Chapter 42: Totally Unexpected...

Late-August, 1986

BACK ON EARTH, NEAR McLean, VA

Willie POV:

Diane ushered us to a nice, tall-backed booth on the end of a dimly lit row of booths. There were only booths on one side, so we were nicely hidden from prying eyes.

We could even sit on the backside bench seat and see anyone coming toward us.

Like a still giggling Diane, bringing us water and menus. “Bruce said he’d meet us here at nine. Will that be enough ‘alone’ time for you two lovebirds?”

Maggie was giggling, when I said, “He wouldn’t have to wait that long, if he didn’t want to. We’ll be done eating by seven?”

Diane sighed, I knowww, but, I don’t get off till nine, I’m afraid.”

I grinned, “Well, I did have some people I wanted to introduce Maggie to. Maybe when we finish eating, we could do that, then come back and hook up with you and Bruce?”

Maggie looked surprised, but simply eyed me curiously.

“Sure, sounds good! Would you guys care for an appetizer?” Diane asked, grinning.

I grinned, “How’s about a dozen oysters on the half shell?”

Maggie started laughing wildly.

“Good choice! We just started getting them again. Normally you shouldn’t eat oysters in months without an ‘R” in them. That’s especially true for Florida oysters. Ours are from around New Jersey and we don’t have the red algae problem like Florida does.”

“Oh? So are there any other reasons for the ‘R’ thing?”

She grinned, “Yes, oysters spawn during the summer months and that causes them to taste weird. The harvesters around here start testing for taste in mid-August. They’ve found that the oysters are ready now ... would you like something to drink?”

“Just iced tea for me ... Maggie?”

She sighed, “I really wanted something a little stronger.”

I wrapped my right arm around her, “Well, order whatever your heart desires. I’m just not much of a drinker.”

She grinned at Diane, “A Margarita on the rocks for me, thanks.”

As soon as Diane left to get our drinks and oysters, Maggie gave me a seriously confused look. “Bill, just what the heck is going on?” She huffed, “First you say you’ve got to meet some people, now you’re taking me to meet them? Just who are they, anyway?”

I was getting frustrated, because everything I thought about trying to say gave me a gut ache.

“Maggie ... they ... are the most incredible group of people I’ve ever met. They turned my whole world upside down ... but in a good way.”

Maggie’s eyebrows furled, “NSA Agents Grissom and Cosgrove?”

“Yes, but, not just them. They took me to see an old friend of mine that I’d all but forgotten about. Well, he’s actually a bit younger than me, but, one of his wives rocked my world like it’s never been rocked before. She broke me out of a seven-year funk that I’d been in. That’s what you noticed in me this morning.”

“Say what!? One of WHO’S wives? Bill, are you saying that you made love to one of your friend’s wives? How does he have two wives ... and where does that leave me?”

“Aaargh! Oh God! It’s a long story, Maggie, and no matter how I try to say it, it’s going to come out wrong...”

Maggie looked ultra-confused now, but I think she sensed I was getting frustrated. She took my hand and held it tenderly. “Bill, you must know that I’m not a virgin and I could care less how many women you’ve had sex with before tonight. I didn’t ask because of that. I’m more concerned about your friend having two wives! Is that legal? And he didn’t mind one of them making love with you?”

I chuckled, “No ... he encouraged it in fact. He’s only legally married to one, but, the three of them consider themselves a trio and both of his wives have a baby with him. It’s complicated. Maggie, I WANT to tell you the whole truth, but I just can’t right now...”

“Okay, calm down. I trust you and won’t push you to tell me anything that you’re not ready to ... I have a few secrets of my own.”

Now my eyebrows rose, “Oh?”

She took a deep breath, “Yes. I’ve been ‘sort of’ in a relationship with Diane and Bruce for the last three years ... waiting on you to finally notice me.”

Thank God I felt Sarah in my head, “Let me help you, lover. Just tell Maggie you learned a new magic trick and have her close her eyes ... trust me?”

I chuckled at Sarah’s words. “Maggie. I learned a magic trick, but I need you to close your eyes for a few seconds. Trust Me!?”

She giggled, “Okay, they’re closed.”

I almost gasped when Sarah ‘popped in’ to the seat across the table from us.

“Tell me when I can open them...” Maggie said. She even had her hands over her eyes.

“Abracadabra ... Maggie, I want you to meet one of my new friends, open your eyes?”

“Ahhhk! Who are ... oh God... you’re Sarah Reynolds! The reporter who does all of those Invisible Man stories! You were rescued by him! Oh. My. God! How do you know Bill? AND HOW DID YOU GET HERE?”

Sarah was giggling, “I just popped in.”

I about snorted my iced tea!

Sarah giggled, “How did you like Willie, er, Bill’s magic trick?”

Maggie’s jaw was on the table and a look of utter disbelief was frozen on her face. “Willie?”

Maggie was looking at me suspiciously, but with a smirk. “Okay, either I’m going crazy, or Bill has turned into Houdini ... Seriously, Miss Reynolds, how the heck did you get here?”

I saw Sarah grin, “Jonah made my trip possible. For now, that’s all I’m at liberty to tell you. WHY I’m here, is because I sensed that I’ve put my new lover into a very difficult situation and I needed to help him out.”

Maggie gasped and kept looking between Sarah and me.

I could feel she was tense, but I also felt Sarah sending her warm, reassuring thoughts. Maggie was torn between apprehension and fear that I might be so much in love with Sarah that I wouldn’t also be able to love her.

Maggie was quiet for a long minute, but asked, “Are you in love with Bill?”

Sarah smiled warmly and glanced between Maggie and me, making sure Maggie saw her glances. “Yes I am.” Giggle, “I have a weakness for Hero’s! And Bill is one and has been one for a very long time.”

Maggie looked at me nervously, “I know...”

Sarah continued, “But, Maggie Pendergast, when I discovered how much his heart longed for you, I told him to come back here and follow his heart.”

Maggie’s eyes started getting moist, still looking back and forth between Sarah and me. “I don’t understand ... how can you... ?”

“As much as I love Willie, er, Bill, I don’t think I can ever fill that place in his heart that he’s been keeping just for you.”

Maggie’s eyes went wide and the tears began to flow. I kissed her tenderly and tried to kiss away her tears. She became even more emotional and turned in the booth, hugging me tightly.

Finally, she looked back at Sarah. “I’ve been trying to get Bill’s attention for the last three years. You must be one of the people he said ‘turned his world upside down’?”

“I’m afraid my husband and my sister-wife, Mary, may have done that, yes.”

“You’re in that trio marriage that Bill just told me about?”

Sarah nodded and winked at Maggie, “I am ... and you should understand, since you’re in something like that with Bruce and Diane ... aren’t you?”

Maggie’s mouth was in a perfect ‘O’, “How did you know that!?”

“Jonah gave everyone in our family some very special gifts. I can read people’s minds. He also gave all of us the gift of telepathy. Bill has it now and if you’d like, I’m able to pass the gift to you, too.

“That’s how I knew he was stressing about not being able to confide in you. You see, this gift comes with a consequence. If you agree to accept the gift, as Bill has, you also agree to never tell any of our secrets to anyone not bound by this consequence of secrecy. That’s why Bill was struggling trying to tell you things. He literally couldn’t. Would you like to accept this gift, Maggie?”

Maggie was floored, but gasped, looking at me with a grin, “I’ll be able to talk to Bill telepathically? Really!?”

Sarah giggled, “And everyone else who has this ability, too. But, you’ll only be able to talk about us with those who also have this gift. If you mess up and try telling anyone else, you’ll get a pain that’s worse than trying to poop a 15Lb watermelon! So, what do you say ... do you want ‘in’ on our little Club?”

“Gosh ... YES. What do I have to do?”

“Just take my hand and take Bill’s with your other hand.”

Maggie reached across the table and took Sarah’s hand while I took Maggie’s other hand.

I could feel Sarah and instantly knew why Sarah did this ... She also gave Maggie a special connection so Maggie could stay in my head just like Sarah could.

Oh brother, am I in trouble now!

Charlie chuckled in my head, “Welcome to ‘our’ Club, my friend. Oh, and by the way, Sarah also just passed on to you the ability to give anyone the TS or temporary spell of confidentiality. You don’t even have to touch anyone for it to work, just catch their eyes with yours. I should have given that to you to start with. My bad.”

Maggie gasped, “Who were you just talking to, Bill?”

Both Sarah and I chuckled, Sarah said, “That would be my husband and Bill’s ‘old, young friend’, Charlie! He’s been entertaining your friend, Diane, so she wouldn’t catch me here. I DO have to go.”

Maggie gasped, again, “He’s out front talking to Diane?”

“Yes, but, Diane’s going to tell you she just met Tom Selleck! Don’t burst her bubble, okay?”

Maggie’s mouth was in a perfect ‘O’ when Sarah disappeared.

Maggie looked at me, “Will I ever see her again?”

Sarah giggled in our heads, “You can count on it! And sooner than you think.”

The ‘O’ was still on Maggie’s face when Diane came racing back with our drinks. “Oh God! I’m sorry it took so long, but ... I JUST MET TOM SELLECK. Bruce will never believe it!”

Maggie and I both broke down laughing, with Maggie holding her hand over her mouth.

I surreptitiously held my finger over my lips and Maggie nodded in understanding.

Maggie gushed, “Gee, I wish I could have met him ... is he still here?”

Diane was beaming, “No, he said he had to leave, but, get this ... he’s going to meet up with us later for drinks!”

Now, BOTH of our mouths were like “O’s”.

Charlie POV:

I found myself in a quandary.

Dad and TJ have decided I needed more time with my ‘Family’. At the time, I was glad and couldn’t agree more. However, it feels like I’ve been reduced to a babysitter.

Rex, Jeremy and Willie are off trying to combat the evil within the CIA and the ‘Co-op’. That’s fine and they know more about the ins and outs of these organizations than I do. But, with Bob, Greg and Ed encountering a major adventure on Greg’s ‘Island Paradise’, I felt like I needed to do something constructive. Yeah, I enjoyed having time to connect with all the kids and I knew it was important, but, I was feeling ‘disconnected’ from my ‘Male-family’.

We were about one day away from Cancun, where we planned on docking so the bigger kids could stretch their legs and see some sights. Matt and Ralph, along with their wives were busy learning about their new ‘Mega-yacht’, while all of our girls, except Linda, were wearing me out!”

I KNOW, what man in his right mind would bitch about having eight horny, beautiful women lusting after his body?

Now that their babies were here, Emmy and Sally planned on sailing all the way to Texas with us. I did have Bill to help me out, except, he was gone from ‘9 to 5’ every day for work.

A financial guru has to keep up with the markets and all of that stuff. Millions of dollars could be lost if he didn’t make certain moves precisely when they needed to be made. So, that left me all by my lonesome ... buddy-wise.

Joni and Sheila, truthfully, weren’t very ‘needy’ since Rex and Jeremy planned on coming back most nights to sleep and make sure they felt loved. They also loved helping with the little ones.

Now, with all of the drama playing out on Greg’s island, Jamie and Gracie spent some major time there with Ibera. The thing is, they were only gone from here for a few minutes each time and they ‘needed’ me to help them relieve all of the stress that they built up!

“Little Charlie’ was raw from making love to them every two minutes! LITERALLY.

Thankfully, my sweet Sarah has just given me a reason to get out of here for a little while.

Willie is having some problems ‘adapting’ to his newfound powers and Sarah wants me to go with her to help. Sarah has encouraged my big friend to ‘follow his heart’ and connect with this pretty CIA agent, or maybe just an employee, who Willie has deep feelings for.

So ... I’m about to go with her.

Just what I needed!

Except, now I’m going to be leaving the rest of my family unprotected from pirates. Aaargh!

Mary assures me that between her, Jamie, Gracie, Joni and Sheila they’ll be fine. Plus, the two ships are sailing together and that in and of itself makes them safer.

That makes me feel better.

I decided that before we left, however, I needed to have a ‘heart-to-heart’ talk with my son. I had a feeling, from what Sarah told me, CJ’s ‘help’ was part of Willie’s problem.

I picked CJ up from his playpen where he’d been holding court with all of his siblings. He protested briefly until I told him, “Daddy needs to talk you, little buddy. I need your help.”

He told Sissy, “I have to help Daddy, Sissy. You take care of Livie, Erik and Tyler, okay?”

Jeez! He already has a ‘second in command’?

Little Sissy smiled brightly, “Oh-Tay, Beeg Bwuther.”

I could only smile as Sarah and Mary shook their heads, smiling too.

As we headed for a more private space, CJ looked at me seriously, “Sissy will talk better when her mouth stops hurting so much.”

The kids have all been cutting teeth. That CJ understood her mouth hurting was one thing, but, that it was hampering her speech, was something else!

“Did Mommy tell you that?”

“Yes Daddy. When I ask why Sissy cannot talk good, she say her teeth hurting her mouth. I be patience with her.”

I wanted to correct him, that the word was patient, not patience ... but what the heck. Who am I to nit-pick?

“You’re a good big brother, CJ. Can I ask you, how are you helping Sissy, Olivia, Erik and Tyler to walk and talk?”

He scrunched up his little face, “Am I helping too much? I do not want my Grampa’s to be mad at me.”

I could tell he was still leery of letting me in on his secret.

I looked deeper into his little eyes and felt a much deeper connection. His eyes lit up when I said, “You know ... Grey Grampa told me you’ve been visiting him almost every night?”

“Ohhh ... you know that???”

I nodded, “Yes. You’re not the only one who visits him, you know? Didn’t he tell you that you need to tell me things?”

Suddenly tears began spilling from his little eyes, “I’m sorry Daddy! I’m sorry! Please don’t be mad at me. Grey Grampa say if people find out about me, he take my power away.” He said as he burrowed his little head into my chest.

Ahhh, now I understood his reluctance to confide in me. I wanted to be sure, “Did Grey Grampa tell you that I have the same powers that you do?”

CJ’s mouth flew open and his wide-eyed gaze answered that question, “Nooo, can you fly too, Daddy?”

I was laughing and hugging my son. It had never occurred to me that CJ was totally unaware that anybody had the kinds of powers Zeus had given him.

No wonder he was afraid to tell me!

As advanced as CJ was, he only had the maturity of a 5 or 6-year old. That is hard to understand with CJ’s unique intelligence.

I decided to show my son what I could do. I slowly flew us around the room. He was excited and wanted to try it himself. “Can I do it, can I do it Daddy?”

I figured it was time to let him ‘spread his wings’ and said, “Okay. But, you have to promise only to do this when it’s just the two of us and NOBODY ELSE is around, okay?”

He smiled widely, “Yes Daddy!”

The little devil took off and I was really impressed. I was still in his head and could tell he was starting to ‘show off’, so I gently hollered, “Hey, CJ!”

He was up by the ceiling and, being suddenly distracted, fell toward the floor. He was screaming in panic just as I stopped him from crashing. I slowly brought him to me and he eagerly put his arms around my neck, “I almost fall Daddy, why you yell at me?”

“I wanted to show you how easy it is to get hurt, CJ. You need to learn not to let anything distract you when you fly. Daddy almost crashed the first time he tried flying, too.”

“Ohhh, did you get hurt, Daddy?”

“I would have if your Uncle Bob hadn’t caught me, just like I caught you!”

“Can Bobo fly, too!?”

I chuckled, “Yes he can and so can Uncle Greg and all of the mommies except Sarah. Momma Sarah is afraid of heights.”

His little mouth was in an ‘O’, “I help Mama too?”