Of all the chores he was expected to do around the house each week, Tony DiNozzo found he enjoyed the freedom and diversion of doing the yard work the best. The lawn, the leaves, the edging: all of it was his personal domain and he always imagined himself the conquering warrior as he worked, fighting back the wild terrian, taming the unruly vegetation, and vanquishing the encroaching weeds. He took to his private battlefield as expected, using the specific arsenal of weapons at his disposal, determined to keep his realm free of the invading enemy and proving, time and time again, he was the true master of all he surveyed. He would usually wage his personal war alone, confident in his ability to manage and dominate without assistance but, sometimes, found respite in the aid provided by allies or associates, letting them tackle the least dangerous areas while he took control of the most treacherous.

Today was one of those days.

Pausing momentarily to wipe a line of prespiration threatening to trail into his line of sight, Tony glanced briefly toward the flowerbed closest to the front steps of the house and had to admire the perfection of the view. Oh, sure, the colorful display of Candace's carefully planted delicate rose bushes and the wildly vibrant spreading petunias were very pretty, as was the verdant lushness of the freshly mown lawn, but those were not the items which caught his eye. Instead, it was the tender, young beauty poised so provocatively on her hands and knees, identifying, snaring, and removing any stray weed or bit of dead foliage, who captured his full attention and caused a devilish grin to bloom on his youthful face. He yanked off one of his heavy, leather work gloves, pushed back the protective eyegear, and pulled a faded blue bandana from his back pocket, swiping the remaining sweat from his face and clearing his eyes completely so he could admire his friend from a distance without hinderance.

Catherine 'Cat' McMillian was a sight to behold for any healthy, young male, especially in her current provocative position and wearing those wonderfully revealing tight shorts. Her young body moved and swayed as she reached to pluck the unwanted greenery and bits of debris from around the floral plantings, seemingly unaware of the amount of attention her movements were garnering from the teen across the yard. She had a specific job to do and she intended to get it accomplished with as much haste as she could muster so she, Tony, and Josh could have the evening free to watch movies and veg out in the DiNozzo's living room, without the gloom of unfinished chores hanging over her best friend's head. She loved their special movie night and looked forward to it just about more than anything else, chiefly because it allowed her to spend time with two of her most favorite people in the world. If someone had told her she'd meet two guys at the beginning of school last year who'd end up being her best pals, she would have laughed in their face and told them to get real. But she quickly found Tony and Josh to be more to her liking than any of her girl friends because they always willingly and honestly gave her a guy's perspective on any subject they discussed and, most importantly, listened and cared deeply about her ideas and opinions. They always showed, through words and actions, just how important she was to them and none of the trio ever took the friendship for granted. They could say anything or do anything while in each other's presence and never feel belittled or insecure or ridiculed. Cat loved both boys, just as she knew they loved her, and wouldn't trade their open, honest friendship for anything in the whole universe. She was the first to admit she was one lucky girl.

As Cat reached to tug at a tenacious, unwanted viney pest, she felt a prickling along her spine and froze, immediately sensing she was being observed by someone very close. She cast out her hearing to the surrounding area and listened to the familiar sounds of the neighborhood, trying to identify anything that would give her a hint of who or where the spy was located. There was a nest of newly-hatched baby birds in the huge oak tree just to one side of the house and Cat could clearly hear the frantic chirping of the young as they pleaded with their mother, hungry for attention and the fat worm clutched in her beak. A dog was barking a few houses away and, from the pitch and constant cadence, sounded a lot like Cosmo, the pudgy dashound belonging to Mrs. Harris, who always made the best chocolate chip cookies for Tony each Fall when he raked her leaves. From across the street, Cat could also detect the thudding vibrations of someone's stereo, the music unidentifiable but the heavy, pulsing beat resembling rap or rock. She strained a bit more, trying to figure out what was suddenly different, what was causing the hair on the back of her neck to rise, and then it hit her: it wasn't what she was hearing that was bothersome, it was what she *wasn't* hearing that raised alarms.

Pushing her hands away from the soil and turning on her knees to orient herself toward the area she'd last heard the weedeater running, Cat found Tony casually leaning on the orange-colored edging device and openly leering her way, his playful, green eyes sweeping swiftly to her shorts and then back to her face. She raised a warning eyebrow and shook her head at his obvious smirk.

"You're a dog, DiNozzo," she pitched her voice just enough to carry across the distance separating them but not loud enough to draw unwanted attention from any nearby adult. His grin morphed instantly into a wide, true smile.

"Woof!" The boy responded with just the right amount of heat to let her know she was absolutely correct in her evaluation and that he really didn't give a shit.

Cat couldn't contain the laugh that escaped at his breathy admission and returned quickly to her work, knowing he would, eventually, do the same. And even though she was secretly pleased by his attraction to her, she knew they would never be anything more to each other than just very good friends. What they shared was different than boyfriend and girlfriend and more on the lines of confidants and soul mates. Josh fell into the same category but Cat never could just let everything out with him like she could with Tony. Josh always seemed to expect a little more than she was willing to give, always wanted to push things just a little further, and always ended up saying things that sometimes gave her pause. She didn't think she'd be as close to Josh if they both weren't so close to Tony.

"You about finished?" A male voice asked from directly behind her.

Cat grinned smugly to herself and knew Tony was still checking out her ass. "What am I going to do with you, Tony?"

"You open to some suggestions?" He teased and dropped to kneel beside her on the cool grass, gently bumping an elbow against her ribs.

Cat looked at his profile as he reached to help her finish the weeding task, thought about what she could do to shake him up a bit, and quickly leaned in to lick at a line of sweat running down his tanned neck. He jerked away as if burned and turned accusing eyes on the grinning girl, ignoring her smug expression.

"Shit," he hissed and glanced furtively about, scanning the immediate area, "don't do that to me. You know that makes me hard!"

Cat chuckled softly at his reproachful words, not in the least bit sorry for her actions, and knew he'd eventually get back at her somehow. She didn't care. It was worth it to get the better of Tony DiNozzo, primarily because it happened so rarely. Cat quickly decide to take advantage of the unusual opportunity and push a little more.

"Hard, huh?" She inched closer and ducked down so she could look at the front of his shorts. "Let me see."

Tony bumped her away again. "Hell, no, I'm not going to let you see it, you little tease! I can't believe you would do something like that to me out here where anyone could see."

Cat had to laugh aloud as she returned back to the weeding. Tony was milking this for all he could, playing the injured party and would, undoubtably, find perverse pleasure in his retaliation. She coyly batted her long lashes and decided she couldn't stop...not just yet.

"I'm sorry, Tony," she lied as convincingly as she could and turned to face him again, moving until her lips were next to his closest ear. "Let me kiss it and make it all better."

Tony's eyes became huge, swivling his head until their lips were mere inches apart, breathing the same air and looking deeply into each other's eyes. He tried to remain detached, serious, and make her think he just might take her up on the offer but finally couldn't contain his growing amusement at their situation.

"You'd shit if I said okay, wouldn't you?" He taunted with a gentle laugh.

"And you'd shit if I did," she fired back, adding the sound of her laughter to his. Cat picked up a small handful of loose soil and tossed it against the front of his already-dirty t-shirt.

They continued to work, side by side, and got the rest of the weeding completed just as Candace was pulling into the drive, finally home from work and, by the looks of it, extremely glad to be out rush hour traffic. The teens turned to watch her approach as she walked slowly from the open garage and joined them on the front lawn.

"Hey, kiddos," she greeted with a warm smile as Tony got to his feet and momentarily left Cat's side to stand and give Candace a brief hug. The woman leaned upwards and pressed a quick kiss to one of his dirty cheeks just to see him blush. "The yard looks good, Sweetie. You two been at it long?"

"Yeah," he nodded, wiping his hands down the front of his shirt, dislodging bits of dirt his friend had tossed his way, "Cat came over right after she changed out of her school clothes and started tackling the flower beds while I mowed. She's done a good job, hasn't she?"

"She always does a good job," Candace agreed and smiled down at the attractive girl. "How're your folks, Catherine? They don't mind you being down here helping Tony, do they?"

"They're good, Mrs. DiNozzo," Cat leaned back on her heels and looked up at Tony's guardian. "No, they don't mind because they know if they ever need some help, Tony will come lend a hand."

"That's what neighbors are for," Candace stated firmly and turned back toward Tony. "Brian will be here around six-thirty and we're going out for dinner and a movie. You want to invite Catherine to join us?"

"It's scary movie night, Mrs. DiNozzo!" Cat exclaimed with glee before Tony could respond to the woman's question. "We've been waiting all week for tonight!"

"Oh, yes," she nodded and returned to gaze at the girl's happy face. She felt Tony shift nervously at her side. "It must have slipped my mind. It's your turn to host this time, isn't it, Tony?"

"Yes, ma'am," his smile had faded and he was tucking his hands into the front pockets of his shorts. "If it's still okay."

Candace could see the uncertainty beginning to settle on the boy's face and knew how insecure he still could get at times. He never took things for granted and valued every liberty he received but still was haunted by his past mistakes and deceptions. One of the first things she'd done for Tony, to show her renewed trust and belief in the teen, was allowing him to begin inviting his friends back over to their home, providing plenty of refreshments and giving them space to socialize without feeling constantly supervised or spied upon. Tony had been so grateful for any freedom allotted and had always shown his appreciation but, sometimes, like now, she could see the wiggling little worm of doubt creeping in to undermine his self-confidence.

Candace reached out and placed a hand on his arm. "Walk me to the door."

Tony nodded and let his friend know he was going inside for a moment. ""I'll be right back, Cat."

"I'm going to head home and get cleaned up anyway, Tony," she said, rising to her feet and brushing her hands off. She took a second to push her long ponytail back from where it had draped over one shoulder and looked expectantly at her friend. "What time should I come back?"

"Um...how about if I just give you a call?" Tony suggested, a worried frown forming between his eyes.

"Sure," Cat recognized the look, knew what he was thinking, but tried to stay upbeat. "I'll see you later, Mrs. DiNozzo."

"Bye, Catherine, and thanks again for helping," Candace waved and watched the girl leave, admiring her youthful grace and trim figure. She turned back as Tony began slowly gathering the small handtools Cat had used and was putting them all back in a storage bucket. He stalled and looked at the dirt on his hands before turning resigned eyes back to the woman.

"I...I'll call Josh and see if we can watch our movies at his house tonight," he said softly and sighed. "I should have reminded you this morning before I went to school. I'm sorry."

"Tony," Candace didn't want his apology and certainly didn't want to see his disappointment, especially since she was the one who'd forgotten the teen's plans. He was a good and honest kid and didn't need to keep worrying about making new mistakes. "I want you to go ahead with your original plans. Brian and I will be back right after the movie is over and, if you call Catherine and Josh and have them explain the situation to their parents, I think they'll agree with me. I trust you, Tony. Okay?"

Tony nodded and then suddenly swept the petite woman into a tight hug, lifting her easily off the ground and spinning her round and round until she laughingly begged him to stop. When he finally set her back on her feet, Candace's warm eyes were shining with mirthful tears.

"Good Lord, Tony! I always forget how strong you are until you do something like that. Now, finish gathering the yard equipment together and start getting ready for your guests."

"Yes, ma'am!" He all but crowed and hurried to retrieve the weedeater and the rest of the tools.

Candace watched for several moments, smiling at his joy, and turned to move toward her front door, her mind already on Brian and their up-coming evening out. She knew he'd be a little concerned when learning she was planning to leave Tony alone with Catherine and Josh for several hours but knew he would submit to her decision. She was, after all, Tony's legal guardian and knew him better than anyone except, maybe, for Jethro Gibbs.

Candace smiled as she thought of her good friend, wondering what the ex-Marine would think about the scary movie sleepover the teens had once or twice a month and could almost imagine him cringing with disbelief. Then, again, he'd probably agree with with her assessment, once he found out about the sibling-like relationship the three teenagers shared and of her long discussions with the other parents when Catherine began hanging out with the boys early last year.

All of the adults had grown to accept the strangely-sweet relationship of the young trio with growing approval as they personally witnessed their interactions within their own homes: from homework to study sessions, family meals and parties, to shared chores and finished tasks, they observed the youths and recognized the deepness of the friendship. The boys were fiercely protective of Cat and one, or both, usually walked her to and from school whenever they could. The McMillian's learned to appreciate the boys' presence in their daughter's life, especially as she began to resemble a mature, young woman more and more each day. They all were open and honest around the adults and never tried to decieve or lie about what they were doing or where they were going. They were good friends, plain and simple.

But it wasn't until the night the boys had fallen asleep at the McMillian's, after a long and tiring day of helping Cat clean out her family's garage and hauling all the unwanted junk to the curb, the adults finally witnessed how tryuly innocent the friendship was with the girl. Cat, Tony, and Josh had been exhausted by the time the last item was in it's designated spot in the newly-organized garage and the McMillian's had ordered several pizzas to satisfy the starving teens. As the evening had lengthened, Cat had popped her copy of 'Nightmare On Elm Street' into the VCR and the trio had relaxed in front of the large tv set, ready for a little light entertainment. Cat had stretched out on her favorite couch, Tony had splayed his body on the rug in front of the coffee table, and Josh had slouched into the softness of the huge recliner, each getting drowsier until, one by one, sleep drew them softly under. Surprised at finding the slumbering youths spread around their living room, the McMillian's had called the other parents, explaining the situation and suggesting the boys be allowed to stay. Mr. McMillian quickly soothed any doubts by reassuring he would be up the entire night finishing a report on his computer and could easily keep watch over them. With some relunctance, they all had agreed.

The only flaw in the plan came shortly after three o'clock, when Tony awoke and found himself on the McMillian's floor, a warm blanket covering his body and one of the sofa's throw pillows wedged under his head. Momentarily confused by his surroundings, Tony had blearily peered at the clock on the VCR and shot up from his spot on the rug, throwing off the covering and stumbling awkwardly toward the entry's foyer. He almost made it out the front door before Mr. McMillian caught up and quietly explained the situation to the distraught youth, soothing away the emerging tears, and convincing the boy Candace had truly given her permission for him to stay. Unable to immediately go back to sleep, Tony sat at the kitchen table with Mr. McMillian drinking hot chocolate, talking about sports, school, and life, and slowly warming to the uncomfortable situation, forging a weak bond. For a man who'd always secretly wished for a son, Tony began to fill a small void in Mr. McMillian's life and, finally, Tony was able to ask some questions about fatherhood from an expert and not feel uncomfortable or ashamed of his curiosity.

As the teens began arriving at the DiNozzo's for their scary movie night, Candace and Brian were getting ready to leave on their date, the traffic at the front door becoming more acerbated by the sudden appearance of the pizza delivery guy. Greetings and laughs were exchanged, as well as a bit of money for the food, and Candace paused only long enough to give Tony a quick peck on the cheek before joining Brian at his car. This was a first for everyone involved and whereas the adults were apprehensive and hopefully optimistic, the teens were excited and pleased by this new measure of freedom. They knew this probably wasn't going to be a common occurrence but each parent had agreed to keep the venue at the DiNozzo's as planned and expected the youths to continue to behave maturely and as responsibly as they had in the past.

As everyone knows, the best laid plans...

"You did not!" Cat squealed from her spot on the large, floral-print couch, throwing a small pillow down to where Tony sat on the floor in front of the coffee table, easily catching him in the back of the head.

Ignoring the ineffective attack from the rear, Tony calmly reached for the large glass of milk by his paper plate and took a good, long swallow before turning to pin his gaze on the laughing boy sitting at the opposite end of the couch from Cat. He smirked at the amused expression he saw and shook his head.

"You know, Josh," he stated calmly, raising an eyebrow for effect, "before you go running your mouth about my disastrous attempt at having sex, maybe we should talk about your last date with Sarah Jamison. I hear she was telling everyone about the microscopic size of your dick."

"You liar!" Josh choked in amusement and cupped the front of his jeans for effect. "There's nothing microscopic here!"

"Ehh, that's not what I heard," he continued serenely, turning back to watch the movie just as some poor shmuck got his head ripped off by an dripping alien creature. He picked up his slice of pizza and took a big bite, licking the sauce from his lips and fingers and continuing to talk around the mouthful. "During biology yesterday, Shelly told me Sarah said your dick's so small she had to get her tweezers out just to find it among all your pubes."

Cat roared with laughter and doubled over, catching sight of Josh starting to fumble with his zipper. "Whoa, buster! I don't want to see your willy."

"That would be *wee* willy," Tony said without missing a beat, eyes still forward.

"Come on, Cat," Josh whined and ignored Tony's last verbal zing. "You can tell everyone Sarah was lying. Just look at it."

"No!" Cat yelled and stretched out a leg to prod him roughly in the side with a bare foot. "If you expose so much as one inch of that thing, I'll make sure everyone knows Sarah was right!"

"Inch?" Tony mumbled almost to himself and then pitched his voice a bit louder for the others. "Cat, didn't you hear anything I just said? He doesn't even *have* an inch."

Cat laughed again and saw Josh slide just a bit closer, eyes on his friend on the floor. "We were going to talk about Tony's first time before we got sidetracked."

"No, we weren't," Tony corrected casually and rotated his head just enough to look at Josh, a wicked grin forming. "Okay, I might have lied. Your dick is actually the size of a vienna sausage."

Josh swore under his breath, launched himself from the couch, and tackled Tony awkwardly, almost tipping the squat table and spilling the glasses of milk and soda. Cat continued to laugh as the boys rolled across the carpet and tucked her feet up under her body, use to experiencing their roughhousing and knowing to stay well out of their way. It wouldn't last too long. Josh was older, slightly bigger, and a bit heavier but Tony never gave up easily, making Josh work for his victory each and every time. Cat sometimes suspected Tony was letting Josh win but never called him on it. They wrestled awhile, laughing into each other's faces, and finally had to quit when Josh forced out a huge fart while sitting on Tony's chest.

"Get the hell off me, you pig!" Tony sputtered between laughs as he tried to buck Josh off. "You're going to leave skid marks all over my shirt!"

"No," Josh taunted good-naturedly, "I'm gonna hold you down and fart all over you until you tell Cat how you lost your cherry."

"Ain't gonna happen, you loser," the teen shot back. "That's ancient history as far as I'm concerned. Anyway, I would have had a better time screwing a lamp post than I did with Lisa."

"Lisa?" Cat inquired, instantly interested, and leaned far enough over the edge of the couch so she could look down into Tony's face. He appeared upside-down because of their positioning but their eyes locked together immediately. "Not the notorious Lisa Taylor?"

"The one and only!" Josh confirmed and felt the youth under him try to maneuver away. He tightened his hold on the jerking wrists in his grip and watched as Cat eased to the floor beside them, stretching out until she was resting next to Tony, her head popped up on one fist. He could see the spark in her eyes.

"Oh, I *so* have to hear this little tale," she prodded.

"That's just it, there was very little tail," Tony shot back swiftly and tried to evade the heavier boy again, refusing to give in to their joint persistence. "End of story."

"Not end of story," Cat shook her head and pursed her lips together, thinking of what she could say or do to persuade him to spill his story but knew only one, sure thing to get results. "Tell me or I'll start licking your neck."

"Hell, yes," Josh quickly agreed on her plan of attack, knowing as well as the girl what it did to Tony. "You lick and I'll fart and we'll have it out of him in no time!"

Tony started to laugh as Josh began to grunt, trying to force out another round of gas. "Josh, you're either going to shit in your pants or have a stroke. Your face is as red a baboon's ass!"

The trio dissolved into a fit of giggles and the boys slowly gave up their battle, all three moving eventually back to their original positions in front of the tv. On the screen, a girl in a wet t-shirt ran screaming down a darkened alleyway, her ample breasts bobbing and swaying as she moved toward the camera and away from another one of the invading alien creatures. She wouldn't get far, they all knew, because anyone stupid enough to be outside, alone, on a night like that, deserved to die horribly. When the creature finally caught up and ripped her t-shirt and her flesh, the trio cheered: Cat for the brainless girl's demise and the boys for the size of her boobs. This movie certainly had something for everyone.

Tony finished off his now-cold pizza and leaned back, accidentally trapping one of Cat's legs against the sofa. He reached around, grabbed it by the ankle, and began to rub her bare foot, knowing how much she loved that type of pampering. She was a student-athlete, too, running track and playing softball for the school they all attended, so any special treatment she could get for her feet was greatly appreciated. She almost purred as he soothed a sore spot with his thumb.

"Hey, Cat," Josh murmured from his end of the couch, eyes still on the movie, "how come your boobs don't bounce like that when you run?"

"Who says they don't?" She asked and turned to face him, smiling as he continued to watch the hapless teens fall prey, one by one, to invading monsters. "Her's bounce more because they're bigger but mine *do* bounce. You'd know that if you ever came to any of my games."

"I've been to some of your games," he stated sincerely. "Both Tony and I have watched you play and run and, I can tell you, I've never seen your boobs bounce. Have you, Tony?"

"Oh, definately," he assured, still stroking the girl's foot. "I've seen them bounce. And jiggle. And sway. And..."

"Enough," Cat poked him in the shoulder and caught his grin. She gently pulled her foot from his grasp and snuggled down into the cushions, stretching out so her feet were close to Josh, hoping he would get the hint and pick up where Tony left off.

Resting her head on one of her bent arms, face directly beside Tony's left shoulder, she watched him for a few moments before reaching out and placing a hand lightly on the back of his neck. She liked being able to touch her two friends when she wanted without fear of rejection or revulsion and had learned more about the male body by just being around them than she had in all her years in health classes. She knew how they smelled when freshly showered, she knew how they tasted when they were sweaty and foul, and she knew how they sounded when anxious or nervous. Having Tony and Josh as friends also made her more aware of herself as a female.

"What's the matter, Cat?" Tony's concerned voice caught her wandering attention and she saw he had turned to look at her.

She thought about lying but finally whispered. "Was it that bad?"

"What?" he asked, just as quietly but not understanding.

"Your first time."

"Oh," Tony sighed as he caught on. He looked back toward the movie but continued to speak softly. "It was the absolute worse, Cat, and nothing like I expected it to be. You ever hear that old saying, 'wham, bam, thank you, ma'am'? Well, I didn't even make it past the 'wham'. Five seconds and I was finished. I was more than embarrassed, I was humiliated, mortified, and she spread the news all around the party we were attending so everyone knew. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it at school."

"If I did, I guess I didn't hear your name," she answered honestly. She hesitated, let her fingers comb through the soft hair at the back of his head, and then asked her next question. "What did it feel like?"

His head whipped around and he looked into her eyes, trying to ascertain her true intentions. There was no humor visible, nor any mocking leer, only true inquisitiveness.

"What's going on down here?" Josh's voice broke their visual examination of each other. He slid so he was slightly behind Cat, back pressed against the couch cushions, and rested his head on her hip. When he spoke again, his voice was almost a whisper, too. "Is this private or can I join in?"

"Are you going to be serious?" Tony asked without looking away from Cat. "If not, you can go wait in the kitchen until we're finished."

"Well, ouch...that's kind of harsh," Josh complained but settled in more comfortably. "I want to talk, too."

"That okay with you, Cat?" Tony asked gently.

The girl glanced down and saw the confused look in Josh's blue eyes and moved her hand away from Tony to pat the other teen reassuringly on the head. "Sure. Josh can probably answer some of my questions, as well."

Tony made a strange sound in his throat that huffed out roughly. "Josh can probably tell you a lot more than I can. I only had that one time and I blew it."

"Sex?" Josh perked up. "Are we having a sex talk?"

"Can you behave?" Cat inquired as she eyed Tony, not liking the tone of his voice.

Josh had the capacity to see how important this was to her and had the decency to keep his pokes at Tony under wraps. "You know I can, Cat. You guys are more important to me than...than...than my little sister."

"You can't stand your little sister," Tony stated levelly and turned so he could see both of them.

"Oh, hell, you know what I mean," he hissed and got serious. "Come on. Let's talk."

Cat looked at Tony and waited until he shrugged, clearly letting her decide where to start and what to ask. She looked back to Josh and saw his expectant expression.

"How many times have you done it, Josh?" She asked and watched as he considered her question. He frowned, sighed, and spoke sincerely.

"Twice," he confessed. "I've only done it twice."

"With the same girl?"

He shook his head against her leg. "No, I did it with Lisa when I was a freshman and then with a girl I met when I was visiting my cousin in Chicago last summer."

"So, you've both had sex with Lisa."

"Who hasn't?" Josh scoffed with a open leer and then immediately apologized. "Sorry. I'll be good. I promise."

"Weren't you afraid of catching something from her?" Cat ignored his contrite request and focused on what she wanted to know. "I heard she was letting guys do it without protection."

"I was scared shitless," Tony acknowledged quickly, remembering the trip to the doctor and the interminable wait for the blood test results, "but only after it was over and I had to spill my guts to Candace. At the time it was happening, all I could think about was getting my dick inside her."

Josh was nodding in agreement. "Yeah, Lisa sort of just drives you to get it in and get it over as soon as possible. She's a real slut."

"Well, what does that make us?" Tony countered hotly, angry at the memory of that hated night. "What guy wastes his first time with someone like her? I should have waited for someone special, someone I had feelings for, someone who cared about me, at least. But I didn't and I'm really sorry I threw it all away with her. Yes, Cat, it felt good and, yes, it was one of the best orgasms I've ever had but, so what? Look what it got me in the end: Candace lost all faith in me, I almost had to go live with my grandfather, and I had to sweat out a couple of months not knowing if I was going to be named if she ended up prgnant. I wish I'd never gone to that damn party and I wish I had waited before I had sex."

The other two teens were shocked by his frank admission and Cat reached out a comforting hand, trying to soothe with her soft touch. Her heart swelled when Josh placed one of his hands on Tony's arm, too, and was pleased to see their distraught friend relax at the feel of their combined connection. She still had questions but didn't know if she should push the conversation forward now. Ultimately, it was Josh who relieved her of that decision.

"My first time was pretty much like that, too," he sighed and resettled against Cat, keeping his hand on Tony. "I was just so anxious and excited, I couldn't even think about what Lisa wanted."

"But it felt good?" She pressed and watched both boys nod.

"Why all the questions, Cat?" Tony finally asked. "What's on your mind?"

"Sex."

"Well, duh," Josh quipped. "That's obvious."

"No," she tried to clarify, "I'm thinking about having sex."

That got their full attention and both boys turned until they were facing her squarely. She looked back and forth between them, unsure who seemed more shocked. Tony got his mouth to work first...barely

"With who?" He choked out.

Cat just shrugged. "I haven't got a *who* yet. I'm just thinking about trying it soon."

They continued to stare at her, almost as if she'd suddenly transformed into one of the alien creatures in the movie they were suppose to be watching, their eyes wide as saucers and mouths hanging open. She almost felt like laughing at their absurd expressions but knew they wouldn't appreciate it and, frankly, this was just not the time for levity.

"Why?" Tony pushed to understand.

"Why do you think?" She felt a brief flicker anger. "Look, girls think about having sex, too. You both had your first time years ago and I'm not only still a virgin but I've never given a hand-job or a blow-job or had some guy feel me up or anything. I...I just want to know what it's like so I can decide if I want to go ahead and try or wait a little longer."

"We can't tell you what a girl feels," Josh reminded her, blinking at her confession. "You're going to have to ask a female for that little bit of information."

"Gunny once told me penetration can be painful," Tony offered solemnly, " unless there's been enough foreplay and the woman is...ah, lubricated."

The other two knew who 'Gunny' was, had heard numerous stories, in depth, of Tony's adventures with the young man and they both knew how Tony felt about the NCIS agent. He loved his Gunny in a way the man wouldn't, or couldn't, return. They kept his secret close to their own hearts and hoped, someday, Tony would be able to find someone who would love him the way he deserved.

"That makes sense," Cat nodded and turned her eyes toward the tv without really seeing the flickering images. "When I masturbate, I get really wet. So, I just have to find someone who's good at foreplay."

"Well, how and the hell are you going to do that?" Josh frowned and sat up, looking down on her in frustration, slightly taken aback by her frankness. This was *way* more information than she'd ever shared before and, even though the boys talked openly about dicks and jerking-off and muff-diving, she'd never spoken so openly about herself. "It's not like you can just go up to some guy at school and ask, 'excuse me but do you take your time before you screw or do you just dive right in?'. I swear, Cat, it almost sounds like you expect one of us to do it and you know we can't. It would change everything between us. Everything."

Cat looked toward Tony and saw him nod in agreement. "He's right, Cat. You want it to be with someone special, someone you love..."

"I know, I know," she sighed and sat up, too, suddenly wondering why she decided to bring this up right now but, damn it, she trusted both of them with her life, why not her body?

Maybe there was another reason they wouldn't consider doing this for her and they were just trying to protect her feelings. She knew she wasn't the prettiest girl in the school or had the best figure but she always believed she was above average in looks. Both Josh and Tony were quick to compliment if they thought she smelled good or wore her hair in a way they liked and they always made her feel special but, maybe, just maybe, she wasn't attractive enough for them to think of her like that.

"Cat?" Tony's kind, concerned gaze was piercing a path straight to her heart and she had to look away.

"I...I'm sorry," she stuttered and dropped her head. "I should have never said anything about this. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

The boys looked at each other, unsure what needed to be said but knew *something* had to be done. Tony pushed up from the floor and sat in the open space between his friends, throwing an arm around Cat's shoulder and pulling her into a tight embrace. The girl turned into the welcoming warmth and comfort of his familiar body and held him close, trying to keep her tears from starting. She hated feeling like this and she certainly hated doing this to her friends.

Feeling a pressure at his other side, Tony glanced over to see Josh edging closer, a beaten, needful expression plastering his face. The look said it all: he didn't want to be left out of any joint affection, no matter how small or insignificant. Tony gave an exaggerated sigh, threw his other arm out toward his friend and pulled him in to share the embrace. Josh made a big show out of snuggling in and was rewarded with a soft chuckle from both Cat and Tony. It was good to have friends.

Tony ran one hand slowly up and down Cat's back and could feel her tense body begin to relax. He pulled her in tighter and felt her slide a leg up and over his nearest thigh, trying to weasel into his lap like he use to do to Gunny when needing affection. He smiled as he thought of the man and wondered what he would do in a situation like this. He pressed a chaste kiss to the top of Cat's head and remembered how good it felt to be held in a strong, solid embrace and how much he missed his Gunny.

With a head nestled on each shoulder, Tony couldn't do anything but stare at the images on the tv but, when Cat suddenly lifted her face and settled her lips against his neck, he thought he would die of embarrassment. This damn sensitive neck was going to get him into a real mess one day but there was nothing he could do about it now. No matter how often he and Josh joked about getting erections around Cat, he'd never actually sported wood with her this up close and personal. He tried to shift her gently away but immediately hit resistence, the feel of her warm, moist breath ghosting over his skin sending little, tingling jolts of pleasure straight to his dick. He held in a lungful of air and tried to keep himself from responding further to the feel of her mouth but it just wasn't any use. And having Josh pressed so securely on the other side didn't help matters in the least. The boys were familiar with each other's bodies, having checked out one another's packages like guys do around those they trust, and had even jerked-off together several times while watching trashy porn movies at Josh's house late at night. This was not good.

"Well, well, well," Josh's voice broke the relative quiet in the room, "what have we got here?"

"What?" Cat asked as she finally raised her head and looked to where he was indicating, straight at the bulge in Tony's pants. "Oh, my."

"Sorry," Tony knew he was blushing, could feel the heat as it warmed his cheeks. "It just decided it needed to make it's presence known. If you ignore it, it will go away. Eventually."

Cat continued to stare at his crotch for several long moments and then raised her eyes to look straight at him. "I want to see it."

"What?" Tony frowned in disbelief as Josh barked a laugh.

"I said I want to see it," she repeated a little bolder. "I've seen pictures of limp ones in the biology books but I've never seen one erect. Let me see."

"No!" He squirmed and tried to move away as he felt Josh's fingers on his zipper. "Josh, stop."

"Is there something wrong with your dick?" Cat asked carefully, eyes glued to Josh's hand. "Maybe I should ask to see Josh's instead."

"Naw," Josh was trying to get a hold of the small, metal tab. "Tony has a prettier dick than me. Plus, he's already hard. Come on, Tony, just let her see."

Cat put her mouth back against his throat and sighed. "Please?"

Tony gritted his teeth, knowing she was well aware of what she was doing, and fought back a moan when her tongue snaked out to wet a slow, steady path from the base of his neck to just under an ear. He bucked at the sensation and felt his resistence waver.

"Shit, Cat," he hissed at the feel of hot wetness. "This is not fair."

When Cat latched on to the skin over a pulsating artery and began to gently suck, Tony started to pant but, only when Josh's fingers successfully opened the zipper and was reaching a hand inside, did he truly understand it was really going to happen. He struggled half-heartedly against their conbined attack, cringing at his inability to control his treacherous body but delighting in the sweet fire swiftly racing through his veins. He jerked again when Josh's fingers curled around his length and carefully eased it from the confines of his clothing, the cool air doing nothing to dampen the heat of his aroused flesh.

"Cat, look," Josh's voice was quiet and tight. "Look at him."

Cat raised her face from Tony's neck and looked into his glassy green eyes. He could see she was going to wait until he gave her permission and it only excited him that much more to know she was going to wait. Closing his eyes, he groaned once and nodded his assent. He almost didn't feel the gentle little kiss of thanks she placed on his lips before turning away.

It was surreal and nothing any of them ever thought they'd be doing, certainly not with each other, but once it began, it seemed so natural. Cat kept her head against Tony's chest, hearing his heart hammering rapidly under her ear, and looked at his erection for the first time. It was much larger and thicker than she'd imagined it would be but had to admit she never had a way to judge when it was always hidden from view behind jeans or shorts or swimwear and never in this hardened condition. The skin was unblemished and looked remarkably smooth, especially the pinkened crown, and she could detect several veins that twisted from the area around his pubic hair and traveled almost to the section she'd learned was called the glans. She inched her head closer and watched in silent amazement as it twitched.

"Cat, please," Tony was beginning to breath a little faster and his voice was rough, "don't get any closer."

"Okay, Tony," she agreed and watched as a drop of clear fluid formed on the tip, right over the small slit. She looked up and caught Josh's eye. "What's that?"

"Pre-come," he whispered and smiled sweetly at her, arching an eyebrow and silently indicating for her to watch. He brought a hand close to Tony's dick and softly ran the tip of his index finger through the bead of thick moisture, slowly spreading it over the sensitive head.

"Shit!" Tony panted, tightly gripping the cushions along the back of the couch and flexing his hips at the touch.

Cat cast a quick glance up into Tony's face and marveled at his rapt expression. "How does it feel?"

"Good," he gasped and forced himself to look at her. "It feels so good..."

"Want to see him come?" Josh asked as he slowly continued the circular motion over the tip, dipping his fingers every now and then down the length, and applying a bit of pressure just to hear his friend gasp.

"Josh," Tony's voice was strained and breathy, "don't..."

When the fingers curled around his heated flesh, Tony moaned. Josh lifted his head back to Tony's shoulder and positioned himself so he could look up into the teen's face or down at the throbbing organ with ease. "Come on, Tony. You know you want me to do it. Let Cat see what it really looks like."

Tony forced his eyes to the girl, torn between the recklessness of the situation but extremely turned-on by the sheer eroticism of having his two best friends participate in this profoundly personal moment. "You...you want to see this?"

Cat didn't hesitate in giving her response. "Yes."

"If I do this," he gritted out and rolled his hips as the sensations continued, "both of you are going to have to do it, too, sometime. I'm...I'm not going to be the only one out of all of us. Okay?"

Josh and Cat looked at each other from where they leaned against Tony's sides and nodded. The deal was done.

"Okay," he swallowed thickly and tried to move. "You're both gonna have to give me a little room so I can get my hand..."

"Let me," Josh offered quickly, his fingers still around Tony's dick grasping a bit tighter and starting a smooth, steady rhythm. "Let me do you, Tony."

Tony was surprised and excited by the request. This was a first: they'd watched and been close to each other when masturbating but never touched. Plus, he didn't think Josh would be so willing to give so much of himself away to Cat like this. The girl knew Tony liked both sexes equally but always thought Josh was strictly interested in females. After tonight, they all would have many things to think about.

Tony looked quickly to Cat and saw her shy smile of acceptance, glad to see her taking all of this so well. If doing this somehow helped her answer some of those questions she had about sex, he'd be happy. But, like Josh, he didn't want things to change in their relationship.

"Cat," he moaned as Josh stroked him just right, "you...you really okay with this?"

"Oh, yeah," she smiled again and mirrored Josh's position so she could watch his face and the action below, too. "I want to see what you look like when you come."

Her words sent a shard of lust racing to his dick and he tried to hold back a moan, gritting his teeth and rolling his head back against the couch. "I...I get kind of noisy sometimes. I...I...oh, Josh! Fuck, that feels so good."

Cat didn't know where to look. The sights and sounds coming from Tony were amazing and it was difficult to glance away from his face but she just had to see what Josh was doing to cause these wonderful responses. Josh stopped stroking Tony's erection and moved his hand lower, fingers slipping gently over and around his testicles, leaving the hard, leaking flesh stranded against his belly. Fascinated and enboldened by their trust, Cat eased her hand closer to the abandoned length, wanting to feel it for herself.

"That a girl," Josh encouraged gently as her fingers met the flesh. "See how soft the skin is?"

Cat nodded, amazed at the heat under her fingers. "So smooth."

"Grip it the way you saw me doing it a little while ago," he directed and watched as she complied. Tony was gasping and groaning, thrashing between them. "Feel how solid it is? That's what's going to be inside you when you have sex. Not all guys are the same size but the mechanics are going to be the same." He looked into Tony's face and saw the green eyes looking hotly back. "Just remember, once he's in you, he's not gonna take it out until he blows."

"Josh..." Tony moaned, eyes slitting with need.

Josh eased Cat's hand away and took her place, picking up the speed as he maneuvered until his mouth was close to Tony's ear. He knew what he needed to do to get his friend farther along.

"Gunny's gonna touch you like this someday," he whispered and felt Tony shudder, hips flexing with the strokes. "He's gonna wrap his big hand around your dick and make you come so hard. Isn't he, Tony? Gunny's gonna make you come, isn't he?"

"Oh, yeah," Tony panted and closed his eyes again, drawing himself deeper into the fantasy. "Gunny..."

Cat watched and listened in fascination as Josh played with Tony's senses, excited by the sights and the sounds and the smells of this arousal. She glanced at Josh's jeans and saw how hard he was now, too, a small dark spot on the fabric revealing how stimulated he was by their actions. Cat squeezed her thighs tightly together and felt a tingling growing low in her belly, the wet heat of her sex pounding in time with her heart.

"He's gonna take you in his mouth and suck you until you beg him to stop," Josh was continuing, drawing incoherent mumblings and gasping sobs from his friend, Josh looked quickly to Cat. "He's getting close. When you see his nuts pull up close to his body, that means he's getting ready to come."

Cat watched Josh's hand work on Tony's erection, pulling and tugging, sliding in small, looping motions, teasing the head until the hard length was slick with pre-come. Tony's hips began to jerk in a sloppy counter-rhythm. his grunts and groans escalating until they were blocking out the sounds of the forgotten movie. Cat covered Josh's hand with hers so she could learn the proper strokes, dimly aware of the heated words Josh continued to pour into Tony's consciousness. The smell of Tony's arousal was sharp and earthy and Cat wondered if that's how he would taste. Someday, maybe, she would find out.

When Tony began to grunt and thrust wildly into the tight circle of Josh's hand, she let her fingers trail down to fondle his testicles, feeling them twitch and start to rise. That was the sign. Cat raised her head to get a better view, seeing the slit at the tip expand slightly, and knew ejaculation was eminent. Josh's hand was a blur of movement and, before a warning could be issued, Cat got a faceful of Tony's hot come, the thick, viscous fluid splashing close to her mouth and dripping slowly off her chin. The spurts continued to come her way but without the initial force and she was so caught up in the sounds and sights of Tony's orgasm that she didn't realize what had happened until the two boys started to quietly laugh.

Confused, she turned away from the softening penis and looked up at her friends, watching as they began to laugh harder. She frowned and then felt Tony's hand on her chin, moving to wipe at something wet and thick and...

Well, shit.

"Nice catch," Josh grinned at her and watched as she reached for one of the paper napkins on the end table, passing it to him so he could do the honors.

Tony had the grace to look a bit sorry but, when she began to chuckle at the situation, they all couldn't control their laughter. Josh dabbed at her chin and her cheek and her lips and almost was ready to try to see if he could get away with wiping at an imaginary spot on her chest, when a car door slammed shut outside. The teens froze for only an instant.

Candace and Brian were home!


TBC