A Dark Future Ch. 21

Jane walks into the hangout room, motioning for Amber to bring in Megan.

As Megan assumes her position again, this time not needing correction from Amber, tears are still rolling down her face, but she is managing to stay quiet, although she is trembling slightly.

"Megan, we have a lot of sympathy for what you have gone through." Jane says. "And everyone agrees you should be allowed another chance, and not be removed from the house today."

Megan sighs deeply, clearly calming slightly.

"You do have to be punished though. You will spend this week training with Amber as she previously discussed, but for now, your punishment will be a spanking. After your spanking, Robert is available for cuddles, if you want them. You may choose either Amber or myself to administer the spanking." Jane says. "You can take a minute to think about it, if you wish."

Megan does take a minute, trying to determine the best course of action. "I'd like to choose Mistress Amber."

"Very well." Jane says. "Shuffle up here, upper body resting on the bed."

Megan reluctantly shuffles forward, until her stomach is pressed against the bed. "Like this, Mistress?"

"Yes, that's good." Jane says. "I'd like Robert to hold your hands, and you to count the strokes. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mistress." Megan says, her voice wavering. "May... May I ask, how many strokes?"

"Just 6 this time." Jane says. "And hopefully we don't have to do this again."

"Yes, Mistress." Megan says, stretching out her hands in front of her.

"Robert." Jane prompts him, and he moves in front of Megan, firmly clasping her hands.

"Amber, would you like to use your hand, or a tool?" Jane asks.

"Can I see what you have?" Amber asks. "I'd rather not use my hand."

Jane grabs a flogger and a crop from the next room. "Your choice."

Amber grabs the crop, and turns to Megan. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, Mistress." Megan says quietly, burying her head in the bed.

"Head up, and remember to count the strokes." Amber says.

Once Megan's head is up, Amber strikes.

"One, Mistress." Megan squeals, tightening her grip on Robert's hands.

Another stroke, and Megan jumps a little less this time. "Two, Mistress."

"Three, Mistress." Megan groans after the third strike, the pain clearly affecting her.

Once the last stroke has come down, Megan sags onto the mattress, burying her face as she begins to cry again. Robert slides down to hug her. She snuggles into him, trying and failing to contain her sobs.

"Megan, I'm going to remove your shorts to see how bad it is." Jane tells her, pausing a moment until she sees her nod. Slowly taking down the shorts, she sees redness, but no broken skin or welts. "It looks like it's just red. You should be ok without anything. If it starts to hurt too much, let us know and we can take another look." Jane adds as she pulls the shorts back up.

Jane motions towards the door at Amber, and follows her out into the hall. "You can keep the crop. Hopefully you don't need it, but if she starts to give you a problem, you can give her up to two strokes, but if you have to do it more than once in a day, I want to know about it."

"Thank you, Mistress." Amber says. "And thank you for giving me a chance to train her."

"After what we just heard, I doubt I could get Robert to turn her loose unless she actually injures someone." Jane says with a sigh. "If you can actually get her properly trained, I'll be very grateful."

"I will do my best, Mistress." Amber says excitedly.

"I know you will." Jane says. "I was thinking that you and Megan could sleep in our room tonight. Nothing sexual, just cuddles. It'll let us keep an eye on her, and reward you for your efforts today."

"Thank you so much, Mistress." Amber says, beaming. "Can I sleep in between you and Master?"

"I think we should put Megan in the middle, to make sure she can't attempt to escape." Jane says. "But you can be next to her and either Robert or I, or on the edge next to one of us. We can do a night for just the three of us soon though. I still need to make the official schedule."

"That sounds great, Mistress." Amber says.

"I'm going to go check with Lucia and Alexia." Jane says. "I may need to run out to the store after that, can you keep an eye on Robert and Megan, and break it up in about 30 minutes? Maybe get her on chores or something to distract her."

"There is plenty of laundry to be done." Amber says. "Reyna is working on it, and I did a bit earlier, it wouldn't hurt for Megan to take a turn. Speaking of which, Mistress, you have mentioned relocation a few times. We will need more than one washer and dryer next time. Maybe 3 sets?"

"Good point." Jane says. "Thank you for bringing that up. I should probably ask everyone to think of things like that. That definitely would narrow down the search a bit."

"Very welcome, Mistress." Amber says. "If there are going to be a dozen or more children eventually, we will need a lot of bedrooms as well, even if the girls do bunk beds like we are currently."

"Yeah." Jane says, thinking rapidly. "Maybe a house isn't really what we need. You've given me a lot to think about."

"Yes, Mistress." Amber says. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Just try to bond with the new girls." Jane says. "Reyna and Megan are yours, at least for now, but getting to know all of them would be helpful."

"I will, Mistress." Amber says.

Jane walks downstairs, finding Lucia directing Mei and Lindsey in the kitchen. Seeing Jane, she stops talking to them, and walks over to Jane.

"I'm so sorry, Jane." Lucia says. "I had planned to cook one of my recipes tonight, and we are sort of adjusting on the fly to make sure it's something Mei and Lindsey are comfortable making."

"It's ok." Jane says. "I appreciate you handling the kitchen duties. The punishment is done, and Robert is comforting her now. I've asked Amber to break that up in 30 minutes. I was thinking that you and a few of the other girls could keep him company after that? Maybe see if you can get one of your book club meetings going, some of the new girls like to read."

"I'll take care of it." Lucia says. "He'll be thoroughly distracted. Worst case I'll see if a few of the girls want to have a play session with him."

"Only as a last resort." Jane says. "He needs his rest, and a recovery period if we want you girls to actually get pregnant."

"I didn't think of that." Lucia says. "Either way, I'll make sure he's too busy to think about Megan."

"Thank you." Jane says. "I'm going to grab Alexia for a minute, and then I'm heading out to do some shopping."

"Sounds good." Lucia says. "I think we've got things covered here."

"Oh, and Amber just mentioned needing a bigger laundry area in the next house." Jane says. "Can you work with Mei, and figure out what size kitchen, pantry, etc you are going to need in our next house? With the one child per adult rule, we are looking at having close to 30 people in the house eventually, including kids."

"Will do." Lucia says. "She probably will have a better idea than I will, this is the biggest group I've ever cooked for."

"Her restaurant experience is going to be valuable." Jane agrees.

Jane catches Alexia's attention, motioning towards her office. Alexia excuses herself from her conversation with Emily, and meets Jane in her office. "What can I do for you, Mistress?"

"I need an excuse to do some shopping." Jane says. "Is there anything we need?"

"Clothing storage." Alexia says immediately. "The new girls are having to keep their clothes in cardboard boxes right now."

"Great." Jane says. "Do some looking online, and find something that is in stock locally, and send me the link. I'll be back in a few hours. Amber is going to handle Megan, and Lucia is going to keep Robert distracted. If anything comes up, text me."

"Should one of us come with you, Mistress?" Alexia asks, slightly concerned. "I'd be happy to go, or I could get Reyna."

"I'll be fine." Jane says. "And I don't think I should bring one of you where I'm going. And if Robert asks, just tell him I'm going shopping. If he wants to know more, he can text me."

"Yes, Mistress." Alexia says.

"Good girl." Jane says, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "If I'm not back by dinner time, call me."

Alexia nods, a little worried, as Jane walks out of her office.

***

Jane makes it to the auction center thirty minutes before the Sunday afternoon auction, open to green and a few white cards with approved bidder status. She notices the parking lot is surprisingly empty, with maybe half a dozen cars outside of the staff parking area. Coming in the front door, she waves at Rosie as she approaches the front desk.

"I wasn't sure if you would be working today." Jane says.

"I'll be working just about all of these." Rosie says. "After today it'll be weekday evenings, and Saturday mornings though."

"Maybe you can come over for dinner next weekend?" Jane says. "I know you've been asking about seeing Alexia."

Rosie reaches under the counter, pulling out a brochure. "I was actually thinking I might come earlier, if that works. Our turnout so far isn't great, and the people that are turning out aren't really the target audience, if you get my meaning. The director here has come up with an idea for us to 'inspect' houses that already have concubines in them, to see how it's going, and hopefully come up with ideas for how to market the concept a bit. If you guys are interested, I could be the inspector. It comes with a free concubine slot, so you'd be at 13 instead of 12 as your max."

Jane laughs, taking the brochure from Rosie. "Don't tell Robert, he'd never let you in the house. Can I think about it, and let you know at the end of the auction? I have to figure out if I can sell the idea to Robert, without mentioning the concubine slot."

"Yeah, no rush." Rosie says. "If we don't get volunteers, they may start getting pushy about it, and I may not be able to be your inspector. I figured you guys would be more comfortable with me than one of the random guys in there." Rosie motions behind her at the auction room.

"Oh, definitely." Jane says. "We want to have you over regardless. I just need to figure out how to get Robert comfortable with the idea of the government poking around our house."

"If it helps, you can assure him I'll keep anything out of the report that you don't want in it." Rosie says. "It's more about seeing if everyone is integrating well, and if they are, finding out what is causing that, so we can encourage others to do the same. And we can also advertise, without using your names of course, a happy household with 8 concubines, for people who are leery about it working."

"Maybe more than 8, when I leave here." Jane says. "I'd love to chat, but I really want to get some preview time. I've got 3 girls I want to check out."

"Of course." Rosie says. "Let me scan your card, and then you can go back. Ron is back there, if you want to ask for the private room again."

Jane pulls out the card, and after scanning, heads to the back. Finding Ron, she asks. "Any chance I can get that private interview room again?"

"I think the one on the end is unoccupied." Ron says. "Do you have an interview list? We've only got 20 minutes until auction."

Jane reads off the numbers for the three girls she wants to interview, and Ron goes to grab the first one while Jane goes into the interview room.

A few moments later Ron comes back with the first girl.

"Hi, my name is Jane." Jane says, taking in the small woman entering the room. She is short, cute, and reminds Jane a bit of Lucia and Mei.

"I'm Maya." The girl says, and pauses as she is about to continue to talk.

"It's ok, if you have something to say, talk away." Jane says encouragingly.

"I just haven't seen any women in here." Maya says. "I thought only men could bid on us."

Jane laughs. "My husband is at home with our other girls. I'm authorized to bid on his behalf."

"How many other girls do you have?" Maya asks.

"Right now we have 10 women in total in the house." Jane says. "Including me."

"Wow." Maya says. "That sounds kind of crowded."

"So far it's working out ok, but we'll need a bigger house soon." Jane concedes. "That's the next thing I'm going to work on."

"So why do you need more girls?" Maya asks curiously. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Hubby doesn't really want more." Jane admits. "But we are allowed 3 more, and I'd like to see if there is anyone out there who can be a net positive in our house."

"So what are you looking for in a girl?" Maya asks.

"Well, personality is very important." Jane says. "You'd have to be able to get along well with lots of other girls. Everyone has chores, or some way they help in the house, whether it's cooking, laundry, cleaning, or something else, so having a skill is a good bonus. And you are cute, which I think my husband would appreciate."

"Do you have other black girls in your house?" Maya asks.

"Not yet." Jane says. "We were going to bid on one yesterday, but her boyfriend showed up, so we helped them end up together. I've got two more interviews to do, so if you have any other important questions, please ask them quickly. I'm happy to tell you a bit about the house, our girls, hubby, etc if you want."

"I think 10 girls is a bit much for me." Maya says. "You sound really nice, but I need space, and quiet, or I'll lose it."

"I understand." Jane says. "Thank you for being honest with me. Eventually we may be able to provide space and quiet, but definitely not right now."

Maya stands up, and asks. "So are you going to try to buy me?"

"It doesn't sound like it's the best fit for either of us." Jane says, and Maya nods. "Good luck, Maya."

Ron takes Maya away, and comes back with the next woman.

"Hi, I'm Jane." Jane says, smiling at the woman who enters. She is a bit older, Jane thinks she remembers early 30's, and the profile mentions she has construction and handyman experience.

"Valentina." The woman says uncertainly, pointing at herself.

"Hi Valentina." Jane says. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

Valentina nods, but looks uncertain.

"Valentina, do you speak English well?" Jane asks.

Valentina shakes her head, looking both a bit relieved and nervous.

"Un momento." Jane says, taking out her phone. Dialing Alexia's number, she quickly gets an answer.

"Mistress, is everything ok?" Alexia asks.

"Yes. Please go somewhere quiet where no one else can hear us. Let me know when you are there." Jane instructs her.

A moment later, Alexia says. "I stepped outside. Will that work, Mistress?"

"Yes. I'm at the auction, speaking with Valentina, and she doesn't do well with English. I need you to translate for me. Can you please explain that to her?" Jane says. "I'm putting you on speakerphone."

Jane sets the phone down between them, and Alexia says a bunch of things that Jane does not understand, before Valentina responds, a smile coming to her face.

"Ok, she understands, Mistress." Alexia says. "What do you want me to ask her?"

"Her profile says she has experience with construction, and as a handyman. Can you ask her if that is accurate?" Jane says.

Alexia fires away again, Valentina responding eagerly, seemingly thrilled to be speaking to someone in her native language.

"She says she used to pretend to be a man to work in construction, and has been working as a handyman for the past few years under the table." Alexia says.

Valentina says a few more things, and Alexia continues. "She says she can do plumbing, electrical, carpentry, whatever we need."

"Great." Jane says, smiling at Valentina. "Can you explain a bit about the house, how many girls we have, that kind of thing? I want her to understand our situation, so we can find out if she wants us to bid on her."

After a minute of back and forth between Alexia and Valentina, Alexia tells Jane. "I told her. She seems fine with it, but has a concern. When I explained about Robert, she told me she is a lesbian. Is that a problem?"

"I don't think Robert will care." Jane says. "Can you explain to her that Robert has plenty of girls, that the only issue will be that she will need to get pregnant once before she turns 40, to avoid going to a work camp?"

A moment later Alexia says. "She's asking if she can do the turkey baster method?"

"Tell her that is fine." Jane says. "And maybe explain that Robert is very respectful, and won't touch her."

Alexia tells Valentina, and Valentina responds with another question. Alexia says. "She is asking if she will get in trouble if she gets a girlfriend? I'm assuming the answer is no."

"Of course she wouldn't." Jane says. "Explain to her that we have a few bisexual girls, and maybe that Lindsey also is off limits to Robert, so she wouldn't be alone in that."

Amber does, and a moment later says. "She is happy about that. Anything else you want me to ask?"

"Tell her that we are probably going to have to move to a bigger house, and that we would need her to be in charge of fixing it up, and maintaining it. Ask her if that is something she is able and willing to do for us, if we buy her." Jane says.

Amber reports back. "She says she can definitely do that, and would be happy to be useful."

"Does she sound like she wants me to bid on her?" Jane asks.

Alexia rattles off a bit of Spanish, and Valentina nods, saying something. "She says, yes, very much yes." Alexia translates.

"Tell her I will try to win her then." Jane says. "And tell her I need to interview one other girl, so she can go back with the guard."

Valentina nods as Alexia translates, and smiles at Jane as she stands up. She walks out the door looking very happy.

"Any red flags that you noticed, Alexia?" Jane asks, taking the phone off speaker.

"No, she seemed fine to me, Mistress." Alexia says. "One of us will have to translate for you guys though."

"Can you find out if any of the other girls speak Spanish?" Jane says. "Reyna maybe?"

"She does." Alexia says. "I'm not sure about any of the rest, but I can try to find out."

"Ok, I've got to go, the next girl is about to be here." Jane says. "Do NOT tell Robert I am at the auction."

"I won't, Mistress." Alexia says.

"And text me the clothing storage stuff asap." Jane says, and hangs up the phone.

The next girl comes in as she is hanging up the phone. She looks a bit nervous, and Jane gives her a welcoming smile.

"Hi, my name is Jane." Jane says. "We've only got a few minutes, but I'd like to ask you a few questions, to see if you might be a good fit for us."

"Hey. I'm Samira." The woman says nervously.

"Hi, Samira." Jane says. "I usually take longer in these interviews, but my last one took a bit longer than I expected. I just want to make sure the information I have on you is right, to start. Is that ok?"

Samira nods, and Jane continues. "You are 22, and your family is originally from Syria?"

"Yes." Samira says. "We came over as refugees when I was 10."

"And it says you are a nurse?" Jane asks.

"I have my RN." Samira says. "I was about to start my nurse practitioner program."

"That's great." Jane says encouragingly. "Do you understand how this program works?"

"I get up on the block, and someone buys me as their slave." Samira says. "I don't know what happens after that."

"Well, if we both decide that I should buy you, you would come back to my house. We have 10 women total right now, including me. You would be our nurse, and help train another girl who is also interested in nursing. Have they explained the birth quota to you at all?" Jane asks.

"No." Samira says warily.

"Each household has to have 1 child per adult, and at least 1 per year, until they meet that quota." Jane explains. "They haven't said, but it sounds like any woman who hits 40 without producing a child will be sent to the camps, so we are asking each of our girls to have 1. That protects them, but also keeps things fair."

"So my job would be caring for a bunch of pregnant women, and then children." Samira summarizes.

"Basically, yes, you'd be the first line for our medical care, if you feel you are capable of that." Jane says. "And given the birth quota, we would need you to be willing to have at least 1 child at some point. We've only got like 3 minutes until they start the auction, feel free to ask whatever you want."

"How often would I need to have sex with your husband?" Samira asks.

"You would only HAVE to when it comes time to conceive." Jane says. "We would both like it if you wanted it regularly of course, but no one is going to force you."

"Are you religious?" Samira asks.

"No, not really." Jane says. "Is that a problem?"

"No." Samira says. "I'm bisexual. Is that a problem?"

"I am too." Jane says, smiling. "So definitely not a problem. A few of our girls are, and I may well be buying a lesbian handyman in a few minutes."

Samira looks relieved. "I'm a virgin. I've never actually been with anyone, beyond kissing."

"You are welcome to explore at your own pace." Jane says. "If you want me to buy you, of course."

Jane notices Ron tapping his watch, and adds. "Looks like our time is up."

Samira stands up, trying to think. "Please buy me." She says as she is nearly at the door.

***

Megan has finally calmed down by the time Amber comes for her.

"Master, may I borrow Megan until dinner? I'd like to have her help with some chores." Amber asks.

Robert looks down at Megan, resting against his chest, and asks. "Are you going to be ok?"

"Yes, Master." Megan says. "I should go help."

"Ok." Robert says, giving her one last hug.

"Mistress says we will be sleeping in here tonight." Amber informs Megan and Robert. At Megan's concerned look, she adds. "Just sleeping."

Megan gets off the bed and follows Amber to the hangout room, where Reyna is still working on folding laundry. Amber shuts the door behind them, and asks. "How are you holding up?"

"My butt is a bit sore, Mistress." Megan says. "But I expected worse."

"If you have to be spanked again, it will be worse." Amber says. "That wasn't full strength, and Mistress Jane is probably stronger than I am."

"I understand, Mistress." Megan says. "I'll do my best not to be in that situation again."

"Good." Amber says. "Reyna, Megan is going to take over folding. Feel free to relax for the rest of the day."

"Thank you, Amber." Reyna says, getting up and stretching. "I'm going to hang out downstairs."

"You can leave the door open." Amber says.

Amber pulls out her phone, messaging Lucia and Alexia to let them know that Robert was free.

"Megan, is there anything you would like to talk about?" Amber asks.

"No, Mistress." Megan says, eyes on her folding.

"Ok, I'll be back shortly." Amber says. "If you finish those, feel free to grab a book and read, or watch something on the TV until the dryer finishes. Try to keep the laundry going, and keep each load separate, so that we don't mix people's clothes up."

Amber steps out of the room in time to stop Lucia before she goes in to grab Robert. "Lucia, can I borrow you for just a moment?"

"Sure." Lucia says, following Amber down the hall to the cousins' room. "Then I need to grab Robert for a bit. Mistress Jane's orders were to keep him busy, so he doesn't think about the punishment earlier."

"I was hoping you could help me find more ta-teeras, both for me, and for Megan." Amber says. "And more of these shorts too."

"The shorts are easy enough." Lucia says. "I'm not sure about the ta-teeras. Where did you get them before?"

"Master Jackson had a friend whose girl made them." Amber says. "I tried to look online, but I don't really understand how the internet works. I thought you might be able to help me figure it out. I don't want to bug Master or Mistress with this, if I can help it."

"I'll see what I can find." Lucia says. "If I can't find anything, maybe we can see if one of the girls can sew? No one has mentioned it, but it's possible."

"I can sew a bit, but not enough to make something like this." Amber says dejectedly.

"I'll let you know as soon as I find something." Lucia says, anxious to get to Robert.

"Thank you." Amber says.

Lucia enters the room, finding Robert staring at his phone absently.

"You ok?" Lucia asks, giving him a hug and kiss.

"Yeah." Robert says. "I just struggle with watching people suffer. It's always been a problem for me."

"It was necessary." Lucia says. "And she seems fine now, I just walked by the room, and she's calmly folding clothes. You've got a houseful of girls who need some time with you."

Robert sighs. "I have been neglecting Taylor and Emily, in particular."

"You've got a lot of demands for your attention." Lucia says. "You won't have enough time for everyone every day. But you do have a few hours, and we could all watch something together, or go for a walk."

"A walk does sound nice." Robert says. "Do you think any of the girls would like to go?"

"I'm sure Reyna will." Lucia says. "Let's go see who wants to go."

***

Jane looks around as she takes a seat, and notices less than 10 total bidders. "Either people are struggling to get approved, they don't know about this, or people are generally not interested." Jane thinks. "And I doubt guys just aren't interested."

As the auction starts, several women get no bids at all. Maya does get a few, being sold to an older man for $900. Valentina is the first of Jane's targets up, and she attracts no interest at first. Eventually Jane bids $50, and the auctioneer is unable to get more. Samira attracts a bit more attention unfortunately. "That was bound to happen." Jane thinks. "She's young, pretty, and stacked."

Jane eventually manages to get Samira for $800. At the end nearly half of the women have gotten no bids, and the auctioneer appears disgruntled. "Anyone want to take another look at any of the no bids?" He asks. "There are some quality women here, folks."

Jane stands up and walks towards the door, along with most of the bidders. She notices Alexia has finally texted her a link to the storage she wanted her to buy.

"You got two?" Rosie asks as Jane reaches the front desk.

"Yep." Jane says. "I think I can convince Robert. I'll text you after I talk to him, that may be a few days, depending on how he reacts to me bringing home two more girls."

Rosie laughs. "I just knew you hadn't told him. Just remember, no refunds."

"He won't ask me to bring them back." Jane says. "He may pout a bit, but he will get over it."

"You coming back tomorrow?" Rosie asks.

"I probably should give it a bit before I come back." Jane says. "No point rocking the boat, and with these two, our house is running out of places to sleep."

As Jane pays, Samira and Valentina are brought to the front. Collecting their belongings, and making sure they have their temp collars fastened, she beckons them to follow her out to the car. After they get in, Jane says. "Samira, this is Valentina. She doesn't speak much English. I don't suppose you speak Spanish?"

"No, sorry." Samira says. "Just Arabic and English."

"Speaking of which, do you want some sort of head covering?" Jane asks. "I didn't ask you about your religion."

"Definitely not." Samira says. "I'm glad to be away from religion. That's part of the reason I asked you about it."

"Ok, just checking." Jane says. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable, if it's something you wanted."

"Thank you for asking." Samira says. "But I'd rather leave all of that far in the past, along with the marriage my parents were trying to arrange."

Valentina looks confused, so Jane dials Alexia's number again.

"Hi, Mistress." Alexia says.

"Hello, sweetheart." Jane says. "I've got Valentina in the car, can you explain to her that we are going to pick up the furniture you found at the store, and then we will be home? Once we are home, I'm going to assign her to you, unless you have a better idea."

"I'm happy to take her, Mistress." Alexia says, and then rattles off some Spanish. "I told her what you wanted, and that when she gets to the house, I'll sit down and answer any of her questions while I'm helping her get settled."

"Thank you." Jane says. "Maybe tomorrow I can sleep in your room. Speaking of which, we have two new girls joining us, so start thinking about sleeping arrangements. Amber and Megan will be in the master with Robert and I."

"I'll come up with something, Mistress." Alexia says. "Are we planning to add anyone else before we move? If so, I probably need to get rid of the desk in my room, and add bunk beds instead."

"No, I think this is it for now, unless something comes up unexpectedly." Jane says. "I'll be home after we grab the furniture."

Pulling out of the parking lot, Jane heads towards the store. When they arrive, she has Samira and Valentina accompany her into the store.

"Ok, it says the thing we need is on aisle K." Jane says, looking at the labels. "Ok, I think it's at the end."

Finally finding the aisle, she looks at the various options. "I'm guessing we can probably fit two, if Robert is ok with one being in the hangout room or his office." Jane says to herself. Grabbing one off the shelf, she struggles a bit with the weight, before Valentina takes it from her. "Gracias." Jane says, smiling at her.

"Samira, can you help me carry the second one?" Jane asks.

Between the two of them, they manage to get it to end of the aisle, where Valentina grabs a cart to stick it in. "I didn't expect it to be heavy." Jane said. "This stuff is usually light junk."

They get a few weird looks as they check out, but make it out without any major incidents. Valentina insists on loading the trunk and returning the cart, and then the ladies get back in the car to head home.

***

Robert is having a pleasant walk with Emily, Taylor, and Lucia when he sees Jane pull into the neighborhood. He waves as she approaches, and then notices the extra heads in the car. "Lucia, do you have any idea what Jane is doing?" He asks.

"No, I promise." Lucia says. "She just said she was going shopping."

"Goddamnit!" Robert says with frustration. "Let's get back to the house, and find out what she is up to now."

As they approach the house, Robert sees two women exit the backseat, before Jane beckons them inside. As Robert and the girls approach, Jane says. "Hi, honey. Did you have a nice walk?"

"It started out nice." Robert says. "Did you just buy two more concubines, without even talking to me first?"

"Why don't we go talk about it in my office?" Jane says, actually looking slightly nervous.

"That is a good idea." Robert says shortly.

Following Jane inside, Robert sees the two new girls standing nervously off to the side, near Alexia.

"This is Samira." Jane says, motioning to the younger girl, and continues, waving at the other. "And this is Valentina. Valentina doesn't speak much English, so if some of you girls that speak Spanish would make her feel welcome, I would appreciate it."

Robert grabs her hand, pulling on it slightly, and Jane continues quickly as she follows Robert to her office. "Alexia, Lucia, can you help them get settled in?"

Robert closes the door as he gets Jane into the office. "What the hell, Jane?" He hisses quietly. "You went out and bought not one, but two girls, without even asking me? We had a very full house already, we don't have room for more girls."

"Alexia is going to figure out sleeping arrangements." Jane says placatingly. "And they both have good skill sets, that we will end up needing."

"Why didn't you talk to me about it first?" Robert asks, more than a bit frustrated. "We are supposed to be a team. We talked about this on day one, you can't just go rogue."

"Don't you at least want to hear what their skills are, and why I bought them?" Jane asks.

"If the skills were that good, you'd have been able to convince me BEFORE you bought them." Robert says. "How much did you spend?"

"Only $850 total." Jane says. "Valentina has construction and handyman experience, and Samira is a RN, and she was about to start a Nurse Practitioner program. I promise, I have a plan, and that plan involved having someone who can do construction and inspect any potential houses. And with a houseful of women getting pregnant, on site healthcare is going to be important. While Taylor is great to have, a vet isn't quite the same thing."

"You have a plan." Robert says pointedly. "WE should be having plans, not just you. Which of the girls knew you were doing this?"

"I didn't tell any of them before I left." Jane says, skirting the truth a bit. "I just told them I was going shopping."

"And do they know this plan that you haven't told me?" Robert asks.

"No, I haven't told anyone." Jane says. "The plan changed a bit today, when I spoke with them about their needs in a house, and I didn't want to tell anyone until I had something more firm."

"Maybe you shouldn't have been making purchases without a firm plan?" Robert points out. "I want to hear the plan. You can call them in, or not, but I'm hearing it now. Then I'll decide what to do about this situation."

"I'm not taking them back." Jane says stubbornly.

"That's not the question." Robert responds. "The question is whether I need to cut off your cards and your bidder proxy. I need to trust that you aren't going to do this again. You know I didn't put that in place so you could go behind my back like this."

Jane sighs. "I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean for it to be this way. Please just give the girls a chance, and give my plan a chance."

"I will." Robert says. "They aren't the ones that went behind my back. I won't take it out on them."

"Let me go get Amber, Alexia, and Lucia." Jane says. "And then I'll tell you the part of the plan I've got so far."

Jane steps out of the office, finding Alexia waiting outside, just far enough not to be eavesdropping. "Everything ok, Mistress?" She whispers as Jane walks by.

"Yes." Jane says, and sighs. "Is Valentina settled?"

"I introduced her to the girls, and Reyna offered to help get her setup upstairs." Alexia says. "I thought you might need me."

"To do what?" Jane says. "Rescue me from Robert?"

"I don't know." Alexia says. "I don't like the idea of you two fighting."

"We aren't fighting." Jane says. "I need to explain why I bought Valentina and Samira, and I only want to do that once, so let's get Lucia and Amber, and then I'll tell you all at the same time."

Alexia heads upstairs to grab Amber, while Jane grabs Lucia from the living room. After everyone is in the office, Jane says. "Ok, so here is what I am thinking. Let's start with the facts. Once you account for kids, we need like 12 bedrooms, even if people double up. We probably need like 6 bathrooms at that point too, unless we want to have a bathroom schedule, and I don't. Add in the fact that we need a commercial kitchen, and like 3 sets of washer dryers, and we aren't talking about buying a house. It would have to be a mansion, and we don't have that kind of cash."

"A problem that is only made worse by adding two new people to the household." Robert says.

"Unless we get creative." Jane says. "I see two options for housing. We buy something slightly bigger than this, and build a second house on the same property, and somehow split the household. Or we find a large building that wasn't previously a house, and convert it."

"And Valentina can totally remodel a 8,000 square foot building into a house?" Robert asks skeptically.

"Not by herself, not all at once, obviously." Jane says. "But if we can find something with 4 or 5 habitable bedrooms, but empty space, she can work on that rest gradually. Or if we find something that doesn't have bedrooms at all, we could have her and a few girls who are willing to help go up and start the renovation, and move the rest of the household as soon as the renovation has a few rooms complete."

"Have you actually discussed this with her?" Robert asks.

"Not quite." Jane says. "Her English isn't so good."

Robert sighs. "One of you please go get her." Looking at Jane, he adds. "We will ask her if she can actually do what you are asking, and for a timeline if we find an empty building with basically nothing in it. Something you should have done already, by the way."

Alexia nods and slips out of the room.

Jane sighs, sinking back into her chair. "I know, honey. I saw construction skills, and saw the possibilities."

"I love you, but you have to stop." Robert says. "We have these three to depend upon, as well as each other. No more jumping into things without discussion."

"I understand, honey, and I'm sorry." Jane says. "I'll discuss things in the future."

"Good." Robert says.

"Oh, and Valentina is a lesbian." Jane says.

"You got that out of her, but not whether she can actually do a full renovation?" Robert asks incredulously.

"Time was limited." Jane says. "I had a little less than 30 minutes to interview 3 girls."

Just then Alexia comes in leading Valentina.

Robert gets up to offer his seat to Valentina. "Hola, Valentina." he says, testing the limits of his Spanish, which he hasn't touched since high school.

Valentina responds, and Robert looks at Alexia. "She says hi, and says she doesn't mind standing."

"I'll go grab another chair." Robert says. "Please ask her to sit, and translate as Jane explains the potential project."

Robert comes back a minute later with one of the dining room chairs, taking a seat next to Jane as she explains what they are thinking of doing. Valentina concentrates as Alexia translates, seeming to take this very seriously, and when she stops, asks something.

"She is asking if we already have a building, and if so, if there are photos." Alexia says. "I'll explain it better."

After a little more back and forth, Valentina nods in understanding. "Ok, she is on the same page." Alexia says.

"So does she think she can do it?" Robert asks.

Alexia asks Valentina a bit more, and she responds, nodding.

"She says yes." Alexia says. "With just one person it'll take a while though, if there is a lot to be done. And she can't tell you what it'll cost, when she did construction she just did the work, and her more recent jobs have been much smaller than this."

"That's fine." Robert says. "Ask her how long to make 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in an empty building, if she has 3 girls who have no experience to help."

"She says probably 2 months." Alexia says after talking to Valentina. "It sounds like that is working every day though."

"So probably closer to 3, although maybe it goes faster if the girls we have helping her learn fast." Robert says. "3 months isn't too bad, and then we get another bedroom done every week or two after that, maybe faster with all hands on deck."

Alexia asks Valentina something else, and then says. "She says the bathrooms are the big time sink. Especially if the building doesn't already have plumbing set up."

"I figured." Robert says. "That's something to think about when we look at various buildings."

"So you are willing to consider my plan?" Jane asks hopefully.

"I think it would be stupid not to, after you already bought her." Robert says. "Cost is going to be an issue though. We can't sell this until we have a habitable space in the new house."

"There are grants we can apply for." Jane says. "And Rosie was telling me about a program they wanted to include us in, where they come interview us and see how the household is working. Maybe we can negotiate to get priority for a grant if we participate?"

"Do we really want a stranger coming into our home?" Robert asks. "And talking to our girls?"

"I said you would say that, and she said she can be the one to do our interview." Jane says. "We had already promised to invite her over sometime. We may as well get something out of it."

"Did she say anything else about it?" Robert says.

Jane starts to respond, and suddenly stops, thinking.

"Out with it." Robert says. "No more secrets and plots."

"We would get an increase in our maximum concubine allotment if we participate." Jane says.

"We don't need that." Robert says, and after a moment adds. "Would it obligate us to take any more?"

"No, it's an increase to the maximum, not the minimum." Jane says. "I did make sure to ask."

"Fine." Robert says. "If she is the one doing it, she can come over for dinner one evening this week and get it done. See if you can negotiate anything with the grants first though."

"If she can't promise anything, are you still ok with it?" Jane asks.

"If she can promise to at least put in a good word for us with her boss." Robert says. "I don't care about the concubine slot, I'm happy to pass on that if it helps."

"I'll text her in a bit." Jane says. "You have her number, right Alexia?"

"Yes, Mistress." Alexia says.

"We need to pick up the new girl's belongings tomorrow." Robert says. "I can try to fit it in during the day, or one of us can do it after work."

"Do you mind doing it?" Jane asks. "And maybe take Reyna or Alexia to translate? I'd like to start looking for buildings that might work."

"Yes." Robert says. "Any idea where they lived?"

Jane shrugs, and says. "I have no idea. Alexia, can you ask Valentina? And can one of you two go grab Samira?"

Amber gets up to get Samira, while Alexia talks to Valentina. "She says she was in a trailer on the edge of town. I'll GPS it." Alexia says.

"Explain to her that we will go get clothes and whatever else she needs from her trailer tomorrow." Robert says.

"Ok, it looks like it's only about 20 minutes away." Alexia says, and relays Robert's information to Valentina.

Amber and Samira come in a minute later, and Robert says. "Hello, Samira. I'm Robert."

"Hello." Samira says. "Amber says you wanted to know where I lived?"

"Yes." Robert says. "I can probably take you there tomorrow to get your things."

"Ok." Samira says. "I was in a small apartment near the campus. I got a little lost driving here, but I don't think it's that far."

"It's not." Robert says. "Another one of our girls lived on campus."

"Oh, maybe I know her." Samira says.

"I hope not." Jane mutters.

"I'm sorry, Jane." Samira says. "I didn't quite catch that."

"I doubt you know her." Robert says quickly. "She was very... greek."

"Oh, one of the sorority girls." Samira says. "Yeah, my parents would have married me off instantly and never let me go back to school if they caught me near a sorority."

"Ok, great." Robert says. "I'll check my work schedule in the morning, and let you both know when I can find an hour to slip out. Jane, did you talk to them about how the house works yet?"

"Not really." Jane says. "We just got home."

"So Amber, Alexia, and Lucia are our three original girls, and each of them are in charge of something in the house." Robert says, and continues. "They each supervise two other girls right now as well. Jane, did you decide who each of these two is reporting to?"

"Valentina is going to be with Alexia." Jane says. "Amber, Lucia, what do you think about Samira? She is a registered nurse, so her skill set is a bit more unique."

Lucia perks up when she hears nurse. "I'd be happy to take her." She says. "I was supposed to be starting school to be an RN, and I'd love to have you teach me whatever you can."

"She can do that whether she reports to you or not." Jane says. "Samira, right now Alexia handles the house itself, Lucia is in charge of cooking, and Amber and her girls mainly handle all of the laundry. Any thoughts on where you best fit?"

"I can do all of that, at least a little." Samira says. "I don't know that I fit well in any of those buckets, but I'll do whatever you need me to, at least until someone gets sick."

"Why don't you go with Lucia for now?" Jane says. "All of the assignments are temporary for now anyhow."

Lucia beams with excitement, and Amber says. "That may be for the best, I'll probably be busy this week with Megan."

"Has she complained about her ass at all?" Jane says. "We could always have Samira take a look."

"No, Mistress." Amber says. "I'm keeping her busy with laundry."

"Can you three go round everyone up, and we'll introduce our new girls?" Jane says.

"And then we can ask Megan if she wants Samira to take a look." Robert says. "Even if she says no, it'll show that we care."

"What's wrong with her butt?" Samira says, looking a bit confused.

"Megan has had some trouble adjusting to the new reality." Jane says. "We unfortunately had to punish her for something earlier, which involved a small spanking. I'm sure she is fine."

Samira looks a little spooked. "Is that something that happens here often?"

"No." Robert says. "Lucia can explain it to you later, but it was an unusual situation."

"Ok, off you go." Jane says to the girls. "Let's meet up in the living room in 5."

As they all head out, Robert says. "Anything else I should know about those two?"

"Samira is a virgin. She's also bi but I got the impression that she leans more towards women than men." Jane says.

Robert sighs. "I have no idea how you keep finding virgins."

"It was a total accident in this case." Jane says. "I was interviewing her as a nurse, not as one of your cute girls. She is attractive though."

"Yes, I noticed you looking." Robert says. "Are you planning to make a move on her?"

"I mean, if she is open to it, I wouldn't mind." Jane says.

"And Valentina?" Robert asks. "Was this a shopping trip for skills, or were you looking for a few girls for you?"

"I had no idea she was a lesbian until I interviewed her." Jane says. "Samira is more my type than Valentina. You know I like my pretty girls."

"I mean, Dee wasn't exactly a pretty girl." Robert says.

"And now I'd like to avoid anyone that reminds me of her." Jane responds. "I have no intentions towards Valentina. And while I wouldn't mind playing with Samira, it isn't something I plan to push."

"You know I don't mind if you have playmates." Robert says. "But we can't afford to buy anyone else just to be a playmate.'

"I understand." Jane says. "And I did interview one girl who I thought might be a good playmate for you, but it wasn't a good fit. I'll stop with the purchases for now, though."

"Until and unless we decide together to get anyone else." Robert corrects her. "Now let's go to the living room so you can introduce the new additions."

As Robert enters the living room, he realizes they do in fact need more living space. The 6 girls are squeezed into 4 seats on the couch, and the rest have brought in chairs and stools from the kitchen. Robert notices Lucia and Alexia standing near two empty seats, apparently reserved for them.

Robert sighs, and takes his seat.

"Hello, ladies." Jane says. "Most of you have already met them, but we have two new additions." Jane waves at the new girls, sitting to the side. "This is Valentina, and next to her is Samira. Oh, Alexia, can you translate for Valentina, so she isn't being left out?"

"Yes, Mistress." Alexia says, moving over to Valentina's side and quietly translating for her.

"Valentina primarily communicates in Spanish. I know Alexia and Lucia speak Spanish. Is anyone else here fluent?" Jane asks.

"I am." Reyna says.

"I know a bit." Lindsey says. "Enough to do basic communication."

"Anyone else?" Jane asks, and after a moment, she continues. "Valentina is a handywoman, and will be reporting to Alexia. If you notice something in the house that needs to be fixed, please let Alexia know."

"On to Samira." Jane says, and Samira waves at the room. "Samira is a registered nurse. If you aren't feeling well, or otherwise have some type of health concern, please let her know. Her primary duty is the health of everyone in the house. She is going to be reporting to Lucia for now. Can all of you go around and introduce yourselves to our new girls?"

The girls go around the room, introducing themselves, until they reach Alexia, who does hers first in English, and then in Spanish.

"Thank you, Ladies." Jane says. "I know some of you are wondering about the sleeping schedule, and I'm still working on that. Tonight Amber and Megan will be joining Robert and I. Alexia, have you figured out sleeping arrangements for everyone else?"

"We could put the small air mattress in the hangout room temporarily." Alexia says. "Otherwise, we are going to need to put 4 people in the master every night, and 3 in the second bedroom, which leaves the last 6 in the bunk beds. I don't think anyone wants to sleep on Robert's futon."

"Definitely not." Robert says. "It is hard as a brick."

"We can do the 4 and 3 for now." Jane says. "And use the air mattress if needed. Mei, how long until dinner?"

"Let me go peek in the oven." Mei says. "It should be just about ready."

"So we only have 7 seats unfortunately." Jane says. "We can eat in shifts, or some of you can eat on the couch, if you prefer."

After dinner, Robert says. "I'd like to go over the relocation plans a bit more, Jane. Do you already have potential locations lined up? We also need to determine exactly what we need in a house."

"I don't." Jane says. "Let me text Rosie before I forget, and then I can pull up the grant programs. Did you want to include the girls?"

"Yes." Robert says, and as Jane begins texting, Robert explains. "Ladies, two things. The first is that we may be having someone come to the house to talk to us, and observe how things are going. If we do, you are to keep our personal matters private, and not give them details of things like our sex life. Master and Mistress while the observer is present, which might include dinner. Any questions about that?"

After a moment of silence, Robert continues. "The second thing is something most of you already know, which is that this house is simply too small for 13 people. We are going to start looking for potential relocation sites tonight, and hopefully go see some as soon as possible. These may not be houses, and may require modifications in order to work, which Valentina will help with. If any of you are handy, are interested in learning from Valentina, or just want to be helpful, please talk to your supervising girl, so we can get an idea of who could help her, if we get to that point. In the meantime, we need to think of what we need in a house. If you know of something you will need in order to use your particular skill, definitely let us know asap. For instance, Samira, if you need a dedicated exam room with specific equipment, we need to know that. Mei, you and I need to talk later about what tech we will want for a new house, with tons of devices on the internet, and Jane and I still needing to work uninterrupted."

"An exam room would be nice." Samira says. "If it's possible, along with a medicine cabinet, and some equipment."

"Alexia, can you take notes?" Robert asks.

"I'll do it." Lucia says. "Alexia needs to translate for Valentina."

"Thank you." Robert says, smiling at her. "What else do we need?"

"If we are going to have animals, I'll need some equipment and an area as well, unless we wanted to somehow combine the two..." Taylor says.

"Nope." Robert says. "If and when we get animals, maybe we can make a supply and exam room for you, but probably not in the actual house. It would be nice if you and Samira can be available to help each other, especially if we have multiple people sick at the same time though."

"I'm happy to help." Taylor says, and looks at Samira. "And I'm thrilled that I'm no longer in charge of human healthcare."

Samira nods back at her, and smiles.

"Let's just go around the room." Robert says. "Lucia, I'll let you and Mei write down your kitchen and other food related requirements later, if that is ok."

"That's fine." Lucia says.

"Emily, are you going to want a greenhouse?" Robert asks.

"Yes, that would be nice." Emily says. "If we are at a high elevation, or somewhere cold, I may need a larger one, or more than one."

"Good to know." Robert says. "Anything else?"

Emily shakes her head no, and Robert moves onto Lindsey. "Lindsey, you are going to want a classroom?"

"Yes, please." Lindsey says. "I'll come up with a list of supplies."

"No rush, we have plenty of time for that." Robert says. "In the meantime, how would you feel about offering some continuing ed to any of our ladies who are interested?"

"I'd like that." Lindsey says. "It'll help keep me from getting rusty."

"Great." Robert says. "Reyna, do you need anything special?"

"I'm good." Reyna says.

"Alexia?" Robert asks.

"I can't think of anything, Master." Alexia says.

"Amber, you already talked to Jane about a laundry facility. Anything else you know of?" Robert asks.

"No, Master." Amber says.

"Megan?" Robert asks.

Megan shakes her head no, and Robert continues. "Alexia, please let Valentina know that I will show her our tools tomorrow, and that we can get what else she needs once we select a building. I'm assuming she would like a workshop and tool storage area?"

Alexia translates, and then says. "She says she would like that."

"Great, I think that is everyone." Robert says. "Did I miss anyone?"

"I don't think so." Jane says, looking up from her phone. "Rosie is asking if she can come over tomorrow during the day? She has an auction every evening, and on Saturday."

Robert sighs. "Let me go look at my work schedule."

As Robert goes upstairs, Jane pulls out her laptop, and begins pulling up the BAA grant website. She finds two that are relevant, one that is generally for housing, and another that is for rural relocation, specifically to areas with low rates of bidder applications.

"Tomorrow around lunch is fine, if that works for her." Robert says. "I blocked off 11 until 2."

"I'll let her know." Jane says, and after sending the text, says. "I found two grant programs that may work for us, but I don't know if we can do both. One is for people needing a larger home, and another is for relocation to rural areas with low bidder rates."

"Maybe see if Rosie knows more about it?" Robert suggests. "Then we can decide on which to apply for."

"I'll text her, and see if she can do some research so we can discuss it tomorrow." Jane says. "I'll browse some listings tonight, and see what I can find. I suspect a lot of what is available won't be publicly listed though, if the government just seized it."

"Another question Rosie may be able to answer." Robert says. "I suppose it's just as well that she's coming tomorrow. Jane, did you have anything else?"

"No." Jane says. "I'm going to move to my office to look at these listings, if any of you want to join me, feel free."

"I think I'm going to hang out here and watch something. If anyone needs a cuddle, you are welcome to stay, otherwise feel free to do whatever." Robert says.

Lucia stops herself from claiming a spot on the couch as several girls ask for the opportunity, and Robert ends up sandwiched between Emily and Amber, with Mei on his lap, and Megan sitting further down the couch.

"I'm going to go with Jane." Lucia says, and Alexia joins her.

Robert notices Lindsey talking to Valentina, before they both head upstairs, as well as Reyna and Taylor slipping off.

As they watch the show, Mei whispers in his ear. "You want a blowjob while you watch?"

"You naughty thing." Robert says. "Not right now. If you'd like to bring me breakfast in the morning, we can see if you fit under my desk."

"Thank you, Daddy." She whispers, before kissing his neck once, and turning to watch the show.

Robert notices Megan is watching, and when she catches his eye, she blushes and turns her head away. "Interesting." Robert thinks. "I wonder what she would have done if I'd have taken Mei up on her offer?"

The evening goes by quickly, and by the time Robert settles into bed, he is thoroughly exhausted. Snuggled on one side by Amber, and the other by Megan, he eventually drifts off to sleep.