A Mother Returned

All characters in sexual situations are 18 or older. Thanks for reading!

*

Five days post-breakup.

"I'm worried about him, Winnie. He stays in his room all day. Barely talks. He hasn't even mustered the strength to call me a bad name since the breakup." Penelope hovered over the stove, keeping an eye on the oil temperature of her frying chicken. "It's been days. We don't even know what he's doing in his room."

"Your temperature is over 400, lower the power and get it down to 375." Winifred sat on a barstool, overseeing her mistress's work in the kitchen. Penelope had come a long way with her cooking, but she still needed some supervision. "As for what Teddy is doing in his room, it isn't a mystery. He's investigating."

"Investigating? What on Earth is he investigating?" Penelope looked over at her friend with eyebrows raised.

"It's time to flip the chicken," Winifred said. "It seems he developed a taste for detective work when Cora was missing. I suppose it's not surprising. He always excelled at math and logic at school. He's investigating you."

"Me?" Penelope used tongs to turn the breaded chicken over.

A good mother loves to cook. And I do. I hope this meal coaxes a smile out of Teddy.

"What do you mean, 'me'?"

"Felix and I searched high and low for you after you left. But you didn't want to be found. Six months before you returned, Felix was despondent. He told me to end the search. And then, miraculously you came back to us." Winifred smiled. "Since the breakup, Teddy has poured himself into finding what happened to you during the two and half years you were gone. I think he hopes finding answers might help repair your relationship. I have been helping him when asked. Mostly I've been negotiating with other AIs when the need arises."

"He's doing it to help our relationship?" Penelope took some deep breaths. She tried to ignore her flipping belly and thrumming vagina. She needed to focus on making supper. "I see. So, his seclusion has been productive at least. Has he found anything?"

"First, he spent several days reviewing my notes from my earlier search. He's trying not to replicate our work. He hasn't found anything yet, but he feels that searching memory clinics might give him a clue." Winifred nodded at the sagacity of her human. "Felix and I didn't think to check such places beyond a cursory investigation. We didn't know you would have amnesia when you returned. But Teddy feels you may have wiped your own memory. He has been using bots to search hours and hours of video feeds from whatever cameras we can gain access to. It is difficult work, as you were likely hiding your face. We didn't find you on any cameras when we looked in the past. But Teddy hopes to identify you by your body and walk. He's very clever."

"Oh... that sounds... thorough." Penelope wanted to say insane. She imagined her poor son couped up in his room, programming algorithms to search years of recordings for her. She hoped he wasn't reviewing any of the feeds manually. That would be true lunacy.

He's doing this because he loves me. A good mother supports her son's endeavors.

"I see your worried look. I agree that he's set himself an impossible task." Winifred leaned closer, her elbows resting on the counter. She lowered her voice. "But the loss of his bond with Victoria has hit him hard. It's good that he's found a distraction. He'll end the search when he's ready. Although, it would be good if he got out of the house now and then."

"Indeed." Penelope nodded. "You said Felix told you to stop looking for me two years after I left. Is it okay that you're helping Teddy now? Should you avoid the topic of my disappearance?"

"It's not the same search. You are found." Winifred thought it over. "Felix had lost hope that we would find you. But here you are. I could ask him if he thought Teddy's investigation was a good idea. But it seems harmless, and Felix has been very busy lately with his work. I only want to bring things to his attention when they are important."

"Yes, yes. You're right, of course." Penelope nodded. "Felix has been very busy lately." She frowned and stared into space. It was difficult not talking to her husband daily. And when they did talk, the delays made communicating arduous.

"Check the internal temperature," Winifred said.

"Huh?" Penelope gazed at the robot, holding the tongs absently in her gloved hand.

"Your chicken is likely done. Check the internal temperature." Winifred nodded to the thermometer.

"Oh, yes." Penelope focused back on her cooking and pushed her son to the back of her mind. Winifred was on top of things. Everything would be okay.

~~

Two days later.

"Teddy, please pass me the peas." Penelope smiled at her son.

Theodore blinked at her blankly and passed her the bowl. "Here." He looked back to his plate, pushing food around.

"Winifred, come sit with us. The table feels empty." Penelope waved Winifred over from where she was standing by the door.

"Yes, Penny." Winifred sat at the table between Penelope and Theodore. She didn't fetch a place setting since she wasn't eating.

"So, how was your investigation today, Teddy?" Penelope daintily ate a spoonful of peas.

"I didn't find you, if that's what you're asking." Theodore shrugged without looking up.

Penelope frowned. She was hoping to get more from her son. Before the breakup, she had prayed to the gods that he would calm down. Be careful what you pray for. Now he was almost a ghost of himself. "Well, I'm proud of you for trying, Teddy." She watched him closely as he shrugged again. She decided to change tack. "The Triumph for our victory on Ceres is happening tomorrow. Would you like to join me? It should be quite a show. I know you love the food at festivals. I'll buy you anything you like." She braced herself for pushback, but he didn't react.

"You can take a break from your research, Teddy. I think it would be good to get out of the house. I could come too, if you like." Winifred dilated her pupils to engage his sympathy. It would have worked if he'd glanced at her.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. We can go." Theodore shrugged again. It was his new go-to gesture.

"Oh, splendid!" Penelope clapped her gloved hands. "It's just the sort of mother-son bonding we need." Her cheeks heated, and she glanced at Winifred. It felt so odd to have fornicated with a poor copy of her son in the sensorium just a few hours before, and now be the perfectly prim mother she was supposed to be.

But my sensorium activities have kept me from relapsing for weeks. They are needed to expunge the odd urges from my mind. A good mother knows how to blow off steam.

"I agree. I think it will be excellent for all of us." Winifred nodded happily.

"You don't need to come, Freddie. I don't need a babysitter." Theodore looked over at the robot. "Mom and I will go."

"Oh. Very well, then." Winifred nodded with less enthusiasm.

~~

The Triumph was a lively affair. It seemed much of the city had turned out for it. The Nishas walked the thronging streets, Penelope trying to entice Theodore to try different foods. He turned them all down, instead peppering his mother with questions about the time she'd disappeared. He was sure that Winifred would have stopped him at some point, but his mother allowed him to continue the interrogation. He wondered at his patience with her non-answers. He supposed he believed her. "And you don't remember ever being interested in a memory center? Maybe before your amnesia started?"

"I'm sorry, Lambkin. I don't. Why would I need something like that? I wouldn't want someone else's memories, and I cherish my own." Penelope had to raise her voice to be heard over the crowd. "Oh... grilled pineapple." She pointed to a booth. "You used to love that as a kid. Would you like to try some?"

"Thank you for being patient with my questions. I know it can't be easy for you." Theodore blinked at himself. It seems the loss of his girlfriend had shifted more than his daily habits. He needed answers. If he could find out why she left, and it wasn't horrible, maybe he wouldn't be so alone. Maybe he could have a mother again. Maybe he could have sympathy for her. Maybe... the sympathy had already started to creep into his mind. It was clear she didn't have any answers for him. But she was trying. "Yes, let's get some pineapple." The first hint of his smile peeked from the eclipse that had hidden it for weeks.

"Goodey!" Penelope jumped up and down. She noticed her son's eyes drop to her bouncing bodice, and she promptly stopped. She didn't need him at her breast. They were forging a new, appropriate connection. Things were going to be all right.

They bought their treats and moved into a nearby park to eat without the jostling crowd. They found a quiet bench near a pond and sat down.

"Yum, this is good, isn't it?" Penelope nibbled on her skewer of pineapple.

Theodore took a bite. It was hot, tangy, and sweet. "Yes, it's good." He felt a waxing smile coming on and struggled to stifle it. He didn't want to have a good time without Vicotria. And he didn't trust his mother. Not until he knew what had happened to her. But despite his efforts, the grin spread on his face. "It reminds me of..." And just like that, the smile was gone. Standing on the lawn not fifteen feet away was Reginald Gelling and three of his despicable friends.

"Good day, Nisha." Reginald's smile was sharp and cruel. He loosened his tie. "Having a pleasant day with your mamma?" He nodded to Penelope. "Good day, bitch." His friends snickered.

Penelope put her gloved hand to her mouth. "You can't speak to me that way."

"I assure you I can, whore." Reginald bowed.

"Fuck off, asshole." For the first time since the breakup, Theodore felt the scorching presence of his temper. He tossed the pineapple skewer into the bushes and clenched his fists.

"You were too much of a coward to deal with me directly. You had to have your daddy mess with Rex." Reginald shook his head in exaggerated sadness. "Justice is on the way."

One of Reginald's friends slammed his fist into his palm several times.

Theodore stood. "There are so many things wrong with this. With you. Walk away while you still can."

"Oooohhhhhh noooooooooo." One of Reginald's friends said. The four young men laughed. They were all nineteen like Theodore. He'd gone to school with all of them.

"You tricked me at the duel. That's why you won." Reginald took a deep breath. "You know what? We don't need to draw this out. Get him." Two of his friends rushed Theodore. The third went for Penelope.

Penelope screamed. People in the park turned toward them, but she didn't see anyone racing to help. Suddenly, she was in the grasp of one of the ruffians. He pinned her arms behind her back. She struggled enough to dislodge her pinned hat, but didn't put much of an effort into getting away. It was futile. The lad was tall and muscular. What chance did she have? She heard blows landing and saw that Theodore was already brawling. He landed two punches on the first man, staggering him. The second man hit Theodore with an elbow to the forehead. She screamed, "Rip their arms out, Teddy! Send them to Hades!"

Theodore's rage had free rein. It poured out of him, distillated by violence. The first man wavered on his feet and fell to the grass. The second, having landed a blow, moved behind Theodore to grip his arms. They were going to hold him for Reginald to administer the beating. Without thinking, Theodore swung his head backward and caught the man square on the nose. There was a horrible crunch of bone on cartilage and the man screamed.

"You... are a fucking... scoundrel. And your mother is a bitch in heat, spreading her legs for..." Reginald jabbed at Thedore's body, connecting over and over. He didn't bother finishing his thought.

Theodore barely felt the attack. His vision was tinged red. His mother continued to yell encouragements to him. As fate would have it, she would watch Thedore in another victory. He was glad to have her witness his triumph during the Triumph. She had missed many events, but she was here now. Theodore chop-blocked Reginald's arm and landed a right cross that made blood spurt and Reginald wobble. A sharp pain lit up the back of his scalp. He spun and the second man was there with a small bludgeon, blood running down the man's face. Theodore swung and connected. He then reached for the weapon, trying to knock it out of the man's hands. Another weight landed on him from behind.

"No... Teddy!" Penelope could see that her son was losing. All three assailants were landing blows now, ganging up on Theodore. The man behind her held her arms in a vise grip. She watched Theodore stumble, connect on a punch, but receive four more. He went down. The boys gathered round and kicked him. Penelope looked for help. People were staring, but no aid came. A growl came from deep inside of her. It was wild, terrible, and frightening. Even to her. It was the sound of a mother's agony at watching her son fall. "Ggggrrrrraaaaahhhhhhh!" She twisted her arms sideways with the force of desperation, pinning the boy's arm at an odd angle. There was a loud snap, and her captor released her, adding his wild screams to the cacophony. She stepped toward Reginald, grabbed his shoulder, and pulled him back.

"What the ffuuuuuuuuccckkk." One moment, Reginald had been enjoying sweet victory with each savage kick. The next moment, he was tumbling painfully across the lawn.

"Gggrrrraaaahhhhhhh!" Penelope slapped the bloody-nosed hooligan so hard across the face that it spun him around, and he dropped to the turf. The other man, still standing, took one look at her snarling maternal protection and ran in the opposite direction. Penelope pulled Theodore to his feet. He was bloody, with one eye swelling, and a cut down his cheek. She quickly put his arm over her shoulders, and they walked away as quickly as they could. If Reginald had any parting words for them, she didn't hear. The blood was whooshing in her ears so loudly she doubted she would have heard much of anything. She called Winifred to send a car to pick them up by air. It was there within minutes, landing before them in the park. Such a landing wasn't strictly legal, and Penelope was grateful for Winifred all the more.

Winifred stepped out of the car. Her face looked passive, but she was ready to defend Nishas. Her arms moved loosely, and she seemed filled with kinetic energy ready to burst.

"Winnie! Thank gods. Are we followed?" Penelope dared not look behind her.

"You are not. I see possible assailants heading toward the south exit. Shall I pursue?" Winifred jogged toward and past the Nishas, taking up a protective rear position.

"No... no... Teddy already beat them well enough. We need to go home. He needs the neighborhood autodoc." Penelope helped her son into the car. She kissed his bloody cheek, but he didn't say anything. His gaze was distant. She thought he might have a concussion.

"Yes, Penny." Winifred helped Penny into the car. Soon, they were away, zipping over the trees in airspace that was supposed to remain free of traffic. It didn't matter. What mattered was that her Nishas were safe.

~~

The neighborhood autodoc worked on Theodore for less than an hour before he demanded to go home. The medical AI insisted he stay for the full healing process. His mother and Winifred asked him to listen to the AI, but he refused. Eventually, he promised to come back later for the remaining mending, and they relented to going home early. He walked stiffly between his mother and Winifred the few blocks to his house. He didn't want to use the car.

Winifred cleaned him up, put him in crisp pajamas, and tucked him into bed. She then left.

A short time later, Penelope came into his room, sitting on his mattress near his hip. Her green eyes smoldered with intensity. "You stood up for my honor... again. I am so proud of you."

"I got my ass kicked." He shrugged and frowned. The cut on his cheek was mostly healed, but he could feel tightness in his skin there. "Those fuckers. They grabbed you, Mom! We could call the constabulary. I could go to Reginald's house with a baseball bat." He sat up, his rage burning again. "I want to tear off their limbs. Just like you said."

"Calm... yourself... Teddy." Penelope took deep breaths. Her son looked so ferocious. He had unleashed his inner demon to defend her. And there it still was, trying to get out. Her belly spun, her palms perspired, and her vagina thrummed. She needed him to calm himself if she was to stay and comfort him. Otherwise...

"There were too many. But I'd fight those fucks again. Why does it have to be you? Why are they turning their filth on you!?!" His growling voice reverberated around the room.

"Aaaauuuuuggghhhh!" Penelope tore her bodice. Buttons pinged off the wall where his framed prints had once hung. "Those damn flapdoodles! You showed them, Teddy. They were a bloody, craven mess when you were done. I... I..." She stared down at him, holding her bodice open. Her bra and cleavage, on full display, heaved with her breath. "I... need to show you... how much it means to me... that you came to my defense. I... I... need to... I need to... a good mother rewards... a good wife pleases... a good..." She pulled down the covers and leapt on top of him, pressing her full lips against his. Her frenzy kicked into a higher gear when his tongue tentatively danced with hers. He was kissing her back!

"Mmmppphhh." Once more Theodore found himself in the path of one of his mother's tempests. On the one hand, he didn't know why she had left them. On the other hand, things had gone beyond some sort of odd redemption act on her part. She truly seemed to love him in her own insane way. And her lunacy was catching. Add to that the Victoria-shaped hole in his heart, and he was hers. At least for the moment. He let her tear his pajama top open and caress his bare chest with her gloved fingers.

Will she show me her hands again?

Penelope made out with her son for a long, glorious stretch of minutes. She finally pulled her lips off his and stared down into his beautiful green eyes. "I don't know... what to do about your father. He won't approve. He won't. I don't think Winifred approves either. But... but... I would please you, lambkin. I would... see you happy." She lifted her skirts and rubbed her panties on his pajama bottoms, finding the shaft of his massive erection with her labia. She twitched and winced at the sudden pleasure. "You're not... fighting me this time." Her hips hunched quickly, dry humping his wonderful thing. She pulled her sundered bodice off and tossed it to the floor. Her bra followed.

"I'm done... fighting you, Mom." He stared at her amazing tits. She was leaning forward, so they hung away from her chest, dangling over his. Her black nipples almost touching his skin. The stretch marks at the top of each tit were pale on her brown skin. It made her look so vulnerable. It made him want to guard her and protect her like he had at the park. He had to remind himself that he didn't trust her yet. He had to know why she'd left them first. He didn't doubt her honesty, but he had to know he could forgive her. Then, she stuffed her nipple into his mouth and trust was no longer an issue. There was only primal longing and need.

"Ohhhhhh... yes. Suckle... suckle at my breast." Penelope cradled his head, running her covered fingers through his thick, dark hair. "I wish... I had milk for you. A good mother feeds her son." Jolts of pleasure spread from her vagina, making her body jerk sporadically. "You're so big... I can feel it... I can feel how big you are. It's frightening... thrilling... and somehow just how it should be. What do you want from me? I'll give you anything, Teddy. Anything."