Alina's shoulders dropped when her call to Jason didn't connect. She turned to look at her friends, Asami, Michelle, and Emily, with a helpless look.

“He's not answering,” she told the others who became crestfallen. “Looks like we're on our own for now.”

“So what do we do?” asked Emily in concern while stroking the little girl's hair, who was sleeping on her lap.

“Have a slumber party and look after her!” Asami decided decisively.

“Hmm. Oui, not a bad idea. Strength in numbers.” Michelle agreed.

“Guys, shhh. She's waking!” Emily whispered while shushing them with her hand.

The little girl opened her bleary eyes, which widened when she saw herself in an unknown place surrounded by strangers. Her bright blue eyes looked at Emily first, then at everyone else with hesitation and fear.

“Hey, there,” Emily said softly, her heart melting when the little girl looked back at her. “Don't worry, none of us will hurt you. We just wanna help you.”

The others showed gentle smiles and nods to emphasize Emily's point, but the little girl curled backward and tried to hide behind Emily's back.

“I think she likes you,” Alina told Emily.

“Cause she's got bigger boobs,” muttered Asami, earning a smack from Michelle. A tiny growl, almost negligible, echoed through the room as the little girl blushed. She grabbed her tummy while looking at everyone from behind Emily's shoulder.

“For now, why don't we have some dinner?” suggested Emily while turning and patting the little girl's head.

“Uhh … does anyone know how to cook?” asked Asami meekly.

“Ne me regarde pas,” Michelle said quickly.

“There's some cold pasta and cola,” said Alina after thinking awhile.

“... Anything else?” asked Emily with hope.

“Uh … maybe? What?! I can't cook! I tried, really!” Alina replied defensively.

“It's alright, I can cook something up if you have the ingredients,” Emily said, defusing the situation before hesitantly asking Alina. “You do … have something in the fridge right?”

“Yeah, I think Jason went shopping the other day,” replied Alina.

“Alright, time to start cracking,” Emily stood up and was about to go to the kitchen when a small hand held her short skirt. Looking back, she saw the little girl worriedly watching. “Aw, sweetie, it's okay. I'm only heading to the kitchen. Why don't you follow me and watch me cook from the dining table?”

The little girl nodded and trotted after Emily, while the others looked on enviously.

“I want to hold her. I need to hold her. I must hold her,” chanted Asami in a monotone voice with her hands raised as she tried going to the dining table, earning her another smack from Michelle. “Stop it, you're killing my brain cells!”

“You have brain cellules?” asked Michelle looking genuinely surprised and horrified.

“Oh, very funny.”

Twenty minutes later, a variety of dishes were presented in front of the little girl. There was a Meat lover's omelet in each plate, some stir-fried vegetables that were still in a pan, fried rice in a large bowl, and cold pasta leftovers that had shredded chicken in it. The assortment of dishes had awed everyone of them.

“Wow, you're amazing. So, you practicing for your boyfriend or something?” asked Asami in a teasing voice.

“Of course not. I have siblings so I usually end up cooking for them.” Emily replied smilingly while watching the little girl eat ravenously. “It feels great when I see them smile.”

“Then you should consider mariage,” joked Michelle with a serious face, causing Emily to nearly collapse head first onto the table.

“Uh ... that's a little … uh … ” Emily was about to reply until she saw the little girl staring at her.

“So, uh, what's your name sweetie?” Emily asked the little girl, evading the previous joke.

“Alice,” the little girl replied in a small voice that couldn't pronounciate properly.

“Were you lost? Do you know your parents' name?” Asked Emily softly.

The little girl withdrew to herself with tears in her eyes, before nodding softly.

“Jason … Singh.” she whispered, dazing Alina, whose eyes started spinning as smoke flew out her head.

“Well hell,” said Alina, causing everyone to look at her. “That … was Jason's old name…”

“WHAT?!” Everyone cried out together.

***

Jason, the person in question, was too busy stripping what little remained of Elizabeth's garments that concealed her body. He ripped off her underwear and pushed her to a kneeling position on the bed. From behind, he snaked his left hand below her armpit and gently massaged her left breast. Right after, he wrapped her right arm over his shoulder and bent his head to suckle on her other breast.

“Mmm … aye, that’s it…” Elizabeth moaned as her hand gripped his hair. She had turned her Aura Sight off, darkening her world but enhancing the feeling of pleasure that surrounded her. Soon, Jason's right hand crawled to her leg, caressingly making its way to her secret flower. As his hand reached her inner thigh, Elizabeth shuddered with anticipation.

However, Jason’s hand stopped short of her wet honeypot, and he gently rubbed the folds of her labia. At the same time, his mouth and left hand started avoiding her nipples and only circled around her areolas, tantalizingly teasing her. Jason even shifted his body away when she tried moving her nipples closer, forcing to endure the limited pleasure.

“More, give me more!” Elizabeth gasped amorously, desperate to feel more pleasure from him. Jason obliged by crushing and biting her nipples while gently rubbing her clitoris with his rough, calloused finger. The stimulus from all three spots made her mind go blank but before the ecstasy became too much to bear, Jason pulled away while breathing heavily.

“No,” He whispered, his husky voice echoing in her ears as he leaned over her. “Not that quickly, Lizzy. Not that easily ... I haven’t tasted you yet.”

Jason entwined his tongue with hers, before pushing her down and lifting her legs closer to his face while he sat and stretched them apart. He breathed in her scent, his breath tingling her pink flower as he kissed her inner thighs. Then, abruptly, he starting licking and kissing the center of her entrance, causing her to moan loudly as she grasped the bedsheet. For minutes he continued to devour her, his tongue licking from the bottom of her vulva to her clitoris in long, wide strides that sent her into a euphoric state where she was unable to say anything. As Elizabeth bit the bedsheet to prevent herself from screaming, she climaxed for the first time tonight. Jason, seeing the small amount of nectar leak out of her sensitive honeypot, delectably lapped it up, causing her body to convulse once more.

Gathering her strength, Elizabeth lifted her legs and circled her feet around his neck, pulling Jason down into a lying position. She seductively crawled herself towards him until she reached his legs and tore his trousers off, revealing his erect rod. Its size was above average, over six inches, while the girth was nearly six inches as well, making him a difficult stallion for any woman to handle reasonably.

“My turn,” She whispered, licking her lips. Slowly she licked his rod, focusing on the tip as she gently fondled his hanging sack between her fingers dexterously. Jason’s breathing was shallow as he watched her please him, his eyes never moving from her face. Elizabeth also turned to look at him without stopping her mouth, and as their eyes met she stirringly rolled her tongue from the bottom of his frenulum to the entrance of his rod before pulling away.

“Yer quite full, aren’t you? How long has it been since you released it?” She asked as she aggressively slithered her hands around his rod and licked the tip like an ice cream cone. Jason didn’t speak, he only looked on with clenched fists.

“Too far gone to speak, laddie? It is a good thing I came,” Elizabeth continued before plunging his rod into her mouth again, this time handling it roughly. Eventually, Jason’s breathing stilled as he held her head down, releasing his load into her mouth, which she brazenly swallowed.

Elizabeth used her fingers to wipe the corners of her mouth that dripped with his essence before seductively sucking her fingers clean and then straddled herself atop Jason, inserting his rod into her orifice which delved deep into her as she voraciously pushed down, devouring him to the root. As Elizabeth moaned erotically, she raised one hand and ran it through her hair, while the other caressed her breast, which she had thrust out. Jason closed his eyes and arched his back while sending one hand to massage her accompanying breast, and the other gently pinched and rubbed her clitoris. The two lost themselves to the pleasure for dozens of minutes before Elizabeth fell into Jason’s arms, exhausted from her third orgasm.

Jason kissed her, then flipped both of them, mounting atop her. As he rose, he paused to kiss her breasts before placing himself between her straightened legs while resting his hands and knees on the bed, using all four to support himself. He entered her again while kissing her neck, ravaging her roughly in long, steady paces.

“Keep going,” cried Elizabeth desperately. “Harder, m'eudail, harder!”

Jason ignored her cries and continued moving at his own stride, enjoying the feeling of a woman begging for more. After twenty minutes his expression changed and he began thrusting faster while his breathing became out faster and more shallow. Elizabeth, noticing this, smiled and flexibly wrapped her legs around his back, forcing him to climax inside her. Both cried out at the same time as they orgasmed together. After basking in the pleasure, Jason pulled out and lied down next to her as she snuggled closer to him, using his shoulder as a pillow.

***

“So, Jason was Jason Singh before he met you? I thought you two were siblings?!” a gossipy Asami interrogated Alina gleefully.

“Adopted, he was adopted!” Alina responded bluntly, not wanting to explain further.

“It explains beacoup,” Michelle ambiguously said, her eyes narrowed at Alina, before looking at Alice, who was sleeping on the sofa next to Emily.

“Whoa, hold on. So, is this really his kid?” Emily asked slightly shocked as she picked up Alice and held her in her arms, a sinking feeling welling up in her chest.

“No way,” Alina denied decisively. “He’d be like 16 when he had her and that’s impo...ssi...ble.”

Alina slowed down as a memory of her catching Jason in bed with two teens flashed through her eyes.

“Yeah, it’s, uh, it’s possible. Anyways, let’s just … sleep.” Alina said dispiritedly. She led the others to the second floor, where there were spare rooms. Michelle and Asami entered one room while Emily carried Alice to another. Alina also went into her room but couldn't sleep as she kept worrying about why Jason hadn’t contacted her yet.

***

Morning light gleamed through the lightly curtained window as a gentle waterfall cascaded softly through his ears. A benign, fairy-like, voice echoed through his heart as he opened his obsidian eyes. Jason turned his head and found the bed empty and water running in the bathroom, from where the ethereal voice was singing from.

"A ghaoil, leig mi dhachaidh mar a fhuair thu mi.

M'athair agus mo mhàthair a thèid thu chastise

Mo chinnidh agus mo chàirdean bidh thu chastise

Ach mo thriùir bhràithrean marbhaidh sibh

Ma Chan eil mi a 'tilleadh dhachaigh mar a thàinig mi.

Gheall mo mhàthair dhomh gùn

Sgeadachadh le ùra de ribeanan

Agus gheall i dhomh ùr bhreacan

Ma tha mi a 'tilleadh dhachaigh an t-slighe fhuair thu mi..." [1]

Getting up, he began walking to the bathroom and found the door wide open, giving him a breathtaking view. The large bathroom had a curved walk-in shower that took a quarter of the space, and a large jacuzzi-like bathtub that was occupying the other side of the room. And Elizabeth was using the walk-in shower, her body on full display through the clear glass.

Jason had no intention of interrupting, he leaned on the doorway while listening to her sing and feasting his eyes on her enticing body. Her slim figure had a fit, almost athletic, touch to it but a thin layer of fat gave it a feeling of softness that made him addicted to it. Her well-endowed chest seemed to defy gravity, not sagging even a little despite its size and her perky but slightly small butt, pranced itself in front of Jason’s eyes, arousing him once more.

“Is that you laddie? There’s breakfast on the table, your favorite! Oh?” Elizabeth said as she combed her fingers through her now dark red hair. She turned to look at Jason, her porcelain skin glistening from the water and smiled.

“What’s this? Hungry for something else?” She asked him teasingly as she finished washing her hair. She began to show off her body to Jason seductively, before leaning back onto the wall behind her, and slowly touching herself tenderly before increasing her speed. Purring and moaning incessantly, she looked at him erotically, silently asking if he was enjoying the show and Jason, already naked, simply responded by joining her in the shower…

An hour later, both walked out of the bathroom, refreshed and satisfied. Elizabeth, who was wearing a small towel that barely covered her assets, led a towel draped Jason to the dining table which was already set. Between the two sets of dinnerware was a large bowl of mashed potatoes. Next to it was a gravy cup full of brown sauce, and a pan full of thick, juicy sausages that completed the dish.

“Told you, bangers and tatties, your favorite,” Elizabeth beamed while waiting for a compliment. Jason smiled gently as he remembered how, when he lived with her, they would eat this meal whenever she cooked.

The Aether had affected the crops all over Europe, so potatoes became the staple food amongst the people while Elizabeth, who could barely cook, would bake sausages whenever she wanted a ‘home meal’. Still, she was right, this dish was Jason’s favorite because it was the first meal someone had cooked for him. He could recall how the first spoonful lit up his lonely world, letting him know that there was much more to food than just rye bread and meatless jerky.

“It’s perfect,” said Jason softly, his gentle eyes on Elizabeth, who turned away to cover her embarrassment by scooping some mashed potatoes onto his plate.

“Shite, it’s gone cold,” She frowned when she was about to place some sausages on his plate.

Jason sat on a chair as Elizabeth took the pan to warm it up again, and he froze when he saw her. She had bent down to place the pan into the oven and that caused the short towel to lift up and expose herself to him. Jason got up and went behind her, hugging her as he turned off the oven. Then he lifted her to the kitchen counter and started another round with her.

This continued for more than three hours, each battle occurring in a different place. They had two rounds in the living room, one time on the sofa and another on the carpet near the holographic fireplace. Then another in the hallway and, finally, they moved back to the bedroom where they performed twice more.

The two only stopped when both their devices began ringing again. Both sighed simultaneously as they looked at each other; they both knew they had to go. As they tried dressing back up, they couldn't help but laugh. Jason had to go commando since his trousers were ripped, and Elizabeth couldn't use her bra as it was torn.

As Elizabeth buttoned her shirt, she stopped and looked at the ring Jason gave her. She stroked it gently, then she hesitantly took it off and placed it in Jason's hand, who was watching her quietly.

“It was nice, wasn't it? Acting like a married couple for a day?” Elizabeth asked softly while trying to act as normal as possible. As she turned to move away, Jason grasped her arm.

“Maybe it doesn't have to be just a day,” he mused quietly, as Elizabeth look at him incredulously. He had just realized that yesterday's wedding was perhaps more than just an act. No, he was hoping that it was much more.

“Did the sex muddle your head, laddie?” she asked in bewilderment.

“I'm serious,” Jason answered shocking Elizabeth to the core. “I - when we exchanged those vows, I might've been more truthful than I let on. You - I did find myself in you. You opened the door showing me .. a whole new world. One that I never knew existed and I… I like you.

“Stay here, Lizzy. Stay here, give up the … killing ... the vengeance and move here. There’s plenty of stuff to do here, and we coul- you could stay ... with me. Together.”

“Oh laddie,” Elizabeth held her tears back as she lifted a hand and stroked his rough stubble. “You know that's not the life for us, we're too … damaged to live a normal life like this. And I … I'm not ready for … that.”

Elizabeth turned away to hide her face from Jason. Despite everything, a part of her felt that she wasn't right for Jason. She was much older than him, and even with Aura Sight, she was still blind. She felt that she would be nothing but a nuisance to him.

“This about your sight?” Jason asked, a hint of despair creeping into his voice.

“No. Yes! Partially, yes. It is about my eyes. I can't even see you! All I see is some smoky cloud shaped like a human. This … isn't fair, to you or me.” Elizabeth tried explaining while trembling when Jason hugged her from behind.

“It's all right,” Jason whispered. “I know what you're worried about but you're wrong. That won't happen, Lizzy. I'll never regret having you. Never.”

“I - I need to go,” Elizabeth broke away while forcing her tears back and started leaving. This time Jason didn't stop her and he quietly watched her leave through the door.

Another notification came on his holo-watch and reading it surprised him. It was a receipt from the hotel and on it was a list of items provided by the management for room services. The list only included some drinks and a few ingredients for making sausages and mashed potatoes.

She … cooked those herself? He thought. He walked to the kitchen and took some on his plate and started eating. It's delicious … but it's not exactly the same, not without …

He looked back at the door before silently eating the remainders. After putting the plate down, Jason turned to look around at the place one last time before exiting through the window, leaving the place bereft of life. A sigh of wind breezed through the open window, almost as though it was lamenting on how this morning ended.

[1] Composed by Tom Doorley and sung by Julie Fowlis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLUY_WLMQoc), based on an ancient Scottish song and/or folktale. English Translation:

Love, let me home as you found me.

My mother and father will chastise you

My clan and my relatives will chastise you

But my three brothers will kill you

If I don’t return home as I came.

My mother promised me a gown

Decorated with the newest of ribbons

And she promised me a new plaid

If I return home the way you found me.