Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.

Jan visibly relaxed as she followed Dave out. Olivia was checking in with Shawna and Mel. Dave waited until it looked like Liv had reached a stopping point in her conversation, then signaled for her to come back up.

"Dave, how long until the cops get here?" Shawna asked.

"Patrol isn't coming. Said since we aren't in immediate danger, they'll focus on 'higher priority calls and get to us when they can'. Which means they aren't coming. A detective will come out to investigate, but that will take time."

"How much?"

"Dunno. I have a plan though. I'll talk it over with the others and hash out the details. I'll come back out and fill you two in shortly."

"Okay." Mel replied.

"I'll call Mitchell. See if he can cover for me. He already has morning shift. Between him and April, they can manage for a day."

"You sure?"

"He's ready to work without a net for one day at least. Probably longer, but I don't want to fry his nerves unnecessarily."

"You're a good boss, babe." Dave gave her a quick kiss, then charged back up the stairs to Esme's room where Lupie, Nessa and Olivia waited, with Esme and Roscoe of course. Currently, Esme had her face buried in the big dog's neck, giggling. As Dave took and held each ladies' hand briefly, he heard Jan come in with Becca and Reena in trail.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do. We'll take pictures to document the damage and the bodies. Then we'll make repairs. We've got four people with weapons skills. Until the breaches are sealed, at least two of us are armed, on sentry duty downstairs. Once we've got the holes patched, at night at least, we'll go to one person on guard." He paused a minute so everyone could absorb what he'd said. "Does anyone have a good digital camera? We should use something other than cellphones if we can."

"Depends on the camera and the user," Mel said. "Unless someone's had classes in photography, they're probably better off using a high-end phone camera."

"Does anyone have a high-end phone camera?" Dave asked. "I know mine is decent, but not great."

"Mine's pretty good, Liv's too."

The other just shrugged.

"I have a couple of good digital cameras at my office." Nessa replied. "Listings without photos don't do so good. The cameras are the best available last year, so they should show all the needed detail. I took classes at the El Centro to learn how to make the most of them. Well, the classes were three years ago when we different cameras. We got new, better ones last year."

Dave nodded, then thought for a moment. "Okay, I'll escort Nessa to her office for the camera. We'll document everything. Then we'll assess the damage and figure out what we need for repairs. Liv, you and Mel will go to the hardware store for the supplies. Watch your; " his eyes flitted to Esme, "butts. If anything looks sketchy, get back here, supplies or no."

Olivia nodded. "Just keep the same in mind yourself." Lupie gazed at him like she wanted to burn Liv's words into Dave's mind. She was not alone.

"Vee, we should get going as soon as you're dressed. I don't think you want to go out in the cold drizzle in silk peejays." Vanessa smirked, rising to go change. "I'll be in shortly to grab a coat."

As Nessa walked out, Dave sat down beside Lupie. Neither said a word, he just folded his arms around her as she leaned into him. Her shoulder pressed against his chest. Her head settled into the crook of his neck. Dave stroked her other arm, from the top of her shoulder, all the way down to her elbow, slowly, gently, hoping to give her the reassurance that no words would convey.

He looked up to see the imploring look in Jan's eyes. With a flick of his own eyes, he signaled for her to sit on his other side, which she promptly did, leaning against him. Lupie reached out to softly grasp Jan's hand. The two sat on either side of Dave, just feeling his presence.

While the other two snuggled against him, Dave made eye contact, individually, with Olivia, Becca, and Reena. Liv, while still working through some understandable nerves, seemed otherwise okay. Rebecca looked worried but trusting. Kareena looked like she was on the verge of losing it. Dave waved her over.

Reena rose from where she was sitting on the opposite side of the room and streaked over to sit in Dave's lap. Lupie and Jan both made space for the younger girl to sit. The hands that they clasped together, rejoined, encircling Reena. Meanwhile, Reena buried her face in the crook of Dave's neck.

Dave's eyes fell on Becca and Liv, the only two of his partners in the room not already huddled with him. Becca looked worried, but trying not to intrude. Not surprising for her, but not an accurate assessment of how Dave or the others would feel about her joining in. Quite the opposite of course. Beginning to understand Becca's feelings of inadequacy, was, however, shining an uncomfortable light on Dave's own lingering personal demons.

Then there was Livy. The one that stood by him, protecting the others as the barbarians stormed their gates. He could see the conflicting emotions bounding across her face. She needed this comfort as much as he did. Today was the first time either of them had fired a shot at another human being. Dave waved them both over.

"Let's make some space for Liv to sit here. She's got to be pretty spent too."

Lupie looked at him plaintively. Like she knew the rightness of what he suggested, but some selfish part of her, that was losing, did not want to move. She did. Then she wrapped her arms around Olivia.

"If it weren't for you, he would have been all alone down there, Liv. Thank you." Lupie hugged the younger woman closely. Olivia leaned back into her, while staring at Dave. That's when she started shaking. Dave tried leaning into Liv, But he still had Reena on his lap, and Jan on his other side. Becca, not yet in the cuddle pile, knelt in front of Liv, stroking her thighs soothingly, not erotically.

"If you start singing soft kitty, Becca, I swear I'll drop you from the roof." Though Olivia's voice was unsteady, her essential snark came shining through, evoking the laughter she was seeking. None laughed harder than Becca, who threw her head back, snorting hard, with a wide grin that suggested Liv might have been prescient.

"Okay, okay ladies," Dave said as the laughter subsided, "I need to go tell Shawna and Mel what's going on, get a coat, and escort Vanessa to get that camera." He patted Reena's leg. She immediately rose halfway up and slipped over to sit beside Liv, sandwiching the brunette between herself and Lupie.

Dave addressed the room. "On security issues, Liv's in charge." He fixed his eyes on Olivia. "You know the drill; two on duty, one off, staggered relief. No one downstairs except guards for now. Well, people will start getting hungry once the nerves wear off, so let Lupie and a helper in the kitchen to make something."

"And two more helpers at the end to carry everything else up."

"Yeah."

"And have the third in the kitchen on guard during cooking time."

"Yup. and the guard is not doing anything but guarding. Just do your best to keep the guards rested and alert. Hopefully it won't take more than an hour or two to get the camera, but we'll maintain the watch while we document and repair."

Liv nodded, as did Lupie and Jan. Nessa opened the door just then, smartly dressed for the weather in jeans and a stylish but sturdy jacket, and Dave's coat in hand.

"Thanks, hun." Dave said as he approached her. "Let's go tell Shawna and Mel what's going on, and then head out. We'll take Liv's S U V." The brunette gave a thumbs up from the midst of the loose cuddle the family sat in. Esme and Roscoe had joined them. "Oh, and make sure Lupie and anyone else that cross the living room knows to steer clear of the broken glass, both to preserve evidence until we document it, and spare their feet."

Passing Shawna, Dave motioned her to follow him part way down the stairs, then signaled Mel to come up and meet them. The looks on their faces as Dave spoke morphed from incredulous at the dispatcher's comments, to mild worry and trust when Dave explained his plans.

Shawna stood up as Dave did, hugging him tightly. In his ear she said, "You be careful. I just got you, baby. I need you, and not just because of the serum." She punctuated her statement with a kiss on the lips that clearly wanted to linger, but self-control did not permit.

"Escorting Nessa, armed, is just a precaution. I really don't expect any more trouble. We just need to be smart about this; be ready if something does happen." The first part was to allay their fears, the second to bolster their vigilance.

Two steps down, Mel gave Dave a hug as well. "Just come back. You hear me? Come back to us. I don't want to change families anymore."

Dave picked up on the allusion to the constant moves while in foster care. He hugged her tightly. "I promise, Red." Then he adopted a bad Austrian accent. "I'll be back."

Mel giggled and smacked his shoulder with a wry smile. She followed Dave and Nessa down the stairs until she reached her station. The other two continued through the house and out through the garage. Liv's vehicle was in the driveway and it would have been much shorter to just go through the front door, but Dave was trying not to pass through any portion of the crime scene until after they'd documented it.

Nessa drove. For one thing, it was her office, and Dave didn't know the way. For another, in the passenger seat, Dave could scan all around the vehicle, keeping a constant watch. He meant what he said earlier, the risk was likely zero now. Still, caution would be far better than getting caught unawares. Again.

The streets were empty of course. While that should have lowered Dave's anxiety levels, the current risk factor was not the only thing that could gnaw at him. Dave had nearly a hundred hours of practice at shoot / no-shoot ranges, hundreds of hours of raw target practice, and had successful hunts every year he'd gotten a license. And no, despite all the bullshit coming out of those idiots at PETA, shooting a deer was not the same as shooting a person. Not even close. What they only knew as a pseudo-intellectual exercise Dave now had logged as real life experience. He didn't regret it. They were attacking his home. They broke in, in the middle of the night, carrying arms. Their intent was unknown, but there were no innocent reasons fitting those facts.

But they were dead, at Dave's hands. And Livy's. He needed to find a way to console her, help her through this mental minefield even as he tried to navigate it himself. The look on her face as he left hovered in his mind. What had he led her through? Maybe he should have taken the low position on the stairs, and had Liv wait at the top of the stairs as backup? Then maybe she wouldn't have to have fired a shot? Maybe he could have fired quickly enough to hold off the attackers on his own. Then Liv wouldn't have to carry the burden she now had.

"Babe?" Vanessa called out. Seeing no change in Dave's face, she tried again. "David? Honey, can you hear me?"

"Huh? What?"

"You're spiralling. I'm no expert, but that look. I've seen it before. A couple of our younger realtors are vets."

"Not the same. This was a single incident that only lasted a few minutes. Those guys lived in hell for months."

"Only one has chosen to open up to me, but it seems it's only a few minutes that the mind can't let go of."

Dave kept his face stony and doubled down on his scanning. What could he have missed while his brain was wasting time with obsessions?

"David, please don't run away on me, on us. We need you. You've been a good man for us every step of the way." Her voice got shaky as she continued. "We needed you this morning, and you stepped up. I've never been one to consign manliness exclusively to feats of strength or military prowess, but those are included. What you did this morning was another way to show your love. You stood between us and harm. You took the risk, and I am grateful for that. I know the others are too."

Dave didn't reply, but did take a deep breath. The rest of the ride passed in silence. It took forty-five minutes to reach the realty office. Since most were working remotely; or dead; the place was empty. Dave followed Nessa in as she went straight to the cabinet and extracted a camera and a fresh memory card. Then they headed right back out. As she was locking the outer door, her stomach rumbled.

Dave chuckled. "Maybe we should swing through a drive-thru for some breakfast. Any preferences?"

"I'd really like a coffee. I think I saw an open Starbucks three blocks back. I don't know if they're working in bubbles; like a fixed group for each shift; or maybe they got dosed already, but they're lit up. A big coffee and a pastry and I'd be fine."

The lobby doors had large "Closed, Use Drive-Thru Please" signs. Nessa pulled in and placed her order, then looked over at Dave.

"Almond croissant, bacon gouda sandwich, and; a trenta pink drink. Easy ice."

The look on Nessa face was priceless. She managed not to laugh, or say anything, just turned to the speaker to relay the request. While they were waiting their turn in line, she reached her hand under Dave's chin. She pulled him toward her, even as she leaned in, giving him a long, slow, loving kiss.

"The man that can hold off armed assailants in the middle of the night, with no warning, doesn't need to be embarrassed about what he drinks with his breakfast, baby. You've certified your manliness in so many ways, even before this morning." Tears rimmed the bottom of her eyes. Dave was just brushing away her tears, trying to think of something to say when the car behind them honked. The car ahead was now two car lengths away. Both settled back into their seats.

"Thank you," Dave said huskily as she edged forward. They passed the remainder of the return trip in silence, though a few meaningful glances were exchanged.

Shawna and Mel left their stations and met them in the middle of the living room as soon as the two heard Dave and Nessa coming in through the garage. Dave had also texted as they turned on to the right block.

"Upstairs, now mister." Shawna's voice was stern, uncompromising.

"What?"

"I didn't think about it before you left, but these guys might be carriers of Duo. We're vaxxed directly, but you're only safe through us. The briefing we got was clear; if the man we're bonded to is exposed, or even potentially exposed, renew his immunity with sex. Lots of it. Nessa and I will start documenting. Liv and Mel will stand guard."

Footsteps on the stairs announced Olivia's descent.

"Go on. Becca and Reena are in the spare bedroom waiting. Others will rotate in. You don't have to finish in us for your immunity. Once we gush, with or without you, switch to the next girl."

"But y’all won't get your dose that way."

"That's not the concern right now. Your immunity is. Go on."

Dave recognized that tone, plus the looks in every eye present. He was sure the looks of those not present would match. Sure enough, when Dave opened the door to the bedroom, he saw his two youngest partners already waiting. Becca, her blonde hair cascading past her shoulders, small, pert tits standing out proudly as she kneeled on the bed wearing nothing but a smile. Reena was identically attired, her warm brown skin and large tits the most notable contrast with her friend.

Dave began stripping off his gear and clothing, double checking that his pistol and smg were on safe, even though they had been for a few hours now. He set his weapons away from the bed, but further from the door than the bed. Coos and sexy comments from the girls had him half-chubbed by the time he pulled off his boxers.

"Oh, yeah baby. That's what I'm looking for." Reena purred. She pulled Dave's face down to hers and locked his lips in a passionate kiss. Dave immediately began stroking her sides, then moved to caress her lush tits. As his hands contacted her big soft mammaries, Reena hummed. Dave pushed her back onto the bed. Whether this or his fingers grasping her nipples caused her to gasp is anyone's guess. Dave settled himself between her thighs. He felt a hand grasp his cock and notch it in Reena's entrance. Then a small hand delivered a soft slap on his ass. He felt Reena's hand reach around his back, but never saw the thumbs up she gave to Becca.

That hand immediately switched from signaling to grasping as Dave's cock surged into her wet and waiting pussy.

"Oh, fuck yes. Fuck me, David. Fuck me with that magic fucking cock." She started nibbling on his earlobe as he drove in and out of her slippery passage. It was one of his 'drive me wild' spots.

His thrusting rapidly accelerated in speed and power. He raised up, taking his ear out of her reach, but her lascivious smile and her bouncing tits provided incredible visual stimuli. Reena managed a few encouraging erotic words, but quickly devolved into grunts and moans as his animalistic attack on her eager vagina brought both of them to the edge of ecstasy. She got there first. Barely. Her rippling inner muscles touched off his eruption, in turning kicking her into a second orgasm just as the first was reaching its maximum. The power of the doubled orgasm drove the air from her lungs and all thought from her mind. She clutched Dave fiercely with her arms and legs, claiming him as an anchor as pleasure wracked her body. She finally relaxed, flopping back to the bed, panting.

"That; was; Awesome!"

Dave sat up, his ass on his heels. Then Becca grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to half-turn so she could kiss him. He could feel a turmoil of emotions in that kiss. He brought his hands up to grasp her shoulders while his tongue tangled with hers. Dave barely felt the washcloth Becca slipped under his cock as he slid out of Reena's ravaged little hole. Reena grabbed it to capture any leakage.

Meanwhile, Becca pushed Dave flat on his back and straddled him. She leaned down to kiss him again. Then Dave felt an extra hand on his mostly hard shaft. It was elevating him to Becca's hot, moist, little pussy. Reena was returning the favor.

Becca sat back slowly at first, until Dave was seated in her entrance. The stimulus of the kiss, the hand on his cock, and Becca's small tits and tiny nipples rubbing his chest had him nearly full hard again.

The young blonde's eyes fluttered slightly as she eased her way onto Dave's rod. Probably leftover semen on me setting off a serum reaction , Dave thought. Becca grasped his shoulders with her hands as the ripples passed through her. The effects of the brief exposure ran their course quickly.

She sat up, bracing herself on his shoulders as she slowly began to ride him. Her eyes locked on his. Her hips bounced and rotated and snaked, all while Dave's cock stayed buried within her. Dave reached up, grazing her torso with his palms until he cupped her petite and alluring tits. He began massaging the lovely mounds with his palms. His fingers rubbed, rolled, and lightly pinched her nipples.

Dave felt the bed shift, and then heard the door click shut. Reena must have slipped out of the room. He returned his attention to Becca, fixing his eyes on hers. So much life was there, waiting, yearning, to become. Her face bore worry; understandably; but something more. It was the something that gave him peace with their relationship, despite his natural doubts about their age difference or himself. He curled up to kiss her lips, which she returned before he lay back down.

Her sleek body hammered up and down on his cock, the motions getting increasingly rapid. Her breathing grew ragged and punctuated by moans. She slammed herself down one last time, fully seating Dave inside her as pleasure shot through her body.

Dave lowered the exhausted girl to his chest and held her while she caught her breath. Her fluids saturated his cock and leaked slowly out around their joining. A discrete knock preceded the door opening quietly, and closing almost as quickly. Almost imperceptible footsteps approached the bed. The silence of a librarian.

"Becca, time to switch." Said Jan in her usual soft voice.

"Try to understand, he's a magic man." Her voice was slightly muffled as her head was slightly mushed against Dave's chest still.

Both adults chuckled. Then Dave said, "Been watching seventies music on MTV?"

Becca nodded. "Mostly concerts since they didn't make many videos back then. People wore weird shit back then."

"Hey, I was a kid in