Chapter 13: A Few Different Perspectives

While they ate dinner and continued to hold court with the many women both lesbians and straight, who wanted to speak to him, Leanna went off to call the detectives back. She was gone for a while, but Alex wasn't worried. If anything was wrong she'd alert him, and if she was talking to them then they'd be unlikely to just drop by.

"There you are," someone called out from the doorway. They turned, only to see Patricia and the rest of her band, including Chelsea and Jordan.

"I might have known you'd find the only remaining place still packed with women," Patricia teased, "but this isn't your usual crowd. You should give these women a break. You already steal enough women away, you don't need to switch teams to hijack more. Somehow that just seems unfair."

The other women in the club were curious about who the newcomers were, especially since they seemed to know Alex so well. When Alex made the introductions they made the necessary connections.

"You're the one who with the ads about 'trusting your judgment', aren't you?"

"Are you the singer Alex has been telling us about? The one we're supposed to be at the concert for, helping him deal with all the new followers?"

"Well, it seems you've been telling these girls all your secrets. Any reason for the change in policy?" Chelsea asked.

Alex couldn't help but blush. "They convinced me that sometimes it's better to not avoid people, and that the more people I include, the stronger the whole movement will be. Besides, they're all interested in the entire thing, especially the idea behind the Sorority and the Foundation."

"Wow, you really have told them everything, haven't you?" Patricia asked, as they pulled up some extra chairs for them to sit down. Alex proceeded to tell them what happened while they'd been separated. Although they were interested in the story about the robbery, they'd already gotten most of it from Patricia. It was impossible keeping the Seers from talking to each other about what Alex was up to.

"So what's the story?" Alex asked when Leanna returned a few minutes later.

"They wanted a basic statement. They want me to stop by tomorrow so they can record it and have me sign it."

"So they aren't asking anything I should be aware of?"

"No, they asked if I knew you, and I said we just walked in at the same time. I admitted that we left together, but I never learned who you were. They seemed happy with that and didn't ask anything else about you, and I wasn't about to ask them what their attitude towards you was. I told them I thought you were from out-of-town."

"That sounds good, but just watch yourself tomorrow. They'll likely ask the same thing in different ways, hoping to trip you up, so just be careful how you respond, but I'm not going to worry about it anymore. They'll look for me if they want, there's no way I can stop them, but I'm not about to voluntarily identify myself as the Angel of New Orleans just so they can claim they've interviewed everyone involved. After all, I've broken no laws, I've hurt no one, and I actually helped stop a crime, so I don't see why my helping someone should be used against me."

'Well, technically you did help them escape, ' Leanna reminded him telepathically, so she wouldn't tip anyone off.

'Yeah, but they don't know that, and they'll have no way of discovering it. And if everything works out they'll be well away from here, starting a new life which will keep them from getting into any further troubles.'

The others agreed to his spoken comments, but they really had no desire to feed Alex's paranoia so they left it alone. It was good he was going to let it go, but no one had any doubt they'd hear about it again in the near future. It was just part and parcel of Alex's personality. He liked to worry, and it was what kept him mindful of others. It had its good points, but also its negative ones.

The band seemed to fit right in, but it wasn't just that they liked to have a good time. As Alex looked on he noticed several things. He observed the women would flirt with the female members of the band, but they were careful to not overdo it. Thus they fed the ego of the women as being desirable to women as well as men, but they didn't confront them or attempt to force them to deal with 'gender issues'. It was then that Alex studied those around the club in more detail.

There was less open flirting than he'd noticed in his other gay bar encounters. No one was making out in the corner, no one seemed to be picking anyone up. Instead, everyone seemed to have assumed this was a special situation, and that they were entertaining strangers just like one does relatives for the holidays. They put their best foot forward, trying to present themselves in their best light, but they were, in effect, putting themselves out for Alex. They were ceasing their regular activities for the 'normals' who had come to see what Alex represented. They thought enough of him and what he stood for to put their own lives on hold for the moment. That said a lot about both them and how they felt about him.

Even Sammy seemed to be in his element. He teased the women and they responded in a playful way, ignoring the obvious sexually teasing comments. As a result he felt comfortable, but he also respected the women and didn't try to hit on any of them, recognizing it wouldn't be appreciated, even though he continued to play the role of the 'typical man', making jokes at his own expense.

However Alex realized that, as much as everyone was enjoying his presence, he should really move on. He wanted the locals to have their club to themselves. He enjoyed being welcomed, but he also wanted to minimize how much he disrupted the lives of those who were helping him. Thus he invited the same women as before to come home with him; Leanna, simply because she hadn't received any of his attention the previous night, and Betsy and Ally because he'd really cheated them, and wanted to give them a 'booster shot' to help ensure they became pregnant.

It had been a big day for him, and he'd managed to accomplish a lot, even if it was in a way he hadn't expected before reaching Oklahoma. But it was good, and he'd done well. He only had another day here, and he hoped it went as well as the others had. After all, after the concert the next night they'd move on to Amarillo the next day.

"Good morning, everyone," Cate called out, pausing only briefly to knock before entering the room. "I brought another guest, just in case things aren't busy enough in here already."

"Hey, there," Leanna called out from the bathroom. "I decided to get an early shower. I'll be out in a minute, but I'm sure your brother will be glad to entertain you."

Cate strolled in trailing Georgia Cantrell, the desk clerk Alex had spontaneously activated the other day. Gail followed them in, making sure she closed the door securely behind her.

"Hey, Cate, hope you'll excuse me if I don't get up, but..." Alex responded. He was currently lying in bed, covered by the naked form of Ally lying on top of him facing away from him, while an equally naked Betsy sucked on her clit. It was hard to see, but if one looked from the right angle you could see Alex's cock sliding along Ally's lips as he thrust between her legs.

"Now if that doesn't just beat all, if you aren't going to do the job properly..." Cate teased, imitating Ryan Shafer, who'd insulted Alex for being lazy because he couldn't just fuck and get off his girlfriend, Lauren. It was an image Alex didn't like being reminded of, since it still set his teeth on edge.

"Nah, I'm not being lazy. I just figured Ally would appreciate it more. Neither she nor Betsy are into dicks, so this way they get my BCM energy without having to deal with any yuck factors yet."

"Hey, you don't have to explain," Georgia responded, making her presence known for the first time. "Personally, I think you should be screwing each and every one of your Watchers. I mean, I know you like communicating with your Seers, but ever since the other night my entire world has opened up. I can read people like books. They walk up and I can tell how they're feeling. I can anticipate events. Hell, I can feel an angry or frustrated driver before he even gets near me."

"Hey, Georgia," Alex called out, even though his voice was dampened by Ally's short hair getting in his face and her body gyrating against his, masking his voice as she did. "How have you been since the other night?"

"Hell, I've been great. I love these new abilities you gave me. I know it's one basic ability, but it has so many permutations that I feel like I'm experiencing something new every time I turn around. Hey, Ally and Betsy," she added.

"Uh, oh, hey there, Georgia," Ally gasped out, but Betsy didn't bother replying. After all, she'd been raised to be polite, and she knew better than to talk with her mouth full.

"I should have known Alex would be busy this morning," Cate replied, stopping by the little fridge to grab some food for him for when he finished. "Didn't he wear you all out last night?"

"Hell, no," Leanna replied as she emerged from the bathroom, fastening a towel around her in addition to the one wrapped around her hair. "He was a perfect gentleman this time, unlike the other night. This time he spent all evening making slow quiet love to me, making me feel like a real queen. Then he woke up in the middle of the night and made love to Betsy while Ally held her. Then this morning he wakes up and grabs Ally, making sure to get Betsy involved. Your brother doesn't seem to have an off switch. Somehow I was under the impression guys could only do so much at a time."

"It's... 'ave a couple hours to recover," Alex responded, even though it was hard to make out what he was saying.

"Yeah, you managed to slip in some recovery time in there, but it seems like you slept just enough each time to come back with a new erection," Leanna laughed as she watched the trio on the bed. Having no other place to sit, Georgia sat on the bed beside them.

"Excuse me if I crowd you a little," she said, "but I just want to sit here and soak up both your energy and everyone's emotions. Man, how can anyone get by without the ability to sense these things?"

"I don't know, maybe you should tell me what I'm missing one more time," Cate mockingly complained.

"Hey, don't gripe," Georgia responded. "You get to soak up his energy all the time. I think anyone would trade you for that. Plus, you get to be in the driver's seat of his movement, or at least in the navigator's seat. He activates, boosts, then abandons the rest of us. You get to follow him everywhere."

"Yeah, as much as I like to tease, you're right, I do have it pretty nice," Cate replied, as she too glanced at Alex as she finished preparing his snack. "Hey, is this going to be another of these marathon sessions? After all, we need to get you down to breakfast soon."

"I don't know how much more ... he needs, but I'm primed and ... ready for blastoff," Ally responded.

Betsy lifted her face from her girlfriend's crotch. "You'd better believe it, she's been having a whole series of little orgasms. I don't know about you, Leanna, but if he can do this consistently, I may be convinced to switch teams more often."

"Don't worry," Alex replied as the others laughed, "I'm almost there. Say, could one of you manage to put me where I need to be. It's a little hard to manage from this position." Before Betsy could respond, Georgia leaned over and grabbing Alex's cock, positioned it so he could thrust into Ally. "They're still looking to get pregnant, and since they don't make a lot, they were hoping I could finish the deed before I left so they wouldn't get stuck having to pay a doctor to do it."

"Sure, Alex, that's what all the girls claim," Cate teased as she moved over beside him, feeding him a cookie as he began short-stroking into Ally.

"Hey, no fair distracting my man," Ally complained. "As much as I love this, I've come about as much ... as I can stand, and if he takes much longer ... I'll never be able to walk today."

"Your man," Betsy teased her girlfriend. "After two days you're already talking like a straight girl. I'm telling you, once Alex leaves town I'm putting you back on a strict girl diet."

"So what are the plans for the day, boss man?" Gail asked, ignoring the disjointed byplay. She was interested in what she needed to plan for, even as her eyes were taking in every detail of the two naked lesbians laid out before her.

"I've got ... plans," Alex gasped out. "I won't ... detail them, but they're fairly ... standard," he told her. However, he reached the point in the shuttle launch where they start doing the countdown. He started concentrating, grasping Ally's hips as he tried to drive as deep into her as he could. He only did that for a little while before grunting and, pushing tight against her, bathed her womb with his little swimmers.

Ally was going to mention how she'd never appreciated what women meant when they talked about feeling a man coming in them, but, a little too breathless to say anything, she chose to simply moan her response. Of course, she was aided by Betsy rubbing her crotch and kissing her, so she'd have had trouble talking because of that, as well.

Once they all stopped moving, Cate gave Ally a little push. "Sorry, but I think Alex needs to breathe a little. If you could roll over and recover on the side, I can make sure he doesn't go into a reaction on us again."

It took Ally a moment to respond, and when she did she merely rolled off of him wordlessly, at which point Georgia looked up.

"Does anyone ever have more than one 'mind melting orgasm'? I mean, do they pass out because of what he does to their brain, or is it just the orgasms?"

"You know," Cate replied as she proceeded to feed Alex, who was lying there gasping, "I never really thought of that. As much as I can recall, everyone only seemed to pass out the once, although I think there have been a few times someone else did for a special occasion."

"I can answer that," Gail said from the corner. "He did me once with his and my girlfriends, and I thought I was going to die. I remember it fondly to this very day," she replied with a very satisfied smirk to her face.

"So, if he's got plans, does that mean we're going to eat out or downstairs?" Georgia asked. "Cause if we're eating here, I can ask Paul, the breakfast chef downstairs, to fix him up something nice."

"Do that," Cate told her. "As soon as we get Alex on his feet again and everyone gets their shower, we should be ready to go."

"So, Julie, what are you doing inside on a beautiful day like today? Wouldn't you rather be outside, playing with your friends?"

"No, I can't," the overly serious little seven-year-old replied as she turned yet another page in her math textbook. "If I'm going to make a difference with my abilities, I need to become a doctor and be good at math. So I'm trying to catch up on all the math I didn't pick up this year."

Martha was intrigued. This was a side of Julie she'd never seen before. Ever since she'd had her son-in-law, Julie's father, bring her three grandkids to meet Alex in San Antonio just a week ago, Julie was like a whole new person. She was the only one of the three whom Alex had activated, and she took it as a high honor, deserving only her best performance. "And what makes you think that?"

"I asked Mrs. Cooper, my teacher, what to do to become a doctor. After she finally stopped laughing, she asked why I was suddenly interested in becoming a doctor. I couldn't tell her since no one is supposed to know about Alex, so I told her I want to make a difference and I think I have a special talent for medicine."

"Well, as a Seer you have a huge leg up on the other people applying to medical school," Martha told her. "They have to cut someone open to figure out what's wrong with them, whereas with your vision, you'll only have to cut where the problem is."

"I know, and that's why it's important I work hard to become a doctor. I mean, we can't leave something this important to other people who can't see what we can, can we? I mean, can you imagine Jeffery trying to operate on someone. Ugh," Julie shivered, imagining her 2^nd grade classmate as a practicing physician.

"You realize that medical school is a long ways away. You may change your mind by then," Martha cautiously suggested, not wanting to squash Julie's ambitions, but wanting her to realize what she was undertaking.

"But it's important we put our 'neak 'bilities to use," she responded, trying to copy Alex's speech and his wording, even if she didn't quite know how to use them yet. "No one else can do what we can, so we owe it to everyone else to do as much as we can. After all, there are only so many of us, and there are millions who'll need us to do what they can't. It's not a matter of what I want, it's our calling. It's what Alex would expect us to do."

"Well, you certainly make a compelling argument," Martha replied, smiling at how serious Julie considered her new role in life, even though she only learned of these new abilities of hers a week ago. "What do Alice and your father think of this new focus of yours?" Alice, of course, was her five-year-old sister who'd turned out to be a Watcher. She'd been just as taken with Alex as Julie had been, but she was still a little too young to realize quite what it meant yet.

"Well, Dad's not sure any of what I see is real, so he hummers me. Alice, though, wants to put her 'bilities to use as much as me. She knows she won't be as good at medicine as me, but she talked to her preschool teacher about it. She was s'prised when she asked her, but suggested Alice could use her talent at understanding people by working as a mental doctor, a therapist or even in business."

"The word you were looking for is 'humor'. Your father is humoring you by pretending to believe what you tell him. And you did very well with all the other words," Martha told her, realizing Alice hadn't been as unaffected as she'd thought.

"Thank you. Alice made sure her teacher taught her how to say each word. But what was that word you used before?" Julie asked, looking at her very intently. "That combelling? If I'm going to be a doctor, I need to know lots of big words."

"The word is compelling. It means that it makes sense. That it's a very good argument. But go on, I'm anxious to hear what Alice decided." Martha was sure this new interest in speaking well and learning was inspired by Alex's sister Cate as much as it was from her interest in Alex. It had been clear that both were intelligent, and their language and diction had apparently made an impact on little Julie.

"Oh, she decided a therapist wasn't good. She'd only see one person and it wouldn't use her 'bilities very well. Being a Psycho wouldn't be good either, since you need to be a doctor. We decided we should leave that to the other Seers. She 'cided to be a police woman, like the woman with Alex. Then she could deal with people every day, and know who was dangerous and who needed help."

It took Martha a moment to wrap her head around that concept. One girl deciding to be a doctor and the other wanting to be a policewoman, and after they'd wanted to be a ballerina and a cowgirl only a couple weeks ago.

"The word is Psychologist. Psycho means something completely different. You realize she could also be a teacher, or a minister?"

"Yeah, but anybody can be a teacher. We need to focus so we can make the best use of our 'bilities. After all, there are only a few of us, so we need to make the most of them."

"Well, that's very grown up of you. I'm sure Alex would be very proud of you."

"Well, don't tell him yet. I want to prove I'm serious before we tell him. I don't want to bother him with little stuff, since he holds the future of our people in his hands. Let's wait until my grades improve first. Oh, and by the way, we'll have to go back to San Antonio. Alice and I want to talk to Caity about this, about what we'll need to study and what school we'll need to go to."

"OK, I'm sure we can arrange something. Just don't forget to play outside some. After all, Alex doesn't want you to only do one thing. You'll have to be good at a lot of different things if you're going to help him. After all, look at the people he surrounds himself with. They manage to do everything for him. If they were only good at one thing they wouldn't be as helpful, would they?"

"No, I guess not," Julie said thoughtfully. "OK, as soon as I finish this chapter I'll go play outside for a while. But then I want to start the next one."

"So, Jenny, are you ever sorry you didn't get boosted by Alex?" her husband, Tommy Cox, asked as they walked away from yet another meeting with the other Seekers. These meetings had become a regular thing, and it made a big difference for both of them. Not only did they really feel a part of the entire thing, but everyone was anxious to achieve just as much as they could, 'for Alex'. Although he and Jenny were involved with dealing with the relatives of the Seekers and Seers in the community, Jenny had already applied for a promotion in her work. Most of the talk that night had been about that, what courses the women should sign up for and what field of study would allow them to do the most good. Overall, Alex had had an amazing effect on each of the people's lives, even those of the men.

Of course, the rest of the discussion was less impressive, with everyone discussing the merits of calling Watchers, like Jenny, 'Seekers' instead. Tommy figured it was necessary, but it seemed less meaningful then the other work they were doing.

"No, I'm happy with the decision I ... that we made," she told him, reaching over to hold his hand to reassure him.

"Really? I can imagine what getting boosted could have done for you. I realize how much your abilities mean to you, especially now that you've been getting training from the Seers in the community. But if you had slept with Alex just one time, you'd be able to do so much more. Surely that's got to haunt you, at least a little bit."

Jenny stopped and faced her husband, stepping up and wrapping her arms around him as she looked him right in the eyes. "There is no way I'd trade you for a boost to my abilities. I'm working with the hand I was dealt, and I've got a lot more than most people have. Sure, I've got to work a little harder, but it's the effort you put into something that makes the difference. Unadulterated talent by itself doesn't mean much. Do you think Liv and Allison could do what they did without a lot of work and dedication? The main thing we have to offer is our dedication. The abilities are nice, but we don't choose those. What we personally choose is much more important. I chose you, and Alex agrees, since he puts so much value on families. He knows how important someone like you is to my life."

"Still ... if you had both the dedication and the talent..."

"Then I probably wouldn't have you. Look, I realize what I passed up, and I accept that. But I also know how much information was thrown at you all at once. There's no way you could have accepted me sleeping with someone like Alex unless you could literally feel what he represented like the rest of us could. If I had chosen to sleep with him, you'd never be able to stop questioning why I did it."

"That may be, but you'd already convinced me that he was legit, and I'd been hearing from others in the community. I'm sure I could have—"

"You may think so, but there would have been doubts, and those doubts would have undermined our relationship, and that would have distracted me so I couldn't focus like I am now. Yeah, I have given up a fair amount. But if I'd chosen that route, I'd have been less productive than I am now."

"Well, I appreciate that, and you're probably right. I likely would have freaked out. But if the opportunity ever comes up again, I want you to go for it."

"Ha, that'll be the day. You heard Alex. He'd never go for it. Each time he stops somewhere, he has to choose who to boost. He knows how important it is, and he's developed a complicated criteria. But at the top of that list is the health of the people involved, and there's no way he'd screw up someone's life by helping her cheat on her spouse. So, thanks, but I don't think you have anything to worry about. You're stuck with me, a mere unboosted Seeker. But I'm happy to have you, now a central figure in Alex's movement here in New Orleans. Not a bad accomplishment for a male type 3. You're as heavily involved in this as I am, and you're playing as vital a role in his organization as I am."

"Yeah, there is that. But now that we've finished planning on how everyone is going to train harder to help Alex more, how about we try to increase the number of available Seekers? After all, we all need to do what we can, and it seems to me we're letting some precious Seeker DNA go to waste."

The two of them ran off giggling, after she gave him a quick kiss. They had a lot to accomplish, and as much as Alex valued family, they were glad they'd be creating a valuable piece of his community.

"So, Mom, how are you and Dad getting along?" little Jenny asked her mother. The question surprised Kelly Ott, coming as it did out of the blue.

"We don't have any problems, why do you ask?" Kelly asked suspiciously, wondering what Jenny might be up to. Since they'd encountered Alex a couple of months back, Jenny had suddenly turned into quite the precocious youngster, not only sounding much older than her young age, but also frequently surprising both her parents with her observations of people they'd meet or even pass on the streets.

The fact of the matter was that, for a while there, things had been quite bad between Henry and her. When they'd first met Alex in a hotel in St. Louis and Cate had slipped and mentioned something about Alex 'boosting' his followers abilities, Henry hadn't coped with it very well. Especially when Jenny had decided to address the issue directly, suggesting that Kelly should consider it. Although Alex himself had never suggested anything of the kind himself, it had really poisoned Henry's mind against him, so it had been rough for quite a while.

"Well, it's just that you and Dad were having so many problems when we first met Alex, and then when you suggested we visit him in New Orleans I was afraid Dad might leave."

"Well he didn't, did he?" Kelly responded, ruffling the hair on her daughter's head.

"No, he didn't. It was good that Alex insisted Daddy come along, wasn't it?"

Kelly took a moment to consider her response. "Frankly, yes, it was. I think it made a real difference between us. Before that, your father was a bit paranoid about what I might be doing, possibly communicating with Alex in my mind without him ever knowing. But the fact Alex insisted he come with us to meet him, and that he then told us to stay in New Orleans and he would be sure to stay away just so we could have a good time did a lot to reassure your father."

"I thought so. That was a great weekend. It really brought Dad and I closer. We spent a lot of time in the evenings after that discussing how the changes Alex had made in my life affected me. We discussed it a lot, often while you were busy doing other things. I think he was trying to determine how much he learned from the women in New Orleans was real and how much was make believe."

"So what's with the question, then? If you know that Dad's doing better, then why question if we're OK?"

"Well, you and Dad still try to protect me by not telling me stuff, even though I can kinda feel what you think about things."

"Yeah, and..." Kelly prompted her, trying to find out where she was going with it.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure there still weren't any problems. I mean, Daddy's been supportive, but I just wanted to be sure. After all, when you and he were having problems he tended to blame me as well."

Kelly sighed before answering, remembering those dark days.

"No, your Daddy's fine. He really warmed up to the whole idea of what we went through, especially after talking to everyone after we left Alex at the clinic. Giving us that time to ourselves so we could talk to others without any pressure was really an inspired move. It kept us from fighting, Daddy could relax and actually listen to what everyone was saying and he thought about what it all meant. It was an important time for us both."

"For all of us," Jenny insisted. "As I said, Dad and I have never been closer. Since we had those initial discussions just between us, we've have been talking a lot more. He'll stop by at odd times and ask me what I'm doing or how I've been able to use my new abilities. That led me to describe what I was experiencing in school, knowing what people were likely to do before they did something, or knowing when someone didn't like me. We spent a lot of time talking about the girls who pretended to like me, but who I could feel really hated me."

"Wow, I never knew you were going through all of that. Why didn't you ever mention it to me?"

"Actually, at first I was confused and wanted to figure it out on my own. Then, when Dad and I started to talk about it, I wanted to save it for him, since it brought us so close. He'd offer advice, or try to explain what made them do it. Then we'd discuss what having these abilities would mean to me."