As you have said, our marriage may not have been one of great passion, but it has definitely been a great partnership. We are very compatible and are ...trong where the other is weak. We have complemented each other greatly and I do believe that we have a great and gentle love for each other, and for our wonderful children. You know that intelligence gathering and analysis is my strength, and we are facing infiltration from persons unknown into the intelligence family. You need my help. You need. "Thank you," I said, and then stood up. I went and fetched him a damp wash cloth. He took it; wiped himself; and handed it back to me without a word. His concern for being viewed as a 'man', and not a 'fag', was all important to his sense of self, and I understood that. To have thanked me, in his way of viewing things, would have placed him inside the 'faggot' category, and that was something he would never accept. So I thanked HIM, instead; even though he didn't acknowledge the reason for. I knew they were my friends and unlike if it had been a group oflads who had been dishing it out I understood that there was no malicein their words. All my life I have never quite understood when my malefriends were just 'taking the piss' (to use the male term) or when theymeant it and as we got the bar ready and opened up I began to ask myselfwhy I felt more comfortable and able to tell the difference betweenjoking and being serious when I was in a group of girls? As there wereonly five of us. I..." he stammered.Mandy's eyes crinkled with laughter again. "No, silly," she said, glancing down. "Although I'm flattered, I'm sure. My breasts are full of milk, for the colony. I made myself lactate so we could feed your people."Christianson sputtered. "What? Why?"Charlotte answered, "Like she said, we got your distress call and we wanted to help." We thought you were bringing us food rations," Christianson said."Sorry," Mandy said. "We don't have any. But we're couriers, and we were in the.