Chapter 57: Sister

Authors Note: As always, my thanks to Dr Mark for his tireless work and input, and to those of you who support me wherever that may be.

At various points in the story - there has been feedback left about Law enforcement – the term ACAB has been bandied about and if you don’t know what that means then be happy. I personally do not subscribe to that view – and as a first responder medic, have worked very closely with law enforcement many times and found them to be people like any other occupation – some are good, some are bad but the majority I have worked with have been amazing people doing a great job under very difficult circumstances.

However, in this chapter – I do show the other side of the coin – there are some bad cops – I do not tar every LEO with this brush – but it is sadly part of reality.

Finally - Caleb is Pansexual - that means at some point he or some others will be having gay sex. You knew this when you started reading - the very first sex scene was gay(ish) Dont get 50+a chapters in and then complain about it. It’s not going to change - so either stop reading or ignore it - Complaints about it are not going to change the story.

PM

We’d booked a table in an Italian restaurant for that evening. Melanie had been in restaurants before; sometimes her ‘gentlemen’ liked to play that they’d wined and dined her before slaking their lusts.

She’d never been to any restaurants in Portland though, since she was no longer fresh, her clientele were less discerning. She was lucky if she got to use a bed, or even the back seat of a car. Mostly, recently, it had been back alleys and doorways.

I’d been so angry when she’d told me. I’d wanted to hurt someone or something. I wanted to find the woman who’d stolen my poor sister away from her loving family and subjected her to such a horrendous ordeal. But she was no longer around. My next targets, then, were the men who had used and abused her, but Melanie had said simply that if it weren’t for those men she would have starved to death. In the end I just held her, swearing oath after oath that as long as I had breath in my body, nobody was going to hurt my baby sister ever again.

When we got to the restaurant, they’d pushed some tables together to make a long single table, where we all seated ourselves. Strangely, or maybe not so strangely, we all ended up in exactly the positions we sat in at home, with me at the head.

I marvelled at the need for people to have such regimentation in their lives, being quietly amused at them until I realized that I, too, had simply gone to my usual seat. A line from Dead Poet’s Society ran through my mind – ‘Why were you clapping?’ - and then I laughed at myself too.

We’d all been served a round of drinks, most of us drinking soda since most were underage. I, too, chose a soda since I was driving one of the cars and never had so much as a single beer any time I got behind the wheel.

We were examining the menus, Melanie delighted at the thought of being able to read hers, but being a little confused since the part of the menu she was looking at was in Italian. She was sitting next to Josh who looked over and noticed. He drew her attention to his menu, showing her where the English selections were, and she smiled at him in thanks, turning the page until she found one that she could read.

The food at the restaurant was really good, and Melanie had a lot of fun trying all kinds of things she’d never had before. By the time she was done, she was moaning, her belly looking like she was a few months pregnant. I was convinced she’d tried everyone’s meals, and nobody begrudged her a single mouthful.

When we got home, I spent a few minutes persuading her body to absorb all the calories she’d eaten and to distribute them properly. That helped her avoid becoming sick, and also sped up her recovery.

“Melanie,” I said. We were lying in bed, she having decided to accompany me when I’d retired.

“Hmm?” she looked up at me, her head resting on my shoulder.

“Would you like me to make it so you are not able to get pregnant,” I said, “until you decide you want to?”

She smirked at me. “Is that a hint?” she asked. I laughed.

“Not at all,” I said. “But I imagine that at some point you’re going to want to have sex. And unless you want to start a family right away...”

She thought about it for a few minutes.

“I do want children,” she said. “I want to prove to myself that I can be a better mother than I had.”

I hugged her to me.

“If you do,” she asked, “Does that me we can...”

“You’re my sister,” I said. “Does that not worry you?”

“Half-sister,” she said. “And I’m not talking about having babies with you, yet. But you make me feel safe, and warm, and wanted. I trust you Caleb, and I know that you would never hurt me.”

“There are lots of men,” I said, “who would never hurt you. I don’t want you thinking that you owe me...”

“But I do...” she insisted. “A week ago, I was cold and hungry, wondering where my next meal was coming from, scared that I would get knifed for my shoes or my jacket, and it was getting to be that the only ones that would pay me for sex were the really sick old pervs that wanted to do sick stuff to me.

“Now I’m warm, safe, sleeping in a soft bed with clean sheets, plenty to eat, and...”

“And it’s only what you deserve,” I said. “You don’t have to feel that you owe me, or any of us, anything for that. We love you, Sis, and no matter what happens, we’re all going to look after you. You don’t have to ‘pay your way’ with sex, or anything else. You need to reset your thinking, your baseline.

“I am only giving you what you are entitled to by right. You are my sister and I OWE it to you to keep you safe, and warm, and well fed. I’ve been lax in my duties so far and I’m so very sorry.”

She snuggled in, resting her head back down on my shoulder once more.

“I love you,” she whispered, so quiet that I almost didn’t hear her. I got the feeling that she hadn’t really wanted me to hear it, and so I didn’t respond. I merely flexed my power, rolling feelings of safety, security, and love over us both, before allowing myself to drift off to sleep.

I woke, briefly, later when the other girls came to bed.

I heard a whispered conversation between Melanie and Amanda.

“So how was it?” Amanda asked.

“We didn’t,” said Melanie.

“Why not?” asked Amanda.

“I tried,” said Melanie “but he side-tracked me, and we started talking, and then I guess he got the impression that I only wanted to because I thought I owed him.”

“Oh dear,” whispered Amanda. “Then you need to make it clear that that isn’t the reason you want to.”

“I know,” said Melanie. “I need to leave it a couple of days. No matter what I say, he won’t believe it now.”

“I’ll speak to him,” said Amanda. “And if that doesn’t work, I have other ideas. But you’re right. After tonight let’s give It a few days.”

Through slitted eyes I saw Amanda lean down and kiss the back of Melanie’s neck, where they lay, spooned. Melanie shivered slightly and snuggled into the hold. Amanda turned her leonine gaze on me.

“I know you’re awake,” she sent.

“I know,” I responded. “Dianna’s coming for lunch tomorrow. Let’s talk about this after.”

“So, this isn’t you being Norm and prudish?” she asked through the connection.

I almost laughed. “Prudish?” I sent. “I don’t think I’ve ever been called that before. No. I want to find out a few things from Dianna first, but most of all I want Melanie to want this because she wants it, not because she feels she owes me. I don’t think she’s got that clear in her head just yet.

“When she has, believe me I will have no hesitation giving her what we both want.”

I felt Amanda’s power flare, covering all of us in love, trust, contentment. But I did detect a soupcon of horny in there too, which made me grin, as I drifted off to sleep once more.

Dianna arrived just before noon the next day. We sat together, had lunch, and the conversation was lively. The meal, which Ness and I had cooked between us, went down with the usual appreciative noises. Afterward Ness and I were banned from the kitchen and the others teamed up to clear everything away. I’d forgotten about looking for a bigger dishwasher, so I went online and found one that I thought might be suitable. It took up to eighteen place settings, with the same footprint as our existing one. I ordered one with delivery and installation expected the following week.

“You wanted to speak to me?” asked Dianna and I grinned.

“Can’t a guy just invite his grandmother-in-law over for lunch?” I responded. She snorted.

“I have decades of experience on you,” she said, “so cut the bullshit.”

I stood and walked through the kitchen and out onto the deck.

She followed.

“Oh – this is one of those conversations?” she asked.

“Not really,” I said. “I just wanted to talk to you about some things.”

“Such as?”

“Well,” I said. “Finding Melanie kind of brought home the point that I have two other half siblings out there somewhere. I know nothing about them, apart from that one is close to ‘emerging’ so I assume they’re nearly twenty-one. I don’t even know if they are half-brothers, or half-sisters.

“One of each,” she said. “Ephraim, your brother, is the one who is about to emerge. Sarah, your sister, is just turned eighteen. John sired them with two different women, both of whom married other men who have taken on the children as their own.

“Neither of the women has a lot to do with John, other than him paying them for the children. I think they both had hopes of tying him down into marriage with the baby and were sadly disappointed when he wouldn’t.

“I was thinking,” I said, “that I wanted to meet them. Find out about them. I think Melanie would like that also.”

Dianna chewed her lip for a moment.

“They are both technically legal adults. Ephraim is in school and not living with his parents. Sarah is still living with her parents and is just graduated high school. As per our new schedule for removing the amulets, Ephraim is going to have his removed in the next week or so, about two months early. Sarah’s, I think, is due to be removed early next month.

“How are they removed?” I asked wondering.

“We have a device,” said Dianna, reaching into her pocket and pulling out something that looked very much like a car key fob, but with a small prong protruding from the top, ending in a tiny spoon shaped implement. She handed it to me.

“We place this over the control unit,” she pointed at the spoon, “press the button,” she indicated the only button on the device, “and the device withdraws and is removed. It stings a little but is not overly painful from what I understand. Most people are just so excited to get it removed that they don’t even notice. They’ve just been told that they might have psychic power and they are anxious to find out that they can do.”

“Can you give me contact details for Ephraim and Sarah please?” I requested. “I might at least email them and see if they would be interested in meeting Melanie and me.”

Dianna nodded. “Sure,” she said. “It might be good for you to be in their lives. From what Maggie says, Ephraim has a moderate amount of power, but Sarah is quite powerful. Not in your league of course, but probably almost as powerful as Maggie herself.”

I nodded, thinking.

“Now,” said Dianna, “do you want to ask me the question that you really brought me out here to ask?”

I raised my eyebrow at her. “What makes you think...” I began.

“Caleb,” she interrupted, “I might have been born at night, but it wasn’t LAST night. Melanie.”

“Melanie,” I sighed.

“You have feelings for her,” she said.

“Of course I do,” I said. “She’s my...”

“Outside of that I mean,” Dianna said. “You have feelings, urges, that you think are inappropriate for you to have toward your sister.”

I grimaced. “Once more here I am being a fucking hypocrite,” I said. “I’m sleeping with a set of twins and two other sisters. You and I...”

“It’s not the same thing,” she said. “There are good reasons why the rules against incest are there, and they have been around for a long, long time.

“I know you’re not religious in any way, but let’s look at their rules for a second,” she continued. “Let’s accept that religion was, and still is to some extent, a form of government and a way to control people, who were, at the beginning, illiterate and ignorant. If you tried to explain to them the scientific reasons why you should, for instance, leave a field fallow for a season rather than planting all your land all the time they wouldn’t get it, and more importantly wouldn’t do it. But if you told them that it was in deference to the rules of a supreme being, whose bounty they were reliant upon, most people just did it.

“How did they know the supreme being was there? They had ample proof. The sun came up, the rains came, and when he was angry there was thunder and lightning. All things we can explain with science but remember this started so long ago. Anything that couldn’t be explained was attributed to the supreme being, and so control was established.

“Then the religious leaders just started to make up rules. Partly because they were sensible, like not eating meat from certain animals, because back then that meat was often tainted and caused illness. Again, not easy to explain to the illiterate masses but, hey, God says so – and no problem.

“At some point it was discovered that if people interbred, the offspring of those unions often had problems, weird and wonderful deformities, and diseases occurred. The masses put it down to being cursed, but those with more learning realised what was going on. Again, rather than try to explain, they simply added the rule to their rulebook that incest is against God’s will. They didn’t differentiate between incest that could produce offspring and incest that couldn’t. That would have been complicated, I guess.

“We live in a more secular society these days, but anyone that tells you that the church has no bearing on our current legislation is kidding themselves. For the most part, a lot of the laws we have today, are based on those original rules as written in the religious texts. As science develops and certain assumptions are proven wrong, laws have been changed or repealed. There is huge resistance from the church every time one of their ‘rules’ that was written into law is changed or repealed, because it marks another small loss of power for them.

“The laws on incest are there for a reason,” she said, “particularly between partners that can produce offspring. These days, if they tried to legislate differently for gay partners than heterosexual ones then there would be a huge discrimination lawsuit, because that is the society we live in, despite it being eminently sensible that two brothers, or two sisters, who get together are far less dangerous a combination that a brother-sister relationship.

“However, that is Norm society. Power users, for some reason, and perhaps it’s how they come to have powers, have a much purer genome. To my knowledge, and as far as records can tell, there hasn’t been a single power user born with a genetic defect. We just don’t have the defective genes that Norms do.

“To protect our lines, and our powers, it has been necessary for families to interbreed. What we have determined is that rather than making the bloodline weaker, as happened with the European royals, it made the lines stronger. While it’s rare for brother-sister relationships, it tends to be cousins, its neither unheard or, nor frowned upon.”

“But we’re only half...”

“And the half that is not are from two completely different norm genetic lines.” She interrupted me. “Your common parent is a power user, with the pure genome. Both your parents came from powered genes, so your genome is pure. Her maternal genome is norm. There is no chance of any issues from what might be considered ‘inbreeding.’

“If you had kids together, and THEY decided to get together, I would probably recommend genetic screening, since they would both have a part of the norm genome. I’d still expect no issues, because I’d expect the power genome would remove any defective genes, but it would be a sensible precaution to take.”

I pondered this for a second, it made sense. That was one issue dealt with. But there was the other one.

“I’m also concerned,” I began, “that her feelings for me are not real, but are merely prompted by the fact that I rescued her from her previous life. In other words, she feels that she owes me something.”

Dianna shrugged. “And?”

I goggled at her.

“Caleb,” she said. “The person in danger here is not her, it’s you.”

“How do you figure?” I asked.

“Let’s run the scenario,” she explained. “Let’s say that Melanie feels that she owes you, and that is the reason she wants to sleep with you – to pay her debt. Then you’ll have sex a few times, she’ll consider her debt paid, and go away happy.

“You, however, will have fallen in love with her by then, if you haven’t already. So in reality it’s you that is in danger of getting hurt by that scenario – not her.”

“Well,” I said, “I’m not keen on that idea either.”

“You’re going to add her to your connection in any case,” said Dianna.

“I am?” I asked surprised.

“Aren’t you?” she said. “How are you going to protect her if she’s not connected to you?”

“She has her own powers,” I said. “She doesn’t need my protection.”

“So do the twins,” said Dianna.

“But I didn’t connect to the twins to protect them,” I argued. “I connected because I love them.”

“And don’t you love Melanie?” she asked.

“You’re talking around in circles,” I grumbled. “I connected to the twins because I was in love with them. Same with Jules and Ness. A side effect of that connection is that I can protect Jules and Ness – who do not have power, through the connection. Mary and Amanda don’t need that protection since they have power of their own.

“I hadn’t decided whether to connect Melanie, because to do so would intimate that she was joining our family, and there are still so many things that need to be determined before that happens. I want to be sure its what she wants. The girls have all said that they would be happy for her to join, and I really do have feelings for her. My upbringing tells me that what I am feeling for her is wrong, that I shouldn’t have these feelings for your own sister,” I scowled. “Thanks again Everson Council!”

Dianna laughed.

“They’re gone,” she said, “but their effect is going to be around for quite a while.”

“While we’re talking about this,” I said. “How do we do this? I don’t mean just Melanie, I mean how do we, I don’t know, legalize our relationship? Polygamy is illegal in the US, and I’d love to be able to give my girls some kind of wedding ceremony. It’s supposed to be every little girl’s dream, right?”

“Sexist,” she snapped at me with a grin.

I had to laugh at that.

“We can have a ceremony,” said Dianna. “And it can be officiated by one of the family elders, Maggie or I, or Matilda could do it. It would have absolutely no legal standing. However, we’ve not been idle in our time here, and yours is not the first multiple person relationship in the community. There are some ‘loopholes’ written into key laws specifically with us in mind. We use those, and simple legal concepts like power of attorney, to build a legal structure for your household.

“I think I already said that it’s not a good idea to have all four of your partners equal in the eyes of the law, in the event of a medical emergency for instance. The debate between them could paralyse decision making that could save your life. You are going to have to come up with a hierarchy. Personally, I’d leave it to the girls to work that out for themselves. They are sensible enough to figure it out.

“Don’t forget its not just for you. They need to do it for them too. Each of them needs to designate a next of kin and identify those they wish to have power of attorney over them in the case of medical emergency. It may be that Jules and Ness nominate each other, but I suspect all your girls will nominate you.

“It’s a discussion you need to have with them at some point. But going back to Melanie. What do you think you’re going to do?”

I looked at Dianna and shrugged.

“I have no idea,” I said wearily.

“Why not simply live it,” said Dianna, “and let it develop into whatever it is going to be. Give Melanie what she wants. Allow her to thank you, if that’s what she feels she needs to do. There are never guarantees with relationships Caleb. There are many marriages, happy marriages, out there that started out with some kind of rescue or other. People come together for all kinds of reasons.”

I nodded “I guess,” I said. I went to hand her the device back, but she shook her head.

“Keep it,” she said. “You’ll need it to remove Melanie’s amulet when It’s time. I’m glad to see that you are being sensible about that and waiting until her body is strong enough. The reason I didn’t give you that earlier was that I thought you might just go ahead and remove it because of your hatred of them.”

“She’s not ready yet,” I said. “And Maggie’s little game backfired. Melanie saw through her.”

Dianna laughed.

“You think?” she said. “Do you know what Maggie’s goal was then?”

“It was...” I began but then thought about it. I’d assumed it was a dig at me, to put me in the spot of someone who had to withhold something from someone for their own good. What else could her goal have been?

Then it clicked.

If Maggie assumed that Melanie would see through the play, it served a bigger purpose. To bring us, as siblings, closer together.

“She’s been doing this a long time,” said Dianna seeing my expression. “Don’t ever assume you know Maggie’s true motivation, for anything.”

She stood. “I need to get going,” she said. “Thanks for the lunch.” She leaned down and kissed my cheek before going into the house. I stayed seated, thinking over all that she’d said to me.

“Caleb?” I looked up, Jules was standing by the kitchen door.

“Hmm?”

“Can we move the bed out of my workshop?” she said. “It’s kind of obvious that Melanie isn’t going to use it.”

I smiled. “Sure,” I said standing up. “Let’s do that.”

We moved the bed out of Jules’ workshop, back into the attic. I could hear something going on in the street. When we were done, I went out on the front porch to see that there was a mobile tire van parked across the street. It seemed he was just finishing up replacing the valves on all of the tyres on Tom Pritchard’s car.

Pritchard was talking to the mechanic, apparently signing something. The mechanic got into his van and drove away. As he turned to go back into his house, Pritchard spotted me on my porch and glared at me. I grinned at him and waved.

He stomped into his house and slammed the door.

I went back into our house. Just before I closed the door, I heard the hiss, as all four valves once more leapt away from his tires.

Two hours later, there was a knock on our door. I opened it to find Debs and her partner Steve standing on the doorstep.

“Hey Debs,” I said. “What’s up?”

“Can we come in?” said Steve.

“Sure,” I said. allowing them in. They followed me into the living room where the girls were all sitting. Josh and Louise were out on the deck.

“We’ve had a complaint.”

“Mr. Pritchard again?”

Debs nodded.

“Apparently someone has vandalized his car.”

“Really?” I said “What, spray paint, keyed it, what?”

“Tore out all the valve stems of his tires.”

I laughed.

“Well – so that was why the tire guy was here,” I said. “Why’d he wait so long to complain? He got it fixed first and then complained?”

“No,” said Debs. “They did it again AFTER he’d had them fixed.”

I laughed again. “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. So he’s pointing the finger at me? No surprise there. I don’t suppose he has any evidence, pictures of any of us doing anything, or is he just mudslinging again?”

“He has nothing” she said. “But you have security cameras. You mind if we take a look?”

“If it wasn’t you,” I said, “I’d say no. but since It is you, then sure.”

I got Jules to cue up the video of the front porch, from the time the tire guy was at Pritchard’s house. I appeared on the porch and then went in the house. Jules fast forwarded the footage showing that nobody had left the house. The next figures on the porch were Debs and Steve.

Then I had an idea.

“Jules. Go back to just as I went in the house. Crank up the volume. I’m sure I heard something.”

Jules did as requested, and sure enough, just as I closed the door, a distinct hiss was heard on the footage.

“Well, that sounds to me like air escaping from tires,” I said, “but you can clearly see it’s not me. You think he’s doing it himself, to give him something to complain about?”

“Looks that way,” said Steve. “I think we need to go and have another word with Mr. Pritchard.

“Thanks Caleb. We’ll enter it as another malicious call and give him another warning. Again, we can’t prove he did it himself since all we have is a hiss that could be anything. You think you could turn one of your cameras on his house?”

“What, and get reported for illegal recording?” I asked. “I know the first amendment says I can record, but if I point a camera at his house, he’ll claim I’m trying to look through his windows or something. I don’t need that kind of noise.”

“Good point,” said Debs. “Thanks for showing us the footage anyway. It’s obvious there’s something wrong with that guy. Leave it with us.”

“No problem,” I said. “It was good to see you again.”

I showed Debs and Steve out, returning to the living room to be met with a set of grins.

“You know,” said Mary. “I didn’t know you could be quite so devious.”

“Me neither,” said Jules. “Getting them to think it was Pritchard himself doing it was a stroke of genius.”

The tire guy had just left for a second time when I went to bed. I looked out of the window. Pritchard was doing something in his window. I looked closer and realised he was setting up a small video camera, to watch his yard. I grinned.

When I got up the next morning, I once again looked out of my window. I could see the camera, little red light flashing sitting on the window ledge inside the window. I reached out with my TK and gently pulled the power cord from the device. The red light went out.

I couldn’t hear the hiss as he tires went flat once more. I decided to do my exercise in the yard for this morning.

Just before eight there was a pounding on my door.

I opened it to find a very irate Tom Pritchard standing there.

“I know it’s you,” he yelled. As soon as I opened the door. “I know it’s you and I’m going to prove it.”

“I’m sorry?” I said. “What’s me and what are you going to prove?”

“You did it again” he said. “This is three times now. You’ve vandalized my car. Not to mention getting it towed illegally.”

“Illegal towing?” I said. “I’d be careful about talking too loudly about that. You see I have video of you illegally posting no parking signs up and down the street that morning. I guess you called the towing company and did some sort of deal with them to tow away cars of guests from my party.

“My bet is that when the tow truck driver got here and nearly got arrested, he decided to get his revenge and tow your car. Sorry to disappoint you, but it had nothing to do with me. So, unless you have something called proof, I’m going to ask you to get off my porch and stop harassing me. This is the last warning. Next time I will go for a restraining order against you.”

“I’m going to catch you,” he swore, “And when I do – you’re going to Jail.”

“You’ve been asked to leave,” I said. “I won’t ask again.”

He turned and stomped off the porch.

I was about to close the door when I saw Marcia’s truck pull up. She got out and moved to the back, getting her tools out before heading up to the house.

“Morning,” I said. She smiled at me.

“Good morning,” she said. She looked tired.

“Good weekend?” I asked expecting her to say she was partying all weekend.

“Not really,” she said. “But it’s over now. So, time to go to work.”

I made breakfast for everyone, Marcia included. I had a couple of hypnotherapy appointments at the range. As I was getting ready to leave, Melanie left the house.

“Where you going?” I asked.

“DMV,” she said. “I need to get registered and get my student learner permit. Then, I’m going to the bank. I’ll register at yours so it might be easier.”

“Don’t forget to tell them that you have two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to deposit once you get the account opened, and here.” I said pulling out my wallet. “You’ll need something to open the account with, and some bus fare.”

“Mary already gave me some money,” she said. “I have enough.”