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“What do I care about ‘the law’?” Kass sounded disgusted by the implication.

“The Bells are mine . Every miniscule blonde one of them. They’re my children.

I found them, I’ve kept them, and I’ve invested years into their upbringing and maintenance.

Someone has to keep their stupidity from destroying them and that impossible responsibility falls to me. ”

Stacy considered that for a moment, glancing at her brothers, then back at Kass. “Can I… like… call you ‘Dad’ or something then?” She asked hesitantly. “Sometimes?”

“Would I get grandchildren?” Kass countered, sounding equally hesitant. “I need to cement my legacy in this undeserving world. Furthering my dynasty is a growing priority.”

Stacy shrugged.“Sure.”

“Then I can live with that.” Kass decided, then paused. “Of course… I can live with a lot of things, being immortal and all.”

“Cool.” Stacy beamed, obviously thrilled with this new arrangement. She ran over to give him a quick hug. “I don’t even remember having a dad before. This is exciting! Are you going to be nicer to me?”

“Probably harsher because your disappointing behavior more directly reflects upon me.” Kass paused, watching his newfound daughter take her seat again and excitedly kiss her husband. “Sit up straight, by the way. Only slack-jawed peasants slouch.”

Killian looked more amused than anything. “Can I have a new car, ‘Dad’?”

Kass glared at the boy in warning, then refocused on Hazard. “ And I have the date of your wedding marked on my calendar, and if she gives birth one day before nine months have passed, you and I are going to have words.”

Hazard spread his arms out in exasperated confusion. “Your bride was pregnant during the wedding, mate!”

Kass shook his head in certainty. “Entirely different.”

“Personally, I’m wondering why you needed to mark the date of their wedding on a calendar, since it’s also our anniversary.

” Rayn thought aloud, then turned to her husband.

“And since when do you have a calendar? Last time I checked, you’re still confused why there were only 12 months in this dimension. ”

“ Which is why I bought the calendar! ” Kass argued, as if that were perfectly rational.

Harlot held up her hand to call for order again. “We done?” She asked, her tone filled with mild irritation but good-humored mirth. “Then I’d like to propose a toast...”

They all joined in.

“To the friends we’ve lost, the friends we’ve found, and the friends we’ll have forever.” Harlot said, taking her husband’s hand. “Happy Thanksgiving, family!”

“And Kilroy.” Natalie added, her voice breaking. She raised her glass higher. “He was here. He left his mark. And he won’t be forgotten.”

The team toasted again… then started to argue about petty and ultimately meaningless bullshit.

Because that’s what they did.

Oz took her hand and kissed it tenderly. “You’re a good person, Natalie.” He told her softly.

She shrugged. “Only currently.” She heaped some sweet potatoes and marshmallows onto his plate for him, because he needed to eat more unhealthy things and have more fun. “Tomorrow, I might be evil again.”

****

“You’re sure this isn’t too weird and kinky, right?” Oz asked again, voice tight with desire and lust, but apprehensive about giving into his darker inclinations. “Because it seems pretty weird and kinky, Nat.”

“Yes.” She nodded her head, pulling on her hand to make sure the bonds were secure enough and held her still.

“This one needs to be tighter. Close to cutting off the circulation, please.” She swallowed, loving the fact that her goody-two shoes partner was strapping her down like this.

“There isn’t a single part of me that doesn’t want you.

” She told him honestly. “Besides, you deserve some sexy revenge for all Ronnie put you through this week.”

“I don’t know…” Oz began, always looking at everything like it was a morality test he needed to pass. “This still seems really…”

“Oz… look at me.” She met his eyes.

And she could tell the decision was made.

He moved to kneel behind her, her arms and legs tied so that she was on her hands and knees, offering herself to him. It was the most submissive position she could think of, and it was the one she wanted to use when Oz took Ronnie. Hopefully, very hard.

“Mercygiver?” Oz asked hesitantly.

Natalie smiled in pleasure as Ronnie took the stage, recognizing the predicament.

“Uh-oh…” Mull grinned from beside them in Nat’s mind. “I think Ronnie’s in trouble now…”

Mercygiver yanked on the bonds, uttering a curse.

Oz calmly ran his fingers through the damp red curls which were nestled between Ronnie’s thighs, exploring.

Mercygiver stiffened, as one of Oz’s questing fingers slipped inside and his rough scars teased the delicate skin they were claiming. “Are you a history fan, Mister Dimico?” Ronnie got out hoarsely, trying to concentrate on something other than how good it felt to be invaded like that.

“Yes, actually.” Oz seemed interested in that, like he was excited to discover something else about her. The pad of his thumb casually began playing with Ronnie’s center like it was his personal property. “Very much so.”

Mercygiver stopped, taken aback by his answer and by what the man’s fingers were doing, the prepared speech ending mid-word. “Wait… what?” Ronnie’s heartrate went up, hopeful and excited over that news. “…Really?” There was an edge of desperation in the word.

Oz went off on a tangent, his fingers no longer playing, always eager to talk with Natalie about her interests. “I’m particularly interested in the War years up until the ‘60s, as…”

“Oz?” Natalie interrupted, taking over her mind again. “Can you focus here? I’m happy that you and the nightmare parts of my brain are bonding over shared interests, but maybe you can concentrate?”

“Right.” Oz nodded sheepishly, and moving to sit in front of Ronnie on the bed. “We started a confrontation, Mercygiver, remember?”

“I remember threatening to kill you.” Ronnie said, faking complete confidence. “And I remember wondering how quickly I could break your fucking neck .”

“Uh-huh.” Oz didn’t seem at all intimidated by that, possibly because the threat was delivered while his fingers were still damp from Ronnie’s body. “No, you didn’t.” He said with complete confidence. “Not at all.”

Mull and Natalie were distracted by staring at the man’s erection, utterly transfixed, remembering what it felt like to have it inside them. Anxious to feel it again.

Mercygiver made a conspicuous effort to keep from looking at its throbbing length, the barriers between the different parts of Natalie’s mind breaking down.

Oz had reached all of her mind but this one last little bit, which had been cloaked in shadow her entire life. A part of her mind which scared her, like a monster under the bed. That was where Mercygiver called home. In the chaos and hate. In her self-loathing and fear.

But she was certain that Oz could reach all of her. That Ronnie’s hatred could be cleaned away by the sunlight of Oz’s sweet, pure love. It had washed the rest of her clean, making her feel complete. Like a regular, non-crazy person.

She knew it could do the same for that last little piece of herself too.

But she needed to be careful. In many ways, Ronnie was like a wild animal.

Thus, today’s experiment. She had asked to be tied up, just in case it went wrong. She was sure she could control Ronnie, but… no sense in taking unneeded risks.

She looked at Oz’s hard body, inches from her face, just asking to be pleasured. Natalie wasn’t generally a sex kitten, but there was something about Oz which made her feel especially imaginative .

“Do it.” Mull begged Oz in Natalie’s thoughts, getting excited by the idea of what was about to happen to Ronnie. “Please…”

Natalie smiled, wanting it too.

“I love you.” Oz said tenderly, looking into Mercygiver’s eyes.

“I love all of you, even the darkness. If you don’t want to give me that piece of you, I will understand completely.

” He shook his head, not breaking the eye contact.

“I won’t push you to do anything you don’t want to do.

Not ever.” He gently took Ronnie’s face in his strong hands.

“You will not hurt me. You do not scare me. And there’s nothing in this world which would ever make me leave you. ”

They were all silent for several breaths.

“If you put that in my mouth, I will bite it off.” Mercygiver told Oz flatly, but Natalie noticed a tremor in the tone, which indicated desire. Ronnie didn’t mean that. At all.

Mull silently snickered, recognizing the wavering too and loving it.

“No. You won’t.” Oz said with his complete confidence and trust. His body remained where it was, tantalizingly close.

Natalie nodded, ignoring Ronnie’s fear. “I want it.” She assured Oz softly.

Oz didn’t need to be told twice, moving forward. Mercygiver got over the momentary hesitation and opened Natalie’s mouth, filling it with Oz’s hard body.

Mull made a low hum of pleasure, enjoying it.

Oz hissed, his movements stiff, like he was terrified of hurting her.

Mercygiver made a low moan, almost identical to Mull’s, tongue tentatively teasing Oz’s shaft, testing him. Feeling dominated and kinda scared and uncertain how this was going to go…

Mull started to silently laugh again. “Taste good, asshole?” Mull gloated, enjoying the sight of Oz’s body in Ronnie’s mouth.

“That’s right… Suck him off… You acted like you were the toughest thing around since I was a girl, scared me every day, but look at you now…

A fucking day with my man, and he’s turned your weak ass into his little cock slut… ”

Natalie swore at herself, as Mercygiver considered that, anger stirring. Already planning how to escape the bonds and kill Multifarious…