Chapter 13: Odds and Ends (Who you calling an End?)

Alex was anxious to get started the next day, anticipating follow-ups and repercussions of the previous day’s newspaper article and additional protests, so he tried to get everyone moving. However he knew he wouldn’t be able to put everyone off, so he settled for fooling around in the shower in an effort to hurry everyone up.

Brandy and Caitlin didn’t object. Although they were anxious to become pregnant and were hoping to get a fresh batch of semen, they at least got some lovemaking. They were also aware of what was important. They knew Alex had promised them that if they didn’t get pregnant they could take advantage of his stored sperm, but they also knew that everyone was anxious about Alex’s progeny. The big goal was producing a new generation with Alex’s abilities. Without that, all of Alex’s advances would be for naught. Although they were each hoping to bear that child themselves, they realized everyone would win as long as someone bore the child each of them desired. Thus they were thankful for a ticket to the lottery, simply because of what it represented.

In the end, Alex only had time for one ejaculation, and someone had to come out the winner. It turned out to be Brandy, as her louder moans and cries, plus her more energetic motions, triggered Alex’s orgasm. After helping Brandy recover, he made sure to work on Caitlin for a while, just to make up for his unintentionally showing favoritism. Neither one managed to reach orgasm from it, but Caitlin was thankful for the effort nevertheless, as it allowed her to enjoy some additional alone time with Alex.

They were both catching their breath, leaning against the cold shower tiles, when Alex was interrupted.

‘Alex, my dad wants to talk now,’ Debbie Grant warned him. Alex had been preparing for this, though he had no idea just when it would come. Still, he was glad it hadn’t occurred when he was balls deep in either Caitlin or Brandy.

‘Alright, just relax and we’ll take this a step at a time,’ Alex reassured her. She managed to focus on what her father was telling her so Alex could listen in. Alex motioned to Caitlin that she’d have to go on without him since he was presently occupied, but she just looked on in fascination.

‘Debbie, you really embarrassed your mother yesterday. She’s really upset, ‘ Michael Grant told his daughter. ‘This pretend world of yours is going to get you into trouble, and this spiteful attitude of yours is going to make everyone angry.’

‘Dad, he’s ... Do you have your cell phone with you?’ Debbie asked, changing tactics partway through her argument at Alex’s prompting.

‘Uh, yeah, but what does—?‘ he tried to argue.

‘Could I see it for a minute. I need to prove that I’m not playing games,’ she answered.

‘I don’t think calling your friends is going to convince me of anything,’ Michael answered strongly. However Debbie just sighed heavily in a tone Alex recognized from many of the women around him.

‘Just let me see the phone, I’ll prove to you I’m not making things up.‘

‘Calling some random number isn’t going to... ‘ he started, but he seemed to reconsider his stance, looking at his daughter’s reactions. Alex couldn’t see what he did, but something must have intrigued him because it was clear he gave her his phone.

She wordlessly dialed a number and then handed it to her father before it had even rung.

“Hello, this is Alex,” he heard. “We spoke the other day on the road.”

“Wait, how did you—?”

“Think about it. Who called who? And if you think this was prearranged, ask her what her own phone number is. She’s not especially good with numbers, so it isn’t likely she’d have remembered this number from last week.”

“What is this about?” Michael asked, still cautious.

“Look, this isn’t a sales call,” Alex told him. “Your daughter just wanted to make sure you understood she isn’t inventing this stuff. Now, if you don’t want to deal with it, that’s fine. We spoke, and she now knows she isn’t supposed to mention me anymore. You and Sarah won’t hear my name unless you ask about me. But Debbie isn’t being malicious. She’s undergone something significant, and she’s learning how to deal with it on her own since her parents aren’t able to deal with it. Personally, I think she’s showing a great deal of maturity, but it isn’t good to ignore such a strong capable mind just when it needs nurturing. Anyway, this is the last you’ll hear from me. I’ve got no desire to intrude into your lives. I just did this as a favor for Debbie.”

Michael made some strange strangling noises, but Alex didn’t pay attention to it as he hung up, thanking Brandy for bringing him his phone in the shower. He climbed out as he listened in on the rest of Michael and Debbie’s conversation as the two girls set about drying him, each trying to be quiet so he wouldn’t have any trouble listening to his telepathic conversation.

“What ... who was that?” Michael asked.

“Dad, as he said, that’s all I’ll say about it. From now on I’m the same little girl I’ve always been. You don’t have to worry about me. But don’t accuse me of being difficult or inventing stuff again. This is something Alex told me I had to deal with on my own, and I will, but I need a little, a little... , latitude, that’s it. I need a little latitude to do it on my own.”

Michael cocked his head as smiled at his daughter. “Debbie, could you tell me what latitude means?”

She looked back at him and shrugged. “I don’t know. I was searching for a word and it just popped into my head, but someone tells me I need to look it up, so if we’re done here?” she asked, glancing at her father.

Michael just held his hands up, knowing he’d been effectively dismissed by his daughter. He didn’t quite know what to make of what had just happened and had no clue who she was talking about, but she seemed to be dealing with it on her own, and as long as his wife wasn’t upset about the issue anymore, he was OK with it.

Still, he wondered how his little girl had suddenly grown up so much, not realizing she’d been forced to grow up before she was ready to due to her parent’s inability to deal with the changes in her life.

When Alex and the girls reentered the bedroom, Cate and Gail had Alex’s clothes laid out for him. As Alex dressed, he spoke briefly with Kelly, inviting them to eat breakfast with them, ensuring he’d be able to deal with Jenny and her husband, Henry. She told him they’d be there, as they were already on their way. She assured him that Jenny was fine and wasn’t feeling any symptoms, but that she was still concerned about long term issues. Alex told her he’d do what he could as he finished dressing. Kelly didn’t mention how her husband was dealing with everything so Alex didn’t press.

As the group entered the cafe, Alex saw that Shanna, Lekesia and Noel were waiting for them. He also noted, as an aside, that there didn’t seem to be many Watchers here. He thought that odd, given the number of Watchers in the city and how long they’d been coming here, but he assumed everyone had decided to give Alex some leeway.

As they sat down, Lekesia was so excited she could hardly sit still. Alex noted that Cate was picking up the local paper from the counter, so he figured he could put off checking on his status for a little while to humor her.

“So what’s the good news?” he asked, already guessing.

“You’re officially a father,” Lekesia happily announced. “Well, I guess you’ll have to wait for it to be born, but I’m pregnant. We’ve been checking our progress each morning, and Mom saw the glow of the baby’s aura yesterday, but we weren’t sure since it looked like an extension of mine. But this morning it started to change color, to reflect the baby’s personality rather than mine. I assume it will change more, but this shows not only that I’m pregnant, but also that the baby is healthy and is developing normally.”

“Uh, I wouldn’t call referring to a baby’s showing its aura after only three days any part of a ‘normal’ development of a baby, but I’m happy for you both,” Alex told them, grinning at their enthusiasm. He got up and gave Lekesia a big hug before turning to Noel. “So, I assume I’ll be hearing from you as well in the next day or two?”

“I certainly hope so,” she replied, standing up and hugging him as well.

“Has anyone checked on Diane yet?” he asked, since he slept with her at the same time he did Lekesia.

“Not yet, but we asked her to meet us at Dr. Lampre’s this morning so we could all check. We figured Hannah would like to know, even if it doesn’t affect her traditional methods much.”

Alex shifted over as Cate returned and eased into her seat. “Well, this is a lot sooner than anyone noticed Shani’s pregnancy.”

“Yeah, we figure that’s because it isn’t real obvious,” Noel told him. “You really have to look for it, and even then it looks just like its mother’s aura. I figure it will take several days before it finally shows its true personality to us.”

Alex laughed, “Don’t get too excited. After all, you know how kid’s personalities change. Even though it may seem cute and happy at 3, you know how kids turn moody when they reach their thirteenth birthday.”

Both Lekesia and her mother slapped Alex playfully, but they were both in exceptional spirits. As Alex sat, Cate handed him the paper and he turned his attention to it, everyone else falling silent knowing how serious this was for him.

Alex read it silently before responding. “Well, it’s really a bit of a change for Mr. Rodriguez. It’s actually very understated and cautious. He starts off reporting on the trouble we had yesterday, and follows it with a general warning to everyone not to overreact. He says:

“The supposed Angel told me he wasn’t here to announce a second coming or to pick those who are worthy and those who aren’t. Instead he was simply reaching out to select individuals for reasons he wouldn’t divulge, as he claims he doesn’t necessarily know himself. He explained he knows what to do or say when he meets them, but that he doesn’t necessarily understand what’s involved. Apparently only Alexandria herself knows that, and she hasn’t been very forthcoming about what’s happening.

It’s also important to note that he himself never calls himself an Angel, or tries to assume any official position one way or another. Instead, claiming merely to do what he’s called upon to do. So it’s important not to view this as a vindication or rejection of any particular religion.’”

“That is quite a surprise,” Cate said, “especially given his initial reaction to you. Then it seemed like he was poking fun at you and trying to generate a reaction against you.”

“Don’t worry, there’s more,” Alex said before continuing.

“After speaking to the supposed Angel, I managed to locate the blind girl he had miraculously cured. Although I won’t embarrass her by printing her name in the paper, she’s a local girl who has lived here her entire life, and had never heard of this movement until she encountered Mr. X (which seems a better title than ‘supposed angel’).

She seemed level headed and spoke honestly with me, explaining she didn’t understand what he’d done, but that he didn’t call it a miracle himself. She also went on to explain exactly what he’d done. Apparently it wasn’t quite as ‘miraculous’ as it had initially sounded. While she can see well enough to get around in public, she is still clearly blind, unable to read anything at all of any size. What she now sees are a variety of shifting lights that allow her to identify people and objects. While that is miraculous to her, it isn’t exactly the same as curing someone’s blindness.’”

“That was exactly the response you were looking for, isn’t it?” Shanna asked.

“Yeah, it was. Mattie’s done well for herself. Hopefully between her and Mr. Rodriguez they should manage to tone down the excitement over me a little. However, Albert goes on to counter it a little in his conclusion. He finished by saying, ‘Although this miracle may seem innocent enough, possibly resulting from something else entirely, I wouldn’t write it off just yet. His followers are all fiercely loyal, and each seems willing to say whatever they need to in order to head off any undesired publicity. I’ve also personally observed several impressive events, and I know his followers have no doubts about his abilities. So I’ll look forward to what more I can learn about him in the future, and I’ll report those events as I learn of them.’”

“So essentially he’s telling everyone that Mattie lied to him?” Noel asked.

“Essentially, but he’s done it in such a way that isn’t inflammatory, which is what I was after,” Alex told her. “After all, I wasn’t looking for a miracle in his reporting, merely something easier to manage.”

Everyone laughed at Alex’s turn of phrase, sounding much like he’d advised Mattie to answer herself. After that they ordered and started in on breakfast while the girls each asked Brandy and Caitlin what their first night with Alex had been like.

Alex was alerted by both Cate and Gail sitting up, their focus behind him warning him that someone had entered the diner. Turning, he saw Kelly with Henry, leading a shy Jenny to the table.

“Excuse me, you don’t mind if we join you, do you?” she asked.

“No, of course not. We’ve been expecting you,” Alex told her, standing up to shake Henry’s hand. He skipped giving Kelly his traditional hug, though.

“I must say I hadn’t thought we’d ever see you again,” Gail said, breaking her noninvolvement in Alex’s activities policy.

“Not me,” Cate said. “It takes a lot to avoid Alex’s siren call. I figured she might avoid Alex himself, but that she’d surely visit New Orleans and probably Carbondale as well.”

“That’s the thinking I’m counting on,” Shanna told everyone at the table before they all quieted down, finally letting the newcomers speak for themselves.

“Well, honestly I hadn’t planned on this, and it’s already causing troubles between Henry and me,” Kelly told everyone as they settled themselves at the table. Noel, Lekesia and Shanna moved to the next table where they could still join in the discussion without being in the way.

“I was doubtful about her wild claims about Jenny suffering from something no one could see and which she couldn’t describe,” Henry said, glancing meaningfully at both his wife and Alex. “I figured she was just inventing an excuse to run off and visit Alex.”

“Do you still think that?” Alex asked, more to figure out how his followers’ spouses’ thought than anything else.

“I’m remaining cautious, though I was impressed you insisted I accompany her down here. I hadn’t really wanted to come, figuring it was a fool’s errand, but she told me that you’d specifically asked that she bring me.”

“Well, as I keep saying, I’m interested in building and maintaining my followers’ existing relationships. You can’t very well build a new structure if you take away all the supporting structures, now can you?”

“I was worried about something I saw in Jenny’s legs,” Kelly explained, while Jenny listened attentively. “I knew I couldn’t discuss it with a doctor, since they’d assume I was crazy as she hasn’t shown any observable symptoms yet, but I can see from looking at them that something isn’t right.”

That triggered a rash of questions and they started to get up again, to show everyone Jenny’s legs but Alex calmed them down, telling them there was plenty of time to do that later and that he wanted them to relax and enjoy breakfast. They sat and ordered their breakfasts, and the relief in Jenny’s eyes was apparent. Although she was still in awe of Alex, you could see the discussion of problems with her legs was bothering her. When Alex asked the waitress if she could have the cook fix some pancakes in some friendly faces, her relief and appreciation were evident. Wordlessly she gave him a quick hug, which Alex was always a sucker for.

Both Kelly and her daughter were excited to hear about Lekesia’s newest discovery, though Henry had trouble accepting they really knew better than the doctor would. Jenny may have been influenced by her love of babies, but Kelly also realized what this meant for the movement. They both gushed over it, which pleased Alex, since it took the pressure off him for a little bit. He noticed Henry’s attitude as he watched their abundant enthusiasm, though.

When Noel announced that she hoped she’d be showing the next day or two, it led to some embarrassing questions from Jenny, which Kelly quickly dismissed, telling her they’d talk about it later. No one knew what she planned to tell her daughter, or even if she had any plans to, but so far Cate and Gail hadn’t been very impressed with the decisions Kelly made concerning this new aspect of her daughter’s life.

When they finished eating both Kelly and Jenny got a bit antsy, though for different reasons. While her mom wanted to figure out what the problem was as soon as possible, Jenny simply hoped the whole thing would just go away. Instead, Alex told them he wanted to accompany Lekesia and Noel to Dr. Lampre’s office. When Kelly looked questioningly at him, he told her she had better facilities for such things, plus he thought he’d reward her for being so helpful by demonstrating the benefits of their abilities. That seemed to placate her, and everyone prepared for the big move, although Alex had to remind them he didn’t want a crowd, again stressing how he wanted to remain a simple kid on vacation. Henry took Alex aside as everyone was filing out, telling him he wasn’t comfortable joining a bunch of women visiting a gynecologist/oncologist’s office.

“You and me both,” Alex said, agreeing with him. “If I never have to visit a gynecologist’s office again I’d be more than pleased.”

When they arrived at Dr. Lampre’s clinic Diane was waiting for them, and the nurse quickly led them back to an exam room, since Diane had advised Hannah and the nurse they were coming. Hannah quickly joined them and was glad about the girls’ news, but like Henry remained skeptical that a pregnancy could really be determined so early. However, the other girls confirmed what Noel and Lekesia told her.

“You know, this helps define a sore point in the whole abortion debate,” she casually told everyone. “For years both sides have been fighting over what no one wants to admit, that essentially they’re fighting over assumptions. On the one hand, the pro-lifers, while they’d never admit it, seem to have adopted the idea of a preexisting soul from the Indian theory of reincarnation. They seem to think that there’s this soul just waiting to be born which gets assigned to a new body at the moment of conception, even if there aren’t enough cells to support it yet. On the other hand, those who believe in abortion seem to take their beliefs from the tabla rasa, or blank slate concept, which says that everyone is born without any preexisting memories in their heads. Thus they believe that the personality is formed based on the accumulation of experiences, and that if there are no experiences, then there is no preexisting personality.

“From what you’re describing, they’re both wrong, which is what I’ve long believed myself. Although it appears the soul or the personality evolves over time, it is more predetermined than the mere collection of memories. Each child seems to have its own personality that is completely separate from its parents. Some parents are lucky enough to have pleasant kids that mirror their own personalities, while others seem to have kids whose personalities appear to have been picked at random. Everyone likes to believe they are responsible for their kids’ behaviors, but that’s just not borne out by evidence.

“You’ll have to tell me how it develops in the next couple of weeks. You said it’s slowly starting to develop its own personality, so I’m anxious to learn how long that process takes and when its personality becomes independent of its mother’s,” she told the girls.

“If you don’t mind,” Alex explained, getting Hannah off her little lecture, “I brought Kelly, her husband Henry and her daughter Jenny because she’s worried about something she saw in her daughter’s legs. She doesn’t think she can take her to a doctor over it, but she’s worried about it.”

“As long as you can do whatever you need to do while masturbating into a cup, go ahead,” Hannah laughed. Henry clearly had no idea what they were referring to, but Kelly quickly went over what she thought was wrong with her daughter’s legs while Alex consulted with his other girls about what they saw. They agreed they saw a general dark area in Jenny’s shins, though they didn’t know what it represented. Hannah could detect nothing unusual, though.

‘I’m guessing it may be some kind of stunted growth,’ Liv told him, after Alex asked her advice, having the girls show her what they were seeing in Jenny’s legs. ‘It’s possible her legs aren’t going to grow properly and what we’re seeing is the source of the problem.‘

‘So I guess the best bet is to address what we see, even if we don’t fully understand it,’ Alex replied. ‘I’ve worked with problems in bones before, so at least I know how to approach it, and I’ve got a few eyes here to guide me.’

Alex stepped up to the prone girl and moved his hands over her shins, never quite touching them, a habit he’d picked up working with burn victims and highly contagious people in the hospital. Jenny looked nervous, although she was delighted to be the sole focus of Alex’s attention. She felt confident in Alex’s abilities; even if Alex himself wasn’t sure he could accomplish anything. Kelly looked hopeful and confident, while Henry simply chose to reserve judgment, though he found the whole ‘laying on of hands’ to be a bit over the top.

Guided by the girls, who were excited to be doing this for the first time, Alex began applying energy deep within Jenny’s shinbones. It took a little longer doing it, but it didn’t take long for the light her legs gave off to brighten, and Kelly had to bite her lip to keep from shouting in joy. When Alex finally dropped his hands, she leapt forward and wrapped Alex in her arms, crying in relief.

Alex quickly separated from her, being careful to not piss Henry off.

“I think she’ll be OK,” he told them. “You should keep a watch on her in the future, but her aura supposedly already looks better. Hopefully that will hold up over time. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a tiny cup to partially fill.”

As Alex grabbed a cup from Hannah, she bent over Jenny to see if she could see any differences herself, while the girls talked amongst themselves and Kelly gratefully hugged her daughter and then her husband.

“The skin seems warmer to the touch, but that could just be due to the light,” Hannah observed, not sure he’d accomplished anything at all. However the others in the room didn’t need any convincing. They’d either seen it themselves, or trusted Alex’s abilities implicitly. Generally it was an emotional scene which Alex was somewhat glad to have escaped. He really felt for the mother and daughter, but he knew he already posed a problem for their family, and he didn’t think his hanging around would help them any.

As they left Hannah’s office, Kelly turned to Alex while clutching her husband’s arm. “Alex, we should be getting back now. We’ve got a long ways to go, so—”