The Catalyst” Series

"Trying To Be Normal"

Chapter 38: Renewing Acquaintances
and Aiding Young Love

Previous Chapter



Early Friday morning, before we did anything else, Cate took me out to her garage lab again. I could tell from her demeanor what today was. The two mice would live to grow strong and healthy from my energy treatments, but Cate wanted to do the bone strength tests on the two rabbits. I again considered the parallel between their lives and mine, but that wasn’t a very productive thought process. Instead, I did what I needed to, feeding energy into the two mice and draining it from the leg bones of the two rabbits. When I finished Cate got busy and it was clear I was excused, but I had to stay and watch.

“You’re not going to see anything,” she told me. “First I have to euthanize them, then I have to dress them, then I have to strip the bones and dry them out. It’s a lengthy process, which is why I woke you so early this morning. I wanted to make sure I could get it all started before we left for St. Louis after school today. Just go ahead and shower and get ready. I won’t have the results you’re waiting for until Sunday evening after we get back, anyway.”

So with that I followed her advice and returned to my normal morning ablutions.


Once again, I got to Carbondale early in order to check up on Adrian Hart. When I walked in he seemed a little brighter and more talkative than he had been recently.

“Alex, I just want to tell you that I really appreciate what you’ve done for me. While I can’t blame you for a random infection picked up in a public hospital, what you’ve done for me more than makes up for it. For the kinds of roles I typically play, an ugly, gaping scar would mean I could no longer play the shirtless action roles I’ve performed in the past. Now, while I still have a scar, it’s the kind of ‘oh, how brave of him to have suffered though that’ type of scar, as opposed to a ‘oh God, how disgusting’ it would have been otherwise.

“Now, while I know you continually say you don’t want to be indebted to me, I still want to show my appreciation for what you’ve done for me. This simple thing that you’ve done for me means literally millions for both me and for the studio, plus it also means many more years of moviemaking for me. Finding someone who isn’t looking for a favor from me, or trying to make money off of me, is something I’m basically not used to, so this is a bit new to me. I pressed Ryan about how I could show you my appreciation, and he told me you have a nonprofit group that you are interested in. Now, while I find you working for a pro-women’s group a little odd, it’s also a group that makes sense and that touches me personally, since I have a couple of daughters of my own.

“I hope you won’t take this as me attempting to control you, but I’ve made a fairly sizable donation to your charity, and I’m sure the studio will do so as well. You don’t owe me anything for this, after all, this was done purely to show you how much I appreciate what you’ve done for me. But I just want to thank you personally for it. I’ll also lend my name to whatever you may want to do with your magical solution you’re developing.”

“Well thanks, Adrian, if I can be so forward as to call you that. As I said, I’m not looking for fame and fortune right now, but I appreciate your efforts. Who could really use your name would be the hospital itself. If you could tell anyone that’s interested that the hospital is making inroads in surgeries, it would help the hospital a lot.”

“I’ll do that, Alex, and you can always call me Adrian. Actually, you can call me Mike, which is actually my real name, as unsexy as it sounds. And if you ever need any help with anything, feel free to give me a call. Here’s my private number. I’m truly indebted to you for what you’ve done for me.”

“You know, about the toe, may I just suggest that you may have fallen victim to your calling in too many medical experts. As far as I understand it, the damage to your toe was very localized and would have only required a tiny piece of your toe being removed. But the ‘medical experts’ you called in were afraid of advising caution, fearful that if something went wrong, they’d be held liable. Therefore they advised you to have the entire toe removed when it really wasn’t necessary.”

“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind. When the studio employs an army of experts, you tend to utilize them. But I’ve been told before that their allegiance isn’t necessarily to me. I can see how that would apply here as well. I’ll take that as a lesson from here on out. Anyway, thanks for everything you’ve done.”

Despite our previous disagreements, and despite how inconsequential what I’d done appeared to be when weighed against how serious his injuries were, it felt good hearing how much I’d personally impacted his life. Although the money he supposedly donated went to my non-profit group, I’d make sure it went to good use in promoting my mission of helping ‘my people’. I didn’t plan on spending whatever he’d donated myself. Still, it would certainly give us a lot more leeway in getting by in the future. I bade him farewell and headed off to pick up Chalise.


Chalise was happy to see me, and insisted that Cate and I both come inside to speak to her and Caroline.

“Dad called after he got home and had a chance to calm down. He assured us that he was sorry for what he’d said, and that he’d try to treat you better from here on out,” she told me excitedly. “He said he was going to make a real effort to be a better father and husband from now on.”

“See, Alex, last night was really a success,” Caroline told us. “Although it appeared to have gone badly at first, it looks like we got our message across. Hopefully he’s serious about what he’s saying. If he is, it could make a real difference in our lives. Now we’re hardly ready to move back until he demonstrates more of his willingness to get along, but we’re taking this as a good sign.”

As for me, this news left me more than a bit cautious. Although I’d hoped that Rodger would eventually reconsider, this seemed just a bit hasty to me. To go from threatening me last night, to being all lovey-dovey with me today, was just a bit much to believe. I’d have to see it myself. However I knew better than to rain on Chalise and Caroline’s parade. They had hopes that everything would work out, and that would make a difference in how they viewed their father. I just hoped he could live up to those expectations, though.

The car ride to school was a nice one. Chalise was just so happy this morning. Both she and Kitty reminded me that the Upperclassman’s Ball was next Friday, so to make sure that I got my tux ready by then. I already knew that someone at home was working on it and that I just had to make an appearance to ensure the selected size fit me properly. The same was true for flowers for both girls and their mothers, as had been demonstrated repeatedly on our early dates together. No one mentioned next week, and they all immediately started talking about finals, so I knew something was up. It was obvious that everyone knew my birthday was just around the corner, but it seemed that no one was willing to mention it, making me think they had something big planned. But I was too focused now on relationships rather than things, and I had no big desire for gifts of any kinds. I just wanted to be close to those around me. I hoped they’d all appreciate that, given how limited their time with me was. I was scheduled to leave soon after graduation, so I valued our short time together more than anything they might be able to get me. I’d have to drop a few dozen hints before then.

The lunchroom crowd was likewise all atwitter about the upcoming dance. They’d all managed tickets and a few dates, but they all wanted to know that I’d reserve a dance exclusively for them. The other Alex even asked if he could have one as well. I just said that if all the other girls were going to be dancing together, then I couldn’t see any reason why I couldn’t dance with him. He smiled at that, pleased to know that although I was joking, I truly meant it that I wasn’t bothered by such things.

We’d decided to only take Kitty, Cate and myself to St. Louis this time. Chalise explained it was only fair, since she’d gone along the last time. But a lot of it was that her father had agreed to meet with them to discuss me, and she was anxious to see whether he’d reconsidered his stance. She figured she’d have a better chance of determining how serious he was by facing him directly.

We’d arranged it so that Caroline would pick Chalise up at school, so we all gathered at the car where her mother met us and we all kissed each other goodbye for the weekend, or at least a good part of it. I had no problems driving this time, since I’d proven I wasn’t likely to have any more ‘accidental activations’. Still, I remembered my lesson from my mistake with Nikki, and had plans in case the unexpected might occur.

It was interesting driving with Kitty and Cate, because neither one shared Chalise’s optimism about her father. When I’d driven home last night, I advised Gail and the girls about what had happened. Gail had suggested that maybe I should spend more than just a day in St. Louis, just in case he decided to try something. Both girls held similar views. Cate informed me, in no uncertain terms, that I was much too forgiving, and that I was going to get seriously hurt if I didn’t stop viewing everyone through such rose tinted glasses. I conceded they probably had a good point, and that I was very suspicious about Rodger’s recent turn around since it just seemed to have occurred too quickly.

Part way there I turned the radio off and asked for quiet while I contacted Clara. She was anxious to apologize, which she tried to do repeatedly but I cut her off and simply told her that we’d meet her tomorrow around 10 or 11, and that I’d tell her where to meet us. She started rattling off about how she’d reevaluated the role of organized religion in her life, and she was ready for me now and how she... I again cut her short and told her she could let me know everything in the morning; that I’d be watching and evaluating her to see if she was ready to join us. She was properly warned and seemed quite humble, although I got the impression she’d had plenty of hours practicing false humility in that church of hers. I just hoped that she was emotionally stable enough to not be a risk to everyone around me. I knew I should really have nothing to do with her, but I just couldn’t bring myself to completely abandon her now that she would need the companionship of her Sisters. A church is nice, but they’d never be able to accept what she was experiencing now.

Once I’d finished speaking with her, which only took a few seconds, I turned the radio back on and we had a good time for the rest of the drive. We pulled into Gail’s at a reasonable hour and Gail ran out to give us all, but especially me, hugs before she packed us up in her car and took us off to dinner. She took us back to the Abbey, which pleased Kitty, who’d been hoping to visit the same lesbian haunts as Chalise had told her about.

“You know my friends are expecting to meet us there again,” Gail warned us.

“I’m glad that you’re including your friends.” I told her. “They might not be able to share your new life, but they still value your friendship and appreciate you.”

Gail blushed when I said that, which confused me a moment, but I thought there might be something there. I just looked at her and her blush worsened until she finally ‘fessed up.

“Actually, when I came back to make amends last week, I talked to Melissa. We never quite hit it off before, but now that we have you in common, it’s really working between us. After I talked to the other girls, I took her back to my apartment and we talked all night. And don’t look at me like that, I mean we talked. About you, in fact. I gave her Cate’s usual spiel, plus what I knew about you as well. She’s still a little hesitant about the idea of sleeping with a guy, but she said that if what I told her was true, she’d certainly consider it.”

Now it was my turn to blush, which Kitty and Cate both found quite funny.

“I’m not sure I’m quite ready to take someone I only spoke to for a few minutes to bed, but I’m really glad you are getting along with her. I was worried about what you’d told me before. If this allows you to find a way to live a normal, well, at least a normal lesbian life, then more power to you.”

When we entered the bar, Bev, Sara and Julie were all there holding a table for us and they heartily welcomed us. Melissa walked over from where she’d been sitting at the bar and nervously asked if she could join us. I welcomed her with a big hug, and Gail’s friends welcomed her as well. Everyone especially welcomed Kitty, cooing over her and welcoming her ‘over to this side of the fence’, as they called it. They all got quite cozy talking about all kinds of details about lesbian life in general; kind of like the general discussion I had with Alex. When they started to run out of steam, maybe after it became clear that however much Kitty was fascinated by their world, she wasn’t about to leave my side, the conversation turned back to me and Gail.

“So Alex, what’s the deal with you and Gail? Have you officially turned her to the dark masculine side, or is there hope for her and Melissa?”

I think we all blushed at that one.

“No, I never meant to steal her from your team. She’s definitely not interested in men, just me, and she only puts up with my being male by focusing on everyone around me. Luckily I’ve got a lot of women around me to distract her. She has to imagine me with tits and no facial hair, which, if you actually think about, isn’t such a stretch. I’ve got the general physique of a more masculine girl, I almost have my sister’s tits, and I’ve got no noticeable facial hair. So it’s not really such a stretch her being with me.

“But why ask me, I’m sure Gail has been giving you all the details,” I protested, despite the fact I knew she hadn’t.

“Hell no, she’s turned so damn taciturn lately we can’t get anything out of her. She used to be such a braggart and a gossip, and now you’ve managed to ruin her. We can’t get any good information out of her anymore,” Bev complained.

I noticed Mellissa’s grin when she said that, so I knew the feelings weren’t quite shared equally.

“Ah, perhaps she’s seen the error of her ways,” I suggested.

“Or perhaps the added benefits of joining the other side. The subtle side that is,” Kitty teased them all.

“No, seriously, I don’t want to take her completely away from you or from her previous life,” I told them. “I know you have been friends for a long time, and that’s something to be cherished.”

“Well,” Bev stated, “we have no idea what’s been going on, but we’re glad that you have stuck up for us. She was hardly speaking to us for a while. She’s not very talkative about her new life, but at least we’re still in contact. We’d like to find out just what’s going on, but we’re willing to wait for the info.”

“You may have to wait a long while I’m afraid,” I told them. “Our group doesn’t like trading secrets, and Gail’s still a bit shy about sharing her new life with her friends, but we mean her no harm. She’s still the same Gail you’ve always known. It’s just that she has some new items in her life she can’t tell you about... yet,” I added, giving them a little glimmer that they may get to share in it eventually.

“Hey, you’ll never guess what we’ve got planned,” Kitty excitedly told them, essentially getting everyone off of that topic. When they asked her what, she continued. “Alex has this big bunch of young ladies that are all dying to dance with him. So we’ve all planned to go to the Senior Prom at school, but we have all these unattached young ladies that are going to be hanging around our table. What do you suppose two young lovelies are supposed to do when there’s only one gentleman nearby to slow dance with? I think we’re going to have a record number of romantic girl-girl dancers at this year’s dance.”

“While it’s nice that you’re trying, dancing with a girlfriend doesn’t quite get you into the club,” Julie informed Kitty, smiling at her.

“Well, I’m not sure how many are going to be switching sides, after all, they’re all still pining after this guy, but with the ratio he’s been keeping amongst all of our friends, who knows? They were all afraid to come with dates for fear they may not get a dance with him,” Kitty explained.

Bev just looked at me. “Just what is it you offer that attracts such interest?” she asked. She then turned to Melissa, who had so far remained fairly quiet. “Melissa, you were immediately drawn to him. Can you give us some idea of what the basic attraction is?”

Melissa looked hesitantly at me.

“Just the basics, don’t reveal anything of what Cate or Gail told you, but you can give her your initial impressions,” I advised her.

“Well,” she began, taking time to collect her thoughts. “I just got this impression that here sat someone clearly very important. Someone who I felt held a lot of power, and who could personally change my life, although I had no idea how it might work.” She glanced at me again at this point, as if asking if what she’d revealed was accurate.

“They seem to feel something that I give off,” I confessed. “It seems to extend beyond myself, so it’s not pheromones or smells of some kind. Many feel it through walls and buildings.”

“So it isn’t sexual?” Bev asked, beginning to sound like my sister Becky as she grew intrigued by the subject.

“Well, not at first. Though you immediately have this feeling that, in exchange for whatever he may be offering, you’d gladly exchange almost anything you possess,” Melissa confessed.

“You know, I think that’s likely a byproduct of the process,” Cate said, getting sidetracked herself talking about her favorite subject once again, me. “Whereas the others probably have some neurochemical processes triggered in their brains, those like Melissa may have something similarly activated. It probably works in reverse as well, as so far you’ve only rejected one person, and that was for safety concerns, not a personal rejection.”

“Cate,” I said, trying to warn her off, “I think you may be saying...”

“You know, I think you may be onto something, Cate,” Kitty stated. “From what the MRI showed, there is a definite process occurring in the brain. It wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that there’s an associated neurochemical process, similar to what happens when someone falls in love that’s triggered.”

“You had an MRI done to figure out why women are attracted to you?” Julie asked.

“I think we’re getting into the areas we’d best not go in mixed company,” I warned everyone. “I don’t mind bringing people into the fold, but it’s got to be a slow and careful process. First they have to demonstrate that they can be trusted.”

“Yeah, they’ve got to demonstrate that they won’t divulge everything you reveal about yourself,” Kitty laughed.

“Seriously though, Alex doesn’t do anything to any of them. They just seem to flock to him,” she explained.

“The girls all flock to him, while all the guys plot his imminent demise,” Cate offered.

“He’s had a few confrontations already,” Gail offered. “I had to call the local police detective to step in and try to quiet the school down before there was a major scene.”

Bev looked me over again. “I’m not sure I see it,” she honestly stated.

“Well, the initial attraction isn’t based on looks, it’s more of a general attraction,” Kitty tried to explain. “But as far as Chalise and I are concerned, as well as the other girls at school, it’s not so much the usual things a girl looks at, as the whole confidence level, his total belief and acceptance. He started walking around the school, sitting at each clique’s table and getting to know everyone. All those who were either instantly attracted to him or basically unhappy with the status quo migrated over to our table. We started out with just the three of us. Now we’ve got one of the strongest groups in the whole school.”

“Yeah, plus some very aggressive guys who are just waiting for the opportunity to bust my ass,” I mock complained.

“The last time someone threatened him,” Kitty explained, “a bunch of us refused to let him fight, blocking the guy’s access to him. When his opponent did a little judo move and knocked us on our asses, several more people stepped up and took our places.”

“Once again, I just don’t see why so many normally spiteful competitive girls would suddenly become so dedicated?” Bev complained about her understanding of the story.

“We’re basically talking about two different things,” Cate explained. “On the one hand, there’s the thing about Alex that attracts women like Gail and Melissa to him. On the other there are the normal girls who are attracted to his personality and presence. In the first case it seems to be something to do with the effect he has on them. It seems to establish some kind of trust and affection between the people involved.”

“It’s basically that he fills you with confidence, and you know that he’s going to change the world in some subtle way that you’ll never hear about, but will make a big difference,” Gail finally tried in explain out of exasperation with her friend’s lack of understanding. Melissa nodded excitedly to hear her own views echoed. “He looks insignificant, but there’s a lot hidden under that quiet exterior. He talked an older Vietnamese lady into leaving her family behind and follow him home over the objections of her son, who didn’t like the idea very much. When he punched Alex unexpectedly, she and his two other companions flew to his rescue while his poor father just stood there with his mouth hanging open.” I was beginning to hate these repeated stories. It’s one thing to be constantly held in awe, but to hear the stories get repeated over and over gets to be a bit much.

“So, if that’s how these adult women react to whatever mysterious hold he has over them, and the teenage girls all feel attracted to him because he is confident, then why do all the guys seem to dislike him?” Bev asked.

“I think that might be more than I can reveal at the moment,” Cate said, glancing over at me. “Basically, I think he’s conveying to the guys how he feels about the women around him. My guess is that they feel defensive and naturally react negatively.”

“So there is some unexplained phenomenon that allows him to both attract adult women, and that repels teenage boys?” Julie asked doubtfully.

“Man, I could use something like that, myself,” Bev said with a friendly smile.

“OK, ignoring everything we can’t really talk about, basically I’m just try to accept people based on how they react, and not on how they look or what I’ve heard about them.”

“I do like the subtle approach. The whole ‘aw shucks, it ain’t nothing ma’am’ thing he has going,” Julie responded.

Knowing any further discussion was going to be counterproductive, I managed to get everyone up and convinced we should all go dancing. Gail’s friends decided that Cate and Kitty deserved to see a nice lesbian dance bar, which turned out to be a large techno place with a big dance floor, but also a lot of tables, chairs and couches. The girls had a great time dancing with Gail’s friends, and Gail had a good time with them as well. I sat out most of them but they’d occasionally drag me out for a threesome dance.

During one particular moment when only Gail and I were protecting the table, I turned to her. “Once again, I seem to have revealed more than I was ready to,” I told her, “but I want you to know that you can tell them as much as you’d like. I trust your judgment, and you can reveal as much as you think they are ready for. They already seem to be handling as much as we’ve told them pretty well.”

“They have,” she admitted. “I’m really quite surprised, but more than that, I’m surprised you seem to be so good at reading people. It doesn’t seem to be one of your talents, yet you’re consistently right about a lot of people. Although I still reserve judgment on your letting Tony off so easily, but it seems to be working out, now that the school is finally cracking down on all its earlier oversights.”

“You do realize that telling everyone our secrets just so we can fit in is an incredibly dangerous thing to do, don’t you?” she asked, just to establish her cautious advice.

“Yeah, I do. But I also know that it’s necessary to live among humans. People have to trust you. After I’m gone and each of you tries to blend back into normal society, you’ll appreciate friends who understand and watch out for you. Your kids will need that kind of consideration,” I told her in no uncertain terms. Despite my serious tone, she actually smiled as she leaned forward and kissed me.

“I was just reminding you. Actually, I find your efforts to include my friends incredibly nice, and I want to thank you for that. It’ll still be difficult, but at least they aren’t out in the cold. Though I suspect I’ll be much closer to Melissa from now on, though. I think I’ll get a lot of support from her, and she can act as a sounding board with my friends as well.”

“Which brings up another point,” I asked her, “what are we going to do about Melissa tonight? I’m not sure if you two are together yet or not, since you mentioned you didn’t have sex the other night. Is she coming home with us?”

Here Gail looked a little doubtful. “Well, I knew she’d really like to, although the choice is yours to make, as I don’t want to force anyone on you.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. If she’s going to be your girlfriend, then she belongs, end of story.”

Cate had walked up during my little speech. “Actually, that fits in with what I was trying to say earlier. If I’m not mistaken, I’d guess that Alex wouldn’t be against fooling around with her. I suspect that when he makes the changes in the seers’ brains, he also seems to trigger a strong attraction in both his and their brains. But it also seems to work with the watchers he’s around, though it’s not as direct. That kind of confuses the issue, because the first can be explained as simple brain chemistry, but the watchers apparently aren’t ‘activated’ in the same way. So I guess we’re back to our previous theories on them.”

“You know, Ryan never looked at any of the watchers brains in any detail. For all we know, Alex may have modified their brains as well,” Gail suggested. “But speaking of attractions, now that Melissa is officially involved, she’s got a job with a bit more leeway than I do. If you haven’t dealt with them already, you can send anyone you met here last week over to visit her. I can’t do it myself, because of my affiliation with the St. Louis police force. It would be viewed as correction and a conflict with my duties to protect the citizens, but there’s no reason why she couldn’t act as a go between.”

“Actually, now that you mention it, it seems that we’ve come into some money that, hopefully, we can use for some discretionary funding. It seems that both Adrian Hart and the studios have kicked a big lump of cash into the Angel Eye foundation. Since we’ll be traveling in a little less than a month, we’ll need some protection. I think we could cover security costs in our non-profit expenses, since it will play a large role in what I do,” I informed them both.

“That’s a great idea,” Cate added. “That way you could quit the force and you wouldn’t have to worry about any potential conflicts.” Cate looked a bit hesitant then, as she considered what she’d just said. “That is if you want to, Gail. After all, you’ve wanted to be a cop for a long time, and I shouldn’t presume that you’d just want to quit. After all, once you quit it’s hard to go back onto the force.”

“Well, it’d be a big step, moving into private security. In order to make it official, I’d have to resign and set up a private security firm. I’d also likely have to hire a few people, just in order to make it believable. I’d probably also have to provide security for the sorority you’re setting up. I’ll have to think about what’s involved. Plus I’ll have to give notice to the police force. Since I’ll rely on their evaluations for my credentials, I wouldn’t want to burn any bridges there. Especially since I’ll probably continue to use my contacts there. Give me a little while to think about it. I’ll come up with a plan we can work out.”

Everyone returned from the dance floor at this point, and it was clear that the girls were all enjoying themselves. However, they were looking a bit worn out, and I was aware we needed an early start tomorrow.

“So, Melissa, would you like to head back to Gail’s apartment with us?” I asked her. “It’s a little awkward for us to move in with your new girlfriend without giving you a chance at her as well.”

Melissa’s eyes widened as she perked up. “Really? Sure, I’d love to spend more time with you. Actually, Gail and I have simply been talking, so nothing has really developed between us, but I’d be honored to accompany you.”

“Well, on that note, I think we need to be going. We want to get an early start, and I suspect it will be a while before we finally sleep, once we get,” I said with a wink. The girls were all glad to be on our way. I’m sure Gail and Cate remembered our last session with Gail, and Kitty had undoubtedly heard about it as well. I’m not sure Melissa needed any additional motivation, however, since she seemed excited enough to simply be around me.

Since Melissa drove herself to the dance club, Cate volunteered to ride with her, which I thought was fitting as they could talk about her new life some more. In the car I spoke with Gail again, wanting to establish the ground rules.

“Just to be clear, do you want Melissa to yourself tonight, or are you hoping to get me to give her a boost to her abilities?”

Gail looked a little pensive. “Actually, as much as I’d like to develop what I have with Melissa, there’s plenty of time to do that later. If you don’t mind taking on one more obligation, I’d appreciate it. However, if you are feeling overwhelmed, I’ll understand that as well. I realize you can hardly turn around without having some new girl to make love to.”

I turned and looked at Kitty in the back seat. “Kitty, how about you? Do you want to just keep it between us? I know I’ve been taking you and Chalise for granted a bit, as I’ve been so busy with everyone else. If you want to exclude her, we can either talk for a bit and let her sleep on Gail’s couch, or she and Gail can busy themselves while we renew our relationship a little. I feel guilty that the only times I get to make love with you always involves other people.”

“Well, I pretty much knew what I was getting into when I first got into this. At first I figured I’d have to compete with a bunch of other women, then as I learned how much love there was, I figured I wouldn’t have as much trouble sharing you. Lately I’ve learned how much of an obligation you’re under, so right now I’m mostly concerned with you. If you feel this is necessary, then I’ll support you fully. If you are asking me for an excuse not to do what looks like an inevitability, then I’ll support that as well.”

“Once again, everything comes down to me,” I lamented. “No, I figure I need to do it. And once again, it somehow feels right. I feel a connection to her, so it isn’t like I’m doing someone from off the street. Let’s invite her to bed with us, and if everything works, then I’ll try to boost her. But I just don’t want any of you to feel left out because of this.”

They both assured me they wouldn’t. Kitty leaned forward and kissed my cheek, telling me how much she loved me for being the kind of man I was, which was strange in itself.

When we arrived at Gail’s we headed in and got situated with drinks and talked for a bit, since I wasn’t too sure how to go about taking Melissa to bed. As a result, the girls all started to tell her all about my various adventures. Since I hate hearing about myself in such grandiose terms, I simply told them I was going to turn in, and whenever they were finished be sure to wake me, as I had a few things to take care of. I continued to hear laughter and discussion for a while before they finally came in with grins at my discomfort. Cate knew how much I disliked that kind of story, but I think it was a mixture of her old teasing ways and her knowing how much it was necessary to indoctrinate the newcomers. Whichever it was, it always seemed to please her no end. Kitty at least climbed on the bed and, after kissing me, apologized to me.

“He’s a very humble guy, he really doesn’t like to hear himself talked about like he’s something special,” she explained.

“But he’s...” Melissa started to say, peeking out of the bathroom where I assumed she was applying the same birth control that Gail used with me. She cocked her head in confusion, until she figured out she wasn’t likely to get an explanation, so she finally ceased her question and went back to inserting her diaphragm.

“What he is,” I told them all, “is tired and horny. How about we get this show on the road? Mellissa, if you and Gail don’t mind, I believe we have an, uh, appointment to spend some intimate time together,” I said, cocking my eyebrow and grinning to show I wasn’t actually complaining, just trying to get everyone’s attention focused back on the issue of sex, since I was in danger of losing what little erection I currently had.

Melissa looked questioningly at Gail, who simply nodded her head. Melissa then broke into a great big grin. She started to rush up to me, until she noticed Kitty and pulled up short, looking at her for permission, too.

“You’ve really got to get over being so apologetic,” Cate advised her. “The rule in these matters is Alex rules. Although everyone gives him their honest opinion, when he decides something, everyone jumps. If it were anyone else, you’d need to consider everyone else’s opinion. But since this is Alex, and what you and he are going to do together is going to change the rest of your life, everything else is secondary.”

Melissa continued to watch Cate and the others a moment after this, then turned and came to me. She leaned down and kissed me. “Thanks for this, Alex. You have no idea what it means to me. I’ll be honest with you, though, I’m like Gail. Although I’ve tried it once or twice with a guy, I was never very comfortable with it nor liked it very much, so I’m probably not going to be very good at it. I...”

I put my finger over her lips to quiet her. “I’m not looking for an expensive night out with an escort, Melissa, I’m here to make love with you. You are what matters here, and I’m not going to compare you to anyone else. I’m also not going to lay any kind of claim on you. What I’m doing here is my variation of a public service. It seems I can help people out by making love to them, so that’s what I’m going to do for you. After we’re done, you and Gail are free to frolic however you like. If either of you want a separate helping, well that’s between us, but it’s certainly not expected, OK?”

She simply nodded her head, so I leaned in and kissed her again. “Now I think we are all wearing way too many clothes for this occasion.”

Just those few words and suddenly everyone started undressing, until they noticed I hadn’t moved yet. Then they all pounced, pulling me to my feet and they all worked together to quickly strip me. As Cate pulled my underwear down, exposing my erect penis to everyone, Melissa took it in her hand and looked at it in fascination.

“I never thought I’d ever find one of these so captivating. Although I’ve avoided them like the plague, now all I want to do is play with yours. Man, how your whole life perspective can change so quickly.”

“Well, your personality doesn’t change. As Gail has shown, she still prefers it when we fool around with other attractive women nearby. But it’s not the organ, it’s the person. Sometimes, if the person is right, you’ll forgive a lot of minor things. But don’t think anyone else’s cock will hold the same attraction, what you’re feeling is likely tied to me alone.”

“Of that, I’m certain,” she said, kissing me once again, still holding my cock in her hand. As she pulled back she turned to Kitty. “Somebody show me how to use this thing. Does anyone have an instruction manual to get me started here?” she joked.

So Kitty demonstrated to Melissa how to perform a handjob, which really made me wonder just how bad her previous male encounters were if she didn’t even know these basics. When Cate and Gail finished undressing, Melissa and Kitty began to undress while Gail and my sister began to kiss me.

“Thanks for this, Boss,” Gail whispered to me. “It really means a lot to me.”

“Hey, Mi polla es la polla,” I told her, putting a couple of years of language classes to use. I couldn’t hold much of a conversation, but I knew what to call things.

“Uh, I see that you and your sister are a little, uh, familiar,” Melissa observed, watching Cate kiss me and play with my junk. “I figured she was a bit involved in your life, apparently in your secret life, your social life and your personal life as well. Ah well, with strange powers come strange customs,” she replied simply, shrugging her shoulders.

Cate held out my dick to her, and she lay down beside me and grasped it in her hand as we began to make out. After we kissed for a while, I was aware she seemed almost as responsive as Gail was, so I figured her reactions would be similar as well. Knowing that Gail always came quickly but weakly, I started to head south, only stopping briefly to appreciate her wonderful breasts. Melissa wasn’t much bigger than the rest of my girls. She was a little smaller than Gail, but for some reason I’d mostly attracted smaller chested women. But still, hers was especially nice with a nice set of perky tits in a nice pale complexion that showed off her beautiful skin. Besides, her skin tasted sweet as well, which make suckling at her breasts that much nicer.

I soon moved further down, and Melissa tried to keep me where I was but I kept moving, knowing she was likely to need more than just my presence to get her off. I figured a little preliminary work would help. She quit resisting when I got to her promised land and set to work on building her up. As I began feasting on her, Kitty and Cate set to work on her breasts. But Gail soon swept in and moved Kitty aside as she started kissing her new girlfriend. Well, potential girlfriend, at least. Kitty sat back and watched the action unfolding before her. Me, I was concentrating on getting Melissa excited, without allowing her to get too close to coming.

“Alex, the full body contact is really better,” Cate told me. “I think she’s hot enough now.”

I took my sister’s advice and started to move back up. Gail and Cate both moved aside and I started kissing Melissa. I could tell she was thrown by the differences between kissing a guy and a girl, so I wasn’t too aggressive with her, but I kept up playing with her tit while I used my other hand to align my dick. Someone, I guess either Kitty or Cate, took over and positioned me so all I had to do was to slowly press my way inside her.

Melissa’s breath caught, and I hesitated, thinking maybe she was having second thoughts, but instead her breath quickened and she pulled me towards her. I took that as a green light and I started slowly thrusting into her. She seemed to be receptive to my actions.

“Man, I can’t believe I’m getting off on being fucked by a guy.”

“Please, I don’t fuck anyone,” I told her, not unkindly. “I prefer to make love to them. Sometimes that love is a bit more energetic than others, but I don’t do this with anyone I don’t feel affection for.”

“I’m glad, now love me energetically,” she urged me. I speeded up slightly, but it’s hard to get too aggressive when your first responsibility is maintaining full body contact. Instead, I tried to mold my body to her.

“Just relax into it,” Gail whispered to her. “Don’t hurry it, it’ll happen soon enough. Let his energy flow through you, try to soak it up. You’re doing a lot more than just getting off here, Melissa. Let it build. It’s got to be a big orgasm for both of you, but it’s mostly related to his feelings for you. He’s never affected anyone by masturbating beside anyone.”

That got Melissa to slow down a bit, so I was able to continue at my own pace. I still kept the pace up, but I wasn’t hurrying, since I realized her orgasm would have as much to do with my energy as it did with my motions. This wasn’t quite making love, but it also wasn’t quite fucking. This was something uniquely my own, and I had to follow my own rules when I did it.

I noticed movement to my side and I glanced over, finally noticing that Cate and Kitty had gotten Gail laid out beside me. She was flat on her back, glancing at Melissa as she reached over and took her hand. While Melissa looked at her as well, I started to nibble on her ear, trying not to distract her. Let this be between them as much as it was between Melissa and me. Meanwhile Cate started working on Gail’s tits while Kitty settled between her thighs.

I glanced down, trying not to let myself become distracted as I kept up a steady motion, but I noticed Kitty hesitate a minute, just taking in the view and evaluating her commitment before she settled in and proceeded to eat Gail out. It was her first time eating another woman without a man involved in the action, so I guess it was significant for her.

I figured I’d let myself be distracted long enough, so I focused on Melissa once again, pulling back enough to watch her expression. It was interesting watching her, as she was clearly excited, but she had eyes only for Gail, even though she was clutching me tightly to her, matching me pace for pace. I saw Gail whisper ‘I love you’ to her from the side, and I took that moment to lean in, kissing her softly and whispering, “Come for me now, Melissa, let’s all three share this moment,” as I pinched a nipple hard. That was all it took, her eyes rolled up into her head and she started thrashing. I was almost there, but watching her achieve her own orgasm was enough to send me over the edge, thrusting home, I pulled her ass into me as I emptied myself into her.

Since I’d upgraded quite a few women already, the effects weren’t quite as overwhelming as they first were, so I was able to weather it, although it still felt exceptionally nice. Melissa, however, hadn’t experienced it before. Her eyes were already rolled back in her head, and she was quivering in orgasm, but now she began thrashing almost like she was having an epileptic fit. It was doing wonderful things to my cock, still buried deep inside her, but I was a little worried about her. Especially since she didn’t appear to be back yet.

Gail started to come just as we did. She was still holding Melissa’s hand, and her thighs were wrapped tight around Kitty’s head. Cate had been sucking on her breasts, but her motions became too frantic, so Cate pulled back and twisted her nipples as further inducement.

Slowly Melissa calmed down, and it took her a little longer to return to consciousness. Cate, seeing everyone was recovering, jumped up.

“Everyone just take it easy, I’ll get us some drinks and refreshments. Alex burns up a lot of energy doing this.”

“Don’t bother, Cate,” Gail told her, as she rolled over to hold her girlfriend. “You’ll notice I installed a mini-fridge beside the bed. It’s got a large container of juice and some yogurts. There are also cookies and glasses next to it.”

Cate got up, still completely naked, and started getting me a snack in order to restore my energy, but I had a different idea in mind. My erection had subsided, but I’d been keeping up a slow in and out motion to keep myself interested. I gently kissed Melissa, whose eyes were finally focusing again, and disengaged. I turned around, grabbed Kitty by the feet, pulled her around so she was out in front of me. She’d eaten Gail to a powerful orgasm, but she was still positioned in front of her. As she looked back at me, I tried to enter her. It was a little difficult since I was only partially erect. I had to manhandle my semi-soft cock into her, then I began a slow thrusting rhythm, which was just enough to maintain my erection.

Kitty, getting the idea quickly, turned back around, and since I’d pulled Gail along with her, she began working on Gail again. That was just what I needed. Now that I could pay more attention to it, watching my girlfriend eat Gail as she was kissing Melissa, was just what the doctor ordered. I started to firm up noticeably.

“Geez, Alex. I should have known you’d be too horny to be happy just melting someone’s mind, but you should be aware just how much energy you burn. Are you sure you’re going to be OK?” Cate asked with a trace of worry to her voice.

“Leevr hrmr amoam, eth bruthy,” Kitty mumbled incoherently, since her face was currently being shoved into Gail’s damp crotch.

“OK, OK, but just watch him. He doesn’t burn energy like the rest of us,” my sister warned.

Melissa took a moment to pull back and ask what Cate meant. Gail was hardly in any position to answer, so she just waved her off, intimating she’d explain it later.

“I promise I’ll eat when I’m done. It’s not going to kill me if I miss a meal. After all, I don’t plan on taking all night.”

Cate was silent, looking at me as if to say she wasn’t so sure.

“Look, if you’re... worried about me, I’d suggest you... get involved and speed things up,” I suggested. “Seems to me there’s a certain clit that could use some... stimulating.”

Cate looked at me, took in how focused I was, shrugged and climbed under Kitty as I lifted her ass so she was now on her knees.

“Man, I thought as slow as he started, that this was going to be a moderate evening,” Melissa said.

“No, he’s focused because... there’s so much riding... on it. He’s also worried about something unintentional happening,” Gail explained. “He never gets too kinky... but he still gets everyone off... in record time.”

Cate positioned herself under Kitty’s crotch so she could lick Kitty whenever I pulled back. However she reached around and grabbed my thigh with one hand. She ran her hand up my leg and grabbed my balls and started massaging them gently.

Thinking that Cate might have a point, I remember the business about full body contact, so I leaned over, pressing my body against Kitty’s while I grabbed her tits. I still wasn’t sure the energy transfer idea meant much with Kitty, but seeing as how Cate had learned how to channel my energy, I couldn’t rule it out.

“Excuse me, lover, but I’ve always wanted to try this,” Melissa told Gail, moving around behind me. She pressed her full body against mine, likewise leaning over both Kitty and me. She then reached down and grasped me around the base of my cock. Looking over at Gail, who could barely concentrate any more, she said, “I’ve always wanted to see what it feels to fuck somebody with a penis. Now I am. Let me tell you, it’s nothing at all like a strap on.”

I think Melissa figured no one was paying much attention to her, so she concentrated on what she was doing. It seemed to be doing something for her, because she started moaning as she rubbed her breasts against me.

“Damn, Kitty, I don’t know about you, but just playing with him like this is giving me a major buzz. All I’ve got to do is lean against him and I can feel the energy he’s pouring into you.”

“She can’t feel it,” Cate said, speaking from underneath everyone. “But I can. I can feel the amount of love he feels for her as well. It’s enough to give me a damn orgasm and neither one is even touching me. Why do you think I can lay back and watch him screw everyone else every night?”

I thought this was getting a little out of hand with everyone holding an ongoing discussion, but Gail was in no mood to talk. She grabbed Kitty’s head, trying to hold her steady as she began her orgasm. She started crying out as she trembled slightly in orgasm, and I noticed how little she responded to a normal orgasm, despite how hard she seemed to be coming. She finally had to push Kitty’s face away from her, since she’d become too sensitive. Kitty rose up on her arms for a bit, before finally bending back down to work on Cate. Gail watched the three of us while idly playing with her breast.

As I was screwing my girlfriend, Melissa was physically shoving my cock into Kitty, effectively doubling the force of each of my thrusts. This seemed to be getting to her, because she was huffing almost as much as Kitty was now. Kitty was getting so excited that she had to take frequent breaks from eating Cate simply to breath. As Cate had warned, I felt I still had a while to go before I was ready to pop.

Surprisingly, Melissa was the first one to orgasm. She clamped her arm around my waist and her hand around my cock and started to shiver. Kitty started to go after that, collapsing on top of Cate. Cate was near, so she shifted out from under Kitty enough to frig herself the last couple of millimeters to her own orgasm. Me, I just kept on plowing into Kitty, who just kept grunting.

Kitty and I kept going, since I had a way to go before I got to my next orgasm.

“Sorry, Alex, but I’ve got to... quit for a bit,” Kitty told me. I stopped and allowed her to collapse under me. Cate looked at me, smiled, then climbed in front of me.

“Sorry, I’ll probably be ready in a while, but I’m just not used to such relentless lovemaking,” Kitty tried to explain.

“This seems to be a... whole new side to Alex we... haven’t seen before,” Cate observed as I started to work on her. “It seems doggy position gives him enough distance... so he isn’t overly focused on us.”

“I’m definitely not complaining about it,” Kitty said, “but I’m just not used to it.”

I continued thrusting into my sister, playing with her tits and occasionally her clit as well. I’d worked up a decent sweat. I still felt a long ways from reaching my release, but I kept at it, just because it felt so good to simply let loose and not focus so extensively on what everyone was feeling. After a while, Kitty observed that Cate was beginning to tire, so she positioned herself next to us, ready to take over once her friend needed a breather. I was clutching Cate’s hips, working at an eager pace, slowly working my way to my eventual release when I suddenly got a sharp pain in my side. Thinking it was just a tired muscle, I continued, however it started to get worse. Then it switched to my chest. The pain got worse, and I suddenly had trouble breathing. Cate, noticed my lessening efforts and glanced back at me.

“Alex, are you...?” she started to ask, before observing my stricken expression. “Shit, I knew this was going to happen,” she said as she pulled free and came to my aid. “Help me lay him down. Kitty, get that juice and as many cookies as you can find. We never should have let him continue without eating. What I’ve been afraid of seems to have finally come to fruition. Between his graying hair, his constant eating and his energy expenditure, he’s been showing signs of premature aging.”

“Alex, are you OK? Should I call for an ambulance?” Melissa asked, looking worried as Gail and Cate laid me flat on my back.

“No, just tired, hard to breath. Just give me a second. I’ll be OK,” I tried to tell them, although it was hard to talk I was gasping so much. Melissa didn’t look convinced. Cate noticed her indecision.

“Let’s not call the ambulance until we absolutely have to,” she said. “Trying to explain what he’s suffering from and why would cause too many troubles. Let’s just stabilize him and we can get Ryan to do a complete examination on Monday. He’ll be able to take Alex’s particular circumstances into account, so he’ll be able to focus more precisely than the Emergency Room doctors can.”

It was clear who was now running this show. Kitty came up with my long postponed snack, and Gail cradled my head as Cate let me drink the juice. Everyone was carrying on completely nude, their bodies glistening from our extended lovemaking, my erection not subsiding, despite the pounding of my heart in my chest. They all babied me and fed me, allowing me to recover slowly. Once I seemed to stabilize Gail took more control, telling everyone to take separate showers, having Kitty clean me up with a wet towel since I didn’t seem stable enough yet to risk a shower. I ate even more than I normally do. I just couldn’t seem to eat enough. Gail was starting to run out of things to fix. Finally Melissa, fresh from the shower, set out to fix me some pasta, preparing it still in the nude.

All in all it was very embarrassing. It’s always difficult going from a position of strength, being in control and desired by everyone around you, to suddenly being as weak as a kitten, being coddled and protected by everyone. But the worst thing was the very real evidence of Cate’s theory of my early death. To say I was shaken was an understatement. As we settled in together on Gail’s large bed, I considered just what this would mean to my life. However, as worried as I was, exhaustion won out and I quickly fell asleep.



To Be Continued...

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The Catalyst 2 - Chapter38