Chapter 7

Monday, June 11, 1979

Missy was snuggled on my lap as we were having our first cup of coffee. I had my arm around her and was gently caressing her right nipple. There was nothing sexual about it on either of our parts, just gentle loving. {You know the reason I'm pushing so hard on the new house, don't you?} she asked me.

{I figure it has something to do with what you have in here, } I said as I gently rubbed her lower abdomen.

{Got it in one, } she giggled. {I've made myself the real estate expert around here, and I want the house finished before I start blimping up.}

{You're going to be such a beautiful blimp, } I said with a grin

{Are you still going to think I'm beautiful when I weigh a thousand pounds?} she asked.

{Maybe not if you weigh a thousand pounds, but if you're big from carrying our baby, I'm going to think you're the most beautiful woman in the world.}

Missy sighed and snuggled in. {I'm so happy about this Mike. Have you looked at our fetus yet? I've been watching it every day. It's still microscopic, but I can tell it's growing.}

{No, I haven't, Darling. I think I'll wait another week or two. Maybe by then, he'll have a little definition. I'm so happy you're keeping a close watch though.}

{It's so amazing to watch it grow. The good part is, I'm going to be able to tell at all stages of growth if he or she is healthy. I should also be able to figure out what he needs if there is something lacking in my diet.}

{When will you go to a doctor the first time?}

<Think about it, Mike. I may never need to go to a doctor. We're better able to tell what's wrong with our bodies than a doctor is. Right now, this fetus is part of my body. I'm going to want to give birth at home too.>

{Is that a good idea, Sweetheart? What if something goes wrong during the delivery? I know you can completely control your body, but what if something knocks you out?}

<Then Bonnie and Thelma and Sharon and everyone else will be there to help me through it. I don't see how there could be any risk at all. We can check the position of the baby as soon as contractions start, and have it move into the best possible position for birth. I can cause myself to dilate as far as I want, without pain and without tearing. It's going to be as easy as taking a poop.>

{Who's going to poop?} Sharon asked as she came into the room.

{No one, Sharon. I was just telling Mike that having a baby was going to be as easy as taking a poop.}

{You really think so, Sis?}

<Think about it. Piece of cake.>

You could see the gears turning in Sharon's head as she poured herself a cup of coffee. {You know, you're probably right. We'll all help of course.}

{I knew you would.}

{Girls, did I miss something with Sheila? I was under the impression she was wanting to become part of our marriage.}

{I'm sorry, Mike. I knew she was going to spend a night with each of us. I guess I should have said something, } Sharon said. {Will it bother you if she hooks up with Ken or Tim?}

{No... I don't think that will bother me at all. I was never in love with Sheila, and from what you told me the other day, she was more in lust with me. That she can find with either Ken or Tim.}

{So, what do you think of Jude?} Missy asked.

{I did a deep scan on her, with her cooperation. The first time I tried to do the deep scan, she caught me. She told me mentally that it wasn't polite to scan someone without their permission. I was as embarrassed as I could get. Cindi scanned her without her knowing it though. Then she invited me in to scan her, so I did.}

{Sometimes I think our little Cindi can do anything, } Missy said. {I'd sure hate to have her for an enemy.}

{I suspect that Jude may be nearly as strong as Cindi, } I told them.

{She's a complete natural like Cindi is. Could you imagine what it'd be like if they paired up?}

{Awesome!}

{So, what's on the agenda for today?} I asked Missy.

Before she could answer, Jude walked in, as naked as the rest of us.

<Is this a private party, or can anyone join?> she asked.

<You're welcome to join us, > Sharon told her. <We are talking about our plans for the day.>

<Before that, we were talking about you, > I told her.

<It's surprising I didn't hear you, > she told us. <I always seem to be able to pick up when anyone within half a mile is talking about me.>

<Jude, as a married group, we have a private channel we can talk on and no one can hear, > Missy told her. <It's not a matter of being secretive, but there are things talked about in a marriage the even other family members don't need to hear.>

<I can understand that. You guys amaze me. You are far stronger than any other telepaths that I've ever been around. Can you work and think on more than one channel at once?>

<Yes, all of us can use two or three channels. We have no idea how many Cindi can work on at once, > Sharon said.

<I've managed to get six channels at one time, then I started losing things. I've always felt I should be able to handle more, but haven't been able to figure out how.>

<Six is amazing, > I told her. <I was telling Sharon and Missy that I thought you were very strong.>

<Thank you, Mike. Guys, can I ask you a question about your marriage?>

<Sure, Jude. Ask away, > Sharon told her.

<Are you all just married to Mike or are you all married to each other?>

<We are each of us married to each of the others. To answer your unasked question, each of us makes love to each of the others. This is not a requirement, but when you have been in rapport with your spouses, it would be difficult now to want to make love to them, > Missy told her.

<Cindi was saying something about going into rapport last night. I've never experienced anything like that.>

Sharon and Missy smiled at each other then set up a family type link.

They showed Jude how to join in, and we sat, linked, for half an hour or so. When we broke it up, Jude said, <Wow! I had never even imagined anything like that.>

<That was very mild, > Sharon told her. <Our married link is much closer and much more intense.> Sharon giggled. <You should try making love when you're linked like that.>

Jude blushed and said, <I'd like to try making love, linked or not. I've had plenty of offers, but most guys my age are just out to score. They'll tell you they love you, but I was cursed with the ability to scan them. What I'd see underneath was that they just wanted to get in my pants, then move on and try it with someone else.>

<All of us have experienced the same kind of thing, > Missy said. <All of us, except Cindi, Melly, and Sheila were just intermittents before we joined the family, but we picked up enough to make us back out when it came to the crunch. Hell, the guy I was dating before I met Mike was going to try to rape me.>

<Yeah, that's happened to friends of mine. It's a scary thing to be a young woman.>

<Not any more it isn't. We were all just about your age when we joined the family. In fact, I'm really only seventeen now. All of my identification says I'm twenty-one, but that's because we managed to get it all changed, > Sharon told her.

<How old are you, Mike?> Jude asked.

<Jude, there are a lot of things you're going to learn, just being around us. Some of these things would hurt me or hurt the family. One of them is, of course, the multiple marriages. Would you give us your word that anything you learn about us will remain a secret?>

<Absolutely.>

<Jude, I'm going to ask you to close your mind for a moment. There's something I have to ask the rest of the family that I'd rather you weren't a party to.>

<Okay, I'm checking out.>

<Hey everyone! Does anyone have any objections to Jude becoming a member of the family? I don't see how she can live with us without it.>

Everyone agreed that it would be extremely difficult to live with a full time telepath with Jude's abilities without her being a family member. No one had any objections.

"Jude, you can come back in now."

<Okay, what's up?>

<We were wondering if you'd like to become a member of our family. You would not have to marry any of us, or have sex with any of us until you were ready, whether that was a day or a thousand years.>

<Yes, I would like that very much, Mike.>

<Okay, you haven't scanned any of us, have you?>

<No, I didn't think it was right.>

<Would you like to scan me now?> I asked. <It's probably the quickest way for you to find out what the family is about.>

<Thank you, Mike. I was hoping one of you would let me.>

<Okay, I'm going to relax on the couch. You can look at anything you like, for as long as you like.>

I leaned back and relaxed. I could feel her enter my mind, and I opened up completely. She was good. Her touch was as light as a feather, and I have no doubt she was letting her presence be known. If she had wanted to do this surreptitiously, I'm sure I wouldn't have known she was there at all. She took a long time with it, but I wasn't concerned.

<Thank you, Mike. I don't think I've ever scanned anyone so thoroughly in my life. I now have a thousand questions though, but most of them can wait.>

<Jude, you are now a member of the family, so you can ask anything you want. If you'd like to scan me, you're welcome to do that also, > Missy told her.

<There's a lot to put together first Missy. I may ask you later, but right now, I'd just like to think about what I learned from Mike.>