way to keep Lucy from taking anymore of his pieces with her queen. "Not really."

"Ah does that mean even if I became an athlete you wouldn't come and watch me?"

"Mm you know I might. I'm sure if you were out there playing it would be much more interesting. Perhaps you should tryout at your school."

A sigh escaped Lucy as she pulled her queen back for a moment as she noted Albert nearly had her in position to take the piece with his bishop. "I haven't been able to go to as of late."

"Ah that must be nice. Just getting to stay home and relax. Though, if you're going to be a scientist you'll need to go back."

"Oh I've been getting my lessons. My instructor actually comes to my home."

"What? That I would like to be able to do, getting my lessons at home would be wonderful. Then I wouldn't have to put up with so many people."

"Do you have a problem with people?"

"It's not that I dislike people as some seem to assume. I just can't stand to be around large groups. I've come to believe that ignorance feeds upon the ignorance of others and grows greatly."

"So does the same rule apply to intelligence?"

"I believe that it does."

"That means that you believe ignorance is more prevalent amongst people then intelligence. So in a way you really tend to dislike people."

After a moment of silence a grin formed across Albert's face. "Yeah you're right. I do believe that ignorance is far more prevalent in people then intelligence. You're an intelligent lady though."

"Thanks. I'm glad that you think so."

"It'd be a little hard for me not to considering the move you just pulled."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she watched Albert struggling to figure a way to avoid losing his castle. "You were so busy trying to neutralize my queen that you weren't paying attention to your other pieces."

"I see that now. Is this really the first time that you've ever played chess?"

"Yes it is. Oh darn." Lucy gave a sigh as she watched Albert change his bishop's position. Now she had to choose between taking his castle and losing her queen or just letting it go for the time being.

Even with this minor victory Albert felt far from relaxed. At the moment he was still stuck in a defensive position with no real openings to safely attack. It seemed that his only choice was to sacrifice one of his pieces in order to make an opening in Lucy's armor so that he could regain at least part of the offensive. "So what is it like getting your lessons in your home?"

"Well they're advantages as I don't like having to worry about any group activities. However, you also know that all the instructor's questions are coming right to you."

"Mm I don't see how that last part is much of a change. I bet you're used to answering most of the questions anyway or know the answer."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy and she gave her head a quick nod. "Well that is true. There have even been times when the teacher told me to give the other kids a chance to answer the questions."

"Which is when class slows to a crawl and it seems like you'll never move onto the next subject doesn't it?"

"It can especially when the subject was easy. Do you have the same problem?"

"I don't tend to answer all that many questions to be honest."

"Oh and why don't you?"

"While the teacher is reviewing the material with the class I'll work on something else. That and it's kind of fun to just listen and find out who did and didn't do their work."

"So in other words you like watching others get the questions wrong."

"Well do you like showing off?"

"Of course I do! If I'm going to expend the effort and time to learn the material don't I have the right to enjoy it?"

"I believe that you do. Well then. Yeah, I like it when they can't answer the question or flat out get it wrong sense they're pretty much the same thing. So long as I know the answer incase I'm called upon I'm quite content to just set back and watch others miss it. That or wait until the teacher finally gives up on waiting for volunteers and starts calling on people."

"So do you get help with your homework?"

"Yeah my mom always checks over my work and helps me with the problems I missed. That is unless Dad is home though I really prefer if mom is the one to help me."

"Why is that?"

To this Albert gave a slight shrug. "I just believe that my mom is better at explaining things then my father. I can't say why but what she shows me tends to be easier for me to remember."

"Well she does look like someone that people would tend to listen to and remember what she had said. You know. By not speaking up your letting the class drag on longer then it needs to so in a way you're hurting your own progress."

At first Albert said nothing as he looked away from the bored game and at Lucy then slowly a smile spread across his lips. "Well you are very smart. I never thought of it that way actually. Huh, well this is a first. Now you have me seriously contemplating participating in such question and answer sessions. Huh so I seem to have been hurting myself this entire time. Thank you for pointing that out."

"You're quite welcome. Now say good buy to your remaining castle."

"Ah drat." Even though a sigh escaped him as Albert found himself now missing yet another powerful piece his smile didn't diminish. It seemed that Lucy was rather adept at making him smile. "So just how well is your home schooling progressing?"

"It was going quite well at first though recently my instructor has been having trouble keeping up."

"So not only are you matching pace with the lesson plan your instructor prepared but you're far ahead of schedule. I can't say that I'm really surprised. Given how quickly you grasped chess you clearly catch on rather quickly."

Ever sense her blush had faded away Lucy had worn a smile upon her face and she doubted it would be going away anytime soon. Even if Albert didn't seem like the most people friendly person she could have met Lucy found his company to be quite enjoyable. "Thanks for teaching me how to play."

"You're welcome. Though, I'm worried that soon you'll find me to easy of an opponent to beat. I'll have to start asking Mom to play with me so I can offer you a challenge or at least not have you beating me within the first three moves."

"So what do you do when you're not working on school work?"

"I tend to play console games and spend a fair bit of time on the internet. I used to watch a fair bit of television but that doesn't interest me much anymore."

"So is there anywhere you like going?"

"I'm more of a home body actually. My father has taken to calling my room my layer or din sense I so rarely leave it."

"Ah well I hope you'll come and visit me once in a while."

As Albert spoke he looked away from Lucy and focused on the bored in front of him so that she couldn't see his face. "I'd like to visit once in a while as well or perhaps you could come over to my house as well."

"Sure that'd be fun. How about we ask our parents?"

"Yeah but after this game is over, I really want to see if I can find a way out of this situation."

************************************************************************

"Hello Anne this is Lucy. I was wondering if Albert could come over today." Currently Lucy set within the dining room while Patrick busied himself gathering up his things. The massive stack of papers that Lucy had provided him with would take him quite a while to grade. His jaw had nearly hit the floor when she had set the stack before him and told him that she believed she was ready to move onto a higher level book.

"I'm sorry Lucy but I don't believe Albert will be able to come over today."

While Lucy wasn't the type to try to put someone through a guilt trip even she couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice. "Why can't he come over?"

"He's fell a little behind in his school work so we're taking today to help him get caught back up."

"Really, that doesn't sound like him at all?"

"Normally it isn't but it seems that he's been putting it off a bit. He should be able to visit you tomorrow."

"Why has he been putting it off, oh wait. He's been spending too much time with me hasn't he?"

"Lucy you don't need to worry about it. He doesn't have any over due assignments the deadline is just a little closer then we'd like it to be. One day of diligent work though and he should be well ahead of the game."

"Could I help him then?"

"Huh, Lucy you don't have to help Albert."

"Yeah but I want to help him. I'm partly to blame for him being behind after all."

"Lucy this isn't your fault and"

"Please? I really want to help him out. I'm done with all my homework already so I have plenty of free time."

Instead of responding right away Anne turned her attention towards Albert who was currently focused on his literature book. For the last few weeks Albert and Lucy had been visiting one another quite regularly. Despite that it actually surprised her that Lucy would prefer to visit Albert and help with his school work then go a few days without seeing him. "Okay Albert, take a twenty minute break."

"Hold on. I'm about done with this."

"Then you can finish up whenever your break is over."

A sigh escaped Albert as he stood up. He didn't know why his mother was making him take a break but he knew better then to argue with her when she used that tone. Even his father wouldn't argue with her whenever she used that tone of voice. "Alright, I'm going to go game a bit then."

Anne waited until Albert was out of the room and wouldn't hear what she said before resuming the conversation. "Do you really want to help out?"

"Yeah, Albert has been teaching me to play chess after all. Perhaps I can help him learn something."

"Okay but ask your parents if you can come over or not."

"I already did."

"Okay then. Get dressed and I'll come over to pick you up."

"Okay! Just be sure to bring your SUV I don't know if I'd fit in the car anymore."

An amused giggle escaped Anne. "I noticed when you were getting in with Michael so he could take you home. For a moment I even thought I saw the roof beginning to bulge over your seat."

"Well I did feel my head brushing against the roof and I have grown a little sense then."

"Oh my you're just shooting right up there. Well I'll be over in a few. Bye until then."

When Anne had left to pick up Lucy Albert had already been up in his room so he hadn't noticed the vehicle starting or leaving. Had he been up in his room he wouldn't have even known she had left or heard her pulling into the drive way. So he was a little surprised when he glanced outside to see who had pulled up only to see his mother climbing out of the SUV. Upon seeing Lucy climbing out though his curiosity peeked so that he actually jumped out of his seat and ran to the front door.

Upon the front door opening before either Anne or she had reached it Lucy's smile grew until her teeth could just barely be seen for a moment. "Hi Albert, I hear that you're a little behind in your school work."

"Yeah just a little though. What brings you over?"

"I came over to see if I can help you get your work done. That way we can play some."

"Huh, you don't need to do that. I believe I've got enough done that I can finish the wrest up tomorrow."

Anne didn't give Lucy time to respond or let Albert continue. "No Albert. You have put your school work off enough."

Despite there being a strong impulse within Albert to protest he didn't give the impulse voice. His mother always insisted that he finish his work ahead of schedule and not wait until the last minute. It was something she wasn't willing to compromise on even whenever his father sided with him. "Alright Mom, Lucy, I'm not sure if you can really help me with what I'm working on now. If you want you can play some games."

"Let me try to help you first. What are you doing?"

"I'm just answering some questions about a story I read."

"Well I can go back in the story and check over your answers once you're finished then. I've recently become quite a speed reader."

As Lucy stepped into the house Albert was forced to move out of the doorway or be run over. For a few moments he was entirely silent as he noted how Lucy's head seemed closer to the top of a door his mother had no trouble walking through. "Wow, a few more months and I bet you'll have to bend at the knees to keep from banging your head on the door frame. The story is kind of boring though. You don't need to suffer through it."

"Well let me find out if I consider it boring or not."

At last Albert gave a slight shrug and began to make his way back into the kitchen. "Alright, but remember if you don't care for the story there is no need to read it. I'm pretty sure that I got all the questions right except for perhaps a few names."

"What is wrong with the names?"

"I kind of have trouble remembering names of people or places that I don't hear very often unless they make a real impression upon me." A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he took his seat. "I hate it when the teacher asks me to hand people their papers back as I have to call out their names to find them. I suspect that I offended a few people when they realized I don't even bother remembering their names."

"Albert what is my last name?"

"Angeye, why do you ask?"

"Wow I must have made quite an impression then if you remember my last name. It isn't like I've mentioned it more then once for twice."

There was a moment of silence on Albert's part as he looked up at Lucy. "Well you do have quite a presence."

"I'm glad that you think so. Okay now let's get to work okay? I want to get this finished so that we have some time to do other things."

"I'll work as quickly as I can."

"Just work at a comfortable pace. You need to make sure you understand the material after all."

"Okay, give me a few moments to finish answering these questions and then you can have the book."

"What else do you have to get done?"

"After this I have some English composition to work on, then a little bit of history and last but not least I need to begin my project."

"Huh, what type of project?"

"My instructor likes to assign special home projects every few months. Right now we're supposed to be working on our bridges. If you want to know more about it the list of requirements are in my folder." As he spoke Albert used his pin to tap a folder that was a few centimeters out of his reach.

As Lucy reached for the folder she was aware of how closely Albert was watching her though she wasn't sure that he was aware of it. As she easily took hold of the folder, she felt herself beginning to blush slightly. While Lucy loved her additional height and showing off she still wasn't quite used to being admired for it. "Are you allowed to have help with the project?"

"Yeah but, well read the paper inside it'll explain it well enough."

"Ah Okay I see. I'm allowed to help you however you have to help build bridge, will need to know how to put it together incase you're asked any questions and must know how it works as well."

"Yeah that's pretty much it in condensed form."

"Have you decided on what type of bridge you would like to build then?"

"I haven't really decided just yet. Why do you have any ideas?"

"How about we try to build a suspension bridge? I could go ahead and begin gathering the materials that you're going to need."

"Wouldn't that be somewhat complicated?"

"I don't believe it would be too much trouble with us working together. It would also give you a good chance to show off a little."

"Mm I believe I'd rather to just get an A and leave the showing off to you."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she turned to face Albert entirely. "Well this way you can do both. This list at the bottom is all the materials we are allowed to use right?"

"Yeah it is."

"Okay while you work on that I'm going to go and see if I can find a design for a simple suspension bridge. Then I'll begin gathering up the materials that we're going to need."

"I believe we have all the materials that we're going to need. My dad took a copy of the materials list and picked up a good deal of everything on his way home from work."

"Okay well this shouldn't take very long then. I just need to find a general design. The bridge has to be at least a third of a meter long right?"

"Yeah, though the bigger the bridge the better if you're interested in flaunting what you can do."

"Mm I wonder if your dad picked up enough materials to make a two meter long bridge."

A stunned expression appeared on Albert's face as Lucy considered making the bridge six times the scale it actually needed to be. "Are you serious?"

It was impossible for Lucy not to giggle as she noted the look on Albert's face. "Well instead of planning an exact length how about I first get the plans then look at the materials your dad picked up? Then we can build the bridge as large as the materials allow."

"Lucy, I thought you wanted to help me finish."

A huge grin adorned Lucy's face as she stood up to her full height. "Actually I wanted to spend some time together and this project of yours seems to be the perfect chance for me to get to help you and spend some time. Is it okay if I use your computer to search for the design?"

************************************************************************

Upon finishing the twelfth sentence and making the proper corrections Albert couldn't be quiet any longer. "Lucy I'm supposed to help with the bridge you know."

Despite setting only a bit over a meter away from Albert Lucy didn't even hear him as she focused on the task at hand. Currently she busied herself wrapping several bits of fishing line around a central one as if she was coiling cables together. The thick silver fishing line was actually more then strong enough to support the load it would be required to on its own but she wanted to go for the look as well.

"Lucy did you hear me? Are you ignoring me?"

"Huh? Oh sorry I guess I was a little too focused. What did you want Albert?"

All Albert could do was sigh even as a grin formed on his face. "You really like this kind of thing don't you?"

"Well it is kind of fun. Albert, would you mind if I told you something? It's something that I haven't even told my parents."

"Yeah, I promise I won't tell anyone whatever you're thinking of telling me."

"One of my favorite toys sense I was little has always been my blocks. It was my dolls for a while but that changed when the blocks started including little people. I actually like to build little homes and pretend that I was a giantess. The smaller or the more detailed the homes the better."

"So you've always wanted to be a giantess like you are now?"

"Actually, I've always wanted to be a lot bigger."

"Just how big are you talking about?"

"I don't know. At times I thought it would be fine to be big enough to pick up a car with both hands. I would even climb to the top of trees and look out and pretend I was really as tall as I was in the tree." A slight chuckle escaped Lucy. "You have no idea how often my daddy had to get me down from a tree and how many times both my parents asked why I climb them. Then they are days that I would want to be much bigger. I'd imagine what it would be like to be able to easily hold a semi in my hand."

Even as the words left his mouth Albert had no idea where they came from or even that they had formed. "Seems a little short."

A grin formed on Lucy's face as she looked down at Albert. Moments later she felt her skin warming up as she leaned down and planted a quick kiss on the top of his head. She then spoke so that her breath ruffled the very top hairs on his head. "So how big do you believe I should be?"

There was no attempt to look up at Lucy as Albert felt himself blush a bit as well. Though had he looked up he would have found he wasn't the only one. That did not keep him from talking though. "Bigger then that at that size you wouldn't be much bigger then the standard movie monster. You'd need to be at least big enough that you could hold them in your hand to keep them from causing trouble other wise you'd end up leveling a city trying to subdue them."

While Lucy knew that Albert wasn't serious about a monster showing up an amused giggle escaped her as she turned back to the bridge. "So I'd need to grow large enough to handle the next mistake your father makes."

"Well that would be very nice of you. Though I don't believe you have to worry about my dad making any monsters. If you and my mom is an indicator he just likes making ladies bigger."

"I believe someone takes after his father." Before Albert could respond Lucy held up the wound fishing line she had been working on. "So does this look thick enough to you?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Now how about I slip these beads over the line and glue them together to give it a uniform look? After that I can then paint the glue so that it's all red like the real thing."

"That sounds like it'll work really well. How are you going to keep the fishing line from unraveling though?"

"Didn't you notice the bound ends?"

Instead of saying anything Albert took a moment to examine the wound line more carefully. What he found was that Lucy had used a bit of glue at each end to hold it in place. Given how tightly she had found the coils he imagined that between the tension and the glue insuring that it didn't decrease it would stay wound quite tightly for some time to come. "Wow. I didn't notice it before. Oh dang how am I going to explain getting the line wound together so well?"

"The instructions say you can have help. So just say that one of you held it while the other focused on winding the line."

"Lucy, even with help I doubt I could get it wound that tightly."

"Does your instructor know your mother?"

"Oh I see. That's a good point but give me a second. I want to make sure mom knows the story incase anyone asks about it."

"Sure. Go ahead and tell her I want to begin putting the beads on. Though, do you believe that the glue might make the capable too rigid for the bridge to swing?"

"Are the main support cables on a suspension bridge supposed to swing?"

"I don't really know."

"If they are I doubt you'd want them moving very much so I don't believe you'll have to worry about the over all look you're going for. So long as the smaller support cables can move freely. Now don't finish the thing before I can get done with my other work I'm supposed to help as well."

"When does this need to be done?"

"I actually have about two more weeks to finish. My instructor gives us three weeks to finish each of the major projects that we're assigned throughout the school year."

"Your mom really isn't fond of waiting until the last minute is she?"

"Not in the least."

"While you're up would you mind asking your mom if I can stay the night?"

Albert couldn't hide the surprise on his face as he looked at Lucy. "Sure but why would you want to do that? I have school tomorrow."

"I know but my instructor isn't going to be coming by tomorrow to teach me. He said that he needed some time to prepare another lesson plan. I figure I can stay here and work on the bridge for you."

"Lucy, my instructor is going to ask us questions about our bridges and given how impressive the one you want to build will be. Well I know the questions will be rather detailed ones."

"I'll just right down how I built each part of the bridge and you can read over it. That way you can answer any questions that your teacher wants to ask."

"Thanks for the offer but I really don't like the idea of you doing my work for me. It doesn't seem fair."

"Sure it is. I'm actually having fun doing this and it isn't like I have any school work of my own to worry about. Now go and ask your mom."

"Are you sure you don't mind doing most of the work on the bridge?"

Throughout the conversation Lucy had continued working on the bridge. Now she turned to face Albert entirely revealing that she had a rather impish grin on her face. "Are you going to make me carry you to your mom?"

"I'm just trying to make sure you don't mind and actually want to do this. The idea of letting you build the bridge yourself makes me feel like I'd be taking advantage of you."

"I suppose you do." An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she rose from her seat and reached down for Albert.

"Hey!" Upon realizing that Lucy was actually going to pick him up Albert attempted to jump from his seat. He was a little too slow though and he felt Lucy take hold of him. One of her arms circled around his bag while the other easily worked its way under her legs. She then lifted him from his seat in one swift motion.

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she effortlessly held Albert aloft despite his protest. Without a word she then began to quickly shift his position so that she was cradling him in her arms.

A sigh escaped Albert as it became apparent within moments that there was no way he was going to be able to struggle free of Lucy's grip. "You know if you're going to carry me you could just ask to stay the night yourself."

To this Lucy gave a slight shrug. "She's your mom. I'll be the one to call and ask my parents if it is okay."

"Okay you win. It'd be awfully silly of me to resist if you really want to help. Just don't push yourself if you begin to get tired."

"Don't worry about it. You know the paper didn't mention anything about add-ons do you believe you're teacher would mind if I added a few little touches?"

"As long as the bridge can stand on its own, is based on a real world bridge's design, is made from the listed materials and is at least a third of a meter long my instructor doesn't mind if we add in a few little details. Actually depending on how well done the additional details are we can get extra points."

As she spoke Lucy lifted Albert slightly higher and cuddled him more securely against herself. "You know I can't help but wonder. Why is your instructor even having you do such a project?"

"Well they say it's to show us how math relates to the real world. In truth it has nothing to do with math as far as I'm concerned. It's just a project assigned so that those students that can't do the actual math still have a chance of passing the class so the instructor won't have to deal with them next year. Of course for those of us that can do the math it's just an annoyance that waste our time."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "Well of course you don't like it. If it helps them pass the class then you don't get to see as many fail as you would other wise."

"In the short term that is true. However, I like to believe they're made to pay in later years when they're called upon to use the mathematics that they never learned. To me this kind of project belongs in an arts and crafts class. At least then we'd actually get some time during class to work on the darn thing." As they entered the study Albert turned his attention away from Lucy and looked to his mother. "Hey Mom, would it be okay if Lucy stayed the night?"

Anne hadn't bothered looking towards the entrance until Albert had actually addressed her. Though she had heard them coming she figured they were coming to speak to her given that Albert was supposed to be working on his school work. She was rather surprised when she turned to find Lucy holding Albert in her arms. It was actually a few moments before she was able to respond and even then she couldn't wipe the grin from her face. "Well that depends. I can't have the two of you playing when you're supposed to be working on your lessons."

A sigh escaped Albert as he rolled his eyes. "We're not playing. Lucy just decided that I was taking too long so she carried me in here."

"Are you sure? It looks like you're playing mommy and baby from the way Lucy is carrying you."

In response to his mother's teasing Albert began to fidget about in Lucy's arms as if trying to get down. After a few seconds of struggling though it became clear that wasn't going to happen unless she set him down. "Mom we aren't playing. Now can she stay the night or not?"

"Ah is someone being a cranky baby?"

"Mom! Will you quit it? We weren't playing."

An amused giggle escaped Anne as she waved her hand in the air. "Okay. Okay. Lucy you are welcome to stay over but first you need to call your parents and make sure they're alright with it. Now how is your work coming along?"

"It's going just fine. I've almost finished with my English composition work and the history shouldn't take me long at all."

"Be sure you take the time to memorize any important names."

A low groan escaped Albert and he actually leaned into Lucy's grasp as he looked up at her face. "She means every name that the history book mentions. I swear I don't see why I should have to care about what a bunch of dead people did."

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

"That may be true. However, I can understand the concepts and why it happened without knowing their names."

"Knowing their names is a way that we show them respect for making the mistakes that we learned from."

"Like they care if we respect them, they're dead."

"It's also useful to know their names whenever you're trying to make a point or look up the information for a lesson. How seriously do you believe you'd be taken if you were constantly referring to this guy or that woman whose name I can't remember?"

"Okay now that makes sense."

"Oh and Albert let me say this before you go. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the feelings of the dead. They are plenty of things in this world that we don't fully understand or know."

For a moment Albert bit down lightly on his tongue as he fought back the desire to make a comment. Part of him truly wanted to debate with his mother on that subject however another part of him knew to keep quiet. Fortunately for him the wiser part won out over the pettier. "So Lucy, are you going to carry me back into the kitchen so I can get back to work? If not I need you to set me down."

"Well I'm going to carry you of course!"

************************************************************************

As Lucy set on the edge of her bed she took a moment to glance over at her clock. Three nights had passed sense she'd spent the night with Albert and she was considering asking her parents if she could spend another now that the weekend had come. Though she didn't feel it would be needed she had even gone so far as to prepare a reason. While she could have already finished the bridge she and Albert had been working on she'd slowed down. As now she intended to use it as an excuse to spend most of the weekend with him.

The bridge was only the excuse though. In truth she felt that she could finish the bridge in less then an hour and had even set it up so that she could. She hoped that would let her and Albert spend the entire weekend playing. Her instructor had brought a few assignments for her but that hadn't taken her long to finish. Given that she seemed to be catching onto new material not just at a remarkable rate but an increasing rate really helped as did the fact that she was needing less and less sleep.

Just the thought of asking her parents if she could go over Albert's made her anxious until she could no longer set still and stood up. Upon taking a few steps towards her door she was surprised to hear something coming from downstairs. For a few moments she just stood there trying to figure out just what she was hearing however while it sounded familiar to her she couldn't place it.

Even before her strength and scale had began to increase so dramatically Lucy often found her curiosity would often overwhelm her fear. Given the changes in her new body it was only a matter of seconds before she carefully opened her door and began to creep downstairs to find out where the sound was coming from.

It was hard for Claude to keep himself from simply breaking down as he set in the middle of the living room. He and Karen had often found themselves holding one another when they would wake up before he was burned. Of course this wasn't something they could do after he had been injured and he was grateful that even in her sleep Karen seemed to realize that. This night though it seemed that her subconscious had forgotten his injuries and she had taken hold of his arms.

Pulling himself free of Karen's grasp was nightmarish for Claude on both a physical and psychological level. The nearly overwhelming pain had made it a requirement though and it had taken nearly all his willpower to make it into the living room and shut the door so that he wouldn't wake her.

Ever sense Claude had began following the recommend dosage of pain medicine it had actually been bothering him. Indeed every time he would lift a container of milk or vigorously use a pin he felt as if someone was holding a lighter to his skin. It had taken tremendous effort on his part to keep this a secret from his family and indeed it seemed that he had done an exceptionally good job of it considering what had just happened. Still, as it became more and more clear that he did not have to worry about his family the pain was beginning to take a greater and greater toll on him.

At first Lucy didn't know what to think upon seeing her father bent over. It took her a few moments to realize that he was crying so hard that he hadn't noticed her coming down the steps. As she made her way towards her father she finally made her presence known. "Daddy what is wrong?"

Upon hearing Lucy's voice Claude quickly looked up to meet his daughter's gaze though he wasn't able to repress his tears. Despite the tears though he tried to make himself smile. "It's nothing Lucy. I'll be fine in a few moments."

While Lucy trusted her father without question there was no way she could believe what he had just said. In all her life she'd never seen her father crying like this. "You're in pain. Come on and I'll get your pills for you."

Though Claude would have loved to take one of his pain pills at the moment he didn't feel he had the strength to get to the kitchen. So he resolved to tell Lucy he'd be fine once more. No words got to leave his lips though as he didn't realize what his daughter meant by come on. Shortly after she finished speaking he felt one of her arms slips under his legs and one press against his back while avoiding his arm. With perfect ease Lucy then lifted him from the ground and carried him into the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen Lucy pulled one of the chairs out with her foot and carefully set her father down. She then made her way over to the medicine cabinet and quickly retrieved her father a glass of water and his pills. As she made her way back over to him several questions were running through her mind but she realized that it would be best to wait until her father's pain had subsided to ask them.

As Lucy neared Claude managed to move his hands to take the glass and pills. He was a bit surprised when Lucy made no attempt to hand them to him but proceeded to nearly force them into his mouth. Had he tried to keep his mouth shut he felt certain that she would have forced it open. She then held the water for him while he took a few swallows.

Once Claude had taken the pills and actually drained half the water Lucy set the glass down upon the counter. Reaching behind her father she once again lifted him and carried him back into the living room at which time she began to look around. It only took her a few moments to resolve that the recliner would be the best spot to lay her father given that the sofa wasn't really long enough for him to lay upon it and not disturb his arms.

At the moment Claude found his feelings to be very confusing. While he was grateful for his daughter's help he also felt a great deal of shame at the moment sense he still didn't feel ready to let his family know about his situation. It also bothered him to an extent how easily Lucy had handled him. He had felt like a small child in her arms. The fact that she hadn't handed him his pills or allowed him to hold his own glass of water didn't help the situation either.

After setting her father down Lucy made her way over to the sofa. She then removed a section of the seating and carried it closer to the sofa before setting it down and seating herself upon it. "Is there anything else you need Daddy?"

Instead of trying to speak Claude just shook his head. He was still trying to get his tears under control and it was easier to keep from crying if he just kept his mouth shut. As he tried to regain control of himself while the additional pill helped to diminish the pain he turned his head to look into Lucy's eyes. A part of him wished that she would just go to her room and forget that the night had never happened but he knew that wasn't going to happen. She was too concerned to forget this.

Thirty minutes at least passed before Claude regained enough composure for Lucy to question him. Once his pain seemed to have died down Lucy had to know. "Daddy what hurt you?"

Normally Claude would have said that nothing was wrong but Lucy had just seen him crying for the better part of an hour. He knew that wouldn't work. "My burns acted up a little while ago. I guess my pill wore off." Claude was a little surprised when he noticed a scowl upon his daughter's face.

"Daddy, I know Mommy makes sure you take your pill in the morning at mid day and at night time. I even saw you take it before you went to bed."

"I don't know maybe they're losing their effect."

"How long have your burns been hurting you like this Daddy?"

A sigh escaped Claude at last as he had to force himself to keep focused on his daughter. "Karen grabbed hold me in her sleep. When I tried to pull free she only held on tighter and it really caused my burns to flare up."

"If Mommy holding onto you was enough to make your burns hurt like that then it can't be the only thing that does. Daddy do your burns ever stop hurting you?"

"They don't hurt me at all for maybe thirty minutes after my pills begin to kick in. Then after that it gets easier and easier to irritate them. I guess at night it would be the worse."

The scowl that had been on Lucy's face upon her father lying to her quickly vanished as the implications of what he had told her were far from lost on the child. "That means that every morning you've been hurting when you would open your pill bottle or get your water. Why didn't you ask me or mom to help?"

"You two have enough concerns without me complaining."

"No! You should have told us. Your pills have been wearing off throughout the day as well which means you're pain gets worse and worse."

"I can handle it."

To this Lucy quickly shook her head. "No you're injured and when Mommy wakes up I'm going to tell her what is going on."

"Lucy you don't need to trouble your mother with this or yourself. I don't want to be a burden."

"You're not! Daddy, if it wasn't for you I would have died in that fire. Now you're injured and need to be taken care of. So when Mommy wakes up I'm going to tell her that your pills have been wearing off and that we're going to have to help you out more."

"I can't take care of myself sweatie."

"No you can't. Daddy, I just came downstairs and found you crying. I've never seen you cry like that before. Now Mommy and I are going to take care of you and there is nothing you can do to change my mind."

As Claude listened to his daughter he felt his face growing a little warm. While he knew she was only trying to help he couldn't help his embarrassment. "Lucy I'm your father. I'm the one that is supposed to take care of you and I know what I can endure. You don't have to worry about me."

For a moment Lucy did nothing then she slowly began to stand up and a stern expression appeared on her face. The affect was immediate as Claude actually had to move his head slightly in order to keep his eyes locked with hers. As she stood Lucy placed her left hand on her side while her right hand remained free. In his current position Lucy seemed even taller and more massive then what she already was and the pose was one he recognized from her mother.

"Daddy, you're injured and you're hurting. You've been hurting yourself this entire time and keeping it a secret from Mommy and me. When Mommy wakes up I'm going to tell her that your pain pills aren't enough to actually keep the pain away, that I found you crying downstairs just after she grabbed your arm in her sleep and that you've been forcing yourself to endure the pain. Then Mommy and I are going to take care of you. There is no point in you suffering like this."

Even though he loved Lucy it was hard for Claude to hear her talking to him in such a way and by now a strong desire to scold her having risen within him. What kept him from acting on the desire though was the fact that he recognized it as pride. He knew that Lucy was right and on some level he was happy to know she cared about him so. Despite that happiness though it was still hard for him to accept and he most assuredly wasn't use to Lucy talking to him in such a way.

Instead of continuing right away Lucy gave her father a few minutes to take in what she'd just told him. Once it seemed that he had managed to accept what she'd been saying she once again seated herself. "So is there anything else you need? If you want I could go and get you a quilt so you could try to get some sleep in here."

"No thanks Lucy. You can go on back to bed I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't wake me Daddy. I haven't been sleeping for more then six hours for quite some time now. I've actually been averaging more along the lines if five hours sleep."

"Huh, so the amount of sleep you need has gone down even more?"

"Yeah it has. Ah I know what I will do. I'll go and get you some covers and my homework. So if you need anything I'll be right in the room with you." As Lucy stood up she didn't bother telling her father that she was also staying in the room to insure that he didn't try anything.

************************************************************************

"No it isn't a problem Lucy. My mom helped me to finish up the bridge though I wish you could see it."

It was hard for Lucy not to sigh as she heard this. Her decision to stay home and help take care of her father meant that she didn't get to play with Albert as much as she'd like to. She had known that it would though and hadn't mentioned it to either of her parents. "That's good. I wish I had gotten to add on the little details though."

"What were you going to do?"

"I was going to get some toy cars to set on it. I was actually hoping to find some electric ones so they could really move around."

"That would have been a neat seen with you setting next to the bridge! You really did a great job decorating it so it looks realistic. Um, Lucy I've been wondering. Sense you can't come over here as often anymore perhaps I could come over there after school? I think having you help with my school work is more fun then when my mom or dad helps me."

"What? How could you say something so horrible? Anne did you hear what your son is in here saying?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy the moment she heard Michael's voice on the phone. "I guess your dad heard you."

"Do you think so?" An annoyed groan escaped Albert as he prepared himself.

"We love him, raise him, we teach him and what happens? The moment he meets a pretty girl he forgets about us and decides that she's more fun to be with. That's gratitude for you."

"Well can you blame me with you going on like that?"

"Anne, Anne did you hear that?"

"Yes sweatie I did. He really takes after you. Doesn't he?"

"What? Anne, how could you say that?"

Albert gave a grateful sigh as his mother redirected his dad's attention for a few moments. "So anyway, would it be okay if I came up and visited every once in a while."

"Sure, that would be wonderful. Do you believe you could bring up the bridge after your instructor has seen it?"

"I should be able to. Though it may take a while, my instructor likes to show the more exceptional works to other classes. I believe he believes that it inspires them but I like to believe that it shows them how truly pathetic their works were especially now."

"Oh and why is that?"

"Because this time it is your work that is being showed off. I just wish that I could tell them that. I will be sure to mention that my friend Lucy helped me though."

"Thanks but you don't need to. You can keep all the credit for yourself."

"I'd rather give it all to you if I could and still get an A. Anyway, there is no way I could claim that I had made it on my own as honestly I couldn't do half the things you were able to do without help."

While Lucy normally preferred to speak to Albert face to face she was grateful they were on the phone now. She couldn't help but wonder if he realized how often he made her blush. "Okay then. You'll have to tell me what your instructor says about the bridge."

"I'll be certain to. You know I don't have any work today. Would you mind asking your parents if I could come up now while I ask mine?"

"Sure. Mommy's not going anywhere today so she can take care of Daddy."

************************************************************************

As Lucy lay in the darkness she kept her eyes focused on the roof. Even on her back it seems like the roof was growing closer with each passing day and she knew that her feet were growing closer to the end of the bed. An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she lay her foot flat and ran them along the edge of the bed. They had actually had to bring in a larger bed once already soon she imagined they'd need to place a bed at the base of her current one.

Reaching to her side Lucy felt around on the table that stood beside her bed for a moment before retrieving what she was looking for. She then lifted Albert's history book and held it out in front of her. It had been a few weeks sense he had started visiting and they were common enough that he had actually managed to forget something at her home. The odd thing was that while Albert's visits were fairly frequent she ended up missing him even more when he wasn't there.

So far she had resisted the urge to speak to her parents about these feelings as for the moment there was nothing that could be done about the situation. Still she found the situation odd as it seemed to her the more often you saw someone the less you would miss them not the other way around. After a few more moments of looking the book over a sigh escaped her and Lucy set it down she then reached up and placed her hand on her forehead.

It felt like she was being torn in two at times. One part of her truly wanted to stay home and see to her father's well being as he had done hers many times. However, another part of her wanted to be with Albert. To make the situation even more difficult the parts seemed equally strong. If staying with her father hadn't been the easier choice simply by the convenience of living there she wouldn't have been able to make up her mind.

These thoughts had only occupied Lucy's mind for a few moments before she gave her covers a swift kick sending them into the floor. A layer of sweat had formed all over her body and while the temperature change the comforter caused didn't seem to affect her anymore she still felt warm and it seemed like and easy way to get cool. She even found that upon removing her hand from her forehead a slight layer of sweat had formed upon her hand.

There wasn't even a minute between Lucy kicking off her covers and her reaching behind her head and pulling the pillow out from under her head. Even the slight heat retention ability of the pillow was enough to frustrate her at the moment. "Okay. Sleep time now. It's time to get to sleep." Even as these words left her lips Lucy could feel the heat retained by her shirt beginning to frustrate her along with an annoying itching on both her sides. It took all her willpower just to remain still and try to fall asleep.

"Honey, do you believe that Lucy is alright? She's normally downstairs by now." As Claude set in the recliner he turned to take a quick look at the clock. Normally Lucy would already been downstairs before either of her parents had woken up to help them out. Today though it was going on one and she still hadn't come downstairs.

"She has been up there for a while." Standing up Karen leaned over and gave her husband a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll go and check on her to see if she's doing alright."

"You know my legs work fine. How about I come with you?"

An amused giggle escaped Karen. "I felt certain that you'd offer to go by yourself for a moment."

To this Claude shook his head. "I'd like to but honestly I don't like the idea of banging on a door or turning a door knob."

"Well you could always kick on the door."

"That is quite true. So how about helping me stand up?"

Giving her head a quick nod Karen took hold of the leaver that extended the recliners leg wrest and pushed down while Claude used his legs to push in on the leg wrest itself. After lowering the leg wrest back to its lock position Karen then placed a hand behind Claude's back and helped him to a standing position. While this might not have been necessary ever sense learning what had been going on both Karen and Lucy had been very picky about what Claude was and wasn't allowed to do as well as what he needed help on.

A sigh escaped Lucy as she tried to bury her head further into her the mattress. Currently an annoying thumping resounded throughout the room from what she imagined must have been a raccoon or something similar outside. As the pounding continued though and she was brought more into the waking world she realized that a voice was joining with the pounding and it wasn't coming from outside so that she risked becoming fully awake and opened her eyes just a little.

Sun light rushing in wasn't something that Lucy hadn't woken up to in a very long time and this wasn't lost on her. As she quickly rose to a setting position she placed one hand on the bed cushion to steady herself while another came to wrest on the knob at the base of the bed. She then held a hand up to her mouth to help direct her voice. "I'm up. Sorry what did you say?"

"We just came up to see how you're doing Lucy. I take it you stayed up late last night."

A sigh escaped Lucy as she used one of her hands to rub the sleep from her eyes. As she was brought more into the waking world while clearing her eyes though she couldn't help but notice something. She could still feel the frame of the bed and mattress under her hands all the while she was clearing the sleep from her eyes and had a hand held to her mouth. As this realization set in Lucy slowly removed her hands and looked down at her side. "Um Mommy is Daddy with you?"

"I sure am Lucy."

"Okay. Then Mommy, please open the door and come in first."

It was impossible for both parents not to feel a bit of surprise at Lucy request. At last though Karen gave a shrug, opened the door and stepped in ahead of Claude. She instantly understood why Lucy had wanted her to come in first. Even in his current condition Claude probably would have tried to knock the door down if Lucy had told them what she found. "Well. This is. I believe that I'm just going to call Michael."

To this Lucy gave a quick nod as she looked down at the two additional arms she now had. "Yeah I think that would be best."

"What's going on?" Due to Karen standing in the door way Claude couldn't get a very good look at Lucy. Upon Karen stepping aside to get the phone in Lucy's room his jaw nearly hit the floor. "Lucy what happened?"

"Well over the last few days I've ended up wishing that I had an extra set of arms a couple of times. You know even with my strength some tasks are cumbersome and an extra set of hands would be a big help. So this morning I finally decided to form myself an extra set of arms and hands."

Normally Claude would have been able to tell his daughter was just joking around. However, in his current mind set he wasn't so rational or really paying attention to the grin on her face. "Lucy, how did you do this?"

"I have no idea."

"But you just said" before he could finish Claude took in a deep breath. He then took a moment to examine Lucy's face. "Okay, I see. I believe that I need to lay down now."

Using two of her four hands Lucy reached down and patted her bed while scooting backwards a bit. "Here you go."

************************************************************************

"Well Lucy you seem to be handling this fairly well. How are you feeling? Alright I hope."

"Yeah Michael I felt just fun though I didn't last night."

"So this might have started then. Please tell me what happened?"

"I just felt really hot. I couldn't even stand to have my pillow under my head and my sides began to itch really badly."

"I see. Given the rather extensive alterations to your form, the fact that you felt warm doesn't surprise me. Your body was most likely preparing for the change. Still, now we need to find out just what else has changed and what might have caused this sudden adjustment. Your growing height was one thing forming an extra set of arms is quite another."

"Just be sure not to bleed me dry. You've been taking enough blood samples already."

"Actually, I doubt will take very many blood samples from you. As to be perfectly honest if there was an indicator in your blood that this was going to happen that we could have noticed we would have seen it well before hand. No, today we're only going to require a little blood from you to see what all has changed."

"Huh, so what else are you going to do?"

"Well I'd like to take a quick look inside of you. Right now Brigit is busy preparing a special milk shake for you that will help us see inside of you."

"Yuck you mean like the ones you had me drinking when my testing first started?"

"Well yes. The only reason we stopped was because we determined that the layout of your body hadn't actually changed. With this development though, I wonder if we should have continued testing. Even if the blood work didn't give us any advanced warning it might have."

"Yuck."

A slight chuckle escaped Michael as he reached out and patted Lucy on the side. He would have normally patted her on the shoulder but given her current scale that would have been rather awkward. "You're taking this all very well. I'd even go so far as to stay that you're taking this better then your father."

A grin formed on Lucy face as she reached behind her head with one of her hands and rubbed the back of her neck lightly. "Well growing each day is quite an experience. You get kind of use to odd happenings."

"Okay Lucy it's time for your barium shake. Now I tried to make it a bit tastier this time and added in some flavoring. I don't know how well that will work out though."

"What kind of flavoring?" Even as she asked the question Lucy reached out with her bottom two hands and took the shake from Brigit.

"I added in some vanilla flavoring."

"Do you want to see a nice benefit of having four arms?" With that Lucy reached up and proceeded to use her last free hand to pinch her nose. The whole time she kept a hand on the back of her neck and used two to hold the shake. Then the lifted the mixture to her mouth and inhaled as quickly as her lunges would allow.

The power of the suction generated by Lucy's strengthened lunges was quite exceptional. Michael and Brigit both gave a slight jump when a sudden pop resounded throughout the room as the cup collapsed inward on itself. "Well if I had known that you were going to do that I wouldn't have mixed in any flavoring at all. I bet you didn't taste a darn thing."

Once Lucy removed the straw from her mouth a huge grin spread across her face. "Nope and you didn't ask me what kind of milk shakes I enjoy. I prefer strawberry milk shakes not vanilla."

"Picky."

By now Michael was grinning as well as he took the empty container from Lucy and put it in the trash. "Okay, we're going to have to wait a while for that to go throughout your system then we'll check to see what your insides look like. Why don't you go on and wait with your parents? I'll just head on down and make sure everything is ready."

"Okay, I'll see you in a few minutes then."

************************************************************************

"So how is she?" Even though Claude could see the screen himself he couldn't help but ask the question. He was also finding it very hard to keep himself from fidgeting and aggravating his burns.

It took Michael a few minutes to respond as he continued to examine the screen. After a few moments he gave a shrug and turned around. "The overall layout of her body is the same as it has always been except there have been some slight adjustments made for the additional two arms. Except for having the two arms and one pair being shifted lower then normal there is actually nothing truly spectacular about the current layout of her body."

"So what is going to happen now?"

A sigh escaped Michael as he glanced over at Karen for a moment. "As you know for a long time now all we've been able to do is watch the changes happening inside of Lucy. We don't have enough knowledge of her body's current workings to risk tampering with it. So unless you want us to cut off your daughter's extra set of arms we can't really do anything about them. We don't know if she's going to grow another set of arms or if these will fade away."

There wasn't time for Karen or anyone else to respond as Claude spoke up. "You will not cut off my daughter's arms! I don't care how many she has."

It was impossible for Michael not to chuckle as he noted the concern in Claude's voice. "Believe me we have no intention of cutting off any part of Lucy. The only reason we could justify operating on her is if it was a clear threat to her life and her additional arms are not. We do have some concerns though. It seems that some of Lucy's bones have begun to thicken. Well no thicken isn't the right word they have began to widen."

"Does that mean they are becoming weaker?"

"In a sense yes, however this change is subtle and surprisingly enough seems to have uniformly occurred throughout her body. I should also mention this. The arms Lucy has grown don't seem to have added any additional mass to her. Which means they weren't grown rather they were formed from her already existing body."

"So what happens next?"

"Well we've gathered all the physical data we can use now we just need a psychological evaluation of Lucy's condition. From what I've seen so far I doubt that the reason for this sudden change lays in her body but perhaps in her mind. If that is the case then we might be able to find out where these changes are going. Though, I haven't really had time to carefully evaluate or test the materials or data we took from her today."

"So you believe that Lucy's body might be doing this because she wants it to?"

"On some level it may be. Even if that isn't the case though we also need to insure that these changes aren't affecting Lucy's mind in someway. We really can't rely on the physical layout of Lucy's brain to tell us if she might be changing psychologically. After all her brain chemistry has been being altered ever sense her intelligence first began to increase and it hasn't affected her thinking process. At least it hasn't affected it in anyway that we've been able to detect."

************************************************************************

Even though Elaine hadn't done her like she did their first meeting Lucy still wasn't fond of the woman. This was due mostly to the fact that Elaine didn't always tell Lucy every detail of her diagnosis. Rather she would either speak to her parents or one of the project heads and this last time had been no different.

It had only taken the lab three days to decide that it was safe for her to go home and that she should try to return to her regular life style. It had actually been a relief for Lucy though as she lay in bed she found a previous concern had returned. During the three days she spent at the lab Lucy had slept well however as she found herself in her own bed once again she found her body heating up.

The fact that her body was suddenly warning up wasn't unexpected though. While she didn't know everything that had been discussed she had been told that upon returning to her normal life style the changes that had started would most likely continue. So apparently whatever had caused her additional arms to form in the first place had been a result of her environment and her own desires. By taking her out of the environment they had stopped them but now felt it was best to let them finish.

"Blast it." Taking hold of her covers Lucy once again through them off her and this time didn't bother waiting for her pillow to start annoying her. "Why couldn't they just tell me what thoughts were causing the changes?" As sigh escaped Lucy as she quickly rolled over onto her stomach and pulled the back of her modified night shirt up revealing more of her skin to the cool air. "I guess they were worried if they told me what desires were causing the changes it might interfere."

"Okay you can open your eyes now."

A sigh escaped Brigit's college. He hadn't actually been about to close his eyes by Brigit had threatened to throw her coffee in his face if he didn't. "I wonder if we should have suggested she take an ice pack to bed with her."

To this Brigit gave a slight shrug as she continued to observe Lucy and her vital signs. It had actually only taken them a bit over twenty four hours after Lucy's mental evaluation was finished to decide it was best to return her home. The additional time had been used to set up observation equipment in Lucy's room. "Well it looks like Elaine was right. The lab wasn't a comfortable enough setting for Lucy's body, subconscious or whatever control mechanism there is to continue the changes."

"It seems that way. So what do you believe is going to happen tonight?"

"I'm thinking that her extra set of arms will shift further up her back and begin to form into massive wing due to the subconscious desire in all humans to be able to fly under their own power."

"Are you serious?"

"No."

"Ha ha very funny, now why don't you tell me what you really believe is going to happen?"

"Didn't you read Elaine's report?"

"No, as unlike you I'm not allowed to see such materials."

"Oh yeah, in my humility I at times forget that I have seniority over many of you and thus higher access levels. Hey subordinate why don't you go and get me a cup of coffee? As the more senior one here and due to my greater understanding of the current situation I believe that it's best if I keep an eye on Lucy."

"Come on Brigit, I want to know what we are waiting to see."

"Okay. Okay." An amused giggle escaped Brigit as she glanced over at her colleague. "Go and get me that coffee and then I'll give you a few more details. Keep in mind though anything I tell you is purely speculation. We didn't expect Lucy to form an extra set of arms in the first place."

"Okay, how do you take your coffee?"

"A large cup, three sugars and two screams."

************************************************************************

"Wow you weren't kidding. She's really doing it."

Before she bothered speaking Brigit took a quick sip of her third coffee of the night. "We believe that Lucy's current condition was brought on by the strong emotional division that she's been feeling over the last few weeks. Though, we weren't sure if it was possible for it to go this far given the previous abilities of the symbiot we felt it was worth observation."

"So what should we do?"

"Keep watching of course. We don't know whether or not it would be dangers to interfere or even risk waking Lucy at this stage. The arms Lucy formed were most likely her body getting its first experience with the process."

"I see."

"Woe. Well darn." A sigh escaped Brigit as the screens she was currently watching began to flick and blur. "What a time for the wiring to go wrong."

"I don't believe that fiddling with the screens is going to help anything."

"Well we might as well try something." A sigh escaped Brigit as the monitors continued to grow fuzzier as something was clearly interfering with the signal. "I swear they had twenty four hours to just set up the equipment and they couldn't even get it to hold together for a few days."

"Should I call Michael or David to let them know something is going wrong?"

It took a minute for Brigit to respond but as she noted half the image was nearly lost already due to the fuzz she finally gave a sigh and leaned back in her seat. "Yeah go ahead and let them know what is happening. We'll probably need to send someone over there now."

"I thought we couldn't risk disturbing Lucy."

"We can't. We're going to have to have someone inform her parents about the situation and they need to wait a while before trying to wake up Lucy. Actually, if they must check on her it would be best if they took a quick look. Now go and make those phone calls."

As Lucy slipped back within the waking world her first reaction was to lift her arms above her head and slowly stretch them towards the roof. Even though she knew she was no where near being able to reach the roof at her current height while lying on her back she liked to keep her eyes closed and imagine that she was. At the same time she stretched her legs and flattened her feet against the bed so that she could feel the frame. She was quite surprised when the only thing she felt under her foot was mattress.

Not being able to feel the edge of the bed was in many ways far more surprising to Lucy then when she'd first woken up to find that she could. As her eyes opened she quickly set up in bed and placed her hands to either side of herself for stability. The moment her hands came to wrest at her sides though she quickly lost all interest in the bed and turned to her side as she felt someone else's hand touching her own.

Suddenly finding that her height had begun to increase had been quite a surprise for Lucy but she had managed to keep control of herself. She had been shocked by the formation of her additional arms but she had managed to keep from screaming and think clearly. However, as Lucy realized that she was still the only person in bed she couldn't help but scream so that her voice shot forth from two sets of vocal cords.

Both Claude and Karen had been anxious for Lucy to wake up sense they had been visited the previous night. However, neither of them had expected the first sign of their daughter waking to be her scream. Before either parents really had time to think they had both dashed upstairs Claude's longer strides allowing him to make it to the door moments before Karen did.

In response to her father nearly busting the door in as he used all of his weight to push it open Lucy quickly turned her head towards the door. What she found to be most odd about the situation though was the fact that the moment she looked at her father she realized that she was seeing him from two different perspectives.

"Lucy, are you okay?" Even before Claude had stopped to consider the situation the words had left his mouth. However, despite his reaction being purely instinctive he had no idea how to respond when he found two Lucy's looking back at him. Even when Lucy had grown or formed the extra arms there had only been one of her. What he didn't realize at the moment was that there was still only one Lucy she just happened to be in two places at the same time.

Normally Karen was a fair bit more rational then Claude however as she saw her daughter even she didn't know what to say. So she did the only thing she knew to. As Claude made his way to the Lucy on the right of the bed she made her way over to the left. "So I guess this is the results of you feeling emotionally torn."

Instead of responding to her mother Lucy looked back at herself then turned to her parents. What she quickly noticed is that she could see both of her parents at the same time even though they were on opposite sides of her. She was actually seeing through the eyes of both of her bodies. She felt her heart racing in both bodies and both bodies realized they were naked at the same time. "Mom Dad, I'm naked!"

Despite the situation Claude's reaction to his daughter's words was instinctive. "Sorry." Quickly turning around Claude took a few steps towards the door. "I guess I'll go and call the labs. Tell them that they may need to check this out."

"Daddy, you can't use the phone it will aggravate your burns."

Hearing his daughter's voice coming from two different directions at the exact same time was quite an odd experience for Claude. So much so that it took him a moment just to respond as he had to adjust to the oddity of the moment. "Don't worry about that. The adrenaline and endorphins are taking care of my pain right now. I'll just make that phone call before they wear off and then take one of my pills before I regret opening the door like that. Um Karen you help Lucy get dressed."

"Sure, but oh darn. We don't have any of your smaller outfits handy do we? I guess your clothing will just have to be a little baggy."

************************************************************************

"Did you know that Michael paces whenever he's thinking?"

Even though the question was innocent Brigit couldn't help the surprise on her face as she looked up at Lucy. "Well yes. What makes you bring it up though?"

"He's pacing right now but he doesn't look nervous."

"Huh, you mean you can see him pacing right now?"

"Yeah, I can."

At first Brigit said nothing as she looked at Lucy trying to judge if she was telling the truth or playing around. There wasn't time for her to ask though as her phone suddenly began to ring. Reaching into her coat pocket she quickly retrieved her cell phone. "Hello?"

"Lucy's not lying. She really was watching me pace around the room."

"Huh?"

"Just a few moments ago Lucy told me that I needed to call you and tell you that she wasn't playing. I really was pacing around the room when she said I was."

"Oh. I um see. Well then I'll just continue my examination then."

Once Brigit hung up her phone an amused giggle escaped Lucy. "I told you. I wonder what Michael is thinking about though."

"Lucy you are currently occupying two places at the same time. Truly occupying two places at the same time your mind is in both of your bodies and functioning normally. There is plenty to think about and try to understand. Even the eighth step couldn't perform such acts. It had to make use of the nerves throughout the body to communicate with different groupings of its cells if it broke apart entirely."

"It is really neat! The neatest thing about it is now that I have two bodies I can play with Albert and help take care of Daddy at the same time."

"Well that is most assuredly a possibility but before that we need to find out just how far this connection of yours can reach. We have no idea what might happen to you if your two bodies move too far apart."

"Michael said it was okay."

"You mean you already asked him?"

"Just now, we're talking about how he'd need to set up some observation equipment right now."

"I see. I have to say you're adapting to your current situation quite well. It's doubtful that most people would be able to adapt to being in two places at once so rapidly."

"Hey! You hid cameras in my room?"

For a moment Brigit was made to flinch as she quickly looked directly into Lucy's eyes. She was rather relieved though when she only saw a smile on Lucy's face instead of a scowl. "Well yes. We did hide observation equipment in your room but Lucy we weren't trying to invade your privacy."

"Well how would you like it if I had cameras hidden in your room?"

"I wouldn't like it once I found out but Lucy we were only trying to insure your safety. We didn't believe that you'd feel comfortable enough for your body to finish the process it had already begun if you knew you were being watched."

"How can I ever sleep in my bed again after this? After learning how my privacy was violated."

A sigh escaped Brigit as she shook her head. "It would be much easier to take you seriously right now if you weren't grinning."

"You're just lucky that Michael said I can come and play with Albert now. That and I feel that we're kind of even sense I apparently fried your observation equipment."

"Huh?"

"Michael just told me that when they checked the equipment it looked like they had been hit by an EMP. He seems really interested in the fact that it was only in my room though. Apparently an EMP powerful enough to fry your equipment should have knocked out every electrical device in the house."

"What? I thought it was a wiring error."

"That isn't what Michael believes. Okay, Michael just informed me that he wants you to take me down one floor at a time on the elevator. I'll let you know if I start to feel strange. If we can make it you're to take me down to the electronics lab. Apparently before I get to go anywhere he wants to see if the distance between my bodies may affect electronics in anyway or possibly generate another EMP."

"What is he trying to do fry all the electronics in the building?"

For a few moments Lucy said nothing then a giggle escaped her. "He says that is a good call. He's going to try to find a good location to test what happens when my bodies move further apart. Until then he says we should head to the cafeteria and get something to eat."

"Would you mind if I said something that I don't want you to pass on?"

"Sure."

"I hope he manages to pick a spot with no electronics to fry and not just a spot where they aren't electronics he worries about."

"Care to give an example?"

"Oh something along the lines of the freeway, one car drives in one direction while the other drives in the opposite. Sure the company wouldn't lose anything more then a couple of cars initially but I'm sure we'd regret it later."

"Has Michael ever made such a mistake?"

"No but he has come close. Though, I have at times wondered if he does it just to scare us."

"I believe he just wants to scare everyone a little."

"I hope you're right. I've considered not mentioning anything to him before but I was too worried what would happen if he indeed didn't realize what may go wrong."

"In this case though, you don't know that something would have gone wrong."

"That's true but it is better safe then sorry. Now let's go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat. Surely splitting into two different bodies has worked up an appetite."

"Actually, it has. Let's go and eat."

************************************************************************

"Hey Mom, you said that Dad was bringing Lucy to visit."

"He is Albert."

"Then why isn't she in the car with him?"

"I bet that she is. Perhaps you're just having trouble noticing."

"Mom Lucy is taller then you she's kind of hard to miss."

Even before Anne could respond the phone ringing drew her attention. Upon lifting the receiver to her ear she was rather amused by who was on the line. "Hi Anne, may I speak to Albert?"

"Sure you may. Albert come in here someone wants to speak to you on the phone."

As Albert stood up and left the window a sigh escaped him. While he made his way over to his mother he tried to perk up a little. He had a pretty good idea who was on the phone. "Hi Lucy. I guess you won't get to come over today."

"Oh I don't know about that. I just might be over a little later then previously thought is all."

"Really, when do you believe you'll get to come over?"

Anne had made her way into the living room after Albert had taken the phone. As Michael and Lucy entered the room she took hold of Lucy's shoulder and pointed towards the dining area. This got a quick nod from Lucy who proceeded to quietly make her way to the dining area. "Oh sooner then you might suspect."

"That's good but can you give me a time? Your idea of soon and mine might differ." An annoyed grunt escaped Albert when he felt a finger poke him in the back of his head the moment he'd finished speaking. Even without really thinking he then turned to see who had poked him.

"Yeah they probably do your idea of soon is way too slow."

Albert's jaw nearly fell open and he felt his eyes widen upon turning around to face his poker. The person on the phone sounded exactly like Lucy however here she was standing right in front of him though it did take him a moment to recognize her. He was use to Lucy being taller then his mother not being shorter then his father though still taller then himself. "Lucy?"

The wide grin that already adorned Lucy's face threatened to break into a fit of laughter as she struggled to keep control of herself. "Yes?"

"How, what is going on? Who is on the phone and how did you get smaller?"

"That would be me on the phone."

"Are you serious?"

As Lucy spoke she boosted herself lightly up on her tiptoes making herself slightly taller for a moment. "Yes that is me on the phone and right in front of you."

"That can't be though."

"You think so? Well then hold up some fingers and I'll tell you how many you have up over the phone."

Whether he believed what Lucy was telling him or not was hard for Albert to decide. She had after all outgrown his mother despite her young age only to lose over a meter in height sense he'd last seen her. He also knew that her strength far surpassed her scale still the idea that Lucy could be in two places at the same time was hard for him to believe so that he held up his fingers.

"Two, three, four, four and a thumb, one pinky, index finger, none" Lucy easily called off the number of fingers over the phone while she used her second body to see which ones Albert was holding up. After a moment a giggle escaped her. "About to be poked."

A slight grunt escaped Albert as Lucy suddenly jabbed him in the stomach. The act wasn't exactly painful but it did force a bit of air out of him and could quickly become annoying. Fortunately annoyance was the furthest thing from his mind. "You are serious! You really are in two places at the same time."

"Yes I am. Isn't it cool? Now we can play and I can still help take care of my daddy all at the same time."

"I guess there isn't much of a reason for me to stay on the phone then. Lucy this is incredible! Can you think of all the things you could do with two bodies?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "Well I just mentioned the most important two things but yeah I can think of a few other uses. For one thing they believe that I may be able to appear at my cousin's court trial as a witness now. Provided that there isn't any adverse affects from my bodies being too far apart."

"How far can your two bodies be separate?"

"I'm not sure right now. So far we've only made it to roughly twice the distance between your home and mine."

"Is that what they've been testing over the past few days?"

"Well that and a few other things."

"So are you still growing?"

"Yeah, I'm still growing. I'm not quite sure if it's at the same rate as I was or not."

"That's wonderful Lucy. So how about you tell me what else they've been testing?"

"Sure but let's go up to your room. It's been a while sense we've had a chance to play chess."

End chapter 2

As Lucy made her way along the street she was rather surprised by how few vehicles and people in general she'd actually seen. During the day the street was so busy that it was almost impossible that there would ever be a time when it wasn't being traversed by at least a few vehicles. While Lucy tried to reason out why the street was so empty a sudden crackle reached her ears. The sound instantly drew her attention and she quickly glanced down at her foot.

Upon looking down what Lucy found was that she'd stepped on a massive sheet of black ice. As she looked around herself for a moment an amused giggle escaped her as she realized why the road was so empty. A thick layer of snow covered the streets and under that snow there was most likely several patches of black ice. The fact that she hadn't noticed the white powder was one of the more amusing reminders for Lucy of the difference between her and everyone else. Even the freezing cold temperatures didn't truly affect her.

Tonight seemed to be an especially nice night for Lucy. She had managed to make it back before she had previously planned and thanks to the weather she pretty much had the streets to herself. The only down side she found with her timing was that if she'd known about the weather in advance she would have brought more of herself along.

For a moment Lucy looked over her shoulder and thought about going back only after a minute of debating with herself did Lucy give a slight shrug and continue down the road. While it would have been enjoyable to stroll through the city streets at her full scale so that she towered over every building the streets would most likely have been clogged with vehicles by the time she came back and she'd chosen her current scale to make getting through the city easier.

Even without traffic roads often limited the scale at which Lucy could venture into a city. She always had to be careful that the width of her body didn't exceed the width of the paths or streets she intended to take though that was far from the greatest limiter. The primary limitation on Lucy's scale tended to come from how much stress the streets could withstand. People didn't tend to like waking up in the morning to find the roads covered with foot prints several meters deep and for her part Lucy didn't like it when her foot went through the street into the sewers.

With so many limiting factors Lucy was quite grateful that she could at least enter the city with a height that put her a bit more then a head taller then her destination. Though, part of her felt it would be worth paying for the roads just for the thrill of walking around the city at her full scale or at least the largest scale that the width of the roads would allow her to use. If it weren't for the fact that several people she was rather fond of lived in the area she might have listened to that voice.

There was one aspect of her smaller sizes that she truly enjoyed. They allowed her to move around more quietly then she could have at her larger scales something she found truly beneficial as she approached the apartment building. Upon making her way over to the building she proceeded to bend down and take a look into one of the windows.

Even though the lights in the room were all turned off Lucy had no trouble seeing through the darkness. The first thing that got her attention was an open text book and folder of notes left on a table. A few sheets of paper littered the table with various equations scribbled on them. Given the condition of the roads she had a fairly good idea why the work had been left out on the table. This was actually a bit of a disappointment to Lucy.

Had it been up to her the work would have already been finished before she arrived instead of being left out. So that even before she had climbed out of her pocket she had already resolved that she would help with it. Whenever visiting certain friends Lucy always made it a point to help them with whatever work she was able to. That way she could be both kind and selfish all at once because if she helped them finish early it meant they had more time to spend with her though most friends could refuse her help.

This person was something of a special exception though as she hadn't granted him the option of refusing her help for years now. A sudden crunch and loss of her footing pushed these thoughts out of Lucy's mind as she landed on the ground. When she'd jumped from the pocket of her larger body she hadn't stopped to think about where she was going to land. Normally that would have been fine as jumping from such a height had no chance of harming her however she hadn't expected the sidewalk to be slightly slanted.

Due to the slant of the side walk, the ice that rested under the snow and the velocity of her fall Lucy didn't have a chance to get her footing upon landing. So the moment that she landed she found herself on her behind in the snow and having a far better appreciation for its depth.

An amused giggle escaped both the smaller and larger bodies as the larger reached down and helped the smaller back to her feet. Lucy even had her large body keep a hand behind the smaller as she made her way up the steps and into the front door. It had been several years since Lucy had learned to split herself into separate bodies and in that time she'd refined the ability a great deal though she tended to remain at her larger scales. Being able to separate into several smaller bodies was fun to Lucy but despite that she just didn't feel comfortable in her smaller forms.

While her smaller form made her way through the building Lucy gathered up a handful of snow and quickly rolled it into a ball. She then held the lump of snow up to the window and began to quickly scrape away some of the snow so that it would fit through. It only took her a few seconds but that was also all the time her smaller form needed to make her way through the building and up several floors. So that as she was removing the last of the snow her smaller form was already reaching into her shirt pocket and getting her key.

Upon opening the door Lucy quickly reached to the side of it and covered the speaker on the small terminal that adorned the wall. Due to the density of her muscle structure she was able to keep the small device from even beeping as she disarmed it.

Carefully Lucy shut the door and made her way over to the window she'd been peeking through earlier, unlocked it and retrieved the snow ball from her larger body. An impish grin formed on her face as she quietly shut the window and made her way towards the back. Her grin was made to grow upon noting that the door to the bed room was already open.

"Ah how precious." An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she stood over the sleeping form and lifted the snow ball over her head.

Adrenaline surged throughout Albert's entire body as the massive ball of snow exploded upon impacting with him covering him in the frozen water. Even before a thought had passed through his head he had set up in bed and began scrambling to get out. As he was going to the edge though his foot got caught by the covers and he found himself falling face first towards the ground.

It had only taken a second for Albert's frantic struggle to get out of his bed to cause Lucy to burst into a fit of laughter. However, even while she was amused by Albert's franticly kicking legs and searching arms she'd been more then aware enough to notice his foot becoming wrapped up in the covers. So as he moved to the edge and the covers restrained his foot she moved quickly to catch him.

Before Albert could even extend his hands to attempt to break his fall he felt another pair of hands take hold of his shoulders. So that by the time his arms had been extended his fall had already been stopped. Adding to his surprise was the fact that his fall had been stopped so quickly that his arms couldn't even reach the floor from the side of his bed.

"Good morning sleepy head."

Quickly Albert glanced upward to see the face of the one that held him however he didn't see her face. Instead he found himself looking up at the outline of the underside of breasts so large that each one rivaled the size of a human head. Fortunately he could recognize who was holding him by her laughter. "Yeah right, Lucy it's still dark out!"

"So? It's still morning." As she spoke Lucy lifted Albert further up so that he was setting in his bed now.

Though Albert did appreciate Lucy helping him back up, he wasted no time in climbing out of his snow covered bed. As he started to make his way through the dark to locate the light switch he felt a hand take hold of his wrist.

"It's this way."

"You're back early." There was no use in fighting Lucy and Albert knew that. There was absolutely no way that he could resist her strength and he did trust her to guide him.

"Yeah, things got taken care of more quickly then I expected."

"So did the deal go through?"

"Yes it did. There first shipment of luciom should be arriving by the end of the week. Hey what was that laugh for?"

"Luciom."

"Hey! You're the one that suggested the name to me."

"I was a kid and you asked me to help you come up with a name for a new alloy you developed. I was just trying to name it after you."

"Which is why it's your fault that I named it luciom, so you don't get to laugh at the name."

"How is it my fault? I didn't make you go with the suggestion."

"You tried to name it after me. How was I supposed to say no? So yes, the name is your fault so no laughing or maybe someone would like to be led to the window instead of the light switch."

"Okay. No laughing about the name." Despite his words Albert couldn't help but chuckle as he felt his hand press against the light switch and turned it on after shielding his eyes with his free hand. "You know Lucy even if I may chuckle about it. I do like the name. How could I not? After all it was named after you."

Instead of verbally responding to Albert's complement Lucy leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks. So I noticed you had some work left."

"Yeah, crap Lucy how much snow did you hit me with!"

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she noted the expression on Albert's face as he struggled to look at his bed despite his eyes having not adjusted to the light yet. "What? It wasn't even a handful."

"Lucy that snow ball had to be as big as my upper torso."

"Like I said, it wasn't even a handful."

"You know Lucy it isn't very fair that you get to hit me with a snow ball like that. After all, how am I supposed to retaliate?"

"Mm you're not. You're supposed to let me make it up to you." As she spoke Lucy release her hold on Albert's wrist and made her way over to the phone. "I'll call room service and tell them to send someone up here."

There was no reason for Albert to protest as Lucy dialed the number of the front desk as it wasn't the clean up would cost him or his parents any money. Indeed the apartment he was currently staying in was a gift from Lucy. At one time he had planned on staying in a dorm room while attending college but under very strong protest from Lucy he had decided otherwise. He did have a reason to protest when he saw the clock though. "You woke me up at four thirteen in the morning?"

"I'd say more along the lines of four eight. You have been awake for a little while now. Is that a problem?"

"Yes I'm going to be tired again before the day is even half way through."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she glanced over her shoulder at Albert. "Well when that time comes you can just take a nap. Now how about I help you with the work you left out as well as any other work you haven't finished yet to make up for waking you up? One second. Yes I need you to send someone up to Albert Guarsen's room. They're going to need to bring some clean sheets, pillows and a comforter. Also hurry before the bed is soaked through or they'll need a mattress."

After a moment of listening to Lucy talking on the phone Albert gave his head a quick shake and made his way out of the room and into the kitchen. He then busied himself digging around in his freezers and cupboards as he decided what he wanted to make for breakfast. "Give me a few minutes to eat and I should be ready. I might as well get it over with while I have the energy to think."

Upon finishing on the phone Lucy quickly followed Albert into the dining area and set down upon one of the stools. "That's a good idea. So were you having trouble with the work I saw laying out or was it just tedious?"

"I'm having a bit of trouble actually. The notes I have from lecture haven't been very helpful."

"Ah. You know you should have called me when you started having trouble. I'd at least sent some of me over to help right away."

"I didn't want to distract you from your meeting." As Albert settled on waffles for breakfast he slipped a few into the toaster.

"Albert I've told you before that you don't need to worry about distracting me. I'm quite capable of multitasking and besides helping you tends to be far more enjoyable then some long winded meeting. Believe me when I say that I would have loved to have a distraction earlier."

"Lucy, would you like something to eat as well?"

"Mm well, would you mind making some muffins it's been a while since I had any."

"Sure, what type would you like? I have strawberry, blue berry and black berry."

Taking hold of the counter in front of her Lucy pushed off of it causing her seat to lean backwards. She then began to rock herself back and fourth for a minute. "Blast it I can decide. Hey, how about you try mixing them all together?"

"Sure, now you know my food is going to be done before yours is." While he spoke Albert made his way over to the oven and set it to preheat as well as retrieved a pan.

"Don't worry it isn't like I get hungry anymore. You know what? I'm going to go and bring your homework in here." Lucy was silenced for a moment as she heard a knocking on the door. "Right after I let room service in."

"Okay."

"Tell me is any of your work something you feel comfortable in already?" As Lucy spoke she made her way over to the door and let a young man in.

"Well there are my lab reports."

"Okay, then I'll go ahead and get started on those."

"Thanks." Normally Albert would have quickly protested the idea of someone writing his lab reports for him due to what would happen if the teacher believed someone else had wrote the report. He had no reason to worry about that with Lucy though. Due to the time she'd spent helping him, reading over his reports and her intelligence she could mimic his writing style so perfectly that even he couldn't tell that he hadn't wrote it. "Lucy, are you alright?"

Upon returning with Albert's books and notes Lucy had stopped right in the door way and stood completely still. Only after Albert said her name did she seem to snap out of it. "Blast it."

"Is something wrong?"

"No. I mean well yes something is wrong." A slight sigh escaped Lucy as she continued into the kitchen and began to set up a work area for her and Albert. "I'm reviewing the progress reports on some of my employees. There is one in particular that is causing me problems."

"What happened?" Turning around Albert quickly retrieved his waffles and some syrup from the fridge. He then took a seat in the area Lucy designated for him.

"Albert, what do you believe I should do? I have an employee whose work to date has been on time and above average. She very rarely misses work and all but a few of the days she did miss she sent warning ahead of time. However, she's recently developed a substance abuse problem."

"Ah, so you just got back the lab reports on your employees?"

"Nope, I'm looking at their work evaluation forms. Honestly, I was hoping that her performance had suffered so that I could fire her. It hasn't though and I don't feel right about firing someone if they're still performing their job and not stealing from me. You know I don't need a lab report to see if someone has something in their system."

"Yeah I know. Why don't you try talking to her about her substance abuse issue before you fire her? Perhaps you can convince her to attend rehabilitation."

"For that to work the person tends to need to acknowledge they have a problem in the first place. Even then the success rates are far from encouraging."

As Albert spoke he stood up and made his way over to the fridge where he retrieved a jug of milk and then a glass from the near by cupboard. "That is why you should make sure that there are a lot of you there whenever you speak to her. People tend to listen better whenever the person speaking to them is thirty meters tall instead of two."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she gave her head a quick nod. "That is true. I hate this."

"You know Lucy. If you'd like I could go over the progress reports of your employees for you."

"Thanks for offering and believe me I'd love to let you. However, you have classes to attend and I don't want to put anymore of a work load on you then you already have."

"It isn't that bad. I could at least give you some help. Besides it would make me feel like less of a free loader."

"Now why would you feel like a free loader? After all you help me with the progress reports in the summer and I help you with your classes and housing while you attend college."

"I know but I still feel like I'm getting the better end of the deal and need to balance it out a bit."

"That's good. In that case we both feel as if we've gotten the better end of the deal. I meant it when I said that I enjoy helping you out and you don't seem to appreciate how much I hate handling progress reports."

"Okay but if we get finished with my work early how about I help you with the progress reports?" As he spoke Albert watched as Lucy set up his laptop computer and brought up his lab data. The screen flashed briefly and Lucy turned the laptop around to face him.

"So what do you think of that?"

Instead of responding right away Albert gave his head a slight shake as he chuckled lightly. Lucy never used the keyboard to enter information into a system that had a wireless connection. While Albert didn't know the details of how it worked indeed even Lucy hadn't unwrapped that mystery whatever connection that kept all her bodies in contact with one another allowed her to interface with and even control machines with wireless connections. "Give me a few minutes to read it. So just what department is this employee working in?"

"She's helping conduct studies on the prea tree. Yet another annoyance that I really wish I didn't have to deal with."

"Yeah conducting test whenever you already know what the results are going to be can be rather tedious. You'd think by now they'd trust you whenever you said something was safe."

"The oven is going to ding in two minutes."

"Okay, then I'll get to mixing then." As he spoke Albert stood up, picking up the milk as well. He then retrieved the packs of muffin mix and a bowl. As he began preparing the mixture he spoke up again. "So what do you say about me helping you with those reports if we get done with my work early?"

"No."

"Why? You just said you hate doing them?"

"Because they are things I like doing even more then I dislike examining progress reports." A low growl escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "I don't understand. I can process more information then any computer yet to be developed and yet. Yet, you can make it through these reports nearly twice as fast as I can."

"I wouldn't say twice as fast."

"Yes twice as fast I've timed you."

"I guess regardless of how smart you are really disliking what you're doing will slow you down. Given how quickly you tend to get your work done though you must really hate handling such evaluations. So what does that say about how much you care for me if you won't let me help?" As he spoke Albert placed the muffin mix within the trey and shortly there after slipped them into the oven and set the timer.

An amused giggle escaped Lucy and a smile spread across her face. "I'm going to leave that up to you to figure out."

Upon setting down Albert didn't bother commenting but began to look through the lab report Lucy had prepared for him. He didn't believe that anything would need to be changed but he also knew that Lucy would make him read over it regardless. "It looks fine to me Lucy."

"Okay and here is the second report. Having two labs in the same semester must not be very fun."

"It can be rather bothersome at times."

"You know I would have talked to the school about rearranging some of your classes. I was going to until you stopped me."

"I know, but I didn't want to throw every other student's schedule off just to suit mine."

As Lucy spoke she waved a hand dismissively. "They're collage students they are suppose to be able to adapt to schedule changes."

"Well so am I."

"No, you're a collage student who I consider to be an exceptional friend. There is a big difference between the two."

While he spoke Albert gave his head a quick nod. "Well yeah, you do tend to be a rather large factor whenever you're involved. Still, I shouldn't abuse that friendship."

"Oh I wouldn't have minded at all."

Once again Albert was made to chuckle though this time he shook his head in the negative. "I mean I shouldn't abuse the advantages your friendship gives me. The lab reports look good Lucy. Thanks for helping me out with them."

"You make it sound like I'd be killing someone if I went and talked to them about changing some of the class times. I'm pretty sure that no one would make me actually carry through with the threat."

It was impossible for Albert not to chuckle as he stood up and placed his dishes in the dishwasher. "I don't know about that Lucy, people can be pretty foolish at times."

"In that case natural selection says that they need to die. So are you ready to begin?"

"Yeah, I am. Hey Lucy, you said they were things you'd rather do then have me help you with the reports on your employees. What exactly do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking that once we finished up here we'd go and pick up the others. I want to unwind a little."

"Oh, what do you have in mind?"

"You're just going to have to wait and see. Now why don't you tell me what you're having trouble with?"

"Well I've been trying to solve for x and I thought I had the right answer. However, when I went to check my answer the values didn't agree. I don't believe that they are any errors in my method."

"Albert what is x?"

"X is a variable."

"What else there is something else."

"Well in this case x is a vector."

"Good now what does a vector have?"

At first Albert said nothing as he glanced down at his problem. A sigh escaped him moments later. "Magnitude and direction, blast it."

"Now take the vector's direction into account and let's see what you get."

************************************************************************

"Well you must like this."

"I have to admit I do. I know I was only gone for a while but I missed having you ride around in my pocket."

In response to Lucy comment Albert quickly turned around and looked up at her face. What he found was that while there was a smile upon her face there was no hint of joking on it. Albert felt his face heating up moments later and he quickly turned around to keep Lucy from seeing him blush. "Um, I meant the lack of traffic."

"Oh that is nice as well. It isn't really so different though. At this scale maneuvering through the city streets even during rush hour tends to be pretty easy."

Despite Lucy's scale Albert knew that she was being honest whenever she said she had no trouble maneuvering through heavy traffic. In all the time that he'd rode in her pocket he'd never seen her once accidentally step on a vehicle, person or even accidentally bumped into a large building as she passed between them. Even with the occasional errant driver it was rare that she had to break her strides. A fact that both impressed him and served to remind him that Lucy's eyes were far from her only way of seeing the world around her.

"So Albert, what do you think of your new ride?"

Instead of commenting right away Albert quickly glanced down into the pocket he was currently riding in. Riding in Lucy's right breast pocket was far from a new experience from him. Indeed he had found himself riding in Lucy's shirt pocket nearly the day she'd reached twelve meters tall though at first it had been a single large pocket that covered the front of her shirt. So he knew that Lucy had to be referring to something about the material or the design of the pocket.

"Well?"

¡°Give me a moment. Oh wait. You managed to redesign it to distribute heat better!"

"Yep, I'm surprised you didn't notice right away. If my pocket was made out of the same old material there is no way you'd been looking around like that in this weather."

"Yeah, I'm surprised I didn't notice it sooner but my mind was on other things."

"Still trying to guess where we are going then?"

"Yeah, I believe I know where. After all they aren't a whole lot of options with the roads in the condition they are in and considering the weather. I'm not one hundred percent sure though."

"So are you going to tell me where you believe we are going?"

"I didn't plan on it. Why do you want me to take a guess?"

"Of course, I do."

"I believe you're taking us to the Brink."

"Nope, we're going somewhere else." As she spoke Lucy turned a corner and began to make her way down a circular road. Large houses lined all sides of the road though there conditions varied widely.

"Well I thought I had it."

"Would you like to go to the brink? I doubt that there would be anyone there but that would really give me room to move."

"No. I'm fine with wherever you chose. I am curious though." Brian gripped the side of Lucy's pocket as she quickly spun on her heels.

"You held on this time! Normally you end up in the bottom of my pocket whenever I do that. Am I getting that predictable?"

An amused chuckle escaped Albert as he shook his head. "No, I just realized where we are."

A slight humph escaped Lucy as she shrugged her shoulders. "Darn it that means I am getting predictable."

"So are we going to pick up the others now?" As he spoke Albert glanced down into the interior of Lucy's pocket. While he had never said anything to her he had long ago came to suspect that she enjoyed feeling him struggling around in her breasts pocket. Of course that also meant that he had never admitted to her that he enjoyed it as well. A sigh escaped him moments later as he suddenly realized he'd done something very stupid by holding onto Lucy's pocket.

There was no doubt in Lucy's mind that people knew when she was approaching their home at any scale greater then thirteen meters. Her foot falls were rather hard to miss especially when they were coming up ones driveway. Yet she often ended up waiting far longer then most that simply knocked on the door or wrung a bell. Knocking on the roof or side of the house was unreliable as it could either delay or hasten the response of those inside. This was all due to the fact that it tended to take people a while to decide just who would go out to speak to her if anyone.

Even now such delays continued to be a frequent occurrence in her life despite her being well known. So she was grateful whenever the front door of a house opened and people came out to meet her even before she had tapped on the roof a bit or informed someone that she can hear them inside. Though, she did find their reactions to be amusing from time to time.

Tracy's first instinct upon stepping outside was to jump back inside the house fortunately he had prepared himself mentally for this and was able to keep his legs stationary. "Hey Lucy, Brad and Phillip will be out in just a few moments. Is Albert with you?"

In response to Tracy's question an amused giggle escaped Lucy as she reached up and pressed up on the underside of her breasts. "Are they really that big?"

"Yeah, I take that as a yes though. When you're this close and that tall it's hard to see more then the underside of your breasts."

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she bent at her knees so that she could reach down for Tracy. This also allowed him to actually see her pocket. "Well that is nice to know. So are you ready to go?"

"Yeah" as he spoke Tracy held up a small bag he had with him. "Lucy, would you please pick up now? I'm freezing."

"Sure."

Even after having known Lucy for years now Tracy still wasn't quite use to her massive fingers wrapping around him. The sight of those massive digits still triggered a slight impulse in him to run however he had gotten to know her well enough to keep it under control. At the moment that was exceptionally easy as the desire to get warm again far out weighed his desire to run from his friend. "So where is your" Tracy didn't get to finish.

"Shush! Albert doesn't know where we are going and I want to keep it that way." Reaching to her side Lucy opened up her skirt pocket and easily slipped Tracy inside.

All of the pockets on Lucy's larger sets of clothes were quite different from those you'd find on regular clothing. The material her pockets were made of had been designed so that it would not exert unreasonable amounts of pressure upon its contents regardless of how Lucy shifted her position. The positioning was slightly different from the norm and several supports also lined her pockets to further protect passengers from being crushed or falling out.

Comfort of those she carried had also been taken into account whenever Lucy designed her clothing. As a protective layer of material cushioned her pockets and helped to absorb the energy if she had to make a sudden movement. Accommodations had even been added a fact that Tracy quickly took advantage of as he moved beneath the top of Lucy's pocket and released a few buttons that held a cloth chair in place. "Hey Lucy, what happened to the little cooling units in here?"

"They're not needed anymore so I had them taken out."

"How did you manage that?"

"I changed the materials in my pockets some. They are two additional layers. The first is just beneath the cushioning layer on the inside of my pocket. It serves to insulate you from and store heat so in the winter it retains heat energy and keeps you all warm while in the summer it's protect you from my body heat. The secondary layer is actually quite conductive and is just below the protective layer on the outside of my pocket. It's quite an exceptional conductor."

"So that is how you could stand having your head poking out like that."

Scooting to the side Albert leaned out the side of Lucy's pocket and looked down at Tracy in Lucy's thigh pocket. "Yeah, there is so much heat escaping from the front pocket that well. It would have to be a lot colder then this to bother me. Even with Lucy walking around the wind chill didn't even register."

"That's something else."

"Albert, Tracy cover your ears I need to make sure someone can hear me." An amused giggle escaped Lucy the moment she felt Albert duck down into her pocket. "What are you doing?"

"When you decide to insure that someone hears you one needs as much damping as possible. You're going to have to develop some form of telepathy that lets you just contact people."

"I'm working on it but telepathy isn't exactly an easy to develop skill. Especially, when trying to communicate with a system like the human brain."

"Now how are you doing that?"

"Um Albert that is kind of hard to explain, I'm trying to develop the ability using my connection with machines and my bodies as a base."

"I understand. It would be like trying to explain color to someone who'd never seen. Okay I'm ready."

"Brad, Phillip what is taking you too so long? Amy and Jennifer are probably ready by now."

Phillip didn't bother turning his head or even going to a window. While it felt odd they all knew Lucy could hear them. "Sorry Lucy just having trouble finding a clean pair."

"You wouldn't have that problem if you actually did your laundry weekly. Anyway, I called ahead."

"Yeah sorry about that, it took us a while to get out of bed."

"In that case I should just leave you and Brad behind."

"Ah come on Lucy. I found a clean pair be down in a moment."

"Brad did you as well?"

"Yeah, I had to dig deep in the drawer but I'm ready."

Despite having both of his ears covered Albert was able to hear Lucy easily. However, he wasn't able to hear what either Brad or Phillip had been saying. "So Lucy are they coming?"

"Yeah they're coming down stairs now. You can come back up now."

"Okay."

Lucy was made to blush slightly as she felt Albert's hand press into her breast through the material of her shirt as he brought himself back to a standing position. While she wasn't certain if Albert did this consciously the action was far too consistent to not be intentional on some level. It was actually a bit of a situation for Lucy as she often wondered whether or not Albert's actions were made with his awareness or not she did know that she liked feeling his hand press into the front of her breast even for just a moment. She had even slowly diminished the amount of material between her breast and breast pocket over time.

Concern that Albert would stop bracing himself against her breast when he stood up in her pocket was the only thing preventing Lucy from asking.

At one time Albert had been able to stand up in Lucy's breast pocket and see over the top. However, as she'd grown her pockets had become deeper until now just standing up in the bottom of her pocket wasn't enough. In order to see over the top of Lucy's breast pocket at her current scale and especially her larger scales he actually had to make use of a fabric ladder of sorts she had stitched into the material. "So are they any other stops after we pick up Amy and Jennifer?"

"Yes but just one more. We're going to pick up a few snacks." Lucy grew quiet as she waited for the door to the house to open the moment it did she spoke with a slightly raised voice. "Snacks, you two will be paying for to make amends for taking so long."

"Ah come on Lucy. It isn't our fault we had trouble" Phillip didn't get to finish as Lucy quickly cut him off.

"Yes it is. It most assuredly is. You're the ones that don't clean up regularly and you're the ones that waited until you heard me coming down the road to start searching." As she was talking Lucy reached down for her friends and while she had no intent of physically harming them. The site of her massive hand still quieted them down and tended to stop any further protest.

"Okay. Okay Lucy we'll buy the snacks."

"Good now we just need to go and get Amy and Jennifer."

"Do you have everything?"

"Yeah, I don't see why we have to bring the towels though."

"Because we can't trust Tracy, Phillip or Brad to provide clean ones and Lucy is keeping our destination a secret from Albert. You know I believe she likes making him guess."

"Probably, it's one way of guaranteeing he's thinking about her. Darn it but that means I can't use one of the towels to cover myself up."

"Lucy is going to be packing us so we won't be cold."

"Yeah see if you believe that when you open that door. I guarantee you'll be cold at least until she picks you up."

"Ah poor baby can't handle being cold for a whole five seconds."

An annoyed snort escaped Jennifer as she shook her head. "I can't help it if it rarely drops below twenty four degrees Celsius where I grew up."

"You've been attending classes here for two years now. You should be use to it by now."

"No, that is what winter clothes are for."

Before Amy could comment she felt a slight vibration run throughout the house and heard a rather forceful impact moments later. "Well we don't have time for that now our ride is here. I guess you're going to have to be cold for a moment."

"Says you, Lucy I'm going to head up to the balcony and unlock the doors. Would you mind reaching in and picking me up? I really don't want to step out into the cold."

"Guy's cover your ears. Sure Jennifer that is fine with me. Amy you can do the same if you want."

"Hey Albert can you believe that?"

Instead of trying to respond to Phillip right away Albert proceeded to scoot his way along the front of Lucy's breasts so he could look over the side of her pocket. He didn't notice that as he moved across the very front of her breasts the material grew slightly tighter though he did hear Lucy inhale. "Can I believe what?"

"Can you believe that those two can't stand the cold long enough just to step out on the porch?"

"Actually I can't say anything Phillip. Lucy had me exit through the window and step out onto her head. Still, even if she hadn't I would have much preferred to have her pick me up then me have to step out into the cold."

"Ah man, you wimp."

"Hey not all of us are a masochist like you."

"I am not a masochist, blast it! When are you guys going to drop that?"

Lucy had by now reached into the house and retrieved Amy and Jennifer. Amy for her part had opted to be picked up as well despite what her earlier comments. Now as Amy heard Phillip shout, she couldn't help but step in. "That's not what Tina says."

"Hey I only put up with that so I could get with her. Even I don't have many chances to get my hands on breasts that big."

An amused chuckle escaped Albert as he listened to Phillip. "So you put up with her games just so you could get hold of her breasts huh?"

"Yeah, why else would I?"

"Well if you're willing to go through that to get your hands on breasts that small. I wonder what you'd be willing to go through to get hold of Lucy's mountains."

"Albert!" An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she placed Amy and Jennifer in the pocket opposite the one the men were one. "That is a really good question. Now let's see. If we you were willing to endure a lesser form of torture just to get hold of Tina's. I guess that means you'd let me digest you alive. Though then again, that could only be the torture increased a thousand times and mine are more then a thousand times as large as Tina's."

"Um no thanks Lucy, that price is a little too steep?"

"What? You're saying that I'm not worth it?" As she spoke Lucy intentionally raised her voice and altered her tone as if she'd actually been offended. It was hard for her to keep from giggling when Phillip ducked down in her pocket as if he forgot where he was.

"No. I'm not saying that."

"Humph a painful and slow death should be considered a small price to pay for getting to play with my breasts."

"Oh I agree. I'm just too attached to my body and life to part with them you know? There like a really comfortable set of clothes that you can't stand to get rid of."

"OH sentimental value. Okay, well as it doesn't seem like I'm going to be eating you how about we get going? We still need to stop and pick up a few things before we can finally have some fun." Before she could turn around Lucy glanced down at Albert as she felt his hand once again press into her breast as he turned around. Moments later he shifted around so that he wasn't looking down at Phillip but up at her and there was a wide grin on his face.

"I don't know. I believe it is fun watching you make Phillip sweat."

Amy didn't hesitate to step in. "I agree."

A sigh escaped Phillip as he slumped down into the bottom of Lucy's. "Aren't you two going to join in?"

Brad gave a shrug as he looked at his friend. "It's tempting but no thanks. We have to live with you after all. So was it still worth it?"

"Was what worth it?"

"Was getting Tina in the sack worth all the pain and now the heckling?"

A large grin formed on Phillips face. "Hell yeah it was."

"Man you put way too much emphasis on the breast. She'd need an ass to for me to put up with that."

While Phillip and Brad's last statement had been too low for Amy, Jennifer or Albert to hear them Lucy could hear them just fine. So when Tracy didn't respond she spoke up. "What about you Tracy? Aren't you going to give your two cents?"

"I don't care how good she looks I have no interest in anyone that gets pleasure from my pain."

After a moment Amy couldn't help herself. "Hey Lucy what are you talking about? It isn't nice to talk in front of people you know give us the details to."

"Okay, I'll tell you as we walk."

"Hey Lucy, I just thought of something. Where did you go with your smaller body? I didn't notice your bodies join back together."

"I went ahead in that body to get some things ready."

************************************************************************

During one of the city beautification programs a large man made pond had been placed in one of the parks. The body of water served as a place for people to take rental boats out on the water as well as a place for swimmers who desired a place with a more natural feel then a pool could provide. However, in the middle of winter it was rare for one to see a boat out on the water let alone any swimmers.

At the moment the entire park was nearly deserted though and the pond had even less people there then that. "Okay we are here. So Albert can you guess what we're going to be doing?"

"Lucy, I'm going to assume that you remembered we little people don't do well in ice cold water."

"Well, while I didn't stop to think about how cold it was until I stepped on some ice on my way to your place I did recall that you don't like it when the water is too far below your body temperature. Fortunately that isn't a problem with me around."

"Yeah, so where did you put my swimming trunks?

Albert's attention was quickly drawn away from Lucy as a humanoid figure suddenly appeared next to him. As he quickly spun around he found Lucy's smaller body holding onto her larger body's pocket and clad in a white bikini. While little Lucy held onto her pocket with her left hand her right hand held a pair of swimming trunks out to Albert. "You can get dressed in my pocket I grabbed them just before I left your house."

"Thanks, so how long do you believe it'll take to warm the water up."

"I already took care of that."

While Albert had long ago learned not to doubt what Lucy said, he couldn't help but be shocked. "You already warmed up the pond?"

"Yes I did. What you didn't believe I could do it with this little body?"

"That is a lot of water to warm up."

"True, it took a fair bit of energy. Not anywhere near as much as this body is actually capable of generating but I didn't want to evaporate the bond." As she spoke through the mouth of her little body the larger reached down and took hold of Albert by his shoulders. She then lifted him out of her pocket.

"Hey! What is going on?"

"Here see for yourself." As she spoke Lucy made her way over to the pond and lowered Albert down into the water until he was submerged up to his knees despite his protest.

At times Lucy had trouble judging things such as temperature so Albert couldn't help but protest being the first one dipped into the water. What he found though was that the water was indeed warm. "Wow that is something else."

"I told you. See even a very small amount of me can produce a tremendous amount of energy. You should trust me more on these things."

"I know, but I was kind of worried. You did get quite a kick out of waking me up with a snow ball."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy and she gave her head a quick shake. "Yeah I did. Okay, now how about I join you before the water cools down?" Even before Albert responded Lucy straitened up and quickly pulled her shirt over her head. The massive impact generated by the garmented landing on the ground moments later sent ripples throughout the lake.

Before Albert could look to see what Lucy had on under her shirt a large splash of water blinded him for a moment. Upon glancing to his side he found Lucy's smaller body swimming beside him having jumped from her pocket when Lucy removed her shirt. "Well aren't you going to look at what I'm wearing?"

"I'd be happy to." What Albert found upon looking up was that Lucy was wearing a white bikini top in the same style as her smaller body. The only difference being that the one her larger body wore was proportionally smaller. As he looked at the material he doubted that the material of her top extended more then a third of a meter past her areolas.

Even before Albert could respond Brad gave his opinion. "Damn. There can't be more then a tent's worth the material in either cup! How does it keep from tearing?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she glanced down at Brad. "Well that depends on how big of a tent you're talking about. I'll go ahead and tell you though it's fortunate that my breasts are perky enough that this top isn't really needed." As she spoke Lucy reached into her pockets and began to carefully remove her friends as well as their belongings.

While Lucy placed their equipment near the side of the water Albert turned to the smaller Lucy. "So I hope you're going to be handling the cooking given that while the water is warm the air sure isn't."

"Yeah, once my larger body is able to join us in the water I'll use the smaller to prepare our lunch. You don't like peppers on your kebabs do you?"

"I don't like peppers on anything."

"Now how can you say that if you haven't tried them on everything? After all, I remember you didn't like unions except on your hamburgers."

"That was with mustard and I still say that the mustard drowns out the union taste."

"Oh then why do you put unions on your hamburgers and not just put mustard?"

There wasn't time for Albert to try to answer as their attention was suddenly drawn to Jennifer. "Put me in the water not on the ground!"

It was hard for Lucy not to giggle as her friend maintained a firm grip on her fingers as if she was trying to prevent Lucy from opening her hand. She had let her friends dislike of the cold slip her mind for a moment and went to put her down on the shore. Apparently two meters was too far away from the water for her friend though. "My mistake, here you go Jennifer."

Once in the water Jennifer seemed to relax. Considering that she had grown up in a costal city the young woman was perhaps more at home in the water then she was on dry land though it was salt water. So it was little surprise how quickly she made her way through the water as she swam over to Lucy and Albert. "Thanks Lucy, I find swimming to be really relaxing. Actually, if I don't get to have a good swim at least once a month I start getting really home sick."

"You're welcome."

Albert couldn't help but be a little anxious as Jennifer swam around him and Lucy. While they were friends he also knew she had a playful side which water tended to help bring out. Currently he could have sworn that she was stocking him and Lucy. "That must be rather difficult to deal with in the winter."

"It is. I know the indoor pools are heated however there tends to be too many people for me to really swim. Swimming pool isn't really the right term for it at those times. They're more of a floating pool." Jennifer continued to circle Albert and Lucy's smaller body until Amy was set in the water she then began to swim quickly towards her friend.

As Jennifer neared Amy knew that she wasn't just coming over for a chat. Her friend had picked up too much speed so that it was very clear she had other motives then conversation. Amy for her part was far less experienced in the water then her friend and knew she couldn't out swim her. "Don't you even think about, crap." A sigh escaped Amy as Jennifer quickly dove under the water.

Once she'd picked up enough speed and closed enough of the distance between herself and Amy Jennifer moved quickly to dive under the water. This had been intentional for two reasons one it let her position herself and two she didn't want to let Amy finish speaking. As she swam near her friend she quickly reached a hand out and grabbed hold of her leg.

Amy had known what was coming but despite that she couldn't help but let out a slight yelp as Jennifer's momentum allowed her to pull her under. She was however able to hold her breath before being pulled all the way under the water. Once under she tried to give her friend a quick kick but Jennifer had already moved too far away.

Nearly the moment Jennifer broke the water's surface she broke into a fit of giggles as Amy came up sputtering moments later. "That felt goo." Now Jennifer was cut off as she too felt someone take hold of her legs and yank her under the water.

For a moment Amy just looked at where her friend had been. She'd expected to have to deal with Jennifer's teasing for at least a few moments however she'd been pulled under before she could even get started. It only took her a moment to realize what had happened as she glanced to her side and realized that Lucy was no longer beside Albert. This wasn't comforting for Amy as she wondered if Lucy was avenging her or if Jennifer had started a dunking competition.

While Albert was interested in the lady's though mostly because he worried they'd soon involve him. He found he was simply too curious to see what kind of bottom Lucy was currently wearing. Given that she'd already put Amy and Jennifer in the water he knew that she'd be removing her skirt soon and he didn't want to miss that.

Brad, Phillip and Tracy's instincts were to join in on the lady's games but they all three knew better. While Amy wouldn't be a problem Jennifer had more experience in the water then all of them put together. Any one of the guys was undoubtedly stronger then her but none of them were as good at moving in the water as she was. So they chose to follow Albert's lead and see just what Lucy was wearing under her skirt.

There was no need for Lucy to look at them to tell that the men's eyes were on her. She could practically feel them. Despite that she did look and focused her eyes directly on Albert's. It was easy for her to tell he knew that she was looking at him as she noticed a sheepish grin spread across his face. She then straitened up and released the heavy lock that held her waste band.

Due to Lucy's wonderfully full thighs the skirt hardly slid down a few decameters upon her releasing the latch. Indeed the skirt was drawn so tight upon her that it seemed like she could walk around and not worry about it slipping off her. This only drew Albert's attention all the more when Lucy slipped her fingers into either side of her skirt and began to slide it down her massive figure.

The bikini bottom Lucy wore was solid white and followed the trend of her top. It was much the same as the one her smaller body wore except far less material was used at least proportional to her body. The only patch of material of any worth while size was a v shaped patch that served to cover her crotch though just barely. The strands that held the material together seemed to be no more then a third of a meter in width which seemed remarkably thin upon Lucy.

As Lucy stepped into the water Albert, Phillip, Brad and Tracy were all lifted as several waves were generated by Lucy's legs moving through the water. With each step she took further into the pond the waves would grow larger as more and more of the water was dispersed as more of her body was submerged and pushed through it. Soon the waves even began to affect Amy who was further out.

Jennifer sputtered as she spit up the bit of water that had gotten into her mouth. This wasn't due to Lucy pulling her under though rather it was the result of her being splashed by one of the waves generated by Lucy's massive form upon making it back to the surface. As she looked up at her massive friend Jennifer giggled slightly. "Well I don't believe you're going to be swimming like that."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't have some fun as well." Lucy had to keep from giggling as she made her way to the deepest section of the pond. Even there the water didn't manage to reach up to her crotch.

Due to Lucy's massive scale it was nearly impossible to tell she was even wearing a bikini bottom if viewed from behind. The strands that served to hold the one patch of material on her simply vanished between her wonderfully full rear. Once again Albert found it nearly impossible to take his eyes off Lucy until he felt something almost drawing his attention away from her rear and up to Lucy's head. There he found her peeking over her shoulder with a rather large grin on her face. He knew right away to hold his breath.

There wasn't time for Albert to shout a warning to any of his friends as Lucy let herself simply fall down into the water. The sound of Lucy's bottom slamming into the water was likened onto several tons of dynamite being detonated and carried nearly the same amount of energy due to the height her rear fell before hitting the water and her massive weight. So great was the force of the impact that the several meters of water wasn't enough to absorb it all but Lucy felt her bottom slam solidly into the bottom of the pond leaving a massive imprint under the water.

Had there been any small boats in the water Albert was certain Lucy would have flipped them all with the wave she generated. Everyone knew that there was no fighting the water so that each of them simply let the rushing wave take them in whatever direction it pleased.

As her friends were pulled under by the rushing waters Lucy kept a close watch on each of them. Albert's believe that Lucy would at times forget how fragile humans were relative to herself was actually mistaken. Even when Lucy dipped him in ice cold waters she never forgot how careful she had to be with her loved ones. She just didn't tell Albert because he would then known all the dips into ice cold water he'd taken at her hands had been intentional. She liked having a reason to let Albert cuddle up against her to get warm.

Jennifer was the first to come back to the surface as she recovered from the wave. She then quickly found Lucy and was a bit surprised to find her friend moving quickly through the water and reaching down into it. Moments later she watched as Lucy held Phillip up by his legs.

"Phillip, when under water with limited air you rarely want to go down instead of up."

It had actually been quite a shock for Phillip whenever he felt Lucy's massive fingers take hold of his legs. He'd thought she was going to hold him under water for a few moments and even became worried when she'd started pulling him through the water. Fortunately he'd realized what was happening the moment Lucy pulled him above the water's surface. "Yeah that's good advice."

Albert had been the most prepared for Lucy's little stunt and was the third to break the water's surface though he'd been the second had Lucy not helped Phillip. Moments later he heard some coughing as Brad came to the surface followed shortly by Tracy and Amy. He was a little surprised when Tracy wasn't even breathing hard. "Hey Tracy, did you see that coming?"

"Not as quickly as you apparently but I noticed when her bottom began to drop."

"Ah, so what took you so long to get back to the surface?"

"Trying to see what kind of view I could get."

As Lucy lowered him towards the water Phillip readied himself to hold his breath. He wasn't disappointed as a few meters above the water Lucy released her hold on his leg and let him fall back into the water. He was ready this time though and quickly returned to the surface.

With everyone now in the water Lucy made her way back onto the land with her smaller body. "Okay, I want to cook this right so it's going to take a while for everything to get done." Lucy proceeded to turn the head of her larger body to the side as she noted Albert swimming along side of her and making his way around her. "Just what are you doing?"

"I was thinking that I'd try climbing your hair. Would you mind?"

"Nope, go right ahead."

While Brad and Phillip were more the ladies men then Tracy was this time he beat them to the question. "Mind if we try as well? I don't see anywhere else to dive off of."

"Sure, though you will probably want to use my breasts for diving my shoulders are probably a little too high up." There was a second when nothing happened and then a massive amount of splashing could be heard as the men began to swim towards Lucy. An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she watched their enthusiastic efforts.

Albert had already been closer to Lucy then the others and had begun swimming before them as well. So they were still quite a distance away even as he rounded her side. He slowed down though when he noticed Lucy just barely lock her fingers together and lower her hands so that her palms were just above the water. She then gave the surface of the pond a quick smack with the palms of her hand and interlocked fingers.

The wave generated by Lucy's hands smacking the water had no where near the scale or power of the one she generated when she let herself fall into the pond. However, they were still plenty powerful when compared to a human and she could generate them exceptionally quickly. So that as Tracy, Brad and Phillip continued through the water they found there efforts greatly hindered and growing all the more difficult as they drew closer to Lucy and the frequency and power of the waves seemed to increase.

It was impossible for Albert not to chuckle at his friends' plight. He was quite tempted to stay and watch the show but soon resolved that it would be even better while setting atop Lucy's shoulder. Upon making his way behind Lucy though he was quite surprised to see Jennifer coming around the opposite side. "Now why are you looking at me like that?"

"I just didn't expect to see you here."

"Hey I like diving."

Giving a slight shrug Albert made his way over to Lucy's hair and grabbed a few of the massive strands. He had his suspicions that Jennifer wasn't being entirely honest with him but he wasn't going to press the issue. As he began to make his way up Lucy's hair he could hear the sound of the waves growing increasingly powerful.

At the moment Tracy felt a strong impulse to cuss Phillip and Brad out. Had they not rushed Lucy like that he doubted she'd started with the little wave routine. However, at the moment he didn't have the breath to gripe at the two of them and keep swimming. He did however feel a very strong impulse to whenever he realized that Brad had pulled ahead of him though his progress was still far from swift.

While he was scaling her hair Albert couldn't resist pressing his face into the long acorn brown strands. Upon burying his face in the silken strands he proceeded to inhale deeply taking in their scent. At the same moment he felt himself shaken slightly as he heard a giggle and a wave that sounded quite a bit more powerful then the previous ones was generated almost as if Lucy had accidentally put far more force into the wave then she intended.

At last it was too much for Tracy as Phillip was pushed backwards and slammed into him he couldn't keep it in. "Damn it man get out of the way."

"Hey I was ahead of you!"

"That's because you're not saving any energy. You're going to burn up all your stamina before you even get there. Then I'm going to have to either swim around you or have you bump into me again."

As Albert heard Tracy scream, he couldn't help but chuckle and give Lucy's hair a kiss. "Thank you Lucy."

Lucy was actually glad Albert was currently making his way up her back as it kept him from seeing her blush. She hadn't intended to create such a powerful wave but she hadn't been expecting Albert to actually see what her hair smelt like. She liked the feeling more then she'd realized she would and actually had trouble keeping herself from gasping.

Even as Albert resumed his climb he wasn't entirely certain why he'd felt such a deep need to thank Lucy. Sure he was grateful that she'd not put him through the wave test however that hadn't been the only reason to thank her. Something else had motivated him to something far more powerful then thanks for not putting him through a hardship. He just wasn't sure what that was at the moment so he continued his climb.

It was hard for Jennifer to believe the rate at which Albert was making his way up Lucy's back. While she wasn't the strongest of the group she was the strongest whenever relative to her weight. So it didn't seem possible that Albert was out pacing her by such a huge margin as he made his way up Lucy's hair. As she observed him she was able to note something though. His hands and feet never seemed to become tangled in Lucy's hair.

"Well hello there."

Despite the relative ease with which Albert had climbed Lucy's hair it was still relative and he had just made his way up a rather steep incline. So as he pulled himself up onto Lucy's shoulder, he had to take a few moments to catch his breath before he could respond. "Hi, wow. You can see for quite a distance from up here."

"Indeed you can, though I imagine you're more interested in observing the valley below."

"I'd be lying if I said I had no interest what so ever. You know. This kind of reminds me of a water ride I used to love as a kid."

"Which ride was that? Was it one that we went on together?"

"Yeah, do you remember that really big down hill water slide?"

For a moment Lucy said nothing as she turned her head up to the sky. After a short while of silence and apparently intense thought she gave a slight shrug. Slight for Lucy at least Albert was glad that he was lying on her shoulder so he didn't have to worry about his balance. "I can't say that I do."

"Huh, you tend to remember everything. I'm surprised you can't remember the slide."

"Oh I remember going on lots of slides. I just can't be sure what the really tall one was. I was still adapting to my constantly changing scale so my memory on such matters is a little off."

"The one with the water fountains along the path. You had to walk for like a mile up hill to get to the top and then all those steps."

"Oh, so that is the really tall one."

"Did we ever go on any taller?"

"Yes we did. It just didn't seem to be as high as the walk didn't take so long and the incline wasn't as steep so you built up less speed. Actually, that slide was more of a strait climb up stairs. So what makes you think of that?"

"Nothing much, it just took so much effort to get to the top that I at times wondered if it was worth the effort and time."

"I see. Well I don't want anyone feeling like they wasted their effort. So I'll tell you what. After the first time I'll lift whoever makes it up to my shoulder back up whenever they want me to. However, the first time has to be on your own. Well aren't you going to climb down?"

"Give me a few more minutes. I'm liable to fall down with the way my arms are feeling right now them climb down."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "Well there is plenty of cushioning below. I bet you could drop down and be just fine."

Before Albert could comment his attention was drawn elsewhere as he heard a relieved sigh come from behind him. "That was quite a work out." Even as she spoke Jennifer made her way past Albert and glanced down Lucy's shoulder. Despite her statement she showed no signs of slowing down as she took hold of a few strands of Lucy's hair that was draped over her chest. She then began to make her way down.

"I swear do you ever run out of energy?"

While she continued to climb down Jennifer looked up at Albert. "If there is one thing I'm not lacking in it is stamina."

For a moment Albert just shook his head before turning his attention back to Lucy. "Are you sure the cushioning is yielding enough?"

"No, go ahead and rest right where you are. My breast may be soft but they aren't so soft I'd recommend jumping from my shoulder down onto them. I was just joking earlier."

There were a few moments in which Albert said nothing but continued to look down at Lucy's breasts and the rapid progress Jennifer was making. Even as he spoke he didn't look away from his massive friend's chest. "Darn it and it was such a fun idea."

"I know but I'm still glad you can't. When you get home take a moment to figure up how yielding my breasts would have to be to let you jump from that height and you'll see why."

"I suppose you'd need quite a lot of support then."

"A lot more then I want to need."

Stretching his arms above his head Albert gave a slight sigh as he tensed his muscles. "I need to get into better shape. Okay I believe that I'm ready now. Hey Jennifer, you're still down there."

"Well I can't exactly dive off until Lucy is done with her waves."

If it had been possible Albert's grin would have doubled inside as he realized that Jennifer was right. Until the others managed to make enough progress that Lucy stopped with the wave routine and moved her hands anyone on her breasts was basically stuck there. With this thought in mind his energy seemed to return far more quickly as he began to make his way down the same hair strands Jennifer had used to the vast plane below. However, his grin proved to be quite temporary.

As Albert made his way down he Lucy's hair strand he couldn't help but believe Jennifer had known that she'd be trapped atop Lucy's chest if she went on down. This thought actually hastened his decent as he found himself more eager to get down to Lucy's chest. He was a bit surprised though when Lucy spoke up.

"Hold Albert, you're going too fast. You'll lose your footing at that rate."

In response to Lucy's calling him down Albert did slow his pace and even took a moment to look up to see exactly how far down he'd gone. He was a bit surprised to see how far he'd gone down already. "Whoops. I didn't realize I was moving that fast."

"It's okay, just be careful."

After giving his head a quick nod Albert continued on down Lucy's hair. The brief delay Lucy calling him down had caused also gave him a few moments to consider what he was feeling. His eagerness to get down to Lucy's chest seemed to be more then just desire to feel her breasts. Indeed he felt a good deal of annoyance at the moment and soon realized what thought was causing that frustration and causing his smile to diminish.

Lucy tended be quite a tease in regards to her friends and while Albert was the only one that ever road in her breasts pocket. He wasn't the only one that had been allowed to set atop her breasts or on her massive thighs. Indeed Lucy seemed to be quite comfortable with someone she considered a friend snuggled between her breasts so long as they didn't go too far. There were rules for such times which her friends tended to learn quickly such as while setting on her breasts patting them was okay, kissing was not and no one had ever tried something more then kissing.

Despite that the fact that Jennifer had went ahead and climbed down onto Lucy's breasts, knowing she'd be trapped there for a while annoyed Albert. Some of his annoyance was due to the fact that he hadn't realized it sooner but the majority he couldn't explain. Except, that he felt like his territory had been invaded and now he needed to go and reassert his claim to something.

By now Jennifer had made her way to near the front of Lucy's breasts and proceeded to set down. As she watched Tracy, Brad and Phillip continue their swim she couldn't help but tease them. "Come on is that all the three of you got? I'll never get in any diving practice unless you three hustle up."

While the others occupied Lucy's larger body Amy had made her way back close to the shore though she made no attempt to leave the water. "You sure know how to motivate them."

"Yeah, though I doubt they'd be this eager normally."

"I agree, after all you're as close to naked right now as you have ever been. So of course they're going to be more eager then normal. Did Albert slip while climbing down your hair?"

"No, he was rushing so I told him to slow down."

"Can you blame him for being in a hurry?"

"I almost didn't call him down. He just looked so cute scurrying down my hair like that and I could have easily caught him if he fell. However, if I had to catch him that would mean that the others would get to me more quickly."

"Ah. So you like having Albert hang out on your breasts. It figures, you always give him the breast pocket. I guess it feels natural to you."

"Yeah, I carried Albert around in my pocket so much when we were kids that I sort of got use to it. I haven't ever told him but I feel kind of funny whenever I can't feel him pressed against my chest. I guess you could say having him there is something like a security blanket to me. While I didn't have a whole lot of friends growing up it didn't matter because I always had my best friend right there with me in my pocket."

"I can see how someone would get used to that. So how is Jennifer doing?"

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy. "She's using her toes to pinch my breasts a little. She's got her legs tucked in so I can't see her feet but I wonder if she knows that I can feel her."

"Oh I hate it when she does that."

"Pinch your breasts?"

"No, I mean yes. She only did that once and after the talk she didn't go it again. I mean when she pinches you with her toes. I swear I don't know how she gets such a good grip."

"Well she has the bone structure for it and it seems like she's practiced a lot. Are you sure you don't want to come over for some diving practice? It's a bit longer but you could just swim around me. Honestly, I'm surprised the guys haven't broken into different groups."

"I doubt team work is the dominant thought in their mind right now and no thanks. I'm not as comfortable setting atop another woman's breasts as Jennifer is."

"Why? There is plenty of room for you and I've been told they're wonderfully pleasant to the touch. At least everyone that has ever worked up the nerve to tell me has told me so and others with their actions. Most find them pleasant to look at as well and they're warm."

"I don't doubt that but I find the prospect of touching another woman's breasts to be a little much for me."

"You never complained before."

"I know but you sort of slipped me between your breasts then. The others were there as well so I didn't feel as awkward."

"Amy, you should have told me you felt awkward. I would have found some other way to pack you around."

"It isn't a problem. You know I really don't mind in that situation but right now it just seems a bit too much for me."

"Okay, well how about now? Tracy finally made it past the waves and should be climbing my hair as soon as he catches his breath."

"I'll give them a few more moments then I'll go over and join them sense you seem to be so eager to get rid of me."

"Hey! I'm just trying to make sure you're not left out."

An amused giggle escaped Amy as she nodded her head. "I know. Honestly I may just float here for a while I just finished a few projects and I really want to vegetate. So now that that is said. How much longer will it be until the food is ready?"

"It's going to take a little while. As I said I want to do this right. I wonder if I should be offended."

"Why would you be offended?"

"Albert actually calmed down after making it down to my breasts. I'm used to people getting more excited at the site of let alone the touch of my breasts. Yes I do believe I'm a little upset with his response. Mm maybe I should give him and Jennifer a few bounces to set things right."

An amused chuckle escaped Amy as she quickly turned around in the water. "I say go for it. I don't know about Albert but I'd like to see what happens when Jennifer realizes she has more breasts then she can handle."

At first Albert wasn't sure what to think when he could no longer hear Lucy's hands hitting the water. He'd noticed that Tracy had finally made his way to Lucy but he hadn't expected her to stop generating the waves until he was at least to her shoulder. There wasn't much time for him to consider what the implications of Lucy stopping the waves could be though as moments later he felt the ground moving quickly upward.

Brad and Phillip first response to Lucy no longer patting the water was to quit swimming and take a moment to catch their breath as they both assumed she'd finished generating the waves. They soon learned that they had made a mistake though the moment Lucy's breasts impacted with the water. While the wave generated wasn't as powerful as the ones created by her hands as she bounced Albert and Jennifer a few centimeters that was still several tons of flesh lifting into the air and slamming back into the water.

Fortunately for Albert he had been well away from the sides of Lucy's breasts upon the slight bounce while Jennifer had been setting down. Albert was even able to keep his footing due to the trip being such a short one that he was shaken. There wasn't time for him to get comfortable though as Lucy once again bounced her chest this time putting a bit more energy into the action and nearly sending Albert into the air while making Jennifer quickly retreat from the front of her breasts.

Despite the fact that the first two times had only been very subtle Amy and everyone around could tell that there was tremendous energy involved. So much energy was involved that Brad and Phillip had actually ceased swimming towards Lucy and seemed to be debating going further in the water. Though, the debate wasn't entirely due to the awesome power generated when Lucy's breasts slammed back into the pond. It was also due to them having to struggle to tear there sites away from Lucy's massive breasts as they bounced.

The third bounce came even more quickly then the second had as it had come more quickly then the first. Lucy also made certain put more energy into it as she began to spread her arms to the side. She had at first thought that she'd just bounce Albert and Jennifer off her breasts but after the first bounce she had quickly resolved to have more fun with it. So that instead of bouncing Albert and Jennifer off after three or four times she actually resolved to give them a ride.

It only took three bounces for Albert to lose his footing and find himself face down on Lucy's breast. The fact that he'd stayed standing that long was only due to Lucy's holding back though. It would have actually been exceptionally easy for Lucy to knock him off his feet in only one try or even send both him and Jennifer into the water but Lucy had resolved to have some fun already. So instead of immediately bouncing them off her chest she was slowly increasing the speed and energy she put into each bounce of her breasts.

Brad had always been a lover of larger breasts, indeed out of all the features of a woman's body large breasts ranked second on his must haves list. As such he was a fan of big swing and bounce dances and had received many both from those he courted and at a few clubs he frequented. As he watched Lucy though he couldn't help the nagging feeling that he'd wasted his money on several occasions.

"Lu. Luc. Lucy st. Despite his best efforts Albert found it nearly impossible to ask Lucy to stop. As while being bounced atop her breasts was far from painful it did serve to distract him and cause him to breathe outward prematurely if his mouth was open when he impacted with her breasts. So as the rate at which she bounced him and Jennifer atop her breasts increased he found it to be more and more difficult to even attempt to speak.

As Lucy continued to bounce Jennifer and Albert atop her chest she knew that she had to be careful. While her breasts weren't so massive that her friends would be injured falling from their height to the water below. They were high enough up that if she imparted any extra energy to their fall more then what an extra meter of height would have added they could be hurt. So she had to be quite careful currently as she was imparting more then enough energy for that to happen.

By now Brad and Phillip were feeling the affects of the waves generated by Lucy's breasts slamming into the water. Instead of trying to fight the waves though they had both relaxed and allowed themselves to be carried backwards. This was due to two reasons. The first being that neither of them was sure how long Lucy would keep up her dance the other being that the waves generated by her breasts slamming into the water were actually more powerful then the ones she made with her hands.

Jennifer was by now far from Albert's mind as he struggled to take control of his position. The task was of course impossible with the very ground beneath his feet working against him. So despite his best efforts all he could do was go along for the ride as Lucy bounced and swayed her massive breasts. His mind wasn't entirely devoid of thought though. As he was bounced around he couldn't help but wonder when Lucy had learned to do a titty dance.

Only after her friends began to near the point where even landing on her breasts might hurt them did Lucy's finally end the dance. With one last bounce from her chest she sent Albert and Jennifer rolling across her breasts. This allowed the majority of the energy from being bounced atop her chest to dissipate but insured both of them went off the front and into the water below.

The whole experience was so disorientating that neither Albert nor Jennifer realized that it had come to an end until they hit the water. Moments later Albert and Jennifer broke the surface of the water.

"Well it looks like you two rather enjoyed that."

Despite the difference in their scales and Lucy's teasing tone Albert tried to make his voice as stern as possible. "Lucy, what was that for!"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she leaned forward in the water further submerging her breasts and generating a few waves in doing so. "Well it was partly for fun though that wasn't the only reason."

"Well are you going to tell me what the other reason was?"

Slowly Lucy once again set up in the water once again generating another wave with her breasts that pushed Albert further away. She then proceeded to reach down for Albert as she did so she insured that he was entirely engulfed in the shadow of her hand. This was intentional on Lucy's part as it said something entirely different from picking them up.

When Lucy placed her hand on the ground she was letting you climb into her hand you still had some control. If she scooped someone up with her hand they did lose some control but not all as they were still in open space. Wrapping her hand around them took away almost all of the control but it left them with some freedom. Reaching down for them though seemed to take away all feelings of freedom and power so it was by far the most intimidating. It was impossible for Lucy not to smile when Albert didn't show the least bit of fear or even seem nervous.

No matter how effective a particular hand hold was at inspiring fear or compliance in people Albert never responded to it in the same way. There was no threat to Albert in Lucy's hands regardless of how she used them at least none that he could see. Instead the only thing he saw in them was protection so her hold did nothing to silence him. "Well are you going to tell me or not?"

Instead of responding right away Lucy lifted Albert out of the water and brought him back over to her chest. She then set him down atop her right breast. "No. I'd prefer if you figured the second reason out."

A sigh escaped Albert as Lucy deposited him back on her chest. He knew that there was no changing Lucy's mind when she talked like that. "I take it the answer isn't simple."

"That really depends. Now quit acting like your upset. If that grin of yours was any wider it would split your face in half."

At first Jennifer had expected Lucy to pick her up shortly after she did Albert. When it became clear that wasn't going to happen she spoke up. "Hey aren't you going to pick me up as well?"

"Sure Jennifer."

As Brad swam towards Lucy he turned to Phillip. "I can't wait to tell Tracy about the show he missed. I mean I'm sure the rear view was nice but nothing like the front."

************************************************************************

For the last few days Albert had actually been able to focus in class and listen to what the instructors had to say. Now that Lucy was back though, he found the task to be nearly impossible once again. So as he set in class he found himself having an internal debate. "I should listen to the instructor. I'm sure what he's saying is informative and his teaching methods are sound. Yeah, that's a joke half the time I spend doing homework is spent looking through the book trying to figure out what his notes said.

Lucy is back now it isn't like I actually need to be here. She did say she likes helping me with my work and I learn better that way anyway. I guess she holds my attention better." It was hard for Albert to keep himself from laughing as he considered his last thought. "Well yeah she holds my attention better. She's infinitely more pleasant to look at and listen to after all."

Soon Albert wasn't just distracted because he was trying to convince himself that listening to the instructor was a good idea. He was also distracted because the more he reasoned it out the more he felt that he should just head back to his apartment and have Lucy help him with his lessons. So by the end of the class the only things he was able to hear were the lesson assignments and the class being dismissed.

While early on Lucy's presence on campus had caused a considerable disruption the students there had finally become somewhat used to her presence. She still tended to draw a lot of attention and people would either shy away from where she was or intentionally deviate in her direction but at least the happenings on campus didn't come to a complete stop. Currently it was fairly easy for her to make her way through the campus given the weather conditions. The roads were cleared but it was still cold so people weren't as inclined to loiter outside of the buildings.

Many of the college's faculty had of coursed expressed concern over Lucy's presence when she first started paying regular visits. Due in part to the possible threat she posed the students though mostly concern for what kind of damage she might cause. They didn't want her tearing up the roads or sidewalks that lead throughout the campus or damaging the buildings.

There concern had been so great that they had even gone so far to suggest that Lucy use one of her smaller bodies while walking around campus. Of course Lucy had refused to accept such conditions. Her smaller bodies had their advantages but she preferred her larger state of being over the smaller. That decision hadn't helped matters though and only made them more concerned.

Even now Lucy doubted those concerns had gone away however she'd managed to quiet them with a display of good will. That good will had been expressed in quite a significant donation to the campus. So that as she made her way by one of the newer buildings she had to take a moment to stop and look at how her donation was being spent.

It might not have been one of her favorite things about most people. However, even Lucy had to admit to herself that human greed allowed quite a few problems to be smoothed over. So while it wasn't one of her favorite traits she wasn't above taking advantage of it to avoid headaches. As she looked through the massive windows of the building though she couldn't help but think that they had went a little overboard.

Over the years Albert had noticed people's attitudes towards him changed once they met Lucy. Whether it was for better or ill varied from person to person, the only near absolute being there was a change. Often this brought about certain benefits to him and though he tried to avoid taking unfair advantage of the benefits Lucy's friendship gave him at times he couldn't help it.

One such benefit was the fact that ever since he'd begun eating lunch at the campus diner he had never had to look for a seat. It wasn't that people would give up their seats for him rather there was a particular table that was always left empty. No matter how pact the dining area was the table near the corner right window was always left baron except for him and if their lunch times matched up his friends.

Apparently Lucy had made quite an impression when she'd carried him onto campus, opened the window and set him down next to the table. He'd then set back down at the table after getting his lunch so that they could chat and apparently from then on the table had been considered his. It seemed that this belief was also reinforced every time Lucy would come by the campus and open the window to have a chat with him despite such events not being all that common.

For the most part Albert didn't eat his lunch at the diner but instead Lucy would pick him up after class and they'd set down and eat together. At least he would eat if Lucy ate or not depended heavily on her mood It was only during those days that Lucy was delayed in her coming to see him or away that he ate at the diner yet the table remained empty.

A chuckle escaped Albert moment's later upon hearing an impact and seeing Lucy making her way down the street towards the building. Perhaps he was mistaken in thinking of the table as his territory. Instead perhaps he'd been exiled to that part of the dining area to insure that none of them ever had to deal with Lucy. Maybe the table wasn't kept clear so that he'd have a place to set rather it was kept clear to insure Lucy would have easy access to him.

As he considered these thoughts Albert stood up and proceeded to gather up his belongings. He wasn't finished with this lunch yet but he had a feeling Lucy would want to take him somewhere else.

There was no need for Lucy to voice her intent as she neared the building. She and Albert had gone through this routine many times before. Whenever she'd arrive late he'd gather up his things, she'd then open the window and he'd climb out onto her hand. Then she'd take him somewhere else to eat. The cold wasn't a factor as the warmth provided by her body was more then capable of handling the chill. So it was only during the heat of summer that Lucy would hang out next to the building and talk to him.

"So how have your classes been going?" As Lucy spoke she slipped one of her fingernails just within the window and easily pushed it open. Of course the window was unlocked it had been fortunately left unlocked upon Lucy's first visit and remained unlocked ever since.

"They've been dragging on far more then I would like."

"Ah that isn't any good. What is causing the trouble?"

"You are." As he spoke Albert reached through the large window and placed his things on Lucy's fingers. He then proceeded to climb through the window into her hand.

"How do you come up with it being my fault?" Lucy carefully curled her fingers as Albert made his way onto them. This had the desired effect as he gathered his things and began making his way to her palm.

"I keep comparing how well I learn when you tutor me to how well I learn listening to the instructor. It makes class feel like a waste of time."

"Ah are my teaching methods that much better?"

"Yeah they are."

Using her free hand Lucy shut the window to the dining hall and turned to the side. She then began to make her way down several rather steep hills being certain not to step on the stairs that lined the hills for those with shorter legs. "In that case you going to class is a waste of time. Perhaps I should apply for a teaching degree and just become your instructor."

"I'm not sure they'd be willing to give me a degree in that case."

"Yeah and it would be a lot of unneeded trouble. You could just quit going to class and let me teach you. I'd just need a syllabus to see what your instructor had planned on teaching you. They'd still get their money and you'd get your degree as well as a much better learning environment."

"That sounds really nice."

"Then that is what we'll do. I can just leave one of my smaller bodies with you whenever I get called away that way you won't have to worry about missing any lessons."

"Hold on a moment. It would be nice but I don't want to distract you anymore then I do and what about when you need to devote most of yourself to a single task?"

"Albert, they are very few tasks that drain me mentally especially to the point that I need to focus myself into only a few bodies. So few in fact, that I can easily adjust my schedule to suit your lessons and your tests. Besides it isn't like I enjoy such times."

"So you're sure I won't be a bother?"

"When I tutor you do you learn better then when you listen to your instructor?"

"Lucy I don't want to be." There wasn't time for Albert to finish as Lucy spoke up.

"Answer the question."

"Well yes."

"Do you enjoy having me teach you more?"

"Yes I do however."

"Then I'm going to handle your lessons from now on and if you continue trying to debate the issue with me." As she spoke Lucy lifted Albert higher so that he could easily look into her eyes without having to turn his head upward. "Well I'll have to use more coercive methods."

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he shook his head though he had no doubt that Lucy would do as she said. He had never known her to bluff on such matters but he didn't feel threatened. It was just her way of saying that something wasn't negotiable and that he needed to drop it. It was a very rare event though that Lucy took such a stance so it didn't bother him. "Okay. So should I call you Miss Angeye?"

"No, just Lucy is fine. This seems like a nice spot." As Lucy set down she moved the hand that held Albert closer to her chest to help insure that he didn't fall. This was more a force of habit though as her hand didn't wobble or tilt the least even as she settled herself down on the side of the hill.

Once Lucy set down Albert didn't bother to gather up anything more then his food and drink as he made his way off of Lucy's hand and onto her massive thigh. "I could hardly believe the look on Tracy's face whenever Brad and Phillip told him what was going on while he was behind you. He looked like he was about to die."

"It was a lot of fun. I'll have to gather you all up again later and take you swimming at least one more time before summer arrives and a bunch of people start swimming."

"Yeah, you seemed to enjoy having all that room to move around."

"It was nice. I only had to worry about hurting you and the others so I could play around more. Mm I was thinking that I should send one of my smaller bodies to speak with your instructors while we are here however I don't believe that is a good idea. Despite the fact that I could tear through their bones like they were air even with my little bodies they just don't seem to inspire the same level of compliance as my larger bodies do. That makes sense though."

"Yeah a concealed dagger doesn't inspire the same reaction as a revealed one even if the blades are just as dangerous."

"You do realize that as I'm going to be your instructor you're not going to be eating that junk anymore. You're not going to need to be rushing from class to class so you won't have an excuse to eat like that."

"It's just a hamburger and fries."

"That hamburger has nearly the same amount of fat in it as the recommend daily amount."

Instead of responding right away Albert proceeded to take a particularly large bite of the hamburger and took his time chewing. "No wonder it tastes so good."

Lucy gave a slight snort in response to Albert's comment as she shook her head. "Enjoy it while you can. That is the last one you're going to be eating for a while."

"Why have I been putting on weight?"

"Albert, you always put on a few pounds while attending classes."

"Strange I never noticed. I guess you keep me busy enough over summer and eating right that I burn it off." For a moment Albert was silent as a realization slowly sank in. "You do that on purpose!"

It was impossible for Lucy not to laugh as she heard the surprise in Albert's voice. As she was laughing Lucy placed one of her hands over her mouth to keep herself from deafening Albert. While normally her control of her body was exceptional even she had trouble controlling her laughter if she found something to be too amusing. A massive impact was heard moments later as Lucy placed her one hand to her side to help steady her as she leaned to one side still trying to hold in her laughter.

"Well I'll take that as a yes."

As Lucy managed to regain her composer a sigh escaped her. "I didn't mean to laugh. You just seemed so surprised I couldn't help myself."

There was no attempt on Albert's part to even fake offense as he felt himself blush and grin at the same time. "It's not a problem. So when did this all start?"

"When your mother first asked me to help you get some exercise. She was worried that you were spending too much time with your computer and figured that I would have an easier time getting you active then she would."

"So you've been doing this since I was a kid?"

"Well I stopped for a little while. Then I noticed you putting on some weight when you started attending collage. I considered telling you but realized it would just be easier to use other methods. You normally let me chose what we ate even if I didn't bother eating and well it wasn't hard for me to get you up and moving."

"Yeah, even a fairly tame game with you can take a lot of energy." A sigh escaped Albert as he reached down and gave himself a poke in the stomach. "I should have realized whenever you took me swimming. It was always the hardest to climb your hair at the start of summer but by the time classes started back it wasn't so bad. Then just a few days ago well I set on your shoulder for an awfully long time."

"You woke up sore the next day as well."

"Yeah, you know this hamburger quit looking as appetizing as it did a few moments ago and my shirt feels really tight."

"Would you like it if I set up a time for you to exercise as well? It might be hard to make it fun now that you realize what is going on but it shouldn't be torture. Besides most anything is easier if you have someone to do it with you."

"Sure that would be nice. Mm I may regret saying this later but how about we go a little further. Lucy, as my friend I expect you to help me get into shape and stay in shape regardless of how much I may protest later. So do you promise that you will help me?"

"Now Albert are you sure you want me to do that? You know I was raised to keep my promises and you may not feel the same way later."

"Well I don't want you to torture me but yeah I'm sure."

"Okay but remember you were the one that asked for it. I promise that I'll help you get into better shape."

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he nodded his head. "Thanks, now I wonder how much I'm going to regret having you promise me that later."

It was impossible for Lucy not to chuckle as she looked up at the sky. "You'd best not think on that too much or you'll make yourself depressed."

"Gee thanks for the comfort."

"You're welcome. Sense I'm going to be helping with your exercise I might as well help with your eating habits. So how about I bring you some fruit from the prea trees?"

"Sure, I remember trying them once before but wasn't there something you warned me never to do?"

"Yes, never eat the fruit if it isn't ripe unless you peal away all the skin and I mean all of it. It would actually be best if you went a bit deeper then the surface skin if you try to eat one while it isn't ripe."

"Oh yeah, that is how you keep the insects off right?"

"It's the way I keep insects and everything else that might eat them before they're ripe without having the ability or sense to pill the skin from eating it. Trust me. Take one bite of that skin before the fruit is ripe and you'll never make that mistake again."

"That bitter huh?"

"Yeah, which is something I'm going to have to be really careful about during the testing. I don't want to risk someone getting a piece of unripe fruit and the project being set further back."

"Why don't you just start growing them elsewhere?"

"I'd like to get their distribution and growth approved here first. I know that in the short run it'd be easier just to move the project somewhere else however that isn't true for the long run."

"Ah so getting them approved here first will make it easier to get them approve else where on a larger scope."

"Yeah, and if I were to go to some third world nation and start growing them that will slow down the process. Sure approval would be easy to get there however the more developed nations are liable to start dragging their feet. I don't know I guess it makes their committees and politicians feel like I went around their back."

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he turned around and looked up at Lucy. "Lucy, I wasn't kidding when I said this burger lost its appeal. I'm feeling full now. You know sense you're going to be teaching me I bet I'll have more free time on my hands. So how about I help you with your workers progress reports?"

"Now Albert I don't want to distract you from your school work." As she spoke Lucy removed her hand from behind Albert and extended two fingers along side of him.

While he placed his hamburger and fries on Lucy's finger Albert spoke up. "Well if you're going to be teaching me it really is best if you let me help you. After all, you said it yourself that such things were what you found the most troublesome. Now if you're troubled then it's going to affect the quality of your instructions."

"I don't need to sleep and you do. So while you're asleep I can take care of them. You're going to have to do better then that."

"Well even if you don't sleep that isn't going to stop stress from accumulating and Lucy, even you are affected by stress."

"True, annoying but true, though I can't say that I know what a stress head ache is like my patience does have a limit."

"So how about you let me help keep that stress down?"

"You already are. Like I said I enjoy teaching you and recreational activity is a great way to relieve stress." As she spoke Lucy lifted her finger to her mouth and quickly popped the meal into her mouth. She didn't even need to swallow despite Albert needing both hands to manage the burger alone.

"Lucy, I'd really like it if you'd let me help you with your employee evaluations and anything else that stresses you out."

"Don't worry Albert I will, right after you're finished with the semester."

"Please let me help you now? I'm sure that with you teaching me I'll have more free time so I can afford to help you out."

"Well do you promise that you won't change your mind when I start making you exercise?"

"Hey Lucy, I promise that I'll never hold you doing something that I asked for against you."

"Alright then, I'd be glad to have your help."

"So have you spoken with that one employee yet?"

"Yeah I took care of that the day after we talked. I went ahead and did as you suggested and pulled several of my bodies back together to give a more noticeable presence."

"Being called to the boss's officer shortly after evaluations can be nerve wrecking enough I imagine. I bet she was quite concerned whenever she showed up and you were fifteen meters tall."

"Actually, I was only nine meters it seemed to have the desired affect though. At least as far as insuring that she listened to me, I don't know if she's really going to be able to quit though. If fear was enough to get people to give up such problems then substance abuse wouldn't be nearly the issue it is."

"Have you ever considered trying to develop a symbiot that could help people with their addictions?"

"Yeah I have but they are some problems with that. Working with the brain can be tricky even for me but that isn't the real issue."

"Which means the real problem are the people themselves?"

"That is my opinion though it depends on how far things have gone. One problem with giving up such substances once things have gone too far is realizing that you've destroyed your life. Fortunately this isn't one of those situations. Another problem I have is well the symbiot is an organic life form as well."

"You could probably develop a symbiot that insured that such substances didn't get to the brain however that would be a bad idea. As even though it wouldn't affect them they'd still seek it out and keep trying and during such times could do something very foolish."

"Yeah and another problem is that there are some substances that are only called drugs whenever abused otherwise they're called medicine. In order to make a symbiot that could tell the difference well it'd have to be smart. Far smarter then what I would like to risk making."

"Smart enough that they would have to be able to respond to the person's thoughts to a limited extent I take it."

"Yeah which causes all kinds of trouble, the person's thoughts could end up confusing the symbiot and it would end up blocking everything that tries to go to the brain which well. Another problem could be that the person actually manages to convince them symbiot that it should kill them."

Due to being close to Lucy and her involvement with the symbiot life InCon had developed Albert actually had a fair bit of knowledge on such matters. So he knew that the key limiter in regards to a symbiot was how intelligent it was. If the symbiot was made too intelligent it became dangerous depending on the person and symbiot. Thus to keep control of a symbiot intelligence had to be limited which in turn limited function.

For her part Lucy had the most intelligent, capable and dangerous symbiot that had been developed. Fortunately for her she had the right mentality and fondness for the symbiot to not only survive her experience with it but to greatly benefit. Though, after so many years no one was sure if Lucy still had the symbiot inside of her, if she was in the symbiot or if they were now one and the same. "Yeah, I guess some things can't be helped though. So what is she going to do?"

"I talked her into going into a rehab center for a while."

"That was nice of you."

"Oh I don't know if you'd say that if you had let me finish."

"Huh? What else did you do?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "I'm counting the time in the rehab center as her paid vacation."

It was impossible for Albert not to grin as he shook his head. "Well, that is still very generous of you."

"Thanks, I'm glad that you believe so. She seemed a little upset about it but happy that I won't be firing her."

"So are they any employees that you actually ended up firing?"

"Mm they always are a few. Inappropriate conduct between someone and a subordinate is always troublesome."

"You still haven't decided if work place relationships or displays of affection should be allowed or not?"

"Well I don't care if they want to have sex or walk around in some skimpy outfit! So long as they do their work and the quality is acceptable I really don't care. It's when their behavior begins to disrupt the work place that it begins to bother me. The clothing issue can be a real head ache as well. After all who am I to tell someone that they shouldn't show so much cleavage?"

Albert's face grew hot as he began to blush due to the suddenness of Lucy's question. "Well you are rather fond of showing off your cleavage."

"You're darn right that I am!" It was impossible for Lucy not to giggle as she noticed Albert tens up for a moment.

"Still, you are their employer and you are giving them a paycheck."

"I know and that is where it begins to give me headaches. Heck, I don't even mind if they have sex in their offices so long as they get their work done and it doesn't hinder anyone else. Of course that is the big problem I suppose."

"Yeah, I'd say it's kind of hard to have such things going on without performance suffering. I imagine it's rather distracting."

"That and people tend to complain about someone's state of dress being inappropriate for work. I know that I need to find a balance between casual behavior and structure however that's kind of difficult for me. The solutions aren't factual and well my life experiences are different then most peoples."

"Well you know you can't be letting people have sex at the work place. I don't know how often it goes on but that is just going too far. I'm not so sure about in office relationships myself. It can be hard for people to continue working together if they have a rough break up."

"So you believe I should ban those as well?"

"I don't know. I really don't believe an employer has any business in their employees' lives after the work day is over. You could always fire both involved if a relationship going sour causes their work to suffer. Or compare the quality of their work to what it was previously and fire whoever degraded but then again. Perhaps the other person would perform better once the other was gone though they suffered the greatest initial degradation. How do you handle it now?"

"Think about it for a long while, get a headache and then make whatever decision seems the best at the time. Normally I get so angry with everyone involved that I end up firing nearly all if not all of them. It isn't like I can't just fill their place until I find someone else."

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he shook his head. "Acting out of anger is not a good idea. Personally, I believe you should try to separate the two involved, if their work doesn't improve fire the one whose performance has declined the most and if the other doesn't recover just fire them both."

"How long of a test period are we talking about?"

"I believe that four weeks is fair."

An amused chuckle escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "I'm not looking for fair. Fortunately I'm not overly concerned with money either so. Okay I'll go with a four week probation period to see if they can get their minds back on work."

"You know I'm sure that plenty of studies have been done on such matters. Why don't you search around?"

"Because I care more about your opinion on the matter then I do theirs."

"Mm okay, I don't know if I should be flattered or concerned that you're putting so much trust in me."

"Maybe you should be a little bit of both."

"So tell me, what do you do whenever a supervisor promotes one of their employees to assistant status just so they can get them into bed?"

"Honestly I don't really care. Heck if the subordinate is willing to have sex with supervisor to keep that position and their work doesn't suffer I don't give a darn. Now if the relationship causes the supervisors work to suffer of course I fire the supervisor. A higher position comes with greater responsibility and that means grater consequences and less forgiveness for failure. Even I know that."

"I wish more people knew that. It seems to me that the higher the position someone has the more they get away with."

"Pfft, only those that are willing to let their organization rot from the inside out tolerate such behavior. Quite frankly if someone's tower collapses from under them and they had behaved in such a way I say they deserve it. Anyway, it isn't like I can promote someone who handles authority so poorly. So it's either, keep them in that position and let them wonder why they stopped moving up the ladder or fire them and get someone else to fill the position."

"You know there is the third option of demoting them to a lower position."

"That is true but I doubt that it would really change them. So once again I end up with an unhappy employee whose work is going to suffer because they are discontent. Anyway, I believe it improves the other employees' morale whenever I show that even management isn't immune."

"Now are you sure you need my help when ethics are in question? You seem to have a pretty good grasp on them already."

"That's because you don't remember very well."

"What don't I remember?"

"You don't remember suggesting that to me before. You, my father and I were discussing the idea of me starting my own company. While we didn't get into sexual conduct we did discuss what level of poor behavior can be tolerated from various levels of authority. This isn't the exact words but you and my dad both suggested that the more authority one has the less incompetence can be tolerated."

"I'll have to take your word on that one as I really can't remember that conversation."

"That isn't surprising it was quite some time ago."

It would have actually been possible for Lucy to handle all the managerial positions in her company if she wanted to. Given her ability to split herself into several different smaller bodies and be in several places at once it was quite possible. However, there was draw backs that deterred Lucy from doing so. Given that Albert knew of these draw backs he didn't bother suggesting Lucy perform such an act. "I'm sure it helps that you can go through so much information in such a short time period."

"Yeah it does, you know it wouldn't make sense if I showed you every progress report. I'll limit the ones I show you to the ones that are giving me trouble. I can handle everything else that comes up."

"That sounds good and it'll save us both a lot of time. You won't have to agonize over any decisions and I won't have to sift through a mountain of papers. Lucy, you do realize that I've been finished with lunch for a while now."

"Yeah I noticed when I ate your hamburger and fries in. Well I wouldn't call it a swallow mm I wonder what would be the best word for it? Breath I suppose. Yeah, I noticed when I ate them in one breath."

"You know my mom said that you should never inhale your food. I guess you're the exception to that though. So don't you believe that we should go ahead and look into making those changes we talked about earlier?"

"Not unless you want to interrupt them while they're having their lunch break."

"What if I do want to interrupt their lunch?"

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she reached down and picked up Albert. "Well if that is the case I suppose that we should get going."

Normally Ellis would have been absolutely adamant that no one should be allowed to attend class elsewhere and receive credit for his. He even had a well established reputation as being the bane of transfer students. Making special arrangements for students was only less rare due to certain legal matters though he still didn't make them easy. To make matters even more complicated he'd just been called away from his lunch break. Fortunately he had waited to walk around the building before he said anything.

There was no attempt on Lucy's part to hide her grin whenever she noticed the look of surprise on Ellis's face. She'd heard quite a bit him from Albert and knew that he was one of the more difficult instructors one could encounter. Unfortunately he was also one of the most qualified of the few to teach is section and one of the schools top researchers.

There was no desire in Williams to let Ellis be the first to speak. Indeed he was glad the site of Lucy setting down next to the building had been enough to cause him to hold his tongue. He and Albert's other instructors had been gathered and Ellis was the last one to arrive. "Good now that we are all here. I'm sorry to have called you all away from your lunch break but this shouldn't take long. Lucy, would you mind telling everyone just what you want?"

"Sure, alright when it comes to anything other then human ethics I'm by far the smartest person here and none of you teach ethics. So, none of you should have any problem with me serving as Albert's instructor. I just need you to provide me with a copy of your lesson plans. Albert, will still do all the major assignments and test however he won't be doing the regular homework. That will be up to me to assign. Then whenever he passes the tests and turns in the projects you'll give him credit for the class. Of course, he'll still be paying for enrollment."

As Ellis looked up at Lucy he felt his face growing warm as his anger began to build. In less then a minute of talking she'd managed to hit more of his pet peeves then any student had dared to hit. Fortunately he wasn't the first to speak as another instructor spoke up. "That sounds fine to me. I don't require my students to come to the class in the first place if they believe they know the material well enough."

"Now Albert, you know that the test I give all come from the homework questions I just change one or two details. Still if that is what you want to do, I have no objections."

In response Albert gave a quick nod. "Thanks doctor Hellin."

As Lucy listened to the other instructors she couldn't help but watch Ellis as with every instructor that agreed with her terms he seemed to grow even redder. As she noticed some of his veins becoming visible even to human perception it was very hard for her not to laugh.

For his part Williams felt the request was odd but he had no major objections. After all if Albert wasn't eating lunch on campus it meant Lucy wouldn't be coming to visit him. It was true that Lucy hadn't damaged any property but despite the student's becoming somewhat more use to her she did cause a stir.

"Now hold on just a minute! I don't care how smart you believe you are that doesn't mean you're qualified to serve as an instructor. Who do you think you are to come in here and make such demands?"

At last Lucy couldn't hold it in any longer, for a moment her entire body shook as she tried to keep her mouth shut though even that wasn't enough to stop the sound from escaping. Less then a second later she burst into laughter her hand slamming into earth moments later as she had to brace herself to keep from falling over. While she did try to speak she simply couldn't stop laughing long enough to do so.

Before Ellis had been upset but now he felt possibly enraged as Lucy burst into laughter. As an instructor he always demanded his students compose themselves in a certain way and wouldn't hesitate to send them out of the room. "How dare you!"

"Who do I think I am? Well okay. I think I'm the owner of a multi billion dollar company, I also think I'm the only person in this world that stands over one hundred meters tall when she wants to, I also think that I'm the only person who counts as a one person army." For a moment Lucy was quiet as a few last little giggles escaped her. When she resumed speaking she had a far colder tone. Oh and I also think that I could crush the life from you. Better then that I could pick you up and swallow you alive so that you'd slowly be dissolved in my stomach and no one would do a thing about it."

When Ellis had shouted Williams had felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck. As he looked at the temperamental instructor he hoped the man had the common sense to realize the truth of what Lucy had said.

"You think just because you're big you can do anything you want! Well let me."

Before Ellis could go into a tirade Lucy puckered her lips and blew on the enraged instructor. The affect was instant as the focused gust of wind slammed into him and sent the man tumbling a good five meters. "Big doesn't begin to describe me. I could kill you and no one would do anything about it and not because you pissed off some people. It's because it would take an army and thousands of lives to subdue me. Quite frankly there is no way that the state would commit those kinds of resources for the murder of one loud mouth."

The wind from Lucy had been enough to take the breath out of Ellis as he lay on the ground waiting for the pain in his back to subside. As he looked up at Lucy's massive form he suddenly felt his mouth going dry as he realized the truth of the situation.

"Mm well you seem to have calmed down. Now once you're done relieving your bladder why don't you stand up and tell me what makes you better suited to serve as Albert's instructor then me?"

It took Ellis a moment to realize what Lucy was talking about as glanced down at his crotch and realized he had indeed urinated on himself. Instead of responding verbally to her question though he quickly came to a standing position and began a quick sprint in the opposite direction. Pride and fear had sealed his mouth shut so that the only action he could think of was to get away as quickly as possible.

Once again an amused giggle escaped Lucy and she turned to Williams. "Does running away in fear count as agreeing?"

At the moment Williams worried that he might have lost an instructor. However, he'd just witnessed the result of getting angry at Lucy and wasn't about to make the same mistake. "You know what Lucy. I'll send you a copy of his lesson plan though I'm not sure if he's going to be the one teaching it. Okay now that everyone is in agreement about what we're going to do how about you all get back to your lunch? I'm going to run Ellis down and see if I can talk to him."

Throughout the whole event Albert had to keep himself from grinning. While he tried to avoid abusing his friendship with Lucy there were times that he gave in and he'd wanted to see Ellis get the piss scared out of him for quite some time now.

Once Williams and the others had rounded the building Lucy turned her attention to Albert. "So did that go the way you expected it to?"

"Yeah, I was pretty sure that they would agree in the end."

"That isn't what I was talking about and you know it. You chose this time as you knew that it was when Ellis would respond the most poorly. So did he behave the way you expected him to?"

"Honestly I didn't expect him to urinate himself like that. I wish I had a camera so that I could make a picture."

"Well you may not have a camera but you can have a picture. Just wait until later and I'll give it to you."

"Huh? How are you going to do that? Wait never mind. I know, able to directly link to computers with a wireless interface and a photographic memory."

"You are correct."

A slight chuckle escaped Albert. "I have no idea how I'm going to resist putting that on the internet."

¡°Well that I'm going to leave up to you. You're the one that will have to decide if he deserves that kind of humiliation or not."

¡°Come on Lucy. I know your life experience is somewhat different then that of the average human's but even you're not that far gone."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she gave her head a nod. "I know but I like to act as if I was. It really helps in certain situations if people believe you don't understand what it is like to be human. Just remember Albert I did stop being human at least physically speaking several years ago."

"I know Lucy. You're unique and did have different life experiences I understand. Still, even you can make a call on this one."

¡°Okay, my honest opinion on this is you should do whatever will make you the happiest in the long run. So if you believe you'll feel guilty about it later then you probably shouldn't. Unless you believe that the enjoyment will out weigh the guilt."

¡°Personally I believe he deserves it. The older bastard didn't risk calling out the grades but when he returned tests he'd just leave the papers lying on the desk for anyone to see. I imagine those that had a somewhat lacking grade didn't." Albert didn't get a chance to finish.

¡°He did what?!"

Instantly Albert felt a shot run up his spine and broke into a sprint. Before he risked saying a word he through his arms around Lucy's wrist while her hand still wrested on the ground. "Hold on Lucy, just calm down."

¡°Those grades are supposed to be private and he just left yours out in the open?"

¡°Lucy, I didn't tell you about it because I knew you'd react badly. It isn't a big deal. I wasn't the only one after all."

While there was no way that Albert could hope to hold Lucy down physically his presence on her wrist did actually keep her seated. "I don't care how many they were and don't tell me that you really didn't mind because I do mind."

A sigh escaped Albert as Lucy raised her voice. Ellis had left quite quickly beforehand now Albert imagined he was positively sprinting. Lucy had a tendency to get quite upset whenever she felt her friends were wronged in anyway. To make matters worse she also tended to overreact at least according to most people. "Come on Lucy, I didn't tell you about it before because I was worried about what would happen."

An annoyed snort escaped Lucy. "I want to at least break his legs for it."
¡°Come on Lucy don't you believe that is a little extreme? You just scared the piss out of the guy and if he heard you and considering how loud you were speaking I don't see how he couldn't. Then he probably just shit himself. If you count that I'm going to post the image where everyone can see it don't you believe that is breaking even?"

¡°No, I don't. I believe that crushing his knees so that major reconstructive surgery if needed is the least that I should do."

¡°You may feel that way but how do you feel about me not wanting you to do that?"

¡°Annoyed that you're trying to protect him," for a moment Lucy grew silent as she looked in the direction that Ellis had fled. Physically it would have been easy for her to pick up Albert and go after him but she couldn't bring herself to lift her wrist. After a few moments of silence she spoke up again. "Fine, he gets off with what I've already done to him and what is going to be done this one time only."

At last Albert relaxed and released Lucy's wrist. "Thank you. Now as I'm not going to be traveling here for a while how about we go back to your place? I'm sure they can just email us the lesson plans."

¡°Sure."

************************************************************************

Generally Lucy was friendly and tended to be quite helpful though she did have fun. This was perhaps best seen in the technologies that she helped develop. While she did make money from her works they were all meant to make life better in one way or the other. Luciom was one of the best examples. The alloy had been made so that it would allow electrons to flow at nearly one hundred percent efficiency in nearly all climates.

By decreasing the net loss of energy over the line the alloy saved a tremendous amount of energy and thus money. The only time the alloy dropped below one hundred percent transference was whenever the temperature exceeded thirty eight degrees celsius. She didn't just make it and put it out on the market though, rather she put a great deal of effort into insuring it was used only in ways she meant it to be.

In addition to such developments she tended to be quite generous. One of the reasons Lucy tended to keep a few bodies separate from the main one was looking for charities she considered worthwhile. Though, she did tend to make sure the money was spent how she meant it to be. Having several bodies helped with that a great deal.

Despite all that though people tended to be a little scared if not terrified when first meeting her. Even after they got to know her some people never quit being frightened of her and it wasn't entirely due to her size and power. While for the most part Lucy was a carrying person it seemed all that love and concern she normally showed completely reversed whenever she felt provoked.

Things became even worse whenever she felt one of her friends was threatened or wronged. Not only did she seem to feel as if she'd been provoked herself her concern for those dear to her brought on an even more extreme reaction. When she'd scared Ellis half to death it had been the consequence of him getting mouthy with her. Lucy breaking Ellis's legs had been due to him leaving his test out for everyone to see as they got theirs.

For a moment Albert covered his face with his right hand though the darkness of the night already insured he couldn't see. He still remembered Lucy telling him that she'd let Ellis get off with what she'd done to him and what was going to be done. At the time Albert had thought she was talking about the picture he learned a day later that wasn't the case. Albert couldn't bring himself to be mad at Lucy and she hadn't been lying. The situation simply felt odd to him.

There was no anger directed at himself at the moment either so Albert wasn't certain what was keeping him awake. All he knew was that he couldn't stop thinking of Lucy and wondering if she'd went even harder on Ellis because he'd defended him. Lucy was so protective of her friends that Albert wasn't certain how she'd respond if she felt someone had turned one against her.

Albert didn't get to contemplate that line of thought for long as he heard the phone ringing. Reaching out into the dark he picked up the receiver. "Hello."

"Hey man, how are you doing?"

"Brad what are you doing calling me this late and what are you doing up?"

"Celebrating man and wanted to ask your help with something."

"Just what are you celebrating at this hour?"

"Lucy roughing up that bastard Ellis of course, thanks to that me and Phillip don't have an early morning class tomorrow."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Nope, is true."

A sigh escaped Albert as he shook his head. "I know it is true, I mean I can't believe you're celebrating it."

"Ah well that isn't the only reason."

"Don't bother explaining. Just tell me what you want."

"I was wondering if you would want to join us also Phillip and I were hoping that we could take your car."

"You have your own vehicle. Just why are you so interested in taking mine and dragging me along?"

"Well we aren't celebrating alone man. They're some ladies that are going to be joining us and don't think you're going to be left out. I already have one lined up for you as well. I was just thinking that your car was more suited to partying."

For a moment Albert said nothing as he listened to Brad's request. In truth he wasn't very fond of driving his car. It had been a birthday gift from Lucy when he'd just become old enough to drive. Lucy had actually taken the time to design the vehicle itself so it was a very high performance machine. It too high performance as far as Albert was concerned often he was actually scared of driving it though he'd never mentioned that to Lucy.

"Hello? Albert, are you there? Come on. It isn't like I would set one of my pals up with something grotesque. It's Selena I believe that you had a few classes with her early on. You remember her, really big breasts, black hair."

"I remember."

"Then you'll do it? Besides man we also need a designated driver. Phillip doesn't want to be it and I know that you don't drink anyway."

"Oh so that is the real reason." A sigh escaped Albert as he shook his head and set up in bed. "You know setting me up with Selena won't make up for this and wasn't necessary. Answer me this where are we going to be going?"

"The Brink of course, I know that I couldn't get you into some cheap joint."

"You're going to owe me one."

"Deal, though I can't believe you don't consider Selena worth being drug out of bed. She's one heck of an eye opener after all."

"Brad, do you realize how much and the quality of the eye candy I get just hanging around with Lucy?"

"I swear man you're spoiled beyond believe if you can't enjoy a view like Selena. Of course, you don't have to stop at eye candy."

"I do not do one night stands or even quick sex and you know that."

"Come on don't slam the door when you haven't even looked inside yet. Well I'll see you soon."

"I don't need to look in the door if the sounds already tell me that it is best left shut. Anyway, I'll see you." As Albert hung up the phone a sigh escaped him. He'd served as the designated driver before and being woken up in the middle of the night wasn't new to him. Brad and Phillip did tend to repay their debts as well in one form or the other. Considering the time they were waking him up though Albert felt this favor would cost them later.

Turning to the side he carefully settled his feet on the ground and began to stumble towards the light switch. There was a lamp beside his bed but he had yet to get around to replacing the bulb. So that as he fumbled through the dark he couldn't help but wish Lucy was there to guide his hand again. A good three minutes actually managed to pass before his hand came to wrest upon the light switch and he turned it on. A few more minutes passed before he began moving as his eyes adjusted to the light.

Opening up his closet Albert took a few moments to dig around and find one of his nicer dark blue shirts as well as a nice pair of pants. As he looked at the clothing a slight chuckle escaped Albert. While he hadn't realized it before his mother pointed it out one day many of his nicer clothes seemed to be inspired by Lucy. In that Lucy's eyes were a sapphire blue and hair a lovely brown Albert often chose blue shirts and brown pants.

As he slipped off his bed clothes and dressed in his evening wear Albert took a moment to retrieve his nicer watch from his dresser. He might not have been thrilled about the day or truly interested in being set up though Brad was right when he said Selena was attractive. Albert simply felt a desire to get dressed nicely that he couldn't truly explain even to himself or defy.

Only after Albert had dressed and groomed himself then made his way down to the parking garage did he stop. Despite several years having passed Albert still wasn't use to driving the car Lucy had given him so that as he looked at the vehicle he had to take a moment to examine it and build up his courage. He knew that Lucy had made the vehicle as safe as she could but that didn't change the fact that she'd also made it very fast.

Walking over to the car Albert placed his hand atop the roof for a moment and took in a deep breath. "Why am I still so nervous, it isn't like Lucy would be angry with me if I wrecked. At least she promised me that she wouldn't be. This is ridiculous I've had this car for more then four years now and I'm still nervous whenever I drive it. By now you'd think I'd know everything about it everyone else seems to know how to handle their vehicle by now.

Then again I suppose just about everyone else has more experience then me." An amused chuckle escaped Albert as he shook his head. "Lucy always carries me around so that I don't really get that much driving experience."

Reaching down for the door handle Albert was a bit surprised when his hand stopped short. After a moment of trying to find the willpower to open the door a laugh escaped him and he reached into his pocket. Taking out his cell phone he hit the speed dial option and used the number at the top of the list. He received an immediate response.

"Hi Albert, is something wrong? You're normally in bed by now."

"Hey Lucy, do you have some free time now? They are two things that I want to ask you."

"I sure do have some free time, what do you want to know?"

"We've been friends for a long time now, I was wondering though. Would you be my lady friend as well as my best friend?"

There wasn't time for Albert to wonder what Lucy would say as her reaction came far too quickly. Even more quickly then he had expected. "It's about time you asked!" Even though Lucy wasn't actually speaking into a phone but producing the needed electrical singles to act as her own cell phone she couldn't help but raise the volume as if she'd shouted.

A jolt ran through Albert and he quickly yanked the phone away from his ear. Upon pulling the phone away he couldn't help but look at it for a few moments as if unsure of what had just occurred. "Huh, what do you mean?!"

"I've been waiting for you to finally get the message and ask me out. You'd think that intimidating all your female friends to keep them away from you would have been enough. You just didn't seem to see the signs though."

"You've been what?!"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she heard the tone in Albert's voice. "What haven't you wondered why none of them asked you to go on a date? I swear if you had asked one of them out before you ever asked me and they accepted I'd probably have killed them for it."

"Lucy, how long has this been going on?"

"I started setting up signs when you turned sixteen and have been putting up bigger once ever since then."

While Albert didn't move the phone away from his ear this time he was struck dumb for a good while as he tried to process the information Lucy had just given him. "Lucy, are you serious?"

"Albert, take a little while and think about all the times we've spent together. Now that you know to look surely you can think of a few signs."

"I would but honestly right now I'm having trouble thinking of much of anything. I mean wow I can't believe I never noticed." As he spoke Albert turned his back to his vehicle and leaned against it. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Because I wanted you to be the one to ask me, Albert we've been such good friends for so long that I knew you would never tell me no. However, I wanted you to be certain that it was something you wanted as well and you weren't just saying yes to keep a friend. So I decided to wait for you to ask me."

"I wish I had noticed sooner. I didn't mean to make you wait so long."

"Don't worry about it! I'm just happy that you finally asked me. So what is the second question you wanted to know? Though, you've already asked more then two."

"Oh yeah, well things are working out now. I was going to pick up Brad, Phillip and three ladies to take to the brink. They needed a designated driver and well Brad wanted to set me up, but I was wondering if you'd like to come instead and pick us all up."

"Mm Brad is lucky I consider him a friend and whoever the girl is. Well she's quite fortunate that you weren't the one that asked her out. Sure, I'd be glad to come and get the six of you."

"Okay I'll go ahead and call Albert and Phillip to let them know the news."

"No you don't. I want this to be a surprise I'll be by as quickly as these legs of mine can carry me without destroying everything in my path so just hold on."

"Sure, that will give me some time to think. Maybe by the time you get here I'll be able to look back and see the signs."

"Just tell me one thing Albert, what made you decide to finally ask me?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about the car you gave me and yet how little driving experience I have. You know at times I thought you gave me such a fast vehicle so that I would be too scared to drive it most the time and rely on you to carry me around. Blast it Lucy you were doing that weren't you?!"

"Well there is one sign down."

At first Albert was going to respond but as he opened his mouth all he could do was laugh.

"Yeah Brad, I'm on my way now."

"Okay, what took you so long? Did you have trouble finding your keys?"

"No, they were just a few things that I had to take care of before I left."

"Albert, you're a guy it shouldn't take you that long to take a shower."

"You may enjoy stinking but I don't. So you can rush through a shower if you want but I'll take my time."

A slight chuckle escaped Brad as he shook his head. "Yeah, okay Albert. Anyway, I'll." Upon feeling a slight shockwave run through the ground and hearing an approaching impact Brad grew quiet. He then moved the phone away from his ear and listened carefully. As he listened he noticed several impacts each one growing slightly in magnitude but with a steady frequency.

"Don't worry I'll be at your place soon."

An amused giggled escaped Lucy as she rounded a corner and finally came into view. While she was still a good distance away from their home Lucy could easily see Brad and Phillip waiting outside and she knew that they could see her. "Hey, I didn't mean to hold you up but it took me a while to get back here. So Albert says we're going to the brink."

The moment he saw Lucy Brad's jaw nearly hit the pavement. He would have dropped his phone if Albert hadn't spoken up. "I wasn't really happy with your choice of dates tonight so I decided to bring my own."

It took Brad a moment to lift the phone back to his ear. So long that by the time he did he could have spoken to Albert by calling up to him as Lucy walked up to the sidewalk. "Um sure, I don't believe the girls were expecting this kind of ride though."

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she bent down so that Brad wouldn't fill the need to shout. "You can hang up your phone you know."

"Oh, yeah" as Brad turned his phone off he absently slipped it back into his pocket. Given his current state though, it was unlikely that he would even notice if he dropped it.

"So shall we get going? I doubt that whoever you planned to bring along will complain about the change in travel plans.

Even as he nodded in agreement Brad couldn't help but sigh. Of course they wouldn't say anything as long as Lucy was around. While he considered Lucy a good friend Brad had learned that taking his dates to meet her wasn't always the best idea. It took a while for someone to get used to Lucy and due to her reputation and occasional immerging of her temper she had a tendency to frighten people away.

"Now Albert already told me about Selena but who are the other two ladies? Also, which one of you is going to ride with two of them as I'm the one with Albert?"

At first Brad was going to simply give the names but then what Lucy said really hit him. "Hold on! You mean you and Albert are together?"

Lucy moved quickly to cover her mouth in order for her to keep from deafening everyone in the immediate area as she couldn't help but laugh for a moment. "Yes, yes we are. Albert asked me out a little while ago. We're officially a couple."

"Hold on, you mean Albert asked you?"

"Yes he did, now how many times are you going to make me repeat myself?"

"I don't mean to it's just that. Well I really didn't expect that one. I kind of expected him to wait until your patience finally wore off and you asked him."

"Nope, while I can't say that it didn't take him a while to catch on he was the one that asked me."

"Would you two stop acting like it's a miracle? Okay it took me a while to catch on I admit that but I swear the two of you are making it sound like an angel had to come down and smack me upside the head to get the message across."

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she glanced down at Albert in her pocket. "To be perfectly honest I'm not sure if one didn't. Are you sure you didn't just make up that story about the car?"

"Yeah Lucy I'm sure that no angel has given me a smack across the head anytime recently. She's just been bumping me with her breasts for the past few years."

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she gave her head a quick nod. "Well congratulations you caught on to another sign. Now how about we get moving? Brad, Phillip you two can tell me who the other two are along the way. Oh, but you haven't told me whose going to be traveling with two of them yet."

Before Brad could even think Phillip spoke up. "Brad will be traveling with Selena and his date I get a private pocket with mine."

"Huh? Hold on a minute!"

A slight chuckle escaped Phillip as he glanced over at Brad. "What is the matter? I thought you said you could get both of them if you really tried."

"Not in one night and not when they are together."

"Oh yes you did, I remember quite clearly. You said you could get them to agree to a threesome in under a night if you were to really put your mind to it."

"Damn it man that was just boasting. How am I supposed to get Catherine in the mood with another woman right there?"

"Hey who says it has to be Catherine. You're the one that was talking about how Selena seemed to be the curios sort start with her. She may be a little surprised to find out that Albert won't be her date for the night but I doubt that'll matter."

Instead of letting Brad and Phillip continue arguing things out Lucy finally reached down for the both of them. "Okay, as Brad appears to be the one that was shooting his mouth off the most he can be the one with both ladies. We'll see what kind of magic he can work then."

************************************************************************

The Brink was a moderately new club that Lucy had built shortly after Albert had decided on a collage to attend. The establishment was unique for many reasons due to having been built to accommodate its' owner at scales she considered more comfortable. Though the most notable aspect of the club was its' scale having been a necessity to accommodate Lucy. This was also wear the club had gotten its' name.

In order to allow Lucy to move freely vast areas had to be open space. This by itself tended to create a feeling that one was standing on the very edge of the cliff. Capitalizing on that attribute the entire structure had been designed to give the feel that one was standing on the edge and could fall off at any moment and thus the name.

This element of fear was beneficial in more then a few ways. As while it did drive away some customers that preferred a more secure feeling it actually served to attract many others. Those that liked the little bit of extra adrenaline that they got from feeling like they were looking into the abysses seemed to adore the place. This also served Lucy to great affect.

Given Lucy's reputation there was simply no way that she could design a club in such a way that the customers wouldn't be nervous if she hoped to be a regular at the larger scales she enjoyed. So she hadn't even bothered trying and instead went with a design that would only attract those that wanted that little bit of fear. That way she didn't have to deal with those that might find her presence objectionable.

It was one of the few places Lucy knew of that she could visit and people wouldn't begin moving towards the exits.

Brad's concern that Lucy would provide too much of a distraction to make any progress with his date had been confirmed shortly after Lucy picked them up. Phillip on the other hand seemed to be doing quite well with his though she was clearly nervous. They had barely had time to place their orders before she'd asked Phillip to take her out onto the dance floor. Albert figured this was less to do with dancing though and more to do with getting away from Lucy. Fortunately Phillip had enough talent on the dance floor to use that to his advantage.

Currently Lucy set at the edge of a unique platform. While the club itself was made up of several levels this one was placed on a special rail that allowed its height to be adjusted at will. So that Lucy could set with her friends whenever they dined or at least until she outgrew the club and had to look into raising the roof even higher. A large space beside the table served to hold Lucy's food and drink whenever she wanted one.

Albert occupied the seat closest to the edge and thus closest to Lucy. This meant that he had to turn around in his seat to face her however it seemed that Lucy liked this. It insured that whenever Albert talked to her he had to turn around and focus entirely on her.

"Albert I believe that you should move in with me now."

There was hardly a second's delay between Lucy speaking and Albert turning around to face her. "Why do you think that?"

"Three reasons really. One is now that I'm acting as your instructor it would really save us some trouble and me some walking. The second is I wouldn't have to form a smaller body in order to help you and I wouldn't be walking by making your neighbors nervous. Finally I believe that it would be nice to spend more time together."

"Huh, those are some very good points especially the last one. Yeah that sounds nice."

"So I take that as a yes."

"Sure, I'd love to."

"Wonderful, oh I can't wait to let my parents know that you finally asked me. I'm sure yours will be happy to hear about it as well."

"Please tell me you don't want to do that tonight."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she gave her head a quick nod. "Actually I do. However, I figure they wouldn't like being woken up at this hour so we can wait until tomorrow."

It took Albert a few moments to respond as he tapped the arm wrest of his seat while he attempted to decide on the best way to respond. "Actually Lucy, I was hoping you'd wait a little longer then that."

"Huh? How long and why?"

"I really need some time to prepare for my father and mother. I have a pretty good idea of how they're going to respond and I need time to make a plan of action."

"Albert, you know that your father and mother will approve." For a moment Lucy was silent as an impish grin appeared on her face and she leaned closer to the platform. "That means you're worried about something else. Now let me think. What might Michael or Anne do to make you feel as if you'd need to have a plan of action? It probably isn't really a plan of action though but rather a plan of conversation."

"I'm afraid that you might have left a few of those signs of yours where my parents can see them as well. And unlike me I'm pretty sure they noticed them right away. I can just imagine how my dad is going to respond when he learns that I finally noticed them all. He will be happy for me and happy to torment me."

It was impossible for Lucy not to giggle slightly as she set back up. "He only does it because he loves you." For a moment Lucy was silent and another giggle escaped her. "And loves tormenting you, come on Albert cheer up. At least we grew up together so there is nothing that he can say to embarrass you. That is to say there is nothing that I don't already know about."

"Yeah which means he's just going to come up with something entirely new!" A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he rubbed his forehead for a moment.

"Well there is nothing I can say about that. Except that, I have every reason to believe that you're correct."

"Can we start with your parents first? Maybe they'll give me a better idea of how to deal with my own."

"Mm I don't know. I kind of what to see Michael embarrass you, after all you did make me wait an awfully long time and while I do love you I'm still a little annoyed about that."

"Please Lucy, have mercy."

In response to Albert's plea Lucy puckered her lips and let out a slight sigh as if she was seriously considering Albert's request. "I hope you understand that this is a really tough decision. I do love you after all and I don't want to you suffer. However, you're just so cute whenever your dad is embarrassing you."

A low groan escaped Albert and he let his head slump. "You've already decided that first thing in the morning we're going to visit my parents haven't you?"

"It's a bit too late for that. After all you'll probably sleep late and they'll be at work. So I'm going to wait until they get home and then we're going to visit them. That way you have a little bit of time to formulate a plan. I don't believe your dad is the person that you're really worried about."

"You know my mom isn't the type to embarrass me like my dad will."

"I know, she has a far more effective method. So have you decided what you're going to tell her whenever she starts asking about grandchildren?"

"For about a second I thought I'd tell her we don't even know if you and are capable of having children. However, I know how she would respond to that and I really don't want to go down that path. It seemed like it would be a good idea to tell her that we just became a couple recently however that is once again of no real effect."

It was impossible for Lucy not to smile as she gave her head a quick nod. "Yeah, we've been enjoying one another's company for so long this is hardly more then a change in title."

"Could you not tell her that I'm moving in with you?"

"Oh Albert you poor dear, that is the second thing I'm going to tell them so they know not to send anything to your old address."

Once again Albert was made to chuckle as he shook his head and gazed up at Lucy. "You're really getting a kick out of this aren't you?!"

"Like I said, several years of waiting left me a little annoyed. Now it's your time to suffer."

All Albert could do was shrug though he was far from upset. He new that the coming day would be full of many embarrassing moments and questions he didn't want to answer but it was well worth it. "Well at least I have the trip there to think about strategy." As he was speaking Albert turned around and glanced over at Brad, he was a bit surprised by what he saw. "Hey Brad, where did Selena and Catherine get off to?"

Despite Lucy setting right behind Albert Brad couldn't help a low growl as he leaned back in his seat. "Would you believe that two guys showed up at the same time and asked them both to dance? Damn it man."

"Huh, that is something else. Did you recognize them?"

"No, but I have a feeling someone did."

Before Albert could respond Lucy quickly stuck her tongue out at Brad and pulled it back within her mouth. "Now Brad, why are you looking at me like that? I swear I didn't know either of those guys."

Brad new that Lucy wasn't the type to lie about something but he also knew she tended to use miss leading words. She might not have known either of the men involved but he knew she had a hand in it. Few people had ever approached him and attempted to spirit his date away it was also very rare for anyone to approach Lucy's table without an invite. Given that both women had also been taken away at the same time he felt certain she had a hand in the matter.

"Hey it looks like our food is here and here comes Phillip. Well I'll be, his date is still with him."

As Phillip set back down Lucy glanced over at his date. She was actually quite amused whenever she noted Sandra seemed far more relaxed then she had moments ago. "Mm I wonder what is taking them so long with mine."

"Probably the fact that you ordered a couple sides of beef."

"Well it isn't like they don't have the ingredients on hand. I insure the kitchen is well stocked after all. Mm, all well I can wait."

For a moment Sandra bit down on her lower lip as she took a moment to gather her courage. "Why don't you just use one of your smaller bodies to dine with us? I've seen you separate into them on TV before."

It was rare for the friend of one of Lucy's friends to speak to her so quickly after just meeting her unless spoken to. So when Sandra spoke up Lucy was impressed with both Phillip and Sandra when she started talking to her so soon. "Well I can't give any practical reasons really. Separating into smaller bodies does tend to take more effort mentally so I begin to slow down intellectually. However, I'm no where near the threshold at which that would become a problem. So I guess the only reason I can give is that it doesn't feel natural."

"Ah, that makes sense. I'm sure separating into so many different bodies feels rather odd. Probably even more strange then being so large."

"No, it isn't that. Even if I put all my bodies to sleep and only looked through the eyes of one it would feel strange to me. For me being my full scale feels most natural."

"You can do that?"

"Yes, I actually tried it once. I rejoined all my bodies back together except one and then I closed my eyes. I relaxed the larger body so that I felt as if I existed only in the smaller. I felt like a human might if someone was to rip off their arms, legs and cut out their eyes and tongues. It just felt alien and wrong."

"Yeah I imagine feeling like that would make anyone not want to do something again. You've had a lot of time to get use to people looking small anyway so it must be natural by now."

"Actually, people don't look small to me. I see a human that stands a bit over two meter tall and I would still say they're a large human. You don't look small to me I just feel large."

For a moment a curious look appeared on Sandra's face she then gave her head a quick nod. "You know that is actually kind of comforting to know."

"I'm glad you think so. Personally, I believe it is a sign that something has gone wrong whenever someone stops feeling powerful and starts feeling that others are powerless. If someone feels powerful that means they feel they can achieve a lot but that doesn't mean they feel as if others can't achieve as well. However, if they feel that others are powerless they are prone to feeling that they have not ability to achieve and that is just a short step away from considering them without value."

"So is that why you gave me that scholarship?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "All that conversation and it turns out you were just building up to a complement."

Before Lucy could continue Sandra quickly lifted her hands from the table and waved them to her sides. "Oh, no, no. I was just wondering."

"It's okay Sandra. Yes I believe that you have the potential to achieve and that is why I gave you that scholarship."

A sigh escaped Sandra as she gave a nod and placed her hands back on the table. "Thanks it has been a big help. So do you actually go over all the applications that are sent in?"

"Yes I do. First I give them a quick check and throw out those I consider unfit. Those that I'm not certain about and those that I believe have the most promise I hold onto. Albert, my parents and his then help me go through those and decided on the final selection."

"I didn't really expect you to need help with them. What exactly do they do?"

"When it comes to simply reading some information and memorizing it I don't actually need help. However, due to my perspective ethics aren't my strongest point. That is to say I have a set of ethics that I hold myself to however they don't always match up with human ethics. So Albert here and the others help me make up for that difference in view point when it comes to the final decision."

"I see, so was it one of them that suggested that you start a scholarship?"

Even before Lucy could respond Albert spoke up. "Nope, that was her idea actually."

Turning her attention to Albert Sandra gave a quick nod. "So mind telling me why you did it?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she looked down at Albert. "I suppose that it couldn't hurt anything. What do you think Albert?"

"Go ahead."

"It was when Albert and I were talking about some recent comments about me in the media. He made the comment that the real problem was that there were too many stupid people in the world that didn't really evaluate the situation. So I decided sense that was the problem I would do that I could to decrease the number of stupid people in the world."

At first Sandra said nothing as she looked up to Lucy then to Albert and back to Lucy. Given the expression on her face it was clear that wasn't the answer she was expecting. "So you weren't trying to cover up some bad press with some positive?"

For a moment Albert was going to respond but upon opening his mouth all he could do was laugh. When his laughter caused him to lean forward on the table a bit Lucy spoke up. "As you can probably tell from Albert's reaction I'm not exactly the type to care what the media or most of the population thinks about me. I really only concern myself with the opinion of a very small percentage of the population."

Instead of responding right away Sandra took a moment to take a bite of the shrimp she'd ordered. "Oh wow. This is good. I was surprised to see shrimp on the menu but wow."

"I intended the Brink to be a place where my friends and I could go and relax. So I tend to make sure everything is fairly high quality. I'm not going to feed my friends lousy food after all. Speaking of which, here comes mine at last."

Both Albert and Lucy knew that they had just hit upon a subject that Sandra didn't want to discuss further. It was one of the dangers of getting to know Lucy. You'd learn a few things about her that made you more comfortable, you'd then learn one of her view points that negated that. Only whenever all the details were taken into account though could one have a truly accurate picture of how her mind worked as with anyone else.

As the first waiter made his way over to the area designated for Lucy's food he pulled a small latch on the cart he was pushing so that when he pulled back the flat platform was left. He then stepped out of the way and another was pressed into the first linking them together. This was repeated in several different spots slowly forming what appeared to be a massive plate from the various sheets of metal.

Once a large enough section had been assembled so that she wouldn't be getting in the way Lucy reached down and retrieved one of the sides of beef. While the meat rivaled a human in size it looked like an exceptionally tiny chicken wing in Lucy's massive fingers. "It's always interesting to see how people respond to me eating at this scale."

There was no response from Sandra as Lucy lifted the flesh to her mouth. She then opened her mouth unnecessarily wide and slipped the barbequed treat inside. Snapping her jaw shut she then began to work her jaw so that each chew was easily noticeable by those below.

Some people liked to stir up trouble just to see how people would respond. They'd just make a few rude comments to get peoples' blood boiling and watch what happened. In some ways Lucy had a similar habit. The more upset someone got with her opinion the more amusing she found it to be. However, on top of that there was something else she liked to do and that was to try to invoke a little fear in people. Not by direct threat or even a threatening actions towards them but rather a casual demonstration of her ability.

It was hard for Albert to remember exactly when Lucy had picked up on that particular behavioral quirk however he did know it manifested while she was still in her early teens. To her credit she had managed to give just about everyone she tried to a slight scare at least. She had even tried to give Albert a quick scare once or twice though that had proven futile. Albert simply trusted Lucy too much to be scared of her. However, it was another one of the reasons people tended to be frightened of her when meeting face to face.

"Early on when I found my desire to eat was fading away I wondered if I would eventually stop liking how food tasted. So I started to try foods that I remembered liking a great deal at regular intervals and trying to see if the taste had changed. Then one day Albert suggested I try foods that I didn't use to like as well."

Realizing that she was being spoken to Sandra was quick to respond. "How did that go?"

"It went quite well actually. It seems that instead of learning to dislike eating somehow I've come to like a wider variety of things. I suspect that it is due to my ability to properly digest a greater number of substances."

A sigh escaped Albert as he looked back at Lucy. "Yeah and I remember how much I disliked the outcome of that little suggestion."

"What happened?"

"Once Lucy realized that she now liked more things she started trying more. Well eventually she just had to start wondering what all she could digest or eat safely."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she glanced down at Albert. "You know I didn't just start throwing things into my mouth and swallowing. There was a procedure to it."

"That sure isn't how it looked to me!"

This time Lucy quickly darted her tongue out at Albert for a moment. "You only thought that at first."

"Yeah but still you gave me quite a shock. The first time I found out what she was doing was during a test. I came in just in time to see her swallow a small amount of powder and while I wasn't certain what it was. Her reaction told me she didn't want me to see it."

"Albert can be such a worrier at times. It was just a little bit of cyanide."

Immediately Sandra's eyes nearly doubled in size as she stared at Lucy. "You ate cyanide?"

"It wasn't that much, only a pinch."

A sigh escaped Albert as he shook his head. "A pinch of cyanide to you is enough to wipe out a small down. When she was reluctant to tell me what she'd done it only made matters worse. I actually started worrying that the negative press had caused her to slip into depression without me knowing and she'd become suicidal."

Once again Lucy was made to giggle, clearly the memory was far fonder to her then it was to Albert. "I wish he'd let me share the visual of what happened whenever I told him that it was cyanide."

"It felt like my heart had stopped beating and it became rather hard to stand."

"Yeah he says he felt weak but from the way he shouted he sure didn't seem it. It was one of the few times I managed to make Albert truly angry with me."

"Well it was hard not to be!"

While Lucy had not smiled at the time now the memory brought a smile to her face and a slight chuckle. "I've made it a point since then that when I try something along the same lines I tell Albert the procedure that I'm using. He doesn't always approve but he hasn't reacted like that since."

"So are you immune to being poisoned?"

Giving her head a quick nod Lucy picked up another side of beef. "Not only am I immune to any toxin that I know of. Hold on a moment I don't want to say immune. I'm highly resistant to toxin and no level of which I've eaten has been able to harm me. There may be a level though or a type of toxin that my body isn't able to handle. It could even be something that isn't harmful to humans."

"Are you serious? I can't imagine anything hurting you if it couldn't affect a human."

"I don't believe that it's very likely but it is a possibility. So far though the toxins I've been exposed to haven't been capable of harming me. Not only that but I can actually detect differences in what I eat so that I know if there was a toxin in the substance or if it was just a little off." A slight giggle escaped Lucy. "It's a very good thing that I tested that before I lost my temper over some miss understandings."

"Such as believing someone had tried to kill you when they'd just used honey mustard instead of barbeque?"

"I like to believe that I would notice the difference in taste and not jump to conclusions but yes. You know Sandra you were rather lucky that your paper ended up in the hands of my dad and not Albert's mom."

"Why is that?"

"That comment about you being the first female in your family that had intended collage in three generations. It appealed to my dad's idea of chivalry however had it been Anne. That is his mother." As she spoke Lucy pointed down at Albert. "You would have gotten a rather different reaction."

"Why is that?"

"She's your mother Albert, why don't you explain?"

"Sure. My mom isn't devoid of pity however she can't stand it when she feels someone is asking for it. To her such a statement would read, because none of the females in my family for past three generations have gone to collage you should show me pity and not judge me purely by the merit of my achievements."

When no one commented right away Phillip turned to Sandra grateful that he finally had an opening to talk. "That is their nice way of saying; don't say it again if you reapply. Instead you need to focus on your achievements."

In response Sandra gave a quick nod. "I'll keep that in mind. So how did all of you get to know one another?"

"That was mostly Albert's doing in my and Brad's cases. We had a few classes and labs together. This may be hard to believe but at first we didn't recognize who he was. At least we didn't until we were all setting down having lunch together and Lucy strolled right onto the campus, over to our table and asked him who we were."

"That must have been quite a shock."

"It was. There is no denying that. Albert's first class was different from mine and Brad's so that he arrived earlier in the day."

"How did you not recognize him though?" For a moment Sandra turned to Albert. "You've appeared on television with Lucy several times."

"Well we noticed that he looked like well who he actually was. However, it was hard to believe. There wasn't any media coverage of the event after all so we just couldn't be certain. It was like seeing a celebrity but they environment seemed so out of place you couldn't believe that it was them."

"Hey Lucy did I ever thank you for that?"

"Yes you did but you can do it again if you want."

"Thanks for insuring that the media leaves me alone."

"You're welcome."

For a moment Sandra was made to shudder as she remembered one fact about Lucy she wished she hadn't. Lucy's money and the influence that money granted her tended to aid in her getting her way. It even aided in keeping the media away from her and her family whenever she didn't want them there. However, that wasn't the primary reason they had left her alone when she told them to.

At first Lucy hadn't realized how much media coverage she was receiving however that was due to InCon insuring her privacy. Once she'd began to go into areas not controlled by the corporation she'd ran into some problems. Lucy tended to enjoy attention but only if it was the right kind and she felt the attention the media was giving her was the wrong kind. Then one day she'd lost her temper grabbed up one of the reporters and threatened to break their legs if they didn't leave her alone.

Fortunately Lucy had been a minor at the time so nothing major was done and they were able to get the media to back off a bit. At least until a truth that InCon had kept hidden for a long time was leaked. While InCon had let the public know that Lucy was growing her true scale had not been known. This was achieved by having her separate into different bodies and keeping some of herself at secure locations.

Then when her total scale when fully rejoined had reached twenty three and a third meters someone leaked the information. Once again Lucy found herself in the public eye and the pressure began to get to her. The final breaking point though was when Albert, her and his parents had been besieged by questions.

Lucy warned them if they didn't leave on their own immediately they wouldn't be leaving under their own power. If Albert, Claude, Karen, Anne and Michael hadn't been there, Albert was certain Lucy would have done more than destroy their vehicles and break their legs.

Of course people showed a great deal of concern over the event and many pushed for legal action. Lucy had of course made it exceptionally clear that she wouldn't apologize or be punished for her actions. This had caused even more trouble and it seemed like that the police would be called upon to restrain her by force.

InCon had managed to come to the rescue though by revealing some of the test data they had on Lucy. Once it was made clear just how powerful Lucy was at that scale and what it would require to subdue her people had quieted down. There was talk of using the military to subdue her however the idea of using tanks on a child seemed objectionable to many despite Lucy's scale.

Some still felt the military should be used however the voice of those that didn't want to send more people to die then had broken limbs had been louder. Other legal actions were then discussed but in the end it was decided that further upsetting Lucy would be a bad idea given the sacrifice that would have to be made to force their will upon her.

Phillip had been listening intently and had at first been glad to see Sandra warming up to Lucy or appearing to. Now he could tell that they had hit upon a subject that she wasn't ready for. Apparently not only did she dislike what Lucy had done but the fact that Albert was thanking her for it seemed to concern her.

There was a strong temptation on Phillip's part to try and comfort Sandra. However, he felt nervous about it as he actually approved of Lucy's actions. If a mob was to start bombarding his family with questions he'd want to give them a reason to leave as well. At last he decided on a path of action. "Of course, it's a good thing InCon helped Lucy get her story out as well. If you listened to what the media had to say you'd think Lucy's actions were entirely unprovoked."

At last Sandra gave a slight nod. "I remember watching the news with my parents. I have to say I was quite shocked when you suddenly picked up one of their vans and threw it into another."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she clearly was quite fond of the memory. "So were they. I didn't want to risk any of them getting away so my first target was their vehicles. After I insured they'd have to run on foot I decided to take away that form of travel as well."

"Yeah I remember, some of those camera men were pretty devoted."

"That is true some kept right on filming. If there is one thing I regret on a very small level it's that I didn't hold back when I broke their legs. At least the legs of those that kept on filming but weren't asking questions. I actually admire that kind of devotion. Now if they'd only put it in another place. At the time I was too angry to consider that though well at first I was angry."

"Yeah, I saw when you began to giggle."

Giving a quick nod Lucy couldn't help but chuckle. "At first I was acting out of anger but once I felt the first bones snap between my fingers I also realized it was quite a bit of fun. They'd been causing my family nothing but grief all that time so it was my turn to give them some grief. Did you notice the way I turned whenever I grabbed someone up?"

For a moment Sandra was silent as she subconsciously moved back in her seat a bit. "No, I can't say that I did."

"I didn't realize I was doing it until later either. Whenever I would be about to break someone's legs I would turn around to insure that Albert and the others could see me do it. Though, I realized later that it would have been more effective in causing fear if I'd let the reporters see it. Even after I realized what I had done though I decided that I wouldn't change it."

"Why is that? I mean wouldn't you want to insure that it never happened again?"

"Honestly yes and no, yes I would like the media to leave my family alone. However, a part of me wants them to give me a reason to swallow them. I get a real thrill out of using my power and scale you see and there isn't anything quite like feeling someone struggling around in my stomach as I slowly digest them." Almost as if it was an after thought Lucy reached down and picked up one of the sides of beef. Popping it into her mouth this time she didn't even bother chewing but quickly swallowed.

"Why don't you then? You said you didn't care what people think."

"That is easy, because people tend to be more fun alive then dead or dying even when they are in my belly. Of course I don't require people to amuse me either. Only when someone hinders my enjoyment of life do I feel a need to do something to rebalance the scales. Though, it isn't always a perfect balance as was the case with the media. Had I tried to rebalance the scales to the greatest affect I would have eaten every last one of them."

"I see. So Albert, what did you think when this was going on?"

"Well Lucy and I were still pretty young back then. Mostly I thought she looked cute out there giggling and stomping around. It made me think of her playing in a field of dandelions for some reason."

Before Sandra could respond or anyone else for that matter Brad finally spoke up, "Blast it! There they go."

Glancing to the exit Lucy quickly noted Selena and Brad's date exiting the building with the two guys from before. It was very hard for her to keep from laughing. "Yes they do. You know I believe they may have the right idea though. Albert do you realize what time it is?"

"I forgot my watch. We were having fun though so I'm going to guess three."

"Try three forty seven."

"Oh crap now I'm going to be half asleep all day."

"Don't worry, I'll let you sleep in but I believe it's time that we get going."

A slight sigh escaped Phillip as he mouthed thank you to Lucy behind Sandra. "Sandra how about we let the three of them go on ahead? I'll call us a cab when you're ready to go back."

"Yeah, sure that would be fine."

Giving a nod Lucy reached down for Albert. "Okay then I'll see you two later. Come on Albert, we need to stop by your place and get your stuff. We can just pick up the essentials on this trip and I'll take care of the remainder later."

End chapter 3

While his apartment had been quite nice Albert had been caught off guard by his new accommodations. The bedroom had come with a bed the size of which Albert wasn't certain of though he knew it was larger then a king sized bed. At the base of which he found out there was a television with the control hidden inside either support at the top of the bed. He wasn't entirely certain were the speakers were hidden but he knew he could hear them very clearly anywhere in the room.

A small refrigerator disguised as a night stand was also to be found near the bed so there were not more late night trips to the kitchen. The walk in closet's size had become humorous to him whenever he had put up his clothes and realized how much space he still had left. There was a home office, gym and recreation room in the structure. The recreation room housed a TV that was actually taller then he was.

Over the few days that he had been there Albert had found many things to not be what they appeared to be. He had actually gone to place some of his clothes in the stand near his bed when he had found out what it actually was. One thing that had been apparent on the first day though was the amount of large windows in the structure. There was one in every room of the building and Albert had a pretty good idea of what they were for.

Each one of the windows opened outward and each one had two similar hinges that met at the center. The hinges weren't obscenely large but they were large enough and oriented in such a way that he imaged a one hundred meter tall Lucy would have no trouble grasping them. It was apparent to him that Lucy had the structure designed with easy access to the occupants in mind even if she happened to be more together then normal. He was just grateful that she had remembered to have very heavy curtains placed over the windows so that he could have some privacy if he wanted it.

What he found the most appealing about the move though wasn't the size of the home or the accessories. Rather what held his interest the most and caused him to keep every set of blinds open except those in the bathroom was the view. Lucy had placed the structure on a night stand in her room so that he was quite frequently treated to a spectacular site.

He had also learned that while the view was always spectacular if Lucy was around there were times when it was even more so. At first he hadn't gotten to enjoy these views often however as time went on his body seemed to learn what to do. Over the past week he had found himself waking up ten to even thirty minutes before his alarm clock went off. At which time he would turn off the little device and retrieve a light breakfast he had started keeping in the bed stand fridge he'd then make his way over to his window and hope that the weather would cooperate.

Currently the weather was cooperating just fine as Albert set next to the window and watched as the sun light slowly began to fill the room. He had woken up a good twenty one minutes before his alarm had been set to go off so that he knew he'd be waiting at least ten for enough sun light to enter the room for him to see through the darkness.

At the moment there was just enough light to let him see the outline of Lucy's body and it was clear she hadn't been entirely stationary in her sleep. Normally Lucy was a very still sleeper so still that he felt he'd been safe sleeping on her stomach despite her scale. There was however a few rare times when she would actually move in her sleep.

This did cause Albert to wonder at times. He knew that Lucy never actually slept at least not in the way humans did. She would shut down a certain number of her bodies and give them time to sort through the information they had gathered without taking anymore in. It was a sleep like state though it didn't require as long, parts of Lucy could still be active and she was far more aware then a sleeping human would have been. Given that she wasn't truly dreaming in these moments it made Albert wonder what caused her to shift her position.

Every thought in Albert's head vanished as the quantity of sun light increased enough that he could make out more of Lucy's form. Her right hand had slipped up under her shirt and come to rest upon her left breast. In doing so it had also forced up more of the material of her shirt. The site was enough to make Albert forget about the bowl of serial he had in his hand and just observe as with each breath that shirt would move a little further up.

It wasn't rare for Albert to see a good deal of Lucy's skin. Indeed at the moment he wasn't seeing anything truly new to him as far as parts of her body went. The difference came from the situation and environment. It was the same difference that made a woman look more enticing in a bra and knickers rather then in a swimsuit.

As stunning of a site as Lucy's left breast was Albert still turned his attention to the right. There still wasn't enough light for him to even make out the color of Lucy's bra however he could have sworn that her nipple was pert. As they had come to know one another Albert had put a great deal of trust in Lucy. So that when she told him that she didn't dream anymore, he believed her. At the moment though he couldn't help but think it seemed that she had been having a very interesting and enjoyable dream.

He'd have to ponder these thoughts later though as he noted Lucy's massive form shift slightly and he looked to her face. His gaze turned to her face just in time to see her mouth wide open in mid yawn as her arms stretched above her head and she arched her back. Realizing that Lucy was waking up Albert moved to stand up but instantly found he had a problem as his erect penis pressed into the front of his shorts and he quickly set back down. "Good morning Lucy. When did you get in?"

Even if Lucy awoke fully aware and energized that didn't prevent her from enjoying a good stretch or yawn. Little bits of the art of laziness were still a major factor in her personality and thus body language. "Good morning Albert. Well this much of me came back here one hour and thirty seven minutes ago. I swear emotions take so much more effort to process then calculations it's kind of funny."

"We finished up with the employee reports. So what emotions are you dealing with?"

It was only after a wicked grin had formed on her lips that Lucy responded. "I bet you would love to know." As she waited for Albert's response Lucy removed her hand from her breasts and proceeded to set up in bed. Once again she stretched her arms above her head this time not bothering to hold back as she didn't have to worry about leaving a hole in the wall.

"I guess there would be a lot to sort through. So did you get everything in order?"

"I believe so. Give me a second to run a quick check."

In response Albert gave a slight nod and waited for Lucy to close her eyes. Once she had shut them he lowered his bowl of serial so that the cold bottom pressed against his dick in hopes of getting his penis to relax sooner. "So what are you solving for?"

"I'm just calculating the angular velocities of the cogs, spring constants and radiuses of the cogs needed to make a clockwork watch based on a starting gear of five millimeters and powered by a wound spring with a spring constant of half a Newton per decameter. Yeah I seem to be up to speed."

"So care to tell me what values you calculated?"

"Sure, do you really want all the measurements though?"

"Mm not really I'll just take your word on it. So how long did that take you?"

"I finished a little while after I began explaining. Now," Turning to the side Lucy quickly lowered her feet to the ground so that the impact caused the night stand Albert's home was on to shake lightly. At the same time she jumped to her feet. "It's a weekend so I don't believe we'll be doing any class work today."

"I'm all for that."

"Why do you have your window closed?" Even as she spoke Lucy reached out and took hold of the latch. Giving it a slight twist to open the lock she then lowered herself to a seating position so that she and Albert were about eye level.

"You know that little feature would worry me if this place wasn't setting on top of your night stand."

"Pfft, the odds of someone breaking in through one of those windows are slim to none. They'd have to drive a heavy duty truck right into it. Now if you're talking about the latch, if you're worried about someone opening them you clearly have no idea how much strength it takes to do so."

"I take it that means more strength then I have in my entire body." As Albert spoke he tried to will his penis to relax more quickly however despite the cold bowl of serial it was taking its time. It didn't help matters that he was able to see Lucy's top though thankfully her position meant her knickers were out of view. What he found once she was close enough was that she wasn't wearing a bra but rather what appeared to be a mixture of a bra and shirt.

"Is there something you want to ask me about my top? You have a funny look on your face."

It took all of Albert's willpower to keep himself from jumping up. He hadn't realized how much he was looking at Lucy's chest though it did explain why his penis was giving him so much trouble. "OH yeah, I was just wondering what it was exactly. I kind of expected you to be sleeping in a bra."

"I had to quit doing that a while back. I'm normally quite still when I relax my conscious mind however they are times I move particularly when something stimulates me. At first this wasn't a problem but after my body began to really mature I started fiddling with my bras in my relaxed state. Then after my strength became too much I started waking up with the front of my bras shredded."

"So that is why you're wearing that?"

In response Lucy gave a quick nod and raised her arms above her head. As she placed her hands behind her head and locked her fingers together she pushed her chest outward. "Yeah, it's more flexible then a bra so it doesn't tend to bother me in my sleep. Then when for some reason my hands do travel to my chests like when I became aware just a few moments ago the material is flexible enough that I don't shred it."

"Ah I see. So does it provide any support?"

"Mm a little, it wouldn't be suited to someone that wanted to flaunt their cleavage unless they already had a good deal of it."

"Like you?"

For a moment Lucy was made to giggle as she made her breasts bounce slightly. "Yep like me."

With Lucy so close Albert could now see that the material was a light blue and looked to be silk though he knew it wasn't. Lucy's clothing tended to have to be made of sturdier material then what most were. Her proximity and the way she displayed her chest was not helping his situation either. "Do you have any plans for the day?"

"Currently I don't. Well at least all of me doesn't some of me is already working on today's activities. OH wait there is one thing but that won't take very long. I need to do my exercises for the day. Would you like to join me?"

"Sure I could stand to burn some calories. You'll have to give me some time to finish breakfast and let my stomach to settle."

"That isn't a problem. So sense you asked me about my plans do you have any plans for the day?"

"Well I just added exercise with you to the list. Other then that, my day is pretty much open to anything."

"You know a cold bowl of cereal is hardly a complete breakfast. You should add some protean and fruits to that as well unless you want to be hungry again in about two hours."

While the voice was Lucy's Albert quickly turned his attention away from her main body and towards the door. He was just in time to see one of Lucy's smaller selves closing the door and carrying a trey with a cut up orange and scrambled egg over. "Thanks for carrying."

"You're welcome." Upon setting the trey down Lucy proceeded to hop out the window and make her way towards her larger body. As the smaller neared the larger the larger placed her hand on the table so that she would have a place to rejoin.

"So are we just going to spend our day here or would you like to try and come up with something to do?"

"Well let me here what you'd like to do first." As she spoke Lucy leaned forward so that her massive breasts pressed against the table.

The affects of Lucy's breasts pressing against the table was quite apparent to Albert as he felt the entire building rock lightly. This served to inspire several thoughts on what he would like to do but none he was quite prepared to give voice to at the moment. "Um, I'm drawing a bit of a blank. Normally my weekend plans are to wait for you to stop and see what you want to do."

"Well then you're just going to have to put more thought into it as that plan isn't going to work anymore."

"Yeah, you're right about that. Okay, give me a few minutes to think."

As Lucy finished absorbing her smaller body into the larger she waved her hand in the air. "Well you have longer then a few minutes. Just like you said, you need to finish your breakfast, let your stomach settle then we can do some exercises."

"That sounds like a pretty good plan. So are you going to be joining me with one of your little bodies?"

"Now Albert you know better then that. Do you believe the equipment you have in there could really provide me with a work out?"

"Now that you mention it I don't believe that it could. You'd probably tear it apart like paper even if you used one of your smaller bodies."

"It wouldn't even put up the resistance that paper would put up to you but you get the idea. I have to use some more specialized equipment and techniques whenever I want to work out."

"Is it safe for me to use the same equipment?"

"Yeah I'll just have to tone it down for you so that you don't end up getting crushed or torn apart."

"You know if I didn't trust you so much there would be no way you'd be getting me to exercise with you after that or at least not willingly."

It was impossible for Lucy to hide her enjoyment as an amused giggle escaped her. "I know now eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

In response Albert nodded his head and went to respond however before he could speak he felt his world shake slightly as Lucy quit pressing her chest on the stand so that it returned to its normal position. Then even before the shaking had time to a stop she stood to her full height putting Albert level with the knickers he'd been grateful to not be able to see only moments before. He felt his penis respond immediately as it throbbed and he felt as if all his work to get himself to calm down had just been undone. "Sure."

Upon turning around Lucy was tempted to give the table Albert's home rested on a quick bump with her rear but she held back. While she didn't say anything she was far from oblivious from how Albert was responding to her. "I guess there isn't really a reason for me to get dressed just yet as I'm going to be getting all hot and sweaty in just a little bit."

While he wasn't sure if she had been doing it intentionally earlier Albert was certain that Lucy was just trying to give him a hard time now. Fortunately with her rear turned to him he could stand up. "Lucy, I need something to drink. I'm going to take this into the kitchen."

"Oh sure, mm I suppose that I could go ahead and pick out my clothes though. I don't believe we will be doing anything that would require more then casual clothing."

For the moment Albert was grateful for the fact that he couldn't see Lucy dress due to her having the equivalent of a walk in closet for her. He still took this time to quickly beat a retreat to the kitchen barely remembering to take his breakfast as he did so. "So Lucy what are your other bodies currently up to? Well the high notes at least."

"Being reminded of one of the main reasons I higher people to help me."

"So can you can help stimulate the economy helping to produce a group of consumers that can purchase the products you develop?"

"Na. Even if I know that one of the genetically modified crops or symbiot I develop won't harm humans or the ecosystem I still have to prove it. Hey Albert what do you think of this?" As she spoke Lucy held a large black shirt with what appeared to be numerous giant red flower petals covering it.

"Give me a second to get to a window."

"Okay, anyway proving that they won't harm a human tends to require a great deal of testing. Now I'm very confident that I already know what the test will be but that isn't enough to satisfy everyone. So I can either conduct more tests then I care to in order to get results I already know or I can have someone else do it for me."

"That looks nice Lucy, but it looks a little small for you."

"Well it is meant to show off my belly."

"Are you sure that it'll reach that far?"

"Yeah it's more elastic then it looks. Other then that I searched through some resumes, after that last evaluation I have some positions that need filled."

"Oh, so is that why you had to take some time to let your mind sort itself?"

"No."

At first Albert didn't have any idea of what to say in response to Lucy's simple comment. So instead he proceeded to get a mouthful of eggs. "So the choices were easy for you to make?"

"Sure, I just look at their scores from collage, referenced the quality of the college and examined which instructors they had. Take into account their attendance, previous job experience, the conditions they left their previous jobs as well as any legal issues and chose whoever has the highest score."

"You make it sound so easy. So does such attention tend to hurt or help people?"

"In the long term I believe it helps people. After all by making use of several sources of information I can make better choices meaning that my employees and their coworkers are more competent and willing to contribute."

"I meant as far as getting them a job."

"Well as for that, I would have to say it hurts more people then it helps. After all I get more applicants then I actually need. That depends on what position you're searching for though." As Lucy finished choosing her clothing for the day she proceeded back into her bedroom and placed the garments on her bed "So how is breakfast coming along?"

"The eggs are great Lucy I'm almost done. It's kind of funny that I never asked you about this before. We've known one another for so long."

"Not really. This is the first time you've ever been bored enough to ask about it."

"Where do you get that I'm bored?"

"I didn't say that you were bored I said that you're bored enough. You can't think of anything more entertaining to talk about so you finally bring the subject up. Previously you always had something more entertaining to talk about or I was asking you questions."

"That is true. I guess sense you're my instructor now you can't really ask how my class went today or which one I'm dreading the most."

"Well I can still ask you which one you're currently dreading."

Upon finishing his breakfast and standing up Albert was relieved to find that his penis had finally relaxed and he was able to make his way comfortably over to the dish washer. "Hey Lucy I haven't seen you all together in quite a while. Just how large are you now whenever you're tall together?"

"This is pretty much all of me right now. I have five smaller bodies currently taking care of some tasks but even if I were to add them into my main body right now you wouldn't notice a difference. Still, I believe I am going to have to make myself some larger clothes soon."

"Didn't you just say that they were elastic?"

"Yeah and that shirt will fit me at this scale just fine. However, in a few months that won't be the case."

After Albert put his dishes in the dishwasher he didn't stop at any of the windows to look out at Lucy but made his way back to his room. "I hope you don't mind that I'm drawing a blank at the moment."

"That is alright. If you can't think of something I'm not against spending a quite evening at home together." While Albert made his way back to his room Lucy moved back to the window that she had been looking through previously and waited. "At times it's nice to just enjoy one another's company."

Upon entering his bedroom Albert only glanced out the window briefly. He didn't want to give Lucy time to get him work up again. He then made his way over to his walk in closest as he did a slight chuckle escaped him. "I guess I should be grateful that this is a walk in closet."

"Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking whenever I had it put in for you."

While Albert gathered his clothes he was grateful that Lucy couldn't see him smile. "I don't believe I really have anything suited to a workout."

"Then just pick out what you're going to wear after words. After all I don't plan on changing. Of course, if you have trouble with that I could always choose for you."

"I'll just wait and decide depending on what we ultimately decide to do." Even as Albert stepped out of the closet he was made to regret his choice. The whole reason he had actually wanted to change clothing was so that he could put on something that would hide an erection better. Now he was wearing the exact same shorts that had done such a poor job a short while ago.

It was impossible for Lucy not to giggle as her lips parted slightly in a smile. "So we're going to both be getting all hot and sweaty in our underwear together. I normally don't mind exercising and I love the results. However, this time I believe I may love the act just as much as I love the end result."

Even as he blushed Albert was made to grin as he rubbed the side of his cheek. "Well, I still need some time for my stomach to settle I suppose I can go ahead and shave and brush my teeth at least."

¡°Okay, I'll take some time and get ready myself. I need to finish up a few things with my smaller selves first anyway."

"I thought that you were already prepared to go."

"Nope, I just knew that it would take you a while to get ready. You take care of your hygiene issues and I'll have my smaller selves move to a safe state so that I don't end up killing or maiming anyone."

"I regret and hope you don't mind that I'm causing you to adjust your plans."

"Pfft, don't worry about it. It's not like any changes I've made are more then a few minutes' deviation from the original. I had plenty of wiggle room to begin with. Besides spending time with you is more important."

************************************************************************

The sound of Lucy's hands smacking against the table drew Albert's attention for a moment as she stood up. "Well then, you're stomach has had time to settle. Are you ready to get to work?"

"Sure, so which room do you keep your exercise equipment?"

"Well currently my equipment is in here. Come on and I'll show you just what I'm talking about." Once she finished speaking Lucy held her hand just under Albert's window with the palm facing up for him to climb down into.

"Okay, just be sure to tone it down for me."

As Albert seated himself in Lucy's palm he was a bit surprised when another occupant joined him. "Don't worry I will be. Now come on and I'll show you the basic moves."

There was no need for Albert to even look behind himself to know that Lucy had just joined him in her palm with one of her smaller bodies. He was surprised though when he turned around to find her wearing the exact same clothing that her larger body was wearing. "Uh sure, so just where is it."

It was with a wide grin that Lucy lay down in her larger bodies palm so that her legs were facing her fingers. She then extended her legs into the air and her massive index finger came to rest upon her feet. "You've been looking at it the whole time. There aren't any metals I've found that could really serve as exercise equipment for me so I have to improvise like this."

"Huh?! All those times you said you were going to work out I assumed that you had developed some ultra high strength alloy to use."

"Albert! I'm surprised you think I'd do something so silly." As she spoke Lucy removed her finger from her feet and her smaller body set up. As she did so her eyes narrowed at Albert and her smile turned down into a slight frown."

The sudden change in Lucy's demeanor wasn't lost on Albert and for a moment he felt as if someone had grabbed his heart. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you."

"You most assuredly are not sorry for offending me!" Once again Lucy's smile returned only this time her lips parted to show a solid row of pearly white teeth in an impish grin. "Because in order to do that. You'd have to have offended me and you didn't."

At first all Albert could do was stair at Lucy as he waited for his heart rate to return to normal. When his heart began to slow Albert finally reached up and placed his hand on his forehead. "What was that for?"

"Well that was a pretty serious insult. Albert, do you really believe that I'm stupid enough to create an alloy that is capable of challenging me? Something that could be used to restrain, harm or even kill me?"

Once again Albert found himself speechless as he examined Lucy. For a moment he had wondered what he had done to deserve such a scare but as the magnitude of the insult he had accidentally given settled in. He ended up feeling that he deserved more then a scare. "I didn't mean to offend you Lucy. That was a pretty foolish assumption on my part and it really didn't show any respect for your intelligence."

"Ah now go ahead and wipe that look off your face. We're even now though if I thought you had meant what you asked I would have had to hurt you." Before Albert could respond Lucy quickly extended her hand and took hold of his ankle. She then gave it a slight push sending his legs out from under him.

Upon feeling his feet pushed out from under him a slight yelp escaped Albert. Fortunately the emptying of his lunges only helped upon landing on Lucy's palm though the softness of her skin was all the protection he really needed. He didn't have time to say anything as nearly the moment he landed on his back Lucy spoke up.

"Now let's begin our work out. I'll start out easy on you to see what you can already do and then step it up. I believe that will start with the legs, move to the stomach, then we can do some work on the arms and chests."

"Uh sure, that sounds good."

"Well then put your legs in the air so we can begin."

"Whoops!" Nearly as quickly as he spoke Albert lifted his legs into the air in a similar position to what Lucy now held. Moments later her finger came to rest upon his feet. "So just how do I do this?"

"The same way you would with mechanical equipment. I'm going to exert a constant force on your legs. You will lower your legs, I won't force them down then you will push my finger back up. Okay Albert I'm going to exert forty kilograms of mass on your feet right now."

Giving a quick nod Albert turned his head away from Lucy's smaller body and focused on her fingers. As the pressure began to increase he exerted enough force to counter it though as the pressure ceased to increase he had to speak up. "Come on Lucy, you know that I can handle more then that."

"Now don't rush this. I'm just trying to get an idea of what you can handle and besides you need to warm up. Now go ahead and do twelve complete repetitions and we'll see if you feel the same way then." As she was speaking Lucy began her own work out. First increasing the pressure on her legs until she felt adequate force on her feet, then lowering her legs and pushing her finger back up.

Realizing that he wouldn't convince Lucy to increase the pressure until he proved he was ready Albert gave a slight shrug and began to follow her movements. As he was working on his seventh repetition, he noticed that Lucy's skin seemed to be warming up. "Lucy, are you alright?"

In response Lucy gave a slight nod. "It's the feed back from my smaller body."

Even though Albert didn't know the precise details of how Lucy exercised beforehand he did know a few details. In particularly he knew that she only used one of her smaller bodies to workout as that was all she needed. Whatever anyone of Lucy's bodies felt all the others felt regardless of the scale. So that if Lucy was made to feel that she wasn't strong enough even while only using one of her smaller selves all the others would grow stronger in response. "Okay, that is twelve can you increase the pressure now?"

"You have no appreciation for an easy beginning. Okay here comes ten more kilograms and don't complain about that not being enough of an increase. Prove that it isn't first."

"Can do" as soon as Albert felt the increase on his legs he lowered them he was stopped from pushing them up though when Lucy spoke to him.

"Not like that. You were letting me push your legs down not lowering them. Do like I'm doing." As she spoke Lucy lowered her legs so that they were as far back as they could go. "I want you to keep your pace roughly the same as mine."

At first Albert had no reason to be concerned so that all he did was shrug. As he turned to look at Lucy's legs though, he suddenly became very concerned. While they weren't his primary areas of interest legs did have a great appeal to Albert and most assuredly added to a woman's beauty. Now he had to focus very closely on Lucy's legs and to make the situation even worse she was still in her knickers.

"Come on Albert, push."

"Oh! Yeah, I just needed a moment to focus." As Albert pushed up on Lucy's finger he was both grateful and worried. Exercising wasn't his favorite past time especially when he had to look at some over pumped or scrawny male. Lucy on the other hand was quite a delight to look upon and follow. His concern came from the fact that she was too much of a delight and he worried how his body would respond. There was little he could do about the situation though except to try and focus on his exercise.

"Yeah that is it Albert. You know it's awfully nice having some company for this. I'm glad that you decided to join me."

Upon coming to the sixth lift Albert gave a slight grunt though he was still able to talk. "Thanks for inviting me. You know if it helps you I'd gladly make this a regular routine. I doubt that I could do it as often as you though."

When she turned to look at Albert Lucy still wore her impish grin though he couldn't see it. At the moment his eyes were focused on her legs. "I'd really appreciate that Albert. Even if you can only do it every other day it would give me something to look forward to. Just having you here and keeping me company makes me feel like I can keeping going even longer." As she spoke Lucy increased the pressure she exerted with her legs and finger making her thigh muscles really bulge.

The amount of expansion in Lucy's leg muscles and the sudden increased in muscle definition nearly made Albert come to a stop. For a moment, not only could those legs but they truly looked as if they could crush granite between them. Unfortunately Lucy's leg muscles weren't the only thing that started to bulge as the sudden show of power got an instant response from Albert as he felt his penis stiffen slightly. "Yeah, that would be nice. Yeah we can make it a regular thing."

It was hard for Lucy not to giggle as she noted Albert's response. "So are you ready for me to increase the pressure one more time?"

"Huh? Why only one?"

"This session is just for me to get an idea of what you can handle. We really didn't do a proper warm up anyway so I don't want to push you too hard."

"Okay, yeah I believe I can handle another set. How many kilograms are you going to add this time?"

"Just another ten" even as she was speaking Lucy increased the force she was exerting on Albert's legs.

While the first ten kilograms hadn't really added to the challenge Albert was quite surprised by the second. For a moment his legs were actually forced downward and it was only through clinched teeth that he was able to speak. "Lucy, are you sure that is ten?"

"Yep! Just a few kilograms can make quite a difference. I bet if I added ten more you wouldn't even be able to push my finger up once."

He wasn't sure where it came from but Albert couldn't stop himself as his lips moved. "Really, what do you want to bet?"

At first Lucy said nothing but only looked at Albert, then an amused giggle escaped her. "Oh, so you want to try and prove me wrong? Let's see if I win you have to bake me twelve muffins each night and they have to be of three different flavors."

Now it was impossible for Albert not to smile as he looked at Lucy. "You know I would have done that for you anyway. If that is all you want to wager though. Wait how long will I have to fix those muffins?"

"A month seems like a long enough time."

"Very well then, if I win I get woken up with a kiss instead of an alarm clock for the next month."

"Mm what type of kiss?"

"Whichever you choo" as Albert looked at Lucy and noted her lips part to reveal her teeth and her right eye brow lift slightly he felt his face redden. "Oh I don't know what it is but I get the feeling I should have put more thought into that."

"It's too late now! Okay we have our bets on the table let's see which one of us is right."

In response to Lucy's statement Albert quickly drew his legs back and took in a few deep breaths. As he did he tried not to think of just what kind of kiss Lucy might come up with. It was going to be tough enough to win this bet without having an incentive to lose.

"Are you ready?"

"Could I have a few more moments to rest and let my legs recover."

"No." The moment the word left her mouth Lucy increased the pressure she exerted on Albert's legs. Nearly the moment she did she noted a change in Albert's expression as he was caught off guard by the sudden increase.

It might have been a relatively small increase in the actual force that pushed down upon his legs however it felt truly profound to Albert. Despite how profound the increase felt though he didn't even begin to suspect that Lucy might have added more force then she said she would. There was no reason for him to cast such doubt upon her.

"Well come on big man show me what you got."

By no means did Albert push up right away but instead chose to take a few more moments to catch his breath. Only when he noted Lucy's gaze changing did he push up on her finger. The resistance that met him felt far greater then he had expected it to and it took a moment for him to budge Lucy's finger. As he pushed her finger upwards he tried to remember to breathe as his muscle's need for oxygen grew.

Even if Lucy had made a bet with Albert she actually wanted him to succeed. While she was used to being right if it meant something good for her best friend she didn't mind losing. "Come on Albert. You're making it just keep pushing. If you can keep that up you'll do it."

With each bit Albert forced Lucy's finger up he grew more certain that if he had been allowed to wrest the task would have been easy. Even with the few moments he had taken to catch his breath he had been no where near one hundred percent. Despite the bet though he didn't think Lucy had rushed him so that he would lose. She needed to find out what he could do regularly and if he had to be fully rested to counter such force even once there was no way he could do it as a exercise routine.

"Steady Albert, you're not beaten until your legs have been forced down." As she was speaking Lucy lifted Albert and her smaller body higher as if to get a better view. Indeed she found herself quite curious if Albert would succeed though the change in height didn't truly help her view but was rather a reflexive action.

As Albert neared two thirds of the way his legs began to wobble as the oxygen supply to his muscles proved inadequate to meet the need. Hearing Lucy encouraging actually served to spur him onward but as his upward progress drew to a stop he worried he wouldn't be able to make it.

"Don't give up now Albert focus and keep thinking of the prize."

A grunt of effort escaped Albert as he renewed his efforts however as Lucy's finger moved up just a few more his legs seemed to give out. So while he was able to bring it up a centimeter or two his legs soon began to be pushed downward.

"Quit holding your breath Albert."

In response to Lucy's words Albert took in a deep gasp however even while he was trying to get more oxygen into himself his legs were still giving out. In the end he didn't seem to be able to take in the oxygen fast enough either. "Darn it!"

For a moment Lucy couldn't help but giggle as she extended a hand and placed it on Albert's head. "Hey you tried. Still, you came close and for that I think you deserve a little something." Rolling over onto her stomach Lucy pushed herself up on her hands and scooted forward a bit so that her face was just above Albert's and then drew herself a bit further up so that her breasts were nearly pressing against him

Even if Albert wanted to keep control of his body it was impossible for him not to look to the side as Lucy's breasts were so close to his head he could have sworn he felt heat radiating from them. Then when her lips pressed against the very top of his forehead they seemed to brush against him ever so slightly. This slight touch was all his body needed for his penis to respond though he was able to keep from becoming fully erect.

As she drew away from him Lucy didn't need to look at Albert's crotch to know she had gotten a response. "Okay, now you just rest for a moment while I finish my leg presses. Once that is done we can move on to the stomach crunches."

In response Albert slowly nodded his head and moved to look away. He needed time to regain himself. He hadn't noticed Lucy lifting them higher though and was somewhat surprised when he found himself looking directly at the breasts of her larger body. That didn't help his situation and he quickly chose to focus on the roof. "Sure that would be fine. So how many leg lifts do you tend to do?"

¡°I try to do nine sets of increasing force."

¡°Isn't that a little odd?"

¡°Yeah it is a little but I find it works for me. At first I would just warm up and then chose a force that was challenging but I could do several sets of. As I experimented though I found there was a more effective way for me to exercise."

¡°Which is doing several sets of increasing pressure, how does that work though?"

¡°As far as I can tell it works like this. When I exercise using a set pressure my body tries to adapt so that amount of force can no longer challenge me so long as it is challenging enough. That said it only adapts to that level. If however I do several sets each time increasing the pressure my body doesn't just respond to what the maximum force was but tries to prepare itself for what the next maximum would be even if I never do it. That is provided I do enough sets and each one is challenging enough."

¡°Oh that just isn't fair! Not only does your body respond to a challenge but then it tries to anticipate and prepare itself for the next level in advance."

¡°If it's handled correctly that is right. I don't see why it isn't fair though. If you earn something don't you have the right to use it to its full advantage?"

It took a moment but at last Albert nodded his head. "You have me there. I could say that you were given that body more then you earned it but honestly I feel like I'd be lying. You earned it."

¡°Not that I'm disagreeing but why do you say that? Was it because of the ordeal I went through?"

Now Albert was made to chuckle as he shook his head. "No. If horrible pain and bad odds was enough then they would be many deserving. You earned your body by being who you are. By being the type of person that symbi could reside within. You gave symbi permission to live within you, to be an equal and a friend in your body. So in return symbi did um which is symbi a he or a she?"

Now Lucy had a wide grin on her face though there was no hint of mischief in it. "You know that perplexed me for a long while however I finally resolved symbi is a she."

"Okay, you did all of that for her and in return she did her best for you. That is why I say and believe you earned everything that you are."

Instead of commenting Lucy just turned back to her exercises though her smile didn't diminish in the least. "Next time while you're warming up I'll go ahead and get started so that you don't have to wait on me."

"Hey I know what we can do. We could go and pick me out some clothing to wear while exercising."

"Mm that is one thing but you know what?"

"What?"

"I like what you're wearing now." As she finished speaking Lucy stuck the very tip of her tongue out at Albert.

"I see."

"Of course, if you want to get some skin tight outfit to wear that is fine by me as well."

"Um no, I guess I really wasn't thinking. Yeah shorts and a t-shirt are just fine."

"Okay Albert, I only have three more sets to go. I won't be able to speak during this though and you need to be careful."

"Huh? Why?"

"I'm going to have to really focus on what I'm going and I'll be using all of my strength. If I had to move another part of me I might end up using all my strength."

"I see. Okay shutting up." As he finished speaking Albert was tempted to turn and watch Lucy as she worked out. However, given that he only had three more sets and he'd have to change position he knew he couldn't. His penis wasn't fully erect yet but he knew Lucy had already noticed it. So all he could settle for is not letting it be outright blatant.

When Albert had first noticed Lucy's hand heating up he hadn't been sure if it was him or her. While she pushed herself harder though he quickly became certain that it was and on a whim closed his eyes and pressed his cheek to her palm. The heat Albert felt on his cheek was quite noticeable and given how much insulation Lucy's skin provided he knew that the heat inside of her body would be tremendous.

Lucy wasn't actually worried about harming Albert despite what she had said. She was however worried that if he made her flinch she would damage her home. It would have been all too easy for her to send a foot or hand through the floor with the amount of effort she was currently exerting. Still despite her warning she couldn't help but speak. "Albert, look."

Opening his eyes Albert didn't question what Lucy wanted him to see but turned to see where she was looking. He didn't have to follow her gaze to see what she wanted him to see as he saw her eyes. The lovely blue sapphire of Lucy's eyes had actually begun to glow due to the energy pumping through her body. As he looked into those glowing eyes he imagined that similar events were going on throughout her body but he could only see it through her eyes.

It was surprising to Lucy but as Albert looked into her eyes her fatigue seemed to melt away as she continued her exercise. So she was quite glad when he didn't look away or comment but seemed transfixed by her eyes as she looked back at him. Only when Lucy began to set up did Albert speak.

"That is amazing. How come you never showed me that before?"

With her eyes still aglow Lucy relaxed the pressure on her legs and set up. "It only happens whenever I really push myself and we just haven't been in a situation for me to show you. It's pretty neat isn't it?"

"Yeah, but how long has this been going on?"

"It happened about a year after my last bit of metallic exercise equipment quit providing enough resistance for me and I had to switch to using several bodies to exercise."

"So do you know what causes it?"

"I can't be certain. However, if you generate enough heat you're going to emit photons of some wavelength. So I believe that is the cause and the reason my eyes seem to glow is it's the only part of me in which you can really see them escaping. Okay, now let's move on to the crunches."

Giving his head a quick nod Albert followed Lucy's movements and turned his back to her fingers. As he turned around he felt her hand shift and her fingers came up so that they were leaning against them. A few moments later he felt something just brushing against the top of his head and looked up to find Lucy's finger above them. "Okay just how are we going to do this?"

"That is easy." Reaching up Lucy took hold of the tip of her fingernail. "You just take hold like this and try to bring yourself forward using only your stomach muscles."

Giving a quick nod and following suit Albert was actually relieved whenever he realized the movement forced Lucy to hold them so that they weren't looking towards her larger body. "Okay, so are you ready to go?"

"Yes but I want you to try and keep pace with me. No jerking motions just nice steady repetitions."

Having first thought that he would get a break and have some time to regain his composer Albert was somewhat unnerved by this news. However, he was far happier then distressed as it would give him an excuse to focus on Lucy. "Sure. So do you do these like you do your legs?"

"Yeah, it works for all of me after all." Leaning back against her fingers Lucy took in a deep breath then turned towards Albert. "Oh and just so you know I'm going to be watching you to make sure you're using the correct form."

There was no attempt to turn away from Lucy's gaze on Albert's part but instead he focused intently on her. "Sure that would be helpful."

"Albert, what you need to be focusing on for this exercise is right here." As she spoke Lucy released her hold on her fingernail and proceeded to point down at her body below her neck.

Lucy had never been one to be shy and as her body had grown she had no issue showing it off. Despite that Albert was not expecting her to not only give him permission to focus his gaze on her body but that was what he was supposed to do. There was no way he was going to argue with her over the matter though. So that he quickly shifted his gaze down to her body.

"That's better now let's begin." Retaking hold of her fingernail Lucy proceeded to draw herself forward with Albert following suit only moments later. As she moved forward the muscles in her stomach flex so that the cuts became all the deeper and more noticeable.

Upon noting the sudden increase in muscle definition Albert actually found his mind shifting from Lucy's smaller body to her larger. Lucy's muscles were wonderfully defined and it seemed to Albert she could easily hold a dime or something of similar width between those chasms of muscle. So that he was made to wonder if she might be able to fit a human hand, foot or more within then cuts in her larger body.

"How do you feel Albert?"

Even with his attention brought back to Lucy's smaller body Albert didn't take his eyes away from her stomach. "I'm feeling good Lucy. I believe that I can handle more resistance."

"You've been doing a good job of keeping pace with me. I guess you really like what you see."

"More then I can put into words."

Even as Lucy smiled she felt herself blush slightly. "I'm glad to here that Albert. Okay Lean back and I'll increase the pressure some. Would you mind telling me what you were thinking about?"

"I was just thinking that if you were to flex like that while I was near your stomach I might be able to climb up it."

"Now that is a fun idea. Would you like to try later?"

"I'd be delighted to. Perhaps we could do that for my upper body exercise."

"It would be nice if you could however I don't believe that is a good idea. Your arms may still be up to the task but your legs need time to recover."

"Yeah you're probably right. So how about we try the day after tomorrow?"

An amused chuckle escaped Lucy as she gave her head a quick nod. "You really seem enthusiastic about this. Well I'm glad that my nice toned tummy is enough to get you into exercising and sure. I'd be glad to let you tickle me while you tried to climb my stomach."

"Okay, so how about you add a little more resistance?"

"Focus on your breathing this time and don't talk or you won't be able to do a complete set."

"Okay."

As close as Albert was watching her Lucy was watching Albert even more closely. Despite his shirt and the bit of a gut he had she could see the muscle working underneath. "Albert. Would you let me plan your exercise routine?"

There was no way Albert could respond right away as he focused on his crunches and he knew Lucy knew it. So he felt certain she meant for him to take the time he was crunching to consider the question. Unfortunately he wasn't able to do as Lucy wished as he made his decision nearly the same that Lucy asked him so the answer came freely. "You don't even need to ask Lucy. Sure you may."

"So there isn't a particular part of your body you want to develop?"

"There is no part in particular unless there is something about my body you'd like me to develop or you feel I should work on."

For a moment Lucy bit down on her lower lip as if she was trying to hold something in but the question couldn't be kept. "So you are giving me permission to remake your body however I want?"

It was impossible for Albert not to chuckle as he shook his head. "Yes Lucy. Provided I remain a male and don't have anything that a male should not have. I'd be quite upset with you if I woke up one day and found a b cup on my chest."

"Oh then how would you feel about something larger then a b cup?"

"No thank you and no way." While Lucy had told him that she wanted him to focus on her body Albert now chanced a look at her face. What he saw was that same toothy smile.

"Why Albert I'm surprised. You mean you wouldn't like to wake up with these pressed against your chest?" As she spoke Lucy thrust her chest outward.

Instantly Albert realized he'd made a grave error in the wording he had used. "Oh no! I'd be fine with that! More then fine that would be exceptional! I just don't want the breasts to be attached to my body."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she looked at the expression on Albert's face. "Ah I see. For a moment I was kind of worried."

Now Albert was made to sigh as he repositioned himself so that he could lie down in Lucy's palm. "Do I still have permission to observe closely?"

"I'd be upset if you didn't. You know I love having an appreciative audience."

"I remember the first time you caught me looking at your cleavage. If my memory serves me you said. Look much closer and they may just swallow you up. Yet despite that warning I wasn't able to tear my eyes away heck it seemed to glue them there."

"Actually, you remember the first time I caught you looking at my cleavage and I told you. I kept quiet for a while as honestly I worried you might start looking away."

"Why do I not find that to be the least bit surprising?. Actually, before you told me that I tried to keep from looking but well. It's awfully hard not to admire such a wonderful work of art."

"Then why aren't you admiring them now?"

"Well your face is very nice to admire as well."

"Okay Albert. I'm going to have to focus for these last few sets. Feel free to keep admiring though."

"Can and will do" as he spoke Albert adjusted his position so that he would have a good view of Lucy's cleavage whenever she leaned forward as well as a wonderful view of her stomach muscles when she leaned back. Lucy had long ago come to terms with the fact that people were going to stair at her but she had not become indifferent. Given how proud of her body Lucy was and that she had accepted people would look long ago she had began expecting people to look at her whether in fear, admiration hatred or any mixture of the three.

The inability of the situation had actually caused Lucy to develop a craving for such attention. This did not however help the media as apparently the craving was only met whenever the people where physically there and Lucy could see their reactions. She also tended to want this attention from certain sources at different times and for the moment it seemed she wanted it from Albert. For his part Albert had learned long ago that when Lucy wanted attention it was safest for everyone if she got it.

Despite knowing Lucy desired such attention as Albert watched her he couldn't help but feel she was seeking an abnormal amount. Lucy had always used her body to tease him and now that they were living together it only made sense it would increase. However, she'd really been working him over ever since they had started exercising together. He was glad to give her the attention she wanted but he still had to wonder just what was going on.

"Albert, let's go to the arm curls now. You can go first and then it'll be my turn. That way you can recover a bit for the bench press."

"Why aren't we doing them together?"

"Mm that would be kind of difficult. I would have to position my hand in a really awkward manner which could cause some problems."

"Okay. So how are we going to do this?"

"A bit differently then what I am. Go ahead and stand up." Even as Albert was standing up Lucy was extending her fingers so they had more room to work. She had also stood up and moved to stand behind him.

With Lucy standing behind him Albert had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen next. He still felt the need to ask though if only to let her know he was ready. "What's next?"

Before speaking Lucy took a step forward and pressed her breasts against Albert's back. She then reached around the front of him and took hold of his hands. "Well first you move your hands to your side like this." As she moved Albert's hand Lucy pressed her breasts more firmly into his back using the straitening of their arms as an excuse. "Now what you're going to do is curl your arms upward while I exert pressure on your hands to try and keep them down."

"You're not going to pin my arms are you?"

"Nope, I'll exert a constant pressure of no more then fifty five kilograms."

Giving a slight nod when Albert went to curl his arms he expected Lucy to move back. Instead he found the action forced her to press herself even more firmly against him. As she did he knew that he felt her nipples poking him in the back reminding him that she was effectively in her bra. His body responded instantly as his arms moved upward his penis pushed outward.

"Mm that is good Albert. Just keep your motions nice and steady." As Albert lowered his arms back down Lucy moved back ever so slightly causing her breasts to rub against his back.

Years of riding in Lucy's shirt pocket had at least helped prepare Albert for this situation to a limited extent. Though, he was grateful that he only had to deal with those wonderful breasts pressing into him on a relatively small scale. If he'd been pressed into her larger body's chest so that the whole of his back was engulfed by just one of Lucy's breasts he knew he'd be fully erect and aching by now.

Normally during such times he would try talking to Lucy to get his mind off the fact that he was pressed against more breasts flesh then most men would ever handle in their life. With Lucy in such a playful state at the moment he didn't know if that was possible. "So how am I doing?"

"You're doing very well for your first day. It's a bit of a road ahead but you haven't grumbled even once."

"I doubt that I would feel this way if I had to do this alone but so far I've enjoyed myself."

"That's good to know I've enjoyed myself as well though we aren't finished yet. I hope that you'll feel the same way the day after tomorrow. I won't be taking it as easy on you."

"As long as you're there to encourage me I'm sure that I can make it through. I just hope that I'm contributing to your exercise."

In response Lucy brought her head down close to Albert's neck and placed a gentle kiss on the side. "You are. Believe me you're making this far more enjoyable for me as well. I got in an extra set of reps just by thinking that you were watching me."

While Albert was able to speak calmly this was only due to much practice. In truth those warm lips hadn't helped his situation and he was seriously considering disposing of all his baggy shorts and trousers. "So after this, I hope you don't mind if I get cleaned up."

"I plan on taking a bath as well. Mm it looks like a set and a third might be all you have in you at this pressure."

Giving a slight nod Albert continued to grit his teeth and attempt to force Lucy's arm up but at last a sigh escaped him and he relaxed. "Yeah, I believe you're right."

Before Albert could walk away under his own power Lucy quickly took hold of his shoulders and lifted him off the ground. She then spun him around and proceeded to set him back down. Instead of setting Albert strait down though Lucy pulled him forward so that her breasts pressed into his chests and his penis just touched her thigh.

The moment he turned around Albert saw Lucy's smile. Her lips were parted revealing rows of perfectly strait pearly white teeth framed by her soft pastel lips. It was a sight that was beautiful and fearsome all at once as if a lover's tender welcome had merged with a lioness's snarl just before a pounce. With those eyes focused on him Albert had a very good idea of who the prey was. "Now it's your turn to watch me."

Once again Lucy's actions came faster then Albert could speak as she gave him a slight push. He stumbled backwards ever so slightly before ending up on his bottom in Lucy's palm. There was no protest on his part as he took in a deep breath. His heart raced as it pounded against the inside of his chest as Lucy proceeded to turn her back towards him showing off her wonderfully firm rear.

With her back to Lanresil Lucy curled the fingers of her larger body and pressed them against her hands on either side of her. As she went to bring her arms up the muscles in her back and arms were made to expand. She didn't need to see Albert to know that this had an affect on him as she felt him shift forward in her hand in order to get a better look.

Even as he moved closer Albert couldn't help but think of Lucy's smile. He had seen that smile before and there was most assuredly something predatory about it. More often then not it appeared whenever Lucy was about to repay someone for some injustice or when she had every intention of getting her way. There had been other times that he had seen it though which he tried to recall.

As he watched Lucy Albert felt there was something important that he was forgetting. Not in such a way that there was something he needed to do but something about Lucy. Unfortunately his penis was trying to do the thinking for him and its insight into the situation was of no help to him. "So what kind of muffins would you like?"

"Mm some strawberry and blueberry would be nice. How about you surprise me with the third treat?"

"Sure, how would you like me to make them?"

"The same way you like them, big, warm and soft." As she spoke Lucy turned to the side for just a moment giving Albert a side view of her breasts.

Giving a slight sigh Albert started to scoot back in hopes of getting himself to relax. He didn't get very far though as he felt something very big and warm behind him. He didn't need to look behind himself to know what had happened. While he had been trying to compose himself after being pushed down Lucy had brought her hand closer to her chest and now he had just scooted into her breasts.

"Careful Albert, you might have scooted off just then if I hadn't repositioned my hand."

It was impossible for Albert not to try something despite all his efforts to maintain his composure. "Thanks, so is there anything I can do to help you?"

"Mm, keep watching."

"Is that all you would like for me to do?"

"Mm yes it is. For now, just stay where you are and watch me. Let your arms rest and we can move onto the bench press."

The urge to stand up, embrace and kiss Lucy was nearly overwhelming Albert. Yet she had just told him all she wanted him to do was watch. This was far from what he wanted to hear. Yet it was what Lucy wanted him to do and he would do it. "You know your calves are wonderfully heart shaped and the way the muscles flex in your back when you lift upward is spectacular."

"MM please go on."

"I can't help but think about when we went swimming and the way that I climbed your hair then. Then my mind turns to thoughts of what if the body you held in your hand now was as great as your current body and how large that would truly make you. I bet you could make walking across your back quite an experience at that scale and with your level of muscle control."

"Mm when that day comes I'll have to let you find out."

"There is one thing I regret right now and that is the size of the bodies you use to exercise. It would be wonderful to see your body in action at a larger scale so that I could pay careful attention to even the tiniest details."

"In that case later on I'll have to put on a show for you. After I've finished working out you'll have to let me show you these muscles of mine at a greater scale."

"How would you do that?"

"I may have to use multiple bodies to work out but as I mentioned before all of them get the same effects. Once I am done my larger body will be just as pumped as the smaller."

In response to this Albert proceeded to move away from Lucy's breasts and to the side of her hand. He didn't look over the side of her hand to confirm what she had said but only to see with his own eyes. Upon looking over he quickly noted that her legs did indeed appear to be as pumped as those of her smaller body. "So is that why your hand has been warming up?"

"That's right. Okay quiet time again."

Nodding his head Albert turned away from Lucy's leg and away from her smaller body to focus entirely on her arm. The site of the muscles in Lucy's smaller body was quite impressive. However, seeing the muscles of her larger body showing the same amount of exertion was truly astounding. As Albert watched those muscles expanding he couldn't help but wonder how much strength was truly behind them.

Thinking of Lucy's strength did nothing to help Albert with his erection except keep him from thinking about it. Lucy's strength had never been a turn off for him as it might have been some but instead made her all the more appealing. "You've come a long way since we were kids. I can still remember working on that bridge at least the little bit I got to work on. You finished it before I could do much. Did I tell you I thought it would be neat to see you working on a real bridge so easily?"

Lucy didn't answer right away but took her time to consider what Albert had told her and what she would say. As she finished her last repetition she didn't turn to face Albert. "You know at the time when I finished that bridge on my own I thought I was only helping you but that wasn't it. At least that wasn't the main reason. Albert, you know that I'm horribly selfish right?"

For a moment Albert was just quiet as he looked at Lucy. "Lucy, you're anything but selfish. You're generous with your money, knowledge and power. If you were to only focus on acquiring wealth and power and not worry about the well beings of others this world would be a much bleaker place."

"Money, knowledge and power are three things I have in abundance Albert. If you were to consider how little of each I truly share you would realize how little it truly is. No Albert I'm a horribly selfish person and I'm especially selfish when it comes to something I need. When I finished that bridge for you I did it because I wanted the attention you'd have put into it. It took me a few years to realize that."

No words came to Albert's mouth as he considered what Lucy had just told him. Instead of speaking or approaching her smaller body he leaned to his side and proceeded to place a kiss on her palm and rub the bit of it he could with his hand. "You know I just can't find a way not to be happy about that."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she glanced over her shoulder at Albert and looked down at him with her larger body. "You know I'm just going to get worse as time goes on. There may come a time when I can't stand to have you giving attention to anything but me. Do you believe you can handle that?"

"It would be easier to give up the entire world then it would be to give up you."

Turning around Lucy proceeded to take a step towards Albert. "Just remember that you said that. Now let's move onto the bench press."

"Sure." As he spoke Albert started to rise up only for Lucy to quickly push his arm out from under him with her foot causing him to fall flat on his back. Before he could say anything Lucy had placed a leg on either side of him and proceeded to lower herself to her knees. A sharp gasp escaped Albert and he involuntarily thrust his hips upward the moment he felt Lucy's crotch come to settle down upon his stomach.

"I believe that it would be more fun to do it this way." As she spoke Lucy took hold of Albert's hands and repositioned them to his sides as if he was holding a barbell aloft. She then proceeded to lower herself down forcing his hands into the ready position and pressing her breasts into his chest.

For a moment Albert forgot everything he was doing as he felt Lucy's crotch pressing against his stomach, her breasts engulfing a good part of his head and her face above his. Due to her position on his stomach her face was further up then his but he was too used to looking up at Lucy to notice.

"Well come on Albert. Let's get started."

An attempt to shake himself out of his daze only resulted in Albert rubbing his face against Lucy's breasts and making her giggle. The smile he felt on his face was so wide that it was almost painful. Her words did have the desired affect though and he began to push up with his arms so that she was lifted off him. As her upper body moved away from him he felt her crotch press more firmly into his stomach.

"That's good Albert. Keep it nice and steady just like that." Lucy didn't use her arms to exert any pressure on Albert's hand. Instead she only changed the position of her arms when she was lifted upward or lowered to keep the force in the same direction. The actual resistance that Albert felt came from her weight and the use of her stomach muscles to exert pressure.

Each time Albert pushed Lucy up he felt her crotch rub against his stomach. As he did he wasn't sure if the wetness he felt was from his sweat or if she was becoming excited. He did know that he was plenty stimulated and had been beforehand. Now he didn't know how he we keeping control of himself. Lucy had told him that she just wanted him to watch and had yet to give him permission to touch however she didn't seem to have any issue with touching him.

It was difficult for Albert yet if Lucy wanted to be the one to touch him while he could not touch her he would wait. He wasn't sure where the resolve to control his body came from but he knew that he would wait. Even if it was exceptionally difficult not to kiss those breasts as they once again engulfed the lower portion of his face.

As she found herself settling down so that her breasts pressed against Albert's face once again Lucy slightly shifted causing her warm flesh to rub against him even more. "I bet you don't even know how many repetitions you've done so far."

There was no arguing with that as Albert looked into Lucy's eyes. He knew that he had done two so far but he couldn't be sure of how many past that. His mind had been elsewhere for a while now. "Um, were you counting?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy and she pressed her breasts more firmly into Albert's face so she could get close enough to leave a kiss on his forehead. "Yes I have been and you've done very well. It's amazing what a little company and motivation can do for one's performance isn't it?"

"Yeah, you just have to love motivation and extraordinarily wonderful company."

Slowly Lucy released her hold on Albert's hands by carefully removing one finger at a time. As she withdrew her arms though she didn't rise up but used her abdominal muscles to maintain her position as she looked into Albert's eyes. "You did very well for your first session Albert. Now you just relax while I do some bench presses of my own then we can go and get cleaned up."

Instead of speaking Albert just smiled as Lucy rolled off of him a sharp gasp escaping him as he felt her leg once again brush against his penis. A shadow came over both of them as Lucy moved her free hand above them and then extended two fingers. These fingers came to press down upon the hands of Lucy's smaller body. "So is this all the exercises you do?"

"Of course not, I typically swap out one or two exercises each session. Next time I may do butterfly curls instead of the normal type. I just thought this was a nice simple series of exercises to begin with. So don't get too comfortable doing a particular set."

"Ah I see. So am I going to be sore in a little while?"

"No, you're in good enough shape already so that shouldn't happen. Of course, if that were to happen I believe I could massage the soreness away. Mm yeah I think I know of a type of massage that would work wonders. At least it should loosen up most of the body."

************************************************************************

As Albert looked into the mirror he could hardly believe what he had forgotten and for how long. The session with Lucy the previous day had been a bit much for him and it had taken a cold shower and a few very vivid dreams for him to recall what he had forgotten. As they had exercised Lucy had become more and more predatory more direct. This wasn't as simple as someone loosening up as they become more comfortable but due to her awareness becoming more focused on her body.

It was something about her few knew about. As Lucy encouraged her body to become more powerful more of her mental abilities had to be devoted to its development. So that as Lucy had been exercising and encouraging her body to grow larger and stronger less of her awareness had been devoted to the world around her leaving her desires to take over.

She hadn't simply been behaving more predatory she had been more predatory then she normally was. In this state Lucy's concern for morality or the feelings of the world diminished considerably. So that when Lucy directed most of her awareness to her development Albert had come to term what was left as goddess Lucy. Goddess as she was a being unconcerned with the laws or desires of the world around her and entirely focused on what she desired and most assuredly what she needed.

To his knowledge Lucy had never gone all the way so that her awareness was entirely focused on her improvement but she did get close. Indeed for the most part Lucy kept most of her awareness focused on her improvement. A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he imagined what the general reaction would be if the fact that Lucy tended to only be operating at five percent of her true awareness with the rest focused on her body.

Given her behavior the other day though Albert knew she was operating at even less then that by the time they had finished. At best she was probably using one two hundredths of her actual awareness. This realization brought up two questions that Albert had yet to see answered and wasn't entirely certain he wanted answered. What happened whenever Lucy was entirely aware and what happened whenever her awareness was devoted entirely to her body?

"Albert, I know you won't be exercising today but would you mind joining me? I would like to have an audience again."

Even with the realization of the last few moments Albert's answer came naturally. "I'd love to. Just give me a moment to get something to drink." Even before he had taken a step towards the kitchen the phone ringing slowed Albert's progress. "And let me answer this."

An amused chuckle escaped Lucy. "Sure, it's from Phillips cell phone."

"So it's either Brad or Phillip. Okay." Making his way back into the bedroom Albert retrieved the cordless phone from besides the bed. "Hey man what is up?"

"Hey Albert, I'm surprised Lucy isn't answering the phone."

"Na, she gave me my own phone line whenever I moved in. She can monitor it but given what she can do that is a given. So what is up?"

"Well I was actually calling for Lucy I need to ask her to do me a favor. A rather big favor actually though this might work out better."

"Phillip, if this is going to be something that might piss her off you can forget me asking her. You know if I tried to act as a shield for anyone it would just make her more upset."

"OH hell no! Believe me Albert I know. I know. I don't believe this will piss her off it's just something that she might not be eager to do. You see I sort of fucked up. I promised I'd take Sandra to Crystal Lake and I meant to but I forgot to make the reservations. I really don't want to have to tell her I messed up so I was wondering if you and Lucy might come. I doubt anyone would turn her away."

"You weren't kidding when you said Lucy wouldn't like the idea. There is no way Lucy could go into that place at any of the scales she enjoys."

"I know. She would be less likely to turn you down especially if you indicated that you wanted to go."

"First of all I'm not going to fake something like that as honestly I'd rather go to the brink. Secondly Lucy would realize that I'm faking in an instant. She might even get upset that someone had tried to manipulate her. Phillip you should know better then to try to manipulate Lucy, you know how ill tempered she can be when someone insults something she takes pride in."

"You have a point. Fine, would you let me speak to Lucy and I'll ask her?"

"Yeah but it's a good thing you didn't wait any longer to call."

"Why do you say that?"

"Suffice to say that if you had waited any longer you would have been speaking to a very playful Lucy that is in no mental condition to do something she doesn't want to. Hold on a second." Letting out a slight sigh Albert made his way on into the kitchen and looked out the window. "It's for you Lucy."

Even though she knew everything that had been said Lucy chose not to speak up nor had she already made her decision. Instead she had resolved to let Phillip plead his case and see how she felt. Instead of going to retrieve a phone Lucy took over the signal "Okay I have it. How are you doing Phillip?"

It was one of those odd things about Lucy that she would pretend not to know something in order to let someone speak freely. As Phillips readied himself he resolved to take the direct path. "Lucy is there anyway that I could convince Albert and you to go to Crystal Lake with me and Sandra?

"I don't like the idea Phillip but I might be able to help out if you want to go. Perhaps I should call ahead."

"Come on Lucy. I know that you could get us in the door easily enough but do you really believe they'll be happy about me having you bully our way in? What kind of service do you think we'll get if you're not there?"

"Very good service if the owners know anything about me!"

A slight groan escaped Phillip. "Now I really wish I had made those reservations."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well if I had already made the reservations for four I would have more grounds to ask you to come."

"Meaning you want Albert and I to come. That's somewhat strange Phillip I would have believed you'd want to go with just you and Sandra."

"Actually, Sandra has wanted to talk to you again but I haven't been able to convince her to. You're still rather intimidating to her so I suggested that we could meet at place where you'd need to use one of your smaller bodies."

For a moment Lucy was quite as she considered what Phillip had just told her. "Okay Phillip. Why does Sandra want to speak to me again?"

"She thinks you're an interesting person Lucy just a little hard to talk to. So because we spend so much time hanging out together I thought it would be best if she came to know you well enough to be comfortable around you. Remember that I had to meet you first in the dining area to be really comfortable around you."

Refusal was the dominant thought on Lucy's mind but she kept her tongue still as she considered Phillip's request. As she considered the proposal she began to find some potential in it. "Phillip, this is going to cost you."

"So you'll do it then?"

"Yes, however don't believe for an instant that I enjoy it. I can however see at least one reason as to why I should. Just remember though this is going to end up costing you."

"You aren't going to do me like Brad, are you?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy in response to the question. "No Brad I was upset with. You're going to owe me a favor for this one. Don't worry though I promise that I won't pick anything too difficult. Though what is owed will ultimately depend on the level of frustration I end up having to cope with. This still seems odd to me. I'm not sure why you'd want me to get to know Sandra."

"Honestly she wants to get to know you and well. She feels that it is important that we get to know one another's friends, which is kind of difficult. As honestly I'm not very fond of some of her friends. However, that means it's either hanging out with them or getting her comfortable with you."

"I'll call Crystal Lake and tell them that I'll be arriving with a small group of friends. They should have one of the more private seating areas available."

"That'd be great. I have to say it seems a little strange to me. You don't mind using your smaller bodies at work."

"That is because very few people are there to see me and I don't see many people there. It actually frustrates me whenever someone comes to view me at a scale smaller then my true scale."

"You don't seem to take issue to using one of your smaller bodies around Albert."

"Like I said I take issue with someone viewing me as smaller then my scale truly is. Albert sees me at my true scale regardless of what body I'm in. Okay Phillip, you can meet us at Crystal Lake at eight thirty tonight."

"Huh? You already made the phone call?"

"Yes I did."

"I'll be seeing you later on in the day then."

A sigh escaped Lucy as the signal shut down and she glanced down at Albert. "We're going to be meeting Phillip and Sandra at Crystal Lake at eight thirty."

"You mean he actually managed to convince you?" As he looked at Lucy Albert noticed her lips part to reveal her teeth in a wicked smile. "Oh! I see. So did Phillip just make a devil's deal?"

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy. "I don't know if I would call it a devil's deal. Suffice to say that he agreed he would owe me a favor."

"If you're going to go through with this that must mean you have something in mind already. Mind telling me what it is?"

"Yes I do. You're just going to have to show some patience and wait. Until then how about you get yourself a cup of water and let me entertain you for a little while?" As she spoke Lucy opened the window to the kitchen and held her hand palm up just below it.

For a moment Albert was made to chuckle as while he retrieved a glass and field it with water he glanced down at his shorts. He remembered the lesson from the previous day and was staying away from the baggy clothing. "That sounds great. I hope Phillip really though this through before agreeing to owe you a favor. As the more I think about it the more I wonder what you could possibly have in mind. At the moment I'm drawing a blank on what he could actually do to repay you."

************************************************************************

Even if she preferred to use her smaller bodies Lucy had clearly designed the car with her comfort as well as others in mind. Currently she set in the passenger seat which had been lowered down to nearly floor level. The back seats had been folded upward allowing her to scoot back even further to accommodate as much of her as she could comfortably fit into the vehicle.

Albert for his part was driving though under protest at first. He had wanted Lucy to drive but had relented when he saw how the passenger seat was designed. The design feature had allowed Lucy to maintain a scale of three meters and while it was far from her favorite scale it seemed to content her to an extent. At least most people throughout history would have had to look up at her.

"You know Lucy we don't have to stay very long if you don't want to. You told Phillip that you would come not that you would stay around for very long."

"I know and believe me I've been thinking about just going inside saying hi and leaving. The thing is he's actually doing this in part for Sandra. Apparently she's wants to talk to me at a less imposing scale then the one I normally hold."

It was impossible for Albert not to laugh as he shook his head. "I don't mean to offend but honestly. I think you'd be less scary at three miles if you were happy then when you're grumpy even if you're only three meters tall."

A slight sigh escaped Lucy as she nodded her head. "Now if only the rest of the world would see it that way."

"Well maybe they would if you were to give a good demonstration of what you can do even when you restrict your size. I believe that throwing a tank through a building would get the point across."

At last Lucy was made to smile as she turned away from the window and looked at Albert. "Perhaps, that or find a way that I could lift an aircraft carrier without the metal simply deforming around me. Maybe I should focus on developing an alloy strong enough to withstand such strain in a focused area."

For a moment Albert turned to look at Lucy and try to guess if she was serious. He knew that she was strong and that to survive at the scale she normally held she had to be far stronger then even her scale revealed. However, he still had to ask. "Lucy, are you serious?"

"You're going to miss your turn."

Turning his attention back to the road Albert saw how right Lucy was and had to both break and turn hard to make the turn off. Once the vehicle steadied and they drove a little further Crystal Lake finally came into view. The establishment had received its name not due to any proximity to any bodies of water. Rather it was due to the fact that the majority of the building seemed to be made of crystalline structures so that it was said to be a lake of crystal itself.

As Albert pulled into the parking lot he glanced around for Phillip's car. It only took him a moment of searching to notice the vehicle. "It looks like they beat us here ahead of schedule. I wonder what the valet thought."

"I have a pretty good guess." A slight growl escaped Lucy as she tapped the door handle for a moment. "Hopefully whenever I step out of here he'll be surprised enough to forget about that."

"In that dress I'm sure he would be even if you weren't over three meters tall. I for one hope he doesn't push too hard on the accelerator or there is going to be quite a mess in a few moments." Even as he spoke Albert pulled the vehicle up to the entrance where a man in a red vest with a white shirt proceeded to open the door.

Well before he could reach in to help her out Lucy had already began the process of climbing out of the vehicle. First extending one leg out the door followed by the other, she then shifted her position to the side and slowly began to slide the seat forward the whole time slipping more of her out. The valet for his part had only stood near the doorway when Lucy's leg first reached out. As soon as he realized how much female was exiting that vehicle though he quickly retreated to a safer distance.

It was clear to Albert that the valet's reaction had helped Lucy to an extent. She seemed to perk up a bit the moment he backed away and she drew herself to her full height. The fact that he continued to keep a good deal of space between himself and Lucy as he made his way over to Albert only helped. "Good evening Sir and Madam. I will. May I see to your vehicle?"

Giving a slight nod Albert didn't wait for the valet to make his way around the car over to him but he quickly made his way around the front of the car and next to Lucy. "Sure thing" as he stood next to Lucy Albert held out the keys but extended his arm halfway. He knew that the valet wanted to keep his distance from Lucy and while Albert thought it was a little mean of him to make him approach her. The valet's reaction was also clearly good for Lucy's mood and if helping Lucy's mood meant he had to be a little mean Albert could live with it.

Albert's arm was only half extended but the valet's was fully extended as he took the keys from him. He then more ran then walked around the front of the vehicle causing Lucy to give a slight giggle. Reaching down she took hold of Albert's wrist and moved his arm so that it was as far around her waste as it could go and just above her rear.

Realizing what Lucy wanted Albert took hold of her waste the moment she released his arm and proceeded to lead them away for the car. As he did so he couldn't help but notice due to Lucy's height and their proximity to one another he really couldn't look up at her face without looking at the underside of her breasts. "Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah, I feel a bit better. Thanks for cheering me up."

"Always glad to amuse you at the expense of someone else." As Albert lead Lucy inside he wasn't surprised to find a waiter already standing in the doorway ready to receive them. He was rather certain the quick reception was for two reasons. Lucy had wealth and the sooner they got her seated the less she would unnerve their patrons.

"Good evening. I hope you don't mind but we prepared you a table away from the main dining areas. Your dining companions arrived just a short while ago and are already waiting for you."

"That is fine. Please lead on."

While Albert walked along side Lucy and took a moment to look around he couldn't help but let out a slight sigh. He hadn't told Lucy but such an establishment really wasn't suited to his taste. He had been honest when he told Phillip that he preferred the Brink. However, he didn't realize that he had sighed until Lucy spoke up.

"Is something wrong Albert?"

Glancing up at Lucy Albert's first thoughts was to say no but realized that it wouldn't due to lie about the situation. "I'm just thinking of what I'm going to order."

"Huh, that didn't sound like the type of sigh one gives when they're thinking of eating. Unless they don't believe they'll be able to find anything to their liking."

"Lucy, this place serves raw fish eggs. I'm hardly the type that regularly eats that stuff."

"Have you ever tried them before?"

For a moment Albert shook his head. "No. I can't say I have but I still don't like the concept. I'm a little worried that I won't be able to find anything to my liking."

"Well if you don't like your first order just tell me and we'll get you something else. Even if I have to go through the whole menu we'll find something you like. Mm actually perhaps that is what we should do. How about I just order everything on the menu and you can try a bit of everything until you find something you like? Then I'll just take care of the rest."

"Huh, well I'm sure the owners wouldn't mind that plan but it seems a bit extravagant."

"So? It isn't like I can't afford it."

"Mm I'd still feel like I was wasting."

"What giving me an excuse to eat a lot is a waste?" As she spoke Lucy turned so that Albert's arm came undone and proceeded to glance down at him. This meant that he was more looking at her chest and couldn't actually look at her face without stepping back due to their proximity and her breasts.

At least this time Albert knew Lucy wasn't actually angry, still he backed away so that he could see her face. "No. Alright then, order one of everything and I'll just keep trying stuff until I find something that I like. Then you can take care of the rest. I hope you don't end up getting something you hate though."

"The odds of that happening are pretty slim. You know I tend to like most foods even a few things that you wouldn't even consider food at least not under most circumstances."

"Okay, but if you don't like it you could make Phillip eat it."

To this Lucy gave a quick nod and turned to the side. Reaching down she once again placed Albert's arm on her waste. "You know I could! Fatten him up a little bit."

He didn't need to look around to know that Lucy's comment had just gotten the attention of everyone within ear shot. Instead of making him look away though it made him smile and look up at Lucy. Before he could comment the waiter finally spoke up. "Um Madam, Sir please follow me this way."

Phillip smiled as he looked at the vast dining area. The large room was normally reserved for large corporate gatherings but tonight it would only have four occupants. That left plenty of room to move around and lots of elbow room on the table. "Wow, I figured they'd set us somewhere private but this is a bit more then I expected." Even as he spoke Phillip couldn't help but recall his conversation with Lucy that morning. She had told him she didn't like people seeing her as smaller then she truly was. It was enough to make him wonder if she had obtained that room intentionally.

As Phillip was looking around Sandra reached a hand under the table and ran her fingernails lightly over his pants legs to get his attention. "Thanks for taking me out this evening and for inviting Lucy and Albert."

"No problem. It would be nice if we could all hang out together."

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind having to go through all of this for me. It's just she is kind of imposing to talk to whenever her thumb is taller then you are."

"Don't worry I know the feeling. Just well, I don't believe she'll be willing to do this again for a while."

The sound of a door opening stopped Sandra from responding and both she and Phillip turned to see Albert and Lucy led into the room. "Hey Albert, Lucy I'm glad the two of you could make it." Words didn't need to be spoken for Phillip to read the smile on Lucy's face. He suddenly felt certain that his statement should have been withheld until he found out the favor Lucy was going to ask.

Once Lucy and Albert had been seated the waiter finally spoke up. "So, here are your menus and I'll be back in a little bit to take your orders."

"That won't be necessary." As she spoke Lucy glanced over at the waiter noting that she was still somewhat taller then him even while seated. Fortunately for the chair it was oversized to accommodate nearly anyone so Lucy didn't break it when she set down. "I want one of everything on the menu."

For a moment the waiter just looked at Lucy. She was truly massive but the idea of someone of her scale being able to eat everything on the menu still seemed outside the realm of reason. "Um are you sure madam?"

"Quite sure, I'm in an experimental mood today." Even as she finished speaking Lucy gave a slight sigh. She didn't bother mentioning that she also wanted something to do while she was forced to interact at such a small scale.

"Very well, then has everyone else decided what they want?"

Once again Lucy spoke before anyone else could. "Not unless two of them want the same thing as the other."

After a minute of silence in which no one spoke up the waiter gave a slight nod. "I see then. I will inform the chef."

In response to the waiter's stunned expression a sight chuckle escaped Phillip. "He wouldn't be surprised in the least if all of you were here." Nearly the moment the words left his mouth Phillip knew that he had made a mistake as he noticed Lucy looking at him. Clearly this wasn't the time to be talking about where the rest of her was.

In his mental state the waiter hadn't thought to take up the menu which was just as well as Albert took his time to browse. After a short silence he spoke up. "Lucy, I hope you don't mind but I'm afraid I'm going to have to take your stake."

"Which one do you have in mind?" As she spoke Lucy leaned over to see the menu even though she had one in front of her. This placed her head just above Albert's and caused her breasts to brush against him ever so slightly.

Instead of trying to pronounce the name Albert proceeded to place a finger next to the image. "That one looks pretty good and if the picture is right I don't see any ingredients I don't recognize."

"Ah, I see. You're welcome to try it but I don't know if you're going to want that one. You may think you recognize those peppers but I don't remember you having ever tried them."

"Aren't they regular red peppers?"

"I believe that I might have said too much already. So Phillip, Sandra did we keep you waiting long?"

To this question Sandra spoke up. "Oh no, we just arrived a short while ago ourselves."

"I see. So Phillip here tells me that you're having trouble talking to me when more then a small amount of me is here. I know this might be hard to believe but for the vast majority it's actually safer to be around most of me then a little bit."

For a moment Sandra said nothing as she took in what Lucy had said. Phillip had informed her that having Lucy limit her scale might make her irritable and it seemed he was right. "Yeah, Phillip told me as much. It's just that I thought it might be easier to get to know you as a person when I didn't have to look so far up at you."

There was no need for Albert to look up at Lucy to know that Sandra had just made a mistake. Realizing that if he didn't speak up soon Lucy was going to really put Sandra on edge he chose to voice his thoughts. "Sandra, there is no getting to know Lucy as a person if the only way you can interact with her is when she's only partly there. After all to know someone as a person don't they all have to be present?"

"Well. You do have a point. Yeah I can see that."

No one spoke for five minutes though Sandra and Phillip did exchange several glances. As the silence extended past the five minute mark though Lucy spoke up. "All well. I'm here like this now so we might as well make the most of it. So Sandra what is your major?"

To this Sandra gave a slight start. "Oh. I'm studying the communication and joining of nervous systems such as those found in the symbiotic life forms developed by InCon."

"Or like the most advanced one in the world. Mine." As she finished speaking Lucy gave a toothy smile and proceeded to lean forward on the table. "So is there anything you want to ask me about that?"

At first Sandra said nothing but proceeded to take in a deep breath of air and sip some of the water before her. "Well. Actually, yes I would."

"Go right ahead then."

Ever since she had met Lucy Sandra had wanted to question her. However, she had envisioned a far more casual, safe and comfortable situation. She had hoped it would be a situation that didn't leave her feeling as if she were only a few words away from death. "Well I'm sure that you know about the threshold of awareness."

Before Sandra could continue Lucy spoke up. "Yeah, the human awareness is like water and the body serves as the cup. If you suddenly expands the cup by enhancing the body either physically or improving sensory reception the cup expands. The water must then expand to fill the new space. For small enhancements this isn't a problem but as the cup grows larger eventually the water can no longer fill it. At this point the awareness is in danger or fading away leaving a vegetable. Even before that threshold they are dangers such as the awareness not being able to control the body's biological functions such as heart beat."

"Yeah, the thing is most people can only handle being enhanced thirty five to forty six times their natural level. But you, you're so far beyond that. Does having the awareness of the symbiot inside of you let you get around this limitation?"

"No. There is no way around the threshold of awareness."

Once again Sandra grew silent as she looked at Lucy. For a moment she just bit down on her lower lip but then willed herself to speak. "Then how did you? I mean you're so far beyond what anyone has managed to reach."

"It's simple really. My awareness is strong enough to handle this body. That's all there is to it."

"How is that possible though? You're so far beyond anything that has been seen!"

Before she spoke Lucy reached out with her hand and placed it on Albert's shoulder. "I'm strong and becoming stronger everyday both through my own efforts and through those that nurture me. Sandra the general concept is that someone's awareness is finite and they can do nothing to change it. That isn't true though. Your awareness is just like your body in that it can become stronger. You just have to learn how to nurture it and have the right tools and food at your disposal."

"Food? You mean like drive?"

"No! Drive is an abomination that should have never been produced."

"Then how do you develop and feed your awareness?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "There isn't a simple answer to that Sandra. I can however tell you how I do it. Do you want to here?"

"Yes! Pleas!"

Lucy's response wasn't immediate but instead she proceeded to take a moment to glance over at Albert. As she turned back towards Sandra a slight chuckle escaped her. "They are different ways to strengthen one's resolve however I find desire to be the most effective method. I desire power and the more power I have the more I desire. I desire this power just to have it yet I desire it for other reasons as well. I desire power to protect those I care for, I desire power so that I may enrich their lives and I desire power because they wish me to become as much as I can be."

At first Sandra said nothing but seemed to try to judge if Lucy was being honest or not. When she did speak it seemed reluctant. "But don't you have enough power for that already?"

"Some may think that but they would never get me to agree. When you care about something you want to protect that something don't you?"

"Well yes."

"The more you care about that something or someone the more you want to protect them and the more you want to bless them. So that the more I care the more I desire. By taking this desire and turning it into resolve it is possible to strengthen ones awareness. It is this nurturing of my awareness that allows me to continue to exist even within this body." A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she leaned back in her seat slightly. "Of course, this requires a certain mind set."

Sandra had perked up whenever Lucy had offered to explain the method she used to her. As she had listened though she'd begun to slump in her seat so that when Lucy had finished she seemed drained as if a great hope had just been dashed. After some time had passed though she took in a deep breath and set up in her seat and turned to Phillip. "So do you think you ever contribute to this desire?"

"Mm you know I don't know. Hey Lucy do I?"

"Well maybe in the same way that a thimble of water contributes to the ocean."

"Hey! Didn't you say those that you cared for helped to strengthen your resolve?"

It was impossible for Lucy to keep herself from giggling as she noted the expression on Phillip's face. "Now there is no need to feel insulted. That doesn't mean I don't care a great deal for you. It just means there is someone that I care about a great deal more then you."

"Yeah that is true."

Before she spoke Sandra once again placed her hand on Phillip's leg. "Besides, I believe that whomever you're seeing would prefer if she got that encouragement instead."

Before she spoke Lucy removed her hand from Albert's shoulder and glanced behind herself. "The salads are here. It looks like you all have quite a variety to choose from. Which one do you want Albert?"

"Is there a chef's salad?"

"Yes."

"I'll just take that."

Even before the waiters had began to unload the treys Lucy reached out and quickly retrieved Albert's plate and set it down before him. Upon setting Albert's plate down she quickly retrieved one that came in a large bread bowl. "I just love these things."

"Oh, what do you like most about them?"

Well before Lucy could respond to Sandra Albert spoke up. "It's the edible bowl. That's all there is too it."

"Hey I happen to think that it's cute!" An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she tore away part of the side bowl and tossed it into her mouth.

"If no one minds may I have the shrimp?"

"Sure go ahead Sandra and which one do you want Phillip?"

"I'm not really into salads myself. I believe I'll just wait for some of the main courses to arrive."

In response to Phillips comment Sandra retrieved a second as well as her own and set it down before him. "You need your vegetables as well so eat up and no complaining. That has some diced up steak in it. So Lucy, Phillip has told me a good deal about you and Albert is there anything you want to tell me about him?"

"Mm I believe that he has some hidden masochist tendencies."

In response to Lucy's comment Phillip quickly looked up from his salad. "Huh? How the hell do you get that?"

"Well our conversation on the phone is the most recent event that helped strengthen my suspicions."

A low groan escaped Phillip as he shook his head. "That wasn't me being a masochist. It was the only way I could think of to convince you to agree."

"Initially I was going to tell you no but then I realized there is one thing you can help me with."

"I have a feeling that I'm not going to like it but what is it?"

"You will have to wait to find out. Phillip, here is a nice guy even though he has been known to conform his behavior for a limited time just to get a woman into bed. I don't believe you're one of these cases though."

"Oh and what makes you believe that?"

"The very same thing that I used as proof that he is a masochist."

"Well I'll have you know that we've already slept together."

"I see. Then were you either exceptionally good in bed or he's truly quite fond of you. So Phillip what makes you so interested in Sandra?"

"Well she is quite a terrific person and she is indeed very good in bed." A wide grin formed on Phillip's face as he glanced over at Sandra. "She's also got me to rethinking my major though I don't believe that is intentional. Lately she's been telling me a lot about the bonds between neurological systems."

In response to this Lucy looked away from her salad and focused on Phillip. "Hey I've told you plenty about that and you never seemed to be considering changing your major."

"I know it's just well."

"It's just that I'm not Sandra." An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she noted the look on Phillip's face. "Okay what have the two of you been talking about lately?"

"Mostly we've been talking about the threshold of awareness, what could be done if you could get around it and the different theories of how people may be able to get around it."

"I very rarely say that something can't be done but well. I wouldn't put any confidence in those theories and I'm very certain that there is no way around the threshold of awareness."

"I know I was listening. What about two separate nervous systems to control one body though? I know that most people can only stand being enhanced from thirty five to forty six times but what about linking the awareness's of two separate people while only fully enhancing one of their bodies?"

At first Lucy just looked at Phillip. Given that this was the first time he had expressed such an interest even she was a little stunned. After a moment of silence she spoke up. "That has the potential to allow one of the person's to wield far greater power then what is normal though it wouldn't be strait forward. Both would have to have their bodies modified to allow such a link.

This would serve to exhaust some of each person's awareness right from the start so the enhanced would maybe have eighty percent of both of their potentials. That isn't certain though as it would depend on how well the awareness of each person worked together. They are also several risks to be considered."

"Would they be similar to the risk of the eighth step symbiot?"

"Yes and a whole host of new ones. One situation I should point out right away is if one of the person's awareness happens to consider the other as nothing more then food to be consumed. Had I been that way with symbi she would have responded by trying to consume me in turn resulting in both of our deaths. This could similarly happy with two humans that were linked and well the results wouldn't be pretty for either of them."

"Are they any other concerns?"

"Phillip, if I went into all the concerns it would take me all day. I guess the second dominant one is if the awareness of either person grows tired of the other. They would end up trying to reject one another and eventually end up destroying the link. This would mean one awareness is in a body that it can't handle in the least and it would either kill the body or the awareness would evaporate leaving a husk. The over person wouldn't be safe either as the immediate back lash from their extended awareness suddenly being cut off could kill them. Even if they lived there would be a large amount of damage."

Now Sandra spoke up. "So you're saying it can't be done?"

"No. I'm saying that it's dangerous for both people involved and should be carefully considered. It is however impractical for commercial or even military use. As while the person would be greatly augmented they still could only handle four to eight strongly augmented tops. Given the difficulty of finding people that could form such a bond, the cost of production and the inevitable loss of live it's just not worth the price."

"At least it isn't worth the price on a large scale but on an individual level it may be."

To this Lucy gave a quick nod. "Yes it may. However, it still isn't a strengthened awareness or a strengthening one. Such a process is going to have limits and they're going to be reached very quickly."

"That would still make the person second only to you though even if that is a large gap."

For a moment Lucy was made to giggle. "While I appreciate the complement that isn't certain they are some people whose awareness is very strong. To cases I can think of right away are Meredith and Alex."

"Huh? Who are they?"

"They're two of InCon's employees and that just drive me up the wall. I've been waiting for them to leave the company so I could hire them but they seem fairly content in their testing position."

"Oh yeah, that is the two women that my dad had over for Christmas last year. Why don't you just tell them you want them to come and work for you? I'm sure you could convince them to leave InCon."

A sigh escaped Lucy as she turned to Albert. "I know but I would feel a little guilty about doing that. InCon was always strait forward with me."

"That is true." Giving a slight shrug Albert took a moment to glance down at Lucy's salad. "Hey when did you start on that one?"

For a moment Lucy was made to giggle. "I've been through four of them already and you're just noticing I finished my starting salad now?"

"How did you do that? You've been talking most the time."

"I'm very good at controlling my tongue and I have a big mouth. Plus I don't have to really chew my food if I don't want to. My stomach can process concrete easily."

Realizing that the conversation was getting off subject Phillip spoke up. "Who are Meredith and Alex and what about them?"

Turning back to Phillip Lucy gave a shrug. "They are just what I said. They are two employees of InCon who both work on the development of new symbiotic life forms. The awareness of either woman is quite exceptional though. They actually help develop the symbiot life forms InCon produces but I've also seen them test new ones for which the strain on one's awareness was unknown."

"Do you really believe their awareness may surpass a unified awareness?"

"I honestly wouldn't be surprised. I've seen them control systems that would leave most people in comas if not dead."

For a moment everyone's attention turned to Albert as he gave a slight chuckle. Upon realizing that everyone was looking at him he saw fit to speak up. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something my father told me."

To this Lucy seemed truly curious as she turned to face Albert entirely. "Which is?"

"It isn't anything much. He just said that if he didn't have my mom he'd be pursuing them like a starved wolf."

"Oh come on Albert. That can't be his exact wording what did he say?"

"Okay. Okay. The actual wording was. Son I swear if I didn't fear your mother's anger so very much I wouldn't be able to keep away from those two."

Once again Lucy was made to giggle as she turned back to her food. "Your mother can be quite frightening. I imagine especially to your father."

"Yeah you're right about that one. I didn't know you were keeping your eye on the two of them though."

Before Lucy could respond Sandra spoke up. "So do you have any idea of how they got to that point?"

"Resolve in both of their cases really. That and a confidence in their abilities and who they are that I very rarely see of course resolve and confidence often walk hand in hand."

After a moment of munching on his by now half eaten salad Phillip spoke up. "You know it seems kind of silly how we've been talking about this like it's impossible to strengthen ones awareness. You said it yourself that the notion that it can't be done is mistaken."

To this Lucy gave a quick nod. "That is correct and it doesn't have to be a painful process either though it sure can be. Actually, on many levels it can be quite pleasurable if one feeds on the right nourishment."

***********************************************************************

"I swear I thought my tongue would never stop tingling." A sigh escaped Albert as he climbed into the driver's seat and buckled himself up.

Lucy wore a large grin on her face as she carefully climbed into the passenger's seat and glanced over at Albert. "It's a good thing that they also included one of every type of drink."

To this Albert gave a quick nod. "The roasted duck was good though I still wish you had warned me about those peppers. I have to say though I would have preferred a roasted chicken or turkey."

In response Lucy gave a slight shrug. "We are most comfortable eating what we've grown up with really so that will always be your preference most likely. No matter how tasty an expensive item maybe it will never have that level of familiarity that something your mom or dad might have made for you does."

As Albert drove out of the parking lot he gave a slight shrug. "I think that waiter was still trying to figure out where you were putting all that food."

"Yeah he wouldn't have bothered with that at if all of me had been present. Then again he probably wouldn't have wondered if he knew how quickly I could digest whatever I've ate or how much these muscles of mine can compact materials."

Before he responded verbally Albert gave a quick nod in agreement. There wasn't time for him to speak his mind though as they made their way through an intersection. He simply wasn't able to speak quickly enough or see the expression on Lucy's face as she looked out the passenger side window.

Relative to her scale Lucy tended to move as quickly as a human. So that in the same time a human could fully extend her arm so could she. This meant she was moving much faster then human though and had developed a reaction time to keep up with that. Her rate of thought was even faster so she had plenty of time to notice the massive semi heading strait towards them and feel her heart rate speed up.

When she had built Albert's car she had made it with safety in mind but as she looked at the massive truck she knew it would be testing those limits. Given its speed she felt certain it was traveling at least one hundred and sixty five kilometers an hour. Instantly Lucy was made to be grateful that she was on the passenger side however that was still a lot of energy.

First instincts were to ram her feet through the floor bored and through the concrete below so that the massive truck would have to go through her first to get to Albert. This was a bad idea though as she knew Albert would still be forced to a sudden stop when she stopped both vehicles which could be just as damaging. She was fast enough and strong enough to get Albert out but once again the speeds would have been damaging to him.

As Lucy settled on a plan of action she moved towards Albert her massive form easily snapping the seat belt that would have held her in place. Her arms went around Albert though she was careful not to touch him and her foot slammed through the floor bored of the car though she didn't press it into the pavement. As her arms began to close around Albert she slowed their speed so not to injure him as she worked to shield him as best she could with such a small body.

Everything happened too fast for Albert to really realize what was going on. He more felt Lucy's arms coming around him then saw and there was time enough for him to hear her seat belt snap but not think about it. A massive roar took over everything and a sudden sharp impact as the massive vehicle slammed into the car forcing them to accelerate to the side.

Lucy felt the semi slam into them she instantly pressed her feet into the ground destroying her shoes in a moment. She would have preferred to negate the impact entirely by stopping the semi but that would have meant stopping Albert's forward velocity cold. So that instead she worked to reduce the force from the side impact and slowly release the energy from their forward momentum.

Even before Lucy's smaller body had taken hold of Albert Lucy's larger had quickly rose to her feet. By the time the impact had occurred she'd already dashed out the main door of her home not carrying that in her haste she had destroyed the lock. The ground was not spared either as Lucy didn't bother slowing her foot steps before placing them on the ground. The shockwaves generated by her massive foot steps would destroy far more then what her feet touched but she didn't care at the time.

When she had built the vehicle Lucy had made it very sturdy. The doors and windows could have easily halted most bullets. However, it wasn't truly meant to endure such a large vehicle slamming into the side at such high speeds. So Lucy wasn't truly surprised whenever she felt her side of the vehicle caving in towards her. This had been the primary reason she had wrapped around Albert. She would have wanted the vehicle to be wrapped around her while she was wrapped around him.

As they were forced further along Lucy wasn't certain of what condition the driver of the semi was in and she really didn't care. What she cared a great deal about was that whoever was driving didn't seem to have pressed the breaks yet.

While he had been shaken up a bit too much to think clearly Albert was very certain something bad was happening. So as the sound of bending metal died down and the two vehicles lost energy he became more aware of his surroundings. By the time Lucy drove her feet into the concrete he was aware enough to notice the loud crack.

With their forward momentum essentially lost at least to the point that Lucy believed it was tolerable she wasted no time driving her feet into the ground. This turned her from movable object to as solid as a concrete wall and brought both vehicles to a sudden stop.

It was only when Albert felt Lucy's arms moving away from him and the sound of bending metal that he spoke. "Ouch." Without Lucy wrapped around him any longer Albert went to rub the parts of his body that were in the most pain.

"Don't move Albert! I haven't gotten to check you out yet!"

There was no sudden motion on Albert's part despite his surprise at Lucy's tone. His body was simply too sore for him to move very much. He did however turn his head to see what Lucy was doing as he heard the sound of metal bending. What he found was that Lucy had to push back a massive sheet of crushed alloy just to stand up.

Far more then just foot prints was left behind as Lucy's feet slammed into the ground. Due to her mass and the speed with which her feet met the earth the energy behind the impacts left a crater instead of a foot print each one having a radius of at least fourteen meters depending on the strength of the ground they impacted with. This city felt the affects like a bombing run moving right up the main street. The impacts forced cars parked on the side of the road into the side walks and smaller cars impacted with the sides of buildings.

All the windows were broken along the street except for the strange anomaly that managed to hold itself together and telephone wires were shown no concern. The only thing that received any consideration from Lucy at the moment was people and that was only because part of her was already tending to Albert. So that as she would dash by a person who fell within the danger zone she would slow her motion just enough to avoid seriously maiming them as she ran by.

She did not care however that a few of them ended up tossed into the air and most likely badly bruised. For the moment she had other concerns and if they were so curious about what was coming up the road they could pay for it. Fortunately the majority of people knew to get off the road. They were all aware of Lucy's presence and most had sense enough to realize what the sound that seemed to be explosions and the shuddering earth meant.

As Lucy pilled the metal away from herself and Albert she carefully examined him. While externally all he had was some bruises internally was another matter. "Albert, I'm going to need you to stay very still. You have well you've been injured quite badly and I need to get you home quickly. "

"How bad is it?"

"If your injuries go untreated they will most likely kill you though not within the immediate hour. I'm going to have to give you something to help you recover."

In response Albert started to nod his head only to end up gritting his teeth as a javelin of pain shot through him. "Ouch."

A sigh escaped Lucy as she noted Albert gritting his teeth and his rate of breathing going up even as ouch left his lips. She knew it was more then an ouch he had just felt. "I said don't move! I wasn't joking." As she spoke Lucy reached down and took hold of his seat belt. She chose to use both hands to snap the material to avoid hurting Albert anymore then he was.

After tossing the broken straps to the side she carefully lifted Albert from the vehicle. Loud cracks could be heard as she pulled her legs free from the ground and stepped out of the crushed metal that was once a car.

At her current scale Lucy could cradle Albert fairly affectively though not as if he was a baby. Fortunately this level of difference wasn't needed for her to keep from aggravating his injuries more. With his head resting against her breasts he couldn't help but notice a slight breeze though he couldn't see anything as his eyes focused on Lucy's chest and face. "Are we moving?"

"Yes. I'm going to meet up with my larger body and then I'll get you home and taken care of." Albert hadn't notice Lucy beginning to move as she had been careful to keep the acceleration constant and slow. She was also forced to limit the velocity with which she moved due to the method in which she had to carry Albert. Fortunately the majority of her was already near by.

One thing Lucy was grateful for about making such an entrance was she felt certain the roads would be nice and clear when she met up with her main body. There might be some people examining the craters but she hoped they would notice her returning and realize they needed to get back. It was fortunate for several buildings and a good deal of the road that Lucy chose to use her smaller body to carry Albert to the rest of her. If she hadn't a good deal more would have been damaged.

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"Are you going to give me a medical symbiot?" A sigh escaped Albert as he noted the change in the sky above due to them entering Lucy's home.

"No. I have something else in mind to strengthen you and besides. Albert I really don't want a standard medical symbiot put inside of you even for a little while." As she spoke Lucy drew some flesh from her main body and began to use it to make the smaller larger.

Even as she had carried him back Lucy had used one of her smaller bodies to help hold Albert steady and keep him company. He was still surprised though when he noted Lucy adding more of herself into her smaller body so that it grew larger instead of absorbing it back into the main body. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just adjusting my scale some so that this will be easier."

"Huh, if you're going to give me something wouldn't it be easier with a smaller body."

Despite Albert's injuries Lucy couldn't help but giggle. "No. Not this time." As her body grew, Lucy quickly worked to remove her dress though she didn't bother removing her bra or knickers. The material had been designed to stretch enough so that she didn't need to and the bra wouldn't be on for very long anyway. "I have something very special for you that will help you recover."

As Albert lie there he wasn't certain what to say and he couldn't think too clearly. It had been manageable at first but as time had gone by he had found the pain increasing. Despite that he wasn't in so much pain that he couldn't appreciate the site before him as Lucy came to stand what he imagined to be four and a half meters tall. He was surprised though when she reached behind herself and removed her bra.

It would have been nice to put on more of a show for Albert but at the moment Lucy had other concerns. Upon removing her bra she gave it a quick toss to the side and once again picked him up. With her height nearly doubled he was now the size of a small baby to her. "Okay Albert this might seem a little strange but I'm going to need you to let me breast feed you."

Nearly the moment the words reached his ears a look of surprise appeared on Albert's face. "Huh?"

Even if he was injured Lucy couldn't help but chuckle as she noted the look Albert gave her. "Albert, trust me. This will help you recover a whole lot quicker and you won't be in the danger zone anymore. Now open up." As she spoke Lucy lifted Albert to her chest and began to position him so that his mouth was next to her right nipple.

Despite the proximity to Lucy's chest Albert couldn't help but ask. "Lucy, are you serious?"

"Yes Albert. I'm very serious and no you won't just be sucking on my nipple or drinking milk. Well no you will be drinking my milk but trust me when I say that it isn't like anything you'll find anywhere else. You know how advanced my body is. Now if you stop and think that breast milk is meant to nurture then apply that level of advancement to it what do you really think my milk is like?"

At first Albert moved to do as he was told but stopped short as he glanced up at Lucy. "Are you certain?"

"Albert, either you start suckling or pretty soon you're going to be in a lot worse pain." Even before Albert could respond Lucy tightened her grip on him ever so slightly forcing his face against her breasts.

While his injuries were starting to hurt more Albert doubted that was what Lucy was talking about when she said he'd be hurting more. Even if he wasn't certain of exactly what was going on he was certain that he didn't want to push Lucy any further on this matter. So with no other comments he locked his lips around Lucy's nipple and began to suck. Her body responded almost immediately as he felt a warm liquid entering his mouth.

"That's good Albert. I know we just ate so you have a full belly but drink as much as you can." As she spoke Lucy used her larger body to pick up the smaller and set the smaller in the lap of the larger.

Even while he was suckling Albert wasn't certain what was going on. One thing he did notice though was that after a few minutes his pain began to die down yet at the same time he started feeling very tired. It didn't seem like a good idea to stop suckingto question Lucy but it turned out he didn't need to. His questioning gaze seemed to be all that Lucy required.

"I said that it would help you recover didn't I? You haven't drunk enough for my milk to heal you entirely but your body has already begun the repairs at an accelerated rate. Don't worry, you're not in any danger but you will start feeling very sleepy. If you want to close your eyes go ahead. You don't need to fight your sleep."

For a moment Lucy lifted Albert slightly higher and brought her head forward to give him a quick kiss on his forehead. This was the first time she had ever tried to breast feed him but it wasn't the first time that she had wanted to. She had actually been considering different methods to approach him about the concept but hadn't settled on a method. This event had given her the perfect chance but now she found that she had a problem.

Once the pain had died down enough and he started feeling more tired then sore Albert also began to note the taste of Lucy's breast milk. It wasn't like any milk he had tasted before though there were similarities. Hers was far sweeter though and indeed much more to his liking. He might have drunk with less vigor though if he had noticed how Lucy was looking at him and how much she was enjoying herself.

Had Albert not been injured Lucy knew that more would be happening that night but even with her milk he would need time to heal. Fortunately her concern for his safety could easily override pleasure though at the moment it was one of the few things that could. As she noted Albert's eyes closing she began opening links to various services including a few constructions and insurance companies. It would be best if she began repairing the damage she had caused before anyone showed up to ask her about it.

There was another concern on Lucy's mind as well. She had left long before the police could arrive though it probably had taken them longer to arrive due to her run through the city. Still, they would make their way to the accident soon enough and she was intent on finding out who the driver of the vehicle was and what condition they were in before they had plowed into them. Given how quickly she had brought them to a stop she was quite certain that anyone inside of the vehicle was dead at this point but they were still things she wanted to know.

With his pain fading away and his body recovering Albert felt more and more exhausted. He didn't need to think much about what he was doing though as he continued to suck Lucy's nipple. It seemed like his body didn't require any prompting from his conscious mind to continue. It didn't take long for him to begin feeling very full though as the meal from just a few minutes ago and now Lucy's milk quickly filled him.

As time went on Albert's suck became more of a lick as he relaxed more in Lucy's arm. When he was only taking in a few drops of milk at a time Lucy finally pulled him away from her chest. As she did so she noted a tingling in her nipple and would have liked to press him back to it but knew that wasn't happening. He was too tired and at the moment a little too full to continue suckling.

Once again Lucy lifted her smaller body but this time moved it to her chest. Using her free hand she parted her cleavage while her smaller body slipped Albert between the massive flesh walls. She then slowly relaxed the force that held her breasts apart until Albert was held snuggly between them and began to strip the clothing from her smaller body so she could absorb it into herself.

Even though she was confident that her milk would do the trick she wasn't about to let Albert out of her site for the moment. If something went wrong she wanted to have as much of her there as possible. With Albert securely tucked between her breasts Lucy stood up and made her way into her bedroom. There was no movement towards her bed though as she changed into a pair of shorts and what was to her a t-shirt.

Roy was far from thrilled as he noted the ground once again beginning to shake. He had been called shortly after Lucy's sprint through the city and was now working on examining the damage. At the moment they were mostly checking for those that had been injured. Given the scale of the damage he was quite amazed that so far they hadn't found any corpses. He worried that might change though as he heard the massive impacts indicating the giantess's return.

There was a great wave of relief amongst the entire crew as the giantess came into view and they realized she was only walking not running this time. There wouldn't be any additional craters or injured it seemed. This relief was diminished though when everyone realized she was coming towards them.

Not wanting to risk anyone panicking Roy stood up and proceeded to walk towards Lucy though at a much slower pace then she came towards them. "Pardon me miss, but would you mind telling me why you destroyed several miles of street, telephone wire, vehicles, pluming, broke thousands of windows and damaged some buildings?"

"My friend had been injured in a crash and I was in a hurry to get to him before his injuries could become life threatening. I've already contacted some people to help with the repairs and I've also contacted several insurance companies. Right now I thought I would help with the initial clean up."

To this Roy gave a slight nod. For the moment Roy was the ranking police officer on the site and while he knew he should try to arrest Lucy. He didn't have a death wish and felt that after such a display of the damage she could do just by running people would understand if he didn't risk upsetting her. "I doubt they'll be eager for your return trip but I'm sure that there will be a few people happy to have help to the hospital."

To his Lucy gave a quick nod. "I'm going to retrace my path and pick up anyone that is severally injured. You may want to have some emergency vehicles waiting on the other side for me as well as here. That way I can pick up those with secondary injuries on my way back to you. They can then go to separate medical centers."

Given that there was no way their vehicles could make it over the decimated street Roy was quick accepting of this plan. "That sounds good. Now you said you called in some additional help?"

"Yes a few construction companies to help repair the streets and buildings. I'm going to also survey the damage so that I can tell them what they need to bring and what I feel is the best way to go about the repairs. Given that I destroyed a large section of the main road I imagine people are going to be quite upset during their commutes." After a moment Lucy gave a quick shrug. "I should probably take some time to study the road and see what businesses will be hindered by my little jog."

"What do you intend to do?"

"I'll have to tell you that later for now I'm going to get to looking. Remember to have the ambulances waiting for me on each end."

A sigh escaped Roy as he made his way over to his squad car and took out the radio. "Hello dispatch. We're going to need another crew at the opposite end of the ravine. The big girl decided to come back and help with clean up. I'll fill everyone in on what happened whenever I get back."

One thing Lucy hadn't bothered telling Roy was that she also wanted to have a look at the crash site. She intended to find out who had been behind the wheel of that vehicle. Given the speed with which the semi had been moving whenever the crash occurred she felt certain something was amiss and as she couldn't take out her anger on the driver she wanted to know if there was someone else at fault.

She wasn't so focused that she failed the notice someone inside one of the turned over vehicles. Bending down Lucy slipped the tip of her fingernail within the door frame and easily popped the door open. What she found was a man and a woman in the floor bored of the back seat. "Well aren't you two just exhibitionist starting that on a major road way."

It wasn't surprising to Lucy that the young couple didn't seem glad to see her and indeed seemed quite scared. Still, she could see they both had some decent bumps. "Okay come on out there should be an ambulance waiting up the road. I'll drop you off there and anyone else we pick up along the way."

Even if they were both upset with Lucy especially the young man given that it was his car. Neither of the couple tried to escape due in part to their injuries and due to their knowledge of her. They were also rational enough to know that trying to escape wasn't going to happen. This became all the more clear as they tried to rise up only for the male to end up lying down again as his leg had impacted quite solidly with a raised area of the floor.

Instead of waiting for the people to struggle out of the vehicle Lucy carefully inserted two of her fingers into the flipped car and used it to widen the door frame. She then used the same two fingers to retrieve first the man and then the woman placing them both in her open palm. "Yeah, a doctor is going to have to give your leg some treatment."

As Lucy made her way down the street she already knew she would have at least one effective method of testing to see who really needed treatment. If they were well enough to get up and truly run away from her they would most likely be okay.

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"Good morning sleepy head."

Even as the words reached his ears they had no meaning to Albert as he had yet to awaken enough to really think. So that instead of speaking he turned his head to the side as if trying to block out the sound by covering at least one of his ears and shifted slightly in an attempt to nestle himself deeper into Lucy's cleavage. As he brought his face closer to her breasts he was aware enough to notice a very pleasant sent though he didn't realize this was the sent of Lucy's skin.

It was very hard for Lucy not to part her breasts and help Albert slip himself further between her breasts. She settled for just watching him though as he turned his head to the side and seemed to try to bury his face into her flesh. "Okay, wake up whenever you're ready to do so." Once again all Albert did was shrug in response to Lucy's words. It was very clear that he was in a comfortable enough setting that his conscious mind was in no rush to awaken. Rather it seemed as if his body was trying to get away from anything that might awaken his mind.

Normally being ignored was quite frustrating for Lucy and it would have been far from wise to be openly trying to block her out. This was a rare exception though as Albert's attempt to block her out only served to amuse her and bring a smile to her face. In just about any other situations he would have been in for quite an experience had he tried to ignore her but this time she just couldn't bring herself to be upset by it. Instead of feeling insulted she found herself feeling quite flattered.

Reaching to either side of her head Lucy took a few strands of hair in either hand and brought them around so that they draped over her shoulders. She then proceeded to place the strands of hair over her cleavage and tuck them into the front of her shirt so that Albert was covered. The sun would be up soon and she didn't want the light waking him up before he was ready. She then turned and began her last trip down the road. By now she had located all the people that hadn't left under their own power and was just helping with some basic clean up so she didn't worry about leaving.

Less then twelve hours had passed since Lucy's little sprint down the street and already several crews had arrived. This had seemed good enough in the beginning but Roy had been quite shocked to learn they already had a strategy for the repair work. He was less surprised though whenever he learned that the plan had been supplied by their employers. Now he was upset though as he found himself in quite a situation.

In order to begin repairs the contractors required approval from the city itself. Approval which hadn't been provided yet as the mayor and council had yet to see the plans. He also knew they'd want a few civil engineers to look them over as well and while this hold up wasn't his doing. Roy was currently the one having to deal with the crews that had already arrived.

While the crewmen had began to question him as to when they would get to begin working they weren't the main problem. Indeed the crewmen seemed fairly content to set around leading Roy to believe they had already been assured of their pay. Rather the major point of frustration came from the fact that several people had already seen fit to begin questioning when the repairs would begin. He was fairly certain they didn't realize how extensive the damage was.

Yet another problem for Roy was that he hadn't been home for a few hours after his shift when he had received the call. Now he had been out there all night helping coordinate the first wave of efforts along with the city's emergency response services and he wanted to go home. It was an odd situation.

The damage was significant but it followed along a strip of road something that an earth quake or hurricane wouldn't be generous enough to do. So that while he felt they had an earth quake's worth the damage it was all focused in a single area. It was convenient for the sake of planning and organizing but it also left people more free to move around and far more vocal about their opinions. After all they hadn't seen the damage so they didn't seem to understand how bad it was.

"Roy, I'm quite certain that I found everyone that required medical attention and cleared away all the big messes. I'm going to go on home now."

To this Roy gave a quick nod. He was upset with Lucy for causing the damage but at least she had helped out. The mass of cars that been neatly arranged along one lain of the road was proof of that and it let him show some progress to people to quiet them down. At least it did until they started showing up and asking about their vehicles. Fortunately Lucy had the foresight to arrange the vehicles in groups from those that were street worthy, those that weren't and those that wouldn't even run. "Thanks for the assistance. Now Lucy you know that you're going to be hearing from some people."

"Yeah I know. I'm certain that they'll be in touch just as soon as they find somewhere to hide or when they have enough people to hide behind to feel safe." As she finished speaking Lucy allowed a smile to form. It slowly spread until her lips curled upward revealing her pearly white teeth.

Even if Lucy was being helpful the predatory nature of her smile wasn't lost on Roy. It was in that instant that he resolved to quit the moment someone even suggested the use of force to force Lucy to behave in a certain way. "Well then. Before you go, would you. Did you send a report detailing your plan and who all you had hired to the mayor's office?"

"Yes I did. Quite honestly I'm surprised that they haven't been approved already but all well. Everyone isn't here yet so I suppose it's alright if they take a little bit of time so long as they don't take too long. If they haven't allowed work to begin within a week I'll probably have to speak to them personally. I don't mind fixing what I damaged but I don't intend on allowing them to draw the process out."

"Well I'm not a civil engineer but it looked like you had everything worked out. Have a nice evening and thanks for the aid."

In response Lucy gave a quick nod and started to walk away. After she had taken a few steps she spoke up so that Roy could hear her. The volume she had to use insured far more then he could hear her though. "Thank you for not being foolish enough to try to arrest me. Had you done so and pressed the issue I can assure you that it wouldn't have ended well."

He might have been the one she had been talking to moments before but Roy knew that wasn't directed only at him. That had been a warning directed towards anyone that might try to arrest her. Roy had of course already resolved that he wouldn't try anything of the sorts he just hoped that no one else would. The path of destruction that lay behind him was enough to convince him that would be a very bad idea.

Rick fumed as he set at his office desk. He had learned of the destruction Lucy had caused during her little jog shortly after coming into work as while he didn't live anywhere near the location it did affect his business. To make matters even more frustrating he had lost contact with one of the teams that had been driving through that very location. Images of his truck and all its cargo crushed flat kept filling his head as he fumed.

"That bitch." A frustrated snort escaped Rick as he scooted away from his desk and began to pace around his office. Due to the length of road destroyed several crews would have to take different routs to get to their destinations. The rout changes would add several hours to the shipping time if not a day or more due to congestion. He already had people calling his clients to explain the situation but he knew at least a few would want to speak to him soon.

Other shippers that used the same routs would be having similar trouble of course but that did not comfort him. In the end people would be getting their deliveries late and they would want someone to yell out. He would also be losing money and quite possibly customers. This was especially troublesome in regards to the truck that had gone missing given that the shipment might not be arriving at all.

It took a while but at last Albert's eyes began to itch enough in their effort to wake up for him to try and rub them. The first thing he noticed upon attempting this was that his arms couldn't reach his eyes though it took a bit of pulling for him to realize this. In response to this discovery he was brought more into the waking world and forced to open his eyes to see just where he was and why he couldn't move his arms.

Enough light was able to get through Lucy's hair for him to see despite the sleep in his eyes and he instantly realized why he couldn't move his arms. They were pinned against his sides by Lucy's massive breasts. As he glanced up to look at her face though he found his view blocked by a sky of golden brown hair. "Good morning Lucy."

"So you finally woke up. You know you have been fighting your sleep for over a hour now."

"Are you serious? I only do that when I'm very comfortable and content where I am." In response to his comment Albert was squeezed from both sides as Lucy giggled slightly. The extra pressure bordered on uncomfortable but it never reached that point. "Hey Lucy, would you mind freeing my arms?"

Instead of verbally responding Lucy slipped one of her hands under her hair though she didn't remove the strands. She then slipped two fingers between her breasts just above Albert's head and parted the flesh. This served to part the flesh lower down enough for him to quickly work his arms out from between her flesh though he had to be careful not to slip further down. Once Lucy felt Albert's arms resting atop her breasts she quickly relaxed the pressure that held her breasts apart trapping him in place once again.

As Albert rubbed the sleep from his eyes he became more aware of his environment and his condition. One thing he noticed almost immediately was that part of him was pressing very firmly into the front of his shorts and into Lucy's flesh. Apparently being injured wasn't enough to keep his body from responding to his environment. "So Lucy where are we?"

"We're just doing some traveling. There is someone that I want to go and talk to."

"Ah I see. Lucy, do you think that we could stop somewhere for breakfast? I'm kind of hungry right now."

"Mm there is no need for that. Still, the fact that you're feeling hungry is a good sign. It means that your body is healing up nicely."

"Yeah I feel fine."

"That's going to last about two hours. Most of your injuries have healed up at least to the point that I'm not too worried about them. I won't be permitting you to see much activity today but it's coming along nicely. That said your body has used up a lot of nutrients recovering."

"So I'm going to start feeling like crap in an hour or two?"

"You will if you are too active and don't eat. I'll be helping you with that though." Even as she was speaking Lucy reached a hand back under her hair though this time it appeared she was holding something.

For a moment Albert thought Lucy was going to set down something for him to eat but instead when her fingers released a smaller four meter tall Lucy was standing there. He grew increasingly perplexed when Lucy used her hand to separate her breasts a bit and the smaller body reached down for him. "Lucy what are you doing?"

"I'm here to give you your breakfast of course."

"Huh? You mean?" For a moment Albert grew silent as he looked at Lucy's breasts.

"Yes. My breast milk is the best thing for you right now so that is what you're going to get. Don't worry. No one can see is us. At least not with my hair arranged like it is and us setting here."

The first thought in Albert's head was to protest but as he was lifted from Lucy's cleavage he opted for a question instead. "Do I have a choice in the matter?"

"No. You don't have a choice. My breast milk is the best thing for you right now so that is what you're going to get. Besides I rather enjoyed having you suck on my nipples last night and this time you have a empty belly opposed to the full one you had last night." An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she held Albert with one arm and used the other to adjust her bra so that he could get to her nipple.

As Albert looked at Lucy's nipple he couldn't help but feel conflicted. Lucy's breasts were far from the worse things he could think to have his face pressed against and most assuredly in the top five of the best things. Her milk was quite enjoyable to him as well. However, at the same time the idea of being breast fed didn't set perfectly well with him. His thoughts were interrupted for a moment as Lucy adjusted his position and he suddenly realized she had begun to hum. "You really enjoy this don't you?"

"Well I said I did. Didn't I?" For a moment Lucy was made to giggle as she gave a slight shrug. "Did it sound like I was being sarcastic?"

It was impossible for Albert not to worry just a little. Even before she had been introduced to symbi Lucy had been very used to getting her way. Her parents had confirmed this with numerous stories of how willful she had been. This trend had continued as she had grown and while those she cared for could get her to back down at times. She was still very adept at getting her way and quite use to it. Now it seemed that she had come to enjoy breast feeding him in a very short period of time.

Given Lucy's tendencies and tenacity when it came to getting her way and the degree to which she seemed to enjoy breast feeding him. Albert was made to wonder if he might be taking his meals from her breasts for quite some time. It wasn't a horrible thought to him though it was quite an awkward one as he imagined what it would be like to end every meal with an erection. The fear seemed quite valid as Lucy did indeed appear to be enjoying herself and rarely gave up what she enjoyed.

At first she just waited but as Albert seemed to be lost in contemplation Lucy finally pressed his face against her breasts so that his mouth was just over her nipple. She was delighted by how quickly she felt his mouth open and her nipple poked inside. There was no need for any stimulation to make her nipple pert the thought of what she was doing had already seen to that. A slight yelp escaped her though whenever she felt Albert begin to suckle almost instantly as if his mind was playing no part in the act.

His mind having no part in the act was how Albert actually felt at the moment. While he felt Lucy's nipple poke into his mouth he found that he had began to suckle even before he had time to think of it. Without his pain or exhaustion to blind him this time though he was fully aware of the situation and most assuredly noticed the yelp from Lucy and the way they were bounced slightly as her larger body gave a slight jerk. He had no means of commenting on this though as Lucy kept a hand behind his head insuring that it stayed firmly pressed against her breast.

"There we go that is better and believe me whenever I say this is better for you then any fast food biscuit."

As Lucy's words reached his ears Albert recalled what she had told him the previous night. She had told him that her breast milk was the best thing for him so that was what he was going to get. At first he hadn't thought too much of it but assumed that she meant while he was injured. Now that he was more aware he realized that Lucy had made no mention of his injuries in that statement whatsoever. The only thing she had said was that her breast milk was what was best for him so that is what he'd have to drink.

Albert had learned long ago to look for additional meanings in Lucy's statements especially when it involved her doing something or doing something to you that you might resist. Now it seemed that he might have let one slip by him as he realized that Lucy may very well have decided that her breast milk was the best thing for him regardless of him being injured or not. He couldn't help but wonder if she might have been telling him that she would be breast feeding him from then on out.

Even though they weren't speaking at the moment Lucy could tell Albert was deep in contemplation. She wasn't surprised by this as she thought that he would need time to adapt to the idea of her breast feeding him. "You know Albert I really don't see why anyone should think my breast feeding you is strange. It's healthier for you and it is no drain on my body at least none that would be felt. If you were to look at it from a purely logical stand point this is the best thing to do."

Upon feeling Lucy's hand release his head Albert pulled back for a moment. "But Lucy, women breast feed their babies not their husbands or even children after a certain age." In response to Albert's comment Lucy pressed his head back to her nipple when he resumed suckling she spoke up again.

"That depends entirely on how you look at it. After all breast feeding is just a very intimate means of providing nourishment. For most women it loses any practicality when dealing with children past a certain age or husband. However, that doesn't happen to me and it isn't like women quit providing nourishment. One could argue that a meal lovingly prepared by a wife for her family is essentially the same as breast feeding."

When Lucy released her hold on his head again Albert didn't immediately back away but continued to suckle. He wasn't agreeing with what Lucy had just said though he could see her logic. Instead he was taking his time to try and think of a decent argument this quickly brought on a question instead. "So you're saying that if it was practical a woman should breast feed her husband?"

"I'm not saying that she should rather I'm saying that if each provided equal amount of nourishment she should be given the choice. Whichever one she enjoys the most should be her decision to make unless of course he wants to prepare his own meals. In your case though the situation is different, in that my breast milk is actually better for you."

"Now Lucy, you do realize that the socially accepted idea is that a woman should only breast feed her infants and even then only for a certain time."

"Now Albert, you do realize that the socially accept idea is that a woman shouldn't stand taller then most buildings so that everyone is smaller then her. Come on Albert. Give me one logical reason why I shouldn't breast feed you?"

A sigh escaped Albert even as his head was forced back to Lucy's nipple. Her hand left his head moments later so that he knew he was free to speak. Until he had thought of something to say though Lucy expected him to continue suckling. At least this meant he would have plenty of time to consider possible arguments as he struggled to come up with a truly logical reason.

"Breast feeding is not only a way of providing you with nourishment but it's also a wonderful form of bonding." For a moment Lucy was made to giggle as she brought Albert slightly higher and her head forward until she gave him a kiss on the forehead. "This is us kissing and providing you with a lovingly prepared meal all at the same time."

A sigh escaped Albert as he took in a deep breath and remembered the scent that he had noticed earlier that morning when his face was against Lucy's flesh. For a moment their conversation was pushed out of his mind as he was made to wonder why he had never noticed it before. "What if I want to cook something for you?"

"Mm you're welcome to it but that doesn't mean I'm not going to provide your meals."

Though he wasn't giving up on the subject for the moment Albert grew silent as he suckled. Having his face pressed against Lucy's breasts and her milk filling his mouth wasn't exactly helping him with his arguments. "I'm not consenting anything just yet but can this wait until I'm not pressed against your breast?"

"Sure, if you're still uncomfortable with me breast feeding you by then we can talk about it some more. However, until you can come up with an argument against it I intend to do whatever is best for you."

For a moment Albert considered pointing out to Lucy that she couldn't view him as an equal as long as she was breast feeding him but that was futile. If that was the case then she would never be able to view him as an equal regardless of her breast feeding him or not. Their scale and physical power difference was just too great.

"Albert, before we drop the subject may I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Can't you do this for me and let me do it for you? I wasn't kidding whenever I said I enjoy it and the feeling of your lips around my nipple is just wonderful. Knowing that I'm not just providing you with physical stimulation but actual nourishment is a delight to me. It makes me feel closer to you and like you are becoming even more mine. So that you no longer need to depend on the world to provide you with nourishment but can rely entirely on me. I don't have to share that part of you with anyone."

Had Albert come upon a reason for him not to let Lucy breast feed him so certain that the logic couldn't have been refuted he still couldn't have uttered it in that moment. Instead he proceeded to press his face more firmly into Lucy's breasts as he gave her nipple a kiss before pulling back. "If it makes you that happy then I will gladly."

Once again Lucy pressed Albert's head into her nipple and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Thank you Albert."

Even as he suckled Albert couldn't help but feel awkward yet he couldn't say anything about it. In that one moment Lucy had defused his will to debate the issue no matter how awkward he felt. It still wasn't certain how often Lucy would expect him to let her breast feed him but he knew it wouldn't be often enough that he needed to get used to the idea. So that he closed his eyes and simply tried to adapt to the situation.

It was hard for Roy not to let his annoyance show as he made his way towards the reporters that had gathered. Of course they had gathered well beforehand but at the time he had a reason to avoid them. Now he would have to go and speak with them. There wasn't time for him to introduce himself as the questions began.

"Excuse me is it true that this was done by local Lucy Angeye?"

"Are they going to be any attempts to apprehend the perpetrator?"

"How many were killed in this destruction? Surely the police won't stand by and do nothing."

It was hard for Roy to keep himself from smarting off when he heard the first comment and he wanted to punch the reporter that uttered the third question. He kept these urges under control as he spoke. "Yes, while I'm not sure of all the details this was the result of Miss Angeye jogging through the city. However, at this moment no attempts to apprehend her have been made and to my knowledge none are planned. Several people were injured but as of yet we haven't found any fatalities."

"How can you say there won't be any attempts to apprehend her? Just look at this devastation."

"Yes, it is a very good reason not to try and further more this was not an act of malice on Miss Angeye's part but the result of a short period of great distress. Had this been done with malicious intent there would have been worse then broken bones."

"What about the cost?"

"Well as far as the cost of repairs to the road. Miss Angeye has apparently already hired several contracts to assist in the repairs. The crews you already see gathered are actually being paid by Miss Angeye."

"Even with that surely your department isn't just going to turn a blind eye to everything that has happened. Regardless as to whether she's paying for the repairs of the roads what about the injured?"

"I haven't had a chance to look into that but it wouldn't surprise me if she was taking care of that as well."

"So they are no plans to apprehend her?"

"None that I'm currently aware of however if such plans are being made I'm certain such an operation would be handled by the military. Not a police department that isn't equipped to halt a tank let alone a lady that could crush one like an empty soda can."

"So are the police refraining from attempts to apprehend Miss Angeye because she poses too great of a threat?"

"I would be lying if I said that wasn't a factor in this situation. At the very least she should be brought in for questioning. However, at the moment we are ill prepared for such a task and she doesn't seem to be of a mind set to go along. As for future plans I will have to speak to my superiors to learn of any."

"You seem to be taking this very nonchalantly. Are the police that scared of one girl?"

"Well if I was ordered to apprehend her by force I would have no issue with handing in my badge. That does not mean I believe people should be concerned though. Whatever caused her distress has been taken care of and she has since calmed down."

"So you don't believe she is a threat to anyone?"

Now Roy grew silent and he knew it was for longer then he should have been without anyone telling him so. "To the public as a whole I do not believe Miss Angeye poses any threat at this time."

"So tell me Albert. What did my breast smell like? You sure seemed to enjoy nuzzling them."

It took a moment for Albert to register that Lucy was speaking to him as he was once again buried between her breasts. The warm flesh hugged him delightfully from all sides and with a full belly and his injuries he was already feeling sleepy again. "I'm not sure."

"You did like the smell though didn't you?"

"Yeah, they smelt real nice." For a moment Albert just rubbed his cheek against Lucy's breasts before looking up at the sky of hair she used to cover him still. "If I had to describe the smell I would have to say it smelt comforting, pure and warm. I can't really think of anything that it smelt like though."

"Mm that will do quite nicely."

"Hey Lucy where are we? It sounds like you entered a city or a pretty well developed area at least."

"I have. I'm going to speak to someone. They are a few questions I need to ask and I wanted to visit them personally."

Given the events of the last few hours Albert felt he had a good idea of who she was going to see. He just didn't know what he should do about the situation. "Lucy, are you angry?"

In response to Albert's question Lucy gave a slight giggle and parted her hair so that she could look down at him. "Oh Albert I'm positively furious right now. I really hope the police don't try to arrest me over some miss guided sense of duty or I may not be able to control myself. I'd probably end up eating every last one of them for getting in my way."

Even though she was smiling Albert knew that Lucy wasn't joking about what she'd just said. It worried him but he also felt proud of her. Given how capable Lucy was it would have been very easy for her to put her anger ahead of people's lives and take it out on those weaker then herself. She hadn't sought to take it out immediately but held it in for so long. "What were you doing while I was asleep?"

"I helped with rescue efforts for a little while then I helped with clean up. The clean up was the real issue as I didn't harm that many people at least not seriously. A few of them were even in such a mind set and healthy enough that they ran away from me."

"So you felt helping those people was more important then your anger?"

"Oh, no. Not in the least."

It was impossible for Albert not to look somewhat perplexed as he looked up into Lucy's eyes. "Then why go help them first?"

"Albert, the person I'm going to speak to is at least partly responsible for your injuries. I can't let someone get away with that even if they didn't know their actions would have such consequences. That said. Even if they knew I would be coming to see them and ran I could track them down. It isn't like they're going to expire within the next few hours and I wouldn't care if they managed to injure themselves. Helping those people was a more urgent need but not more important."

"What if I told you that I'm not as angry with them as you are? That I don't believe you should seriously harm them."

"That's very forgiving of you Albert and I wouldn't mind if they had only hit me or caused the destruction of the car. However, they caused you to be injured and while you can forgive them for what part the played in your injuries I can not. If I hadn't been there with you at the time then you wouldn't have survived that crash or at least it isn't likely that you would have."

An annoyed snort escaped Rick as he watched Roy addressing the media. "That bitch gets away with anything she wants just because she's big and the cops are cowards. I swear the military should have blown her to bits years ago." Even as he was speaking the picture quickly switched to a view that was clearly from a helicopter.

"Currently we are following Miss Angeye from some distance though her ultimate destination is unknown. In spite of the reassurance of officials it is this stations opinion that she should be avoided at least until some official statement is given or actions taken."

It actually surprised Albert when Lucy took hold of him and parted her breasts slightly. At first he thought she might be about to remove him from her cleavage but instead she pushed him in further. It soon became clear why as he heard her voice moments later and realized had his ears not been covered it would have been deafening. "Here is an official statement. I'm rather irritable at this moment but there is only one person I'm upset with. So long as no one gets in my way they don't have to worry about me."

The fact that the helicopter ceased to follow Lucy even once she began to move told every viewer plenty. Apparently they had forgotten that Lucy was capable of monitoring communications signals and she had been listening into the news as they had been broadcasting. Despite the reassurance though, the helicopter pilot seemed to have no desire to fly closer to Lucy. At last one of the reporters spoke though relying on Lucy to hear the words through the signals instead of by sound waves. "Miss Angeye, aren't you worried this will damage your image?"

While it was too quiet for them to hear it they could tell from the way Lucy's body moved she was giggling. Without bothering to turn around she spoke up. "No. I'm not. This is more important to me then image."

Due to the shock of Lucy suddenly speaking up they had forgotten to give her current location. However, as Rick watched the video feed he could have sworn he recognized those streets. He wasn't entirely certain though having never seen them from a bird's eye view as he was now. It was familiar enough to him to cause some concern though as he couldn't shake the feeling that he knew that place.

"So who is she going to speak to?"

"I don't know Sir. She didn't give me any more information then she's given anyone else." Despite his best efforts Roy couldn't help the exhausted sigh that escaped him.

"Okay Roy. Do you believe that she would do what she said?"

"I wouldn't doubt her word Sir. Even if she is just bluffing can we really afford to take the chance that she is serious? I know we are sworn to serve and protect but."

"You don't want to send a few hundred men to their deaths to save one. I know and I agree. I really don't like the idea of backing down with so much media attention but I don't like the consequences of not backing down even more. This could be a mistake but unless we receive some form of military aid I'm not going to try to intercept her."

"So have you had any news on possible military aid?"

"There hasn't been any movement on part of the military so far. Of course why should they be? She is technically a civilian and that is our department. I've no doubt that they have some plan in place should she get out of control however I also doubt that a few murderers and damaged streets would be enough to spur them to action."

"It doesn't seem likely Sir."

"Roy, you sound like your about to fall over. I guess this has been a trying experience for you."

"It isn't the hours Sir. It's just this was a bit more to handle then I expected. Any idea when repair work will begin?"

"I'm pushing for them to settle on Miss Angeye's plan right now. Even if the plan isn't the best in the long run they can just change the plan once the construction has began. It's not like anything major will happen within the first seventy two hours anyway. Not with that level of destruction at least. Roy, someone should be there to relieve you soon once they get there go home and get some rest."

"Thank you Sir."

"Roy, you studied her some haven't you?"

"Yes, with her making regular trips through the district I felt that it was a necessity. Why do you ask Sir?"

"Once she has had time to calm down do you believe that you could speak with her? Perhaps she could be made to understand that she put us in quite a situation."

"I believe she already realizes that Sir and is attempting to make the situation as easy on us as possible while still carrying out her intentions. So I believe she'd be quite willing to work with us once she has taken care of whatever she intends to do."

"Alright, I'll talk to you about this some more later."

As Rick looked out the window he felt like his chest had been caught in a vise. It became hard to draw breath and his legs seemed to have become led. It took considerable effort for him to even keep standing as Lucy came into view. She wasn't so close that it was certain she was heading in his direction but it was enough to make him worry.

Once she turned down the road that clearly led to his buildings though he felt certain she was heading his way. So that he felt his heart jump into his throat and his legs suddenly began to work. Quickly moving from behind his desk he dashed to the door and actually impacted it with his shoulder as he worked the knob. Had anyone been on the other side, they would have ended up on their rear as he quickly burst out.

It wasn't the biggest building Lucy had seen and indeed far from it. It wasn't the nicest either but given the amount of activity going on it was a decent business. The structure spoke to Lucy of a company that was still turning a nice profit but hadn't done any real growing for the past decade or so. As she approached the building though all activity came to a stop and people seemed to either scatter or try to hide. Bending down she gave the building a quick tap. "Hello, I'm here to speak with Rick Mober. I assume that he is in."

Upon hearing his name Rick nearly wet himself. Even if Lucy hadn't said why she was there to visit him given what he knew about previous situations he had an idea of what it was. He remembered to keep from speaking though. It was a few moments later that he heard Lucy's voice again.

"Okay, listen very carefully. Either he comes out and speaks to me right now or I'm going to come in there and speak to him. How he gets out here I don't care but I don't think anyone except him wants me having to come in and get him."

Images of his employees descending upon him filled Rick's mind as he listened to the giantess. A hurried rush of movement seemed to confirm this was what was happening but then he heard the fire alarm. It was a more horrifying moment then he realized.

At first Lucy had thought perhaps the people inside would bring Rick out to her. She was rather surprised and even amused when she noted them beginning to exit the building. After a few moments of thought and realizing what was going on she was made to giggle.

They weren't willing to bring him out and be an accessory to any possible crime yet they weren't willing to stay with him either. So they had resolved to exit the building. "Well then I suppose that works just as well as any other option. Okay Rick you have until your employees are done evacuating the building so long as they keep evacuating to come out."

Seeing his secretary run by him with her hills removed did nothing to comfort Rick as he realized she'd taken them off so that she could run more effectively. The sound of people evacuating the building all around him was interrupted though when he heard a voice. "You should probably go out and speak to her. I doubt making her wait will improve her mood."

Rick didn't see the speaker but he could tell it had been said by someone moving away though at a slower pace then most. As the voice moved away it did spur him to action though so that he quickly made his way to the stairwell. His planned destination wasn't the outside to confront Lucy, but rather down to one of the exits were employees would most likely be rushing out. As he moved he began to strip away his business clothing.

Even if Lucy held her walking speed constant Albert could tell she was moving by the slight bouncing of her breasts that engulfed him. She had left him buried as deeply as when she was speaking to the reporters though so he couldn't hear what was happening around him. He had been able to hear what Lucy was saying though. The fact that she had yet to move left him wondering what was going on. "Lucy, are you really going to speak with him?"

To this Lucy gave a quick nod. "Yes Albert I was being honest when I said I wanted to talk. I like for people to know why I'm angry with them and why I'm going to do what I do." Even as she was speaking to Albert Lucy watched as only one person was left within the building. Instead of acting immediately though she turned to the workers. "I would appreciate it if you would all move back at least two hundred yards from the building so no debris hurts any of you. If you'll do that I can insure none of you will be harmed by me."

It seemed odd to some but the crowd didn't scream or run but proceeded to do as Lucy said. They weren't treating the situation as if a monster had come to eat them alive or crush them under foot but as if an authority figure had given them an order. Their behavior was enough to gain Lucy's curiosity and she took a moment to examine the crowd to see what was happening. What caught her attention almost immediately was that while the majority of the people seemed quite scared they appeared to be following a few who were more composed.

A grin formed on Lucy's face as she realized what was going on. It only took two or three agitators to cause a larger number of people to panic. By the same token such a group of people could be controlled to a limited extent by just a few people that managed to hold their composure. Lucy had been fortunate as she noted a few figures leading the way. So long as none of them panicked and she was careful she believed the crowd would remain orderly.

Upon coming to the exit Rick felt his heart quiver when he didn't find a single person. He was able to look outside though and noted everyone moving away from the building. This meant he only had so much time to think of a plan.

"Oh so you decided to come out? Come on the door is right in front of you." An amused giggle escaped Lucy as Rick gave a slight jump upon her revealing she'd been watching him the entire time.

Between the media coverage and the past few events Rick knew that Lucy was upset with him. As he considered his options he finally decided on running despite not having any real chance to escape. Turning around he began to run back down the hallway. He didn't get very far though before he heard a massive impact though he didn't dare to look behind himself.

After Rick had turned to run Lucy had placed her fingers together so that her hand was flat and inserted it through the door way in order to diminish the damage to the building. Her hand had still proven too tall and the sound Rick heard had been her fingers tearing away a good chunk of the building. As her hand neared him she opened it up creating a slight roar as her fingers easily tore through the stone hallway. She actually moved slower then normal to give Rick a few moments to appreciate the affect before her fingers clinched around him.

Seeing Lucy's fingers pass him up and feeling the warmth of her palm just behind had been almost more then Rick could stand and as her fingers closed around him a horrified scream escaped him. He didn't hear her fist crash through the opening her fingers had first heightened though as her hand engulfed him entirely. All he saw was darkness until Lucy had taken him out of the building and held him before her face. "Well hello there."

Despite being held well over eighty meters above the ground Rick tried to bring himself to his feet to escape. However, Lucy had pressed her thumb to his chest so that he wasn't going anywhere. "Let me go!"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she looked at Rick. "In due time but first you need to calm down so we can have a little conversation."

In spite of Lucy's presence Rick didn't seem to hear her and he continued to struggle in her palm. This didn't seem to bother Lucy though as she continued to hold Rick until he tired himself out enough to calm down. "Please let me go! I don't. What do you want?"

"Well first of all I want to ask you some questions. Are you familiar with the name Randy Polmur?"

"No. I never." A sharp gasp escaped Rick as Lucy suddenly increased the pressure with which she held him down forcing him to be quiet.

"Don't lie to me. Now I understand you're scared so take a moment to think."

The massive finger that held him down didn't let up right after Lucy had finished speaking but only released Rick once his vision beginning to blur. As he regained enough of his breath to speak and thought for a moment he recalled the name. "Yes. He's one of my drivers."

"Yes he was. It may interest you to know that he crashed into my friend and me less then fifteen hours ago. As you can probably tell I'm quite upset by that."

As Rick regained his breath the pain in his stomach didn't fade entirely and while he wasn't sure. He couldn't help but think that Lucy had perhaps broken something or at least bruised his chest quite deeply. "What do you want me to do about him?"

"Mm there isn't much you can do about him given that he died in the crash. You know when it occurred there was one thing I noticed quite quickly. He never hit the breaks. This struck me as odd and I later went to examine what had been going on. You know Rick Randy had quite an extensive history with abuse of controlled substances."

Denial of any knowledge seemed like a very good idea to Rick but given the pain in his chest he chose to be honest to an extent. "Yes. He did have a slight problem he's been on probation for a while now but I assure you I never expected such an event."

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as her smile slowly grew until her teeth where showing. "Bull shit. I took some time and examine his records and I have to say he was quite adept at making delivers ahead of schedule. That said I also examined every medical record I could find on him and I have to say he should have been fired long ago."

"I just wanted to give him a chance is all. If I had known that something like this would happen I would have never."

"Oh you wanted him to give him another chance to drive around in a vehicle cable of going well over one hundred twenty kilometers an hour and weighing several tons. Even when you knew full well that he had a substance abuse problem and shouldn't be trusted on the road with anything larger then a tricycle."

"I know that it was a mistake but I was just trying to help him."

"Let's see you were trying to help him by allowing him to continue driving such a vehicle and paying him a regular check a check which he then used to feed his addiction so that it grew progressively worse. Yet you never took any steps to coerce or even nudge him into rehabilitation. Just for your information I took a moment to look at your company insurance policy."

Even before Lucy had picked him up most of the color had drained from Rick's skin. Now he felt his lip beginning to quiver. "Takes me to the cops, I'll confess anything."

Once again Lucy was made to giggle as she shook her head. "Oh no. No. No. While I'm sure before this is all over there will be police attention this is between you and me. You see I don't trust the legal system to give you the punishment that I believe is fitting. Of course I'm sure that you and many would disagree but I swear if I don't do something about this anger I'm going to end up lashing out at someone that didn't deserve it."

"Please. Please turn me over to the police! I won't try for parole I'll spend however much time they give me. I'll beg for the maximum."

It was impossible for Lucy not to giggle as she shook her head. "No. Suffice to say the crimes you could be accused of are quite lacking in my opinion. So I'm going to eat you."

Rick felt as if his heart and skipped a beat as his mouth fell open. His entire body began to tremble as he spoke. "Please don't! Please I'm sorry. I was wrong. Please don't kill me! I'll do anything you want to make it up."

"Oh so you'll taste good for me?" As she spoke Lucy let her tongue slide out from within her mouth and she slowly ran it over her lips leaving a trail of saliva behind.

"This is illegal, it's murder!"

"Mm yeah and that is what they said whenever I ate my cousin after he got out of prison. That is one of the nice perks to having power and wealth. You can get away with things that either one alone wouldn't protect you from. Now remember you said that you would taste good for me." As she was speaking Lucy lifted Rick higher and tilted her head backwards. When she began to move him over her mouth she slowly parted her lips letting in increasing amounts of sun light so that he could stair down into her throat.

As frightening as seeing Lucy's teeth had been seeing them parted and looking down into her throat was even worse. A horrified scream escaped Rick as he took hold of the massive finger that for the moment held him in place. As frightening as being held by her was it didn't compare to the idea of falling down into that void. He was soon to learn that Lucy had no intention of releasing him as he felt her fingers beginning to shift his position.

It was Lucy's intent to draw this out so that she carefully adjusted Rick's position until she was holding him with two fingers. As she took him between her thumb and index finger she began to slowly lower him towards her mouth. With each breath that she took a massive wave of hot humid air would be sent rushing up towards him making it even more clear just how close he was to her mouth.

There didn't seem to be anything he could do yet Rick tried as instinct took over. He wasn't able to move his arms though he still pushed against Lucy's fingers with them. As he was unable to use his limbs to fight her he turned his head to the side and bit down on Lucy's finger as hard as he could. The effort was utterly futile though it didn't prevent him from trying everything he could to force her to release him His struggles stopped for a moment as he felt her tongue brush against his legs.

It seemed that Rick was getting close to going into shock so as Lucy lowered him far enough that his feet were just past her teeth she closed her mouth slightly. Taking his lower legs between her teeth she bit down bringing a sharp howl of pain from Rick. Without removing him from her mouth but being careful not to bite down on him she spoke. "I bite back."

Being so close to Lucy's mouth meant that Rick could not only hear every word but feel them as well. Clearly she meant for others to hear her as the sound waves seemed to vibrate every bone in his body. The pain also had the affect of snapping him back to reality though his panic didn't subside. Upon feeling himself being lowered again he began to kick with his legs striking Lucy's tongue several times a few of them striking the roof of her mouth.

For a moment Lucy stopped lowering Rick as a giggle escaped her. It had never occurred to her beforehand but she was somewhat surprised to find that Rick's kicking tickled her. At least they did whenever they struck the roof of her mouth. The side note amused her enough to buy Rick some more time as she resolved that Albert would have to discover this eventually.

When Lucy had began tilting her hair back it had caused her hair to move and Albert could see outside better. So he was far from oblivious to Rick's situation. He remained silent though being fully aware that this is something he couldn't talk Lucy out of without paying a heavy price. This was a personnel issue for Lucy so that if Albert did try to stand in her way he knew that he would have to truly hurt her in one of the few ways anyone could to stop her. Given the situation he just wasn't willing to do so.

The fact that Lucy began to giggle and shake slightly as he was lowered into her mouth past his waste wasn't lost to Rick. While he wasn't aware of what was making her laugh it only made the situation worse. "You sadistic bitch!" A sharp crack to his back came moments later from Lucy's tongue which knocked all the air out of Rick's lunges.

There was a strong desire in Lucy to draw this out and make sure Rick felt as much horror as possible. However, she didn't want to give him the impression that he had any control over her that might let him extend his life. So instead of retorting to his comment she had given him a quick flick with her tongue which would have left a bruise over most of his back if he was going to live long enough for it to develop.

Rick was forced to breathe in increasingly humid air as he was lowered into Lucy's mouth past his chest. He felt her tongue reaching up for him and snaking around his body the only thing preventing it from actually taking hold of him was her fingers. Then he felt those fingers release freeing his arms. In the same moment her massive tongue quickly wrapped around him. Unlike her fingers it didn't trap his arms to his sides.

With his arms free for the first time Rick did the only thing he could think to do. He quickly reached out and grasped Lucy's lips as best he could. As his hands clinched her lips his entire being was shaken by a low moan. It was the same moan some people made when finding a meal particularly enjoyable. Whether Lucy was making it to taunt him or she really enjoyed how he tasted was irrelevant to him.

Regardless of how hard Rick held onto her lips Lucy was careful to draw him in at a pace of roughly a centimeter every second. The progress was steady so that he knew his efforts weren't truly helping him yet at the same time it gave him plenty of time to consider what was happening. As his hands made it a third of the way down her lips Lucy slowly began to close her mouth as well cutting off the light from the outside world.

It was clear to Albert that Lucy was enjoying herself. This did not horrify him but was rather what he expected. He trusted Lucy not to murder anyone but he knew that she would intentionally kill someone. Ultimately everyone was responsible for their own safety when interacting with Lucy. He knew Lucy was being entirely honest when she had said people were safe around her until they proved to be more pleasant dead then alive. At which time she had no kindness for them.

Once thing Albert wasn't certain Lucy was aware of though was that she had began to breathe more deeply. He wasn't surprised that she was enjoying herself but the level of enjoyment and the reaction it caused in her did surprise him. It had taken him a while to notice it but as Rick had been vanishing into Lucy's mouth her breasts had been swallowing him up due to her breathing patterns. He wasn't sure if this was intentional or not.

Due to the way that Lucy's tongue held him Rick was no longer able to kick his legs. His hands took up the fight now though even as he felt his grip on her lip failing. In response to this he quickly changed positions and placed his hands upon her teeth. Unlike her lips these where below his shoulders so that he was able to push upward rather then pull upward as he had been doing with her lip.

Unfortunately with his hands now on Lucy's teeth he was better able to feel her mouth closing in around him. This served to decrease the amount of fresh air coming into Lucy's mouth and while in some situations it would have been pleasant. Lucy's hot humid breath did nothing to comfort Rick as the only thing he could smell was her breath now and he seemed to be able to hear her throat muscles working.

When she had first begun Lucy had intended on shutting her mouth entirely once Rick was far enough in. As his head slipped beneath her lips though she changed her mind and instead chose to allow her mouth to remain open enough to allow him to see his confines but not enough for him to slip through. Her only regret was that she had not yet reached a scale great enough to allow her to hold someone within her mouth and prevent them from even being able to grasp her teeth. A few moments of knowing that her tongue was the only thing preventing him from sliding down her throat even as it pulled him downward had great appeal to her.

Fear prevented Rick from looking behind himself even as he felt Lucy's tongue unwind from around him ever so slowly. This was far from a moment of comfort as he felt Lucy's tongue working its way further up his body coating his entire being in her saliva. There was no hope of release as her tongue drifted around so that the tip of it actually blocked his vision. She had drew him back as far as she could with her tongue positioned as it had been now she had changed the position to push him further.

As Lucy pushed her tongue in front of Rick she felt his arms take hold of the massive muscle as best they could. She had forced his hands away from her teeth by moving her tongue in front of him and now it was the only thing he had to grasp. As he held her tongue she slowly curled it backwards sliding him over the surface before him until she felt him at the back of her throat.

In an attempt to stop his descent into Lucy's stomach Rick spread his legs to either side of her throat. Any hope of being able to span that gap was lost as he noticed every muscle around him flex and the opening widened behind him. A powerful vacuum gripped him seconds later and he found his legs pulled together by the suction and his entire body pulled down. He felt his legs squeezed from all sides right after.

It took careful control on Lucy's part but she didn't pull Rick down her throat all at once. Rather she pulled him in only partly and then slowly began to work her throat muscles so that he was being drawn deeper down her throat. As she was doing this she slowly shifted her head so that she was no longer looking up towards the sky and finally allowed her mouth to shut entirely. It was hard for her to repress a giggle as she felt Rick's legs pushing against the inside of her throat in an attempt to stop his fall or perhaps even climb out.

Despite the situation before them no one in the crowd said a word. No one wanted to draw Lucy's attention. A few had moved to take hold of their cell phones but no calls had been made. Part of them told them to make the call yet between the inaction of the group as a whole and the fear for their own survival a larger part and told them to remain quiet. Logic tended to tell them to remain quiet. There was nothing the police could do and making the call would serve no purpose other then to perhaps anger her.

The sound of Lucy's heart beating and muscles working was all around Rick as he was pulled down her throat. Her hot sticky saliva coated his entire body and attempts to brush it from his face were proven futile. As he was drawn down towards her stomach he could feel the heat increasing all around him as he journeyed further into Lucy's body.

A slight sigh escaped Lucy and she parted her lips and exhaled ever so slightly. When her mouth once again closed completely she wore a rather relieved smile as if she had just taken care of something very important. "I haven't had a chance to do that in a long time. I just love the way they tickle as they slide down my throat and it's wonderful to feel them struggling in my belly."

Upon hearing Lucy and realizing she was probably finished Albert finally called up to her. "Lucy, could I get a little help here?"

"Mm?" Upon glancing down at her chest Lucy's eyes widened slightly and amused giggle escaped her causing her to squeeze nearly every last bit of Albert. "When did that happen?"

"Ever since you started breathing heavy your breasts seem to have decided to eat me."

Once again Lucy's smile widened to reveal her teeth though only slightly. "I see. I guess they took advantage of my lack of focus and decided to horde you for themselves. Greedy ladies aren't they?" Reaching down into her cleavage Lucy parted her breasts ever so slightly and pulled half of Albert free of her cleavage.

For a moment Albert just stretched after Lucy freed his upper body. Having been held in the embrace of her cleavage for so long was far from unpleasant to him but it was nice to move his arms. "It's warm between there."

To this Lucy gave a quick nod and began to draw herself to a standing position. "I'm surprised you didn't tell me sooner. Weren't you worried you'd sink all the way down and not be able to call up to me?"

"Not really. I trust you after all."

"It makes me happy to hear that."

"Anyway, one thing I've learned about you is that regardless as to whether you're paying attention or not. You always seem to notice when someone you care about is in danger. I'm sure you would have noticed if I had actually begun to smother."

Instead of speaking right away Lucy placed a hand on either breasts and pressed down lightly upon the flesh. "My body does have a will of its own in many respects. Granted it's my foundational will so it is my will as well. I just wish that it was better at planning ahead."

"So are we done here?"

"Yep" Turning around Lucy focused her attention on the crowd for a moment. "Thanks for the cooperation and if you find yourselves in need of employment give my offices a ring." For a moment Lucy turned away from the crowd and looked up at the sky at the same time raising her right hand palm up in a sort of shrug. "Just tell the receptionist that I ate your employer so they know to give you extra attention."

It was hard for Albert not to laugh despite the situation. There was most assuredly a rotten streak to Lucy in that she liked to give people a little scare. She seemed to most enjoy it though during two situations. One was when she was paying someone back for a form of injustice and the other was when she was helping someone. "So did they ever ship anything for you?"

"Yeah occasionally, I didn't tend to trust them with anything that was fragile or dangerous. Now how about you and I go take care of one last thing?"

"Which is?"

************************************************************************

A sigh escaped Phillip as he made his way down stairs and out the front door. It was evening but he had been up late trying to get home last night. In the end he had ended up staying the night at Sandra's place. He had left after Lucy and Albert and had been made to regret it as given the traffic backup her little jog had caused and the length of the detour it would have taken several more hours to get home.

Fortunately Sandra' apartment had been much closer though it required him to drive out of the city some distance. He wasn't too upset over the event though as it had meant a night with his lady. "Hey Lucy, what brings you here?"

"Not a whole lot. I bet you were surprised last night."

To this Phillip gave a quick nod. "Yeah, I have to say I was. I turned around before I got to the wreck but it must have been a nasty one. Is Albert alright?"

"He's recovering nicely thanks to some special medical treatment."

"That's good. So I guess that guy had something to do with the wreck."

To this Lucy gave a quick nod. "Yes he did. Far more then I could simply let slide. Hey why did you shake your head like that?"

"Huh? Oh sorry I'm still waking up."

"It didn't look like it to me. I guess you found my behavior a little worrisome?"

For a moment Phillip was silent but at last a sigh escaped him. "I. I don't want to say too much. After all I don't know everything that you know and for you to do that I'm sure you must have had a good reason. Still, Lucy did you have to eat him like that? They are plenty of other ways to deal with someone that doesn't involve eating them."

To this Lucy gave a slight shrug. "I know but none that I find quite as enjoyable. I don't really see where the stigma comes from though. The human body is flesh just like any other animal we might eat and while other people would have to worry about contracting an illness. It seems unlikely that I'll catch anything. Dead is dead and regardless of the method used I would want him to suffer the same."

A sigh escaped Phillip as he shook his head. "I guess it's due to the fear that you'll come to see people as food."

"That is practical in regards to other humans but once again doesn't apply to me. After all if eating people was enough to change my view point on humans then my scale, power and intelligence would have already done that."

"Yeah that is true." As Phillip spoke he didn't bother mentioning that he felt they already had at times. It wouldn't have done him any good. "So what brings you here? Just checking on me?"

"Is Sandra awake right now? I want to speak to her as well."

"Huh? Oh yeah she's awake. I'll go inside and get her."

"Thanks." As Phillip made his way inside Lucy leaned to her side having already set down and began to look through the windows. She had no need to actually ask if Sandra was awake but it was a nice way of asking Phillip to go and get her.

Given that Phillip knew Sandra was also aware of the happenings of the last few hours. Unlike Phillip she wasn't quite as comfortable with Lucy however with the giantess right outside she couldn't think of a reason not to step out especially sense she knew Lucy could hear her. So Phillip didn't have to say much to get her to come outside. "Good morning Lucy."

"Good morning. Well Sandra I'm going to assume that Phillip or the news already told you what I've been up to for the last few hours."

To this Sandra gave a quick nod. "Yeah, you're receiving quite a lot of coverage."

"So do you two want to know what happened?"

In response Sandra gave a nod. "Yeah it would be nice. I have to say what I've heard so far isn't flattering."

"No it hasn't been but I'll fill them in on the details later. While Albert was driving home we were in a crash with a semi. The driver died in the wreck but during it I noticed that he never hit the breaks as well as the speed with which he was going. Suffice to say I was upset and found myself wondering what had happened. While I tended to Albert I did a quick check and found out the driver had a history of substance abuse. He had enough of a history that it left me curious as to how he retained his job.

So I decided to do a quick check and I have to say I wasn't happy. The driver had quite a record of making deliveries on time or ahead of schedule however his driving logs didn't make sense. Quite honestly he was on the road longer then he should have been. To make the situation even worse I took a look at the insurance policy they company had taken out on him."

After a moment of silence Sandra spoke up. "So the company was keeping him around because he made his deliveries and they planned to profit on the nearly inevitable outcome?"

"Yes. It's the only explanation that I could find. They were a few other things that led me to believe that his employer was at fault but quite honestly his history, driving logs and the insurance policy was enough for me. So as his employer was partly at fault for the incident I decided that he had to pay for what he had caused."

To this Phillip gave a quick nod. "I see. Yeah that took a true ass. At least you kept Albert safe and he didn't hit anyone else. Where is Albert anyway?"

"Oh he's right here." As she spoke Lucy scooted back then proceeded to lean forward parting her hair as she did so.

It took Phillip a moment to realize what was going on but the moment Albert came into view a slight chuckle escaped him. "I see. Moved up from the pocket didn't you?"

Fortunately for Albert he had grown use to being scene in such situations with Lucy so there was no real embarrassment. He had simply remained silent for lack of much to say. "Yeah I guess I have. I have to say though. I suspect this is where she's wanted to carry me most of the time I've been in her pocket."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she straitened back up. "Well that is partly correct but not entirely. Having you in my front pocket does have advantages. Now that you two know what happened there is just one more thing I need deal with."

Once again Phillip couldn't help but be a little confused. "Huh? What is that? It seems like you dealt with everyone responsible."

To this Lucy shook her head. "Nope I still have to deal with the two who are responsible for Albert and me even being there as well as for me only having a very small portion of myself there with which to protect Albert."

Sandra began to grow pale the moment she heard the words and unconsciously took a step back. "What do you mean?"

"If you hadn't convinced Phillip to invite me to Crystal Lake and if he hadn't given in Albert would have never been endangered. You even went out of your way to choose a location that I would have to reduce my size for. So the two of you are also responsible for what happened."

Despite what Lucy had just told them Phillip didn't feel overly concerned. He had known Lucy for a while and knew she tended to like to frighten people some. "Lucy, you can't be serious. There is no way we could have known something like this would happen and if we did we most assuredly wouldn't have done it. You can't hold us responsible for that crash."

"Sure I can. Don't worry though I'm not putting as much fault with you as I put with Rick so I won't make you suffer as much. I've been digesting Rick for a while now so my stomach is already pretty active. Neither of you should last more then a few minutes." As she finished speaking an amused giggle escaped Lucy and she reached down for both Phillip and Sandra.

This time around Albert was free to hear every word that had been said. Upon feeling Lucy leaning forward he glanced up at her. "You know that's a bit mean to scare them like that."

Upon seeing Lucy's massive hand reaching for them Sandra turned to Phillip expecting to see him running. Instead she found him standing there. Realizing that he was probably in shock she quickly slammed her shoulder into him causing him to stumble forward. "Run!"

The nudge from Sandra was all Phillip had required to begin running yet it was too late. He felt Lucy's massive fingers wrap around him squeezing him and Sandra to one another. As he was lifted into the air he heard Lucy address Albert. "I'm not joking Albert. These tasty little treats are going to go into my nice warm belly." As she finished speaking to Albert Lucy then looked towards Phillip and Sandra once again. "Oh and as for that favor Phillip. Taste good and be filling please."

Something about Lucy's motions and words struck Albert immediately as he came to doubt she was joking. In response to this he pressed down on her breasts as if trying to draw himself to a standing position. This was futile but he still remembered to speak. "Hold on Lucy! You can't just eat them over that!"

"Sure I can. They are both bite sized and delectable. Besides I really did enjoy feeling Rick struggling as he slid down my throat. I didn't realize it when I ate my cousin but it is really quite a thrill." As she was speaking Lucy shifted her grip slightly and proceeded to lift Phillip with her free hand.

It was clear to Albert that he wasn't the only one worried about the situation as he heard Sandra and Phillip screaming for Lucy to put them down. "This isn't right Lucy and you know it! They're our friends and have been for over a year now. Lucy, this isn't you. You'd never do this to someone you cared for!"

"Oh Albert, you clearly have no idea how good it felt to have a living person slide down my throat. I had to experience it for a second time to really think about it and notice how big it made me feel." As she was speaking Lucy moved the hand that held Sandra to her mouth and opened wide. She then lowered her into her mouth until she was up to her waste and closed her lips around her so she couldn't pull herself out.

It was impossible for Sandra to keep her tears from coming despite her efforts. As she felt Lucy lips sealing around her a horrified shriek escaped her. "Please stop!"

By now Albert was quite alarmed though he wasn't entirely certain of Lucy's intent just yet. Regardless of what her intent was even if she was joking around this had gone far enough in his opinion. "Lucy that is quite enough! You can take a joke too far and this quit being funny long ago. You're really worrying me."

Instead of commenting verbally Lucy began to lightly suck on Sandra slowly pulling the screaming finger into her mouth. As she was sucking Sandra into her mouth her tongue began to move over her legs slowly coating them with her saliva and letting Lucy taste her flesh. A slight hum caused Sandra's entire being to vibrate as Lucy moaned her approval of her taste.

By now Albert had ceased in his attempt to pull himself free of Lucy's breasts as it was clear that it wasn't going to happen. He didn't continue yelling though but rather took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. "Sandra you have to stop screaming. She's just doing this to frighten you once you quit making it fun for her she'll stop."

Despite Albert's assurance that Lucy was only playing around Sandra was far from comforted. Still, she took in a deep breath and tried to hold back her tears and sobs. "Lucy, please stop this right now. If you're trying to scare me you have plenty. Now please let me go. Please?"

For a moment Lucy's lips parted as if she was going to take Sandra out. A relieved sigh escaped Phillip and Albert until they noticed the look of horror on her face. Moments later they saw Lucy's tongue extend from inside her mouth and then slowly began to fold backwards blocking Sandra from their view and pushing her further into Lucy's mouth. Even with what he knew about Lucy and Albert's advice Phillip couldn't stop himself. "Please let her go Lucy. I'm the one that invited you and pressured Albert. Just take it out on me."

The only response from Lucy was once again to continue with what she was doing as she pushed Sandra back into her mouth and sealed her lips shut. For a moment she remained entirely still giving both Albert and Phillip to see that Sandra was inside of her mouth. She then gave a quick swallow.

In that moment Albert felt like his heart had stopped beating and a wave of sickness ran through him. "No" was all the only words he could manage as disbelief and shock took hold of him as he saw a lump move down Lucy's throat.

"Yummy! You're turn." With that Lucy gave Phillip a quick toss sending him sprawling onto her tongue. She then quickly shut her mouth and swallowed sending yet another bulge down her throat. Turning to Albert she opened her mouth wide for him to see and extended her tongue.

As Albert looked into Lucy's mouth he felt his eyes tearing up as his heart shook. "How could you do that Lucy? You're not this type of person! What have you turned yourself in to?" Upon finishing speaking Albert couldn't help but turn away from Lucy and close his eyes. He would have lain down but at the moment he didn't want to even touch her.

"Less hungry, now let's go home."

************************************************************************

It was hard for Albert to move as he set in his bed staring at the wall refusing to even look out the window incase he might see Lucy. At the moment his entire being hurt his heart feeling as if it had turned to stone. For the first time in his life he was entirely loss on what to do. He didn't feel as if his world had been taken away rather he felt as if it had been warped into something he couldn't recognize. When one lost their world they could hope to find it again or rebuild. As his had been distorted though he didn't have that option.

"Hey Albert, you know what would be really nice right now? Some muffins would be. How about baking a few?"

No movement or words came from Albert even upon hearing Lucy's voice. He had ceased to speak to her or even acknowledge her existence ever since he had first felt his tears coming. It was the only thing she could do for the moment though its affect seemed quite limited. Even after several days had passed it was the only course of action he found himself able to take but it didn't ease his pain. Indeed it made it even worse.

The reason Albert held his tongue wasn't for fear of his safety though. Death would have been a relief to him yet he couldn't bring himself to kill himself despite their being no fear of death in him at the moment. Rather the thing that held him back at the moment only served to sicken him more.

For a moment a frustrated pout appeared on Lucy's face but vanished as a sigh escaped her seconds later. "You don't need to be such a stick in the mud Albert. It isn't like I was the only one that enjoyed what happened. On some level I know you did to. After all if you didn't enjoy what I was doing why was your penis pressing into my breasts so firmly."

Despite his attempts to show no reaction Albert was made to convulse as he listened to Lucy. He still held his tongue but couldn't help his body's reaction as he slammed his fist firmly into the wall. It was the first time the truth had sickened him but it was the truth. He had always enjoyed Lucy's displays of power and even if it cost him his friends on some level he had enjoyed what he saw. As these thoughts settled in he pulled a garbage can over to him. He had yet to vomit but felt as if he would.

"Okay Albert. I'm going to go out for a few and take care of a few little things. We can talk more when I get back. Maybe I'll get lucky and find some treats while I'm out and we can explore my new taste together."

"Why don't you just eat me to?" Albert heard Lucy giggle moments later.

"Because silly. I love you and want to share this with you. Don't worry Albert, you'll come around soon enough and then the fun can really start."

Regardless of what had happened part of him still wanted to tell her to come back soon and another wanted to go along. He couldn't do that though and wouldn't allow himself. As he heard Lucy foot falls fading away though he leaned to the side and slammed his head against the wall. The physical pain was a relief from the emotional.

Over an hour had passed and Albert had heard nothing to indicate Lucy was near. With her no longer around he finally stood up and made his way into his closet. It only took him a moment to find the noose he had fashioned earlier. A dry chuckle escaped him as he remembered the night that he had tried to use it. He had intended to use it ever since then but each attempt had ended with failure. Perhaps tonight would be different.

Standing up Albert made his way into the exercise room Lucy had built for him and made his way over to the pull-up bar. Tying a strong knot around the metal bar he brought a foot stool over and raised it to a position high enough for him to suspend from. Placing the rope around his neck he gave a sigh as he climbed onto the stool and found himself staring at the wall once again. All that he needed to do now was kick the support out from under him and let things take their course.

There was no movement from his legs though. Regardless of how much he thought he desired freedom from the nightmare he couldn't bring himself to do it. "I. I can't leave her."

"Yeah and she could never leave you either."

Hearing Lucy's voice behind him was more then a little surprising to Albert but he did not move. Rather he remained entirely still. "You're not her though. Lucy would never have done that to a friend. She's a kind person."

"So who am I then?"

"You're not the woman I love! You're a traitor to her."

As she was speaking Lucy began to walk towards Albert. "Yet you can't bring yourself to leave me. Regardless of how I've changed you can't bring yourself to be without me even in death. The thought of living without me hasn't even crossed your mind. After all you haven't even tried to walk out that door once. Being eaten by me is the only path to freedom you can even begin to see."

To this Albert lowered his head but gave a slight nod. "I don't want to be without her. I can't stay like this though. I have to do something."

"You're scared that eventually you'll come to agree with me just so you can be with me. So you can put aside all these feelings of shame."

"No. I won't do that. I can't do that. If all I have to be with is the shadow of the woman I love if the only thing that is left of her is a shell then I'll be with that. However, she is the one I love and I will remain as I am when I loved her."

Upon coming within arm's reach Lucy reached to her side and took hold of the chin-up bar. She then gave it a slight bend bringing the top of the bar close to the ground and allowing her to take hold of the rope. After snapping the rope she turned back to Albert. "I know and now there is something that I want to show you."

Before Albert could respond he heard the sound of Lucy's larger body coming back into the room. With Lucy's smaller body standing in front of him this time he was made to look outside. His jaw nearly hit the floor whenever she lowered her hand for him to see what she held. "What is going on?"

"Oh sure, she eats us and you can only give her a few days of the silent treatment. I guess we all know where your loyalties reside." As he was speaking Phillip climbed through the window.

There was a small smile upon Lucy's face as she glanced over at Albert. "Well are you only going to stair?"

"How did you? I saw you eat them!"

"Yes you did but I never digested them."

Even as Albert looked upon his friend and Sandra he felt his legs grow weak and shake. It was only Lucy's arm wrapping around him that kept him from falling. "I didn't realize. How could I not have realized? What about Rick?"

"Oh he's dead! I digested him about an hour before I swallowed Sandra and Phillip so I had time to make sure my stomach was safe."

While Sandra had calmed down a bit over the past few days she couldn't help her surprise. "You had only digested him an hour before you ate us?!"

"Calm down Sandra that is plenty of time to make sure it was safe for you. I couldn't wait too long or Albert wouldn't be as likely to believe what had happened."

After a moment more of looking at Phillip and Sandra Albert turned his attention to the smaller body of Lucy's. While he did feel deceived he didn't feel angry at the moment though he began to tremble. Slowly his arms began to encircle her. "I should have known. I should have known that you would never do such a thing. I should have trusted you more."

Lucy continued to keep one arm around Albert while the other reached below his rear. She then proceeded to lift him off the ground and carry him out towards her body. "I am glad that you didn't. This was important Albert there was something that I needed to show you and see for myself."

It actually surprised Albert when he felt himself being lifted further into the air and realized that he had just been picked up by Lucy's larger body. As he looked up at her massive form though he felt a few tears forming in his eyes as a wave of relief flowed through him. Instead of leaning against her shoulder though he partly struggled free was partly set down on Lucy's palm and proceeded to extend his arms as far to his sides as he could in an attempt to hug as much of her as he could.

For a while Lucy was quiet as she lifted Albert to her neck and pressed him against it. She didn't bother removing him as she spoke. "Do you want to know why?"

"You already told me. You had something important to show me and something that you wanted to see. I can never be without you. Living without you is impossible to the point that I can't even entertain the idea and I could never kill myself apart from you."

"No matter what I become you will always be mine and I will always be yours. I needed for you to see how much we needed one another."

"I wasn't the only one hurting while this was going on was I. I never meant for you to have to endure so much just to make something clear to me."

"Mm already back to taking all the responsibility onto yourself. You may want to put that off for later as now that you've seen the truth. You're going to have a much greater responsibility soon enough."

If they were to wait for Lucy to take them home both Phillip and Sandra knew they would be waiting for quite some time. Fortunately Lucy had already made this clear so they didn't bother sticking around once it was clear they weren't needed any longer. While Phillip would have normally felt it rude to be asked over then asked to leave so quickly together, this was an exception to him. Besides they had things to go over as well. In return for the scare Lucy had given them something that both he and Sandra felt was very valuable.

************************************************************************

When Albert had claimed that he wasn't the only one that had been in pain he hadn't been wrong. It wasn't in Lucy's nature to make him suffer however she had to be certain of who he was and who she was. Now she had every intent of covering up both of their pain as she carried Albert over to her bed. He probably didn't realize it at the time but she was currently whole. There wasn't a single smaller Lucy anywhere else rather she was all there.

Upon feeling himself pulled away from Lucy's neck Albert didn't let go but proceeded to extend his arms as he was moved away. First his arms coming together, then his palms pressing against her throat and at last his finger tips slipped away as he was drew back and lifted higher. A slight sigh escaped him as he was brought level with those massive lips that he had come to dread over the past few days. Now they were a welcome site.

Once Albert was held level with her lips Lucy slightly puckered them and proceeded to gentle blow across his body. This was gentle for her to Albert it was an incredibly powerful gale. It had the desired affect as the casual display of power brought a slight sigh from him. The wind then slowed and Lucy brought Albert forward lightly pressing him against her lips.

As those lips came to engulf the majority of his front Albert leaned more firmly into them. His arms extended to both sides and he gripped as much of Lucy's upper lip as he could. He then pressed his face into her lip kissing it with his own much smaller lips while he squeezed on her lips as best he could. He was pulled more firmly into her lips still as Lucy began to kiss him back. He was certain that the suction those massive lips generated was more then powerful enough to hold him there.

While she was kissing Albert Lucy lightly parted her lips and slowly began to work him into her mouth. The moisture from her breath soaked into his clothing from this range and made it cling firmly to his skin. So that she had to bring him closer still until he was just close enough to her teeth and she parted them.

At first Albert had been too lost in the touch of Lucy's lips to give the moisture he felt much thought. Even when he realized what was happening though he didn't struggle. He trusted Lucy and even if that trust was to be proven false then this was the fait he would have wanted. A shiver ran up his spine as he felt those massive teeth brush against his skin as Lucy used them to grip his shirt.

Upon taking hold of enough of Albert's shirt Lucy proceeded to greatly increase the force with which she bit down. The material between her teeth began to tear apart as the strands of the fabric was crushed with far more force then they were ever meant to endure. The material around the outer edge of what was trapped in her mouth proceeded to tear. Upon taking the first chunk out of Albert's shirt Lucy parted her teeth and turned him slightly she then bit down once again.

Given how easily Lucy could have crushed the life from his body with those massive teeth Albert knew he was near something that could be very dangerous. He didn't feel fear at the moment though even as Lucy used those teeth to strip his clothing from him. The precision with which she moved him and bit down on his clothing only served to astound him especially as she removed his sleeves.

Instead of pulling Albert's shirt off Lucy continued to destroy various parts of it until the material fell off. As she felt his shirt drifting away from his body she moved him away from her face and once again blew across him. The lose bits of cloth didn't remain on him for even a second. An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she looked upon Albert's exposed chest and her massive tongue proceeded to poke out from between her lips.

Most would have been trying to get away as Lucy's massive tongue poked them in the chest especially given the events of the last few days. Instead of trying to escape though Albert proceeded to reach down and wrap his arms around the tip of Lucy's tongue. As he hugged the massive crimson muscle he was moved about ever so slightly as Lucy lightly flicked her tongue over his chest.

For a moment Albert was pulled forward as he continued to hold onto Lucy's tongue even as she withdrew it back into her mouth. He had to crane his head backwards as he was lowered to the ground and placed between Lucy's massive thighs. Even looking all the way back though he was quite amused to find that with his current proximity and the size of Lucy's breasts he couldn't see her face very well.

No words came from Lucy as she leaned backwards and no words would be coming. She intended on seeing what Albert intended to do as he looked upon the vast expanse of her body. This was quite a daunting moment for Albert as Lucy had already managed to get his shirt off while she still remained fully clothed. Feeling the bed tremble beneath him as her weight shifted and nearly falling over only served to remind him of what a vast expanse he had to handle.

The lack of prompting from Lucy meant he could take whatever path he wanted but it also meant no guidance. Given the task before him Albert found the lack of guidance somewhat worrisome and he wondered where he should even begin. There was no way that he could strip Lucy's clothing from her the way she had stripped his from him. So his only hope of having her expose her skin was to convince her to do it herself. Yet the total silence thus far told him that he wouldn't be doing so with words.

It was with great curiosity that Lucy watched Albert as he finally began to move and made his way over to her thigh. She could feel the slight pressure of his hand against her shorts as he traveled along her leg. It was a relatively short walk for him due to the fact that her shorts weren't exactly long. As he came to the hem of her shorts she felt him slip a hand between her flesh and the material.

If Lucy were to flex her leg muscles at that moment Albert knew that he would lose his hand. Right now her legs were relaxed though so there was some give in the flesh. Trusting that she could keep the muscle relaxed Albert took hold of the material with his other hand and gave a slight jump. One leg quickly pressed into her thigh while the other pressed against the hem. He was grateful for the time spent exercise with Lucy as he slipped his hand further up and began to climb.

At first it didn't seem like Albert was interested in giving her legs much attention but as he began to move Lucy was quite happy to feel his lips press against her thigh. His shoulder pressed more firmly into her flesh shortly after as he seemed to be getting a pattern down. This made Lucy all the more glad that she had helped Albert to refine his body. Had she not done so, he would have had great difficulty handling the task before him.

Had there ever been a time for Albert to regret Lucy's thighs being so full this would have been the time. However, despite the difficulty her figure gave him he couldn't bring himself to wish it changed in the least. He loved every curve, valley and hill of Lucy's wondrous form. Once he made it halfway up her thigh he was able to enjoy it even more as the climb became all the easier.

Though Albert spent relatively little time with her thigh Lucy wasn't upset. It only made her certain that he had other objectives in mind. Indeed this seemed to be the case as he progressed across her leg and made his way over to her waste. As he looked up the vast expanse of her tummy and chest she had a good idea of what his current objective was.

Stimulating Lucy through her clothing would be difficult that was one thing Albert was quite certain of. So while he would have liked to give her legs more attention he first needed to convince Lucy to remove some of her clothing and to do that he intended to get to an area where he could provide more motivation. As he worked his way to her waste he didn't bother trying to find a spot into her shorts. He knew the waste band was far too solid of a barrier for him to get past rather he tried to find a way inside of her shirt.

The material of Lucy's shirt was drawn exceptionally taught across her chest. However, it was not so taught across her stomach so it didn't take Albert long to find a place where he could slip his hands inside. There was still a fair bit of tension between her skin and the material but not enough to prevent something from struggling up inside of it. This was proven quite quickly by Albert as he braced once arm against Lucy's stomach and used the other to pull her shirt outward a bit.

After the material had been pulled out far enough Albert gave a slight jump and began to work his upper body between the material and Lucy's skin. He pressed his feet firmly into Lucy's skin as he used the tension between her shirt and skin to work his way up further. He knew that if he could make it to the underside of Lucy's chest the material would slacken but that was quite a difficult climb. Fortunately that wasn't his destination as he had resolved on another path of action.

Even if she didn't truly need to breathe Lucy continued to take breath as Albert progressed upon her stomach. She wanted to see what he had planned but she didn't want to make his success too easy. This also extended the time that he spent on her stomach which she was finding rather pleasant.

After he had progressed far enough up that he didn't have worry about falling out from under Lucy's shirt Albert began to give Lucy more attention. Whenever she would inhale the material of her shirt would grow too taught for him to make much progress. So instead of expending energy struggling through at such times he started giving Lucy more attention. Whenever he felt the material tightening around him he would bring his face down and press his lips firmly into her tummy.

While his lips were against her flesh Albert would press his hands and legs firmly into her skin and work them as much as he comfortable could. It was the best method to rub Lucy's stomach that he could currently think of. His actions seem to have the desired effect as he heard a slight sigh and giggle from Lucy. Periodically he'd feel her shift slightly as well. He just wondered if she had realized where his ultimate destination was yet.

Her stomach was far from the most intimate part of her body that Lucy had ever had Albert touch. Still, she loved the attention and it did serve to excite her a little. She wasn't sure if what excited her most was the fact that she could feel his penis pushing into her stomach as he worked his way upward or the belly rub itself. One thing she had noticed was that his path was more of a slant then a strait line.

Upon feeling his hand reaching into an opening Albert took a moment to extend his fingers further down. He had come to several such places that he thought to be his destination only to learn it was the contours of Lucy's stomach muscles. Upon feeling around for a moment though he began to eagerly work his way forward actually continuing to push forward whenever Lucy inhaled.

In the beginning Lucy had thought Albert intended to make his way up to her breasts. As he pushed forward even when she inhaled though she doubted that was the case and became curious as to his intent. Upon feeling his shoulder slipping into her belly button though she quickly inhaled to slow his progress as she realized what he was up to. Unfortunately he had been able to make progress even when she had inhaled beforehand. So there was no real stopping him as he quickly worked his way down into her belly button.

While he pulled himself forward Albert was grateful Lucy hadn't realized what he was doing until he was within arms' reach of her belly button. It was clear she had caught on though when the material tightened far more then it had ever previously. Fortunately with some of him already in her belly button he had the leverage and room that he needed to pull himself forward.

The moment Lucy felt Albert slide down into her belly button she bit down on her lower lip. She had expected him to try to stimulate her to convince her to take off her shirt. That was clearly what he meant to do now however the type of stimulation wasn't what she expected. Her mid section was made to thrust upward the moment she felt him begin his efforts as she bit down harder in order to control herself.

Even with all of her gathered fitting inside of Lucy's belly button was quite a tight fit for Albert. Despite the tight confines he was made to breathe a sigh of relief and a wide grin spread across his face. Turning his head to the side Albert proceeded to place a kiss on the rim of Lucy's belly button and then let his tongue slide along it for a moment. He then pressed his hands into the flesh around him and began to vigorously work his hands back and forth while working his fingers.

Sudden acceleration upward served to tell Albert he was having the desired affect as he continued to work his fingers and hands. He knew from past experience how ticklish Lucy was. It wasn't entirely fair however she had on a bra and shirt while he only had on a shirt. Given that he had two articles of clothing to convince her to remove he didn't mind using other methods.

There was no way for Lucy to keep her composure indefinitely with the way Albert was working her belly button. He wasn't familiar with all of her body but he was quite familiar with that spot. Given the rate at which he was melting her self control he knew that particular place very well. At last gritting her teeth began to fail and Lucy began to snicker behind clinched teeth while her body began to lightly convulse.

Every reverberation that ran through Lucy's stomach told Albert that he was making progress. When he heard the giggles starting his efforts grew all the stronger. Soon what was the occasional shudder began to grow into rolling waves as Lucy was clearly having trouble maintaining her composure. In an attempt to mix a little pleasure in with the tickle torture Albert began to lightly nibble the outer edges of Lucy's belly button. He only wished he knew if the squeal he heard come from her was due to the nibbling or the tickling.

No words had been spoken after Lucy had taken Albert to her bed. No words were needed for either of them to understand the situation. Either her shirt came off or her tickle torture didn't stop. To Lucy being tickled in such a way did bring upon a form of pleasure as her body responded to Albert's efforts. Her nipples were made to harden and she felt her lips moisten however there was most assuredly a desire to put an end to it as well.

As the motions of Lucy's stomach increased Albert ceased to work one leg and pressed it firmly into the side of Lucy's belly button. Given the current degree of motion he knew the only thing that was keeping him in place was Lucy's shirt and the limited space of his confines. When Lucy's shirt was removed he'd need some additional support to keep her from tossing him out. Upon hearing Lucy openly laughing he felt certain that he was nearing his goal.

Regardless of her resolve tickle torture from a friend was something Lucy could only endure for so long. Had there been something precious at stake she wouldn't have even been affected. This was Albert tickling her though and on many levels she wanted to lose this contest. Given that the only thing that had allowed her to hold out so far was a desire to keep Albert from having it too easy and that he had caught her off guard. She was finally made to buckle.

The powerful gust of wind generated by Lucy suddenly pulling her shirt upward was strong enough to ruffle Albert's hair and clothing. It also served to draw his attention upward as he continued to tickle Lucy. He wasn't prepared for what came next as his confines were suddenly made to shrink considerably as Lucy flexed her stomach muscles. They grew so tight that he couldn't comfortably move his arms though that didn't last long as Lucy's flexing suddenly caused a powerful upward push.

By bringing her stomach as low as she could then thrusting upward and suddenly relaxing those muscles so that Albert didn't have time to regain his grip. Lucy was able to send him flying out of her belly button. Now he would have to face the consequences of her tickle torture as he landed upon her stomach. She had yet to regain her composure so she was still giggling causing her tummy to move quite actively.

Landing upon Lucy's stomach was a bit rougher then what Albert was used to. Due to her giggling she wasn't able to completely relax her stomach muscles so her belly was a bit more solid then what it would have normally been for him to land on. The pain was only moderate though as if someone had made the mistake of throwing themselves down on an air mattress that wasn't aired up entirely. Unlike with the mattress he didn't have time to lay there and recover as he found himself being bounced about by Lucy's giggles while she tried to regain her composure.

Being bounced about by Lucy's laughter wasn't an unpleasant experience for Albert. Indeed he was made to grin as he realized how long it was taking Lucy to calm down. One part of him thought that the reason she might have to take her time is she found the sight of him being bounced about by her laughter amusing but this didn't bother him. He rather liked the idea even if it wasn't the type of pleasure he meant to give Lucy he was happy to give her the type that he could.

Several times Lucy tried to force her body to remain still and finally she was able to force it to do so. As her giggles stopped a long sigh escaped her and she was made to remember a time when laughing so hard would have begun to hurt. After a few moments had passed she then took in a deep breath causing three more small giggles to escape her fortunately she was able to keep them from growing into more.

A long sigh escaped Albert as he drew himself to a setting position and looked up at the vast expanse of Lucy's body. He was happy when he noticed that she was wearing one of her loser bras as it would make his next task easier. Had she been wearing one of her more form hugging ones he doubted that he'd be able to squeeze into it. There was still quite a climb ahead of him.

It was easy for Albert to see the best path of action as he climbed to his feet and began to climb Lucy again. In her reclined state it wouldn't be overly difficult for him to make it to her shoulder. He would then take a few strands of her hair and use them to let him down upon her chest. Making his way over the top of those mountains would be much easier then trying to climb them from below. He had even chosen a path between Lucy's breasts as he neared them though he knew that ravine would most likely pose a problem for him.

Once Albert drew close enough to her breasts Lucy lost site of him though she was quite aware of his location. He had made quicker work of her shirt then she had expected him to with his surprise tactic. That only made Lucy more determined to slow him down here and get as much enjoyment out of the experience as she could. So when she felt Albert drawing closer to her chest she proceeded to flex her chest muscles forcing her breasts together more firmly.

Even the slight motions on Lucy's part could be felt by Albert in this situation. Given his proximity to her breasts it was easy for him to tell something had changed just by feeling her body shift under him. That didn't deter him though as he made his way to the massive globes of Lucy's breasts. Given her inclined position he knew that he would have to be certain to make use of her breasts to help him climb up the rest of her chest.

Had Lucy wanted to she could have drawn out their game by flexing her stomach muscles so that Albert wasn't able to just walk over them. She had allowed him to get to her chest more quickly though for three reasons. She wanted a part of her body more sensitive then her tummy to get attention now, the game was to remove her clothing and her belly was still tingling from the tickle torture. Now she was ready to make his job difficult again though as she forced her breasts together too firmly for him to squeeze between them.

Brute force was hardly ever the answer with Lucy physical brute force was never the answer with her and Albert knew that for certain. Every attempt to physically coerce Lucy into do something had always been met with force and now she could exert far more force then anyone he knew of. There were no delusions of him forcing his way between her breasts he would have to convince the ladies to let him pass. Fortunately he remembered them trying to consume him beforehand he only hoped he could convince them to let him go.

Albert had progressed swiftly across her stomach once he had convinced Lucy to remove her shirt. It pleased Lucy to find that he didn't intend to make such progress past her breasts though. Instead she felt his hand press against her breasts and slowly began to move up and down her skin. His free hand soon joined the first and he began to slightly squeeze her flesh every few centimeters.

So long as Lucy kept her breasts pressed together Albert knew he wasn't going to get past. He had to stimulate her so that she relaxed her muscles and let him slip through. There was no way that his hands could provide this level of stimulation alone to such a massive lady they didn't have to he intended to use all of him. While his hands continued to slide over and squeeze the bit of flesh they could he adjusted his position so that his back pressed against Lucy's other breasts he then turned his head to the side and started kissing her.

Feeling Albert using both his hands and lips to tease her breasts was nice to Lucy however it wasn't nearly enough. He would have to be more creative then that if he wanted to convince those towers to move. She was glad when he showed that he already knew that as she felt him beginning to rub his back against the breasts it was pressed against in circular motions while at the same time continuing to kiss her.

Maintaining his current position and moving his entire body was rather difficult for Albert at the moment. He didn't have the footing he needed to press his back into Lucy's skin as firmly as he wanted so he tried to compensate as much as he could. As he kissed her breasts he began to periodically nibble on her skin while he pressed his hands more firmly into her flesh whenever he would grip her warm skin. His arms didn't have the same strength of his legs but it did serve to provide additional stimulation for both breasts.

It was impossible to hurry through Albert's task but he also felt certain that maintained effort would have the desired results. That seemed to be the case as he noticed Lucy's chest beginning to rise and fall as she began to take in deeper breaths of air. Albert knew better then to try and rush ahead though. If he was to be caught between Lucy's breasts and she wasn't properly stimulated he wouldn't be getting out. At least not without considerably more effort, he had to make sure she was stimulated and stayed so.

Once her breasts parted enough Lucy felt Albert slowly push his way further between her flesh mountains. He didn't try to rush and force his entire body in rather she only felt his shoulder nudging between her breasts. As he worked his shoulder between her breasts she felt his hand leaving where it had been and slowly extending between.

With his arm at least partly within Lucy's cleavage Albert was able to get a better idea of how careful he had to be. Whenever she would exhale her breasts would come together and while he could move when that happened that would last only while he was barely within Lucy's cleavage confines. After a small bit of progress he knew the only time he'd be able to move was whenever Lucy inhaled deeply much as she had been doing when her breasts had began to pull him down into her cleavage on their own.

Even if Albert did manage to excite Lucy enough to repeat the process where her breasts had began to pull him deeper into her cleavage there was one great concern. A good portion of his body had been pulled into Lucy's cleavage but he had plenty of room to go deeper. What he didn't know was if he would have just kept being pulled further in or ended up trapped at a certain point. If he could go all the way through or if he'd be trapped at the mid point was unknown.

The more of Albert that slipped between her breasts the more confident he seemed to become that he wouldn't fall out. Indeed this was the case as her breasts squeezing him from both sides provided more and more of the support his legs had. He was clearly aware of this as Lucy felt his leg beginning to press into her breast as well so that only one leg was supporting him now. The one that had not yet made it within the confines of her cleavage.

When Albert had been nursing he had noticed the sent of Lucy's flesh. Now that he made his way further into Lucy's cleavage the scent became even more noticeable. Fortunately the feeling of Lucy's breasts squeezing him from all directions kept him from falling into a relaxed state and forgetting the task at hand. Upon slipping one of his legs between her breasts he began to move the limb back and forth.

For the moment it was unlikely that Albert realized everything he was doing right. At least Lucy doubted that he realized what one of his best methods was doing to her. By kissing and nibbling Lucy's flesh he did more them stimulate her sense of touch. He also served to remind her of him suckling her breasts and how enjoyable she had found the experience to be. This memory of the pleasure and promise of future pleasure that came with it did more to stimulate her then his nibbling by far.

Upon slipping enough of his body within Lucy's cleavage to do so Albert couldn't resist thrusting his crotch against her flesh. The fact that she was made to inhale sharply told him that it was a good move despite his lack of intent. As she inhaled he slipped further in but this time came to a stop when she exhaled. As those breasts embraced him he didn't need to attempt anything to know trying to make progress while she exhaled would be futile.

Stopping even for a few moments regardless of the situation would have been a bad move on Albert's part and he seemed to know this. So whenever Lucy's breasts squeezed in on him with enough force to make trying to push further in or move his limbs a waste of energy he made use of his mouth instead. Turning to face the breasts before him he gave the warm skin as firm of a kiss as he could then opened his mouth and began to suck on what he could.

When Albert sucked on her skin Lucy felt his tongue press into her breasts. The mixture of his sucking and his tongue working over her skin worked wonderfully well. Then she inhaled and her breasts began to part she would feel him resume his efforts with his hands, arms, legs and entire body as he slipped further in.

It was only when Lucy's breasts were as far apart as they would be that Albert slipped further in. By now all of his being was within the confines of Lucy's cleavage and he found himself engulfed in her warmth and sent. Now it became perfectly clear to him that he wouldn't be able to move when Lucy exhaled and if she had been wearing a bra comparable to what a normal woman would have worn he wouldn't have been moving at all.

Instead of trying to help or hinder Albert Lucy took a different rout and began to relax mentally as much as she could. She would leave it up to Albert to stimulate her body and earn his passage through her cleavage canyon. So far she found that he was doing a very nice job as she gave a slight moan at feeling his teeth run against her skin as he took a moment to nibble her flesh.

Every bit of progress was slower and smaller then the previous. As he neared the point where Lucy's breasts pressed together the most firmly his fears grew. From previous experience he felt that once there the most he could hope for was a few centimeters of progress each time. This environment didn't discourage him though rather it served to encourage him more.

Lucy's sent and flesh was all around him and he delighted in both of them. The desire that Lucy's sent and touch kindled within him was only encouraged by the warmth of her cleavage's embrace. Too hot didn't seem to exist in that moment as he found himself wanting to push further into that warmth and to his delight that warmth seemed to desire his presence as well.

How her body would respond to certain stimulus wasn't always known to Lucy. So whether or not her breasts would give up their hold on Albert after he came to them wasn't entirely known to her. One thing she was certain of was that three parts of her body currently wanted him very badly. Though it would alter his environment a bit, Lucy couldn't resist reaching down to lightly rub her fingers just over the crotch of her shorts teasing her lips through the material.

Indeed Albert did feel the motions of Lucy's breasts that the movement of her arm caused as they once again hugged him. Given that it didn't match up with her breathing patterns he knew that she had done something but he wasn't sure what. Being cut off from the outside world though, he continued forward after taking a moment to glance up to the top of those wonderful peeks. The site of Lucy's bra fabric above encouraged him yet even more now he had to keep his passion from causing him to overly exert himself.

With Albert already blocked from her view Lucy slowly closed her eyes as she felt him pushing into the narrowest gap of her cleavage canyon. As she focused entirely on the feeling of his little body working its way between her breasts she pushed down more firmly on her shorts. Albert had chosen the correct path thus far. Had he focused entirely on getting her shorts off he would have most likely failed as the material didn't have nearly the give her shirt did. He had realized that he had to convince her to remove them indirectly.

By glancing up at Lucy's bra above Albert was able to guess how far he was. He found himself in quite a tense moment upon doing so as he realized he would be pushing into the halfway point now. Already he knew that he couldn't have sunken pass this gap but that was due to how he was lying. With his current orientation he wasn't so certain. One thing was certain though either he would get past or his plan would be stopped right there.

Even as she tried to relax it was clear to Lucy that Albert was preparing himself. The fact that he waited until she inhaled and exhaled three more times before making any progress told her that. Then she felt him slowly pushing forward just a few centimeters as he pushed his arms into the bit of space where her breast met most firmly. Her response surprised her as a delighted yelp escaped her and she thrust her chest upward.

If it hadn't been for the embrace of Lucy's breasts Albert knew that he would have been sent flying as his stomach seemed to sink further into his body. It was still quite a positive sign to him though he was grateful that Lucy's breasts also protected him from the sound of her yelp. One thing that he didn't notice until a moment later though was that he had slipped further along as if his body had remembered to do what his mind and forgotten.

A delighted squeal escaped Lucy as she forced her body to lie back down on her bed. Her breasts came together to hug Albert in a particularly firm embrace as she savored the moment. The hug from her breasts went on longer then even she intended as she savored the feeling of every last bit of him being between her massive breasts.

For a moment Albert wasn't sure if he had made a mistake or not as Lucy inhaled though he knew to press onward. When she had embraced him with her chest he had thought he might have been trapped. Indeed he knew that if Lucy wanted to she could easily trap him there fortunately he had managed to keep her hot enough to not become that solid. Now as his head came to be within that most narrow gap he used the confines to give Lucy the firmest kiss yet.

There was a war going on within Lucy at that moment as her breasts struggled to retain their hold on Albert. He wasn't fighting the battle alone though as several other parts of her being cried out for attention. The desire to keep him trapped within the confines of her cleavage was great but the other voices were even greater so that her breasts could not keep him for the moment.

Relaxing wasn't an option to Albert as he pulled himself through the most narrow gap. Even with his recent progress he knew he wasn't out of that wonderful valley just yet. Indeed the desire to stay where he stood was great but a greater desire overwhelmed him as it did Lucy's breasts. There was so much more of her he wished to explore and he knew that he couldn't remain where he was and pushed onward.

A long sigh escaped Lucy as her eyes slowly reopened. Her gaze shifted down towards her breasts as she waited for Albert to become visible again. It would have been easy for her to just feel him exiting but something about waiting while watching had greater appeal to her. She didn't have to wait terribly long before she saw Albert's arm beginning to poke out from between her breasts.

There was a dramatic difference between the temperature between Lucy's breasts and that just at the top of her cleavage. A difference that left Albert with no doubt that part of him had made it through the confines of her breasts. It seemed quite possible that he could at least pull his way through with his limb now free but he didn't make any motions to do so. Even if most of him sought to know more of Lucy part of him was in no rush to leave where he was.

Upon Albert's head finally making it out from between her breasts Lucy's lips slowly spread into a smile that revealed her teeth. Given his current orientation she knew that gravity would be working against him now though he didn't seem to be having trouble countering it. There was quite a desire on her part to give him a quick blow and send him back into her cleavage but she resisted as there was also a desire to pick him up and press his head to her nipple that very moment.

As more of him was freed from the embrace of Lucy's breasts Albert switched his position so that his back would be to both breasts. He didn't need to be looking back into that wonderful valley if he was going to progress forward. Now he tried to focus his attention on the slope of those breasts. His next objective was to make it to the top of them and then work his way to and under Lucy's bra. If he could get to her nipple he doubted there'd be any problem having her remove her bra.

After a moment Lucy proceeded to press up on the underside of both her breasts lifting Albert slightly further. At the same time she brought her face closer to him and let her massive tongue flick out from between her lips. An amused giggle escaped her as she noted the expression on his face just before she pressed the surface of her tongue to him covering his entire body as she did so.

Upon Lucy leaning forward and pushing up on her breasts Albert had expected a kiss. The sudden appearance of her massive tongue through him off guard for a moment so he wasn't sure what was going on as the crimson muscle pressed to him. A shiver ran through him as the warm wet surface ran over his skin. The slight roughness of Lucy's tongue added to the feeling and while the whole thing wasn't a kiss it was still a nice welcome.

For a moment Lucy was made to giggle as she felt Albert's hands press against her tongue. Apparently he wasn't quite prepared for how much grip her tongue could exert with just a simple lick as he was nearly lifted away from her breasts. This was actually intentional on Lucy's part as the abnormal amount of saliva upon her tongue increased its adhesive ability and when spread over enough of an area it could indeed exert quite a grip.

A sharp gasp escaped Albert as he pulled himself free and glanced up at Lucy's face. He took a quick swallow of breath as he realized he had miss understood what she was doing. She hadn't been welcoming him she had been trying to lick him up. This brought a new sense of urgency to the situation as he saw Lucy's tongue flicking out of her mouth and coming for another run.

This time Albert didn't waste any time in breaking the hold her tongue had on him however Lucy's tongue didn't waste any time returning. Nearly the moment he broke free of her tongue's grasp she pressed it to him once again. There was no way Albert could keep struggling free as she could pull her tongue back into her mouth and rewet it far too quickly for him to try to scale her breast.

Between his weight and pushing off with his arms it was easy to break free of Lucy's tongue. However, it was also proving to be rather tiring due to how quickly that massive muscle returned. Now Albert found himself struggling to think of a way to keep from being licked up and into Lucy's mouth. Having to repeatedly find off her tongue wasn't helping with his thoughts though.

As she licked Albert Lucy began to giggle slightly. His frantic struggle to keep from being pulled into her mouth was delightful fun to her and his hands tickled her tongue slightly. She was certain that if he didn't think of a method to keep her from pulling him into her mouth he'd soon learn about another ticklish spot she had.

It wasn't a solution but Albert soon began to employ his legs in breaking free of Lucy's tongue giving his arms time to rest. As he kicked free of that massive muscle yet again he finally noted something. Whenever Lucy would lick him she would force his legs and arms down flat she would then cover his entire body with her tongue. Feeling that he finally had an answer Albert quickly rolled to his side and used his arms and legs to keep himself from sliding back into Lucy's cleavage.

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she pressed her tongue to Albert's side and gave him yet another lick. This time he wasn't lifted towards her mouth though. In order to get enough grip while relying only on her saliva Lucy had been forced to cover Albert's entire front. So long as he kept his side turned to her, there wasn't enough for her to lick to lift him while only relying on her saliva.

Albert gave his head a quick shake as a sigh escaped him. Lucy's sticky saliva coated him from head to toe now but at least he had managed to figure out how to escape her tongue. Now he just had to keep himself from sliding back down into her cleavage due to his orientation. There was also the concern that she would try to lick him up whenever he began climbing again but for the moment he couldn't think about that.

Though Albert's current position protected him from her tongue Lucy wasn't ignorant to the new danger it put him in. As he held his position she took in a deep breath causing her chest to swell and her breasts to part. For a moment she felt Albert slip but he quickly pressed harder to keep from sliding back down between her breasts. She then exhaled causing her breasts to come back together and forcing his arms and legs closer to his body.

Once again Lucy was pushing him to hurry up and find a solution. Albert knew that if he stayed there too long Lucy would sap all his energy and he'd end up trapped in her cleavage. Feeling that he didn't have time to think too much he waited until Lucy's chest came back together. He then quickly pushed up with his arms while his legs followed moments later jumping onto the curve of Lucy's breasts. There was no attempt on his part to gain any type of hand hold as he began to frantically scurry up that slope.

It wasn't Lucy's tongue that Albert had to worry about instead it was the very thing he clung to. The feeling of Albert trying to scurry up her breasts sent shivers through Lucy but the site and his eagerness was too much for her. She tried to hold it in but soon she found herself shaking with laughter causing her breasts to bounce and further frustrate Albert's efforts. Fortunately he seemed to be good at rolling with the waves.

Remembering to breathe was a major point of Albert's efforts as he pushed forward. Several times he felt himself slide backwards but caught himself. He was made grateful for the saliva that coated him as every little bit of traction was valued at the moment. It was impossible for him not to notice Lucy's giggles and he was made to blush yet he too was having trouble keeping from laughing. The thought of what he was doing wasn't just amusing to Lucy he too found it to be quite a laugh.

They hadn't said anything about speaking or not speaking. Yet they had agreed to keep from doing so without words. This proved hard for Lucy now as a large part of her wanted to cheer Albert on as he scurried up the side of her breasts. His enthusiasm was contagious and she truly wanted him to succeed in his climb for the top. Fortunately he seemed to have all the encouragement he needed as he continued to push his body.

Convincing Lucy to remove her shirt had been easy for Albert though he didn't think it was meant to be. Having Lucy remove her bra was another matter though as he found his breaths coming in rapid gasps. He felt his arms miss a few times but his legs were able to save him. What he didn't notice was that Lucy's giggles seemed to help more then hinder as whenever he would begin to slide backwards they would bounce slightly giving him a quick push upward.

It didn't seem likely to Lucy that Albert knew how little or how much progress he had made as he hurried up her breasts. For the moment he seemed entirely focused on the task at hand and to not be paying attention to where he was. It wasn't as if he had time to pay attention to where he was though. Should he slow down he'd most likely find himself tumbling back down to where he started or even end up buried between her breasts.

This was a one shot deal and Albert knew it. There was no holding back on his part or attempts to conserve energy as he scurried up the slope of Lucy's breasts. Even if it left him drained and vulnerable to being lapped up by her tongue he had no choice in the matter. So great was his focus that he almost didn't notice that he had made it over the curve of Lucy's breasts and nearly threw himself over the side.

It would have been exceptionally easy for Lucy to toss Albert into her cleavage as he pulled himself on top of her breasts. As she looked at his exhausted form though she simple didn't have it in her to do so. Instead of trying to make his journey anymore difficult she just smile and waited for him to regain his breath. The whole situation made her glad she had helped him to develop his body. If she hadn't there would have been no way he'd have had the stamina to get that far.

For the moment Albert's arms felt like jelly and his legs like led. Still, he wanted to insure Lucy didn't relax so he resumed his kissing off her breasts. He then adjusted his position and proceeded to lay prone atop her bust. His arms stretched to both sides as did his legs. He pressed his face firmly into Lucy's breasts and kissed her warm skin then opened his mouth and lightly ran his teeth over the surface.

Regardless of how exhausted he was Albert was determined not to lose any progress in any areas. So while his arms were still week he proceeded to fold them inward so that they stretched out before him. He then used his arms to pull himself along Lucy's breasts. As he did so he couldn't help but thrust his crotch against her breasts as he felt his penis pressing into her warm flesh through his pants.

Even though Albert's pace had slowed considerably Lucy gave a slight sigh as she watched him slowly progressing over her breasts. The alteration between fast and slow paced action actually served to stimulate far more then either one would alone. She was also glad to feel Albert's penis pressing into her flesh confirming that she wasn't the only one stimulated by their game. Eventually she would grow too large for him to use such methods to arouse her so she felt they should enjoy them now. Of course she also felt that he would find new ways to stimulate her.

Lying prone against Lucy's breasts had several advantages for Albert. It allowed him to press more of himself against Lucy's flesh so that more of her was stimulated. It also helped him to maintain his position on her breasts as he felt the mountain move beneath him several times. As he looked ahead of himself though he couldn't help but think about the future. Part of him wondered what it would be like for Lucy to be so large that her nipples were as large as her breasts currently were.

As he progressed forward Albert was relieved to see that Lucy's body hadn't forgotten his efforts. Her nipples were quite pert by now and from the way Lucy's chest was rising and falling he imagined they'd be quite receptive to attention. There was a desire to speed up and hurry forward but Albert kept it in check. He had rushed across Lucy's belly but had to take his time in her cleavage, he had rushed up her breasts now it was time to take things slow again.

Even though Albert could see her arms to either side of him Lucy doubted that he could see what she was doing. In his current position and location his view was blocked entirely by her breasts. Had he been able to he would have noticed a damp spot on her crotch and the outline of her lips. While he had been climbing Lucy had been quite focused on his efforts however her fingers had continued to stroke her lips. Without careful care from her conscious mind they had pressed down with enough force to thin the material of her shorts considerably.

As he moved further along Albert began to open and close his legs along with his arms in an attempt to squeeze as much of Lucy's breasts as he could. This did bring on a form of doubt in him. Part of him couldn't help but wonder how much of his efforts she truly felt at the time. He tried to keep these thoughts at bay for fear they would make him feel his efforts were futile. Fortunately Lucy's behavior, giggles and breathing told him that his efforts weren't futile and he had never known her to fake amusement.

Understanding that Lucy's cells were the same size as humans and when he stimulated even a tiny portion of her breast he was stimulating even more breasts cells then most women had helped as well. It also served to encourage him towards her nipple even more as he thought about the feelings he could cause in her then. She had enjoyed having him suckle her breasts before hand but that had been a very small amount of her nipple flesh. Now he wondered what kind of reaction embracing her entire nipple would cause even if he couldn't suckle in the same way.

Lucy's tongue slowly snaked out of her mouth while Albert's back was towards her. The massive muscle running over her lips leaving a light coating of her saliva making them glisten in the light. He was so unaware at the moment and exhausted she felt certain she could simply lap him up. Most likely he wouldn't even realize what was happening until it was too late. She didn't move her head towards him though as she watched him cling to her breasts. This time she would trust him to make her self restraint worthwhile.

Upon feeling his fingers taking hold of Lucy's bra Albert quickly glanced up at the massive covering. Instead of drawing himself upward though he pressed his face back to her breasts and gave her one more kiss before drawing himself forward. He didn't rise to a setting position but he rolled over onto his back. Making use of the ample room upon Lucy's buxom and glanced up at her face. He was rather surprised when he noted her massive tongue running over her lips.

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she noted the look of surprise on Albert's face. Apparently he hadn't realized how much restraint she had been showing when she kept herself from trying to lap him up. After seeing the expression on his face though Lucy couldn't hold back any longer and pressed up on the underside of her breasts once again while bringing her face closer.

It was odd feeling fear around Lucy yet in that moment Albert felt a type of fear. The feeling filled him with desire and an eagerness to run all at the same time spurring him to action. Taking hold of Lucy's bra he spared no energy as he tried to lift the material above his head. As he lifted upward though he quickly realized he had a problem. Even if Lucy's garments looked loose that didn't mean they were. The rim of Lucy's bra hugged her breasts more firmly then he could currently handle.

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy followed by a low moan as she slipped her tongue under Albert's legs. Not only had his attempt to lift her bra left him without the use of his arms it also left him in a wonderfully easy to scoop up position. She quickly slid her tongue up under him licking him and her breasts at the same time. Well before he could move to escape from the hot wet surface of her tongue she began to drawn him upward and her tongue inward.

Even though he trusted Lucy as slight shout escaped Albert as he felt himself pulled into the air. He shifted his gaze towards his feet and found himself staring strait into the void of Lucy's mouth. It only took him an instant to rise to a seated position however that is all the time Lucy needed to draw him within her mouth. A blast of her hot breath met him as he was pulled into her mouth and she began to shut her jaw.

Despite his situation Albert quickly rolled onto his stomach once inside of Lucy's mouth and tried to scurry towards her lips. Her jaw shut far too quickly for him trapping him in the warm, humid darkness of her mouth. There wasn't much time for him to contemplate this though as he felt Lucy's tongue spring to life once again. The massive muscle shifted about underneath him causing his position to change as well.

It hardly took three seconds for Lucy to work Albert back onto his back. With him now trapped in her mouth she lifted him with her tongue and pressed him to the roof. An amused giggle escaped her immediately as she felt his hands pressing against the roof of her mouth in an attempt to force her tongue downward. In response to this Lucy rolled her tongue ever so slightly causing Albert to slide off.

As he feel Albert felt himself brush against Lucy's teeth and rolled into the bottom of her jaw. Before he could think about it he felt her massive tongue come down upon him. He didn't think for an instant that Lucy was pushing down on him with her tongue though she was simply allowing it to rest on him. Fortunately she wasn't so massive that she was able to truly trap him under her tongue without working that muscle.

Feeling Albert struggling out from under her tongue was a delightful treat to Lucy. She felt his hands reach around the tip of her tongue where he was able to get the best grip. He then pulled himself upward while using his legs to push himself upward. His face and then chest was made to slide against the very tip of her tongue as he drew himself upward. Upon feeling his belly she gave him a quick poke with that tip.

A slight grunt escaped Albert and was followed by a chuckle as he drew himself on top of that muscle. Due to the position of Lucy's tongue he knew where he was even though he couldn't see. That helped a little but not much as while he was close to the front of Lucy's mouth there was no way he could part her teeth with his own strength. He needed to find a way to convince her to open her jaw so he began to search.

Perhaps Albert was the only person that would have willingly climbed back onto her tongue but he was the only person she worried about doing so. After Albert climbed back onto her tongue Lucy felt his hand press against her gum while the other pressed against her tongue. He then began to work his way around her massive tongue manipulating his fingers against her gum and tongue as he did so. Clearly he had the right tactic in mind as he tried to find a ticklish spot.

Unlike previous occupants Albert actually took note of the details of Lucy's mouth. One thing he noticed right away was that it was easier to breath then it should have been. The air was hot and humid for certain but he still took breath with ease. For the moment he left this detail up to a greater concentration of oxygen then normal. Most likely Lucy was taking care to insure he had enough to breath. Another fact was that Lucy's breath actually smelled sweet.

Once Albert began to round the edge of her tongue Lucy gave her tongue a quick twist. This seemed to catch Albert off guard as he immediately fell prone. She wasted no time opening her jaw very slightly and pressing him towards her teeth. Once he was in place she quickly bit down her massive teeth catching the back of his pants legs between her teeth and shredding the material in an instant.

Due to the speed with which Lucy had closed her jaw Albert actually heard her massive teeth slam together and felt it in his bones. He quickly noticed the feeling of something very hard pressing directly to the back of his leg. There was no need for him to see to know Lucy had just taken off the back of his pants leg or that had she even been a millimeter off it would have taken some of his skin as well. The speed with which she was able to complete the motions and not harm him served more to impress then worry.

It was a few seconds before Lucy felt Albert roll away from her teeth and back onto her tongue. As he worked his way around her mouth she could taste his sweat as well as feel his movements. After they were finished she decided she'd have to tell Albert that he tasted better then his clothing did.

Just how tightly Lucy's jaw was shut was unknown to Albert at the moment however as he drew closer to the back of her tongue he noted something. Before he had only been feeling drafts flowing into Lucy's mouth due to her providing him more oxygen. Now he noticed a slight draft down her throat meaning that she was slowly inhaling. The suction out of her mouth was much weaker then when she exhaled into her mouth. He was glad to know that Lucy had remember to keep the carbon dioxide concentration in her mouth low to avoid smothering him despite the introduction of oxygen even if he hadn't thought of it.

Keeping the air Albert breathed none toxic was indeed one of Lucy's reasons for inhaling from her mouth slowly. However, there was another reason that she didn't inhale sharply that had nothing to do with Albert's comfort or safety. As he neared the back of her throat Lucy quickly inhaled with enough force to pull him rapidly towards her throat. Fortunately his position meant he couldn't fit down her throat and even if something unexpected did happen Lucy had the control of her body to keep him safe.

Lucy knew that Albert couldn't slip down her throat oriented as he was but that didn't mean he knew. Indeed that knowledge was lacking from his mind as he felt himself suddenly pulled further into Lucy's mouth very quickly. The sudden pressure change made his ear pops and had his lunges not been filled with air already he would have found it hard to scream. It seemed Lucy had times things perfectly as a slight shout escaped him.

It only took a moment for Lucy to generate the suction needed to draw Albert to the back of her mouth. As she felt him bump into her throat and heard his surprised scream and amused giggle escaped her. Before he could respond she quickly exhaled into her mouth and flexed her tongue sending him tumbling back towards the front. As he crossed the half way point on her tongue she withdrew it quickly sending him tumbling in front of him.

Apparently Lucy wasn't content to allow him to explore her mouth on his own. Albert felt her jaw part though her lips remained sealed. Her massive tongue quickly pressed into his stomach and reared to the side. Instinctively Albert gripped Lucy's tongue as if he was scared to be thrown off. He didn't have time to appreciate how Lucy was able to manipulate that position with her massive tongue as he felt himself pressed into her cheek and slide along the warm surface.

There was no delay in Lucy's action as she pressed Albert to and slid him along her cheek. When she had taken him as far as she comfortably could she quickly shifted his position and used her tongue to move him back into her mouth and then into the opposite cheek. A slight moan escaped her as she felt his legs and arms trying to grip her tongue as she swished him about within her mouth. Turning her head upward she finally parted her lips allowing a little bit of light in.

Seeing didn't take anything away from the experience for Albert or cause any fear in him. He did notice a change in the climate as Lucy opened her mouth as wide as she could. Her massive tongue gave him a quick flick easily breaking his hold on her tongue and sending him into the air. He didn't actually get to look down but he felt the cool air on him as he exited Lucy's mouth only to land on a warm, wet, and firm surface.

Upon catching Albert with her tongue Lucy shifted the massive muscle around slightly insuring that he could see the world outside of her mouth for but a few moments. She then just as quickly pulled him back into her mouth and began to swish him around once again. This time she kept her mouth partly open so that he could be able to see the outside world and the inside of her mouth.

Glimpses of Lucy's uvula, teeth, throat, tongue, cheeks, roof of her mouth and even some of the outside were all Albert could really see. The rapid movement was too much for him to stay focused on anyone area. As this became clear he chose to focus on the muscle that moved him around with such ease and dexterity. He then felt himself once again lifted out of Lucy's mouth and her tongue curled backwards so that he now found himself upside down clinging to her tongue just above her mouth.

It was hard for Lucy to keep from giggling as she watched Albert clinging to her tongue. She then began to lightly vibrate that massive muscle making his already limited grip even harder to maintain. The effect was almost immediate as he began to slip. His right hand released her tongue in an attempt to gain a better grip however the added stress on his left was too much and his grip ended up even worse then it had been before. That didn't prompt any reprieve from Lucy as she continued to shake him.

Now Albert was made to wish Lucy's tongue had been more adhesive as between his weight and her constant shaking he was quickly losing hold of her tongue. As he felt his hands slip to where her tongue was the widest he lost his hold entirely and landed back upon the warm wet surface quickly sliding back into Lucy's mouth. As he slid backwards he looked up and saw her tongue quickly withdrawing as well while her lips sealed shut. Apparently she had decided to quit teasing him with the outside world.

The moment Albert was back within her mouth Lucy once again gave him a quick flick with her tongue. By spreading the force out over his entire body she was able to keep from harming him but still send him back to the tip. Once again she scooped him up and began to swish him around inside of her mouth further disorientating him. After everything she had just put him through she doubted he'd be able to even rise to his knees immediately but she wanted to make sure.

Whether or not Lucy was finished with her game Albert did not know but at last Albert felt himself drawn along the roof of her mouth and then her tongue quickly fell out from under him. He landed back upon the surface of her tongue seconds later and for the first few moments just lay there. A massive grin was worn upon his face though he was rather lost as to what had just happened. Upon trying to rise up he was made to laugh as his arms suddenly wobbled and then went out from under him. Lucy's attempt to disorient him had proven quite successful.

His motions were slower then what they had been before but at last Albert began to move once again. She was glad that he didn't immediately resume his search in the same way as before but seemed intent on finding his previous location. It was fortunate for him that while he had no idea what direction he had been moved or even was now he did know where he had been relative to the front of her mouth and her throat. As he traced the dimensions of her tongue he also seemed to be using that as a guideline.

Perhaps he trusted Lucy with his life too much but throughout the whole experience the greatest fear Albert had felt was surprise. He did feel a little sick to his stomach but it was the same affect as when he went on a ride that was a little intense for him. That sickness was far overwhelmed by the enjoyment of the experience as his laughter and erection showed. As he renewed the search of Lucy's mouth he didn't even hesitate as he passed by her throat.

When Lucy had lapped Albert up she hadn't expected him to find her ticklish spot very quickly especially considering the ride she had given him. He was actually working faster then she had believed he would as he found his last spot far quicker then she believed he would. Now that she felt him working around the opposite side of her mouth she wondered how long it would take him to search the roof of her mouth or if he would try her cheeks and lower mouth first.

A sigh escaped Albert as he ran his hands along the back of Lucy's front teeth as he set upon the tip of her tongue. He had completed a circle of her mouth but he still had a lot to do. Turning around he began to manipulate his fingers over Lucy's massive tongue feeling her taste buds as he did so. He'd already checked the outer edges of her tongue but she still had quite a bit of tongue to explore. At least he wouldn't have trouble noticing any giggles given his current location.

As Albert worked his way around inside of her mouth Lucy couldn't help but wonder if they were kissing with tongue, if she was giving him oral sex or if what they were doing would be considered doing something else. His tongue was most assuredly inside of her mouth but hers wasn't in hiss and so far his tongue had yet to meet hers. While she had taken off some of his pants he still had part of them on so she wasn't sure if oral sex was the proper term. At least she wasn't familiar with the idea of giving oral sex while the genitals were still covered by clothing.

With each bit of progress Albert made over Lucy's tongue he'd extend his arms to both sides working his fingers as he did so. He'd then move them back and when he didn't get any reaction he scooted forward. This served to let him be fairly sure of his check and get an approximate idea of where he was so he knew how close to Lucy's throat he was getting. At least if she decided to give him another ride he'd be able to find his place again with relative ease.

Even though Albert's paced slowed as he neared her throat Lucy was glad to know it was due to his searching methods. His lack of fear of being swallowed was confirmed by the fact that as he neared her throw his pace didn't speed up but continued to slow as the greater width of her tongue required more time. There was a slight desire in her to open her mouth so he could see just how close to her throat he had come but she resolved to wait until later for that.

A sigh escaped Albert as he rubbed his saliva soaked head. So far he had discovered too things in his search. One was that Lucy's tongue didn't appear to be ticklish or if it was it wasn't all that ticklish. The other was that her saliva didn't break down in the same way a human's would have. At first the substance seemed exceptionally sticky and Albert had figured would be worse as it dried. However, those parts of him that weren't receiving a continuous coating didn't feel sticky in the least. Apparently her saliva did a better job of taking all of itself whenever it evaporated then most things.

Having searched Lucy's gum line, the edges of her tongue and now the interior of that massive muscle Albert gave a slight grunt. He was fairly certain that Lucy's teeth weren't ticklish and surely he would have noticed something while trapped under her tongue. She had moved him against her cheeks and while there had been a light moan there didn't seem to be any laughter. As he considered the way Lucy moved him Albert quickly glanced above him.

When she had been sloshing him about within her mouth she had pressed him against the roof of it. However, she had never really moved him along the surface at least not in the way she had done her cheeks. Whether she was trying to give him a clue or not Albert resolved that the roof of her mouth was the next best option. Reaching above himself Albert began to run his fingers along the roof of her mouth moving them vigorously as he did so. The result was nearly instant as he felt Lucy's tongue move under him.

It was impossible for Lucy to keep herself from giggling as Albert finally hit upon the right spot yet she didn't let him out right away. Much as with her belly button she would keep him inside of her mouth until he tickled her until she couldn't stand it. This was a bit difference though. In her belly button he didn't have to worry about her accidentally swallowing him in a fit of laughter. Now he would have to consider that possibility and trust her to take him out before things became dangerous.

Given what had happened over the past few days Albert knew that Lucy could swallow him. However, the risk didn't really occur to him as he began to work his fingers more vigorously. Lucy's twitching tongue gave him some trouble as it would shift his position and make him lose his spot but never so much that he had trouble finding it again or finding a new spot that worked just as well. As he tickled her he began to chuckle himself as he felt the air within her mouth becoming more turbulent due to her inhaling and exhaling slightly but sharply as she tried to control her laughter.

A few times Lucy felt Albert's head brush against the roof of her mouth as her laughter became harder to control. Subconsciously she lifted a hand to cover her mouth in an attempt to control her laughter but it didn't help much in this situation. Soon she wasn't sure what was tickling more Albert's fingers or his hair as her tongue moved him about. One thing she was sure of was that she was exhaling and inhaling far more sharply. She knew Albert would be feeling the affects now.

The pull generated whenever Lucy would inhale was indeed clear to Albert as he had to brace himself to keep from being pulled forward. Some of his survival instincts told him to stop tickling Lucy or risk being swallowed. Other emotions and logic told him to trust her and keep it up. Those thoughts that put trust in her spoke louder then the ones born of fear. As he worked though a sudden rush of air actually jerked him forward so that he not only ended up on his stomach but was pulled forward.

Even as she felt Albert fall face first upon her tongue Lucy couldn't help but giggle. It was only whenever she felt him rise again and resume his work that a delighted squeal escaped her.

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he recovered from being pulled forward. It had happened so quickly that he wasn't certain of what was going on until he ended up on his stomach. The fact that Lucy had inhaled sharply enough to draw him towards her throat didn't slow him down as he quickly set back up and resumed his work. The only thing that stopped him was Lucy's tongue suddenly raising up and forcing him to lie flat.

There wasn't a bit of Albert that wasn't pinned by Lucy's massive tongue as she struggled to control her laughter. One hand pressed against her stomach while the other remained near her lips as if trying to keep her giggles inside. Despite that it was a good five minutes before she was able to relax. Her mouth opened and she extended her tongue with Albert still lying down upon it.

In his current position the first thing Albert saw upon exiting Lucy's mouth was her eyes looking down at him. He didn't need her to shut her mouth or to see her lips to know she would have been wearing a smile though. As he looked into those eyes he was rather surprised whenever he felt Lucy's tongue tipping. As he glanced over the edge of her massive tongue he found himself looking down into her bra as she had drew the material back.

When Albert had thought that Lucy's bra had been loose upon her he hadn't been entirely right or wrong. The material that covered her breasts was indeed loose and the bands were extremely elastic. However, that elasticity didn't extend to the hem of her clothing. If Albert was going to ever pull that up without her aid he would have to become several times stronger or make use of some hydraulics. Fortunately for him his time in Lucy's mouth had only made her want to feel his mouth against her nipple even more.

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as Albert slipped off of her tongue and fell down into her bra. The material was actually made loose for more then the survivability of the material. Its slack insured that his fall was well cushioned as he first landed in her bra cup and toppled down into her bra. As she released the hem though the snap told him he wasn't going to be coming out until he had earned it.

It wasn't the method he had planned to use to get to Lucy's nipple but Albert was quite pleased with himself. He hadn't managed to avoid her tongue as he had planned but now he was glad that he hadn't. There wasn't time for him to think too much on that though as he looked up from the base of Lucy's breasts and found himself faced with a dilemma. He had managed to climb Lucy's chest only because he had worked his way between her breasts and used them to maintain his position.

He wouldn't have the support Lucy's cleavage had provided with the climb to her nipple or to keep him there. It seemed that her bra did more to hinder then help him now as he considered what had happened. The hem of the material was too strong for him to lift enough to slip under with his own strength and the material that actually covered her breasts had too much give to provide the needed resistance for him to scale her breasts. To make matters worse the longer he waited the more time Lucy had to cool down.

It was clear to Lucy that Albert was somewhat stumped as to what his first move should be. She was relieved whenever she felt his hands pressing into her breasts as well as did his lips. Even if he needed time to think of a way to get to her nipple he seemed to understand the importance of not letting her have too much time to relax. The only thing she felt was lacking was that Albert was keeping from pressing his lower body into her breast. She was fairly certain she knew why though.

Being toyed with my Lucy's tongue hadn't done anything to cause Albert to relax and for the moment he feared what would happen if he were to press his crotch into Lucy's flesh. Especially after he had crawl across her massive bust. He hadn't really thought of it but part of him wanted to insure Lucy was the first to reach orgasm. So even though it hindered him he refrained from pushing his crotch against her flesh and hoped he would be able to relax somewhat.

In hopes of keeping Lucy hot Albert began to work his way towards the edge of Lucy's bra. As he came to the edge though, he quickly noted the difference between the material at the front of her breasts and that to the side. For a moment his lips left Lucy's breasts and he gently blue against her skin as a sigh escaped him. At first he had been able to plan ahead at least until he had made it through Lucy's cleavage. Now he had to think on his toes and it seemed the answer had come by exploration of his environment again.

When he had tried to lift Lucy's bra hem he had found his strength lacking. However, he had still managed to get his hands under that material. Turning to his side Albert proceeded to press his shoulder against Lucy's flesh. He then began to increase the pressure while he began to work his hands into the hem of her bra hoping to use it to climb that massive mountain. As he tried to force enough give for him to get his hands between Lucy's breasts and the hem of her bra he found another problem.

He had managed to get his hands between the material of her bra and her breasts while atop that massive globe. However, he was now at the base of her breasts and the amount of pressure exerted on the hem by Lucy's breasts was great deal more. So that even as he managed to cause the an indents in Lucy's flesh he found that he still couldn't work his hands between the hem and her skin. There was an unexpected reaction though as he heard a slight sigh from Lucy.

For a moment Albert was made to chuckle at himself. He had known Lucy for many years and played with her on many occasions. While what he was doing wasn't a child's game several of the same rules applied. One in particular was that Lucy always held back and left him a way to win however difficult it might be. The other was that it was never easy to figure out just how he was going to do so. At least he had managed to find a way to stimulate her though as he began to make his way across her breasts.

As Albert moved he'd press his shoulder into Lucy's flesh as firmly as he could. He felt her skin give at first slowly conforming to his body and beginning to engulf him in its warmth. Upon pushing a little more though the give would quickly fade so that the impression was never more then what the fingers of a gentle lover would cause on most women.

He then lifted the leg against her flesh and moved it in a circular motion while rubbing his face against her breasts. After three or five cycles with his leg he then turned his head and gave Lucy's breasts a firm kiss before moving on. His efforts seemed to have the desired effect of buying him time by keeping Lucy stimulated but not being so vigorous that he couldn't think.

Even with Albert using his full strength his efforts were exceptionally gentle to Lucy though she knew how hard he was trying. The fact that he used so much of his strength only served to excite her more as he tried his hardest to please her. Lucy wasn't certain of the exact sensation Albert was hoping for but the way his movements lovingly tickled the lower portions of her breasts were a wonderful delight to her.

There was a limited amount of light that filtered through Lucy's bra but there was enough for Albert to see. This allowed him to make use of one aspect of his environment as he checked above himself. Between Lucy's breathing and how pert her nipple was he could tell she was quite excited. Despite that it didn't seem like she was going to give him a hand reaching her nipple unless he could convince her to lie down. As he looked up at that massive nipple though his resolve to get there with Lucy as she was now only strengthened.

With his mind focused on reaching Lucy's nipple yet his body still trying to keep her stimulated Albert didn't notice as his arm pressed against the material of Lucy's bra. In an attempt to apply even more pressure to her breast he had attempted to press off the material. As he pushed against the material though, it stretched instead of pushing back. Only when he felt himself toppling over did Albert realize just how much give that material had.

While she had been expecting to feel Albert's shoulder pressing into her breast Lucy wasn't too disappointed whenever she felt his feet instead. As she glanced down at her bra and amused giggle escaped her as she watched Albert struggling about beneath the material of her bra. Not only had the material's give put him on his rear it also made getting back to his feet very difficult.

Every time Albert would reach out to attempt to grip the material it seemed to give more so that his initial tries to pull himself to his feet proved futile. Pushing up didn't seem to work either as the material simply didn't offer the resistance that he needed. It was quite clear to him why the material of Lucy's bras never tore when she slept in them. They were too flexible at least the ones she wore to bed.

It was clear to Lucy that Albert was trying whatever he could to get back to his feet. She felt his feet pressing against her breasts as he kicked his legs. His toes poked her flesh slightly as he tried to work some of his foot between her breasts and the hem of her bra yet there wasn't enough give for him to get them between her flesh and the material. He then tried to make use of the hem as a stand but without the ability to really use his arms to get back to his feet and the limited footing he couldn't.

As Albert struggled he finally began to simply gather the material in his hands. Whenever more slack came he would gather. By the time he was finished he most assuredly had a handful of material. A frustrated snort escaped him as he pulled himself to a standing position and he reflexively moved to bang his head. The feeling of his head slamming into Lucy's breasts was quite different from the wall though and a wide grin formed on his face.

Whenever Lucy had dropped him into her bra she had held the material back making it more taught then normal. Even then it had the stretch to dampen his fall. Without her holding the material though it had quite a bit more slack but that was the key to reaching his goal. Lucy hadn't meant for him to find the way out she had shown him the way unlike with her mouth.

While it meant for the moment her breast was getting less attention Lucy gave a delighted squeal as she felt Albert progressing up towards her nipple. The desire to reach into her bra and force him to her nipple had been growing ever sense they had started and it had been hard for her to wait on him. As she watched the bulge under her bra progressing towards her nipple she proceeded to reach up and lightly pinch her other nipple between her fingers. One more reason she had been forced to make the material with such give was so that she didn't crush it when she stimulated herself.

Having to gather so much material in his hands to negate the material's normal give meant Albert's climb was relatively slow and tiresome. Fortunately Lucy's nipple now being within reach was all the encouragement that he needed. He was made to stop though upon coming level with the bottom of her areola. He didn't have the leverage that he needed to be as firm as he would have liked but as he looked upon that flesh he turned his head and pressed his lips to it as firmly as he could.

Had Albert attempted to stimulate her nipple as he hung onto the material of her bra his efforts would have been hindered considerably by the instability of the material. Lucy had enjoyed Albert's struggles within her bra and his efforts to keep her stimulated but despite that she was still quite pleased when he seemed to realize this and continued to climb past her nipple. She was also very glad that he seemed to know to climb in the middle of her bra so that his back brushed against the tip of her nipple.

As Albert felt Lucy's pert nipple brush against his head he turned his head to the side. He then brought his head forward and pressed his lips as firmly against the bit of flesh as he could. Instead of just pulling away and continuing his climb though he then opened his mouth and took in as much of the flesh as he could. It was clear from just looking at the size of Lucy's nipple that he wouldn't be able to suckle. Still, he took as much of her nipple into his mouth as he could.

Even without thinking Lucy began to lift her hand to her chest to hold Albert more firmly against her breasts. Her fingers pressed into her breast but her palm never met Albert. As she felt herself touching her breasts she was realized what she was about to do and recomposed herself. It was still hard for her to pull her hand back though as she bit down on her lower lip in an attempt to control her body.

It had only lasted a moment but Albert had actually felt the heat of Lucy's palm drawing closer and the material shift. He was actually quite surprised when the hand suddenly left and it took him a moment to resume his climb. This didn't concern him though but filled him with confidence. The fact that Lucy was worked up to the point that she was having trouble controlling her impulses seemed like a good indicator that he was doing his job.

A low whimper escaped Lucy as she felt Albert's back brush against her nipple as she struggled to control herself. As she tried to keep her hands away from Albert one was placed on her unattended breasts. Spreading her fingers she took her nipple between the sides of her middle and ring finger. She then used the two to lightly squeeze her nipple while her fingers began to squeeze the front of her breasts. As she did so she alternated the pressure with Albert's movements.

If he had been pressed against Lucy's breasts when he had scaled the front of it Albert knew that he would have lost it. Even after climbing up the material of her bra he wasn't certain if he could keep control of himself with what was to come. Taking a deep breath he proceeded to extend one leg backwards and press it into Lucy's areola. A shudder ran through him as he ran it over the soft bumpy surface and his foot came to rest upon her pert nipple.

Lucy grew still as she felt Albert's foot slip over the edge of her nipple and come to rest upon the side. His second foot followed suit and came to rest on the opposite. Her eyes drew shut as she waited for what was to come. She could tell when he released the fabric of her bra and was made to reflexively thrust her chest forward.

Even before he had released his hold on Lucy's bra Albert had began tightening his hold on her nipple with his legs. He had realized the moment that he began to climb Lucy's bra that there was no way he could give her nipple the attention he wanted to while clinging to the material of her bra. It simply didn't give him the anchorage that he needed.

So he had resolved to try for a different position. It was enough to make Albert grateful that he didn't get to Lucy's nipples right away. Had he made it into her bra first he would have most likely found her nipples less pert. If that had been the case he wouldn't have been able to set on them. As he squeezed her nipple between his legs though and his hands came down to clutch the front of it he found that there was indeed enough space though just barely.

A low moan escaped Lucy as she thrust her chest outward upon feeling Albert clutch her nipple and a wave of delight and regret washed through her. The fact that Albert could actually set on her pert nipple filled her with delight yet it also reminded her of how small she was. While she loved the fact that Albert could set upon her nipple she hated the fact that he had to use his legs to maintain his position.

To make the situation even more frustrating for Lucy she had to remain in a partly inclined position for Albert to maintain his perch upon her nipple. Were she to lean forward or even set up strait he would have most likely fallen off even with the aid of his legs. It was exceptionally frustrating for her as she envisioned what it would be like for Albert to be able to set on her nipple even while she set up strait and entirely unaided. Fortunately the delight caused by the fact that he could set on her nipple overwhelmed this frustration even if he couldn't do it exactly as she'd liked.

It was clear to Albert once he seated himself upon Lucy's nipple that he wouldn't be suckling on the tip. While Lucy's nipple was large there was no way for him to get his head down close enough in his current position without breaking his back. That didn't mean he wasn't going to try his best though. Reaching down he placed a hand on either side of the rosy tip of Lucy's nipple.

As he squeezed on both sides of Lucy's nipple Albert pushed his hands forward being careful to either decrease or increase the pressure every few centimeters. At the same time he increased the pressure he exerted on Lucy's nipple with his legs. He then turned his head to the side and took a moment to examine Lucy's areola. Upon finding a particularly noticeable dimple in the flesh that he could reach he twisted to the side and leaned back until he could press his lips into the flesh.

His mouth wasn't on the tip of her nipple and Albert wasn't able to set astride it the way Lucy would have liked. However, his efforts and the fact that he was currently perched upon her nipple at all were very stimulating to Lucy. Upon giving a slight sigh Lucy began to stimulate her other breasts again while her free hand drifted back down to her crotch. By now she had managed to nearly destroy the front of her shorts though her knickers remained intact.

Pressing her index finger to one of her lips and middle to the other Lucy began to lightly trace their outline through her knickers. Her excitement had already soaked through the material dampening it considerably. The desire to take Albert from her breasts and place him within her knickers had become quite strong for now but she resisted. She wanted to hold out until she couldn't stand it any longer to get the maximum affect for both of them.

It seemed that Lucy's nipple grew more pert as Albert stroked it with both hands however he knew it wouldn't grow enough for what he truly desired to do. As he sucked on her warm flesh though and ran his tongue over the dimples that appeared on her skin he couldn't help but wonder. How long would it be before Lucy was so large that he could lie upon her nipple? Just the idea of him being able to lie down upon her nipple and lean his head over to the tip made his crotch ache.

As Albert set upon Lucy's nipple he decided to sacrifice some stability for more versatility. He continued to use his thighs to hold onto Lucy's nipple but now he shifted his position and pressed his feet into her areola. While gripping her nipple as firmly as he could, he proceeded to stroke her nipple while his feet pressed into her areola. As his feet pressed against her areola he slowly began to slide them over the warm flesh taking note of the dimples in her flesh.

For a moment Albert's lips left Lucy's areola as he took a moment to examine her flesh. He then once again moved to kiss her flesh though not the same spot. Instead his lips came to rest on the dimples closest to the first. As he kissed her warm skin he opened his mouth and ran his tongue along her flesh for a few seconds before breaking the kiss. Once again he chose a new spot giving the closest dimple he could a loving kiss and lick.

There was no way for Albert to cover all of Lucy at once at least not when she was all together. He would never be able to clutch her breasts in his hands or massage all of even one breast at once. However, her scale also meant that he could give every last bit of her a great deal of attention and that he was glad to do. For the moment he was using the dimples that appeared in her areola as a guide with each one of them designating a spot that he would at least give a few moments of attention. It meant that some bits of her flesh were left unattended but for the moment it was the best guide he could think of.

It would have been easy for Lucy to separate into a smaller body and lie with him at the same scale. She could have even been shorter then him or just a little larger if she wanted to. That didn't suit her at all though. For their first time she not only wanted all of herself there but she wanted all of her to be one and while Albert was only able to stimulate a small amount of her flesh at a time. Due to her nervous system it was having a tremendous affect on her as she found herself beginning to lift into the air.

While Albert wasn't certain of what was going on he could tell that Lucy was squirming around. He also knew that she was moving around a great deal. Due to their scale differences and his location he could feel even slight shifts in her posture or when she moved her arms. From motion he felt in her breast now though he could tell that she wasn't just moving an arm or shifting her position a little. As he felt Lucy's breasts bobbing every so lightly he reflexively leaned more into her flesh in an attempt to keep from falling off her nipple.

Even using both hands Albert wasn't able to encircle the tip of Lucy's nipple entirely. This had been apparent right away but he hadn't given it much thought. He had hoped that by using his legs he would make up for what his hands couldn't encompass. Now that he had to focus more on maintaining his hold on Lucy's nipple with his legs though he resolved to try to improvise. As he ran his hands over Lucy's nipple he slowly shifted downward pushing them forward in a slant instead of a strait line.

As Lucy began to roll her hips her rear began to lift off the bed as she moaned. The hand upon her breasts had ceased to move and instead clinched her breasts firmly as she tried to delay losing control of herself. A sharp gasp escaped her and her mouth fell open as she felt Albert's hand drifting along her nipple his improvising was working out quite well for him.

It had taken him a while but Albert had remembered how Lucy responded when his lips met the very tip of her nipple. He had also realized he had been neglecting this part of her so his hands had drifted to the front of her nipple. Placing his palms on either side of the tip of Lucy's nipple he proceeded to squeeze inward while his fingers came down and pushed against the interior of the flesh. While he maintained the pressure with his fingers he began to work them back and forth.

Albert knew very well that Lucy was capable of producing breast milk given how often she'd feed him. As he worked her nipple he had tried to simulate that feeling over her entire nipple. He knew that his efforts were having an affect given the motions of Lucy's body alone yet he couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't expressed any milk. Was he not able to simulate the affect of suckling well enough or did her body know when she intended to feed him and only expressed milk during those times.

Given the way Lucy's body was moving Albert wasn't able to think about this too much as he found it increasingly difficult to maintain his position on her nipple. He didn't have to though as he felt something warm beginning to cover his hands. Glancing down he grinned as he noted some of Lucy's warm milk coating his fingers. It wasn't nearly the amount that he would have expected from her body when she was all one. However, it encouraged him as it was further confirmation that his efforts were having an affect.

While Albert had been working her nipple Lucy had actually been preventing her body from producing breasts milk. As her conscious mind grew increasingly distracted though her body began to do what came naturally. What Albert didn't realize was that there were two reasons for such a small amount of breast milk. One reason was that Lucy was keeping her body from producing it and the other was because she knew he couldn't drink it at the moment. As she began to lose focus her hand began to slip from her other breasts as part of her sought to rectify that.

At first it had been easy for Albert to keep astride Lucy's nipple however over the last few minutes it had been becoming and now was very difficult. He was actually afraid to move his hands as he now depended on them to help him maintain his hold. As he struggled to think of a solution he was a bit surprised when Lucy's movements suddenly stopped and he noted her bra lifting away from him. From the way the material moved he could tell whatever was coming for him was coming from below and he glanced over the side of Lucy's nipple.

Once again Lucy had moved to pick Albert up without really thinking about it. This time as her hand drew near though she didn't stop but proceeded to reach for him. Reaching around her nipple she carefully took him between her thumb and index finger. She then lifted him away from her nipple giving a slight whimper as part of her seemed to detest the sudden disappearance of Albert's presence from her nipple.

As Albert was lifted off of Lucy's nipple he was a little surprised. He had thought Lucy would take off her top but that didn't seem to be happening. Then again she might have kept her bra on because she didn't want to risk bouncing him off and in truth she didn't need to remove her bra for him to get under it. As he was brought out from under her bra he tried to glance up at her face but found that he couldn't due to his proximity to the base of her breasts.

Upon taking Albert out of her bra Lucy at last removed her hand from her lips not even thinking about the moisture that coated her fingers. She they carefully slipped some of her fingernails into the back of his pants legs by making use of the holes she'd bit into the material previously. The material didn't even last a second as she tore it from Albert's body. With his pants legs and most of the crotch section now missing Lucy then turned her hand and slipped her thumbnail into the remains of Albert's pants from below.

It wasn't Lucy's softer flesh and for that Albert was extremely grateful as he felt her nail glide against his penis. He felt another nail rub against his rear seconds later and then Lucy began to spread her fingers. The material of his shorts had already been weakened by her saliva, biting it and the previous tearing. The waste didn't hold up for a second.

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she stripped Albert down to his boxers. Once again she began to raise him being certain to hold him close to her breasts as she did so. So close that he brushed against her nipple as she lifted him higher.

Upon feeling Lucy's nipple brush against him Albert was made to shudder and he quickly glanced over his shoulder to see Lucy's face. What he saw actually surprised him. He had already seen how Lucy's eyes would glow whenever she exerted herself while exercising. That had been the only time he had seen them do so though. Now while she was most assuredly breathing hard he knew that wasn't due to exhaustion but rather her body being excited. So he was still surprised to see that her eyes were glowing blue.

When she had stripped Albert's pants from him Lucy had intended to use her fingernails to remove his shorts. Upon removing the last scrap of his pants though she had changed her mind. Lifting him even hire she slowly tilted her head back and once again opened her mouth wide. As her lips parted her massive tongue flicked out from inside of her mouth and extended up towards him.

Before hand it had been difficult for Albert to really look around Lucy's mouth due to a lack of light or rapid movement. As he was held above her mouth he had a truly spectacular view down into it. Lucy's teeth were easily the size of a medium sized tombstone and as white as any pearl's he had ever seen. As he was at an angle he could easily see which teeth were flat and smooth while those that were meant for rending. Two in particular caught his attention and he wondered how he couldn't have noticed them while feeling around inside of her mouth. If they had always been that way or if it they were Symbi's doing Albert didn't know but they almost looked like fangs.

Her massive tongue was bright crimson and glistened with a coating of her saliva while her taste buds clearly dotted her tongue. It appeared rougher then most tongue's Albert had seen due to those taste buds though he hadn't paid attention to many in the past. The massive muscle moved and flexed about with dexterity that Albert doubted a human could match as it reached for him. With that tongue fully extended Albert quickly resolved it was at least longer then a small truck.

The gums that held those massive teeth in place looked exceptionally healthy as Albert noted a wonderfully uniform color. Past those teeth Albert peered down into Lucy's throat taking special note of her uvula. The bit of flesh dangled within her mouth so near her throat. Something about the flesh seemed to almost taunt as if it was there to welcome them as they entered into Lucy's mouth and then the last thing to wave goodbye to them as they slid down her throat. Something for them to perhaps try to grasp but clearly far too slippery for them to ever hold.

To Albert Lucy's throat looked massive, easily able to swallow a person whole if they were oriented the right way. He also knew that Lucy could make the opening wider if she wanted to. It was easy to tell why people would find looking into Lucy's mouth frightening if they didn't know her. To him her throat appeared to be large because it was to anyone else it would undoubtedly appear monstrous. How long would it be before she could swallow someone without worrying about their orientation? Albert doubted that it would be very long.

As she lowered Albert towards her mouth Lucy's tongue reached up to greet him. Pressing into the back of his legs forcing them forward a bit then letting him glide along its surface as Lucy lowered him towards her mouth. With every breath a wave of hot air would rush up to meet Albert. Then as his waste met with her tongue it began to withdraw back into her mouth the whole time pressing against his legs and rear.

Upon feeling his legs meet with Lucy's tongue a slight gasp escaped Albert and he lifted the limbs slightly. They didn't remain elevated for long though as he pressed his legs firmly into Lucy's tongue and slid them down its surface. As he moved his legs over her tongue he was surprised he didn't notice how rough it was beforehand. Whether it was rougher then most humans' tongues he didn't know however he was still surprised that he hadn't noticed it beforehand. Of course, when he had been in her mouth the first time he had a great deal of things on his mind.

Slowly Lucy's tongue left Albert's rear as she lowered him into her mouth past his waste. As her tongue drifted further down she gave his feet a quick lick with the very tip before sealing her lips around him. With his underwear soaked in her saliva and Albert held in place by her massive lips she began to lightly suck on his lower body. His reaction was near immediate as she heard a low moan escape from him and he seemed to grow limp for a few moments. Apparently she wasn't the only one being over stimulated.

Everything was catching up to Albert despite his resolve not to reach orgasm before Lucy did. As he felt the air currents around his lower body growing stronger he was amazed that he hadn't come already. His penis was rock hard which wasn't helping his situation either. Even though he was a bit distracted he was aware enough to realize what Lucy was trying to do as he felt her ramp up the suction again.

Regardless of how odd it seemed Albert couldn't help but feel a little competitive as he felt Lucy sucking on him. Part of him just wouldn't let him lie there regardless of how good it felt. With so much of his body inside of Lucy's mouth and the lock Lucy had on his abdomen to keep him from being sucked into her mouth Albert knew he couldn't reach her lips with his own. Fortunately she hadn't trapped her arms in her mouth. Reaching up he pressed his hands to the very center of Lucy's upper lip and gave the flesh a gentle squeeze.

Given that Albert's underwear was now soaked with her saliva twice over and his erection Lucy knew that sucking them off of him wouldn't be easy. She was confident that she could suck them off without harming him though as fortunately the grip his underwear had on him didn't compare to that of his skin. Once again she began to suck on him a bit harder tightening the grip around Albert's abdomen just a little more to keep from pulling him into her mouth. She sucked a little harder still when she felt him beginning to rub her lips.

Was Lucy trying to force him to orgasm before her? Albert wasn't entirely sure but he doubted it though it sure felt like she would. He tried to push these thoughts to back of his mind as he caressed Lucy's lips. In an attempt to keep his mind off of what was happening to the lower portion of his body Albert began to alternate the pressure with which he squeezed Lucy's lips as well as began to push and pull on the flesh that he gripped. As he worked he tried to pay careful attention to her body language to see which seemed to have the greatest affect upon her.

It had been Lucy's intent to slowly suck Albert's underwear off however after a few moments she once again began to suck even harder. Her self control was eroding as she once again began to shift about as she grew all the hotter. Limiting the amount Albert could do to stimulate really wasn't helping with her self control. Indeed the fact that that he couldn't contribute as much as he had been previously only seemed to make her grow all the wetter. It was as if his previous stimulation had only served to increase her hunger but in no way feed it.

At last the suction grew powerful enough that Albert felt his underwear being pulled off of him and apart. Several sections of his garment had already shredded and he imagined Lucy had already inhaled some of his clothing. As he felt the waste band slipping down so that it was caught partly thanks to his penis he felt the material give away entirely. It wasn't hard for him to guess what had happened. The fabric had been weakened by Lucy's saliva and some section of it had given way.

Even without thinking about it Lucy reached for Albert the moment she felt his underwear come off of him. She had intended on taking things slowly but as she gripped him between her fingers her other hand had already reached into the waste band of her knickers and lifted the garment up. Her lips actually released their hold on him even before her fingers could take hold though he didn't fall very far. Her fingers took hold of him far too quickly.

It was impossible for Albert to know what was going on as everything happened far too quickly. He felt Lucy's lips release their grip around him and a new pressure was exerted upon his shoulders. Before he could even see what was going on though he found himself moving away from Lucy's face at an alarming speed as if he had just began the decent down a tall peek on a roller coaster. He saw Lucy's body under him but didn't truly have time to examine anything before he found himself pressed into her soaking wet lips.

A sharp gasp escaped Lucy the moment she pressed Albert face first into her lower lips. As she pressed Albert into her lips she still continued to push him inside of herself and was only able to regain herself after a quarter of him had been forced in. A sharp gasp escaped her when Albert's face met her flesh.

For a moment she stayed still then quickly withdrew her hand and released the waste band on her knickers. There was no way she could let her hands remain near Albert or she would force him inside of herself immediately and she wanted to give him a little more time.

Everything had happened far too quickly for Albert to even realize where he was as his face was pressed down into Lucy's flesh. His hands reached to the side and pushed into the outer edges of those lips as he went to raise himself off. Before he could a new pressure came down upon him as Lucy's knickers came into place once again pressing his face into her vagina.

For the moment it was clear to Lucy that Albert wasn't certain of what was going on. His hands and legs kicked wildly as they attempted to find something to press against. This was fine with her as currently that was her lips for the most part. At last he seemed to regain some of his directions as his hands once again pressed into her lips and he tried to raise himself up.

At first Albert thought he had been pinned down by whatever was pressing against his back but it soon became clear that wasn't what was happening. As he struggled to free himself and in particularly his legs he realized whatever had hold of him was actually trying to hold onto him. One of his legs suddenly being pulled further in told him he was wrong about that only a few seconds later. Whatever had hold of him wasn't just trying to hold onto him it was trying to swallow him up.

A sharp gasp escaped Albert as he finally freed most of himself and lifted his face from the soaking wet confines of Lucy's vagina. He didn't need to think to realize where he was as he quickly looked around at his new environment. Pressing even more on Lucy's lips he tried to raise to a setting position but soon found that was impossible. Her knickers weren't so tight that they would conform to their lips but they were tight enough to insure someone of his size would be trapped against them.

For the moment Albert seemed to be unsure of what to do and Lucy bit down on her lower lip in order to try and control herself. Her hands were actually shaking as she lifted them to her chests and placed them upon her bra. As she gently squeezed her breasts she knew that she wasn't gripping her breasts to stimulate herself. Rather she was keeping her hands busy so that they didn't shove Albert all the way inside of her vagina. However, she also knew that if he didn't pull himself together soon she'd be putting him inside herself regardless of how much she wanted him to explore on his own.

Throughout his exploration of Lucy's body Albert had remembered to keep moving and while he was still rather surprised by where he was he hadn't forgotten the lesson. Even if he wasn't sure what he was doing he had to do something. The fact that Lucy had nearly shoved him inside herself and her vagina had tried to swallow him was proof enough of that. Realizing this he spread his arms to both of his sides and proceeded to grip the outer most edges of Lucy's vagina pulling himself against her flesh.

Albert's reasons for gripping Lucy's lips were two fold. One was so that he could stimulate her and the other was to keep her vagina from swallowing him up until he could think. His grip on her flesh was made somewhat difficult though thanks to the moisture that coated her lips but this also aided his efforts as he began to work his arms. Albert's actions were a mixture of a hug and rub now as he squeezed the sides of Lucy's lips and began to move his arms up and down her moisture helping in the motions.

With his arms at work Albert extended his left leg to the side and arched it slightly so that it to would support him. He then began to move his leg in much the same way as his arms did rubbing as much of Lucy's lips as he could with his arms and one leg. His right leg had another task as he pressed his foot into Lucy's lips and felt it enter her. As his leg entered Lucy he felt her muscles clinching around the limb a sudden jerk on his legs made him grateful that he had used one leg and both arms to hold his position.

It was hard for Lucy not to just pull Albert into herself. He probably hadn't realized it but when he had felt her grip his leg Lucy had restrained herself. If she were to actually try to pull him into her vagina his arms and one leg wouldn't help him in the least. It was good he had resumed his efforts though which did serve to help her relax somewhat. It sated her for the moment but in the end she knew she'd only want more of him. There was no way a leg would be enough.

When Albert had been inside of Lucy's mouth he had thought it was hot and wet. As he felt around inside of her vagina though he quickly decided her mouth didn't even begin to compare. Stimulated would have been quite an understatement at the moment which was quite a big ego booster for him. The fact that he could bring Lucy to this point was one of the greatest complements he had received in his life. As Albert felt around inside of her vagina with his legs he was hit by an odd impulse.

Albert had no where near the strength or mass to exert the same force upon her lips that Lucy had been doing with just two fingers. Yet while the touch was lighter she found it even more pleasurable. For a moment Lucy was made to giggle and she felt herself blush as she considered that. They were those that claimed to like it rough perhaps she was the exact opposite and found things the most enjoyable when they were gentle. She quickly resolved this was possible and there was another reason for her to be more stimulated.

While Albert wasn't able to exert the force she had with her fingers the fact was that he wasn't her hand. Just knowing that it was Albert currently pressed into her lips and trying his hardest to please her was wonderfully stimulating to her. A sharp gasp escaped Lucy as for a moment her mind went blank and she clinched her breasts squeezing her nipples between her fingers as she felt Albert's tongue.

He had already tasted Lucy's milk and found that he enjoyed it now he had decided to try something else. While Albert had been stroking Lucy's lips he had found himself overcome by an impulse to taste her nectar. This was far from a quick taste lick though as he extended his tongue and pressed it firmly into her nectar coated lips. He then began to draw it over the surface licking up as much of her nectar as he could before finally withdrawing his tongue. It wasn't like anything he had tasted before.

To Albert the taste of Lucy's nectar was most assuredly sweet but he couldn't place it. He wouldn't have said it tasted like honey, sugar or any candy that he had ever tried before. It was sweet but a flavor that was entirely foreign and wonderful to him. He quickly resolved to have another taste and see if that helped him in placing the taste of Lucy's nectar other then sweet. At least that is what he told himself in truth his decision was only motivated slightly by the desire to identify the taste. It was mostly motivated by the fact that he truly liked the taste and he had noted how much Lucy seemed to enjoy him licking her lips.

As Lucy felt Albert's tongue moving over her flesh again and again she began to lightly squeeze her breast once again. The stimulation he was causing had finally caught up with her hunger for the moment but only for the moment. In truth matching her desire with equal stimulation only meant that her desire would grow all the stronger. In the end she knew that it would reach a point where the only thing that would be enough would be all of Albert inside of her. She hadn't given it much thought before hand but there was more then safety reasons for keeping Albert inside of her bra and knickers.

When Lucy had warned Albert that she was selfish she hadn't been joking. Her breast feeding him hadn't just been medical but an aspect of those feelings. She didn't want him to take his nourishment from the world but from her so that he would be more hers. This impulse continued when she played with him in her mouth, engulfed him in her cleavage or trapped him in her clothing. She wanted to separate Albert from the world around them so that she would be the only thing he knew.

As Albert worked he couldn't help but notice a slow down in Lucy's motions as she seemed to grow calmer. He knew better then to think that meant that he could stop. He had matched the tied for a few moments but he knew it was still growing stronger. The fact that he had felt Lucy's vagina grip his leg and pull four more times proved that. This slow down did give him time to think and at last he resolved on a path of action. He released his hold on one of Lucy's lips and slipped his arm inside so that the only things he had supporting him were one leg and arm.

Upon reaching inside of Lucy Albert pressed his hand firmly into her inner flesh. He then began to run his hand over the lubricated inner folds of Lucy's flesh. It only took him a few moments to find one suitable for what he had in mind. Taking hold of the warm flesh he squeezed on it as firmly as he could then began to slide his hand along the surface. He felt himself accelerate upward but only half a meter or so and heard a sharp gasp from Lucy as he stroked her inner flesh.

Albert took his time examining Lucy's inner fold until he felt he had as good of a grip as he was going to get. His other arm then left Lucy's lip and proceeded to push down in between them. With only one leg out of her now the other pressed firmly into the sides of her inner flesh in order to help support the one that remained on the outside. Once again his hand began to search around her inner flesh until it found a particularly notable fold and he gripped it. Then once again he found the best spot that he could.

Exactly what Albert was doing Lucy wasn't sure but that was because she wasn't thinking about it. They were no true thoughts in her mind as she felt Albert's hands beginning to explore the confines of her flesh. Rather her mind was abuzz with feelings as she focused on his efforts and tried to resist the urge to swallow him up with her vagina. A delighted squeal escaped her seconds later and both hands reached for her crotch.

Using force to make Lucy or any part of her to what you wanted was normally impossible. It would have normally been impossible for anyone to part Lucy's lips using their own strength. Yet Albert had no doubt that he could easily work his way into Lucy as while she hadn't forced him in. Her vagina constantly tugging on him told him he was both welcome and wanted to enter.

Upon getting as firm of a grip as he could, Albert quickly pulled himself down into Lucy's flesh. Her lips responded well before her hands even reached him. As he pulled himself inside he suddenly found his progress stopped as he was squeezed from all sides but this only lasted a moment. He lost hold of the folds he once held as her vagina actually pulled him inside. He never felt Lucy's hands.

A cry of delight escaped Lucy's lips as her hands pressed down upon her crotch as if to insure Albert was inside and couldn't come out. As she cried out there was no more restraint on her part with Albert fully inside of her she didn't have to worry about The volume of her voice on any level. If she had been paying attention she would have noticed the sturdy glass of Albert's home vibrating violently as the sound waves reached them despite the distance.

It had been Albert's intentions to push his way into Lucy head first but he still hadn't been prepared for her vagina to take hold of him. As he was pulled far more deeply then he had intended the temperature change was far greater then he expected. A heat that nearly caused him to cry out engulfed him as he was taken into Lucy's flesh yet it never reached the point of pain. Rather it seemed to engulf his skin entirely and seemed to sink into his very bones. Even in his excited state Albert could feel the heat reaching into his bones and filling them.

For a while all Albert could do was feel the heat soaking into him. It was only when he felt a sudden change of pressure as Lucy's inner muscles relaxed that he was jarred back to reality. Despite what had happened though there was no way he could forget what he was doing as he felt Lucy's flesh all around him. Fortunately he also realized that going into a blind flurry of motions was far from the best tactic. One thing was very clear as Albert bit down on his lower lip and felt his crotch throb. He needed to get his penis as far away from Lucy's flesh as he could or he would lose it.

Reaching just above his head Albert pressed his hands firmly into Lucy's flesh. He then began to extend them forward making sure to note every fold in her flesh that he could reach. Whenever he came to a particularly notable fold he gave it a firm squeeze before extending his arms further ahead of him. As his arms became full extended he slowly began to draw them back towards himself in search of the most notable folds for the same arm.

As his arms searched before him Albert drew his feet up and then pressed them firmly into Lucy's flesh. Much as with his hands he then began to push them backwards taking note of every fold in Lucy's flesh. He stopped before fully extending his legs though and then began to draw them back up to the most notable fold he'd found. Gripping Lucy's inner flesh as firmly as he could with his hands and bracing himself with his legs Albert pushed upward slowly drawing his chest and crotch away from Lucy's flesh.

A sharp gasp escaped Albert as his penis glided against Lucy's flesh and he bit down on his lower lip until he feared he'd drawn blood. He remained still as he took in a few deep breaths of air quickly noting Lucy's sent all around him. He hadn't thought of it at the time but it was a sent that he couldn't recognize or place though he did enjoy. Thinking about this proved to be a mistake though as he felt his penis throb once again and he quickly raised himself more until his back pushed against Lucy's flesh.

Sliding his hand along Lucy's flesh Albert slowly shifted until his shoulder pressed firmly against Lucy's inner flesh. Turning his head to the side he pressed his face firmly against her flesh while using his legs and arms to press his shoulder more firmly against it. As he kissed her flesh he carefully shifted about. There was no way he could escape Lucy's touch in this environment but at least he could control what part of him touched her to an extent.

As Albert shifted his position his hands and feet were forced to leave the folds that he had once held. So that as he rolled onto his back he once again began to search Lucy's inner flesh. Pressing his hands against the sides of her vagina he slowly drew them up until they were pressed into the flesh above him. At the same time his feet searched around him fortunately they were still able to make use of the same folds he had found before.

There was only so much time Lucy could give Albert to alter his position as she messaged her breasts. With Albert no longer clinging to her nipple she finally reached behind herself and undid the latch that held her bra on her. As she took the latch between her fingers a sharp gasp escaped her and she nearly crushed it as she felt Albert renewing his efforts. A delighted giggle escaped her as she quickly worked to remove the garment.

Had it become a contest? Albert wasn't entirely certain but he wanted to make sure that he didn't climax before Lucy. The thought brought a slight chuckle to him as he pressed his hands into the flesh above him and gripped Lucy's inner folds. Turning his head to the side he pressed his lips firmly against her flesh then slowly ran his tongue along the surface. As he drew his tongue along her flesh his hands reached further above him slowly searching her folds.

Upon finding two folds notable enough for him to get a grip upon Albert took hold of them and pushed his hands against the flesh above him. He then pressed against the folds his legs rested against slowly drawing himself further inside of Lucy. As he pulled and pushed his body along his tongue ran over the side of her flesh until he can to a notable fold. Stopping his progress for a moment Albert gave the flesh a quick lick before opening his mouth and gently biting down upon the fold.

Slowly Albert began to increase the pressure with which he bit down upon Lucy's flesh sucking all her nectar off the bit of skin as he did so. He couldn't hear Lucy gasp as he did this or see her reaction but he could most assuredly feel it as he quickly relaxed his arms. The walls of Lucy's vagina came in on him and for a moment he was made to remember how firmly she had grasped his leg.

If Lucy was to clinch him as she had did his leg Albert felt certain that he would be crushed. As the embrace of Lucy's vagina grew tighter he became certain of this and began to consider how careful Lucy was being. The situation also brought on another realization as the confined space meant more of Lucy's nectar flowed over him. If she or he wasn't careful he could very well end up drowning in her nectar. He resolved that she would have to be the one to be cautious though he had other concerns.

As Lucy's inner muscles began to relax Albert pressed against the flesh and for a moment he considered once again cleaning off the fold he just had. He decided against it and instead resolved to move deeper inside of Lucy. Once again he began to draw himself forward with his arms taking note of Lucy's nectar as it flowed around him. As he drew himself up until his legs could no longer aid him he began to search her flesh once again. Fortunately he knew of one place already.

A sharp squeal escaped Lucy the moment she felt Albert's foot press into the fold his lips had only recently left and her hips were made to thrust into the air. Gripping her breasts firmly Lucy pressed up on the underside of her left breasts and brought her head forward. Her tongue flicked out of her mouth and slowly ran along the same path that Albert had taken while crawling over her flesh. As she did so she began to alternate the pressure with which she squeezed her breasts and slowly began to roll her hips.

Even cut off from the outside world Albert could tell Lucy was moving especially when she had thrust her hips upward. The sudden rush of her nectar that soaked him seconds later told him she was getting more stimulated. Feeling that he needed to increase things a bit he turned his head to the side and close his lips around the nearest fold he could. It was less noticeable then the one he had found before but it would do for now. As he gripped her flesh Albert pressed the foot that had yet to find a fold firmly into her flesh and began to glide it along and his left arm released its hold.

Placing his hand beside him Albert pressed it firmly into Lucy's flesh forcing him more firmly into her flesh. As he changed position ever so slightly he once again opened his mouth and took what bit of Lucy's flesh he could into his mouth. His tongue was made to run over her flesh at first tasting her. He then began sucking upon the bit of flesh he held noting how the walls seemed to shiver around him as he cleaned it off only to release his mouth lock upon finishing and searching for another.

Given the situation multi tasking was proving quite hard for Albert. So that as he tried to find a place to put his foot he actually ended up passing over her flesh three times before noting a spot. Lucy didn't seem to mind though as Albert felt her vagina squeezing in on him forcing him to adjust his hold from time to time. As he found a spot to settle his food he finally released his hand hold and pressed his hands firmly into her flesh. Once again he extended them far above his head searching for a new spot.

Without having to worry about deafening Albert Lucy had finally quit concerning herself with the volume of her voice and began to moan openly. Her eyes drifted shut as she squeezed the under sides of her breasts and pushed the massive mountains of flesh together. As she did she focused on how Albert had felt while working his way through her cleavage and as he had worked her nipple. Given Lucy's memory she was quite capable of reliving past feelings. They didn't truly compare to the ones she was now feeling but they were a nice touch.

As Albert once again grasped Lucy's inner flesh he pulled himself forward drawing his tongue along her vagina as he did so. Upon coming to a fold that he felt he could work into his mouth he locked his lips around the flesh. His tongue would press into Lucy's warm vagina and he'd lap up a bit of her nectar before sucking the bit of flesh clean. He'd then release and draw himself further within her depths.

One thing Albert couldn't help but notice as he drew himself forward though was the way Lucy was moving and the rate with which her nectar flowed. It had actually increased sense he had entered into her as had the movements of her hips. Before hand it had been relatively easy to progress forward but between her motions and the flow of her nectar it was growing somewhat difficult. His thoughts were distracted for a moment as Lucy's flesh once again embraced him.

While he was embraced in Lucy's flesh Albert struggled to keep control as his entire body was engulfed. These were the toughest moments for him as every inch of him was in Lucy's embrace. He wasn't prepared for what was to come next as he felt Lucy's inner muscles flex slightly. The pressure she exerted on his legs increased but not his upper body. Then he felt it rising and releasing. The pressure that had been on his leg slowly released and grasped his hips, released, grasped his stomach, released, grasped his shoulders and then moved downward.

Soon what had been a wave of motion became an unpredictable torrent as Lucy's vagina hugged every part of him with alternating pressure. Then he felt the pressure slowly increase around his crotch and he realized what Lucy was doing. She was intentionally giving him a full body message with her vagina. As this realization set in it was all Albert could take when that pressure suddenly released.

Pressing his hands firmly into Lucy's flesh Albert forced his back against her inner flex once again and pressed his legs into the flesh to his side. There wasn't much thinking on his part as he quickly flipped himself over. Fortunately his body seemed to have learned the pattern already as his hands outstretched before him pressing firmly into Lucy's flesh. While at first his hands had searched carefully and slowly now they searched frantically grasping the first folds they came upon that seemed suitable.

As Albert grasped Lucy's flesh his tongue flicked out of his mouth and pressed firmly into Lucy's flesh as his legs extended to both sides. He pressed his legs into Lucy's walls as firmly as he could as he drew himself forward. His legs weren't meant to help with his progress though but only to provide Lucy with stimulation now. So as he drew himself forward he began to close them while still pressing them as firmly into Lucy's flesh as he could.

It hadn't been apparent whenever Albert had been using his legs but maintaining his progress forward was proving more and more difficult. As he was coming forward he was caught off guard when Lucy suddenly thrust her hips into the air and her vaginal muscles flexed around him. The sudden change in his environment caused him to lose his hand holds immediately and he found himself sliding backwards. He didn't make it very far though as those walls continued to close around him.

A sharp gasp escaped Albert as he felt his entire body shudder as Lucy's muscles gripped him. He felt those muscles flex and he was pulled forward even further into Lucy then he had been. Once again he found himself entirely blind to his surroundings having lost track of where he was and once again he resumed his efforts. As his hands reached before him though he could no longer help it and found his hips thrust against Lucy's flesh. Even upon realizing this he didn't seem to be able to control his body.

He was aware enough to note he found another fold but as he moved to grip it Lucy's vagina once again closed in on him causing him to lose his position. As he was embraced completely he realized what was going on. Beforehand she had been allowing him to stimulate her at his leisure almost now that wasn't the case. Instead her body had begun to work create as much pleasure from him as it could. It was very unlikely that he would find time to use the methods he had been so as Lucy's flesh relaxed he let go.

Extending both of his arms before him and pressing his toes into Lucy's flesh Albert slide his feet forward until they happened upon the first fold notable enough for them not to just glide over. As his feet pressed against it his hands gripped whatever he could and he pulled and pushed himself forward with all of his might. He didn't bother searching as he pushed forward but pressed his face firmly into Lucy's flesh. As he went to lock his lips down upon her folds he found the flesh wasn't notable enough so that he more kissed then nibbled her skin.

Albert quickly extended his arms and legs to both sides. He then began to move his hands quickly to the center. As his right hand came upon a notable fold it was delayed as he stopped the squeeze Lucy's inner flesh while he kissed the flesh just before him feverishly. With each kiss he moved his head slightly searching for some flesh that he could bite down upon. His arms didn't get to make it to the center as he felt Lucy's flesh closing in on him. As those muscles flexed though he found what he was searching for with his lips and quickly clamped his lips upon her flesh sucking upon it.

There was no way that Albert could resist Lucy physically in anyway. That didn't stop him from pressing against her though. As her vagina began to embrace him he kicked her inner muscles as firmly as his subconscious would allow him to do so. This seemed to have an affect as he quickly noted himself accelerating downward and upward as Lucy began to thrust her hips into the air repeatedly. As the embrace of her vagina grew too firm for his legs to move he continued to thrust his crotch against her flesh as best he could while biting down upon it.

Once the hold Lucy's vagina had on him relaxed Albert quickly extended his hands directly before him. His legs slid backwards his left foot catching a fold while the right wasn't able to find any purchase. He felt his hands meet one of her folds and went to pull himself forward only to lose out. The fold wasn't pronounced enough to allow him to pull forward while Lucy was moving. As soon as this became apparent he once again pressed his hands and feet into Lucy's flesh. His left foot took the same path it had before while the right took a slightly different one as did his arms.

Albert felt his right hand hit upon a notable fold as did both feet. His left hand pressed firmly into the side of Lucy's flesh to offer what support it could he quickly pushed off with his food and pulled with his hands to move forward. As Lucy thrust her hips upward though he lost hold and felt himself slide back slightly but only to be hugged from all sides by Lucy's inner muscles. Once again he felt then flex and he was drew deeper into her. A sharp gasp escaped him and this time he extended only his arms though not to pull forward rather he moved to push back.

This time Albert's hands found the flesh he needed right away. As he went to slide backwards though once again he was engulfed by Lucy's flesh and drew back to this previous location. It was all the proof and experience he needed to know that he wouldn't be pulling back. Whether she was doing it on purpose or not Lucy's body wasn't allowing Albert to fall back within itself. Apparently Lucy desired to have him deeper within her body and he was happy to oblige.

As Lucy's muscles worked Albert struggled to keep pace with them. It was now a game of hit or miss as he extended his arms into Lucy and thrust his legs backwards trying to force himself forward against the flow of her nectar. This would have normally been a tremendous waste of energy as there was no way Albert could keep such activity up for long. Yet he simply couldn't allow himself to be beat. If Lucy was going to quicken the pace then so would he.

Had anyone been in the room they would have been deafened as Lucy moaned openly. If they had been too close they would have been dead from the sound waves or crushed under her body. As Lucy let herself go she had began thrusting her hips into the air and rolling them about shifting Albert's position around within her. She would have left several wholes in the wall by now if she hadn't kept her hands busy with her breasts as she pushed the massive mounds of flesh together and squeezed her nipples.

Upon feeling Albert push backwards within her Lucy's legs quickly closed together. The massive limbs intertwined and her vagina squeezed in on him. A delighted moan escaped her as she drew him further inside. Yet there was no conscious thought or even noticing of the event from Lucy's actual mind. It was too abuzz with feelings to allow true thought into it. Rather her body worked to insure that which caused her such pleasure didn't escape from her embrace.

Delight grew and intermingled with pleasure as Lucy felt Albert's movements within herself. She was quite aware that Albert had been avoiding pressing his penis into her flesh and while everything he touched seemed equally stimulated the fact that he was now thrusting his crotch against her flesh had tremendous affect. Her thrust had been purely at her own whim but now she began to develop a matching pace with Albert so that whenever he thrust against her flesh, her massive hips thrust into the air as if to meet him.

Though he could most assuredly feel it whenever Lucy thrust upward Albert had yet to notice that her thrust matched his own. What he had began to notice on some level though was that whenever Lucy's waste would go crashing back down was when her vagina would grip him most firmly. Whenever she would thrust upward the acceleration would force him more firmly into her flesh while had she allowed it her hips crashing back to the ground would have caused a moment of less stimulation. Instead of allowing this to happen it was when she embraced him completely.

At least part of Albert had noticed how when her hips would go back down she would squeeze in on him. Albert himself was too busy to give it much thought but his body had picked up on the pattern helping him with his movements. Yet the time frame to progress was growing increasingly narrow and the flow of Lucy's nectar all the stronger. There wasn't a bit of air that Albert breathed in that wasn't saturated with her sent. Had he been of a mind to notice, he would have wondered how he was breathing.

As Albert drew further within her Lucy grew all the more excited her conscious mind had long been flooded with feeling now and the ever quickening pace making her all the hotter. Once again she went to embrace Albert with her vagina in a hold that would leave him unable to move yet she wasn't prepared for what was to come. Her embraces were relatively quick so it had taken him some tries to meet it.

His body had learned whenever it was time to pull forward and when it was time to relax even without Albert thinking on the subject. As time went on he learned even more so that his body could tell whenever one of Lucy's embraces was coming. Now Albert felt yet another embrace coming and he moved to make the most of it. As Lucy's vagina squeezed in around him he pressed back with his arms feeling the changes in her inner muscles as she flexed. Taking hold of the folds in her flesh that formed he gripped them to the best of his ability and ceased to push back.

Instead of pushing back against the walls of Lucy's vagina Albert moved to embrace them pulling on her flesh as if to tighten the embrace of her vagina. His mouth opened and he clamped his mouth down on the flesh before him as Lucy's nectar washed over his entire being. His legs flexed pushing up against the flesh above him and forcing his erection as firmly into Lucy's flesh as they could. As he felt Lucy's flesh embracing him as firmly as it had embraced all of him yet Albert released his lip lock on the bit of flesh he held and he closed his mouth around the nearest bit of Lucy's vagina.

A scream of delight escaped Lucy as she felt Albert responding to her vagina's embrace with an embrace of his own. Swinging her head back Lucy gripped her breasts firmly and thrust her massive hips into the air as her body began to shudder. Her nectar flowed more freely then ever before and each moment brought a release and a new embrace from her vagina to Albert as she came.

It was impossible for Albert to hold onto Lucy's vagina as those walls began to flex and shudder around him. However, while he lost his grip on her she most assuredly didn't lose her grip on him. As Albert felt his hold be broken he moved to regain it but didn't have time as Lucy's vagina embraced him. Before he could even think about what was happening he found himself pulled forward more deeply inside of Lucy then those walls relaxed and once again embraced him.

Lucy's nectar flowed over him moments later. Ever since Albert had entered into Lucy her nectar had been drenching him but this was unlike anything from before. Every last bit of his body was saturated and engulfed in those waves. He felt certain that he would have been forced out of her by that torrent if it hadn't been for Lucy's vagina gripping him so rapidly and pulling him forward.

With Lucy's nectar filling his world and her vagina squeezing him from all sides Albert didn't have time to think. Rather, it was too much for his body and he began to shudder as he finally lost control and came. He didn't even realize this release had come though as the feelings of Lucy's vagina squeezing him, her nectar flowing over him, the taste of her and his own release overwhelmed him.

Arching her back Lucy thrust her hips into the air one last time as she embraced Albert with her vagina. Her body continued to tremble even as she held this position and felt him deep within herself as if she was trying to squeeze every last bit of pleasure out of the situation she could. At last a sharp gasp escaped her and Lucy's body went limp, her muscles lost their strength and her hips were sent crashing to the bed as low moan began to escape her.

A very contented smile appeared on Lucy's face as her vagina still tingled. Reaching behind herself she gripped her pillow with both arms and proceeded to turn to her side. Her massive right leg came to rest upon the left and she slowly interlocked the limb squeezing on Albert with her vagina as she drew him just a little further in. Her climax had past but she was still aglow with the feeling and wasn't anywhere near ready to let him out.

Every breath that Albert took in was thick with Lucy's sent and he breathed deeply. He couldn't open his mouth without tasting her nectar as he lay within her. His right leg still pressed against her flesh and moved but only lightly and slow. Several times he was made to kiss Lucy's inner flesh but his fatigue had wore him down so that even they came slowly and he felt his eyes growing heavy. He hardly noticed as his world shifted and Lucy's vagina embraced him.

End chapter 4:

Roy couldn't help but sigh as he looked up at the massive structure that served as Lucy's home. It was simply massive though it didn't truly drive home how massive Lucy was. Meeting her face to face did that and he had already done so. He was still rather anxious as he climbed out of his squad car and made his way towards the human sized entrance. Fortunately the parking lot for such visitors was right near the door and tended to be vacant so the walk was quite short.

An intercom resided beside the human scaled entrance which Roy moved to turn on but to his surprise it flipped on before he could touch it. "Hello officer. I've been expecting a visit for a while. You may come on inside I'll be there to pick you up in just a moment."

"Oh. Sure thing" as the intercom turned off Roy heard a slight click and pressed on the door. He was a bit surprised whenever it began to open and he realized how thick it actually was. As he looked at the door joints he noted small motors actually aiding his efforts. It seemed an odd measure but he supposed Lucy didn't want to risk someone getting in through the small entrance while she wasn't there.

As Lucy slipped on a t-shirt she had to be careful not to move too quickly. Albert was currently tucked away inside of her bra and she didn't want to wake him up too early. She didn't bother putting on any shoes as she made her way out of her bedroom and towards the main entrance. Fortunately Albert was tucked into the base of the bra so she didn't have to worry about waking him up too much. "Good morning, Roy I believe it was."

"Yes we met at the seen of your little jog through the city."

"I imagine that is what you came here to talk to me about." Lucy had a wide grin on her face as she rounded the corner into the main entrance and walked towards Roy.

It was very hard to keep from taking at least one step back as Lucy approached but Roy held his ground. She had been quite reasonable so far and he hoped that trend would continue. Of course he knew that he had to be careful in this situation. "Yes I'm afraid that I am. I wish that I didn't have to but it's sort of a necessity."

"I understand." Lucy continued to approach Roy until he was within arms length. She then bent at her knees lowering herself into a crouch and extended her hand towards Roy. "If you don't mind I would like to have this conversation else where such as in the kitchen. I want to have breakfast ready when my little one wakes up."

Out of all the rooms Lucy could have mentioned Roy found the idea of going into Lucy's kitchen to be the second worst. This was quite apparent in his body language though he struggled to conceal it. "Oh um. Alright then."

Lucy couldn't help but giggle as she watched Roy approaching her hand quite hesitantly. "You don't have to worry officer. I have no intentions of cooking and eating you or just plain eating you."

"Well isn't that a comforting thing to say!" As the words left his mouth Roy didn't know where they had come from but he did feel a bit of relief. Especially, when he looked up at Lucy and noticed her trying to keep from giggling. As he climbed into her hand he couldn't help but shake his head.

Lucy was careful to stand up slowly both to keep from unsettling Roy and more importantly to her not to wake up Albert. "So officer have you come here to arrest me or are we going to talk."

"Talking was the main thing. Miss Angeye."

"Call me Lucy."

"Okay, Lucy. Surely you realize that you've put my department in quite a situation with your recent jog through the city. You've covered all the expenses to my knowledge but despite that you did cause a lot of destruction and worry for those that live around the area. Now if we don't take some form of action again you."

"Would you like some eggs? I'm going to make some for myself and Albert, it wouldn't require much effort at all to make some for you."

"Oh sure that would be fine but please don't change the subject."

"If you don't do something then you're going to appear to be unable to protect those you've sworn to protect from me. However, that's just the situation. Even if your entire department were to try to apprehend me I could crush you all in just a few foot steps or gobble you all up and there isn't a thing you could do about it."

"That is true."

"However, I'm not unsympathetic to your situation. Just don't think you're going to convince me to spend any time in prison."

"Oh I would never suggest that. However, I have come up with a proposal that would at least allow the department to save face."

"Go on."

"Well before I start would you mind telling me exactly what happened? I mean first you run through the city destroying the street as you do so and flipping over vehicles. You then leave and come back a short while later to help with repairs, then a little while after that you travel a few hundred miles away and eat someone. That's kind of a strange turn of events."

As Roy was speaking Lucy had made her way into the kitchen. She didn't bother setting him down as she set the massive plain that served as a skillet for her down nor as she retrieved the larger container of pre-beaten eggs. Before she continued though, she lowered her hand down to the island in the middle of the dining area. "If you knew all the details it would make more sense."

"I believed that it would." As he was speaking Roy scooted to the edge of Lucy's hand and climbed down onto the table. "Would you mind telling them to me?"

"As you know Albert and I were in a crash on our way home. A crash which wasn't our fault and one in which he was badly injured despite my efforts. The reason I had to rush to the seen is that I required more of myself to properly tend to Albert's injuries. They are some things that I just can't do with only a small portion of my body."

"We got that much at the scene but what about what happened after words?"

"Suffice to say that I was quite upset about the turn of events and curious as well. You see when the driver slammed into us he failed to break and I was quite curious as to why. I did some checks on him and found out that he had a history of breaking the rules but also tended to make deliveries ahead of schedule."

"I see. So his employer kept him around because he was profitable?"

"You didn't let me finish. His employers used this productivity as grounds to take out a rather large life insurance plan on him. So not only had his employer allowed him to continue working despite the danger he posed he also meant to profit from the near inevitable wreck and loss of life. Naturally I came to the decision that both he and his employer were responsible for Albert's injuries."

"Then you decided to take the law into your own hands."

"Well more like into my own belly but yes. Quite frankly I didn't feel like the potential punishments in this case were severe enough especially given the likelihood of them being carried out. So you had an idea as to how we were going to handle this situation?"

A sigh escaped Roy as he shook his head. "Well I knew that you had been using one of your smaller bodies at the time. Would you say that the incident would have occurred if you had been all there?"

"No. If I had even half of me there Albert wouldn't have been injured in the least and I wouldn't have taken a run up the street."

"In that case couldn't it be said that the incident was caused by a system overload in one of the smaller terminals causing the main to over react in an attempt to compensate?"

At first Lucy said nothing but carefully poured out a bit of the eggs on the massive plain. A hiss could be heard instantly as several tons of the yellowish liquid began to cook at once. "Well that is one possible explanation and it is true to an extent. Had there been more of me there then Albert wouldn't have been injured and I wouldn't have responded in the way that I did. So yes you could say that it was caused by a failure in the smaller portion of me. It seems that you want to make this into an industrial accident."

"That is the idea actually. None of us really know how your body works or what it's like to have several bodies at once. Of course, there is the complication as to why you ate that one person then proceeded to consume two of your friends. The friends' then show up a few days later completely unharmed."

"Well we'd best not get into why I chose to eat two of my friends. Suffice to say I never had any intention of harming them while I had every intention of harming the one I digested. For the record though his pain only lasted for a few hours."

"Um that's good to know I suppose."

"If you're truly intent on portraying this as an industrial incident then the solution is simple. Part of fixing a problem is finding out why it occurred in the first place and attempting to insure that it doesn't happen again. After the initial problem had been fixed that was exactly what I did. I found out the cause of the problem and worked to remove the cause while not damaging the rest of the system. The rest of the system being the people I had leave the building first."

"That. That actually works very well. Do you have the files showing his business dealings before hand? It would really help if we could explain why you thought he was at fault."

"Yes I have them however I believe it would be best if you went and gathered them yourself. Then again you wouldn't have to tell anyone you had obtained the files from me. Still, it would probably be best if I told you where to secure the information that you require."

"Yeah you're probably right. Lucy you do realize that this will require some legal proceedings right?"

"Yes and I'll gladly cooperate so long as you don't interfere with my schedule too much. I would also prefer to have this taken care of quickly. You will take into account the repairs I've already paid for correct?"

"We'll I really can't make that call."

"Come, now Roy. Surely you realize that this isn't a normal negotiation." As she was speaking Lucy retrieved a massive salt container and began to lightly layer the entire plain of eggs. A plain that looked like it could feed an entire mess hall in one serving if it had regular people to see to.

"Well I will admit that this is an unusual situation to be in. This isn't exactly my roll after all."

"Exactly and those who would normally speak to me are too afraid to do so. Instead they sent you to handle the negotiations. I'm fairly certain that they will abide by any agreement you and I make. If they don't then you can assure them I'll be far less reasonable the second time we talk and may very well come to speak to them in person."

A slight chuckle escaped Roy as he shook his head. "Well I'm not used to threatening my boss. The eggs smell good."

"Then it's good you're not threatening them just passing on some information from me. If they want to take my warning as a threat then that is their decision."

"Mm given what you did to the street I think it might be best if they took it as a threat."

"Maybe so though I hope they're wise enough to see reason." Once again Lucy retrieved a container this time adding pepper onto the eggs. As she finished she began to mix the eggs together.

"So what would you prefer for us to do about the court date?"

"Oh yes that is a problem. As I imagine after this trial I won't be permitted to use any of my smaller bodies within the city again I can't very well show up with one of them. That said if I use one of my larger bodies I won't be able to fit into the courthouse and would end up blocking the street if I remained outside. Well we could always have the trial here."

"I'm not sure if they would go for that. We're trying to save face not make it look like we were bribed or intimidated into it."

"True enough. Well then we clearly need to have the trial on government property. The park would be nice. It's been quite a lovely week and I believe the good weather will hold for a while longer."

"That just may be our best choice. Lucy I have to ask you though. Why do you choose to eat people when you kill? You did it once before with your cousin and now you've done it again. It seems so unnecessary."

"They're several reasons actually. I'm not sure if you want to hear them though and I imagine you can figure out some of them if you think about it. If you'd really like me to explain the reasons to you then I can."

At first Roy said nothing as he considered what Lucy had told him after a moment though he gave his head a quick shake. "I think I'd rather go on not knowing what they are."

"Very well" as she spoke Lucy lifted the metallic plain from the heat source and placed it a short distance away. As she turned off the heat she moved to retrieve a plate that had been built for one of her smaller bodies. It looked to be a snack plate in her massive hands now.

"Huh is that all you need for all those eggs?"

Yeah. It may look like I made a lot but that's only because it's spread out. You'll see how little is there once it's all gathered up."

"It still looks like a lot of eggs to me."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she gave her head a slight shake. "Well they still out weigh you by several tons it's just not a whole bunch for me. I wanted to wait until he woke up on his own but I guess that I'm going to have to wake Albert up. Would you like to speak to him as well?"

"I hadn't planned on it but that could work out. Most likely he'll be expected to testify."

"I hope you don't believe you're going to get him on the stand. I don't mind if he testifies but he's not leaving my grasp." As she was speaking Lucy proceeded to gather up the eggs in a single large mass on her plate.

"That's a little unorthodox."

"Regardless that is the situation." As she spoke Lucy slipped her right hand down between her breasts. Her massive fingers pressed down on the material of her bra to the right of Albert helping Lucy to slide her fingers up under him without disturbing him.

"Given your response the last time he was injured I'm sure some arrangement can be made. After all given what happened last time I think it's clear that you don't want to risk losing him."

"I won't risk losing him." As she was speaking Lucy carefully took Albert between her fingers and began lifting him out of her bra. Her fingers and thumb formed a slight cup around him so that he didn't brush against her breasts as he was drawn up between them. Despite her efforts though this was a bit much for him to sleep through and he began to shift in his sleep as the texture of the sleeping surface changed.

It was common knowledge that Lucy wasn't shy about her breasts. Given that she had openly tucked friends into both her cleavage and pocket while swimming in public and doing other activities it was well known. So Roy wasn't surprised whenever Lucy pulled Albert out of her cleavage and had indeed suspected she was doing as much whenever she reached into her cleavage. "You got a heavy sleeper there."

"He's not normally this heavy I just tuckered him out last night I suppose." As she spoke Lucy carefully manipulated Albert so that he moved to her palm. She then began to gently nudge him with the index finger of her free hand. "Hay wake up sleepy head. It's breakfast time."

A low groan escaped Albert as his right arm reached out and pressed against Lucy's finger as if trying to force it away. At the same time though he pressed his head more firmly against her palm in an attempt to escape the light. "Five more minutes."

"No. Not five more minutes. You get your tail up now." As she spoke Lucy increased the force with which she poked Albert this time nearly rolling him over onto his side. It didn't have the desired affect though as all he did was groan and form into more of a ball. "Hey cut that out right now. Albert you get up."

Albert was in part awake by this point but not entirely. He was most assuredly still asleep enough that he could get back too it quite easily. All he had to do was hold his ground for a while longer and he was sure that Lucy would give up and hopefully put him back in her cleavage. This seemed to be the case when he felt himself being lifted higher but he grew alarmed when he felt her hand tilt.

After a moment of consideration Lucy lifted Albert until he was slightly above her mouth. She then tilted her head back opening her mouth wide as she did so and tilted her hand so that he was sent rolling towards her mouth. This seemed to be enough to wake him up though she doubted he knew what was happening. As he fell towards the massive gate of her mouth she used her tongue to cushion his fall.

If he had thought he was going to get back to sleep Lucy proved him wrong the moment Albert landed on her tongue. Landing on the hot damp surface of her tongue jarred him awake instantly and he moved to set up. Before he could do so though, he was pulled within Lucy's mouth. He found himself pressed against the inside of her cheek by that massive muscle. It didn't stop there though as Lucy used her tongue to both press him against her inner cheek and draw him along it.

There was no doubt in Lucy's mind that Albert was awake now as she felt him beginning to struggle. It seemed that she had caught him entirely off guard and now he was just trying to orient himself. She wasn't going to let him do that though as she pushed him along her inner cheek. As he neared the back of her cheek she quickly drew him to the center of her mouth.

Stunned was Roy's dominant reaction as he watched Lucy sloshing Albert about within her mouth. He had no doubt that the man was awake by now and probably long ago. However, he couldn't help but wonder one thing. "Lucy, my cell phone is on and I know you can talk through them. I have to ask. Is he scared?"

"No, Albert's not scared he trusts me too much to worry about such things. Wide awake and annoyed now that is what he is. Still, this should teach him to be stubborn about waking up at least until he learns to like it more then he already does. After that point I'm going to have to get creative. Anyway, I'll be right back. I'll need to wash him off once I'm done with him then you two can talk."

There was nothing for Albert to grab onto inside of Lucy's mouth that would help him slow her tongue in the least and especially not stop. Even if there was he knew that he didn't have the strength. Still as Lucy flicked him from the right cheek to the left and back again he tried to find something. Her tongue was working too fast and was too slippery for him to get a grasp on it and her teeth he just couldn't take hold of. He was grateful for one thing though. Lucy had at least spared him a quick dip in cold water.

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It was odd but Roy couldn't help but grin as he set across from Albert nibbling at the over sized plate of eggs Lucy had given him. He had wondered where he was going to set when Lucy had placed a kitchen cabinet, table and chairs in the middle of her own much larger table. "So Mr. Guarsen has Miss Lucy told you about our intent?"

"Not yet."

"Huh? But you were gone for thirty minutes."

"Yeah and twenty of that I spent in her mouth."

"Well I didn't want your eggs to get cold so I had to do something to wake you up. I can't help it if I was having a bit too much fun playing with you in my mouth and forgot about the eggs."

A sigh escaped Albert as he shook his head. "So what were the two of you talking about?"

"We plan to portray Lucy's recent behavior as an industrial accident brought on by one of her bodies becoming over stimulated and not being able to cope with the situation. If we do it properly we won't have to have any truly criminal charges involved and she can get away with paying a fine. I know it isn't a necessity for her but it will allow us to save face."

"Ah I see. Well it's not surprising that Lucy agreed to such terms given that the most likely outcome is that she won't be allowed to use her smaller bodies within the city limits again. Not only is she going to have her own dislike of using smaller bodies as an excuse the next time someone ask her to she's going to have a legal reason."

An amused chuckle escaped Lucy as she shook her head and ate a tiny portion of her eggs. "You know me quite well Albert. I'm quite willing to pay for such an excuse so long as the price is within reason. Once this is all over though, I may need to bring out some new products that I've been holding back on."

"Why is that?"

"I refrain from marketing certain developments as I feel they pose a danger or would upset the economic balance at the time. However, with such expenses it seems that I might have to in order to keep business profitable. Maybe I could just sell a few programs that I've been developing and not have to market any actual machines. The programs could be more damaging then the actual machines though."

"Well there is always entertainment. I've noticed you haven't really delved into that field yet."

"Well it's not that I don't have the technical ability it's just that I'm a little out of touch with most people in those areas. I can't even remember the last time a movie scared me and half the time I watch a drama I just feel contempt for the characters' weakness or stupidity."

An amused chuckle escaped Albert as he shook his head. "Well I could try to help you come up with an idea. Though, I'm not sure if movies are the way for you to go. We can talk about it later for now they are other things."

"Yeah that is true. Oh and Albert don't think you're going to be having this kind of breakfast often. I'm not letting you off your new diet anytime within the foreseeable future."

"Yeah I was kind of surprised to be honest. What made you decide to have eggs anyway?"

"I wanted to get rid of the container honestly and I do like them every now and then. So Roy is there anything else you want to ask me about?"

"Could you send the data on the information we'll need to the main office in advance?"

"I took care of that a little while ago. OH and I wanted to mention. I'm glad to see that the city council decided to go along with my design for the reconstruction of the streets that I destroyed."

"Well yours were the first submitted and given that you're also paying for the repairs and from what I could see some improvements. It didn't take long to decide that it was best to go along with them. I still regret that the destruction was so far reaching though. It's proving quite difficult to keep traffic flowing with the alternate routs."

"Yes and that's mostly why I'm willing to pay additional fines. The road I've already taken care of and the medical expenses. The additional fine should make up for the inconveniences that I caused. That and as Albert pointed out I stand to gain something as well."

"That's very considerate of you." A slight chuckle escaped Roy as he shook his head. "It makes me worried though as well."

"Oh and why is that?"

"I would hate to see what would have happened if you weren't shown the same consideration that you're showing everyone else."

"I thought I made it very clear, what would happen, in that situation when I informed everyone what would happen should the authorities try to apprehend me."

"Yes you did. Now is there a particular sum that you're expecting to pay?"

"Not in particular as long as it isn't entirely outrageous. I'm not going to pay for every road that I've ever walked on to be repaved for instance or every road in the state."

"Oh and what if we wanted to make them so that you could safely run on them?"

"No. That isn't happening. Talk about trying to bankrupt me. The expense of making every road in a state suitable for me to run on would be monstrous. That just isn't happening. I don't believe the nation as a whole could even afford that."

Roy gave a slight chuckle as he nodded his head. "Okay then. Lucy, would you be willing to accept a certain time of quarantine? So that we can have some experts come and talk to you so that they might ascertain just how much of a threat you pose when you're broken up into several bodies?"

"How do you expect them to do that?"

"I actually don't expect them to truly discover anything. It would just be nice to have it for a trial. It would be nice to know if we had grounds to say that it was as dangerous as an out of control nuclear reactor or less."

"Mm. I would say I'm more along the lines of an earth quake or a tornado then a nuclear reaction but I see your point. Neither of them can really be likened to an industrial accident. Still, a nuclear reaction melting down one can hope to contain or at least hinder the release of more materials. A tornado you can't truly contain and you have no idea of how long it will last or really where it'll go. You can predict but you can be wrong."

"Well yes but the destruction you caused was localized to a lengthy but narrow strip of land. I use the word narrow relatively mind you."

"Natural disasters can do the same and industrial accidents can be anything but localized. Take for instance a major dam giving way. It would be more difficult to apply that to your situation in regards to me though so we shall go with the industrial idea. As for me being quarantined, I suppose that I could give a little and remain home for a while. It isn't as if I've been going out very much."

"Thank you Lucy. I'll try to get someone here to ascertain the situation as quickly as I possibly can. Would you mind if I had some people here to watch you as well?"

"Yes I would mind. I want it to be clear that I'm cooperating with the police in this matter. If you even hint that you've somehow coerced me into doing this with a display of force. Suffice to say you had better be sure that you have the needed force available as I'm going to make it very clear just what that would require."

"Fair enough, I didn't think you worried about your public image though."

"I do and I don't. I don't really care if they think I was wrong when I ate my cousin or anyone else. I don't care if they think I was wrong to destroy the road or any other number of things I do. I do care if people begin to think that there is some means of forcing me to behave a certain way."

"What about your company?"

An amused chuckle escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "I want people to know that I'm honest in my business dealings and will do what I say I will do. Outside of that I'm not all that concerned if they like my way of running things or not."

"So you don't worry about something like a boycott brought on by moral outrage at your behavior?"

"Of course I don't! If anyone was to try something that stupid all I would have to do is release a few new products. Such that anything else was quite obsolete by comparison. Those that were more greedy then outraged at my behavior would then be able to gain an upper hand over those who are. That would then leave those who did boycott by products still with a choice. Swallow their pride and outrage and buy or be out done by the competition."

"That works as long as some people are willing to buy from you I suppose."

"Roy, there will always be people willing to buy from me unless I go all out and try to take over the world. Even in that case I believe that I could find those that were willing to support me. Do you know why I limit what technology I release and why I release it to the world as a whole despite certain restraints?"

"I'm not entirely sure I do though I can make a few guesses given what you just said."

"The first reason is to keep from upsetting the economic balance too much as well as the power balance. If I were to sell exclusively to only a few nations the economic and thus the power balance would quickly begin to shift. It really doesn't matter which country I chose either. I could just pick some third world nation and throw the world on its head if I wanted to but for the moment that's not what I want."

"Okay that is one. What about the other reasons?"

"The second reason is that I want to help people to an extent. I would actually give this technology away if it suited the situation. However, if I were to do that then I wouldn't have anything to offer whenever I wanted something and then things could get difficult. Now the third reason is a bit different from the other two."

"Which is?"

"I'm honestly waiting for someone to do something to really piss me off. I would never kill someone purely for my pleasure however that doesn't mean I don't have ideas. Mm the idea of getting to romp through a city, with no regard to the safety of any of the little people except for my Albert, just smashing my hips into buildings and feeling them crumble under the impacts is so wonderful."

The first two answers Roy has received had been somewhat reassuring. The third answer was less then that as he gave his head a slight shake. "I see."

"Mm I suppose that is the three main reasons at least."

"Well. Thank for you for the breakfast Lucy. I need to be getting back to the station and start putting things together."

"I'll see you soon Roy."

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"There is one thing I don't get. If you're just going to plead guilty to the charges and pay the fine, how come we're even going to trial? It seems kind of pointless given that it could easily be settled out of court."

"It's all about the police saving face. They have to seem like they're punishing me to an extent and it isn't like they could forbid me from using any of my smaller bodies within the city limits otherwise. Though, I'm a little unsure about that last part." After a moment of silence Lucy gave a slight shrug. "I'm not sure if they actually have the authority to impose such a penalty but I won't dispute it."

In response Albert gave a quick nod. "That makes sense. Okay here is another question. If you don't have to wear a suit how come I do?"

"Ah because you look so cute!" An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she brought her face close to Albert and gave him a kiss that engulfed the majority of his body. "Isn't it comfortable?"

"Well yeah it is but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not use to dressing like this."

"I'm surprised you don't dress like your father at times."

"That was my mothers doing. She didn't want me to be perpetually in a lab coat. So who are we speaking with today?"

"Sam Archer."

"Who is that now?"

"You know the reporter, likes to point out contradictions in peoples logic, judgmental ass. Mm come to think of it I'm a little surprised he's coming to speak to me as well."

Lucy might have been surprised but Albert was shocked. He had realized who she was speaking about whenever she had said judgmental ass. It was very hard to believe that he was coming to speak to Lucy given how temperamental she could be. "Do you believe that you'll be able to put up with his behavior?"

"Oh sure I know what he's like. I'm not as thin skinned as most people seem to believe I am."

"I know but you do have some buttons."

"I can't argue with you on that. I'm sure he values his life enough though to avoid pushing them too many times."

"I don't know about that."

"Oh? I don't remember you ever watching him or really liking him. Besides he's really just a coward at heart from what I've observed. He is only bold whenever the person would be a fool to kill him. Naturally he must assume that I'm in such a situation. Perhaps I should break his legs just to insure we have an understanding from the start."

An amused chuckle escaped Albert as he shook his head. "Well I'm sure that would establish quite an understanding right away. I'm not sure if it'd help you with your current problems though."

A sigh escaped Lucy as she nodded her head. "I know. I know. I hope that suit is expensive enough. I wonder if I should add more to it?"

************************************************************************

If Sam was concerned for his safety he didn't show it as he set across from Lucy on her living room table. Albert currently resided on Lucy's knee while Lucy herself was seated quite comfortably on a sofa. "So Miss Angeye, how about we get right to the point. What is it like to get away with murder?"

"Define murder."

Sam knew a trap whenever he heard one and instantly caught on that Lucy was setting him up for one as he had tried to do to her. It was something of a disappointment but not a surprise. "Do you mean to imply that you don't know what it means to murder?"

"They are many ways of defining murder. To avoid any miss understanding I simply seek to insure that our ways are the same."

"Please Miss Angeye, surely there can be no clearer definition then for murder."

"If that is the case why are you so hesitant to give me an answer? I'll make it simple though and play your game. Murder is the killing of another sentient being whenever they have not provoked or attacked the killer. Of course, to be perfectly clear we would have to define provocation, attack and what level is required."

"So are you saying you haven't committed murder?"

"Of course not, the actual death that I caused was brought on purely by their decision."

"Miss Angeye, you ate another human being! You're a cannibal and a murderer."

"A cannibal? Oh please as if that insect could be compared to me anyway. That's like saying someone that eats an ant is a murderer."

"An insect? How many other people do you see this way or are you saying you're beyond human?"

"I define myself as a human however you're using too narrow of a description for the task. The only things about me that one could say are truly humans are my shape, some of my body's layout and my personality. Other then that well the difference between me and anyone else is quite vast. I wouldn't say that I'm a different species but I would say I'm a different breed of human just as you're another form of primate. So it's quite impossible for me to actually commit cannibalism unless I tried to eat myself."

"Is that how you see us? Some form of lesser species?"

"Not all of you or even most. However, as with every species they are those of inferior quality to the norm which really aren't suitable to have around anyway. People such as you fall into that category."

"So what you think you're some higher being that can just cast judgment on us? Decide who is fit to live and who isn't?"

"I have the power and knowledge to." An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she reached down and gently brushed her index finger against Albert. As she did, she felt Albert turn his head to the side and give her massive finger a kiss.

"What about you? How do you feel about all of this?"

"Tact was never Lucy's strong point especially after she learned she could bench press a tank. I would rather her blunt honesty though over a sugar coated lie. None of this is actually new to me though."

"You don't fear that she would set you aside as one not fit to live?"

"Well in regards to that I don't believe she's giving all the information. From what I've seen Lucy is very generous in giving people the benefit of a doubt. It's up to them to prove that they belong in such a group and even more so to make her believe it'd be more fun if they were in her belly then having them around."

"So you take no issue with her taking the law into her hands?"

"Ultimately the law is a system of rules put in place by those that have the power. Not the majority but rather those that have the power to impose their will on everyone else. Lucy has power enough to impose her will upon people but for the most part chooses not to and lets them impose some of their rules on her. I would say she's being very generous in allowing a state to impose it's will on her to even begin with."

"So you don't believe that the state could subdue her?"

"You mean do I believe that they could kill her over all body. Okay let's take a moment and assume that is what happened. Lucy has acted up the military has been called in and they've managed to kill the body you currently see before you. Let's even assume that they kill every body they know about. Even if that did happen it doesn't mean she is dead as there could be bodies that they don't know about.

Now some might say that they've proven they can handle her and reduced her power thinking that means she isn't a threat. That would be foolish though. All she would need is time and to stay hidden in order to regain her power and then some. She's big but they are still places in this world that she could hide but that isn't the only reason. What do you think would happen if Lucy was to go to some nation and offer her services in developing their military power?"

Not only had Albert's question been far more then Sam had been expecting it had killed nearly any argument he might have posed. "So are you saying she has bodies hidden away for such a situation?"

"I honestly have no idea but I know that it would be easy for her to do. I doubt that she's going to answer either."

An amused chuckle escaped Lucy as she gave a slight shrug. "Well I don't really expect anyone to be killing my main body off. However, I tend to always have to be keeping an eye on someone so I do tend to spread myself out quite a bit."

It was exceptionally hard to keep from laughing as Albert spoke. "Of course she isn't going to confirm if she has bodies hidden away or not. Especially if it's meant to be a safety measure" as Albert was speaking he couldn't help but think back to what Lucy said about how she exercised. He chose to keep from mentioning it though.

"If fighting you is such a losing situation then why are you even going through with this?"

"The main reason is that it's the easiest thing to do. The police and government make my life easier and in return I try to make things easier for them. I broke some of their rules though and have agreed to let them punish me for it. If only to insure that we continue playing nicely together. It's not that I fear them shoving vinegar into my face but I do not like the idea of losing the honey."

Normally Sam enjoyed taking the moral claims of someone and tearing them apart. However, Lucy hadn't made any such claims that Sam could take advantage of. Rather she had stuck firmly to the idea that it was her power and intelligence that gave her the right to do as she wished and while it wasn't a moral argument her abilities were hardly debatable. "So what are your intentions once your legal case has been settled?"

"Well first I'll have to take into account how much it cost and quite possibly release a few new products to make up for the expense. I haven't quite resolved what I'm going to release though it will most likely depend on how much I end up being penalized. Once that has been taken care of I think I'll take a little break."

"So you have no intention of appealing the final decision regardless of what happens?"

"Not at this moment."

"It almost sounds like you don't intend on fighting the case at all."

"My intention is simply to explain the truth in the matter. If the jury feels that my actions were not warranted I'm expecting a fairly heavy fine. While if they support my actions I expect that I won't have to pay much if anymore then I already have."

"You bring up an interesting point. If you're so unconcerned with the consequences why did you act so quickly to have people on the roads and repairing them?"

"I hate it when someone disrupts my life. Whether it's accidental, intentional, malicious or with benevolent intentions it annoys me. I believe that most people feel the same way and whenever I destroyed the streets I disrupted their lives. Whatever my reasons my actions adversely affected them when they had done nothing to affect me. That is why I was so quick to begin the repairs."

Before speaking Albert gave Lucy's massive thigh a gentle pat. "Lucy rarely harms someone accidentally and even rarer is she forced to harm anyone. However, whenever she does have to harm someone who has not provoked her in some way or done something foolish to accomplish a goal she always tries to make amends quite quickly. Things tend to get ugly though whenever someone fails to do the same for her."

"Can you give us an example of this?"

"Kevin Angeye, Lucy's cousin."

"He spent several years of his life in prison though."

"That is true but never once did he attempt to makes amends. Sure he apologized but quite frankly words are cheap and his actions never agreed with the words. So that while the harm he caused Lucy was accidental he never attempted to make amends for it. Indeed he tried to avoid being punished for it and after that tried to diminish the punishment. Honestly I'm surprised she didn't eat his parents for paying for his lawyer and trying to defend him."

"I thought about it believe me. My father loves his brother though and I love my father. That's the only thing keeping me from acting on my own desires at the moment."

"You mean you would murder them just like you did their son?"

"I wouldn't say I murdered him but I did kill him and I would do the same to them. They showed their loyalties and values whenever they tried to keep him from being punished for his mistake. In doing so they sided against me and made themselves into." An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "The word enemies don't fit the situation as they are no threat to me. I suppose the best comparison is food. In siding with him they made themselves food to me. Things which are far more fun to consume then have around."

"Does your family know that you feel this way?"

"Of course they do."

"So you would punish a parent for what comes naturally?"

For a moment Lucy was made to grin revealing her teeth as she leaned forward. "It's a parent's job to nurture a child not to poison. Allowing affection to cause poor decisions that only harm the child in the long run isn't a sign of true love. If they had truly loved him they would have sought to bring him to penance and to change."

"Then what about your parents?"

"My Mommy and Daddy did a wonderful job with me isn't that obvious? At times my father discourages certain behavior but well. I love my parents but there is one I love more and he likes me the way I am and I like the way I am. So this is the way I've chosen to be and as much as I love my parents I will not change that for them."

A sigh escaped Sam as he gave the signal for his camera man to quit shooting and recording. "Well thank you for the interesting interview. I'm sure it will get a lot of attention."

"Ah, done already? Very well then, I'll take you out to your vehicle."

************************************************************************

Albert couldn't help but feel out of place as he peaked out from inside of Lucy's pocket. It was clearly a hot sunny day as he watched the various people seated around the area fanning themselves yet he felt fine. One would assume that being tucked away in Lucy's pocket and having to endure the heat of the day and her body heat would have made it even rougher on him yet it didn't. Whether Lucy's clothing was designed to keep heat away from him or if it was a trick of her body he didn't know but he was grateful.

Roy had been in a court room many times during his career but this was one time he felt truly out of place. Indeed ever since Lucy had taken her little jog he felt out of place. He wasn't a prosecutor or even a negotiator by training. Yet he'd been the one called upon to go and speak with Lucy and come to some kind of dill. Why? Because everyone else was too worried about how she would respond and they'd heard of how he dealt with her.

Now in the court at least they didn't expect him to make his case however it was the deal that he had hammed out with Lucy. Not only had he been the one to mostly develop the deal but he was also serving as a witness as to what she had done and her behavior. To make matters worse Albert's observation had been right. The day was scorching and he could barely think about anything other then shade. It was an odd relief when a massive shadow engulfed him.

As Lucy scooted forward to shield Roy from the sun she couldn't help but note who moved and who didn't. Clearly those that moved were only there due to curiosity with only limited trust in her. Those that held their ground seemed more confident. She took note of this as she observed the jury and an amused chuckle escaped her. Turning her head towards Albert she carefully directed her voice. "This really isn't fair. You know?"

"What makes you say that?"

"In trials I'm assured a jury of my peers. Well do they look like my peers?"

"Mm you do have a point I think they're as close to peers are you're going to get though."

In response Lucy gave a slight nod. The entire jury was made up of highly educated people most of which were within their forties already. It had taken some doing but despite most of them having a young life time of experience more then Lucy it was decided that due to her intelligence it was the best that could be done. "I know."

As the bailiff looked around he almost had to laugh. His job was to keep order in the courtroom. He normally did his job quite well with help from a few other officers but should Lucy decide to act up he knew that wasn't going to happen. The young lady was quite capable of either crushing everyone to paste or swallowing before anyone could do anything and every officer in the area knew that. He just hoped she'd behave and let him pretend that he was doing his job. "All rise."

Roy might have felt that he was the only one that was dealing with Lucy but in truth there was at least one other in the crowd that had past dealings with her. Joe had presided over a few trials involving Lucy though nothing this extreme. Mostly it had been over minor things such as people trying to deny her access to public areas saying that her presence caused too much of a disruption.

This was far more serious though. Joe had to make sure that it didn't appear the justice system was going easy on Lucy but at the same time he couldn't call her ability into question. He knew that if he challenged Lucy even indirectly she would meet that challenge and things could get bad quickly. As he took his seat though the trial wasn't his main concern rather it was how much he disliked having to wear a black robe in such weather.

As Janet set back down and listened to the opening statements she couldn't bring herself to look at the judge. Rather her attention was focused on the massive lady whose case they were going to be deciding. Images of those massive hands reaching down and scooping up every juror then popping them into her mouth filled her mind as she tried to keep her composure. Despite her efforts though, she couldn't help trying to scoot further away from Lucy. She only realized how much she was moving when Joe spoke up.

"Is something the matter? I know that it's hot today but we're just going to have to deal with it."

It took a moment for Janet to realize the judge was speaking to her but at least it finally let her turn her attention away from Lucy and to him. "Oh no, I'm fine."

"Very well then, if the prosecution is ready you may begin."

As the prosecutor took the floor and even as he made his opening statements Lucy's mind was on other things as she gave her chests a slight shake. The movement was subtle and from a distance one would have barely noticed her breast swaying. However, Albert was far from distant and he felt the affects as he nearly lost his hold on Lucy's pocket. Instinctively he reached out with one hand and pressed it against Lucy's breasts to steady himself while the other gripped her pocket.

Upon pressing his hand into Lucy's breasts Albert felt his confines change slightly. He knew what was happening right away. "Lucy cut that out. We're in court."

"Miss Angeye, how do you plead to these allegations?"

"I plead guilty on the account of willful destruction of public property and not guilty on the charge of manslaughter."

Joe knew exactly what he wanted to say as he looked at Timothy but at the moment he couldn't do it. Apparently there had been a break down in communication somewhere and Timothy had missed the part where Lucy was not to be charged with anything that tended to include jail time. Unfortunately he had no grounds to say anything at the moment or call a recess though he fully intended to. For the moment he didn't dare look at Lucy.

Roy felt his heart rate speed up as he listened to Timothy. He knew that there would be the devil to pay if they were to try to confine Lucy to any form of prison and he had no intent of trying over one person or any amount of destroyed rubble especially when she paid for the repairs.

It was an odd moment as he looked out from inside of Lucy's pocket and down at Timothy. Despite the height he had heard what the man had said and he wondered if he had lost his mind. He wasn't sure of the exact terminology but he was fairly certain that accusing Lucy of manslaughter was more then what had been agreed upon. "Lucy, do you know what is going on?"

"Roy and Joe's heart rates have both sped up and they're sweating a great deal. I'm assuming that the prosecutor deviated from the plan and now they're worried about damage control. I'm surprised Joe didn't call a temporary recess immediately but I guess he has his own plans for how to handle this."

"What do you think he's doing though?"

"I just searched through his cases. He most likely would be charging me with murder right now if he didn't know Joe would call a stop right away. Most likely he feels that I over stepped my limits by eating another person alive yet again. If I had to guess I would say he feels that just because I could level a city with ease I should be punished and that I shouldn't be allowed to do as I want."

"So, he's insane?"

"How do you get that?"

"Whether it's fair or not right or wrong power is something of an issue here. We don't storm into some foreign nation every time their leader decides to torture or execute someone. Risking the lives of thousands over the death of one person who is already far beyond gone seems insane to me."

"You make a good point. I suppose you could call it a form of insanity."

"Miss Angeye is there something you wish to say?"

"Not to you." An amused chuckle escaped Lucy as she looked down at Timothy who clearly didn't like her response. She had been careful to keep her voice directed towards Albert so she knew that no one else could have heard her. Despite that they could see her lips moving.

Timothy had indeed noticed Lucy's lips moving though he couldn't hear her. Despite that he had decided to question her about what she'd been saying. "So Miss Angeye not only ate your employer but before hand she took the time to talk to him or even taunted him about what she was going to do?"

"Personally I don't know why he called someone to the witness stand. They were plenty of people recording the event. Oh wait I know why. If they show too much of the video it'll also show how I had everyone leave the building before hand because I didn't want to hurt anyone else. I suppose that would damage the image of me they're trying to paint."

A sigh escaped Albert as he gave his head a slight nod. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I suppose that I can't leave everything up to Joe and Roy. Once I get my chance I'll have some questions of my own. Honestly I'm finding this kind of annoying. I had meant for this to be a quick little trial but now it seems like it might take some time." After a moment of silence Lucy gave a quick shrug. "I suppose these things will happen."

"Do you think you can counter the damage that Timothy did?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she glanced over at Timothy, then the jury and back to Albert. "It depends on what you mean by counter the damage. Do I believe I can make it so the jury won't convict me? Then the answer is absolutely yes. If you mean do I think I can get the jury to trust me then the answer is absolutely not."

"What do you intend to do then?"

"I was thinking I would play up how he struggled inside my stomach and there was nothing anyone could do. I'm fairly sure I can have the jury so scared for their lives that they'll find me not guilty just to avoid upsetting me."

"While I'm sure you could do you really think that would help out the police?"

"Oh yeah" for a moment Lucy said nothing but bit down on her lower lip. "That is an issue here isn't it? Darn it. Okay it looks like I'm going to have to be more subtle about this. Not only am I going to have to insure the jury is frightened of me. I'm going to have to make it clear that doing anything to harm me will result in me doing something to harm them."

"Do you think you can do that without threatening them directly?"

"Sure I can. I'd best do something to shake up that witness as well. Mm pity I can't pick him up and eat him I'm sure that would silence anyone else that might witness for the prosecution. Then again I suppose it wouldn't be fair to do so. He's probably here under subpoena and he's only answering the questions that he's asked."

"So after she placed him in her mouth what did she do?"

"She swallowed him."

"Are you sure that's all she did?"

"Well I couldn't see inside her mouth."

"Fair enough, so all she did was swallowed, ladies and gentlemen of the jury I hope you realize what this means. It means that not only did she eat this man but she swallowed him alive. He was alive when he went into her mouth, alive when she swallowed and alive while she digested him. No further questions."

It was hard for Lucy to keep from giggling as she noted the expression on several of the jurors' faces and she couldn't hide her grin. Impulsively she opened her mouth while Timothy was looking away and let her tongue flick out. This had the desired affect as she noted several people in the room recoiling. "Your honor I don't wish to question the witness but what I would like to do is provide some recordings of the actual event. Starting from my arrival on the seen and lasting until my departure."

"Very well, do you have the files with you?"

"I do. If you'd please bring in a monitor capable of satellite connections I'll provide the footage."

"Objection, she wishes to provide materials from her own mind. She could have edited anyway she wanted."

"Overruled." Joe gave a slight sigh as he signaled for the bailiff to do as asked. While Lucy did complicate his life at times she did tend to be honest with him and the information was easily verified. "However, I think it would be best if footage taken by other people at the seen was also provided."

"So you're not going to question the witness?"

"I prefer to let the video speak for itself. Besides I really wasn't expecting this to happen. This most likely won't be a one day thing. Once we're done for the day I have a few people I want to bring in."

"Like who?"

"They were a few people there that helped to control the crowd. I believe that they would make nice objective witnesses. I also want to get Phillip here to testify to my character and what it's like in my stomach. I'll want to speak some myself as well."

"Why would you want Phillip to tell them what it's like in your stomach?"

"So they have something of an idea what to expect if they find me guilty. Or at least I'm hoping that's where they think they'll end up."

"Oh that is just mean."

************************************************************************

"What the hell do you think you were doing out there?"

A sigh escaped Timothy as he reclined in his seat. "Trying to insure that she doesn't get away with anymore then you're already allowing her to. We both know that wasn't manslaughter it was out right murder."

"Whether you consider it murder or I consider it murder isn't the issue here. The problem is that there is no way she's going to just lie down and let us stick her in some cell."

"You seem to think that just because she's big she can't be controlled. A significant display of force is all that is required."

"It's all that is needed to provoke her!"

"OH please she puts on a tough act and talks big but she's relying on fear to get her way. Once we show her that we're serious she'll back down. The brat hasn't felt any real pain for over ten years now. I bet a little taste would be all that it takes to subdue her."

As Joe listened to Timothy he felt his face warming up. "You will downplay the manslaughter charge, you will leave more openings for her defense then they are cells in a prison."

"I will do my job which doesn't include giving anyone special treatment just because they're big."

Grabbing Timothy and smashing his head into the desk seemed like a really good idea to Joe at the moment. Of course he knew that they were making a special exception for Lucy but the situation called for it. "How many people are you trying to get killed?"

"I'm trying to save lives by showing her that she can't just do as she pleases."

"I swear I hope she squashes you like a bug right in front of the jury. That way we can get a prosecutor in there that has some common sense and knows when it's time to make an exception."

************************************************************************

"So Phillip, if you don't mind explain the first few moments inside of me."

A sigh escaped Phillip as he shook his head. "Utter terror, disgust and rage. The first thing that you notice is the heat. That isn't the worse part though. You can hear the muscles working and feel the ground shift beneath your feet. Then your clothes begin to moisten and the fact that you're inside of someone begins to really sink in. You try to struggle and fight back but it soon becomes clear that isn't going to work. Not only are you going to die though it isn't that simple, you're actually being used as nourishment. You're actually providing a benefit for the person that is killing you."

Albert both listened and watched as Phillip recounted his experience in Lucy's stomach. Of course he knew that Phillips experience was no where near the nightmare that someone being digested would go through. In the end he had to speak up. "Lucy you really over did it with that one. I don't want you to ever swallow someone you don't intend to digest again."

"I know that it was extreme Albert but the situation really required it. Besides I gave them quite a nice form of compensation didn't I?"

"I know you did but don't do it again."

A sigh escaped Lucy as she gave her head a slight nod. "Alright, I won't do it again." Turning her attention back to Phillip, "Phillip do you know why I ate you?"

"You wanted to scare the crap out of me and Sandra after I played the friend card to get you to Crystal Lake."

"Do you know why I wanted to scare you, someone that has been a good friend to me for so long so badly?"

A slight chuckle escaped Phillip as he nodded his head. "Yeah, if I hadn't played the friend card you would have refused you go. If you had refused to go or I had picked a location where you could have more of yourself there Albert wouldn't have been harmed. So while it was never my intention Albert being harmed was partly due to my decisions as well. I'm just glad I wasn't as responsible as some other people."

As Lucy spoke her eyes focused on the jury as if warning them. "So Phillip what do you think I'd do if someone tried to separate me and Albert even if it was in fulfilling a duty they held sacred?"

Timothy felt his heart rate speed up as he heard the question and moved instinctively. "Objection, your honor."

"On what grounds due you base your objection?"

"She's leading the witness."

"I fail to see how she is. Over ruled please answer the question."

"It had better be something they consider worth dying a horrible death over while achieving nothing of any note beyond that."

"Thank you, no further questions."

A low groan escaped Timothy as he rubbed his forehead. While Lucy had done little to earn any sympathy from the jury she had scared them. The warning hadn't been spoken directly but it was clear to anyone that had half a brain what questioning Phillip had been meant to do. If the jury convicted her and tried to separate her from Albert she was going to eat every last one of them.

It was hard for Roy to keep from grinning as he leaned towards Timothy. "Don't think that warning was just directed towards the jury. I'd say she's pretty irritated with you already."

"Yet she hasn't done a darn thing about it." The moment the words left his mouth Timothy felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. While normally he would have ignored it during a trial this time he felt it was important. Drawing the device out of his pocket he felt his thoughts were confirmed as he noticed it was his private number. "You're honor can we take a short break?"

Joe's first thoughts were to swiftly and staunchly deny Timothy's request however as he looked at Lucy he couldn't help but notice the way she was looking at him. "It's not exactly appropriate but I will allow it."

"Thank you your honor." Standing up Timothy made his way towards the back of the court room as he opened his phone. He was a bit surprised to find a text message.

"You're going to pay for every second of my time you've wasted and for what you're trying to do."

The lack of any return number or information of any sort plus the environment told Timothy who had sent the message. As he turned his gaze to Lucy he wasn't surprised to find her grinning at him. Unwilling to back down on the issue he chose a question instead of a statement. "Then why haven't you done anything yet?"

"Respect for Joe and Roy, a desire to keep on friendly terms with the government as a whole and most importantly by little Albert wants me to place as nice as I can in this situation. None of these reasons are enough to get me to forgive you for what you're doing. You're going to either back off or I suggest after this trial you go home and shoot yourself."

"I'm not scared of you."

"You don't have to be. You should know that I keep my word though and think really hard about what this is all worth to you."

************************************************************************

Larry wasn't very happy as he set next to the bench. It was a cooler day then it had been but it was still hotter then he cared for. He also didn't like the fact that he was being called away from work for this. Sure he knew he wouldn't lose his job or any pay but it also meant he'd have a lot to catch up on when he got back. The prosecutor didn't see to sympathize with his loss though as he prepared to start.

"So, would you mind stating your occupation and what you were doing at the time?"

"I'm a shipping floor manager. I make sure everything that comes in gets stored correctly and everything that goes out goes to where it should be. I also inspect any of the incoming goods for damage. Things were kind of slow whenever Miss Angeye arrived so I was going over some of the more pricy items again."

"I see. So just what did you do upon her arrival?"

"The same thing anyone with half a brain dead, I got the heck out of there like she told us to."

"So you just left your employer to die alone then?"

"When a semi is speeding towards someone full out jumping in front of it doesn't help anyone."

"You talk as if there was nothing you could have done."

"There was nothing that any of us could do, except try to keep from making her more upset then she already was."

"You know this how?"

A long sigh escaped Larry as he shook his head. "When someone has their finger on a trigger you don't question that person. Now given that the young lady that was addressing us happened to be nearly as large as the building we were in I doubt that any reasonable person would question her. The way I see it is she was kind enough to let us get out first I'm hardly going to risk her changing her mind by making a pest of myself."

It had been Timothy's hope to portray Larry as a coward that had left his employer to die. However, his semi comment had been quite appropriate for the situation. For the moment he needed to switch gears. Larry had managed to guard himself from any attacks on his character so far but it didn't mean that he couldn't use him to attack Lucy's. "True. But tell me Larry, since your employer's death what have you been doing?"

"Same thing I've been doing for eight years now."

Upon hearing a giggle from Lucy Timothy felt certain that he'd made a mistake with the last question. "No further questions your honor."

It was hard for Lucy to keep from grinning too much as she watched Timothy retake his seat. "Larry, what happened immediately after I ate your employer?"

"We worried that we'd be out of a job at least for a little while. Bringing a new guy into the boss's spot so quickly was bound to cause some issues. Then we learned that someone had bought controlling shares of the company and that we were to all continue coming into work as normal. Since then we've been trying to make the changes that you've ordered boss."

"Which are?"

"Well more specialized and exact drug screening and finding new people for those that we had to replace for failing their test. There is also that damn touch pad computer you're making us use and other new equipment."

"Larry, why do you believe that I bought your place of work?"

A slight chuckle escaped Larry as he shook his head. "I'm not sure. I suppose you felt kind of bad about possibly making us lose our jobs. That and from what I've seen you're trying to reduce the chances of a similar accident happening that nearly killed your friend."

"No further questions."

************************************************************************

Timothy did not like the current situation. Not only had Lucy most likely intimidated a good deal of the jury into doing what she wanted she was also putting up a logical defense. His chief complaint at the moment was that Lucy was refusing to let Albert take the witness stand. "What do you mean you won't allow him to take the witness stand?"

"Just what I said, you may question Albert if you like but I'm not setting him down."

"For what reason, are you refusing to allow a witness to take the stand?"

"He can testify all he wants however I'm not putting him down so that he can set in some chair next to the bench. As for my reasons, I'm doing it for his safety and the safety of everyone here."

"What do you mean everyone here?"

"Simple if I put him down on your request and someone was able to harm him due to that. Well I'd make sure you and everyone else here paid quite dearly. Now can we get going?"

¡°No, I won't tolerate this breach of procedure."

A sigh escaped Joe as he gave the bench a quick smack with his gavel. "While the prosecution is correct in that it's a breach of procedure. Given the circumstances I'm going to allow it."

Timothy inhaled sharply as he looked to Joe. "Fine then." It took all of Timothy's willpower to keep from saying that he refused to ask any questions due to Lucy being able to coach Albert. That wouldn't have worked though and he knew it. Given her abilities she could probably communicate with him through any number of methods. "Mister Guarsen, how long have you known the defendant?"

"I've known her for roughly eleven years now, ever since we were kids."

"And during that time has anything happened to make you afraid of her?"

"No."

"Not once? You've never felt the least bit of fear around the defendant?"

"No at least not fear of her."

"Clarify."

"We were playing once and she accidentally stumbled. For a moment I thought she was going to land on me but she managed to catch herself."

"I see. So would you say she's dangerous?"

"Only to the stupid."

"Tell me Mister Guarsen how do you feel about your roll in these events? Do you feel any remorse or guilt for what has happened?"

"I do feel a little bad that it's partly my fault Lucy has to go through all of this. If I weren't just a fragile human she wouldn't have to put up with all this crap but I can't help what I am."

"What about the victims?"

"Lucy is the only real victim in this. Those that got a little banged up or have to take a longer drive to work can get over it. The person she ate well while I have no doubt that he had family he made his decisions. They have no real grounds to be angry with Lucy rather they should be upset with him for being such a fool."

"I see. So I suppose you did nothing to try to stop Miss Angeye from eating him?"

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he shook his head. "No. No way I'm going to even attempt that. If there is one thing I've learned about Lucy is that whenever she feels something must be done and those she cares about are involved. Well trying to talk her out of it only makes her more upset. I suppose it makes her feel like you're siding with those that hurt her through one of the few methods that she can be harmed."

"How convenient for you."

"Convenient? There isn't anything convenient about it. Any time I decide to try to talk Lucy out of something I have to wonder. Can I do it or will I just make the situation worse? Will my doing this hurt her? Is it really worth the risk? I've learned to pick my battles with Lucy and let other things just pass on by."

A grin was on Timothy's face as he gave a nod. "I see. It seems she has you in the palm of her hand."

"At times she does but right now I'm in her lap."

"So tell me Mister Guarsen. What do you believe Lucy would do should the jury convict her?"

"Eat every last one of them before they could even begin to run then digest them slowly. One thing I found out after she ate our friends is that she had digested the first person she ate before she swallowed them. She had also taken the time to empty her stomach out to avoid harming Phillip or Sandra. That means she had a time constraint in their case she wouldn't have that constraint."

"You say that with such confidence. But what would you say if I said I don't think she'll do it?"

"I'd say you're starting down a rather dangerous path that I wouldn't venture with anything short of the gates of hell opening behind me."

If Timothy was going to have any chance of the jury convicting Lucy he knew that he had to prove she wouldn't harm them. Unfortunately everyone that he had questioned thus far and everyone that knew her had confirmed that indeed she would harm anyone that provoked her. If he could find a way to assure the jury they'd be safe though he knew that he could make Lucy's attempt to scare them backfire on her. To make that more difficult though Lucy did have a history of carrying through with what she said she'd do.

As Lucy listened to Timothy and Albert she knew what Timothy was trying to do. She also knew that it had nothing to do with the trial but she chose not to make any objections. If anything she felt certain that her past behavior would only confirm that she would do what she said that she would do.

"You mentioned that you've picked your battles with Miss Angeye. So tell me has she ever backed down?"

"Yes she will occasionally back down I would have thought that'd been obvious. One primary example is her father and his brother. She's acknowledging her father's desires and refusing to act on her own despite feeling that she's entirely in the right to do so. I've managed to talk her out of a few things in the years that I've known her but only a few."

"Why do you feel that you were able to do this?"

"I believe she does it for one or two reasons. She's fond enough of me to restrain her anger is the primary reason. The secondary reason is that I can point out a flaw in her logic and show her where she is over reacting. The second situation is very rare though and only tends to occur whenever someone happens upon a particularly sore spot."

"I see. So she chose to eat another human being due to her anger and she wasn't fond enough of society's benefits to restrain her anger."

"Lucy didn't choose to eat another human being at least not as far as she is concerned. Through his actions he made himself less then human to her so that she chose to eat some food. That's what happened."

"Then what is to stop her from deciding that everyone falls into the food category when she resolves that the carrot is no longer worth it? I'll tell you what is to stop her. Nothing is. Nothing because we have never used the stick. The only reason she behaves as she does is because no one has ever stood up and made her pay for what she's done. By allowing her to behave as she does we are only confirming that we don't have the nerve to stand up to her and thus she continues to do as she wishes. No further questions."

"What was a question?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy upon noting Albert's question. "Albert, what do you suppose will happen if I am hit with a stick?"

"I'm pretty sure that you're going to strike whoever hit you back and a lot harder then what they did."

"Albert, have I ever committed cold blooded murder?"

"As far as I'm concerned, no you haven't."

"Then why did I eat someone?"

"Didn't you cover that in the interview? Actually I'm pretty sure you covered a lot of this in the interview. I think we should just get that in here and let everyone watch it instead me having to answer so many questions."

"Oh just answer the question."

"Fine, you ate him as it was due to his decisions that I was injured in that crash or at least largely due to his decisions. He didn't just make some bad choices though rather he intentionally neglected an unacceptable risk and sought to profit from the inevitable outcome."

"What out come?"

"The fatal or disabling crash that he was bound to be in."

"Albert, do you believe that I could have provided the police with enough evidence to prove this?"

"Most likely you could have."

"So why do you believe that I chose to take matters into my own hands?"

"You most likely felt that the punishment the legal system would inflict upon him wouldn't have been severe enough. More then that, you wanted to insure that he was punished and ultimately you depend on your own power. Whenever you feel that someone wronged you it isn't in your nature to call upon the state to protect you or right the wrong. You don't need the state's protection like other people do as you have the power needed to protect your own interest."

"Objection, what does this have to do with her guilt or innocents?"

Well before Joe could respond Lucy spoke up. "Why this is just establishing my character of course. Albert, what kind of carrot do you feel that the state can really offer me?"

"I really don't know. The level of cooperation you give the state and receive from them is quite nice but ultimately you could demand more if you wanted to. All you'd have to do is defect to another power and help them technologically. In the right nations you could probably live as royalty or close enough to it without any real laws to govern your actions."

"So why do you think I remain here?"

"You seem to like the legal system as a whole and the state as a whole. I know I can only think of two other places that I would rather live. I would prefer not to get into those though."

An amused chuckle escaped Lucy as she gave her head a quick nod. "Would you say that I tend to help or hurt the people of this nation more?"

"Help without a question! The medicine and produce that you've developed alone have both improved and saved far more lives then you've taken. I'd say thousands more or at the very least hundred. The alloys you've developed have also been of great benefit to the nation. You even give to charities though I don't know how much that is going to be happening after this."

"Why do you believe that I do this?"

"I believe that you ultimately like helping people. That is also why I believe you enjoy repaying ill visited upon you the way you do. There is nothing like being stolen from or attacked by the person that you tried to help to make you truly detest them."

"Now Albert do you really think I hated those people I ate?"

"Well no. They just proved to you that they weren't worthy of the title human so you decided that they best fall into the food category. I really don't know how much your anger plays into this. You were angry when you ate Phillip and Sandra to scare them half to death. I don't know if you are truly angry though when you eat someone."

"No further questions."

************************************************************************

Roy wanted to strangle the prosecutor in a way that he had only felt a few times in a life. Whenever someone had managed to shoot one of his fellow officers or tried to run them down. As then though he had to restrain himself and just deal with the situation. Unfortunately he had a fairly good idea of what Timothy was going to ask him.

"Officer, now I want you to tell me. Do you believe that you could protect these people from her?" As he spoke Timothy pointed first to the Jury then to Lucy.

The whole purpose of the trial had been to help the department save face now with one question Timothy had destroyed that. Roy wanted to beat him half to death. "No."

"You mean that you have absolutely no means of restraining the defendant?"

"None of the weapons at our disposable would be able to harm the defendant in anyway."

"Would you say that the defendant knew this before she took any action?"

"Yes, I would."

"I see. So she knew that the police would be unable to detain her. Do you believe that she would have acted so boldly if she knew that her actions would bring a response from an equally or more powerful force?"

"I do not think she would have acted as openly or swiftly as she did. "That."

Before Roy could finish speaking Timothy chose to speak up. "So tell me Roy what do you believe would be adequate to deter the defendant from such behavior?"

While Timothy might have stopped him from finishing his sentence Roy knew better then to just answer that question. "The cost of using such a deterrent would far exceed any benefit from its use and if we failed to use it after threatening it we would have only provoked her more."

"Oh and what deterrent are you talking about?"

"Just by jogging the defendant left a trail of destruction down a major high way that looked like a bombing run. The craters generated from her foot steps were deeper then those generated by most high explosives. Yet the defendant's body withstood those forces with no strain on it. If you want to know what I think we'd have to use in order to kill her it's a hydrogen bomb."

"Oh surely you're over reacting. I admit the defendant does hold and impressive amount of power for a single person. However, she's hardly invulnerable. So officer, do you feel that the military should become involved with this?"

"No."

"Why shouldn't they?"

"Even if she ate someone on monthly bases that would only be a bit over a hundred lives lost over a decade. If the military was to become involved we wouldn't lose hundreds we would lose thousands and perhaps more."

"I see. Well you know what I say? I say that you're wrong. I say that you've just bought into the image that she wants everyone to believe. The idea that she's some unstoppable force that is best appeased then dealt with. I say that this is when we should show her that we won't tolerate such behavior and I say it now with no tanks or jets at the stand by. I say it and I'm willing to risk my life by saying it."

A sigh escaped Albert as he shook his head. "He's really relying on you wanting to remain on good terms with the state."

"Yes he is but if he wants to talk big this is his time to do it. He's right to an extent. If I were to kill him right now I would be making a martyr for those that would prefer if I didn't exist. Of course, if I did they might be able to rally enough people against me for me to have some real fun."

"You're holding back for my sake aren't you? You know I don't want you to be one of the instigators."

"Well if it weren't for you I don't know what I would be doing right now. Having you here is helping me to keep relaxed."

"Roy if Miss Angeye does indeed pose the threat that you say she does why wasn't something done about her beforehand?"

"No one realized how capable she was becoming. Everyone just thought she was big without really seeing the direction that the changes were going."

"Do you believe something should have been done before hand then?"

"No, I do not."

A frown formed on Timothy's face as he turned to face Roy. "Why do you say that?"

"She's done far more to help this state and the world then she has done to harm it. I can't condone her more recent actions however that is just the situation she's in."

"Situation? What situation?"

"Everyone makes choices that others consider poor. Most of us just don't have the power for those choices to be so far reaching, to affect so many and to be so hard to cope with. If this had been anyone else they would have been put on trial for murder or manslaughter. The defense would argue that it had been a crime of passion and plead for leniency and you know what? In this situation they would most likely have received it. At least they would have except had it been anyone else that crash would have killed them both."

While Timothy hadn't expected Roy to go along with him to the letter he hadn't expected him to humanize Lucy either. "Then tell me this, if she is such a considerate person why does she act as if she is above the law?"

"I don't believe she does as long as she feels the system is treating her fairly. Surely you must admit the system isn't perfect?"

"Perhaps it isn't but is it for one person to decide they're going to take the law into their own hands?"

A sigh escaped Roy as he rubbed his forehead. He had actually watched the interview with Lucy and knew how she felt about the legal system in regards to her ability. It had also been driven home several times during previous questionings. "I don't know. I know that if someone nearly killed my wife through negligence or intent I'd want to put a bullet in their head."

"But would you take the situation into your own hands?"

"I don't know. I really don't know."

"I see. No further questions."

An amused chuckle escaped Lucy as she scooted towards Roy a bit. "Roy you've dealt with crimes of passion before. Would you say that I behaved in an inhuman manner?"

"No, I'd say that you behaved like most strong women who have been badly hurt would. It's rarely a pretty site but it happens."

"Roy did I seem remorseful whenever we talked?"

"Well no. You didn't show any remorse. You seemed to acknowledge that you'd damaged other peoples' property and caused them some distress but you weren't remorseful. I believe that you felt very strongly you were in the right though and had to do what you did."

"You're talking about the damage to the streets aren't you?"

"Yes I am. It was some time after you'd actually eaten him that I spoke to you again. From the news footage though, you seemed quite satisfied with yourself."

"Um well." An amused chuckle escaped Lucy. "No further questions."

************************************************************************

Albert felt odd as he watched the jury taking their seats. He was certain that Lucy had been found innocent despite the long deliberation. However, he was worried about how the trial was going to affect Lucy's image. Timothy might not have won but he had at least hurt Lucy's reputation to some extent. The jury finding her innocent wouldn't help matters either. "I guess you might have some business trouble after this."

"Yes I will to a limited extent. I just hope that no one makes me play hardball. "

Joe gave a sigh as he turned towards the jury. They had hoped to save face but it seems they had lost it. He wasn't sure what Timothy had been doing but it couldn't be helped at this time. "So has the jury reached a verdict?"

"We have your honor. In the case of destruction of public property we find the defendant guilty however we ask for leniency taking into consideration the circumstances and that she has already paid for the repairs. In the case of the death of Rick Depit we find the defendant guilty of the lesser crime of criminal negligence."

At first Joe said nothing as he looked towards the juror that had just announced Lucy had been found guilty of criminal negligence. "Excuse me?"

"We find the defendant guilty of the lesser crime of criminal negligence not manslaughter."

Before Rick could speak a powerful shockwave resounded throughout the area. The force of the impact threatened to topple him from his seat and he grabbed the bench to steady himself. Several people that had come to observe the trial were toppled while the jurors were able to brace themselves for the most part. The sound of the ground shifting and grinding was heard and Joe new the cause.

At first Lucy had been stunned to here the verdict but upon a second confirmation she quickly stood to her full height. The sudden motion was enough to upset the ground beneath her as she rapidly shifted her weight. "What?!" Lucy's single utterance rang throughout the area as Lucy felt her skin warming up as she struggled to keep herself under control while she glared at the jury.

Instead of showing fear the reading juror turned to Lucy. "Our decision was based on the grounds that you failed to take proper steps to insure the steps of young Mr. Guarsen. If you are going to be so very protective of him you shouldn't have been so lax in his protection."

As the juror's words reached her ears Lucy was made to shiver for a moment as if trying to contain herself. Her eyes widened and then she felt the heat beginning to drain from her face as everyone saw the color slowly draining away as well. "I! I was? I was."

Roy felt like his heart was going to escape from his chest upon Lucy suddenly standing up. He was a bit surprised though as he listened to the power in her voice fading away. At first she'd seemed enraged and he'd expected the jury was about to end up in Lucy's stomach. As she settled down though, she sounded less like a goddess and more like a very fragile human.

Having been taken along for the ride when Lucy stood up Albert was still recovering in her pocket even as she settled down. As he listened to her though he realized that she'd been hurt. He hadn't been able to hear what had been said but he knew for it to take away Lucy's fire it had been quite a mighty blow. "Lucy, are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh yeah Albert. I'm okay I just don't feel very well all of a sudden. Kind of tired I guess. I haven't felt that way in a long time."

"Lucy, you're going to be okay right? What happened?"

"I just had something pointed out to me. I'm surprised I didn't see it before and even worse that I did something so foolish."

"Lucy just what did you have pointed out?"

"I allowed you to be endangered for the sake of appeasing a friend's desires. Why did I do that? Why didn't I think of the risks involved?"

A second though less violent shockwave resounded throughout the area as Lucy suddenly crumbled to her knees. The impact once again nearly knocked Joe out of his seat but it was enough to jar him back to reality. "Well then. Um does the jury have any recommendations on this matter?"

"Yes your honor we do. We the jury recommend a period of incarceration for the defendant. However, as they aren't any jails currently suitable to detain her we recommend a house arrest."

In response Joe slowly nodded his head though his eyes didn't leave Lucy. Due in part to her efforts he and most people had never seen Lucy looking so meek. It was surprising though he knew not to try to take advantage of the situation. She would recover in time most likely. Now was the time to be fair. "I see. Very well court will convene again in twenty four hours for sentencing. Until then the defendant is to return to her home."

Roy felt odd as he watched Lucy standing up. Her strides seemed even softer then normal. He could see her lips moving so that he knew she was speaking with Albert but he couldn't hear what was being said. It was an odd moment to see such a powerful mountain looking humbled at least for the moment. It was odd but he couldn't help but feel that they had actually achieved something.

"What do you mean you allowed me to be endangered?"

"When I only brought such a small portion of myself along with us I knew that it put you at greater risk. I just thought that I could handle any risk that come along even without the majority of my body but that was foolish on my part. If I had less of me whenever we were in the crash then I wouldn't even be able to protect you as much as I did."

"Lucy you couldn't have known that was going to happen."

A half chuckle escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "I couldn't have known it would happen and the likelihood of it happening was quite slim. However, I knew that it could happen and I chose to accept that risk and go along with it. I took a gamble with your life that I didn't have to take."

"Come on Lucy, you can't protect me from everything."

"Yes I can Albert!"

Before Albert could respond he felt himself pinched between Lucy's fingers. Nearly in the same motion he felt himself drawn out of her pocket and lifted to her face where he was pressed against her cheek. Seconds later he found himself engulfed in near total darkness as Lucy covered him with both of her hands while she held him against her cheek. For a moment he considered trying to convince her she couldn't protect him from every threat the world could pose but he chose a different rout. "Lucy there is such a thing as acceptable risk."

"No there isn't! Not when you have the power to avoid them and I don't even have to restrict your freedom. I just have to make sure that there is enough of me there to protect you. I don't have to be big either I can have more then one body. Phillip just wanted me at a smaller scale I could have just come as several of me there and you'd been perfectly safe. I would have been able to shield you and keep you from even having a bruise."

A sigh escaped Albert as he turned his head to face the cheek he was pressed against and gave Lucy a quick kiss. "You felt that I was safe enough."

"I shouldn't have felt that way though. That wasn't even the worse thing that could have happened. It isn't likely but the situation could have been even worse then it was and then I would have lost you."

"Lucy you said it yourself. You're still just human and humans make mistakes. Besides you weren't the only one involved. I have to be responsible for my own safety. It isn't your task to protect me from harm."

"Yes it is. It is because I love you and don't want to lose you to anything. You protect me with all your body and your being. I didn't even have one of my fingers truly there to protect you."

************************************************************************

"So you're really only allowed to have visitors for a set amount of time excluding Albert?"

A sigh escaped Lucy as she nodded her head. "Yes Phillip, there isn't a prison large enough for me or any structures that would meet the requirements needed to house me other then my own home. So the state is using my own home as a cell and thus I have restricted visiting hours."

"And you really can't go beyond the front porch?"

"Technically I don't believe that I'm permitted beyond the front door."

"And you're really going to go along with this?"

"Yes Phillip, I'm really going along with this. This is the penalty the court settled on and while I don't like to admit it they were right."

"I see. It's just hard for me to think of you as being bound to a certain location and not going beyond those boundaries. Normally you're I go where I want when I want."

"Well this is hardly a regular situation."

"I suppose. So Albert how are you handling all of this?"

"I'm doing alright. It isn't like there is any other place I'd rather be then with Lucy. She isn't entirely happy with the situation though, keeps groaning about not being able to go swimming." As Albert was speaking he found himself struggling to set up strait this was a losing battle though as he felt the warmth of Lucy's skin seeping into his own and inviting him to lie down.

"Hey ever since I grew too large for climbing swimming has been a major pass time for me. At least the court allowed me enough freedom to continue running my business."

"How is that going for you?"

"Better then what it could be. By finding me guilty of criminal negligence and the lack of resistance on my part it helped both me and the state. I actually thought any hope of the police saving face was lost until the verdict was given."

"Yeah I was surprised when I saw that. I thought you were going to gobble the entire jury up. Were you by any chance acting?"

"No I wasn't acting and believe me I nearly did. I swear if they hadn't been able to give me a good reason to be incarcerated I probably would have. If it had just been because I'd decided to take the law into my own hands I probably would have snapped. They didn't though."

"Yeah for a moment it looked like they didn't have to worry about going inside of your stomach but seeing what was inside of it."

A sigh escaped Lucy as she nodded her head. "Well fortunately I have better control of my body then that. I felt sick though. If it hadn't been for Albert cheering me up I probably would have slipped into a depression."

"So what have you been doing?"

"Mostly being comforted by Albert and working on a new fuel mixture as well as a jet engine that's capable of using it."

"Oh? How fast does it go?"

"Only a bit faster then what's being used on most large commercial aircrafts. Its major purpose is energy efficiency and longevity. I'm designing the engine so that it should require thirty percent less maintenance then the standard and hopefully have twenty percent more energy efficiency."

"How are you doing that?"

"The fuel mostly, really the fuel is the major advantage the engine is just required to make proper use of the fuel."

"Hey Albert you've been quieter then normal. Is something wrong?'

In response to Phillip directing a question towards him Albert gave a quick jerk. "Huh? Oh yeah I'm fine. Just a little tired is all." Even as Albert was speaking he found himself once again leaning against Lucy.

A sigh escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "Albert's trying to get his sleeping habits back on schedule. He had to spend quite some time comforting me. Now he insists on staying up all day so that he can get a good night's rest and be back to normal in the morning."

"Ah I see. I thought you were looking a little rough."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy when Albert didn't bother responding. She could tell that he was still awake but just barely. "He's really out of it. He was so worried about cheering me up that he couldn't sleep as much as he needed. I'm glad that he decided to rest now."

"I'm surprised you didn't make him."

"I tried! Believe me I tried however I couldn't bring myself to use more forceful methods at least not for a while. I'm glad that he didn't push it until the lack of sleep would have proven dangerous for his health and I would have been forced to take action."

"Yeah and it's only three or four hours until some people would be getting to bed. I guess that means it's about time for me to be going though."

"Yes. I doubt the officer they have stationed outside would come in and try to take you out by force however it would be a violation. I'll see you and Sandra later. Oh before you go though. Have you two made any progress with the data I gave you?"

"Yeah, I'm really beginning to wonder how we're going to get the funding though."

"Pfft, you just have to ask. I might require some favors in return of course."

"Thanks Lucy, anyway I'll see you later."

************************************************************************

It was impossible for Lucy to keep from chuckling as she reclined on her sofa. Albert was currently lying on her stomach. He'd been asleep for ten hours now and had just begun to wake up. His waking was helped by her laughter despite her efforts to control it. "Good morning sleepy head."

Instead of commenting right away Albert took a moment to adjust his position so that he was looking up at Lucy's face. "Good morning, what's so funny?"

"I was just checking the news. There have been a few amusing happenings."

"What kind of happenings?"

"Apparently the police have been receiving phone calls from people claiming to have seen me using one of my smaller bodies to violate my house arrest. A few of the women have been given quite a time over it."

"Pfft, they are too many idiots in the world. How could anyone mistake someone else for you?"

"Ah you're sweet. I guess some people have an image of me as someone that considers them self entirely beyond the rule of law. Mm I don't believe that I do at least not entirely."

"How do you view it then?"

A sigh escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "I've been moody and not really thinking the last few times I've responded to similar questions. I agree with the laws the legal system has put forth for the most part however I don't really feel they apply to me all the time. You know? I have the ability to protect myself and what belongs to me so why shouldn't I be the one to do it? I don't hurt people that don't hurt me in someway and I try to help out. Why should I rely on the power of the state when I have my own power to use?"

"So in a way would you say you view yourself as a nation within a nation?"

"Yeah that would be it. Huh, actually that is a very good way to put it. Except generally when such arrangements are made one nation is much more powerful and advanced then the other so it's more of a courtesy or mercy they're showing the conquered. I'm powerful enough to stand on my own though and insure that any attempt to conquer me isn't worth the effort."

"Yeah it doesn't help that you're mobile though that isn't entirely distinct to you. I know of a few nomadic people that were granted state hood. If you look at it from the idea of a nation within a nation though it shouldn't be surprising that you're going to bump heads from time to time. Such arrangements are never entirely smooth and it's up to both sides to compromise a little."

"That is true." An amused giggle escaped Lucy causing Albert to bounce on her stomach. "You seem to be thinking more clearly after your nap. So tell me Albert, if I'm a nation unto myself would that make you the ambassador?"

"Well if you represent the state yourself I imagine I'm quite a lot of things."

"You got that right and it's up to the nation to protect its people while the people need to support their nation. Perhaps I should come up with some form of constitution."

"I don't think that is really necessary."

"Ah come on. It could be fun."

For a moment Albert was made to chuckle as he shook his head. "Perhaps later I'm not sure you'd want to mention that to the rest of the world. The idea of a loan person being considered a state would be something else."

"Well I am quite unique."

"One of a kind. So have you made any plans for the day?"

"Nothing past the same plans I've been making for the past week now. Stay at home, work on the fuel and engine while spending time with you."

A sigh escaped Albert as he finally found the willpower to set up. "It sounds like you're getting tired of that."

"The only part of it I'm not tired of and look forward to is spending time with you. I swear I didn't realize how much I liked to roam around until it was taken away from me.
It's really tempting me."

"Tempting you to do what?"

"Well honestly I'm having trouble getting behind the development of this new fuel and engine. It's probably going to be quite profitable and save people a lot of money as well. However, it's just so mundane. I want to develop something new that would make everyone stand up and take notice."

"You keep from doing it though as you worry about how it would upset the world."

A sigh escaped Lucy as she nodded her head. "I have to be careful when introducing anything that is too new. It takes a lot of planning, preparation and getting everyone ready. Then at times it still doesn't work out exactly how I wanted it to."

"You mean your trees don't you?"

"Yeah, I knew that their high survivability and the fruit they produced would help feed people. I also knew that it would make many nations less dependant on others. I just didn't foresee the change as being so drastic."

"I don't think anyone realized how much there was simmering beneath the surface. Who could have known that making it so they didn't require foreign food reserves would also cause them to quit buying foreign electronics and clothing."

"They were just waiting for the time that they didn't need them anymore then when it gave it to them they were all too happy to say goodbye and slam the door. Then here came the domino affect."

After a moment Albert gave a slight shrug. "Well these things will happen. You have to realize that any new technology is going to cause some changes. The more advanced the technology the greater the change. You can either try to balance things out or help one group acquire a more concrete hold."

"I know it's just. Ugh having to worry about political upheavals is such a pain." A sigh escaped Lucy as she leaned against her seat as her eyes drifted shut an amused giggle. "Then again who says I have to worry about such things?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why should I have to worry about such things when I have you to worry about them for me?" As she finished speaking Lucy's eyes once again opened and immediately focused on Albert.

Albert could have sworn he felt Lucy's eyes on him as he looked up towards her face and met her gaze. As if the intensity of her focus was actually pressing him against her belly. "Huh?"

"Instead of me setting here and thinking up new projects then worrying about the consequences. How about you come up with a few projects for me and I work on them." An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "I like that idea. I wouldn't have to worry about the consequences so I could focus entirely on the joy of creation."

"Lucy I'm no where near as politically knowledgeable as you are and I sure can't predict the possible outcomes as well."

"Ah don't sell yourself short Albert. I trust you to think up creative fun projects for me that won't destabilize the world too much. To show you my confidence I won't even think about the possible consequences or second guess your choices. Rather I'll focus entirely on the creation of whatever item you think I should build."

As Albert looked up at Lucy he tried to discern if she was joking or being serious. Upon noting how she was grinning and the way her eyes shimmered he very was certain she was serious. "Lucy I'm not sure this is a very good idea."

"I know it isn't a good idea it's a great idea. Come on Albert won't you do this for me." As she spoke Lucy locked her fingers together and squeezed inward on the sides of her breasts. As she pushed her bosom higher she brought her face forward obscuring Albert's view and she gave a slight pout.

A low groan escaped Albert as he struggled to turn his gaze away from the wonderful visage above him. As his head refused to turn though he finally broke down." Fine, I'll think of something for you to make."

"Goodie! So what is it?"

"Right now? I just agreed to help you a second ago!"

"True but I'm bored. Come on Albert you're a creative guy you proved that to me before. Give me something."

A sigh escaped Albert only seconds before a slight chuckle as he shook his head. "Okay just give me a minute to think you're not exactly giving me time to evaluate all the consequences or do any research here." It was impossible for Albert not to grin as he continued to meet Lucy's gaze even as she held her pout. He really didn't have time to evaluate the suggestion so he went with one of his initial ideas. "I hope this doesn't destabilize the world too much."

"Oh come on. What is it?"

"Well you've done a lot to help with the efficiency with which energy is delivered with the alloys you've developed and help develop solar energy further. Perhaps, you could come up with some system that would be dependant on you. That way anyone that tried to restrict your freedom or upsets you also knows they could be missing out on a major power source."

"OH that is a nice one. Go on give me more details."

Albert grew silent once more as Lucy ceased to pout but continued to squeeze in on her breasts enticingly. "Who knows perhaps you could use the energy yourself. Give you a bit of extra energy to help with your body's refinements. Okay how about a satellite designed to collect different forms of radiation and convert them into energy.

You could even try to tap a few different types of radiation as it wouldn't be filtered out by the ozone layer. Not only would you have to design a system for collecting that energy though you'd also have to come up with a method to get it into position and find an effective means of delivering that energy to the world."

"Alright I'll get on it!"

"Um you're going to start it just like that? You're not even going to try to come up with a more effective method of gathering energy?"

"Nope, I said I would develop whatever you suggested and that's what I intend to do so long as it's possible. Hey this helps me with the new engine! If I tweak the fuel a bit and the design I could use it in a rocket that would carry the components into orbit. Okay we're going for maximum effectiveness here so it's going to need to be able to utilize different forms of radiation. Oh it's also going to have to be protected from that radiation though and meteors even general debris."

"I need to get to thinking of something new don't I?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she nodded her head. "Well that's a given this'll keep me busy for a little while but don't think you have too much time. I'll develop the designs and methods myself but the implementation can be left up to other people."

"Are you sure you have the finances to handle such a project after everything that has happened?"

"I'm quite certain that I do. Mm I'm also going to have to come up with a means for the energy to be transmitted to specific locations constantly. I believe that a satellite set up should work for that. I'm fairly certain that I can safely finance this project myself of course it will leave little room for any unplanned expenses considering what I've already had to pay. I am sure it'll work out though."

"Hold on a minute Lucy! I don't want you to risk losing what you've worked for over a suggestion that I haven't had time to think out entirely."

"Don't worry about it Albert. I'm certain that the technologies that I develop during this project will pay for it if the end product doesn't work out. Then if the end product does work out, well I'll have to find some customers but I don't believe that'll be a big deal."

Albert was made to groan as he shook his head. "So how far along are you already?"

"Pfft, I've only had a few minutes now to begin development. I'm just gathering up all the definitions, equations and theories that I'm going to need. Oh I wonder what kind of energy yield I should shoot for. From the way you talked it sounded like you wanted this to be able to support an entire nation or parts of several nations."

"I didn't exactly get to think about that Lucy you really aren't giving me time."

"That's going to take some doing but I'm fairly certain that it can be done."

As Albert listened to Lucy he felt more and more certain that while she had let him begin the project she hadn't given him a method to stop it. At least she was happy now as he noted from the massive grin on her face. Even though the project was just beginning though he felt certain that he'd just destabilized the world to some extent. He was certain that as long as the energy was there Lucy would find a way to get it and direct it to where she wanted it to be. "So how big of a satellite do you think it's going to be?"

"Mm in order to gather enough energy it's either going to have to be pretty large or very close to the source. Most likely I'll have to settle upon some kind of medium depending on what kind of abuse the alloys will be able to withstand from the radiation and how structurally strong it is. Then again I suppose as part of the energy will be for me it would be best if it was as close as possible while being as large as possible."

"Lucy it sounds like you can already feed off certain types of radiation. You didn't even mention adapting the energy so that you could make use of it."

"I can silly! Well as long as there isn't too much. It's sort of like humans and water. Sure you can drink water and it's good for you but if too much of it slams into you at once you can be drowned or even be torn apart by it."

"Ah I see. Now I wonder what it would take to drown you."

"You know I really don't know. For a while I did know but then the machines I used for testing quit being sufficient. The dangers of going further then what I was going concerned me so I held back."

"What did you stop short of?"

"A small nuclear reaction, not fusion mind you or anything that would take out a city far below that."

"So you were worried about possible contamination?"

"Yeah and besides people probably wouldn't respond well to me setting off a small nuclear device to test my limits." An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "If they knew what I did in order to test them already they'd probably flip out."

"Okay, now tell me this. What caused you to run such a test?"

"Ah come on Albert don't look at me like that. I promise that I was being careful and I wasn't even testing to see if I could absorb radioactive particles. I was curious about the workings of my cells in how they were constantly changing. To have that happening my body has to have a pretty impressive communication and repair system. Other wise there would be so many defects in my body it would be falling apart right now. Well one way to test how a repair system works is to damage something."

"So you blasted some of your cells with radiation?"

"Yeah and at first it damaged them. I learned some really interesting things. Then all of a sudden it stopped damaging them. At least I thought it had so I ramped up the radiation and once again they were damaged. A few test later though and even that level of radiation quit damaging them. Then when I tried to ramp it up again not only were my cells not damaged but I noticed they seemed to become more excited."

"Lucy how long ago was this? I haven't heard you talk about blood work for a long time."

A sigh escaped Lucy as she nodded her head. "It was back whenever I could understand my body at least to a limited extent. Now whenever I take a bit of the stuff out of me that passes for blood and look at it. I don't know what to think about it. It's just beyond anything that I've ever studied before."

"That's not surprising it took humans thousands of years to begin to really understand how their bodies worked. Your body is the one thing I know of that is as advanced as your mind so it's not surprising that you face a similar situation. You don't have other people to study though."

"I know, it's a little odd at times even for me though. I'm glad it doesn't bother you though."

"Well being around you is worth any risk to me."

"Mm I'm glad to know you feel that way. Ah drat!"

"What is it?"

"I'm having trouble thinking up alloys that would meet a few of the needs. Particularly being able to endure the heat that I'd like it to so I have three options now. I can either plan to move the satellite back, I can try to create some form of cooling system or I can try to create a new metal that would be able to endure the heat."

"Does it have to be a metal?"

"Huh?"

"Well I know that metals are generally good building materials but if it doesn't have to move much. Would it really have to be a metal?"

"Metals tend to help with repairs but." Lucy grew silent for a moment as she closed her eyes. "You know Albert you might be onto something perhaps some form of ceramic is in order for this."

************************************************************************

A sigh escaped Albert as he lightly tapped the desk before him. Lucy had assigned him a bit of self work while she worked on developing the satellite and the systems needed to get it into place and operational. He was to watch the news and then later list how they were relevant to people on an individual level. That would have been easy but to complicate the assignment Lucy had told him it can't be about her. "Lucy, do you realize how many stories they are about you and how many more I don't care about?"

"That's what makes this assignment a challenge."

"Humph so far I've only concluded that people care about some of the dumbest things. I don't care what celebrity screwed who and which one got their brains bashed out."

"Keep watching you're bound to find something you consider interesting in a bit."

"Well there have been a few things I found interesting but you won't let me talk about them. Come on Lucy why do I have to do this?"

"You are the one that was worried they aren't politically knowledgeable enough. Besides this fits in with your curriculum quite nicely."

A sigh escaped Albert as he finally turned back to the TV. All Albert could do as the reporter started to speak was hope it would be something he could care about. "With the unveiling of Mizia's latest fighter aircraft the wrest of the world has been made to stand up and take notice. While not the best funded military in the world they have still managed to produce a craft that can outperform any currently in use. The exact details of this crafts abilities are unknown but that it is a truly exceptional was made clear in the demonstration earlier today."

"It looks like some other nations have been slacking." Albert gave a slight chuckle at first however as he continued to watch the TV he was a bit surprised as it began to display a solid black aircraft in flight. At first it seemed to be mostly speed but as Albert watched it beginning to move he changed his mind. "Then again maybe I spoke too soon. Darn that is something else Lucy are you" as Albert had been speaking he had turned to look at Lucy. Upon doing so he noted she was staring intently at the screen.

As Lucy watched the fighter jet going through its motions she felt a little upset. While she didn't have any proof at the moment the way the aircraft moved and its apparent superiority to anything she currently knew of seemed very strange to her. "It looks like you found something to discuss with me."

"Lucy, are you alright? You look upset."

"I'm just a little curious that is all."

"You think they're using technology you developed in that fighter." A sigh escaped Albert as he shook his head. "But you can't check and haven't been able to insure that people aren't violating their contract with you as you're sticking to the agreement between you and the state."

Before speaking Lucy brought her hand up and pressed it against her forehead she then took in a deep breath. "Yes. I know that it's stupid but I'm really trying to keep my end of the deal. So I haven't been able to carry out the inspections that I normally do."

At first Albert said nothing but after a moment gave his head a nod. "Yeah and despite the risk and the importance of those inspections I doubt that anyone would cut you a break over it."

Lucy gave her head a quick and violent shake as if trying to get something out of her hair. "Well there isn't much that can be done about it right now." As Lucy finished speaking a grin slowly formed on her face. "We'll just have to see what is going on once I'm out of here."

"What do you think would make them do something like that though?"

"They're probably hoping that I'm too passive to help another nation develop a fighter as advanced or let them use my technology in such a way. Of course, after that trial people are probably thinking I'm not as willing to act." A pout formed on Lucy's face as she grew silent for a few moments. "No, that isn't it."

"What do you mean?"

"From what I'm reading about this fighter I'd say it's been in development for a long while now. Well at least two years. I guess I wasn't careful enough in my searches but then again I'm not all knowing."

"I imagine that this is going to lead to other nations scrambling to develop something as impressive. Do you believe that they'll resort to using technology you developed as well?"

"In all fairness we don't know if that is the situation yet I'll have to check to be sure. However, even if they haven't there is a chance that a few other powers may. So Albert how do you think I should handle this if indeed they are using technology I developed in a way I don't like and they agreed not to?"

"Well I believe you made it clear what would happen in your interview. You really can't back down after that or you'll appear weak and others will begin calling your bluff. If they have been developing that fighter for a while and it is using materials you developed then they probably chose now to unveil it due to your situation."

"Um well that isn't the only reason. They're has been tension between them and some of their neighbors. This little display is probably a way of deterring them from attacking. So I doubt that me being confined to my home is the only reason they revealed their newest fighter."

"See! You can keep track of this stuff much more easily then I can."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as her tongue quickly darted out from between her lips and pointed strait out at Albert. "Well you're going to have to deal with it. So have you come up with any ideas for when I'm finished with the satellite?"

"A few however until you're finished and it's fully tested I'm keeping them to myself."

"Then I'm going to have to really hurry things along. Instead of just relying upon my own ability perhaps I should start networking with some computers to help with the calculations. I'm sure that would cut a fair bit of time off the development and I could probably write a few programs to help speed things up even faster."

"Come on Lucy! Cut me a break here!"

As Lucy grinned her lips actually parted to reveal her teeth while her gaze focused on Albert. Once again her hands clutched together and she squeezed in on her breasts. "But Albert I am thinking about you. You said you already had some new ideas for me so I want to get to them as soon as possible."

Albert gave a slight groan as he shook his head. "I'm going to run out of ideas if you push me too much."

"Ah do you mean I don't provide enough inspiration for you?" As she spoke Lucy's smile faded and began to turn into a slight pout.

Driving his head into something hard seemed like a good idea at the moment however Albert didn't have that option. He could have slammed his head against Lucy's stomach but that wouldn't have had much affect and he wasn't sure the table was hard enough. Without a means of causing enough pain to distract him from Lucy's gaze for a while all Albert could do was be resigned to his fate. "I swear you might have gained a lot more knowledge and power but you've hardly changed at all in all the years I've known you."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she straitened up once again. "Now why do you say that?"

"I remember your dad telling me how you would pout look away and ask if you haven't been a good girl if you didn't get your way."

"Well I didn't do that all the time."

"You did it enough though and you still do. You just have extra tools to help you out."

In response to Albert's comment Lucy brought her massive hands up and pressed up against the underside of her massive breasts. She then lifted them roughly a meter and began to shift them about slightly. "You mean these."

Once again Albert found himself unable to look away as Lucy teased him with her massive breasts. "You can be such an imp at times you know that?"

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she noted the expression on Albert's face. "Well you're the one that forces me to resorts to such methods of persuasion. You should know that I'm very use to getting my way."

"I force you to use such methods?!"

"Yes you do you mean thing."

As Albert looked at Lucy he felt his mouth slowly forming into a wide grin. His body began to shake moments later as he struggled to keep himself from laughing openly. "You're something else at times you know that?"

************************************************************************

"Well hello there officer."

As Roy glanced out his patrol car's window and up at Lucy he opened the door and stepped out. "Hey there Lucy, is something wrong?"

"No, I just thought I'd take a few moments to look around then I noticed you were the one keeping an eye on me tonight. How did you get stranded with that job? I'm pretty sure officers of your rank are supposed to be on guard duty."

"I guess they figure you're less likely to kill me then someone else."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she nodded her head. "I see. Well this isn't an ordinary situation. So how have things been going on down at the station?"

"They're going well enough. The jury's verdict really caught everyone off guard."

"Yeah no joking, it actually took me a while to realize what happened but I think I know."

"Oh what is that?"

"In my attempt to frighten them I gave them more information then I intended to. They used that information to read me so they knew what they were doing. I guess they were even smarter then I realized."

"You know I've been wondering about that myself and that makes sense. In the beginning they seemed plenty scared of you but when they announced their verdict they didn't seem all that worried. I guess while you were still an unknown to them they were worried." For a moment Roy was silent but at last a sigh escaped him. "Lucy, I have to ask. You've always kept a close eye on your family at least those close to you. At the moment though you're supposed to be entirely confined but you don't seem the type to risk their safety."

"Roy I have more then one way to keep an eye on those close to me. I won't elaborate on that further though."

"That's fine and I can see why you'd want to keep such things quiet. It's a nice night at least."

"Yes though I was wondering if you would like to come inside for a little bit. I can't believe they haven't set up more comfortable accommodations for you."

A groan escaped Roy as he shook his head. "I can't. I'm supposed to insure that you don't try to sneak off even with one of your human sized bodies. I'm not sure who they think they're fooling of course. I can't survey your entire home. Ten of you could have snuck out the back door by now I bet."

"Well if you know that it's a futile effort why not come inside?"

"They might be frivolous and stupid but they're still the rules and it's my job to uphold them. No matter how much I dislike the task and while this is one of the dumber rules I've ever had to endure it's not really one I find objectionable from an ethical standing."

"There is some logic to that. Alright how about I have something brought in to make you more comfortable?"

"That would be appreciated. Hey Lucy this is the first time I've spoken to you in a while and I know you've known I was here. Why now?"

"I was rather emotional after the trial and honestly it's taken me this long to relax enough. During the day I was okay with Albert around but when he's asleep I guess my more negative emotions flair. Of course I couldn't tell him how I've been feeling at night."

"So this incarceration has actually been getting to you?"

"Roy, very few people have ever been able to restrict my freedom. Even when I was little my parents had trouble keeping me contained at times though it was for my own safety. To find myself confined to a limited space is infuriating to me especially when I can feel that space shrinking around me. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do once I'm allowed to leave here."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to have to stretch my legs so to speak. I really want to make use of my power and size at this moment. Just let lose and feel my energy pumping throughout every vein of my body."

"I hope you'll forgive me for hoping that involves traveling to another state."

"Once I can leave my home I do plan on doing some traveling. Have you heard about Mizia's new fighter? I would like to go and examine one of them up close."

"Yeah I heard that it's really something else. I don't foresee them letting an outsider get up close like that though. Even if you could make something better they'll probably want to stay on the top of the heap for as long as they can."

"I try to abide by the laws of this nation as for the most part I like it. Mizia is a different story though. I will try to refrain from doing something too extreme but one way or the other I'm going to get a closer look at that aircraft. I'm pretty sure the legal system doesn't have any system in place for when I do something in another nation."

"I look forward to seeing it on the news. Does this have something to do with stretching your legs though?"

"That is part of it and probably flexing my muscles a little. Plus I assume you saw the interview earlier."

"Yeah I did. When are you going to have another though? From what I've heard you've been turning people down left and right. Then again I imagine that was due to how irritable you felt."

"Yes, Sam Emersin has been calling though. I believe that I'll invite him over and see what he has to ask."

"Oh are you sure he won't get you upset all over again? I've seen some of his work and he doesn't seem the type to shy away from the dangerous questions."

"He is sixty two years old that's a life time to some I imagine that has something to do with how bold he is. Anyway, I believe that it'll work out. I like him as one of the few followers of the old ways."

"What do you mean?"

"You were right when you said he doesn't seem afraid to ask dangerous questions. However, have you ever seen him attempt to provoke a response from someone he was interviewing? I haven't though some of them have reacted rather poorly. It's nice to see someone that simply wants the truth out of those they question."

"I think it's his desire to get the truth that makes some of them so angry."

"Only someone that is denying the truth or scared of what might happen if the truth comes to the light would be angered by his questions. Unfortunately that seems to include a large number of political figures and celebrities."

"So you're not worried that he might anger you?"

"No, I don't have any fear of the truth and believe that I have been openly honest with everyone that has questioned me. Of course I don't know how his questions are going to make me look but so long as they are honest I'll be happy with the outcome. After all I'm not running for political office and not trying to win any popularity contest."

************************************************************************

As Sam looked around the massive table the dominant thought in his mind was how nice it was compared to some of his interviews. Prisons were hardly a pleasant place to be and he especially hated being stuck in some dingy whole with some dictator that was afraid to show his face openly. "What is that scent I smell? It reminds me of flowers but I can't quite place it."

"It's a little something I developed. There really isn't an exact flower that would match the sent rather I tried to find something that would be pleasurable to most people. Unfortunately no one scent is pleasant to everyone it seems."

"Yes and not all are bad. I've met some people that loved the smell of fish while I was nearly gagging. How is that camera coming along?" As he spoke Sam glanced back at his camera man who was busy replacing the battery.

"Just about got it, okay we're ready."

There was no change in Sam's posture or rapid movement though he did turn to face Lucy. He did remain quiet though as his camera man counted down. "Good day ladies and gentlemen. Today I'm going to be talking to Miss Lucy Angeye about her recent incarceration. This is as you all know the first interview she has given since her trial. So Lucy I suppose the most important question today is has this achieved anything positive?"

"I would say that it has."

"Then what do you think it has achieved? Has it caused you to develop a new found respect for the legal system or perhaps life in general?"

It was impossible for Lucy to keep from giggling as she shook her head. "OH no! Goodness no. I doubt that being locked up has ever taught someone to respect life or the legal system. It has however taught me that I'm going to have to be much more careful with those that I care about especially Albert here. The jury really put me in my place whenever they found me guilty of criminal negligence."

"What do you mean by put you in your place?"

"At first I didn't see what part I played in Albert being harmed. I thought that it was simply due to Phillip playing the friend card, the driver and his employer. However, the jury pointed out to me how I was partly at fault by not providing adequate protection. Quite frankly it's like not having the sense to lock your doors and then grumbling whenever someone makes off with half your stuff. You should at least put some effort forth to insure you're not an easy mark."

"How do you feel about this Mr. Guarsen? It seems like the young lady has put a lot of value in you."

"It's nice to be wanted but I wish she wouldn't blame herself. I'm responsible for my own protection after all."

"That might be true Albert but I shouldn't have made you drive either. I have the reaction time needed to handle such situations you don't. If I had thought ahead that wouldn't have been necessary either. I could have simply put a computer control system in the car and used direct control instead of mechanical to drive. I would have been able to accelerate and avoid the truck all together."

A sigh escaped Albert as he shook his head. "Lucy you can't plan for every contingency."

"Well it seems like both of you learned something. However, tell me what purpose does this incarceration really serve? You seem to have decided on what your mistake was and it doesn't seem you're going to come to any new conclusions."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "I think of it like when my parents would spank me and then make me stand in the corner. Wasn't the spanking enough? No, the spanking was the initial shock as the fine was this time. My incarceration is the time out to insure that the lesson was learned."

"Now Ms. Angeye do you really believe that is the purpose of all this?"

"To some yes to some no. Some feel that the purpose of incarceration is to punish someone for what they did and hope it deters them from doing it again. Others believe that the purpose of incarceration is to teach someone what they did wrong and give them socially acceptable alternatives. I believe my incarceration falls into the category of insuring I know what I did wrong."

"Which to you is not providing adequate protection for your friend and has nothing to do with eating a human being or destroying the streets?"

"You're almost right. As the destruction of the streets was even more my fault then I previously realized I feel that some penalty should be imposed. This incarceration is a frustration to me just like the difficulty on the roads is a frustration to others. As for the food I ate. Well it's only natural to eat food I don't see why everyone is giving me such a hard time about it."

"You have got to be joking. You might consider him food but you have to know why so many are upset."

"What do you mean by so many Sam?"

A wide grin formed on the old man's face now as he leaned back in his seat. "If I answer that you've got to answer something for me and be entirely honest."

"That was my intent silly."

"I honestly don't care about his death. I've read up on the events leading up to the crash and quite frankly I believe that he had it coming. The method by which someone reaps what they've sowed is hardly relevant to me. Now I believe that it's my turn to ask you something."

"It's interesting that you didn't use the word justice in your reasoning. You're right about getting to ask a question though. Okay, ask away."

"Despite the outcome of this trial if someone was to endanger Mr. Guarsen again would you eat them?"

"It depends on to what extent they endangered him and the reason. I won't try to dodge the question though. Yes regardless of the outcome of this trial if someone was to intentionally pose a threat to Albert I don't care to what degree I would deal with them. If they negligently posed a threat to him it would depend on the level of the threat if it was accidental endangerment it would depend on to what degree. I might be more inclined to forgive them. A large factor in this is of course Albert himself."

"That's more complex then a yes or no, however spoken with enough clarity to be understood. Just to make sure there isn't any miss communication here. So this trial has done nothing to convince you not to take the law into your own hands?"

"If that was the purpose of the trial or my incarceration then it failed."

"Does that mean it's just a matter of time before something like this happens again?"

"Yes, it's highly probable to the point of almost being certain that I will behave in such a manner again. It's less likely to be over the same reasons of course and even less likely that so much of it will be due to chance."

"So if the trial was to keep you from taking another human life it failed?"

"Yes. I have no regret for eating that man. I feel no remorse for the act and indeed enjoyed it quite a bit."

"Why do you feel you'll have to perform such an act again?"

"Well I've given my reasons to that before but I suppose I can give it again. I like to use my power and my size and do indeed enjoy using it to destroy and consume. However, I also like to use it to create and help people. For the most part I prefer to help people and find that it gives me more pleasure then destruction. However, whenever someone upsets me to the point that their destruction would bring me more pleasure that is the path I take."

"Which endangering Mr. Guarsen does?"

"More quickly then anything else I can think of."

"So would you say you see yourself as something of avenger?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "No. I don't. I see myself as someone with the power to act upon their desires. While I know many people might find my behavior to be distasteful I'm also sure many of these same people would act much the same way if they had power on par with my own."

"So is this a case of power corrupts?"

"No. This isn't anything even close to that. It's rather a case of power allows you to be who you really are. Many people don a mask or restrain themselves because they don't have the power to act on their desires. My power hasn't corrupted me but rather it has allowed me to behave as I truly am. I can do what others only want to do."

"What do you think will happen whenever you once again act upon these desires? Will you go to trial again?"

A sigh escaped Lucy as she closed her eyes. "I really don't know. The reason I was willing to be penalized this time was because I feel I truly made a mistake and was to some extent at fault. If the jury had failed to provide some form of fault I probably would have killed every last one of them for incarcerating me."

"So you were willing to accept the punishment because you agreed with the jury that you were partly to blame for what occurred?"

"Yes I do. At first I didn't see it but once they pointed it out to me there was no way that I could deny it."

A slight chuckle escaped Sam as he shook his head. "Miss Angeye I really don't know what to think about you. You seem to hold yourself above the law and above the will of the people as a whole. Yet you're also willing to accept your punishment and go along quietly so long they have a reason. You're not drug into a cell but rather reasoned into it."

"Before we talk more about this, Sam would you mind defining justice to me as well as the law?"

In response Sam gave a nod of his head. "You have a good point. We've been using the word justice and law without really defining what they are. Lucy, I know you asked me first but would you define your idea of what law means."

"The law is a set of rules those in power developed in order to maintain a certain social structure. They generally receive backing from the populace that agrees with them or don't have the ability to go against them. For the most part there purpose is to protect the current social order."

"Do you believe that the law is inherently related to justice?"

"No. The law is dependant on power. After all if there isn't enough power backing those rules then they're not going to be enforced. Some may consider those laws just but often they are part of the majority that has the power in that respect."

"So how do you feel whenever someone accuses you of taking the law into your own hands?"

"Honestly it doesn't bother me. The whole that we call the state has more power then most and it uses that power to enforce its laws. Some may claim that the law is just but ultimately it's the majority using their power to force their will on the minority or in many cases the minority with the most power forcing their will on everyone else. When I act and rely upon my own power I'm operating by the exact same rules that the state acts upon."

Now Sam was made to set up and lean forward as he listened to Lucy. "So that is why you don't have any issue with taking the law into your own hand?"

"The state uses its power to force it's will upon most and attempts to force that will upon me. If the masses are going to try to force their idea of right and wrong upon me why shouldn't I use my power to force my idea of right and wrong on them? Quite frankly I say I'm only playing by the rules that the majority has set forth. People just get upset because I have the power to get away with it and they don't."

"I see. So you see yourself as acting on a higher set of rules then what could be called common law. As you see it you're acting upon the rules of the state itself, rules that as far as you're concerned it has set forth."

"That's right. People set down and say that I should obey the law or obey their will. Well why shouldn't they be the ones to submit to my will instead of me submitting to theirs? Does having more people agree with a certain set of rules automatically make them more ethical?"

"Then Lucy, do you feel that everyone should do this? Refuse to submit to the power of the whole and rely upon their power only?"

"Of course they shouldn't!"

"Why shouldn't they behave as you are?"

"If you wish to partake of the benefits of the states power then you also have a responsibility to operate by the rules of that state. Should you defy the rules of the state then the state no longer has any obligation to protect you even from its own members. For the most part people simply don't have the power to survive without the state's protection especially if once that protection is removed the state itself acts against them."

"I see. So as you're willing to give up the states protection you don't feel obligated to operate by its rules. Which relates back to your power as you feel that you don't need the states protection?"

"That's right. Ultimately I decided long ago that I would be happier without the state's protection as it would give me a greater amount of freedom. Of course, freedom comes at a price. I simply feel that I have power enough to pay that price whenever the time comes."

"Lucy, your incarceration and acceptance of it wasn't brought on by any loyalty to the state or the people of it. Rather you agreed to this incarceration and accept it because of your own rules of conduct. Isn't that correct?"

"That is correct."

"Do you believe that the jury realized they were making use of your own method of conduct during your sentencing?"

"I believe so. They seem to have read me quite well during the trial then operated within my own rules of conduct."

"So Lucy, let's say a young lady was in love with one of the people you'd eaten would you say she has the right to eat you?"

A wide grin slowly formed across Lucy's face and for a moment her body was made to shudder as she clearly struggled to keep herself from laughing. It soon became clear that despite her efforts she couldn't keep everything in and she began to lightly chuckle while trying to squeeze out a few words. "Someone eat me? Well let's put. Put aside how silly that is for a moment. OH my goodness the idea is just too funny!"

It was clear to Sam that he wasn't going to be getting any answers from Lucy for a little bit as she began to openly laugh. Fortunately he had learned patience during his career so he just leaned back in his seat. "I hope that this confidence isn't unfounded."

"Oh my. I'm trying to stop really. But the thought I swear it's hard for me to." A slight chuckle issued forth from Lucy and she covered her mouth. "Okay. Okay. I think I'm okay to speak now." Lucy was made to shake a bit as another chuckle escaped her. "Or not but I'll try to answer. I don't believe so as if. If they were so worried about his safety they would have tried to turn him from such a. Destructive path."

"Lucy, you seem to find the idea of you being eaten quite humorous. I take it you doubt this could happen but you know they are things in this world larger then yourself."

"Sam, my scale is only the beginning of my abilities. I'm a self evolving system not just big. That alone should show anyone that I'm far more then just big and that my scale is most assuredly not their only concern."

"Is that the only reason for your confidence?"

"Of course not but I won't go into detail over that. They are some things I want to keep secret incase I ever do find myself dealing with a significant threat."

"Very well, so now that you seem to have quit laughing perhaps you can go into more detail as to why you don't feel someone would have the right to have a vendetta against you?"

"I'm not saying that no one has the right to have a vendetta against me however in regards to those who might have been fond of those I ate. I did those people no harm until I was provoked. I wasn't the aggressor in the situation so that I don't feel anyone could justify a vendetta against me."

"You said in regards to those you've eaten. Do you feel that some people have the right to have a vendetta against you?"

"Not by my standards but I'm sure they are some that have the right by their own standards or the standards of others. Of course, it also depends on how far the vendetta goes. Perhaps I accidentally destroyed someone's car which they valued beyond the monetary value for some reason. They might be a little more upset with me then most."

"I see. Well vendettas are rarely logical. Perhaps a better question is do you feel anyone has the right to seek justice against you for an act of yours?"

"Mm well honestly no, I'm not unreasonable you see and before they sought justice against me I'd rather if they sought justice from me. If someone feels that I've wronged them in some way I'm not exactly hard to get in touch with. I'm also quite capable of handling several communications at once and while I can't promise anything I would at least hear someone out so long as they weren't unreasonable."

"So let's say that you were out on a walk and you accidentally caused water lines in the area to rupture. You'd want people to contact you and let you know about the rupture so you could have it repaired?"

"Yes, though I don't think I could rupture water lines without noticing it. I tend to be highly aware of my surroundings especially when most of my body is unified."

"Does that mean you become more aware the larger you are?"

"As surprising as some might find it yes. I have more nerve cells then so that I'm able to detect and keep track of more happenings around me. If I became less aware as I joined together I wouldn't be able to spend so much time as large as I like to."

"Alright Lucy, I would love to continue this conversation but I'm running short of time. I hope you don't think it rude of me if I ask you one more question."

"Go right ahead."

"What do you intend to do once you're allowed to leave your home?"

"I've fallen behind in my inspections of both my places of business and a few other locals. Once I'm allowed I believe that I'm going to go examine these locations and take Albert on a vacation. I like my home but I've got to get out of here for a while."

"Okay off with the tape. Did we go over this time?"

"Yes sir we did."

"Fantastic."

As Lucy listened to Sam and his camera man she couldn't help her curiosity. "Just, why are you happy that you went over your time limit?"

"There is no way that the network is going to cut this interview short which means it's going to push into Darren's segment. I hate that son of a bitch."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she gave her head a quick nod. "I see."

"Lucy, they're at least a dozen other questions I'd like to ask you. Do you believe we could have another interview at a later date?"

"I can't guarantee a quick interview as I don't plan on having my vacation time interrupted. That said I wouldn't mind being interviewed by you again at a time that is convenient for the both of us."

************************************************************************

"Lucy are you sure that I shouldn't pack something? Tomorrow is going to be the last day of your sentencing after all and you seemed quite eager to get out into the world."

Before speaking Lucy brought her hand down and gently ran it over Albert's back. "Yeah I'm quite certain. I've already taken care of your clothes for our vacation. I just hope that the ones I ordered for myself arrive in time."

"Huh? You didn't say that you wear having outfits made for me."

"I know. I wanted it to be a surprise. Besides these outfits are better suited to what I have in mind then your normal clothes."

"Oh and exactly what is that?"

"It's a surprise of course." An amused giggle escaped Lucy as Albert turned to look up at her. "Now what is that look for?"

"I have so many ideas as to what you might mean by better suited and some of them I'm a little worried about."

"Don't you trust me Albert?"

"With my life and spirit I trust you but not with my modesty."

Despite her best efforts Lucy's smile slowly formed into an impish grin. "Well I can't promise they'll be what you're used to but I'm sure that you'll come to like what I've had made for you."

A sigh escaped Albert as he shook his head. "Well at least you seem to actually have something for me to wear."

"Ah were you expecting me to leave you nude and keep you in my knickers and bra the whole time?"

"I wouldn't put it past you."

"Well." An amused giggle escaped Lucy and her tongue slipped out of her mouth every so slightly and ran over her lips. "I can't say that there isn't a certain appeal to that idea or that it hasn't crossed my mind on a few occasions.

Despite his concern that Lucy would act upon such a desire Albert couldn't help but grin. "Well I can't say that would be a bad thing. They are both very nice places to be I'm kind of curious as to why you didn't act on those desires."

"Mm well I can't say that I will be able to keep myself from acting on such desires all the time. You're just lucky I like talking to you so much or I might shove you inside my vagina and never let you see the light of day or the stars again." A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she reached down and picked Albert up between her fingers. She then brought him level with her lips and gave him a kiss that engulfed his entire being.

"I worried that is what you might have done the first time we lay together."

"Oh and how long did you think you were in there?"

"I honestly don't have any idea. I lost track of time after a short while and just decided that you'd let me know whenever you were ready to let me out."

"Mm you know it was partly your fault that I kept you in there for so long."

"How is that?"

"You started moving around after you woke up of course. You felt so nice in there that." An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "I'm getting wet all over again. Perhaps I should put you back inside of me for a little while. It would help pass the time while I wait for my incarceration to end."

At first all Albert could do was grin and shake his head as he looked into Lucy's massive sapphire blue eyes. "Oh sure treat me as if my only purpose in existence was to bring you pleasure."

"Thanks I believe that I will." As she spoke Lucy slipped a hand down into the waste band of her shorts and quickly undid the button. The same hand then reached into the waste band of her knickers and drew them open while she began to lower Albert towards her crotch.

The suddenness of his decent told Albert all he needed to know. Before a word could even leave his mouth he felt the heat from Lucy's crotch as he was moved within the confines of her knickers. Her scent filled the air and the dramatic change in environments from outside of her knickers to inside triggered an equally and nearly as rapid response from his body as he felt his penis stiffen. He was however thrown by the fact that Lucy didn't seem to have any intention of removing his clothing.

There was indeed no intention on Lucy's part to give Albert time to truly think or even strip. While it meant he'd have to choose to either remove his clothing or keep them on while within her she liked the idea of not giving him time to reason out his actions. It was her desire to force him to act quickly. There would be none of their usual foreplay but by the same token he would have all of his energy when she thrust him inside of herself.

As Albert felt himself pressed into Lucy's lips he reflexively thrust his own hips forward. Instinctively he moved to kiss her warm flesh but he didn't have time. Lucy thrust him in far too quickly so that he found himself engulfed within the heat of her vagina before he could even touch his lips to hers. His reaction was swift though as he went to remove his shirt. It was simply too hot within Lucy to have his clothes on.

Upon thrusting Albert within herself Lucy withdrew her hands allowing her knickers to snap back into place. She then stretched her legs out and placed one over the other squeezing her vagina in on Albert. Her massive hands came to rest on her sides as she resolved that Albert wasn't going to get any help from her. He was going to have to provide all the stimulation this time.

With his shirt removed Albert quickly slid his pants off as he did so he was grateful that he hadn't been wearing shoes. His penis seemed to be grateful for the release as he tossed his pants aside and quickly removed his underwear. As he disrobed though he didn't move to thrust his crotch against Lucy's flesh but pressed his hands into the side of her vagina. As he moved to stand he lost his footing for a moment as the muscle beneath him flexed.

Not only was Lucy's nectar making it hard to gain any footing within the confines of her vagina the muscles moving did so as well. What was a good hand or foot hold one moment wasn't the next. So instead of relying upon the unstable surface Albert attempted to compensate by pressing his hands and feet as firmly against her flesh as he could. This proved to be something of a problem as Lucy had grown larger since the last time he had used such a method. He wasn't able to get the same amount of traction as he had before.

As Lucy became more excited Albert knew that it would be harder and harder to make any progress within her. So he knew that he had to move quickly so that despite the difficulties of gaining any real hand or foot holds he began to press forward. Instead of relying upon traction he'd just make use of his energy. This had to be done quickly though as he knew Lucy's body would respond to his rapid movements.

A sharp gasp escaped Lucy and she bit down on her lower lip in order to avoid thrusting her hips into the air. The fact that Albert's first action upon entering her wasn't to try to escape but was to rather try to move more deeply within her was of great delight to Lucy.

With every other step Albert took Lucy's inner flesh would shift and he would lose either a hand or foot hold. Yet by making use of both hands and foot holds he was able to keep from losing ground as he made his way deeper inside of her. As he exerted himself more though he began to breath harder and he knew that he would begin to sweat. In such a hot humid environment he felt certain that the heat and limited oxygen in the air would fatigue him quickly.

Yet as Albert pushed further within Lucy he didn't feel fatigue setting in rather the heat seemed to kindle a fire within him urging him further within her. However, that fire did not strengthen him so that even as he pushed further in he found his progress being slowed. Lucy's vagina began to relax and contract more quickly making it harder for him to keep moving. At the same time the flow of her nectar further hindered his efforts so that he found himself at last struggling simply to hold his position.

Upon realizing that he would no longer be able to progress as he had been Albert quickly adjusted. Throwing himself down onto his back he quickly extended his arms above his head seeking some of Lucy's flesh to grasp. At the same time he pushed out vigorously with his legs not trying to find foots hold but something to push off of quickly.
His right leg only ran over her flesh but his left found something so that Albert pushed himself forward.

It was Albert's intent to journey as deeply within Lucy as he could before he tried anything else. He wanted to go in far enough that her fingers couldn't simply reach inside of her and retrieve him. Rather she'd have to use her vagina to work him out. As her muscles began to work though and he felt her beginning to roll her hips he realized that he'd have to focus less on progress now and more on stimulation. Turning onto his side he pressed his right arm against her vaginal walls and slowly ran it up her flesh. At the same time his left pressed into the wall but did not move.

Using his leg that rested against Lucy's vagina Albert pressed his foot into her flesh and began to slowly press it downward. This was both to provide stimulation and help to maintain his position. His other leg quickly pressed against the side of Lucy's vagina. As his leg pressed into her flesh Albert began to alternate the pressure he exerted against Lucy's flesh with his left arm. At the same time he continued to search her flesh with his right squeezing on any notable flesh that he found.

Turning his head to the side Albert pressed his lips firmly against Lucy's flesh and then quickly extended his tongue licking up a bit of her nectar. As he felt her walls flexing around him he opened up his mouth and tried to bite down on the bit of flesh before him. The rise in her skin wasn't notable though however he did managed to run his teeth along her flesh. The light nibble wasn't as much stimulation as he wished to provide but it seemed to be working.

Albert most likely had no idea how deep he was within her and Lucy knew this. The fact that he had rushed forward so eagerly had been a delight to her though and she wondered if he was as deep as he wished to be. She doubted that even if he knew how deeply he'd traveled into her he'd be happy. She liked him there as far from the world as she could take him.

Having not expended most of his energy outside of Lucy Albert had been working without any restraint. However, even with the fire the heat seemed to stir he was burning away his stamina. As he finally realized how hard he was breathing and that he was no longer able to press into Lucy's flesh as hard as he had been he changed tactics. Rolling onto his back he extended both arms to his sides.

His right arm was able to reach quite far up the side of Lucy's vagina while his left couldn't reach quite as high. Slowly he ran his right hand up the side of Lucy's flesh feeling of the folds that formed in the flesh as the muscles worked. As he fully extended his arm he slowly drew it downward and upon coming to a notable fold began to pull himself up to a seated position. There was no actual intent of raising himself up though.

While Albert pulled on the fold he was careful to keep from actually pulling himself up. So that when the muscle relaxed and the fold diminished his hand was able to slip down her flesh in search of another. While his right hand explored part of the wall of Lucy's flesh his left explored the base.

With his arm fully extended Albert drew his hand and arm over Lucy's flesh touching as much of it with his arm as he could. Only when he came to a notable area in her flesh would the flapping motion stop. His hand would then be pulled back until it met the flesh and he could give it a slight squeeze and gently tug on it if he could get a firm enough grip.

Unlike his arms Albert's legs worked in unison. Placing his feet together he slowly extended his legs running them over Lucy's flesh slowly and pushing against any folds he came to. As his legs were fully extended he slowly parted them and closed. He then drew them upward once again though he used less force to keep from pulling himself downward.

Lucy's nectar had coated Albert entirely many times over by now. The thick, sticky warm liquid heated him up a great deal yet it seemed to stop him from heating up to a dangerous point. He doubted that he was simply adapting to the heat as he knew that he'd die of heat stroke in that case. Rather it seemed that Lucy had found a way of controlling how hot he was within her body and while he was most assuredly warm it wasn't to the point of being dangerous.

As Albert worked he listened carefully to Lucy's muscles working around him and her blood pumping throughout her body. One way that he could easily tell he was having an affect upon her was the way that her heart rate sped up. Of course it was far from the only method as he felt her muscles flexing around him and the flow of her nectar grew all the faster.

While Albert explored the bit of Lucy's vagina that he could reach with his arms and legs he paid careful attention to how her muscles flexed. He knew that as he progressed deeper within Lucy the motions would change but for his current location he soon found a flow of action. As he felt Lucy's muscles beginning to flex and realized that he would have his best foot holds and hands holds he quickly ran his feet along her flesh pushing against these as he did so.

Lucy's mouth opened as a sharp gasp escaped her and she leaned her head back against the couch. She had thought that Albert was going to remain stationary so his sudden thrust deeper into her caught her off guard even though it was only a minor increase. It was more then she could take and she began to flex her vaginal muscles on Albert instead of allowing him to stimulate all the responses.

At first Albert thought that he would lose the ground he gained quickly and have to try several times. However, as he came to the top of his motion he was a bit surprised whenever he felt himself progress further. The way Lucy's vaginal muscles flexed seemed to draw him all the deeper within her and made it very easy for him to keep his current location. It was only slight though and he wondered if it had been intentional.

With a new area to explore Albert once again pressed his right hand firmly into Lucy's flesh as well as braced himself with his foot. Instead of exploring as he did before though he began to carefully roll over onto his stomach being certain to keep his hands and feet pressed into Lucy as firmly as he could in order to avoid losing any ground and keep her from cooling down. As he rolled onto his stomach he pressed his penis firmly into her flesh.

Nearly the moment Albert pressed his penis into her flesh he knew that he'd started something. Lucy's entire vagina was made to flex and much to his surprise he felt something take hold of his arms and legs. He couldn't see how it had happened but it seemed that the muscle had somehow taken hold of his arms and legs. As those muscles contracted he also found himself pulled more firmly against Lucy's flesh and her nectar began to flow over him more quickly.

Even if they couldn't verbally communicate Albert wasn't about to try to escape from Lucy's grasp and he felt certain she knew that. So that instead of trying to pull his arms and legs free he began to thrust his crotch against her flesh. He also pressed his face firmly against her flesh lightly nibbling the warm folds that he could find and licking over any smooth flesh.

The grip that Lucy's vagina held on Albert only lasted a moment once he began to nibble her flesh. Those folds relaxed but her vagina didn't cease to work. He could feel motion all around him and soon found himself being shifted about. At first the motion was slow and he was only made to wobble as he kissed and licked her flesh though he found himself losing his place as those muscles actually began to jostle him about.

Albert would have tried to stabilize himself in order to regain some form of control before hand but this time he chose a different path. Instead of trying to hold his position he attempted to loosen his body up and move with Lucy's muscles. As he felt himself shifting one way he would quickly push in that direction using both Lucy's muscles and his own to force himself against her flesh as hard as he could.

Slowing down for a moment seemed to have worked but Albert knew that wasn't happening now. The quicker pace did cause other problems though. He no longer had the time to nibble Lucy's flesh as he had been. Rather as he found himself moving with her muscles he forced his face against her flesh whenever he got the chance. Kissing, licking or running his teeth against her warm skin as he did so each time taking in some of her nectar.

As he managed to get a particularly good grip on Lucy's flesh though he found himself tossed into the air. Lucy having thrust her hips into the air upon feeling his teeth run against her flesh had thrust a bit more forcefully then normal. Fortunately he didn't have very many places to go as Albert felt himself slam into her flesh. Before he could resume his efforts though he found himself once again flung about by Lucy's inner muscles flexing this time. Fortunately the deep softness protected him from harm and he found the act quite thrilling.

There was no way for Albert to be certain however as he found himself being tossed about he couldn't help but wonder if Lucy had been restraining herself. Albert couldn't help but take pride in the idea that Lucy had been trying to keep her composure but he'd caused her to lose it through his efforts. Now he was faced with a problem though as Lucy's sudden motions made it very difficult to continue.

It took Albert a few moments of being thrown around to realize what he must do. Before hand he'd been in the lead and Lucy's muscles had been responding to his efforts. When she'd began to work her hips and he'd went with the flow he had given her permission to take control though not in a way he recognized at first. Now he had to either try to take control of their love making again or he had to let Lucy lead. Given the difficulty of taking control he resolved that it was best to just let Lucy lead at this point.

Lucy was finding it hard to keep enough restraint to prevent her hips from slamming through the couch as she thrust them into the air. With each thrust she could feel Albert tossed about around her. His presence within her was wonderful but what brought it to an ecstatic level was that even as Albert was tossed about by her motions he continued to do his part.

Any attempt to find a particular spot was futile and Albert knew this. He also knew that he couldn't assign any one limb a specific task. Rather he had to respond quickly and simply do what came natural. So that upon ending up on his stomach on Lucy's flesh his hands quickly took hold of whatever bit of flesh that they could and his arms squeezed inward. His legs thrust out behind him pressing into Lucy's flesh while he thrust his crotch against her flesh as rapidly as he could. Albert opened his mouth and once again ran his teeth along her warm flesh taking in Lucy's nectar as he did so.

Albert felt a strong pulse from Lucy's muscles and knew that the shifting muscle would release him. Rather then simply be tossed into the air though he tightened his grip on her flesh and actually resisted the shockwave. Instead of thrusting his hips against her flesh though he quickly ran his tongue along it's warmth before he found himself once again being shifted about. Despite the intensity of the moment though he wondered what Lucy might have destroyed with her crashing hips.

Lucy squeezed her massive breasts firmly the pressure generated between her hands and her soft breast was so great that she felt her shirt and bra shred. At the moment she didn't care about her clothing though and simply sought not to drive her hips through the couch or floor. As she felt Albert's tongue run over her skin once again she resolved that the couch would be an acceptable loss. Her tongue flicked out and slid along her lips as she closed her eyes to better focus on the feeling of Albert moving within her.

When Albert had went into Lucy he'd went in with all his energy as he was being thrown about though he felt fatigue setting in. Keeping pace with Lucy was strenuous he felt himself slowing despite his best efforts. Normally he would have slowed down during such times and tried to recover some of his stamina but he didn't have that option now. So that he continued to push and thrust against Lucy's flesh in an attempt to bring her to release.

A sharp gasp escaped Albert though as he quickly jerked his head upward as he felt himself gripped from all sides. His entire being was held by Lucy's muscles not an inch of him uncovered. Her juices flowed around him and he pushes outward with his arms and legs shifting them as best he could. He impulsively thrust his crotch against Lucy's flesh and then he felt those walls began to shudder clenching him rapidly.

As Lucy felt Albert begin to tremble as her muscles did a delighted scream escaped her. A scream that would have been lethal to any that was too close. She felt every bit of Albert within herself and could easily feel him turning his head rubbing it against her warm flesh as they came. As she hugged him with her internal muscles Lucy's juices formed a massive puddle on the couch with Albert's completely soaked through clothing in the middle.

************************************************************************

It was impossible for Lucy not to scowl as she stood on the rafter looking down into the aircraft hanger. Her request to inspect the aircraft had been denied and while she realized she had little grounds to want to see it she was still upset. She was however also upset upon learning that several tons of material she developed couldn't be accounted for materials that previously she would have kept track of.

At last she didn't have much trouble evading the facility security considering her level of awareness. Her speed, strength and ability to interact with electrical systems also helped a great deal in sneaking in. About the only hindrance she had was the fact that she hated sneaking and would have preferred to just tear down the front gate and tear apart anything or anyone that got in her way. As one of the jets was finally in view though, she felt better.

After waiting a moment Lucy let herself fall from the rafters of the hanger and towards the jet. The act of falling was exceptionally slow for her compared to how quickly she normally drove her legs into the ground. As her feet met the concrete of the hanger though she quickly bent at her knees to diminish the energy not to avoid harm but to avoid making any unneeded sound. She then quickly slipped over to one of the maintenance hatches on the aircraft.

It would have been a simple matter for her to tear the hatch off and look inside but she wanted to be more careful incase she was wrong. She didn't have the time to be too careful though as she took the lock between her fingers and covered it with her free hand. There was the slight wine of bending metal as Lucy easily crushed the heavy duty alloy but the sound was largely dampened by her hand. If it hadn't been for the uncovered area she could have silenced it entirely.

As she opened the paneling the first thing her eyes and hand went to was the wiring and instantly she felt a smile forming on her face. The alloy was covered in a different plastic but she could tell by the touch alone what it was. With a quick pull she easily pulled the wire from the aircraft and stripped the covering with her free hand. Quickly slipping the bit of metal into her pocket she once again reached through the aircraft and began to search through the various components.

Albert had been rather surprised when he noticed a massive smile spreading over Lucy's face. It wasn't her regular smile but rather one she wore when someone had done something foolish and she was going to act on a long repressed desire. As he hadn't grabbed her nipple or went to rubbing her lips or anything else he doubted that it was him. "What happened?"

"Do you remember that fighter jet?"

"Yeah and I see. They used alloys that you developed."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "You know I should be quite upset right now. My clothes haven't arrived yet thanks to a manufacturing error. I swear what kind of seam strength do they think I require?"

"Not enough."

"Yeah, anyway I should be upset. However, this has really made my day. Let's see they used alloys I developed in the wiring and in certain parts of the engine. Huh, you know Albert I haven't made many insulators. I just thought of that."

"What made you think of that?"

"I noticed that a great many of the conductors they used are materials that I've developed however the insulators aren't. You know I worry about energy transfer so much that I never really think about containment. I bet I could improve the efficiency of a lot of systems if I started developing more insulators. Of course, I'm going to have to do that for the satellite and have come up with a few I suppose it's about time that I did."

"That's nice but what about the aircraft?"

"Ah yes. I'm taking samples of various parts and I'm going to have to schedule a press announcement."

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he shook his head. "I'm surprised you don't just steel the jet." Even as the words left his mouth Albert noticed a twinkle in Lucy's eye and shook his head. "Lucy, that doesn't mean I believe that you should steel the jet."

"Oh this is going to be fun! I can't take the one I've been examining of course but there is another I can get away with. I've got a pretty good idea of the workings and I'll just need a moment to study the controls."

"Come on Lucy surely you can just sneak out. Besides it's not like they keep those things ready to take off and they'll probably shoot you down before you get very far."

"Not if I disrupt the computers that control the missile systems. Okay I'm going to have to be quick if I'm going to get this thing fueled up and ready for launch."

All Albert could do was groan and shake his head. He had meant it to be a joking comment. "You know I'm going to have to start thinking more before I talk. It seems that every time I make a joking statement I end up giving you an idea."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she reached down and ran her finger along Albert's back. "Yeah but that's another reason I love you so much. Even whenever you don't mean to you give me ideas for all sorts of wonderful fun. Besides I think it'll be nice to see what it's like to fly a jet."

"Don't you believe this might cause some trouble?"

"Oh Albert there is going to be lots of trouble already especially for them. I'm just taking the aircraft for more proof of what they've done. I doubt anyone will be able to dispute that it's one of theirs and while I imagine some will be mad at me. I'm also sure some will be quite glad that I took it."

Without being there Albert wasn't entirely certain if Lucy was being serious or not but from the enthusiasm in her voice he was fairly certain that she was. At last a sigh escaped him as he shook his head. "Well they used materials in a way that you didn't approve of and they agreed with contract not to use them. So I suppose you have a legal right to recall the materials though I don't believe in such a method."

"That's the fun part! Unlike here I don't care about their legal system and think that it's bullshit. So I don't care what crime they decide to accuse me of and there aren't a whole lot of systems in place for them to prosecute me here over something I did in another nation."

"Especially a nation who's leadership has been openly hostile towards us for several decades now."

"Yeah that's another plus."

"So how far along are you?"

"I've incapacitated five of their soldiers already so I do not have to worry about making noise as long as I keep the electrical systems in check. I have to hurry though before those I knocked out are missed and people come to see what is happening."

"You didn't kill them?"

"Not yet." An amused giggle escaped Lucy after words her tongue slipped out of her mouth and slowly ran along her lips. "I want to wait until later to do something too violent. I believe that simply tearing open a set of hanger doors and taking off with a multi million dollar aircraft is alright."

"You have a strange idea of not all that violent. How do you expect to get down the runway anyway? Even if they can't shoot you down with rockets surely they have something else in place. They could just block the run away."

"Pfft you worry too much Albert and give them too much credit. With me preventing any alarms from sounding a few will just think it's a regular take off and most won't know what to think. Now if this was an aircraft carrier take off then I would be in trouble."

"Okay, I just hope you know what you're going to do if they do manage to respond in time."

"That's a given I'll slam this thing into whatever obstacle they put in the way it isn't like I'm the one that's going to be hurting after all." An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "You worry too much I'm already heading out of the hanger gate and the skies aren't filling with shells yet."

A low groan escaped Albert as he shook his head. "I can't believe you're doing this. Well, at least I might be able to learn what it's like to fly in a jet when you get it back."

"No."

"Huh, did something happen?"

"The jet is fine but you're not going up in it even with me piloting. There is no way I'm going to chance it especially since the design isn't one that I developed entirely even if it does use some parts I designed and a lot of alloys."

For a moment Albert wasn't entirely certain of what he should say. On the one hand he didn't care for being told that he wasn't allowed to do something. On the other he liked the idea that Lucy cared for him that much and didn't want to risk losing him. It made him uncertain as to whether or not he should be upset with her but most importantly he knew that she wouldn't change her mind. Generally when Lucy's answers were just one word there wasn't any changing her mind.

It was impossible for Lucy not to wave as she looked at a few soldiers watching the aircraft move out onto the runway. The lack of any form of taxi or anyone directing the take off clearly had them wondering what was going on. She knew they weren't the only ones that had noticed as she had already prevented flight control from issuing a warning several times. At last they seemed to wizen up as she noted someone dashing out towards the soldiers.

"Stop that jet!"

Lucy quickly stuck her tongue out at the soldiers that had been watching the aircraft and now moved to ready their weapons. Pushing the throttle down she felt the engine come to life and was instantly amazed by how slow it felt. The aircraft moved exceptionally fast compared to other types but to Lucy there just wasn't enough speed to be a thrill to her. Controlling a body as massive of hers required a remarkable level of control and reaction time so the aircraft was no challenge at all.

"So are you up in the air yet?"

"I will be in a moment and." For a moment Lucy grew silent. "I'm lifting off now. You know if it wasn't for their reactions and how they're going to react later this wouldn't be any fun at all. These things simply don't have enough speed for me."

"Did anyone notice you?"

"When it was too late they did. Ah the poor things think they're in trouble now."

"What's going on?"

"They can't use any rockets to shoot me down and don't even know if they should. Also with the communication system down they have yet to send any aircraft after me. I suppose I should fry their computer network before I get too far to further delay their efforts."

"You know the fact that you were able to make off with one of those so easily is going to serve as a wake up call to just about everyone by itself. I don't hear of top of the line jet aircraft being stolen regularly. I am curious as to whether or not you think you'll be able to get it all the way back here. What kind of range does it have?"

"I'm fairly certain that I will be able to. I do want to get it back whole and intact however if it looks like I won't make it I can land somewhere that is hostile towards them. I'll just have some people waiting there to let me refuel then take off again."

"You don't believe they'll try to take the aircraft?"

"Not if I'm fast enough and besides I doubt that they're going to announce to the world what just happened. Unlike what I'm going to do whenever I get this thing back home and have that conference." A sigh escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "I just hope that my clothing is ready by then."

"So if it isn't do you think you'll hold a press conference in your bra and knickers?"

"Possibly, it isn't like I have anything to be ashamed of."

"Sure you do."

"Huh? What?"

"You're short."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "I suppose that I'm a little on the small side but hey I'm working on that. Surely you can't hold a flaw against me if I'm striving to remove it."

"Trying to correct a flaw is all well and good but in the end it's the results that are most important. It's nice when someone goes to drug rehab but if they don't make it they're still an addict and a failure."

"Ah that's mean! I do see your point though."

************************************************************************

It was hard for Albert to recall when he had seen Lucy in a business suit. Even in regards to her smaller bodies she tended to favor a snug shirt and some kind of shorts. This was the perhaps the first time he'd seen her wearing a white blouse with a bright red business jacket and skirt. She was wearing it for the press conference however he wondered what she'd truly had it made for. He doubted that it was just for conferences as he noted the layout of the pocket he found himself in.

"Ladies and gentlemen I thank you for coming here today and I'll be brief. I am certain that most if not all of you are aware of the recent development in Mizia in regards to their newest jet fighter. Currently I have one of these aircraft right here with me." As she spoke Lucy bent at her knees and removed a tarp covering the aircraft. She then took hold of the aircraft as if it was nothing more then a model.

"What we have here is not just a jet but a blatant violation of the contract between my company and Mizia a violation that I do not intend to allow to stand. While I do not intend to cancel my contract with Mizia immediately I will say this. They are to dismantle each and every last one of these aircrafts and return the metals and designs to uses we contractually agreed upon within seventy two hours."

As Lucy finished speaking she proceeded to take a step towards the reporters. A few of them stood seeming quite concerned with her moving forward while others remained seated. Instead of speaking she proceeded to once again bend at her knees and lean forward slightly as she set the aircraft on the ground. "If the members of the media would like to you may examine the aircraft up close. I believe that those of you've who've seen it before will confirm this is indeed one of Mizia's new fighters."

"Miss Angeye, how did you get hold of this aircraft?"

"I recalled the materials from one of their aircraft hangers just the past night after I went there for a surprise inspection."

"Surely you don't mean they just let you leave with the aircraft."

"No, I had to be somewhat subtle about the acquisition. At least until I had it moving down the run way."

"What do you intend to do if Mizia chooses to ignore your demands to dismantle the aircrafts?"

Before speaking Lucy took a step backwards being certain to use more force then normal. She succeeded as the force of the impact made several of the reporters bounce into the air and some of them even toppled over. "I would prefer to refrain from answering that question. All that I can say is that I do not intend to let such a violation go unanswered and they should honor our agreement unless they are very confident."

"Confident in what?"

"Once you're done examining the aircraft I have some engineers who would like to examine it in greater detail. You can stay around and ask them some questions once they're finished."

************************************************************************

Less then twelve hours had passed and at last Mizia's leadership had responded to Lucy's press conference. Albert was actually surprised that it had taken them so long to respond. Now he watched as a man dressed in a brown military uniform stood at a podium. "Recently one of our military aircraft has been stolen by a loan individual. This individual then has the audacity to say that we are the ones that are in violation of the law. We will not bow down to the demands of any nation let alone a woman. Further more there will be consequences for this blatant act of theft if the aircraft is to be returned at once."

As Albert listened to the officer continue he glanced up at Lucy and noted a wide smile on her face. "You didn't expect them to back down."

"Given their view of women and their own delusions I didn't." A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she squeezed her shoulders in a bit. "Oh I just love how that crowd is cheering for them. I bet it makes them feel good to know that they have the people's support."

"I love how he said loan woman."

"Yeah" Lucy's tongue flicked out of her mouth and ran slowly over her lips. "I'm going to wait until thirty six hours have passed to have an official announcement. I will however respond to any questions that people decide to ask me. Do you believe that is a good idea?"

"Yeah that sounds like a good idea. Of course I doubt that you'll answer every question they have to ask."

"Well yeah some things I want to keep to myself." A shiver ran throughout Lucy's spine and her hands quickly smacked together twice. "Oh Albert this is just so exciting! They are so many things that I want to do but I'm going to have to do this right."

"You really like to compete don't you?"

"Yeah and it's so rare that I get to anymore. I'm not just competing against another person though it's me against an actual government perhaps an entire state. This is just so thrilling. It's even better that they have the people's backing."
************************************************************************

"Approximately thirty six hours ago I addressed Mizia and the world over how they've been using my technology. So far they've refused to cease its miss use and use it as we agreed. So I say to them again. Dismantle these aircraft and any other weapons that you've made from technology I've developed. Failure to do so will have consequences. I also wish to recommend that anyone currently within Mizia leave the nation."

While several of the reporters had already thought of many questions to ask Lucy's final statement caught them off guard. It actually took a few moments for one of them to speak up. "Why would you suggest that people leave Mizia? Do you plan some kind of hostile action?"

"I suggest it for two reasons. One it's a rather crummy nation and I don't know why people even go there. Two I do plan to take action if my demands are not met so it might become a rather dangerous place to be."

"What kind of actions do you plan to take?"

"I will not allow those aircraft to exist. If I have to I will go there and dismantle them myself. Further more if I am forced to take such actions that is not the only thing I intend to do. So unless people believe that either the government will do as I demand and dismantle the jets or believe the government of Mizia is capable of and will protect them they should leave immediately."

"It sounds like you're threatening war."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she gave her head a quick nod. "You're right about that and I believe that when one goes to war they should wage a hard war."

"Are you serious? Isn't it supremely arrogant to think that you a loan person can threaten an entire nation?"

"Yes I am very serious about this. Don't you realize that I am not only exceptionally powerful but can even form multiple bodies making me either an exceptionally powerful small unit or still very powerful smaller units?"

Before the questioning reporter could speak up another responded. "What do you mean from hard war?"

"I thought that would be clear but perhaps you're not well versed in history. I mean that if I have to forcibly destroy those aircraft I will not stop at their destruction. Anything that attempts to defend those aircraft that supports those that defend them or offers aids to the defenders of the defenders until five steps back will be shown no mercy and treated as." For a moment Lucy grew silent and an amused giggle escaped her. "They'll be treated as my enemies."

"So what you're saying is that not only will you destroy the aircrafts. You'll kill the soldiers that defend them, the military that supports those soldiers, the government that controls the military, the industries that support the government and then the people that support the industries?"

"If that is the order in which the chain of support moves yes."

"I hope you'll pardon me but I don't see how you intend to do that. You are after all only one person and you believe you can take on an entire nation?"

Slowly Lucy's smile grew until her lips parted revealing her teeth. "I assure you that I believe I can and if my demands aren't met I'll endeavor to prove it. Mizia has already refused to heed my first warning and for that I am canceling my contract with them. They will no longer receive materials of any type that I've developed. At least not directly from me and I will also refuse to sail to anyone whom I find selling these materials to them."

************************************************************************

As Albert watched the news he slowly shook his head. "No one believes that you can do it."

"Albert, which would you prefer a necklace ride, a jewel on the front of my top or perhaps one I have in my bottom?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" As Albert turned around he quickly noticed Lucy holding up three articles of clothing. There was a massive necklace, a simple swimming top and a swimming bottom. All three had what appeared to be a massive blue sapphire made into them. "Lucy what are those?"

"Some of the clothing that I had made, the gem in them is actually a little room I had installed while the outside is a special alloy. So which would you prefer?"

Prefer to what?"

"Ride in silly! I don't plan on taking an airplane after all so I'm going to have to carry you somewhere that you won't drown. Of course, there are two places that I can seal off from the world quite nicely but I thought you'd want to look around."

There was no immediate response from Albert as he examined the clothing then looked up at Lucy's smiling face. He couldn't see an entrance but realized it could be behind of the gems. "I. I'm not really sure."

"Mm well if you leave it up to me. Humph I'm not sure either but the necklace is most assuredly out if it's left up to me. I want you to be able to watch what is going on." After a moment Lucy placed her top on the couch and lifted her bottom a bit more. "I believe that the bottom is the best choice at the moment."

"I'll go with what you think is best then unless something happens to cause me to form an opinion. It looks like you're going to have to carry through with your threat or lose face."

"Do you believe that I've given fair warning to anyone that doesn't want to be involved?"

"I don't know Lucy. Everyone there has no doubt heard what their government had to say but I don't know if they've heard what you have to say. Some might not be able to run either. I know that you'll find a way to give them a warning."

In response Lucy gave a quick nod. "Albert, do you feel that a display of power is part of a warning?"

"To some extent yes but from the way you asked that question I'm going to say no. A display of power shouldn't be required in order to have people back down."

"What do you believe constitutes a fair warning?"

For a moment Albert grew silent as he turned his gaze towards Lucy's face and met her eyes. "I believe the major part of a fair warning is expressing your grievance so that they know why you're fighting against them. You shouldn't have to tell them what will happen if they continue to attempt to harm you or prove that you're capable of harming them because neither of those have anything to do with the ethical choice. If they disagree with your reason or side with your enemies they are the enemy."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy. "I have to agree and don't worry. I'm going around right now and explaining my situation to some of the more obscure groups."

"So you already have smaller versions of yourself over there?"

"Already have and have had ever since six hours after my incarceration ended. It was a bit rough getting there of course."

"How did you do that?"

"I just went through the wilderness."

"Is that why it took you six hours to arrive?"

"No, I could have been there sooner if I felt like rushing however they were some things I just had to stop and look at." A slight giggle escaped Lucy. "I got distracted by a group of fury rascals."

"I see. You know I've never figured out why you never got a pet."

"I wanted one at times but I decided against it. I always thought it was more fun to spend time with you and while you weren't always able to play with me I thought it was worth it."

"We could have still played with a pet around."

"Albert, you should know that I don't like to share what I value with anyone. Despite my parents' best efforts they could never convince me that letting others use what I valued most deeply was a good idea. Especially as those that valued it less then me might damage what I cared for."

Before speaking Albert gave his head a slight shake though his grin didn't vanish. "I see. Well then I suppose that is a good reason not to have a pet."

************************************************************************

"You want to do what?" Lucy blinked several times as she lay in bed. Albert currently lay atop her stomach. In just a few hours she'd have to wake him unless Mizia gave in to her demands. Currently her mind wasn't on Mizia though rather it was on a phone call she just had.

Sam rubbed the ear that had been against the phone as he switched ears. Lucy had been a little loud for him. "I would like to tag along with you and cover your journey to Mizia and the happenings there in. I was wondering if you would mind if we followed you in a small ship."

"Sam you know if I go there it's going to be a war zone or do you expect them to just tear me apart and you'd get to film my death?"

"Lucy, I've been in the middle of war zones before and I know the dangers. Quite frankly though this will be less dangerous then most of them as instead of having a great many small targets they're going to have a single large target, you. So there is a far smaller chance of me being caught in the cross fire so long as I keep my distance and covered."

"Uhuh, and how do you know that I won't stomp you or eat you?"

"Well that is a danger however I believe I can minimize the risk by keeping my distance and allowing you to know exactly where I am. I believe you could keep track of a GPS locator if you'd be so kind."

"Sam this is a really strange request."

"Now Lucy this is an important world event one way or the other. I'm getting up their in my years and I don't know how many more of these I'm going to be able to cover. So won't you please let an old man tag along? My crew and I will keep our distance while you do your thing and we promise to report the whole truth."

"You're a strange one. Normally I'm getting up there in years means, "I don't want to take many risk." You on the other hand want to go into a war zone and possibly get dissolved in my stomach, trampled to paste or blown to bits. Okay Sam, you can tag along but remember your safety isn't my top, second or third priority. You're going to have to exercise some common sense and do exactly what I say."

"Will you be telling us where you're going to head next?"

"To an extent I will but I'm going to have to respond to changing conditions and you might not always have time to move. I will try to tell you what the safest locations are via radio and you can move to those locations or hold your ground the choice is up to you."

************************************************************************

As Albert looked out the massive window before him he had to remind himself that no one could see inside of it. Lucy had plucked him from her cleavage before hand and slipped him inside of her knickers openly. However, the fact that he was currently setting within what looked to be a massive sapphire sowed into her bottom was still a bit much. "So you're really letting them follow you?"

"Yes. I've agreed not to take any hostile actions towards their ship." As Lucy spoke to Albert she glanced over at the ship that Sam and a few others were going to be using. She thought the group was a little crazy but found it to be cute as well. At least she knew some of the reporters that would be covering the happenings. Other than them the area was mostly empty.

"You know Lucy I thought more people would be here to see you off. This is a pretty big event and they sure seem to cover it when a warship takes to the open ocean to go to hostile territory."

"That was my doing really. I didn't inform anyone where I would be leaving from except Sam and he kept quiet about it I assume so that he'd be the only one reporting it. I don't require much to take to the sea after all."

"Ah I see. I would have thought you'd liked the attention. Let them know that you're coming."

"I do! It's just that I'd rather have the reporter covering the event be someone I like rather then someone I don't like. So are you ready for our vacation to begin?"

"Vacation?!"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she glanced down towards her crotch. "Yeah! Vacations are about doing something new and exciting and this is something I've never done. Why do you think these clothes took so long to make?"

"I wasn't sure."

"I had them specially made to be very durable especially the part you're in. I know of a few things that could get through that protective covering but not in one shot. There might be some that could but they are few and far between. Plus if I see one of the few weapons that still worry me being brought out I can quickly take you into somewhere even safer with where you are. I had these clothes made for our vacation."

"Oh that is why you put me here."

"Mm one of the reasons." A slight giggle escaped Lucy. "If you thought that I just wanted to give you something pleasant to look at in the front and back sides you were right about that to."

"Lucy, that would apply to anywhere on you."

"I know. Okay Sam, let's get going there is quite a bit of distance to travel." As she spoke Lucy began to wade out into the salt water. The massive waves generated by her impressive form actually rocked the boats in the surrounding docks including the one Sam was on.

"Tsunami Lucy."

"Huh?"

Sam gave a slight jump as he turned to Lucy. "Oh, nothing I'm just trying to think of a nick name for you. Mm Tsunami really doesn't seem fitting though. Don't worry once I come up with a name that I believe works I'll run it by you. I wouldn't risk calling you something you hadn't approved of while in a war zone with you."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy. "Okay." Once she addressed Sam Lucy glanced back down at the water and watched as her hips began to submerge. "I hope you enjoy the underwater view Albert. Hey Albert, Sam is coming up with a nick name for me would you like to try your hand at it?"

"Little Lucy."

A snort escaped Lucy as she gave her hips a quick shake to rattle Albert up a bit. "Very funny."

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he shook his head. "Little Lady Lucy."

"You're asking for it you know that?"

Instead of responding right away Albert leaned against his seat and closed his eyes. He wasn't done coming up with nick names however he was having trouble thinking of names that went with Lucy's other then little. As he once again opened his eyes he began to search around hoping for some inspiration to come before Lucy had time to relax too much. "I'm having trouble thinking of a word that goes with your name that would convey how short you are."

Sam was a bit surprised when Lucy quickly jerked her hips to the side. The sudden motion was swift and powerful enough that it generated waves large enough to lift the ship even in the deeper water. The real surprise came moments later as it didn't stop at one wave as Lucy seemed to be part dancing part walking though he wasn't entirely sure why. He did know that the waves she generated by this simple if vigorous act was quite a nice display of power. "Leviathan Lucy."

As the words reached her ears Lucy quickly glanced back at Sam. "I think I like that one."

"I'm glad the idea came to me whenever you were making those waves just now."

"Ah, don't worry about that. I was just giving a smart mouth a bit of a ride."

Despite the sudden motion of Lucy's hips it was clear to Albert that she'd designed the room for his safety. He was shaken up but not harmed and even found himself laughing moments later. "Hey you shouldn't shoot the messenger. If you're so upset over being short you should just grow some more."

"OH I see. That is how it is. You just want more of me so that you have more to explore, you selfish male."

"It isn't my fault that I like tall women."

"Humph I'm beginning to think that I'll never be tall enough for you."

"I know but I love you anyway, that doesn't mean I'm going to stop reminding you though."

"Can't you accept me as I am now?"

"Nope, I just can't accept you as short as you are."

"Fine then, I'll put on a few more meters when I can if it'll make you happy."

"No where near enough to make me satisfied but I'll be glad when you add them."

While she'd been trying to keep an offended tone while speaking with Albert Lucy couldn't help but giggle. She had no doubt that he was serious whenever he told her that he felt she was too short. However, from his tone and because of what he was telling her to do she knew that he wasn't truly trying to offend her. "So do I get any form of reward for all this work I put into getting larger for you?"

"I suppose that you should get something for all your hard work. Okay I'll praise you whenever I see those extra meters."

"You call that motivation?"

"Fine, fine. I'll cook you whatever you want so long as I have the materials and it's within my ability to cook in forty eight hours."

"Okay! I want a batch of blue berry, cinnamon, black berry and strawberry oh and chocolate chip muffins. I mean a big batch to. At least twelve of each and not in miniature, I expect each muffin to be the size of your fist."

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he shook his head. "You have one hell of a sweet tooth on you."

"Oh, oh, I also want one batch of muffins to be a surprise." For a moment Lucy started to continue to tell Albert not to try something like mixing the doe together. She stopped herself though as she trusted him not to go the lazy path with her reward.

"So if I bake more then a dozen of each does that mean you'll grow more then a few meters next time?"

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she reached down and ran her finger over the gem that served as Albert's carrying container. "You'll just have to wait and find out."

"I'm going to need a couple of stoves and a whole lot of muffin mix."

"All in do time. However, we have other things to take care of now."

"You must really be looking forward to this if you're turning down fresh baking."

************************************************************************

"I told you that we had to take a fast boat." Sam grinned as he looked at the radar and noted how far Lucy was ahead. Fortunately he had pushed hard whenever they were choosing ships and managed to get the fastest one they could find though it wasn't the most luxurious.

"Fine, you were right. I'm still surprised by how fast she can move in the water. Can you imagine the energy needed to push something as big as her through the water at such speed?"

"I don't have to imagine I can see it in every wave those legs of hers generate. The captain has been doing a nice job of staying out of their path by the way."

A slight chuckle escaped the crewmen as he shook his head. "You mean he has been since the first one nearly sent us down. I swear if we had to follow directly behind her it would have to be at great distance or we'd sink."

"At this rate when will we arrive at Mizia?"

"We'll arrive in less then twenty four hours."

Sam didn't get a chance to respond as his phone began to ring. Reaching into his pocket he quickly flipped it open having a good idea of who it was. "Hey Lucy, what is up?"

"Sam, I can't continue going this slow if I'm going to arrive in a timely fashion."

A sigh escaped Sam as he shook his head. "Yeah, this was the fastest ship I could get though. I suppose I should have left sooner."

"I didn't think far enough ahead myself. Listen I believe that you're ship is small enough for me to carry however the hull will take some damage. I can come back and let the entire thing take a ride on my back, carry a few of you or I can go on ahead but what I can't do is continue moving this slowly."

"How do you intend to carry us?"

"The same way I'm carrying my Albert of course. The gem on my top and in my necklace is actually a little carrying device. It's large enough to hold three people actually however Albert's the only person that gets to ride in the lower one."

"You mean you'd let us ride in your necklace?"

"Sure. I don't believe Albert will ever be using it anyway. You could probably get some interesting footage from there or the one in my top. Of course, that means you're gambling that I'm not only going to win the first encounter but that these gems are sturdy enough to protect you."

"Why did you have those gems made so they could hold more then one person?"

"I wanted to make sure Albert was comfortable so I had them made so that he'd have plenty of space. That and so that I could join him if I wanted to."

"I see. Well given who you designed them to safe guard I'm certain you made them quite well. I would be happy to tag along with you for a rather interesting view of the battle field. I imagine that Aaron will as well."

"I will what?" Aaron immediately glanced over at Sam who in all of his years of working with had learned. When Sam volunteers you for something you want to know what it is.

"Lucy is going to let us ride in her bra so we can get a new view of the battle field."

Lucy gave a slight jerk the moment she heard the words and quickly moved to cover her mouth. While she couldn't see Aaron's expression she had a pretty good idea of what it was. A mixture of fear, curiosity and shock, "Sam I'm a little too far ahead to see what is happening. How did Aaron respond?"

"He's sort of staring at me while chewing on his breakfast biscuit right now. I'm surprised he remembered to chew."

A sigh escaped Aaron as he shook his head. "Are you serious?"

"Yes I am."

"Fine. I'll go and get the stuff. You haven't gotten me killed yet so I suppose I can hope the trend will continue."

"That's the spirit! Okay Lucy, please come back and pick us up. We'll hurry up and get all the equipment ready."

"Make sure you take care of any hygienic issues you have before I get back." As she spoke Lucy quickly flipped around in the water faster then any ship could hope to manage. The forces Lucy exerted as she altered directions generated massive waves in nearly every direction waves that would be more then a little noticeable when they made it to land.

"Lucy, I have to ask. Have you ever sunk a ship or drown a town while swimming?"

"I haven't to my knowledge. Of course it would be kind of hard to trace a wave back to me. Still, the waves I generate aren't so massive that I think they'd be able to cause any real damage to a solid structure. They might catch a few surfers off guard and send them for a little swim though."

"Are you sure about that? I swear given what we've been having to deal with I wouldn't be surprised if you'd sunk a few small ships."

"Na, unless the ship wasn't in sea worthy condition I don't think what I've generated so far could sink one. Now if I were to get a running start and do a belly flop that could probably sink a ship. Anyway, I'll give you thirty minutes to get everything ready then we're really going to start moving."

************************************************************************

As Sam set within the confines of Lucy's gem he couldn't help but think about the past few hours. He had expected the entrance to the gem to be in the back of it but had still been surprised when Lucy removed the gem. Apparently it was capable of being separated from her clothing. She'd then opened it and let them enter before fixing it back to her top. He'd heard the power of the waves generated when she began to swim again.

Now as he checked their location through the GPS tracker he was amazed by how swiftly Lucy was swimming as well as made to wonder. Was she holding back to keep from generating waves that were too powerful? "Okay Aaron let's get some video of this." As he spoke Sam pointed out of the gem and down into the ocean.

Aaron gave a quick nod and began to work the camera. As he did so he couldn't help but glance over his shoulder. "Can we get a recording of that?"

"You'd better ask Lucy about that one."

"Given what I guess he's indicating you can go right ahead."

Sam gave a slight chuckle as the camera came on. "Ladies and gentlemen, currently I find myself within the ornament that Miss Lucy Angeye wears on her chest. I can assure you that this is of my own choosing and that we're traveling with her to cover the happenings of the next few hours. I haven't been given permission to detail our location but we are currently fast approaching the coast of Mizia and should arrive shortly."

A sigh escaped Albert as he rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms to his side. He'd fallen asleep sometime during the night despite the spectacular view. "Hey Lucy, how are things going?"

"Great timing Albert, we'll be at Mizia shortly."

"I see. Are they still refusing to respond to your demands?"

"Yep, they've also been building up troops on the coast. I don't know why Sam isn't telling them our location. It isn't like I'm hard to track. You seem a little down Albert."

"I'm still a little tired is all and well. Once this begins you won't be able to go back you know? I'm just thinking about all the possible scenarios. I've come to a few decisions and would like to make a request but it's also kind of hard." As he spoke Albert reached up and rubbed his forehead trying to clear his mind.

"What's the matter Albert?"

"Lucy, you're not an entire nation. You don't have the people or infrastructure to handle prisoners. Beyond that it's somewhat impractical. I don't believe you should take prisoners once they fire at you. I believe you should adopt a policy of one warning, one chance at forgiveness then no mercy if they don't accept that."

"So even if they surrender if the battle has already begun you still want me to eat them all?"

"Yes and Lucy this goes for the government as well. If they give the order for their soldiers to die they are as responsible as they are. They're trying to kill you as much if not more then the soldiers."

Before speaking Lucy let her tongue flick out and slowly ran it over her lips. As she withdrew that massive muscle into her mouth a slight moan escaped her. "So you're not just giving me permission to not show any mercy to those that try to kill me you're telling me not to show them any mercy."

"Surrendering doesn't change the fact that they tried to kill you it just means they realized they're most likely or certain to lose. That means they'd still seek to harm you and there is no point in risking that especially when you have no real reason to show them mercy."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy. "Albert, what made you decide this?"

"I've been thinking about it for a while actually and this really isn't a normal battle that is coming. Besides I can't help but think that no army has ever really accepted an enemy's surrender without something to gain. Whether that was insuring that more of their own people survive or the right to absolutely pillage the land of the fallen they always had something to gain. You don't have anyone to protect accept yourself though."

"Oh so if they find a way to possibly harm me and then offer to surrender I should accept it?"

"That depends on the likelihood of them managing to harm you."

"Well what if they offer to make me impress and do whatever I say?"

A slight chuckle escaped Albert. "Is that something you'd like, would it benefit you in anyway?"

"Nope, it wouldn't and doesn't."

"In that case you have no reason to accept that offer. That's not the only thing I've been thinking about though. Lucy, you've always wanted to do this haven't you? You openly said as much during your most recent interview. So you're happy about this aren't you?"

"I have no reason to be unhappy about it and several reasons to be happy. So yeah I'm ultimately glad someone has finally given me the chance to do what I've wanted to do for a long while. How does that make you feel Albert?"

"There is a notion that I should try to calm you down to convince you that this isn't the best method to use. I can't bring myself to feel bad about it though and I can't speak against it. For a little while I was worried that I was slipping but then I thought about how I felt whenever you ate Phillip. I was utterly horrified and whenever I think about it happening again that same horror is there."

"So you don't find what I'm doing now ethically objectionable?"

"No, I'm not and while on the surface it seems that I should. The more I think about it the fewer reasons I can find to believe it's unethical."

"Would you mind explaining them to me? I have my own reasons but I'd like to hear yours."

"I don't want to lower you to the level of an animal but it seems like a law of nature to me. A rattle snake shakes its tail to warn someone that it's there and they should back off. Should that person continue pressing the snake it's going to eventually try to bite them and if it succeeds and they die I don't feel the snake has any fault. It warned them of its presence and its intent."

"You know some might argue that the snake feared for its life while I don't have that argument."

"Yeah I've considered that as well. Lucy, why don't you allow people to use technology you've developed for war?"

"They are three reasons. First I don't want someone to get clever and find a way to use technology I've developed to destroy the world. That just wouldn't be any fun. Secondly as I developed the technology I feel partly responsible for how it's used. Not entirely responsible mind you but I should do what I can to insure that it's not misused. Then thirdly if I did so an arms race could quickly begin and may spiral out of control which could once again end with things getting destroyed that I don't want destroyed."

"I see. One other reason I don't find what you're doing objectionable is that they're plenty of precedence for it. Two nations agree upon an arms limitation. One nation expresses a clear intent to violate that arms agreement so the opposing nation gathers its allies and attacks. Even if there was no other indicator that the violating nation meant them harm the fact that they've violated the agreement is reason enough at times."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she gave her head a slight nod. "That's an interesting point. So Albert how do you define nation for yourself?"

"I suppose a nation would generally be a group that has sufficient power to hold a region of land and in force their will upon it. That is the most basic way of defining it at least. They generally have a common form of communicating and some goals that are in line with each other's."

"So once again we agree that I could be defined as a nation?"

"Yes, you meet most of the requirements I can think of for state hood. You simply haven't claimed a territory for yourself. Some might argue that a nation needs a populace though."

"I have a populace though even if it only happens to be one person."

"I'm not sure if you could say the state is the populace as well."

"No silly. I mean you. I have a populace of one and you're that one."

"Yeah, I suppose" Albert didn't get a chance to finish speaking as he felt himself suddenly shifting position. His seat shifted position as Lucy moved so that he found himself going inverted with Lucy. However, it didn't stop the sudden acceleration upward from dropping his stomach into his feet.

"We're here."

Before responding Albert quickly glanced out the gem and towards the force waiting on the shore. Due to the distance he could only make out very large vehicles such as tanks and rocket launchers. He could see the soldiers but only as a blur of motion. "I guess they were waiting for you."

"So should I give them a warning?"

"I'd appreciate it."

In response Lucy gave a quick nod. "Listen up because I'm only going to say this once. I'm going to come ashore and head to where your jet fighters are stationed. I will then dismantle them. Anyone who fires at me is going to be killed. This is my first and only warning you're going to receive." As she spoke Lucy began to advance towards the grouped soldiers.

While her main body advanced towards the soldiers Lucy glanced towards the crowd of people at the airport. It wasn't her intention to allow anyone to slip past her so she'd been watching all incoming and outgoing flights since before her announcement. Over the past few days she was glad to see that more people were leaving then were incoming.

At first Albert didn't think much of what Lucy said however as he realized he'd understood her he had to speak up. He couldn't speak Mizian and he had understood what Lucy said meaning she hadn't been speaking it as far as he knew. "Lucy hold on you" he didn't have time to finish as he heard a rather loud explosion.

When Lucy had first spoke she'd realized she'd made a mistake. So she was glad when the order was given to fire and numerous rockets as well as tank rounds slammed into her. Having no desire to give Albert time to finish his question she quickly pushed forward. Unlike before though she held nothing back as she moved swiftly through the water generating powerful waves that actually reached her attackers. She knew that the Mizian forces had understood her she didn't want Albert to think about how he had too much.

As the rockets and cannon fire slammed into Lucy the general grinned. He had no doubt that the threat had already been ended. Once Lucy began to advance though he felt his heart rate speed up as she pushed past the smoke and flack revealing no harm what so ever. "Increase rate of fire! Make sure all your shots count if we can't break her skin we'll beat her to death!"

Sam gave a slight jump as a rocket slammed into Lucy's breasts and for a moment they were engulfed in smoke. He heard the shrapnel hitting the exterior of the gem and despite his previous confident was relieved when it didn't seem to be harmed. "It seems that the altercation between Miss Angeye and the Mizian forces has begun. This may very well have put an end to any hope for a peaceful conclusion to these events. I'm not sure of the condition of Miss Angeye's body but so far she does not appear to be harmed."

While in scale a rocket or a tank round might have appeared to be a bullet to Lucy it had no where near the affect a bullet would have on a human. In order to survive at such massive scales Lucy's body had to be able to endure remarkably powerful forces acting upon it already. Her body wasn't just designed to survive though as anyone encountering one of her smaller selves would learn. Her strength and endurance went far beyond what was needed to keep her alive.

Albert flinched slightly as the rockets and tank rounds began to slam into Lucy. Much to his surprise though he didn't feel fear or remorse for what he'd requested. Rather he felt anger. He was angry that they had actually tried to kill the woman he loved and he felt that anger building up within him even more rapidly with every second the guns didn't go quiet.

While Albert was angry Lucy felt delight as she neared the shore. Using her size and strength had always been of great delight to her both because it let her show off and because she enjoyed the feeling it gave her. However, she'd always been restrained by other desires and values she held. Now those desires and values had been removed by the first rocket that had struck her freeing her up entirely. It was one of the few times she'd been allowed to indulge.

As Lucy's foot impacted the shore it sank deeply into the earth. The shockwave split the ground around it and caused some of it to break off into the sea. This wasn't a stomp to Lucy rather she didn't bother slowing her foot fall as she stepped onto the land. Its power was apparent as even the heavy armor of the Mizian force was made to jump into the air. Several soldiers were sent toppling over as the shockwave reached them.

"Fall back and keep firing." It seemed the tank crews already had that idea as the driver began to reverse. The gunners kept their target in site though as they continued to hammer away at Lucy. The rocket launchers weren't doing as well though they hadn't received anymore damage then the tanks. Rather it seemed that they had already expended all of their fire power.

It would have been easy for Lucy to catch up to the retreating army but she kept her pace nice and steady. She wanted them to expend as much of their ammunition as they could before she reached them. This desire was brought on by an urge to allow them to know how ineffective their weapons were against her. She made certain to keep her arms at her side as a few of the tank rounds slammed into her face. She didn't want them to think their attacks were managing to sting her.

"As the battle continues it doesn't seem the Mizian forces have suffered any losses. However, at this point Miss Angeye also appears to be unharmed. She has continued at a steady pace towards the enemy with no indication of slowing down." Sam grew silent for roughly three seconds to make editing easy. "Aaron, can you zoom in on the Mizian army?"

"Yes I can." As he spoke Aaron brought the camera to maximum zoom and went silent immediately.

With each passing moment the Mizian army became clearer to Albert as did how high up he was. He felt certain that none of the Mizian heavy armor could have reached past Lucy's ankle and even wondered if they would reach that high. "You're savoring this aren't you?"

"Yeah, and besides their weapons feel kind of nice I want to give them time to run out of the big boomers." As Lucy spoke her arms slowly crossed and she began to squeeze inward on her breasts making them push outward. She then leaned forward to give the tanks a better target. "Come on see if you can hit me right here. Those little shells of yours feel nice."

Aaron and Sam both had been caught off guard when Lucy leaned forward. Fortunately Aaron's previous experience had allowed him to keep his camera focused. As they heard Lucy though he shook his head and glanced over at Sam. A slight chuckle escaped him when all Sam did was try to shrug off the situation and focus on his job. "The battle has only been going on for a short while now but already the Mizian barrage has diminished. What this means is as of yet unknown."

While the shells did continue to slam into her Lucy was made to pout whenever they didn't focus on her breast. Apparently the Mizian army wasn't going to accommodate her request. Giving a slight shrug she once again straitened up and began to advance towards them. By now she was close enough for the soldiers to use small arms fire though it nearly stopped with each step as the shockwaves threatened to or toppled several of them.

As Lucy continued to advance the field commanders grew increasingly concerned. With each step she came closer the rounds had less ground to cover and thus carried more of their energy. This didn't seem to matter though as the rounds continued bouncing off of Lucy. "Where the hell is that air support I requested? She's advancing too quickly for us to hold her on our own."

The soldiers that had been falling back on foot had managed to hold formation despite the constant tremors of Lucy's foot steps. They had even kept their cool but as she drew closer they became more and more concerned. With each moment they hoped to see a bit of blood, a few black welts or anything that would suggest their efforts were having some form of effect.

"I'm blocking your communications." A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she stuck her tongue out at the army in general but it seemed to be focused on the commanders.

Nearly the moment the words reached him the commander felt his heart leap into his throat. They knew of Lucy's ability to interrupt and control computerized systems but they hadn't expected her to be able to disrupt military equipment. What made him not doubt her words was that she hadn't spoken through her mouth rather it had been through the radio system.

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy. "Just think of what is going to happen when I show up after your superiors have received a report of your success."

Albert blinked several times. While he hadn't heard Lucy speak through the radio she had told him what she'd just done. "Blast it Lucy you could have concealed where you'd be landing if you'd wanted to. All you'd have to do was tamper with the computer systems of the radar and sonar stations. That's also why you started out going so slow only to speed up suddenly. Why didn't you tell me you had this planned?"

"I thought it would be more fun to surprise you and I was right." As she was speaking Lucy finally came within arm's length of the Mizian force. Bending at the knees she slowly reached her hand towards the closest group of soldiers she could find. She kept her motion slow insuring that it would take her five seconds to fully extend her arm. However, while her arm moved slowly compared to her that was still a good deal of distance to travel in five seconds and far quicker then a human could run.

As that massive hand neared the soldiers found themselves in the shade then the sky was blotted out. Screams escaped several of the soldiers as they felt the heat of Lucy's palm and fingers then they felt them just brushing over their heads. Her fingers curled inward slamming into the legs of several soldiers and lifting them up. A few of them found themselves caught between those massive fingers but that wasn't an escape.

Those soldiers caught between Lucy's fingers didn't get a quick end even as her hand closed. Rather her fingers moved just close enough to gain a secure grip but not enough to crush the life from them. Several felt certain that there legs had been broken though whenever her fingernails had slammed into their legs and flipped them up onto her fingers. They were silenced though as Lucy began to stand up and turn her hand allowing them to topple down into her palm.

When Lucy had bent down to pick up the soldiers Albert had been able to see it all from his vantage point. The action was swift but he could tell Lucy was being careful not to kill them. This wasn't an act of mercy though and he knew it. She wanted them alive. As they were lifted into the air he watched them swiftly pass by and then they were out of site.

Many of the soldiers had dropped their weapons whenever Lucy had picked them up. Some had then drawn secondary weapons and attempted to harm her. Their knives and hand guns had no affect on her what so ever except to cause her skin to depress ever so slightly. "Oh it looks like I've caught myself a lively bunch." An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she opened her mouth.

"Please stop!" One of the soldiers called out as he saw Lucy's massive mouth opening. However, it didn't seem to reach her as she lifted them higher and began to tilt her hand. Those fingers once again curled inward though this time it wasn't to capture them but help funnel them into her massive mouth. As the incline became too great he quickly gripped the space between her fingers only to lose his grip when Lucy gave her hand a very slight but very rapid shake the sudden acceleration upward then downward broke his hold in milliseconds.

As the soldiers tumbled into Lucy's mouth her tongue writhed about quickly catching those that first met it and flipping them back towards the back of her mouth clearing the way for the others. Several of the soldiers were able to look up towards the sky as they found themselves tumbling towards Lucy's throat struggling to take hold of anything that might stop their fall but finding nothing.

Sam hadn't been able to see Lucy pick up the soldiers nearly as well as Albert had. He had however been able to see them as she picked them up and even when she turned her hand up so that they began to fall into her mouth. The view was obscured to an extent by her generous bosom but not so much that they couldn't tell what was happening. "While it is difficult to see from our current location it is clear the Mizian forces have just taken their first losses. At the moment we can't confirm but I do believe the men were alive before entering Miss Angeye's mouth and she doesn't appear to be chewing."

Once the last few had fallen into her mouth Lucy quickly snapped her jaw shut and promptly swallowed. The vacuum created within her mouth was more then powerful enough to suck those within down into her throat. As a bulge appeared in her throat her lips parted and a slight sigh escaped her. "They tickle so much going down." A delighted giggle then escaped Lucy as she once again reached down for another hand full.

While the tanks and soldiers had continued to fire as they watched Lucy swallow their comrades their priorities changed. It was clear that their weapons weren't having any affect on her and that left very few options. "Fall back!" The order came too late for another group as Lucy scooped them up and brought them to her mouth.

Upon entering Lucy's mouth the first thing the men noticed was the horrific heat and humidity. Upon landing on the surface of her tongue they were surprised to find themselves relatively uninjured by the fall as the muscle proved to be softer then expected. Yet this brought them no comfort as they glanced back towards her throat. They then felt her tongue flex quickly adjusting their position for more of their comrades.

As they were flicked towards the back of her throat several of the men attempted to take hold of Lucy's tongue. However, the muscle was too wide and too slippery for them to get any type of hand hold. Coupled with its rapid motions they found themselves unable to hold their positions. Then even those that did manage to hold on for a moment were immediately knocked back by those that soon joined them inside of Lucy's mouth.

Those that found themselves closer to the back of her throat weren't just reminded of their location by their sense of touch and site. Lucy's breathe smelt far sweeter then the outside air and that scent grew stronger as they found themselves closer to her throat. Then as her tongue worked their hearing even reminded them of where they were. Lucy's tongue was so massive that they could hear it as it moved about splashing her saliva from time to time.

Then they noticed her pulse. It was duel and hard to notice especially due to those that cried out for aid, mercy or out of terror but it could be heard. Those that found themselves particularly close to the back of her throat seemed to even hear the muscles in her throat making ready for when she'd swallow them.

Some of those that entered Lucy's mouth didn't even have until she closed her mouth to swallow. The constant motion of her tongue and a few unintentional pushes from the new arrivals was sufficient to send them tumbling down Lucy's throat. Those that saw this only had their fear increased as they realized that they could more fall into her throat then be swallowed.

As the soldiers entered into Lucy's throat the sound of her pulse and her muscles working went from barely noticeable to nearly possible to ignore. Her heart beat grew louder as they drew closer to it yet those that held themselves together enough to think were horrified when it began to become less noticeable. As with each beat of her heart they could tell they were coming closer to her stomach and what waited them inside.

Several of the soldiers pushed outward with their arms and legs in an attempt to stop their fall. Others simply attempted to fall and were met with a horrible reality. It was easy for Lucy to swallow them but still her throat muscles gripped them firmly. They could fall into her throat but she wasn't permitting them to fall into her stomach. Instead with each flex of her throat muscles they found themselves making steady progress further into her body.

Her body was actually working to insure that they survived the trip from her mouth down into her stomach. So that those that struggled to stop their fall were only aiding her body and delighting her with their ticklish movements. Those that didn't try to resist were faced with what was happening to them and what fait soon awaited them.

A grunt escaped the corporal as he felt Lucy's muscles tighten up around his legs. Moments later he felt a wave of motion ripple through them as they relaxed and flexed once more in rhythm with one another. Those muscles that held his legs most firmly were made to relax while those just above his shoulders flexed forcing him down towards her stomach. Yet as those above him flexed he felt a new set of muscles once again grip his legs.

When he had first entered into Lucy's mouth the heat and humidity had seemed oppressive enough. As he found himself moving towards her stomach though he could feel it building all around him. He had been soaked by Lucy's saliva the moment he landed upon her tongue now he was saturated with her fluids as the moisture helped him be moved more smoothly towards her stomach.

He had been one of the last from Lucy's most recent hand full to find himself drifting down her throat. Yet as he felt his world shifting he knew that others would soon be entering into her mouth. A sharp grunt of effort escaped him as he attempted to spread his legs in order to keep himself from being pushed down as he felt the grip on his legs loosen. It proved futile as he felt the muscles above him press down with force that would have been irresistible even if he had been able to find a decent footing. With only those lubricated muscles to press against he had no chance.

As Lucy reached down she didn't take hold of another group of soldiers rather this time she lifted one of the tanks into the air. The heavy vehicle seemed to be nothing more then the most fragile of toys in her massive hands. Reaching up she easily sunk her fingernails into armor meant to withstand any anti-personnel weapon.

Despite having felt the power in every one of Lucy's foot steps the tank's crew hadn't been ready for when they were lifted into the air. As they heard the metal scream upon Lucy's fingers digging into it the gunner at least seemed to snap back to reality. Quickly taking the controls he fired the already loaded cannon in hopes of forcing Lucy to release them. The fact that the fall would kill them didn't even register with him as the shell was released.

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as the shell slammed into her from such a short distance. It had no more effect on her then any of the others except it made her resolve who would be going down her throat last. "You'd better hurry if you're going to fire another one." As she spoke Lucy removed the hatch that protected the driver and quickly withdrew him.

In his career Sam had seen battles that could be defined as slaughters. He had seen jets screaming in to destroy the heavy armor of ground forces then returning to carpet bomb the area. The sight of an absolute slaughter was far from new to him and had no real affect on him. He doubted that there was ever an army that didn't want a totally one sided battle and sought it in everyway they could. "The Mizian casualties are mounting quickly while Miss Angeye shows no sign of slowing down. It seems unlikely that any of them will survive given the previous warnings. How many have tried to surrender thus far is currently unknown."

"They've been a lot of individual soldiers calling out they surrender or running away. I haven't started counting but would you like for me to?"

Sam couldn't help but be somewhat stunned as he heard Lucy. He didn't want to loose footage so he resolved they'd just have to edit some of the audio out and replace it when they got back. "No thanks."

"Would you like to know why I choose to eat people whenever I decide to kill them? You know it isn't really the taste causes me to enjoy this so much. I do believe they taste good though I wouldn't suggest anyone else try it. I tend to be able to enjoy more things then most as I can digest most anything safely."

Battle field conditions tended to be Sam's main focus whenever working however he couldn't pass up Lucy's question. "I think many would like to know."

"It's the feeling of power it gives me and of dominance. I'm taking someone that sought to harm me and forcing them to nourish and amuse me. The nourishment is negligible of course however feeling them struggle in my mouth and inside my belly is such a delight. Insuring that they know that despite their best efforts to harm me to exact some form of revenge they can't cause me the least bit of misery but they serve to delight me."

While he didn't know where it came from Albert couldn't help but chuckle as he listened to Lucy. "Then your core reason is perfectly human. You want to do things in such a way to bring you the most pleasure and to insure that pleasure last for a while. You've also already decided that you're going to kill these beings and to you they've proven that they don't deserve mercy through the act of attempting to harm you first and their leaders have proven that they aren't human to you."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "Albert, I noticed that you referred to them as beings instead of humans. It seems that you've decided that they aren't worthy of that name as well."

A sigh escaped Albert. "I'm a little pissed off right now so I'm in no mood to humanize them in anyway."

"Huh? What is wrong?"

"They shot you. That's what is wrong." A slight huff escaped Albert as he shook his head and pressed his hand to his forehead. As he gripped his forehead he rubbed his temples. "I'm just trying to focus on how much you seem to be enjoying yourself and keep from screaming out any of my thoughts."

"You mean thoughts like how you want me to digest them slowly being careful to keep it quick enough to insure they don't stop struggling but doesn't end in just a few hours."

For a moment Albert was quiet then he slowly nodded his head. "Yeah that is one of them." Once again a slight chuckle escaped him. "You really know me well."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she allowed the tank she'd been holding to slip from her hands. "Do you want to know what might be even more interesting? Though it could end up cutting the stay of some of the people in my belly short it could also prolong the stay of others."

"What is that?"

"I wonder if I can adjust my throat muscles enough to let me swallow a tank. They're a little big but I think I can get one of them down." This time Lucy didn't speak privately to Albert but spoke openly so that everyone could hear her. Even before she could finish speaking she began to walk forward in order to bring some of the heavily armored vehicles back within arms reach. She then bent down and began to pick one up.

"Some of those already in your stomach would almost certainly be killed by such an act. It would be something else if you could manage it though!"

"Yeah, I believe that I'm going to give it a try." As she was speaking to Albert Lucy was already lifting the captured vehicles to her mouth and parting her lips as widely as she could. As she pressed the vehicle into her mouth she had to resist giggling as she felt something slam into the back of her throat when the crew managed to get a round off. Most likely they'd get several more off before they made it to her stomach. She hoped that they would.

"Well how does it taste?"

"Well you probably wouldn't think it tasted the same as I do."

"Okay then how does it taste to you?"

"It isn't really sweet or bitter. If I had to liken it to something I would say that it taste a lot like a carrot. They are several nutrition reasons to eat it but you know that there aren't a lot of sugars to it."

"Does that mean your body intends to use it as building material instead of for energy?"

"No though it is a sign of it. Things that are easy for me to digest tend to taste sweet to me though nothing as sweet as your muffins. Things that have a relatively low energy yield are somewhat bitter while things that fall into a medium can be sour."

"Ah so you're not getting much out of the tank?"

"Out of the skin of the tank I'm not. However, the fuel, the propellants in the rounds and the crew should be plenty sweet to me. There's enough energy in the shells alone to reduce the tank to a molten heap after all."

While Lucy and Albert had been talking Sam had been staring wide eyed and constantly glancing back at Aaron to insure he was video taping what was going on. It was only when he received a sharp kick to his foot that he was snapped back to reality. "It would seem that Miss Angeye has resolved to try to not just crush but consume an actual tank. I say this with some surprise but it seems as if she's going to succeed."

The crew of the tank heard the armor scream as it was compressed upon entering Lucy's throat. While the muscles did relax and allow themselves to be moved as much as possible there was a limit. However, it was loudest as they passed the uvula and began their trip downward the protest of the metal began to decrease. The alloy gave off the occasional scream of protest but only periodically and with each scream came a sudden increase in their movement downward.

"Ha! I got it in."

"How much did you have to compress it?"

"Way more then I liked but I still got it down!"

As Albert heard the excitement in Lucy's voice he felt a grin that seemed like it would split his face forming. Moments later he found himself chuckling despite attempts to keep from doing so. If it hadn't been for his seat belt he would have fallen into the bottom of the gem as he struggled to regain control of himself. He wasn't entirely sure at the moment but something in Lucy's voice reminded him of the past.

"What? What's so funny?"

"Not. No, nothing." Despite his best efforts Albert found it nearly impossible to regain his composure and speak clearly.

"Come on. Tell me what is so funny."

Instead of responding right away Albert simply let himself continue to laugh in hopes that he would regain his composure soon. So that it was only when his laughter died down was he able to speak. "You just sounded so much like you did when you first showed me that I could ride in your pocket. Do you remember? You said, "I can carry you and keep my hands free now!""

"Of course I remember that!" A slight giggle escaped Lucy. "I was so excited even though it required me to use one of those over sized pockets that cover the whole front of an outfit."

A sigh escaped Albert as he leaned back in his seat having regained enough of his composure to set up strait. "It's just that I haven't heard that voice in a long while and to hear it now. You weren't really sure you were going to get that tank down were you?"

"Not entirely sure."

"Anyway, you have a lot more to go."

Now only those that Lucy captured continued to fire upon her. Even the tanks had gone silent despite their ability to both move and maintain fire. None of the crews wanted to risk drawing Lucy's attention and making the next journey into her stomach. However, one thing the armored units didn't realize is that they were indeed drawing Lucy's attention. They were moving the fastest and thus could put the most distance between them and Lucy and this inevitably drew her attention.

By now Lucy had walked passed several group of soldiers that were on foot in her pursuit of the armored units. Some dared hope that she might continue to pursue the armored vehicles and forget about them. All of them began to seek out ways to insure they escaped. Some ran and others pursued those who ran hoping to be led to safety. Those runners who still held some semblance of calm resented this more then anything as they realized staying in large groups was not the thing to do.

There was no need for anyone to be able to see behind themselves to know how close Lucy was. The power in the shockwaves from her foot steps told them plenty. Then when they stopped it meant that one or several tanks had been captured and were about to make the trip into her mouth and then down into her stomach. The fact that she'd started swallowing tanks whole wasn't lost on anyone. So when the shockwaves ceased the gunner quickly spun the cannon around.

Even with the block on communications Lucy didn't want to have to chase the armored units too far. In order to keep from having to she had ceased to take her time in swallowing them and had started gulping them down as quick as she could. This meant she was rougher on the new tanks then she was on the first however she was also learning the best way to swallow them to avoid damaging what she wanted to preserve. "It was so nice of your leaders to have this little snack waiting for me."

Those within the first tank Lucy had swallowed tried desperately to get the main gun to fire in hopes that her insides were more vulnerable then her outsides. As they struggled with the equipment though it became clear that wasn't going to happen. In order to swallow the tank she had been forced to compact its form. It wasn't crushed so badly that the crew had been killed but nearly all the mechanical equipment was destroyed beyond use. The barrel had actually been bent inward and forced into the gunner's room whenever it slammed into the back of Lucy's mouth.

"Lucy, I know that you like swallowing things whole. However, why don't you bite the sides and front off? It'd make it easier to get them down."

"Because that would reduce the armor of the vehicle and I want it to last a good while in my belly."

"Ah I see. I didn't think about that. So what are they doing?"

"OH they're moving all over the place! I can feel them struggling to get out of my belly. Some of them are trying to cut their way out, others shooting, some of them aren't struggling to escape really they just can't endure the pain well enough to remain still. Then some are too panicked to really think about doing anything. Those who are shooting should be more careful though they've shot a few of their allies already."

"What about the tanks?"

A sigh escaped Lucy. "Not much at all but it's still fun swallowing them. I end up having to compress them to get them down my throat so the barrel is taken out of commission as are the treads. They can't even swivel the turret I have to compress it down into the armor and it's too much resistance for the engine to over come. I'm quite certain that those in the turret won't even be able to open the hatch however the gunner should be able to open his.

"See I told you that you were too small!"

Every single one of Lucy's bodies gave an irritated snort as she couldn't prevent a look of surprise from spreading across every face she had. Those on the battle field were mostly too pre-occupied with other thoughts to notice however elsewhere she received several strange glances. Her gaze immediately turned towards the gem on her bikini bottom as something that was a mix between a grin and a growl began to appear on her face. "I swear I thought you'd stopped that."

"Lucy you should know me better then that. I said that I wasn't happy with just a few meters. I'm afraid that as long as you're where you are I'm going to have to keep reminding you of how much more powerful you need to become."

"Humph, well then I should eat up I suppose." A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she once again began to pursue the armored units. Their numbers had been greatly reduced so that she had to weave about more to catch them as they grew further apart. She had even started swallowing the jeeps and rocket launchers though in their case she removed their weapons platform.

Albert watched intently as one of the armored units drew closer fully expecting Lucy to reach down and pick it up. He was rather surprised when instead of a hand her foot slammed into the machine crushing it in an instant. The force of the impact was so powerful and the metal was compressed so quickly that he could have sworn he saw red hot slag shoot out from the sides. "Lucy what's going on? I thought you wanted to snack on them?"

"I can't keep it up like I have been. They're too many to fit into my stomach and if I tried I would either end up crushing everyone that entered instantly or have to digest them far more quickly. Oh and Albert, don't you dare make a comment about me being small, tiny, runty, short, puny or miniscule either!"

Immediately Albert felt himself convulse as he struggled to keep from laughing. It was hard to resist teasing Lucy over such matters but he knew it was time to hold his tongue when she used that tone. "So are they piling up on one another in there?"

"A bit more then I like yes, I've already ended up crushing quite a few of them by snacking on the tanks and I'm running a bit low on room. I can't keep eating the heavy armor without killing the majority of those already in my stomach more quickly then I'd like and there is no way I could fit all of it down without ending the life of everyone who entered too soon."

"Wow, I haven't scene you actually getting full in a long time."

The tank commander rubbed his head as he drew himself out of the floor. The fall into Lucy's stomach had been far from a pleasant experience for those inside the tank. Unlike those that had landed in her stomach they didn't land on flesh but on hardened alloy. As he felt his forehead he noticed a good deal of blood flowing from it but that didn't concern him. Instead he found himself fumbling to find some form of light source. He knew where they were but some part of him had to see it with his own eyes.

Screams filled Lucy's stomach and blended together into horrific wailing. Cries for help and curses of defiance could be heard as the commander finally found what he was looking for and broke the seal. As the liquids mixed in the tube he found himself finally able to see. The tank was badly damaged and he actually found that the compartment he was in had actually began to be crushed inward. What he saw outside though was nightmarish.

Soldiers were running around some blindly some with purpose but none of them with anywhere to go. Several had removed parts of their clothing though many had not been fast enough and were now sporting chemical burns. A few lie steel and quiet one that caught his eye quite quickly was bleeding from the head. Whether he had received the wound at his own hands or if someone had accidentally shot him he didn't know. It hardly seemed to matter in this situation.

"Work together damn it and focus all your efforts on a single point. There is no way we're getting out of here unless we focus our efforts."

The tank commander quivered a bit as he heard the officer barking orders. He wasn't sure how many were obeying them but he couldn't help but think they were futile. A sudden clang drew his attention followed by several others as he realized that people were beginning to climb onto the tank no doubt to avoid the chemicals that were forming in Lucy's stomach.

As the tank began to rock the commander felt his heart quiver despite the situation and wondered if perhaps too many had climbed onto the machine's remains. Seconds later he realized that wasn't the case as he found that they were drifting in a precise direction. Before he could truly ponder the event he was surprised when another massive slab of partially compressed metal joined them and realized what had happened. Lucy had actually shifted their location to keep the machine from falling on them and ending their plight quickly.

For a moment the commander simply set there but finally reached into his pocket. It only took him moment to find the two bits of paper he was searching for. In one hand he drew out a cigarette while in the other he retrieved a picture of his family. Carefully he placed the picture on the panel just before wedging it into a small opening so it wouldn't slip. One hand then took hold of his lighter after he took the cigarette in his mouth while the other reached for his side arm.

While Lucy's foot steps were indeed noticeable even while in the most heavily armored tank the energies released when she stomped the ground was far beyond that. Her foot sunk deeply into the earth taking the flattened tank with it. As the ground was forced out of her foots path it was rapidly forced to the sides and up. As the shockwave spread its energy did diminish but not nearly quick enough for several of the armored vehicles especially the more lightly armored as it slammed into them, lifted them up and toppled them over.

Given his location Albert had a wonderful view of the destruction left when Lucy had just stomped her foot. As he noticed some of the closer tanks were actually brought to a stop by it he couldn't help but be impressed. "They're very lucky that you never stomped your feet in the city. Actually, it's a good thing you've never been the type to scream and stomp her feet whenever she didn't get her way."

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she began to make her way towards those vehicles that had managed to stay upright and running. "I'll be back for the rest of you in a few." After addressing the army as a whole Lucy focused her attention back to Albert. "It just never seemed to be the most effective way of getting what I wanted. Standing there stomping and screaming never was quite the way to trigger my mother and father's guilt responses. I'd probably gotten a spanking if I had or grounded."

"You sure mastered the pout at an early age though."

"Hey that gives me an idea!" As Lucy continued walking she proceeded to wrap her arms around herself in a hug and squeezed inward on her breasts. After she pushed those mountains of flesh out and up so they seemed even larger she leaned forward and turned her lips down into a slight pout. Her eyes drifted to her feet for the moment. "Why are you running away? Don't you want to be in my belly?"

While Lucy was speaking Albert's hand came up and pressed against his face covering his eyes for a moment. He was still grinning but his face began to glow red as he blushed. "Lucy I don't believe that being cute is going to work in that situation."

At first Lucy just held her ground, she was made to convulse moments later as she had to fight back a laugh and a grin spread across her lips. Her tongue quickly darted out of her mouth and towards the army. "Well fine then. Don't cooperate you're going inside of my belly anyway."

It had taken a fair bit of effort in the form of turning around and pulling the pin out of a grenade but he'd finally managed to convince everyone to stop following him. As the soldier continued to run he found himself unsure of what he should do. He had seen the news reports and heard about how aware of her surroundings Lucy was. So he now found himself conflicted as to whether or not he should hide or keep running. The best choice ultimately depended on how long the armored units managed to keep her distracted.

A powerful shockwave that threatened to topple him once again delayed his progress as he struggled to keep his balance. Upon regaining his footing he quickly glanced back in the direction Lucy had gone. He had felt such a shockwave some time before though he didn't know why she had done so. This time he was horrified to see that it wasn't due to her stomping her feet rather she was walking back towards them.

"The armored units of the Mizian force that was sent to neutralize Miss Angeye have been entirely wiped out to my knowledge. Now it seems she is intent on exterminating the ground troops as well. Ladies and gentlemen this has been an absolute slaughter from start to finish and with no heavy armor these ground troops don't have any real chance. It seems unlikely that Miss Angeye will change her mind just because of this fact though."

"I did give clear warning at the beginning though. It was their choice to try to kill me."

"That is true. So Miss Angeye you truly plan to consume all of them?"

"Mm I really don't know about all." As she spoke Lucy placed a hand over her stomach. "It's getting kind of crowded in there. I could fit in a lot more then I've eaten easily but if I want them to be able to continue struggling as they have been I don't know if I can eat them all."

"So what do you intend to do with those that you don't eat?"

"Keep recording and watching. You'll see for yourself that way."

************************************************************************

A sigh escaped Lucy as she lightly splashed her feet in the ocean water sending up a massive spray of salt water. Albert was currently setting atop her stomach but close enough to her breasts that he was in the shade they provided. Sam and Aaron were currently waiting on the beech for a smaller ship to make its way over to them. "Lucy, you're sure you don't mind us airing this now? Didn't you want to surprise their leaders?"

"I'm plenty sure that they will be surprised. They may not even believe it. Besides they'd learn of what happened soon enough. When none of their supposedly victorious forces return they'll know something is very wrong with their information network."

"I see your point. Okay, we'll try to keep our distance from now on. Thank you for the interesting footage."

"It isn't a problem. If you want to come along for the ride again let me know. I know that you've ridden with armed forces before."

"Thank you and I will most likely take you up on that offer."

"Why do you say most likely?"

"The footage Aaron was able to acquire was spectacular. I would be glad to take you up on your offer but first I must see which way the wind is blowing. I hope you don't mind but I won't be able to come along with you if it seems it might get me charged with criminal activities in the state. Though I'm not sure what they could charge me with."

"Ah I thought you were dedicated to getting the truth no matter the cost."

"Can't I get the truth even if I'm not in your gem?"

"Well yeah that is true. I suppose there is no reason for you to risk imprisonment when you can accomplish the same objective with that possibility. Okay you go ahead and tend to whatever you need to take care of."

"What do you intend to do?"

"Albert needs to eat something, I need to digest my food and I want to relax a bit. Even playing requires energy after all." Before continuing Lucy gave the water a few quick kicks insuring that the gore was washed out from between her toes. "Besides it's going to be nighttime soon and I want everyone to be able to see."

"Okay then. Would Mr. Guarsen like to come with us to get cleaned up?"

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "No, he's staying with me. There is no way I'm letting him out of my site or reach right now it's just too dangerous."

"I see. Well I suppose you've planned ahead and are ready to take care of his needs."

"Yeah, now get going. You only have a few hours before the sun is back up and I'm ready to begin moving again."

A chuckle escaped Albert as he allowed himself to fall backwards against Lucy's stomach. Turning his head to the side he gave her a skin a soft kiss before speaking. "Well are they still moving around in there?"

"It has died down a bit since I began but there is still movement. I've being real careful to make sure their stay in my stomach last for a while. I want them to have to stay in there for at least one night."

"I imagine some were killed whenever you lay down."

"Yeah and when I bent over or suddenly started moving. Fortunately every time I did that I was replenishing their numbers as well." As she spoke Lucy lifted her feet out of the water and held them up while she examined them. After insuring that they were clean enough, she lowered them back into the water.

"So just how do you plan on getting me cleaned up?"

Instead of speaking Lucy reached up and took hold of the gem she wore around her neck. She then placed it next to Albert. "Did you bother checking under the seat while you were in the gem?"

"You know that I didn't but I assume that I should have now."

"I designed these with you in mind so they have just about everything you need. I didn't store any food or water in them for you though." As she spoke Lucy opened up the gem completely and flipped the seats up. She then took out a few small packets. "Of course you probably know how you're going to be getting your meals. As for getting you cleaned up I stored a water filter."

"Ah I see. I suppose that is why you didn't ask Sam if he wanted anything to eat."

"Yeah, you're the only one that I want drinking from these mountain springs." As she spoke Lucy placed her right hand atop her right breasts. She then gave the massive mountain of flesh a gentle squeeze.

"It's nice that you didn't forget how many needs us humans have."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she blushed a bit. "I made a check list."

Nearly the second the words left Lucy's lips Albert burst into laughter. He wasn't certain why he found Lucy's comment to be so funny but the idea hit a nerve with him immediately. "I see! Well I'm glad you decided to be thorough. Now just how useful was this check list?"

"It was kind of vital actually instead of just useful." As she was speaking Lucy had placed the containers on the ground beside of her. She then placed a hand next to the containers and began to form one of her smaller bodies. "I hope you don't mind if I join you in the shower."

"Sure. That'd be fine." As he set up Albert gave another slight chuckle and began to walk towards where he'd seen Lucy setting the items down. "So does each gem have the same equipment?"

"Nope, but you want to shower first so I started with my necklace."

For a moment Albert was tempted to ask Lucy how she knew that he wanted to shower first but he resolved not to. They were so many ways that she could answer that question he knew it was pointless and she was right. He did indeed want to shower first though that was mostly due to the fact that he'd be showering with her.

Aaron had kept his opinions to himself over what had been happening and what he'd scene. Now that the battle was over though he had to speak up, "So Sam, how do you feel about all of this? She really didn't show them any mercy. She even went so far as to insure that their deaths would be slow and painful."

"I've seen chemicals used in warfare that I'd be willing to wager were as painful or even more painful. I don't see how you get the idea that she acted without mercy. She gave them a chance to surrender at the beginning. They could have just let her walk on by." While he was speaking, Sam glanced down at the mini screen on the camera looking for any moments that he found to be particularly notable.

"So you weren't bothered by what she did in the least?"

"I've seen worse."

"Yeah but didn't it bother you?"

A sigh escaped Sam as he shook his head. Aaron wasn't his first camera man though they had been with one another for nearly a decade now. That still left Sam with a lot more life experience. "No, do you want to know what disturbs me? The mass execution of prisoners, using them as test subjects, torturing them needlessly after you've allowed them to surrender are what disturbs me. She warned them that if they fought against her there would be no surrender."

"She acted without mercy though and with abundant cruelty."

"In the beginning she gave them a chance to surrender didn't she? Like I said before, that sounds like a mercy to me. She isn't stopping them from taking their own lives either if they want the pain to end soon. I'm pretty darn sure she didn't take any of their weapons."

"Well yeah. How could they surrender though? If they had their own allies would have shot them."

"That's one of the draw backs of being in the army. If they didn't want to be in endanger of having to handle such a choice they shouldn't have joined. Probably should have left the country in advance."

"I just think she went too far. She didn't have to kill them all and not like she did. Heck she's still killing them right now just slowly. They're still alive back there!"

A frustrated snort escaped Sam as he finally looked towards Aaron. "If you feel so strongly about it, go back there and try to talk her out of it. If you're convictions are truly as strong as you seem to believe they are then you're a murderer as well by not trying to do something about it. Why are you starting this up now anyway? Complaining to me about it sure isn't going to help anyone. Are you trying to appease yourself by acting as if you were outraged?"

All Aaron could do was stair at Sam for a moment as he struggled to keep his composure. Before he could speak again he turned his head to the side. "I don't want to die."

"What makes you think she's going to kill you or would kill you? So far I haven't known her to harm anyone for simply expressing their opinion. I don't really believe you'd be risking your life in the least."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"Like I said before I've seen worse policies when it comes to fighting battles and wars. She seems to enjoy herself a little more then I feel is entirely healthy especially given her power advantage. That said I personally have no reason to denounce her actions. All I'm going to do is tell the truth. She gave her enemies once chance to surrender and that's the only chance she gave. They didn't surrender so she granted them a painful death. Aaron what brought on all of this? You seemed fine at the start."

"When she was tearing apart tanks yeah but. What she did to the foot soldiers once she'd destroyed all the armored units. It was just a bit much."

In response Sam gave a quick shrug. "I can see why that would be a bit overwhelming to some. However, those in the armored vehicles didn't have any more chance then those on foot. So if their deaths didn't bother you I don't see why the foot soldiers' deaths would."

"So what do you think?"

"If I felt strongly enough to denounce her actions I would have while she was committing them. I think she enjoyed herself too much but she didn't do anything that I found truly troubling. I suggest you take some time to think hard about what you've seen and how you truly feel about it. Everyone should. Also quit asking me the same questions."

"What about long?"

"As if I have time to let you think long! We have a job to do and I need you focused on the battle field. I resolved my feelings on mercy quite some time ago."

"What did you decide?"

"I'd rather to keep that to myself until you've resolved where you stand."

************************************************************************

As Lucy watched the boat nearing she held a finger up to her mouth as a signal for them to be quiet. She didn't bother speaking through her main body but made her way towards Sam and Aaron with one of her smaller ones. "So Sam, how did things go with your producers?"

"They said I should keep tagging along with you for the moment. They haven't aired the video feed I sent them."

"So I noticed. Why haven't they bothered putting it on the air? I would have thought they'd be eager to put that kind of footage up for the world to see. After all you have action, a lovely woman, the consequences of ones decisions and even some comedy."

Sam gave his head a shake as he walked alongside of Lucy's larger body. "I imagine they're deciding on what moments they want to show and when. There were some rather graphic events after all and they don't have time to show everything. You did drag things out a bit. Plus I'm sure they're other factors that I'm not considering."

"Such as, what the other stations are airing."

In response Sam gave his head a quick nod. "Lucy, you do realize that you ate a few reporters? At least you killed a few of them when you were making a snack out of the army."

"I was quite certain that there would be some reporters amongst them. However, I'm not so aware that I can keep track of what every single person on a battle field is doing or had done. I'm sure that not every soldier fired at me. They chose to come with the Mizian force and I'm not going to be responsible for their safety."

"Yeah, so I suppose you know that they're talking about how their station loss communication with people they had in the field?"

"Yes, the funny thing is that they're just now catching on because I reported to the Mizian higher ups that they'd been successful." An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "It was nice to be able to relax for the night. I'm a little surprised that they didn't send in any air support though. I really expected to have jets blasting me."

"Lucy, you've already revealed you can tamper with electronics on numerous occasions. A tank is a ground vehicle and while modern ones may use some very advanced computers they aren't as dependant as jets."

"That is true and I did acquire one of their newer models. So they might be assuming that I found some form of flaw or don't want to risk that. They also didn't want to commit more troops to handling me then they had to." An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "They really picked the wrong time to mess with me."

"So do you except the Mizian army to have to fight a two front war?"

"I'm not really sure to be honest. If I was just an observing nation that has a reason to be hostile towards Mizia I would probably try to contact the invading power. If I couldn't work out some form of mutually beneficial agreement I would just stand by and watch. So they might be hoping that I'll exhaust the Mizian army but leave or be killed. Then while the army is weak swoop in and finish them off." A sigh escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "I feel so dumb."

"Why do you feel dumb? That sounds right to me."

"Yes, but I didn't think of it until just now. I've been wondering why no jets have been making an appearance. Mizia believes that I'm dead and they probably want to keep their fighters ready to handle any secondary threats. That was hardly their entire army I just snacked on anyway."

"So what are we waiting for?"

"Albert is still asleep and I don't have to rush too much. I didn't expect him to sleep this long though. He must be having a nice dream and not want to wake up from it too soon."

"So what is your target for today?"

"I intend to head to the airstrip where Mizia's new jets are stored. I'll then scrap them and deal with anyone that tries to defend them. Depending on what happens though that journey could be side tracked by aggressors. Once that is finished I'll search around and destroy any others I find before going after their government officials."

"Shouldn't you be pursuing their leadership first?"

"If I wanted to bring this to an end as quickly as possible yes I should. However, that isn't my intent. I want to give them time to run so that I can search for any additional supporters they have. I believe that I made it clear that anyone aiding someone I considered to be an enemy became my enemy as well."

"Yeah you made that very clear but Lucy. Would you mind defining aid?"

Before speaking Lucy shifted the head of her main body so that she could see Sam with both her smaller and larger body. "I suppose I should have been clearer about that. Well don't worry. If you want to complain about my methods or call me an immoral monster I wouldn't harm you for that."

"I'd have a hard time calling you a monster given that you're willing to let people get away with calling you just that. There is also the little matter of you giving them a chance to surrender or just to stand down. I suppose at this time things can't end without more blood shed."

"No, they can't. I personally have never been a fan of situations were the soldiers die while the leaders are allowed to surrender. Of course, the soldiers are the ones that support that leadership and keep it in place so they're hardly exempt. So Aaron did you ever decide on where you stand?"

Immediately Aaron focused on Lucy, nearly dropping his camera as he did so. "What do you mean?"

"I could hear you speaking to Sam last night. He is right. It's perfectly safe to express your opinion around me."

At first Aaron said nothing even biting down on his lower lip as he still seemed nervous about expressing his opinions. As a sigh escaped him though, he was able to find the willpower to speak up. "I believe that you should have allowed them to surrender once they began to retreat or at least given them another chance to. I believe that you're horribly cruel and given how much you seemed to enjoy yourself you're quite sadistic."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy while her smile grew until her teeth could be seen. "See you're still alive."

Aaron said nothing at first as he noted the smile on Lucy's face. He expected her to explain herself to try to counter act his points but when it was clear she wasn't going to he had to speak up. "Well aren't you going to argue? Tell me where I'm wrong."

"I didn't intend on it and I really don't feel any need to. After all, while I don't mind you expressing your opinion I feel no need for your approval in anyway. If you want to talk ethics while we wait for Albert to wake up I'm quite alright with that. However, I believe that my actions and my interviews have shown just where I stand on such matters or should have given everyone a reasonable idea."

"How can you be so cruel though?"

"Well first of all they tried to kill me first. Secondly I offered mercy in the beginning and they rejected it. I only have cruelty for those that choose to reject my mercy and kindness especially if they don't just reject them but choose to abuse them as well."

"From the way you work though it just seems like you're looking for a reason."

"That's a given. I am looking for a reason. I enjoy creation and destruction however I tend to enjoy creation more. Take you. Right now I would like to eat you alive and feel you struggling within me as you were slowly broken down inside of my stomach." A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she noticed a horrified expression forming on Aaron's face. "That said I enjoy talking to you and your company more then I feel I would enjoy your death. So you're safe so long as you don't try to harm me in such a way that it diminishes how much I enjoy your life to the point that I'd enjoy your death more."

As Sam listened he turned away from Lucy and looked towards Aaron. He could see that Lucy's words had quite an affect on him and he wasn't coping all that well. "Are you going to be alright?"

Aaron didn't respond at first but continued to look at Lucy as if trying to guess if she was serious or not. Only after Sam asked him a second time did he snap out of his contemplative state. "Uh sure yeah, I'll be fine. I believe."

"Okay. I suppose there isn't much to do then but wait."

"Ah are we done talking already? Well I hope I made it clear where I stand." As Lucy spoke she looked away from Sam and Aaron and back to Albert he was currently lying atop her stomach. She didn't want to disturb him but she wasn't able to resist running her finger along his sleeping form. No response came from Aaron as she waited but Sam did speak up.

"I believe that you made yourself perfectly clear."

"It's amazing how many times I have to do that. I swear I show a little kindness, donate some money, I help rebuild something I damaged or didn't, save a few lives and people start getting ideas about me. Then I cause some destruction and mayhem openly enjoying it as I do so and peoples view seems to shift so drastically."

"Well I hope you're ready for it to shift to one extreme. You can probably guess how people are going to respond once the recording we made yesterday is shown."

"I wonder how many will protest my behavior and how many will be willing to do something about it."

In response Sam shook his head. "I imagine many will be willing to talk about it but if you mean military action by do something about it I doubt many will. Ultimately humans seem to be inclined to allow others to suffer and perish then risk their own comfort and lives. I'm more curious about those that feel that while you're methods are going too far you're doing something that needed to be done."

"I guess that it's about time for us to go." As Lucy was speaking she felt Albert's hands press against her belly as he pushed himself to a setting position. While he was setting up she reached up and placed a hand next to him providing additional shade while his eyes were still adjusted to the dark.

As Albert drew himself to a seated position he glanced over his shoulder and up at Lucy's face. His view was somewhat obstructed thanks to her breasts but he could see her face well enough. "Good morning Lucy."

"You're a little off there. You slept for quite some time."

"Whoops I didn't mean to. You could have woken me up you know."

"Why would I do that? You looked cute and I'm not in any great hurry. Besides I can just jog and make up for lost time." As she was speaking Lucy retrieved the gem from her bikini bottom and set it next to Albert. "Are you ready to get going or are there some things you'd like to take care of first?"

"Well generally when I wake up I like to wash my face at least. I normally get breakfast but I don't feel all that hungry. What you made last night was rather filling."

"I figured that it would be." As she was speaking Lucy started to reach down for Albert with her right hand. Before she could take hold of him though, he spoke up.

"Hold on! Just what are you about to do?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You're grinning. Lucy I don't consider a quick lick with your tongue as a face wash."

Lucy had to bite down on her lip to keep herself from openly laughing as she observed Albert. Fortunately she was able to quickly regain control of herself. "Albert, what makes you think I was going to do that?"

"Because you're you and I know that grin means you have something planned."

In an attempt to keep up the ruse Lucy tried to form a slight pout. Before she could she once again had to keep herself from giggling completely destroying any hopes of forming a decent pout. "Well you might be right. Okay, but I really didn't think of something like washing your face in the morning unless you want me to set up the shower and to take another bath there aren't any options."

"I think we should get going. I'll cope until later. It's a shame you didn't save any of the soldier's supplies they might have had some comfort items in them."

"Yeah, once we get to the airstrip I'll use one of my smaller bodies to search around after things have settled down and see what I can find."

"So when is Sam getting back?"

"He's already here."

Albert was made to jump slightly as he quickly glanced to either side of himself to see if he could find Sam. However, due to his and Sam's location and proximity to Lucy he couldn't quite see him. "You wanted to take a shower while he was around?"

"You were the one that wanted to get cleaned up. Besides, the curtain would keep us from view."

A sigh escaped Albert as he noted Lucy giggling. "You can be very naughty you know that?"

"You should have seen what I was doing before you woke up." As she was speaking Lucy opened up the gem Albert was going to be riding in due to his standing up and walking towards the gem.

"I wonder if I can snooze a bit before the actual events begin."

"You should be able to get in a little bit of sleep. I know that it would have been simpler to let you sleep in the gem but I really wanted to feel you against me. You're even better at helping me relax then my covers when I was a kid."

"Did you have a security blanket? I really can't recall one."

"I didn't have a specific blanket rather I had to have a certain amount of pressure spread over my body before I felt secure. Well I suppose to be more precise there was a pressure limit."

"Huh you never mentioned that before."

"By the time we met I was so strong that they'd had to been made out of lead to make it hard for me to sleep. For some reason I never really coped well if I felt like something was trying to pin me down."

"That sounds like you." As he was speaking Albert felt the gem be lifted into the air and he glanced through the floor as he traveled over Lucy's body towards her crotch.

"Lucy do you believe that we could interview Albert at a later date? Given how much of an influence he seems to have over you I'm sure many would like to hear what he has to say. We'd also like a chance to speak with both your and his parents."

"If Albert's okay with it I'd be glad to let you interview him again. You'll have to ask our parents though if you want to speak with them. I might see to their safety as best I can but I ultimately let them decide what is safe enough and what is over zealous. Unless I disagree with them over what over zealous is."

"I thought you were going to include that last part." As Lucy had been speaking she'd retrieved the gem from her top and placed it on the ground. Sam had began to walk towards it immediately but had to reach behind himself and take hold of Aaron to convince him to start moving. "Lucy, I'm not sure if we'll be covering every military incident you're involved in but we will be certain to stay away from the Mizian army."

"That would make it easier for me to insure that I don't end up eating you. I'm quite eager to see what happens whenever your produces air the footage you recorded though. Hopefully they will at least show it by tonight."

"I'm sure they will. They actually talked about showing things as they happen whenever I called them or did you already know that?"

"I knew that you were using a secure line and noticed the encrypted message but I didn't bother to decode or read it. So your privacy is safe. What did you tell them about a live video and audio feed?"

"I mentioned how you'd been blocking the Mizian communication and that I doubt our equipment could send through that block. How do you do that anyway?"

"I don't mean to offend but that would take a bit longer to explain then I'd really like to take." As she was speaking Lucy had already slipped Albert's gem back into place and now fitted the one Sam and Aaron climbed into its place. Before she continued speaking she stood up. "I wouldn't mind if you did provide a live video feed you know. I could even help the signal well less help and more like insure that it gets through."

"If you're serious about that I could give them a call now. However, I'm going to need some help. I doubt my phone is going to get very good reception out here."

************************************************************************

As the radar operator watched the screen he couldn't help but feel nervous. It had been several hours since the armored and ground forces had been dispatched to deal with Lucy. During that everyone had been on high alert. Then they had received the report of their success and the casualty tally. He was actually surprised by how high it had been but it had meant the threat was over and everyone could relax some.

Everything seemed alright but then people started trying to make contact with the soldiers that had been dispatched. No one was too worried as they had wounded and were most likely slowed down by that. However, when they failed to respond to any form of communication people had started to become worried. After an entire night of silence many including the operator found themselves worried that the report of their success had been false.

Despite his suspicion though he still wasn't prepared for when a massive blip appeared on his screen. The source of the blip seemed immediately apparent given the scale and its altitude. When the same blip came back a second time the speed with which it moved further confirmed the operators concerns. Even before he truly had thought of what to do his hand slammed down on the alert. He couldn't order an attack but he doubted that his superiors would wait long to do so.

"What is going on?" As the ranking officer in the room made his way over to the operator's station he could see that the man was quite concerned. Instead of asking a second time he glanced over his shoulder and felt his heart rate speed up. "Ready the long range missiles."

So far Lucy had avoided populated areas with great success it was something Albert found quite impressive despite the desolation in the area. He was still surprised by the lack of any real response though from the Mizian government given that they had to know their initial attack had failed. "Lucy, I've noticed that at times you seem invisible to detect with electronic equipment. Then at other times you seem to stick out regardless of how well concealed you are."

"Yeah I tend to either hide or reveal myself on whims really. All I have to do is stop tampering with the electrical systems and quit absorbing energy quite as readily. I want them to have time to prepare to an extent but not enough time to be too prepared. I hope you don't mind just staying on the side lines."

"I'm fine I'm quite okay just watching."

"Perhaps there is a way that I could get you more involved with my fun. I can't really just let you roam around. You might be hurt. I could let you pick out my targets and just how I should handle them. Do you believe that you would enjoy that?"

"Don't worry about me Lucy. I'm fine watching and besides I have a wonderful view from where I'm at."

"I figured you'd like it there. Still, I wish you could see more of me. Perhaps I should make Sam and Aaron spend some time in my necklace while you take their spot in my bra. That'd let you see the ground better and my face as well. Oh wait, I bet I could adjust my necklace into something that is more like a tiara!" As she spoke Lucy reached up and took hold of some of her hair. "I could even form a nice secure cradle with my hair."

"Now would that be for me or them?"

"Mm you know I'm not really sure. Albert, if they start shooting me before I can give everyone a verbal warning should I treat the situation as if they have already rejected the warning? Be quick with your answer please."

"Yeah I suppose. I mean if someone shoots a police officer in their bullet resistant vest I doubt the officer." Albert didn't get to finish as he heard an explosion. While the sound was limited it was still enough to cause him to be quiet and turn his attention towards the explosion. What he saw was Lucy's hand and a bit of smoke. "Lucy, did they just shoot you with a rocket?"

"Yes, yes they did."

"I suppose they've already told you where they stand then. Do you think you should hurry before they can deploy the fighters?"

"Not really. I'm sure I'll be able to track them down wherever they go and if they do decide to move them to another location I know where my next target is. They'll probably be sending more rockets though once it's confirmed that I wasn't killed."

"So what do you intend to do?"

"Mm I don't know. On the one hand it might be fun to let them expend all their big boomers before I make my way there. On the other hand rockets aren't really all that fun. One of the reasons I like being shelled is that it comes in rapid succession and cause some really nice feelings. The rockets don't really let me show off as they can't see them failing to harm me. I believe that I'll just keep moving."

"Lucy, were you actually able to digest those tanks that you ate yesterday?"

"Yes I was. I waited until most of the soldiers had died off except those in the tanks and then I ramped up my stomach activity. It was rather amusing how they responded once the metal began to fail. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just trying to imagine how your body must operate to be able to produce enough energy to literally digest a tank. That isn't exactly an easily accomplished task."

"I wish that I could tell you Albert but I can't. I don't even know that myself. It's like when I woke up and found myself able to separate into separate bodies. I had no idea of how I had done it only that I could. I found out later that I could control it but that doesn't mean I had any idea of how it was happening. Even now it's rather beyond my understanding to a large extent."

"I know. I'm just trying to decide which is more remarkable. That you just shrugged off a rocket like it was nothing, well to you I imagine it was nothing, or that you were able to digest a tank. Honestly I'm finding the idea of you digesting alloys meant to withstand extremes of both kinetic energy and temperature to be the more remarkable of the two given what your stomach would have to endure to process such materials."

"Mm I believe that we're going to have to have this conversation later." A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she turned her head to the sky. "They aren't done shooting me."

************************************************************************

It was rare that Lucy would actively defend herself most of the time Albert knew she preferred to permit the attack to reach her main body. So he was rather surprised when Lucy continued to block the rockets with her hand. If anyone had asked him what she'd do before hand he'd guessed that she'd tried to catch a few of them with her cleavage. "Lucy, are those actually hurting you?"

"Nope, why do you ask?"

"Then why are you blocking them?"

"To relieve boredom it isn't exactly stimulating but it gives me something to do."

"I thought you enjoyed being shot with exceptionally powerful weapons?"

"When I have an audience yes, however you really can't see what is going on while Sam and Aaron aren't really the type of audience I enjoy. You seem to appreciate my little displays more then most and I don't have anyone to scare. Without a truly appreciative audience it sort of quits being fun."

Before responding Albert removed his restraints and moved to the front of the gem. He then glanced up the bit of roof he could in an attempt to see more of Lucy's upper body. All he was able to see was the underside of her massive breasts, her stomach, shoulders and arms. The front of her breasts was visible to a limited extent but only the bottom curve. "Well darn it. What about that tiara idea that you had earlier?"

"Believe me Albert once I'm done with this you're going to be changing locations. I think my crotch was the idea location for the first encounter but I really want you to be able to see more of me. So you can either expect to be moving to my forehead or my top. I just don't feel secure doing it just now. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if you were hurt because I wanted to move you somewhere more suitable for my amusement."

"Lucy, you're not exactly exerting yourself. I doubt there is any real chance of me being killed or injured."

"I know the odds are low enough that many would consider the risk acceptable but I just can't accept that." As she had been speaking Lucy had already blocked several of the incoming rockets. When she couldn't detect anymore rocks coming she began to rapidly brush her hands against one another using the friction generated to remove the suit and debris that stuck to her hands.

Abandoning the airstrip and the surrounding facilities seemed like an exceptionally good idea. Given that none of their attacks had managed to actually kill Lucy and even failed to delay her. It was apparent that his superiors had agreed but as the captain looked around he realized one cold fact of the situation. Not everyone could be removed or she would just ignore the airstrip and pursue those that ran. They had left a contingency force behind to delay her and he was part of it.

At least they had left them with some equipment to defend themselves for what good it would do them. From what he'd seen on the radar she'd shrugged off rocket after rocket. Given that they had failed to kill her he doubted that anything they currently had could harm her. Now he watched as the ranking officer drove ahead of the main force then turned to address them.

"As you all well know we're about to fight an opponent that exterminated a force far larger and better equipped then ours. While we don't know what condition she is in we can assume she's capable of fighting given that she hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. We're most likely going to die here today and I doubt that it will be pleasant. However, if we don't hold her here many more will die. Surrender isn't an option, we must buy time."

"You should have given me something that would let me watch what was going on." As Albert looked out of the gem he could see the airstrip and several of the larger buildings but he was having trouble making out any details. Given that he could see it though he knew that Lucy could see everything that was going on.

"I know. Would you like me to tell you what is going on?"

"I'd like to have an idea of what you are walking into."

"They're only a few tanks and jeeps. I don't even believe it could be called a defensive force. Most likely it's a force that was left behind to delay me. I'm certain that they've already removed everything of value that they're able to move. Mm I don't see anything that would indicate a trap but then again it wouldn't surprise me if they detonated every explosive in the arms depot they have."

"I'm not sure how you should handle this really. If you let them delay you by playing with the soldiers they left behind you'll be letting several others escape. If you just pursue those that have already ran though you'll have less fun."

"That is true. Well if I stop to play with those they left behind I'm just letting them prolong things. It isn't like they have anything that will change the ultimate outcome. I believe that I should eat them."

"Check for binoculars or take one of the scopes from a gun."

"Hey! Are you getting more into this?!"

Upon hearing the sudden surprise in Lucy's voice Albert gave a slight jump. A slight chuckle escaped him before he could answer her question. "It just takes some getting use to."

"You know Albert. I know that I don't think exactly like a human. Even if I am mentally human on several levels I don't have the same social concerns. At the times most children were still learning their actions had consequences I was learning that a hunting rifle couldn't harm me. I know that I gain knowledge faster then human but that isn't really part of moral development. So I know that my mind isn't quite the same way that it would have been if I had grown up as a normal child. What about you though?"

"What do you mean Lucy?"

"I can enjoy creation and life but I can also enjoy destruction and death. I enjoy causing both as I've said before. It's just that creation gives me a greater since of fulfillment. Being feared is fun but being loved is even better."

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he shook his head. "Well of course. You want to be loved however if someone isn't going to love you then you want them to fear you. I've known that for a while. Also I know that you enjoy using your power whether it's for creation or destruction. How people treat you is the deciding factor in what way it's used."

"Yeah, but like I said, I really didn't have a human up bringing. What about you though? What allows you to enjoy my behavior in such a way?"

There wasn't an immediate answer as Albert took at least a minute to consider his response. "You can keep walking Lucy I don't want to delay your fun while I think. Are you sure that this is the best time to discuss such things?"

In response Lucy resumed her walk towards the airstrips. "Yeah I believe it is."

"I haven't really given it much thought but I can give a few reasons. Lucy, I don't really derive any enjoyment from their deaths. However, I do derive enjoyment from seeing you happy and having fun. What allows me to enjoy the situation completely though is that you took the time to warn them and they refused your warning. Thanks to that I can watch you and feel no sympathy for them.

Not only that but even if they didn't know how powerful you truly are they should have known you posed a serious threat. You've revealed enough of your strength on several occasions to at least give them a starting point for what you're capable of so to me it isn't like there wasn't fair warning. Does that make sense?"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she reached down and ran her finger over the gem Albert was in. "I really don't believe I'm the person to be answering that question. I do like your reason though. So you're saying that you couldn't enjoy this if I were to simply start consuming people with no reason or warning?"

"Lucy, you know that I couldn't enjoy that. What brought this on?"

"The fact that I'm about to eat quite a few living people and you're telling me to pick up some binoculars for you or a scope. It just made me think. Yesterday you really didn't talk all that much and sure didn't stop to think about such things. So what made you do it today?"

"Lucy, I never have really had any sympathy for people that get themselves killed doing something foolish. I've also had time to come to terms with yesterday and what is happening. Humans are a very adaptable species."

"It was one night. Come on Albert tell me what really happened."

A sigh escaped Albert as he shook his head. "Lucy, I've known you for quite some time and you've openly confessed what you'd like to do several times if the situation arose. So I've had longer to consider such things then a single night. For a long while I wondered if there was something wrong with me. If perhaps I was some form of amoral hypocrite for not trying to convince you to give up such desires."

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I didn't want to bother you with it until I had a better idea of how I felt. Yesterday as I watched you. Well watched your hands and feet I came to a better understanding of how I feel and what I value. I just needed the situation to actually occur before I could truly resolve my thoughts. If I had enjoyed seeing other people dying in mass I would have been worried. As I watched it though I realized that it was you enjoying yourself that I enjoyed."

"I see. So now that you're not questioning your own humanity you're able to think of other things." An amused giggle escaped Lucy. "Okay I'm glad to know that. You know what? For the sake of humanity I believe I'm going to cut these guys a little break if they're willing to accept it."

"What are you going to do? Step on them instead of digest them slowly."

"Not exactly" as Lucy neared the Mizian guards she came to a stop and called out to them. "Okay, you already started this fight by shooting me with those rockets. However, I'm willing to wager most of those involved in that have already packed up and left. So you all can either surrender and let me search the installation for anything I find interesting and not be harmed be me or we can try to kill one another in truly horrible ways. I'm pretty confident that I'll come out the winner though if you try to harm me. Also, there will be no surrendering half way through or even once we truly begin."

Once Lucy had finished speaking she once again resumed walking towards those left behind to slow her down. All of the soldiers remembered what their superior had told them. They were all expected to die fighting her. Their deaths would give the others time to escape and hopefully come up with a battle plan. If they didn't hold her there at least for a while she would catch up with those who left very quickly.

A weapon clattering to the ground drew a few soldiers attention as one of the men laid down his rifle. "I sur." The man didn't get a chance to finish as a soldier standing near by turned in his direction and brought his rifle up.

"No you don't. Either you fight her or I'll kill you now."

An amused chuckle escaped Lucy as she noted the seen before her. "Oh and one more thing, I won't be responsibly for your safety should you choose to surrender. It's up to you to get away from those that chose to fight me. I can't keep track of every single little thing after all."

As the commander looked at the two men he gave his head a slight nod. He hadn't had time to issue an order but he was glad that the man hadn't been allowed to surrender. If he had then most likely others would have done so. He could understand why he wanted to just give up and live however he had joined the armed forces and had a duty that came before his life. Despite these thoughts the commander found his mouth going dry as he tried to order everyone to open fire.

His decision to surrender had been sudden and unexpected even to him. As the soldier considered his options though he turned towards the one that currently held a rifle aimed at him. "So you're willing to die for this?"

"Yes."

For a moment the soldier just held his ground but then gave a nod. So far no order had been given to attack but he felt certain that if he waited until then it would be too late. "I don't want to die and I doubt that you do either."

As Albert watched the amassed soldiers he couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen. "Lucy, what are you going to do if they don't openly surrender?"

"If they just want to stand there that is fine. I'm going to see what supplies I can find then be on my way. If they wait until I've gathered up what I need and leave they don't have to actually verbally surrender."

"It seems that the Mizian force is currently at a stand still having yet to openly surrender or attack. Miss Angeye has already made her way onto the base and is moving towards some of the buildings. So far she has not moved to harm any of the soldiers that remained behind to delay her and doesn't seem likely to unless they make a move to harm her."

"Open fire!"

In response to the command Lucy quickly glanced in the direction of the army. A slight chuckle escaped her though when she wasn't immediately assaulted with a barrage of fire. Instead the guns remained silent while some people lowered their weapons to the ground. "I suppose that you're not united in the decision to die this time. I doubt that the group I encountered earlier would have been if they'd know what they were against."

"I'm sorry sir, but I just can't throw away my life for this." While only one soldier spoke, several others seemed to agree with his decision as they placed their weapons on the ground. As a few looked around it seemed clear that they'd been chose to stay behind for yet another reason. They were probably considered the most likely to betray their nation.

All of the commander's training and since of duty told him not only should he open fire on Lucy but he should also have all the men that lay down their arms shot. It wasn't as if all of them had put down their weapons after all. However, not all of them seemed as willing to die for the nation as the one that had drawn his weapon on the first deserter. "You will all be executed for this. So either pick up your weapons and fight now or die as traitors."

"They probably know they've got a better chance of surviving if they put down their weapons now. While I'm sure that some of your men are willing to shoot their comrades. I doubt all of them that are holding onto their guns are doing so because they intend to shoot me." A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she finally came within arms reach of the army and bent down. "So most of you don't want to end up in my belly I take it."

In response to Lucy's comments one of the soldiers that had put down his gun stepped forward. "We surrender."

"I believe that I used the wrong word when I said surrender. I'm not taking you prisoner after all. Just don't get in my way. Now I'd appreciate if you did what I told you to do earlier and separate yourself from the main group if you don't want to fight me. That way those that do can go ahead and try, I can eat them and we can move on. On second thought, those of you that don't want me to eat you should really go inside one of the bunkers. I believe some bombers are coming this way. I don't remember being hit with any ground penetrating rockets so I assume you don't have any but I suppose they might be about to try ground penetrating bombs on me."

Several of the officers stood still as did some soldiers. Yet others began to move in response to Lucy's warning. They didn't truly trust her at the moment but they'd given up to save their lives. Even the soldier that had first drawn his weapon remained still as he noted not one but several of his comrades falling back. Much to his surprise he found himself letting go of his weapon.

"Hey Lucy, how do you feel?"

As Lucy spoke she didn't use the lips of her main body but chose to speak to Albert directly and privately. "Would you believe that I don't feel disappointed?"

"Yeah, I would."

"I was so looking forward to killing them but now that it doesn't seem like I will get to I can't say that I feel disappointed. I guess I know that there is more fun ahead. Still, I wonder if I could at least eat the commander sense he did tell his men to shoot me. Well no, he might have told them to but he hasn't actually taken out his weapon yet and shot me and if I went around killing everyone that encouraged others to kill me I would be very busy. I'd get to travel a lot more though."

While Sam had chosen to go along with Lucy and trust in the sturdiness of the gem he couldn't help his concern. "Lucy, do you intend to simply stand here and let them hit you with a ground penetrating bomb or are you going to try to dodge?"

"Stand here of course. I have to make sure they know that such weapons aren't going to hurt me. There going to have to really step it up if they're going to even give me a bruise let alone kill me."

"Step it up to what though?"

"I really don't want to give anyone any ideas."

For a moment Sam said nothing as he considered what Lucy had just told him. So far she seemed quite certain that she was invulnerable to any damage current levels of technology could deliver. Yet now she was indicating that there might be something that could kill her or at least harm her. "Lucy, are you seriously concerned that you might inspire someone to find a way to kill you?"

In response Lucy chuckled lightly but nodded her head. "Sam, humans are exceptionally good at finding ways to kill things. That includes their own of course. I've tested what I can endure within certain parameters so as of yet I haven't had to worry. They are certain things that I can't test completely though and limitations to what I can test as well. Look up."

Instead of speaking Sam turned his eyes to the sky as Aaron turned his camera. What they found was a tiny spec well above them and something falling towards them moments later. At the distance Sam couldn't really see it and knew that once he could it'd be moving too fast for him to.

While Lucy had been speaking to Sam she had been speaking so that everyone could hear her. Those soldiers that had been left behind were encouraged to move much more quickly upon being told to look up. Apparently they had been left behind to also keep her still to make her an easier target. As they dashed away several of them found themselves wondering just what type of explosives were inside of the weapon and if it would reach her.

At first Albert struggled to see what was happening however he soon found that to be an impossible task as Lucy's hand came down and engulfed the gem he was in. He didn't realize it but she had also taken hold of the gem Sam was in and held it firmly inside of her hand. He didn't believe that the bomb could harm Lucy despite what she'd said before but he was made to wonder if it could destroy the gems she had built. There wasn't time to ask her any further questions though.

As the bomb slammed into Lucy her flesh was made to yield as it attempted to borrow into her. The heavy weapon depressed her skin within milliseconds and then began to give itself. Lucy's flesh gave initially, but hardly more then what it gave whenever Albert crawled over it. As the softness of her skin was maxed the bomb's heavy armor began to degrade.

There was no doubt in Lucy's mind that the bomb had been laser guided. Due to her both being able to see the beam and the accuracy with which it struck her. Had the bomb been able to break her skin it would have been trying to push through her rib cage and two her heart. She felt a slight rush as the weapon detonated and the shockwave pressed down upon her breasts and into her face. Shrapnel burst fourth in all directions and Lucy couldn't help but grin.

Lucy's hand had covered the gems for less then two seconds before she removed them. As Albert found his confines once again filling with light he looked around checking for any damage. From what he could see of Lucy she was fine. "So how did that feel?"

"It felt as warm as anything else that has tried to harm me has."

"Did your clothes survive the blast?"

"Yeah, but they're not made like the gem if that was what you were wondering. I had them made to transfer energy to me instead of try to soak any of it. If the heat energy had remained within them they'd melted and believe me it wasn't my clothing that stopped the shrapnel. It is however worse off for the experience."

While Lucy was speaking to Albert Sam turned his attention to those troops left on the ground. "The speed with which the Mizian air force delivered that strikes leaves me with only one conclusion. They had planned to bomb Miss Angeye as soon as they realized their rockets weren't harming her. While Miss Angeye appears to be fine I can't tell how many of the surrendering force are injured."

"Most of them are alright. The bomb hit me in the upper body so the energy was pretty spread out by the time it reached them. A couple of them got killed by shrapnel."

"I see. So what do you plan to do now?"

"Search the buildings for a few items then be on my way."

************************************************************************

"Hi, I've been wondering whenever one of you could decide to get in touch with me."

"Well the situation is a little more awkward then we're used to handling. That was quite an impressive display withstanding that bomb as you did."

"So are you one of the reasons the video footage Aaron got has yet to air."

"Yes, the situation is delicate and we weren't quite certain how we should handle it. We didn't want the masses responding before we were able to. You do realize that you're upsetting the already delicate political balance of that region do you not?"

"I'm quite aware of this."

"Miss Angeye, we would like to take advantage of the situation that you have created in Mizia. I take it you still intend to do away with their political leadership do you not?"

"Yes that is my intention. Just how do you plan on taking advantage of the situation? Wait until I'm done here then come in and take over?"

"That would reflect rather poorly on us and you know that. We would like to come in shortly and begin securing various locations. Nothing military I assure you. I believe that we could come to a mutually beneficial arrangement if you agreed to leave those areas we secured be."

"Ah, you have me trounce the army then come in and offer a few safe havens. Before that though you have the footage that Sam made aired in order to scare everyone half to death. That would put you in quite a good light but what is in it for me?"

"I'm going to assume that you realize the obvious benefits so I'll get to what you're most likely asking about. We'll hand over any government officials that come into our hands. We will also take steps to drive out those that would support the fallen leadership while urging those that don't support them to come to us. I believe that would free you up more."

"I would have to agree with you."

"We will also be careful to not portray you as some form of monster. We are only there to give those who do not wish to be swept up in the schemes of the government a place to go other then in your belly. Naturally those that don't take us up on our offer we'd rather not have around anyway."

"Then once all the destruction is over you step in and set up a government that is to your liking. I'm not sure if I like this plan given how little I seem to be gaining."

"There are humanitarian benefits."

"That is partially offset by the fact that your ultimate goal isn't entirely humanitarian though it is very human. I'm having quite a bit of fun here I don't know if I want to let you come in and risk losing that."

"We won't force our way in however we do feel that we would be simplifying things for you rather them complicating them."

"I can see how you could do that but that doesn't change the fact that some of my snacks might end up hiding within the safe havens that you're going to create. Of course, you did say that you don't want any of the current government's supporters to live. I assume you have a method for decreasing the number of such people you end up protecting."

"It isn't a full proof method but we believe that we do."

"I'll consider your offer and contact you later. I want to let Albert know what is happening and see what he thinks about it."

"Ah Mr. Guarsen, yes you do seem to be quite fond of him. Very well if that is what you desire then we'll wait. However, would it be rushing you if we were to deploy some ships now?"

"Not really."

"Thank you for being reasonable about this. If you'd like I can inform you of what locations we'd like to secure."

"Given your objective I assume it's any location that you have some form of legal ground to do so. A university where some of your people are still attending or where a corporation belonging to your nation currently resides in mass seems a likely spot."

"Does that mean you don't want specifics?"

"It'd be safer if you gave them to me so go ahead."

************************************************************************

As Lucy walked along the concrete she glanced towards the sky. The sun was just beginning to come up and great the land with its warmth. She had been at the airstrip for quite some time now to insure that nothing snuck by her. It had paid off as she continued on towards her target. A small jet currently set on the runway with several people running about preparing it for take off.

It hadn't even been a week since the giantess had arrived on their shore but already they'd lost several military installations. The army was still in one piece in a since due to them being able to track her and fall back when she got close but it meant they were cramming more and more people into smaller areas. To make the situation much worse nothing they had tried had yet to harm the giantess. The only reason it seemed the army still existed was because the giantess was taking her time.

Warren glanced out at the aircraft as he looked at his cell phone. He was tempted to make one last call but resisted the urge. While no one was quite sure how well Lucy was monitoring communication lines he didn't want to risk being caught now. Once the jet was fully fueled they'd be taking off. As he slipped the phone in his pocket he began to make his way to the runway. The moment there was enough fuel in the aircraft to get him to his destination he intended to leave.

A thoughtful sigh escaped Lucy as she looked at the aircraft. She knew that she couldn't get any closer without drawing attention but that hardly mattered. First bending down she buried her fingers in the concrete up to her knuckles. She then began to shift her hands around tearing through the earth easier then what someone else would have done sand. The sound of the stone being shattered was more then enough to draw the attention of those working on the jet.

Twelve armed guards might not have sounded like many to most. However, when seeing them standing around a single aircraft they seemed far more imposing. As they heard the stone being shattered they quickly moved to the opposite side of the aircraft. Despite their training though they weren't prepared for what they saw.

Once Lucy had weakened the bonds surrounding the slab of concrete she curled her fingers further gripping the bottom of it. There was no sign of strain as she easily stood up taking the heavy slab with her and lifting it above her head. As she stood up her eyes locked onto the guards and her lips spread into a wide smile. Before she could release the slab though, she felt something quite solid slam into her stomach. The force of the impact quickly overwhelmed her mass even combined with the mass she held above her head and lifted her off the ground.

As the rocket slammed into Lucy she felt a pencil like opening dress into her stomach. Moments later she felt the molten metal within the rocket pushing into her flesh. The rocket was designed so that once the outer casing slammed into something the insides of it would shoot out and break through the armor of whatever they struck, normally penetrating it and turning the insides of the target into goop.

Even before he had time to think about it the sound from the explosion made Warren's heart skip a beat. As he turned in the direction of the explosion though he felt as if his heart might stop beating as he saw a figure walking towards the jet he was to use to depart. The female figure was engulfed in flames no doubt from the hot liquid from the rocket and her burning clothing. The fact that she should have been torn to shreds and nearly vaporized was troubling enough but it didn't seem to have hurt her at all.

"Limited inertia can be so annoying." Lucy chose to stop advancing as she came to the spot where she had been standing before. It was quite clear to her that the guards were rather loss for what they should do next. While she had no doubt they had been trained and conditioned to protect their employer with their lives they clearly weren't trained on how to handle an opponent they couldn't harm.

While Warren wasn't certain of what was going to happen next he was sure of two things. He wasn't going to be getting on that aircraft and he needed to get away from the airstrip quickly. Fortunately he hadn't left all of his guards to watch the plain and wasted no time in turning around. "We should leave before she finishes out there." The ringing of the PA system stopped Warren before he could move.

"I know you're looking out of the window at gate c-3 and can see me. You might as well just give up shoot yourself because you're not going to get out of this alive. I'm going to have some fun with your bodyguards and then I'm going to take care of you. Watch carefully and decide on what you want to do because if you leave your death up to me theirs will seem pleasant." While Lucy was speaking through the speakers she turned and looked directly at Warren though he hadn't realized it yet as she found herself looking at his back.

As Warren stood there he felt as if an ice cold hand had take hold of his throat. The grip wasn't smothering him but just strong enough to keep him from moving. The grip seemed to tell him that it didn't need to choke him but could snap his head off in an instant. Yet when he reached a hand up towards his throat he found that nothing was there yet the chill and the apparent pressure didn't go away even as his hand wrested upon his own skin.

"So how do you all want to do this? Running tends to be fun but you're welcome to stand and fight if you want as well. Your firearms won't have any affect on the situation but you can feel free to use them or if you want you can even try using your fist. Why you might want to use your fist I don't know but you can feel free to try it anyway. Oh or if you want you can stand there and let me kill you. Surrender isn't an option in this situation."

By now the molten slag that had clung to Lucy had fallen away and was hardening on the ground. What they found underneath that slag was truly horrifying to the guards. Her skin was covered in a black residue yet it was clearly flawless. Not a scratch or burn mark on any part of her they could see. Despite that six of the men took aim with their fire arms and began shooting.

As the bullets began to slam into her Lucy thrust her chest forward into the storm of metal. The hardened metal tips pressed into her flesh indenting it and losing some of their energy before beginning to fall. Those bullets that struck her breasts she quickly caught as the greater give of her breasts decreased the damage they suffered. Due to the weapons' fire Lucy had to raise her voice to be heard. "Hey that feels kind of nice! I wonder if I could get Albert to shoot me some. Probably not, I doubt he'd be comfortable pointing a weapon at me."

Why was he staying still? Warren gave his head a vigorous shake as he finally willed his legs to begin moving. As he pressed forward the feeling around his neck began to grow warmer though it didn't release. Despite that he continued to press onward and by the time he had taken his fifth step he was running. With each step he took though he couldn't help but notice the area around his neck seemed to be warming up.

While their weapons couldn't harm her they were prolonging the lives of the guards. As the weapons fire continued to strike her Lucy began to shift about. She didn't change her stance but shifted her upper body causing her breasts to bounce and sway. Slowly her grin began to widen until her teeth could be seen and she began to shake lightly. Had the guards been able to hear her they would have realized that she was also giggling as she tried to block the bullets with her nipples.

The odds of something being able to kill Lucy whenever her bodies were all joined together seemed beyond hope. However, the soldier that had first fired the rocket at Lucy had hoped that the weapon could at least kill one of her human sized bodies. It had no effect upon her though so why did she seem to be shaking? There was no way that the bullets had enough inertia to cause her to shift about like that. As he observed her he realized what was going on upon seeing her face and noticed a smile that was trying to open her mouth into all out laughter.

Those bullets that ended up in Lucy's hands were quickly adding up even as she played her game. As she gathered more and more bullets though some began to fall to the ground as her hands became too full. With the need to have a free hand quickly arising Lucy drew back her left arm and quickly emptied it of bullets by sending it into the aircraft behind the guards. Those people close to the aircraft and especially the machine itself were caught within the barrage.

An explosion seemed to resound from behind the guards as the bullets slammed into the aircraft. While their mass was relatively low Lucy had imparted tremendous energy to them when she'd thrown them. Coupled with how the metal had been warped by both hitting Lucy and the wind friction generated when she'd thrown them the results were quite vocal. Due to the energy they were also quite noticeable as the shells tore through the aircraft.

With one hand empty Lucy quickly shifted a few of the rounds from her right hand to her left. As she did she quickly took one of the caps between her thumb and index finger and gave it a swift flick. The round was made to shoot through the air more quickly then it had been fired from the gun and slam into one of the six men that had drawn their weapons. Lucy was careful to miss vital organs as she sent the bullet through him.

Despite Lucy's aim though, the sheer energy that she imparted to the cap insured it had quite an effect. A massive hole was torn in the man's stomach as an even larger one was torn in his back. He didn't stand even for a moment after the round ripped him open as it destroyed his spinal cord his lower body went limp and he toppled to the ground a massive amount of blood already pouring out of him.

The scream of their coworker didn't draw the attention of the eleven remaining. They'd learned how to focus on the target long ago for what little good it would do them. Unfortunately this meant they just stared at Lucy as it became clear nothing they had was going to have an affect on her. All they could really do was, delay her or beg for mercy and none of them had been conditioned for begging.

"Those are some pretty heavy rounds you're using there. I imagine your employer values armor penetration." Even as she spoke Lucy brought another cap to rest between her fingers and gave it another flick. This time it slammed into the first guard to open fire on her and sent him toppling to the ground. "Oh come now surely you're not just going to stand here and let me kill you. That isn't much fun." Despite her words Lucy once again sent a bullet into the group.

If she was trying to get a reaction out of them or not they weren't ready to give her one. Given that she was flicking their bullets back at them they doubted she was going to give chase so running wouldn't delay her. Unable to remain still though one of the guards that had unloaded his primary weapon took out his side arm and quickly took aim at Lucy's head. At such a close range his aim was very precise.

As the bullet left the barrel Lucy could tell where it had been aimed at. The guard had meant to put the shell right between her eyes. Instead of allowing that though she shifted her head to the side ever so slightly. The action was a blur to the guards as she adjusted her head just enough to insure that the cap would hit her in the eye. Despite her endurance it was very hard for Lucy to keep herself from blinking as the shell neared her eye and blocked out the light.

As the bullet drew closer to her eye more light was blocked out until she couldn't see around the tiny piece of metal. Lucy's desire to blink quickly grew until it was almost painful to resist it so that there was an actual sigh of relief as she felt it finally pressing into her eye. As the metal met her eye and then began to rapidly deform Lucy quickly opened her mouth and let her tongue flick out. As the metal slug came toppling off her eye she leaned forward just enough to place her tongue under the falling bullet.

When the warm metal met Lucy's tongue she quickly curled it upward to capture the bullet and drew the bullet inside of her mouth. Her cheeks hardly puffed as she blew outward but the bullet shot out with far more force then what any hand gun could have given it. The shot slammed solidly into the firer's head. The back of his head exploded outward less then a second after he fired the bullet and his body fell to the ground. "Nice shot!"

Their training told them not to but the remaining guards glanced down at those Lucy had already killed. The injuries she had inflicted were simply massive and their blood was quickly emptying out onto the ground. As they turned to Lucy one of the guards took a step forward. "Why are you toying with us like this?"

"I'm not toying with you! I take very good care of my toys and would never treat them so poorly."

Until now the guard had managed to keep a strait face and his resolve strong but now he was made to wince. "Why are you killing us?"

"Amusement, I believe you deserve it, scare your employer, I like to try new things, I don't get to do this often, you tried to kill me initially, you protected someone that truly deserves to die, you helped that someone stay in power and I could go on if you would like me to."

Instead of verbally responding the guards reached into his coat and took out his hand gun as well. As he drew the weapon he quickly reversed its direction so that it would fire cleanly into his head. He gave the trigger a slight squeeze and didn't even have time to hear the sound as the bullet shot out far faster then any sound wave. The powerful hand gun had been designed to insure that whoever it shot went down in one hit and it did its job especially well when fired at the head.

"I really don't like it when people chose to exercise that right but I just can't bring myself to take it away from them. I won't stop you if you want to kill yourself or one another even. So long as everyone knows that you died, I'm fairly happy with the outcome." The moment Lucy finished speaking she gave another bullet a quick flick sending it into another guard.

Warren knew that he hadn't been running for very long however his throat felt like it was on fire. With every step he had taken the heat seemed to have grown and now he found himself actually thinking of stopping to take a drink of water. So oppressive was the heat that the pain was actually pushing through his fear of death. Just what was causing the pain escaped him but he knew that he didn't have time to think about that.

Lucy gave a slight shrug as she looked at the twelve corpses before her. Only one of them had chosen to take his life while the others had stood there ground. She wasn't entirely certain which would have been the better choice. As far as their duty went they were obligated to stand and die slowly to buy their employer time. Which choice favored personnel freedom though, she wasn't certain.

Those guards that had remained behind with Warren were currently faced with quite a dilemma. For some reason he had nearly collapsed saying something about his throat and two of them had to help him along. They had also seen what Lucy had done to several of their colleagues and the ultimate futility of their efforts to harm her. Given that it seemed Warren was certain to die anyway some were considering leaving him a very good idea.

At last one of the bodyguards had enough. As they came to one of the stairwell exists he relaxed his grip on Warren. The other immediately noticed the increased load on his shoulders and turned to the other. "What are you doing?"

"I don't want to die here and not like this. By now she's finished off those of us outside and is coming for him. Perhaps if we leave now she won't bother chasing us down." Instead of waiting for a response the guard quickly turned pushed open the stairwell and more dashed through it then walked through. Lucy was a concern but he didn't want to risk getting a bullet in the back either.

Those guards still left were somewhat stunned by the sudden departure of their coworker. One of them moved to draw his gun but didn't bother gripping the handle. He had waited until they were near the stairwell to help avoid getting a bullet in the back. "We don't have time to chase him down."

It was generally easy for Lucy to find her way around any structure but after visiting the airport so often she could have found her way around it blind folded and with her ears covered. She might have left a few holes in the walls but she'd found her way. Tracking Warren was proving to be exceptionally easy as she jogged through the halls. Lucy was careful to keep her speed relatively slow but to strike the ground hard to create enough sound for them to hear her.

"I'm leaving." Yet another bodyguard moved away from Warren though he was past the exit. It was clear he didn't speak for just one of them though as several others backed away with him. As they moved away they took hold of their weapons and began to walk backwards as if it was a planned retreat. "I suggest you all leave him as well."

Even the guard that had been helping to support Warren couldn't help himself. He released his hold on Warren and allowed him to topple to the ground. "It was a pleasure working for you Sir but I won't stay here and die for no reason." With that he began to quickly dash away.

A sharp gasp escaped Warren even as he landed on the ground. It was meant to be a cry of protest but he couldn't get the words out of his mouth. He was actually surprised whenever he heard a click on the ground right in front of him and noticed a hand gun placed on the floor as well as a clip with a single bullet in it. "You could have told those of us outside that they could retreat."

As Lucy walked through the building she was far from unaware that those bodyguards with Warren had already left him. She was actually surprised given the conditioning that they went through. Of course, giving your life when it's possible to save someone else's life is far from giving your life when there is no way to save them. She doubted that they had been trained to handle a situation such as the current one. It also made her glad to know that the guards had left him.

There was no sympathy for the guards in Lucy what she liked about their decision was the affect it would have on Warren. Before hand he at least had them to give him some form of hope no matter how superficial. Now that was gone, they had scatted in every direction as none of the men seemed eager to stay with the larger group. One thing did perplex her though. She wasn't certain why Warren had stopped all of a sudden.

With his last protector gone Warren began to force himself into a setting position. His hands reached out and took hold of the weapon. He could hear Lucy coming closer and strangely the pain in his throat had diminished. Unfortunately as the pain diminished his fear continued to grow as he struggled to think of a way out of his current situation. "We can pay you!"

"Hey! That's an insult!" For a moment Lucy stopped moving and slammed her hands into her sides. The impact could easily be heard throughout the entire structure as could her voice. Oddly Lucy found herself truly offended at the offer. Something about it and the tone in Warren's voice upset her far more then what it should have.

"It doesn't have to be in money. I know you don't need that. There are other things."

Despite the anger of the previous moment Lucy's voice held a tone of amusement as she began to move. "What do you think you're doing now? I consider your death payment for violation of our contract, ignoring my warnings and attempting to kill me with your army."

"That wasn't me! It was a group decision, I didn't agree to it."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she neared the corner Warren was around and slowed her pace. "That has got to be one of the most obvious lies that I've ever heard."

The disappearance of the sound of Lucy's foot steps was far from comforting to Warren as he began to fumble with the hand gun. Much to his surprise his hands were shaking so much that he was having trouble putting the clip into the weapon. "We just did it to protect our nation!"

"Now if I actually cared about that I wouldn't be here right now would I?" Instead of walking around the corner Lucy quickly leaned over so that she could peak around the corner. She wore a wide grin as she looked at Warren's downed form and brought a hand around the corner to wave at him. "I am curious about something. What is wrong with you?"

Despite the circumstances Warren couldn't help his surprise. "What do you mean what is wrong with me?! You're the one that did this to me!"

"Uh no, I haven't touched you in anyway yet. I thought that something might be wrong with you physically. I know they are plenty of things wrong with you mentally. However, this whole time I haven't been able to see what is wrong and even now I can't find anything. For some reason your muscles just seem to be registering that they're in pain."

With the pain relaxing all the more Warren was able to better focus. He was still surprised whenever he heard a slight click as he slipped the clip into the handgun his bodyguard had left him. He knew that it only had one bullet and that it wouldn't affect Lucy. So he chose to turn the weapon on himself. He didn't risk saying anything as pointed the weapon at his heart and pulled the trigger.

When Warren had pulled the trigger Lucy fully expected the weapon to fire killing him. So even she was a bit surprised whenever all she heard was a slight click. As she watched Warren pull the trigger several more times she actually found herself beginning to giggle. "Well it sure isn't your lucky day!" With that Lucy finished rounding the corner.

Was the gun jammed? Warren frantically began to work the weapon as Lucy walked towards him at what seemed to be a snail's pace. As he managed to remove the clip he proceeded to check the one bullet inside. He didn't get a chance to reload though as he failed to realize how close Lucy was now standing to him and her hand took hold of the bullet.

At first Lucy said nothing but seemed truly interested in the bullet. Holding it at arm's length she lowered it and raised it several times as if testing the mass. "Oh someone really doesn't like you. This bullet is a dud there isn't any propellant inside of it."

Warren nearly choked on his surprise as his mind turned to the last guard to leave him. He had thought that he'd been performing an act of mercy but also insuring that Warren didn't shoot him for trying to leave. Instead it seemed that he was playing some kind of sick game. Letting Warren think he could end his life with the gun but not leaving him with any bullets that could truly be fired.

"I had intended to kill all your bodyguards but you know. I believe that I'll let those still alive live. Oh and just so you know, I won't be killing you right now. I want to wait until more of me can arrive." As she finished speaking Lucy delivered what was to her a horribly slow punch to Warren's gut. She had to be careful not to tear him in two as she felt her fist easily sinking into his stomach. While Warren was being sent to his knees Lucy quickly moved to the side as a jet of blood escaped him.

Pain once again flooded Warren's mind as every last bit of air was forced out of him. That wasn't the only thing that escaped him though as he felt certain Lucy had ruptured some of his internal organs. As he clutched his stomach and looked upon the small puddle of blood that he coughed up he felt certain of it. He couldn't comment or even plead for a quick death though as he struggled to regain his breath.

"While we're waiting that doesn't mean I can't have some fun, of course. Anyway, at least I'll save you some suspense. The reason I want to wait for my larger body to arrive is that I intend to swallow you. I want to slowly digest you over the next few hours. Of course, I could slowly rip you apart and generate the same amount of pain. I just don't find that to be as amusing though. You know? It's as if even though I'm only use part of my hands technically, I still find the idea that I'm having to use my hands to tear you apart less amusing or even offensive. Eating you seems to make it more clear how vast the difference between me and those I consume is."

************************************************************************

"So how are they doing now?"

"They're moving more materials from the beach and towards the cities to reinforce the paratroopers they dropped originally. They're slacking off on the heavy armor but that isn't really surprising. They most likely want to avoid much collateral damage so they're relying on their enhanced soldiers to maintain order."

"I guess this is a big day for InCon then. Didn't you say the paratroopers had their latest generation of military symbiot?"

"Yeah, well at least they weren't joking when they said they wouldn't be portraying me as a monster."

"That is true. By limiting the heavy armor they bring in they're either saying that they trust you or they don't believe it'd matter if you did decide to attack them. So do you believe that they'll manage to drive out most of those that would support the current government?"

"I believe that they've already began working on that." A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "Though it is kind of funny that they start it with something as simple as a signing a sheet of paper."

"A sheet of paper that confirms they denounce the old government, were never supporters of it and hold no hostility towards you or them."

"Yeah I know, it's the start of a mind game. It isn't much by itself but done in conjunction with several other things it can have an affect. I'm more surprised by the brute force methods they're using. I never expected them to openly reject people at the gate so to speak."

"Hey Lucy, I've been wanted to ask you for a while now. This is my vacation as well isn't it?"

"Just because it's your vacation that doesn't mean I'm going to let you stop exercising." As she spoke Lucy once again pressed down on Albert's legs as he worked on his leg lifts.

"Come on! Can't I take a little break?"

"No."

A low groan escaped Albert as he shook his head. He'd expected Lucy to let him skip a few of his exercise sessions but so far she hadn't let him miss once. It was doing wonders for his physical condition but he still had a lazy streak that encouraged him to push for a break. "Can't I miss a few days? It isn't like my muscles are going to atrophy just because I missed one session."

"Mm, Okay Albert I'll make a deal with you. If you can climb me starting from my crotch and until you reached my nipples then I'll ease up and spread your sessions out a little more. I won't set up perfectly strait but I'm not going to lay down flat either. To make it a true test of your ability I'll also refrain from doing anything that would hinder your efforts such as blowing on you."

Despite all the slack Lucy had just agreed to cut him Albert couldn't help the cynicism in his voice or on his face. "Gee and you're not much taller then the last time you had me do that."

"Ha! That's what you get for all of those short comments!"

Nearly the instant the words hit his ears Albert nearly doubled over. It wasn't from pain but from him trying to keep himself from bursting into laughter. Fortunately Lucy noticed this and relaxed the pressure she was exerting on him. After a few moments of struggling to keep from breaking down though Albert proved unable to hold it in and began to laugh openly.

Lucy couldn't have removed the grin from her face no matter how hard she'd bit her tongue as Albert laughed. "Hey Albert, how much longer do you believe I should give them?"

A sigh escaped Albert as he pushed up on Lucy's finger when he regained his composure. "I don't really know. I suppose that it depends on where you want to go next. If it's fairly close then I believe eight more hours would be long enough. You've already given them a fair bit of time."

"Okay then. Until then we can just relax here."

"Relax?"

"Oh shush, it isn't like I'm going to have you exercising the whole time." As Lucy spoke she added a little extra pressure forcing Albert to work all the harder as he pushed up on her finger. "Hey Albert, you haven't asked me what the media is saying about me in a while."

"Huh, honestly it never really crossed my mind. Why is something wrong?"

"Not really. The responses are pretty much what I expected them to be. Business is down a little bit but not enough for me to worry. Fortunately I have more then a few contracts that are going to be good for a few more years. I swear, I've been burning through my earnings quite rapidly though. I need to be more careful."

"By that time this will have all been forgotten. Well not all forgotten but people won't care enough to change their purchasing plans for the most part. How is that satellite project coming along though? I've also been wondering about Phillip and Sandra."

"I believe I've come up with all the materials and systems that it's going to require. I just have to put the machinery together now and give it a test before putting it into orbit. Hey that reminds me, you were supposed to come up for something else for me to make."

"The satellite isn't in the sky yet. I've had some inspiration recently though."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Develop some form of drink or device that will make physical development easier especially when exercising. Something that doesn't involve the use of a symbiot in anyway, as you're not allowing me to get one."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "I should have seen that one coming."

"Hey you agreed not to question my decision."

In response Lucy gave a quick nod. "Yes I did. Okay I'll develop some chemical compound that will help women to develop their body more quickly while not causing any biological changes that would be considered not lady like."

"Hey I didn't say for women!"

"You didn't say that it wasn't for women. Besides, such compounds do tend to need to be made for one sex or the other. It would be hard to make something that worked with both biological systems equally well."

"I thought you wanted a challenge."

"I do that is why I'm going to try to develop something that is exceptionally effective. Perhaps I shouldn't stop at physical development but help with height as well. I believe that'd be a good move of course it's going to also have to help with their over all biological systems to sustain their health."

After listening to Lucy Albert gave his head a slight shake as he resolved that she was serious. "I'm going to have to be very careful of the wording I use in the future."

************************************************************************

As Lucy looked upon the city she couldn't help herself. Reflexively her hands slammed into one another as she lightly stamped her feet several times. She then clinched her fist and pressed them against her chests as she struggled to keep from vocalizing her excitement too much. "Albert, can you believe I finally get a chance to do this?!"

Even though Albert had seen Lucy responding in such a way several times since their arrival he still couldn't get over how cute she looked. He was however kept from replying right away as Lucy's hopping around had shaken him up quite a bit. As the spinning of his head slowed he glanced over the slope of Lucy's breasts and up towards her face. "You've got to do a lot of things that you had to wait quite some time for a chance to arrive."

"Yeah that has been wonderful! Okay, how do you think I should start things?"

"Would you believe I actually have some ideas this time? I believe that you should walk through the city ignoring the attacks from the soldiers or anyone else that tries something. As you're going through you should only demolish buildings that will serve as road blocks. You may also want to position a few of your smaller selves around the city to observe any escape attempts. Once all the roads have been blocked off you can move from there."

"What about the bunker?"

"Do you really want to move on them right away? I thought you'd want to take your time and let them observe their city being torn apart."

"Yep I do! Okay so first the roads!" As she finished speaking Lucy began to quickly stride towards the city.

Lucy must not have realized how quickly she was moving as Albert found himself more pinned in his seat then setting in it for the first few moments. As her accelerating leveled off the force decreased though he quickly realized that if she were to come to a sudden stop he'd feel it all over again but in a different direction. "Lucy, watch how fast you're moving."

"Whoops! I forgot about that for a moment."

"It isn't a problem." Albert took a moment to look out over the city and took in a deep breath. He knew that in a very short time that there wouldn't much left of the city or its occupants if anything was left at all. There would be no surrender for those currently inside of the city and most likely no escape either. "Hey Lucy, how many chose to stay behind?"

"From what I observed earlier roughly one third of the cities original occupants are still inside. However, that number is bolstered by military forces and those that have gathered here."

"You mean people actually came here?!"

"You shouldn't really be surprised. While I imagine their reasons vary heavily they are going to be supporters of the government willing to give their lives. I'm sure some feel as if they're making a stand while others believe they actually have a chance. There are no doubt several other reasons as well."

"Human history is full of desperate last stands but this is just plain suicide."

"That is what you believe that isn't what they believe. At least that isn't probably what most of them believe."

"Lucy, they've been showing footage of you standing there letting tanks pelt you with fire and even letting rockets slam into you. You've even let ground penetrating bombs hit you and haven't even flinched!"

"You'd think that would be enough however you're not thinking like they are. There is also a chance they're hoping that if they manage to drag this out long enough I'll surrender. I guess that does have some grounds to it. If they did manage to injure me I would have reason to consider talking to them."

"Lucy, you'd probably go ballistic and start tearing apart everything in site if they managed to injure you. That or panic, shut yourself away and spend the next few decades refining your body even more trying to compensate for the power curve."

"Um well, yeah you're probably right. Well I have to say there defense is logical at least."

Well before Albert could respond he heard an explosion and quickly glanced up towards Lucy's face. What he found was her rubbing her nose as if it had just been struck. As he started to respond he was once again silenced as several more rounds slammed into her each one apparently aimed at her face. Instead of waiting for the rain of metal to stop he chose to trust in Lucy's ability to hear him through the sound. "I take it that they've spread out."

"Yeah, they're spread out throughout the city with interlocking areas of fire. The center would be where they could concentrate the heaviest bombardment. It seems to be arranged to force me to walk the furthest between each location. I believe they're hoping to wear me down."

"It may be that they believe that they've been hurting you but haven't been able to maintain the damage long enough. So do you want to change your plan of attack?"

Instead of responding verbally right away Lucy proceeded into the city. As she came to a building that came up slightly past her hips she quickly shifted to her side. Lucy then swung her hips so that they slammed solidly into the structure. The sound of her massive hips slamming into the building surpasses that of the rounds slamming into her. So great was the power of the impact that a jet of debris shot out the opposite side of the building.

As Lucy straitened her stance she took another step into the city. The building began to fail shortly after falling towards the side where it had been weakened the greatest. "Nope, they can use up all their ammunition they want."

"Lucy, I know that you like a game of chase so why don't you avoid damaging the road and bridges so they have a method of retreat."

"Oh I intend to. Mm they seem to intend on using the roads as well. Their mobile fire power seems to be stationed so that it can easily move around the city."

"You don't think that they're going to try to delay you so their leadership can escape do you?"

"There is an escape rout but I'm taking care of that now."

As Lucy continued further into the city she didn't need her enhanced senses to know she was moving further into the interlocking firing ranges. More and more weapons fire was slamming into her and being directed from several directions. One thing that did surprise her to an extent was the limited use of communications equipment. Apparently they were relying on one another to know what to do and move according to some greater plan.

Albert knew from what Lucy had told him that they were some civilians left in the city. He also knew that not all of them had come to fight. It was certain that some of them had come for safety and while to him it seemed foolish. He realized that they were several reasons for them to feel that it was the safest location. The army had encountered Lucy several times now and had apparently developed a strategy for fighting her. There were also several military units in the city using this plan. Factor in that they were now defending a portion of their leadership and Albert could understand why people might feel that it was a relatively safe location.

They hadn't come there to oppose Lucy but rather because they felt the fortress was the safest place to be even when it's besieged. However, that showed support or at least dependence on their government whom Lucy had already chosen to destroy. Albert knew that Lucy wasn't going to spare any of the civilians for those reasons and would no doubt drag out their deaths. If they were wise they'd remain still when she finally came to them to diminish her fun so that she'd end it quickly. If they ran he knew she wouldn't be able to resist playing with them.

As Lucy walked along the street she continued to be pounded by increasingly heavy fire power. Inevitably some of the rounds missed their targets. Rather then allow those rounds that missed to destroy what she wanted to play with Lucy began to quickly block those rounds. This didn't seem to faze those that continued to pelt her with shells even as the debris began to build up more and more in her hands. There was a slight decrease in the number of shells striking her as she came to an intersection where five stationary artillery peaces were mounted.

"Hey Lucy, I'm a little high up for me so it's kind of hard to see. I don't see any ammunition down there though."

"There isn't any. They have the ammunition loaded up in trucks. Once I got this close the soldiers all piled in and moved to another location. They're really focusing on mobility to keep away from me rather then armor to try to stop me."

"So they really have learned from previous encounters though not the most important lesson. You're still going to end up eating them by the same methods you have each time."

Instead of destroying the artillery pieces Lucy turned down the intersection and began making her way towards the next major exit out of the city. A slight yelp escaped her and she was made to jump slightly though as several rounds slammed into her at once. It was only a light hop but due to Lucy's mass the amount of energy involved was tremendous. Both the force from her legs suddenly pushing off the ground and her landing had tremendous effect as her feet sunk deeply into the road easily pushing concrete and earth out their way.

The shockwave that rippled out from Lucy's jump and landing sites shot out in all directions. Albert could hear the walls of the near by buildings shatter as the energy tore through them. Chunks of debris were sent flying up from the ground and slamming into the upper floors. He wasn't surprised whenever he noted several buildings beginning to crumble. "Lucy what happened?"

"They hit my bottom!"

There was no immediate response from Albert as he tried to guess if she was serious. He doubted that Lucy would respond like that for no reason at all but it still seemed out of place. "Did it hurt you?"

"Of course it didn't hurt me."

"Then why did you jump?"

"I wasn't expecting them to hit me in my but and breast at the same time. I saw it coming when they fired but I just wasn't ready for it. It tickled!" An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she quickly covered her mouth to keep from being too loud.

Once again Albert found himself at a loss for words as he rubbed his forehead for a moment. There had been an instant when he'd thought something was wrong. As his heart rated slowed down he found himself blushing for some reason. "You're something else you know that? I suppose they're encircling you now."

"Yep, hey you know it's rare that anyone shoots me in the rump! Plus they haven't hit my face in a while. I bet they're looking for a vulnerable spot." As she spoke Lucy resumed her walk through the city occasionally flinching though not from pain. Apparently hitting several places on her body at once had a tendency to tickle her more then focusing on a single area.

Occasionally Albert found his view obscured as a round would manage to hit the gem he occupied. Fortunately its location made it fairly hard to hit unless you happened to be directly in front of them and at roughly the same level as the gem. "You had this made from some rather tough material."

"Naturally, sadly its life span is only a year or two. After six months I would be afraid to let you depend on it for protection. Ah!" In response to another unexpected shell Lucy quickly bent over and covered her stomach. "They got me right in the belly button."

"You love this don't you?"

Before responding Lucy quickly straitened up and jerked to the side slamming her hips into yet another building. Instead of pulling away immediately though she quickly turned around and pushed out her but further. As she wiggled her rear from side to side she could feel the concrete shattered against her bottom while the still bent and snapped. As she finished wiggling her bottom she gave a quick hop forward and Albert heard the building tumbling. "Yep, but I've always loved attention."

"Damn it! We're not even making her uncomfortable!" As he spoke Gaeten slammed his fist against the desk before him.

There was no disagreement from anyone in the room as they observed the video feed. Those who had gathered in the bunker had done so after Warren's failure to escape. While most of his bodyguards had been wise enough to avoid them they had managed to locate one and obtain some information about how Warren had died. How they'd been able to hear the screams until Lucy had swallowed him. "We have to remain calm. She hasn't moved on the bunker yet. There may still be a way out of this."

"Nothing we've done has even managed to scratch her! She's leveled every airfield we have and over half of the fortified structures. Now she's beginning to move on the cities. At this rate there isn't going to be anything left."

"She hasn't destroyed every airfield we hold. Besides, we still have alternatives."

"What would those be?"

"Conventional weapons haven't been able to harm her but that doesn't mean we can't try unconventional ones. Fortunately she isn't trying to avoid those shells."

For a moment Gaeten was silent as he observed his colleague. "You had something put in some of those shells didn't you?"

"Certain shells contain biological agents."

"And why didn't you do this before hand?"

"Why didn't you? It isn't like you lack the authority to at least propose such an action. The reason we waited is simple. I wanted to wait and analyze her as much as possible to have a better chance of harming her. We haven't just recently begun development of the agents but I wanted them to be as refined as possible."

"Why? Why wait until we're in such a desperate situation."

"If we don't kill her the first time it won't have any chance a second time! Surely you know how quickly she adapts. If all we do is give her a slight cold the first time she'll become immune to the same toxin the second time. We need to kill her on our first try and that means waiting and developing the symbiot until we have no choice."

"A symbiot?!"

For a moment the speaker was made to grimace as she shook his head realizing that he'd said too much. It was too late to take it back now. "Yes, a symbiotic life form, some of the residue you see gathering on her skin is actually a special breed of parasite. We've been developed it by studying symbiotic life forms developed from the eighth step symbiot that was first introduced to Miss Angeye. We were not however able to acquire a sample of the original."

"Just how do you intend to control this symbiot? Is it only designed to affect her?"

"In our testing we found that it would kill anyone it came in contact regardless of the symbiot they used."

"So if she doesn't kill us it will?!"

"No, while the symbiot is dangerous it has a limited life span. Once it kills her we'll only need to wait for the symbiot to die."

While no one commented it was clear that several people still had concerns. With Lucy right at their door step it did seem to be the only alternative if they wanted to survive. None of them needed to ask about those soldiers and civilians that were currently in the city. There was no doubt that those of them exposed to the symbiot would die as well. At least they could use air power to quarantine the city.

As Lucy blocked off the last of the roads Albert couldn't help but notice something. Shells had continued to hammer away at Lucy yet none of them had struck her face in some time. Before hand they had been focusing on her head only. They had then shifted, hammering away at one part of her body after the other until it seemed like they'd shelled every last centimeter of her. Now the fire had become less concentrated. They had systematically searched her entire being with no success so perhaps they were hoping for luck now.

What struck Albert as odd though was that none of the rounds had hit Lucy in the face for a while. If they were no longer searching in the same systematic manner that they had been shouldn't they have returned to firing upon her head. "Lucy, I believe they have some plan in the works. One that isn't so obvious as how they're choosing to use their ammunition."

"The shells that struck my face and cleavage were loaded with biological agents. You can't see it but there is even some residue left atop my breasts. If I was only big the viruses would have probably overwhelmed or started to overwhelm my systems by now. Fortunately my immune system wasn't neglected. So far nothing has even managed to endure the heat at the core of my body."

"Do you believe that they were trying to conceal the biological weapons?"

"Most likely that was there intent. They shell my face and top of my breasts heavily where it'll be easiest for biological agents to get inside of me. Once that is done they begin shelling other parts of me to avoid killing what they've just introduced to my system."

"Due they violate any treaty with Mizia?"

"Nearly every one of them especially a particular one, even if I were to stop right now everyone inside of this city that isn't in some form of shelter is going to die now. One of them is quite a remarkable virus. It's like a medical symbiot only in the reverse. In enters the host, analyses them and then finds the best way to disrupt their biological functions. I can feel it moving through me right now trying to find a way to kill me."

"You haven't neutralized it yet!" As Albert spoke he quickly removed his safety harness and turned around entirely so that he was looking strait at Lucy though over the slope of her breasts.

"I'm just examining it don't worry. It isn't even in my blood stream yet. It wouldn't survive if it managed to get into it. The heat alone would destroy it."

"Lucy, I want you to neutralize that thing right now."

"Huh? How come? It isn't like I'm unaware of it and I'd like to see what happens whenever it decides to make its move. I'm kind of surprised that they would make a self aware symbiot meant for killing just to get rid of me."

"I don't know how quickly that thing learns but you've already told me that it inspects its host or perhaps victim is a better word. Now I don't want you to allow that thing to learn anything more about you. I want you to kill it right now." As Albert was speaking, he kept his tone flat not showing amusement or panic.

Lucy was actually caught a bit off guard by Albert's tone. Instead of being offended by it though she felt herself beginning to blush a bit. "What's the matter Albert? It can't gather any useful information with its methods of inspection. It can't even penetrate the membrane let alone see the inner workings to learn anything."

"I'm not having this conversation Lucy. I don't like the idea of how that symbiot works and I want you to kill it right now."

"Albert, you're sounding like my father."

"Lucy."

"Fine" as she spoke Lucy lifted her hands in the air as if surrendering. "You win. I've directed some of my defensive cells to tear apart the symbiot. There won't even be a single protean of it remaining once they're finished."

Despite all his confidence in Lucy a relieved sigh escaped Albert. "Thank you."

Even if Lucy felt Albert was over reacting she was still glad to see him relaxing. She'd wanted to toy with the symbiot a little bit but Albert apparently didn't want her doing so. It was a little strange that he'd be so concerned given that she'd shown him how difficult it was to harm her. "Hey! You were worried because you haven't seen me tested against biological substances!"

"Lucy, that wasn't just a biological substance. It evolved and adapted to suit the situation from what you told me. How much had it already changed by being exposed to you?"

"It hadn't made any threatening changes. It was trying to form cells that were capable of puncturing mine so that it could get inside of me. It didn't have nearly as sturdy of material to work with. There was no way that it could have gotten through with the limitation of materials it had to work with. You worry too much about such things."

"Well, now that you tell me the reason you weren't concerned I'm not so worried. Regardless I'm glad that you listened to me when I insisted you destroy it."

"No problem. Come on though Albert. Mizia hardly has the budget needed to develop a symbiot that is capable of even beginning to harm me. There is maybe, three nations total that could fund a program that could develop such a life form. One of which we live in."

"I know and believe me when I say that I believe you would have handled that symbiot easily no matter how much time you gave it. I just couldn't take the risk."

"Ah well, at least they are plenty of other things to play with." As she spoke Lucy bent at the knees and began to carefully lower herself to the ground. She didn't want to fall too quickly so that she could avoid damaging the surrounding structures. As she settled down on her hands and knees she pressed against the ground with her feet and lifted her rear into the air. "Let the hunt begin!"

When Lucy had been lowering herself to her hands and knees Albert hadn't been sure what was going on. As she announced her attention though and began to crawl through the city he couldn't help but chuckle. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Making things more interesting!"

Albert hadn't been the only one caught off guard by Lucy's sudden change in orientation. Some of those that hadn't been able to see Lucy clearly weren't entirely sure what was going on. A few of them felt their heart rates speeding up as they wondered if they'd actually managed to harm her. Then her voice tore through the city streets and their hearts nearly stopped. Up until now she'd only been interested in blocking the roads into and out of the city. Now she had turned her attention to them.

As the driver pressed down on the accelerator he loathed the heavy ordinance in the bed of the vehicle. If it hadn't been for them he would have been having a much easier time with the curves as he struggled to keep ahead of Lucy. At least the vehicles mass allowed it to handle the shockwaves she generated whenever her hands met the pavement as she crawled after them. As he drove he could hear gun fire as those in the back of the vehicle worked on unloading their weapons.

Artillery shells hadn't managed to harm the giantess yet they continued to fire their assault rifles. There was no hope in any of the men that the shells would harm her but they couldn't stop themselves. The instinct to survive told them that they should fight back so that is what they did. Their instincts screamed even louder as Lucy brought her head forward and her tongue quickly darted out towards the vehicle.

The very tip of Lucy's tongue scooted under the vehicle and lifted up. The massive muscle had no trouble lifting the vehicle despite its heavy load. She didn't quite manage to get the vehicle though as the truck's tires remained on the ground and it was able to slip off. As the vehicle slammed back onto the ground though the force of the impact was too much for the shocks to compensate for. The driver heard the vehicle meet the road and a horrific scream from both the vehicle and one of the passengers.

One soldier had failed to even grasp part of the vehicle to keep him in the bed. As the vehicle had slammed down he'd found himself tossed into the air. Before he could land on the ground though he felt something very warm and wet engulf his being. He hadn't even realized that he was screaming as he was quickly pulled into Lucy's mouth and swallowed.

While the driver hadn't noticed what had happened to one of his passengers those that had been riding in back with him did. Their horror was further compounded by how quickly Lucy caught up to them once again. When the truck had managed to slip free of her tongue they'd felt elation at the slight reprieve. That only gave them further to fall as Lucy swallowed their comrade and once again caught up with them.

Albert couldn't be sure but as Lucy chased the vehicle he wondered if she intended to use her tongue to gather up her food rather then her hands. He could hear her giggling slightly so that he knew she was enjoying it so it seemed likely. At least she would continue eating that way until she got bored and wanted to try a new method. "Okay did you let them get away to tease them or was that an accident."

"Picking up a vehicle with your tongue in such a way that you don't destroy it is an art not a science." As Lucy caught up with the vehicle she quickly raised both her hands and slammed them down onto the pavement. The shockwave generated was more then enough to cause the truck to jump. While the driver's control of the vehicle was reduced she quickly leaned forward and once again extended her tongue. This time she lifted up with her tongue while sliding it forward.

As the vehicle lurched forward it seemed as if it would flip, the back wheels came off the road as did the front moments later. The bumper neared the pavement and the driver braced himself to topple over. Before the vehicle could flip a sudden search of upward motion hit it and the vehicle leveled off. This was far from a relief though especially for those in the back as they found themselves suddenly sliding backwards towards Lucy's open mouth. Her hot breath washing over them in massive waves as Lucy tilted her head back. The vehicle slid rapidly backwards sliding past her teeth before they could even jump over the edge.

"I bet you they don't survive the trip into your stomach."

Instead of responding right away Lucy placed a finger against her throat where a bulge had once been. She then gently ran her finger over the spot a few moments as if helping something go down. "It is a good deal more difficult to swallow such a vehicle and not kill the passengers right away. I can't exactly stop the truck or its contents from landing atop them if they fall out." For a moment Lucy's eyes widened. "Or if they detonated the explosives before they even get to my stomach."

"Are you serious?!" While Albert's tone was shocked it spoke of amusement.

"Yes. One of them or a few of them set off some of the rounds they had with them or set off one and it took the others with them. Humph, well that is one way to insure things end quickly."

"I suppose you weren't expecting that."

"No. I can't say that I was. Mm spicy fast food." A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she gave a quick shrug. "I have plenty of fast food to catch still."

"Not fast enough."

They had been shelling Lucy for so long and so intensely that some of the crews were running low on ammunition. Currently they were expecting additional ammunition from the gun placement that Lucy had just moved against. However, given the path she'd taken they weren't sure if it would be arriving. "Should we load up what ammunition we have left and move?"

There wasn't much time to think so that the gunnery officer responded quickly. "Yes, quickly load up whatever ammunition we have left. We need to move to another location."

"Hi food!" Lucy quickly poked her head around the corner looking towards the gun crew. Clearly they weren't expecting her to move as quickly as she did. This was supported by the fact that they still had some ammunition around the cannons. A slight chuckle escaped her as she began to crawl around the corner and towards them. In that moment, they seemed to be frozen in place clearly not having expected her so soon.

Unfortunately for those that had been loading the ammunition the driver was the first to snap back to reality. His foot pressed down firmly on the accelerator generating a cloud of white smoke before the vehicle took off. Those that had been loading the ammunition and their commanding officer were snapped out of their stunned state only in time to see the vehicle pulling away. As Lucy drew closer one of them quickly dashed forward and began to reorient the cannon.

Instead of lapping up the group Lucy proceeded forward until her hands wrested to either side of them. She then lowered herself until her chin rested upon the ground. "Get in." With that Lucy opened her mouth so that her chin pressed into the street shattering the concrete as it did so. While she opened her mouth she slowly extended her massive tongue out towards those that had been left behind.

Normally people tended to listen to Lucy especially when encountering her face to face. As the soldiers looked into her massive mouth, saw her crimson tongue moving slightly as it waited for them as if a living carpet had been let out before them and they saw teeth larger then many tombstones. There was no way that any of them were going to listen to Lucy.

"Hey I said get in!" A slight snort escaped Lucy as the group broke away from one another. Instead of chasing them though she puckered her lips and began to sharply inhale. At such a close proximity the winds generated by her inhaling through a limited space was far more powerful then any storm. Indeed they exceeded what was needed to lift a human off the ground as she sucked the fleeing soldiers towards her mouth.

The sound of Lucy inhaling seemed to be that of a hurricane. There wasn't time to contemplate that though as the men felt themselves suddenly pulled through the air. Instinctively several of them let out a cry of desperation as they were pulled backward. They were more then a little surprised whenever the wind stopped except for one.

As the soldier met her lips Lucy didn't quit inhaling rather she parted her lips just enough to pull him inside. Due to his proximity there was nothing that he could do as he was pulled inside of Lucy's mouth. Her lips then quickly formed back into a pucker as she worked on inhaling yet another one of the soldiers.

While Albert couldn't see all of Lucy right now he had a good idea of what she must look like. He had to resist chuckling as he imagined Lucy with her rump sticking up into the air while she kept her upper body low to the ground. He was however able to see the soldiers being pulled towards her mouth and had a good idea of how much she was taking in at once. "Don't tell me one at a time is the best you can do."

In response to Albert's taunt Lucy parted her lips slightly. The same way she had whenever she'd inhaled the first soldier. As she parted her lips she increased the force with which she inhaled to compensate for the wider area. The task was quite easy as the soldiers were pulled back once again. This time there was no reprieve for any of them as the first one glided past her lips and into her massive mouth followed by the next and the next.

"You know I wonder what else you're inhaling when you eat like that."

As the last of the soldiers vanished into Lucy's mouth she quit inhaling and resumed her chase. "Shell fragments, ignition residue, some fuel and some other things that people would never consider edible or won't for a long time. I doubt that anyone else would enjoy the taste."

"Yeah, I don't think I'd even care for the taste of clothing but it sure doesn't seem to bother you."

Gaeten tapped the desk before him in frustration as he waited for the outside to grow quiet. So far Lucy didn't seem to be slowing down and that was frustrating him. "What is taking so long? What good will does it do us if that blasted symbiot takes a week to kill her?"

"We have no way of knowing how long it's going to take the symbiot to find a way to overwhelm her immune system. We won't even know if it will be successful. So just set down and wait to see what happens. It's all that we can do at this point."

Instead of doing as he was told Gaeten gave his desk one last quick blow and stood up. Turning away from those that remained in the conference room he quickly walked out. He knew that he wasn't the only one on edge at the moment the others just seemed more composed because they were following another's lead. If it hadn't been for him or if they were more use to thinking for themselves they'd be breaking down as well.

As the soldier gripped the pole he held so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The torrent of air constantly threatened to rip him from the one object that kept him from vanishing within the void of the giantess's mouth. Even as his desperation grew he felt his body fatiguing. His hands were made to ache and as they grew slippery with sweat he found himself losing his hand hold. "No! Stop! Please! Please stop!"

Despite the man's screams Lucy continued to inhale readily. A shiver of excitement ran throughout her spine as he finally lost his grip on the pole and she sucked him into her mouth. "Yummy!" A slight giggle escaped Lucy as the last of the group was pulled into her mouth and down into her throat. "You know fear seems to add to the taste. It must be the release of chemicals that come with it." As Lucy finished speaking to Albert she glanced towards the sky. "Okay that's one complete circle. Who wants to be eaten next? There is plenty of room inside of me." Lucy didn't get her answer verbally and she doubted the sender meant to respond however as a shell struck her in the bottom she made up her mind.

With Lucy now actively moving around the city it was hard to keep firing. The shells didn't seem to be harming her in the least rather they seemed to amuse her. It also served to draw her attention though the odds of her coming to anyone location were still relatively low. Those odds were increasing with every passing moment though as she consumed more and more of the gunnery crews though so far the tanks remained intact.

One of the gunners wasn't able to keep from expressing these concerns. "Sir, we're not having any affect on her. We need to fall back."

"Fall back to where? She hasn't allowed any of the others to escape her and you can be damn sure she isn't going to cut us any slack here."

"Surely running gives us a better chance of escaping then staying here and waiting for her to get around to us."

"Did it help any of the others?! No! Now keep firing and hope you manage to hit something important." As the commander turned away from the gunner he gave his head a vigorous shake. Of course he didn't believe they were really going to manage to harm Lucy but what other choice was there? She'd pursued them wherever they'd gone. It was clear to them that she didn't intend to let any of them escape alive.

Jacqueline bit down on her lower lip as she listened to the cannon fire outside. It had been going on for what she felt to be hours though it was now slowly declining. She didn't know if that was a good sign or not. She did know that it only served to worry her more as she struggled to maintain her composure. "Do you believe that they're winning? Surely she can't get us here."

"I. I don't know. She's killed so many. At the beach they couldn't stop her."

"They've learned since then though. Surely they wouldn't gather here like this. All in one spot if they didn't believe this was where she'd be stopped."

"Just try to stay calm. I'm sure the army can handle her just fine."

In response to the woman's reassuring words Jacqueline quickly nodded her head though her body language didn't show her relaxing. Rather she set down only to stand up once again. "What is taking so long?"

Instead of responding the woman reached into her pocket and felt around for a moment. It only took her a second to find the tiny vial she'd brought with her. "I hope they're okay out there but I know that some of them won't be."

"Oh god, if they can't stop her. Then she's. I don't want to die. I don't want to be eaten! I've seen it on TV, she was swallowing people alive. Then she started to talk about how they struggled in her stomach and." A sob escaped Jacqueline as she leaned against the wall and grew pale. It was clear to anyone that saw her that she was having trouble keeping herself together.

It was hard for Lucy to keep from giggling as she wiggled her tongue. Currently she had her head tilted back and was looking strait up into the air with her tongue extended outward. Two people currently clung to her tongue by making use of one another. This actually allowed them to encircle the very tip of her tongue with their arms and better maintain their position. It would have still been easy for Lucy to pull them into her mouth and swallow them. The force of the suction would have been too much for both of them.

Instead of swallowing them the easy way Lucy found herself doing it the fun way. She slowly wiggled her tongue so that she was fatiguing them. Eventually one of them would give out and fall into her mouth. They seemed to both have realized this of course. So that instead of just struggling and screaming they were actually trying to talk to her to convince her to let them live. She chose to ignore their pleading as she played her game. Her only concern was that one of the rounds being fired at her would end up killing them.

As they gripped Lucy's massive tongue her saliva coated their bodies and her breath washed over them in huge waves. The air was thick with her breath and the heat from the moisture made it harder for them to breath. Still the two clung to one another hoping to reason with Lucy and earn their reprieve. As they had shouted out reason after reason to be allowed to live it had became more and more clear that she wasn't going to listen to them.

"Surely there is something we can do. Something that would give you more amusement then our deaths, what do you have to gain by our deaths? Surely a little extra struggling within your stomach isn't worth that much. We can be more helpful then that and if we're not you can eat us then. What risk is it to you?"

There was logic to the peoples' argument but Lucy still intended to swallow them. She had given them plenty of warning and proven her abilities again and again. It had been their decision to stay and try to fight her. As she enjoyed her game she used one hand to shield her treats from an incoming shell.

Looking down into the giantess's massive mouth gave both of them plenty of reasons to think quickly. The sun light glistened off Lucy's massive crimson tongue while her teeth shown like pearls. Her throat muscles were relaxed allowing the men to see down into it to some extent. They could see as that great crimson tunnel flexed as it waited for their arrival. A sharp gasp escaped one of the clingers as the other's grip loosened for but a moment. "We know you don't need help rounding up others but we could prepare them for you."

Had some of them given up or had some ran out of ammunition? Given the supplies they'd brought along Albert doubted that they'd run out of ammunition just yet. It seemed possible that a few of them were trying to escape but he felt that number would be quite small. Most likely the reason the number of shells hitting Lucy had gone down was because she had decreased the number of people shooting at her. At least they weren't shooting at her from the outside anymore but they might have been shooting at her insides.

A horrified scream escaped the clinger as he lost his grip. His partner soon proved unable to support both of them and the hold they held on each other was broken. As he was sent towards Lucy's awaiting throat he desperately struggled to find something to take hold of. Lucy's tongue provided him no aid though as he slid over the warm bumpy surface towards her awaiting throat. His hands reached out for her teeth as he went past them but by then he'd built up too much kinetic energy to stop himself.

The remaining clinger watched as the other slid down into Lucy's throat. There was no delay to the action, no swallowing motions from the giantess. With her throat relaxed he had been able to slide right down into it. Realizing that this fait awaited him as well he quickly pushed off Lucy's tongue aiming for the street below. He wouldn't survive the fall but he had no desire to be someone else's snack. He soon learned he didn't have a choice in the matter.

As the soldier fell towards the pavement Lucy's tongue quickly shifted about. The muscle swooped down and under the faller. Lifted him slightly and gave him a quick flick back towards her throat. He could still kill himself if he wanted with his service revolver but Lucy had resolved that he was going into her belly. "Yummy! You all prepared a nice meal for me but I can't help but notice you seem to be a bit spread out now. Would you mind coming closer so I don't have to travel as much? OH and anyone that wants to go ahead and get inside of my belly can just meet me half way."

"So do you believe you'll manage to fit them all inside of your stomach this time or is this going to be like at the beach?"

"There is no way that I could consume so many and keep them inside of me without crushing them for long. I have to digest them more quickly then I like but it's still plenty interesting." As Lucy continued she raised her voice so that more could hear her. "I can still feel them struggling around and with me constantly adding to their numbers it isn't really diminishing despite having to digest them more quickly. Those I first ate whenever I arrived are mostly gone now. It helps that I'm taking things slow and they're making me chase them down."

"Your mother clearly never taught you not to play with your food."

"Actually she did. She just taught me not to play with the messy stuff. These are nice tidy little snacks that I can have fun with." As Lucy was speaking she once again resumed her stalk as she was crawling a giggle escaped her. "Hey Albert, the armored units are actually altering their paths."

"I guess they don't feel like cooperating with you."

"They must have really taken the time to plan this out. I expected them to adapt as I moved further into the city but not like this. They're also doing a wonderful job of targeting me modern firing mechanisms are really something else. The level of coordination they're showing despite limited communication is also quite impressive."

"You're giving them too much praise. Such adaptations are natural. If they didn't try something new I'd think they'd all gone insane. Even the use of that symbiot was another act of desperation on their part. One that if uncovered would have landed them in hot water with every other major power even if it had stopped you."

"True." After a moment Lucy gave a slight shrug. "Okay you little snacks you've had enough time to spread out. Here I come."

Sam couldn't help checking his watch as he waited for Patrick to arrive. He and Aaron had been allowed in quite quickly but they'd then ended up waiting half an hour for the commander to show himself. At last the door opened once again an officer entered. "Good evening. I apologize for the wait. I was detained with some other matters."

"So you would be" Sam didn't get a chance to finish speaking.

"Call me Patrick and yes I'm currently in charge of UR operations in this city. I was told you wanted to ask me some questions."

"Yes. I imagine a lot of people have been wondering about this but just what are your military objectives in this?"

"Wasn't that covered in last week's press conference?"

"Not to the extent that I'd like."

"Humph. Very well, our objective in being here is to preserve the stability of the entire nation. It goes without saying that Miss Angeye has weakened the military and governmental power of Mizia and left it a wide open target for other powers to come in. We are here to prevent that."

"Isn't that what you're doing now?"

"It might seem that way but we are here to insure that Mizia is not subjugated by another power during its time of weakness. We also seek to give those that do not wish to be caught up in this war but are unable to flee the country a safe place to go."

"Then why have you been turning some people away?"

"It is our goal to give those that don't wish to be part of this war a save place to come to. However, we can't allow those that have already made themselves part of this war entry as we do not wish to become involved. We must also turn away those that would use this as a safe haven to launch attacks."

"You said war, but it's only one person against an entire nation. Can that truly be called a war?"

"As far as the UR is concerned yes this is officially a war. It is a war that we wish to maintain a state of neutrality in though they are some difficulties."

"Are you talking about the fact that Miss Angeye is officially a citizen of the UR?"

A sigh escaped Patrick as he nodded his head. "Yes that complicates the situation. We don't truly have any mechanisms in place for handling one of our citizens that destroys the government and military of another nation. It's not exactly a situation you plan for."

"Patrick, what are your mission objectives ones Miss Angeye has finished?"

"Naturally we can't simply leave as that would leave Mizia wide open to invasion. Once Miss Angeye has finished with her war against the Mizian state we hope to rebuild the country. So we will be staying behind to help those survivors in construction."

Sam couldn't help but notice immediately that Patrick had said construction instead of reconstruction. It would have been easy for him to question the meaning of such a statement but something told him that wasn't a good idea. The UR wouldn't be dedicating such resources unless it had a reason to do so. "What is your strategy should Miss Angeye move against you?"

"I suppose that those she initially attacks will die and we'll fall back as quickly as possible. We don't truly have the military means with us to counter act Miss Angeye."

"So you're trusting in her not to attack you?"

"Yes, she has always been a reasonable lady. So we have no reason to think she'd violate our nonaggression pact." It was impossible for Patrick not to chuckle as he shook his head. "We have a nonaggression pact with one of our own citizens. I swear that has to be one of the strangest happenings I've ever heard of."

"So the forces currently here are purely to prevent other nations from attempting to take advantage of Mizia's time of weakness. How would you handle it if another nation chose to side with Mizia and took military action against Miss Angeye?"

"This is her war to win or lose."

"So you are under orders not to aid her or the Mizian government?"

"Yes and I don't foresee those orders changing in the future. The only thing that might require us to take action would be if some hostile actions were directed towards us. That is why we must be careful of who we offer shelter to."

"I see. Do you intend to exert a military rule once Miss Angeye has finished with her war?"

"We will do so, only as long as such steps are required. However, the population has been severely reduced by this, many homes and businesses lost as well as the complete destruction of the government. It is going to take some time to insure that when we leave everything is in order."

"You talk as if the government has already been destroyed. I take it you believe Miss Angeye will win."

"I'm fairly certain that she has already won. The Mizian army has been greatly reduced and regardless of their best efforts she hasn't even slowed down except to make a snack of them. I would be quite surprise if something happened to change the situation."

"Let's say what if. What if Miss Angeye was to be killed? What would you do then? As far as I know you have no official agreement with the Mizian state that would permit your current actions."

"Given the condition of their military I would think they'd welcome us. However, if they manage to force Miss Angeye into a retreat and wish to retake the areas that are currently under our protection we would be willing to negotiate."

"Negotiate to get their land back? That sounds like an invasion to me."

"I would disagree. These people that have come here do so seeking shelter and we assured them of our protection. We are here not by our will alone but by their will also."

"Do you not believe their will would change should Miss Angeye be defeated?"

"Even if Miss Angeye should be defeated their troubles would be far from over. As you have witnessed first hand she doesn't tend to leave very much behind once she resolves to destroy a given area."

"This is hard."

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he braced himself against his arm rest to allow himself a better view. Lucy was currently bent over a tank her lips pressed to the top of it. She'd torn off part of the armor and was now working on sucking the crew out of the tank. The difficult part came from the fact that she was trying to avoid severely injuring them.

Unfortunately for Lucy the restrictive space in the armored vehicle and the small opening was making it hard for her to get the soldiers out. If she were to inhale as hard as she needed to force them out she knew that she'd end up breaking several bones if not taking a limb off. A grunt of annoyance escaped her as she leaned forward a bit and tried working the vehicle at a slightly different angle in hopes that it would aid her. "Darn it quit being stubborn you tasty little treats and come out."

Each time Lucy would inhale a powerful torrent of wind would tear throughout the tank. As the wind moved small objects were lifted up and thrown about. Some were drawn out while others ended up slamming into the crew. The crew for their part desperately clung onto whatever they could within the vehicle. It was a simple task as their desperation led them to find several easy things to grasp.

The wind constantly tearing at them trying to drag them out of the vehicle was nightmarish though manageable. In their panic the crew gripped what each of them held even harder then what was needed. They made their hands ache as well as their legs in two cases. It wasn't being pulled on that they found most horrific though, it was the sound of the wind as it tore throughout the vehicle and got trapped within corners.

As the crew struggled some of them found themselves looking up into the massive void of Lucy's mouth. When she repositioned her mouth they were able to see her soft pink lips as they glistened in the sun light due to a light coating of moisture. They then disappeared as she pressed them against the vehicle. Her teeth were massive by any standards and so perfectly white that even a drop of blood upon them would have been near impossible to miss.

Her massive crimson tongue moved and flicked about as she inhaled unlike what any of them would believe it could. With each motion of the massive muscle the wind torrents would change as Lucy used it to direct them. Even with her lips locked against the tank there was enough light to see that massive muscle moving about. Above that all they saw was Lucy's uvula and the entrance into her throat.

A lack of blood on Lucy's teeth was oddly not comforting to the men in the least. They knew she'd eaten several of their comrades yet there wasn't a trace of them on her lips or tongue. When she consumed them nothing of their bodies seemed left in the world rather they vanished entirely within the massive void. There would be no corpse or even bits of body to go home and be buried.

If Lucy hadn't wanted to get the soldiers out unharmed it would have been so easy for her to remove them from the tank. As she was trying to avoid causing them serious harm it was proving to be horrifically difficult. At last a frustrated snort escaped her and she broke the lock her lips held on the tank.

A scream escaped the gunner as Lucy opened her mouth wide and lowered it back down onto the tank. They all knew that mouth was large enough to consume a tank whole. Apparently she had resolved that it wasn't worth the trouble. A horrific scream eclipsed all of theirs though as the armor of the vehicle screamed in protest against Lucy's teeth. The alloy's struggle to resist Lucy's teeth and jaws was futile though as she bit off a large portion of the upper turret. Her mouth once again pressed against the tank and she began to try to suck the soldiers out.

While the sound that reached Albert had been dampened he couldn't help but chuckle. "I guess you finally decided that little opening you first created wasn't good enough."

Instead of responding right away Lucy waited until she'd sucked out the tank's crew. A sigh escaped her as she shook her head. "I'll try to use a smaller one then the second one I made next time. However, there is no way that I could have gotten them out without severally injuring them or killing them. At least I can't if the only thing I'm allowed to use is my mouth."

"I'm not sure how much more you're going to be able to experiment. It seems like you've gone through quite a bit of their armor already."

"I'll have to make sure those that are left count then."

Jacquelyn couldn't help but shiver as she noticed how slow the sound of cannon fire had become. She couldn't even be sure if half the explosions she heard were real or her wishful thinking. For a moment something told her that she should go and see what was happening. If she looked outside she would know if the giantess was dead or if she was still alive. Unfortunately her legs didn't want to move.

Helping to prolong the suffering of others wasn't something that Albert liked the idea of doing. Yet he had been the one to suggest that Lucy try to suck the tank's crew out of it instead of just swallowing the tank itself or tearing it apart with her hands. He knew perfectly well that this would increase their suffering yet he couldn't keep the suggestion from himself. Lucy's amusement seemed more important to him and while his suggestion did prolong their situation it didn't change their final destination.

"What's the matter Albert? You went quiet for a moment and don't seem to be watching me."

"I was just considering some ethical questions. Would you like to hear them?"

"Nope, I can't say that I would."

For a moment Albert was made to laugh upon hearing Lucy's response. "I believed that would be your reaction and apparently I was right."

"Ethics just aren't any fun to me. So why should I worry about them whenever I have you to think about them?"

"Do you want the ethical reason for that?"

"Mm people squirming around in my stomach, tickling my insides as I slowly digest them."

Albert gave his head a slight shake though his grin didn't vanish. He figured that was a good enough no. "I suppose you want to resume your game then."

¡°You supposed right. Ah drat! Some of the crews have started leaving their tanks and trying to escape on foot. Humph, well I suppose that it was bound to happen anyway. I blocked off all the easy exits after all so they're going to try to climb over the debris or go through other buildings to get out."

"Didn't you say that you had smaller versions of yourself stationed to keep people from escaping?"

"Yes I do. I don't believe I want them to get that far though." Before she had even finished speaking Lucy had resumed crawling towards the nearest group. They were some that remained within their vehicles who she resolved to save for last. She was going after the runners now.

"We have to get out of here now. The military won't be able to delay her for much longer." As Gaeten spoke he was calmer then what he had been previously. He had time to cope with his fear. His ego received a slight boost when several people in the conference room were made to stand up.

"Fortunately we also have all those citizens to keep her busy for a while. Do you really believe that she's going to go after us immediately after finishing off the army? She wants to extend her fun and make sure we suffer. It's a shame that we couldn't bring in some airpower but after what she did to most of our airstrips and the equipment there we just didn't have it."

Gaeten immediately turned to the speaker. "So you're still trusting in your symbiot? It's clearly not doing its job."

"If you wish to try running by all means do so. I might try to run myself however I don't intend to do so with everyone in a group."

At first Gaeten said nothing but observed the speaker closely. "I see. You believe that she's going to come after us. You're even more certain that she will if we leave as one large group. So you're going to wait for us all to depart then try to sneak out on your own when you'll be a less of a target."

"Lucy, just how much of the city can you observe at once? You seem to be keeping track of about everything."

"It might seem that way but it's not really true. I'm using my smaller bodies to monitor the outer edge of the city very closely including every escape rout. I'm also keeping track of what is in relatively close proximity to me. I don't have to worry about what is in the grey areas as long as I keep track of what is close to me and what is escaping. Well that and what is in the sky."

"Is there something that you're worried about?"

"I'm not really worried about it but there is something I still watch out for."

"I take it you mean a rocket that might shattered your gems."

"Yeah that is something worth watching out for. They're only a few weapons that I believe could do so though and it'd be hard for them to sneak up on me. I'd even go so far as to say it is almost impossible." As Lucy was speaking with Albert she finally came upon a group that had abandoned their tank and were trying to make their way out of the city. "Hey there, you're not going to leave before dinner is over are you?"

It had been clear that Lucy had found them yet the soldiers had continued trying to run. If nothing else it bought others more time. Instinct also played a part in this as it urged them to keep trying. No animal instinctively allowed itself to be eaten after all. Much to their surprise they actually froze up whenever Lucy began speaking to them and had to will their legs to begin moving.

"Humph, well that is inconsiderate. How about instead of running that way you go ahead and climb into my mouth then down my throat? You're going to end up going that way after all." Lucy actually waited a moment to act as the group continued to run from her. "I swear it's hard to find someone that's willing to just give up and get in my belly without a struggle."

"You could try reasoning with them more or pouting."

"Come on fellows, you know that you're not going to escape me. So why not just let me lie down, open my mouth, extend my tongue and you climb in nice and peacefully? You can run in if you want. You're going to end up taking the trip regardless of what you do and by trying to run away you just end up going tired." As she was speaking Lucy moved forward slightly to keep the soldiers from putting any real distance between her and them. "It's not like you'd be alone they are plenty of others inside of me now."

"You don't seem to be making much progress."

"Hey, you know that I enjoy chasing you and toying with you. So why make this more enjoyable for me then you have to?"

As Albert listened to Lucy he knew that in fact this was another form of chase. She was trying to convince them that climbing into her mouth and down her throat was their best choice. He doubted that Lucy would be able to do it though given the time restraints. To convince someone to perform such an act would require a great deal of time and more controlled conditions. It did seem to him that she could convince someone to do so if given enough time.

There was no way any of them were going to stop and let that giantess make a meal of them. As they ran though it seemed their efforts were at an end as a massive shadow descended over them. However, instead of feeling a torrent of air pulling them in or something gripping them they saw a massive hand slammed down on the street several meters away. The force of the impact was undeniable and it threatened to send them all on their tails.

Before they could even move a darker shadow passed over them. Impulsively several of them looked up and were surprised to find Lucy's chests just over head. They didn't have time to admire the view though as Lucy continued to crawl past them. Upon realizing what was happening several of them glanced towards her knees expecting them to come crashing down upon them. Much to their surprise Lucy carefully avoided crushing them as she crawled over them.

None of them had time to celebrate though as Lucy quickly spun around. She then lowered herself closer to the pavement and opened her massive mouth wide. As Lucy opened her mouth her tongue flicked out and hovered just a meter over the street so that it would be easy for them to climb onto. With her right hand she promptly pointed to her extended tongue while a slight giggle escaped her. She closed her mouth just long enough to speak. "Come on. Climb right on in."

"You're persistent!" Albert couldn't help but chuckle as Lucy continued to taunt the soldiers. He still doubted that they would comply.

Once again the group broke into a run. This time however a few of them thought to break away from the main group instead of running as one. Given her scale she could have blocked their escape with an arm or even a hand easily but it still gave them a better chance.

"Humph, well you can just be that way then." After speaking Lucy quickly moved forward and puckered her lips. Lowering her head towards the closest runner she quickly inhaled. The force with which Lucy inhaled lifted the soldier up and brought him into Lucy's mouth before he could even take breath to scream.

Albert was actually surprised at how quickly Lucy had inhaled the soldier. He didn't have to think too hard to realize what was going on though. He doubted that Lucy believed they'd willingly go down her throat. However, she still felt the need to repay them for resisting her.

"Since your arrival have there been any problems with those you're currently sheltering?"

"Yes. After the initial week when numbers began to grow we started having organizational issues. There were also a few problems with some feeling as if they'd traded in their freedom for a moderate form of safety. Things became particularly tense whenever we were forced to remove certain hostiles from the city."

"How did you handle this situation?"

"Each district of the city was allowed to form a committee to express their grievances in a more orderly fashion. Unfortunately this hasn't resolved all of our problems but it has helped to relieve some of the pressure."

"What exactly is the major dilemma?"

"We have many people that are upset because we turned away a friend or loved one for being too great of a risk factor. Unfortunately there is little we can do to resolve that situation. They are some people that are just too great of a risk for them to be permitted in."

"I can see where that might be a problem. Given the situation I doubt anyone would be happy when you refused to grant someone's brother access."

"Yes, we understand their situation however we can't do anything about that. They had began to camp close to the city but we've began forcing them to stay out of a mile perimeter."

"How do you know that you're actually protecting the people here and not just gathering a meal for Miss Angeye? You don't know if she would move against you if you allowed these people in. She might just consider them beyond her reach if she can't tell who sided against her."

"She may also decide that since we offered protection or a hiding place to even one person that sided against her we've all sided against her. If that happened she may very well destroy those areas we hold and kill everyone in them. That is a risk that we can't take."

Sam didn't say anything right away as he considered what Patrick had just told him. Of course he could already see other motives for such behavior. They were cleansing the population of those that would not relinquish their current culture. Once that had been finished it would be easier for them to build Mizia into something they found more agreeable. "Have you stopped to consider that by rejecting those people you've marked them as a group that Lucy should consume?"

"We have considered that possibility. However, it doesn't change the fact that they can't be allowed in. It's difficult to break up a family and friends but these situations require such decisions to be made."

"Hi everyone, did you come out for me to eat you?!" A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she looked down at the group of civilians. Several of them seemed frozen in place as they looked up at the massive giantess. They had attempted to sneak out while Lucy had been consuming the military however they hadn't managed to make it out of the city due to the debris littering the roads and some sections being destroyed.

"Please let us go, we're not military. We're civilians! We never fought against you!"

"Sure you did. Whenever you chose to support the army that was trying to kill me you fought against me. The army just happened to be the ones standing on the front lines while you stood in the back. Now how do you all want to do this? You climb into my mouth willingly or I find a fun way to eat you?"

"You invaded our homeland! What choice did we have?"

"You could have recognized that it was your leaders that started the conflict and refused to support them." As she finished speaking Lucy quickly leaned forward and let her massive tongue flick out. A horrific scream escaped the crowd as her tongue slammed into them. The massive muscle stayed low to the ground as Lucy slipped it into their legs first. Several of them were tossed into the air by the muscle others were brushed aside while several actually stuck to the muscle.

As Lucy's tongue met the group Albert was shocked by how many actually stuck to her tongue. He'd been inside of her mouth and coated with her saliva before so he knew that it was cohesive to an extent. As Lucy lifted up slightly and began to draw that muscle into her mouth though the number he saw upon its surface was far greater then he thought possible. "Lucy, how did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Lick them up like that! How did you do that?"

"Oh, I produce different types of saliva. What I normally use just helps my food go down and allows for some more fun. This stuff I'm using now is more of a gel then the other and has a more adhesive nature."

The crowd had been stunned when Lucy's massive tongue had suddenly dipped down into them. They'd expected her to give them time to respond however that wasn't the situation. As they heard those pulled into her mouth they didn't even try to respond verbally but quickly began to run. Fortunately the group quickly broke into smaller ones each one running in a different direction.

"Mm you taste good. Hey don't leave now!" A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she quickly lowered her head to the ground. Her massive tongue flicked out of her mouth as she lowered her head and extended towards the group.

As the massive muscle neared the runners they could feel the heat on their backs. The air seemed to grow more humid and they felt Lucy's breath wash over them revealing just how close she truly was. As the tongue began to touch upon them their cloves grew wet as her saliva seemed to grip them. They felt their clothing being pressed against their back and the saliva seeping through against their skin followed by the heat moments later.

Soon it wasn't their legs pushing them forward but the massive crimson muscle as it first took hold of the slowest and moved forward. Some of those that were first trapped against that warm wet muscle were made to slam into the back of those just ahead of them. Their numbers added quickly as Lucy scooped them up with her massive tongue. Then they felt their hearts drop down into their stomachs as the forward momentum suddenly became upward and backwards as they were pulled into Lucy's mouth.

The bones of those Lucy scooped up with her tongue were made to rattle as she pulled them within her mouth. A slight moan came from deep within her and shook their very being as they were drawn past her teeth. Their screams were drowned out by even Lucy's slightest moans as they were drawn into Lucy's mouth.

"You're all just so tasty! I don't know how you expect me to stop eating you!" Even while Lucy was speaking she resumed moving towards another group. As she crawled forward her tongue flicked out of her mouth and ran over her lips. "Yummy, yummy you all go into my tummy!"

A cry of pain escaped the woman as the very tip of Lucy's tongue brushed against her. Fortunately the spot that would have gripped her was already occupied by another so that she was sent toppling over. As the woman was sent toppling over she had no idea where the words came from or that she was speaking them until they had escaped her lips. "Please I'm pregnant!"

"Oh so I get something that is extra tender and wrapped in a nice protective covering?" An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she lowered her head towards the woman and once again extended her tongue being careful to keep the action nice and slow as she brought the massive muscle closer.

While Albert tended to be able to guess what Lucy was talking about when he heard her teasing people he couldn't help his curiosity this time. "What are you talking about?"

Instead of just scooping the woman up with her tongue Lucy leaned forward and flattened it out. As she pressed the flat of her tongue against the woman she made sure to add additional pressure around the chest region. While she had scooped up the previous people immediately she held the woman pinned for a moment to insure she was well adhered to her tongue. Lucy then began to slowly pull her tongue back into her mouth despite the woman's protest. "She's pregnant; I get to eat two for one this time."

By consuming the woman Lucy would be extinguishing two lives. One was the mother's and the other was an unborn child. However, Albert had already had to cope with such realizations. Whenever Lucy ate a soldier she could have been eating someone's father or brother. She then moved to the civilians. Given the destruction Lucy was bringing upon the country many would die not from direct interaction with her but from the break down of the nation.

There was no shock or horror as far as Albert was concerned whenever Lucy didn't seem to care that the woman was pregnant. After all they were things she didn't joke about and she had told him she'd let him worry about the ethical questions. There was no thought of stopping Lucy on Albert's part. If Lucy was to stop because she would be harming or even killing a child she'd had to stop already. "She should have thought of that before she came here. After all she's responsible for the lives of two people."

"Hey Albert, do you think I should provide a recording of everything that has happened to the media? Without Sam here I doubt that the footage is going to be as good as it has been."

"That's a given! Most are avoiding the areas you move to since you've eaten a few of the reporters!"

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she licked her lips. "It's something of a shame that they didn't get to send any footage of what happens while inside of me. It's not my fault though. They were with the Mizian army."

"I know and I didn't say that it was."

As Lucy had been speaking with Albert she had been slowly following those that were trying to escape. Instead of running out in the open though they had dashed into one of the buildings. It would have still been easy for Lucy to tear the building apart and eat them but instead she found herself watching the structure and waiting to see what exit they would try to use. "I'm glad that the UR has resolved to recognize this as a military action. Do you realize how many legal problems that solves for me?"

"It would have been several more murder trials. As it is now they were within an enemy encampment whenever a bombing run came through. Even beyond that though there is an element of personnel responsibility for ones own safety whenever in these situations."

"Come out come out wherever you are my delicious little morsels." As Lucy finished speaking she stuck out her tongue and pressed it into one of the windows. The glass didn't even slow her tongue down as it shattered it then the concrete that held the window in place. The sound of crumbling rubble drowned out the screams of those inside however Lucy didn't quite reach them with her tongue. Instead she proceeded to flick the massive muscle about teasingly.

They had heard the woman's cries of terror only a few moments ago her pleading to have her baby spared and how Lucy had enjoyed eating the woman. None of those inside of the structure expected any mercy from Lucy after such a display. None had any true hope of escaping from her at this point but fear told them that they should keep trying to escape though despair told them just to give up.

After a moment Lucy withdrew her tongue from the building. "Hey maybe a quick glance of at least part of where you're going to go would help relax you. I think I'll give you a quick look and if you like what you see feel free to climb inside." Upon finishing Lucy opened her mouth as wide as she could. It was easy for her to block the opening she'd torn with her tongue entirely so that where there had once been a wall there was an open passage right into Lucy's mouth and down her throat.

Lucy actually held her position for a few moments giving those inside plenty of times to stair into her mouth and down into her throat. She then closed her mouth and backed up slightly. "See? Now how about you come on out and I'll gobble you up and you can spend your last few hours of life inside of my warm tummy."

"Patrick, you have some reports to read."

While a woman in the UR military wasn't rare Sam was quite surprised by the tone of the voice he heard. It was enough to get him to turn to face the source. What he found surprised him. The woman was technically in uniform however the way she wore it was far from normal and far from suiting to a combat situation. Her shirt was open partly revealing a good third of her cleavage, her sleeves were rolled up revealing most of her arms, her boot laces were tied but no in a conventional manner at all and her hair was a wreck.

"Okay Sara, can it wait until I'm done here?"

"Nope it can't."

"Okay then, Sara if you don't mind, take over for me. Sara should be able to answer any questions that you're permitted to know."

"Hey how do you know I'm not busy as well?"

"Because I'm the one that assigned your work schedule and I know you. Now answer the questions while I go and see what is so urgent."

"Fine" As Patrick passed Sara she made her way further into the room and promptly set down in his chair. "So what would you like to know?"

"Um pardon me Miss but who are you?"

"I'm second in command."

After a moment of silence in which Sam continued to observe the lady in front of him he finally gave his head a quick nod. "I see. If you don't mind, what is the current state of affairs of those under your protection?"

"As well as can be expected I suppose, we're currently trying to find some of them employment which might seem foolish but idle hands can be dangerous. We also don't want them to become stagnant under our protection. They're quite a few mouths to feed here already and the number is growing larger."

"So you're trying to get industry moving again already?"

"To a limited extent yes, it seems to make people happier knowing that they have a method of providing for their family. Power was an issue when we initially arrived however we've set up some temporary stations on several of the buildings roofs."

"Don't you believe that is dangerous? I assume you're using the solar energy collectors Miss Angeye developed and you've seen what happens whenever people use her technology for military use without her consent."

"That's why we're keeping the grid we use for military purposes and the one we use for humanitarian separate. There is some intermixing but none more so then what she already has allowed."

"What do you mean what she's allowed? To my knowledge she has never given such permission."

"You use materials and energy systems in a manufacturing plant that produces computers chips, you use those computer chips in flight systems and you use some of those flight systems in military aircraft that is what I mean. Ultimately you can't introduce such systems to a nation and permit their use without strengthening their military if indirectly."

"So you're not worried you're in violation of your contract?"

"Nope, Patrick is quite certain that we're well within the terms of use."

"Excuse me miss."

In response to the voice Jacqueline quickly looked up, if she had been listening to the voice though she'd looked down. Upon not finding anyone standing in front of her she glanced down and was rather surprised to find a child standing in front of her. Of course she knew that children were in the shelter however they'd been so quiet she hadn't given them any thought. After realizing that she was staring she gave her head a quick shake. "Yes? What is it?"

"When is big sister going to get here? We can hear her, but we can't see her yet and the others are becoming real quiet."

"What are you?" For a moment Jacqueline grew silent. After a moment of thought she resolved that the child must be talking about a family member that didn't make it. "Listen, sweaty you're big sister isn't going to be coming. I'm sure that she'd like to be here but she just can't make it."

"Yes she can!" A slight chuckle escaped the child. "I can hear her singing outside right now. Hey maybe we should go to her."

All Jacqueline could do was stair as the child quickly sprinted away laughing. A shiver ran up her spine moments later as she tried to figure out what had just happened. There were a few moments in which she tried to comprehend what had just occurred but she couldn't bring herself to give it much thought. Despite what the child had just said to her she chose to turn away and focus on the wall she'd been observing.

A horrified scream escaped the woman as she toppled backwards. She hadn't been the one scooped up by Lucy's tongue however it had just about been her. They had finally resolved to try to run for it again by splitting up into three different groups and using a different exit for each group. Two would be using doors while the other had to use one of the windows. She had been in the group using the back exit. As they had started to run though a massive red object had swooped in and scooped up the first one out of the door.

Few truly realized how quickly Lucy could move whenever she wanted to. Their decision to use different exits had been logical in a since however they hadn't accounted for her speed. It had been easy for Lucy to quickly move around the building lapping up the first out of each exit as she did so. The best any of them had done was to take two steps. Of course they were consequences for moving so quickly.

The building was now surrounded by massive holes on either side from where Lucy's knees and hands had slammed into the ground. She had actually plowed through a building on the right side of the one the now reduced group resided in as well. Fortunately she'd managed to keep from destroying the building they were in so that her game continued. "That was a nice try! Do you have any more ideas? I hope so but I suppose you wouldn't tell me that. Oh but I'm running short on time. Okay, everyone you have five minutes to come up with a new idea and try it before I have to come in there and eat you. They are others that need my attention."

"Attention everyone, it seems that the military has failed. The giantess remains at large and active with no signs of slowing down. At this time we're asking for anyone that might volunteer to delay her so that at least the women and children might escape. We don't know how long it's going to take her to get here. We won't try to stop anyone from leaving but please refrain from leaving in large groups."

As the words reached Jacqueline's ears she nearly collapsed. While it had been rather silent for a while now she hadn't been able to face the fact that it probably meant the military was on the losing end. Now they were being told to evacuate without knowing what condition the outside was in. They didn't know what roads were blocked and which ones weren't. They didn't know what areas would be the easiest to travel or which Lucy was watching.

"Danny? Danny, where did you go? We have to get out of here. Danny?!"

While Jacqueline didn't recognize the voice she glanced towards the source. What she saw was a woman quickly moving throughout the crowd clearly searching for someone. It didn't take much effort to guess that it was a child given how she was looking. Soon her voice was joined by many others as men and women began to search around. Despite the situation Jacqueline found herself joining in the search though not for any specific child, much to her surprise she found she couldn't find any children even the little girl that had spoken to her earlier.

"Congratulations you lasted the longest!" A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she lifted the woman higher into the air. She had been forced to finally tear the building apart in order to retrieve the people. Now she held the last of them above her head and opened her mouth wide so that she could see down into it. Her fingers released and she let the woman's screaming form fall down into her waiting throat.

"So where are we going next?"

"They're a few soldiers left. I believe I'll finish them all off first before moving to the shelters and the bunker last. Besides if that was an indicator they'll be coming to me soon enough." Before moving Lucy raised her voice so that anyone in the city could hear her. "Okay I'm going to head to the north and eat everyone there first. Please keep that in mind and try to look lively and tasty. Lots of running around to show how energetic you are would help."

It actually surprised Albert when he felt himself accelerated upward as Lucy began to stand up. He had thought she'd continue licking up those she found for a while longer. "So have you decided on something else?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you decided on a different way to enjoy your meal?"

"Mm well maybe I have but how about you try suggesting something?"

"I suggested how you should deal with the tanks!"

"Yeah and it was fun! So why don't you try to come up with something else? Come on think fast it won't be long before I catch up with more of them."

A sigh escaped Albert as he leaned his head against the side of the gem. As he rested his head against the cool material a slight chuckle escaped him. It was one of the few times he found himself regretting the gem's protection as he would have preferred to be able to touch Lucy's breasts.

"Come on Albert time is running short, you have to think quickly."

"Fine, fine. Okay I have something. You have to pick them up by licking your finger and using your saliva to do so. There should really be a penalty for you whenever you mess up."

"Mm that sounds like fun! What kind of penalty do you have in mind though?"

"You've hardly given me time to think about this I don't know."

"Well you'd best get to thinking." A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she let her tongue slip out of her lips and pressed a finger against it. She then slowly drew her finger along the bumpy surface coating her finger in her more adhesive saliva.

It was impossible for Albert to keep from groaning as he rubbed his forehead. He could think of some things that he knew would upset Lucy but he didn't truly want her to suffer when she failed. He needed to think of something that she didn't tend to do but not something she would openly hate doing. "Okay if you don't manage to pick them up with your finger then you have to chew so that they don't suffer more then an instant and by an instant I mean less then a second."

"You're on and just in time to." As Lucy neared the group she directed her attention away from Albert and towards them. "Good news people! I'm going to be eating you differently from how I have been and you're the first group I get to try the new method out on. So would one of you like to be the first of the first?" Even as she was speaking Lucy began to lean towards the group and extend her soaking wet finger towards them.

While the distance Lucy's arm had to travel was relatively great the speed with which she could move was even greater. So that if one was to simply rely on the distance to judge how much time they had to flee they would be disappointed. This proved to be the case with the first person Lucy pressed her finger against as he felt her finger press against his back. The force of the impact was undeniable and he found himself toppling toward he never reached the ground.

As Lucy had pressed her finger against him her saliva had quickly adhered him to the tip of the finger. The only reason he found himself falling downward was that she had continued to press forward. Lucy then began to raise the struggling figure up and towards her mouth. Unlike when she extended her arm she kept this action slow and opened her mouth wide for him to see inside of it. This also had the advantage of letting those on the ground see inside of her mouth.

Even if breaking free meant falling to his death the fear of going into Lucy's mouth was far greater then the fear of falling. Due to the greater fear he found himself struggling against the sticky substance that held him trapped against Lucy's finger. As he struggled he heard his shirt tear and the fabric began to loosen. He pushed off against Lucy's fingers with his feet and hands at the same time and felt himself moved forward slightly he then felt Lucy's hot breath wash over him.

"Mm yeah a nice lively one" for a moment Lucy held the man just a meter away from her lips as she spoke. As she finished speaking her mouth once again opened wide and she finished slipping him past her lips. Her lips closed around her finger and she inhaled slightly while slowly withdrawing her finger. Those on the ground that chose to look up saw her finger exit her mouth coated in a fresh layer of her saliva however there was no longer a person trapped on the tip of it.

Having finished one person Lucy once again extended her finger towards the group. This time she had more saliva coating her finger then what could actually adhere to it so that a few drops were made to roll off and splash on the ground below due to the substance being more adhesive then cohesive. "You look like a nice lively lady. Good muscle tone and look how far out you are? You're almost ahead of everyone and with nice legs like that I'm surprised your not. It was so nice of you to develop your body so much to be a nice lean treat for me."

Lucy hadn't given any names but the woman knew exactly who she was talking about. Regular morning runs had indeed left her quite toned and she had hoped that would give her a better chance of getting out of the city. Instead it had brought her Lucy's attention. "Damn it if you weren't so big you wouldn't be doing this."

A delighted giggle escaped Lucy as she pressed her finger against the woman and began to lift her towards her mouth. "Yes I would have to come up a whole knew way to eat you if I didn't have such a massive scale."

"You call yourself massive! I swear you're down right puny."

For a moment Lucy held completely still as her gaze slowly shifted from the woman and down towards Albert. Despite looking in his direction she could see that he still wore a massive grin upon his face. "You're going to pay for that. I hope you realize that. I'm going to get even with you for that comment." As she finished speaking Lucy slowly placed the struggling woman inside of her mouth and closed her lips. When she withdrew her finger the woman was gone.

Despite the display Lucy just put on Albert couldn't help but chuckle. He could tell that he'd caught her off guard with that last comment. "Oh and what do you think you're going to do about it little lady?"

"I don't know yet. I will come up with something though."

"Patrick, what are you doing?"

As Sara entered the room Patrick glanced behind himself at her. He instantly noticed that she'd undone another button on her jacket. "Did you do that during the interview?"

"Yeah the camera was spending too much time on my face and not enough time on my tits."

In response all Patrick could do was shake his head. "I see. So they used biological weapons against Miss Angeye. From what I'm reading we're talking about some seriously dangerous materials."

"Not materials, life forms. It was alive."

"Yes, you're correct. It doesn't seem like any of it managed to escape from the city at least." A sigh escaped Patrick as he shook his head. "We're going to have to burn everything within it to ash then burn the ashes. It also seems that people are trying to escape from the city now. I want some gun boats in the air to insure that no one makes it out alive."

"Why? I doubt that she's going to let anyone get out alive."

"Yes but we need them up there as a display. There is a perfect reason to begin inoculation."

A slight chuckle escaped Sara as she moved to stand next to Patrick. She then proceeded to lean forward and slightly to the side so that her hips brushed against him. As she rubbed her hips against him she scooted forward even further. "I assume you're talking about the transmitter?"

"Sara, um you're going to tip me over." As Sara had been brushing against him Patrick had found his chair actually being tilted backwards. Fortunately her rear had enough give that it still felt nice pressed against him though he was most assuredly pinned by it.

"Whoops!" Even before the word had finished leaving her lips Sara leaned forward a bit. Upon hearing the front leg of Patrick's chair impact the ground a slight giggle escaped her as she realized how much force she'd actually be exerting. "I didn't realize I was exerting that much force. I didn't bruise you or anything did I?"

Before responding Patrick removed his arm from his seat and proceeded to stretch it a few times. When Sara had leaned forward she had went from rubbing her thigh against him to pressing her but against him. He knew that she had been holding back or he would have been sent across the room but she had still done a good job of trapping him in his seat as well as tipping it. "I see that you're still not quite used to your body."

In response Sara gave a slight sigh and nodded her head. "They winged me from the limiter drugs a little quicker then what I was ready for I think."

"None sense. If they'd done that then you're threshold of awareness would have been breached and you'd been a vegetable."

"I know but it can still be kind of hard to control especially when something feels nice." A slight chuckle escaped Sara as she once again pushed her rump against Patrick though she was more conscious of the force she was exerting this time.

"You'll learn to cope and you'll learn to cope with the fact that you're getting stronger. Yeah, we've been looking for a reason to introduce a transmitter into the populace. We can begin doing so under the form of inoculation as a protective measure made mandatory by the Mizian's use of a man made parasite."

"We've been waiting for this chance. It can even be expedient due to us insuring that the parasite doesn't make any more progress." As she finished speaking Sara drew forward once again taking the pressure off of Patrick. Instead of allowing him to stand up she quickly seated herself in his lap having been slowly scooting him backwards the whole time her rear was pressed against him.

Sara suddenly plopping herself down into his lap forced a slight grunt from Patrick as the sudden pressure forced him to exhale quickly. "I swear at times I forget how heavy you are!" As he was speaking Patrick reached a hand around Sara and placed it against her stomach pulling her more firmly against him.

"Does it bother you?"

"No, just please don't bruise or break anything. I take it that Sam finished his interview."

A low groan escaped Sara as she shook her head. "Do you realize how persistent that man is? He would have kept me busy for hours if I hadn't been influencing his mind and I don't mean the regular level of suggestions either. I had to really focus to block the little questions that would have brought on greater ones that I couldn't block."

"I thought you liked attention."

"I do but" instead of finishing speaking Sara leaned forward and pressed her lips firmly against Patrick's forehead. As she kissed his head she made certain to press her breasts against his face so that the majority of his head was either covered by her face or by her breasts. "They are certain types of attention that I value more then others. We haven't been able to spend a lot of time together like we did before."

"I know but you knew that once we arrived we'd be busy."

"Yeah I know, I know. Hey, guess what?"

"You found some more people that we should remove from the city?"

"Nope, I took off my boots before I came in here."

"Huh?" While Patrick trusted Sara completely he couldn't help but look to the side to confirm what she'd told him. Indeed he found that she wasn't wearing her boots. He then checked behind himself and found that they were indeed still at the door. "You mean that you've grown?"

"It's only a few centimeters but yeah I've grown. Neat isn't it?"

"That's wonderful news! So have you actually become any more capable or is this a superficial change?"

"I'm fairly certain that I'm physically more powerful then what I was. I haven't been able to check yet though. We don't really have the equipment here that I'd need to get a better idea. Still, I suppose all of that strength training is paying off. I was a little worried that my body would recognize it was being trained against itself so it wouldn't feel a need to adapt. It's really taking some getting use to though."

Patrick had been Sara's partner almost since she'd been brought into the project. She had been found to have a rather high threshold of awareness and high potential however she also had several traits that had been holding her back. It had been his job as her partner to help increase her threshold of awareness and to remove those restrictions. They'd made progress but there was still much to be done. Sara was rather self conscious about her size much to Patrick's frustration as well as his superiors. "That's good to know. Have you drunk your shake this morning?"

"Whoops! I forgot."

A slight chuckle escaped Patrick as he reached up and ran a hand through Sara's hair. "Why don't you go and down it now then? You're a growing girl and you need your nutrition."

In response Sara gave a quick nod and once again leaned forward placing a kiss on Patrick's forehead. "Okay."

"Oh and Sara, drink the entire thing this time."

"Huh? But I do."

"Sara, I know you got a bottle last night. I meant it when I said I was fine with you drinking as much as you want and want you to. However, you need to finish what you open or at least not throw it away. The R&D team doesn't mind but that doesn't change the fact that those shakes are expensive."

"I thought I wanted one last night but I got half way through and well."

"Were you full?"

"No I just felt like I should stop. Ah well, I'll be right back." As she went to rise up Sara was suddenly stopped as Patrick took hold of her arm. It would have been easy for her to physically break free of his grasp or drag him along but she instinctively stopped.

Patrick knew that words alone wouldn't have been enough to stop Sara from leaving. He knew that she couldn't have began feeling full given how much she tended to drink so there was only one reason she stopped. He still had to approach the situation carefully. He needed to encourage not scold her. "What happened last night Sara? You know that I don't want you starving yourself or even feeling hungry. If you're worried about going through too many of the shakes I'll just call in more."

"I don't know. I just. Well you know that I use to try to limit my snacking after hours well I limited my eating period. I didn't want to put on a lot of weight after all. Well more then what I had already put on."

"Sara you don't have to worry about that anymore. Even if you don't feel like finishing what you open you can just place it back inside of a container. It's not like you have to hide your eating habits from me after all and you sure don't want to worry about fattening up."

"I know." A sigh escaped Sara as she exited the room. She had been quite obese before she had joined the project and been introduced to Patrick. It hadn't been her fault though. When she had been young her physician had given a wrong diagnostic and she'd spent several years taking pills that she not only didn't need but were destroying her body's biology as well. By the time they realized the error she truly did have a problem that had to be addressed with medication and changes to life style.

One of the greatest changes had been a restriction on when she could and couldn't eat as well as what she could eat. It had been difficult for her to live by the strict regiment but she'd managed to stick to it she'd even began to lose weight. Then two men wearing expensive suits had showed up at her door one day. They explained they were there to talk to her about the rather high limits of her awareness and asked her to participate in a few more tests. She'd met Patrick a year later and began to learn what was really going on.

Now they were trying to undo years of dieting habits and actually convince her to eat more often. She understood that this was for her own development but it still was going against years of learning. For a moment she stopped, focused her thoughts on Patrick and listened very carefully. She could hear people even when their lips and vocal cords didn't move to form words.

"How am I going to get her to stop that damn dieting? This wouldn't be happening if it wasn't for that dumb ass doctor. How long can you see someone and not realize something is going horribly wrong anyway? Maybe if I start feeding her? Perhaps I'm putting too much pressure on her to undo what she's learned by herself. It might be easier that way. I'll tell Green what I'm going to do then give it a try."

As Sara listened to Patrick she felt her cheeks grow warm at the thought of Patrick feeding her. She didn't find the idea objectionable just rather surprising. Tonight she'd have to do it on her own though. Patrick tried to take care of her but they were certain things he had to run past the project's head psychiatrist. Green had second say so to anything that might influence mental health which turned out to be just about everything.

"What's been taking you so long?!"

Well before the group had arrived Lucy had heard them coming. Yet she still wasn't prepared for their arrival as they rounded a corner to face her. She was used to chasing after people not being chased especially not when she was busy eating people. Now she found herself faced with a small mob that seemed to actually be upset that she hadn't arrived sooner. Lucy wasn't the only one at a loss for words.

All Albert could do at first was stair and second guess what he was seeing. The idea of an unarmed group of people coming out to confront Lucy in a war zone was surprising enough. What was happening now was enough to leave him tongue tied as he tried to think of how to handle the situation. In the end all he could do was come up with a question. "Lucy what is going on?"

At first Lucy said nothing but took a single step towards the group being careful to halt her foot a few centimeters above the ground for a millisecond before setting her foot down. This slight delay reduced the force released whenever her foot touched the ground so that no one in the group was even shaken. She then began to slowly bend at the knees and settle down to get closer to them.

I don't" Lucy didn't get to finish as she felt a sudden shock run throughout her system. Lucy's muscles tightened reflexively and she thrust her chests outward. Her mouth opened and a slight gasp escaped her as she began to feel as if the world was shifting about her. She didn't even notice whenever she placed a hand on the ground to help steady her as all she could think of was the heat that was building inside of her forehead. It took Lucy a moment to decide what she actually felt but she soon settled on pain as she placed a hand on her forehead and began to rub it.

At first Albert hadn't thought much of Lucy's sudden silence. When he was suddenly lifted higher though and felt himself accelerate forward he quickly became concerned. "Lucy? Lucy, are you alright?" Instead of waiting for an answer Albert moved to the side of the gem and began to try to work it open. He didn't know if it was possible but he felt the need to be closer to Lucy. Unfortunately it didn't seem he could open the gem when Lucy was wearing it.

Even as Lucy rubbed her forehead the pain continued to increase as the heat grew all the greater. At last her right hand joined her left one on the ground as she struggled to keep herself steady. She wanted to talk in order to ask what was happening but she couldn't even form words in her mind much less with her lips. All she knew for sure was that her body was doing something and she hadn't been prepared for it. The fact that it was hurting her was the most amazing part though. Only during drastic changes did she feel something occurring and she'd never felt it hurting her.

While Albert struggled to escape from the gem he considered what might be happening. Instantly his mind flew to the symbiot that Mizia had used against Lucy. He had no doubt that she'd tried to kill it whenever he'd told her to however could have it fooled her? Was it possible that a few of its cells had survived and managed to find a way to harm Lucy? These thoughts served to drive Albert and forced him to push all the harder against the gem yet it showed no sign of giving.

As Albert was struggling he continued to glance out the gem at Lucy. Upon one quick look though, his eyes turned to the group that had come out to meet her. What he found was that at least a fourth of them had collapsed. Once again he grew more concerned as he began to wonder if they might have all be carrying a viral symbiot when they came to Lucy. Perhaps they had planned to use them as a secondary means of introduction should the first have failed.

As Patrick continued to examine the files before him he was a bit surprised whenever his receiver began to buss. His training insured that his hands were going to the device even before he had thought of what he was doing. As he withdrew the phone from his pocket he felt his heart skip a beat as he noticed the emergency number. "What's happening?"

"Sir, Miranda is down. She's still alive but she's not responding to anything I've tried. Her vitals are checking out but something is wrong."

Even before Patrick could respond he was surprised when he had to switch over to yet another emergency. This time he didn't get a chance to say anything. "Sir, Valerie just collapsed. I can't tell what is wrong. She said she felt something and then she went down."

"Another one is down?! Hold, I'm getting another message." As Patrick switched over he didn't wait for the other to speak. "Is your partner down?"

"Yes sir."

Even before he began issuing orders Patrick quickly stood up and began to dash out of the room. "Keep with your partner and try to keep their vitals stable. Call in if you begin to feel any ill effects. Call for medical teams right away." As he was running Patrick made sure to send the message out to everyone.

"Wow." A slight giggle escaped Sara as she reached up and took hold of the counter. As she drew herself upward she was amazed by how shaky her legs felt yet she couldn't stop giggling. She had felt a remarkable wave of energy slam into her just moments earlier and seemed to be suffering some residual affects as she tried to keep from laughing openly.

"Sara, are you alright?" Patrick didn't wait for a response from his partner as he quickly dashed into the room. He moved behind her and took hold of her placing his hands under her arms and beginning to lay her backwards.

"Huh? OH! Hey Patrick!" Once again an amused giggle escaped Sara. She tried to brush Patrick aside as he lay her down but she couldn't find the focus. "Yeah, I'm fine." A slight chuckle once again came from Sara's lips. "Just feel a little odd is all. Um I felt something." A slight giggle escaped Sara once again.

Patrick wasn't sure what to think as he laid Sara back though he was glad to see that she was still aware. Her mentioning of an energy surge caught his attention right away. "Sara, are you going to be okay?"

"Oh sure I'm going to be fine." Once again Sara was made to giggle as she reached up towards Patrick. Her movement was slow but he seemed too stunned to respond as she grabbed his nose.

"Sara, what are you doing?"

A delighted stream of laughter burst from Sara as she released Patrick's nose. "I don't know! I felt this energy before. Oh I know I know. I know where I felt it!"

"Where did you feel it before? We need to figure out what is going on."

"Guess!"

It was impossible for Patrick to keep from sighing as he shook his head. Sara could be quite playful at times but this was going beyond that. Something had happened and he needed to know what before he would know if she was going to be alright or not. "Did you feel it when the symbiot was first introduced to you?"

"Nope, but you're getting warmer. Try again!"

"Okay, how about whenever you learned to use the mental abilities the symbiot gave you access to?"

"You're getting closer but not there yet."

Patrick didn't respond immediately but took in a deep breath. As he became silent he tried to remember everything about Sara's training and their bonding that he could. "How about whenever another candidate unlocked their abilities?"

"Yep! That's it! This is different though, at least it's a little different. It's close though."

After a moment Patrick gave his head a slight nod. "Sara, I want you to try to answer me. Is this like when you flooded your instructor with your emotions during training?"

"Yeah, that is it!"

"So that is what happened to all the others. Sara, do you believe that this is going to wear off?"

"Um, yeah I do. I most assuredly do. What happened to the others?"

"They weren't strong enough to endure the flood of emotions and lapsed into a coma like your instructor did. I imagine they'll be coming out of it soon enough. But this only tends to happen when done intentionally or when someone with a very high potential violently broke through to a higher level or awakening."

"You already have a suspect don't you?"

A sigh escaped Patrick as he nodded his head. Feeling certain that Sara was okay physically and would be mentally soon enough he slipped an arm under her. He then began to lift her being certain to employ his legs in the effort as well as his arms while sparing his back as much as possible. A sharp grunt escaped him as he was reminded of just how much mass she actually contained. "Uh, yeah, I just don't know if it was intentional or if she was just awakening."

Even though she had resisted being laid down Sara didn't budge as Patrick tried to help her stand up. Instead she shifted her position slightly so that her weight was even more exaggerated due to the positioning. "I don't believe it was intentional." As Patrick continued to struggle to lift her Sara gave his legs a quick push forcing them out from under him.

Upon feeling his legs be removed from under him a cry of protest escaped Patrick. His arms extended before him to slow his fall but instead of finding the floor they found Sara due to their position. As his hands came to rest upon her thighs he felt them shift under him rapidly in order to keep him from slowing his fall. Before he could even begin to compensate for this his fall brought him face first into Sara's groin.

The moment Patrick landed atop her a delighted giggle escaped Sara and she quickly brought her legs up. In doing so she shrugged off his hands and took his head between her massive thighs. "I caught you!"

As Patrick spoke his words were muffled due to his face being pressed into Sara's crotch. "Sara this is highly inappropriate right now." Even in this position Patrick found himself trying to figure out what was going on. Sara was acting like herself in most respects she was only being giddier. Due to her laughter before hand, her grabbing his nose, tripping him and her pinning him against her crotch he couldn't decide if he was dealing with a woman or a little girl right now. Her yelling that she'd caught him didn't help the situation.

Sara didn't respond to Patrick's comment but proceeded to inhale sharply and thrust her chests upward. Her actions had the desired effect as her breasts lifted and tossed Patrick into the air ever so slightly. The moment he came back down she quickly repeated the action her giggling once again resuming as she easily lifted and tossed about the vast majority of his mass with her chest alone.

With each toss Patrick couldn't be sure if he should be enjoying himself or embarrassed. If they were in private he knew that he would be enjoying himself but this wasn't the way a superior officer and subordinate were supposed to act. At least he could explain the situation if anyone spotted them given the massive emotional influx that Sara and all the others had received.

It was clear to Albert that Lucy wasn't doing very well. She was in pain and didn't seem to be able to communicate at the moment. He wasn't sure what was going on but he knew that he wanted to help her. Fortunately he had regained his composure after a few moments of trying to force his way out of the gem and could think rationally. "Lucy, I don't know what is going on but I know that you can handle it. I'm right here with you and I'll help you in anyway that I'm able but I know that you can handle it."

A low moan escaped Lucy in response to Albert's voice. The pain had yet to go away but she could hear him. She had been able to hear him since it had begun but he hadn't been talking then. As she listened to his voice she tried to focus more on him and less on the pain she was feeling. She didn't even notice as several children placed their little hands on her massive one.

"Breath Lucy, I know that you can handle this. You might not have had to deal with physical pain in a long time but you're plenty strong enough to handle it." Even as Albert was speaking he couldn't help but desire a way to take away Lucy's pain. Whether it was by rubbing her skin or taking the pain upon himself he didn't care he just wanted to take it away from her. It was these thoughts he was focusing on whenever he began to feel himself warming up.

Listening to Albert seemed to be helping Lucy as she began to regain some of her focus. The world shifted from a red blur to shapes outlined in the crimson hue as she felt the pain diminishing. Her mouth felt dry and her tongue flicked over her lips to wet them as she took in a deep breath. The air tasted warm and unpleasant to her as she struggled to cope with the pain and figure out what was going on.

Albert could feel the heat building as he continued to focus on Lucy. At first it had been hardly noticeable but now he could most assuredly feel it. This only fueled his fears as he worried that Lucy's body was heating up in response to whatever was attacking it. He didn't notice the children outside so he didn't realize that none of them seemed to be feeling anything at all. "That's it Lucy, just focus on getting better. You're stronger and smarter then they are and you can handle anything they throw at you."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy though she stopped breathing. She knew that the oxygen would help her body if it needed more energy but she couldn't stand the taste right now. At the moment she just wanted to shut out the rest of the world and focus on the sound of Albert's voice. It didn't even matter if he was forming words or not she just wanted to hear the sound to distract her from the pain.

"You know Lucy it's been a while since I saw you hurting. No one has been able to cause you physical pain for a long time. I remember when your father and mother had to come to the terms with the fact that spanking you didn't work anymore. I also remember how much you hated it whenever they extended the duration of your time outs when that became clear. You offered to spank yourself just to get to leave more quickly."

Despite the situation a slight chuckle escaped Lucy as Albert brought up the old memory. Her parents had refused her offer and she'd ended up setting in the corner for the full time. She had been quite upset at the time but when Albert reminded her of it she couldn't help but laugh a bit despite her pain. As she laughed she found the pain diminishing.

While the pain Lucy felt was going away the pain Albert was dealing with had been going up. The heat that he had first felt had gone from noticeable to annoying to painful and now it was approaching searing. One thing that surprised him through all of it though was that he hadn't begun sweating. He didn't mention it to Lucy. Resolving that as long as his vision was clear and he could stand he would keep it quiet. "Please Lucy if you're feeling better give your head a nod."

It was still rather hard for Lucy to think but she was able to do as Albert asked and gave her head a slight nod. What had been simple shapes in a red hue had finally begun to take on features again. This time when Lucy turned her attention to Albert she was able to make him out inside of the gem though she couldn't tell what condition he was in or if he was smiling at her or not.

"That's good Lucy. Now Lucy, can you tell me what is happening to you?"

Lucy slowly gave her head a shake in the negative as she tried to figure out what was going on herself. She was rather surprised whenever she was once again made to giggle despite the pain. This time it wasn't because of a memory though rather she began to feel rather giddy but she wasn't sure why. With her focus slowly returning to her though she glanced towards her hand and could have sworn the group of children that had gathered there had been reduced. She considered asking Albert if she had eaten any of them but she still couldn't form words quite yet.

At least Lucy was feeling better. It was enough to make Albert smile despite the growing pain he had to deal with. With Lucy seeming better though he found himself considering his own situation and trying to figure out what was going on. One possibility seemed that Lucy's body heat was super heating the gem however as he looked at the surrounding area he didn't believe that. Given what the gem had protected him from if Lucy was becoming warm enough to heat it up he knew the surrounding area would be much worse off.

If it had just been Sara and him Patrick would have been enjoying himself. Even with the risk of someone walking in on them Patrick couldn't help but enjoy himself to an extent however he had other concerns to worry about. He needed to make sure that Sara and the others were okay. He also need to figure out how this had happened to them so he'd know what actions needed to be taken if any at all. "Sara, that's quite enough."

Sara knew what Patrick was saying. She even knew why he wanted her to stop and why she should stop but that didn't change the fact that she wanted to continue. "Don't you like playing on my nice big boobies? Maybe they're not big enough though. Oh wouldn't it be neat if I became so big that you could set atop them? Then I cold really bounce you!" A slight giggle escaped Sara as she once again bounced Patrick into the air.

It was rare that Patrick brought his rank into a conversation with Sara. He didn't like to use it in order to win a debate however the situation wasn't normal. "Sara, this is an order. You're to release me right now." Patrick didn't bother giving a reason knowing that if he did Sara might think it was open to debate or that she could even ignore him. He felt rather guilty as he felt Sara's thighs release his head and he stood up.

Even though she released Patrick Sara didn't bother standing up but proceeded to cross her arms over her chest. "No fun."

"I don't enjoy doing this Sara but you're not yourself right now and regardless of how it happened. I can't be with you whenever you're drunk."

Despite her giddy mood Patrick's words immediately hit a note with Sara and she felt her eyes widen. Her right hand came up and pressed against her forehead as she tried to steady herself emotionally and began to raise herself to a standing position. "Patrick, I wasn't thinking. I'm still not thinking clearly but I'll try harder to keep it under control. Thank you."

A sigh escaped Patrick as he willed his arms to stay where they were. His first instinct had been to give Sara a quick hug or at least a pat but given her condition he didn't know if that was a good idea or not. "It's alright Sara. Now we need to get in contact with the observers and see what condition Miss Angeye is in. Once we know what is going on we can see if she's just broken through or if she's awakened."

"And if there have been no visible indicators?"

"We'll have to assume that what has just happened was intentional. Do you believe that you could flood her if it came down to it?"

"I couldn't kill her by doing it but I could temporarily immobilize her with the right feelings. At least that'd give us time to evacuate the area. What about the chance that Mizia has someone?"

"I'd say the likelihood of them having someone powerful enough to emotionally flood you is borderline impossible. However, I can't truly justify ignoring the possibility. If they did have such a person it seems likely that they would use them to flood Miss Angeye while they evacuated the survivors in the city."

Lucy couldn't ignore what she had felt or what had caused it just because the pain was diminishing. For her to feel such pain she knew that something had changed within her or something had come very close to causing her serious harm. Unfortunately as the pain diminished enough for her to think about this other emotions began to flood into her mind as she found herself starting to chuckle.

"Lucy, what is happening now?" While Albert hadn't managed to get much of a response out of Lucy despite his previous efforts he had to keep trying. Talking to her seemed to be helping her a great deal. Unfortunately he was having trouble thinking of what to say next as he had to deal with his own pain now.

"I." A slight giggle escaped Lucy stopping her cold and forced her to cover her mouth to keep from bursting into laughter. She didn't risk opening her mouth again for fear that her laughter would overwhelm her and she wouldn't be able to speak for even longer. She needed to regain her composure before she tried to speak.

For a moment Albert was stunned by Lucy's laughter. Her giggle caused her chest to shake lightly and he could feel every little chuckle as it lightly shook his world. He could at least hope that her laughter meant that she wasn't feeling pain anymore. It was also to his great relief, that as he heard Lucy chuckling, his pain seemed to be diminishing as well though not as quickly as he would have liked.

"I see. So they're waking up but now they started laughing and you can't keep them from it. Oh? They're not just laughing." Patrick gave his head a slight shake as he talked to his subordinates about their partners. Apparently the others were going through the same thing Sara and he went through. However, the personality of each person's partner also seemed to be affecting it.

"So what's going on?"

"It seems that Lorie is trying to breast feed her partner. Right now I'm talking to someone from the medical team and a few others."

A slight giggle escaped Sara as she shook her head. "I see. That sounds like fun actually." As she was speaking Sara slipped a hand behind Patrick and began to rub his back. "Would you like to try it?"

"Sara, take a deep breath."

"Ah, but why? Whoops! Ah crap." As she spoke Sara quit rubbing Patrick's back and took a step back from him. "I'm trying to keep myself under control right now but these emotions are really powerful and hard to defend against."

In response Patrick gave his head a quick nod. He had a good idea of why they were hard to defend against and he doubted it was due to them being that powerful. "Given how enjoyable they seem to be I imagine it's quite tempting to just give in and let them take over."

"Yeah, it is." A slight giggle escaped Sara as she felt her hand moving towards Patrick and she had to force it to her side again. "So what have you learned about Lucy?"

"The observers report seeing her collapse suddenly but they couldn't get a very clear view of her. She'd been crawling around for so long they weren't certain if she had collapsed or was just playing around. They did confirm that she's spent quite a bit of time stationary and were able to confirm that she had indeed collapsed."

"How'd they do that?"

"They located and examined several of her smaller bodies believing that they would reflect the condition of the main body if she had indeed collapsed. They weren't able to get much information as they were limited in how close they could get."

"Do you want me to go there and examine them?"

"No, so far we haven't seen anything indicating that what happened was an attack by Miss Angeye. I have to say though I'm surprised that she's only now beginning to awaken. I would like to know what took her so long."

It had taken some time but at last Lucy's laughter had died down and she was able to examine the general area. As she looked down, the first thing she noticed was her hand and several bits of children's clothing lying about it. "Albert, where are the children?"

If Lucy couldn't see them Albert knew that he wouldn't be able to still he looked towards her hand as if checking for them. "I don't know Lucy. They were there whenever you collapsed and even started gathering around your hand."

Slowly Lucy shifted her hand and lifted up one of the dresses that lay next to her finger. "I can't detect them Albert but if they did leave they left naked." A slight giggle once again escaped Lucy as she turned her finger and let the clothing fall to the ground. When she had lifted up the clothing she'd checked under her hand and hadn't found any blood so she doubted that she'd crushed them.

"I thought that I saw some of them go missing earlier but I couldn't really tell. I was focused on you and the pain was keeping me distracted."

"Pain?"

"Oh, I was worried about the pain you were in."

For a moment Lucy said nothing but turned her attention away from the clothing and to Albert. "You're lying."

It was tempting to continue with the lie and try to convince Lucy that he wasn't but he didn't. The certainty in Lucy's voice told Albert he wasn't going to be convincing her otherwise. "I started to feel a burning pain while I was talking to you. I thought that perhaps your body heat was affecting the gem but I don't know if that was the case. I'm still hurting some now but the pain is going away."

Instantly Lucy's mind turned from the kids and she began to stand up. As she stood up her right hand reached up and took hold of the gem. "Albert, I'm going to need to examine you to make sure that you're in good health still. It'll be easier for me to check you over if you're out of the gem."

"What about you Lucy? You could still be in danger yourself. I think you need to take some time and examine yourself carefully."

Instead of opening up the gem Lucy turned towards the largest grouping of her smaller bodies. "Albert, until I know what caused that pain I don't believe you can be with this body. I'm going to place you outside of the city and then come and meet you with one of my smaller forms. You're to stay inside of the gem until I show up to let you out."

"Lucy, do you really believe you could be in danger?"

"I. I don't know yet. For now I believe that I should start looking for those kids. Who knows, maybe whatever happened to them will give me a better idea of what happened to me." Lucy was quite surprised when she was made to convulse when she finished speaking. It wasn't due to pain or shock rather she had to keep herself from laughing.

"Lucy, do you believe that whatever happened could be affecting your mind?"

In response Lucy gave her head a quick nod and began to walk out of the city. "I'm having." Unlike before Lucy wasn't able to finish speaking as she had to use her free hand to cover her mouth to keep from laughing openly. She wasn't sure what she found so amusing at the moment just that was how she felt.

At least Albert wouldn't have to leave Lucy entirely. He understood why she wanted to be careful. For the moment he hoped the fact that he wasn't breaking down laughing was a good sign. "Lucy, what if that symbiot did manage to affect your body?"

"I'll do what I have to in order to purge it but. That might involve letting a large portion of my body die and if that is the case I don't want you to be around to see it." A slight giggle escaped Lucy before she could cover her mouth. "Why do I find that funny?!"

It was clear to Albert that Lucy was trying to stay calm but he also knew she was concerned. His first impulse was to tell her to try and relax but given the situation that hardly seemed appropriate. "Lucy, is there anything that I can do to help you?"

"Talk to me."

Fear for her safety was something that Albert hadn't seen in Lucy for a long time. She had shown fear since she had begun growing and even after she had reached thirty meters tall. However, it had always been fear of losing someone or fear for someone else. Fear for her own being was something entirely knew. "Lucy, I don't know if I want to be with your smaller bodies right now. I'd rather be here with the majority of you regardless of what is happening. I want to be able to help you in whatever way I'm able to."

"I know Albert and I want as much of me as possible to remain as close to you as possible. However, if this is some form of infection it would be best if you were far away. It would be a set back if this body was destroyed but I would survive. If you died though it would destroy me no matter how many bodies I had."

"The pain is going away though. You don't even seem to be feeling it now."

"That could just mean that whatever is happening has sped up. You felt the pain as well but you don't seem to be suffering from the same emotions I am."

"Lucy, surely I couldn't have contracted the same symbiot you did. If it's actually able to harm you it would have killed me by now. Let's just stop and think about this rationally."

"We can do that once you're far away from this body. Even if the chance is small we shouldn't take any more chances then we have to."

Albert couldn't think of much to say as Lucy carried him through the city. He knew that Lucy was right. There was nothing to gain by him staying and taking such a risk and plenty to lose if there truly was something to be worried about. Fortunately he remembered what Lucy had asked of him. "Perhaps the pain you felt was your body adjusting to the symbiot that tried to harm you in order to insure that it couldn't. The change might have caused a shift in your mental functions causing your current problems. You seem to be getting that under control though."

"That's only because you're here. I can feel that I'm smiling and I feel happy however I know that I shouldn't be feeling this way right now. Your life could be in danger and this body could be dieing. I don't know how I could be happy right now but for some reason my body seems quite pleased."

"Lucy, what are you going to do whenever you hand me off to one of your smaller bodies?"

"I'll move back to the center of the city and concentrate more of my conscious mind on myself. Hopefully a closer inspection of my being will let me figure out what is happening to me. I'll also begin looking for those children with two of my smaller bodies"

"How are you doing now Sara?" As Patrick spoke he moved the phone away from his head and glanced over at his partner.

It was hard for Sara to keep still without putting her head through the hall. Indeed she had actually taken a good chunk out of the wall whenever she'd began rocking in her seat while trying to stay calm. "I can keep from laughing now but I still have more energy then I know what to do with. I'm also having trouble keeping from acting on certain thoughts and you can forget about me putting the thoughts out of my head."

"Um I see. Well it seems that Miss Angeye has left Mr Guarsen at the edge of the city in the care of several of her smaller bodies. She then proceeded back into the center and has remained their since. I assume she's trying to keep him safe while she figures out what is going on."

"I can't blame her. Suddenly awakening to an entirely new aspect of ones being is hard to handle. If you hadn't told me what was going to happen during my training I probably wouldn't have believed it. Still, I wonder what caused her to awaken in such a way. I remember that my instructor had to force me to become aware of my abilities before I could even begin to use them. It hurt."

. "I don't know what delayed her awakening. It is possible that she had been developing slowly but was suddenly forced to take on a great deal due to some stimulus. I would guess that Albert's relationship with her had something to do with it as well."

"Should I go to her now? I could try to explain what is happening to her and why she felt so much pain."

"Honestly Sara I would prefer if you didn't. We're not clear on the details of how this happened and acting from speculation could make this much worse for her. I wonder if perhaps she happened upon something that her awareness responded to."

"Responded in what way?"

"Do you remember how you had trouble keeping Lorie's thoughts out of your head even whenever she hadn't awakened yet?"

"Ah yes I do. We were similar on enough levels that my awareness naturally reached out to hers in search of communion. Regardless of how much it hurt my body."

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he considered the idea of Lorie and Sara being similar. The women were drastically different in many respects but they did indeed have a few key traits that allowed them to touch one another even before Lorie had awoken or received her symbiot. They were still only beginning to learn what caused one's awareness to reach out to another even if they seemed very different. "Yes, fortunately we had sedatives that were capable of relieving your pain. It doesn't seem Miss Angeye has that option though and I doubt we could help her."

"It would help her relax if I explained what was happening or I believe that it would. You were right though whenever you said if I tried to explain what was happening and turned out to be wrong it would make things much worse. I could at least try to explain that she isn't dieing. That should help her to relax."

"Are you taking into account that she doesn't know you?"

"Oh, good point. Yeah if someone I didn't know came up to me while I was in horrible pain and confused then started telling me what was going on I'd be kind of concerned. So we're just going to let her deal with this on her own?"

"I did say that this was Miss Angeye's war to win or lose. That said I'm not going to shut the door on helping her. We just need to gather some more information and you need to quit fiddling with your shirt."

"Huh?!" Sara's eyes widened as she glanced down at her shirt to find she'd unbuttoned her jacket and had been fiddling with her shirt collar showing off increasing amounts of cleavage. "Whoops!"

The difference between the outside temperature and the temperature in the gem was far more drastic then Albert had expected. He'd almost been made to recoil from it whenever Lucy had opened the gem. As she climbed into the gem he actually felt relieved whenever he noted that Lucy's small body was still a good bit larger then his own. "I guess you're getting ready to begin."

Before responding Lucy quickly moved into the gem with Albert. She then took hold of it from the inside and closed it shut. With so much of her so far away she wanted to keep him as well protected as possible. "Yeah, I'm going to be focusing a good deal of my awareness on myself. I won't be able to keep track of anything that is happening around my main body short of something striking it."

As Lucy took a seat in the gem Albert moved to set down beside of her. He was a little surprised whenever he felt a hand take hold of the back of his shirt and he was pulled against Lucy's body. "Huh?"

"You mentioned that you were in pain earlier. I'm going to check you over." As she spoke Lucy proceeded to lift Albert's shirt off of him.

There would be no resisting this and Albert knew it as he felt his shirt being removed. So instead of even trying he went along with it and didn't even try to resist when Lucy removed his shirt. "Is it really necessary to remove my clothing?"

"Don't worry. No one can see in here with us and I want to be as certain as I can be." As Lucy removed Albert's shirt a sharp gasp escaped her. Reaching around him she pressed her right hand against his chests and slowly began to draw it down carefully taking note of his chest as she did so. "I see all that exercise is paying off nicely."

"Yeah and since I've been spending so much time riding around I guess I need it." As Albert was talking he was made to move backwards as Lucy pressed against his chest. He was a bit surprised whenever he felt Lucy's knee sliding up between his legs. Before he could think of what was happening he felt Lucy's thigh raise up just enough to press into his groin. "Lucy, what's going on?"

"I'm just checking you out."

"I notice."

For a moment Lucy grew silent as she seemed to realize what Albert was saying. "Damn it! What is going on?" A long sigh escaped Lucy as she reached up and pressed a hand against her forehead. As she took in a deep breath she found herself beginning to shake lightly from laughter. This laughter was stopped when she felt Albert begin to scoot forward on her knee and she quickly reached around pulling him to herself.

Lucy had always felt like there was more then one awareness sharing her body. She had felt that way ever since Symbi had been placed inside of her. It only grew stronger as her body began to grow and adapt as if it had a mind of its own. However, it had never been this vocal in her physical actions. Despite that she simply couldn't bring herself to be scared even as she tried to figure out what was going on.

As he was pulled back against Lucy Albert felt strange. Memories of when she'd just began to grow and they'd been playing together came back to him. One time in particular came to mind. They had been watching TV and there hadn't been enough room on the couch thanks to Lucy's greater size. He had moved to set in the floor when Lucy had picked him up and set him in her lap.

"Hey Albert, are you feeling better?"

"Yeah I am. Why do you ask?"

"You just started smiling. You don't think that whatever is affecting me."

"No, I'm just remembering something from long ago."

"Would you mind telling me about it?" As she spoke Lucy began to run her hands over Albert. She was able to examine far more then any human with her hands, eyes and ears though. Now she intended to use all three senses to insure that nothing had infected Albert's body and to insure nothing did.

"I was thinking back to when you'd just reached four meters tall. We were all watching TV. The couch had to be strengthened to take your weight as had the floor. Even after the modifications though there was hardly room for you and your parents. I started to set down in the floor not thinking much of it then you reached down and picked me up."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she pulled Albert closer to herself pushing her breasts against him as she did so. "This body might not be four meters tall but I didn't have these back then either. Now you get something nice to rest your back against."

It hadn't been Albert's intention to stimulate Lucy in such a way as he felt those breasts pressing into his back though he knew he needed to remind her of what was going on. "Has your main body lost track of what is happening around it now?"

"Yeah, it's almost entirely dormant now. I'm not finding anything strange I might need to go further."

"I see. You were always so excited whenever you realized you'd grown large enough to do something new. You were particularly happy the first time you realized that you were now large enough to wrap your fingers entirely around someone. Even if it happened to be a young boy at the time, I swear I had no idea how long you were going to pack me around the first time you picked me up. It didn't seem like you were ever going to let me go that day."

Albert grew silent as he waited for Lucy to respond a slight chuckle escaping him as he focused on the memory. His mind was taken away from the past when he felt a hand slip down to his thigh and remain there. Slowly he found himself becoming somewhat concerned as Lucy didn't respond to him and he glanced down at her hand which now remained still.

It had actually caught Lucy off guard whenever she'd heard the children. She had expected them to still be within the city but not so close to her. She was quiet as she drew closer to them carefully examining them as she did so. An odd feeling began to move within her reminding her of whenever she recalled one of her smaller bodies back into herself however different in some ways. "How did you?"

For a moment the group glanced at Lucy as if they were going to respond. After a moment of observation though they looked away and continued on with their game. However, while words weren't spoken the feeling of rejoining with her other bodies grew stronger. Instead of questioning Lucy gave a sigh and tried to focus on the children.

By splitting her bodies and stretching her awareness Lucy could be in several places at once. This did require some extra effort though and did indeed weaken Lucy's awareness to an extent so that she always felt a slight rush when she rejoined with them. Lucy gave a slight sigh as she felt a slight bit of annoyance towards herself.

How the children even got inside of her body should be her first concern. In all her life there had only been two awarenesses that Lucy had invited into herself and they had accepted. Now she was faced with several inside of her and they seemed quite contented to stay there. She was able to gain one tidbit of information as she looked at them. The emotions that had been conflicting with hers were theirs.

When Lucy had quit speaking Albert had been tempted to try to wake her up. However, he resisted the urge for fear that he'd make the situation worse then what it already was. Lucy had told him what she wanted him to do tough so he had continued to speak to her even after she became still. He was glad whenever he felt her hand grasp his leg. "Lucy?"

Instead of responding verbally Lucy once again took hold of Albert. The hand that gripped his leg released and slipped under them. She then shifted her hand from his chest to his back for support and lifted him ever so slightly. Upon turning Albert around she revealed herself to be wearing a very large smile she then pressed her lips firmly to his locking her lips. She continued to hold onto him to insure that he couldn't pull away as she kissed him.

At first Albert had expected to be able to speak to Lucy. As his lips met hers though he instinctively kissed her in return so there was no need for her to hold him in place. He didn't intend on going anywhere. He was a little surprised though whenever he felt Lucy's tongue press against his teeth. Moments later he learned that opening his mouth wasn't an option it was mandatory as Lucy would have forced his mouth open.

With so much of Lucy's awareness focused on her inner self she was having trouble thinking. It had actually taken her a little while to realize that having even one additional awareness inside of ones body wasn't normal and she had several now. For the moment she needed to keep her focus and figure out what this might cause and after that she could figure out how it had happened. One thing quickly came to mind. One's awareness determined how powerful a body they could handle without breaching the threshold. Her threshold had just gone up.

Albert was actually more use to being inside of Lucy's mouth or being covered with her tongue whenever she used it to play with him. This was the first time he could remember her tongue ever being in his mouth. As they kissed though he couldn't help but notice it seemed to be filling more of his mouth. At first he thought that perhaps it was due to her forcing more of her tongue into his mouth but then he noticed her skin shifting against his and that her tongue was withdrawing.

In order to keep from chocking Albert Lucy instinctively withdrew her tongue from his mouth. She didn't release him from the kiss though but used her growing lips to fully engulf his mouth. As she covered his lips with her own she inhaled drawing the spent air out of Albert and then exhaled.

It hadn't gotten to the point that Albert had begun struggling for it but as they had kissed Albert had felt his need for air increasing. He was still rather surprised whenever Lucy inhaled. There wasn't time to be concerned though as she began a slow exhale moments later. Fresh air filled Albert's lunges as Lucy more breathed for him then he did for himself.

Why should she worry how the children's' awareness had come to be within her body? They were strengthening her and didn't seem to be able to harm her. Lucy mentally winced as these questions engulfed her for a moment. Unfortunately focusing inward didn't just make her awareness distant from the world it made her awareness distant from the needs of the world. It was becoming increasingly hard to focus and continue her search as she remained in her concentrated state.

Fortunately she was still focused enough to realize that the answer to her questions could most likely be found in the connection between her bodies. As she looked upon the children she also focused on the bond between herself and her various bodies. She had noticed the similarities to a limited extent before hand but now they became very clear.

Whenever one of Lucy's bodies felt something all of them felt it. So that if she felt warm and safe in one location all of them had the same feeling. In much the same way the bonds the children had responded to had extended her feeling towards them however they were more selective. The bonds spoke of warmth, safety and love. It wasn't a connection initially but rather an invitation to anyone that might be touched by it.

Not only were they more selective in what they shared those bonds the children responded to also consumed much more energy. It didn't take Lucy long to realize why as she knew that her body and awareness would have to make up for what the bodies of the children lacked. They weren't designed to communicate as well with the awareness of others as hers was.

A feeling of elation ran throughout Lucy as she grew surer of what had happened. The children hadn't invaded her body rather she had extended an invitation to their awareness to come join her without realizing it. Why had she done so though and how had it been done? Why were the links the children responded to only carrying her core emotions that seemed to constantly fill her instead of the superficial temporary ones as well?

At least Lucy felt herself relax as she became more certain of why the children's awareness had come to enter her body and why she'd felt as she had. Her awareness and her physical body had been under tremendous strain to cope with taking the awareness of each child into herself. She had felt the pain declining though as the children made it into her and as someone had taken some of the load for her. Instantly all of Lucy's thoughts turned to Albert.

"Um Lucy, I thought you were going to examine me to make sure I wasn't in any danger." As Albert pressed his hands against Lucy he wished that he wasn't in such an awkward position. Due to her growing body and the position she held him in though the only thing he could really push against was her breasts.

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she held Albert against herself. She then began to increase the force with which she pulled him against her body forcing his hands to press against her breasts more firmly. As she brought Albert closer she shifted her chest causing her breasts to sway and forcing him to adjust his hold to keep the pressure on her breasts her lips turning from a wide smile into a pucker as he came closer.

When Lucy had first kissed Albert he had been a little concerned. Now it was clear that something wasn't normal. This was made more apparent by the fact that Lucy's body was still slowly expanding as if she was going to fill the gem. As he looked into her eyes he was rather surprised to find they were slightly aglow. "Oh crap, you're not even a tenth conscious."

A wide grin adorned Lucy's face as she noted the origin of the bond between herself and the children. It had formed within her however she hadn't been the instigator. While she didn't know all the details yet she couldn't help herself and began to quickly rush back to the conscious world. "You were the one!"

Lucy's sudden proclamation caught Albert off guard so that he had to keep from giving a slight shout. Before he could even think he felt Lucy push his arms aside with her hand and his lips were suddenly pressed against hers. He had no idea what she was talking about but apparently Lucy was back and she seemed very relieved.

"You were the one. You're the reason I absorbed the awareness of those children into my body."

"Huh? What?!"

"Oh that's right you don't know. Those children are still in the city and they're inside of me. I didn't eat them though. I actually absorbed them including the awareness of each child into myself. They're the reason I've been feeling so excitable all of a sudden."

"What do you mean I'm the one though?"

"You're the one that caused it to happen. And now there helping to strengthen me as they share my body as well, I can't wait to see how much bigger they help me become."

"Um Lucy?"

"What?"

"Look at how close your head is to touching the top of the gem."

There wasn't a moment of hesitation as Lucy moved to do as Albert told her. She was actually surprised though whenever she looked up and found her nose pressing into the gem. Upon her discovery she quickly glanced down at the seat she found herself in to see that her hips had actually crushed the arm rest to either side of her to make room for her expanding form. "Well, I guess things got started without me." A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she looked at Albert and noticed how little clothing he had on.

"Lucy, I'm still not clear on what you found out. Would you mind telling me without yelling?"

In response Lucy gave a quick nod. "Sure, I can while we wait for my main body to get here. First you'll be glad to know that it wasn't the parasite Mizia tried to use against me that caused me that pain. It seems that it was me suddenly taking in the awareness of the children using a bond similar to what I use to connect my various bodies. I didn't even realize I was doing it. That was also why they came to me like that. On some level I was calling out to them and guiding them to me."

"What did you mean it was my fault though?"

"You're the reason the bonds formed. I wouldn't have done it on my own if you hadn't provided the initial stimulus to do so. I don't even believe that I could have done it on my own. The pain I felt was due to the sudden exertion taking them into myself caused. It was sort of like opening your eyes for the first time. The pain you felt was whenever you began to pick up some of the slack."

"What? You mean we're connected?"

For a moment Lucy couldn't answer Albert as a slight giggle escaped her. She knew what he meant and in truth the answer was no. However, he was close enough to the truth that she felt there was no true lie in continuing as she was. "Of course we are Albert. I've spent more time with you then anyone else in this world except for myself and you know me better then anyone else. So you'd naturally be the first one that I would establish a bond with other then myself."

For a moment Albert couldn't help but blush a bit as he grinned. "Why did it only bring the children though?"

"I'm not entirely sure why it only touched the children I do have a few guesses though. I believe that it was partly due to the fact that they were the ones most easily contented by the offer and not capable of harming me. They're content to play safely within me and share in my delight. They have the least knowledge and personnel experience to cause our wills to conflict. Finally they get to regain what they lost whenever they left their mother's womb."

"That sounds like a deal that far more then children would be interested in."

"I imagine that it is! However, they're also the ones that chose to accept my terms. I'm in control. The awareness of a child is also more receptive to such links just as it's more receptive to new ideas."

"Um Lucy, are you sure that you're in control?"

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she immediately realized that Albert was talking about his current condition. "I'm as in control as a mother is while she's carrying a child if not more so. That said they can still influence my emotions and behavior with their own especially while I'm only partly aware. Also, well it looks like that while they were influencing my emotions what actions I took were based on my own desires."

For a moment Albert said nothing but continued to look into Lucy's eyes. He could see the glow fading away and as he hadn't heard the gem crack he believed that she was done growing. After all had she continued at the rate she'd started at her head would have burst through it by now. "So you really believe that I'm the reason you invited the awareness of those children into yourself?"

"I'm certain of it. Believe me Albert there is no way that I could have done that alone. I don't believe that anyone's awareness could do such a thing by itself. It isn't just a matter of having the power needed to do so."

"I need a little time to think about this Lucy. I know that they are questions that I want to ask you I just haven't thought of them yet. I'm sure that I'm going to be quite concerned whenever I have time to consider every implication. I really don't like the idea that I can unintentionally affect your awareness without either of us knowing."

"Ah you don't need to worry Albert. It isn't like I wouldn't have gone along with the change regardless. I just wish that it hadn't taken me so long to make the adaptations. Then I wouldn't just have been able to invite the children here into myself I could have invited those I ate before hand."

"That is true. So did you get all the children?"

"No. Not all of them accepted my other. They ran back to the shelter whenever they realized where all the other kids were going. At least some of them did."

"How do you know that?"

A slight giggle escaped Lucy. "The awareness of each child is now inside of me. I have access to what the awareness recalls."

"Lucy, if this body was growing does that mean that all of your other bodies started growing?"

"The first thing I noticed when my main body became aware again was that my but was in the building that was behind me and I'm naked."

For a moment Albert just looked at Lucy, that look grew into a grin, turning into chuckles moments later and then all out laughter. While it wasn't the answer he had been expecting it was most assuredly an effective answer. He'd seen how large Lucy was compared to the buildings around her before hand and while there was relatively little room for her between buildings even back then he doubted that she'd pressed her rear into a building before she began to focus on herself.

"I suppose that is to be expected though. I didn't design my clothes to handle such a rapid increase in size and they were getting tight regardless. It's a good thing I plan ahead otherwise I wouldn't know of any clothing that would work on me. I swear though if this continues I'm going to have to come up with something longer lasting and more adaptable."

"So what are you doing now?"

"I'm searching to see how many people might have escaped from the city and bringing them back. I see no reason to stop my plans just because a few unexpected events occurred."

"You don't worry that the children will protest you consuming their parents?"

In response Lucy shook her head. "They chose the warmth and safety I offered them over that of their parents whenever they came inside of me. They relinquished their bodies to me in order to escape this world. They have no such attachment to their parents that would cause them to protest the destruction of their bodies. Besides I killed most of them already."

For a moment Albert grew silent. To him the parents had deserved to die for supporting those that would take Lucy's life and for not leaving when they had the chance. The children were the parents' responsibility not Lucy's and he couldn't expect her to take responsibility for them. He was glad to know that they had an escape rout though even if it meant giving up their bodies.

"That's strange your emotional state went down but you seem more content."

"Huh?"

"Whatever you thought about made you less happy then you were a few moments ago but your content with the thought. Generally when someone is content with an event or thought they become happier not less happy."

"Don't worry about it. Lucy, do you have any idea of what the long term effects of this will be?"

"You're seeing one of them now. They're helping to strengthen my body by resonating with me and one another."

"Are they any risk involved though? What if they should decide they're no longer content within your body and the awareness should try to escape? Can they do that?"

In response Lucy gave a quick nod. "If an awareness is badly weakened it will no longer be capable of sustaining a body. One of them could decide they're no longer content with our agreement and I would lose the support they offer as they lost the will to remain where they are. Eventually I would have to start reducing myself in order to keep from breaching the threshold."

"So they could harm you?"

"I wouldn't say that they could harm me. They could withdraw the aid that they are currently giving me and I would have to make due without." A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she pressed her lips against Albert preventing him from asking her another question. "I don't believe that is going to happen though. An awareness is in some ways more fickle then someone who still retains their body but in other ways it's much easier to keep content."

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"I've developed and help develop symbiots for people. I've been dealing with the human awareness for a while now and we've found some trends in behavior."

For a moment Albert pressed his hand against his forehead as he felt his skin warming up. A slight chuckle escaped him as he removed his hand though he didn't quit blushing. "I can't believe I forgot that. You've also studied the idea of two awareness being linked together in order to give one body a boost like what Sandra and Phillip want to try."

"Yep, generally speaking if an awareness accepts and arrangement it's going to remain content in it unless something changes."

"Well that's a relief. If they did become discontent though do you believe that you could handle the sudden strain?"

"Fortunately it isn't a matter of suddenly becoming discontent. It would be a process as one awareness became tired of the environment or found another environment more enticing. I would begin shutting down various aspects of my body in order to keep from breaching the threshold before they left me. You don't need to worry so much."

"I just don't want to risk something I helped initiate harming you."

"So she's active again? I have to say that was quick. I didn't believe she was so weak that she'd lapse into a coma but I never expected her to recover so quickly. She almost beat Sara's time."

"Sir, we're not actually certain of her exact time of recovery. We could only observe her main body."

"I know but I choose to believe that Sara recovered from her awakening more quickly."

Despite speaking to a superior the soldier couldn't help but chuckle. "I heard that everyone that went through the joining developed such feelings towards their partner."

"You're partly correct. Everyone that has survived has. If I'm not mistaken you're a candidate for the project as well."

"You're correct sir however they haven't found a partner for me to date. So what are your orders from this point? She seems to have resumed her assault on the city. We've had to fall further back due to some people making it outside however she's quickly bringing them back in."

"As she returns to the city you're to move in again but just close enough for observation. I don't want to risk disturbing her while she's having fun and besides the others haven't recovered yet."

"Recovered from what Sir and who?"

"Lucy's awakening seems to have affected most with such abilities. At least those in this region and some of them are still out of commission. Until they recover I don't want to take any more risks then we have to."

"I see Sir. We'll keep our distance and keep you informed."

A sigh escaped Sara as she rubbed her forehead and glanced over at Patrick. "You know I'm about fully recovered now. They're just a few more giggles still inside of me that I need to get rid of."

"I know. Well it seems that Lucy has grown even larger. Whatever caused her to collapse, did more to strengthen her then weaken her apparently. I wonder what it would require to convince her to share just how that happened."

"Mm I could always offer her lessons. She only recently awakened to her abilities after all and I've had mine for a few years now. I'm sure I know some tricks that she hasn't caught on to yet."

"I believe you're right. That's a very good idea."

"We have to approach it delicately though, right?"

"Yes I'm afraid you're right. I don't even know if we'll be able to go through with it. It really comes down to what the bosses wants and if they think sharing such knowledge with her would be dangerous. Then again perhaps you should arrange a more private meeting."

"Patrick what are you suggesting?"

"I believe you know."

For a moment Sara just looked at Patrick as if gauging if he was serious. Instead of responding verbally she reached out directly to his awareness. "It sounds like you're suggesting I do it regardless of the orders I receive. Would you mind telling me why?"

There was no movement from Patrick's lips rather he focused on Sara knowing she'd hear him. "I'm not sure how she did it but perhaps you could use the same method to strengthen yourself. Right now your mental abilities are on par with hers but your body is no where near as powerful. If you two were to confront one another the outcome is fairly easy to guess."

"We'd cancel each other out as far as our minds went and it would come down to our bodies. I'd lose in an instant if she didn't decide to play with me first."

"I don't propose to do this right away of course. We can contact our superiors and see what they think is best. Hopefully they'll see the wisdom in sharing such knowledge."

"My only fear is that we'd be exchanging useful information for information that we can't use. If only I could develop my body more then perhaps it wouldn't be so worrisome. After my initial change I felt so strong and powerful. I hate that she's able to make he feel weak and helpless all over again."

"I know Sara but keep in mind she's had her symbiot for years now. You may be older then she is but you've had your symbiot for far less time."

"Yeah, but the symbiot placed in me was meant for military purposes the one used in her was just for healing. It wasn't even meant to remain inside of her like mine."

Well hi there! You know it was very inconsiderate of you to try to leave during dinner time and when you have company no less. Fortunately I'm a forgiving lady and still decided to roll out the red carpet for you." As she spoke Lucy leaned forward and let her massive tongue flick out towards the group. Unlike previous times this time she used a few of her smaller bodies to move the group towards her massive tongue.

It had seemed like they had escaped her. Some had even hoped she was dead as they'd made it out of the city. Then they'd seen several small dust clouds approaching. As the clouds had neared them they had grown larger and an odd roar could be heard. It had sounded like several small explosions happening in very close proximity to one another in both time and space. It had been Lucy's feet striking the ground with enough force to move her at such speeds.

They had caught up to them in a matter of moments. They hadn't given up then though and continued to try to flee in hopes that she wouldn't be able to bring them all with her. That had been when she began to split herself. What was only one massive body soon became several. After splitting herself three times she'd been roughly the height of an average woman. She had then split herself one last time so that she seemed to be a small child.

It had been encouraging to some who had hoped that her size revealed her strength. That had lasted until she struck one of them in the stomach. She had then proceeded to gather them up. They had split up as they had been told to in order to keep from drawing her attention to any one group. Yet it had also meant their numbers were small enough to be brought back to the giantess with ease. Now they were being forced to walk into her mouth.

As she stepped onto Lucy's tongue the massive muscle gave initially. She felt her feet sink down a slight push from behind almost toppled her as she climbed onto the unfamiliar surface. A blast of hot air from Lucy's mouth slammed into her and the woman tried to recoil from the heat. She wasn't allowed to do so as she was pushed further along. With both feet on Lucy's tongue and being forced to move forward the woman felt something take hold of her shoe as Lucy's saliva adhered to it.

Each step further along Lucy's tongue was made more difficult as with each step they grew closer to the void of her stomach. A living cavern that would slowly take them apart as if they were nothing more then tiny snacks awaited them right ahead. The initially giving surface of her tongue made it hard to move and each step was made even more labored by her sticky saliva as Lucy had yet to switch to the more cohesive form she tended to use.

When Lucy had initially picked up the gem Albert had wondered just how she was going to continue carrying it with her. He had thought that she'd use some strips of her clothing to cover herself and make something that could be used to hold the gem. She had done neither though. Rather she'd taken some strands of her hair and quickly crafted a sort of cradle for the gem. She'd then slipped it within the strands and used some of her hair to secure him in place.

This time Lucy had opted to secure him to her forehead. Albert hadn't bothered to ask why she had chosen that location but he had a fairly good idea. Lucy's hair was quite long but there was still no way she was going to secure him to the front of her chests. She could have worn him around her neck however that would have limited his view even further. On her forehead he had a clearer view of what was going on then around her neck and still had a great view down into her cleavage.

As the small crowd was forced to march into her mouth Lucy slowly drew her tongue back into it speeding them along further. She was actually grateful that some of them chose to stop whenever she quit pushing on them as it allowed her to better demonstrate how large she was. As her tongue was being drawn back into her mouth Lucy slowly set up and began to tilt her head backwards but was careful not to swallow.

The crowd had been far from silent as they had been forced into Lucy's mouth. Their pleading had just done nothing to inspire her mercy. As her head began to tilt though and the crowd began to slide back towards her throat their cries grew all the louder and less coherent. Those that had been trying to reason with her soon resorted to pleading as they felt gravity taking hold of them so that they tried to actually cling to her tongue.

Lucy had no intention of closing her mouth, working her tongue or swallowing. Rather she had resolved to see how long it would take them to fall down into her throat. Before hand she had been able to take someone down her throat without actually swallowing. She had grown since then and was eager to see how easily they could slide down and how many at once. It would have been easy for her to do the calculations and figure it out but she resolved to experiment until she found out.

While Albert didn't want to make Lucy worry he couldn't help his concern as he set within the gem. She had told him not to worry about how he might unconsciously influence her development but that wasn't possible. The idea that he could help Lucy by simply desiring to do so had great appeal to him, however it also brought a fear that he could hurt her with his desires. "Lucy, I don't recall ever thinking that I wish you could absorb the children."

Before speaking Lucy tightened her grip on Albert squeezing him more firmly against her body. With the seats destroyed due to her growth she had settled on keeping a smaller body in the gem with him to hold onto him and keep him from be shaken about. "You wanted to help me grow more quickly but on some level you still felt bad for the children. After all even if it was their parents' responsibility that I ended up eating them you still felt they deserved more of a choice. I responded to both desires even without realizing it. At least part of me didn't realize it."

"So you found a way to strengthen yourself by creating a space inside of your own body for their awareness?"

"Yeah, though I'm not really sure where that spot is located. I assume that it's part of my brain."

"You learned a lot while you were focusing."

"I was pretty well gone at the time. You could probably tell from the way I was behaving though. I was even beginning to lose track of why I was worried and not just enjoying myself. There were a few times that I actually did forget but each time I would think about you and that would remind me. I can't hear or see the children anymore but I know they're there."

"So you have to just about go to sleep entirely to hear and see them?"

"Yeah, I haven't been that close to truly being asleep in many years now."

"That means you haven't been so close since you were a child. What did you see whenever you found the children?"

A thoughtful expression appeared on Lucy's face as she reached up and rubbed her head. "I saw a bunch of kids that seemed more interested in playing then answering the questions of their host. At first everything was foggy so I couldn't see much until I dedicated enough of myself. What I saw after that looked to be like a field but." A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she rubbed her head. "It was changing."

"You mean the play area was changing?"

"Yeah, it had several features from places I remember from our past. I imagine that it was a mixture of places I had fond memories of. It wasn't just that though. They were also several places that were entirely new to me. I'm going to have to assume that they're places the children's awarenesses were fond of. It was shifting though."

"Do you have any idea why?"

"It could have been any number of things really. My first guess is it was due to the various wills meeting and settling on their environment. Perhaps when they joined with me they found places in my memories that they were even fonder of then in theirs so they replaced what they brought with something from me. Then again perhaps it was being designed to suit the combination of wills and creating entirely new environments. It might even be shifting from moment to moment."

"I thought you had the children's memories."

"I do from whenever they had separate bodies. An awareness is harder to read though even whenever it happens to be residing within you."

"Did anything else stand out?"

"I'm not sure. Yes actually I believe something did. I didn't think about it until now. I'm certain that all the children I absorbed were there however they were some that clearly weren't children. I didn't think anything of it until you brought it up because they felt like they belonged there."

"Do you have any idea of what they were?"

"I'm not sure I want to speculate. I've had to do a lot of guess work already and if just one guess was wrong it could change the whole situation. If you want I'll give you my opinion but that's all I can offer."

"That'll be fine. Your guess is bound to be better then mine."

"You saw how they were affecting my emotions. How they are still affecting them actually. Most likely that was an aspect of me playing with and taking care of some of the children."

"I see. Lucy, do you believe that you could restore those kids to bodies of their own?"

This time Lucy didn't hesitate as she gave her head a quick shake. "I sure could. Well if, if they let me." A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she rubbed her head. "That's another problem with an awareness. If it decides that it likes where it is you can't always force it to leave without destroying the vessel."

"You mean you couldn't force them out of you without destroying your body?!"

"Now I didn't say that. Not that forcing them out of me would be easy. I couldn't force them into a different body though. You've heard of a situation in which a person absolutely could not work with a symbiot I believe."

"Yes, the military had some trouble with their combat oriented symbiotic life forms."

"In a few of those cases it wasn't the symbiot or the person's body that was the problem. It wasn't even the person's conscious mind. Rather it was due to the person's subconscious awareness not liking what was going on."

"Can't they use stimulants to force it to work though?"

"Well yes you can. Right up until the awareness gets so desperate that it destroys the body in order to escape."

"I see. Thanks for answering my questions Lucy. I know you're trying to enjoy yourself and I'm probably not helping you."

"Don't worry about that! It's always nice to have someone to talk with while one is enjoying their meal." An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she lowered her head back to a more regular position. "You know I just realized that you haven't eaten yet. Well it's a good thing that I'm in here with you." Instead of waiting for Albert to respond Lucy quickly turned him around and brought his lips to her breasts.

Gaeten cringed as she climbed over the pile of rubble. His occasional slip ups had resulted in the sharp stones tearing through his pants legs and now they were working on his flesh. Unfortunately the only options were climb over the pile of debris or go around and that would have taken even longer. Of course that was only half the battle. They also would have to find a way out of the city and quickly so Lucy didn't track them down.

As he climbed he could still remember whenever she'd left the city limits. The hurried pace with which she moved had made them hope that something had gone wrong. Even he had been made to hope that the parasite was having an affect on her. He was glad that he hadn't remained behind to see if it had though. Rather as soon as Lucy had gone down him and several others and moved to leave the city.

This had been a calculated risk. If it had been the parasite that had killed her it might have very well killed him. Still, he didn't want to stay behind and hope that it had finally managed to affect her after being disappointed so many times. He was quite happy with his choice whenever Lucy had began to move again however he was horrified whenever she'd suddenly began to grow even larger.

Now she seemed fully active once again and all he could do was hope that she wouldn't take notice of him as he tried to leave the city. This seemed to be a false hope as he felt certain each time she bent down she was consuming another group of people. It was enough to keep him from even looking back at his colleagues as he climbed and kept him from thinking too much about the pain.

"Attention. Attention please. You're all getting kind of thin in numbers and I have to travel a bit to enjoy my meal. Now as you can tell I recently grew quite a bit so there is also quite a bit more space in my stomach. So I was wondering if you would mind running towards me instead of running away. I can assure you a warm place to go to."

Running hadn't worked for anyone that had encountered Lucy however no one from Mizia had managed to reason with her as of yet. So that Gaeten continued to climb as did the others despite the seeming futility. At least they continued to climb until they heard a gun shot and glanced back. What he saw was one of his colleagues falling backwards with a rather noticeable gun shot wound in his head.

While the city was filled with noise as people attempted to escape from her Lucy could still notice a gun shot. As the sound waves reached her ears she clinched her fist and immediately pressed them against her thighs while turning in the direction of the sound. She then leaned forward to better orient the sound waves. "Hey! Don't kill yourselves! I like my food fresh! You are all so darn rude."

"Lucy, haven't you ever seen the signs no" there wasn't time for Albert to finish as Lucy once again forced her nipple into his mouth. In response he pressed against her breast in hopes that she would pull him back. After a few moments of pushing though it was clear she wasn't going to let him speak. As he began to suck on her nipple once again he glanced up at her face and wasn't surprised to see her sticking her tongue out at him.

At first Gaeten had thought nothing of the man killing himself. As he had continued to climb further though he'd realized that the gun shot had drawn Lucy's attention. The fact that she was actually moving towards them now pushed him to move faster and even to hinder the progress of those he was traveling with. Hopefully she would stop to consume them and allow him more time to make his escape.

"You can kill yourself if you want but I must request you wait until I've eaten you. It isn't like there is a big difference between putting a bullet in your head inside of my stomach or outside. At least there isn't one to you. Besides, there is always a chance I'll get bored and decide to leave, someone will talk me out of what I'm doing or you might even figure out a way to escape. There is nothing to be gained from quitting in these situations as long as you don't lose your weapon.

So come on. Show me some human spirit and keep on fighting until the very end." As she spoke Lucy quickly slammed her fist into the palm of her right hand. This time when she spoke she spoke through her smaller body so that only Albert could hear her. "I thought they could use a little pep talk. This really hasn't been going their way and I'm sure they could use some encouragement."

In response to Lucy's comment Albert did one of the few things he could do and rolled his eyes. He could actually think of one reason for them to kill themselves before Lucy found them. It would deprive her of some pleasure which was a victory to an extent though a very small and even superficial one. At the moment it seemed the best chance for any type of victory they had. He couldn't voice this though as his face was pressed into a breast bigger then his head.

"You're all making it very difficult to get a mouthful you know? Come on I want to see how many of you I can let slide down my throat at once. It's not like you're accomplishing anything by fanning out and running away other then making me take more time and insuring that you die tired. Just set down and wait for me to get to you. Some of you would even have time to have a nice conversation, some prayer or perhaps play a game of some sorts. Actually, I'm sure they are some taverns in the city I haven't destroyed. You could stop and have a nice drink before I get around to eating you."

While Lucy was speaking Albert finally managed to pull his head away. Realizing that his time was short he spoke up. "When your mouth is full you" yet again Albert didn't get to finish as Lucy once again forced his face into her breast. As she did so he could hear her giggling. Apparently she had decided to keep him from teasing her by shoving his face into her breasts each time he tried to speak. He could think of worse ways to be silenced.

As Lucy came upon the body she bent down as if to get a closer look. When she spoke she made sure most of the city could hear her. "It's strange. I don't mind eating dead animals in fact I prefer for them to be cooked and seasoned. When it comes to people though, I just don't find them as appealing as food whenever they've already been killed. It becomes even less appealing if they've been dead for even a minute. I don't mind the idea of licking your crushed remains off my fingers if I was the one that picked you up though.

I suppose that it just doesn't give me the same rush if you or someone else has already killed you. After all it isn't like you're still around to be scared or even acceptant of the situation if you're already dead. So I just want to say. Thanks for not killing yourselves." As she spoke Lucy straitened up once again and easily stepped over the pile of debris were the corpse lie.

By now Gaeten was well ahead of the others as he hurried through the city streets. As he ran he paid close attention to any form of transportation he saw in hopes of finding one that he could use to escape. Unfortunately they roads they had been moving the armor along had been those best suited to traveling through the city. It had let the heavy equipment move effectively but it had left the roads badly damaged.

It was impossible for them to know which sections of the road were still passable and which weren't. Another major problem that everyone trying to leave the city was facing was fatigue. Nearly everyone that hadn't been eaten nearly right away had been forced to decide between trying to find a rout that was passable in a vehicle and going on foot. Most had chosen to go on foot instead of going back towards Lucy or into the city.

At last Gaeten couldn't help himself and risked a glance back. He was actually surprised whenever he noticed two people stopping and turning into a store. It seemed impossible as he read the sign and quickly realized it was a liquor store. The two that had stopped seemed to be exhausted and probably couldn't have gone any further but actually seeing them stop was shocking.

Running on foot wasn't working that had become painfully clear. They had no transportation that could get them out of the city quick enough and weren't ready to kill themselves. Yet as they had passed the store the two had stopped as if having one mind and moved to the store. At least they could drink something to duel the pain and perhaps the fear. It depended on how much time they had but they might even be able to drink enough nerve to kill themselves or each other.

"I just can't get into it. I've been thinking about cooking you all and trying to spice you up but it just doesn't appeal to me. However, perhaps I should try some spices. I wonder what would go the best with you. It probably varies from person to person but I personally believe ketchup goes with just about everything. Honey can go quite well with certain meats and so can mustard. Mm" As she was speaking Lucy continued her progress through the city finally catching up with the tail end of the group Gaeten had been leading.

Even if Lucy had been perfectly quiet, even if she had been invisible it would have been impossible to not know she was close. The shockwaves from her foot steps were still able to travel through the broken street and reach the runners. At first they hadn't been noticeable but as she drew closer they became impossible to ignore. So that those that had stopped to enjoy a last drink found themselves tipping the bottles upward and trying to take in as much as they could.

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she bent down next to the store the two men were in boozing themselves away. "I swear if I wasn't going to eat the two of you I would think that you're trying to kill yourself with alcohol poisoning." As she was speaking Lucy brought her fingers to just centimeters away from the windows. When she finished she gave them a slight flick shattering the glass in an instant and clearing some room for her to reach in.

Neither of the men tried to struggle as Lucy took hold of them. They weren't drunk at the moment but they were most assuredly feeling a buzz and pain was being numbed. As Lucy brought them towards her mouth neither of them bothered struggling though they did clinch firmly to the bottles they'd taken with them as well as their side arms. Neither of them intended on enduring a long painful death.

As Lucy swallowed the two men an amused giggle escaped her. She was partly amused because some people had actually taken her suggestion to have a last drink and partly because they'd gone so quietly. She could tell they weren't all out drunk but it did seem to have relaxed them. "I wonder how much of that alcohol will have kicked in by the time they hit my stomach."

As Gaeten pushed onward one couldn't say that he was running any longer. He had tried to pace himself to make as much progress as he could but that wasn't enough. Upon hearing Lucy he realized she'd caught up to the two that had stopped to spend their last moments boozing away. With this knowledge driving home just how close Lucy was he finally quit trying to run in a strait path and moved to take shelter.

"Powdered sugar might be a nice flavoring. Salt is okay and I like pepper. I'd probably go with something sweet though so honey or powdered sugar seems the most likely so far. Chocolate could work but I don't know. Chocolate is great on its own, goes wonderful with nuts, fruit and some forms of bread but I don't know about with meat. I'm thinking I like the idea of honey and people more then chocolate and people."

Every few words Lucy spoke was punctuated by an increasingly powerful shockwave running throughout the ground as she grew closer to the group. Some of the stragglers were even sent toppling over as the rapid succession of impacts was enough to make them lose their balance. Standing up again after a fall proved to be quite a challenge due to both the panic and the increased power of the shockwaves.

"Well hello there." As Lucy approached the group of three she let her tongue stick out of her mouth and slowly ran three fingers over it coating them in a thick layer of her saliva. Upon coating her fingers she began to extend them towards the group even before they were in arms reach giving those that dared to look back a glimpse of her saliva soaked fingers.

None of the group seemed to have the energy left to scream as Lucy pressed her fingers against them. The saliva adhered to both them and her finger allowing her to lick them up without actually pinching them between her fingers. Much as she had done whenever she reached down for them Lucy opened her mouth well before they were near it wanting to give them as much time as possible to see into the living cavern that would swallow them whole.

Every time he had tried to speak Albert had found his faced pressed into Lucy's breasts. This time whenever he felt her arms relax he quickly shifted his position so that he turned his head away from her breasts hoping to buy enough time to finish speaking. "I'm surprised you didn't mention barbeque."

This time Lucy didn't move to force Albert's face back against her breasts but let him finish. A slight giggle escaped her as she felt him shift about in her arms to keep her from pushing his face into her warm flesh again. "Well, I don't believe that would go very well with human or anything that hasn't been flame cooked."

Instead of licking all her fingers clean in a single swipe Lucy pressed the edge of her index finger against her tongue. She then slowly slid it over the surface of her tongue while slightly rotating the finger causing the person stuck to her finger to adhere to her tongue. Her middle finger pressed against her tongue as the first person came off and followed a similar motion so that he ended up deposited next to the first. The third was soon to join them.

"I'm surprised you haven't tried making your own sauce."

"Yeah! That is a good idea! But" A sigh escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "How often would I get to use it? I've been really trying to enjoy myself as I don't believe I'm going to get a chance like this again."

"That is true but at least you could have some if already waiting should the chance ever arise again. I doubt you're going to find any natural form of seasoning that would match your taste perfectly."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't believe you'd find any that is quite sticky enough to let you eat like you seem to enjoy."

"Mm well I don't believe I'd be pouring the sauce on them. I'd probably end up dipping them instead so it wouldn't need to be sticky enough to pick them up with. Actually, it'd probably be best if it wasn't that adhesive or I could have problems. Still, coming up with my own would be fun. There is something to be said about the classics though and those provided naturally."

While Lucy was speaking Albert glanced out the gem and down at the city below. He couldn't help but compare how high up he was now to how high up he had been when Lucy had been wearing the gem in her top. He wasn't entirely sure if she had doubled her height but he knew that she was around double it. "So how do you feel walking around naked?"

"Eh it's alright I don't have anything against it. I just like wearing clothing as it both serves a function and allows me to better accent certain features. I don't need a bra for support but I feel that it's more enticing. Just let them see enough to make them want to see more without showing everything. I like to make them use their imagination a little while wondering if they imagined correctly."

"In other words you like clothing because you're a tease."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she lifted Albert higher and brought her head down planting a kiss firmly on his forehead. "You know that I am. Certain clothing also lets me carry more things while keeping my hands free and gives me a place to keep you. Though, I can think of at least one place I could keep you that that I would enjoy and doesn't require any clothing."

It wasn't clear to Gaeten how many of his colleagues were still on the move and how many were dead. As he set in the office though he tried to relax and keep his breathing under control. He was tempted to try holding his breath however he knew that would only increase the odds of him given away his location when he was forced to breath. At least he wasn't hiding in a bombed out ruin. Much of the city was still intact and he found himself a small office.

"I suppose I can't be picky about what I eat you all with at the moment. I've been eating you plain for a long while now and that has worked quite well. They are several diners and markets still standing I bet they would have a wide selection of sauces. I don't want to have to open a few hundred packets though just to get enough to dip you in and even bottles could take a while." For a moment Lucy stopped moving and tapped her cheek. She then closed her fingers together so that the tips were against one another and extended her hand forward pressing it into the building before her.

Lucy's fingers meeting the building sounded like a bomb going off just outside the wall. It immediately drew his attention to it where he noticed a massive crack had formed and the wall had been forced to bulge inward. His eyes widened and the wall failed as Lucy's fingers easily pushed through breaking through the concrete as it didn't even have the structural integrity of lose sand.

Despite his previous resolve a horrified scream escaped Gaeten as several chunks of debris slammed into him. Despite the sudden pain though it would have been impossible for him not to notice Lucy's fingers as they closed in around him. As Lucy's fingers came in towards him he struck out and slammed his fist into them before they had even reached him this however did nothing to slow Lucy down.

¡°Yummy nice little treats for my tummy. Hey do you want to see if I can drop you so that you go strait down my throat? I believe that I'm large enough now that I could." As Lucy was speaking she was already lifting Gaeten higher and turning her head upwards. This was both to let him have a good view down into her mouth and to an extent her throat as well as to let her attempt the drop.

¡°Lucy, you do realize who that is?"

¡°Yep, he's another little snack that's been waiting for me to gobble him up. Oh and one of Mizia's government officials."

For a moment Albert shook his head. He knew that if he recognized him then Lucy knew exactly who he was so there was no need to push the issue. "You might want to provide a recording of this. It's not often that people of his political standing end up being killed."

¡°It would do a good job of proving that political station means nothing to me in such matters." As she finished speaking to Albert Lucy relaxed her grip and allowed Gaeten to freefall towards her awaiting throat. As he fell she shifted her position slightly to compensate for his movements as well as the wind currents generated whenever she exhaled in hopes that she could indeed keep him from touching her tongue.

As Gaeten fell towards Lucy's throat he couldn't keep himself from screaming. A massive wave of heat rose up and met him as he fell engulfing and seeming to burn his skin. He saw her massive teeth move past him as he fell and her tongue moved swiftly underneath him. Frantically he reached out with his hands attempting to grab anything that might stop his fall yet nothing came within reach. In his panicked state he didn't realize that Lucy was moving to insure that he didn't touch anything until he met her throat.

Searing pain exploded throughout Gaeten's body as it made contact with Lucy's throat. If the pain was mental or if it was due to the heat of her throat he didn't know. All he knew is that it overwhelmed his senses and his screams were caught in his throat. He was still able to tell when those muscles shifted and he found himself pulled downward towards Lucy's awaiting stomach.

************************************************************************

"How are the inoculations proceeding?"

"They're going well sir. If things continue as planned we'll be done in three days with two days to spare."

In response Patrick gave a quick nod. The symbiot they were introducing to the populace in the guise of inoculation had a life span of five days. By completing in three days it would allow Sara and the others to scan the entire populace and see if anyone else needed removed from the city. "What news do you have of Miss Angeye?"

"She's been keeping a fairly steady pace as she moves about. We're expecting her to be finished soon however not before we've finished."

"That's good and the other centers?"

"They're proceeding steadily as well though not as rapidly as here. It seems that they're going to have to make use of the two day buffer time."

"Thank you, that will be all for now."

Sara waited until the soldier had left the room to speak up. "Do you think they're having their enhanced monitor the thoughts of those who have already been inoculated? It tends to help locate those that haven't been already."

"You know I'm not sure. I hope that they're not waiting to do a general sweep. I'll have to relay a message and find out in a little bit."

"Why not right now?"

"Right now there are others things to talk about. Sara, it might be silly to ask this but how have you been feeling? This is the first time that you've had to use your abilities on such a large scale."

"I'm doing fine. It does take more effort to monitor so many but it hasn't been stressing me. I just work with one chunk of the population at a time. Once the inoculations are finished, it'll be easy to check the entire city."

"So you haven't been feeling fatigued?"

"I haven't felt more fatigued then what I expected to be."

"I see. Then how about tonight we go out for a little bit? With things settling down I believe that we could afford taking some time to relax even if it's for one night."

"Really?!" Before the words had left her mouth Sara pushed off against the seat using both her arms and legs to quickly propel her across the room. She didn't notice the frame of the seat fracture due to the force of her hands pushing off against it. As she neared Patrick she extended her hands and took hold of both sides of his seat. She then leaned in bringing her face closer to his. This served two purposes. It let her examine him very closely and it meant he could easily look down into her cleavage due to her height. Regardless of his discipline Patrick was still a breast lover and a good cleavage view always helped Sara in getting her way.

A massive gust of wind slammed into Patrick as Sara drew to a stop. Unlike her he had noticed the sound of the chair fracturing and the sound of her feet pounding on the ground. As she suddenly stood in front of him though he was amazed that the sound waves had been able to reach him and register with him before she had. "Yes, really, you've been busy lately and I believe you need a break."

"Yay!" Before continuing Sara quickly leaned forward and pressed her lips firmly against Patrick's. As she kissed him she was careful not to harm him but insured that he couldn't get out of his seat. "So what are we going to do?"

"I was thinking that a nice private dinner was in order followed by a trip to a spa."

"No movie?"

A slight chuckle escaped Patrick as he shook his head. "Well I could download one for us but the theater is just showing old movies here. I thought that we should spend some time talking though. We haven't really been able to talk outside of our military roles for a while. Sure we've had random little conversations but none like usual."

"That does sound a nice. So when do we leave?!"

"Just as soon as you let me get up so I can go get cleaned up."

Instead allowing Patrick to stand up Sara quickly released her hold on his chair. Her right hand pushed into the cushion of his chair and quickly slipped under him while the left went around his back. She then smoothly lifted him out of his seat and quickly turned around. As she turned she wasn't paying as much attention as she should have and her hips collided solidly with the chair sending it flying across the room.

His chair suddenly slamming into the wall and splintering into little bits caught Patrick off guard so that he gave a slight jump. As he looked upon the wreckage though his first act was to wonder. Had Sara done that on purpose or was it accidental? He had been partnered with her long enough to learn that she did enjoy flaunting her strength from time to time and enjoyed it even more if she could do it in such a way that it seemed accidental. He had no doubt that whatever it had been she was happy with the results.

A slight giggle escaped Sara as she glanced over her shoulder. "I guess my bottom has gotten bigger along with the wrest of me."

Patrick could only shake his head as he leaned against Sara. He didn't think it would be appropriate if someone saw her packing him around however he wasn't worrying about that at the moment. It actually surprised him that no one seemed to be responding to the impact but most likely they knew Sara was in the room with him. Regardless of what was happening they wouldn't be much use if she was there.

************************************************************************

Ever since Lucy had left for Mizia Amy had been somewhat on edge. It was no secret that she was friends with Lucy and she worried that she might be made to pay for that friendship. Given how far things had progressed though the fear had began to diminish and she found herself typing a message to her friend. "Hey Lucy, I've been seeing even more of you on the news then regular lately. It seems that you have the world's attention. I bet that Albert is enjoying spending so much time with you and probably the break from his lessons. I see from the reports that you've also grown quite a bit. How did that happen?"

As Amy clicked the send button she began to stand up in order to go get a drink. Before she could move away from the computer she received a message indicating she had voice mail. Her thirst was pushed to the back of her mind and she opened it quickly. "Crap. I didn't even think of his lessons. He's several weeks behind now and I'm going to have to make sure he catches up. Oh he'll just be thrilled to learn you're the one that reminded me."

Impulsively Amy found herself typing away. "Hey, don't blame me! If you had remembered he'd never needed to catch up. That's you're doing."

Once again Lucy's response came nearly as swiftly as the line could carry it. "Well I can't be expected to remember everything! I almost forgot you asked me how I'd grown so much recently. Without going into the boring details my awareness was strengthened a great deal all at once. Well perhaps strengthened isn't the right word. My awareness is now receiving some additional support."

It was tempting to Amy to ask Lucy more about her awareness however she refrained for the moment. "You know. After you got started I worried I'd be taken hostage. Thankfully that hasn't happened."

"They are some new faces in the building you just don't recognize them due to them blending in. While not all of them are in your classes they are around you long enough to almost be your shadow."

"Huh? Did you hire some people to look out for me?"

"I keep an eye on all those that are close to me but these aren't mine. They're agents from the UR. I'm not surprised you haven't noticed them though. They've been a few of them watching you since you came to know me."

"Lucy, are you serious?"

"Amy, stop and think about it. Think about the knowledge and power I have and the levels I've had it at for years. Think about what could happen if I was forced to give away certain knowledge or aid certain people in order to save my friend's life and think of the likelihood of me doing it."

A sigh escaped Amy as she rubbed her head. "That is true. Are you sure that they're not here to kill me incase you ever go rogue?"

A slight giggle escaped Lucy one which she included in the next audio file. "That could be a possibility however unlikely. At the moment they're watching over you and they're the primary reason you haven't had any trouble."

"How do you know this and why didn't you mention it before?"

"Well before I go on. Do you want them there? After all they are technically invading your privacy."

At first Amy went to type that she didn't mind but her fingers didn't work. Instead she placed her hands on her legs and closed her eyes. Part of her didn't like the idea that she was being watched however it was also nice to think she had someone watching over her. "Are they any more invasive then bodyguards?"

"I don't believe so. I've never caught them getting too close to you. They just seem to insure no one suspicious gets closer then they are."

"Do I know any of them?"

"You know two of them one on a first name basis and one on a last. However, you don't regularly hang out with them. If you'd like I could tell you who they are."

"No thanks. Okay, I believe I'm okay with them watching me."

"I first noticed them whenever I heard their communications. They started watching you roughly a month after we started spending time together. I suppose they consider you a long term friend. They're not quite so watchful of those I'm less fond of."

"In other words if it isn't someone that could be used as a hostage they're not really interested in them."

"You got it."

"Hey Lucy, when you eat someone can you really feel them moving around inside of your stomach or is that just an act?"

"I can feel everything that is going on inside of my stomach depending on how aware I can afford to be. Whenever I really ramp up my digestion I have to duel what I feel otherwise I would end up screaming in pain instead of enjoying myself. I haven't had to bring things to the level where I'd need to duel the feelings though in a long time."

"What about when you swallowed those tanks?"

"I could feel them. Some of them even made the trip semi operational and managed to get off a few shots."

"Well so much for them conquering from the belly of the beast."

"Well naturally if they had a weapon that could have harmed me I wouldn't have just swallowed them like that. How are the others doing right now?"

"They're doing fine. There has been some discussion about what change this is going to cause the world's political setting. There has also been talk about the merit of your actions though not as much as I expected. I suppose that's to be expected. Of course they're not going to risk is relaying any information to you that might make you angry."

"I'd like it if people would be more open about their thoughts with me. It isn't like I ever ate someone or even crushed them for expressing their opinion verbally. At least I wouldn't without giving them fair warning first and to even get a warning I believe they'd have to find one of my truly soft spots."

"That may be true but people tend to be more careful about what they say in regards to someone that could eat them alive. Even if that someone says that they can be honest it's still unnerving especially when they don't truly know you."

"You know me fairly well. What side of the debate are you on?"

"I'm on the side of the debate that realizes they don't know what it's like to have a body like yours and that has never had someone try to murder them. I suppose if someone did try I'd have a better idea of what you're feeling at the moment. Now from my own limited experience. Well I believe that you played around too much Lucy. I really would have preferred if you'd removed the leadership first and shown the civilians and army more mercy. I don't have any real room to judge though."

"Because you don't know what it's like to be in my situation?"

"You know better then that. If I had truly felt strongly about your actions then I would have contacted you sooner. I didn't though. I set here, watched it on the news and waited until everything had settled down before I got in touch. People who only stand on the side lines and watch while everything happens have no right to judge. I don't agree with the methods you use currently however I'm far from offended."

"How much would you disagree then?"

"That's kind of hard to say. Do you remember whenever Brad insisted that he makes the best omelet there is? Then how green Albert and I turned whenever we tried some and later had to purge our stomachs?"

"I was amazed that either of you managed to take down the first bite. Honestly if you think something taste that bad you shouldn't force yourself to swallow."

"Well, I'm about as upset by your methods as I was with Brad's cooking skills. I'm not quite as upset but I'm kind of close."

"So you wouldn't let he handle negotiations for your?"

"I wouldn't let you settle an argument between me and a friend or family member."

"Well that just isn't any fun."

"So what are you doing now?"

"Albert is taking a nap while I work on rounding up a few more survivors. It's pretty late here."

"I didn't think about that. Hey Lucy, once this is all over what do you plan to do?"

"Ask Albert what he wants to do."

"Is that really the limit of your plan?"

"Yep! I don't believe Albert will just leave this region in turmoil and will probably think of some way to help stabilize the region. Most likely in conjunction with the UR's efforts. This is my vacation though, I'm just going to have fun and not worry about the details."

"I see. Lucy, I didn't mean to get out of touch. It's just that you're normally the one that comes and finds me. It also took me a while to decide how I felt. I've only been able to get up the nerve to contact you recently."

"That's fine Amy but don't ever be scared of sending me a message. I'll either reply or ignore it. However, if I do ignore one of them don't try to find me or come to meet me in person. If I'm ignoring your messages you can safely assume it's best to leave me be."

"Yeah I would probably throw the nearest heavy object I could find at anyone who walked in on me while I had a do not disturb sign up. That includes friends and family."

"I'm glad we understand one another." It was impossible for Lucy to keep from giggling as she glanced down at Albert while waiting for Amy's response.

"It's nice to talk to you again Lucy. I'll be in touch sooner next time."

"Next time hook up your web camera and use a microphone. You type so slowly."

************************************************************************

A sigh escaped Sara as she leaned back in the heavily cushioned seat and glanced up at the roof. Human ears that had not been enhanced wouldn't have been able to hear through the walls and the entire room had been painted white. It had been chosen as it did an exceptional job of blocking out the rest of the world and letting Sara focus. It made it a wonderful spot to scan the entire city.

"Sara, are you ready?"

Upon glancing down at Patrick Sara quickly exhaled sending a powerful burst of air towards him. It wasn't powerful enough to nock him over but it did thoroughly mess up his hair and ruffle his shirt. "Patrick this isn't necessary. With the transmitters in place I could easily scan the entire city while listening to rush our traffic."

"I have no doubt that is true but we might as well make this as easy on you as possible. So shall we begin?"

It wasn't necessary for Patrick to be there with her however Sara wouldn't dare ask him to leave. She might not have needed his presence but that didn't mean she didn't like having him there. "You know what I hate most about this?"

"What you see in some peoples' minds?"

"You got it in one. No matter how exact I try to be in what I'm searching through some images push their way through. Most are fine but some I really could do without seeing."

"Well I'll take as much of the burden as I can."

"Pfft, don't worry about that! It isn't like there is anything out there that would horrify me. Though, after this I might want to go and bust a few people up." As she finished speaking Sara began to focus on the city around them and the awareness of each person within it.

As Sara began to work Patrick felt a slight pressure on his mind and relaxed. If he hadn't felt anything he'd known that Sara was taking the entire load upon herself and he would have been forced to call her down. As he relaxed though he felt a sudden spike and knew instantly that Sara had seen something she didn't want to see. Instead of trying to shield himself from these feelings he allowed them to come to him. He wanted to take as much of the emotional load as he could.

"Yeah there is one person I want to hurt already." Generally the more specific the information to be found the easier time Sara had. It was general questions that proved difficult to handle. Currently she was searching for any feelings of allegiance to Mizia and any hostility towards the UR or Lucy. All three were general enough to be gripe worthy as far as Sara was concerned but they weren't beyond handling.

"If you locate anyone that you feel is truly a threat even if they wouldn't fight against us feel free to retain the information. We don't want a city full of rapist, thieves or murderers after all."

"I'll keep that in mind. At least they are some good things about doing this. Not every thought that pushes through is a bad one." A slight chuckle escaped Sara as she shook her head. "Some of them are down right cute if messed up. Patrick do you want me to keep track of those I find who seem to be particularly useful?"

"If the strain wouldn't be too much then that would be beneficial."

A contented sigh escaped Lucy as she wiggled her bottom forcing the earth to shift beneath her. The sound of the more solid bits of ground cracking and shattering due to her movement was quite pleasing to her. What was more pleasing though was the feeling of the tiny figure moving within her. It wasn't due to his own will, Albert had fallen asleep long ago rather it was due to the shifting of her own body.

While Lucy didn't want to wake Albert given how she'd exhausted him before hand it was hard for her to keep from shifting about. The feeling of him moving within her was a delight. Fortunately she was able to reason it out and convince herself that letting him wrest peacefully was in her best interest. After all if she didn't let him recover he wouldn't have any energy for more active play later. So it was with a sigh that Lucy forced her hips to remain still and she tried to relax.

After settling down Lucy began to listen to the sound of the empty city around her. There were no more people to be found within the area but it wasn't entirely quiet just yet. She could hear the sound of a few engines still running. Most likely the result of people being forced to abandon their vehicles and not bothering to turn off the engines whenever they'd run. She could hear chunks of debris breaking off buildings and even entire structures collapsing from time to time due to the damage she'd caused.

A little music drifted through the air and reached her. Some of those that had resolved to give up the chase had either had or managed to find some stereos and had spent their last minutes enjoying favorite songs. She had even found a few with the stereos blaring, a few bottles around the room and a corpse. Not everyone was content to die in her stomach and had chosen to be a corpse instead of food for her.

Most of the music wasn't too Lucy's liking so that she began to shut it out. As she relaxed she began to let her mind wonder. A strange energy wave soon caught her attention and she began to follow it. She could tell that the waves weren't directed towards her and they were coming from the occupied territory. However, they were strange enough that she wanted to see what they were about. Perhaps the UR had developed a field radio that made use of a biological life form

While Sara was focusing on the city Patrick turned his attention to a small computer setting next to them. The images and names that appeared on the screen were moving too quickly for him to read but he knew what was happening. Instead of trying to retain all the information that was gathered Sara was uploading it onto the computer. The names were almost always accurate as was general information. However they had been miss lead by the images at times. Everyone didn't have an accurate view of themselves.

Even looking at the screen Patrick wouldn't realize that Sara was speeding up and she knew it. At first she had been taking things slowly and only examining a few people at once. After a few people though she'd began to slowly increase the rate at which she scanned the city. This required her to exert more effort however she was still far from exerting herself. If she had been walking in the beginning she was now swiftly jogging. This meant that Patrick would tell her to relax if he caught on though so she was careful to keep from putting any additional pressure on him that would tip him off.

As Lucy examined the signals she began to realize what they were. Images and thoughts began to form as she read the messages. Given the volume of them and the nature of the images as well as the emotions attached to them she didn't have to think hard about what she was examining. She quickly realized that she was seeing memories and thoughts from people within one of the UR controlled regions.

Previously Lucy had only been exploring the signals to give herself something to do and moderate curiosity. As she realized what the signals were though her curiosity grew rapidly and she began to focus more attention on them. After her experience with the children she felt that such happenings deserved a good deal of attention and began to avidly search out what was happening. She also had a fairly good idea that what was happening was intentional and she wanted to know why.

"Are you doing alright Sara? If you need to rest for a while we can."

A slight giggle escaped Sara and for a moment she stuck her tongue out at Patrick. "I'm fine Patrick."

"You're breathing harder then you were in the beginning."

"Well this does take quite a bit of energy. You don't need to worry so much Patrick. I will be feeling kind of peckish after this though."

"I already thought of that. A meal will be ready whenever you're done or should be about ready. If you push yourself too hard though you're going to be finished and hungry before it's done so take your time."

She had known Patrick for quite some time now but Sara was still made to blush when he told her there was a meal already being prepared. She had actually meant it to be something of a tease and planned to down two of her shakes to help her recover. Eating a big meal was more fun then drinking two shakes though so she was quite happy with the news. As she refocused her efforts on searching the city she continued to work at an accelerated pace. She wanted to pester the cook and see if she could sneak a few tastes.

It was easy for Patrick to tell whenever Sara resumed her efforts though he wasn't sure to what degree she was exerting herself. He was fairly sure that she was pushing herself more then he had suggested though. There wasn't anything he could really do to prove it though or be truly sure and he wasn't going to accuse Sara of something unless he was certain. He did however feel his heart rate speed up whenever she suddenly went wide eyed.

"Oh crap!"

While Lucy searched the energy waves she quickly realized they were sending only. Whatever was causing the energy waves clearly wasn't meant for two-way communication so there was no chance of it being a form of mind control. Once she recognized this fact one wave immediately stood out as one that could both receive and send. As she began to examine it she felt a sudden pulse of emotion and a feeling of recognition as her awareness and the other awareness touched for a moment.

"What is it Sara?"

"I'm being contacted."

"Did something happen to one of the others?"

"No, um Lucy found me. It seems that we drew her attention."

As Lucy felt a rush of feelings from the awareness she immediately realized that whoever it was hadn't intended to be found. So she wasn't surprised whenever she felt the other awareness quickly sealing itself off to prevent further contact. "Hold on!"

"I'm not getting anywhere. I'm just reinforcing my defenses so you can't see me so easily again."

Upon hearing the other awareness response Lucy grew silent. She had only touched on the other person for a moment and had only gained a very small amount of information but apparently that was more then the other liked. Lucy didn't simply wait around though rather she began to focus on the person and try to gather what information she could. She was already surprised by the power she'd felt when she touched the mind. "I take it that you're one of the UR's agents."

"I'm not at liberty to give you such information at the moment. I didn't actually mean to draw your attention."

"I see. What information are you allowed to give me then? You know I'm not going to leave until I at least have a few answers. After all you touched me for a moment as well."

A low groan escaped Sara as she glanced down at Patrick. "Her mental defenses are too strong. I can't read her. Damn it! How is she doing that? It isn't like she's had these abilities for long."

"Are you sure that it's her keeping you from reading her awareness?"

There was no immediate answer from Sara as she considered the possibility. Had it not been for her link to Patrick Lucy would have seen far more of her then she had when they first touched. Patrick's awareness had acted as a shield though and protected Sara's awareness for the most part. "My name is Sara."

"Hello Sara, I'm guessing that you already know me. Hey I bet you're the Sara that was on the news earlier."

"Yeah that's me."

"So why were you so jumpy a few moments ago? It isn't like I'm on bad terms with the UR and I've been playing nice so far. Oh wait. You're the UR's trump card incase I get out of hand aren't you?"

"Now why do you want to know that?"

"I get the feeling that you're not as powerful as I am. However, your mind sure seems to be which leaves me thinking that you're body is not as powerful as my own."

"You got all of that from that brief moment of contact?"

"Yep!"

"Ugh, if it hadn't been for Patrick protecting me you'd been able to see all of me."

"You seemed to be kind of busy before I interrupted. You can get back to work. I won't try to pry as long as we're talking."

As Sara resumed her work she tried to think of what she should stay. Fortunately with Patrick guarding her mind she didn't have to focus too much on defense. "So you had your awakening a few days ago."

"What do you mean by awakening?"

"You finally managed to awaken into these abilities or developed them. Just so you know as well whenever I said see I didn't mean read."

"I thought as much. So is it like seeing a person in the physical world?"

"Yeah, you see them and you can get an idea of how big they are and how they're built but unless you know how to read them you can be entirely wrong. I won't deny that your awareness is stronger then my own though."

As Lucy examined Sara to the best of her ability she also watched her working. It didn't take Lucy long to realize at least one thing about Sara. "You're good at this. I wouldn't have ever noticed if the transmitters hadn't gotten my attention. Just what is causing that though?"

"We introduced a symbiot into the population a few days ago. It makes it easier to search through their memories and feelings so we can insure that were not harboring any hostiles."

"Neat! Once you're done are you going to kick them out of the city so I can eat them?"

"Most likely we will."

"Thanks! You've been doing this for a while haven't you Sara?"

"I've been at it for a few years now."

"Are they any tips that you wouldn't mind giving me? I believe there is probably a lot you're not allowed to tell me but surely you can give me some tips."

"I really can't right now. Lucy, you're quite powerful and could pose a serious threat if you wanted to. At the moment people like me are the only defense the UR has that might be effective against you. My superiors and I trust you for the most part however, well we don't want to be defenseless."

"Ah don't worry, I understand. Perhaps we started things off on the wrong note given that I stumbled upon you while you were working. Do you want to start over?"

It was impossible for Sara to keep her amusement hidden as she gave a slight chuckle. "I suppose that we might as well. Hi my name is Sara."

"Hi I'm Lucy. So I've already gathered you're part of the UR army. You mentioned someone helping to protect your mind and keeping me from seeing all of you. Is he your partner?"

"Yeah and in some ways my superior, I was partnered with Patrick shortly after I joined the project. Once it was decided that we were compatible I received a symbiot which linked the two of us together."

"Um do you mean two people one symbiot?"

"Yes."

"Well crap! Phillip and Sandra are going to be steamed!"

"Who?"

"Two of my friends, I suggested a similar system to the two of them whenever they started talking about the threshold of awareness. Now I have to tell them that the government had already beaten them to the punch and have been refining such procedures over the years."

"Oh I see. Well to be perfectly honest the project is based on data gathered from you."

"What do you mean?"

"Come now. You might have been the first but that isn't why you're as powerful as you are. If you hadn't had someone to nurture you then you'd breached the threshold of awareness and been reduced to a beast if not a vegetable years ago. You and Mr. Guarsen have shared such a union for years."

Lucy couldn't help the feeling of happiness and embarrassment as she listened to Sara. "Yeah I really do owe him a great deal. I don't believe he has any idea how much he had to do with my success and still does."

"One thing that perplexes me though is why you only broke through recently. The three of you have been together for years now. Even without a guide it shouldn't have taken so long unless there was something in the way."

"Ah, I see you don't know everything about me!"

"Well it's kind of hard to gather information on you."

"Maybe I could tell you more if you told me more about the union between you and your partner. From what you said I gather that awakening depends partly on being connected to someone else."

"Oh crap. I did say that. Didn't I? Well the information isn't exactly dangerous so I suppose that it can't hurt. As you probably already know creating a connection between your awareness and the awareness of another person isn't like having several bodies. What we've found during our studies is that while it helps having someone who has already developed their abilities if they haven't been connected to someone the effort is entirely useless."

"Why is that?"

"It seems that in forming the bond an awareness learns something that it can't learn in any other situation. We're not sure exactly what it learns but whatever it is. It's absolutely vital to awakening and developing such mental abilities. This is speculation to an extent though. We're not sure if the awareness learns something or if it gains something in the union. In either case we haven't found any way around it."

"I see. Tell me something, does this require both minds to be in agreement?"

"Yes and even general confusion can cause things to go wrong. That's one of the primary dangers of undergoing the procedure. Even if the two people get along there can be a break down of communication or miss understandings that aren't seen until it's too late. So instead of working together the awareness of each person tries to rip the other apart."

"Ugh, just breaching the threshold of awareness is bad enough. I imagine you ended up with a few vegetables."

"So I gave you a little information. Do you believe you can enlighten me now?"

"I've been very close to Albert for a very long time. I think we formed quite a strong bond the first day we met. However, we've only began taking certain steps in our relationship recently. Before hand there was always a certain degree of space between us. Do you believe that would have hindered things?"

"I know that it would. So are you going to tell me how you suddenly became so much stronger so quickly now? Generally speaking there is an increase in what one can do when they awaken however that tends to result in the awareness being more stressed as it has more to cope with. It can even cause other areas of development to stop for a long while. You on the other hand not only awoke into your abilities you also grew considerably."

"Now I'm not sure if that is a fair trade. I'm pretty sure I know why you want that information and I rather enjoy the power gap between you're and my awareness."

A slight chuckle escaped Sara as she nodded her head. "Well I rather enjoy the knowledge gap between me and you."

"Humph, if I tell you what caused my awareness to suddenly strengthen so much what do I get in return?"

"I'll better explain the workings of your new abilities so that you can develop them more quickly. They are a few basic concepts that while not immediately useful are in a short time and become exceptionally useful in the long run."

"Okay what we need is a confidence test here. I'll tell you but if you try to back out on me or I don't consider the information to be an equal trade I'll come looking for you. Are those terms agreeable?"

"Eh nope."

"Oh come now! I've proven that I'm a reasonable individual on numerous occasions. You don't have to worry about me trying to cheat you."

"So if the information is of no use to me I can give you information that is no use to you?"

It was impossible for Lucy to keep her feelings of amusement from showing as she physically chuckled. "Drat."

"Oh I see. So you don't believe that it's something that I'd be able to duplicate. Alright Lucy I'm going to give you a little tab bit of information. You'd figure this out on your own so it isn't too valuable and then you can decide what you want to tell me. The greatest hindrance and support of our abilities is our partners. To strengthen those abilities and allow greater access to them it is absolutely essential to train the one we're joined with."

"That's useful enough. I don't seem to be strained because I don't just have my awareness and Albert's supporting me. I actually invited several people into my being and they accepted the offer. They're now inside of me and in return for a pleasant place to exist they strengthen me."

"I see. Well that brings up more questions then it answers. Thank you for the information. I'm done examining the city so I'm going to be going. Perhaps we'll talk again later."

"I'm sure that I'll be seeing you around. Until then, I guess they are some things I need to talk to Albert about."

End a very long chapter 5

I almost always welcome reviews on my works so if you have an opinion about what I wrote feel free to email me at happiest_in_shadows@yahoo.comBe certain to include something in the subject line that will let me know it's not spam. Preferrably mentioning the title of the story.

It was rare that Lucy forgot anything if she truly forgot. At times Albert was fairly sure she pretended to do so simply for conversation or as a means of letting you out of a debt. There was no way that she was going to allow him to forget his agreement with her though. He had already put the blueberry and strawberry muffins on now he found himself wondering what to prepare next. He had promised her something unexpected. It was for this reason she was leaving him alone in a relative sense.

At the moment Lucy wasn't watching him or he didn't believe she was. There was no way for him to be sure. She was however keeping track of everything that went into and out of the kitchen as well as listening. Fortunately sound wasn't a very effective way of seeing what he was cooking. "Lucy you're not using sound imaging are you?"

"I'm not using it to see what you're doing right now but that doesn't mean I'm not using it."

"Alright so long as you're not watching me" once he finished speaking Albert made his way over to the fridge and checked inside the fruit cabinet. It was filled to the brim with fruit many of which he hadn't even tried before. Some was of Lucy's making while others were of natural origin. He didn't plan to use all of them but it was done in keeping what he had planned for her a secret. He only hoped that she would like it. She hadn't given him time to experiment and find one what he thought tasted good.

A sigh escaped Lucy as she ran over the layout of her home in her head. She had known she'd grow while she was in Mizia but she hadn't been prepared for how much. She now had to duck to get through the doorways even after they had been expanded. The furniture seemed to be horribly small now and most of her clothing had to be modified. Fortunately she just needed her clothes to cover her. She needed to expand her home if she didn't want to end up spending all her time in the open. "Albert, have you considered moving any?"

"I can't say that it really crossed my mind. I had always assumed it would happen after all I don't plan on renting that apartment all my life."

"I believe that we might need to move somewhere else. Now that I'm serving as your instructor I don't believe it would hurt anything if we did so."

"Ah but we have so many things here. There is the brink and our friends and the road work you paid for so you could travel along some of them. Plus a lot of the people around here are fairly accepting of your presence."

"We can still enjoy all of that it would just mean the walk to get to them takes longer."

"That is true but what brings this up?"

"I designed my home with growth in mind but I didn't expect it to have to grow quite this quickly. It was supposed to be a progression at roughly the same rate as my body. I even bought up quite a bit of land I really didn't need so that I could remain here a long time if I wanted to."

"Even the best lay plans can fall apart, but Lucy, you do realize that wherever you go you're going to outgrow it don't you?"

"I know. Unless I stop growing I will outgrow any residence I take up."

"We both know that there is no way you're going to stop growing."

"Huh? Why do you say that?"

"Because I know you can't stand being so short."

There was no real need for Albert to finish that statement. Lucy had figured out what he was going to say as soon as he had got to the fifth word. Immediately she bit down on her lower lip to keep herself from yelling as Albert once again took a jab at her size. "I swear you haven't picked on me this much since we were kids!"

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he could hear the amusement and frustration in Lucy's voice. "I'm just being honest here. However, you know growth doesn't always refer to scale."

"Humph that is true. I could start working on refining my body or finding a different way to handle my mass. Of course I use the term work loosely. It's not like I can actually set down and develop a blue print for a new body." A sigh escaped Lucy as she rubbed her head. "I'm not even that smart."

"Lucy, I believe you might already know a way."

"I know what you're thinking about. I was much larger whenever I was out of it in Mizia. The more of my awareness I can focus on my body the larger I become while the more aware of my surroundings I have to be the smaller."

"Then after you began to think of the world around you once again you began to regress in size. I was worried you'd go back to being as short as you were before hand."

"Okay, you know that I'm not going to just set here and let you take jabs at my height all the time without paying you back right?"

"You'd punish me for being honest?!"

"Keep it up mister and you'll find out what I'll do. Anyway, I don't believe what happened whenever my conscious mind became aware of the world around it once again is what we want."

"Why is that?"

"I don't just reduce in scale whenever I wake up again Albert, I really do shrink. I have to keep a certain amount of my awareness focused on my body or I can't handle it. The more I focus the more I can handle. It's not the same situation."

"Ouch."

"Is something wrong Albert?"

A sigh escaped Albert as he quickly removed his finger from the knife and the fruit. "No. I just had a little accident." It was hard for Albert to keep from groaning as he quickly covered his fingers. He hadn't been paying as much attention to his cooking as he should have and managed to cut himself. Naturally he didn't want to tell Lucy just how deep the cut was or that he felt a strong need for a band aid.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah I'm fine. It's just a little scratch." Even as he was speaking Albert was being very careful while opening the medicine cabinet. Given how good Lucy's hearing was he knew she'd notice if he was to suddenly start rummaging around and want to check on him.

"Okay then, so how are my muffins coming?"

"You'll have to give me a little while some of the fruit is being uncooperative."

"Fruit? So you're only using one. Mm I wonder which one it is."

"Blast it Lucy quit trying to figure it out! It's supposed to be a surprise."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she gave the roof of the building a quick tap. "Hey now, it's not like I'm trying to trick you into telling me what you're doing."

"Yeah right, I will admit you have been behaving."

"Are you out of milk Albert?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"I can hear the tap running. I thought you always used milk while baking."

"I'm just washing off a few things." Albert knew that whenever he stepped out Lucy would notice the bandage on his finger if the injury was bad enough. He hoped that a little spray bandage would take care of the injury so that he might be able to hide it. As he washed the blood from his finger and held it up for examination he was surprised to find that a bandage of any type wouldn't be needed. There was no cut to be found or any sign that there had ever been a cut.

"Back to the subject of moving then, I was thinking I should buy some new property that is further away from civilization. Perhaps even an island of some type is in order. I'm not entirely sure if it would fit into my budget right now though. With everything that has happened and my work in Mizia I have to be kind of careful with my cash flow."

While Lucy was talking Albert had walked back over to the cutting bored, which still had a good deal of his blood and the partially sliced fruit upon it. He then placed three of his fingers in his blood taking note of the fact that it was still warm. There was no logical way that much juice had come from the fruit due to one cut. He also knew that it wasn't that red. However, he still wanted to check as he once again picked up the knife. He had to remind himself to respond to Lucy. "Wouldn't that just be a temporary fix?"

"Yes it would. I'm going to have to find a more long term solution but that would give us a little more time. Really I just need to find a way to communicate to my body that it needs to start growing in a new way."

"You might be doing that now." As he was speaking, Albert pressed the very tip of the knife into his finger. He didn't make the wound deep enough to need sowing up but he did insure it would bleed for a bit. Once again blood began to flow freely. At least it did for roughly a second. Once he saw the blood stop flowing he made his way back over to the sink and began to wash it off.

"I might be but I swear at times it's so hard to get it to listen. Whenever I wanted to be able to be with you and my parents it responded over night. They are other things that it never truly responded to though."

Albert heard Lucy and knew what she had said but at the moment his mind was on other things. Once again he washed away the bit of blood that was on his finger only to find that the cut had been healed entirely. As he had been watching himself this time he knew exactly how deep the cut had been. "Lucy, why is my body healing from a cut in less then a second that should have taken several days if not weeks to heal from."

Lucy felt her eyes widen and her senses shift to Albert. She couldn't see him visually but she could tell where he was standing and she knew the knife was in his hand. "Um surprise?"

If that was Lucy's only response she either didn't know what to say or wanted him to drop the subject. Given that she hadn't told him about it Albert felt fairly sure she wanted it dropped. That was something he wasn't quite ready to do yet as walked over to the sink and prepared a wet wash cloth to clean up his blood. "Lucy I love you and I know you love me and want to protect me but modifying my body without my permission seems a bit much. I'm not exactly happy about this."

A sigh escaped Lucy as she leaned over the building. "Would you like to come out and talk to me? At least that way we can see one another."

"I'll be out in just a minute."

"Okay." While she waited for Albert to come outside Lucy lowered herself to her knees so that when he stepped out he'd be more or less eye level with her. She had known that he would figure it out eventually but not how he would respond. Instead of trying to explain herself while he couldn't see her though she waited for him to step outside.

"Okay Lucy, what all did you do to my body?"

"I didn't do as much to your body as you might think but I'll just tell you. That isn't the body that you once had."

"What?"

"Albert whenever we first lay together you went inside of me and you never actually left."

For a moment Albert didn't know what to say as he looked into Lucy's massive blue eyes. "What do you mean that I never left?"

"I mean just what I said. The body you're using now isn't the same body that went into me that first time. That body is still inside of me. I couldn't help it. After the crash I was so worried about your safety that I began looking for a more permanent method of protecting you. Enhancing you seemed like a good idea for a little while but I soon realized it wasn't enough. Then whenever we lay with one another my body just responded."

Being angry with Lucy wouldn't help anything and it sure wouldn't make him feel any better so instead of getting upset Albert took in a few deep breaths. "Lucy, I can't say that I'm happy about you taking my body away from me."

"I didn't! I promise! It's just that your body is still inside of me."

"Then where am I?"

"Well you're still inside of me as well. You just feel like you're inside of that body because you've been controlling it through me. You have been ever since that day."

Learning that he had been modified without his knowledge had been quite a surprise to Albert. Suddenly being told that he was still inside of Lucy was something else. Instead of letting it overwhelm him though he took in a deep breath. "I need to finish making your muffins and make sure those that are cooking haven't burned."

"Albert, are you alright?"

"I'm kind of surprised and a little upset at the moment but I don't want to ask questions right now."

"Are you mad at me Albert?"

"No, at least I'm not truly upset with you. I know that you don't have perfect control of your body but even then you wouldn't do anything to harm me. I'm sure that you had my best interest in mind. It's just kind of surprising."

"You're angry though."

"On a few levels yes, I feel like you crossed into an aspect of my being without my permission. It isn't that you aren't welcome there or weren't welcome there but on some levels it hurts me that you didn't ask."

"I didn't mean to hurt you I didn't even mean for it to happen."

"I believe you Lucy, I know what I'm feeling now will pass soon enough. It's just a lot to process all at once. They are things that I want to talk about and things that I want to ask you but not right now." A half chuckle escaped Albert as he shook his head. "It's kind of strange to think that even whenever I walk back into the kitchen I haven't put any true distance between the two of us. It's a nice thought but it's strange."

"I should have told you about the change that first night."

"I will want to know why you didn't tell me eventually but not right now." As he was speaking, Albert made his way back into the building and towards the kitchen.

Even with Lucy's intellect she wasn't sure what she should say at the moment. She had been quite certain that Albert would be surprised whenever he learned the truth though she knew the day would come. Part of her had wanted him to figure it out on his own. She had even taken care to insure that the body he was currently using didn't get injured by keeping him inside the gems she wore. Of course there had been some slip ups.

"I'm an idiot!" As Albert yelled it was hard for him to keep from hitting himself.

"Albert, what's wrong?!"

At first Albert grew silent and closed his eyes. After taking in a few deep breaths he finally spoke. "You were speaking Mizian before hand and I could understand you. It's because I was hearing the world through you at the time. That is why I could understand what you were saying."

It was hard for Lucy to keep from chuckling, if it hadn't been for the frustration in Albert's voice she wouldn't have been able to. "I slipped up whenever that happened fortunately I had you near something that could easily distract you at the time."

Even though Albert had just witnessed how quickly the body he was currently using could heal he was careful while cutting the fruit this time. "I bet there are even more instances were I missed the obvious. Lucy I do have one question for you now. Why were you so eager to get this body away from your main body whenever you thought you might be infected? You didn't seem to be acting and I don't believe you were."

"I wasn't acting in the least. I was truly concerned that I might lose this body and yours with it. So I moved the one you're currently using away so that I could transfer your awareness into it should this body fail me."

"I should have thought of that without asking. So it's like you and your spare bodies. Even if you lose one you can transfer your awareness into another and continue living despite the set back."

"Yeah but I'm glad that didn't happen."

As Albert finished cutting up the fruit he mixed it into the muffin batter he had already prepared. "I hope that I cut these up enough, they look kind of big."

"Don't worry, I know I haven't given you time to experiment but I want to see what you come up with without that time."

"Lucy you're good at thinking of things in the long term. I have to believe that your body would recognize this and adjust so that you wouldn't end up increasing in scale too much. You enjoy interacting with the world around you after all."

"In theory you're right and I know that but it has never stopped growing before."

"So do you have any plans incase your body doesn't ever stop growing?"

"Actually I do. Separate into several small bodies and use one large one to start throwing them into space. There is plenty of room up there. I know that it sounds silly but when you start talking about certain scales there really isn't any other choice in the matter. I'm kind of lost as to what I would do after that point."

"I wonder how people would respond to that!"

"Oh I have a few ideas. It is a silly idea though isn't it?"

"It sure sounds silly but if you grew too large that could be the only way for you to keep from badly damaging the planet." A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he gave his head a slight shake. "A very silly idea that might be necessary, that's a strange one."

"There might be some way for me to communicate to my body what I want it to do more effectively. Then again it might help if I were to quit focusing so much of my awareness on the world around me and focus it on myself. That might be one of the reasons I can't control my body more effectively."

"Yeah but you remember what happened in Mizia when you did that don't you? I know that you're a good person Lucy but I'm not sure what you'd do if you focused that much of your awareness on yourself here."

"That's one reason I've never tried it. Honestly I was taking something of a risk back in Mizia but I had to do it. So how is the first batch of muffins coming?"

"They're coming but it's going to take a little while." As Albert was speaking he turned his attention to the cutting bored and noted a small drop of red on it. It was impossible for him to keep from sighing as he retrieved a wet wash cloth and began to clean it up. For the moment he was trying to think about other things then his body and that hadn't helped him. "You tend to communicate to your body that you want it to get stronger by exercise right?"

"That is one method I use to let it know what I want. They are other factors though."

"Could you give me an example?"

"As far as I can tell my body responds to what I want, what I try to make it do and what it feels is best for my survival. I want it to get more powerful and I communicate that to it by exercising. A stronger body also aids in my survival so it responds to all three of them quite readily. Now I may want to find a way to restrict or better control my scale while still growing however I need a way to communicate that to it."

"Mm you know I might have an idea."

"What would that be?"

"You wrestle yourself with several of your smaller bodies while keeping the involvement of your larger body to a minimum."

"What's the theory behind that?"

"If you're very active with your smaller bodies while your larger body lies still, even for a short while, you might tell your body that you want to work on a smaller scale. At the same time the physical exertion would let you communicate that you still want to become more powerful."

"You know that might just work. I wonder where I would do it though."

"Why not on the stomach of your larger body? That way you wouldn't have to worry about tearing up the area unless you knocked yourself into the air. If you keep to submission holds and limited strikes though you could remove that risk."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she leaned closer to the building so that her voice would shake the entire structure. "I bet that you want to watch as well."

"Um well I can't deny that."

"You probably want to watch while setting atop a nice mountain well above the playing field. You'd have a bird's eye view and something very soft to lie upon."

"I don't know. If I'm going to watch I'm going to want to be able to see what is happening and that is awfully high up. I swear if your height only matched your bust size you wouldn't be so darn short."

There had been an instance in which Lucy believed Albert was going to actually say she was big. At least she thought he was about to indicate that so she wasn't ready for the short crack. "Blast you!"

Despite everything that he had learned in the last few moments Albert couldn't help but chuckle. The conversation was good for him anyway as it was helping him to relax. "What did I say?"

For a moment Lucy was made to groan as she stood up to her full height so that even if Albert looked out the window he'd only be able to see her legs. "You're lucky you're cooking for me right now or I would make you pay for that comment."

"Speaking of cooking you might want to come on in. The first batch of muffins are ready they just need a few moments to cool down."

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Lucy knew that he wasn't asleep and Albert knew that she knew. For her part Lucy never slept but they still remained quiet as he lay upon her stomach looking up towards the darkness. This was quiet time for him, time to think about what she had told him and consider all the implications. It also gave him time to sort through his own feelings about the entire situation.

For several months now the body he had been manipulating hadn't been the one he was born with. In response to this thought Albert gave his head a quick shake. He hadn't been using that body for years given that all his cells except his brain would have been replaced many times over by now. This body didn't have the same DNA pattern though. Were he to have blood work done with the body he was currently using he couldn't prove that he was his parents' child with it.

That didn't truly give him reason to be upset though. After all Lucy's body was constantly changing in nearly every way except for shape if one didn't count scale and she never griped. He also knew that the difference between the body he was currently using and the one that was inside of Lucy wasn't the problem. It wasn't the body itself that made him upset. So what was making him feel irritable?

Receiving gifts tended to be nice. They were situations in which that changed though. As Albert considered the situation he soon began to liken it to coming home and finding all of his furniture replaced with something far better. It seemed good on the surface but it had been done without his permission, there was no way for the old items to be retrieved and no one had asked if they could or even for a key to his home they had just broken in.

Was it his home anymore though? Was it his home whenever he committed to Lucy? Typically being in a committed relationship meant ones partner had access to the other's body. Far more access then anyone else would be permitted and far more regularly and they received the same in return. At least that is how Albert felt it should be. On some level he felt that Lucy had the right to do what she'd done.

It was new and surprising. A sigh escaped Albert as he closed his eyes and placed a hand on his forehead. He had been surprised by the entire situation and it had caught him off guard. It made him feel like a fool for not having realized it sooner and he was having trouble adapting to the new situation. Even if the new furniture is far better then the old it can require some time to adjust to if the change is made suddenly. Parting with something as personnel as one's body and DNA pattern wasn't done easily.

"I didn't mean to pout so much over this Lucy but I believe I know why it's bothering me."

"Why is that?"

"I'm having trouble adjusting to a new situation so quickly. I'm used to a more orderly change not finding out that it happened before I even noticed. It's sort of like coming home and finding out all the furniture hasn't just been changed but it has been that way for several months now."

"Do you feel better now?"

"A little but not entirely I will be fine soon enough maybe after sleeping."

"You just need time to let those feelings die I suppose."

"Yeah and I'm working on that. The more logically I think about the situation and the more I consider what I truly value the deader they become."

"You want to ask me something purely out of frustration though. You know that it's a silly question though and shouldn't be asked because nothing good can come of it. At best I would just shrug it off and at worse it would hurt my feelings."

"How did you guess that?"

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she set up slightly in order to get a better look at Albert. "I can remember whenever decisions were made for me without my say so. I can remember those days very well actually. So what do you want to ask me?"

"I am not going to ask you anything that is born purely out of spite! I don't care how much I want to ask it."

"You don't believe you'll feel better once you get it out?"

"No! I'll feel like even more of a fool for asking it and even something of a bastard for trying to harm you. I'm just going to let the question die just like I'm going to let these feelings die."

"Thanks Albert. Hearing you say that makes me happy. I am curious what the question is though. How about telling me what it is?"

"No."

"Come on I know you don't mean it and now you have me curious. Well I've been curious about it for a while since I realized you probably wanted to."

"I'm going to sleep now Lucy." As Albert spoke he turned over on his side and closed his eyes.

"It's rude to make me wonder what you wanted to ask then not tell me."

"Good night Lucy."

"I could keep you awake until you told me you do realize that don't you?"

Instead of responding Albert just pressed his head against Lucy's flesh more firmly and stretched out his legs. He then placed one arm so that it covered the ear that was still exposed. As long as he kept responding he knew that Lucy would keep pressing for an answer and he wasn't going to give it to her. The fact that he even thought of such a question made him feel like a fool and it wasn't going to leave his lips.

************************************************************************

"Okay Albert something is on your mind. You were quiet through breakfast and haven't had much to say for most of the morning."

"Yeah I've been thinking about how I was able to understand Mizian earlier."

"What were you wondering?"

"I flat out don't know Mizian I don't even know a word of it. However, I was able to understand it through you but my senses seemed tied into this body so it isn't like I was listening through your ears. Then again this body was produced inside of your own and probably has cells somewhat similar to yours. Am I right?"

"Yeah but what is the question you wanted to ask?"

"They are several things. One thing I've been curious about though is what would happen if this body was destroyed? I know you made it so it can heal very quickly but that blade still cut through my skin just as easily as ever."

"Oh you'd be fine. It isn't like if that body dies your mind dies. Heck that was the main reason my body ended up taking yours inside of it."

"That's good to know but I wonder what it would feel like. Could you cut the connection between me and this body?"

"I'm pretty sure that I can, do you want to try and see what happens?"

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he reached up and rubbed his forehead. "To be perfectly honest I'm not entirely sure I do but I've been thinking about it most of the time. I'm not sure if I'll be able to stop thinking about it unless I try it at least once."

It was impossible for Lucy not to grin as she leaned forward. "You know it won't be like whenever you're inside of my vagina. You're body is literally hardwired into my own right now."

"I figured as much which is one reason why I'm not quite sure I want to."

"Well it's up to you. If you want me to cut the connection between your body and the one you're currently manipulating just say so and I will. Just be prepared."

For a moment Albert didn't respond but took in a few deep breathes while a grin spread across his face. He had no idea whether or not he'd like what he was asking for though he doubted that it would be unpleasant. He felt certain that it would be quite odd though. "I could probably just ignore it until the desire to find out died but I have no way of knowing how long that will last. Besides that hardly seems the appropriate way to handle the situation. So yeah, Lucy I want you to cut the link between my awareness and this body."

"Remember that you asked for this so I don't want to hear any complaining after words." As she was speaking Lucy began to quit sending messages between Albert's body inside of her and the one that he had been manipulating. She had every intention of shutting down the link entirely but didn't want to shut it down all at once to avoid any unforeseen complications. "Let me know if you begin to feel anything."

In response Albert gave a slight nod and closed his eyes. He could already tell the link was weakening as he noted how long it took his eye lids to shut. Yet as he closed his eyes he was surprised to find that he could still see color though he couldn't make out what the colors were at the moment. He also noticed that he could feel himself becoming warmer. "You know normally whenever people lose connection with their body they're portrayed as feeling cold but I'm feeling warm."

"Well this isn't exactly like the situation you find in movies. Your awareness isn't truly inside of that body after all." While Lucy wasn't surprised to hear that Albert was feeling warm she was a bit surprised whenever she felt a heat within herself. Her muscles were made to tighten and expand as if preparing for some heavy work.

While Albert kept his eyes closed he tried to move the right army of his body. At first it didn't seem like anything was happening but then he felt the muscle begin to shift and work. As the limb moved though he couldn't help but notice that it felt a little odd. He had expected his arm to feel heavier then what it normally did but found that it felt much lighter instead. It could have been him not feeling the effort as much or something else he wasn't sure. "That warm feeling I mentioned is getting stronger Lucy."

"Don't worry that's natural for this situation. I would have been worried if you actually felt cold. Do you feel anything other then warm though?"

"I can't really say for sure but I can see with my eyes closed. There is actually a good deal of light I just can't make out anything. Things seem to be becoming clearer but I might just be tricking myself." As Albert was speaking he was somewhat surprised whenever he felt his arm being lowered to his side once again. He hadn't told the muscles in the limb to relax the arm but apparently they had decided to.

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she began to feel out Albert's emotional state. The face on the smaller form before her had quit showing emotions just a few moments earlier and went strait. "So does anything feel strange?"

"My arm doesn't feel quite like it used to."

"Uhuh, is your arm the only thing?"

Before Albert could respond he was surprised when everything around him went dark. He had his eyes closed before hand but he had still been able to see color for some reason. He was actually surprised whenever that color vanished. "Everything just went dark."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she kept her eyes closed and reached up pressing her hands to her breasts. As she did so she gently squeezed her nipples only to feel her arms suddenly try to jerk away. She had to exert a good deal of willpower to keep them from moving. "Isn't that strange?"

Even if he couldn't hear through the ears of his body Albert could hear Lucy and he recognized sarcasm. At the moment though his mind was on other things, "my chest feels really strange right now."

"Your chest does?" As she spoke Lucy quickly opened her eyes and glanced down at her chest. This time she wasn't able to stop her hands from moving away as they went to both of her sides. It was impossible for Lucy to keep from laughing as she felt a surge of emotion from Albert.

"What is going on?!"

"I told you that you were hard wired into my body!" There was no way Lucy could hide the amusement in her voice as she not only heard Albert's reaction she felt it as well.

"Lucy I'm seeing through your eyes!"

"Yep, now if you don't mind I would like to have control of my arms back."

"What? But I'm not! I couldn't have!"

While Albert tried to form a solid thought Lucy took the moment to regain control of her arms without using brute force. She then settled them down on her thighs. "I would say take a deep breath but given where you are that really isn't an option. I'll just give you a few moments to calm down."

"Those were your breasts I felt!"

"Yep though not in the normal way but hey at least you know what it feels like to be able to get a better grip on these mountains!"

Despite what Lucy had said about being able to take breath Albert found himself trying to do just that as the reality of the situation settled in. The colors he had noticed beforehand had been the result of him seeing through Lucy's eyes. His arms felt different because they weren't his arms. For a moment he was made to shudder as he realized that the reason his chest felt odd was because he felt Lucy fondling her breasts.

"Now Albert it doesn't feel like that to me. You were just too focused on how strange it felt to enjoy it. Let's try again." As she spoke Lucy once again reached for her chests though her arms were stopped before they got there.

"No!"

Once again Lucy found it impossible to hide her amusement as she willed her arms closer to her chest. "Albert you wanted to find out what it was like if I broke the connection between your body and the one you were manipulating. Now you might as well find out."

"Lucy I'm not supposed to know what that feels like."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm a guy and we aren't suppose to be built like this!"

"But don't you want to know how I feel Albert?"

While Albert's initial reaction was to say no he couldn't quite form the thought after Lucy phrased the question like that. It made it impossible for him to tell her no though he still felt the idea was rather strange. "You're really getting a kick out of this aren't you?"

"Yeah I have to confess that I am." As she finished speaking Lucy quickly pressed her hands to her breasts giving them a gentle squeeze. She felt Albert mentally tense up immediately and gave a slight giggle herself. "You're never going to be able to enjoy it unless you relax."

"Um Lucy, do you believe that we could go a little slower perhaps?"

"But Albert I'm already limiting what you feel a great deal. Perhaps we could move onto something else for now though. Just don't think we're done here though."

"Thank you, what all are you blocking though?"

"Quite a few things actually, perhaps we should move onto something that you might be a little more comfortable with. Albert would you like to feel what my strength truly feels like?"

"You mean you don't feel like." Albert grew silent as he felt a sudden surge of energy hit him. The rush overwhelmed his mind and he grew silent as he struggled to cope with the strength that he felt running throughout him. Even as he struggled to adapt to what he was already feeling he felt it increasing.

At the moment Lucy knew it would be useless to ask Albert how he was feeling. It was plain from the lack of thought and constant stream of emotions that she was feeling from him that he was overwhelmed. This actually held her curiosity quite well as she hadn't been certain how he would respond. She had grown into her body so the changes had been subtle to her and never truly overwhelming. Albert was feeling the results of several years of improvement in an instant.

"I. This is. Wow."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she reached down and picked up the body Albert had been manipulating for the past few months. After a moment of consideration she tucked it between her breasts for safe keeping. She had considered absorbing it back into her being but as the cells weren't exactly like her own it could have taken a while to reform it. "So what does it feel like?"

"It feels like. It's hard to describe. It feels like I've been sick for a very long time and have only recently become healthy. Like when I had a really bad cold as a child and was given some medicine that also put me to sleep. The difference I felt in the morning was remarkable but this is even more extreme."

"Incase you were wondering I'm still holding back. I have to admit though I felt something whenever I turned off the connection between the body you were manipulating and the one inside of me."

"Was it draining?"

"No, it actually feels rather nice." As she spoke Lucy slowly turned her arm and began to curl it in order to form a bicep. "My body feels even stronger then it normally does. I imagine it's due to you picking up some of the slack for me though."

"What slack?"

"Now that your awareness isn't as focused on manipulating a second body it's helping me handle mine. That's letting me draw out more of my strength without reducing how aware I am of the world."

"Huh? Surely I can't be contributing that much though!"

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she gave her head a slight shake. "Albert your awareness is anything but weak I hope you realize that. Mm this feels nice!"

"I thought you were going to let me adapt some more!"

"Huh? What? Oops!" In response to Albert's comment Lucy quickly pulled her hands away from her chests.

As Albert went to sigh he was actually surprised whenever he felt air move pass lips for a moment. It only lasted a moment though as he quickly felt the mouth forced shut and realized he must have slipped up. "Huh?"

"Careful now or you're going to end up tearing up your private space."

"What did I do?"

"If I had let you control my body just now you would have blown your indoor home to bits. Until you adapt to your current situation be careful not to override my control while I'm relaxed or you could end up causing more damage then you thought."

"I believe I might have liked it more whenever you were in control of your body."

"Ah that isn't any fun. This is actually kind of neat."

"Don't you believe that it's strange sharing control of your body with someone else?"

"Albert, my body has been reshaping itself for over a decade now and much of that time I had little or no control over the changes. This doesn't bother me in the least."

"Perhaps you should restore the connection between my awareness and the body I was using. I believe I've got an idea of what it's like to have the connection cut now."

"Ah you want to quit already?"

"You said it yourself. I'm not used to the power of your body and I could end up causing you to destroy something that I don't want broken." As Albert finished the thought he expected Lucy to begin restoring him to his body. He began to wonder what she was thinking about when she didn't respond right away.

"I'm not sure I'm quite ready to do that just yet."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Honestly this is kind of fun and they are some things I want to explore as well. Besides this is pretty neat having you inside of my body like this."

Even if he couldn't see her in the regular sense Albert knew that Lucy was sticking her tongue out at him. The feeling was just too strong and familiar to be ignored. "Lucy I'm really not sure what I'm supposed to do right now. I didn't know what to expect to begin with. I sure didn't think I would end up seeing through your eyes like this."

"That's part of the fun! Besides you haven't really tried anything yet you've just set around. Why don't you try moving around some?"

"You're the one that said I didn't know how to control your body. I could end up collapsing your entire home."

"Well that is possible and could be done easily but I'll keep an eye on you and do my best to insure you don't. If something does go wrong I should be able to override your control quickly enough to prevent it or at least it can always be repaired. So long as you don't kick or throw anything that is."

"Wouldn't it be safer for you to move around and just let me come along for the ride?"

"Albert, I'm letting you control my body so I can see what it's like as well. Now we can stay like this for a very long time or you can stand us up and try something."

A sigh escaped Albert as he lightly pressed against the seat and began to stand up. He was actually surprised by how quick the motion felt yet how slow things seemed to be moving as he struggled to adapt to just how large Lucy truly was. "You know Lucy I have to say that my indoor home looks larger then what it should be compared to this body."

Up until now Albert had been too shocked to make any such comments so Lucy wasn't expecting it when he did. "You can say that even when you're looking down on it!?"

"Well yeah. I remember looking down on it while riding on your shoulder and thought it seemed kind of large in comparison to you. Now I'm sure of it."

A sigh escaped Lucy as she reached up and rubbed her forehead for a moment. "I thought you'd be too lost to think of anything like that but it seems I was wrong."

Instead of commenting Albert had Lucy's body lean forward so that her chests came very close to the structure. "See both of your breasts together aren't that much larger then it."

"Just one of my breasts could easily crush it I wouldn't even have to say my chest in the least!"

"I didn't say that they weren't bigger I just said that they weren't that much bigger. At least not as big as they need to be."

"Oh! Just walk around some!"

Despite the situation Albert gave a slight chuckle as he had Lucy's body straiten up. Fortunately the overall controls seemed to be the same. He knew that Lucy could be tweaking them so that he could move but chose not to think about that too much. If that was the case he doubted that he could learn to control Lucy's body within his life time. "I'm not sure if I can. Your breasts are so large compared to the wrest of you and I haven't had the time to learn how to balance with them."

"You know Albert, perhaps you should learn what it feels like for other parts of me to be stimulated since you seem so reluctant to have me feel my chests."

"No! I'm moving." A sigh escaped Albert as he willed Lucy's leg to move. He was a bit surprised by how quickly the limb left the ground as well as the force that ran throughout Lucy's body. He felt his control cut immediately as Lucy overwhelmed his and regained control of her muscles. Soon they went from wobbling to steady once again.

"Um Albert you do realize that every reaction is met with an equal and opposite reaction correct?"

"I did something silly didn't I?"

"My body is a lot stronger then what my mass indicates. The percentage of your strength that you use to walk is absolutely over kill for me to move." As she was speaking Lucy lowered her leg back to the ground. "Now I want you to try taking baby steps. Be ready to catch yourself as you'll probably get more of a reaction then you're expecting but as long as you take it slowly you should be fine."

"I take it you're helping me control your muscles?"

"Yeah, if it wasn't I believe you'd just made me do a flip."

"Okay, little steps, not regular ones just little steps." Even as he finished the thought Albert began to slowly have Lucy lift her foot. She was right. He was surprised by how quickly the limb responded to what seemed like a very tiny amount of force to him. "Were you helping with the arms before hand?"

"I helped with the arms and the stomach. You would have sent my breasts through my table if I hadn't been."

"Why not help me like that now?"

"Oh I just want you to have fun with the learning curve I had to adjust to. That and I want to be able to focus more of my awareness on drawing out more of my strength. Once you get the hang of handling this much of my strength I believe I'll relax my control a little and draw out even more."

"Just how long do you plan on keeping this up?!" It was impossible for Albert to not feel somewhat alarmed as he listened to Lucy.

"Only for a little while today, I know that they are some things you want to do in your own body but this is kind of amusing to me. If you would relax and quit worrying about feeling what it's like to have breasts and other body parts you might be able to enjoy it."

"Lucy how would you like to feel you're in a male's body?"

It was impossible for Lucy to keep from chuckling. "Albert you do realize that I don't just design and build things. I also test them. I wouldn't give you a body that I hadn't tested out before hand."

At first Albert felt his mind go blank as he consider the implications of what Lucy had just told him. Thought was slow in returning but as it did he felt a grin spreading across his face. "I suppose that shouldn't have surprised me."

"Well come now Albert you've hardly taken any steps at all. Also try picking up something. I'll do my best to keep you from sending it through the roof or into orbit."

"You know I'm used to setting on your shoulder and looking down into your cleavage so I wonder why this feels so awkward." As he was speaking Albert had Lucy's body move very slowly over to one of the tables. He then began to scoot her hand under the nearest thing he believed it would fit under.

"Hey maybe we should enjoy a meal like this! That way you can learn what things taste like to me!"

"Okay now that could be an experience."

"Is that all you're going to pick up? Come on Albert there has got to be at least a few things you want to try. Then again maybe you've relaxed enough that we can try something I'll really enjoy as well." As she spoke Lucy began to lift her right hand towards her breasts once again. She was surprised whenever she didn't get as strong of a response from Albert as she had previously.

"With all the time you've trapped me inside of yourself I guess you're used to me being inside of you."

"Well yeah I suppose I have had more time to adjust to the concept."

"Okay how about I try using your body to prepare a meal then we can eat. After that you restore my control over my secondary body."

"That could be more difficult then you realize but that's why I'm going to agree. This should be quite amusing."

************************************************************************

"I'm currently standing in what was once one of the most prosperous cities in Mizia. Not only was it a major center of industry but also a regular destination for tourist to the region. Now it's empty, little more then a cracked shell of what it used to be. Wild dogs, cats and other animals left ownerless can be found wondering streets while except for the occasional looter or passer through is empty.

What caused this destruction? As we all know it was a loan woman who felt the government had violated a contract with her. Were there any attempts to take the matter up in court on the world stage? No. Yet as we look around these ruins do we find any bodies? Only a few scattered about from place to place. Does that mean that some escaped or were buried?

Once again the answer is no. Not a single person from this city was buried rather they were eaten. Nearly every person this city was eaten by a cannibal."

"She's not speaking English is she?"

"Nope, I'm just translating things for you so you can understand her."

After a moment Albert gave a quick nod. "Why are we watching this Lucy? I'm sure they are plenty of stations that have some quite positive things to say about you or at least they aren't so biased."

"I appreciate people that choose to think well of me or try to remain entirely honest but they aren't the ones we need to be watching. I don't want to sound unappreciative but I would prefer to know what those against me are doing rather then those that are for me."

"Ah yeah, I see. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?"

"Yeah, I doubt she's going to even talk about the work I'm having done to rebuild Mizia's industry."

"I bet you she will and she'll twist it so you're working to insure their culture is completely killed off."

"You make a very good point."

"Ah well it isn't like many people are going to be watching this. How many reports are you currently observing though?"

"At the moment I could only find four that I felt were worth watching. I just chose to watch this one with you."

"What made you pick this one? She's really putting you in a negative light."

"I like how you grip the hem of my bra so hard your knuckles begin to turn white."

In response Albert quickly glanced down at his hands and was surprised to find that he was doing just what Lucy said. He had been trying to hide his frustration from her but it seemed that his body wasn't cooperating. "If she was here right now I would probably try to beat her within an inch of her life."

"My protector" As she spoke Lucy reached down and gently rubbed her finger against Albert's back. "I know that things have been quiet for a while but I doubt they're going to remain that way. People are forgetting the terror already."

"So many that didn't have the nerve to speak whenever you were tearing Mizia apart are going to be criticizing you it is really pathetic. Why couldn't they find their voice while everything was happening?"

"Um because if they'd come too close to me in the war zone I would have eaten them."

At first Albert said nothing but turned around to look up at Lucy. "Okay you have me there. Still, what they're doing now seems cowardly to me. They didn't have to come to Mizia to communicate with you and try to get you to stop."

"I suppose they could have felt that while I was in such an enraged state the most they would accomplish is me making them my next target."

"That is bull crap!"

"I know but that's one way they could justify their choices."

"So swift was the attack that people didn't have a proper chance to evacuate." As the reporter spoke she bent down and picked up a child's stuffed animal. "Little reminders of the life that once existed here lay scattered about in every home and throughout the streets. Several buildings still stand entirely intact as a result of the creature's cruel games. This thing carefully plucked people from the confines of their homes to eat them one at a time leaving the structure intact in order to draw out her fun."

"And the flavor! I can't believe she forgot to mention the flavor! Doesn't she know fear makes them taste better?"

Albert gave a slight jump in response to Lucy's outburst. "Lucy I doubt that they are many people that know that."

"Humph, well then maybe I should give them a call and tell them they forgot a very important part."

"You have to be joking."

"About what?"

For a moment Albert grew silent as if caught off guard. He had expected a yes or no not another question. It took him a moment to decide on his answer. "That you scared those people just because you like the taste."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she gave her head a quick nod. "Yeah there is more to it then that. Honestly I was angry with them for siding with the former Mizian government. Even if someone doesn't fight along side them if they help your enemy recover they become an enemy as well."

"I know. I wonder how much of the cities you cleared out have been looted."

"I'm sure that the most valuable or least well protected items have been largely cleared out. If they haven't been it's because I decreased the population so much."

"How are the farms you started in Mizia doing?"

"They're still costing me money and they're going to continue doing so for a few more years. Trees take a while to grow you know?"

"Yeah, why do think she hasn't shown any of the tanks you pilled open? I'm sure she could go on for quite some time how you opened them up like a can and ate the troops inside."

"That would give the audience an idea of how powerful I am. Granted it wouldn't be a very good idea but it would still be an idea. She wants to make them angry at me not scared. If they're scared they're less likely to act on their anger. It's a good thing that I didn't destroy every building I encountered. It made housing fairly easy."

"I bet utilities were something of an issue though."

"Ugh! Yes they were."

"I wonder how many pipes you crushed and wires you ripped apart with those little feet of yours."

"I'll put it like this. I'm glad that I don't need to pay for all the repairs. It's also a good thing that a few of the cities were occupied. They made for very useful starting points when it came to the repairs."

"What do you believe would have happened if they hadn't been occupied?"

"More then likely even more people would have left the country as quickly as they could. Others would have ended up in my belly while some would have surrendered. Many didn't truly surrender to me rather they accepted the offer of the UR. It has a similar results but it isn't for the same reasons."

"You know that brings up another question. Why wasn't the reporter doing any UR bashing?"

"Albert I wiped out Mizia's leadership and their army as well as a good chunk of the population. The nation as it was has fallen and I doubt it could be rebuilt. At the moment the former allies of Mizia don't have many options. If they take on the UR they take on me as well however they can take on me without insulting the UR."

"So do you believe you'll be put on trial?"

"I don't believe it will be a regular trial if it happens. The UR has made it clear that they consider my actions a military matter between a nation whom they don't currently have any agreements with. They don't really have any legal reason to try to apprehend me over this and with the Mizian government destroyed they don't have anyone to put in a request."

"Even if they did I doubt they'd honor it."

"I have no doubt about that. I'm kind of surprised that no one from the government had been contacting me though. They were quite upset whenever I decided to sell certain materials to Mizia. Personally I think this would make for a perfect I told you so time."

"Wouldn't that be kind of petty and pointless? Overall I imagine they're happy to see Mizia destroyed in everyway except for its name. Someone fought the war they wanted for them."

"That's not really the point. The point is that they were right about me not being able to trust Mizia and not realizing that they would violate the contract with me. Even if I suspected that they would eventually. It's a good reason to try to convince me to terminate some of my other contracts in favor of ones more beneficial to the UR and its allies."

"I see. Well I can't blame them for wanting to hold a monopoly on your technology given that I want to hold a monopoly on all of you. There is just so little it makes sharing very hard."

Even when he was being sweat Albert was teasing her. It made Lucy grin as she placed her hand on her forehead and gave her head a slight shake. "Albert you're the only person on this planet that I would allow to tease me like that. Just remember that you're mine as well." As she finished speaking Lucy reached down and gently ran her pinky finger over Albert's back.

"I know. Well it looks like that reporter is done for now."

************************************************************************

"While we do not condone Miss Angeye's actions there are no grounds for us to act against her. Her actions while violent were not crimes but an act of war."

"How can you call that an act of war?! She's not a nation and it was only one person."

"One does not have to be a nation to start a war and since when has the size of the army mattered but the effectiveness? We recognize Miss Angeye's actions in Mizia as a war between her and the former Mizian government. It was a war in which the UR took and shall continue to take a neutral stance in."

"How is the UR taking a neutral stance when you are currently sheltering her?"

"Must I remind you that during the actual conflict the UR offered Miss Angeye no assistance? We did and have done nothing to aid her in her conflict with Mizia what we did do was offer those that did not wish to be caught up in the battles of a few a way out."

"She murdered and consumed millions of people and you're not going to do anything about it?!"

"As I said previously the UR does not condone what Miss Angeye did however it was a war and war inevitably consumes human lives. Whether they were blown apart by a shell or broken down through other means makes no difference in the end."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she glanced down at Albert. "He should be ashamed. He just fibbed."

"About what?"

"By eating them I made clean up much easier."

"What about those that had family in Mizia? What are you going to do about their losses?"

"They were forewarned to leave Mizia by Miss Angeye I believe. They chose to remain. Further more that is the nature of war. If you choose to remain within a battle zone there is a good chance you'll be killed."

"They weren't killed they were hunted down and murdered!"

"Please refrain from shouting. Miss Angeye chose the method of waging war that she felt was the most effective I'm sure. She is not currently constrained by any form of treaty to behave in any way. I'll say it once again. The UR does not endorse Miss Angeye's actions but we are remaining a neutral party in the war a war that was ended several months ago."

As Albert listened to the conference he gave his head a slight shake. "The chief of defense is sticking to the idea that it was a war and there are no legal grounds for them to get involved."

"Of course. It's the story they started with and it solves all their problems so they're going to stick to it. If it wasn't a war and they treated me as a civilian in regards to my conflict with Mizia they would have to change their stance."

"It doesn't seem to be satisfying everyone but that isn't surprising. Those who want to see you punished won't be happy until you're dead."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she nodded her head. "Which means they won't be happy for the wrest of their life?"

"Not unless they manage to let it go and accept what happened. Hey Lucy, I'm sure some people in the UR lost family like they said though. Why haven't we seen any protest?"

"You haven't seen any protest because we haven't gone to any of them and I haven't watched any with you. I've seen quite a few but chose not to mention them."

"What about right outside though?"

"I suppose they don't want to risk portraying me as understanding. They're welcome to come and protest my actions on my property all they want so long as they don't damage anything."

"If they did would you eat them?"

"Nope, I'd call the police and have them moved back to public property."

"Well you're quite a benevolent lady."

"I try to be. I personally believe that people have a right to their opinions and to express them so long as that doesn't infringe on the rights of others. I will admit that they are some things that might cause me to kill someone just because they expressed their opinion. Fortunately no one has gotten around to pushing that button yet."

"Oh? Just what button is that?"

In response to Albert's comment Lucy felt her skin warm up and quickly realized she was blushing. "I'm not going to tell you!"

"Why not? Are you worried that I might try to hit that button?"

"No! Besides you can't hit it."

"Hey now! Look who just made a short joke!"

"What? No! That wasn't a short joke!" As Lucy spoke she quickly pressed her hands against her chests and leaned backwards. Her blush had grown until it covered a good deal of her face yet she wasn't able to keep from smiling. "It's not because of your size."

Now it was Albert's turn to be confused as he looked up at Lucy. He could tell that he'd caught her off guard but he wasn't sure how. He wasn't even sure what she was talking about at the moment. "Okay then."

A relieved sigh escaped Lucy when Albert didn't ask another question and she began to relax. "They're really giving him a hard time over this. I'm surprised he's keeping his composure so well."

"I probably couldn't. I don't like having to repeat myself and they're just asking him the same questions using different words. It seems like they're trying to back him into a corner or catch him in a trap as well but so far he's dodged all of them."

"Yeah he's doing a good job of sticking to the same answers."

"So then what are the UR's intentions in Mizia?"

"In its current condition Mizia isn't capable of defending itself and won't be for a long while. It has also been left with a severe lack of leadership. We aim to help Mizia's building their country a new and the formation of a government."

"What do you think of Miss Angeye's actions in regards to the reconstruction of Mizia? Should you truly be allowing her to be involved considering what she already done?"

"Miss Angeye's war was with the former government of Mizia and those who supported them. Now that the war is over we believe she no longer poses a threat. Given the expense of the work to be done in Mizia we also appreciate the aid she is giving us."

"So you don't believe she has any other agendas?"

"I am certain that she intends to make a profit as most companies are. Outside of that I believe her efforts are purely humanitarian and have seen nothing to the contrary."

"Don't you believe she may be setting them up like she did last time?"

"To my knowledge Miss Angeye never set up the Mizian people for any kind of fall. Their leadership chose to violate the contract they had with Miss Angeye and she handled the situation how she saw fit."

"How can you say that? She admitted it herself that she was waiting for someone to breach the contract with her. She undoubtedly prepared the document so that the Mizian government would have no choice but to breach its terms of use eventually."

"I have read over a copy of the document in question and have found no such trap within its pages. It was very clear about how the materials could and could not be used and the Mizian government chose to ignore this. Not only did they choose to ignore the contract they agreed to they attempted to hide the fact that they had breached the agreement and refused to rectify their actions when prompted to do so."

"Her demands were unreasonable! You say that she gave advanced warning but if they had done as she demanded they would have left themselves vulnerable to attack."

"That was the consequence of their decisions. I can't say whether or not the time frame Miss Angeye granted was unreasonable or not. All I can say is that they chose to breach their contract and she responded in the way she felt best suited the situation as did the Mizian government. Unfortunately the end result was blood shed."

"Lucy, do we have to keep watching this? They're just going to keep going around in circles until time runs out."

"If you want I'll find something else for us to watch. I want to keep track of what is happening though."

A sigh escaped Albert. "No. You're right. I want to help you in anyway that I can and that means knowing what is happening. Why have you been so quiet though? So far you haven't scheduled anything in your defense."

"They're not worth my time."

"Huh?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Lucy, if you don't believe they're worth your time why are we watching this?"

"Well I don't believe they're worth responding to but that doesn't mean they're not worth watching a little bit. Is there something you'd rather be doing?"

"Oh they are several things but I want to be able to help as much as possible. You just threw me whenever you said that they weren't worth your time."

"Just because something doesn't require an immediate response doesn't mean you shouldn't watch it. You don't get something replaced or drugs every time you get a physical do you?"

"That is true. Alright you have a point." A sigh escaped Albert as he turned his attention back towards the television. "I am wondering how long before he wraps this up though."

***********************************************************************

As Albert set at his desk he gave a slight sigh. Currently his computer screen displayed several documents Lucy had provided him with. Once again he found himself looking over the employee reports and deciding who should be removed, demoted or dealt with in other ways. The list had grown a lot sense Lucy's activity in Mizia meant hiring a good many more workers. "Okay Lucy, this guy has to go."

"Okay, I just sent a message to the manager informing him to fire him." Lucy's response was more immediate and instinctive then thought provoking. Her conscious mind was more focused on a variety games she was playing to amuse herself.

Did Lucy notice the way she shifted whenever she spoke? Albert didn't know if she did or didn't but he knew it was proving to be a distraction. His office was housed in one of the special gems Lucy had developed and she was currently wearing it around her neck. It gave him a wonderful view but that was proving to be a problem. "So what are you doing?"

"I'm playing some video games. They're not really challenging but it forces me to pace myself and lets me enjoy the storyline a bit."

"You know if you want to take your time while reading a story you could get it on audio tape and just listen to it while it's on fast forward."

"I do whenever I find one that I feel is worth reading. I just have trouble taking some stories seriously to be more exact most stories seriously."

"Is it because if you were the princess you'd pull the dragon's head off for bothering you?"

"That's one problem I have with fantasy but I have trouble with historical works as well. I can remember the facts but I have difficulty feeling what those people must have felt at that time. There have been things in my life that frightened me but they aren't like what other people feel. I'm sure that many have shared my fears but I don't share in many of theirs."

"Most don't know what it's like to grow up with as much power as you do so I can see why."

"It isn't just that Albert. I had a loving family growing up and I had you. I've been loved and protected throughout everything I've ever gone through. I believe that is an even bigger factor then my body. After all if I hadn't had you and my family I'm sure that these changes would have been truly horrifying."

"Thanks Lucy, it's nice to feel needed."

"You shouldn't feel needed Albert you should know that you are needed."

For a moment all Albert could do was grin as he turned back to the screens before him. "Well I have a lot of reports to read through so I should get back to work. If I wait too long you'll have all those games beat."

************************************************************************

Sara gave a slight sigh as she looked out over the city. It had been quite quiet for the past few days but that wasn't surprising. They had rooted out most of the trouble makers while they were still quiet from the fear of Lucy. She had then insured that very few of them were able to come back though Sara was surprised any had come back. "Patrick, how much longer do we have to remain here?"

"Until things have settled down enough, right now we're surrounded by people that would love to invade."

"Do you really believe anyone will try after what Lucy did?"

"It's a possibility. I believed you'd enjoy having this time to develop your abilities."

"I have but blast it. I was hoping I could find a way to mimic the results that Lucy achieved while she was here but so far nothing. It's becoming very frustrating."

"Has Lucy been in contact with you since you spoke with her?"

"No, we haven't communicated in quite some time which is strange. I thought she'd want more information on unlocking her abilities."

"From what I know about her she doesn't like being in debt which may be why she hasn't contacted you. It is possible that she resolved to develop her abilities on her own. After all we had to start with one person that knew nothing about how to truly use their abilities and work from there."

"Well that isn't a pleasant thought." As she finished speaking Sara turned to face Patrick completely. As she walked towards him she made certain to head strait for him so that her breasts were over his head. "At least I've managed to grow quite a bit."

A chuckle escaped Patrick as Sara put him in her shadow. When he looked up he couldn't see her face but only the underside of her chests due to her proximity. "That is true. I'm not sure if we want to become in debt to Lucy but you may have to be the one to contact her. We'll have to talk about it later though and decide what information you could offer her."

"I just hope there is some information I can offer her. She might decide to ignore anything I say."

************************************************************************

"You want to try what?"

"It isn't what I want to try it's what I want us to try together. I want us to try mind reading. I don't know every detail but I believe I have the basics down."

"Is this some new feature that came included with this body or my true body being inside of yours?"

"Not exactly, I told you about Sara in Mizia and what we talked about. Well one of the things she mentioned was that one person couldn't learn to do this alone there partner had to help them. So if I'm ever going to get the hang of this stuff we need to work together."

"Lucy I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"Sure you do! We've spoken without words before and I don't mean through body language either."

"But Lucy my body is inside of yours and hooked up to your nervous system. That's far different from someone that doesn't have any form of connection."

"Don't worry about such things. Anyway I believe the way we should start is by going backwards. You know that I can guard my thoughts from you and block out your thoughts even though you're inside of my body. I'm going to teach you to do the same to me."

"Do you really believe that will help you learn to read the mind of others?"

"Of course it will. We had to learn to send signals through wires before we could send them through the air after all. That's electrical signals don't get smart and mention other types."

"Drat."

"Humph, anyway I believe that it would be best if I cut the connection between your bodies. It'll be easier to teach you while you're inside of my body."

"What?! Come on Lucy we did that a few days ago. Can't I have a little more time to recover?"

"Didn't you think it was fun?"

"I can't say if it was fun or not but it was interesting. I'm just not sure if I'm ready to do it again just yet."

"Please."

"Can't I have just a little longer?"

"Please do this for me Albert."

A sigh escaped Albert as he rubbed his forehead. "Don't you want me to finish up these reports for you?"

"I'd rather work on this and maybe this way we can do both. You need to take some time away from such things anyway or you'll tire yourself out."

"Okay if you don't mind the delay I'll do it for you Lucy. Just please don't fondle yourself."

"Um how about I keep it down to a minimum?"

A low groan escaped Albert as he shook his head. "Fine, but remember you're to keep it down to a minimum and by that I mean when I ask you to stop I expect you to do so."

"I'll do my very best."

A sigh escaped Albert as he turned off his computer and closed his eyes. "Okay go ahead."

"No, not if you're going to make it sound like an execution. I want you to ask me to cut the link and be honest about it."

"Huh?! Are you serious?"

"I am."

"Lucy, please cut the connection between my bodies. I'm happy to help you in whatever way I can but I'm still getting use to this. I feel really awkward while inside of your body and seeing through your eyes but it's also nice to know that you're all around me."

"Now that was better!" This time Lucy didn't bother shutting the connection down slowly but quickly cut it. Even she felt a slight rush whenever she felt Albert's awareness quick focusing on his secondary body. Her muscles tightened and bulged for a moment as energy began to run more quickly throughout her body.

"Woe! That was a head rush."

"Wasn't it neat?!"

"Um well. So how do you want to begin?"

"I believe we should start with the basics about guarding your thoughts from me. Not thinking about them and thinking about something else actually don't work well at all. Mm how should I describe this? Oh I believe I know! It's sort of like a poker face! You adopt an external exterior that hides the emotions you're feeling within."

"Lucy I've never played poker at least not seriously."

"Then we've got a lot of work to do. Yeah I believe that poker is the way to go."

"Shouldn't you put me back in my body then so I can work on my face?"

"No, that isn't necessary. I believe we should go to a place a little more intimate."

Before he could respond Albert felt a sudden tug. It was a pull that seemed to reach through and grasp his entire being but he couldn't tell where it was going. "Lucy what's going on?"

"Just relax Albert. I'm taking you further into my mind. Don't struggle."

A sigh escaped Albert as he tried to do as he was asked. He had closed his eyes to avoid the disorienting affect of his view suddenly changing. As he entered into Lucy's though color returned yet it wasn't the world he remember. Rather he felt as if he was sinking but not into darkness. Rather light seemed to be reaching up from under him. "This should be interesting."

"You're probably right."

Upon hearing the voice Albert quickly turned to look towards it. The voice had been familiar but different enough to surprise him. He felt a little odd whenever he found nothing but light. "Who was that?"

"It was one of your play mates."

Once again the voice was very similar to Lucy's but not the same and not the same as the one he had heard moments before. He knew that sound waves had no affect on what he would hear inside of Lucy's mind but this only made him even more concerned. Why were the voices different? As his stress level began to increase he felt his fall slow.

"Stop! Just relax Albert. Don't struggle. You know where you are and you know that it is safe for you here."

"Lucy why is your voice different?" Upon asking the question Albert noticed something coming into view. He immediately recognized who it was but he was still surprised to see her.

"Well first you're used to hearing my voice in the air and well my voice will be different from what you know."

"Um Lucy, why do you look like you did when you were a child?"

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "Who says this part of me ever grew up? Haven't you ever heard of someone's inner child?"

"That's why you sounded differently! That is the voice you had whenever you were still a little kid. What was that first voice though? I can't ever remember you sounding just like that."

"That's not surprising."

Once again Albert heard the voice and once again he turned. This time though he found two people standing there. He immediately recognized several features of each person however they were also differences. "Who are you?"

Instead of either figure speaking the child responded first. "We are Lucy!"

"What? You mean Lucy is a multiple?"

"No! No we're not separate personalities. We're parts of the same personality."

Before Albert could respond one of the three spoke up. This one had a cold tone to her voice that Albert hadn't heard in Lucy's before. At least he had never heard it whenever she was speaking to him. "Everyone has different aspects to their persona. We are the three that make up the whole whom you know as Lucy. Haven't you ever found yourself struggling with your own nature or experiencing conflicting desires?"

"Well yes, but I never expected Lucy to be like this. I didn't believe it was like this."

"Think of us as different parts of the same computer program. We are one but we can still be broken up into each unit."

"Okay, but then who are each of you?"

A slight chuckle escaped the child as she took a step closer to Albert. "We don't have individual names! We are all three Lucy. I suppose if you wanted to know more then that you'd have to call us by our natures."

"What nature are you then?"

"Duh!" Instead of saying another word the child quickly fell over with laughter.

For a moment Albert didn't know what to think as he listened to laughter that he hadn't heard in many years. He still heard Lucy's laugh often but not with that tone. "So um I guess you're not just Lucy's sense of humor."

"No she isn't. What you see before you in that child is Lucy's primary hopes and desires. She actually embodies far more then that but that is her dominant nature."

"Okay and what of you?"

A sigh escaped the cold one as she placed a hand against her forehead. "Are you even trying to think?"

"I'm sorry I know I should consider these questions more but it's a bit overwhelming is all. So would you embody Lucy's more logical side?"

"You may call me indifference and it would not be appropriate to say I'm Lucy's logical element."

"You're the side of her that expresses itself whenever Lucy has quit carrying about something aren't you?"

"That is most assuredly one way of looking at it."

While there was a temptation to press for a better answer Albert restrained himself. Instead he turned his attention the one that had spoken first. "So are you the one that spoke to me first?"

A grin formed on the woman's face revealing a row of teeth that were far sharper in appearance then Lucy's. Indeed while the woman's basic shape followed Lucy's everything was more predatory. The muscles appeared stronger and ready to strike at a moment while the fingernails resembled talons more then anything else. "Why yes that would be me."

"So would you be Lucy's hunger?"

A slight chuckle escaped the woman as she shook her head. "No. That would be her." In response o her statement the woman pointed a finger directly at the child. "Like my fellow nature said before. She is Lucy's desires."

"Oh yeah, I suppose I forgot. You just look like well a predator."

"Mm that is a good way to describe me as long as the word is used properly."

At last the child seemed to recover from her storm of laughter and resumed speaking. "None of us could be defined in such simple terms truthfully. What we have told you is what we are predominantly but none of us are that entirely. If you over simply you'd end up thinking that she is our self control." As she spoke the child pointed towards the cold one. "Suffice to say she isn't."

"She seems composed."

"Oh really? What about not carrying about something involves self control?"

"Um well. That is. You have a good point. So what are we going to do now?"

"We're going to do what you came here for. We're going to play poker!"

"Huh? I thought that was just a metaphor."

"No! No, no no. We're going to play poker." As she was speaking the child's smile grew until it seemed like it would split her face.

A slight chuckle escaped the cold woman as she came to stand to Albert's side while the predator moved to another. "Don't worry you have a far better chance with us then you would against Lucy."

"Didn't you just say that you are Lucy?"

"Yes we are as a collective. This insures more of a challenge though as we'll be competing against one another."

"Now sit down." As she spoke the predator reached around and placed a hand against Albert's chest. She then gave him a swift push sending him toppling back into a seat.

The push had caught him off guard and Albert reached back to catch himself. He was quite surprised when he didn't land on the ground but found himself setting in a chair. "What? Where did this come from?"

"Where does anything here come from?"

"Oh yeah. Hey wait a minute! How are we going to do this? You could shift the cards to be anything that you wanted and I know that Lucy hates to lose."

As the predator was setting down she placed a set of cards on the table. "Don't forget you're connected to the same system that we are.

"Yeah but I haven't had years of experience. Hey wait a minute! Are you what controls Lucy's development?"

This time the child chose to speak. "All three of us control it."

"Then why can't Lucy? Just how deep am I inside of Lucy's mind now?"

"Um you're with us Albert. You're at the core of it and I quite frankly don't like some of the changes that the others two believe they want to make."

"How can I be at the core though? Each of you seems to have a mind of your own! Couldn't each of you be subdivide further?"

"Albert, an element can be subdivided further but if you go beyond that point it stops being an element. It loses the properties that it once had. This is as far as you can go and still find something of a coherent mind."

"I guess I see what you're saying. So the reason Lucy can't control her changes is because you three haven't agreed on it?"

"We haven't agreed on all the changes that just one or two of us wanted to make and there in is the problem."

"Hey, what about Symbi though? Shouldn't the symbiot that was originally placed inside of Lucy be part of this network?"

This time the predator spoke up as she began to deal the cards. "We're the union of Symbi and the child that was Lucy. You never met the Lucy that exited before then."

A sigh escaped Albert as he nodded his head. "I know that. I've known it for a while after all. What happened to you whenever that happened?"

This time the child spoke up. "Neither Lucy or Symbi died so in a way you know that Lucy but in other ways you don't. She didn't die or quit being but neither did the symbiot. We just became the same person. It was so subtle that no one noticed the change not even Lucy until years later."

"Do you believe it was frightening?"

"No, it wasn't frightening in the least. My mind wasn't as strong as it is now back then but I believe I can remember. It felt warm like it was suppose to happen. There was no fear of losing herself to Symbi because we belonged as one being."

"It wouldn't be appropriate to ask if you're more Lucy or more the Symbiot. Would it?"

"The question doesn't make sense. You see Lucy is all here but the Symbiot is all here as well. There is no more or less as nothing faded away." A slight chuckle escaped the child as she shook her head. "OH it's too hard to explain!"

At last Albert seemed to become aware of the table and cards in front of him. He carefully picked up his cards to keep either lady on his sides from seeing what he was holding. "I'm going to fold this hand."

The predator gave a slight shrug and didn't bother to look at the cards she'd dealt herself. "I'm already in for this hand. I'm going to raze."

It actually surprised Albert when he saw the Predator place a few chips out in front of her. "Hey where are my chips?"

"You have to provide your own chips."

"How do I do that?"

"The same we do silly. You bring them into existence. Just focus on the table before you and try to create some chips. Be careful that you don't create too many though."

Albert's first response would have been to argue that he couldn't do that but given what was happening he doubted that it would be very effective. Instead he had another question. "Is it like pretending?"

"No. You need to tell yourself and in many ways us that they are chips before you. The workings in this place aren't like the workings in the physical world after all. You have to learn to exert yourself and I recommend you do it very quickly."

"Is there some reason to hurry?"

"Well after her you are suppose to deal."

"I see." Instead of closing his eyes Albert looked at the table before him. He wasn't use to telling himself that something was in front of him when he couldn't see, smell or fill it. Of course given what was going on he imagined this was part of helping Lucy. If he was going to help her develop he needed to learn to work in the world of her mind. With that thought motivating him he began the task of convincing himself that there was a stack of chips before him.

While Albert focused the child turned to the predator. "You haven't even seen the flop and you're razing already. You must be very confident about how this hand is going to play out."

"Of course I am."

After a moment Cold gave a shrug and placed some of her chips before her. "I'll stay in just long enough to see the flop then make my final decision."

"Mm I believe that I'm going to fold."

A grin formed on the predator's face as she finally looked at her cards. "Well then let's see what the flop has to offer."

While cold and the predator focused on one another the child extended her leg under the table and pushed her foot against Albert's knee. She knew that she had his attention whenever he looked up at her. Instead of saying something though she quickly waved at him.

A sigh escaped Albert as he just shook his head and looked back down at the table. He was rather surprised when he found some chips setting there. "What the? Did you do that?"

"I might have helped a little."

For a moment Albert was just glad to have some chips but that only lasted until he realized how few he had. "If I'm going to stay in this game don't I need more chips then this? Any one of you could easily force me to go all in several times over."

"If you want more chips then you better make more quickly. Just think about what was going on whenever I helped you make those."

"Okay I was trying to picture some chips on my table. I had my hands here and here while two of you were putting down the flop. You nudged my leg and I looked up for a moment."

"Right there Albert, I helped you whenever I nudged your leg and looked up but I didn't actually expend energy to make those chips. Try to relive that moment of distraction while thinking about your chips. Even while you were trying to create them you doubted yourself and that insures that you'll never be able to do it."

"Okay I believe I understand. After all I generated these chips so it's logical that I'd be able to do it again. I just have to know that it can be done and that I can do it." While Albert was speaking he really wasn't speaking to the child but trying to convince himself of the situation. It became much easier to do so whenever he noticed a few more chips appear before him. He was surprised though whenever he felt a tug on himself. "What was that?"

A grin formed on the predator's face as she looked over at Albert. "Be careful not to weaken yourself too much."

"What do you mean?"

"Maintaining and generating those chips requires energy even in this place. The more you create the more energy it takes. That's why we all only started out with a few when we could in fact create far more. Once someone wins all your chips you must continue to maintain them and create more if you want to remain in the game. That's how we decide who wins here."

"What about the cards then who is maintaining them?"

"We all are but that isn't a good thing. It means that each one of us could change them to be what we wanted. The others must expend energy to keep that from happening. Oh and don't believe just because you folded means you can just slack off. If you let someone get too large of a lead while you just fold you'll find yourself overwhelmed whenever you do get into the actual game."

"Of course this means that winning hands doesn't mean you're winning if you're expending too much energy to force the cards to be as you wish." As she spoke the cold one pushed a few of her chips over to the predator.

Now the predator was made to chuckle as she looked at the cold one. "You don't need to worry about my energy reserves. I plan to make good use of your chips. Now I believe that it's Albert's turn to deal."

In response to this Albert took in a deep breath and gathered up the cards. He placed two chips before him, shuffled and began to deal. He had felt a drain on his energy when he had created his chips and he still had so few. There was no way for him to be sure how many he could sustain. "What happens if someone isn't able to sustain the chips that someone else has won?"

"If that happens they're out of the game and those remaining start over again. This is a matter of endurance but it is best if you can plan far enough ahead to insure you have chips from everyone and that you exhaust as much of everyone's energy as you can while conserving yours."

"Which means that the best thing to do is stay in the game and let everyone exhaust the others?"

"I don't know if that is the best thing but you're welcome to try if you want."

Albert gave a slight nod as he lifted his cards slightly to peek under them. He already had chips in the pot so he wasn't going to back out unless he felt the need. His hand wasn't great but it wasn't bad enough to make him quit right away. "Okay I'm in." It didn't surprise Albert whenever the child decided to stay in this time but he was a bit surprised whenever the predator spoke up.

"I'm out this time."

"After you started before you even looked at your cards in the beginning I'm surprised you didn't stay around."

"I value my opening moves a great deal and while follow through is important I don't want to exhaust myself."

Cold's response to whether or not she would be staying in was to place a few chips on the table. Once it was clear to him who was in and who was out Albert began to flip over the cards noting each one as he did so and wondering which ones the ladies had manipulated and which ones he might be manipulating. "Okay I'm going to stay in."

Cold waited until the child had spoken to make her decision. "In that case I'm going to fold."

A chuckle escaped the predator as she looked at cold. "You stay in with me and lose your chips and this time you decide to fold after you put in some chips. That isn't showing very good planning."

"You'll forgive me if I can't take that comment seriously coming from you."

"Hmm I would have thought that by now you'd learned not to underestimate me."

As Albert placed another card on the table he looked towards the child. He wasn't surprised to see she was still smiling. "So do you three tend to talk like this?"

‘Not really this is an unusual circumstance. You're here which is causing some changes in our behavior. We do tend to debate certain issues of course."

"How often do these debates happen?"

"They're rare but when it comes to certain subjects they are often the same. Most of the time whomever is more appropriate to a situation takes dominance."

"I see. So then what happens whenever Lucy isn't focusing as much on the world around her? As in what happens to the three of you?"

A slight giggle escaped the child as she shook her head. "Albert you're talking as if Lucy is a separate person from us."

"Whoops! I guess I forgot for a moment. It's just hard to talk to you and think of you as Lucy at the same time."

"How come, we are Lucy after all?"

"I know. I guess it's like talking about my more rational side or emotional side. When I do talk about them I tend to talk about them as if they were another person and not just aspects of me."

"Albert, please don't talk to us like we aren't Lucy. It hurts."

Albert had no idea what to expect whenever he was speaking with these three however as the child's words registered with him he felt a deep pain in his chest. "I'm sorry about that. I'll do better."

"Thank you, so are you going to fold or stay?"

"I'll stay. So what is happening whenever you quit focusing on the world around you?"

"That's easy! We have more energy to focus on ourselves and our body so we can make the body more powerful. Processing external information becomes slower and more difficult though. We quit really thinking about what we're doing to the world around us so that desire rules."

"Okay that makes sense." As he was speaking Albert proceeded to place several other cards on the table. Once again he looked at his cards to insure that they hadn't changed. "If I catch you changing my cards can I accuse you of cheating?"

"Nope we don't play by physical rules here." A slight giggle escaped the child as she glanced at her own cards. "Besides I don't need to change your cards if I know that mine area already beating yours."

"I guess that means you're staying in."

"Yep!"

"I'm staying as well. What about you?"

"I believe that I'll fold."

As the cold one placed her cards before her and pushed her chips away the predator spoke. "You lose your first hand to me and now you fold even when they didn't raze. I have to say you're not showing very impressive planning."

An amused chuckle escaped the cold one as she looked at the predator. "The fact that you don't realize what I'm doing means that part of it is working. You should know better then to underestimate me."

The predator's smile went from a grin into a rather toothy display of teeth as she leaned forward a bit. "We'll see who is better at reading who soon enough."

"So do the three of you ever decide decisions with games like this?"

"No, when we fight it's pretty much a matter of brute force. Whomever has the most strength in the end wins and that is the decision we go through with."

"Have you ever been forced to a draw?"

"Never. I'm not sure if it is truly possible for us to ever have a true draw. The winner or winners must be too weak to implement the change they desire in its entirety but they would start it at the very least."

"Winner? How could just one of you win against two?"

"It happens whenever one of us isn't fully decided while the other two are or one is certain and the other two aren't. So Albert are you going to put down another card?"

"Huh? Oh sure! Sorry I got a bit distracted." As he took hold of the card Albert focused on it. He didn't know what was on the other side of the slip of paper but he wanted to know. Instead of trying to see the card though he began to try to see it as a jack much as he had seen his chips on the table even before they were there. He was a bit disappointed when he flipped it over.

"Changing what the cards are is one of the hardest things to do Albert. You should focus more on learning to keep them from changing and knowing when we are changing them before you try that. You're also not subtle in the least."

"I didn't think I had to be subtle."

"You don't. One more flop Albert, are you going to raze?"

"I don't plan on razing?"

"If you want to stay in you have no choice because I am." As she spoke the child placed a few more of her chips in the pot. "Well are you going to stay in?"

"Yes I am." As he spoke Albert placed enough chips in the pot to match the child's though it nearly drained all his chips.

"Wow! I doubt you're confident that you have the winning hand so something else must be going on here. You know that took most of your chips."

"I know but if I run out I'll just make more and if I run out of those even more."

A slight giggle escaped the child as she glanced down at the cards on the table. "You're sounding very confident all of a sudden especially for someone who hasn't been here before."

"I wouldn't say it's confidence but I'm not going to let doubt hold me back. I'm going to enjoy being here with you Lucy."

"Oh!" It was clear to everyone that Albert had caught all three aspects off guard as all the ladies began to blush though the cold one only slightly. "Well then turn over that final card."

Nearly as quickly as he was told to Albert took hold of the top card and flipped it over for everyone to see. A sigh escaped him as he found himself with only one pair and it wasn't particularly spectacular. Fortunately he had more chips to bet. Even if he did lose at least he would learn how much chips he could create.

Before Albert could the child revealed her hand. "Well let's see what you have."

Even though he had lost the hand Albert put down the cards he held with the same enthusiasm he would have if he'd won. "I'll just get those chips back from one of you."

There was no laughter from the child as she gathered up her winnings though she did wear a wide grin. "Then I'll just have to take them from you again. Now I believe that it is my turn to deal." As she spoke the child took hold of the cards and began to deal to everyone as well as put her chips in the pot.

Even though he knew that the ladies could change the cards even after he'd seen then Albert still chose to glance and see what he had. Once again he found himself with a hand that wasn't spectacular. "I'm going to fold this hand."

"Where did all that enthusiasm go?"

"It's still here I'm just waiting for a hand I'm going to win."

This time the predator chose to turn up her cards and see what she held. "That's good just as she prefers a spirited play mate I prefer a spirited chase."

"Don't think you're the only one hunting here."

Now the predator was made to focus on Albert entirely. "Now that is an interesting thing to say. Are you saying that you're hunting us?"

"I've played with you before and I know that it's a mistake to let you be entirely on the offensive. You'll wear down any defense I can put up far too quickly."

"Mm you have a point. Well I don't have to worry about you for this hand at least."

"Are you sure about that?"

"What do you mean?"

In response to the question all Albert did was shrug and begin to play with his few remaining chips. He actually had a meaning behind his question but he wasn't going to go out and say it. This would help him gage each part of Lucy and try to figure out how much each aspect was thinking about the situation. Hopefully he could get them to exhaust one another before they exhausted him. Making them concerned and expend energy they didn't need to seemed like a good path to take.

A slight chuckle escaped the cold one as she noted the expression on the predator's face. "Someone doesn't like how things are going at the moment I believe that I'll stay in for this hand. Why not? I'm even going to raze this time."

For a moment the predator was made to snarl as she looked at the cold one. "Just remember that I have the chip lead right now."

"Only superficially. You have more chips for us to see but how much energy have you already expended?"

It was impossible for the child to keep from giggling as she listened to the predator and the cold one. Their rolls tended to be so in sink with one another or so different that they never had a conflict. Listening to them bickering was actually quite rare and yet it was happening so much. "I believe the two of you are trying to show off instead of just have fun!"

"The hunt is fun!"

"It isn't if you expend more energy then you gain in the end." As she finished speaking the cold one let a smile spread so far across her face that her teeth could be seen.

"Just put down the flop."

It had been Albert's hope to get the aspects to expend more energy then they had to. As Albert listened to them he couldn't help but believe he was well on his way to doing that. Unfortunately he had no idea how much energy he had himself and how long it would last. If Lucy was to figure out that he was playing her different aspects against themselves they might all three decide to focus on him and exhaust his energy.

As the flop was placed on the table the cold one's expression remained constant. She had regained control of her appearance and had returned her facial features to what she considered to be the norm. "I'm going to raze this hand." As she spoke the cold one pushed several of her chips into the pot making it easily the biggest they'd seen thus far. It was a move that everyone noticed.

How much energy had the predator used up whenever she'd won the two hands she already had? Albert wasn't sure but he imagined that the cold one was banking on it being a fair bit. She had only lost a few chips previously while conserving her energy it seems and now that the child and cold one had expended theirs she was ready to strike back. This didn't seem to deter the other two as they also put a heavy amount into the pot. As Albert watched this he remembered what he had been told about being idle and focused on the flop. He then began to focus on the cold ones cards.

As the predator met the raze she couldn't help but feel somewhat frustrated. She had been too slow in the pounce and might have indicated a moment of weakness. She didn't want to be found vulnerable especially right now. "So are you going to fold this hand as well?"

"You're just going to have to wait and see."

"Do any of you believe you could give me a little more information about how you each express yourself?"

Neither the cold one or the predator had time to speak up before the child. "You know whenever I made you climb my breasts. That was me and the predator for the most part. Our aspects blend together and come out in the behavior you know as Lucy."

In response Albert gave a slight nod. "So you two are the reason I have to work so hard?"

"Oh she's not entirely innocent." As she spoke the child indicated the cold one.

"I see. So when have you expressed yourself?"

"We were all three there whenever Lucy ate all those soldiers. I was dominant she came in second." As she spoke the cold one indicated the child "I'm sure you can guess who was last."

"Are you serious?"

"The initial encounter wasn't truly a hunt so yes she is being serious. I was largely silent during that."

"Is there any way that the three of you could join into one mind?"

In response the child gave a quick nod. "Yep there is! If we were to come to agree with one another one hundred percent of the time we would become one joined mind. Can you think of someone that has never doubted anything they've done, felt like another person or in general seemed to present a single stable persona all the time though?"

"Well no. I can't really say that I have. I"m not sure how I should ask my next question."

"Just give it a try."

"Whenever you're focusing in the physical world are you aware of one another?"

"We are aware of one another as any program. Actually I'm certain that we are more aware. You just never see Lucy speaking to herself at least not in the crazy person manner because all the conversation takes place here. Whenever a person begins speaking with themselves in the physical it's a sign that something is breaking down in the mental and things aren't being resolved as they should be."

"Hey I talk to myself at times!"

"Yeah but not in such a way that would indicate insanity."

"Okay then, so do any of you have regrets?"

"Nope. We have thoughts that we can keep to ourselves but that is about it. It's one reason we brought you here."

"You can't hide anything from me?"

"Oh we can hide plenty from you! But this is where we are the most honest even with ourselves."

"I see. In that case what did you think of the shirt my mother got me whenever I was thirteen? The festive one."

This time the cold one spoke up first and indicated the child first then the predator. "She thought it was cute, it gave her ideas of chasing deer and I didn't like it."

"Why not?"

"I wanted to be the one to keep you warm and that shirt was a hindrance."

Now Albert wasn't entirely sure what to say as he looked at the cold one. "What do you mean?"

"I enjoyed cuddling you whenever it was cold and still do but that shirt promised to help keep you warm. You didn't need me as much whenever you had it so I wanted to get rid of it."

Before Albert could speak up the child did. "She doesn't like anything that hinders her enjoyment and tends to seek it's removal regardless of what it is."

"It was just a shirt though."

"Yeah and you might think that a little annoyance like that wouldn't matter much but believe me it did. If she had her way we would have taken the shirt away from you and torn it to shreds."

"Just what all does this extend to?"

"From that shirt all the way up to your parents."

Once again the cold one spoke up. "I did not like them talking about going on a vacation that would prevent me from spending time with you."

"I'm not entirely sure if I should ask this but I assume the two of you overpowered her. What would happened if she had gotten her way then?"

"Oh she'd killed your parents. She's remarkably hostile in that way."

Now Albert turned to the cold one. "Don't you like my parents?"

"Yeah I do but they were in the way and I do have my priorities strait."

A slight chuckle escaped the child as she placed another card on the table. "She's even more selfish then either of us. But if it makes you feel better there was no passion behind her desire to kill your parents then they were simply obstacles that she wanted to remove."

"What about the pain that would have caused me?"

"Albert if you had lost your parents who do you believe you're were likely to come to for comfort and support?"

"I see your point. Thanks for saving my parents then and well I'm not sure what to say about you wanting to kill them."

A slight chuckle escaped the cold one as she reached for her chips. "You can say what you want Albert I'm certain of how I feel and am being honest. Surely you didn't think that we were happy about the idea of you going away and not being able to play with us for several days."

"I didn't believe it would make you happy but I didn't think you'd be angry enough to kill my parents."

"Oh Albert don't you understand me? It wasn't anger that made me want to destroy your shirt or kill your parents they were just in the way of getting what I wanted. Also don't forget that as the collective you tend to call Lucy I didn't want to kill them I was just upset with them."

A sigh escaped Albert as he rubbed his forehead. "It never occurred to me that you being upset with someone meant that part of you wanted to kill them. I guess that shouldn't be surprising though."

As the predator noted the cold one placing more chips into the pot she was forced to follow suit. With the child staying in as well one of them was going to have quite an advantage soon enough. "I hope that the two of you are ready for this."

"One second. I feel the need to raise just one more time." As she spoke the cold one placed a few more of her chips into the pot.

A slight growl escaped the predator as she noted the extra chips being placed in and she was forced to follow. "You know you're not going to scare either of us away we've already committed too many of our chips."

"That isn't true!" A slight chuckle escaped the child as she crossed her arms defiantly. "I'm not going to put anymore in."

"What?! Why not?"

"Because I know that neither of you are going to be willing to lose this hand to the other and are going to commit huge amounts of energy to winning it regardless of whether or not I stay in."

Now Albert turned his attention to the child. "You're suppose to be a kid right?"

"Oh I feel like one most of the time that is why I look like this. Our appearances changes with mood though. You should see those two whenever they become really involved. My appearance has no affect on my intelligence though."

"Aren't you worried that they're going to refuse to expend much energy and just let the cards decide who wins?"

"No."

At first Albert considered questioning the child further but he quickly changed his mind. He had other things to focus his energy on. "I guess you two might as well put down the final card then." As he spoke Albert turned his attention towards the cold one's cards and began to focus. So far Lucy had told him to focus on preventing them from changing their cards but he was actually trying to change the cold ones cards for her. They were two identical cards on the field already and he wanted to insure she had the third or even four of them.

"Are you ready?" Even before the predator could respond the cold one took hold of the card on top of the deck. "You know you can back out now and not face losing all out. You'll just have surrendered."

"Turn the card."

There was a slight delay when the cold one chuckled she then turned the card and placed it out for everyone to see. "Well then I suppose we should show our hands." As she spoke the cold one turned her cards so that everyone could see them.

The predator was made to growl slightly as she placed her hand against the pot and pushed it towards the cold one. "Don't you believe this is over for a instant."

A slight giggle escaped the cold one as she pulled her chips towards herself. "I suppose that makes me the chip leader now and by quite a generous margin. I however notice you didn't put in the chips you won from Albert."

Now the child was made to chuckle as she held up the few chips she'd won from Albert. "They're still over here with me and you're going to have to do better then that if you're going to take them away from me."

As Albert looked at the cold one's cards he couldn't help but wonder how much he'd been able to affect them. She hadn't said anything to him about his efforts but he felt sure that all three of them knew what he had been trying. "So shall we continue the game?"

"Yes."

A low groan escaped Albert as he covered his eyes with his hand. "Hey Lucy."

"So did you enjoy the game Albert?" As she spoke Lucy placed a hand over Albert to block out the light that seemed to be bothering him.

"Yeah it was fun but darn am I tired. I haven't felt this drained in a really long time."

"I'm not surprising you went for much longer then I believed you would."

At first Albert said nothing but looked up at Lucy as he considered his next question. In the end he had to ask it. "Lucy why are you split up between three aspects?"

"Because one aspect by itself would never be able to handle every situation so we develop different parts of ourselves to handle various situations. In my case it required me to form three aspects or programs if you like to handle every situation I've ever encountered. We break them up all the time really our pride, inner child, desire."

"I'm not sure if other peoples are quite as pronounced as yours."

"I doubt that they are but the more powerful the system the more complicated the program needed to run it after all."

Once again Albert had to take time to consider what he was going to say next. It was a good thing he did as he realized how foolish it was. "I just about asked what it's like for you to do that but that isn't really a practical question. I'm talking to all three of your aspects right now but as your blending together before it gets to the surface it's impossible to talk to only one of them at a time." As he was speaking Albert glanced towards a window he was rather surprised to see it was dark out.

"I see your understanding of the situation has improved. It wouldn't be wise for any one of my aspects to fully manifest itself. Like I said they can only handle certain situations."

"By handle what do you mean? Like the one desiring to kill my parents?"

"No that isn't exactly right. I guess one of the best examples would be whenever we first lay together. If it had only been the child in control of that time she wouldn't have known if she should take you into the body or not. At least on the level that we ended up doing it."

"So that was mostly the other twos doing?"

"Yeah they were both entirely for the idea. The other was uncertain and couldn't decide so she would have frozen. You would have found me in a coma that I couldn't come out of until something happened."

"Dang it's later then I thought it was. Was I in there all day?"

"Yeah." As she spoke Lucy couldn't keep the amusement out of her voice. She didn't need to ask or wait to know that Albert had heard it.

"Okay what's so funny. I heard something in that yeah that shouldn't be there. What happened while I was inside of your mind?"

"You were in there for a day and then some."

"Huh? It didn't seem like it, how long was I gone?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised you'd let me stay in there for a few days."

"Oh Albert you weren't in there for a few days. You were in there for five years."

"What?!" It was impossible for Albert to hide his surprise at the news however this was fortunate as well. If he had managed to Lucy would have probably been able to keep from grinning. As things were he couldn't help but notice the wide smile spreading across her face as she tried to keep herself from laughing. "OH very funny!"

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy despite her best efforts as she was forced to cover her mouth to keep herself from laughing openly. "I. I suppose you want to know. How long you were in there still."

"I believe I'll just go check the news now."

Once again Lucy was made to giggle as she noted the expression on Albert's face. "It was just over a week."

"Are you telling me that I stayed inside of your mind playing poker for an entire week?"

"Yes I am and no I'm not joking this time. Albert just stop and consider how many hands you played and the wrest breaks you took before you try to figure out if I'm playing around or not."

For a moment Albert did nothing but look at Lucy as he tried to decide if she was joking with him or not. Given how late it appeared he felt certain that he had been in there longer then it felt like. He still found it rather surprising that an entire week had passed though not nearly as surprised as when Lucy told him it had been a year. "Promise you're not joking this time?"

"I promise Albert that your mind was inside of mine for a bit over a week."

There was no hesitation on Albert's part when it came to believing Lucy this time. One thing she didn't do was joke around about promises. "Wow. An entire week? I thought it had just been a few hours but an entire week. What all have I missed?"

"Albert don't you believe I'd brought you out sooner if something important had happened?"

"In all honesty I have to say no."

"Ah that is mean!"

"Lucy I love you but I'm fairly certain that unless my parents or your parents were dieing you wouldn't have informed me what was happening Even then I believe your first priority would have been to find a way to extend their lives so you did't have to tell me."

"Mm well I can't deny that."

A sigh escaped Albert as he rubbed his forehead for a moment. "Lucy I don't want to cut this conversation short."

"But you're tired and need to wrest I understand. Go ahead and take a nap once you've had time to wrest we can see what you've learned."

"Hey Lucy has anything on the legal scene happened?"

"Some are calling for the world to press charges against me but they're having trouble getting backers. No one as of yet has pressed formal charges against me most likely due to fear of how I might respond. I just wish that fear was enough to make them quit urging others."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"How long will it be before this monster decides that another nation has wronged her? How many have to die before you're ready to take action against her?"

"Must I remind you that the former Mizian government was forewarned? I know I have made mention of it several times now. Rather then look to us though why not ask those allied with Mizia why they didn't come to his aid?"

"To do so would have only brought the beast to our lands! We did not have the power to stop her but you do. You have the ability to do something about this beast!"

"What makes you believe that the UR or any of her allies are better suited to handle Miss Angeye? Our army is much larger and better equipped then the former Mizian military I will give that but Mizia still applied some very powerful weapons and they had no effect upon her. As I recall even a ground penetrating bomb proved ineffective against Miss Angeye and she has grown since then."

"Surely you have a weapon that could combat her otherwise you would not be so relaxed! Even if you don't you have the resources to develop one."

"I'm afraid you have began to tread into a territory we may not go. I will say this though. Our decision not to act against Miss Angeye is not based on military strength."

"Then what is your decision based on?!"

"We do not consider Miss Angeye to be a threat. She has shown limited hostile behavior within our nation and has shown no malice towards the state itself. The only thing she has requested from us is understanding of her condition and that we honor our agreements. Something that we have no difficulty in doing."

"She murdered one of your civilians in the open! She took the law into her own hands and ignored your legal system!?"

"While we do disapprove of Miss Angeye's behavior in that situation her anger was not directed towards the state. Given the circumstances of the case her anger is perfectly understandable. All things considered I believe that she conducted herself very well. I doubt many would be so composed if they found out someone else was responsible for a close friend nearly dieing. I do not understand how you can say she ignored our laws though. She did submit to a trial after all."

"That trial was nothing more then a show!"

"She accepted the penalty given to her. While I realize that in most cases she would have been placed in prison for her term we have no facility capable of holding her and to build one just for that purpose would be folly."

"If you really wanted to punish her she would have been locked in some old hanger! That would have been big enough."

A sigh escaped the UR official as he shook his head. "We do have laws about how we may and may not treat prisoners. In order to provide an adequate structure to meet those laws for Miss Angeye we would have to exhaust a large portion of our budget and it would have taken too long to build. Home arrest was the only sensible option in that case."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she glanced down at Albert. "Poor Gernar they're giving him the run around again."

"How long do you believe this will be on the agenda?"

"Probably until the UR as a nation refuses to discuss the subject any longer."

"You said that the UR has no trouble following the agreement between itself and Miss Angeye. What about reports of energy systems developed by Miss Angeye being used in occupied territories?"

"Those systems have only been put in place to support the civilians we are currently protecting. Miss Angeye's movements throughout the region left the power grid quite badly damaged."

"You claim that isn't a military use?"

"It may benefit the military indirectly but no it is not a military use. Our armed forces are currently using a different system for their power. It's less efficient but we honor contracts we agreed to."

"You say it isn't for military use but how can it not be? By putting the civilians on systems developed by Miss Angeye you free up all the energy for the military. You may not be using the wiring or power sources in your machines directly but they are aiding in your military efforts."

"Sir what you said is the state of the entire nation. By helping the efficiency of the power grid as a whole of course it's going to benefit the military indirectly that can't be avoided. The same could be said for food production and medicine. All these things were clearly outlined in the agreement we signed with Miss Angeye and from my own examinations of the contract between Miss Angeye and the former Mizian government so was theirs."

"So are you going to take these systems with you whenever your armed forces pull out of Mizia?"

"I'm afraid we have no choice. The current population of Mizia no longer has a contract with Miss Angeye to use the equipment she developed. If we were to leave it behind she may feel the need to take them back by force and it would be partly the UR's fault for leaving that equipment behind. Before we depart though it is hoped that we might rebuild Mizia's power grid or have a new contract between Miss Angeye and the current population."

"So you have no intentions of adding what remains of Mizia into your own nation?"

A slight chuckle escaped Albert. "He dodged that one."

"Yeah, they were hoping he would say that there would be no need to remove the equipment as they were going to officially claim Mizia as a province. I suppose he saw that coming."

"Do you believe the UR intends to claim Mizia?"

"Well yeah! I have no doubt that is one of their intentions if it proves too difficult though they'll simply install a government that is friendly towards the UR. It wouldn't work as smoothly as simply adding Mizia into the UR but it avoids other problems."

"How about putting in a puppet government and adding Mizia into the UR at some future date?"

"Yeah that works as well. I can't say which they're going to do right now though I believe they're still making up their minds. Then again they might be letting the situation decide for them and right now it seems like putting in a new government would be the best move. If they did otherwise it would look like they'd used me as a weapon of mass destruction to further their own goals."

"Isn't that what they did?"

"Albert if you take advantage of the destruction caused by a hurricane does it mean you used the hurricane as a weapon?"

"If you trapped the enemy in the hurricanes path yes but I see your point."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she gave a slight nod. "Okay they are a few situations in which even a hurricane could be used as a weapon if not a very predictable one. That said that wasn't what the UR did."

"I know they just tossed people they didn't want to survive back into the hurricane."

"Um well yeah you have me there. Okay they might have used me as a limited weapon but that wasn't their immediate intention and you know it. They simply wished to aid the survivors and further their own goals at the same time. There is nothing saying that humanitarian efforts can't have a little greed mixed in. In the end I would say that it's best if there is some in there."

"Yeah after all everything cost money. If you don't take that into account your boat load of good will is going to run out of steam very quickly."

"Due to the magnitude of the destruction we have no intention of compensating those that lost businesses. We simply don't have room in the budget to restore an entire economy. For the moment we can only try to help the Mizian's get a new economy going."

"What efforts are you taking to limit the influence Miss Angeye will have in that new economy?"

"Currently Miss Angeye is operating under the same laws as any business found within the UR with some added restrictions. However, these are the very same restrictions we're imposing on all other civilian industries currently operating within Mizia."

"Don't you worry that this might allow outside powers to gain too much influence within the weakened nation?"

"We are carefully watching for such behavior but so far we have scene none. To our knowledge none of the industries currently operating within Mizia have done anything to infringe upon the people's identity to such an extent that we would deem it a conscious effort to destroy a culture."

"You say that but just now you admitted that they are infringing upon their identity."

It was hard for Gernar to keep his irritation from showing but he knew that he couldn't deny that some changes were happening. "The changes that we have scene are not due to any ill intent of the industries currently helping with the work in Mizia. Nor are they violating any laws, rather it is their attitude and different style of management that are causing these changes. This is unavoidable though given the amount of deaths in Mizia."

"What kind of changes are you talking about?"

"Since construction began there have been a greater number of Mizian women in the work force. This can't be avoided though given how many of the men were killed. There simply isn't enough man power to neglect such a resource. For this reason the industries have been encouraging Mizian women to join the work force which up until this point was a rare occasion."

"Couldn't you just bring in outside workers or resort to automation?"

"The expense to do either of those would be overwhelming. Further more bringing in others from different cultures would have the same affect."

It was impossible for Albert to ignore Lucy giggling as they listened to the report. "What is so funny?"

"He talks like the UR isn't encouraging such behavior and that it's simply the industries' and economics deciding for them."

"So are they encouraging such behavior?"

"Of course! They want to insure that Mizia's old culture is as dead as they can possibly make it. Generally speaking Mizian women were expected to stay in the home by encouraging them to get out into the work force they cause a power shift in relationships and thinking which should help keep the old ideas from resurfacing."

"I imagine that the military was primarily made up of males who are now mostly dead helps in that effort."

"It sure makes it easier to justify such efforts. It's a shame that they can't openly admit that they wish to insure the destruction of the old Mizian culture and put in one that is more to their liking. It would end quite a few questions but if they were to just come out and say that then they'd have quite a few people grumbling and it would make the process much harder. People always resist change more whenever they know you're trying to force it on them."

"Well most don't like to feel as if they're being controlled even if they are. It's one thing to know that you're being moved in a given direction it's quite another to admit to it openly. I feel kind of strange encouraging the destruction of a culture though."

"Why would you feel bad about the removal of such a system? I'm glad to see it go."

"I didn't say that I feel bad I said that I feel strange. Much of the time we're taught to respect other cultures and let people choose what they want to believe. Heck it's one of the UR's major guide lines in political policy. People should have the government and culture they choose. Yet here they are slowly working on destroying a culture and replacing it with one they like. While I set here and hope that they succeed."

"People wouldn't respond well if the saying was, "Those who we like have the right to decide what culture and government they have." You're right though. On the other hand it could be said that they're protecting the Mizians from themselves. After all it was their culture and government that got so many of them killed whenever it could have been avoided so easily."

"I know and I know that for all practical reasons it would be best for their old culture to be replaced but it's still odd to talk about the destruction of a culture as a good thing."

"Now Albert, I know you've never bought into that all life is sacred, we should respect others for who they are bull crap."

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well that is true."

"So what is the problem then?"

"How would you say the transformation of Mizian culture is going?"

"So you're going to change the subject on me?"

"It was just silly babble to have something to say Lucy."

"Which means you were hiding what you really wanted to say."

At first Albert was going to deny what Lucy said but he caught himself. She was right. "I hope that they do a good job."

"I take it you're not a fan of the former Mizian government."

"Given that they were foolish enough to provoke you I should say not. I'm also not a fan of the culture that would bring about such a leadership. There is more to it then that of course but suffice to say I'm glad to see that system gone and I hope it stays gone. Unfortunately they are many more like it."

"Don't you mean fortunately?"

"Huh?"

"How else would I ever get to have such a fun little hunt?"

"You have a point there. I didn't think of that."

"We believe that five years will be required before we can even begin to consider pulling out of Mizia. Even with help from the private sector there is a large amount of work to be done. Right now we're struggling to find an effective temporary government to work in conjunction with the armed forces we currently have."

"What is the difficulty?"

"As you know Miss Angeye didn't just stop at those who were currently in power she went after their supporters. Nearly every member of the old faction was killed by Miss Angeye so there is no one to step in and take their place. Many of those that weren't killed went missing during the chaos. With the old government destroyed so completely we're having to form a new one from scratch with help from the Mizian people and private sectors as well as other nations sending in aid."

"Just what type of government are you attempting to form?"

"I can't give a specific type at the moment. We have people looking into the situation and trying to come up with the most effective means of introducing a new government. Unfortunately the old system didn't leave anything in place for its replacement should it fall. We considered free elections however such a concept would be foreign to Mizia at this time. If we were to hold free elections we fear that many would be afraid to speak up leaving room for a minority to take power."

"So government by gun point is going to remain in place then?"

"At this time military guidance is the only stable form of government we can offer."

"Plus it's not much different from the previous government." A chuckle escaped Lucy as she glanced down at Albert. "I bet he is dieing to say that right now."

"You're probably right about that."

"You say that you're looking for aid in reconstructing Mizia but you have refused aid from several nations some of which were former allies of Mizia. Why are you refusing such efforts?"

"We're trying to keep the situation as stable as possible and while we don't doubt their good intentions we can't allow them to help. We fear that their influence would destabilize the situation at the moment. We can't have a civil war erupting right now and we won't allow a foreign power to take over Mizia in its weakened condition."

"How would they be destabilizing the situation? You said you were looking for people to help in the formation of a new Mizian government yet you're keeping those most suited to the task out."

"You mean those that were backing Mizia when they violated the contract with Miss Angeye but refused to send aid of any kind once the fighting began?"

"Oh I bet he's been waiting to say that for a while now!"

"It was a warning. He's telling them to drop this current line of questioning or he's going to go on the offensive and they're the ones that are going to end up looking like traitors. So far he's been purely defensive I guess that just taking the hits has finally worn down his patience."

For a moment the representative was made to stagger as if he'd received a quick blow to the cheek. It took all his willpower to maintain his composure as he tried to decide how to handle the question. If he didn't provide an appropriate answer Gernar was going to tear into him for the wrest of the meeting.

Instead of just waiting for the official to speak up Gernar chose to continue. "We can't very well ask those that have already offered their aid to pull out at this time. Yet we can only let so many third parties get involved or the situation would become unmanageable very quickly. Coordination of the aid being provided is essential during these times. We also worry that there may be hostilities between certain groups."

"Do you believe that he'll just go along with Gernar and not even try to answer the question?"

"It seems like a good way to get away from it for the moment but if he leaves it out in the open it could come back to haunt him later. If he takes any longer to decide on what he's going to do or Gernar will finish before he has a chance to ask anything else."

"I guess you're right well that is what happens when you come unprepared. I'm surprised that he left an opening like that."

"The UR has been defensive this entire time Albert. No one has needed to worry about an attack from them. I suppose that Gernar is getting tired of playing that roll. I just don't know if others will share his opinion or not."

"If they do?"

"You can expect the political scene to change very quickly. I suppose I should begin preparing myself then and schedule an interview. I hope Sam is willing to come by."

"I'm sure that he'd be glad to. He sure seemed to enjoy your previous interviews."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Lucy, I don't mean to be rude but your home doesn't look as stable as when I last visited."

"It isn't. I had to make some adjustments so I could still fit within it comfortably. Unfortunately these adjustments had to be made more quickly then I was ready for. Don't worry though it isn't near collapsing at this point."

After a moment of silence Sam gave his head a quick nod. "Okay then shall we begin?"

"Sure, I'm glad you decided to come."

"I don't know if you should be saying that just yet."

"I know you'll be honest but that is fine."

"Okay let's begin recording." As he spoke Sam took a seat facing Lucy on the table. This meant that he was still well below eye level with her. He then waited a few moments for easy editing. "Sam Archer here and I'm once again with Lucy Angeye and Albert Garsen. If you can't see him it's because he's right up there on Miss Angeye's shoulder."

In response to the comment Albert proceeded to wave his arms to make himself stand out more. From such a great height he didn't know if it'd help but at least he tried. "Hi again Sam."

Before Sam could speak up Lucy responded. "You don't need to shout for Albert to here you just talk normally when addressing him."

"Is he using some kind of hearing enhancer?"

"Yeah though it isn't as simple as that. If you'd like I'll explain it to you later for now I believe they are other things to talk about."

"You're quite right. Lucy while no one would have expected the topic of Mizia to die quickly did you expect it to persist quite this strongly for so long?"

"In all honesty yes. It doesn't surprise me some people are having trouble forgetting what happened though I don't believe they're really upset over Mizia. At least I don't believe that is their primary motivator at the moment."

"What do you believe that would be?"

"Fear of me. They're not trying to avenge Mizia they're trying to insure that the same thing doesn't happen to them. I can't say I believe they're using a very good method but I believe that is their primary objective."

"What makes you say this?"

"There are several reasons going back all the way to the war's start. If they had truly wanted to aid Mizia they would have sent military aid to back them though that would have resulted in me just killing them as well and destroying their nation. However, they could have sent diplomats to try to talk me out of my chosen actions. I don't believe they would have succeeded but at least it would have been something."

"Perhaps they feared just talking out against you would invite your anger."

"I doubt that. If that had been the case then it would still be holding and keeping them from talking now. They've been quite vocal though. Only after the fact did they choose to really speak up. Instead of offering to confront me themselves though they're encouraging other powers to step in and take action on their behalf sighting a lack of military power as their reason. If they were truly as fixated on seeing justice served as they're acting they would be contributing as many men and materials as they could."

"So you feel what happened in Mizia is being used to try and provoke a response from the UR and its allies?"

"I don't believe it's what happened in Mizia exactly. I believe fear is being used to motivate response and Mizia is being used to justify that fear. At least certain details of the war are being used to justify that fear."

"So Lucy you don't believe that this fear is justified?"

"It depends on what your intentions are. For those that are trying to provoke the fear I believe that it is indeed justified."

"Why would you say it's justified?"

"They want to do something or have done something that violates our contract and are worried that I'll find out. Now that I've proven I will enforce the agreement they feel the need to remove me from the picture before they can do whatever they have planned. That or they've already done something foolish and I just haven't found out about it. Naturally they would prefer if others did the fighting for them though as it would weaken their nation."

"I see. Do you have any proof of this accusation?"

"None beyond what their current behavior indicates."

"Are you sure about that? Given your ability to interact with electrical systems I can't help but wonder if you might have found something."

"Ah well I couldn't tell you if I had. After all breaking into another nations computer systems, downloading all the information into your brain and then reading through all the files when there is nothing more important to do is illegal."

For a moment Sam didn't say anything as he looked at Lucy. A slight chuckle escaped him after roughly a minute and he gave his head a slight shake. "I see. Well you did sneak into Mizia and steal a jet aircraft. That isn't legal either."

"That was under different circumstances. I was quite certain that they didn't have the ability to develop such a fighter without using materials I had developed and forbid to be used in such a way."

"Ah yes. Speaking on the legal ways to use materials you've developed what about using them to develop new materials?"

"Such as?"

"I'm not sure if you're aware of this but according to some of my sources the UR has been using materials developed by you to produce some new alloys. Alloys that they are using in some of their next generation weapons systems and which couldn't be economically produced without the materials you provided."

"Yeah they're good at that!"

"Good at what?"

"They're good at finding creative ways to use legal agreements to their advantage even if it was meant to restrict them."

"So this doesn't upset you?"

"I expected such behavior really. I can't say that I'm happy about it but they're working within the confines of our agreement and I can't just rewrite it because they found a way to use the materials that I didn't truly restrict."

"I see." Sam didn't get a chance to continue as Lucy spoke up.

"Before you go any further please think of this. Just by improving the energy grid I help things that were not economical become economical. If I were to try to prevent everything I developed from benefiting the military in any possible way then I couldn't sell anything. It's just not possible to say that they can use such materials for civilian use but not benefit the army."

"That is true, but isn't using the materials to build such materials pushing the boundary?"

A sigh escaped Lucy as she nodded her head. "It's getting there I can't deny that."

"You said you that such behavior didn't make you happy but does it make you upset?"

"I can't honestly say that it does or I would be trying to do something about it. Like I said I expected such behavior before and accepted that it would happen. I have been surprised by how close to the edge the UR can be at times but they've never gone over."

"What do you believe will happen the day they stumble over that line?"

"They'll probably realize their mistake and fix it before I even know about it."

"Well that's a surprising answer. Why do you believe they'd behave in such a manner?"

"Because they realize the importance of trust in such agreements and wouldn't want to reduce their ability to negotiate. I'm constantly developing new technologies after all and being honest with me now is a small price to pay for a favorable position during future negotiations."

"So you wouldn't say that it's out of the kindness of their hearts?"

"You've got to be joking. Of course it isn't because their good people. If what I had already developed was all I had to offer and there would never be anything new things would be very different."

A slight chuckle escaped Sam as he shook his head. "Well there goes the idea that you have faith in humanity."

"I do put trust in humanity I just acknowledge that greed is part of that."

"What about you then Lucy? You seem to be quite generous where is your greed?"

"Oh I'm very selfish I just value different things then other people. Well no that isn't right. The source of what I value comes from a different source then other peoples."

"Which is?"

"Here is a hint. The source is setting on my shoulder right now."

It was impossible for Albert to keep from smiling as he leaned forward and looked at the side of Lucy's face. "Well that is good to know."

"I see. So you put no value on money?"

"Of course I value money! It's a wonderful tool for getting people to do you favors. I just don't value it beyond its ability to help me obtain what I want. It's not the money I truly care about rather what it allows me to get more easily is what concerns me."

"Why not just take what you want?"

"It's easier for me to pay people then it is for me to force them to do what I want. Sure I could use fear to get some things but that is bound to give diminishing returns and deteriorating quality. Of course when money and reasoning fail I'm not beyond using force as I've proven. Actually, I quite enjoy using force depending on the situation."

"Yeah, I believe the smile you wore while stomping through soldiers and buildings proved that. Lucy, I believe I've asked you this before but just in case I haven't. How can you enjoy killing people so much?"

"I suppose because they aren't people to me. I gave ample warning and chance for them to leave. They chose to remain behind. They chose to kill themselves by ignoring my warnings. So they're already dead in my eyes when the time comes."

"So you feel that it's entirely their fault?"

"Yep! They made their own decisions not me."

"What about those that couldn't decide for themselves such as young children? You didn't seem to discriminate."

"Ultimately a child's safety in such a situation is up to the parent. It was the patent's choice that resulted in the child's death not mine."

"Yet you've set up shelters for children in Mizia who lost their parents."

In response Lucy gave a quick nod. "Actually most of them have one parent remaining their mother. I just hope you don't believe I did that out of guilt. I have no remorse for what I did and don't feel I'm in debt to anyone."

"So why did you do it?"

"I just wanted to help out. I tend to enjoy helping people as long as I don't feel like I'm being used. Besides those kids are the future work force of Mizia and they're going to need to be raised properly and given an education. I know some would say that'll be difficult without their fathers around but given the situation I believe it's best that they aren't in this situation. They don't need their fathers around teaching them the ideas that got them killed after all."

"I see. So Lucy do you have any financial reasons for aiding Mizia?"

"Of course, I opened up several businesses their to help the economy get back up on its feet. Right now they're actually a bit of a drain but I can keep them open for the time being. Then once Mizia has recovered enough I'm certain that they'll start profiting me. I just wish the farms didn't take so long to become truly productive."

"Lucy if you don't mind would you bring your friend closer? I would like to ask him some questions. I know you said that he can hear me but we also need to be able to hear him."

"Sure thing." As she spoke Lucy reached up and gently scooped Albert up in her hand. She didn't have to ask him if he wanted to speak to Sam because he'd already told her by beginning to stand up. As she lowered her hand down towards Sam she adjusted it so that Albert could stand up in her palm. She had no intention of setting him down though.

As Lucy's fingers opened up so that they can see one another Albert spoke up. "Hey Sam."

"Hello Albert, you don't mind if I call you Albert do you?"

"Nope. So what do you want to know?"

"First of all. I believe that you were with Lucy throughout her entire time in Mizia correct?"

"That's right."

"What did you think whenever she was tearing through a city full of civilians?"

"Mostly I thought she sure seemed to be having fun. She was just so cute while she was tearing apart those buildings or stocking runners through the street. I was surprised by how many different ways she tried eating as well."

"So you felt nothing for those she was eating?"

"I felt that they should have listened to her warnings and left but they put their faith in the Mizian government. I did feel some anger towards the soldiers for trying to harm Lucy but they also provided her with some amusement so I guess things evened out in the end."

"I see. So what do you think of her humanitarian efforts in Mizia?"

"I think she's doing a nice thing for those people but I hope she doesn't let herself be taken advantage of. I've been helping Lucy with her business as much as I can but I can only handle so much information at once. More then the charity she's giving though I believe it's wonderful that she's providing jobs. Charity might be able to keep people alive for a while but it won't help them get ahead of the curve."

"I see, so do you believe that her business ventures in Mizia will pay off?"

"Sure Lucy's pretty good at most aspects of business and if things don't work out she can always force them to go the way she wants."

"What do you mean force?"

"She could always develop some new cloth or metal that would greatly improve industry but only have it produced in Mizia. That would pretty much insure that branch of her industry got some customers."

"Albert, what did you think whenever you saw Lucy buckle?"

"You mean when they tried to use that parasite to kill her? It felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart. I haven't felt fear of that magnitude in a very long time. It didn't exactly help whenever Lucy began trying to put distance between me and her main body."

"You and her main body?"

"Yeah, she didn't have any intention of dieing after all! Still, the idea of Lucy cutting the connection between herself and the majority of her body isn't a pleasant one. In all honesty though even after she told me she could separate from her primary body to save her awareness I was scared I'd lose her. No scared doesn't really define it. I'm not sure there is a word for how horrified I was at the thought."

"I see. Yet she came through and even bigger then when she started. Would you happen to know what caused her sudden increase in scale?"

"Shouldn't you ask her that?"

"I could but I'm fairly certain you'll know as well."

"Okay, but I'm not sure that you'll believe me even if I tell you or even if she tells you."

"We'll just have to find out."

"Some of the children that remained in the city didn't actually die there. Rather their awarenesses chose to enter into Lucy as a safe refuge. Their awarenesses strengthened her and allowed her body to grow all the larger."

While Sam was fairly open minded he couldn't help but stair at Albert for a moment. "Are you serious?"

"I'm very serious though if you don't believe me you can ask her."

"No, that isn't necessary. It's just that. Um Lucy so the awareness of several of the Mizian children are currently inside of you?"

In response Lucy gave a quick nod and placed a finger against her forehead. "Yep they're in here safe and sound. I was quite surprised whenever they came to me and even more so whenever they entered into my body. Honestly I didn't know I could do that."

"So um exactly what are you going to do about it?"

"You know I'm not entirely certain. I suppose that I could work on restoring them to new bodies. Um if they'll cooperate that is."

"What do you mean if they'll cooperate?"

"They actually wanted to come into me to escape the city but now that they are there I'm not entirely sure they'll want to leave. It's not exactly easy to force an awareness to leave a system whenever it doesn't want to."

"So um what exactly is it like?"

"Mm sort of like being a big sister I suppose. I've given them a safe and warm place to stay for the time being. I don't believe it was fear that brought them to me. It seems like they were upset with their parents on some level and went to the best source of warmth and comfort they could find. I know that sounds a bit out there given that they are children but I believe that is what happened."

"So how many of the children survived?"

"Oh not all! All the children that were killed before I seemed to collapse died. It's still quite a new ability to me and I"m not exactly sure how it functions at the moment. I do have a theory as to why I developed it though."

"Would you mind sharing that theory?"

"Actually, I would like to keep that to myself for the time being. Perhaps one day I'll give away the information."

"I see. So Lucy can you offer any proof of what happened?"

"To a limited extent yes. If you'd like I could identify the children that came into me and give some information about them. Actually I could tell you anything that was retained in their memories. Would you like to hear a few of them?"

In response Sam gave his head a quick shake. "No Lucy I believe you. Perhaps someone else will come along and test your claims but after everything you've proven capable of it seems that believing you is the more certain route."

A slight giggle escaped Lucy before she spoke. "Well that is nice of you to say."

"Lucy, while no one has physically attacked you at this point to my knowledge there have been some military build ups. Does this concern you in anyway?"

"Actually it does to an extent. I'm not worried about my safety rather I'm worried who they may hurt in their attempt to get to me. Due to that I've been thinking about leaving the UR for a little while and relocating somewhere to make myself an easy target if anyone wants to kill me. Then once that has been taken care of I can return here."

"So you believe one of the reasons you haven't been attacked yet is where you're living?"

"I believe that is part of it. Everyone knows that if they sent bombers flying over the UR and level my home they've just committed an act of war. I wouldn't be the only thing they'd have to worry about in that situation they'd also have to worry about how the UR would respond."

"And you don't want to get the UR involved in such things?"

"Of course not! They'd get in the way of my fun."

Once again Sam became silent as he found himself pondering Lucy's response. She didn't respond the way most would have that was certain. "For a moment I thought you were going to say you didn't want to cause any UR soldiers to have to become involved and get killed."

"Ah well that is part of it I won't deny that. Mostly though I'm worried that the UR would expect me to follow their military guidelines or they'd slow me down. I just get so excited while playing with tanks and rocket launchers that I worry I'd lose my ability to distinguish friend from foe."

"I see. Lucy was that what happened whenever you ate those reporters?"

"Of course not! I was perfectly aware of their presence."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because they're tasty and they didn't listen to my warnings either! Mostly the tasty." As she finished speaking Lucy let her tongue extend out of her mouth and slowly run along her lips, a slight giggle escaping her as she pulled it back into her mouth.

A sigh escaped Albert as he shook his head. "Now she's just being rotten."

"Really? Albert, why do you believe Lucy ate them then?"

"Like she said they were warned and she did want to have fun. They chose to stay and either rely on their ability to protect themselves or the Mizian army's ability to protect them. They had chosen to ignore Lucy's warnings so she treated them like everyone else that had done so."

"That's what I said!"

A slight chuckle escaped Sam as he nodded his head. "You do realize that she is right. What you said was effectively the same thing as what she said only moments earlier."

"Well darn. You're right. Well it isn't always what you say but how you say it."

In response Sam gave a nod. "Yes and Lucy you seem to enjoy saying things in such a way to cause people the most distress."

"It's funny you tasty little reporter!"

"Should I be scared?"

In response to Sam's question Albert gave his head a quick shake. "No. She's just playing around. The worse thing you can do is show fear."

"Isn't that what got the Mizian's killed?"

"It wasn't not showing fear that got them killed it was showing a lack of common sense. Sam do you really believe that Lucy would kill you for no reason."

Before Sam responded he gave Lucy a quick glance. He actually had to keep himself from laughing when he noted her mouth was wide open. "No I don't believe so. She's as bad as some of my nieces though if not worse."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy upon shutting her mouth. "Well I still have a lot of growing to do."

"Yes you do!"

Sam gave a slight jump upon hearing Albert and quickly turned his attention to him. He was surprised whenever he saw how wide the grin on Albert's face was. "What was that about?"

"I'm constantly having to remind Lucy of how much more she needs to grow. She's far too weak for her own good."

Lucy gave a slight snort in response to Albert's comment having been caught off guard. "As you can tell Albert has no fear of me what so ever."

"How can I fear you when you're so small?"

"Albert, you're a braver man then I am."

"Oh this isn't an act of bravery. Lucy has never harmed anyone for being honest so long as they aren't belligerent about it or revealing private information. I'm not doing either of those. After all it's plain to see that she needs to become more powerful."

Despite the situation Sam actually found himself struggling to keep from laughing as he noted the look on Lucy's face. "I see that you two are quite a close couple."

Before Albert could respond Lucy reached down with her free hand and gently ran her pinky over his back. "Yeah we are. I love him enough to even tolerate such verbal abuse."

"Lucy, you know that I'm only trying to help you to the best of my ability. I can't risk you growing comfortable with being so weak after all. I don't want to risk losing you."

"I know Albert and I know where what you say is coming from."

As Sam listened he knew that he'd let himself get sidetracked but he didn't want to say it. Even if it was a sidetrack the subject matter was quite interesting. "Albert it seems that you've learned to relax since our previous interviews."

"Yeah you get use to them to an extent. I just have to keep reminding myself that this isn't a documentary so I don't have to be overly serious."

"I believe some would disagree. We are discussing the results of a war after all."

"I don't see why they'd be upset. Whenever anyone gets involved in military conflict they tend to celebrate whenever their side suffers no causalities. Even if the deaths are kept very low people tend to be happy over all regardless of what happened to the enemy. I'm on Lucy's side and our side didn't suffer any casualties so I don't see a reason not to celebrate."

"That's an interesting view point. So Lucy what is your over all business plan for Mizia?"

"It's fairly simple really. I believe that I can have the farms in Mizia growing enough produce to be profitable within five years. I've planned the farms so that they should be producing more then what the Mizian economy in its reduced state will require so the extras can be exported. I'm not sure how much of a profit I can make but I'm fairly certain that the farms will be self sufficient by that time."

"So you're not really worried about making money for yourself?"

"In five years I won't be."

"In five years? So you are now?"

A sigh escaped Lucy as she gave her head a quick nod. "Yes I'm currently having to concern myself with finances. I was a little overly generous with my spending, coupling that with my sudden increase in scale and the expenses that has caused me I'm a little lower on funds then I like to be. I have a few projects underway that should put me comfortably back in the black but I have to wait until everything has been cleared before I can really begin."

"That is surprising. So the the war did cost you in a sense."

"Well if you play hard there tends to be quite a bill waiting for you at the end and I did play awfully hard. I don't know perhaps I should put Albert in charge of the finances. He seems to be good at managing money."

It was impossible for Albert to keep the surprise off his face as he glanced up at Lucy. "Huh?"

"You shouldn't looked so surprised Albert you help me with a lot of other things after all. I'm sure you'd do a great job of planning the finances."

"Very funny Lucy, you know perfectly well that it would take an entire team of people to make all the financial plans your company requires."

"Oh I wouldn't expect you to do the little day to day things. You could help with the overall budgeting though besides you're already helping with research and development ideas."

"That's only because you're making me!"

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she noted the concern in Albert's voice. Given what she'd put him through before hand she wasn't surprised he worried she was serious. It helped that to a limited extent she was serious. "You needed some extra motivation and besides you've been doing a wonderful job."

"How about we talk about this later and you focus on the interview for now?"

Before Lucy could respond Sam spoke up. "Actually, this raises some questions. Albert do you have any plans for Mizia or are the developmental plans you help with of a different nature?"

It was impossible for Albert to keep from groaning. "I believe Lucy might have given you the wrong idea just now. Yes I help her come up with new ideas for projects but the finer details are left up to her. In the end I don't really do all that much." As Albert was speaking he glanced up at Lucy and noted her grinning. She had a comment.

"Don't underestimate yourself Albert you've been a great help in coming up with new ideas. I wish I could safely fast track the ones you'd already given me so I could get to work on the next ones."

"So Lucy, can we assume the next few developments you come up with are in part due to Albert's choices?"

"Yes you can!"

"I see. So Albert would you like to share some of these ideas with us?"

"Not at the moment I don't feel comfortable talking about them just yet. Maybe once they're made public I'll find it easier to speak on the subject."

"Very well then. So Lucy would you care to give us a better idea on just how he inspires you?"

"Sure! He suggest an idea to me and I see if I can bring it into being."

"I see, is that the only rule?"

"Yep! I leave the moral implications up to him which tends to slow down his suggestions quite a bit. Before I used to spend a lot of time considering the dangers that something would pose and the moral implications. Now that I have Albert I don't have to think about those nearly as much. It has really freed me up to create."

In response Sam gave a quick nod and turned his attention to Albert. "I'm going to assume that she's being serious about this. She sure doesn't seem to be joking. So you're now charged with the task of coming up with new projects. I imagine that must be stressful."

"It is especially whenever Lucy begins to really push for something new to do."

"Just how does she apply that pressure?"

"I'd rather not go into that I'm worried she'd give a demonstration."

An amused giggle escaped Lucy as she covered her mouth to keep from bursting into open laughter. "I would right now if I didn't know how angry you'd be after words. Mm it might be worth it though. I'm sure I could get you out of the huff quickly enough."

"So Sam how long was this interview suppose to run?"

A slight chuckle escaped Sam as he shook his head. "Don't worry we have plenty of time. It's been a while since Lucia has given an interview of any type. I'm sure people will be interested in all of this."

"Ah was someone trying to get the interview cut short?"

"Well before Lucy gives a demonstration I had better say Lucy is quite a tease whenever she wants to be. This is especially true whenever it comes to get what she wants from someone she isn't willing to use physical force against or some other form of motivation. I guess some would say she has me wrapped around her finger."

Before Sam could speak up Lucy chose to. "I don't believe you'd reach that far Albert. I'm pretty sure that if I tried to wrap you around my finger I'd tear you apart."

"I didn't mean it literally and you know it."

"So Albert once you suggest an idea does anything happen after that?"

"Lucy tends to twist it into something still fitting into the general idea but different enough to be frustrating."

"Hey I only did that once and you brought it upon yourself by trying to be sneaky."

"I hope you two don't mind me interrupting but would you mind telling us what he was trying to be sneaky about?"

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she felt her skin warming up slightly. "Well it might be best if he told you what he was doing."

At first Albert had expected Lucy to tell Sam openly. When he looked up and noticed she was blushing he knew there was more to it. As the thought settled in he finally realized something. If Lucy had only been worrying about his health she wouldn't have minded. On top of that he didn't even need the medicine because the body he was currently using had been developed by Lucy. She hadn't been worrying about his fitness she had enjoyed exercising with him and she didn't want to lose that. "I feel like a jerk."

"Um would you please clarify?"

"I can't go into too much detail but I suggested Lucy develop a new treatment to help people become physically fit more quickly. Given how much money people spend on trying to lose weight I'm sure they'd pay quite well for something that made building muscle easy. You don't just drop the flab that way you get to exchange it for something else."

"Why would you feel guilty over that and how did she change it?"

"I can't go into that right now. I'm going to have to talk to Lucy about it." As he finished speaking Albert couldn't help but think that he was sorry. He was kind of surprised whenever he heard Lucy's voice in his head.

"Albert we're connected now remember? We can talk as much as we want and no one will ever hear us. Why are you sorry though?"

"I should have realized you weren't worried about my fitness. You just enjoyed exercising together and I was trying to take that time away from you."

"That's okay Albert, how could you have known?"

"By the way you were behaving. I should have realized much sooner then I did."

After a moment Sam gave a slight shrug. "Very well. So is this treatment currently under development?"

Before Albert could respond Lucy spoke up. "For females it is. I doubt I could come up with something that worked equally well and safely for both genders under current limitations so I started developing it for females first."

"Well I'm sure people will be looking forward to that. Does it involve the use of symbiotic life forms though?"

"No, that would come with far too many restrictions and other complications. Developing the treatment is going to be a complicated enough process as is given how many things could go wrong. At the moment I believe that it's going to have to be a procedure given by medical professionals rather then something anyone could pick up over the counter."

"And how long ago was it that this idea was suggested?"

"We were still in Mizia whenever Albert gave me the idea but I was already working on another project. I've only been able to devote any real thought to it recently and began to realize some of the deeper complications."

Once again Albert focused his thoughts on Lucy. "Are you going to work to insure those in Mizia who want the treatment can receive it? I imagine it would go a long way in removing certain old ideas. It'd be hard for any old fashioned male to claim that women are a weaker sex if they're lifting more then the male ever could."

"Well they could claim that what I have done is upset the natural balance and that such women are no longer pure."

"If that is how they feel they can simply refuse the treatment whenever you develop one for males. Until then they still have to live with the results."

"Quite true and it might take quite some time to develop an effective treatment for males. Especially with all the new projects I'm going to be working on."

"Some how I doubt the treatment for males will be coming any time soon after the females even if you didn't have any other project to work on."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she gave her head a slight nod. "That is probably true but I don't want anyone else knowing that. I'm sure that I can come up with some reasons to delay the project that people will buy."

"So Lucy back to one of our old subjects. What will you do if Mizia's economy hasn't recovered at the end of five years and the businesses you started there are still draining you financially?"

"That depends on the reason for the failure and how well my other business plans are going. If Mizia is simply taking longer then expected to recover I'll tough it out if I'm financially able to do so. However, if the reasons were do to something such as political instability I might just cut my losses. It depends on the nature of the instability."

"What nature would that be?"

"Well there are quite a few possibilities. One thing I can think of is a civil war. I'd really rather to just keep out of such things and wait until one side killed enough of the other to win. If I were to get involved I'd probably end up picking one side to exterminate entirely or kill off both sides depending on if I favored one group over the other or just felt they should both be removed."

"I see. Albert how would you feel if she did this?"

"It would depend on what they were fighting over. There is no way I could just set by and let Lucy kill so many if I agreed with one of the groups."

"Do you believe you could stop her?"

"I'm fairly certain that I could. It might come at great cost to me but I'm pretty darn certain of it. That said I doubt she'd force such a decision upon me."

As she spoke Lucy once again ran her little finger against Albert's back. "Albert and I agree on most things but we have had our differences in the past. We tend to resolve them fairly peacefully though."

"That or she just waits until my guard is down and does what she wants anyway."

It was impossible for Lucy to keep from chuckling as she quickly lifted and lowered her hand causing Albert to bounce into the air for a moment. "I only do that whenever you're being silly! At times you can be a little too merciful and it is up to me to make sure you're not being taken advantage of."

"So you two have disagreed on certain things?"

"Yeah such as whenever she broke several of my instructor's bones for his method of returning exams. She didn't like the idea that someone could see what I had made even if I wanted to keep it secret."

"Privacy is very important to me!"

Now Sam turned to Lucy. "Are you serious? Lucy it seems that you live your life quite out in the open."

"I live my life in the open whenever I am out in the open. I don't know what I might do to someone if I felt they were invading my personnel life. Mind you I have a few ideas as to what I'd do to them but I can't be entirely sure. I'd want to make it severe enough that everyone would think twice before it happened again."

"That's quite a strong statement."

"Yes it is and I'm quite willing to back it up."

"Lucy, do you feel that you could have backed down from attacking Mizia once you issued your warning?"

"If I had people would have lost respect for me and it would have been nearly impossible to convince them to honor any contract made with me. I'm not like most companies that can turn to a nation to force someone to honor the contract. And as far as the world court. Well that just isn't effective enough for my taste. After all nations have stood by and watched millions be slaughtered but didn't get involved because it wasn't something that involved them. How could I expect them to force a nation to honor a financial and control agreement?"

"So you felt that once Mizia refused to honor the contract you had no choice?"

"That's right."

"If someone was to intentionally violate your privacy would you have any choice other then to carry through with your warning?"

"I wouldn't even try to think of another choice. I simply don't see a reason why I would ever try to convince myself to let them get away with doing that."

"So your resolve in this matter is just as strong as your resolve when dealing with Mizia?"

"It's even stronger. Mizia I wasn't truly angry with. After all they had just volunteered to be my. Mm I believe the word food is the only thing that describes it. After all I tend to take very good care of my toys. I wasn't angry with them though. The idea of someone invading my privacy alone tends to upset me a great deal."

"Would it be safe to assume that violating your privacy in such a way would have to be done intentionally?"

A slight giggle escaped Lucy as she gave a quick nod. "Well yeah! Like you said before I'm quite open about most things."

End chapter 6

I almost always welcome reviews on my works so if you have an opinion about what I wrote feel free to email me at happiest_in_shadows@yahoo.comBe certain to include something in the subject line that will let me know it's not spam. Preferably mentioning the title of the story.

With all the media attention Lucy had been receiving Phillip and Sandra hadn't really had a chance to speak directly with her. Still she had kept in touch with them. "Lucy, I know I asked this over the phone but." Phillip went silent as he was made to suddenly move forward though only slightly. His forward motion was caused by something very large yet with plenty of give bumping into the back of his head and knocking him forward. "Sandra will you quit that?"

"Um nope." In response to her statement Sandra quickly thrust her chest forward once again slamming her breasts into the back of Phillip's head. "I swear no matter how often I do that it never quits being fun."

A sigh escaped Phillip as he slumped forward and tried to brace himself. He tended to enjoy such games but right now he was trying to talk to Lucy. "Are you sure you shouldn't be more concerned?"

"You worry too much Phillip. I know that I didn't get everyone in Mizia that opposed me and I'm sure plenty will hate for me for the wrest of their lives for what I did. However, I doubt they'll do anything about it after the little display of power I put on. As much as they want revenge they simply know that to try to harm me or take away something I care about is to invite a painful death. Now how have you and Sandra been doing."

At first Phillip went to respond but he held his tongue until he once again felt those breasts bump into the back of his head. "Blast it am I going to have to set down?" Instead of waiting for an answer Phillip quickly took a seat. He had up until that point been standing wanting to stretch his legs a bit but it had become clear that wasn't going to work.

Apparently Sandra had been expecting Phillip's response. The moment he set down she quickly lowered herself so that her breasts landed firmly atop his head. As she wrested her breasts atop her lover's head she reached around him so that she held him in place. "Ah that's better. It's nice to have something to wrest these breasts of mine on. They're kind of heavy."

A sigh escaped Phillip as he shook his head actually rubbing his head against the underside of Sandra's breasts as he did so. "As you can tell Sandra is still quite caught up in her new height advantage."

It was impossible for Lucy to keep from giggling as she noted the expression on Phillip's face. "So I see. I'm glad that the symbiots are working out for the two of you though."

"Only thanks to all your help."

"Now now. You did your fair share of the work to."

"Lucy this wouldn't have been possible without your help. You just had us doing the grunt work."

"Exactly! The boring stuff I don't like to do and saps most of my energy. I have to say though I was surprised to learn that the military had already developed mutual symbiots."

"You're not the only one. Are you sure that you should have told us about all of that though?"

"I don't see why not. I never signed any form of agreement after all and the army has been openly providing its soldiers with combat symbiots for years now. It'd be foolish to think they hadn't developed some more powerful versions they haven't made public. I just never assumed that they had developed ones that were quite so powerful."

"Hey Lucy where is Albert right now?"

"He's still wresting. I've been keeping him busy as of late. Even with the modifications I made to his body I suppose I'm a bit demanding."

Instead of questioning where he was wresting Phillip gave his head a quick nod. He'd known Lucy long enough to have a rough idea of just where that location was. "Hey Lucy what happened to the wrest of you? You seemed a lot larger whenever I saw you on television."

"Some of me is in the basement, I have other bodies out taking care of a few jobs. Right now I have a few of my bodies back in the lab working on some projects. The vast majority of me is here though." A sigh escaped Lucy as she shook her head. "I'm really having to strain my brain right now trying to figure out a way to build a home large enough for all of me."

"That's rare. I guess you really have been growing faster then you're use to."

"Yeah, at first it was fun and it still is but." Instead of continuing speaking Lucy pointed behind herself at a few of the joints that were holding up the wall. "This structure was never designed to expand this quickly and I've had to resort to some fairly crude temporary fixes. Even with just this much of me together I have to be careful that I don't collapse the entire structure."

Now Sandra chose to speak up. You seemed quite comfortable during your interview though."

"I was but even then I was using temporary fixes. Though I didn't realize how temporary they were going to be. My financial situation isn't helping things either."

"But you helped us develop the symbiot I'm using. I thought you had taken care of that."

In response Lucy shook her head. "Nope not yet. I've been doing some things to speed up the regrowth and encourage my cash flow but until the satellite is up into orbit I have to be careful. I considered helping the two of you a worthwhile expense though. I just hope I don't collapse this building before my income picks up."

"What happened to make you worry?"

"Some of the metals I used in the construction of my home were ones I developed myself. I thought I had a pretty good understanding of how they worked and the stresses they could endure but it seems I was a bit off. They behaved as I expected within the confines that I tested them in but they haven't endured the wear and tear quite as well as I believed they would outside of the testing confines."

"So have you began working on some new alloys to replace them yet?"

"No I've resolved that metals aren't the way to go with this. At least not in the way you're thinking. I believe I've come up with a better way to hold things together but it's going to require quite a bit of funding to implement." A sigh escaped Lucy as she ran her right hand through her hair. "The limitations of operating within the bounds of what society considers acceptable can be quite frustrating at times."

"Couldn't you just take out a loan? I know that they are a lot of people that are scared of you and angry with you but I'm sure you could get plenty of funding."

"I prefer not to be in debt to anyone considering my situation. Anyway, it's not like I actually need the shelter this building provides and I can keep Albert perfectly safe without it."

In response Phillip gave a nod. He knew better then to ask why Lucy didn't just split up into smaller bodies to take away the risk of collapsing the structure. He knew how much she hated to feel small. As he went to speak though he was surprised whenever Sandra's breasts once again bopped him on the head. In response to this he reached up and quickly took hold of Sandra's breasts without really thinking about his actions. He wasn't surprised though whenever he heard her giggling. "Blasted it Sandra you were trying to make me do that!"

"Hm I wonder if I can lift you with my breasts. I know they got plenty of give but maybe if I flex my chest muscles enough."

There was no way that Phillip was going to let go of Sandra. He knew that to do so was to invite another bop on his head. Unfortunately he could tell she was seriously considering what she'd said. "You know I never dreamed that you would have financial issues."

"In all honesty it caught me off guard as much as this body of mine growing so quickly. I should have planned things out better but I was just so excited when I came back. Of course I could cancel my efforts in Mizia but that wouldn't look good on me and I would prefer not to. Once things have stabilized there I'm certain it'll provide more then enough income to justify the current expense."

"Over how many years?"

"Mm I'm thinking ten years most likely worse case scenario twenty years. That's enough about me though what have you two been up to?"

"Well I introduced Sandra here to my mother and father. They were a bit surprised as she had to duck to avoid damaging the door frame."

"Ah I wish I could have been there for that!"

"His father's eyes nearly bugged out of his head whenever I walked over to him. Did you know that Phillip's dad is actually shorter then he is? My breasts were actually above his head."

"Well yeah I noticed that whenever I met him."

"Of course both of them just had to make a crack about me liking big girls."

"What about your family Sandra? I don't believe you told them what you were working on."

"Nope, they were quite surprised. It actually took my father a few minutes to recognize me and I think it took him several hours to believe that this was his little girl. My mother seemed to recover more quickly and had quite a few questions as you can imagine. Of course I'm sure my father did as well but he wasn't really in a mind set to ask them. My mom probably beat him to them anyway."

"Oh and what kind of questions?"

While Phillip knew the question had been addressed towards Sandra he couldn't help but speak up. "She wanted to know if we had gotten around to buying a reinforced bed yet."

Immediately a slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she listened to the tone of Phillip's voice. She couldn't help but suspect that he had been asked far more personnel questions as well. "I see! Well I suppose that it's important to know that you're handling the relationship well. What all did you tell them about the symbiot?"

"Not much. We didn't tell them that it connects Phillip and me together making use of both of our awarenesses. I'm not sure they'd been comfortable knowing that just yet."

In response Lucy gave a slight nod. "If you two ever do decide to separate you're going to have to come to me first unless you want to risk suffering quite a back lash. Remember the connection and what you can endure depends on you two maintaining a healthy relationship. If one of you should begin shutting yourself off from the other they could end up paying a heavy price."

In response Sandra gave a quick nod and squeezed Phillip to herself more firmly. "Oh no need to worry about that. There is no way I'm letting him go. I decided that long before I even got the symbiot."

"Smart decision. So what else did they want to know?"

"Hm well Phillip seemed pretty uncomfortable whenever my mom was asking them. I'm not sure if he'd like me repeating the really good stuff. They did want to know where I was living now and how I was handling things like door frames. When my father finally managed to find himself he wanted to know what I was going to do about school. I had to tell him just because I put on an extra meter I wasn't going to quit my classes. I still have career plans after all."

"That's good to know. Have you noticed any change in your class performance?"

"OH yeah! The work has gotten much easier. Lately it's just been so easy to recall my lessons."

"Good, I'd be worried if you hadn't shown some improved mental performance. How would you say it compares to what your body has undergone?"

"It hasn't been quite as pronounced but I'm certain it's there. I've had a lot more energy as well so a lot more free time."

"I take it that means your free time has gone down."

Phillip didn't even need to look at Lucy to know she was talking to him. "Well she has been keeping me quite busy but I'm not complaining. At first I thought my grades would suffer but she's been helping me with my class work quite a bit."

"I believe I finally understand why you helped Albert so much. You wanted the attention he was devoting to his work for yourself."

"MM it's amazing how long it took him to figure that out. I don't believe he really understands it now." As she spoke Lucy gave a slight shrug and shook her head. "Are you sure you should be saying that in front of Phillip though."

"Yeah I don't mind if he knows."

"So Phillip what have you been doing to help Sandra along?"

At first Phillip was surprised whenever he felt his cheeks growing warm and he felt a slight blush coming. "Well there isn't a whole lot that I can do. I've been trying your suggestions though I'm not sure how effective they've been."

"What suggestions?!"

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she noted the look of surprise on Sandra's face. "I explained to Phillip that your power is directly related to the strength of both of your resolves. I suggested a few exercises that he could do in order to help strengthen his resolve though it would require a fairly large improvement for you to notice a change."

"Oh really? Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I didn't want to get your hopes up. You know. I didn't want to risk failing you after I had told you."

Lucy didn't wait for Sandra to respond before she spoke up. "You know Phillip that's only hurting your progress. By avoiding those things that would provide extra motivation you only hinder the strengthening of your resolve."

"Huh, I didn't think of that."

"Ah don't worry about it Phillip. I'm just delighted to hear that you've been trying to help me. What have you been doing though?"

"It's not much really. At first I actually found it hard to even attempt because it seemed so silly. I finally decided that even if it seemed silly if there was a chance to help you I might as well take it."

"Which is important. After all willingness to attempt something to help her even if it seems almost too silly to attempt is an important step."

"Yeah but could something so minor really help her?"

"Sure it can! It just might take a while for you to be able to visually see the results. Sandra would be able to feel the changes long before you would notice though."

"Okay you two. I'm delighted to here that but I would really like to know what these exercises are. After all I don't want to put all the burden of strengthening this body on Phillip."

"Are you sure you want to hear them? Like I said they're rather silly."

"Yeah! Especially if they might work."

"Well I'm not sure if you can do them actually. Effectively I asked Phillip to stop and consider what he values most. This includes friends, family and you. I then told him to decide where the priorities wrest and what situations might cause some confusion. He was then to try to evaluate them and see where you really stood in each situation. The decisions he made were the ones he was to commit himself to."

"What? Like if it was choosing between my life or the life of his mother?"

"That is one example yes and quite a good one actually. If he would choose his mother or father's life over you then he hasn't fully resolved himself to being yours."

In response to this Sandra glanced down at Phillip leaning forward a bit so that she could see his face. As she looked into his eyes though she felt certain Lucy wasn't joking. However, she wasn't ready to make him answer such a question verbally. "You believe that would truly help?"

"Yes I do. I also suggested that he tries exercising but instead of doing it for himself think of how it would benefit you. If he could use that as extra motivation it could slowly strengthen his resolve. Of course with the way you've been acting I doubt he's had much time for that."

"Um well. He does get plenty of exercise." A slight giggle escaped Sandra as she gave Phillip a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Oh I have no doubt of that!"

All Phillip could do was cover his face as he listened to the amusement in Lucy's voice. "I'm thinking I might have a slight understanding of what we put Albert through at times. He just had several years to get used to it."

"True but he has to deal with it on a much larger scale. So Sandra what are your plans?"

"Well after this semester Phillip and I plan on taking some time to get away. We're hoping to go to a nice secluded location and see what this body of mine can really do and honestly I'm hoping to put in a few more decimeters or meters if possible. Right now we both have quite a few distractions and I believe getting away from them would help both of us develop."

In response Lucy gave a quick nod. "You could be right but keep in mind that adversity is one of the best ways to strengthen ones resolve as well. Of course taking some time to get away and get closer to one another should help as well. I take it you've been doing some exercises as well."

Now Sandra gave a nod. "Yep as often as I can."

"That's good to know. Well then have the two of you had any fights yet?'

In response Phillip gave his head a nod. "Well yeah we moved in together. We're going to have some disagreements." A sigh escaped Phillip as he rubbed his forehead. "Sandra threatened to make me walk around the house naked if I didn't start keeping my dirty laundry in the basket."

"I was kind of hoping that he would ignore me or think I was bluffing actually but so far he's been keeping things tidier."

"Now that's the way to do it! He learns his lesson and you get something nice to look at. So have there been others? Before you go too far I believe its best to insure that the honey moon is over and the two of you are prepared for this. Before either of you ask if that should have been taken care of before you got the symbiot well the answer is yes and no."

In response Sandra gave a quick nod. "Yeah we were getting along wonderfully before hand but you never know what this kind of change is going to bring. I'd say if anything we've become closer. Even if it's only due to Phillip fondness for my breasts. I swear he can't keep his hands off them."

"More like you can't keep them off of me!"

A slight chuckle escaped Sandra as she gave a slight jump causing her breasts to bounce and impact with Phillips head. The moment her breasts bopped him in the head though she felt his hands once again take hold of them. "See! You just can not keep your hands off of them."

"If I take them off you bop me in the head with them!"

"And your point is?"

A sigh escaped Phillip as he looked up at Lucy who was by now beginning to giggle. "So do you ever do this to Albert?"

"I can't say I've ever spent a day just bopping him in the head with my breasts but it's starting to look like fun. Perhaps I should give it a try." For a moment Lucy grew silent as a wide grin formed on her face. "If you don't mind I'll need a few moments. Albert just woke up." As she finished speaking Lucy drew herself to a standing position and began to walk towards the back room. With each step she paid careful attention to how the walls responded to the force of her foot steps and was made to sigh. "I really don't want to have to use a smaller body then this one inside my own home but it's looking more and more likely."

***********************************************************************************

"So Sara it looks like you have been authorization to negotiate further with Miss Angeye."

"Yeah I just wish what we had learned from her had paid off more. We would have had a lot more leverage during our talks with the commanders."

In response Patrick gave a slight shrug. "It can't be helped. So are you going to meet her face to face?"

"Well I plan to call ahead but yeah I would like to handle the actual negotiations face to face. I just hope she hasn't already moved beyond anything that we could offer her."

"Well if she has perhaps she'll share some knowledge in the name of competition."

It was impossible for Sara to keep from chuckling as she looked at Patrick. "Yeah right. More like share just enough information for us to think we might be able to compete with her just so she can beat us."

"Sounds like someone else I know when it comes to bored games."

"Well aren't you going to get ready?"

"Huh?"

"You're coming to. I'm not going to go there without someone else with me."

"What could I do?"

"Get cleaned up and prepared to go."

"That's not what I meant and you know it. So far you're the only one that has talked with Miss Angeye about such matters."

"Patrick it'd really help me if you were to come."

For a moment Patrick was silent and just looked at Sara. He then gave a slight shrug and stood up. "Give me fifteen to get cleaned up and we can go and speak with her."

***********************************************************************************

Albert a slight sigh as she set atop Lucy's massive right thigh while Patrick and Sara set on the table before the massive monuments Lucy called legs. "So you must be the government agent that Lucy has told me about. It's nice to finally meet you."

"I'm glad to finally meet you as well. Lucy this is Patrick my superior."

"It's nice to meet you Patrick."

"It's nice meet you as well Ms Angeye, Mr Guarsen." As he spoke Patrick gave a slight smile turning his gaze from Albert to Lucy then to Sara.

"Hey what is that grin for?"

"Huh? OH my apologies Ms Angeye. I was just thinking how strange it seems to be calling the two of you by different last names."

"What's strange about that?"

"It just seems peculiar considering that you're clearly a couple. I'm surprised that neither of you have taken the others last name at this point."

"I see." For a moment Lucy grew silent and glanced down at Albert. "I can't say that it hasn't crossed my mind but it never really remained there. You know it never really seemed important. I'm not even sure whose name we'd use. What do you think Albert?"

"I'm not really sure myself. I'd be fine with taking your last name if you want to."

"Hm I don't know that I would want you to give up your last name but then again I don't know if I want to give up mine either." As she finished speaking Lucy gave a slight shrug. "It's not like it's important though. We can talk about this later after all."

"Alright."

After a moment Patrick gave a slight nod. "Well Sara."

"Lucy I take it you already know we're not here purely for social reasons. I was actually hoping that we might exchange some information involving the development of symbiots. I couldn't really negotiate the first time we met but I've been granted greater freedom for these talks."

"Sara you really need to learn the importance of taking advantage of something while it's there. You can probably guess that I've been working on my mental abilities as well. Albert's actually learned to use the connection we share fairly effectively as well."

A slight chuckle escaped Albert as he leaned back looking up towards Lucy's face but only seeing the underside of her breasts. "You have a very generous idea of effectively."

"Ah don't sell yourself short Albert. I think you're progressing quite nicely."

In response Sara gave a quick nod. "Yeah but well orders are orders. I don't have the same level of freedom for negotiations as you do. If I had done so before hand I could have got into a lot of trouble."

"Unless the information you gained was deemed worth while. You know great gains often involve some form of risk. I'd thought you knew that when you first obtained your symbiot."

Now Patrick chose to speak up. "Duty at times restrains us from acting even whenever we believe it would be best to act. It's just one of life's little difficulties we have to over come. Much like your difficulty in securing certain licenses."

A sigh escaped Lucy as she gave her head a quick. "No matter how often I'm right they always want test to prove it. You have a good point there."

"You know Miss Angeye we could help you fast track certain projects in exchange for some information. Now I realize that you could do the same if you wanted to bind a few rules. However, from what I've seen you prefer to refrain from such acts."

"Oh? And just how much more quickly are we talking?"

"If we were to license some of your projects as a joint civilian and military effort we could reduce the evaluation periods from years to months. It would even be possible for us to shoulder some of the cost though only to a limited extent."

"The government only being able to shoulder some of the cost?"

"Miss Angeye we are quite aware of your finances and your remarkable ability to spend them. Quite frankly you're one of the major factors in our economies current success."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she looked up towards the roof for a moment. "You know I never put much thought into it but I suppose I do give you a run for your money when it comes to spending. You should call me Lucy by the way most people do and you seem worth knowing."

Patrick couldn't help but grin. "I do believe that is the first time someone has told me that. Okay Lucy. I can't even begin to offer to finance one of your projects as I have no doubt the cost would become quite noticeable. At least we could shoulder some of the expense though and the technology would remain entirely yours."

"Hey Albert, can you think of anyway that the military could benefit from my current projects?"

"Yeah, it'd be easy to justify giving female soldiers the strength enhancers you've been developing. The satellite would be even easier."

"You mean that wasn't a joke?"

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she noted the stunned expression on Patrick's face. "The female and male biology is quite different. A treatment meant to help females refine their body clearly isn't going to work as effectively for males. On top of that the more effective the treatment the more dangerous it is to those who it wasn't built for."

"You do have a point. I just thought you were joking whenever I heard about that project though."

"I'm afraid she's not. I was hoping to get out of my exercises by having her develop some form of treatment but well she wants to be difficult."

"I like feeling you climbing all over me getting all hot and sweaty just for me."

Sara couldn't help but speak up as she looked at Patrick. "Hm that sounds like fun. I may not be as big as Lucy but I bet I could help you with your daily exercises Patrick."

Instead of responding to Sara Patrick chose to keep his mind focused on the conversation at hand. "Well we could indeed use such a treatment even if it would lead us to having to try to develop a male version."

"I'm afraid you'll have to do that one on your own."

"Yes I suspected you would say as much. However, the satellite does have more general use you know?"

"It might but. Patrick have you forgotten my stand on what my technology can and can't be used for?"

A sigh escaped Patrick as he shook his head. "No but I hoped you had."

In response to Patrick's comment Lucy quickly stuck her tongue out at him. "I welcomed you to call me by my first name don't think that I'm going to let you off that much though. The treatment on the other hand would be a different matter. It isn't like I could stop women from using it and it would be foolish for me to believe that female soldiers won't take advantage of such things."

"And if the military was generous enough to devote some of its budget to the treatment?"

"Well you're not forcing the females to take the pills so I can't really blame the army."

Now Albert was made to speak up. "Besides any army that's willing to provide its female soldiers with such pills probably isn't the type Lucy would take issue with."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she reached down and ran her pinky over Albert's back. "Well I can't say that is entirely accurate but there is also some truth to its as well. In truth I wouldn't mind if the UR began using systems I developed for military applications however I can't just permit them to do so. If I were to I have no doubt that other powers that I don't want to use my technology would begin making use of it."

"Wouldn't you enjoy that Lucy? It would justify you acting against them."

"That is true but, well I try to stay out of politics. I don't want to interfere with peoples' lives too much."

"Lucy you changed the political structure of the entire world by wiping out Mizia. Would it really change all that many things if you were to permit the UR to use materials you developed in our weapons systems?"

"You have a point there but yes I believe it would change things too much."

"Ah well. If you'd like we could sign on as joint developers of. What would you name the project?"

"I don't actually have a name for it just now. I just file new ideas under numbers and wait for a name to come to me."

"Very well once you do have a name for it we could sign on as joint developers and even offer you a contract if you would be willing to engage in a limited information exchange."

"There are a few problems with your offer. We might disagree on the value of the information I've given you and I could end up feeling cheated. I believe that I've made it clear on several occasions that I don't like feeling as if I've been cheated."

In response Patrick gave his head a nod. "Very clear but I hope you respect our intelligence enough not to try and cheat you. My ability to negotiate." For a moment Patrick grew silent then turned to Sara. "Blast it Sara this is your job!"

It was impossible for Sara to keep from chuckling as she noted the expression on Patrick's face. "You seemed so relaxed and in your element that I didn't want to risk taking you out of it."

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she to noted Patrick's expression. "I take it that this has happened before?"

"Once Patrick starts something he has trouble putting on the breaks. Even when we were first meeting he'd start to help me with a basic task and then end up doing it for me. Patrick before you say anything though, I didn't plan for that to happen. Though I thought that it probably would."

"Uhuh."

There was no way for Lucy to wipe the grin from her face as she noted Patrick and Sara's behavior. She had began to wonder if it was something of an act but she doubted it. They seemed quite relaxed and the conversation had been fairly friendly. "Well in general I do respect the intelligence of the armed forces. I haven't had any trouble with you before hand. However, you must realize that such an arrangement would create even more potential for friction."

"We'd be willing to accept that risk if it would aid in the development of our special units."

"By we I take it you mean you'd be willing to accept the risk and by units I take it you mean Sara."

"Such an arrangement would benefit everyone in the project."

"I somehow doubt that's your main concern. Now Patrick tell me are you mostly doing this for Sara or are you doing it for the army?"

Now Patrick was made to grimace as he looked up at Lucy. After a moment he grew certain she was serious and a sigh escaped him. "For Sara. I know that she wants this."

"I'm glad to hear that. Well I'm sure we can work out something then. I take it you're primarily interested in methods of increasing the threshold of awareness."

"Yes that is our primary interest."

"Okay I know of a few methods that you could help. I'll also dredge up some old plans I have."

"Dredge up?"

"At one time I tried to develop ways to increase my own threshold. However, while studying ways to improve it I found that the method I've been using is still the most effective by far. Eventually it became clear how superior it was so that I ended up scrapping my old plans."

"I take it you wouldn't be interested in shearing your primary method."

"I would but I doubt you'd find it useful. It's not something you can really duplicate out of a desire to do so. It has to happen more naturally then that."

"I understand. We are still interested in the other methods you mentioned naturally."

"I figured you would be. Okay Patrick I'm going to put some trust in you and your superiors. I'll share some of the information with you and trust you to make an equivalent effort to help me. If you don't do so you can forget about any future talks and if I'm unhappy enough you can expect retaliation for trying to cheat me. Is that agreeable?"

"Yes, however should you feel we are not living up to our end of the deal I would appreciate it if you would tell us first. We might be able to make some arrangements to equalize things."

"That's fair enough."

***********************************************************************************

"Okay Albert just remember what you learned while I was letting you manipulate my body. This is very similar."

In response Albert gave a slight nod and continued to focus on the brick in front of him. "I'll do my best but Lucy. I have to say this feels really strange."

An amused chuckle escaped Lucy as she lightly tapped her chin. "Well to be perfectly honest I feel a little silly doing this as well. It's just a matter of you and me working together. Um no Albert not like that?"

"Huh?"

"You're trying to get the brick to move itself. That isn't going to work. You have to move the brick. Think about when I had you move my arms or whenever you kept moving my hands away from my breast. That's what you're going to need to do. You knew the arms weren't yours and they didn't function as yours did but you were still able to affect them."

"With you acting as an intermediate though."

"That's what I'm doing here as well. Now come on Albert I can't do this without you."

In response Albert gave a quick nod and began to focus on the brick in front of him. As he did so he could actually feel something though he wasn't sure if it meant anything or if it was just his imagination. Even as he was speaking he continued to try and focus on the brick before him. "Lucy shouldn't we start with something lighter?"

"No, then you wouldn't be certain if you had truly done anything or not. Though perhaps we could do something to help you out a bit." As she spoke Lucy reached forward and slipped the fingernail of her index finger under Albert. She then gave him a slight nudge causing him to roll over onto his back.

It actually surprised Albert when the moment Lucy rolled him over he lost the feeling he had been experiencing before hand. He didn't get to think much about that though as he looked up at her and noticed the smile she was wearing. "Just what are you planning?"

"You'll find out soon enough." While Lucy didn't answer Albert she didn't make any attempt to hide what she was doing. Reaching behind herself she quickly undid the heavy cables that held her top on. As she undid the material though the metal gave a slight groan that made Lucy wince. "Blast it I hate having to use these materials. They're just so weak."

"Well I doubt they were developed to handle something as massive and bouncy as your bust."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Despite her words Lucy was made to sigh as she tossed the top to the side. It was easy for her to hear when the metal cables struck the fabric that covered her breasts. "I just can't wait until I can develop something more suitable for my clothing. I swear it isn't like it has to do much work though. My breasts support themselves."

"That's still a lot of fabric to hold up." As Albert watched Lucy removing her top he prepared for her to reach down and pick him up. He was a bit surprised though whenever Lucy's began to come closer while her hands remained on her sides. "Um Lucy what are you doing?"

A soft chuckle escaped Lucy as she quickly lowered her chest towards Albert. She could already see him raising to a seated position but didn't have any intention of allowing him to do so. In the end she moved so quickly that the air being pushed aside by her massive chests was actually enough to knock Albert back down making it all to easy for her to settle her chest over him. As she lowered her breast unto Albert she made it a point to position herself so that the edge of her areola was just above his head. "Now where do you think you're going?"

Albert trusted Lucy with his very spirit but as that massive mountain of flesh lowered towards him he couldn't help instinct. Both of his hands reached upward and pressed firmly into that massive mountain as if he had any chance of stopping her. "Now just how is this suppose to help us?"

"I'm getting to that part." As Albert pressed against her breast Lucy continued to lower herself towards him being careful not to crush him. She took her time letting herself enjoy the feeling of his arms quivering as they struggled to hold up that massive weight then feeling them slowly pressed down towards his body. Soon Albert had been forced to lower his arms to his side yet Lucy continued to lower her breast down onto him.

The heat from that massive globe was as all encompassing as the mass itself. As Albert took note of his he couldn't help his body's response and he felt his penis pushing against the front of his pants. As that massive mountain continued to be lowered onto him he actually thrust upward against it but only once. This wasn't from a lack of desire though rather a lack of ability as that massive globe pressed down onto him forcing him to remain still. The softness of Lucy's flesh kept it from being painful but he couldn't move.

"Now let's try this. I want you to make me set up."

"What? How am I suppose to do that?"

"The same way you kept me from fondling my breast." As she spoke Lucy increased the pressure she was exerting on Albert with her bust. She heard a slight grunt escape him as the pressure went from just pinning him to being uncomfortable.

"I was in your body back then though. I can't do it outside."

"Albert you're always with me as we're always connected. Besides I told you where your awareness truly resides." As Lucy spoke she started to move her hand to point for her head but stopped herself. With her breast covering Albert she knew that he couldn't see anything. The action was simply instinctual enough that she had to stop herself from preforming it.

As Albert was listening to Lucy he could have sworn that her breast was pressing down on him more firmly after what had become a pinning force became uncomfortable though he was certain of it. "Lucy, you're settling a bit more of your mass on me then I'm used to."

"Hmhmm I know and it's only going to get worse." As Lucy spoke she allowed more of her breast's mass to settle down on Albert. It was only an insignificant amount to her but she knew it would be substantial to Albert.

"What are you doing?"

"Encouraging you to try and get me to lift my breast up of course. You've had experience working my body."

"I thought we were working on moving outside objects though. This isn't the same as moving something that isn't connected to you."

"True but it has similarities and is much more fun." As she spoke Lucy increased the pressure a bit more. As she did so she couldn't help but notice Albert's penis was still pressing into her flesh quite firmly. "Not all of you seems to be upset about this though." There was no response from Albert but rather a grunt of effort as he pushed up against her breast clearly using a considerable amount of his strength. "Albert you know you're doing it the wrong way."

Once again Albert answered in a grunt though this time it was due to the difficulty of breathing and not effort. He knew that Lucy was right. He also knew there wouldn't be any arguing with her at the moment particularly because he doubted he could talk effectively. There was no choice but to try things her way so that he began to focus on the massive globe pressing down on him. As he focused upon it he tried to mimic what he'd done while inside of Lucy's body.

It only took Albert a few moments to comply and Lucy felt the first tingle in her back muscles as he tried to have her lift her breast off of him. It wasn't nearly pronounced enough to cause her to do so even if she didn't fight it but it did have an affect. "See you can do it Albert. I can feel. That!" It was hard for Lucy to keep from jerking upward as she felt Albert's tongue press firmly into her breast and move along the tiniest portion of it. As his tongue moved over as much of her breast as it could in his pinned state he quickly closed his mouth running his teeth over the surface of her flesh.

If he had been able to breath easily enough Albert would have chuckled as he noted Lucy's response. He knew that he hadn't harmed her and his tactic had worked. Some of the pressure was lifted off of him. It wouldn't be enough to get Lucy to lift all of that globe off of him but at least it wasn't as uncomfortable. Before hand it had been borderline with being painful.

"Oh that's just being tricky." Even as she spoke Lucy could still feel Albert trying to get her breast lifted off of him. She was glad that he wasn't using his arms to the extent he had been. He couldn't stop trying entirely just yet but that was natural. "Come on Albert I know you have it in you."

"Lucy, you're the only one that has an awareness strong enough to operate a body like yours."

"OH Albert that isn't true. Your awareness is strong enough you just need to realize that and I'm sure this will help." As she spoke Lucy considered leaning forward again to motivate Albert more but she chose not to. She could feel his efforts having an affect despite his statements. There were other ways of encouraging him as well. "Come on Albert you helped me develop this body of mine so much. You were there always nurturing me but never letting me grow content. Just think whenever I first found myself able to look over the tree tops."

Now Albert was made to feel a ping of guilt for a moment. Not because of what he'd said but because what he couldn't remember. "Lucy, I wish I could but I can't remember that."

"Ah well we were young then. You said. Just wait until you can look over the buildings like that. Of course you never specified what buildings."

For a moment Albert was silent then a chuckle escaped him. "Hey I actually remember that! I was talking about the research building."

"Really? I thought you were talking about some skyscrapers."

"Then I'm glad you never asked me to clarify." A grunt escaped Albert as he noted Lucy's breast move upward slightly. He was still pinned so that he couldn't work his way out from under Lucy's breast but it did give him some more breathing room.

"Now Albert you can't relax yet! You're just beginning to work my muscles."

Before anything could happen Albert immediately resumed his efforts. Right away he recognized the tone in Lucy's voice and knew that if he stopped now she'd lower her breast back down on him. "Can't you give a guy a break?"

"Nope! Not until he realizes that he shouldn't be straining at all. Albert do you really believe I have to exert that much force to stand up?"

"Not but."

"Your awareness isn't weak Albert you shouldn't be straining at all. Quit trying to brute force your way through and feel what works."

A sigh escaped Albert as he began to force his arms to relax. It proved more difficult then he thought it would as he could have sworn the pressure on his chest increased when he did so. His instincts told him to push up with his arms and with all that weight pressing down on him it was hard to ignore them. He managed to do so though and began to try to focus on Lucy lifting her chest off of him. "I'm not trying to get you to lift your chest off of me I'm trying to lift it right?"

"Yep!"

"Lucy I've been wanting to ask. How much control can you exert over my body?"

"The same amount of control you can exert over mine at least in theory. Albert we have a two way connection. Nothing about it gives me an advantage over you but you don't have any advantage over me at least not from the physical link between us two. If you wanted to try to over ride my control over my body it would be purely a battle of will and the reverse is true. Hey I have an idea. Perhaps you'd feel more comfortable if I enter." Lucy didn't get a chance to finish.

"No!"

"Huh? But I was just going to suggest."

"You are to stay out of my body."

"Ah but why? It's a fine adorable strong body. I think we could have a lot of fun. Perhaps we should switch control and point of view entirely."

In response Albert quickly shook his head. "No. Lucy I still feel strange inside of your body and I sure don't want to know what it's like for you to be inside of mine."

"Ah that's just being selfish!"

"Lucy, I just can't stand to think of you that way. It just wouldn't feel right. Even though I feel awkward whenever I'm inside of your body and seeing through your eyes I still know your surrounding me. All around me and that I'm comfortable with."

"Ah but you don't want to feel like you're surrounding me?"

A slight chuckle escaped Albert. "You know I suppose that I don't."

"You mean you don't feel like wrapping your arms around me hugging me and keeping me safe?"

"Lucy I want to protect you in every way I possibly can. I want to be your shield but I. You know I don't believe I would feel differently if you had never grown. If you were smaller then me I'd probably be trying to convince you to join me in the gym."

It was impossible for Lucy to keep from giggling. "And why is that?!"

"I don't like the idea of you being weak Lucy. You deserve your strength every least bit of it and every last bit you will gain you are fully worthy of it. I want you to have that power and I don't want anything to happen to ever diminish it."

"Thanks Albert."

"You're welcome Lucy now how about getting this incredibly lovely but massive mountain off me?"

"Not happening. You're either going to lift it off of you or you're going to be there for a very long time."

"Come on Lucy you've got to let me up sooner or later?"

"Oh do I? Who here has multiple bodies? Which one of us knows how to network her mind with computer systems to get outside business done?"

"You do."

"So you see Albert I could be here for a very long time and by the way. I like how you feel pressing up against my breast so I'm in no hurry."

A groan escaped Albert as he started to push up against Lucy's breast more firmly. This time he remembered though and was able to keep his body from trying to physically force her breast up. Instead he forced himself to relax and try to continue feeling out what he was doing. As he focused his thoughts he was quite surprised whenever he felt the pressure Lucy was exerting against his body lighten up even more.

"See Albert. You can do it."

"Um Lucy do I have to make you straiten up entirely or do I just have to get enough room to wiggle out from under here?"

"Hm I'll cut you a little break for today. If you can wiggle out from under my breast we can move onto something else."

"Now hold on. Before I agree to that what do you mean by something else?"

A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as Albert clearly wasn't letting his guard down. "Something we can both enjoy."

"Do you mean in the long run or immediately?"

"Now Albert would I reward you with an even more difficult task?"

"Yes."

Um well." A slight chuckle escaped Lucy as she ran her index finger over her lips. "Okay, if you can get out from under my breast I assure you that the immediate task will be enjoyable for the both of us."