Volunteer (Selected Book 3)

by Robin Roseau

  "I love you," Skye," she said. "You are so beautiful, inside and out." She talked softly to me, and below, she was moving.

  I began to squirm, and I clutched at her tentacles.

  "Am I hurting you?"

  "No," she said. "Oh, you feel so good."

  "Oh my god. Oh my god." I arched my back and began to quiver. She recognized that, chased it, and then I was screaming wordlessly as I began to shudder and shudder.

  Then I clasped my hands to her, stilling her movements, and collapsed back to the bed.

  "Hold me," I whispered. "Don't move."

  And so she did.

  * * * *

  I don't know how long we lay like that. Finally she asked, "Are you all right?"

  "Yes, Violet." I opened my eyes and turned to her. "I've done that to myself, but you're better."

  She smiled.

  "I'm afraid, though."

  "Why?" she asked.

  "I don't have tentacles. I have a tongue, but it's not anywhere near as clever as your tentacles. What if I can't please you?"

  She smiled again. "Do not be afraid, Skye. You please me already. But we're out of time to explain. Everyone is home."

  "Do they know why we're not out there?"

  "I said we were having a private conversation and would be out in a little while. You know they're going to guess."

  "I don't care. Will your moms be upset?"

  "No."

  "Good. I don't think I can do this when my mother or sister are in the house."

  "Why not?"

  "Because humans are weird about sex."

  "We'll see," she said. "May I move now?"

  I released my clasp on her, and she withdrew, slowly. I felt empty.

  She cleaned us both up, even brushing my hair. Then she picked my clothes -- one of the dresses. We both got dressed, and then, with her half wrapped around me, we emerged.

  We took two steps into the living room. Three pair of eyes turned towards us.

  "I have an announcement," I said.

  "You do?" Violet asked.

  "I am head over heels in love with Violet."

  Everyone grinned, tentacles displaying their pleasure.

  "I am head over heels in love with Skye," Violet said. "That is a strange expression though."

  "I know," I said. I laid my head onto her shoulder.

  "Does this mean they're married?" Posey asked.

  "No," said Bluebell. "It means they are dating."

  "But-"

  "Humans don't do it that way, Posey." I said. I tugged forward, and Violet brought us to the sofa. We sat down together. "We date, typically for months, sometimes years."

  "Really?"

  "Really," I said. "Violet, I love you, but-"

  "But you are going to finish school before we discuss marriage," she said. "However, we are mated, if not married."

  I smiled. "Mated. Good. If we get to the point of marriage, I want a human ceremony. And a Catseye ceremony, if you have them."

  "Not really," Bluebell said. "But we're familiar with human wedding customs, and when a Catseye marries a human, we follow your customs, although usually more intimately than many humans."

  "What does that part mean?"

  "Immediate family and maybe one or two close friends."

  "I want to be able to invite Jasmine, Mom, and Audra."

  "Perfect," Violet said. "But we're three and a half years ahead of that conversation."

  I laughed. "All right." I cuddled more tightly against her.

  "Does this mean the end of our slumber parties?" Posey asked.

  I looked at Violet. She looked at me. And I couldn't tell what she was thinking. I think she was trying to tell me, but I didn't have a clue.

  Finally I said, "I like our slumber parties."

  Violet smiled. "Good. So do I."

  "Really?"

  "Really," I said. "Yes, Violet?"

  "Yes," Violet agreed. "But if you get your own human, Posey, that might be too many for one bed."

  "Well, now that this has been resolved," Azalea said, "I must protest. I have not had my hug."

  * * * *

  Mom and Audra were scheduled to arrive after dinner on Friday. Because I finished the term a little early, I had two full days. Violet took extra time from work so we could be together.

  Bluebell told us not to spend it all in bed, so Thursday morning after we saw the other three out the door, Violet turned me towards her. "What would you like to do today?"

  "I don't know our choices."

  "Boston is more fun to explore in the summer," she said. "But we could pop down to New York or Washington, DC."

  I stared. "Pop down."

  "Yes. Pop down."

  "You pick," I said.

  "All right. The humans have this lovely museum in Washington. Maybe you've heard of it."

  "The Smithsonian?"

  "That's the one."

  "I've never been," I said slowly, and while I wasn't ready to tell her that's what I wanted, I desperately wanted her to take me.

  "Then that is where we will go today."

  "You'll have to hide, won't you?"

  "Yes, but it's okay."

  "I wish you didn't have to."

  "So do I. This is another reason we do not give you too much technology. We want humanity to mature and catch up with the technology you have. If we give you more, then you'll grow even more imbalanced."

  "I can understand that. It wouldn't do to have us flitting around the stars, shooting anyone who looks different."

  "No, it wouldn't," she said.

  "I should go get ready."

  * * * *

  We had a nice time. We held hands the entire time, unless we were looking at an exhibit. Then Violet tended to move behind me and hug me with both arms while looking over my shoulder.

  My heart swelled every time she did it.

  I tended to lean my cheek against her when she did this, and some of the times I told her, "I love you."

  After the eighth or tenth time I said that over the course of a couple of hours, she asked, "Why do you say that so much?"

  "It becomes overwhelming, and I just have to reaffirm it," I said. "Getting bored hearing it?"

  "No. I enjoy it a great deal."

  I had another thought. "Were you happy with my answer to Posey last night?"

  "About slumber parties? Yes. It may be she won't join us every night."

  I laughed.

  "When we were younger, we shared a bedroom," Violet continued. "This is common for young Catseye. As we grew older, we each became more independent, so we got our own rooms. But we still spend some of our nights together, a few a week."

  "That's sweet. Audra and I have always been close, but we never shared a bed. Hell, we don't hug."

  "Why not?"

  "Habits that shouldn't have continued after you healed her." I made a vow to myself that I was going to become more physically demonstrative with my sister, unless she hated it.

  "We will want to hug both of them."

  "Mom may not be ready for a full hug," I said. "But you saw Audra. She'd beg for one if not offered."

  "We should discuss this tonight at dinner."

  "Yes," I agreed.

  For lunch, we left the area nearest the museum, actually taking the train into Virginia and walking two blocks to a restaurant. We went through a process not dissimilar to the one in New York, and then we found ourselves in an E.T.-friendly restaurant, seated in a semi-private booth. Violet adjusted her clothes, releasing her tentacles, and then sighed.

  "So much better," she said. "It's good to just breathe."

  After lunch, Violet sighed before withdrawing her tentacles, then we headed back to the museum.

  "We can come again in the spring or summer and visit the monuments," she said. "Humans make so many monuments."

  "Don't you like them?"

  "We don't necessarily understand them. But Catseye love to visit human museums and monuments. I love yo
ur art galleries."

  "You know, you could buy some of the art."

  "I did, once, and when I got home, I hated it."

  "Why?"

  "It looked great in the gallery but entirely wrong in our home. I couldn't explain why. I didn't understand why. But I hated it, so I donated it to a museum."

  "You could have sold it."

  "The people at the museum seemed very pleased, and the public relations was more important than the money."

  "Oh. I understand."

  We treated our time in the Smithsonian as an overview. In no way did we see everything or even spend as much time as we liked at any single exhibit. When we had an hour left, Violet asked me, "Which was your favorite?"

  "I don't know. It's overwhelming. Which is yours?"

  "I love the Air and Space museum," she said. "It is a testament to human ingenuity, which is really quite good, even by our standards. But I have spent days there before."

  "Well, I liked it, but I couldn't spend days."

  "And you know I love the art museums."

  "Then let's go spend our time there," I said. "They have works by our most famous artists."

  And so that's what we did. I could have spent more time, but we moved casually, not rushing, spending the time we wanted at the exhibits and pieces we wanted. And so we didn't remotely visit everything, but we enjoyed our time.

  "I'm sorry. It's time to go."

  "Come with me first," I said. I pulled her through the museum quickly, leading her towards one of the more romantic exhibits. The museum was not terribly busy, and the lighting in the room was dim, so we had an element of privacy. "I want to kiss you here."

  And so, we kissed, and while I would have preferred a more Catseye expression of desire, and I was sure that Violet did, the setting partially made up for that.

  We finished with a hug. "I'd rather have had tentacles," I said. "But I wanted to do something here, in front of this exhibit, as a remembrance."

  "I enjoyed it, too," she said. "It is a good final note here today."

  We held hands and walked to the car.

  Once we were in the air, Violet said, "We can come back tomorrow, or we can do something different."

  "I bet you have something in mind."

  "I think we should ask Azalea if we can go to work with her tomorrow."

  "At the United Nations?"

  "Yes."

  "Oh. Could we? Really?"

  "Really. So we are agreed."

  "Violet, don't let anyone tell you differently. You're really, really good at this dating thing."

  She laughed and wrapped my arm more completely in her tentacles.

  * * * *

  I helped serve dinner. They were eating to Catseye taste, and I had my platter of human style food. But before I could dish any, Azalea said, "Skye, hand your plate to Posey."

  I had grown accustomed to accepting authority from both Bluebell and Azalea, so I did what I was told. Posey dished the smallest amount of food onto my plate. It was a green bean dish, and there were more green beans on my platter, but I knew hers were spiced for Catseye.

  "Violet, are you ready?"

  "Yes, Mom," she said.

  Azalea switched to English. "Skye, take a small bite." She reached over, collected my silverware, and, as if I were a young child, cut one of the beans into fourths. Then she speared one of the middlemost pieces and handed the fork to me.

  "Is it going to be hot?"

  "We wouldn't serve cold food."

  "Oh. Humans say hot for temperature but we also say hot for spice. Are you familiar with Jalapeno peppers?"

  "Oh. Perhaps not that particular pepper, but I know the concept. No, there is no chemical heat of that nature. Smell it first."

  I did, and I couldn't have said it was a pleasant smell. I made an involuntary face.

  Then Violet was there, standing behind me, whispering in my ear, and caressing me with her tentacles. She was speaking Catseye, and it was quiet, so I didn't quite understand, but I realized she was giving me a positive experience through the hug to associate with the smell.

  "Eat it," Azalea said. "If it threatens to make you ill, Violet is ready to help you."

  "I'm going to ruin dinner."

  "Eat it," she ordered, and so I popped the bite of green bean into my mouth.

  I didn't gag. I would learn later that some Catseye foods would make me gag, and I learned that winter that some could make me violently ill. But the beans were actually spiced very lightly, and so I was able to chew and swallow it. Then I grabbed my water and washed the taste down.

  "Are you going to be ill?" Violet asked into my ear.

  I shook my head, although I didn't trust my words yet. I took a little more water. "Do I have to eat the rest?"

  "No," Azalea said. "Was it horrible?"

  "I wouldn't say horrible," I replied. "But thank you for not making me eat the rest."

  "We won't do this once your family arrives, but from now on, we want you to try a little of our food at every meal. We will guide your choices."

  "Not on nights I have dates or major studying," I said. "Just in case."

  "All right, but then you will not fight us the other times."

  "All right," I said.

  "Are you going to be all right?" Violet asked. When I nodded, she returned to her own seat, but she kept me half wrapped in tentacles.

  Then Azalea took my plate. She stowed it under the table with the covers and reemerged with a fresh plate for me, which she set before me.

  "Thank you," I said.

  They dished their food, and I dished mine, and the conversation went back to Catseye. I half paid attention.

  But then Violet said in English, "Skye and I have two topics to discuss. We'll do the easy one first. Azalea, do you think we could come to work with you tomorrow?"

  "I was hoping you would ask."

  "Do I have the right clothes?"

  "You do," Azalea said. "You will notice a few more clothes in your closet. And we're going to buy more clothes to leave here. You will not need to bring any back and forth."

  "Oh," I said slowly. "Thank you."

  She nodded. "That was easy," she said. "What is the other topic, Violet?"

  "My mom," I said. "Audra wants a proper hug. I don't know if she'll kiss a tentacle. But she'll want a proper hug. I do not know if Mom will. I'm fairly certain she's going to take more time to get used to the idea. She may respond somewhat poorly at even inadvertent contact with a tentacle. She may not even accept a human hug. I don't know."

  "Azalea and I have discussed this," Bluebell said. "We will be working on your mother. Leave that to us. You do not need to worry about it."

  I thought about it. "I don't think that is right."

  Two of her tentacles waved in a fashion of exasperation. "Explain."

  "She's my mom. That makes her my responsibility, not yours."

  The tentacles calmed. But then they took another posture, one I didn't quite recognize. "Skye, do you consider yourself a member of this household? I will be very disappointed with any answer but yes."

  I snorted. "Yes, I do. Thank you."

  "And so you recognize my authority, and Azalea's."

  "Yes."

  "You are right. She is your mother, and that makes this your responsibility. But I am now telling you that Azalea and I wish you to cede this responsibility to us. What is your answer?"

  "It feels like I am being irresponsible."

  "Violet? Posey? Do you have a response to our newest household member?" But then she waved a tentacle. "I misspoke. Our soon to be third newest household member?"

  "Wait! Someone is pregnant?"

  "No," she said. "Your sister and mother arrive tomorrow evening."

  "Oh," I said slowly. "Oh." I smiled. "Okay."

  "Posey? Violet?"

  It was Posey who answered. "Skye is right. This is her responsibility. And I don't blame her for feeling uncomfortable asking someone else to take it from her. But s
he didn't ask. You ordered, Mom."

  Bluebell's tentacles changes posture again. I knew there was body language involved, but it was another posture I didn't know. "Well, Skye?"

  "We know we're going to do it your way," I said. "But I still feel like I'm shirking my responsibility."

  "Then I will give you other responsibility. I need you to see to your sister's needs. I need her every bit as comfortable here as you are. You are in a new relationship with my daughter, and the human tendency would be to focus on the budding relationship, but I need you to see to your sister. We will take her from you from time to time, but she is your primary responsibility."

  I nodded. "All right. But I think you're taking one responsibility from me and simply reinforcing one that's mine, too."

  Beside me, Violet snuffled and attempted to hold back laughter.

  "Your responsibility to Audra has some natural limits. You are not the hostess in this household. Azalea and I are. And while we wish to make her a member of this family, she arrives at a guest, and I am moving some of our responsibilities for her to you. Not all, but much." Her posture changed. "And to both of you, but under Skye's guidance."

  "Yes, Mom," said Violet and Posey together.

  "Of course, Bluebell," I said.

  "Good. Let us discuss their arrival. They will land here. It will be somewhat later than our normal dinnertime, and they will be suffering what humans call jetlag, but we will have a light dinner. I believe we should have what humans call afternoon tea, the five of us."

  We all nodded.

  "Violet will tell you, Skye, when they are about to arrive. Do you know the way to the jumper bay?"

  "Yes," I said. "But I think it would be good to be sure."

  "You will lead us in the morning," Azalea said. "And again when we return. If you are unable to do so with confidence, then we will provide additional assistance."

  I nodded.

  "You will meet them," Bluebell said. "Give them proper greeting, and then bring them here. You will perform introductions, your mother first."

  "Is there an order to introduce you?"

  "Me first," Bluebell said. "You and I have a different relationship than you and Azalea. Then Azalea and Posey. Violet last."

  "Why is Violet last and not Posey?"

  "Because she's your girlfriend," Posey said. "And holds a special place in your heart."