Chapter 62

Tom and Katherine returned Monday evening from their first mating.

She looked positively radiant while he looked thunderstruck, with Katherine's wedding bite marks still plainly visible on his neck.

Ayesha wept freely as she welcomed Tom into her family before the lamian wedding dance commenced.

They watched as the adult lamias formed a circlet around the couple.

With hands clasping tails, they sinuated round and round while Katherine coiled her massive pythonic tail around her man in a protective manner.

Their voices rose in an ancient song known only to lamias, a song of welcome and of joy.

Tom was theirs now, no other woman would want him.

His pheromones now mingled with Katherine's, declared he was a lamia's husband and off limits.

Roger felt Freya's arm slipping around his shoulders as they watched the lamian dance.

He smiled to himself and slipped his arm around her supple waist in a moment of togetherness; not caring if Ayesha saw them or not, he was with his companion.

By now, even the little ones had joined in, their little voices raised in the ancient song they instinctively knew as they sinuated round and round the sisterly circlet.

Roger glanced over at George and Phillip while they watched, their faces reflecting the emotions felt by their mates.

There was a brief pause while Ayesha slipped over to her husband of many years and coiled loosely around him so he could hold her closely, her face radiantly beautiful.

The circlet closed up again and a new song began with the children's voices blending in.

Mia, Rosalind and Natalie circled their sister now with little Sophie, little Maria and tiny Rosie joining in.

They were the newest generation, the future and they were singing a welcome song to their future siblings and cousins to be.

Not caring who saw them, Phillip and Ayesha held each other closely and shared a deep, soulful kiss, their love undiminished.

Roger felt Freya's arm tighten around his shoulders and moments later, she was holding him closely to her swelling bosom.

He squeezed her gently and felt her tears falling on his forehead as she held him.

Looking up, he murmured, "You okay?"

Her reply was a lingering kiss flavored by the salt of her tears.

She squeezed him as her kiss went on and on, her lips melting into his, their tongues dancing.

With great reluctance, Roger broke off Freya's kiss.

Holding her tightly, he fought to remain in control, his heart thudding, his pulse roaring in his ears.

Freya rested her head atop his as they held each other tightly, awash in the surge of their own emotions and struggling to remain afloat in the rip tide of emotions coming from the lamias.

That night Roger slept fitfully and at times, he lay on his back, staring up at the dimly lit ceiling, his mind all awhirl.

The emotions he and Freya kept firmly in check had nearly boiled over in the heat of that incredible moment during the lamian wedding dance.

Ayesha had to know what had happened, she had to have seen them kissing so deeply during the dance.

Listening to the soft breathing of his towering companion he mused, she was lucky, she was getting some sleep.

Rolling onto his side to face the wall, Roger closed his eyes in hopes of getting at least a little sleep before dawn.

He felt Freya's large body roll over towards him and her long arm slipping over him before it pulled him into her swelling bosom.

With the warmth of her body pressing against his bare back, he drifted off to sleep at last.

Roger awoke to the sound of Freya's gentle singing as she toweled off after her morning shower.

Utterly unconcerned about her nudity in front of him, she slipped on her panties then slid her long legs into a fresh pair of pants.

Still singing softly, she wrestled a bra into place and pulled a sleeveless top over her swelling bosom.

Seeing Roger's eyes were open, she smiled and said brightly, "G'morrow sleepyhead, aboot time ye waur up we've got a big day ahead ay us."

He laughed, Freya was always energetic when it came to flying, even if the night before had not been restful...Roger looked forward to getting some strong coffee in him before taking off for Portland.

She grinned at him, "Ah'm gang tae start oan uir breakfast, dorn't be lang!"

And left the room.

Minutes later, after a quick shower to knock loose some of the sleepies and a fresh set of clothes to cover his nudity, Roger strolled into the kitchen to see Mia and Freya putting together a breakfast for him and George.

The twins were apparently out with their little cousin.

Mia smiled at him, "And how did YOU, sleep last night?" she asked.

"Sleep? What is this thing you call sleep?" Replied Roger as he took a healthy swallow of his coffee.

"That bad, eh?" Muttered George, "We hardly slept ourselves from all the excitement of last night...It's probably a good thing Mia's a little too close to term to be thinking about making whoopee, although I'm sure things got a little warm at the in-laws last night."

"I can imagine" commented Roger between bites, "Did Tom get back to base alright?"

"I think so, his truck was gone when I looked out the window this morning. I imagine he's having a time dealing with the army's bureaucracy right about now."

George sipped his coffee and commented, "Fortunately Katherine's past the clingy newly mated lamia stage right now and she was able to let him go on duty this morning."

Roger smiled to himself at the memory of when George and Mia first mated and how they dealt with her clinginess while making their escape from Algeria.

Fortunately she had been largely over whelmed by all that was happening and meekly went along with what George and Roger were doing.

"So what time are you two leaving?" asked Mia.

Glancing at the wall clock, Roger replied,"I'd like to leave here before ten and hopefully take off around noon, to get back to Portland late afternoon. Of course that depends on the tower crew as there's almost a hundred old planes all lined up for take off today."

"You sure you gotta leave today? There's always tomorrow." commented George.

With a grin, Roger replied,"I'm afraid we don't have that luxury, we are supposed to leave today according to Tom Sanders, our genial host."

"And that brings us back to my original question." remarked Mia.

Roger smiled, "Freya and I are ready to leave right this minute. We can leave anytime after right now, but preferably before ten."

At that, George finished off his coffee, set down his coffee mug and said,"Mia, I'm taking them to the airport, I'll be back as soon as I can."

Mia nodded and said,"I'll tell everyone you had to leave in a hurry and will convey your regrets that you couldn't say goodbye in a proper manner."

She grinned and quipped, "That way, my mom won't get to tease you two about your kissing last night!"

Roger felt his face reddening and a quick glanced showed Freya's face also becoming rather crimson in hue.

Mia hugged and kissed both of them and soon, they were on their way to the airport.

The drive was fairly routine and before long, George was threading his bulky van through the airport traffic and approaching the airfield access gates.

The security guard waved them through and moments later they pulled up to the bulky white Martin Mariner recently Christened 'Moby Dick' by an inadvertent slip of the tongue on Roger's part.

Tom Sanders pulled up on his service cart and with his trademark grin, handed Roger the keys with a comment, "I like your coffee maker addition to the galley... C5-A?"

Grinning as he accepted the keys, "Yep! Snatched it right from under a collector's nose, he got a little shirty about it until I showed him where it was going, then he calmed down."

Tom grinned and was about to reply when the roar of a four engined Lancaster bomber interrupted their conversation and they paused to admire the large British bomber as it took off for home in England.

For nearly an hour after that there was a constant stream of vintage aircraft taking off for their home airfields.

They were most impressed by a motley squadron of warbirds taking off in formation and fading from view still in formation.

Tom chuckled and said, "Those are about the best pilots around, they make it look so easy!"

He grinned at them and said, "You two best be gettin' ready, I'll clear a window for you to take off in about 30 minutes, that way you won't be landing in the dark."

He and Roger shook hands then Freya hugged him, causing him to exclaim with a grin, "When Freya hugs you, you stay hugged!"

Tom hopped back on his service cart and took off as another group of old airplanes roared overhead.

Roger and Freya quickly retrieved the wheel chocks and tie down cables, then opened up the side door and climbed inside Moby Dick's cavernous fuselage to begin the preflights.

Twenty minutes later, the left engine was busily warming up while the right engine was coughing smoke and clearing its throat before settling into a busy idle.

When they got cleared for take off, Roger eased the bulky seaplane into place behind the enormous B-36 peacemaker bomber, the prop wash from its six engines actually buffeting the heavy Martin Mariner.

Roger laughed and said, "Can you imagine being behind one of these in a small plane? It would get bounced all over the runway."

Freya nodded and commented, "twoods be a bit scary Ah'd imagine."

They waited their turn while the giant bomber roared down the runway seemingly forever before its nose tilted upward and it rose into the sky over Phoenix, Arizona.

Minutes later their own airplane, the Martin Mariner now dubbed Moby Dick was lofting into the sky before gently banking to fly over the ranch house on their way back to Portland, Oregon.