*If you make one person happy, you save the World. Make a million people happy and you become a politician*

(Thanks for Fortima's presence fixing so many of my mistaks

(Yes, this tale is supposed to be somewhat humorous and outrageous too. While not always comedic, I'd like to think it is mostly a good-natured romp.)

Rolling Off the Bottom

I had grabbed a shower around 2:00 so I wasn't really surprised that a dozen feet came running up my steps at 6:15. I was barely able to prop myself up in the bed when Rio came storming in.

"What's up, dude?" she said as she plopped down. "Planning to forgo cleanliness?"

"I showered earlier," I told them. Valerie, Iona, Opal, Brandi and Barbie Lynn all came in and sat around me. Barbie Lynn was the first to clue in that something was off.

"What's wrong, Honey?" she asked with concern.

"My room was raided last night," I answered. It wasn't the total truth but I wasn't sure how I felt about my actions with the Chancellor the night before, much less how my friends would take it.

"Well, you are still here so they didn't find anything, so what is it?" Opal prodded.

"Ladies, can I keep this plan to myself?" I requested.

"Of course," Iona responded. Sadly, she seemed to be the only one who appeared ready to let the situation lie.

"Don't make us get all CSI on your ass," Rio teased. "You know we'll eventually figure it out so you might as well tell us." I studied her for a few seconds.

"I ass-raped the Chancellor in order to get Heaven back," I told her in a dead-even tone. It was an empty joy to see that most of them realized too late they really didn't want to know after all.

"What did she say?" Barbie Lynn came to my rescue. "Are we getting Heaven back?"

"She promised me, and I have reason to believe she'll actually honor it," I replied.

"Well..." Rio finally kicked in, "How was she?"

"Why do you think I took a shower earlier?" I pointed out. "I've never used sex that way and I pray it never happens again."

"Don't beat yourself up over this," Brandi consoled me. "You did say that being young means you get to do stupid shit?" I don't recall using those exact words but still...

"I think we can agree to not talk about this outside of this room," Opal added.

"So do you know of any Thai Sexual Cleansing ritual that will help you get over last night?" Brandi grinned mischievously. I chuckled.

"We'd love to help," Barbie Lynn chimed in.

"Thank you, ladies," I smiled, "but I think I need to get my head on straight before diving back into the pleasurable side of this school. I need to know if I did the right thing or not."

On that cheery note we all began to move toward the stairs and out into the world. In the stairwell Valerie cornered me, put a hand on my chest to impede my progress, and motioned to me that she had something to say.

"From the discussion in the Chancellor's office Monday I get the feeling that Heaven is a girl-guy, shemale, what have you; right?" she started off. I nodded.

"You clearly like girls but you are real close to Heaven; right?" Val continued.

"Yes," I replied.

"So you risked something you love – namely, the pleasure you derive from sex – to save her; right?" she prodded.

"Yes," I sounded curious.

"Then you did the right thing," she concluded. "Zane, I'd kill for the people I love and I imagine you would too. What's death compared to a little rough sex with an evil controlling bitch to get her to release someone as close to you as Heaven appears to be?"

"Thanks, Valerie," I grinned. "My heart knows you are right but it is going to take my mind a while to accept that. I guess I'm over-thinking things."

"Happens to the best of us," Valerie joked, then punched me in the arm. "Let's catch up with the others before Rio does something stupid – okay, does something more stupid than normal."

We were halfway through breakfast when I noted a diminishing of noise from the south entrance of the hall. Being taller than the average female student, I was able to make out the cause of the disturbance. I catapulted out of my seat and raced for the lady at the door; I had the vague impression I wasn't alone.

I rushed up within a few feet of Heaven, who had dropped her bags and looked at me with fear and expectation. I didn't want to overwhelm or embarrass her so I pulled up short to make sure the moment was special. I'm an idiot!! Rio slipped past me, grabbed Heaven's cheeks, and planted a deep kiss full of longing on MY GIRL's lips!!

"Oh, Babycakes, I've missed you so much," Rio panted passionately to Heaven.

"Ah...thanks, Rio," Heaven said, "but if you don't let go of me right now, I'm going to strangle you with your own intestines." Heaven untangled herself from Rio, shot a look my way, then rushed into Christina's arms. Rio smirked at me.

The rest of Christina's crew swarmed around Heaven and rejoiced at her return. I took a step back to give them some room. I did note Chancellor Bass glaring at me from the head table. I looked back to catch sight of Dana Gorman giving me a lopsided grin from the door Heaven had come through, a McDonald's bag in hand.

I missed Heaven's arm slipping through her knot of friends and pulling me in. She pressed her body against me and looked up into my eyes.

"I want you inside of me so bad," she whispered. Why can't a woman look at me and say "I've missed gazing into your eyes" or something romantic like that?

"How about we get Heaven squared away in our room before Assembly?" Christina suggested.

"We'll get her bags," Hope volunteered.

"I'll come too," I joined in, but Chastity quickly put a hand up.

"No, you don't," she smiled. "We'd like Heaven to actually get to Assembly."

"There is no Assembly today," Iona pointed out.

"Great, I can go straight to Zane's room," Heaven beamed.

"I don't think we'll mind the company," Paige announced. I was suddenly left trying to figure out how she'd appeared next to me in this crowd, as well as how my arm ended up around her waist.

"Holy Hell, Paige," I hissed. "You are going to give me a heart attack if you keep that up."

"It isn't worth it unless you pay the price," she teased me. What the hell did that mean, 'pay the price'? Heaven balled up her fists and I was sure blood was about to be spilled.

"Paige, we need to figure out what you are wearing to the party this weekend," Valerie intervened.

"Party?" Paige sounded intrigued. Valerie edged Paige away and the situation defused.

"Heaven, unpack," I began. "Iona, round up the Coach and get her to our place."

"Barbie Lynn, could you and Alice watch over the door to make sure we aren't overwhelmed by non-freshmen?"

Alice had been standing on the periphery and was clearly stunned that I was addressing her in this manner, but still rapidly nodded and looked to Barbie Lynn to gauge her perception of the request. Barbie Lynn gave her 'replacement' a smile and motioned Alice away from the group as well.

"Alright, everyone," Dr. Larson spoke up, "finish breakfast and then back to your rooms. We are still under twenty-four hours of restricted travel so I do not expect to see any of you again until lunch. Please get about your business. Lastly, I expect some of you will be called before the Board of Directors to give testimony or receive a verdict on your status here; make yourself ready and presentable."

"Mr. Braxton," Dr. Topaz Larson fixed me with a deadly eye, "that will require you to remain fully clothed most of the time. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Dr. Larson; I'll do my best," I swore.

"Sweet! That means I get to run around naked!" Rio exalted.

"Ms. Talon, are you taking your anti-psychotic drugs?" Dr. Larson said deadpan.

"Nope; I've been slipping them into the Chancellor's tea," Rio grinned all crazy-like. "Do you think anyone has noticed?"

"If you want to take credit for the past two weeks, by all means do so," Topaz allowed.

"I was looking for a cheap and sleazy way to be despised by everybody..." she began, but I headed her off.

"She'll stay in clothes and we'll make sure that all her pills are changed to suppositories. I know she won't miss any of those," I taunted my friend.

"That may be for the best," Dr. Larson snorted disdainfully, but ruined it with a grin. She turned and strode back to the table. I wasn't sure which one of us the Chancellor hated more; Dr. Larson for keeping order or the rest of us for obeying.

"Okay, I'm going to the bathroom. Heaven, can I hope to see you once you are squared away in your room?" I asked as I hugged her once more and headed away. I knew the questions would come soon enough.

One aspect of a women's college that guys might not appreciate is that there are only stalls in girl's bathrooms, and since FFU has a grand total of two men's rooms on the entire campus (Administration and Athletics), I was always using a female facility. I was about to finish business – the standing-up kind – when my door rattled as someone tried to get in.

"Excuse me?" I inquired.

"Let me in," hissed my visitor. Since I clearly knew the voice, I zipped up and unlatched the door. She pushed in and latched the door behind her before pushing me down and straddling my lap.

"You did..." Heaven kissed me "...something." Kiss, kiss. "Christina says it had to be you who got me back." She went back to kissing me.

"You are my girlfriend, Heaven. I don't know what I wouldn't do for you, Babe," I told her. She nestled into my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"You make me feel so alive, Zane," Heaven related in a soft vulnerable tone.

"Don't get all romantic on me," I teased her between light kisses on her lips. "I've got a whole bottle of Viagra showing up at noon and I need someone to work all that sexual energy out on... and, okay, I missed you." She wiggled into a more snug fit in my lap.

"Did you miss me more than Barbie Lynn – or Paige?" she teased.

"They aren't you," I countered. I ran my right hand between us, worked up her skirt, and began rubbing her package, which was clearly straining against the strap-down. Heaven began moaning, then slowly rolling her body against mine.

"Come on," she panted, "let's have a quickie."

"Can't happen," I whispered. To prove my dedication to my statement, I ran my left hand around her hip, under her skirt, and to her covered butt. I pressed a finger between her butt cheeks until I pressed against her anus. Now I was massaging her front and back.

"Oh, God, you bastard," she sobbed while she rocked back and forth.

"We really need to get going, though," I sighed. "Bass will send someone after us soon enough."

"I – Grrr – I owe you, Zane," Heaven groaned. "You stood by me. Damn, you fought Gorman by yourself for me and somehow you got me back. I know I can be a horrible person but you've always looked past that and saw who I could be."

"I could continue being a jack-ass and say that I looked past your horrible personality to that luscious ass but I think I'd rather remind you that I chose you to be my lover and no one else," I smiled at Heaven.

"Your lover..." she murmured happily. "And you are my bitch," she tacked on that bit from our sexual encounter in the Kappa Sigma closet hardly one week back. We still managed to stand up and get the door open before Ms. Marlowe came in quietly. She frowned at us while we grinned at her, cleaned our hands, and walked past her back to the Dining Hall.

RESTRUCTURING

We sat outside in the hall opposite the main Administrative conference room. There weren't a ton of us; the individual class presidents plus Heaven, Rio and myself. Christina and Rhaine shared the Senior Class spot.

"Drink run," I volunteered. "Who wants what?"

"Zane, if they call for you and you're gone, it will be big trouble," Christina pointed out.

"If I stay here one more minute, I'll strip off my clothes, paint myself blue, and streak across campus," I grinned piratically.

"Sprite," Heaven spoke up. A series of orders followed and I hurried off.

Upon my return, I handed Rhaine (last in line) a Dr. Pepper, which caused her to give me an odd look.

"I didn't ask for..." she began muttering.

"Nah, but I always see you drinking the stuff so I figured you could use one," I told her.

"Ah – thank you," she responded with a cautious smile.

"If it makes you horny then it was my idea too, Rhaine," Rio leaned forward so Rhaine could see her and smiled.

"Is she hormonal, dropped on the head as a child, or what?" Simone Brady asked the group of us. She was the Junior Class President and nominally a Rhaine supporter. She'd asked for and received a Sunkist.

"Tie me up in your room and we'll find out," Rio licked her lips at Simone.

"Isn't that supposed to be the other way around?" Heaven quizzed Rio.

"No; Simone looks like a slow learner and I don't want to scare her off on our first date," Rio leered.

"Now you know what I went through," Rhaine explained to Simone, who sniffed in derision.

"Hey, I don't know this crazy woman at all but even I can tell she's playing with you two," Hannah Cartwright, Sophomore Class President, rolled her eyes.

"How about we all try to remember we are all here to save our school?" Christina interrupted.

The conversation had died down to nothing when Rio nudged me.

"There's this old guy coming down the hallway and he looks like he knows you," she whispered. I looked up and my heart nearly stopped. I'd fucked up even worse than I thought.

"Uncle Josh," I said weakly, as I stood and faced him.

"Dude, I thought you said your family was dead," Rio continued.

"Technically, that would be true," the old man rumbled, "and you would be Rio Talon. I'm Joshua Coppersmith, old family acquaintance and the Braxton family executor."

"The last time I saw you I was being placed on a plane to Thailand," I stated somewhat bitterly.

"It was part of your father's will, Zane. He was my boss and the son of a friend so I owed it to him to trust his judgment concerning his only child," Uncle Josh explained.

"I recall wanting to stay with you," I reminded him. I recalled crying a river of tears, hoping to stay. I actually knew who Josh was, where Tim and Jill were virtual unknowns.

"A normal life is not allowed for everyone," Christina spoke up; "Past battles and all." I hate being beaten with my own words.

"That was one of your father's favorite sayings," Uncle Josh said. "I am glad to see you living by it. Thank you, Ms. Buchanan." She nodded politely.

"Who is this old geezer again?" Rio interjected.

"He was a close personal friend of my grandfather. They turned the company from a tired little mining concern to something a bit more. He mentored my father and they worked side-by-side when granddad died. Now he sort of runs thing until I inherit," I outlined.

"That is somewhat correct but not why I'm here. I could hardly miss the past week's activities here at Freedom Fellowship University. As the child of Victor and Jenna Braxton, I owed it to them both to let Zane sink or swim on his own. As the future head of the corporation I work for, I need to make sure he doesn't end up in prison," Josh clarified.

"Dude," Rio scoffed, then came to my side, "your boy went to jail last week. Where were you then?"

"Ms. Talon, I do not have spies watching his every move. By the time I became aware of the matter, it had been resolved," my pseudo-Uncle responded.

"I seriously suggest you get a 'minder' for Zane," Hannah Cartwright weighed in. "He's a real nutjob." That assessment would have angered me more had I not seen everyone nod in agreement. Instead, I went for the redirect.

"You've been in contact with Aunt Jill?" As far as I knew, Jill despised every aspect of my Dad's life.

"Zane, Jill has never handled more than two hundred dollars her entire life; of course I'm keeping an eye on her – and you," Josh stared at me. "I carefully monitor both yours and her finances."

"Seriously?" Christina asked skeptically. "He bought a warehouse full of furniture and that didn't appear to you to be frivolous?"

"Frivolous would be renting a private jet and a penthouse for a weekend in Las Vegas. Since Zane can't use eight sofas, I made the educated guess he was buying them to help out his dorm mates," Josh countered.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir. I'm Rhaine Ritchie, Senior Class President," Rhaine jumped in. "I am curious as to your purpose here. Are you here to take Zane away or are you going to help him stay here?"

"President Presumptive," Heaven growled.

"That's good to know," Josh nodded, "and I'm here to represent the corporation's interests – in this case, avoiding embarrassment to the company's executive branch."

"If you want an embarrassment, you don't need to go any further than Heaven," Rhaine insinuated.

"She's my transgender girlfriend and we have rocking sex," I blurted out to preempt Rhaine. Heaven's eyes flew open; Joshua looked totally nonplussed.

"Did you buy her in a Manila slum?" Josh asked me dryly.

"Aaaahh, no?" I stammered.

"Oh, that's alright, then," Uncle Josh mused. "I mean, once I had to fly a fourteen-year-old Tanzanian princess back to her home and explain to her parents why she and Victor weren't really married." He looked at Heaven, "Besides, she's clearly an adult and we could do far worse with photo opportunities."

"His father dated his share of actresses and models before he settled down and I have every reason to believe Zane will be just as much trouble before some woman steals his heart and reins him in," Uncle Joshua related.

"Too late," Rio snickered, but I cut her off with a painful elbow to the ribs. "Ow!"

"That would be me," Christina stood and declared proudly. Josh looked her over.

"Little lady, I hope you have patience, iron resolve, and the will to exert them both in equal measure," he informed her.

"I am not sure I want him yet," Christina retorted.

"Ah, then you are intelligent as well," Josh smiled.

"Please make sure that if you do marry, you don't murder him until you have a child. Otherwise, the inheritance will be a bear. I like Jill but she comes from a family of nitwits," Josh continued.

"That won't be a problem," Rio grinned evilly. "Zane's adopted a daughter since coming to FFU."

"Iona is not my daughter," I snarled at Rio, "but I could do worse than making her my heir."

Instead of being shocked, Josh rolled his shoulders. "I'll get the paperwork to you next week."

"Are you sure you want to do that to Ms. Beckett?" Christina asked me.

"Who else would be saint enough to deal with Rio if I was gone?" I explained.

"Just for that, you get to wear the ball-gag and restraints next time," Rio warned me.

"Mr. Coppersmith?" an attendant from the Board meeting asked when she poked her head out of the conference room. Her eyes flitted from me to my 'Uncle', locking on him. He nodded and followed her into the room.

"Mmmm, he looks like my first husband," Rio mused.

"I'm sure his wife, children, and grandchildren will take to that without protest," I joked.

"Fine; I'll settle for being his mistress," Rio sulked.

"Okay, I am missing something," Rhaine spoke up. "What is going on, Zane? Now that you know Heaven is a guy, how can the two of you still be going out together? You are not gay."

"Rhaine, I already knew about Heaven before we actually had intercourse, though I admit to being attracted to her before then," I responded.

"But...he's a guy. What do you do?" Rhaine wondered out loud with a quizzical look on her face.

"Rhaine," Christina chimed in, "what kind of sex do you think Zane has been having with all the women he takes to bed? He's not taking their virginity, after all."

"Oh, that's sick!" Simone declared.

"Simone, have you ever had anal sex?" Rio grumbled.

"God, no, that's gross," Simone said indignantly.

"So what was it like when you walked the Dolorosa?" Rio queried. I was pretty stunned Rio even knew what the path that Jesus took to Golgotha was called.

"What? I've never been to Israel," Simone answered.

"I bet you'd like to go and I'd bet you think you'd like it," Rio grinned.

"Yes, I would want to go, and I know it would be spiritual, but this has nothing to do with homosexuality being wrong," Simone struck back.

"Listen, you stuck up bitch," Rio kept grinning, "Jesus was a pretty smart Son of God so we would assume if something was really important to him, he'd have brought it up before the Romans gakked him. Seriously, how long does it take to say 'homosexuality is wrong; no more butt-sex'?" Rio beamed vile unpleasantness at Simone.

"You are an immoral soul," Rhaine jumped in.

"If that is how you want to describe someone who is honest, fearless, and who thinks for themselves, then I guess Rio and I are both immoral souls," I defended my best buddy.

"Count me in," Christina raised her hand.

"Me, too," Hannah and Heaven joined in our little heresy.

"Hannah, how can you go down the same way they are?" Rhaine complained. "Heaven is gay and Christina has lied for her since the beginning; Rio is a criminal; and Zane is...a boy."

"Listen, Rhaine, I don't claim to understand what is going on with Heaven and Zane but I figure if God is pissed, he'll let them know," Hannah stated.

"In the past two weeks, short of dodging you and your enforcers, I haven't known Rio to do anything wrong. She's served her time so we should forgive her and give her a chance. St Paul started out persecuting early Christians before he saw the light. What would have happened if Jesus hadn't given him a second chance?" Hannah sighed. "How could I do less?"

"And Zane...face it, he's eye-candy, and I've got a list of ten different things I want to do with him when my time to have him for Handmaiden's Duty comes up," she finished with a grin.

"Just once I'd like to have a girl here tell me I'm smart, or funny, or that I have a nice personality," I griped. "But Noooo, it is always 'he's got a fifteen inch penis as thick as his forearm; he can screw for two hours straight; or that I have a prehensile tongue that can tickle the ovaries and bring a girl to multiple orgasms."

Simone and Hannah's eyes grew larger as my gross exaggerations persisted.

"It's not fifteen inches long," countered Rhaine decisively. Simone missed it.

"How do you know how big it is?" Hannah clearly didn't.

"I..." Rhaine choked.

"I was coming out of the shower when Rhaine, Joy Jefferson, and Mercy Chaplain intercepted me. My towel accidently fell off and she got a brief view," I volunteered. Rhaine's look of surprise became one of veiled thanks.

"Because it wasn't like Rhaine wanted that massive piece of meat rubbing between her legs until she cried out in ecstasy or anything like that," Rio teased.

"That's enough," I cautioned Rio, and put an arm around her waist to pull her in. That calmed things down until we were all called into the meeting. Uncle Josh was sitting against the near wall. Against the North wall sat Ms. Lane and a dark-haired fortyish woman with reading glasses I didn't recognize. They both were taking notes.

On the South Wall sat a different woman, early thirties with short black hair and what I could best describe as a casual lethality. Both new women looked over us newcomers but lingered on Christina, Heaven, and myself. Looking at the eight men on the Board of Directors was rather anticlimactic comparatively.

"Ms. Ritchie and Buchanan, we have decided to uphold Chancellor Bass's decision to annul the last election of Senior Class President. The matter will be decided during Freshman elections in October. We find both of your behavior to date this semester to be deplorable and a sad example to your fellow seniors. Do you have any comments? Ms. Buchanan?"

"Directors, what do we do if the Chancellor once again annuls the elections?" Christina asked.

"You appeal the action to the new Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Victoria Scarlett," the head of the board directed our attention to the woman sitting with Ms. Lane. As if my life wasn't hell already.

"Oh, you would so do her," Rio whispered to me with her insane grin.

I was so busy praying that no one heard her that I missed Simone being read the riot act next. She'd be facing re-election in a few weeks too, a fact she was distinctly upset by. Hannah was given the same news but her reaction was to flick her hair over one shoulder and give a bored sigh.

"What was that, Ms. Cartwright?" the Head Director grilled her.

"Reverence, Purity, Integrity – this is what our school supposedly stands for," Hannah faced the man down. "I can vote and fight for my country but you are treating us like children, Sir. The Chancellor was wrong and we fought back against her tyranny because that was the only choice our Christian moral code left us."

"It is hardly Christian to physically attack your fellow students, Ms. Cartwright," he shot back.

"I didn't tell any of my class to attack anyone but I admit that I punched two girls who I knew attacked other students," she admitted. "I figured it was time for a little Old Testament 'Wrath of the Israelites' kind of thing."

"Your intransience is not encouraging," a different man on the board stated.

"I apologize, Sir. I was hoping my love of justice would not be misunderstood," she sighed.

"Hannah, I'm voting for you as my class president," Rio leaned forward and addressed Hannah.

"You can't, Rio; you are a freshman and I'm a sophomore," Hannah grinned back at her. As far as I could tell, this was the most either had ever said to the other.

"Obviously you've never heard of gerrymandering and ballot box stuffing," Rio snickered.

"This is neither the time to joke nor a subject to joke about, Ms. Talon," the Chairman said crossly.

"Sorry, Sir," Rio beamed. "I wasn't trying to be frivolous; elections are a good thing. I'm all for seeing more of the girls here, to see them get excited and come together for their mutual enjoyment – I swear I do."

While that seemed to satisfy the Board, Hannah had to look down at her lap and Heaven developed a sudden coughing fit.

"Um...um...Vickers...umm, you represent quite a quandary. We suspect you lied on your application to this school three years ago and you absolutely understood you would not have been admitted if you had been honest with us," the Chairman of the Board declared.

Heaven shivered so I took one of her hands while Christina took the other. Our motions were noted but I doubt the three of us cared.

"Now, Vickers, we could deal with this matter if you would submit to a medical examination," he continued.

"Why?" Christina replied. "Is every other applicant to this school required to do the same?"

"No other student has their gender called into question," a third board member informed us.

"She is not going to go along with this blatantly discriminatory policy," Christina retorted.

"If I may," Dr. Scarlett raised her hand. After a moment the Chairman nodded. "Mr. Braxton, as a man and someone with a confessed familiarity with Heaven Vickers, would you assert that said person is a woman?"

"She's more than woman enough for me," I quickly answered.

"Since it is clear that I have the lowest moral threshold in this room, it isn't going to make anyone think less of me if I attest that I've seen Heaven naked and she's got all the girlie parts I like," Rio threw her soul into the struggle. Heaven virtually froze up at that declaration.

"Are...are you saying that you've seen Mmmm...Vickers naked?" the second director stuttered.

"Dude," Rio scoffed, "we have communal showers here. Seeing a girl naked is hardly a rare occurrence. Since you seem like a kindred kinky soul, I'll let you know that I've seen Heaven under the sheets and I can give that body my pseudo-lesbian seal of approval."

"Have you had homosexual relations?" the Chairman gasped.

"With Heaven, definitely not," Rio swore with an upraised hand. "As for anyone else, what does it matter?" she joked. "You already think I'm a whore."

"You should watch your language," the third director warned Rio.

I put my hand on her stomach to hold her back from saying something that would only make it worse for her.

"To the bitter end," she winked at me.

"To the bitter end," I smirked back. She was taking one for the team; drawing off the discussion about Heaven by shocking the Board. Unfortunately, I wasn't alone in seeing that.

"Mr. Chairman," Dr. Scarlett addressed the Head of the Board, "perhaps we could return to the agenda if you want to stay on schedule."

"Very well," the man allowed. "Mmmm...Vickers, this matter isn't over but since we do not have conclusive proof about your gender, your application will remain under review."

"Thank you," Heaven replied softly.

"Don't thank us," the man spat. "Your deviancy will reveal itself soon enough. Evil can never hide from God's Truth."

"God is with us," I glowered back. I wasn't winning any friends on the far side of the table.

"Your time is coming, Mr. Braxton," the Chairman retorted. "Ms. Talon, we find it miraculous that you haven't racked up more infractions in your short time here. Now, your parents and this board agreed, upon your admittance, that you would live with the strictest discipline and you've attempted every trick in the book to circumvent those intentions."

"They did this to me on purpose," Rio moaned over the revelation of her parents' role in events. They'd given the Chancellor and Dana Gorman carte blanche in dealing with Rio.

"Nothing has changed," I whispered to Rio. She turned and looked at me with tear-brimmed eyes. She nodded once in understanding.

"A special guardian will be assigned to see to your physical and spiritual security," he continued.

"Who?" Rio questioned quietly.

"Administration will decide on who is most appropriate," he responded snidely. "Now for Mr. Braxton."

"I would like to say how much we appreciate you ladies and gentlemen taking time out of your busy schedules to deal with matters here today," I interrupted. I earned several glares for my effort.

"Mr. Braxton, you are an unfortunate aberration that should never have been allowed to happen. All disruptions that have happened in the past few weeks can be laid at your feet," he opened with.

I raised my hand. The man opened his mouth to continue but seemed annoyed with my gesture.

"Yes, Mr. Braxton?"

"Sir, how did you come to this conclusion? I'm one guy, and a freshman at that," I countered.

"You are the man, of course," the Chairman snorted. "It is only natural that the women of this campus would follow your masculine authority no matter how unfounded and perverse."

Wait, did he just call every woman in this room mindless sheep?

"Still, we are caught in the same quandary that left you here in the first place. Since we have already isolated you in a Solarium, you will also be assigned a guardian," he grumbled.

"Oh, okay," I shrugged. "What happens to Dana Gorman?"

"Ms. Gorman has been terminated," he shrugged back.

"But it wasn't her fault. I'm no fan; she did knock me out during a practice session once after all," I pointed out. "She is good for this school, though."

"We have a new Head of Security and the Athletics Department is being suspended for the rest of the semester," the Chairman informed us.

"That would be the neo-fascist in black at the end of the table," I directed my attention to the lone woman on the south end of the table. "Ending our sports programs would be a serious mistake for the morale of the school. Ms. Gorman has done a bang-up job and it would show real concern for the students at this school if you would keep her on as Athletics Dean."

"Ask around to any of the hundreds of students who participate; ask Rhaine – she's worked closely with the Coach before," I begged. I had no idea which way Rhaine would jump but she was the only trump I had to play. The big guy didn't seem inclined to listen to Rhaine but that didn't stop her.

"Coach Gorman gives every girl an active outlet for our energy," Rhaine volunteered. "She also allowed the reliable elements of the student body to aid with security. It was a shame that Zane's masculinity unbalanced the school populace; the student body does not blame her for what Zane and Christina did."

"She should hardly be rewarded for such a catastrophic loss of control," the second director stated.

"Reinstating Coach Gorman as Athletics Dean would save us the need for creating new creative programs to provide for the physical well-being of the girls," Dr. Scarlett suggested.

"This is a matter for the Board to discuss," the Chairman announced. "You students are released to return to your dorms. Thank you for your attendance. Mr. Braxton and Ms. Talon, you will be assigned your guardians before you arrive at breakfast tomorrow." We took that as our clue to leave. We made it out of the room and almost out of the building.

"A moment, Mr. Braxton, Ms. Buchanan," the short-haired woman called out. I turned and met her while the rest of the group slowed down behind me as we started to exit the building.

"I'm Gabrielle Black, your new Head of Campus Security. I thought it was important to meet you before classes formally resume." She stepped up and shook Christina's and my hand while we studied her.

"You may call me Zane," I offered. "I hope this means we are getting off on the right foot despite that whole neo-fascist thing."

"I don't see any panty lines 'Gestapo' Black," Rio interjected herself. "Have you gone commando today?"

"I usually make someone earn the right to find out, Ms. Talon," she gave Rio a shark-like grin.

"I really don't see how that is relevant and I really don't want to know," Hannah spoke up.

"Come on, Zane," Rio persisted, "give it a shot."

"Hannah doesn't want to go there so why don't we say good-bye to the nice lady and go," I responded.

"What exactly is Ms. Talon asking for?" Ms. Black inquired.

"Apparently Zane has a thing for figuring out women and woman's lingerie," Christina said with a degree of caution.

"I hope Ms. Cartwright will forgive me but I'd like to test this little trick," Gabrielle requested.

"If Hannah doesn't mind," I asked the sophomore class President (sort of). She nodded so I looked to Gabrielle.

"Give me a second," I requested.

"What's wrong, Zane?" Rio wondered when I didn't immediately start reeling off the facts.

"She's good at lying," I informed the group, "but..."

"But?" Gabrielle smirked.

"Lycra – form-fitting, probably a custom job, dull black, and I guess...with some sort of synthetic weave," I stumbled along. "I've never seen anything precisely like it."

"I have," Simone muttered. "A woman in the Presidential Detail for the Secret Service talked about having one, though they called it spandex instead of Lycra."

"You have bulletproof undies?" Rio teased. "That is so cool."

"What kind of Campus Security Chief wears bulletproof underwear?" Rhaine wondered.

"That's not important," Gabrielle smiled coolly.

"36C with extensive surgery on her right shoulder," I noted, "plus I'm willing to bet she's had plastic surgery on several places over her body."

"Nice guesswork," Gabrielle grinned; too bad the friendly gesture didn't reach her eyes. "What gave me away?"

"You hold your left shoulder slightly higher and to the rear, causing your left breast to be elevated. Let's say that a thirty-year-old woman has a characteristic to her skin that a twenty–year-old hasn't developed yet," I informed her.

"Do you really want to go over every individual spot that I've noticed so far?" I hinted. Two sites could mean one thing and one thing only; they weren't something for open conversation.

"I will graciously concede the field," Gabrielle gave a half bow and withdrew.

"What was that all about?" Rhaine finally broke the silence.

"I'm not sure," Christina responded. "Zane?"

"I don't know," I murmured.

"I do," Rio volunteered. "She's nuts, and I'm not talking about thinking that Aunt Jude is a Martian nuts; I'm talking about someone you don't want walking into a daycare with a loaded gun nuts."

"That doesn't make any sense," stated Simone. "She's our new head of security."

"She's no police officer, I'd bet," Hannah weighed in.

"You people are being paranoid," Rhaine snorted. "The Board of Directors wouldn't put anyone dangerous amongst us."

"I agree," Heaven added bitterly. "It isn't like they suspect the student body to be under Zane's influence because we can't help but be naturally submissive to his masculine charisma. No – wait, sorry. That is exactly what they accused us of five minutes ago."

"Heaven, women are supposed to submit to their husbands; it is God's Law," Rhaine declared firmly.

"Oh, thank God," I groaned. "Rhaine, come with me to my room; I need a massage."

"You are not my husband or my father," Rhaine countered. "I am not required to serve you."

"Then why are we rolling over for the all-male Board of Directors?" Christina inquired. "All I wanted was for the students to stand up and make our own decisions. One day we will submit to our partner but until then, God gave us free will and we should exercise it."

"How does Zane fit into all that?" Simone challenged Christina.

"He made a mistake. I saw no duplicity in Zane in my time watching over him so I believed he meant us no harm," Christina replied.

"Your attitude brought you down," Rhaine reminded her.

"Standing up for what was right got me and my friends persecuted," Christina replied. "Anytime any authority tells you that it is okay to torture someone for the 'greater good' is being neither great nor good; they are perverting Christian virtues."

Rhaine and Simone had no answer for that. We parted ways (rebels and traditionalists) and returned to our dorms, waiting to see what would come next.

FIRST LOOK AT THE GUARDIANS

"Wow," Rio gasped. "My world view has been shattered; there really is a Santa Claus."

"Do tell," I joked.

"I've been assigned my guardian for the semester; you get three guesses," Rio grinned.

It had to be someone from Rhaine's faction and the number of people there that Rio didn't utterly despise numbered less than five.

"Mercy Chaplain?" I hazarded.

"Got it in one," Rio snickered. "Who is yours?" I looked up my text messages (they were normally sent to poor Iona).

"Vivian Phillips," I told Rio. "I don't know too much about her but she's first-team Karate and a senior from Rhaine's camp."

"I need to think of something nice for Mercy this evening," mused Rio. "I am thinking the fuzzy hand and ankle cuffs, coconut massage oil, and my little pink friend."

"That seems awful...passionate for you," I pointed out.

"Don't worry about it," she smirked. "I'm going to ride her face like a burro going down the Grand Canyon."

"That was a metaphor I could have done without," I grinned. "By the way, the morning of the great melee, you were really nice to Mercy. What is up with that?"

Rio looked embarrassed, cast her eyes about suspiciously, then looked at me intently.

"I hoped no one caught that," she whispered.

"I'm pretty sure it was only Valerie, Joy and I who caught it, and Joy had no point of reference," I advised Rio. "Where is your mind concerning the two of you?"

"Damn it, Zane, she's a sweet girl," Rio hissed. "The crazy kid trusts me totally. That is kind of eerie and gentle at the same time, if that makes sense. Nothing has prepared Mercy for what a shithole this world can be; she is simple, sheltered, and innocent in her outlook on life."

"It didn't start out this way," I persisted. "What happened to change that for you two?" I wanted Rio to work this out in her head. Caring for another person was difficult for her, and that she could do this for Mercy was partially my fault.

"Honestly, it was the fear on Mercy's face when she rolled off of you that day," Rio sighed. "She wasn't afraid of me coming to slap you silly – you had that coming," she sneered. "But the fear of being sexy and sexual...she'd been drilled in the head so long that any sexual feeling was from the Devil that she felt devastated that you'd made her orgasm. I'm afraid I snapped; I had to do something," she confessed.

"And your answer was to make her your submissive sex toy?" I teased her.

"Hey, what can I say? I'm a freaking deviant myself. If you want the mediocre mainstream, call Dr. Drew," Rio grinned. "I'm all she's got and it is going to be a cold day in hell if I'm going to let some Bible-thumping asshole trap the beauty that is her body when she's wracked with pleasure in some cold, gray, sexless box."

"She's lucky to have a friend and protector like you," I whispered back. Her snarky reply was cut off by the look she was giving the stairwell to my domicile. Mercy Chaplain and a dark aspect girl had entered the area and were coming our way. Iona was coming our way as well.

"That is Vivian Phillips," Iona announced my visitor. I had no doubt she had a dozen useful facts on my latest guest too.

For her part, Vivian looked almost overwhelmed with the 'improvements' I'd made to the place.

"Mr. Braxton," Vivian said to me as she came to a stop before my sofa. I stood up and offered my hand. Rio stood and regarded Mercy. I guess I had to be happy they didn't fall over the sofa in a fit of sexual wrestling.

"So, Vivian, how do you want to handle this?" I inquired.

"You will stay in your room until I pick you up and you will stay in each class until I take you to your next class or activity," she strictly informed me.

"We'll see how that works out," I joked.

"No, Zane, that is how it is going to be," Vivian explained.

"Okay. What is going to happen if we miss one another?" I inquired.

"How can you miss me if you stay where I tell you to wait for me?" she stated firmly.

"No, I want to know what the repercussions are going to be after I've successfully avoided you," I asked pleasantly.

"Zane, the Board of Directors has directed the University to do this and if you dodge my duty, you will be expelled," Vivian responded patiently.

"So you don't know," I winked. "In that case, you can count on it that the next few months are going to be interesting for you."

"Mercy, you are going to have to sleep in my room if you hope to keep up with me," Rio taunted her guardian.

"If that is what it takes," Mercy shot right back.

"You still can't be there every second of the day," Rio bantered.

"If I have to keep a hand on you for the rest of the semester, I will," Mercy countered. I'd have been happy for both her and Rio if Mercy hadn't sounded so eager.

"Damn it," Rio snapped to me. "Mercy's got me so stymied and pissed off that I'm going to be up half the night working off my aggression." I rolled my eyes and Iona blushed as Paige and Valerie came up into the room.

"What's going on?" both Val and Paige asked.

"Mercy doesn't trust me so she's going to be with me every night from here on out," Rio pseudo-sulked. Valerie's groan was a lot more real and justified. I should have sensed the psychic chemistry going on around me; I could have used that bit of insight to run.

"You two..." Paige directed to Vivian and Mercy, "...should keep these two together as much as possible to minimize the damage they can do."

"Well they can't stay in my dorm room," Valerie sounded disappointed, "so they'll have to use Zane's bedroom. It is the only safe place to store them."

"I'm not going to spend time in Zane Braxton's bedroom," Vivian shook her head.

"Perhaps if you took a look at Zane's room before passing judgment," Iona offered. Vivian was about to make a rebuttal, then took another look around the room.

"Okay," she allowed.

Our little troop made our way to my screened-off area of the floor.

"Where are you going with this, Paige?" I asked my albino sexual siren quietly.

"Around the third time I drug Vivian to unconsciousness, she's going to figure out what's going on so a long-term solution suggests that your current girlfriends put you and Vivian together so that you can convert her to your side," Paige outlined with newfound tolerance.

"I'm too damn experienced with you to argue, Paige," I confessed.

"Your ability to be smarter than a hamster on a wheel is refreshing," Paige rewarded me with a stroke on the cheek. We stumbled at the entrance to my boudoir as Vivian had to take it in. She was so 'enraptured' with my extravagance that she missed Rio sneak up on Mercy from behind.

Rio put both hands under Mercy's skirt. One clearly coaxed along her buttocks while the left move around and began to gently caress her pubic area from the front.

"Someone's not wearing their underwear," I barely heard Rio whisper in Mercy's ear. "For being such a good girl, I'm going to do something special to you tonight; Zane's room at 10:00 o'clock."

Mercy obviously tingled all over at the news.

"Don't plan on getting any sleep," Rio teased softly, "I want the taste of hot little bitch-flesh on my tongue all night long, and since I can't have anyone worthwhile, I'll have...fuck it; I want you tonight, Mercy. Don't think for a minute that I care about you, though."

"Okay," Mercy turned halfway to Rio's lips, "I understand." Mercy did have this contented ephemeral smile on her face that I was hoping Rio didn't catch. If Rio did, she didn't show it, but then Rio hated to acknowledge that anyone cared for her.

"Thank Cordelia for me," I turned to Paige. I figured the only way Rio ended up with Mercy was someone rigged the process in her favor.

"That was me," Paige confessed. "I tried to stack the odds in your favor with Joy Jefferson but that didn't work out so well.

"Thank you," I expressed appreciatively.

"Thank me by hooking my legs over your elbows and fuck me standing up," Paige beamed raw sexual hunger my way. "I want to go bouncy, bouncy, bouncy on my personal pleasure toy." She finished by licking her lips. I wish she wouldn't refer to my cock as her toy or look at me the way a starving dog looks at a fresh pork chop.

Valerie motioned me forward now that Vivian had started walking around my bedroom.

"What is that platform for?" Vivian muttered to me once she realized I'd come to her side.

"It is my bed," I informed her. "Now do you see why you could sleep with me and we would both be okay?"

"I am not sleeping with you," Vivian insisted.

"I could sleep on one side and you could be on the other and we couldn't even touch fingers," I insisted.

"No," Vivian announced.

"I'll fight you for it," I gambled.

"What?" Vivian stared my way. Clearly, my move caught my friends off guard as well.

"You take me and I'll behave for a month. If I beat you, then you move into – my floor – for a month, and you still get to keep an eye on me," I offered.

"I am not staying in your room no matter what," Vivian declared indignantly.

"All the sofas are sleepers," I explained. "You wouldn't be in my room, plus you have your own shower and bathroom as well as the other amenities that have been put in."

"That is not going to happen," she insisted.

"Oh, my apology; I didn't know you were afraid of me," I shrugged.

"I'm not afraid of you, and I'm not going to be baited by you either," she shot back.

"Then fight me, pin me to the ground, and have things your way," I challenged her.

"Coach Gorman told us not to fight him alone if we could avoid it," Mercy jumped in. "If the Coach couldn't put him down quickly, you don't have a chance, Vivian."

That was so cold, and I'd have never thought Mercy could have pulled it off, luring Vivian in the way she did.

"Fine, let's go to the gym and settle this," Vivian growled her acceptance of my dare.

"Let's fight here," I countered.

"In your room?" she worried.

"In life, the arena you find yourself fighting in rarely presents itself as an even surface," I pointed out.

"That would be true, Ms. Phillips," Dana Gorman confirmed from the entrance.

"Dana," I exhaled with some relief.

"That would be Coach Gorman to you, delinquent," Dana smiled at me.

"Coach!" Mercy squealed, hugging the only real adult in the room. I was pleased to note that Vivian seemed genuinely happy at the news of Dana being back on the job too.

"Cool it, Mercy," Dana chuckled. "Technically, I'm still Ms. Gorman until 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning when my re-instatement goes into effect." She patted Mercy on the back before they separated. "I am mildly curious as to what you are doing here in Zane's room, Vivian. I normally credit you with better sense."

"Are you saying I'm senseless, Coach Hot-cheeks?" Rio snickered at Dana.

"Rio, my understanding of you begins with your friendship with Zane, which pretty much explains every other insane stunt you two have been involved with since your arrival," Dana smiled back.

"Coach, I can explain," Vivian finally got out. "I was assigned to Zane as his guardian by the Board of Directors and they said...um..."

"That you should go to Zane's bedroom and get into a fight?" Dana concluded. Vivian gulped, nodded and then shook her head.

"Get used to it, Vivian," Coach nodded knowingly. "If you are going to be hanging around with Zane, you need to get used to things like this happening. These inexplicable events occur on a regular basis. By the way, Zane: Thank you."

"No problem, Coach," I grinned.

"What was that for?" Vivian asked.

"Zane fought to get my job back," Dana Gorman nodded.

"Why would he do that?" Vivian wondered. "You put him through hell."

"Yeah, I was asking myself the same question," Rio chimed in.

"She's good for the university," I answered, "and they were going to cancel the athletics program."

"Vivian, you should be more concerned how you are going to beat Zane," Dana stated.

"Valerie, could you get Vivian one of your sports bras and a pair of Rio's shorts?" I requested.

"I'm not going to strip in front of you," Vivian said indignantly as Valerie left to do as I asked.

"I'll leave the room if you like," I shrugged.

"I'll take video evidence," Rio leered at Vivian.

"Rio, I'll slam you inside one of Zane's wardrobes if you don't behave," Dana warned.

"Zane will stick up for me," Rio puffed out her chest defiantly.

"Yeah, I was considering that," Dana laughed. "That turns a six-second fight into a sixty-second fight, but you are still ending up in the closet."

"And to think Rio spent so many of her formative years coming out of the closet," Paige jabbed.

"Paige, I'd slap you for that but I know Zane doesn't want a bruise on that swank body of yours." Rio taunted the tender-fleshed albino Paige.

"I keep begging him to trade you to me for a night but Zane insists that you two are exclusive for now," Rio kept at it despite Paige's arousal. "I'm holding out for you, though."

"I'm confident that Zane will keep making the right decisions," Paige rose to the challenge.

"Wait," Vivian waved her hands sideways, "Zane is really sleeping with a bunch of women? I thought that was an exaggeration."

"Did I come at a bad time?" Barbie Lynn spoke up. She was holding a suitcase and a carry-on bag. Behind her was Millicent with one suitcase and Raven with a dress bag. I was reminded that Barbie Lynn would be moving back into the dorm as dorm mother in the morning, but she was currently between places and clearly expected to spend the night here, in my room, with me.

"Come on in," I offered Barbie Lynn as I crossed over to get her bag. Vivian stepped up and put a hand on my arm to stop me.

"Barbie Lynn will not be staying in your room tonight!" Vivian laid down the law.

"Vivian, you always ranked higher than me in the club hierarchy and I have a bad knee, but if you have a problem with me, face me, not Zane," Barbie Lynn growled.

"Don't worry, Babe," I soothed Barbie, "I'm working on a solution right now."

"Zane, slap this skank" (referring to Vivian), Rio snarled. "She put her hand on you so defend yourself all over her punk ass."

"Vivian is only doing her job," I addressed Rio. "I'm not going to hold that against her."

"Zane, is this another one?" Raven inquired about Vivian's sexual status with me.

"No. She's my official guardian, and as soon as I kick her ass, she's going to sleep on one of the main room's sofas for a month," I explained.

"No, when I win, I will exclude everyone from this floor except you, me and the dorm mother," Vivian countered.

Valerie came bolting into the room with the clothes, Opal, and Cappadocia.

"I will go change into shorts outside. Vivian, you change here. Coach, can you referee the match?" I tried to bring some order to the chaos. Vivian ground her teeth but took the clothes and started to strip before I got my own clothes.

"Zane, stay on - change in the corner. There are too many freshmen girls out there," Vivian conceded.

"You two should decide if you want to stick to Zane's bedroom or cover the entire floor," Dana stated.

"I leave that to Vivian," I allowed. Vivian chose the full floor and Dana decided that things would remain cluttered – the students would remain on the floor as obstacles to fight around, believing we were good enough to not smack a civilian.

"Good job, Vivian," Dana congratulated her senior student. "Use the terrain to counter his reach advantage.

"Any advice for me?" I asked.

"Yes. Don't get that pretty face beaten up," she smiled snidely at me.

"That will teach Zane to take your side on anything," Rio sneered.

"I'm not on your faction's side, Rio," Dana confirmed, "but it doesn't mean Zane and I aren't friends."

"I'm fine," I assured Rio. "Tell us when, Coach." Dana looked Vivian and I over.

"Go!" she snapped.

Vivian caught me off guard by running away but I quickly gave chase. She compounded the situation by scrambling across a pool table in play then kicking at me when I came around the side. She followed up on that advantage with a series of punches that drove me over the back of a chair. Girls were screaming, squealing, and running all around us.

She advanced around the chair so I bolted over the closest sofa. Now Vivian pursued. She launched a flying kick over the sofa. I folded under it and was a millisecond faster on the recovery. My punch hit her in the ribs and pushed her back. A flurry of blows rained down on me. I tried to drive her back but Vivian's technique was too close to perfect for me to beat through.

Vivian switched up with a series of swift front kicks to buy some room, then started maneuvering again.

"She's a righty," Valerie told me. That meant she was right-handed, thus she made most of her attacks and blocks from the right, covering the left instinctively. Since the right was not significantly stronger in most athletes, you could wear down an opponent by concentrating your attacks on the over-extended right, or so the theory went.

Even then, it took two minutes to catch her calf with a kick and put her down. She rolled out of my attempted hold but ended up on her ass, back to a chair.

"Five-minute break," I offered. Vivian blinked but took the hand I offered to help her stand up. "Drink," I motioned to the juice dispenser. She looked at me funny, then went to get one.

"Be careful, Vivian; he's trying to get inside your head, convince you he's not such a bad guy," Dana counseled her female student.

"No kind words for me?" I joked.

"I already know you are a good guy, Zane. The only reason you cut Vivian some slack was that you would rather have her friendship than the win, which is far more dangerous to Vivian," Dana winked at me.

I took a Grapefruit juice while Vivian drank some Gatorade, both with our backs to the sink. I caught her stealing some looks my way.

"Next time I'll pin you," she told me while looking away.

"We both have to be thinking that or we wouldn't be fighting," I responded.

"The difference is that I am right," she said as we made eye to eye contact.

"FFU doesn't teach you to be second best," I nodded, which brought a smile to her face.

"Thirty seconds," Iona warned us. We picked spots ten feet apart and were ready when Dana gave the word.

Since my previous strategy had relied on attrition, Vivian went for a quick, lightning series of attacks. She rebounded off sofas, tables, and chairs as she drove me about the room. At a crucial moment she drove her foot into my thigh above the knee and sent me sprawling into a crowd of observers. As Vivian closed in for the kill, I spilled a startled freshman into her.

By the time she disentangled herself from my distraction, I was on my feet. Her glare told me she didn't approve of my move. We crashed together; she leveraged me over and threw me onto a sofa. We grappled and rolled off the sofa and onto the floor. Vivian rammed an elbow into my throat but I wedged a knee under her hips and propelled her over my head.

"You've done a good job, Coach Gorman," Valerie lauded Dana on Vivian's performance.

"She's either three or four on the team," Dana informed the group. "It is her or Evangeline fighting for third, with Cappadocia and Wilhelmina being second and first."

"You have some weird damn names at this school," Valerie commented.

"This from an outlaw biker chick with the handle of Valkyrie?" Dana teased. "Of course, I'm also still trying to figure out how a guy who is knocking boots with Barbie Lynn Masters is giving the time of day to Paige here."

"Hey!" Paige squawked. "Zane thinks I am very good at sex, I'll have you know."

"Trouble," Barbie Lynn moaned. Vivian had faked me out and put a foot into my stomach that sent me cartwheeling. Me, I'd have kicked me in the calves and thighs to weaken me up but Vivian went for a stomp to my diaphragm. I rolled away, then kicked out. This is where my greater reach came into play; Vivian couldn't fall back fast enough and I put my heel into her hip.

I was up a hair before Vivian could make a counterstrike. I rolled her thrust under my arm, caught the limb and rolled the two of us onto the ground. She placed a hand underneath her and tried to shake free of me. I locked her arm, twisted, and leaned into her body.

"Do you give?" I asked softly. I had her pinned and I doubted anyone here besides Dana could have escaped.

"No," she hissed. I could sense people gathering around.

"Time for another five-minute break?" I inquired a little louder. Vivian gave one last surge of resistance, then relaxed.

"Fine," she grumbled, "five minutes." I rolled off and offered her a hand.

Vivian ignored it, choosing to get on all fours, then stand. She was about to walk way when she turned and extended her hand to me. She shook and headed back to the closest bar.

"Zane?" at least five different girls asked me at once. I wasn't sure why I'd let Vivian up either.

"Dude, if you lose this, I am personally going to use my strap-on on your ass," Rio growled.

"I'm going to go home and start researching the most painful applications of acupuncture possible," Paige enlightened us all.

"I'll take care of your hurts," Barbie Lynn sympathized.

"You are such a slut," growled Rio.

"No," Opal interceded. "I think that Brandi, Barbie Lynn and I are going to be taking comfort with Zane when the rest of you bimbos have lost faith in him, leaving him lost and forlorn."

"How many of you am I going to have to fight off?" Vivian sounded worried. It was beautiful music to my ears, not to be blamed for once.

"There is me," Iona chirped, "and wait until Heaven shows up. Forty-eight hours without her Zane-fix and she's going to look forward to dismembering someone," she added with a pleasant sincerity. Vivian looked to me skeptically.

"It is entirely my fault," I confessed with upraised hands, "I should learn to say 'no' from time to time. I keep leading these fine young ladies on."

"Do you see why you need to win now?" Dana asked Vivian, who looked uncertain. "You are Zane's only hope of surviving the school year. You are a lifesaver."

"Oh, okay; let's get back to it then," Vivian sighed. I rolled my shoulders and followed. The second Dana gave us the nod, we attacked one another. I had hoped to catch Vivian off-guard and clearly Vivian thought the same thing.

In close, Vivian had the advantage. She got several blows into my right side and I never fully recovered. Vivian got a foot behind my left leg and tumbled me down as I grabbed her shirt. Her shirt tore, we rolled – first her on top, then me before we broke up. I jabbed, she tumbled back and regained her feet, I backed up and did the same.

Vivian tossed her ruined shirt aside and readied herself. Maybe a half dozen people in the room followed the next exchange of blocks and blows, Vivian hammering away at my right while I clipped her left shoulder and stomach. I saw an opening, tried to flip her but she pulled me down and ended up on top. She cocked back her fist to strike with her right while pinning my shoulder with her left.

I had a hand poised at her armpit and the other half-raised to block. Vivian realized she was about to clock me in the head hard; my block wouldn't be fast enough. Something passed between us at that moment. I hooked her under the arm, flipped us over, and landed on top. Vivian twisted her arms but I twisted my block into a wrist hold and pinned the other when she attempted to break the hold.

For that second, I had her pressed to the ground, our breasts heaving from the exertion.

"Okay," she said softly. I immediately let go of her wrists and got off of her in all haste. I offered to help her up and this time she took it without hesitation. We stood there, clasped hands held at her chest level, facing and studying the other's features.

The cheering broke out the moment the freshmen student body realized the fight was finally over and that I had somehow come out on top. I tilted my head slightly because I really had to know why she let me win but I never got the words out.

"I really don't know," Vivian whispered.

My well-wishers pulled us apart and I was getting slapped on the back and kissed. I noted that Dana, Barbie Lynn, Valerie, and Mercy stood around Vivian. Valerie must have seen what really happened and wanted to know why. Mercy had probably been reminded of whose side she theoretically belonged to. Barbie Lynn would be Dorm Mother again, making Vivian her charge, and Dana was her instructor after, which explained everyone's presence.

"So, can we have our own little celebration?" Paige requested, her pale eyes burning bright.

"I have a church meeting in an hour," I frowned. Rio and Iona were in the room with us but were close to the screen entrance, giving Paige and I some space.

"We could sneak something in," Paige winked hopefully.

"You are many things to me, Paige, but you are not someone I want to leave after only a quickie," I looked down at Paige as I wrapped my arms around her. She pouted but clearly wasn't too angry with my decision. Outside her odd fascination with me, Paige was a clever, logical girl.

"I believe Heaven is going to be all over you this evening," Paige sighed. "Friday is for your Aunt Jill and Saturday is the Block Party, so what are my chances for Thursday or Sunday?"

"I was hoping to make Thursday night a sleep-over sort of thing and I'd like it if you were here," I asked. "I really don't want to commit my Sunday until I'm sure Heaven is okay. You have to admit she's had a really lousy week."

"I don't have to admit anything, Zane, but I make allowances because you mean well," Paige smiled. "I chose to accept that your loyalty to Heaven is a mirror of the loyalty you show me."

"It has nothing to do with bouncy, bouncy, bouncy?" I teased.

"No," Paige wiggled tightly against me. "That would be an irrational decision based on memories of deep sexual pleasure and I'd never confess to that." I felt her place a gentle kiss on my chest. I answered with a kiss to the top of her head.

"Now scoot," I commanded. "You are far too distracting and I do have to get going."

Paige rubbed her body against me as she moved past to the entrance; Iona and Rio came my way as I got dressed.

"I should have Mercy tied down, gagged, and blindfolded by the time you get back," Rio grinned.

That was her way of asking my permission to use my room without actually asking.

"I'll make sure Vivian is set up before you get back," Iona informed me with upbeat energy.

"Iona, since I hate Mercy Chaplain, why don't you spend the weekend with me?" I asked. The implication was that Rio would be tearing Mercy up all weekend long.

"I'd love to," Iona hugged me.

"Sleep in his bed," Rio chuckled.

"I plan to," Iona boasted.

"Lose your virginity," Rio teased.

"No," Iona gave Rio a raspberry. "Zane loves me the way I am."

"Are we going to cuddle?" I smiled warmly down at her.

"Damn Skippy!" she chirped. "I'll even sleep in the nude because I trust you so much."

"Busted!" Rio laughed at me. I groaned, finished getting dressed, and made my own way out.

Before I could make my escape from the main area, Vivian flagged me down.

"Vivian, I'm going to..." I started to say. She lifted up her phone in response.

"Your schedule is online," Vivian pointed out. "What I was wondering was why you are still using the fifth floor showers when you have showers in the Solarium now?"

"Wow, are you offering to shower with me?" I faux-gasped. "That didn't take you long."

"No!!" Vivian glared with some exasperation. "I'm trying to limit your contact with naked women."

No one within earshot was rude enough to laugh out loud.

"I could say something like 'shower with me and I'll respect your virginity,' but I'll respect your virginity no matter what," I gazed upon Vivian. "I do formally request that you allow me to continue to shower on the fifth floor. I hope you don't disregard my request out of hand."

Vivian levelly met my gaze, then nodded.

"I'll think about it," she allowed.

"Holy Smokes," Brandi whispered from nearby, "he's broken down the wall." Vivian flinched.

"No," Opal whispered back, "but she's no longer ready to castrate him in the next fifteen seconds either." That observation made Vivian crack a glimmer of a grin. I took it as my cue to run for it.