Chapter 10 (unexpurgated)
Traveling
The trio continued South and West. They passed beyond the limit of the bomb's EMP effect and the roads became crowded with vehicles- civilian ones moving away from the area, military ones moving into it.
They abandoned the bicycles and began moving cross-country to avoid being seen. Gwen could have betrayed them several times by calling out to nearby troops or falling behind, then running for safety. But she didn't. Greg was too self-absorbed by his own reaction to the tragedy to give it much thought but he knew that if Gwen did try something, Renamon would be more than capable of handling a few weekend warriors and their pitiful weaponry. Gwen knew it, too, but that was only one of the reasons she quietly went along.
Gwen's lockpick set and her knowledge of alarm systems came in very handy the next night, enabling them to procure equipment and camp-food from a sporting goods store. Afterwards, they found a protected area next to a little stream, spread out their sleeping bags, and set up the little camp stove to cook their dinner. Renamon disappeared into the night, patrolling the area and keeping watch over them.
With a full belly and a warm sleeping bag around him, Greg relaxed a bit. Gwen looked over at him and simply said, "My grandparents lived in Atherton."
Atherton had been the next little town North of Palo Alto on the San Francisco Peninsula. Had been. It didn't exist any longer.
"I'm sorry-" Greg began and then broke down in tears.
Gwen didn't say anything. She let him get it out, let him do as much as possible to release his emotions while keeping his dignity.
He wiped his face on his sleeve and was silent for a while.
Gwen said nothing.
"It's not my fault," he said, eventually. "It was just a simple simulation. Hell, even when it got out of control, it still wasn't doing much harm. If I hadn't been kidnapped maybe I could have done something- got it under control or stopped it."
"Like what?" Gwen knew better than to offer an opinion. People talked best when they weren't sidetracked.
"Maybe I could have just asked Renamon to stop it. She's the one who organized the invasion, after all. Hell, she only did it in the first place because she felt she had to rescue me!"
"She's capable of that sort of complexity?"
"Of course she is! She's my masterpiece- and she's grown way beyond her original parameters. Even my low-level AIs don't just follow a stupid script. They're actually capable of learning! There was one NPC that I made for-" Greg went on about his work for quite a while, which was exactly what Gwen wanted. She didn't care about the details of programming, of course- what she wanted was for Greg to open up to her. She gave him a sympathetic ear and let him talk.
Over the next few days as they traveled, Gwen got Greg to reveal a great deal about himself. They fell into a tenuous friendship that soon began to feel natural and easy-going to Greg. Gwen was very good at her job. One subject Greg didn't touch on again was his vow of revenge but she knew he hadn't forgotten it.
There were roadblocks and military patrols everywhere but between the map function of Greg's digivice, which had finished repairing and recharging itself sometime on the third day of their journey, and Renamon's supernaturally keen senses, they had no trouble avoiding them.
They sneaked into towns at night to replenish their food and water. Most were small places and despite the nation-wide curfew, they had no trouble dodging the few sheriff or National Guard patrols. By herself, Renamon could have strolled through the towns in broad daylight and still avoided notice but Greg didn't want to be separated from her for long. So, despite having his face on every news channel as the world's most wanted man, he insisted on coming along on the supply raids.
Both Gwen and Greg were in excellent shape and had no trouble traveling quite a distance each day. Renamon had regained her full strength and offered to carry them both in order to speed up their progress but Gwen flatly refused.
"It's okay, Renamon," Greg said, "we're not in a real hurry and all this walking gives me time to plan."
Gwen didn't like the sound of that. She still had no idea where they were headed or what Greg intended to do when they got there.
They had been traveling just over a week when Gwen decided it was the right time to make a pass at Greg.
They'd raided a small market and retreated to the little woodlot where they'd made camp. Greg and Gwen cooked their dinner while Renamon climbed to the top of grain silo about half a mile away to keep watch. Renamon never ate with them. She'd let Greg give her a tidbit or sweet once in a while but mainly fed herself while on patrol. Greg had asked her what she usually found to eat and after getting the brief reply, "Rabbits. Sometimes lambs," he decided not to look into the matter too closely.
That night after they had eaten well, Gwen revealed a surprise. She reached into her pack and pulled out a six-pack of beer. "Ta-da! I snagged it when you weren't looking. I hope you like the brand- I just grabbed it at random." It was a lie, of course. Gwen had paid close attention to every last personal detail that Greg had divulged during their trip. He had only mentioned his favorite beer once in passing, but Gwen had made a special note of it.
"Wow! You hit the jackpot, Agent Gwen! This is great- but- aw, hell, one can't hurt, can it?"
Gwen opened one for herself and passed another to Greg. "Only luxury we're gonna get for a while. Cheers!"
Greg twisted the top off the beer and, rather solemnly, returned the toast, "Confusion to the Enemy."
They finished the first beers and Gwen opened a second and passed it to Greg.
"I don't know if I should-"
"Oh come on! We're in the middle of nowhere and the Holy Terror is out there watching over us- we can get a little buzzed. Or are you worried about getting a beer-belly?" She scooted over to him and poked him in the stomach with a forefinger.
Greg gave a half-chuckle and said, "No, the hobo lifestyle seems to agree with me. I think I've lost whatever body-fat I once had."
"Oh yeah?" Gwen took a long pull from her beer and then set it down and reached out and grabbed Greg's shirt and pulled it up. She placed her other hand on Greg's bare abs and ran it up under the edge of his shirt to just below his pecs. "Yup- still rock-hard- you've got no worries. Very nice, in fact."
Before Greg could recover from his shock, Gwen took her hands off him. He took a drink to cover his brief embarrassment.
"You're not the only one with abs of steel, you know." Gwen said, giving him time to swallow so there was no chance he'd do a spit-take. She pulled her own shirt up, revealing her own stomach and tensed her muscles. "How about that, huh? How many girls do you know with muscle tone like that?"
"I- uh-" Greg was a bit flustered but his eyes were right where Gwen wanted them.
She didn't give him time to turn to another subject. She reached over and took his free hand and placed it on her taut belly. "Yeah, I'm not as ripped as you are, but I've got pretty damned good definition- feel that?"
"Yeah-" Greg breathed.
Gwen leaned closer, pressing one of her breasts against his upper arm and pushed his hand up higher on her body. "That's all muscle- obliques, not ribs- and- and-"
She could feel his pulse racing. "And?" he asked, not offering any resistance to her guiding hand as she pushed his up over a wonderfully firm breast.
"And- your hand on me feels good- really good." Gwen said in a low, soft voice. "It's been a long time since- OOF!"
Gwen's seductive tone ended in a gasp as all of the air was knocked out of her lungs. She found herself flat on the ground, pinned to the earth by one of Renamon's massive hands. The fox's sapphire eyes blazed with anger and her teeth were bared in a savage snarl. One foot was placed squarely on Gwen's belly, the curved black claws pricking her skin. One twitch of Renamon's powerful thigh and she'd be gutted like a trout.
"Renamon, stop!" Greg yelled, "Let her go!"
Renamon glanced at him, still snarling and then returned her attention back to Gwen. She bent her head down until it nearly touched Gwen's face. Gwen could feel Renamon's hot breath on her skin as the fox hissed ever so quietly between her teeth, "He's mine!"
"Renamon!"
Renamon released the woman and stepped back. Gwen sat up, gasping for air.
"Shit, Gwen, are you alright?" Greg asked as he got to his feet.
"Yeah, yeah- *cough* -just fine." Gwen sneered, "But I think your AI could use a little adjustment to its programming." It was a calculated risk. Gwen didn't want to die at the hands of an enraged digimon but she also wanted to take any chance she could to drive a wedge between Greg and Renamon. A calculated insult that reminded him his "partner" was just an artificial being was too good to pass up.
Renamon glared at her but otherwise didn't move.
"Renamon," Greg said turning to his partner, "why did you do that? I mean, it's not like- I mean, we didn't-"
"I see," Renamon's tail lashed in annoyance. "Do what you like, Greg. I'm sorry I interfered."
"No, wait-" Greg began, but Renamon suddenly vanished from sight.
Gwen stood and moved over to Greg, pressing herself against his side. "Greg, she really scares me. She might have killed me. I think- I think she may be unstable-"
He didn't say anything, but the look Greg gave her told her that he didn't give a damn what she thought. He shoved her roughly away, grabbed his coat, and stalked out into the darkness.
"Renamon!" Greg called. "Renamon, please answer me!" He knew he'd never find her if she wanted to stay hidden but he also guessed she would be within range of his voice. "Renamon, please! I'm really sorry about what happened back there. She caught me off-guard."
He paused to listen. An owl hooted in the distance.
"Damnit, Renamon! I don't-" Greg broke off as a thought occurred to him. He fished in the big outside pockets of his coat and came up with his digivice. "I'm not letting you run away from me," he called as he thumbed the locater on. As long as she didn't use her speed to avoid him, he could- The red triangle popped up, indicating Renamon's location: She was right behind him.
He spun around to find his partner, arms crossed over her chest, glowering at him. "What do you want, Greg?" Her voice was just as icy as her eyes.
"Isn't it obvious, you dumb fox?" Greg nearly shouted, as he tossed his digivice aside, "I want you!"
"Alright. I'm here. If you want to talk, I'm listening. Or maybe you want to re-program me-"
"Shut up!" Greg did shout then. "I won't ever let anyone talk like that about you again, and I sure as hell don't want to hear it from you! You're not a program or a thing! You're- you're- "
"I'm wha-" Renamon couldn't finish her question. Greg grabbed her by both cheeks and planted a forceful kiss on her mouth.
For an instant, he thought he'd made a mistake. Renamon stiffened and kept her lips were pressed tightly together. But only for an instant. Then she slowly relaxed, dropping her arms to her sides. Her lips softened and parted, returning Greg's kiss as her arms came up to circle him.
It was weird.
She wasn't human. She wasn't an animal. She was something in between and something greater than both- something new and different. She smelled just a good as Greg remembered and she tasted even better. Her mouth felt odd against his- different lips- sharp teeth- and a tongue that glided across his like- like-
Weird but good. No, great.
After quite some time, they parted. But not very far. Renamon sighed and rested her head on Greg's shoulder. "When I saw you touching her, I- I felt- so awful. Worse than any wound I've ever had. Worse than when the bomb burned me."
Greg stroked her back for a while before answering, enjoying the feel of the long sweep of muscles beneath her silky fur. "She set me up, you know. I never would have-"
Renamon raised her hand and placed one rather huge fingertip on Greg's lips, silencing him. "I know- but it still hurt." She raised her head and gazed into his eyes, her pupils gone huge and dark. "Please make the hurt go away."
He kissed her again, and it wasn't so strange as before- just wonderfully exotic. Her tongue was long and unbelievably dexterous. Greg ran his hands down her torso- through her silky fur and over the firm flesh beneath. He could feel the immense power in her body, the burning energy that made made Gwen's strength seem laughable.
Renamon gently stroked Greg's back with one hand and ran the other down the side of his body, squeezing gently, almost hesitantly. She broke off their kiss to take a breath of air- her breathing had become shallow and rapid. Greg's hands circled her hips and cupped her ass, squeezing tightly. She caught her breath for an instant and then let it go in a sigh of pleasure. She rocked her hips and flexed her muscles for him, as she lowered her mouth to his neck and gently licked below his jaw.
Greg gasped at the sensation and lifted his chin for her.. As much as he hated to remove his hands from the perfect curves of her magnificent ass, there were other places to explore. I've always wondered-, he thought as he slid his hands up under Renamon's ruff.
She was utterly perfect. Beneath the thick mass of fur that circled her neck, under the sleek, satin fur of her chest, were a pair of small, taut breasts, perfectly matched to her athletic figure. Renamon sighed again as he touched her there, pressing herself against his exploring hands. He felt her nipples harden under his touch and took them between his fingers, plucking them gently.
Renamon cried out loud at this attention, her huge hands spreading across Greg's back, pulling him closer to her. She nuzzled the base of his throat as he continued to massage her breasts and pressed her belly against his. Her eyes opened in surprise at the hardness she felt trapped between them and she lifted her head to gaze into Greg's eyes.
"Yes," he whispered, "Of course, I want you. You're so beautiful- how could I not?"
She nearly tore his clothes off.
When he was naked, she pressed herself against him again and rolled her hips. The feel of her supple muscles and silky fur moving against him made him shiver and his hands gripped her waist with the strength of desire. As their lips met again, Greg slid one hand down her belly, and she shifted to make room for his caress. He moved his hand lower, his fingers gliding through the thicker fur where her belly narrowed and met her thighs.
Aside from her arm guards, Renamon wore no clothing and Greg had never seen a hint of anything between her legs but smooth fur. But as his fingers curled around, his touch met soft, warm flesh and Renamon's grip on him tightened. He caressed her gently and she shuddered and breathed out a soft, "oh, oh, oh," in time to his strokes. She rocked her hips forward and her gasps became more urgent as her flesh became slick and wet.
The feel of her, the smell of her, the sounds she made, all drove Greg wild. He knelt and pulled her down with him, then took her shoulders in his hands and pushed her down onto the grass. She parted her thighs and her eyes told him she wanted this as much as he did.
He lay on her, and slid upward until the tip of his shaft just touched her warm, wet flesh. She clutched at him, urging him further, and her long silken tail began to stroke the naked skin of his back. But he paused- even though he was aching with need. There was something that needed to be said.
"How could you believe I would want her when it's you I love?"
He moved upward and she gasped and cried out his name and she squeezed down on him, her hot, velvety flesh engulfing his length. Greg cried out, too, but it was a wordless shout of pleasure at the amazing sensations that ran through him. Without a conscious decision they both began moving, bodies flexing, hips rocking in unison- even their breaths fell into a matching rhythm.
Renamon wrapped her powerful legs around Greg's lower body, her hands kneaded his back and shoulders, and her tail stroked anywhere that wasn't already covered by other parts of her. Her wonderful scent surrounded him as well, but it was changed, strengthened and touched with something wild and magical.
Greg found reserves of strength and stamina he didn't know he possessed and his thrusts grew faster and stronger, much to Renamon's delight. She moaned and panted, and alternated between, kissing, licking, and nipping at his neck and shoulders. Greg let himself go as he never had with any woman. Renamon was so powerful that there was no need to hold back with her, and exerting all his strength on her only heightened her pleasure. She urged him on with every motion and caress and then, suddenly, her breathing became ragged and her movements sharp and convulsive. Her wonderful flesh rippled along his length and she screamed through gritted teeth, her hips bucking wildly.
Greg had never felt anything so intensely sensual in his life. He felt as if an electric charge had ripped through his body and he came so hard that the force of his own muscles contracting made his ribs spark with pain.
They collapsed together, panting and still intertwined. When Renamon had gotten her breathing under control she covered Greg's face with rapid, fervent kisses and then, as he finally managed to respond, held one for a long, long time. Then they merely held each other for a much longer time.
"That was so wonderful," Renamon whispered softly. "I never imagined it would be like that."
"It was amazing," Greg agreed. "You felt-" he shook his head in frustration. "No, there are no words for how good you felt." He raised himself up on his forearms and looked down at her, wincing a bit as various little aches and pains intruded on his awareness.
Renamon let her hands slide from his back to allow him to rise and was surprised to feel them stick slightly. She held up a hand to look at it and gasped in surprise. There was blood on her palm. "Oh, Greg! Oh, no! I've hurt you! I'm sorry- I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-"
Greg rolled his shoulders experimentally. There was some pain but not a lot. "No, it's okay, Renamon.- just a few scratches- I didn't even notice." He leaned down and kissed her on the nose. "I was too busy having the most intense orgasm of my life!"
That sidetracked her. "Really? I- I made you feel that good?" She smiled, almost shyly.
Greg chucked. "All that yelling I did? That was a good indicator."
She licked the blood off her paw before stroking his head, an action that Greg found strangely erotic. "I'm so glad. I wanted to make you feel good. I wanted you to feel loved."
"Well, you should have no worries on that score!" Greg chuckled. "I feel like I've been through love's meat-grinder backwards and forwards!"
His choice of words caused Renamon to become concerned for his back again and she insisted on cleaning his scratches. Greg enjoyed the feel of her licking his wounds and, strangely, the pain disappeared as soon as her tongue ran the length of a scratch.
"Hmn-" Greg mused, "that tongue of yours is magical in more ways that one."
Gwen sprawled beside the dying embers of the campfire and reached for another beer. There weren't any more.
She squinted at the stars and tried to make them come into focus. It was very late and Greg had still not returned.
She crawled into her sleeping bag without undressing and fumbled briefly with the stuck zipper before giving up. She rolled onto her side and just as sleep overtook her, she muttered one slurred word.
"Goddamnit."