When John nodded agreeably, she manoeuvred off the bed carefully, weighed down as she was by the heavy load in her belly. She picked up one of his shirts and looked his way to see if it was ok for her to borrow it. John nodded, smiling and he watched her as she dressed and then left the room. Her eager anticipation at being able to y with the Holo-reader, and learn all about the Invictus, gave her an excited spring in her step.


    Johny back on the bed and slid an arm around Alyssa and Cra. They both reacted to his proximity by resting their heads on him and snuggling in close, each beautiful young woman cing an arm over his chest and draping a silky smooth leg over his own. The girls were still fast asleep, but they cuddled him lovingly, and John let out a happy sigh as theirforting presence banished his worries from the night before. A restful sleep soon overtook him and he rested peacefully.


    ***


    Alyssa woke up a couple of hourster and smiled to herself when she found herself cuddled up against John, her hand reaching over his chest to rest lightly on Cra’s deliciously smooth olive-hued skin. She wondered for a moment where Sparks might be, until she suddenly became aware of a tiny new manifestation floating in her thoughts. Fascinated by the nascent bundle of emotions, she recognised it for what it was and allocated a private ce for it in her mind, so that she could nurture this blossoming presence.


    The beautiful blonde kept her eyes closed and calmed herself, so that she could attune her mind to this new flicker of consciousness. “There she is,” Alyssa thought to herself contentedly as she tracked the source of the new presence to the Bridge. Happiness and excitement surged from the tiny ball of emotion, which made her smile, so she rxed and enjoyed simply being cuddled with John.


    Eventually Cra and John woke as well and the three of them rose to get ready before going off to get some breakfast in the Officers’ Lounge. After they had eaten, Cra said she would go and keep Sparkspany up on the Bridge, while Alyssa agreed to go with John to the gym and have her first swimming lesson.


    The couple walked hand in hand down the corridor from the elevator, to the gym that housed the pool, but Alyssa could sense something was troubling John.


    “Hey John, are you ok this morning?” she asked, concerned.


    “Yeah, sure, why do you ask?” he replied, trying to brush over his worries.


    “Well you haven’t checked me out once yet this morning. That’s a first in the six weeks I’ve known you,” Alyssa replied with a cheeky smile. Her cerulean eyes twinkled as she added, “Either you’ve lost interest now you have some new girls, or something’s bothering you.”


    Johnughed at that, then admitted, “Okay, you’re right. I am feeling a bit out of sorts. I had a horrible nightmarest night and it came as quite a shock, as I never normally dream.”


    “Never?” Alyssa asked in surprise.


    “This was the first one,” John replied as he nced at her. Remembering the terrifying nightmare, he added earnestly, “And hopefully thest!”


    Alyssa stopped in front of him and cupped his face in both her hands. “You spend all your time worrying about us girls, but you’ve been through a lot of big changes too recently. Perhaps you’re a bit unsettled as well?”


    He shook his head, and said, “No, I’m fine-.”


    “Don’t try to deny it,” the beautiful blonde interrupted him, heading off his objection. She smiled at him as she stroked his temple, and added, “I know, remember…”


    John pondered for a moment and realised that Alyssa was right, he did actually feel different. He’d given up the Fool’s Gold, the freighter he’d called home for thest eleven years. Not only that, he was now in a rtionship with three teenage girls, trying to help them wrestle with their own demons from the past and keep them safe from the dangers in the gxy. For a lone wolf who had shied away from any meaningful rtionship with a woman, this was a huge change for him.


    “You’re right,” he conceded. “A lot has changed for me too and I guess I’m feeling a bit out of sorts.”


    “Well I’m always here to talk too. Remember we’re a team now, and you should never feel you have to shoulder your burdens on your own,” Alyssa said, then raised herself up on tip toe to kiss him affectionately. She gave him a maternal smile, and asked, “Feeling a bit better?”


    John nodded, smiling at her.


    “Ok let’s go get in that pool. Saving me from drowning will stoke your rampant White Knight syndrome and help distract you!” she joked impudently.Têxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Laughing loudly, John followed her into the gym. They stripped off their clothes and John held out his hand to lead her down the steps into the shallow end of the pool. He could feel her body shaking with fear as she followed him trustingly into the water, until she was eventually standing in water about four foot deep.


    “There, that’s not so bad is it?” he asked her his voice supportive andforting.


    Alyssa answered with a brave smile, and replied, “Not with you here to look after me…”


    He smiled at her, then said, “Okay you’re doing really well. Nowe here and hold on to me.”


    Alyssa moved in close to him and wrapped her slender arms around his neck. He could feel her shivering with fear, so he wrapped her in his strong arms which soon calmed her down.


    “I’ll sink into the water a bit, so you can feel what it’s like being weightless with the water supporting you,” he said, soothing her with his calm manner.


    He glided out into slightly deeper water with Alyssa hanging on to him tightly. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her deliciously smooth thighs gripping him as she clung to him as though her life depended on it. He cupped her firm bottom in his hands and stayed still, letting her get used to being surrounded by the water. The nervous teen gradually rxed her death grip around his neck, but still hugged him closely. John waited until she had stopped trembling and seemed more rxed.


    “Very good!” he congratted her, as he glided back to the shallow part of the pool. They just hung out for a while there, with John letting Alyssa build up her confidence level about being surrounded by so much water.


    “There’s onest thing I’d like you to try today before we end the lesson,” he said. John ducked down in the shallow water and scooped up the blonde girl, cradling her in his arms, as if holding a baby.


    “Now just rx, I’ve got you,” he said to reassure her. “Remember this water is very shallow, so you can stand up in it easily.”


    Alyssa nodded, wondering what was going to happen next.


    “Now straighten yourself out as though you were lying on a bed and stick your arms out to your sides,” he exined.


    He saw the sh of fear in her eyes, but she fought it hard and rxed as he had asked. She straightened out in the supportive embrace of his arms and carefullyid back in the water. When water began top at her ears, she felt a fresh tide of panic rising within her, but she looked up at John’s caring face and controlled herself.


    “Excellent!” John said, impressed by her show of courage. “Just rx like that and float on top of the water.”


    Alyssa stayed calm and just rxed, feeling the reassuring presence of his strong hands under her back and bottom. With her head partially submerged, her ears were under water and John’s voice felt muffled and insubstantial. She didn’t want to disappoint him though, so she stayed rxed and floated as he asked.