Part 9

One month later

"It's so nice to have those casts removed," JJ sighed, as she flexed her arm for the first time without a cast on it in a month. Her arm, leg and fingers were now healed and the bruises had vanished

"I'm happy to have you back to normal too," Dave said. "I hated to see you in so much pain, especially since you had done nothing to cause it."

Dave knew exactly what he wanted to do with his Jennifer as soon they got home. They hadn't really had sex in a month, because Dave wouldn't hurt Jennifer for anything in the world, so he had held himself in check. At least they had been able to neck heavily the last couple of weeks, but still he was looking forward to making love to his beautiful lifemate, now that Jennifer was all healed.

Dave cursed Carolyn in his head for she was the one that had caused Jennifer's injuries by proxy. He sincerely hoped that she was enjoying her time in prison as he'd found out she'd gotten a lot more than he had originally believed she would. She'd gotten nearly 15, which was much harsher then he had imagined the courts would give her, but at least she was out-of-the-way.

"I know what I want to do when I get home," JJ said quietly.

"What's that?" Dave asked.

"Well, first I want to spend some serious time with our children, since I haven't really been able to hold any of them for a month, other than when you put one of them on my lap, so we could cuddle. After that though I really want some privacy with just you and me," JJ said hoping that she wasn't being too bold.

"You know I was just thinking the same thing," Dave grinned. "I'm going to enjoy punishing you before we have some serious lovemaking, since we haven't been able to do that for a month other than some serious necking in the last couple of weeks."

"I can hardly wait," JJ said eagerly. "It's been so hard to go without sex or playing the game for the last four weeks and I'm grateful that we heal faster than humans do, because otherwise I well know it would've been double that. The Omega in me wants you to punish her, so she knows absolutely that you love her and as for the woman, well, she wants you to make love to her and shove your huge cock in her body."

"I'll be more than happy to oblige," Dave grinned in anticipation. "You're right, it has been rather hard to go a whole month without sex or play, especially since both of us are still young and our relationship was still new when this happened. I guarantee you that if you weren't already pregnant you would be by the end of the night."

JJ said nothing but she was definitely looking forward to when she and Dave had privacy.

The rest of the ride home was silent as both of them became lost in their own thoughts of what was to come.

Finally they arrived home a few minutes later, as the hospital was only about 15 minutes away and JJ undid her belt, but waited for Dave to open her door and help out of the car, something he did every time he was with her, just like he always did when they were together. JJ knew that if she didn't wait for Dave to help out a car that he might be upset with her and that was the last thing she wanted, especially not today when she had just gotten both her casts off.

"Well, let's head inside, gorgeous," Dave smiled after he had opened her door and helped her out of the car.

JJ happily followed Dave, as he unlocked the door and as soon as they stepped inside they were surrounded by Henry and Michael and their three daughters, Ariadne, Astra and Anthea. JJ thought it was rather amusing how all her daughters had names that started with A and how all were mythological, but since they were all beautiful names it's not like JJ could really object.

"Mama," came the five voices of her children.

"Yes, my darlings, I'm home and I'm all better," JJ said that she knelt down to gather all her children to her. She had missed being able to hug them so much.

Dave watched, as all their children gathered around their mother, but were careful with her, because they had learned that they couldn't be too rough with her because she had been hurt and if they weren't very careful they could hurt her more on accident. They didn't understand that their mother was all healed, except perhaps for Henry who was older.

"Come along, sweetie pies," JJ said smiling, picking up Astra, something she hadn't been able to do in a month and it felt good.

Dave picked up both Ariadne and Anthea, while Henry and Michael followed along behind their parents and sisters.

~~~Healed Hearts~~~

"Strip now! Then get on your hands and knees!" Dave ordered roughly, as soon as he and JJ were in the privacy of their bedroom. "I want your butt facing me."

JJ obeyed eagerly stripped out of her clothes as fast as she could and then climbed on the bed got on her hands and knees as ordered with her behind facing Dave.

"You've been a bad girl and you know it. You deserve to be punished for your misbehavior," said Dave in his Alpha voice, as the first slap came. "You will not utter a word of complaint Jennifer or your punishment will be worse."

"Yes, sir," JJ said eagerness in her voice, which she couldn't have kept out, even if she wanted to.

Ow! That smarted, but still JJ waited eagerly for the next slap. The Omega inside her was dancing in joy, because her mate was playing with her, something that he hadn't done in weeks, because she had been injured. Damn that Carolyn, an Omega she had never met that had given her a lot of broken bones that had taken considerable time to heal. Now though, she was all healed up, so was more than ready for her mate to punish her, then make love to her.

The second slap came, then the third, the fourth landed and by this time JJ's behind was throbbing fiercely not just stinging, but the Omega in her wiggled with happiness and joy.

The fifth slap fell, then the sixth, the seventh, the eighth, the ninth and finally the tenth and apparently the last. When they were playing Dave never did more then that, because it would be considered serious punishment or abuse. Usually Dave kept it to five but, they also usually played every week, most times twice a week and they hadn't had a chance to do that because of her injuries, which wasn't her fault or Dave's.

"Have you learned your lesson, Jennifer?" Dave asked in his best Alpha voice.

"Yes, sir, I'm sorry for messing up," JJ said, trying her best to sound contrite when really she wasn't. "It won't happen again, I promise, sir."

She was well aware that if she was really being punished then Dave hand would've been much heavier and though her butt was throbbing with a low level of pain, that seemed to pulse throughout her body she knew that it would stop by morning. She might be a bit tender to tomorrow, but that was all and if it was really punishment she would be more than tender, she would be in considerable pain for a week, maybe two every time she moved or sat down.

"It had better not," Dave said in his best Alpha voice feeling that part of him practically dancing in happiness, because he and Jennifer were able to get back to their normal activities, now that she was all healed. He'd probably been a little rougher then he should be considering she just had her cast off a few hours ago, but he'd had enough trouble stopping at just 10 slaps, so stopping at 5 likely would've been impossible, as no Alpha had that strong a will.

This was why Alphas and their Omegas played this game on a weekly basis, sometimes even a couple of times a week as it kept those urges under control. It had been extremely hard not to play punish Jennifer while she had been hurt, but he had controlled that part of him with an iron will knowing that Jennifer didn't need anymore pain, as she had been in enough already through no fault of her own. The pain from the spankings never lasted past the next morning and therefore it was considered play because no permanent damage was done and the pain only lasted a few hours.

"You will not move from your position," Dave ordered. "You will stay exactly as you are now and if you have moved by the time I get back you will be punished again. Do you understand, my mate?"

"Yes, sir, I won't move, sir," JJ promised.

"You had better not or your punishment will be worse," Dave promised his voice fiercely Alpha.

JJ heard Dave go into the bathroom that was part of the master bedroom and she knew that he was getting the cream that they used out of the medicine cabinet where it was kept.

Dave was back only a couple of minutes later and JJ waited patiently.

"Good, it's nice to know that you can learn a lesson," Dave said in a pleased tone. "Now, I want you to lay on your stomach, head pillowed on your arms."

JJ obeyed immediately, even though it hurt to move out of butt was still throbbing. Getting on her stomach relieved the throbbing, a little anyway and JJ was grateful.

Dave warmed the gel in his hands by rubbing them together and then gently touched JJ red derrière, spreading the gel over the reddened skin.

"I'm sorry if I was a little too rough," Dave said as he continued to administer the gel to JJ's behind. "I have no excuse really, except that we haven't been able to play in so long and the Alpha in me couldn't seem to resist being rougher than normal."

"I'm fine, Dave," JJ promised knowing she was allowed to answer since the play punishment was over. "There is no permanent damage. You did just fine and the Omega in me now knows that you love her, as she had begun to doubt, because we haven't been able to play in so long. She understood intellectually that her body was hurt, but that didn't mean her feelings were any less real. You can be this rough any time just so long as you take it no farther than that as I know that my butt will stop throbbing by morning and the cream is only helping the healing along."

"Because any harder or anymore than ten slaps would be serious punishment and not play," Dave said in understanding and JJ nodded her head, which was pillowed on her arms.

"Exactly," JJ agreed.

"I needed to stop, but the Alpha in me didn't want to," Dave admitted. "I barely managed to stop at ten."

"Well, you did and that's all that matters," JJ said. "From now on we'll be able to play as often as we want to, at least once a week, if not twice and therefore, you won't have any trouble stopping in the future."

"Yes, I doubt very seriously that you'll ever be injured again like you were," Dave said.

"I hope not," JJ said fervently. "Wearing even one cast is no fun, but wearing two..."

"Is much worse," Dave finished.

"Yes, my leg or my arm tended to itch and that drove me crazy because I couldn't scratch them," JJ sighed, as she remembered. "It's very hard to tune out that constant itching. But what really drove me insane was not being able to pick up any of my babies. I think I cursed Carolyn in my head probably 1000 times in the last month. If you knew how many times I fought the urge find her in prison and strangle her with my bare hands..."

"Believe me, I've had some of those same thoughts," Dave said, as he continued to be gentle and tender as he rubbed cream onto JJ butt. "Me not being able to play our game that both of us enjoy or me not being able to make love to you about drove me insane a few times. I had to keep reminding myself that you were hurt and that it wasn't your fault you were. Doing so was the only way I was able to get through, the last week especially. I've never had such a long dry spell, because even after Carolyn betrayal I still found a woman to have sex with at least once a week and usually more often."

"Well, I'm all healed up now so we can get back to what's normal for us," JJ said. "My butt is already feeling much better so thank you."

"You're quite welcome, gorgeous," Dave said kissing her on the nape of her neck, causing JJ to shiver in delight and desire. "Now, if you have no objections I'm going to make love to you, because we haven't been able to do that in a month either, except for some heavy necking in the last couple of weeks."

"Which helped relieve of the sexual tension, but wasn't the same as full coitus," JJ said and Dave definitely agreed with that. "Go right ahead, I'm very eager to feel your cock in my body and for you to Lock me, as I told you in the car. Also not being able to have sex for a month also nearly drove me insane a few times."

"Good," Dave growled possessively. "I'll try to be gentle, since I know you're behind is likely still stinging at least."

JJ said nothing simply turned over until she was laying on her back with her legs spread apart indicating silently that she was ready.

Dave wasted no time and started making love to her as gently and tenderly as he was able to at the moment, for he had been denied the pleasure of her body for a month due to circumstances beyond either of their controls.

By the time they fell asleep they were both well satisfied for the first time in weeks.

~~~Healed Hearts~~~

Penelope stared at Dave and JJ as if they were nuts.

"You want to name me the godmother to the triplets you're carrying? Why? You hardly know me."

"Because both of us felt close to you from the first," Dave explained quietly. Penelope's response told him many things and one of those was that she had never been special enough to anybody to be named the godmother or at the very least she didn't think very much of herself.

"We're also hoping that we'll be friends for many years," JJ added coaxingly. "Dave and I discussed this and we agreed that you'd be the perfect person to take on this important role."

"You being made the godmother shows that we trust you and makes you part of our family as you will play an important role in all our children's lives, not just the three that Jennifer carrying now. The children already adore you and you certainly have a knack with them," Dave added.

What he said was very true as Penny really did have knack with them as she had been over to visit when JJ was still unable to get around to much by herself because of her broken leg. She often brought some kind of food with her whether that was cookies or a cake or a pot of soup and once a huge sandwich platter. Everybody just loved her cooking and Dave was grateful for her generosity and kindness of spirit. Penny would fit very well into their family.

"Alright," Penelope agreed not exactly sure if they were doing the right thing, but she couldn't really argue, as that would be rude they'd been so nice to her. Penelope didn't see that it was her generosity of spirit, her cheerfulness, her willingness to help out that attracted Dave and JJ to her. In fact, attracted anybody who met her and got to know her even slightly. She had been teased so often for the shape of her body, her looks, her intelligence that she really didn't think much of herself no matter how much she tried to hide it.

"Good," Dave approved, thinking that Penny had given in easier then either he or Jennifer had believed she would.

"Yes, I'm happy that you've agreed to be these three godmother," JJ said patting her stomach tenderly. "Now that that's out of the way though there was something else Dave and I wanted to talk to you about."

"What else could you possibly want?" Penelope asked

"Well, we were just wondering if you would help out at a cookout we are planning," JJ explained. "It's going to be casual, in the backyard and Dave was going to grill steaks, hamburgers and hotdogs.

"We were thinking you could bring one of those delicious desserts that everybody loves so much," Dave said smiling. "All of us here have certainly enjoyed those desserts you keep bringing as well as the soup and that sandwich platter."

"I'd be happy to," Penelope said, smiling. "I could fix up a few different options if this parties going to be fairly large. I can bring them them by and leave them with you."

"You misunderstand," JJ gently told her. "We asked you to do some desserts but we wouldn't have if weren't already invited to this cookout that Dave and I are planning."

"I'm invited?" Penelope asked her tone astonished.

"Of course, you're invited, Penny," Dave said mentally shaking his head at her obvious misunderstanding. He didn't think it was deliberate either. No, he believed that Penelope thought so little of herself that it had never occurred to her that she might actually be invited to this summer cookout that he and Jennifer had been planning the last several weeks. She actually believed that they would ask her to do up a couple of desserts and then not invite her, which told him that she had been so often disregarded that she just expected to be automatically.

"We wouldn't ask you to fix some desserts if we didn't want you to be there," JJ said. "We're very well aware that some people would ask somebody to make up something and then tell them they're not invited or at least imply it. You ought to know by now that Dave and I aren't like that."

"No, if we wanted to we could get a professional caterer, but that would be overboard, as it's not a formal event," Dave said.

"We've been planning this cookout for awhile, but then I was attacked so it had to be put off," JJ said. "I just got my cast off a couple of days ago, so Dave and I decided that it was time to have this cookout before the summer is gone."

"This is something new we're trying and we might decide to make it an annual event like maybe on the 4th of July," Dave wheedled.

"We want to get our neighbors better," JJ said following along with the change in plans easily, "so there will be around 50 people there and people will likely drop by for a few minutes for food and conversation, then leave again."

"There will be games for any children that the adults bring," Dave added.

"It will be entirely casual. People will eat good food, talk to other people that they either know casually or don't know at all. It will be a chance to interact with others. It's just a chance for everybody to relax from the stresses of their lives, their jobs and looking after their children," JJ said.

"It's a chance for the children to run around in a contained situation where they can enjoy themselves without as many constraints as normal, as there will be plenty of adults to keep an eye on them, to make sure they don't get into any trouble," Dave added.

"Alright, I would be happy to attend," Penelope said convinced.

"Good, because I could use all the help I can get planning this thing," JJ said. "My mother is helping out as well and bringing some of the food. Her potato salad and baked beans are lethal, absolutely, delicious, but not very good for the waistline. She also does a delicious macaroni and cheese, that once you try it you'll want her recipe. Henry absolutely loves it."

"Now that's the truth," Dave said patting his stomach smiling. "I now know where Jennifer learned to cook so well, though I'm a pretty good one myself if I do say so."

"Yes, you're an excellent chef," JJ agreed sincerely. "He's always helping me prepare breakfast or dinner although not normally lunch. Still, I'm grateful that he's willing to help me out as it makes the job of cooking for so many much easier and definitely less time-consuming and tiring."

"I won't have you exhaust yourself, especially now that you're pregnant," Dave said and it was clear that he meant it. "We could hire a whole platoon of servants if we really wanted to, people who came to help out throughout the day, but went home at night. However, that's not the way that either Jennifer or I want to live our lives. Having too many people wait on you hand and foot can make you lazy, I ought to know, since I grew up surrounded by servants."

"Also we don't want our neighbors to consider us stuck up, since a lot of people that have a lot of servants are seen that way. It might not be true, but it's the way we would likely be perceived," JJ added.

"Not by everybody, not even by most people, but still..." Dave's voice trailed off.

"You want to live your lives the way you want to live them without a lot of servants, even though you can afford them," Penelope said thinking this was a commendable attitude. "You want to do things for yourself."

"We don't want our children to grow up and not be able do for themselves, because they're used to having it done for them," JJ said. "Having a nanny or even several is one thing, but hiring a cook or a housekeeper is ridiculous, when we can do for ourselves."

"Having too many servants can lead to laziness, laziness leads to lack of compassion where you expect others to do everything for you, where you treat them as if they are less then dirt to you and you treat everybody with the disregard for their feelings or pay them the slightest bit of attention until you need something," Dave said. "This doesn't happen to everyone who grew up with a lot of servants, but very few seem to break out of that mold if they were taught to be lazy from birth because servants did everything, except wipe their noses for them. I might come from a wealthy family, but I was also taught the value of working for what I have as were all my siblings. Many people that inherit their money or even those who are self made don't learn the lessons and therefore, they don't teach their children. Even if they do there are no guarantees that it'll take. My parents had ways of making sure the lesson was learned believe me, since children of our species can be very stubborn and the lesson might not take the first time."

Penelope could guess how Dave's parents had made sure the lesson was learned very well so she didn't need details. It wasn't considered abuse by their race to spank a child so that they learned a lesson. Not many human parents spanked their child anymore when they did something wrong, which was a shame because pain was a great motivator to do better and to keep on the straight and narrow. Spanking hurt like the son of bitch, but it also left no permanent damage and didn't last very long. Depending on how serious it was a spanking might leave your butt a little red and painful, or a more serious one might leave your rear end looking like raw meat, but it would heal leaving no permanent marks, so long as it was done with the hand and not some other type of weapon. Paddles had been used in the past and sometimes they still were and they worked better than a hand in many ways as they didn't leave your hands stinging, but many parents liked to deliver a punishment themselves as a paddle was more impersonal.

"Of course, we don't turn down help like when you bring food by because you're such a nice person and you knew that I was incapacitated," JJ said smiling at her friend.

"That would be rude and we won't be rude to somebody who was nice enough to pick something up or cook something themselves just because they wanted to help. Besides, homecooked meals are much better than any restaurant and I'm well aware of it," Dave grinned at her, making Penelope blush a little as Dave was a very handsome man and had a ton of natural charisma. Penelope knew however, that he was totally devoted to JJ, so he was just being charming, which some people came by naturally.

JJ shook her head and winked at her and Penelope knew that she accepted that Dave just couldn't help himself, because it came so naturally to him.

The three of them talked for a little longer and when Penelope left she was on cloud nine. She'd had a pleasant afternoon chatting with Dave and JJ who had paid attention to her, something she was hardly used to.

~~~Healed Hearts~~~

Saturday

Everybody had arrived for the cookout by noon seeming to be having a good time as Dave started up the grill, and started doing hamburgers, hot dogs and steaks once the grill was heated up.

Dave knew a lot of people, so there was an even mixture of Alphas and Omegas, male and female. There was probably closer to 70 people instead of the 50 that JJ thought would fit in the yard, but that was just fine, even if it was crowded, since that was kind of the point. Everybody seemed to be having a good time and had a drink in their hands, as well as plates of snack food and sides from the buffet that had been set up in one corner. The children were running around having a blast, while all the adults kept a close eye on them.

"Thank you for inviting me," Aaron told Dave shaking his hand.

"You're quite welcome," Dave said smiling. "We've been planning this for awhile but then Jennifer was hurt so it had to be put off. We probably should've done this last year but Jennifer and I hadn't known each other that long."

"You needed time to settle in your new home and get used to married life," Aaron said knowingly.

"Yes, we did," Dave agreed grinning.

"I was sorry to hear about what happened to your mate," Aaron said sympathy in his tone.

"Thanks," Dave said. "It shouldn't have happened, as I should've killed Carolyn for her betrayal but I didn't, something I assure you will never happen again. I will never have Jennifer hurt so severely again, through no fault of her own."

"I should've done the same to Haley, but I didn't," Aaron sighed. "I just couldn't kill the mother of my children."

"Well, so long as she causes no trouble..." Dave said

"Then I should let sleeping dogs lie," Aaron finished. "I'm afraid if I do get mated again that she'll do the same thing that Carolyn did."

"You shouldn't let Haley deny you your happiness if you happen to find someone," Dave told Aaron who agreed with his friend, but was still afraid of what would happen if he got attached to anyone and then mated with them.

"I'm sure you keep tabs on Haley, as I should have on Carolyn as you probably learned from my experience," Dave suggested.

"Yeah, I do, as I have contacts with the local Police Department, and they're keeping an eye on her for me," Aaron admitted.

"Something I should have done," Dave admitted. "I'm actually glad that Carolyn and I didn't have any children as it made it easier. Carolyn has been permanently taken care of, but that doesn't mean I don't wish I had taken care of her before Jennifer was hurt. What I'm trying to say is you shouldn't let the shadow of Haley interfere if you want to get involved with anybody. You can't go the rest of your life only having one night stands as that gets old and our kind needs a pack, which is usually family around, so that they don't get to lonely and comment suicide or at least go a little strange in the head. We're not like humans who do fine on their own, even if they have plenty of friends outside the home. No, we need family that lives close by, to spend time with if we don't want to go insane from the loneliness. Sometimes I know you can consider close friends, family and that does help to stave of the loneliness, but it's not always enough because people have their own lives. To change the subject this is supposed to be a happy occasion so why don't I introduce you to Jennifer and then you should probably go and talk to some of these beautiful women, as I'm sure some of them at least are unattached."

Actually all of them were, but Aaron didn't need to know that, Dave thought.

"Maybe I will," Aaron considered.

"I want you to be as happy as I've been for the last couple of years," Dave told his friend sincerely. "I've been very happy ever since I met Jennifer and I have no doubt that I'll be with her for the rest of my life."

"That's what I want," Aaron looked rather melancholy and a little sad.

"Cheer up," Dave told Aaron. "You need to at least start dating again as your children need a mother figure. You've been doing a fine job with Sheila's help, but..."

Sheila was the nanny that Aaron had hired, even before Haley had betrayed him, while Haley was still pregnant with Jack and Maddy actually.

"They need someone besides the nanny, even if she's like a grandmother to them," Aaron finished. "Haley's betrayal hurt me, but you already knew that. I was so hurt that I really haven't dated at all, but I suppose it's time."

"That's good, you need to put what happened with Haley behind you," Dave said. "You can't let fear of her doing the same thing Carolyn did prevent you from finding happiness. I'm actually surprised that Haley hasn't just killed herself as it's been three years after all, since she betrayed you and you did the same thing I did. The scent of that betrayal emanates from her very skin. I know you have your four children to consider, but I'm sure you'd like a few more. This time with the right partner. If I found someone so can you."

"I'm not afraid," Aaron protested and Dave inwardly smiled, as Alphas didn't like to admit that they were afraid to do something, which had a lot to do with their sense of pride.

Dave said nothing and waited patiently and finally Aaron huffed in annoyance, knowing that he had been cornered quite neatly. He had said he was not afraid of dating again and therefore, he would have to start to prove it or Dave would hold it over his head for the rest of his life.

"Some friend you are," Aaron said, not really upset at the way that Dave had backed them into a corner, mostly because it was forcing him to start dating again, something he really wanted to do anyway, but hadn't been able to force himself to do.

"I am your friend and I want to see you truly happy," Dave told him calmly. "Truly happy with someone that completes you just as Jennifer does me. Jennifer is everything I could possibly want in a mate. She's intelligent, compassionate, kind, passionate, gorgeous and tender, but she also has something of a fierce side and she was just as furious at Carolyn's actions, even before she was hurt by those thugs, as I told her all about her betrayal."

"That must have hurt to bring the subject up again," Aaron winced.

"It did, but not as much as you probably think," Dave said. "I felt that full disclosure was only fair and now I'm glad I did, so that Jennifer wasn't taken so much by surprise when she was attacked."

"And she also couldn't blame you for keeping important information from her," Aaron smirked.

"That was probably part of it," Dave admitted. "Still, I felt full disclosure was the way to go, as keeping secrets is not good for any relationship mated or not, especially not when they can come back to bite you in the ass like what happened with Carolyn. We can talk later you need to go out there and mingle, the food will be ready soon."

Aaron wandered away and started talking to various people Dave watching him out of the corner of his eye.

~~~Healed Hearts~~~