“The Catalyst Series”
Chapter 03: First Night in Town,
or a Little Hotel Fun
The three travelers managed to find the hotel easily enough.
It was a nice place in a nice neighborhood, though it was a little older, but
all Alex was interested in right then was getting out of the car, eating and
getting some rest. Stopping and starting, getting in and out of the car at
every exit along the route, and worrying about whom they were meeting and what
it might entail, was tiring. He realized he had to work on his relationship
techniques if he was going to be doing this all summer long.
Checking in, the hotel staff was very cordial.
“Your friends are already checked in next door. They’ve been
anxiously waiting for you,” the receptionist told Alex with a bright smile.
“They keep checking by to see if you’ve shown up yet.”
“Our friends?” Alex asked.
“Oh, yes, there are two...”
“Alex! Alex, it’s so good to see you again.”
He turned around not knowing who to expect, when he was
enveloped by two beautiful young girls. It took him a minute to figure out
exactly who they were.
“Tina? Amy? What are the two of you doing here?”
“Patricia told us you were staying here on your way down,
and since I spend much of the year here at the University of Mississippi, I figured I’d drive up and show you around,” Tina Shaw told him. “When I mentioned
it, Amy asked if she could come along. Since we’ve been spending so much time
together working on the sorority together, we’ve gotten to be really
good friends.”
“We’ve been waiting for you all day,” Amy Ray said. “We were
afraid to wander around much, since we were both so anxious to see you again.
Hurry up, we’ll get your bags and carry them up to your room for you.”
“Go ahead,” Gail told her charges, “I’ll finish checking in
and meet you up there. The rooms already paid for, so I don’t think the hotel
will have a problem providing you with the room key. We can get some dinner in
the hotel restaurant afterwards. That way we can stay in one location in case
anyone, uh, feels drawn to the hotel.”
Alex shot her a quick warning glance, but relented when he
noticed no one was nearby and the receptionist wasn’t paying any attention.
Tina and Amy grabbed the bags, there really weren’t that many, and they trudged
upstairs.
The two girls told Alex and Cate about what they’d been
doing since they last saw him at SIU several weeks ago. They’d been working to
get their own schools to accept a new sorority for the fall term. There was a
lot of resistance from the Administrations, but Amy’s school, Tulane University, located in the heart of New Orleans, folded quickly given the amount of
young girls attending the school who insisted on it. Tina experienced more
resistance, but got an agreement to hold an open house in the fall, to be followed
by a vote by the Administration afterwards. Given the circumstances and their
late start she thought that was the best they could do. However both were quite
excited about getting the sorority started, as they each felt it was their
personal mission to do this for Alex.
Amy opened the door for Alex, insisting she do it for him,
despite her having to drop the siblings’ bags in order to do it. As she held
the door open, Alex and Cate entered and looked around. It was just a basic
hotel room, nothing overly fancy, but it was clean and well lit. There was a
nice big TV screen, but Alex doubted they’d ever have a chance to watch it
while they stayed in Memphis.
Alex and Cate quickly stored their gear, including Gail’s,
and hurried back downstairs. Alex had already spoken to Gail and told her to
meet them in the dining room, so she had a table waiting for them when they
arrived. All five of them sat down, and Alex and his friends told the many
tales about what had happened to Alex since they’d been together just a short
time ago. Their two friends were surprised that so much had occurred. They were
horrified that Alex had come so close to being killed several times over, but
they were relieved and captivated to hear just how he had managed to defend
himself. They were quick to remind Alex how risky it was to everyone involved
to take such chances, though. Alex didn’t think then was the best time to try to
defend his actions, so he accepted their warnings graciously.
While they were talking and eating, two girls nervously
walked up. Alex noticed them, smiled, and stopped eating, turning to face them.
“Excuse us,” said the first, a very outgoing redhead with a
bright smile and a fairly impressive chest, though Alex hardly looked at it,
instead looking each girl in the eye, measuring their responses. “We saw you
sitting here, and we were wondering if we could get your autograph.”
Alex smiled, imagining the two girls assumed he was famous,
assuming a common person wouldn’t ‘feel’ so important and imposing. He
knew they didn’t understand what they were feeling, so he proceeded to sign his
name to the sheets they supplied him. However he was cautious, only signing it
“Alex”, not writing his last name just so no one could trace him through any
act of carelessness by either girl.
“Do you have any idea who I am?” Alex asked the other girl,
a young brunette with dark eyes and an equally pretty smile. She had shoulder length
straight hair and wore a blue sundress. Her friend wore a red plaid dress that
matched her hair.
“No, but we can tell you’re important. We’ve never felt more
certain about it, despite not recognizing you. Whoever you are, even if you
aren’t important now, we’re both sure you will be soon,” the brunette replied.
“By the way, my name is Alex. This is my sister, Cate, this
is our friend who’s traveling with us, Gail, and these two girls are friends
that drove up to meet us from New Orleans. Their names are Tina and Amy.”
“Oh, I’m Sarah Hamm, and this is my friend, Emma Burks,” the redhead told him.
“You know, what you’re feeling is a bit strange,” Alex told them. “The reason why you can feel these things about me is due to a genetic anomaly
which gives you an ability to perceive emotions in others. We’re traveling the
country, teaching girls like you what these abilities mean to them and how they
can use it. However it’s unusual that two friends would both have the same
trait, since it’s not a very common occurrence.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Emma said, blushing slightly.
“We’ve been friends for a couple of years. As far as I know we’re not related,
but maybe we should ask our parents about their wilder younger years.”
“It certainly isn’t unheard of for two friends to have it,
but it’s a fairly rare occurrence. Cate, maybe you could take over the
explanation. I’ll get some chairs. Gail, could you get the waiter to bring over
some additional plates?”
“Oh, we’re sitting over at the side. Give us a second and
we’ll bring our plates over here,” Sarah said.
“Nonsense, what Cate has to tell you is much too important
to be interrupted,” he told them, getting up and pulling a couple of chairs
from nearby tables. “You were very lucky to have met us here, as we’re the only
people that can tell you what you need to know about yourselves. We’re growing
a community of similar people, but it’s a slow process.”
Gail managed to flag a waiter who brought over their plates
while Cate and Alex began explaining what being a Watcher was all about, but
Alex turned the explanation over to Tina and Amy, since he was anxious to learn
what Patricia had been telling the people they identified as Watchers. Tina gave them a very good explanation, filled with a lot more personal detail than Cate ever
managed to supply. They also spent quite a bit of time talking about how it
affected relatives, and how you could tell if your relatives had similar
attributes. Sarah and Emma were fascinated.
“My mother, sister and aunt sound like likely candidates,
but we’re just visiting Memphis,” Sarah told them. “We actually live in Springfield, Missouri. We’re visiting my nephew. His parents smoke like chimneys, so we
don’t like to sleep there. I have a bit of asthma, so it’s hard to breathe when
we visit.”
“That’s OK,” Amy assured them. “They don’t have to be here
now. We have a large contingent in New Orleans, and there’s a foundation
dedicated to helping us that you can contact in Carbondale, Illinois. The only
restriction is if any of them are Type 1s, or Seers. In that case, Alex is the only one who can activate their abilities. If either one might fit into that
category, you should try to ensure they get down there in the next few days.
We’ll give you some numbers you can contact if that’s necessary.”
“I’m not sure any of them would qualify as a Seer, based on
how you’ve described it,” Emma told her, “but I’m sure they’d like to find out
about this, since it sounds like it will affect them and their families. Plus
I’m sure they’d love to meet Alex. I know you said we aren’t supposed to be
able to feel much, but I feel all tingly just being this near to him.”
Alex and Cate were impressed with the presentations given by
Tina and Amy. Apparently Patricia had really done her homework and had made
some major strides in identifying Seers and Watchers without having to meet
them. They based it on a series of questions and answers, which was important
when they’d meet new followers on the road, since they could evaluate whether
they’d have to contact nearby families as well. That could further complicate
this whole process, but it was still a useful tool in their arsenal.
After they got through most of the information they needed
to, Tina and Amy started to focus on playing up to Alex, while Cate and Gail continued to talk to the two new girls. It soon became clear they were interested in a
rematch with him, even though there was no pressing need requiring it. Alex glanced at his sister with an inquisitive glance, and she, recognizing it, simply nodded,
giving him her blessing. Alex excused himself, telling Gail he needed to
discuss some issues with Tina and Amy. Gail didn’t need an explanation,
knowing intimately the desire of Alex’s followers to get naked with him to
express their thanks to him.
Alex didn’t have any compunction about abstaining from sleeping with Sarah and Emma. After all, he’d only just met them, and he didn’t feel any obligation to sleep
with everyone he met. He’d slept with Tina and Amy before, but that was so
they’d have the benefit of increased abilities when they undertook their
assigned tasks for him. If Emma and Sarah ever took on a similar assignment
then he’d consider doing something similar for them, but for now he had no
desire to be jumping from bed to bed, especially since Tina and Amy had been waiting so anxiously for a reunion with him.
“We’ll stick around here, and then hang around the lobby,” Gail
told him. “I figure if there’s anyone else around here they’ll be drawn to the
hotel, so it makes sense to watch for anyone walking in the door.”
“And we’ll stick around and keep them company,” Sarah offered happily. “We’re interested in hearing all the gossip about Alex, and spending
time with you is much more fun than spending it with my Aunt and Uncle.”
Alex and the two girls got to his room with a lot of
giggling and playful banter. The girls really thought the world of Alex, even though they knew they could only have a smidgen of his time. They recognized that he
was really too big for any one person to hold. But they knew from experience that
being with him was unlike being with anyone else, and the sex they’d had with
him previously, when he’d boosted their abilities, had been phenomenal.
They were both afraid they’d always compare any future sexual experiences with
that, which they knew was unfair, but it was hard not making
comparisons.
They had slowly stripped off their clothing while they
played and kissed each other. Alex used his experience making love with
multiple women at a time to switch off between the two girls, never allowing them
to feel slighted, not that either one ever would, each feeling grateful for any
attention from him at all. Alex had gone down on Amy, but Tina was currently
trying to get him to make love to her instead, each knowing the added benefits
of full body contact with Alex. His energy managed to course through a person,
and the more exposure you had being naked with him, the more intense the
stimulations you received from him were.
Alex was kissing his way back up Tina’s body, intending to
kiss her a little more before he did anything further, when there was a knock
on the door.
‘Gail, is that you?’ Alex asked.
‘No, why? What’s going on?’ Gail asked in response.
‘There’s someone at the door,’ he informed her.
‘We haven’t noticed anyone entering the hotel, and the
other entrances are generally locked at night, so it must be another guest.
That’s strange, though, as usually anyone would be drawn to you much earlier
than this, and the Watchers generally wouldn’t be so forward to intrude on your
privacy.’
‘That’s how I’m interpreting it,’ he told her, as he
stood up and began searching for his pants.
“Sorry, girls, but duty calls. This could be another
follower,” he told them as he noticed the hotel’s robes hanging on the bathroom
door. It was a nice touch the hotel offered, and even better, it was between
him and the door.
“Don’t worry about it. We understand,” Amy assured him.
“You’ve got a mission, and that always comes first. I just hope you
don’t mind if we stay a little antsy during the interview,” she told him with a
light laugh.
Wrapping the robe around him, Alex cautiously opened the
door to reveal a tired looking young woman with blond hair that hung down to
her shoulders, wearing a simple smock and a purple housecoat. As soon as Alex opened the door she looked into his eyes and her head jerked back. Knowing what was
happening, Alex threw the door open and grasped her in order to keep her from
falling. Amy, seeing the trouble that Alex was having, rushed up dressed only
in a shirt she’d thrown on without having time to button it. As they tried to
carry the surprised woman inside to a chair so she could recover, Alex noticed an older woman peeking at them from inside her own room, watching as Alex and a nearly naked young girl were escorting an older woman into their room. Alex could only imagine the stories she’d tell once she returned home, but he tried to ignore
it while he focused on the new woman before him.
The woman began to recover before they reached the bed, but
she allowed them to seat her as she looked around her with wonder in her eyes. Tina closed and locked the door as Alex addressed the woman.
“I know what just happened to you was a bit of a shock, but
what you are experiencing is perfectly natural. What you are seeing is a form
of energy that supports all living things. Your new vision can tell you a great
deal about people, and it’s a furtherance of your current ability to feel
how people around you are going to react.”
Just then there was a knock on the door. When Tina opened the door, Cate entered to help with Alex’s explanation. The four of them were ready
to provide a quick rundown of what her new life would entail.
“My name is Alex, what’s your name and how did you end up
here at this time of night?” Alex asked.
“Oh, my name is Kelly Ott,” the woman explained. “I’m
staying in the hotel, and I could feel you as soon as you entered the hotel,
but my husband was having a business dinner with his boss so I couldn’t leave
the kids. I was really tempted to drag them along with me, but I didn’t think
you’d appreciate it. When my husband, Henry, came back from his dinner I dumped
the kids on him, told him I had to see someone about something
important, and left without any explanation.”
“Wow, that’s something we haven’t encountered before. How
old are your kids?”
“I have three kids. A five year old, a 3 year old and a
little baby boy. I hated leaving them behind, but I didn’t even look back as I
ran out the door. I just knew that meeting you would be the most important
thing in my life, and I couldn’t afford to miss the chance to see you. As you
said, I’ve always known to trust my feelings about people, so I knew enough to
trust what I was feeling about you.”
“Well, what we’re going to tell you is going to impact your
whole life, including that of your family. Also there’s a very good chance that
your kids may be impacted by me as well. It seems there’s a particular genetic
trait that allows people to notice the energy that I generate. Since it only
affects women, and since it seems to require a gene on both the X chromosomes,
I think it’s safe to assume that your daughters, if you have any, would at
least be what we call Watchers, which is a lesser form of what you have.
Essentially they may not have the visions, but they can feel the energy I give
off.”
“Well, I have two girls. As I said, the baby is a boy.”
“Then I think it’s important to get your family here. What
room are they in?”
“Room 412,” she told him.
‘Gail, you were right, it’s another Seer. We’re talking
to her but she has family in another room, so we’re going to be moving around
the hotel. Leave the two girls to watch the lobby, and you come up and run
interference for us. The woman’s room is on the fourth floor. I’m sending the
girls to get her husband and kids.’
‘Husband, huh? That sounds like potential trouble. I’d
better be there when they confront him. I’ll meet them there,’ Gail informed him.
“OK, Cate, take Tina and Amy and go collect Henry and her kids. Try to explain that he needs to come along to learn what his wife is doing,
but try not to reveal too much. I’d rather only explain it once, and I don’t
want him making any assumptions based on partial information.”
“Yes, sir,” Cate responded, smiling at him before she turned
and ran out, the two girls trailing her after glancing nervously at Alex, not
sure if they should leave him alone. They’d been quietly dressing while Alex and Kelly were talking.
Once the room was empty Kelly glanced around the room.
“I take it I interrupted some fun, huh?” she asked.
“Yeah, you did. But don’t worry. This is important. We can
have sex anytime, but you’ll only experience something like this once. Well,
there are a couple of other highlights, but none are quite as intense as the
initial activation,” he informed her.
“Why are you so bright? Why can’t I see what you look like
anymore?” she asked.
“Let’s hold off on that, as I’m sure your family is going to
want to hear the same answers. It’s difficult enough telling it once. I’m not
looking forward to going through it multiple times with multiple people. Besides,
your family needs to see your reactions and that, while you’ve been changed,
you’re still OK.”
She simply nodded and they waited for the others to return.
“So, Kelly, tell me a little about yourself?” Alex asked, trying to keep her engaged.
“There’s not much to tell. I’m a young mother, so I’m
completely occupied with my three kids right now. Henry works in an office so I
don’t get much relief during the day, but my mother helps. I always wanted to
be a mother, but it wears you down eventually,” she explained.
‘Alex, we’re on our way,’ Gail told Alex telepathically. ‘Henry, the woman’s husband was a bit alarmed when I said that
something had happened with his wife. I tried to calm him down by saying
nothing physically happened to her, but that she just learned something about
herself that is a bit unsettling. He’s still a bit concerned. I hope I handled
that OK.’
‘I’m not sure there was any better way of handling it, Gail. Difficult situations call for difficult decisions. How’s he reacting to everything else?’
‘He wasn’t crazy about letting three strange women touch
his kids and invade his room, but the girls were real professionals and they
quickly gathered the necessary supplies and got the kids calmed down. They’re
real troupers. Anyway, we’re on our way over now.’
‘That’s good. I’m trying to avoid talking about the
obvious until everyone is here. By the way, did the girls manage to get any
clothes put on, or are they parading down the halls in their panties and bras?’
Gail laughed. ‘No, they managed to put on enough to cover
themselves. They look like a bunch of young women who have been hanging around
their hotel rooms late at night. They’re fine,’ she assured him.
‘I’m not sure you’re the best judge of what constitutes
fine,’ Alex told her.
‘Oh, believe me, those girls are most definitely fine,’
she laughed in response.
Alex and Kelly talked quietly together until the others
arrived. Henry looked cautiously at Alex. One daughter, the eldest, watched Alex carefully from behind her father while the other two kids didn’t seem to show any undue
attention, but Alex couldn’t clearly label her as a Watcher from that much. Any
kids would be concerned to be yanked out of their room by four strangers when
their parents were both upset as well.
“Good evening. My name is Alex,” he introduced himself,
purposely leaving off his last name. “This is a bit unusual and you are likely
going to have trouble believing it, so you’d best get comfortable so I can
start the explanation. I assume everyone introduced themselves already?”
“Yeah, they did, but it was a bit rushed so I’m not sure who
I’ll remember and who I won’t. This is Jenny,” the young husband replied,
indicating the watchful 5-year-old girl, “and the other one is Steph and the
baby is Bobby”.
“Don’t worry about it. If you are confused about anything,
feel free to ask. I asked you to come down because this will impact each of
you, but more importantly, it will likely impact both Jenny and Steph, so you
should both be aware of what’s involved.” Henry looked concerned, but sat down
beside his wife and drew his kids to him, although Tina continued to hold young
Bobby.
“You’re wife has a rare genetic trait that allows her to
feel people’s emotions. I have a separate genetic trait that allows me to
activate certain abilities in her,” Alex explained to them. “Kelly is now able to see the energy surrounding people, and these lights, what we call
auras, tell a lot about people. They reveal personality traits, emotions, and
people’s health as well.”
“Wait, wait,” Henry said, halting the explanation. “When
your friend said that something happened to Kelly I thought she’d been injured.
You mean you dragged us all from our room so you can talk about some science
fiction mumbo-jumbo?”
“No, Henry, he’s right,” Kelly advised her husband. “Alex is so bright I can’t even look directly at him, and when I look at the rest of you I see a
bunch of colored lights coming out of you that I’ve never seen the likes of.
They’re colors that I’ve never seen before. There’s something very odd going on
here.”
That seemed to mollify Henry somewhat, so he allowed Alex to continue.
“I realize this is going to sound unbelievable, but you’re
going to have to listen carefully, because there is a lot of information I’m
going to be telling you, and I can assure you it’s all very true. The reason
you’ve never heard of any of this is that the underlying traits are extremely
rare, and the ability to see this energy, like Kelly is doing now, is something
that has only recently come to light, and we’re trying to keep it as secret as
we can.”
Alex proceeded to explain about the energy that he exuded,
and about the classes of people that it affected. As he did he watched
everyone’s reactions. Henry remained dubious, but he at least listened to the
information, taking his wife’s reaction as his guide to the seriousness of the
subject. Jenny took everything that was said very seriously, and seemed
to be unable to take her eyes off of Alex, which he took to mean that she was,
just as he had expected, a Watcher. However Steph, the younger girl, seemed to
grow bored with all the discussion and was looking around the room.
“Wait, you’re telling me that you have some magical ability,
and that you are wandering around triggering these supposed ‘abilities’
in other people?” Henry asked, still not able to wrap his mind around what he
was hearing.
“Yes, and it’s limited to women. For some odd reason that
seems to have to do with genetics, it only affects women. In fact, I myself
have none of the abilities I’ve described. I have the ability to activate women
like your wife, but I can’t see or feel the energy they tell me I give off.
What’s more, there seems to be a complicated set of restrictions on it. It
seems you need to have the trait on both of your X chromosomes to be a
type 1 Seer, or only one to be a type 2 Watcher. I’m a bit intrigued by your
children, though. I’d expect your daughters to be Watchers, since they
inherited the trait from Kelly’s X chromosomes, but they didn’t from your own.
However it appears that only one of them is. Steph seems to be unaffected, and
I’d be willing to bet she is just a normal type 3.”
“Wait a minute. This is getting a bit thick,” Henry protested.
“You’re right, Alex,” Cate said, jumping into the
discussion. She always got excited about the scientific aspects, and she
couldn’t contain her enthusiasm about learning new facts about her favorite
subject. “There seems to be a lot more involved in the genetic process, which
would account for the low incidence of the traits. I’m guessing there are
several genetic triggers that need to be active for someone to be receptive to
these traits, or at least there are several factors, besides having a Y
chromosome, that specifically turns them off.”
“So you’re saying that both Steph and Bobby are normal, uh,
normal humans, while Jenny and I are, uh...” Kelly tried hesitatingly, trying
to figure out how to address the issue.
“That’s right, Kelly, you and Jenny are now part of a select
subset of the ‘normal’ population. As such, you need to know about these
abilities, and we’ll also supply you with others you can communicate with to
help you deal with this. We’ve managed to grow a very helpful community, so I
think you’ll feel very comfortable among them.”
“There’s a little more that my brother hasn’t
mentioned, and that I’m hesitant to mention with everyone here, but I’ll take a
stab at it,” Cate said, bringing up an uncomfortable topic. “Alex has occasionally managed to boost both his own and the other women’s abilities
periodically. Specifically, he manages to boost the women’s abilities by apply
a certain physical contact,” she explain obliquely.
“What, you mean like a laying on of hands?” Kelly asked.
‘No, Kelly, she means that if we have sex I can boost
your abilities even more. She was trying to find a subtle way of raising the
topic,’ Alex explained to her.
“What the hell?” she asked, jerking back. “Did you just
speak inside my head?”
“It’s another ability you have that we haven’t gotten to yet,”
Cate told her. “You have the ability to communicate telepathically with Alex, and through him with the other Seers we’ve encountered. If you have your abilities
heightened, then you’ll be able to do it without his assistance.” To illustrate
the point, Alex had both Anh and Patricia say hello to Kelly and introduce
themselves. She just sat there staring wide-eyed in surprise.
“What’s going on, Kelly? Is he doing something to you?” Henry asked.
“I’m having a couple of people talk to her from a couple of
hundred miles away,” Alex told him. “They are a handy resource, since they can
relate to what she’s going through.”
“Sorry, this is all a bit overwhelming,” Kelly said, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. “So what you’re saying is that I need to
have sex with Alex in order to get a boost in my abilities?” she asked,
speaking bluntly despite the presence of her kids in the room with her.
‘You can speak privately with me if you want, but yes,
that’s what we mean,’ Alex answered her. Aloud he continued. “It’s not
required, and there really isn’t any pressing need for it. We’re just
presenting it as an option. If there was any other means of doing it, I’d have
already done it. Personally I’m not overly fond of the physical requirements,
since I’m only one man and I don’t like feeling like I’m no longer in control
of who I choose to sleep with, but that’s part of the limit of these
abilities.”
“Now wait one God damn minute,” Henry interrupted, a little
angrily. Alex guessed he hadn’t responded earlier simply because he hadn’t
quite understood what Alex had been saying. “You’re suggesting my wife has sex
with you in front of me and our kids?”
“No, certainly not. We’re just telling her how these
abilities work. We didn’t understand the ground rules, and we’ve been
discovering the restrictions strictly through a process of trial and error. It
took us a long time to discover this particular aspect of our abilities. I’m
not suggesting that anyone sleep with me. But she needs to know
everything that we know about her.”
“So basically you’re saying that, if I slept with you, I’d
gain the ability to speak to all these women on my own,” Kelly asked,
demonstrating that she was probably being informed of additional facts beside
what Cate and Alex were telling her.
“That’s right, but you’re under no obligation to do so,” Alex hastened to add.
“Hmm,” Kelly said, as if considering it.
“You aren’t thinking about it, are you?” Henry asked.
“Mom, I’d do it if I were you,” 5-year-old Jenny advised her mother. Her father spun around and stared at his daughter open mouthed.
“No thanks. These abilities are amazing, but I love my
husband and my family, and I’m not about to compromise them just for a few more
tricks,” she told everyone.
“But Mom,” Jenny tried to argue.
“I’m not about to cheat on my husband just so I can gossip
with a few women I don’t know,” Kelly informed her daughter. This statement by
her didn’t seem to placate her husband, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.
“OK, moving on, there’s still a lot more to get through,” Alex said, trying to get off of the difficult topic.
“Wait a minute,” Jenny asked, asking Alex a question herself
for the first time. “Does that apply to me too?”
“Jenny!” he father sharply responded to her question.
“Hold on, it’s a perfectly reasonable question,” Cate
hurriedly argued. “Let my brother answer her honestly.”
“Yes, it would. If we were to eventually have sex, it would
boost your abilities, but not in the same way. Instead of doing what it would
for your mom, it would instead boost your abilities to the level your mother
had before I did anything to her. But,” Alex stressed, changing the tone
of the discussion, “I’m not about to do anything with you until you are much
older, and then only with your parents’ permission, and probably not even then.
It only works if I feel comfortable with the other person and we share a deep
emotional connection. I’m afraid having sex with someone your age wouldn’t
allow me to be comfortable enough to achieve anything.”
“What about the rest of you, what age did you do it?” Jenny asked, suddenly sounding very old for her age. Everyone’s mouth dropped at this question.
“JENNY, that’s enough, young lady,” her father
insisted.
“Actually, Jenny, Alex has only been aware of his abilities
for a very short time,” Tina said, “and he only gained this particular ability
even later than that. Yes, Amy and I have had sex with him, and he has
boosted our abilities, but I think I know him well enough to say that he’d never
consider having sex with someone as young as you.”
“How old would I have to be then?” she continued to press.
“JENNY!” her father continued to shout, to little effect.
Kelly put her arm protectively around her daughter. “Let her
speak, Henry, this is serious, and it makes a big difference to her life. She
needs to know this information, even if she doesn’t do anything as a result.”
To say Henry was surprised by his wife’s response would be
an understatement, however he had no idea of how to respond, so he just sat
there looking lost.
“To be honest, Jenny, I wouldn’t do it until you were an
adult, and honestly, I doubt I’ll even be around then,” Alex told her, speaking
to her like she was a little adult. “We can help train you to use the abilities
you already have, but you aren’t going to be gaining any new ones.”
‘Kelly, are you serious about not wanting to boost
your abilities?’ Gail asked her telepathically so the others couldn’t hear,
however she included Alex in the discussion so he’d be aware of what they said.
‘I’m asking because, so far, everyone that Alex has activated and most of
the Watchers have been more than willing to do quite a bit with Alex just for
the chance to express their thanks to him.’
‘Absolutely,’ Kelly assured her. ‘I love my
husband, and I wouldn’t do that to him, even if he didn’t know. I’d know, and
I’m not sure I could live with myself, or be able to look him or my kids in the
eyes if I did. So thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll politely decline,’
she assured them both.
‘Well, if you ever...’ Gail started to respond, but Alex cut her off.
‘Thanks, Gail, but I think that’s enough. I have NO
desire to interfere with a healthy marriage, and I’d have problems committing
adultery even if she were in an unhappy marriage. Let’s just consider the topic
closed and move on,’ Alex told them both.
“Hey, I can see your eyes moving from here, and I can tell
you’re talking about something behind my back. What are you talking about?” Henry asked guardedly.
“Gail was asking me if I was being honest in refusing, or if
I was only doing so because you and the kids were here. I informed them I was
sincere in my beliefs, and Alex agreed with me,” Kelly assured him.
He glanced at her like he didn’t completely believe her, and
Alex wondered what can of worms they’d unintentionally opened here. He wasn’t
sure Henry would ever fully trust his wife again, knowing she could be plotting
a secret dalliance in silence with no trace over hundreds of miles, and he’d
never have a clue.
“Look, let’s move on because there’s still more we have to
discuss,” Alex insisted, trying once again to change the topic. “Kelly, I’m
going to have Gail and someone by the name of Allison give you a brief lecture
on what you’re seeing means. This is very important, but because it involves
shared memories it can only be accomplished telepathically. Meanwhile, I’ll
discuss the community you’ll all be joining.”
After that things calmed down as everyone focused on their
own topics. Alex and Cate told Henry about Patricia, the large Watcher
community in New Orleans, and about the foundation in Carbondale. They also
noticed that Jenny listened attentively, while glancing longingly at her
mother, likely wishing she could join the discussion her mother was having at
the moment. They suspected she’d be having a serious problem with envy with her
mother in the coming months. Steph and Bobby looked completely bored with
everything that was going on. Amy and Tina were busy distracting them at the
moment, so they didn’t fuss too much.
Eventually everyone settled down and the Otts were given all
the information they needed. They finally split up, with the Ott family going
to their own room to consider what this meant for them. They told Alex they’d think about everything and talk to him again at breakfast. After they left, Tina mentioned it was getting late, and asked about the sleeping arrangements for the night.
Gail snickered, since everyone present knew what that
implied. “I’ll go downstairs and talk to Sarah and Emma, since I essentially
abandoned them down there. It might take a while, so I’ll borrow your key, Tina.
You can take my place in Alex’s bed tonight. I’m sure Alex will have no
problems finishing what he started earlier. I suspect you’ll also find that his
sister has no problems watching her brother perform, as she’s been watching
women chasing after him since this all started. Luckily there are two double beds
for her to watch from,” she concluded, subtly warning Cate to not broadcast the
true nature of her relationship with her brother. With that, Gail headed off, and the rest settled down for a very interesting night. But before they could
begin Alex had one more thing he needed to take care of before it got too late.
“I’d like to call home and let everyone know I’m OK,” he
told the other girls. “Cate, you can join me if you’d like,” he suggested.
“Thanks. I’ll talk to Mom and Dad with you, but I’ll talk to
your girlfriends on my own later. By the way, if you use your cell phone, I’ll
show you how I do three-way calling on it.”
So he dutifully called his house, where the phone was picked
up quickly by his mother.
“Hello, Jennings residence?” she answered, just as she’d
trained her children to do.
“Hey, Mom, it’s Alex. I’m just calling to let you know that
everything is OK and that we arrived safely,” he told her.
“Well thanks,” she replied, “quite frankly, I’m surprised
you managed to call. Don’t tell me you don’t have any new girls to boost,” she
laughed.
“You know me too well,” Alex laughed back. “Actually I met a
bunch today while we were on the road, but right now I’m getting ready to spend
some time with Tina and Amy. You remember them, right? They were the two girls
from...”
“Yeah, I remember them. Very nice girls. So no new, uh...?”
his mother asked him.
“Yeah, I met a couple. A young girl whose parents didn’t
want anything to do with us, and a woman with a husband and kids,” Alex
responded.
“Really? That’s hardly typical,” she responded.
“No, but it’s OK. If I can avoid sleeping with anyone else
I’ll jump at the chance. I’m getting tired of having to bed everyone I meet. I
don’t mind Tina and Amy since they’re friends and they’ve been doing so much
for me, but...”
It still felt odd for Alex to be discussing such intimate
details with his mother, but he knew she’d drag the details out of Cate or the
other girls anyway, and he felt so frustrated over the constant pressure to
make love to everyone that he didn’t mind some feedback from someone who’d be
sympathetic. Something he wasn’t sure any of his girls could be.
Linda laughed. “I can understand that. How’s Cate holding up
with all the potential competition?”
“Hey, Mom, it’s me,” Cate replied from nearby. “I’m busy
helping my brother with all his tasks,” she said obliquely, telling her mother
she was still in the room with the girls.
“Ah, I understand. We’ll talk later then. Thanks for
calling. I already miss you both.”
They both bid her goodbye, Alex missing the chance for some
helpful advice due to his inability to talk for long. They made another call,
and Cate helped Alex talk to both girlfriends at once. She was more used to
talking to them on a 3-way call than he was. He said much the same things to
them, but they also talked a bit about how much they loved each other. Finally
Alex called the loft in Carbondale to talk to all his girls there. They were
also glad to hear from him, and they talked about the new girls since they were
already familiar with them after having talked to Kelly earlier. However Alex
ended the conversation early, knowing he had a couple of girls waiting for him.
They all wished him good luck, and he turned his attention to his two guests,
planning to work off some of the stresses of the day. Cate continued talking to
Kitty and Chalise, while watching her brother performing sexually once again, a
smile on her lips as she described what he was up to.
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