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Chapter 18
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Preparations

Shelly, Sonia, Sheldon and his girlfriends, and Sheila all followed Jen through the twisting caves that made up the Pillar of Fire’s volcano home. If there was one thing that could never be said about this place, it was that the heating bill never got paid.

Shelly’s emotions were in turmoil as they walked. Sonia had a grip on her hand, which she appreciated for the comfort it offered, but it did nothing for the tear in her heart. Finding out Jessica wasn’t her sister was a relief. But Jessica believed that she was. She still sought out a relationship with her and admitted to caring for Sheldon.

The story Jessica told about escaping from her abusive mother and playing with a goblin girl was false. Angela couldn’t have lied about that with Mandy in the room. What kind of a person was Jessica? Was she as dark and evil as the Pillar of Fire made her out to be? Shelly thought she sensed good in the woman. She’d fallen in love with her, or she thought she had. Now she didn’t know. Nothing was what she thought it should be. No one was who she thought they were.

She knew that last thought wasn’t fair as soon as she thought it. She could rely on her brother, father, and mother. She had no idea what was going through Sheldon’s mind at the news they’d learned, but she could see her mom was suffering.

“Mom?” she asked, and then sped up to be next to her. “Are you all right?”

Sheila turned and her smile did nothing to hide the hurt in her eyes. “I hate seeing him in pain,” she told her daughter, and then grimaced. “That’s not what I meant to tell you. A parent is supposed to hide their pain from their children, not reveal it.”

“If you want to slow down, I will try to move you out of my range of influence,” Mandy offered. “Honesty is always best, but sometimes my presence causes too much honesty.”

Sheila waved her down. “No, I don’t blame you, Mandy. It’s usually refreshing to have you around.”

“If I weren’t around, I’d think you were lying,” Mandy laughed. “I don’t think anyone has ever referred to my presence as refreshing.”

“Well, I find you more than refreshing,” Sheldon commented and groped her behind.

Shelly rolled her eyes at her brother’s antics. At least he appeared to be handling everything in his usual brash manner.

“Dad will be all right,” Shelly said, returning to the original topic with her mother.

“I’m glad you believe that, dear,” Sheila’s sad smile returned. “He tries so hard to be strong, but you kids don’t see how much pain he’s in. I’ve never once doubted that he loved me. At least, not since he risked the entire world to save my life when I took the Outsider into myself. I’m glad that didn’t affect the two of you, like it appeared to do for Jessica.”

Shelly stopped in her tracks at her mom’s words. That thought had never occurred to her. Sheila was pregnant when she allowed the Outsider to control her body in order to communicate with their dad. Were they corrupted by it?

“Shelly?” Sonia’s eyes were right in front of Shelly, making her jump back. She’d spaced out, and hadn’t even noticed the android’s concern.

“Sorry, just thinking,” she replied. Sheila had also held back, but everyone else had continued moving forward.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Sheila told her, and shook her head. “Forget about it. I shouldn’t have even mentioned it. Gaia checked you both out at birth, and made sure you were clean of its presence.”

“You’re a good person,” Sonia reassured her. “No one who knows you can doubt that.”

“Thank you,” she told them both, and then reached for Sonia’s hand again. Sonia might be a synthetic being, but her presence and caring warmed Shelly up inside. She didn’t know how she felt about the woman’s feelings for her, but that was the least of her concerns for now.

They walked on in silence for a few seconds before Shelly said, “Sorry I stopped what you were saying, Mom. About Dad loving you?”

“What?” Sheila looked around as they came to an intersection, and turned down the one they heard voices coming from. They’d lost sight of their guides, but they encountered no problems following Sheldon’s deep voice. “Oh, right. Well, like I said, I never doubted his love for me after that, nor his love for any of his wives. Before I let your father own me, I never imagined being with a man who wasn’t strictly with me. Odd how love can change a person.”

A few seconds passed before Shelly spoke up. “That wasn’t what you were going to say, Mom,” she chided her mother. They must have been be outside of Mandy’s influence.

“Oh, fine. Just remember what I said about a parent wanting to protect their children from their own pains,” Sheila groused. “I suppose your brother is outside of earshot, anyway. Your father doesn’t blame him for what happened, but losing Arethusa was hard on him. Despite how she could be, always the pervert and troublemaker, she brought a smile to your dad’s face. Then, losing Becky so soon afterwards… He’s a strong man, Shelly, the strongest I’ve ever known; but you didn’t know him when we lost Lysa’s mother. He pulled away from the world and retreated into himself. It took three of his wives to pull him out of it. The look on his face as he went into Angela’s inner sanctum tore at my heart. It’s times like this that a master needs his slave, but I know he needs to work things out with Angela. I’d just be in the way.”

“I don’t think you’d ever be in the way for Dad,” Shelly commented.

“No, and I know your father would say the same thing, but he doesn’t see things like we women do.” Sheila rubbed at her eyes and Shelly realized she was crying. “He would never send me away, or begrudge my presence, but I know Angela and him need to work this out on their own. Your father is in pain, and I want to comfort him. To serve him. But right now, I’m not what he needs. I know Angela still loves him, though her actions haven’t always been for the best. She thinks too much with her heart, but maybe that’s part of being a succubus. I can only hope that they can mend the wound she’s created, or he’s going to be in even more pain to lose another love.”

Shelly was silent for a while as she contemplated her mother’s words. She was surprised at how well Lyden Snow had held up to losing Areth and Becky, but she assumed that he was the strong man he always appeared to be. Now she knew he was hurting, and that made her that much sadder. She didn’t know what he would do if he didn’t have the love and support of his other wives.

What would she have done if Sonia hadn’t been there to start picking up the pieces after Jessica abandoned them?

She looked at the android and decided to give her a better chance. She couldn’t promise to love her, but that didn’t mean she had to push her away either.

“About time you caught up,” Jen laughed as they rounded a bend and found her standing outside an open doorway. “I was about to go back and see if I couldn’t catch you in an illicit tryst.”

“Jen, I appreciate your crude humor as little as the next person, but now isn’t the time,” Sheila growled.

“Oh, the fun I’d like to have with your tight ass,” Jen grinned back at her. “Anyway, this is where my mistress wants you to get refreshed. I’ll have food brought to you. You’re welcome to come and go, or cum and plough as much as you please. Lyden will be brought here as soon as he’s done with my mistress.”

Shelly expected Jen to leave them there, but she stepped into the room instead. The three women still outside followed suit, and found themselves in a comfy, if a little warm, octagonal room. Three smaller rooms branched out from this one, and it reminded Shelly of Gaia’s waiting room, only there weren’t enough for everybody to have their own, and they weren’t labelled.

“So, what’s first on the agenda?” Jen asked as she plopped herself down on a plush couch. Her massive tits were still hanging out, and Shelly knew she had to use magic to keep those airbags from flopping everywhere.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Sheila stated and headed for one room. “And no, Jen, I don’t want any company.”

Jen pouted, but then looked to the rest of them.

“I’d like a bath, myself,” Shelly stated and made sure she had a firm grip on Sonia’s hand. “Before you ask, Jen, I already have the company I want.” Her mom had picked the center room, so she took the one on the right.

“I’ve heard the facilities here are pretty big,” Shlee commented before they made it from the room.

“The showers are big enough to accommodate an entire orgy,” Jen laughed.

“Good!” Shlee replied. “Then you can wash my back while Mandy washes Eldon’s!”

“Now wait a minute,” Eldon protested. “Don’t I get a say in this?”

“No,” three women told him at once.

Shelly closed the door behind them, and let her back fall against it.

“Your brother either has the worst luck, or the best,” Sonia stated. For some reason, she seemed a bit nervous.

“He has my father’s luck,” Shelly laughed, then surprised them both by pulling Sonia into a kiss. She hadn’t planned on it, but she had let it be an impulse. Recent events put Sonia in a better light. Shelly still hurt from Jessica’s lies and abandonment, but Sonia was there for her, a smooth balm to take out the worst of that sting. She wasn’t just doing this to repay the android for her kindness… Well, not entirely. She also wanted to feel alive again. Wanted something to fill that void in her heart.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Sonia asked when Shelly needed to come up for air, “but what was that for?”

“Get naked and join me in the bath…. Um, you can get in the bath, right?” Shelly knew it was a dumb question and felt foolish for asking.

“I’m equipped to handle any weather, or situation,” Sonia said as she took a step back and continued to look uncertain. “While I don’t need cleaning like a human, a shower will cause my internal systems no problem.”

“Now see, what you should have said was, ‘I would love to take a bath with you,’” Shelly tried to tease her. “Get naked and I’ll tell you what that kiss was for, but I’m tired of being dirty, and these clothes aren’t helping.”

“I would love to take a bath with you,” Sonia said in the most robotic tone she’d ever used around Shelly. They both laughed as the android stripped off her clothes.

Shelly started filling the tub. Her only choices were hot, scalding, boiling, or magma. She wasn’t sure if magma was a joke or not, and chose hot on the dial. Steam rose from the surface of the water as four jets spouted liquid, filling a tub that was the size of a small pool. Despite its large size, the water level rose at a rapid pace.

Shelly had to literally peel her undergarments off. Having stayed here before, she knew where to deposit them to have them cleaned. By the time they left the tub, her garments would be fresh, and any needed mending taken care of. Angela was nothing if not a gracious host to her friends.

The water was a little too hot for Shelly as she dipped her toes in, but ignored it. Her calves slipped in next, the surface tension acting as a burning line sliding up her firm legs. She hesitated only a moment before dropping her pelvis into the water and sunk up to her breasts.

“The temperature of this water is a little warm at 101 degrees Fahrenheit. Would you like me to cool it?” Sonia inquired.

She ignored the question as Sonia sank up to her breasts in the water. “I want you to come over here and sit in my lap while this heat relaxes my muscles,” Shelly told her.

Sonia got that uncertain look on her face again.

“I could give you a massage if your muscles are too stiff,” Sonia told her.

“You’re trying too hard,” Shelly shook her head. “Now turn around, press your back against me, and let’s just enjoy each other’s company.”

Sonia did as she was bid. As soon her back was pressed against Shelly’s torso, Shelly lifted her legs and wrapped them around the android’s waist and her arms around Sonia’s chest, clasping them just under her firm breasts.

“See?” Shelly asked as she sighed, her body heat warming to the steaming water. “Now isn’t this nice?”

“I’m not trying to argue, but you have me worried,” Sonia said and tried to turn her head to look at Shelly. “Why are you behaving like this?”

“For someone with access to so much data, you don’t seem to understand human nature very well,” Shelly teased as she brought her right hand up and pulled Sonia’s head back to rest against her shoulder.