Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Transformative Energy

CARTER

Now feeling better about his latest life choices, Carter padded as quietly as he could into the kitchen on bare feet. He opened the fridge and was freshly dismayed by his options. He’d been too paranoid to open a bank account out here—he worried it would lead right to him—and without a bank account, Uncle Eli couldn’t route him any more cash.

He lived by cashing the checks Subway John sent to his PO Box, but he didn’t have a credit card or the credit history to open one. The upshot was that his only bank account was the tin can hidden beneath his mattress, where he stashed his hard-earned sandwich money. He shopped often, but only bought the essentials.

In that case, that had been a dozen eggs (over half of which were now missing), the package of sausage links (now down to a third), a half-empty packet of deli turkey (the cheap kind), a 2 gallon container of milk (now mostly empty), a half-empty container of OJ (without pulp), and finally, a six pack of cheap beer… four bottles of which were missing.

There was also a single box of somewhat stale cereal in the cabinet, but other than that and the half loaf of bread on his counter, he had no other food available to him right now. He did have ketchup, but he doubted he’d impress Allison by preparing her a ketchup sandwich. He’d need to go grocery shopping again soon.

He glanced across the kitchen counter that separated him from the living room and found her still meditating. She still breathed, which reassured him, but other than those motions, she might as well have been a statue. Maybe this an alien absorption thing?

Last night, after she begged him to fuck her on his couch and then they cuddled, she’d told him she needed to “rest and recover”. They’d just fucked again, so maybe she was... absorbing what he’d given her? Processing it? He wasn’t even sure how that all worked.

Either way, he had decision to make. He had only limited food available, and Allison had said she didn’t need to eat. Other than what he was already giving her. So making her a sandwich if it turned out she didn’t want one would be a waste, or would it?

He was hungry enough. He could eat two sandwiches if it came to that. He already had enough money saved up for several months of groceries and gas, though... once again, he had to worry about Agent Holloway, the Tharon bounty hunter. If it was no longer safe for him to go back and work at Subway, he would no longer be receiving lumps of cash.

That meant that while he had more than enough money to take care of them now, if he stopping working, he’d be out of gas and food money in a month or two. It made the meager groceries in his fridge even more valuable, especially if he planned to take care of Allison.

He was still considering all that when her eyes slowly opened. Her gaze met his at once, and then she smiled as if waking up from a nap. “Are you enjoying the view?”

“Who wouldn’t?” He offered his best smile. “Say, you hungry for lunch?”

One eyebrow rose. “I do not need to eat.”

“But do you want to?”

She observed him a moment before hopping up. “I could. What are you offering?”

“Best I can do right now is a turkey sandwich with some OJ to wash it down.”

She walked over with a breezy naked bounce that was entirely too seductive for what he was trying not to do with her. “What about a beer?”

That surprised him. “You drink beer?”

“I drink all sorts of things. That’s one of the perks of this human body. So many different tastes, smells, sensations...” She breathed. “It’s another part of why I came here. Not just to hide. I wanted to experience all your world has to offer.”

Carter grabbed two of the four plates he owned out of the only cabinet where he kept them. “Well, prepare to experience an absolutely mediocre turkey sandwich.” He pulled the pack out of the refrigerator. “With some cheap beer.”

It didn’t take him long to make them both lunch—it wasn’t that complicated—but he was still glad to do it. He’d always believed that both people in a relationship should contribute to the chores and tasks at home, and that was certainly how his parents handled it. Steven, by comparison, had expected Jenna to cater to his every need... or else.

He really needed to kick that asshole out of his head.

He slid the plate and sandwich across to her, then followed it up with a cold beer. She picked it up and raised it, then smiled mischievously. “Want to see another trick?”

“Absolutely.”

She lifted the bottle to her opened mouth, then bit down on the tip of the bottle, right on the cap. She snapped the cap off the bottle as smoothly as if she’d used a bottle opener, but with her teeth. She spit the cap on the counter and raised her open bottle.

Carter couldn’t help but laugh. “Shit, do mine?” He offered his bottle.

She repeated the trick with ease, then handed him back his opened beer. She raised hers, they clinked, and he sat on the stool in the kitchen so he was across from her in the living room. The defeated bottle caps cowered on the counter.

Carter took a big, aggressive bite of turkey sandwich, chewed thoughtfully, and considered her. Then, he spoke. “So that really doesn’t hurt your teeth?”

Allison, by comparison, took small bites and chewed in the most adorably proper way possible. She swallowed, wiped her lips with her wrist, and set down her sandwich. If she hadn’t been butt naked on a kitchen stool, it would have looked downright wholesome.

“My reconfiguration abilities are not limited to physical appearance. I can also change the properties of all parts of my body once I have enough energy, and while I was not capable of doing so when we met last night, our recent activities had given me a new reservoir of strength. To test my recovery, I just strengthened my teeth.”

“That’s kind of terrifying, actually.”

She winked. “I will not bite anything if you do not ask.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

“But I do like your sandwich.” She grabbed her lunch and took another bite.

As he watched her chew and swallow and eat just like a normal person, Carter wondered. “Do you really like it, or are you just being nice?”

“It is a little dry,” she admitted.

She was dead on, so she must taste things like a human. “Yeah, you’re right. Turkey’s probably over a week old. I’ll need to go buy more groceries soon.”

“You do not need to feed me,” she assured him. “Neither food nor beer.”

“But you just said you like eating.”

“I do, but it is not necessary for any purpose other than pleasure.” She smirked again. “We have many other ways to experience pleasure.”

Carter considered her for a moment. “So how’s that work? You eating? Do you process food like you process... the other stuff?”

She tilted her head. “Does discussing how I process cum make you uncomfortable?”

“No, no exactly. It’s... all right, sure, it’s a little weird to talk about. Especially over lunch.” He hoped he wasn’t going to offend her.

She snickered instead. “No, that’s fair. So here’s a thought. What if we call what you give me transformative energy? At least in conversations like these?”

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“Transformative energy,” Carter repeated. “Okay. I like that. That works. Sounds real New Age too, so if anyone hears us talking about it, they’ll just think we’re into that.”

“This food does not give me transformative energy,” Allison said. “It nourishes my human body, which feels pleasant. My human organs do require nourishment.”

“So your body needs to eat,” Carter said. “Or... wants to. So what if you don’t?”

“I simply convert transformative energy to body energy. I can use the energy I acquire from sex for any sort of transformation or reconfiguration, as well as my mental powers. All consume transformative energy in various amounts, and I burn a small amount at all times simply by existing. So even without food, I can use that energy to maintain my organs.”

“Is that why you get more exhausted the longer you go without... transformative energy? Because your human body is starving along with the rest of you?”

She smiled as if pleased by his question. “It is. I cannot starve, but should I go long enough without restoring my reserves of transformative energy, I revert to my base form.”

He was tempted to ask what that was, exactly, but he wasn’t sure if that’d be rude. He loved how she looked now. No need to inquire further.

“But you don’t have to burn extra transformative energy if you eat human food?”

“Yes,” she agreed thoughtfully. “In that way, eating and drinking on a regular schedule does have advantages. When I can eat human food on a regular basis and have access to clean water, I have no need to convert transformative energy to maintain my human organs.”

“But you can’t take the energy the other way,” Carter said. “You can’t convert human body energy into transformative energy, which is why human food alone won’t keep you fed.”

Allison’s smile widened even further. “Carter, that’s exactly right.”

He raised his beer. “I just might be getting the hang of this relationship.”

“You certainly have the hang of fucking me.”

He chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Timing’s a little better this time, but keep at it.”

“An inappropriate statement over lunch?”

“I’m never going to police what you say or when you say it.” That was another thing he’d heard Steven do to Jenna too many times. “Just offering feedback.” He paused and considered for a moment. “Do you want feedback?”

“I do. I find such guidance useful, and you won’t offend me. My ultimate goal is to emulate a human female in all respects, so please inform me when I spoil the illusion.”

“Sure. And speaking of feedback... would you mind putting on the clothes you took from Subway last night? I need to talk you into something, but I really can’t concentrate on laying it all out with you... like that.”

She seductively slipped her lips down the mouth of her beer, eyeing him as she took an unnecessarily long sip, and then smacked her lips before she set the bottle down on the table.

Then, she smiled. “Of course.”

Once Allison was properly dressed again, in a green shirt and dark slacks that still made her the hottest Subway employee he’d ever met, Carter felt comfortable he could mentally move on with the rest of his plan for today. Which was still developing.

“Back to basics,” Carter said. “What are we going to do about your clothes?”

“Is there something specific you wish me to wear?”

“Do you have any?”

“I... have some.” Allison’s cheeks actually turned a little red.

Now Carter was truly curious. “Your clothes from last night? Where’d you stash them?”

“I...” Now she was really turning red. “I have a pocket.”

“You’ve got pockets? Where?” Then he sucked in his breath. “Oh, no way.”

Her flush increased. “It’s actually not something I tend to reveal so soon.”

“Oh man, did I finally embarrass you?” He was already imagining all the places a body like hers might be able to store things. “I’m sorry, Allie. Allison. You’ve just been so open about all your abilities, I’ve been blurting out questions like an idiot.”

“You are not an idiot,” Allison assured him firmly. “And I really shouldn’t be so hesitant. It’s simple enough to explain. Even when I go without clothing, I can create absences within this body in which I can store objects. One such absence contained last night’s clothes.”

“So Agent MIB wouldn’t find them in the back,” Carter said. “That was smart.”

“Opening and closing a pocket requires... significant energy. It is typically something I do in private. I stuffed my old clothes in the closet in the hall while you slept, but they do not fit me any longer. I don’t think they will be of much use.”

Carter raised both hands. “One-hundred-perfect understood. I won’t bring it up again. The reason I asked is because I want to buy you some new clothes, if I can.”

“Of course.” Her blush faded. “Lingerie?”

“Oh, uh... if you wanted?” He shook his head. “But that’s all expensive. Right now, I’m thinking just the basic necessities. Some underwear and socks, some tops, maybe a couple of bras, just... whatever you need. You don’t have any of that, right?”

“I do not,” she agreed. “Would you prefer I remain dressed when you aren’t filling me full of transformative energy?”

“Filling you with...” Carter paused, then chuckled. “Okay, that’s actually a good one.”

“What’s good about it?”

“The innuendo you put into it, combined with the innocent way you asked. That was genuinely funny. It made me laugh.”

She smirked in obvious satisfaction. “Then I have succeeded.”

“Score one for Allison,” he agreed. “But yeah. It’s my day off, and I assume you don’t have anywhere you need to be. So how about we take a shopping trip? I think you could wear a couple of my shirts in a pinch, but you still need your own... underwear.”

She quizzically tilted her head. “So where would we go shopping?”

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