Andrew chapter 28; the strength tests in the junkyard

[sl97aq]

On Tuesday morning, Carrie woke up in Andrew's arms, having had a wonderful night's sleep. She tried to squeeze out of Andrew's iron grip, but she couldn't move his arms. Even half asleep, since Carrie's attempts to escape were waking him up, Andrew's superhuman strength kept her pinned to his massive chest. Carrie gently traced her fingers along the contour of his pecs and abs, hoping to wake him up all the way so that she could get free. Andrew woke up all the way and smiled at the softness of her gentle touch.

"Hey baby," Andrew greeted her. "Did you sleep well?"

"I had the best sleep since Miami, thanks to your massive arms around me," Carrie replied with a smile. "We should go have our shower now."

"Yeah, let's go have some more good clean fun like we did last night," Andrew agreed. He got out of bed, carrying her with him, and set her down once they got into the bathroom. "You get the water hot enough, and I'll try to find the soap and shampoo Carrie."

"I could never hope to get the water as hot as you, but I'll give it a try anyway," Carrie assured him.

"Thanks for the compliment Carrie," Andrew said, smiling at her softly. "I love being a hot muscle god and I'm all yours!"

"I'm so glad about that, because I don't want to share you with anyone else!" Carrie shouted in excitement. She stared at his insanely wide muscular back as he squatted down to open the vanity. "I want your insanely muscular body all to myself!"

"The water should be hot enough in the shower by now," Andrew reminded her. "So now that I've found the soap and shampoo, I'll come into the shower with you and show you more pleasure than you've ever had before!"

"Since each night with you gets better and better, I have no doubt about that!" Carrie shouted in excitement. She stripped off her bra and panties and stepped into the shower, allowing the hot water to stream over her naked body. "Come and get me Big Man!" she goaded Andrew.

Mad with desire, Andrew tore off his boxers and jumped into the shower, pinning Carrie against the far wall as he worshipped her beautiful body. In return, Carrie worshipped every contour of his muscular frame, feeling very safe and relaxed in his gentle grip. She was glad that Andrew wasn't trying to scare her like he had the night before. While part of her was turned on when Andrew was dominant and aggressive, another part of her was terrified that he would hurt her accidentally with his insane strength.

"What are you thinking about Carrie?" Andrew asked her as they finished their shower. He noticed the fear in her eyes and worried that he had been tough aggressive the night before. "Did I scare you too much last night?"

"Yes you did Andrew, though you didn't leave any marks on me," Carrie replied, as Andrew checked her body carefully for bruises.

"That's a relief Carrie," Andrew sighed as he dried her off. "I feel like I'm getting way too big and strong and my muscular growth doesn't seem to be slowing down! I get so excited and aroused when I see your beautiful body that I forget to be gentle with you!"

"You'd better not forget again Andrew or you'll scare me away and then you'll be all alone!" Carrie warned him. She started to get dressed and added, "Don't forget Andrew, we're not officially engaged yet! I could still break up with you if you abuse me or cheat on me!"

Andrew looked at her in shock as he got dressed and he realized that Carrie was dead serious.

"I'll remember that Carrie," Andrew assured her, as he got into the 4XL t-shirt and looser jeans that he had packed in his overnight bag the night before. "I wouldn't want to scare the future mother of my children away from me with my insane strength! Who understands me better than you do and who else can calm me down when I get too upset?"

"I'm glad you appreciate my presence in your life Andrew," Carrie said. "It proves that we have a mental attraction and not just a physical one!" As she watched Andrew zip up his jeans and tuck his t-shirt in, she added, "Though a physical attraction certainly helps to bring us together each night! Those clothes barely look any looser than your skintight clothes did Andrew!"

"I know Carrie, but they feel a lot more comfortable!" Andrew informed her, as he stood up to his full height. Carrie smiled as she saw that his so-called 'looser' jeans still hugged his quads snugly, though the seams weren't straining to contain them. "Stop staring at my legs Carrie; my best muscles are on the top half of my body!" Andrew teased her.

"I have no doubt about that!" Carrie assured him, staring up at his massive frame in awe. She felt overcome with desire when she saw that his massive muscles were barely contained by his skintight t-shirt. His massive chest distorted the printing on the front of his shirt and his huge lats stretched the sides of his shirt almost to the breaking point. His biceps stretched the fabric of his sleeves so tightly that they practically burst the seams. "You're a god Andrew!" Carrie gasped in amazement.

"Yeah, and I'm big enough to block the doorway Carrie!" Andrew warned her with a cocky smirk. He stepped into the hallway, having to turn sideways to fit through the doorframe. Then he turned to face Carrie, his hulking figure completely filling the doorframe. "I've completely blocked the exit Carrie; you'll never get past me!" he teased her.

"Then I'll just have to hang onto you until you step out of the doorframe!" Carrie decided. She stepped towards him and jumped up into his massive arms, leaning her head against his huge rock-hard chest. Andrew stepped back into the hallway, smirking because Carrie felt as light as a feather in his muscular arms. "You're so strong and so gentle Andrew!" Carrie whispered in amazement, as Andrew stroked her face lightly with one massive hand. As she felt his other arm encircling her waist gently, she added, "I love you so much Andrew; I can't imagine ever leaving you!"

"Even though you said you would if I scared you as badly as I did last night Carrie?" Andrew asked her seriously.

"Forget about what I said Andrew; as long as you're as gentle with me all the time as you have been this morning, you have nothing to worry about!" Carrie assured him, as they walked down the hall.

"That's a relief Carrie," Andrew said as they headed downstairs. "I don't know what I'd do without you in my life!"

"That's why you two are meant to be together Andrew," Ron said, standing up from the table as Andrew and Carrie walked into the kitchen.

Andrew lowered Carrie to the ground and stepped forward to shake Ron's hand.

"Hello sir; how are you this morning?" Andrew asked him, shaking his hand gently.

"I'm just fine Andrew," Ron replied, wincing at the strength in Andrew?s grip. Andrew quickly released his grip on ron's hand. "How did you two sleep last night?" Ron asked Andrew.

"We slept fine sir; it was great waking up in each other's arms," Andrew replied with a gentle smile.

"That's good Andrew," Ron said, stepping into the kitchen to make breakfast. Andrew stood up to help him, but Ron motioned for him to remain seated. "I couldn't sleep well last night, so I checked on you two a few times. I was very pleased when I noticed that you were protecting Carrie even in your sleep Andrew."

"Are you referring to how I had my arms wrapped around her as we slept?" Andrew asked him, smiling at the memory.

"Yes I am Andrew," Ron replied. "I was very pleased to see how safe she was in your arms and I'll sleep a lot better tonight because of that."

"That's good sir; I'd protect Carrie with my life if necessary, against anyone who dares to even look at her the wrong way!" Andrew growled in fury. His face turned purple with rage and he clenched his fists tightly. Ron and Carrie stared at him in shock and fear as the blood swelled to his massive muscles, straining the seams of his clothes almost to the breaking point. Andrew noticed their looks of fear and he relaxed his fists and took a few deep breaths to calm down. "Sorry about that you two; it's just that the thought of anyone hurting Carrie makes me really mad!"

"It's okay Andrew; no one's going to even think of looking at me, especially when they see how big and muscular you are!" Carrie assured him. Andrew smiled at her when he realized that she was right and reached across the table to hold her hand gently. Carrie smiled back at him and took his hand, marvelling at his soft touch. "Now let's relax and eat breakfast Andrew: after my dad's done making it of course!"

Andrew smiled broadened as he thought about one day having breakfast with her in their own house once they were married.

Once Andrew and Carrie and Ron were done eating breakfast, Andrew and Carrie headed off to school, with a short detour along the way to pick up Mike.

"I hope you don't mind us taking Mike to school," Andrew said to Carrie. "I know how much you enjoy having this time alone with me."

"I get enough time alone with you now that you're sleeping over at my house this week," Carrie assured him.

"Yeah, I was a little surprised that our parents granted permission for that so quickly," Andrew said.

"They probably figured that we wouldn't be so eager to sleep in the same bed in their house if they granted permission for us to do so," Carrie realized. "Boy were they wrong! I love waking up with your massive arms around me in the morning!"

"I'm glad you enjoy it Carrie," Andrew said, squeezing her hand gently. "I love waking up with your gorgeous body pressed against my massive muscles! But we'll have to continue this conversation later; we're at Mike's house now."

Andrew stopped the car by the curb, shut it off and got out. He put on his 4XL football jacket and walked up to the front door. After he rang the doorbell, he looked back at his car and smirked at the 'Fast and the Furious' look it had.

"A cool sports car for a hot football star," he said to himself. Then he heard the front door open and he turned around to see Mike's dad standing in the doorway. "Hello sir; how are you this morning?" Andrew greeted his new friend's dad.

"I'm just fine Andrew and you don't have to call me 'sir'," Martin said. He motioned for Andrew to lean forward and then whispered in his ear, "I'm not Colonel Mitchell Andrew." When Andrew's eyes widened in surprise, Martin grinned and said, "Why do you look so surprised Andrew? Didn't you think that Matt told me about his first encounter with you over seven years ago at my brother-in-law's base? He's very proud to have such a fine soldier as yourself in his platoon Andrew! You truly are a great National Defender and a hero to our country!"

"I think those labels would better fit your son, who's told us about his experiences during deployment in Afganistan," Andrew corrected him quietly.

"Is that why you're so uncomfortable about being called a Military Hero, because you don't consider yourself one Andrew?" Martin asked him. When Andrew nodded, Martin added, "I can see your point Andrew; sorry if I embarrassed you. And you're right: as a member of the Infantry who had been deployed, my son Matt is truly a Canadian Military Hero. I'm very proud to call him my son."

"That's good sir," Andrew commended him, as he stepped inside and Martin closed the door behind him. "So, how should I address you then?"

"You can call me Martin," Martin replied. "Don't you remember me telling you that you could call me by my first name when we talked early Sunday morning?"

"It seems like a long time ago now," Andrew realized. "A lot had happened in the last 48 hours."

"Yes, Mike told me about your surprise party on Sunday night, working out with you in the gym yesterday and your upcoming strength tests in the junkyard today. I'm very impressed that you use your great strength to help others."

"Thanks Martin; it's great for me too," Andrew said quietly. "Where's Mike?"

"He's upstairs getting dressed for school," Martin replied. "He'll be down in a few minutes. Do you want something to drink while you wait for him?"

"That would be great Martin; thank you," Andrew replied. "If it's going to be a few minutes until Mike gets downstairs, I'd better get Carrie to move the car into the driveway. Then she can come inside and join us."

"Go right ahead Andrew: Mike and I will be waiting in the kitchen for you," Martin said.

Andrew went outside and got Carrie to move his car into the driveway. Then he came inside with her and found Martin and Mike sitting at the kitchen counter. Andrew and Carrie sat down at the counter and talked with Mike and Martin for a few minutes.

Once it was 7:15 am, Andrew and Carrie said goodbye to Martin and then took Mike to school with them.

"So Mike, are you ready for the strength tests at your uncle's junkyard?" Andrew asked him.

"Yes I am Andrew," Mike said. "Since we'll probably be studying for the Physics test during Spare today, can we work out in your home gym tonight like we did on Saturday night?"

"That's a good idea Mike: we'll do that after we have supper with your dad tonight," Andrew replied. "Then I'll give you some protein powder to help you recover from the brutal workouts I'm going to put you through. With my help, you'll soon become way bigger and stronger than you big brother Mark! Then you'll be his big brother and you'll soon rival your brother Matt in size and strength!"

"I look forward to it Andrew!" Mike shouted in excitement. "I want to become a muscle monster just like you!"

Andrew saw his excited grin and he looked forward to taking Mike further than Mark, so that Mark would be dwarfed by his 'little brother' when Mike attended the University of Miami.

Once they got to school, Andrew parked the car and then he and Carrie and Mike got out. Andrew told Mike that he wanted to talk to Carrie alone. So Mike went inside the school while Andrew led Carrie over to the bleachers.

When Andrew saw Carrie's smug grin, he said, "No, I'm not trying to get you alone so that I can have my way with you Carrie! Stop looking at me with that sexy smile of yours!"

"What's wrong Andrew?" Carrie asked him, as they sat down on the bleachers. "Don't you want me?"

"I want you more than anything Carrie, but losing one's virginity is an important milestone and I want it to be very special for you," Andrew replied.

"That's only part of it Andrew," Carrie realized, noticing him staring at his feet. She reached out and turned his head up so that she could look into his eyes. "I saw the look on your face when we talked about it in Miami: you were terrified!"

"I don't want to hurt you accidentally when we go all the way Carrie," Andrew informed her uneasily. "As you found out last night, my true strength is really scary and I could really hurt you if I got too excited!" He noticed the scared look on her face and tried to think of something to say that could alleviate her fear. "I also don't want to disappoint you if my performance doesn't meet your expectations the first time!"

"You've exceeded my expectations so far Andrew!" Carrie assured him. "You're a god Andrew!"

"NO I'M NOT CARRIE!" Andrew shouted in frustration, startling her with the force of his protest. "Stop worshipping me as a muscle god! Ever since my enhancement, you've become my biggest fan, instead of being the objective girl I fell in love with!"

"I-I'm just trying to deal with my fear of your great size and strength," Carrie stammered in fear. She noticed Andrew's sad look and added, "I'm also trying to make up for making fun of you the first time you told me you were going to start working out."

"That was over seven years ago Carrie," Andrew informed her with a frown. "The first sentence was the truth, the second sentence you spoke was just an excuse to cover it up!"

"You're right Andrew," Carrie agreed, looking down at her feet. "I just can't get over how you were a skinny little runt seven years ago and now you're a monstrous behemoth! But if you want me to stop being afraid of you, then you have to stop being afraid of being a sex symbol for me! As I told you on the plane ten days ago, it's quite a compliment you know!"

"You've got a deal Carrie," Andrew said, hugging her gently. "Don't worry Carrie, I'll try not to scare you too much: unless you want me to of course! And I won't hurt you either!"

Carrie eased out of Andrew's embrace and asked him, "Is that why you never hug or kiss me in front of other people Andrew? Are you afraid that you might accidentally hurt me in front of someone?"

"That's part of it Carrie," Andrew replied. "But I also have too much respect for you to show you off in front of all my friends like some kind of trophy!" He stood up, grabbed her gently around her waist and lifted her up effortlessly to his eye level. "But I must say that you're about as light as a trophy Carrie!"

"Andrew, some of those trophies are heavy enough that it takes several people to lift them!" Carrie reminded him. "If you're trying to say that I'm heavy, as in fat, I'm onto you!"

"Listen to me Little Girl: I'm not calling you fat!" Andrew growled, hauling Carrie forward until she was just inches from his face. He grinned and reminded her, "You just called yourself fat; I called you light! And you're forgetting something Carrie: I'm so strong that even a 300 pound offensive lineman like Darrel would feel light to me if I lifted him up in mid-air!"

"I understand you perfectly Andrew," Carrie assured him, as he pinned her gently against the side of the bleachers. Andrew kissed her softly and she melted into his strong gentle embrace. Once they were done kissing, she said, You're so strong Andrew, but so gentle at the same time. It's amazing!"

"Thanks Carrie," Andrew said, smiling softly. "You're right, my great strength is amazing!"

"Your strength is too great for anyone, including me, to control you Andrew!" Carrie informed him. "I can see that you are the only one who knows how to control your great strength!"

"That's a good thing Carrie; it means that no one can control me or force me into doing things by threatening the people I love!" Andrew realized. "They'd probably be too scared of what I'd do to them once I got my hands on them to even think about trying anything!"

"Alexander seems to be the exception to that rule Andrew," Carrie reminded him.

She felt her stomach clench with fear when she saw the anger on his face and she didn't feel any better when she realized that she was pinned to the bleachers by his iron grip.

"Why are you bringing up Alexander Carrie?" Andrew asked her, setting her down on the ground. "You know that even the mention of his name makes me angry!"

"Margaret called me after you left her house on Saturday and informed me that she is planning an expedition to his base after football season is over," Carrie replied. "Then we can finally put an end to the threat he represents once and for all!"

"Thanks for telling me that Carrie," Andrew said, taking her hand and leading her back to the school. "Maybe that's why Margaret made me those special weights and gave them to me for a birthday present!"

"You're probably right Andrew," Carrie said, as they reached the school building. As he held the door open for her, she added, "I hope you've been using them every day Andrew!"

"I only got to use them yesterday Carrie," Andrew reminded her, as they headed down the hall. "We were so busy with birthday shopping and my party on Sunday that I didn't get any time to work out that day!"

"That's okay Andrew, I'm sure you'll make up for lost time at the junkyard this afternoon," Carrie assured him, as they reached his locker. She kissed him goodbye and said, "See you at my house tonight Andrew!"

"See you later Carrie," Andrew said, waving to her as she walked down the hall.

He opened up his locker, put his gym bag inside and then took out his books for Physics Class. Then he walked through the halls to the classroom. Once he got there, he realized that class was about to begin. So he decided to wait until class was over to tell Mike his plans for them after the junkyard strength tests.

"Are you ready to go to Library with me and my friends so that we can study for the Physics test on Thursday?" Mike asked Andrew once class was over.

"Yes Mike," Andrew replied. "I just want to talk to you alone first. Tell your friends to wait for us in the Library."

Mike did what Andrew told him to and then came back into the hall to find Andrew leaning against the wall.

"I did what you told me to Andrew," Mike said. "Now what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Before we get to that, do you notice anything different about me?" Andrew asked him, following Mike to his locker.

"Yes I do Andrew, you're wearing your football jacket instead of your black leather jacket," Mike replied.

"That's right Mike," Andrew said. "I just realized that this is my last year with this football team and I want to enjoy it while I can."

"That's a very good idea Andrew," Mike said, as they reached his locker. He put his bookbag in his locker, gathered up all his Physics books and closed the locker again. "I know from watching my brother that he really enjoyed his years playing football here, even if they didn't end with a Provincial Championship!"

"Everyone seems to think that my contributions to the football team will lead us to a Provincial Championship this year," Andrew informed Mike.

"Do you agree with that opinion Andrew?" Mike asked him, as they began walking to the Library.

"Yes I do, but don't tell anyone that I said that Mike," Andrew replied. "We have an undefeated season so far and that's a good start. And since we got to the Championship Game last season, before I was enhanced, I think that we can win it now that I am enhanced!"

"I think you're right Andrew, but it will be your self-control, not your great strength, that will make that happen!" Mike predicted.

"What are you talking about Mike?" Andrew asked him, stopping by the trophy case.

"I noticed that you accidentally injured many opponents over the last few football seasons Andrew," Mike replied. "But you haven't hurt anyone this season, even though you've had superhuman strength the whole time! That proves that your self-control is much greater, probably because you know that your great strength could kill someone if it got out of control!"

"You're right Mike; I can't use my full strength on the field anymore, and I shouldn't have done it in the past," Andrew said. "Coach Everson made me take drug tests before every game last season, because everyone thought that I was on Steroids! I finally realized that even though Steve and Darrel were the same size as me, they hadn't hurt anyone! Even when the drug tests came back clean, some people still thought that I was switching the samples to fake the results! But once they compared the blood test results to the files from Doctor Johnson's office, everyone realized that the samples were completely accurate! But I still played really rough on the field, and other players still got hurt! My teammates finally realized that I was playing very intensely, almost angrily, on the field. Coach Everson and the team doctors heard about that from my teammates and they realized that playing angry would make my adrenaline and testosterone levels skyrocket! That would produce the same effect, superhuman strength, that Steroids would, and my judgement would be clouded by my rage just like it would be if I was on Steroids! So Coach Everson told me that he would be very upset with me if I cost myself a place on the team and a full athletic scholarship with my temper. I learned my lesson and played more calmly after that, using just enough of my great strength to win games without hurting anyone!"

"That's an amazing story Andrew," Mike said, as they began walking to the Library again. "I seem to remember that you didn't play during a couple of the games leading up to the Championship last year."

"Yeah, Coach Everson decided to teach me a lesson by benching me for two games until I could control my temper," Andrew remembered. "Of course, riding the bench made me mad and I protested his decision, but he informed me that I could either ride the bench for two games or stay home for all of them! So I quickly decided to obey his orders and control my temper before it cost me a place on the team! Carrie helped me learn how to control my great strength, by advising me to look forward to college while I played, instead of using bad memories from the past to make myself mad! After I humbly served my time on the bench, Coach Everson let me return to playing, and I regained his trust by playing a lot more carefully after that. I played in the last semi-final games and then the Championship Game! Even though we lost the game in the last minute, our performance in that game led to scholarship offers from many bigtime American football schools flooding in! Ralph and Connor were amazed that after one year on the team, they got scholarship offers just like Steve, Darrel and I did! But I informed them that Quarterback and Wide Reciever were very important positions, crutial to winning football games! Last summer, the five of us attended lots of football camps at big schools like Ohio State, USC, West Virginia, and Notre Dame! But Miami was curiously silent and it wasn't until I helped Mark move down there in August that Coach Malcolm first contacted me officially. I had to pretend on Thanksgiving Weekend that I was meeting him for the first time, so that I wouldn't make Ralph and Connor feel like I was getting a head start on them in the college recruiting process! I actaully met Coach Malcolm unofficially at National Signing Day, when he officially signed with Miami. He informed Coach Malcolm that I was responsible for turning him into the kind of quarterback that Miami would want to recruit."

"That's another amazing story Andrew!" Mike shouted in astonishment, as they got close to the Library. "Since I want to go to Miami as well, do you think I can come along to your National Signing Day and meet Coach Malcolm?"

"Yes you can, but you'll probably meet him unofficially at Christmas," Andrew reminded him. "I think that as I train you for football, I'll put together a little demo tape of your progress so that I can show it to him. Then you may be able to join the Hurricanes in your Freshman Year as a Walk-on and earn yourself a scholarship! How does that sound Mike?"

"That sounds great Andrew," Mike agreed, as they reached the Library. As they leaned against the wall next to the door, he added, "So if I'm going to be a Walk-on, I bet you'll be a Blue Chip!"

"Ah, you're referring to the best player for the position the school is looking to fill," Andrew realized. "Yes, you're probably right Mike, but don't forget, I'm the Blue Chip for the Center position! Ralph will be the Blue Chip for Quarterback, just like Mark was last year, and Connor will be the Blue Chip for Wide Receiver!"

"So your training made them excellent football players," Mike realized.

"Not just my training," Andrew informed him. "Who do you think taught Mark to be Quarterback, since I obviously never played the position?"

"Your dad?" Mike guessed.

"Right!" Andrew replied. "I was Mark's trainer in the weight room and my dad was his position trainer on the field! Then Mark trained Ralph to be the Back-up Quarterback and I trained Connor to be the Wide Receiver, since I had played the latter position in my first year on the team."

"That's a great story Andrew; thanks for explaining all that to me," Mike said. "Now, are you done bragging about all your accomplishments over the last few years? Are you ready to keep your mouth shut and listen to me and my friends as we tutor you for the Physics test on Thursday?"

"You'd better watch your attitude Little Man!" Andrew informed him. "I'm still the Big Man around here, got that?"

"Yeah Andrew, but I'm the one whose tutoring will help you maintain academic eligibility for your scholarship," Mike reminded him. "You alienate me and you won't get any more help!"

"Good point man," Andrew said, as they walked into the Library. "I guess I shouldn't be mad at you for acting more confident around me; it's the first step in your journey to becoming a jock. Don't worry Mike, I'll help you get so big that you won't have to act tough; you'll look tough instead!"

"Thanks Andrew," Mike said gratefully, as they approached the table where Mike's friends were sitting. "Let's start studying now, before Spare ends and we run out of time."

Andrew and Mike studied with Mike's friends until lunchtime, and Andrew understood the Physics material a lot better once Nate, Lenny and Stu used some football analogies.

During Lunch, Andrew informed Mike about some plans he had for him after the junkyard visit. Mike was surprised that Andrew was going to take him shopping for a new wardrobe, but Andrew informed him that a tough-looking outfit was the first step to becoming a jock.

At 3:30 pm, Andrew and Mike met Andrew's teammates in the junkyard. Mike introduced everyone to his uncle on his father's side: Robert McDonald.

"So you're Andrew Pearson: the young man that Mike has been raving about," Mr. McDonald said as he shook Andrew's hand. "I'm very pleased to meet you."

"I'm pleased to meet you too sir," Andrew said quietly, shaking Robert's hand gently. "I look forward to testing my great strength in your junkyard today sir."

"Please, call me Rob," Rob said. "So, did you want to start by crushing some cars for me today?"

"Yes I do sir," Andrew replied. "I would like to test the true limits of my great strength and help out the community at the same time."

"Excellent idea Andrew," Rob said. "I have some old cars that were just dropped off at the front gates. If you and your teammates could pull them over to the crusher and destroy them, I'd really appreciate it. My Crane Operator called in sick today and I couldn't get anyone to fill in for him. Once Mike told me about the great strength that you and your teammates possess, I knew that you'd be the perfect replacements. So how about it Andrew: will you and teammates help me out?"

"That's what we're here for sir!" Andrew shouted in excitement, flexing his massive biceps.

"Good, then follow me and I'll show you where the cars are," Robert said, leading Andrew and his friends towards the front gates. Once they got to the front gates, he motioned to the ten cars that were parked there. "Go ahead Andrew: show off your great strength! I'll pay you guys the same hourly rate as my Crane Operator gets if you do this favour for me."

"How much money are you talking about?" Andrew asked him, pushing the first car towards the car crusher.

"I'll go look up that information and get back to you on that," Rob replied.

"Sounds good," Andrew said, wedging the car against the side of the crusher. He began compressing the car into a square slowly and said, "See you later sir!"

The football team was astonished at Andrew's superhuman strength and they just watched him in awe. Andrew grinned at them and kept focussing on his work until he had managed to crush the car into a crude ball.

"Well it's not the cube I had hoped for, but I guess it's good enough," Andrew said with a grin.

"That's amazing Andrew: you kept talking even as you crushed the car into a crude ball of metal!"

"Yeah I did man," Andrew agreed, pleased at the calming effect that using his true strength had on him. He looked over at his teammates and realized something. "Unfortunately, I think I scared my friends speechless!" He turned towards Steve and Darrel, hoping that since they had been enhanced like he was that they wouldn't be scared of him. But they recoiled in horror and Andrew frowned. "Hey, you guys wanted to see the true limits of my great strength, din't you?" When Steve and Darrel nodded slowly, Andrew said, "I thought so guys; that's what we're here for!"

"I guess you're right Andrew," Steve finally said. "I just never thought that you'd actually be able to crush a car just like you said you would!"

"This is the first time I've done it," Andrew agreed. "And once you guys bring the other cars over here, I'll use one of them as a battering ram to crush another one!" Steve's eyes became wide like saucers and Andrew sighed in exasperation. "Get going Steve: that's an order!"

"Yes sir!" Steve shouted in fear, running over to the front gate.

Andrew turned to Darrel and yelled, "Well don't just stand there: go help him!"

"Right away Andrew!" Darrel shouted, running over to help Steve.

"And don't push them over here; carry them!" Andrew shouted after them. "I know that you two have strength that rivals mine, so stop being so scared of me!"

Mike came up to Andrew as he began rolling the car over to the pile of other crushed cars.

"I thought that showing off your true strength would make you calm, not mad," Mike said to Andrew.

"It would, except for the fact that everyone is getting too scared of me when I show off!" Andrew shouted in exasperation. He turned towards Mike and laid a massive hand on his shoulder. "You seem to be the only one who isn't scared of me right now Mike!"

"Well it was my idea for you and your teammates to come here for extreme strength training!" Mike reminded him. "I never would have suggested it if I hadn't thought that I could control my fear of your true strength!"

"Good point Mike," Andrew realized, smiling at him. "Well, now that we've got that out of the way, I'm ready to crush some more cars!" He looked over towards the front gate and noticed Steve coming towards him with a car over his head. "Good job man: I knew you could do it!" Andrew congratulated him.

"Thanks man," Steve said, panting slightly due to the heavy load he was carrying. "Where do you want me to put the car?"

"Just press the front bumper against the tall part of the car crusher and I'll do the rest," Andrew ordered him.

Steve obeyed Andrew's orders and Andrew stepped around the car until the back bumper was in front of him. Then Andrew began pressing against the back of the car with his massive hands, causing the car to become crumpled up like an accordion.

"All done," Andrew said, stepping back in satisfaction and crossing his arms. "You can put what's left of this car next to the one I crushed into a ball. Here comes Darrel pushing the third car and Ralph and Connor are following him with the fourth car!"

Steve looked over as he set the crushed metal cube down beside the crushed metal ball. He grinned as he noticed how strong Darrel was: being able to push the car over to the crusher all by himself. In contrast to Darrel's ease, Ralph and Connor were struggling to push their car the last few meters to the crusher.

"Hey good job man," Andrew congratulated Darrel. "I knew you could do it. You're obviously really strong like Steve and I: being able to push the car over here all by yourself."

"I've been practicing at home," Darrel informed Andrew. "The September news story about your car lifting came out around the same time I got enhanced at Marge's house. So I decided to try out your extreme strength training program. I guess it paid off."

"I'll say it did!" Andrew shouted in agreement. "Now, let's help the other guys get the rest of the cars over here. Then I'll perform that battering ram test I told you about!"

"Are you really going to do that?" Darrel asked him incredulously as they walked back towards the front gates.

"Yes I am Darrel!" Andrew replied. "As my dad can tell you, when I say I'm going to do something, I do it! Since I benched 6700 pounds in the gym yesterday, I should be able to manhandle a couple of cars!"

"You don't realize how scary that sounds, do you?" Darrel asked him, getting a little scared of Andrew himself. "Most football players might talk about manhandling a few people; it's almost inconceivable to think that you could manhandle a few cars Andrew!"

"That's true, but when you look at what I was able to do with those cars a few minutes ago, that proves that I can manhandle cars anytime I want to!"

"You're right Andrew," Darrel agreed, as they reached the front gates. "And you could manhandle people too, and noone could hope to stop you!"

"I bet you and Steve could," Andrew corrected him. "After all, Steve was able to carry a car over to the crusher by himself and you were able to push one over there by yourself! If there's anyone who can stop me from manhandling anyone, it's you and Steve! Besides, I don't want to manhandle people anyway! It's a lot better for me to manhandle cars, because they don't yell or get scared if I crush them! So it's a lot safer for everyone if I take my aggression and my full strength out on metal instead of flesh and blood! It's a lot better for me as well, because I get to release my full strength without having to worry about hurting anyone in the process! And you know, this extreme strength therapy is all thanks to Mike, who came up with this idea in the first place." He looked over at Darrel and noticed the faint look of guilt on his face. "Yeah, you should feel guilty about bullying Mike all those years Darrel, especially since you did it to his brother as well!"

"I'm really sorry about that Andrew," Darrel said quietly. "I hope you can accept my apology."

"Don't apologize to me!" Andrew told him. "Apologize to Mike; he's standing right behind you!"

Darrel turned around and looked down to see Mike looking up at him with an expectant look on his face.

"Go ahead Darrel; I'm listening," Mike said, crossing his arms.

"I'm really sorry for bullying you all through High School Mike," Darrel said sincerely. "I guess you reminded me of Andrew, who soon outgrew me and I was too resentful of his progress. In any event, there's no excuse for my behavior and I hope you can forgive me someday. What do you say?"

"You know, I could be cynical and say that you only apologized because Andrew's standing right behind you," Mike replied. Darrel looked behind him, but there was no one there. "Fooled you Darrel!" Mike chucked. "Andrew's over by the crusher guiding Steve as he crushes his first car!"

Darrel turned around and glared down at Mike, before realizing that he deserved to be made fun of by Mike.

"That's very clever Mike; you got me back," Darrel said; his glare softening into a sheepish grin. "I deserved that."

"Yes you did!" Mike shouted, his grin fading into a frown. Darrel looked at him in shock, surprised by his intensity. "But don't worry Darrel, you also deserve to have your apology accepted, since it's obvious that you're not a bully anymore."

"Getting genetically enhanced like Andrew helped me overcome my jealousy of him, so I didn't have to misdirect it on the small kids anymore," Darrel informed him. He leaned down to lay a gentle hand on Mike's shoulder and added, "I'm also impressed at how much size you've packed on over the summer."

"About thirty pounds and three inches in height!" Mike informed him, noticing Steve coming towards them. "My big brother Matt, who's in the Army, is 6 foot 7 and he weighs 350 pounds! And it's all muscle!"

"That's bigger than me or even Steve!" Darrel shouted in astonishment. "Do you think that Andrew's training will make you that big?"

"I certainly hope so," Mike replied. "Then I'll be so big that noone will ever think of bullying me again!"

"Neither Darrel nor I think of bullying you anymore Mike," Steve said from behind him. Mike turned around in shock; not having heard Steve's approach. "Sorry if I scared you Mike, and sorry for bullying you over the past three years!"

"Apology accepted Steve," Mike assured him, shaking his massive hand gently. "I can tell that your apology is sincere, because Andrew's at the crusher where he can't hear you!"

"Yeah I know," Steve said. "It was his idea for me to come over here, but he knew that once I was out of his hearing range that I could do whatever I wanted." He stepped closer to Mike and Darrel approached him from the other side. Mike suddenly realized that Darrel and Steve had him surrounded and he couldn't see past their massive forms to signal Andrew for help. "Don't worry Mike," Steve assured him, putting a massive hand on his small shoulder. "We just didn't want Andrew to hear us humble ourselves; it would shatter our jock images!"

"That's a relief guys," Mike said with a grin. "You had me scared there for a minute!"

"After what we've put you through the last few years, I can understand why," Darrel said. "But enough about this Mike: what do you want us to do next?"

"You're asking me for instructions?" Mike asked him in astonishment.

"Well, we are in your uncle's junkyard and there are still a few cars to move to the crusher," Darrel reminded him. "And we owe you for helping us study for the Physics test in two days. So tell us how to get the cars over there and we'll do it!"

"Okay, you and Steve carry the cars over your heads all the way over to the crusher," Mike said. When Steve and Darrel looked at him with a slight grin on their faces, Mike shouted, "Move it guys: that's an order!"

"Yes sir!" Steve and Darrel shouted in unison, running over to the last two cars.

Mike chuckled as he watched Steve and Darrel obey his orders instantly but the grin soon faded from his face when he saw them lift the cars over their heads.

"I'll never get used to seeing you guys do that," Mike said to them as they walked towards the crusher.

"Actually Mike, you might get used to it if we can get permission from your uncle to come over here for private strength training," Steve corrected him. "Do you think he'll say yes to our request?"

"I think he'd be too afraid to say no considering how strong you guys are!" Mike stammered in fear as they approached the crusher.

"Hey, don't be scared of us Mike; we're not bullies anymore!" Darrel assured him, as they set the cars down carefully in front of the crusher.

"I know that guys, but you're so big and strong that you scare us small guys!" Mike informed him.

"Now that we know how big your brother is, I don't think you'll be small for much longer," Darrel corrected him. He stepped up to Andrew and clapped a hand on his massive shoulder. "With the help of Andrew the Personal Trainer, you'll soon rival Steve and I in size and strength!"

"Is that why you're training me Andrew, so that when I get big enough, I can get genetically enhanced as well?" Mike asked Andrew in shock.

"I never thought about that actually and since we'll be down in Miami by that time, you might have to wait until Christmas of 2006 to have the procedure done," Andrew replied. "But enough about that for now. It's time for me to use one car to crush the other one, just as I promised."

"We look forward to it," Darrel said, speaking for the other three teammates and Mike. "Do your stuff Big Guy."

"Okay everyone: stand back," Andrew ordered them. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

Andrew's five friends stepped back quickly as Andrew picked up one of the two cars and raised it over his head. Then he shifted to a wider grip and slammed the car down onto the car on the ground. Sparks and glass flew all over the place and Andrew's five friends ducked and shielded their eyes. Andrew just grinned and raised the dented car above his head: ready to smash the car on the ground again. Andrew smashed the grounded car over and over until it was just a mangled cube of crumpled metal.

"Okay Steve, you lift this car over your head and press it against the crusher like I did with the first car," Andrew ordered him.

"Sure thing Andrew," Steve said, stepping up from behind Andrew until he could hold the dented fourth car over his head.

"Thanks man," Andrew said, brushing the glass fragments off his football jacket. He was pleased that his jacket had not been ripped by the glass. He then turned to Darrel and said, "You come with me, we have to bring the fifth and sixth cars over here."

"Right away Andrew," Darrel said obediently, following Andrew over to the gates as Steve began pressing the car against the crusher. He looked back and grinned as he saw the car slowly getting crumpled up like an accordion thanks to Steve's great strength. "Steve's doing a pretty good job Andrew; it looks like today's visit here wasn't just a strength test for you!"

"That's good Darrel, because you and Steve need to learn how to control your great strength so that you don't hurt anyone accidentally like I have," Andrew said. He looked back at Steve and smiled when he noticed Mike giving Steve a high five after Steve set the car down. "It's great that Mike really fits in with us and I bet you guys find him a lot more useful than you thought you would."

"You're right Andrew," Darrel agreed. "No one on the team would have thought of this kind of strength training! Do you think that Mike's uncle will allow us to come back here more often to perform more strength training?"

"I don't see why not," Andrew assured him. "But be sure to ask him first before you come over here to train. Now, we'd better get the other cars crushed. Let's take the 8th and 9th cars over to the crusher now. We don't want Steve to get impatient and carry the rest of the cars over here by himself! We now know that he could do it with no trouble!"

"You're right about that Andrew," Darrel agreed. "So I'll take the 8th car and you take the 9th car."

"Yeah, it looks like Steve took the 7th car over to the crusher while we were talking," Andrew realized, pointing to Steve, who was walking over to the crusher with another car above his head. "Let's go and help him Darrel."

"Coming Andrew," Darrel said, lifting the 8th car above his head. Andrew lifted the 9th car and Darrel said, "I'm ready when you are Andrew."

"Follow me Darrel," Andrew ordered him, leading the way over to the crusher. Once they got there, he said, "Since Steve already crushed the 5th car, it's your turn to crush the 6th car."

"Okay Andrew, I'll do my best," Darrel said, looking a bit worried as he braced the car against the crusher.

"Don't worry man, if Steve can do it, you can too," Andrew assured him.

"Thanks Andrew," Darrel said, as he began pressing against the back bumper of the car. As the car slowly became crumpled like an accordion, Darrel smiled as he realized that he was just as strong as Andrew now. "I guess you were right Andrew; I can crush a car after all!"

"Yeah, but don't let it go to your head!" Andrew warned him, rolling the crushed car off to the side effortlessly. "Watch what I can do with each hand!"

Andrew rolled the 7th and 8th cars up to the crusher and then pushed them together. Then he began pressing against the cars, with one hand for each one! Darrel's jaw dropped in amazement as the cars were slowly crushed, even though Andrew was only using the strength of one hand for each one! Steve, Ralph, Connor and Mike came up behind him very carefully, so that they wouldn't disturb Andrew's concentration. Once Andrew was done crushing the cars into cubes, he turned to his friends and grinned.

"That-that was amazing Andrew!" Steve shouted in amazement. "I can't believe you just did that!"

"Well the evidence is right there!" Andrew reminded him, pointing to the two cubes of metal behind him. "Do you need any more proof of my great strength than that?"

"I guess not Andrew," Darrel agreed, looking over the pile of crushed cars that he and his friends had made that day. "So, there's one car left Andrew: what should we do with it?"

"Are you guys in the mood for a little baseball?" Andrew asked them with a big grin.

"I guess so, but there's no bats or balls here," Steve reminded him.

"I think we could rip this last car apart and make some," Andrew suggested, motioning to the car in front of him. "I think we can crush the wheels into balls and use the axles as bats."

"Good idea Andrew; let's try it," Steve agreed, as Ralph, Connor and Mike stared at Andrew in amazement.

"Okay guys, let's do it!" Andrew ordered them, ripping the wheels off the car. Steve and Darrel ripped the axles off and Andrew said, "Okay Darrel, get over by the pile of crushed cars and Steve and I will take the first two turns at bat."

"Good idea Andrew," Darrel said, jogging over to the pile of crushed cars. He set the wheels down beside him and then picked up the first one. He crushed it into a ball and asked Andrew, "Are you ready?"

"Yes I am Darrel," Andrew replied, lifting the 'bat'. "Throw me the 'ball' and I'll see how far I can hit it!"

Darrel threw the first ball and Andrew hit it right into the pile of crushed cars.

"So far so good Andrew," Darrel said, crushing the second wheel into a ball. "Now it's Steve's turn."

Andrew stepped out of the way and Steve stepped up with his bat.

"Are you ready Steve?" Darrel asked him.

"Yeah I am Darrel," Steve replied.

He lifted his bat and swung as Darrel pitched the ball. He hit the ball with a resounding crack and the ball flew over Darrel's head and over the fence of the junkyard.

"Looks like a home run Steve; you hit the ball further than I did," Andrew commended him.

"Yeah I did; now it's time for Darrel to show us what he can do," Steve said.

"Good idea," Andrew agreed, leading the way over to where Darrel had been standing. "I'll pitch the third ball and you pitch the last ball."

"Sounds good to me Andrew," Steve said, grinning as he watched Andrew crush the third wheel into a ball effortlessly. "You just love showing off your great strength, don't you Andrew?"

"Yeah I do Steve, and so do you," Andrew replied, as Steve crushed the fourth wheel in his massive hands. "Are you ready Darrel?"

"Yes I am Andrew," Darrel said, lifting his bat. "Throw me the ball and I'll see if I can hit it further than Steve did."

Steve threw him the ball and Darrel hit it almost to the fence.

"Good try Darrel: one last chance to hit it out of the park," Andrew said, throwing the last ball.

Darrel hit the ball with a mighty swing, making the ball fly over Andrew's head and out of the junkyard.

"How was that Andrew?" Darrel asked him.

"Good job man," Andrew said, walking over to the crusher. "Looks like we're all done here, thanks to our great strength!"

"Yeah, I bet you didn't think we could match your great strength, did you?" Steve asked him.

"You seem to forget yesterday morning at school," Andrew reminded him. "When you lifted my car all by yourself, I had a feeling that you would be able to crush a car. Now you're a muscle god like I am!"

"You think that I am a muscle god?" Steve asked him in astonishment.

"Of course I do man," Andrew assured him with a reassuring grin. "In fact, I think that we have a Muscle God Triumvirate now, since Darrel is just as strong as we are."

"I guess you're right about that," Darrel agreed. "But what is a Triumvirate Andrew?"

"It's a leadership group of three people," Andrew replied. "And since we're so big and strong, and we're seniors as well, we rule the school this year!"

"It doesn't hurt that we're all on the Offensive Line of the football team," Darrel reminded him.

"That's true Darrel," Andrew agreed. "I just have one question," he added, as Ralph, Connor and Mike walked over to them. "Why are our smaller friends not scared of you guys when you crush cars?'

"We don't adopt the Cocky Jock attitude like you do," Steve replied. "Maybe it's because we're not as dominant on the football field as you are."

"As you've both discovered today, you may have underestimated yourselves," Andrew said with pride. "Maybe you feel comfortable pointing out all my flaws because you're as strong as I am now. I'm glad you let me know when I've crossed the line, because I can't moderate my aggression if people don't tell me when I've gone too far. I just can't understand why none of you told me about my overly aggressive nature before today."

"Everyone's scared to death of you Big Guy," Steve informed him. "I'm ashamed to admit it, having to be a 'fearless athlete' but I'm a little scared of you even now!"

"A little?" Andrew scoffed, noticing Darrel and the others talking to Mike's uncle by the office. "You were crying like a baby in July: begging me to put you down when I had you suspended above my head with one hand!"

"Don't you even think of telling anyone about that!" Steve snapped, grabbing Andrew's massive neck in both hands. He pulled Andrew to within inches of his angry face and growled, "If you ever tell anyone about that, I'll break your neck!"

"I'd like to see you try," Andrew said with a cocky smirk. "Good job making a scene so that everyone can see how aggressive and dangerous you are! Maybe you're the one who needs Prozac, not me!"

Steve looked around hastily, but everyone had gone inside Rob's office. He released his hands from around Andrew's neck and stepped back slowly.

"I'm sorry about that man," Steve said, looking down at his hands in shock. "I guess I'm not feeling like myself these days."

"Actually, you are behaving like yourself," Andrew informed him with a frown. "You've always been jealous of me and since you've been enhanced your anger has boiled over because I'm still ahead of you! This makes three seperate instances now that you've snapped at me and the last two occured in the space of three days! That sounds like a pattern to me!"

"I think you're right Andrew," Steve agreed. "I have noticed that I feel a lot more angry and jealous than I did before I got enhanced in July." He looked over at the pile of crushed cars and added, "But I guess I no longer have any reason to be jealous at you or angry that you're stronger than me, do I?"

"No you don't," Andrew agreed. "And it looks like neither you nor Darrel are scared of me anymore."

"That's because we're so close your size and strength Big Guy," Steve informed him. "But the other guys on the team are scared of you, because you're so much bigger and stronger than they are!"

"I think that their fear of me will fade now that I can let out my aggression every day with this strength therapy," Andrew realized.

"You're right Andrew," Darrel agreed, coming up to them slowly.

"Hey man, what's up?" Andrew greeted him, slapping his shoulder. "Where'd you and the other guys go?"

"We went to the office to get paid and then Ralph and Connor went home," Darrel replied. "Here's the money that you and Steve earned."

"That's almost 100 dollars each," Andrew realized. "Do Crane Operators really make that much per hour?"

"I'm not sure, but Mike's coming out of the office, so ask him," Darrel suggested.

So Andrew did that, but Mike didn't have a good answer. He looked sad that he couldn't help his big friend, but Andrew laid a reassuring hand on his small shoulder.

"That's okay Big Guy; don't worry about it," Andrew assured him. "It's enough that we got to release our full strength in a safe and productive way!"

"It certainly was productive," Rob agreed, coming out of his office. He walked up to the group of four friends and added, "Thanks a lot guys! You really got me out a jam today!'

"No problem sir," Andrew said, shaking his hand gently. He smiled and added, "It was great for us as well: stretching ourselves to the limits of our great strength! But I still don't think I've reached the limits of my mine! Do you have a truck or van that I could try crushing?"

"You're welcome here anytime to find one," Rob replied. He turned to Steve and Darrel and added, "That goes for you two as well. You can come by anytime for more strength tests! Then you'll be in perfect condition to keep an eye on Mike if anyone tries anything with him."

"Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to him," Darrel assured Rob, putting a massive arm around Mike's shoulders. He was anxious to make up for how he had bullied Mike over the past few years, so he added, "If anyone tries to mess with him, they'll have to come through us!"

Andrew and his two big friends flexed their massive biceps, making Rob's jaw drop once he saw how big their muscles were.

"Please don't do that again!" Rob begged them. "I can't be very helpful to you guys if I'm scared to death of your massive builds! Have you guys ever thought of going into bodybuilding?"

"No we haven't," Andrew replied, as Steve and Darrel shook their heads. "Do you really think it would work?"

"I'll bring a mirror over here and you guys can see your reflections for yourselves," Rob decided. "Stay here; I'll be right back."

Mike watched him go back into the office and then turned around to see that his three huge friends had taken their shirts off.

"You guys just had to show off your huge muscles after you showed off your great strength, didn't you?" Mike asked them with a grin.

"Yeah man!" Steve yelled in excitement. "We did our work; now we get to have some fun! Though that work was fun as well!"

"I guess it was," Mike agreed. "I'll just go into the office and get a scale so that you guys can weigh yourselves. I'll be right back."

"Good idea Mike; we'll be waiting right here for you," Andrew said. "Hurry back: we don't like to be kept waiting!" As Mike grinned and ran towards the office, Andrew turned back to his friends. "So, are you guys glad that I introduced you to Mike? He turned out to pretty useful, didn't he?"

"Yes he did," Steve replied. "I'm glad that Mr. McDonald agreed to let us come back for some more strength training? When do you think we can come again?"

"How about tomorrow night after football practice?" Andrew asked them.

"I'm afraid that Steve and I are spending time with our girlfriends tomorrow night," Darrel said. "But maybe we can do it on the weekend."

"Actually Carrie and I are going on a trip this weekend, but maybe you guys can come and workout here anyway," Andrew said. "You guys certainly need to use cars to challenge your muscles now, since you've been enhanced just like me!"

"Yeah, I went to Marge's house just after the first practice in September and had the Enhancement Procedure done then," Darrel informed them. "But first I went to Dr. Johnson's office and he gave me the Prozac and sedatives to take beforehand. That way I didn't have as many emotional side effects as you and Steve have had."

"Hey that's great man," Andrew said. "I'm glad that the Enhancement Procedure was successful for both of you. Does Marge plan to enhance anyone else?"

"I don't think so," Darrel replied. "She told me that her serum can only enhance people above 275 pounds, because only they have enough testosterone in their system for the Enhancement Serum to be effective."

"I guess that explains why it took me two months to lift my first car, while it only took you one month to do the same thing!" Andrew realized. "I was only 275 pounds at the beginning of July."

"And it took me until August to reach that weight!" Steve reminded Andrew. He was anxious to keep the fact that the Transylvanians had enhanced him in July, with their non-weight restrictive serum, quiet. "That's why I wasn't able to lift a car until yesterday! Doctor Johnson told me on Saturday that I had reached that strength level. But obviously the Enhancement Procedure works better than he thought, considering that I was able to crush cars today!"

"I'm sure that once they got the emotional side effects out of the way, they were able to accclerate the enhancement, just like Dr. Johnson did with me on Saturday," Andrew realized. "That would explain why you were able to crush cars only two months after being enhanced!" He grinned at Steve, winking at him to let him know that his secret of being enhanced in July and August was safe. "And Darrel here can crush cars only one month after being enhanced, so the Enhancement Serum has obviously been modified to work more quickly!"

"Yes it has, because once they got the emotional side effects out of the way, they were able to modify the serum to act more quickly," Darrel informed him. "I'm sure that Marge told you that the serum is supposed to help us put on as much muscle in one month as we normally put on in one year."

"Yes I do remember that, but I only put on 10 pounds each year before I was enhanced," Andrew realized. "But once I was enhanced, I put on 25 pounds of muscle each month, not just 10! Why would that be?"

"Marge told me that the serum is designed to add 25 pounds of muscle each month," Darrel replied. "That is the normal amount of weight that normal football players put on each year. It's just that you had a big growth spurt before Grade Five and then your muscle growth slowed down after that. But Steve and I have put on 25 pounds of muscle each year since Grade Nine, even though we only gained weight at the same rate as you in Public School."

"That explains a lot," Rob said, coming up to them with the mirror. "I had wondered how you three guys could be so strong and now I know. Mike's father told me about the newspaper article that explained the Enhancement Procedure but he didn't have any details. Thanks for filling me in."

"You're welcome sir," Andrew said, turning to face Rob. "I didn't see you standing there behind us."

"And now you won't see Mike approaching with the weight scales," Rob said, pointing behind them.

Andrew and his friends turned around to see Mike set the scales down in front of them.

"We can now find out how much you guys weigh," Mike said.

"And then we can see if you have put on any more muscle," Andrew reminded him. "Have you been doing push-ups, situps, and pullups when I'm not around?"

"Yes sir!" Mike shouted without thinking. "I haven't tried out a bulking-up diet yet, but..."

"We'll get to that tonight Mike," Andrew assured him. "But first, I want to see if I got up to 365 pounds today." He stepped onto the scale and looked down at the display. "Yeah, it looks like I reached 365 pounds exactly: only ten pounds shy of my target weight of 375 pounds. That makes 90 pounds of muscle I've added in only three months. Now that's what I call muscle growth!"

"I weigh 330 pounds," Steve said, "I think I'll aim for 350: that's a nice round number."

"I'm up to 305 pounds," Darrel reported, grinning as he looked down at the digital readout on his scale. "I think I'll aim for 325 pounds."

"I'm glad you guys are getting close to your size goals," Mike said, smiling with happiness for his big friends. "I'm really glad that this superhuman strength therapy has helped you guys bulk up."

"Now it's time to see if my training has helped you bulk up," Andrew said, stepping off his scale. "This scale's all yours Mike; step on and we'll see how much you weigh."

Mike obediently stepped onto the scale and looked down at the readout.

"Hey, I've put on five pounds since we met almost two weeks ago!" Mike shouted in excitement. "I weigh 160 pounds now! That means I've added five pounds of muscle in only 11 days!"

"That's great man!" Andrew congratulated Mike, slapping him gently on his shoulder. "I knew you had potential: just wait until you cross 200 pounds! Then you'll be a jock like us!"

"There's a mirror here as well; so that you guys can see how well defined your muscles are," Mr. McDonald said.

"I'll go first," Andrew decided, grabbing the full-length mirror out of his hands. He set it against the nearest stack of cars and stepped in front of it. Then he turned to Mike and said, "Actually, you go first Mike."

"Okay Andrew," Mike said, stepping up to the mirror hesitantly.

"Don't be shy man," Darrel said. "We just want to see if you've developed any pecs, abs or biceps yet."

Mike slowly took off his t-shirt and stepped up to the mirror. He saw a reflection of himself with more solid upper body muscles.

"Hey, you've got a six-pack already Mike!" Andrew shouted in excitement. "Flex your biceps man and show us how big they've become!"

Mike flexed his biceps slowly, grinning as his new friends encouraged him.

"Look at those guns man!" Andrew shouted, squeezing Mike's arms gently. "I bet they're up to 15 inches already! Anyone have a tape measure?"

"I have one in the office," Mr. Mitchell said. "I'll go get it."

"I'll come with you," Andrew decided. He turned to his teammates and added, "You guys keep Mike company."

Andrew went with Mike's uncle and the other guys compared their muscles in the mirror. They also marvelled at how quickly Mike had developed his own muscles.

"You must have incredible genetics Mike," Steve said. "You'll become a muscle god like us in no time: just like your brother Mark!"

"He's puny compared to my big brother Matt!" Mike informed him. "He's 6 foot 7 and he weighs 350 pounds! And he started developing muscles really quickly, just like I am!"

"Do you think it's possible that you'll become just as big and strong as he is?" Darrel asked Mike with a worried look.

"Yes I do Darrel," Mike replied. He noticed Darrel's worried look and asked him, "What's wrong Darrel?"

"If you become that big, you'll be bigger than me or Steve!" Darrel informed him. "You'll be able to manhandle us whenever you want!"

"Then you guys had better treat me nicely or I might be tempted to do just that!" Mike warned them with a smug grin.

Darrel didn't get to reply to that prediction, because Andrew walked up to them at that moment with the tape measure in his hands.

"It's time to measure your biceps now Mike," Andrew said. Mike flexed his left arm and Andrew wrapped the tape measure around his bicep. "It looks like my guess was right Mike: your biceps are 15 inches around. That's pretty good man: your biceps are almost half as big as mine!"

"Good for you Mike!" Steve congratulated him, giving Mike a friendly shake. "12 more inches and your biceps will be as large as mine!"

"That would be great," Mike said, smiling at the thought. "I hope I grow taller as well, so that I'll still be in proportion."

"Based on what you told us while Andrew was in the office, I don't think you have to worry about staying short," Darrel reminded him.

"What did Mike tell you guys?" Andrew asked his friends.

"Mike told us that he has a huge big older brother who stands 6 foot 7 and weighs 350 pounds," Darrel replied, looking pretty scared at the thought.

"I know him," Andrew said. "You guys met him at my birthday party."

"Oh yeah, I remember him," Steve said. "Isn't he your Drill Instructor in the Reserves?"

"Yes he is Steve," Andrew replied. "I was a little surprised that he didn't remember me from when I was ten, but I've grown a lot since then."

"You never told us that you'd been on the Mitchell's base when you were ten," Darrel said.

"I never told you because you didn't ask," Andrew reminded him with a smug grin. "There's something else I should tell you about the Mitchells." He turned to Mike and asked, "Is it okay if I tell them about the connection between your family and the Mitchells?"

"Go ahead Andrew," Mike replied with a big grin.

"Mike's mother's maiden name was Mitchell; she was Colonel Mitchell's sister," Andrew replied.

"That means that Colonel Mitchell is the uncle of all three Stevenson brothers," Darrel realized.

"And so am I, but I'm the brother of Mike's father," Mr. McDonald said. "Our mother kept her maiden name and I took her last name when I was 10. Now, if you guys don't mind, I'm going to close the junkyard now and go home."

"Are you asking us to leave?" Andrew asked him with a smug grin.

"Do I have to or are you guys smart enough to take the hint?" Rob asked him with a teasing grin.

"We're smart enough to take the hint," Andrew replied, shaking his hand gently. "Thanks for letting us test our great strength here tonight."

"And thanks for helping me out when my Crane Operator couldn't make it," Rob said. He waved as the football players and Mike walked towards the front gate. "Have a good night you guys!"

"Thanks sir; you too!" Andrew shouted, once he got to his car. He turned to Mike and asked him, ?What do you want to do now??

"Weren't you going to take me shopping before we had a late supper with my Dad?" Mike asked him.

"Thanks for reminding me of that Mike," Andrew said, waving to his teammates as they pulled out of the parking lot. "It's off to the Georgian Mall in Barrie then."

"Why are we going to that mall?" Mike asked him. "There's a mall here in Orillia you know."

"Yeah, but Barrie's almost four times the size of Orillia with lots more selection in its malls," Andrew reminded him.

"Good point Andrew; you're pretty smart," Mike said.

"Thanks man," Andrew said. "I'm a little tired after the workout in your uncle's junkyard. You don't mind if I catch my breath during the drive down to Barrie, do you?"

"You're the boss Andrew," Mike assured him.

"Yeah I am Mike, so now I'm telling you to sit there and be quiet so I don't waste my breath talking to you," Andrew growled. He glared at Mike and Mike nodded quickly to show that he understood Andrew's order. "Good man," Andrew said with a smug grin. "You know how to shut up and follow orders like a good soldier should."

Mike grinned at Andrew and then realized that Andrew might be trying to get him into shape so that he could join the US Army Reserves during college. Then he could be Andrew's teammate in the platoon and on the field. Mike was about to ask Andrew about that, but then he remembered that Andrew had ordered him to be quiet. So Mike decided to ask Andrew that question later.

Once Andrew and Mike got to the Georgian Mall, they walked into Sears and headed for the Menswear section. Mike was unsure why Andrew directed him to the slim-fit jeans until Andrew explained it to him.

"The first step in changing your image is to wear clothes that emphasize the muscles you already have," Andrew explained. "Then people, especially girls and bullies, will believe that you'll become really big and strong. It's a very superficial tactic, but it works really well in high school, where image is everything."

"That should work with t-shirts as well, especially since small t-shirts are tight on me now," Mike agreed.

"But the t-shirt you're wearing now is loose," Andrew informed him.

"That's because I'm wearing a medium t-shirt Andrew," Mike said. "I left all my small t-shirts at home, but I haven't given them away yet because I still wear them at home."

"Why don't you wear them at school Mike?" Andrew asked him.

"I guess I didn't think of that," Mike realized. "Now that I have more self confidence, thanks to your help, maybe I should wear those small t-shirts at school again."

"That's a very good idea Mike, especially since it will show any former bullies how much you fill them out now," Andrew suggested. "Now, while tight t-shirts will intimidate the guys, tight jeans will turn on the girls. Do you have any?"

"Girls or tight jeans?" Mike asked Andrew with a smug grin.

"Both," Andrew replied, grinning right back at him.

"I don't have tight jeans, but I do have slim-fitting jeans, even though they say regular fit on the label," Mike replied.

"Then slim-fit jeans would be tight on you," Andrew realized. "We'll start you out with those to see if you can attract some girls. Then once you have a girlfriend, she'll tell you what to wear." He handed Mike some slim-fit Levis and added, "Try these on in the changeroom and let me know what you think. I'll find you some size small t-shirts and meet you back here in ten minutes."

"Okay Andrew," Mike said, taking the jeans into the changeroom. He tried on the various jeans and was amazed at how tight they were on him, though he could still move easily in them. "I hope Andrew's right about this clothing theory, because it makes me slightly uncomfortable to show off my body, even if it is more muscular now."

When Andrew got back, Mike handed him the jeans and said that they fit tightly but easily. Andrew nodded in approval and told Mike that he would be a magnet for the girls in no time. Then he handed Mike the size small t-shirts he had picked out and told him to try them on.

"Just show me what you look like in them and I'll let you know if any former bullies will be intimidated by your build," Andrew ordered him.

Mike nodded and went into the changeroom with the t-shirts. When Mike showed Andrew the t-shirts one by one, Andrew grinned and nodded at Mike in approval.

Once Mike was done trying on the clothes, Andrew bought them for him and then Mike got changed in the washroom. When Mike stepped out of the washroom in the red t-shirt and light blue jeans, Andrew noticed how tight his t-shirt looked and he felt slightly uneasy when he realized that he must look the same way to other people. He also noticed how tight Mike's jeans were and he saw some girls walking by and sneaking a peek at Mike's butt. Then they saw how big Andrew was and scurried away.

"You look good Mike; how do you feel?" Andrew asked him.

"I feel great," Mike replied. "I saw those girls looking at me. Were they staring at my butt?"

"Yes they were Mike," Andrew assured him. "You're a muscle stud already. Can you get your hands in your pockets to get your keys?"

"Only halfway," Mike replied, grimacing as his fingers got stuck in his pocket.

"That's okay Mike; I'm sure when you have a girlfriend, she'll enjoy the challenge of getting into your pockets," Andrew assured him. "Now let's get going."

"Where are we going now?" Mike asked him, as they walked towards Andrew's car.

"We're going downtown to get you some cowboy boots and a leather jacket," Andrew replied, grinning as he saw some guys staring at Mike's muscles. "It looks like you're intimidating the guys with your muscles already Mike."

"That's good Andrew; it should put an end to the bullying I've experienced over the last few years," Mike realized.

"Good thinking Mike," Andrew said, as they got into his car. "And once you reach my size, everyone will be so scared of you that they'll do whatever you tell them to!"

"Do you think that I'll get so big that you will be scared of me Andrew?" Mike asked him with a big grin.

"I don't think so Little Man!" Andrew growled at him. As he pulled the car out of the parking lot, he added, "I'm the big man around here and you'd better not forget it!"

"I won't Andrew," Mike assured him, getting a little scared of Andrew's sudden change in attitude.

"See that you don't Mike," Andrew growled. "I'm the boss here and you'd better follow every order I give you if you want to be a jock like me! Got it?"

"Yes sir!" Mike shouted in fear as they headed downtown. He looked over at Andrew and saw the grin on his face. "Very funny Andrew! You were just pretending to be mad, weren't you?"

"Yeah man I was," Andrew agreed. "Don't worry, I won't scare you away Mike, or neither of us will enjoy the potential benefits of our association!"

"Oh I get it Andrew: you're just keeping me around so that I can do things for you!" Mike teased him.

"Better watch what you say to me Little Man!" Andrew growled at him with a big grin.

"I can't watch what I say unless I write it down at the same time!" Mike reminded him with a chuckle.

"Very funny man!" Andrew laughed, slapping Mike's shoulder with a huge hand. Mike concealed a wince and Andrew nodded in approval. "Good man Mike; you didn't show any pain."

"Then how did you know I felt some?" Mike asked him without thinking.

"I didn't until you told me just now," Andrew reminded him with a cocky grin. Mike pounded his fist against the armrest; frustrated that Andrew had outsmarted him. "Stop trying to damage my car Mike; why don't you try to damage me instead?"

"Maybe later," Mike said, as they arrived downtown. "I think I see the shop where we can get my cowboy boots and leather jacket.

"So do I Mike," Andrew agreed, pulling the car over. "Let's go inside."

Mike followed Andrew into the store and Andrew picked out some black cowboy boots and a black leather jacket for him. Mike changed in the store and Andrew grinned with approval when he saw how much tougher and taller Mike looked. Then he took Mike home.

Once they got out of Andrew's car, Mike said, "Just one more thing before we go inside Andrew."

"What's that Mike?" Andrew asked, turning to face Mike.

"This!" Mike shouted, punching Andrew right in the face.

Andrew grinned to conceal a brief flinch and said, "Are you happy now that you've paid me back for tricking you into revealing that I hurt you earlier?"

"Yes I am Andrew," Mike replied. "I'm also happy that I look so much tougher now that I'm wearing clothes that emphasize my muscles."

"Yes, it will be interesting to see what your dad thinks when he sees your new outfit," Andrew said. "But first, I think you should punch me a few more times: as a strength test for you and a pain tolerance test for me. I actually felt that first punch you know."

Mike grinned at that piece of news and began punching Andrew in the face, hoping that Andrew would ask him to stop. Andrew concealed his pain by grinning, but he was relieved that Mike wasn't scared of him anymore.

"Good job man," Andrew commended Mike, rubbing his jaw as Mike finally stopped punching him. "You're getting pretty strong dude; your brother obviously took you some of the way towards becoming a jock already!"

"Yeah, once he was done with his football training last year, he taught me to play football and hockey," Mike informed him. "He wasn't able to teach me enough about football for me to join the team this year though and I didn't think you'd talk to me and allow me to learn more football from you."

"Since your brother never talked about you, I never even knew that you played any sports at all," Andrew informed him. When he saw Mike's sad look, Andrew assured him, "Hey don't look sad man; with hundreds of students at the school, it's hard for me to pick aspiring athletes out of the crowd!"

"Though you could quite literally pick me up out of the crowd!" Mike reminded him.

"Do you want me to pick you up right now, with one hand?" Andrew asked Mike. When Mike nodded eagerly, Andrew grinned and said, "Okay man, get ready!" He stepped forward and lifted Mike up with one hand around his waist. "Hope you enjoy the ride Mike," Andrew said, as he walked up the front steps and stepped up to the front door. He was still holding Mike effortlessly in mid-air when Mr. Stevenson opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. "Oh hello sir; I was just giving Mike a hand."

"Good for you Andrew," Martin said. "No, don't set him down yet," he added, as Andrew began to lower his arm. "You should lift Mike up high enough to change the lightbulb without him having to use the ladder to do it."

"Good idea sir," Andrew said, looking up and noticing the burnt-out porch light. "But if I'm holding Mike up right now, that means that you have to get the new lightbulb."

"I already did; I was coming out here to change it," Martin informed him. He handed Andrew the new lightbulb while Mike unscrewed the old one and added, "But your help means I have more time to get supper ready. What do you want to eat tonight?"

"Lots of meats and vegetables!" Andrew shouted in excitement. "I'm starved, because I haven't eaten since lunchtime!"

"I guess I'd better make four helpings for you, since you're so hungry Andrew," Martin teased him as Mike screwed in the new lightbulb.

"Actually, you'd better make five or six helpings for me, since I usually eat four when I'm not hungry," Andrew said seriously. He set Mike down and threw the old lightbulb into the trash can. "Let's go inside sir, so we can help you make supper. Then we can eat and talk."

"Good idea Andrew," Martin said, leading the way inside. He turned to Andrew as they took their shoes off and said," You don't have to call me 'sir' you know. My first name is Martin, as I told you on Saturday."

"I know sir- I mean Martin," Andrew said, as he took off his jacket. "It's just that my dad and my Drill Sergeants taught me to respect authority and always call adults 'sir' and 'ma'am' when I'm in their presence."

"I bet he didn't tell you that calling adults 'sir' and 'ma'am' is a clear hint of your status as a military hero," Martin realized.

"I don't consider myself a hero sir; just a soldier who is honoured to serve his country proudly," Andrew said quietly.

"That's a very wise attitude Andrew; never lose that," Martin said, as he walked into the kitchen. As he checked the food on the stove and in the oven, he added, "It could be very easy for someone as big and strong as you to 'believe all the hype' and get a swelled head. Then public opinion would turn against you if you became so cocky and arrogant that you thought you were better than everyone else!"

"Yeah, my dad taught me that lesson early on, and your brother-in-law Colonel Mitchell added to that lesson when I first met him and your son Matt in the summer of 1998."

"And that lesson worked!" Martin informed him, looking across the counter at Andrew. As Andrew and Mike sat down on the stools, Martin added, "You're a kind, gentle player on the football field, and despite your protestations earlier, you are a military hero to those of us who don't serve in the Canadian Forces!"

"Thank you sir," Andrew said, looking down at the counter in embarrassment. "I do my best to serve my country proudly and with honour."

"You've done a good job so far and thanks to my brother's connections, you'll be able to fulfill the last year of your Infantry contract at the Homestead base next fall," Martin informed him. "Your father did the same thing almost 30 years ago, though it was my wife's father who made it possible then."

"You mean that I'll be the second generation to serve at the Homestead base during the last year of my Canadian Forces contract?" Andrew asked him.

"That's right Andrew," Martin confirmed, as he began chopping up vegetables for the salad. "It's pretty rare, but not unheard of, for teenage Canadian reservists who get athletic scholarships to fulfill the last years of their contracts that way. As you'll find out when you get to Miami, college sports stars get lots of perks like that and the benefits only increase when they get to the NFL!"

Mike, Martin and Andrew talked a bit more before supper was completed. As they ate, they discussed more about Andrew's future career in sports and the military. Martin confirmed that Andrew's service in the American Army Reserves would allow him to pursue the military as a full time career if the NFL didn't work out after college. When Andrew asked if he would get deployed to Iraq during the four month college summers, Martin assured him that he would not, since he would be academically deferred. But he would be part of the Inactive Reserves for four years after his first year of college, so his first year in the NFL might be at risk of being interrupted by deployment.

"That is, if the War in Iraq is still going on by then," Martin said, as Andrew took a third helping of potatoes. "Last fall, the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention was the US Senator from Illinois, who was an early opponent of that war. If the rumours of him running for President in 2008 are true, I think that the War in Iraq might be over by the time you graduate college."

"That's a relief sir," Andrew said. "Not that I wouldn't gladly deploy with my platoon if I had to, but football has always been my first love."

"Understandable Andrew," Martin said.

Supper was soon over, after Andrew had a fifth helping of the main course and two helpings of desert. Mike and Andrew helped Martin clean up all the dishes and Martin couldn't help noting that Andrew had no trouble cleaning his plate even without soap and water. Andrew grinned at his humourous observation and excused himself to head out to the car for a moment. When he came back inside, he was carrying a box of supplements that he had picked up at Harrington's Sports Suppliers for Mike four days before. He followed Mike up to his room and then found some space in Mike's closet to store all the supplements, protein powders and sports bars.

"I'll write you a list of the proper portions once we get to my house Mike," Andrew informed him. "Do you have your workout clothes here with you or are they in the car?"

"They're here somewhere," Mike said, looking under his bed. "I didn't bring them to school today, because I knew we'd be studying for the Physics test on Thursday."

"Bring them to school for the rest of the week Mike," Andrew advised him. "It won't do you any good leaving them home on Thursday, since the test is before Spare that day."

"Good point Andrew," Mike said, packing his gym clothes in his sports bag.

"Is that the same bag you used to put your hockey equipment in Mike?" Andrew asked him.

"Yes it is Andrew," Mike replied. "We should play some street hockey sometime."

"Maybe tomorrow night after football practice," Andrew suggested. "We can play at my house; it's in a quieter neighbourhood."

"Good idea Andrew," Mike said, as he followed his big friend downstairs. "I don't think my dad noticed my new outfit; he was too distracted by the burnt-out porch light and then all the talk about you!"

"You're right Mike; I'm sorry about that," Martin said, as Mike and Andrew put their cowboy boots and leather jackets on. "I must say, I'm glad that you're looking more muscular and that your cowboy boots make you taller."

"Only 2 and 1/2 inches, but it makes a big difference in my self confidence Dad," Mike said, zipping up his jacket with a slight struggle. "I can't wait for the day when my muscles bust the seams of my clothes!"

"Considering how snug that jacket is on you, I'd say that day is not far away," Martin predicted. As Andrew opened the door, he added, "Have a good night you two and I'll see you when you get home Mike."

"Bye Dad," Mike said, walking down the steps with Andrew.

Martin went back inside and Andrew directed Mike to the driver's side of his car.

"Why don't you test-drive my car back to my house and let me know what you think," Andrew suggested.

"Wow, thanks man!" Mike said, as they got into Andrew's car.

"You're welcome dude," Andrew said, grinning at the excitement on Mike's face.

Mike drove himself and Andrew to Andrew's house, where they had a good chat with Andrew's dad Chad. Chad gave Andrew the number of the Post Office Box where the ring that would soon be Carrie's was. When Andrew asked for the key, Chad got a worried look on his face and realized that he had forgotten about that. He promised Andrew that he would find the key and give it to him tomorrow night. Andrew realized that he would have to invent some pretense to 'borrow' Carrie's class ring so that he could get her engagement ring resized the next day.

Mike asked Andrew if they could go down to the basement to work out and Andrew agreed. While Mike got changed in the bathroom, Andrew talked to Chad a bit more and learned that he would have an expanded shift at work on Thursday. When Andrew asked why, Chad told him that it was a surprise. Andrew grinned at that and then Mike came out of the washroom in his gym clothes.

"Am I imagining things or are you filling out your gym clothes more than before Mike?" Andrew asked him.

"This t-shirt is one of the small ones that I stopped wearing this summer," Mike informed him. "The shorts are small on me as well now."

"Good man Mike, you look more muscular already!" Andrew congratulated him.

"Let's go down to the basement gym and find out how much my muscles can lift," Mike decided.

Andrew agreed and led the way down to the basement weight room. Once they got there, he took the 1000 pound weight plates of the benchpress bar, shrunk them and put them back into the weight case for the workout at school the next day. Mike put one 45 pound weight plate at each end of the bar and lay down on the bench.

"Are you sure you can benchpress that much weight Mike?" Andrew asked him.

"You did it when you were my size, didn't you?" Mike asked him. When Andrew nodded, Mike added, "If I want to become as big and strong as you are, I have to lift the same amount of weight that you started out at."

Andrew nodded in understanding and put his hands under the weight bar as Mike began benchpressing 135 pounds. Mike managed to squeeze out ten reps, without a spot this time.

"Way to go man!" Andrew congratulated Mike. As Mike sat up, Andrew added, "I can see that you're a lot stronger than you were three day ago!"

"Wait until you see what I can bench next!" Mike shouted in excitement.

"I can't wait Big Guy!" Andrew encouraged him. "Show me what you've got!"

Mike grinned as he put more plates onto the weight bar, anxious to show Andrew how strong he truly was.

[conoemadre]

Great story....

[sl97aq]

Thank you for the reply and I'm glad you liked the chapter. It took a few months to get this chapter on the forum, and to write it, but hopefully the next chapters will be good as well.