Filling out the Frontline Chapter 5: Cozy Cinders (Patreon)

RFB and Spas hurriedly spun about the office. The sitting area was only so big, and both girls had grown far too much to be capable of even minute stealth. “Where??” RFB asked. “There’s nowhere in here Kalina, your office is too small!”

“It’s twice the size of most normal offices!” Kalina fired

“Kalina, I’m four times the size of most normal girls!” RFB shot back, thumbing her chest.

“T-there’s the other room?” Spas interjected.

Both she and RFB turned to look into the back room. Most of the area was obscured in dark shadow, but there were a number of objects that gave it the appearance of being jam packed with stuff. Spas could make out what seemed to be at least two refrigerators.

Kalina immediately rejected the idea, moving before them with spread her arms wide. “No! Absolutely not! I’m not having you two eat me out of house and home in fifteen minutes!!”

Spas kept gazing, wondering just how much food was back there. She was suddenly startled when Kalina moved in front of her and started pushing her backward.

“On the couch! Both of you. Lay down, RFB!”

“What? We can’t both fit!!” RFB hissed.

“Spas, get on top of her, I’ll cover you both with blankets!”

“W-what?!” RFB demanded. “No way, do you know how heavy she is?!”

Spas, meanwhile, felt butterflies in her chest. She glanced over at RFB before her eyes found the floor and she blushed. All she’d wanted earlier was to lay down and be held… was it really as simple as this?

There were another three raps on the door. “T-dolls AK-47 and M1919A4 reporting to speak with Miss Kalina about a token purchase!”

“Lay down!” Kalina ordered in a hush. She then called aloud, “Just a minute!! I’ve got to tidy up!!”

“Grrrr, fine!” RFB grumbled. Raising a hand to her ear, she connected to the Comms network. “Base this is Alpha-2. We’ve run into an issue at Miss Kalina’s office. Other girls have come in for entry.” She laid down on the couch, her dress tugging up over her tummy. “C-climb on…” she gestured to Spas. 

Spas very gently stepped across the floor. She looked RFB from top to bottom. The girl was overflowing the edge of the couch, trying to hold her arms across her chest so she’d take up less room. Her thighs were so thickened with fat that and her ass so massive that Spas had nowhere to lean her feet as she climbed atop of her.

“Alpha-2, base acknowledges,” Mosin came back. “You’re instructed to go dark. Kalina, if you’re receiving, open your coms to receive speaker but broadcast only to you.”

“Copy,” came the quick reply.

“God, this is so awkward,” RFB mumbled.

Spas wavered. “What does going dark mean?”

“Hurry!” Kalina chided.

“Sorry…” Spas mumbled, not meaning it in the slightest. RFB felt like her body was made of the cheesecake Spas had just eaten. The way she spread out even further beneath Spas’s hands gave the illusion of warmth and freshness, and her tummy in particular felt almost gooey, like she was made of thick cream. 

Only this cream bounced back, and she breathed with high levels of exertion beneath settling weight. RFB huffed in discomfort as Spas lowered herself onto her squishy body. She braced her arms against the armrest on either side of RFB’s fatty face. The underused muscles in her legs flexed against the other on the opposite side.

Spas gazed down into RFB’s beautiful green eyes, trying desperately not to think about what a great bed the girl would make. Their bare bellies mashed gently against one another.

Quickly, Kalina cast a blanket over the heads, though the blanket was sheer, nearly see through this close. Another blanket was cast over that, and Spas could only just faintly see the green in RFB’s eyes now.

“God, RFB, your calves are so fat!” Kalina complained, and Spas could feel a third blanket added to their legs.

RFB shuttered beneath her but said nothing.

“Alpha-2 and Alpha-4, we have you on our trackers.” Came Mosin’s reassuring voice. “Once we know who the other dolls are, we can open them up as well and track their positions. We’re prepping contingencies 2 and 3.”

“Mmmkay! Come in!” 

God, she was comfortable. Larger than any pillow Spas had ever used, yet she almost seemed to oscillate beneath her. As cozy as a waterbed. Spas tried to ignore the butterflies that were tumbling around in her tummy.

They could hear the door opening and two pairs of shoes step onto the tile. “Uwaah, can I rest now? I’ve had to carry this around all day!!”

“Go ahead, A4,” spoke a much firmer voice, which must belong to AK-47.

There was a large clatter as something thudded down recklessly onto the floor followed by a soft, “Oops…”

A fresh voice whispered in Spas’s ear. Grizzly. “Did she just drop her thirty-pound machine gun on the floor??”

“Hnnnnngh,” came a moan from Kalina. There was the sound of a slap as she put her face in her hand. “Mmmkay, whaddya two want? Is there anyone else here?”

“Ooo… sorry about the crack,” 47 chuckled. “Yeah, it’s just us.”

“S-sorry…” came A4’s timid apology.

Spas and RFB shared a hidden wince.

“We are here to make a purchase!” 47 clapped her hands, sounding excited. Her Russian accent was powerfully cheerful. “I saved another ten tokens and want another roll of the wheel!”

“I keep telling you,” Kalina sounded exasperated, “you’ve a better chance when you save up to a hundred. You get an extra gift that way.”

“Ah ah ah,” 47 responded. “I know your tricks, Сволочь!” She spat the vile, Slavic word. “The game is rigged, but it is the only one to play!”

“Сука Блять,” came Mosin’s hot response, “watch your damn mouth!!”

Kalina was talking through clenched teeth, though obviously trying to sound amiable. “It’s not rigged… how many times do I have to tell you girls that?”

“Yes, yes,” 47 dismissed, “the Сволочь shotgunner won on her first try. We all know your lie.”

Grizzly voice came back over the radio. “Spas, RFB, we’re tracking the other girls now. We see you in the office wi-” she suddenly cut off before shouting, “Hey! Where are you going?!”

“I’m gonna take her damn jaw off.”

“Marshmallow, get back here!! Put the rifle down!”

The line went dead.

The conversation in the room seemed to disappear with it as the buzzing in Spas’s ear faded. Her sense of hearing slowly trickled out and all she was left to focus on was the sight of RFB’s green eyes beneath her. Her face was so plush with chub that it pinched her eyes near the corners. Only a slight bit, but it went to show just how fat the girl was. And her body just radiated warmth.

Spas’s arms and legs burned with the effort of holding herself up. She closed her eyes, tried to focus, but all she ended up feeling was their bellies mushing together. How did something like this feel so good? She was so snug, so loose beneath the blanket. Why was she even holding herself up? If she lowered herself, she could just lay on top of RFB.

“S-spas,” the large girl whispered. “What are you doing? Sabrina??”

Spas relaxed the tension in her arms. Very slowly, she brought herself to rest all of her weight on top of the bulkier girl, leaning into the back of the sofa. She felt herself nestle cozily into the spot. Her breathing had deepened and again she felt the exhaustion from earlier spilling over her. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth to yawn.

RFB’s hands moved, with one pushing inward on Spas’s tummy. She could only just barely suppress the pleasurable moan before sinking her hand into RFB and gripping her love handle. 

She leaned her head into RFB’s the crease of smooth neck, lightly twisting as if she were nuzzling a pillow. She was so tired now, listening to the great swell of air that inflated RFB’s chest.

“Shit!” 

The sudden cuss had Spas blinking sleep from her eyes. She felt another yawn fighting for release but stomached it, clutching onto RFB’s dress.

She could feel the woman moving just slightly beneath her and then saw a little light as one of the blankets was lifted a fraction of an inch.

A large pair of black boots stomped back and forth on the tile floor. “Cunt! Ass!” 47 swore. “I was sure this would be the time!”

“Well, not everyone is that lucky,” Kalina replied, sounding mightily chuffed. “Hang on, I’ll go get your prize.”

“Keep your fuckin lollipop!” 47 spat. “The shotgun has cheated, not big surprise! Just as she has to join the Сука in 707!”

“C-can I have the lollipop?” A4 asked.

47 growled and then finally relented. “Yes, fine.”

“Mmmkay, I’ll be right back,” Kalina said.

A long pair of white stockings worn over exceptionally thin legs came into view next to 47’s boots. “Maybe you should sit down?” A4 asked. 

“No,” 47 sighed. “You should speak with her about your skin. I can wait outside, little Медовик.” Her abrasive tone had shifted, becoming tender as she addressed the other girl.

A4 giggled into a snort. “Okay. I’m a little nervous, but with a leader as strong as you, I can’t possibly back down!!”

“Yes,” 47 grunted. “But I was hoping to be a leader with tan skin and a golden weapon! Ahh, next time.”

“M-maybe you should save up for a hundred?” A4 asked. “That’s how I won mine… even if I can’t really wear it.”

“Maybe,” 47 replied. 

There was a light shuffling noise and A4 called out. “Ahh! Watch my cap!”

47 sniggered again before sighing. “I’ll be outside. Try to be quick, they have burgers at the chow hall, and we are already behind.”

RFB dropped the blanket, her hand smooshing inward on Spas’s belly so roughly that the girl could hardly stifle a sudden gasp while her tummy rumbled awkwardly against the muffled grip. RFB turned, her emerald eyes zeroed in on Spas’s red ones, both blushing intently as quiet filled the room.

“Okay!” Kalina exclaimed as she came back. “One sucker- I-I mean, one lollipop! Here you are!”

Silence.

RFB glared at Spas, who was now cowering back, trying to disappear into the cushions of the couch and shaking her head back and forth.

“E-errmm.., are you two okay?” Kalina asked.

“Yeah…” 47 replied. They could hear the sound of boots on tile coming closer.

“Umm, hey!” Kalina called, “Don’t touch that! That’s private… stuff!”

47 froze. Spas could see the silhouette of the doll through the darkness of the blankets. She was tall, with wavy long hair that flowed around her a muscular body. The tiny beret atop her head blocked the ceiling light, giving her a demonic glow.

“Stuff? Or someone?” 47 asked. She took a step closer and her boots appeared beneath the blanket. “Who are you hiding?”

“That’s none of your business!!” Kalina said firmly. “Now I am ordering you, get away from there.”

There was a clear hesitation from 47 and Spas felt herself beginning to uncontrollably squirm before the programming won out and 47 followed the dictation. “Alright, Kalina,” 47 said. “Alright.”

“That’s better. Now, take your lollipop and get outta here!”

“O-oh,” A4 stumbled. “I-I was… ummm… hoping I cou-”

“It’s Bellows, isn’t it?” 47 cut in. “Nobody else is that large. That’s why he never used that oath contract he purchased. You and he… eh?”

“Get out!” Kalina stomped her foot.

47 roared into a giddy laugh. “I knew it!” she cackled. “And they say there is no time for love in war! How is he, eh? Does he let you ride on top?”

“AK-47, Command ID 20052016! Leave this office immediately!!”

Automatically, a robotic voice emanated from 47. “Identification authorized. Command accepted.” Without a further word, the door to the office was opened and then shut.

Kalina collapsed back into her seat with an anguished groan. Spas was about to lift the blanket from her when another voice spoke.

“U-ummm… Miss Kalina,” A4 began, “I’m sorry about… um… If you need me to… I mean…”

“Now’s not really a good time, A4…” Kalina sighed. A few moments passed before she started again. “I thought I heard you say something about your outfit? The Halloween skin, right?”

“Yeah…” A4 twisted uncomfortably.

RFB turned to look at Spas with a blanched expression while Kalina loudly typed at her computer. “Here we are. This?”

Spas couldn’t help herself. There was something in the way that A4 talked that was beyond just simple discomfort. She reached out, ignoring RFB’s warning breath, and gently lifted the blanket.

M1919A4 was one of the skinniest T-dolls that Spas had ever seen. The girl was all but emaciated, with legs as thin as poles. She wore a large tan jacket that came down to her knees, which concealed the heavy ammo belt attached to her back. A string of bullets was still attached to the firing mechanism of the massive hunk of metal on the floor behind her. On the top of her very light brown hair, A4 wore a matching tan garrison cap. 

With her back to them, Spas could hardly make out her body, but the screen that Kalina flipped around left little to the imagination.

Displayed on the monitor was a large image of an all but naked version of A4. A black and purple cape was tied around her neck, with a black piece of what appeared to be sheer lingerie over her center. She wore nothing on her arms legs, not even shoes, only a pair of cufflinks on her wrists. She was almost thinner than the weapon she carried. The costume was so shockingly risqué that Spas didn’t even notice the bats flying around her, nor the fangs in her mouth, except as the very last things.

She did notice, however, how quickly A4’s eyes found the ground. She turned away from the outfit and Spas could see the slight glimmer of pink in her oddly colored eyes. Her cheeks were bright with a matching flush.

From the other side of her, Kalina noticed Spas. She only briefly looked at her before returning her attention to A4. “Is it too much?” she asked. “I thought it’d be really nice, can show off how thin your legs are! And look how it… Errm… sorry,” she coughed, turning the monitor back around.

A4 looked down to the ground, still saying nothing.

“It’s just an Alpha program for right now,” Kalina said. “We can change anything you like, that’s my job! I make the clothes, but the program would edit your body so you would have ears and then grow your fangs.”

Still, A4 said nothing, blushing so harshly that her face was on fire.

Kalina’s eyes glanced over and Spas gave her a disapproving pout. The orange haired girl sighed, for the first time sounding very sincere. “Sorry, A4... I’ll work more on it. When you said you wanted to be a vampire for Halloween, I thought…” she shook her head. “Anyway, sorry. We can develop it more later, when we have some alone time.”

A4 shifted, turning back towards the couch. Spas dropped the blanket just in time. Still, she could hear the sadness in her voice. “Yeah… okay,” A4 agreed. “Sorry. I just… I’m not really comfortable with…”

“With your body?” Kalina asked.

“Yeah,” came the bitter response. “But thanks for, you know… trying.”

Kalina was silent for a moment. Her voice took on a more delicate tone. “I’ve been… learning a lot of things, recently. Maybe I can get you some help with… things.”

“I’m okay,” A4 muttered. “Umm… can I go? 47 is probably waiting. Or maybe she went to get dinner already. I’ve still got to turn in our expedition report, we were out in the snowfields today.”

Absolute silence followed. It was as if a deep freeze had descended on the office. Spas again raised the blanket, and this time RFB didn’t try to stop her. When Kalina spoke next, her voice contained barely restrained anger. “A4, when were you placed on an expedition team?”

“Uhh… about two months ago,” A4 responded. “It’s not so bad.”

“Is it a two-hour expedition?”

A4 shook. “No, they’re eight-hour ones. We do two a day. Sometimes it takes a little longer for us to get back, but I’ve gotten better at… well, gotten more used to it anyways.”

Kalina stood up. She looked past A4, down to her weapon. “Are there any other LMG Specialists assigned to the team?”

“No, Miss,” A4 shook her head. “I was assigned to AK-47’s team by Commander Alexeev.”

Kalina was red with rage. “All transfers are supposed to go through me,” she hissed. “That’s so I can shoot down stupid ideas like sending a girl with a thirty-pound weapon on a scavenging mission!” She cursed under her breath and then waved at A4. “Go and turn your report in. I’ve a phone call to make.” She raised a finger then, “Do not report to the expedition tomorrow. I am reassigning you. Tonight, if I can get ahold of him.”

“I-I don’t want to be a both-” A4 began.

“That’s an order, A4. I’m shocked your legs are still working. Expedition duties are held to light weaponry for a reason.”

A4 murmured. “They’ve had to be replaced twice, Miss.”

Kalina stared. “Go,” she said simply. “Before I blow a cog.”

A4 wavered for a moment before bowing. “T-thank you, Miss,” she said. She turned around to gather her weapon. Spas didn’t drop the blanket. She didn’t need to, because A4 didn’t ever look up from the ground.

The moment she exited the room, Kalina pounded on her desk. “Russian bastard!” she shouted. “I’ll have him scalped. Her neural cloud must be fringing from unacknowledged pain.”

She looked up as Spas dismounted RFB and tossed the blankets to the side.

“Mosin, are you still receiving?”

“Yes, Miss Kalina. I’ve them both in my sights.”

Spas blinked, then turned to RFB. “S-she’s not gonna shoot her, is she?” 

RFB shrugged. “Maybe 47.”

“If one more doll shoots my office door, I will tear this building apart,” Kalina threatened. “Mosin, this isn’t a capture mission. I’m reassigning M1919A4 to your squad, effective immediately. Where’s Winters?”

“Bellows and he are returning with the supplies for Spas’s party.”

“Party??” Spas asked.

“He’s here,” came Grizzly. “Just walked in. 505’s with him. Hey, fatass.”

“What a terrible greeting!” they heard 45 call back. “Commander, she just called you fat!!!”

Kalina moved to her phone and tapped a few buttons before looking to the others. “Alright, get going. And I swear to God if you don’t save me some cake, I’ll… I’ll probably just be really upset!”

RFB nodded. “Yes, Miss. come on Spas, let’s get moving.”

Spas obediently followed her friend out into the hallway. They were greeted by a slight flash of a mirror down at the other end of the hall before Mosin wobbled around the corner carrying her rifle. “They’re gone,” she huffed as she neared.

“You wouldn’t have actually shot her, right? 47?” Spas asked.

RFB elbowed her. “Don’t ask a question you don’t want the answer to. There’s bad blood between most of the Russian dolls.”

Marshmallow grinned like a bear. “Alright ladies,” she straightened, taking command as easily as she breathed, “Upstairs, let’s go. We’re taking the elevator, I am not walking that far upward.”

“What the heck?!” RFB complained, “You told me we’d have to take the stairs!!”

Marshmallow winked and stuck out her tongue. “Perks of leadership.”

******************************************************************************

“Umm, Marshmallow,” Spas said when they were finally sliding up in the steel box. “What did the others mean by a party?”

Mosin reached over and pat Spas affectionately on the head. She rubbed her hand through the back of her curly white hair. “Well, it’s your special day of course. It’s something Samuel came up with recently, throwing a party to celebrate! The first one we did was for Suomi, and now it’s your turn. It…” she stepped closer, wrapping her arm around Spas. “It helps, you know?”

“Careful,” RFB joked, “when we were hiding, she looked like she was as hungry for me as she was for those burgers.”

“H-hey,” Spas blushed, looking down at herself. “You’re comfy, okay?”

“I already got one girl calling me her pillow,” the girl laughed in reply.

“Well, to be fair, you’ve got two thighs,” Mosin said. She then reached over and grabbed a handful of fat on RFB’s leg. “Not to mention they’re four times the size.”

“Yeah yeah,” the pear crossed her arms over her chest. “Whatever! Why can’t she cuddle you?!”

Mosin grinned. “You already know why.”

“I doubt Suomi has to put up with this stuff…” RFB sulked, but then she shot Spas a good-natured smirk.

The girls exited the elevator and walked over to their office. Side by side, the two largest girls in 707 took up most of the hallway, trapping Spas between their soft squishy bodies.

They entered into the main office area to a number of cheers. The desks had been rearranged to form a long table and were absolutely piled with food. Two entire platters were covered with thick juicy burgers, drawing Spas’s immediate gaze. There were other entrees, chicken and pork and some thin breaded meat that dripped with a sweet-smelling lemon sauce. Spas recognized it as schnitzel.

Another large plate was covered in pizza rolls, while still more were decorated with all kinds of desserts. Cinnamon buns, cupcakes, doughnuts, and chocolates galore. There were also three large bowls filled entirely with M&M’s, and one with much more colorful Skittles. A variety of two-liter bottles were scattered about the table, bubbling with delicious sugary sodas. There were also a few bottles of wine, but those were, for the most part, being ignored. And sitting at the center of the table was a triple decked, chocolate frosted, fudge covered cake. Most of the girls were already seated.

It had only been four months since Spas had seen Suomi, yet the blonde Finnish girl had easily been the largest in the room. She had a similar body structure to RFB, though she wasn’t nearly as large… yet. They also apparently shared distaste for pants. Her once thigh-high stockings hardly reached her knees. Jiggling flesh smothered each leg as she joyfully bounced back and forth, massive rump dwarfing her little wooden chair while she shoveled meatball after meatball into her face. Being one of the shortest did her no favors, as she looked almost as wide now as she was tall.

To her right sat two much more moderately sized girls, neither of whom she recognized. One of them was dressed in an adorable dress stretched over a firm looking tummy, made of white and brown fabric that made Spas think of the chocolate the girl was munching on. The pudgy girl also had extraordinarily light brown hair that came down past her waist. It was currently tied back in a meticulously braided ponytail. The other girl wore a blue and white outfit, with wavy black hair and cheerful green eyes and a tiny blue cap. She had very long legs that were covered in chub but was only a bit bigger than Spas herself was.

At the heads of the table stood Bellows and Winters, each holding a glass of some deep amber liquid. They raised them to the girls in greeting. 45 was sitting in what looked to be Bellows’ chair, filling her plate with all sorts of sweets. She didn’t even look up as the others came in, scooping another handful of M&M’s onto her pallet.

“I told you you wouldn’t need it,” Grizzly said to Mosin as she came close. She offered her hands and Mosin deposited her rifle. 

“It is better to have than to be without,” Mosin quoted.

Grizzly shrugged, the leaned forward and pulled the apple-shaped blonde into a hug. She whispered something in her ear, squeezing her tight before letting her go, and the girls shared a smile before Grizz turned to Spas.

“Well, birthday girl?” she said excitedly. “Let’s get you some dinner!”

Spas didn’t even hear the churning from her belly, nor feel the drool coalescing in her mouth. She numbly sat down with her sisters, 707 on one side and 505 on the other, simply looking from one dish to the next with hungry red eyes. There was so much food, so much real and filling food! Not just snacks, or stuff from a box. It all appeared as if it were home cooked, which made it all the tastier.

“RFB, I got you an armchair.”

Spas looked up to see John pulling a cozy, fluffy lazy boy in from the other room. RFB was grinning proudly with her hands on her generous hips. “What, don’t want me to break another one of these?” she teased.

Winters chuckled and then turned to Mosin. “I’ll get yours, too.”

“Thank you, Darling,” Mosin said, resting her hands on her belly. She gave him a pleasant smile but the moment he was out of view Mosin turned like a stone statue. Still wearing a friendly smile, she glared down the table.

Spas turned to see UMP45 returning the look with a very, very smug smirk. She turned to Spas, shook from side to side on her tubby hips twice, and winked. She then stood up from Bellows chair, gesturing for him to sit. 

He returned a knowing grin before sitting and patting his lap. UMP45 wiggled herself down onto him looking supremely satisfied.

John returned, helping Mosin settle back into the seat before taking his next to her.

A plate was placed in front of Spas. Grizzly’s breasts smushed against her shoulder as the full-figured woman leaned over and used a pair of tongs to retrieve some deep-fried chicken.

“Give her cake first!” somebody called. 

“What?!” Grizzly demanded as she filled Spas’s plate with the meat and then three different burgers. “No, you save the cake for last! I haven’t even put in the candles yet!”

“Awwwwwwwwwwww, but it’s chocolate! I want some right now!!”

“You’ll get some in a bit FNC. There’s plenty of chocolate here!” 45 called from down the table.

Spas looked to see the small light-haired girl grumble in a delightful pout before flicking a fine chocolate truffle into her maw and hungrily chomping. 

Next to her, the raven-haired girl stood up and cleared her throat, calling the attention of the others. Once people were quiet, the girl bowed to either head of the table, first to Bellows and then Winters. Then, she turned to Spas and, behind a light pink blush, dipped her head. “Spas-12, as leader of Squad 505 it is my pleasure to welcome you to our sisterhood.”

An M&M was flung from the far side, harmlessly sailing past her. “You’re only the leader cause I don’t exist!” 45 jibbed.

“45,” Bellows chided. “Let USP talk. She’s earned the moment, hasn’t she?”

USP blew a firm raspberry toward 45, earning a much more accurately tossed M&M which thunked off her tongue. “Owy!” she recoiled, wiping her mouth.

There was a course of laughs from the table and some happy cheers.

USP scowled, her cheeks flushing pinker, but turned back to Spas. She raised her glass. “I wanna propose a toast! To all of our family!” she turned, looking each of the girls in the face. “And to all the others who will join us one day!”

That was met with a firm pounding on the table down from Winters and cheers from Mosin, Grizzly, and FNC. Suomi’s mouth was full, but she clapped merrily as she chewed through more sweets. 

From the other side, Bellows chuckled deeply. “Let’s just hope we’re still here next week,” he said knowingly looking to Winters. “This could be our final meal together, you know that.”

“Oh, shut the hell up!” 45 stuck out her tongue, reaching over and smushing her hand on his face. “Nothin’s gonna happen, and if it does, we’ll figure it out.”

The others all agreed and Spas found herself nodding along with them. She looked down from Bellows to Winters and saw him sharing a smile with Mosin.

A memory came back to Spas. This wasn’t one of her own. It had been one of the implants assigned to her. The programming had dictated her need to step forward, to have the protector’s instinct.

That spirit returned to her now, embellishing her with that powerful feeling. She thought of M1919A4 down in the office, or even AK-47’s seemingly untargeted anger. She would be willing to take up her shields once more for any of these girls. They were right to think of themselves as family.

Spas found herself smiling wider than she ever had as she looked around at them each. She turned to her plate, scooped up the first double bacon cheeseburger, and opened her mouth to take her first bite.