Author's note~ Hope you enjoy.

Every male present wondered if this was all some crazy dream, and if they would ever see the girls again.

Every one of them fervently, desperately hoped they would.

The door to Adrian's house slammed open as the group of exhilarated boys laughed and chattered their way inside, yanking the heavy wooden door enthusiastically closed behind them. The man, while pleased with how the evening had run, was considerably more composed and busied himself lighting candles to alleviate the absolute blackness filling his home. As the small flames hissed to life and filled the room with a warm cheerful glow, the boys couldn't stop gushing about the success of their charade, reliving individual moments gleefully.

"Didja see the look on Alby's face when 'Althea' shimmied over to him?" Brandon crowed, easing the wig off his head gently so that he wouldn't damage it. "I thought his head was going to explode! Suspicion, a little fear, and a giant scoop of 'oh, baby!' He had no idea what to think!"

"Of course not." Alec replied with a cheeky grin, tossing his hair and reveling in the feeling of it. "Not only is she a total BABE, she's the first woman anyone can ever really remember seeing. If you'd been in the bleachers and not on the stage, your head would've blown too!"

"I'd rather blow something else." Brandon said archly, causing all three to dissolve into bawdy laughter again.

"No doubt." Alec laughed, reaching under his shirt and loosening the ties for his waist cincher, breathing a sigh of relief when the tightness eased.

"And this padding – it's fantastic!" Stephen added, and the other two groaned in agreement.

"Yessss, God, isn't it?" Alec exclaimed, laying a hand on his visibly flat pelvis, and feeling the surprise hidden there. Each wore foundation pieces sporting clever tailoring, a careful design, and some strategically placed padding on either side of their genitalia to conceal their own masculine attributes while still allowing them to feel a truly staggering amount of sensation. "When I started to grind up against Hank, I thought I was going to shucking lose it, right there!"

"Arrrrrrgh, I know!" Brandon whimpered delightedly. "I was almost done before Alby was! I don't even know how many times I – "

All three took a moment, sighing in fulfillment.

"And best of all, no one, not a one of them, recognized us!" Alec added, grinning widely. "These masks worked perfectly!"

"I don't think it was the masks." Stephen chipped in confidently, bobbing his shoulders in his own little happy dance. "Other than a quick glance, I don't think any of them bothered looking at my face all night. Who needs a mask when you've got – " He wiggled his fingers by his chest and deepened his voice comically, "The Mighty Power of Breasts!"

This round of laughter was cut off by Adrian clapping his hands sharply, effectively drawing their attention to him.

"Great work tonight, ladies. Really exceptional." Adrian congratulated, his eyes and warm grin beaming with approval. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were old pros as this!"

The boys laughed, shoving each other back and forth a little before Adrian waved them into silence.

"Yes, yes, well done. Well done. Now, the fun and games are over for tonight, and we've all got work to see to tomorrow morning. Strip it off, ladies, wash it off – then go the hell to bed. Tomorrow's another day...and another night!"

In far, far less time that it had taken to get prepared, all three boys were washed clean of their paint, stripped of their costumes, and back in their everyday clothes. Tamping down on his impatience, Adrian laughed with them, slapped their backs, teased them, and finally booted them out of his house. Alone, hearing their voices fade into the distance, he leaned against the closed door and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Barring the door, he stripped down to his boxers, relishing the kiss of cool damp air on his freshly washed skin. Mentally chastising himself for not making up a sleep aid during the day, he settled in bed with his music player softly singing in his ears.

There's a place where the garden can take you
Through the looking glass
Find a way with the plants - they can take you
To your path
Chase away all the funny pain
Down the rabbit hole
And another world awaits behind the little door

You can go ask Alice
Just why the hatter is mad

All are welcome in Wonderland
'Till the queen screams off with your head
And life will always get twisted
When you're living it through the looking glass

Resigning himself to a restless, uncomfortable night, he closed his eyes.

Alby watched for Adrian at breakfast. While his first impulse was to snag the man as soon he spotted him in the meal line, Alby managed to squash the urge; ambushing Adrian as soon as he showed up would only cause the others to take notice and talk, and Alby didn't want to draw any more attention than was absolutely necessary. He'd acted on 'Althea's' request the night before, cautioning the others to keep the encounter to themselves before sending them to their bunks, ordering them to keep their mouths shut if they ever wanted to repeat the experience. With even the idea of another such night making him antsy, he waited until the man had finished and was leaving the area before slipping up beside him, trying to radiate a casual air he didn't actually feel.

"Hey. Got a sec?"

"Sure." Adrian replied amiably, fully expecting the request. Together, they walked out of the immediate area and into the privacy of the scattered woods. When Alby felt they were alone he stopped and faced the man, unsure as to how to begin. Adrian waited patiently.

"So."

"So." Adrian returned, curious as to how the leader would handle the unconventional situation.

"What the shuck happened last night?" Alby blurted, trying to cut straight to the point. Adrian lifted a brow.

"I got hung up." Adrian said placidly, his expression intentionally neutral. "Sorry about that. I fully intended to meet you guys there, like we'd planned. Something came up."

Alby stared at the man, incredulous. Was he really trying to pass last night off in such a ridiculous way? Did he honestly think that Alby wasn't going to –

What?

Alby shook his head, trying to make sense of his thoughts. Adrian was clearly leaving the tone of this conversation up to him, putting the power and direction fully in his hands. How did he want this to go?

He closed his eyes, thinking through the events of last night.

What was it the man had said?

A little wilful suspension of disbelief.

Thinking of the image of the 'woman', the flowing dark hair, the ripe curves, the way she touched him...he felt his body responding to the memory, stopping himself from shivering by only a hair's breadth. Opening his eyes, looking at the calmly waiting man, stoic and so clearly male, the tingle of attraction and lust melted away. It eased his tension, soothed away the awkward questions he'd spent half the night asking himself, left him reassured – and formed a clearer understanding of the unfamiliar term. Knowing that Adrian was allowing him to choose the direction this would take, he quickly made up his mind and shot the man an easy, cocky smile.

"Yeah, well, it's a damn shame you couldn't be bothered to show up. We had a couple of unexpected visitors."

"Yeah?" Adrian asked, sounding interested and a little curious, playing it perfectly. "Who?"

"Some very...friendly girls, who made excellent company. It was really quite...entertaining."

"I'm sorry I missed it." Adrian smiled, biting his cheek to cut off the laugh at Alby's carefully non-distinct descriptions.

"Frankly," Alby said, suddenly serious. "I don't know how you arranged it. I don't want to know how you arranged it. But having the...girls stop by was great, really spectacular. The guys were stunned, completely thrilled. Any idea if they are going to...be able to...visit on a regular basis?"

"I'll see if I can convince them. Tonight, same place, same time?"

"Tonight?" Alby jerked at the idea, filled with equal parts shock and anticipation.

"Yeah, tonight. I think they'd like to meet the rest of the gladers – don't you?"

"Absolutely." Alby agreed, his smug smile at the concept fading as the cogs in his head turned. "It's just that..."

"That?"

"Can I ask your opinion on something?"

"Always."

"Should I bring the greenie?"

Adrian considered briefly.

"Probably best he sits this one out. I'd say give him a month or so to get used to it here before you throw something like this at him."

"How about Jeff? Am I bringing him?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

"Well, it's just that...you two know each other so well, what if he...he might..."

"It's fine." Adrian laughed, waving it off. "He'll only see what he expects to see. He's as welcome as anyone else."

"...What about Newt?" Alby asked quietly, worried about his blonde friend. Adrian winced a little at the question.

"With everything that happened to him...His body's healed, for the most part. But the...ugliness, the pain of it all, is still very much front and center in his head. With...sex and pain tangled together in his thoughts, I'm afraid that this kind of thing might do more harm than good with him, at the moment. He needs time yet, before he can think past the horror of what happened."

Alby nodded sadly, wanting to share this new exciting experience with Newt, but knowing it would likely be a long wait before the runner could shake the trauma enough to participate. Adrian deliberately steered the conversation in a different direction to lift the mood.

"Bring the others to the meadow tonight, same time, same place. I'll make sure the entertainment's arranged."

"You're not joining us, then?" Alby asked with a cheeky little smile that Adrian returned.

"Oh, I don't think you'll need me. You're big boys, you can take care of yourselves. I'll grab the quiet time when I can get it – relax at my place, maybe try to catch up on some sleep. Not that I've got anything against your company, but sometimes it's nice to just take a bit of a breather."

The words sounded so effortless, convincing, even sincere; it took Alby very little effort to believe that Adrian would be right where he said he would be. He shrugged dismissively.

"Up to you, man. Your choice."

"Well, if that's all you needed me for," Adrian commented, clapping his hands together briskly in a dusting off motion. "I'll be heading off. I want to polish off the finishing work on the communal outhouse today before dinner."

"Get it done." Alby commanded amiably as he walked away, waving a hand in an absent minded farewell gesture as he went. Adrian rolled his eyes at the boy's back before turning striding away himself. Rolling a shoulder to loosen up his muscles, he prepared to roll up his metaphorical sleeves and finish this very important project before moving on to the next.

Alby's mood when he reached the clearing was markedly different than it had been the night before. Gone was his niggling suspicions, his unease, his agitation. As the pre-laid fire crackled to life and he settled against a tree to wait, all he felt was a lovely tingle of anticipation, the muscles in his belly already tight with an eagerness he couldn't control. As the boys around him grew restless and started muttering complaints under their breaths, he kept his smug smile inside and waited for the fun to begin.

When the rustling broke the breathy silence of the woods, Alby's blood began to pulse quicker. Knowing what to expect now, he watched with detached amusement as the other boys tried to pinpoint the noises, exclaiming in shock as the sultry laughter filled the small clearing. His guts quivered when George yelled out angrily, snapping at their unseen visitors and demanding they show themselves. Holding his breath, he absorbed every little detail he could of the woman's grand entrance.

In cape and mask, she tilted her head and waited. Alby recognized his cue.

"You're late." He stated roguishly, flashing a charming smile. She laughed and swirled off the cape, turning and addressing the others, just as she had the night before. He tuned out the majority of the words and drank in the sight of her instead.

She wore the same outfit as last night; those silky pale shoulders bared, the waterfall of mad curls dancing over them as she gracefully stepped into the light. Before she whirled, he caught the shadow of a thin leather choker low on her neck. And the glint of...a chain? A necklace? Was she wearing those last night?

He couldn't remember. He'd been a little preoccupied, after all.

He watched the end of her little explanation, seeing the sudden evasive glances of the boys, and Jeff's politely mortified dismissal of one woman handling more than a dozen boys. She called the girls then, and Alby felt a distinct sense of deja vu at seeing everything unfold in almost a perfect replication of last night. Holding himself back, he waited for his next cue.

"They will learn from you, and you will learn from them."

"And what, exactly, are we going to learn?" Alby asked boldly, in a strong, confident voice that rang with challenge.

Althea tipped her head in acknowledgement, walking over to him and studying him with her heavy lidded stare. The lust was all but pumping off of him. She ran her flattened palm teasingly up his belly and over his chest, feeling the tautness of the muscles before her hand found a home on his shoulder.

He was already hard as iron.

"You are leader here, yes? We will demonstration for you."

As soon as her lips touched his, his arms came up and wrapped around her waist tightly, forcing their bodies together. Always an apt pupil, he nipped her bottom lip and soothed it with his tongue as he ground their hips together. She moaned into the kiss, sending a dark thrill through the boy as he tore his mouth away from hers, moving his hands down to her nicely rounded backside and pressing her even closer. She gasped in his ear, her shoulders trembling as her arms vised around his neck.

When she arched into him and let her head fall back, he trailed feverish kisses down her throat, thrusting against her rhythmically as his desperation grew. Alby let out a long, low groan as he raced towards the finish.

Abruptly she pulled away, only to have Ashley, the pale blonde, slither into her place. Alby panted out a protest.

"...w-wait...you...I want...I need..."

"I am knowing what you need." The woman said in her exotic accent, her voice more husky than before. "And for tonight, my Ashley will give as you need – she is to learn."

Ashley slid her hand slickly down to Alby's groin, skimming it under the waist of his pants and teasing the head of his erection with her quick, agile fingers. When she moved in to him, pressing against his body, using tongue and teeth to torment him as her hand busily worked, he kept his eyes on Althea, watching her as he was stroked to peak. His arms instinctively holding her tightly against him, Ashley's eager pumping and choking whimpers in his ear pushed him over the edge. He cried out wordlessly as he came.

"Ahh...ye...Ah....AHHHhhhHH!"

He couldn't hear anything over the ringing in his ears, his mind fuzzed by the sudden release of tension. Burying his face in the blonde hair of the trembling girl in his arms, safely curtained from the others by the silky pale mane, he mouthed a name over and over as his muscles jerked and quaked.

Althea. Althea. Althea.

Even when she turned, addressing the other boys, he couldn't really hear what she was saying. Peeking through the hair shielding his eyes, he watched as she moved among the others easily, setting the other girls up with two eager volunteers in no time at all. When his knees re-solidified enough for him to stand on his own he untangled himself from Ashley, and saw the woman glance back at where he stood. Her deeply red lips lifted into a wicked, knowing smile, and she touched the tip of her tongue to the corner of her mouth teasingly. He felt his body try to respond to the image she conjured in his mind.

When she turned and went back to business, he suddenly realized he was in big, big trouble.

Leading his troupe back into the house around midnight was a huge relief for Adrian; the pressures and stress of the evening lightening substantially as soon as he walked in the door. He wanted nothing more than to peel off the layers of Althea and collapse into his bed – and oblivion – for the next eight hours. Listening to the post game chatter from the others, he ignored as much of it as he could while he removed his costume and washed away the makeup from his face. Comfortably back in his beat up jeans, scrubbing a chunk of cloth over his face to dry it, his ears perked up when the tone subtly changed from jubilant to a little sulky.

"Don't get me wrong, it was great. Really." Brandon assured, his voice baring just a hint of an edge.

"Then what are you whining about?" Alec demanded, looking a little odd standing in nothing but his boxers and bra, his wig already neatly laid aside. "They were all over us! And we got off, what more do you shuckin' want?"

"Adrian told us we'd have to take it slow." Stephen added, loosing his own hair from the tight, tidy bun that had restrained it all night. "You know that."

"Yeah. I know, I know." Brandon pouted, his expression mutinous. "I just don't see the point; you saw how into it they all were? Why the shuck couldn't I just have one little taste? One, that's all I ask!"

"Because I told you no." Adrian snapped, instantly cutting off the conversation. As the three stared at him warily, his nostrils flaring as he deliberately moderated his frustrated tone to a more gentle one.

"Look, I know you want more. You all do. I get it, I understand." Adrian said, rubbing at the back of his skull where a headache was brewing. "But the thing you have to remember is, they're not ready for more yet. Most of them can, or have, sought a hand from someone else before this. But the majority would never agree to getting lip service – or full service – from someone they know is a dude."

"But they don't know we're dudes." Brandon insisted, pressing his point. The headache bloomed to full magnitude at the absurdity of that comment.

"Give your head a shake." Adrian scoffed, shaking his own and trying not to be too harsh with the boy. "They aren't a bunch of idiots. Of course they know 'the girls' aren't really girls. There's no way they'd just believe that a bunch of randy girls would just poof out of the woods for their enjoyment."

"B-but Adrian..." Stephen stammered, "If they kn-know, why did they let us...?"

"Because a wiggle and a hand job is no more than they've already gotten from some guy here. By going slowly and building up to more intimate contact, they'll not only have time to dream about 'the girls', but also to get to the point where they choose to believe that the girls are real. They'll think, and dream, and tell themselves stories until those tales become the truth – at least, in their eyes. Always, always remember; if you try to run too far too fast, you end up face planting and going nowhere at all. Try to do too much too soon, and it'll be too much for them to believe; they'll push you away. And once they've pushed one of you away, they'll never accept any of you. So, for safety sake, slow and steady."

Ashamed, contrite, Brandon hung his head a little as he understood his reckless desire for more only put all of them at risk.

"I'm sorry for being a shank." He said softly.

Adrian clapped him on the back in consolation.

"Not a shank, just a bit rash, a bit impatient. Stick to the plan, B, and you'll get what you're after. It'll be all the sweeter for having to wait for it, you'll see."

Mollified, Brandon looked up and appeared to be about to say something else when Alec jumped in.

"Now that that's all sorted out, can we maybe stop standing around like a bunch of toads, get the hell out of here and go home? I'm beat."

"Oh God yes, please, be my guest." Adrian invited, walking over and opening the door for them himself. "Here's your hat, what's your hurry, don't let the door hit you on the way out. Bye."

Snickering, the three friends tromped out of the house and towards their own beckoning beds.

"Finally!" Adrian groaned as he barred the door, blowing out all but the tiny stub of one candle and dropping down onto his bed with a thankful huff. Thinking longingly of the half jar of powerful drug left under his bed, he instead lifted a jar filled with a much milder concoction from the table to the side. Having the presence of mind to anticipate another restless night, he'd taken the time during the day to brew a strong tea of Chamomile, Catnip and a whiff of Californian Poppy. Downing the jar of strong sleep aid, he blew out the last candle and flopped onto his back on the bed. Trying to find a position that wouldn't increase his discomfort, he shifted restlessly for a couple of minutes until the herbal medicine pulled him into a deep, welcome sleep.

When morning came, as mornings insist on doing, Adrian woke flat on his back with a blissfully clear head. Remembering his mostly clear schedule for the day, feeling rested for the first time in a week, he was ready to dive in to whatever today held for him.

Well, almost ready.

With his body and mind refreshed and revived by a full eight straight, he couldn't ignore his physical reaction to the events of the last couple of nights any longer. He lifted his head and looked down at the tightly tented material of his boxers resentfully, as if a stern look of disapproval would have any power to alleviate the situation. He had adamantly refused to do anything about his own body's arousal after shooing 'the girls' away the last couple of nights, understanding that it was a perfectly natural, healthy reaction to the circumstances – and the stimulus. He was a man, after all; young, healthy, and at his peak. But while he had no doubt that he could find a hand if he wanted to, his own ethics and sense of morality shuddered at the very thought. Even the thought of relieving himself after witnessing the actions of dozens of underage BOYS made him feel like a pervert; a dirty old man, getting off over kids.

Letting his head thump back onto the pillow, he closed his eyes and tried to empty his mind, hoping a little time would allow his body to calm.

After ten minutes or more of intense concentration, he didn't have to look to know that his attempt at a zen like state had produced no noticeable effect what so ever.

He was still fully hard, his body demanding action.

He sighed in defeat.

Fine. FINE. Fine, I'll take care of it. He told his body crossly.

Determined to use anything other than the images from the clearing, he pulled up an old, steamy memory from years before and let the pictures fill his head as he took himself in hand.

A dim room; private, hidden away from where he – they – should have been.

Strong shoulders, graceful neck, laughter sparkling in clear blue eyes.

Those slender pale hands, hesitant at first, barely touching him, exploring as his own did the same.

His fist pumped his insistent erection firmly, slowly building up speed. He bit his lip as the muscles in his stomach began to quiver.

Sloppy kisses. Sudden, electrifying gasps when his roaming hands grazed the bud of a nipple. The shocking thrill of teeth nipping at his shoulder.

His hand moved quicker, his toes curling into the bed. His breath came out in little excited puffs. He was close.

They both cried out when he slowly, agonizingly sunk himself into the the most intimate, the most maddening, the most indescribable embrace. Long legs, wrapping around him, pulling him closer, closer...

So close...

BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG

"Addy! Addy wake up! ADDY!"

Frozen in place, barely biting back a moan, he snarled at the door.

"For Christ sake kid, WHAT?! What's the goddamn emergency?!"

"Frypan shucked himself good! Cut right down to the bloody bone, dropped the bloody oil and burned the klunk out of his arm too! Jeff sent me to get you, he needs your help!"

He rolled out of bed, pulling his discarded jeans and shirt on in a blink. Yanking the bar away from the door, he shoved it open and followed the already running Newt in a rapid – if slightly bowlegged – sprint.

Author's note ~ The song featured in this chapter is Looking Glass by Hypnogaja

See you next chapter!

~Ruby