Chapter 42 Berta the petting zoo animal

A photo came in of large chunks of meat being thrown into Jim's tank. 

Photos of jellyfish, panoramic shots of underwater landscapes. 

Mei winced as picture Berta appeared. 

Luke's eyes lit up and he looked at his mother. 

"Isn't Berta beautiful?" 

Sue gave a forced smile. 

" As long as you like her." 

Luke nodded vigorously. 

More pictures came, then one of Luke crouching in front of a water hatch.

"And what are you doing there?" 

"I get to touch Berta!" 

Sue lost all color from her face.

A photo appeared of Luke sticking part of Berta's head through the gap and Luke stroking her head. 

" She has totally rough skin and Va said Berta is smart and the hatch was big enough that she could just stick her head in a bit and only her nose and a bit of her eyes were showing. " 

Liz looked at the picture. 

"Well, she's really smart, but still, Luke, what if she bit you?" 

"Aunt Va told Berta to behave or Uther would stop feeding her." 

"He's feeding her?" 

Luke nodded. 

"He showed me how to do it."

He ran to the camera, hastily clicking through Berta's pictures, which only showed the shark, to a small submarine where Uther was standing, Berta now halfway through the open hatch of the submarine. 

Then a picture of Luke throwing Berta meat into the open hatch. 

Luke rummaged in his backpack and pulled out a shark tooth that looked huge in his hands. 

Mei wanted to click the next picture, but Luke quickly took the camera away from her and switched it off. 

"Very suspicious," came from Mei, taking the camera away and turning it back on.

"No!" He looked trembling at his mother, who was staring at him.

Mei clicked on the next picture, it was Liz, Mei and Sue in the mud bath wearing face masks, all three looking more like monsters. 

"Oha..." 

Mei clicked on, picture from London, then came one of Sue just after getting up, hair a ruin, no makeup and total tiredness on her face. 

 Min burst out laughing. 

"Gitte! "

"What?" Gitte came out of the kitchen a little annoyed and stared at the picture.

" Holy shit! " She looked at Sue. 

"Just like your mother."

"Or you," Min followed up. 

" Yourself " 

Luke tried to grab the camera. 

Mei clicked on, showing Sue in work mode, countless pens in her hair, glasses on her nose, tons of files on the table and the tablet flickering. 

She clicked again, picture of Babs baking cookies. The picture went out because Sue had taken the camera away from me. She gave it back to Luke.

"Don't you have any more embarrassing pictures?" Luke shook his head vigorously.

"Good!" 

Hastily, he ran to Miles. 

Alex seemed to be thinking. Babs came in with a tin. Looked at the scene. 

"Oh, did I miss something?" 

" No. Luke was just showing us some photos. " came from Min. 

Babs smiled. 

"Turned out good, didn't they? "

"You've seen them?" came from Sue.

" Sure. He also showed me the tooth and asked me tons of questions and after I asked Uther why he let Luke do it and he said the safety systems are active and nothing can happen. "

" Mom have you seen the critter? " 

" Sure, Luke showed me pictures. Sue, do you really think what will happen if Uther is there? "

Sue remained silent. 

Babs smiled. 

"Good, then I've made cookies for you all." 

Alex went pale, Min looked at him and grinned. 

"Babs, Alex wants first." 

Gitte and Susan had their duel, with Gitte winning and making Susan laugh again over beers. Geni talked a lot with Min and she arranged to meet Geni and Susan later in the day where they could let off some steam. Bibi also thawed out a bit and Liz and April looked after her. 

Then Alex's marathon began. Babsi dressed Alex in a normal office suit and took him to countless museums, the opera and fancy restaurants. The fact that she made love to him was a minor matter. 

Min let him dress in jeans and a T-shirt and took him shopping, talking, roaming and doing it with him on the beach.

 Gitte let him wear similar clothes and took him to a workshop for couples and let him cook for her. The rest of the time she cuddled with him or did it with him.

 April had the least idea of what she wanted to do, so Alex gave her a bonus day when she thought of something and helped her move her things, with Liz and Mei helping her as well. 

Mei spent the whole day helping her practice and correcting her mistakes. 

Liz spent the day hanging out with him and watching movies.

Jannet started her day by bumming around with him, then had breakfast and then they both went shopping where he got his hair cut. Then to a restaurant and a stroll along a popular promenade in the evening. She ended it all with a bubble bath, where she did it with him. 

When it was all over the next day, Alex went to get a doctor because his back was all scratched up. At home, he sat moaning on the sofa and took a drag on his cigarette. 

Gitte cuddled up to him a moment later. 

"We should do that more often," she said with a smile. 

"We did that at the beginning, but you get bored too quickly." 

Gitte thought about it for a moment. 

"That's true, but I haven't seen Jannet sleep so contentedly for a long time." 

Min came in yawning, wearing only one of Alex's T-shirts, which was too big for her, and scratching her stomach. She saw Alex on the couch and snuggled up to him with her eyes closed. 

"Min you stink of fluff," Gitte commented.

"I was out with Geni yesterday, we went to a few clubs where she let her hair down and I had to drag her home hacked. "

"Where are ..."

" They were out drinking with Sue yesterday after I agreed to look after Luke. " said Gitte. Min looked at her askance: "Really? Sussan told me you were out with her." 

"That's right, Tes jumped in. "

" Tes? " 

Gitte nodded. 

"Yes, she had Grim with her, they still grabbed old Miles."

Alex looked at her questioningly.

"Why?" 

Gitte sighed.

"Alex, your dad, wanted to know why Luke ran to Tes and Grimm without hesitation or inhibitions. Tes offered to show him Miles' facilities and even promised him that he could talk to Uther."

"Hmm, I wonder if that was a good idea ... "

Gitte looked at him.

"Why? It was very polite."

He rubbed his temples.

"Quite simply, Gitte, what did Baba say about him?"

She pondered.

"Uh, she treated him like a grandson."

Alex groaned.

"Exactly, sat in the living room, drank coffee, ate her horror cookies. The taste of which still haunts me today. Not even Sue's first attempts at cooking were that bad."

"But..."

"The two of them are on the same wavelength." 

 Alex got up and went to Liz's room, opened the door and looked at the bed. The floor was full of carelessly discarded clothes. All four of them were cuddled up on the bed, snoring. 

"Breakfast in 15 minutes!" 

They looked at him with hungover eyes and sat up tiredly one after the other.

He left them there, only to hear them giggle. He went into the kitchen. Gitte and Min were sitting on the sofa looking at him.

"So?"

"They slept snuggled up together."

" Ohh how sweet." 

Min looked at Gitte. 

"That was cute when they were little, but all four of them together. Do you remember when they were 17?"

Gitte put a finger to her chin and thought about it. 

"You mean when they plundered the Jannet's dildo collection?" 

"Exactly," Min got up and hurried to Liz's door and stuck her head in.

"Coffee or tea?"

"Lots of coffee!" came the synchronized reply.

She came back. 

" Yep, just like back then."

" And how do you know that?"

Min grinned. 

"I saw some of Liz's dildos lying on the floor."

Gitte sighed. 

" Well Min, I guess we were too bad role models."

She sat down next to Gitte again and grinned. Jannet came into the living room yawning, wearing a pair of Alex's tracksuit bottoms and a T-shirt. She looked at the two of them. 

"I heard something about breakfast," she sat down next to them.

"Alex is making one right now."

Jannet nodded, yawning, and squealed as Gitte kneaded her chest.

"They're really weapons-grade," Gitte murmured.

Jannet looked at her. 

" You're the same size as me Gitte."

" Yes, but if you hadn't shown me that back then ." 

Jannet grinned. 

" That's because you're so innocent."

Min laughed.

" Gitte and innocent."

" You know what I mean, Min. Our Gitte is happy when she can cuddle up to Alex all day."

Min nodded in agreement. 

"Ey, I was at a workshop with him."

"And what kind?"

They both looked at Gitte, who was blushing.

" Ey bondage games and ..."

They both plucked at her clothes and found red marks on her back, bottom and chest. There were also traces of a handprint on her buttock. They let go of Gitte, who adjusted her clothes. 

"He really slapped your bottom?"

Gitte nodded and grinned. 

"You should have seen him, he didn't know what to do. The group leader was at her wits' end because he wouldn't hit as hard as she said he would. "

"And how was that?"

Gitte thought about it. 

"Well, it was quite good, I was expecting more from the course."

"Yes, but how was it?"

Gitte looked at Alex, who was cooking in the kitchen. 

" As always, it just wasn't his thing. He was more concerned with not hurting me than being horny. But..." she looked at both of them. 

"Remember when we tied him up with the scarves and blindfolded him?"

They both nodded. 

"I asked the group leader what I could do, told her what he was usually like. I did that when he was smoking a fag and getting hit on by a guy in rubber gear."

Jannet looked at Alex, then at her.

"And what did she say? "

"She wouldn't believe me, she wanted proof. So ... " 

"No ... You didn't ..." Min mumbled.

Gitte blushed and nodded.

"Alex! What were you doing with Gitte in the workshop! She's as red as a tomato!" shouted Jannet. 

He stuck his head out of the kitchen and looked at the three of them. 

"Well, I didn't understand anything. Gitte wanted to have sex now that I've promised her that she'll get what she wants. Then I took her in front of the latex fanatic until she was quiet."

He disappeared back into the kitchen. 

"So he knocked you out?"

Gitte nodded. 

"The group leader told me not to come back. He incited the others to an orgy with the number. "

Min burst out laughing. Jannet just shook his head.

"You really are incorrigible, Gitte." 

" Does he have anyone else there? "

Gitte thought about it. 

" The group leader, she looked really fucked up. Some chick in shiny latex clothes, ice-cold and totally dominant. When she told me at the end, her hair was a mess, her make-up was gone and her costume was ruined. "

Jannet's eyes lit up. 

"I asked one of the others about her nickname, she said the group leader had tried to be dominant and hit him with her rod. He still had a hard-on and his hands were working on their own. A few holds and it was over with her dominant side and he was still easy with her. "

All three of them laughed. The doorbell rang and Lee came in. 

"Yo Alex! Did you finish your marathon? "

Min froze, hissed and disappeared into a room. 

Lee looked at the couch, confused. 

"I thought I saw Min."

"She's just getting dressed quickly."

Lee raised an eyebrow and disappeared into the kitchen. Min emerged shortly afterwards wearing a pair of sports shorts with her T-shirt peeking out from underneath. 

Gitte and Jannet got up and went into the kitchen with Min, the breakfast table was set. They became suspicious when they saw Alex and Lee whispering at a table. 

"They're planning something again," came from Gitte.

"But so what..." came from Min.

They came closer and saw the fight video Mei had told them about. 

"What are you doing?"

They both looked up and looked at the three of them. 

"I told her about the latex fanatic."

Lee looked at them all.

" He was really wearing normal clothes?"

Unlike Alex, Lee wore inconspicuous clothes when he came to visit.

Jannet pulled out her cell phone and showed it. Lots of photos of Alex shopping.

Lee looked at the photos.

"And how much did he buy?"

Jannet sighed. 

"Nothing, it's just gathering dust in the closet with the other stuff. He even has a suit for the opera, for galas..."

"Well, the gala suit is gone after you ripped it off me, Jannet."

She nodded. 

Lee looked at Alex. 

Min hugged Lee.

Giggles and chatter emanated from the hallway.

"So Lee, now you're seeing a predator feeding." came from Gitte. Shortly afterwards, the four of them arrived dressed, their hair still wet. They sat down at the table and started eating and chatting. When they had eaten ¾ of their food and Babsi appeared in between, they seemed to realize that they were not alone and looked up and froze when they saw those present.

Lee laughed. 

"At least they have a healthy appetite."

The mothers hugged their daughters.

"We're about to take a family picture for Pops. "

The girls stared at him. 

"Can't!" They pointed at his hair. 

Alex sighed and walked out of the kitchen, returning minutes later with a hairdryer and comb and began to do their hair. The mothers stood next to Lee and grinned. Lee looked at the scene a little bemused. 

"It kind of reminds me of when they were little, he used to do their hair too," Babsi said with a smile. Sue seemed to enjoy it the most.

"And of course mine enjoys it the most..."

Gitte smiled and looked at Lee.

"Sue was allergic to hairdressers and to Babsi when she came with the scissors. So she comes to him for her hair to this day."

Babsi sighed. 

Alex looked at the group. 

"Lee, you're in the photo."

" Me? Why?"

"Well, you're part of the family and the last one is just you with Mei as a baby and Min next to you."

He rubbed his beard. 

" I could really use a recent photo for my office. "

John walked in with a camera, he stopped when he saw the pack. 

" You said a small photo."

"That's right."

John raised an eyebrow. " Of course. But then I can also take a new official photo of you and Lee. "

"What's wrong with the old one?" asked Jannet. 

"I can't post a picture of you two in a stripper bar with beer bottles in your hands."

"Ah, the stripper bar," came from Lee. He looked at the women.

"What? It was my birthday and he invited me. "

Bettina came in, observed the scene, grabbed a chair and sat down with the girls.

"I'll have to take advantage of that, John has two left hands when it comes to hair." She looked up at Alex, Alex just nodded. 

"So like always?"

Bettina pondered. 

" Pigtails, John and I are going out for dinner tonight." 

Alex began, the mothers and daughters changed. That left just Lee, John, Bettina and Alex in the kitchen. 

"When does the mission to South America start?" asked Lee. 

"In two days, we're making a run," came from Alex.

"My soldiers are restless."

Alex didn't look up. 

" John, if we get Lee's people involved."

John took a picture of Bettina and Alex. 

" Well, that would shorten the offensive. How quickly can you mobilize the troops?"

Lee considered. 

"Twenty-four hours and then another three for transit. Except I can't get there fast enough with the fleet, they're on the hunt for pirates. "

" Let's say ground troops and air squadrons."

" I also have a request from the President of South Africa, only more official. He's got the smugglers on his back."

"Good." Alex pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed quickly. And clamped the phone between his head and shoulder while he combed Bettina's hair. 

"Hey Liam! John just told me he has your request in front of him. Send over what you can spare from your limits. Yes, then we'll make Africa flat. Yes... they'll join in too. Yes ... good ...." he weaves and listens, pauses.

"What do you mean by connection? What for? ..." he tapped Bettina on the head to indicate that she had finished and she scurried to the kitchen mirror and looked at herself. 

"Good, come over and we'll discuss the next steps. Yes from me today too." 

Alex hung up and pocketed his cell phone. Bettina looked at Alex and then at John.

"Did I miss something?"

Alex lit a cigarette.

"Yes. South Africa is joining us, he's fed up. Too much corruption and incompetence. "

John looked at him, stunned. Lee laughed and patted Alex on the shoulder. 

"Then I'll join South America and Africa, but I want districts then, of the territory I have now. "

"Of course."

Bettina tapped John on the cheek. 

" Honey? " She flicked in front of his eyes, he came back to himself mentally, blinking.

"When did you decide this? "

"Hhmm, I think on the third phone call."

Lee nodded. John looked at Bettina. 

"See what I meant, the two of them are always up to something."

Bettina took him in her arms.

" It's all right John, everything will be all right. At least Uther's not here."

Alex grinned. John raised a finger. 

"Not a word, what happens next?"

"Expand evacuation zones, track down more infected and prevent more damage." 

"You're not going to stop another outbreak?"

Alex grinned. "No. You'll see. If we introduce the districts, the old areas will soon be back. People will forget and become arrogant and decadent again. "

Lee nodded in agreement. John looked at him thoughtfully.

"What kind of survival rate have you come up with?"

"We have a DNA bank, a sample has been taken from everyone and more will be added after the merger. In case everything goes wrong, we can repopulate. Humans, animals, plants."

Bettina hugged John. 

"See, I told you he was up to something."

John nodded. He was about to say something else when the others arrived.

Many photos were taken, for Miles, for Sara, for Geni, for Alex himself, etc. Two days later, the rest of the recapture of the planet began.

 >>>>>>> End of Season 2 <<<<<<<