The Reluctant Psychic Ch. 06

Betsy wanted to deny any concern for her safety, but I wouldn't let her. Every time her mind veered away from the idea I would guide it back. I felt dirty and cruel doing this to her, but it really was for her own good. Finally she admitted the truth to herself and said, "But does it have to be one of those horrible places? My friend Emma got sent to one and cried for a whole week before they let her come home."

In the end, I couldn't bear to send Betsy to a place she was convinced would make her unhappy, but I also couldn't live with her, so I left. I arranged for her to stay with her friend Emma's family while I was "out of town on business." I also gave Betsy access to some of my bank accounts, so that she could get money if she needed it. I stayed in a hotel across town that night, and left the following day.

* * *

As I left town, a blood rage settled over me. While I was around sweet little Betsy, I never even thought about the bastards who had sent Steven to the hospital in the first place. I'd seen their faces in his mind, and knew them well.

It didn't take me long to find them. I dragged them out of the poker game and into a dark, stinking alley. They knelt and they begged. I stood above them with my pistol poised to strike and thought, "This is for you Steven."

But the thought continued, "and for you Betsy." I lowered the gun. I couldn't murder in Betsy's name.

I clipped an article from the paper the next day, "Four Reputed Gangsters Confess to the Shooting of 'Even' Steven Haufman"

* * *

I soon returned to gambling, but I was sure to call Betsy twice a week to ensure she was alright. I would talk to Betsy for a while, and then talk to Emma's mom just to be sure. Betsy seemed to be doing fine for the first two months.

Then one day things changed. I called Emma's house and her mother said, "It's so good to hear that you're back home. It was an absolute joy to have her here these past few months, but you know how it can be having two teenage girls underfoot!"

Luckily I couldn't get a word in edgewise, or I would have blown whatever scheme Betsy was playing at. The call waiting buzzed on my phone before I had a chance to say anything more than "uh-huh." I excused myself from Emma's mother and switched over. It was Betsy and she said without preamble, "Did you know your accountant is stealing money from you?"

"Betsy, why does Emma's mom think I'm back home?"

"Because she would never have let me move out if she thought you were still gone. Now about those accountants..."

"What do you mean you moved out?"

"Well, Emma is nice and all, but after living with her for two months... Well, she's such a ditz. She didn't even understand when I told her about the bogus power of attorney and the real estate swindle."

"What?"

"Exactly. So I fired your accountants and I'm going to handle it myself from now on. I would have called the cops, but then they would have asked why a fourteen year old is calling the cops instead of the man who's being robbed blind."

I guess Even Steven taught his daughter more than I'd thought. Somehow she talked me into letting her live at the house by herself. She then talked me into arranging a fake identity for her to use as my new accountant. I ended up conceding to all of her wishes. But, I did demand that she have a top flight security system installed in the house, and unbeknownst to her I hired a team of body guards to shadow her around the clock.

I thought it a strange way for a girl to grow up, but she seemed genuinely happy.

* * *

Betsy and I finally arrived at the hospital. It had been over a decade since the last time we were both here together, and that had been on the day I had to leave Betsy. I had only been back to the hospital once since that day, when I first recognized Anna's voice in my head. Anna had been so furious at seeing herself lying in a coma that I passed out on the floor.

With my arm around her shoulder, I took Betsy into the hospital. The place had undergone a number of changes since we first met here. For one thing, thanks to a very generous grant from an anonymous donor, the hospital boasted the newest and best equipment that money could buy. It also boasted a new wing called the Steven Haufman Center, which specialized in the treatment and long term care of the comatose. That donation was made by Elizabeth Haufman, who was also responsible for attracting some of the world's top research minds to the hospital.

As we walked into her father's wing and towards the ICU, no one stopped us or even seemed to notice our presence. At first, I thought I was accidentally making them give us our privacy, but I soon realized they were giving us privacy out of respect for Betsy. They loved her, for her devotion to her father, for her generosity with her money, and for her compassionate nature.

The nurse showed us to Steven's room in the ICU and left us quietly. Steven was hooked up to more machines than I imagined possible. It was hard for me to see Steven like this, and I could only imagine how Betsy must feel. But she didn't see the hoses and wires, she didn't hear the beeps and hisses, she just saw her father, and knew he was finally truly dying.

"Hey pops," she said as she took his hand.

"Betsy?" I heard him think. I could see his mind struggling up out of the abyss, pulling himself to the surface through the contact with her hand. I wondered how it was possible, since his brain scans had shown no activity. While I had avoided the hospital, I was informed of all the tests, and would have returned at once if there had been a positive change.

He called out again, "Betsy! My sweet Betsy has come to visit me again. I just wish I could squeeze her hand to let her know I'm here..."

I walked around the bed to take his other hand. "What's this? Someone else is here? That isn't a soft hand like those girls Betsy sometimes brings. It's a man, perhaps a doctor?"

"No, my old friend, I'm no doctor."

"After all of these years, you've returned! Thank you for everything you've done for Betsy. I didn't believe that you could keep your promise, I thought that the gambling bug had you for sure. But every week Betsy returned to me, and told me how you kept her safe."

"Betsy did most of the keeping safe herself. You raised a remarkable girl, Steven."

He was silent for a time, and I could tell all of his feeble senses were concentrating on what Betsy was saying, and where her hand touched his.

"Why didn't you come back sooner? There was so much I wanted to tell Betsy, at least to thank her for visiting me." He paused, then added, "No, it isn't fair for me to ask, since you already granted the only thing a father could wish for."

"You can ask. The truth is, you were too far gone, until recently. You had a heart attack, and that must have triggered something that brought you back to the surface where I can talk to you. I am surprised you even knew she visited you for all these years."

"I remember everything she said, and she's told me everything. That's one of the mixed blessings of being in a coma."

"She told you about the other girls? and how we live?" I said.

"I can't say that it's how I wanted my daughter living, but she has the home I never provided for her. Also, she has all those women who take of her and love her. But most of all she has you. At first she said you were like a father or at least a big brother, and she seemed happy. But she was happiest when she told me you were lovers. She said she had loved you for a long time, but was never quite sure that you loved her until that night."

"This is getting a little embarrassing," I said to him.

"How do you think I feel? But, I love my daughter, and her happiness is all that I can hope for. Now, can I ask just one last favor? Can you let me see her again, like you did the last time?"

I looked over at Betsy, who was still talking to her father. I remembered back to when she was a girl, and saw how she had truly blossomed. Her already long mousy brown hair had grown longer, deeper in color and more lustrous. Her green eyes which had been a bit too startled and large, now were a deeper calmer jade. She had also grown an inch or two, although she was still much shorter than average. Her figure had changed subtly. She was just as slender as she used to be, but was now clearly a woman.

"Thank-you, my friend. For this, and for everything, I thank you." He was again listening to Betsy speaking, but this time could see her as well.

* * *

Steven resubmerged to depths where I couldn't reach him. Eventually Betsy looked across at me and nodded her head. I walked around the bed and lead her from the room. She held me close, this time without the terrible pain that had attacked her earlier. We got to the waiting room and saw Tiffany and Stefani sitting there reading magazines.

They both looked up as we approached and came over to give Betsy a hug. As Betsy hugged them each in turn, she thanked them for coming and said that she could use the company tonight. The three girls walked arm in arm to the desk, where Betsy told the nurse that she would be staying the night in one of the guest rooms across the street.

The guest rooms were another of the changes that had been made with Betsy's grant. The motel across the street had been bought and renovated into a score of efficiency suites for use by patient's families. It only took five minutes to walk from the hospital to the guest rooms.

We walked in and Betsy spoke a few words to the manager. He handed her a key and gave her a smile that had a trace of sympathy. Stefani took the key from Betsy and lead the way up to the room, while Tiffany walked with an arm around Betsy. I followed up in the rear, for once not paying attention to the swaying bottoms in front of me.

The room was very tasteful with a decor that was cheerful, but not oppressively so. There was a small stove, a small refrigerator and enough cabinet space to hold pots and pans for a workable kitchen. The rest of the room was much like a hotel, with a couple of chairs, a TV and a large king sized bed.

Betsy immediately went to the bed and lay down. Tiffany sat behind her, with one hand on her shoulder and the other lightly stroking her head. I sat at her feet and pulled off her shoes and socks and then rubbed her legs gently.

Stefani left for a minute and came back with a small bag which she took into the bathroom. She re-emerged in a baby-doll t-shirt and a pair of panties and switched places with Tiffany. Tiffany took her turn in the bathroom, emerging in silk pajamas. The two girls then took Betsy into the bathroom. I took the opportunity to strip off my suit and get down to my underwear before climbing into bed.

When I heard the bath running, I knew it might be a long wait. I was asleep before they came out.

* * *

I woke up to find myself surrounded by warm female bodies. It wasn't just their bodies that surrounded me with warmth, since I could also feel their minds filling me with warmth. Well the two minds that were sleeping filled me with warmth.

The third mind looked out at me through jade green eyes that were inches from my own. When my eyes opened, she gave a wry smile and said, "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Betsy, you can wake me up anytime you like. I don't mind, especially if you're smiling at me."

Betsy smiled a little more, and flushed faintly. "I like watching you sleep. It is the only time you look at peace. But, except if you fall asleep after sex, you always seem to wake up just as I start to look."

"Well, maybe you should have sex with me."

Betsy really blushed this time, and cast her eyes down. It was then that I felt her little hands were pressed against my chest. Her fingertips curled in slightly, dragging her nails on my chest. I could sense the arousal inside her, but also a reluctance.

"I'm sorry, that was crude of me. I know you're worried about your father."

She quickly put a finger to my lips and shook her head. She sighed and her hand started to trace the lines of my face. Her eyes seemed to follow the track that her fingertips traced without actually looking at me. I wanted to delve into her mind to find what she wanted to say to me, but I held back. Instead, I watched her eyes and savored the feel of her hand on my face.

Her hand stilled, and I realized she was looking me right in the eyes. "I love you," she said. This time it was her thumb that sealed my lips, as her hand cupped my cheek. "You are a strange and wonderful man, and I am glad you were the one who found me. I never believed that he asked you to take care of me, but you did anyway, because you were his friend."

I listened as a tear began to run down her cheek. I wanted to speak, but she hadn't removed her thumb from my lips. So I gently kissed her thumb which caused a small smile to ease the somber tone of her face.

"I can hardly even remember who my father really was. When I think I know, I am sure he would hate who I've become. I'm living in a harem, and everything I have I've gotten from you. I pretend I bought the car, and my clothes on my own, but the money really came from you. Sometimes I think he's never woken up because he's disappointed in me."

Betsy's eyes were full of tears, and I couldn't hold back any longer. I pulled her towards me and hugged her. I kissed her and tasted the salty tears that stained her cheek. "Betsy, I am sure your father is proud of you. I know he only wants you to be happy. Aren't you happy?"

"I could be happier."

"What can I do?"

"Make love to me," she said, starring deeply into my eyes. "I am always happiest when we make love. Please, love me like you did the first time."

I rubbed my nose against hers and smiled, "Well, the first time we didn't have an audience."

Stefani and Tiffany quickly pretended to be asleep. I don't know when they woke up, but they had been listening for some time.

Betsy grabbed my head and pulled me into a fierce kiss. When her tongue finished probing my mouth she said, "Then let them watch!"

* * *

Our first time was on the night of Betsy's twenty-third birthday. We were having a party. This was the first party in the newly completed house on the Hill, and the girls wanted it to be huge. Crews had arrived the week before to begin putting up the buntings, lights and other decorations. Gardeners planted flowers that were grown in a greenhouse so they would be at full bloom for the party. There were champagne fountains, chocolate fountains, cheese fountains and soda fountains. There was a mariachi band poolside and a string quartet in the dining room. A dozen cooks had been working all day to create the food, and that didn't include the enormous cake.

The guest list included the governors of three different states, the city's mayor and town council, half of the state supreme court and one supreme court justice. There were diplomats, bankers, and the deans of a dozen prestigious schools both foreign and domestic. These were all people that Betsy had charmed while going about my business. In all fairness, I had initially charmed them, but Betsy had kept them charmed long after I had forgotten about them.

As I mingled with the growing crowd, I realized that I couldn't find Betsy. She was still living in the little house in the city, but I was sure I had seen her arrive. I even told her she could use my room to get ready for the party, since she didn't have one of her own. I popped a shrimp into my mouth and headed upstairs.

It felt awkward to knock on my own door, but I didn't want to barge in on Betsy if she was changing. I still felt a very paternal instinct towards her and sometimes still thought of her as the thirteen year old girl I had first met.

"Come in," she said. I could hear the emotion in her voice, and on instinct my powers reached out to touch her mind. She was lonely and sad.

I hurried into the room and saw her sitting on the bed in her underwear. Her dress was lying on the bed next to her. I immediately looked for a robe or something to cover her, as I said "What's the matter, darling girl?" There was no robe in sight, so I kept my eyes averted.

"Nothing."

It took all of my developing control not to use my powers to pull the answers from her. Instead I sat next to her, angled away, and said, "You can tell me, Betsy."

"How can I tell you, when you won't even look at me?"

"Well, you aren't wearing a lot of clothes."

"So? You can talk to the other girls when they're naked!"

"But they're my... girlfriends. And you're..."

"I'm what? Undesireable? Ugly?"

That question pulled my head around to look at her. Her lovely green eyes were slightly bloodshot from the tears, but still beautiful. Even unbrushed, her long brown hair was lustrous. My eyes followed the spill of her hair towards her breasts. They were small, but still large enough that with the bra's help they created a hint of cleavage. My eyes traveled down and I could just make out her ribs at the bottom of her chest, before her long flat stomach began. Her waist was narrow and I could see the faint lines of her abs beneath her pale skin. I jerked my eyes back to her face before they went further down.

"No Betsy. You are quite a beautiful girl."

"You still think I'm a girl? I'm twenty-three!" Then her mind and my powers betrayed a thought, "And I've been having sex with Marie for three years." I wasn't proud, but I pried a little and learned that she had been with other girls as well, but Marie had been her first and most frequent lover.

I did still think of her as a girl. But she was right, she wasn't a girl anymore, so I said, "No, you are not a girl anymore."

"Then... Then you don't love me."

"Betsy, how can you say that? Of course, I love you. You were a brat when we first met, but I have loved you for a long time. You're like a daughter to me."

"I don't want to be your daughter! I want..." Then she stopped abruptly and turned away from me.

"What do you want?" I pleaded with her.

"I want you. I want to live here with you, Marie, Bambi, Tiffany and the other girls. I feel like an outsider sometimes. I know you love me, but I want you to love me as a woman."

She looked at me and I couldn't think of a response. Impatient, she leaned forward and kissed me. It was an awkward kiss, but a kiss that spoke volumes to me. She pulled away and cast down her eyes. I didn't need to see the blush color the tops of her breasts to know that she was embarrassed.

"No," I said, "it is more like this." My fingers parted her hair and tilted her head back as I leaned in to kiss her. At first, our lips only grazed each other, but they soon parted and pressed against each other more firmly. As her tongue quested meekly towards mine, I felt lust swelling in me. Somewhere between her tentative kiss and my kiss, Betsy was transformed in my thoughts from daughter to lover.

We were still kissing as my hands quickly undid the clasp of her bra. Her arms worked out of the straps and threw it across the room. She kept her hands busy as they clawed at my clothes. Soon there were four hands working to remove my party clothes, even as four lips worked to keep us connected.

Rather than break the kiss, we left my undershirt on. I pulled her towards me, and even through my shirt I could feel the hard points of her breasts press into me. She felt it too and rubbed them against me. As the contact grew, she breathed a moan into my mouth. I lay back on the bed and pulled her on top of me.

I kicked off my shoes, but couldn't get my socks off without using my hands. But my hands were too busy exploring the soft smooth skin of Betsy's back to worry about socks. Betsy's hands meanwhile were busy trying to undo my belt and lower my pants. With reluctance, I moved one hand to help her, with the other hand slid down her spine and in the back of her panties.