Dear Readers, Here is a new chapter that integrates with the core of the original Wildcat Fall. This is a continuing saga that is coming to a close. Before the story ends, what would you like to see? I would appreciate any feedback. Constructive criticism is important to me as I am rewriting this story. Thanks.

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Chapter Nineteen
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“Sperm samples? This is something new.” Emma was enjoying the hot water and rubbing up against Jack.

Jack kissed her. “Well, to tell you the truth, I’d pretty much forgotten about it myself. This happened when I was sixteen years old.”

Emma was biting his earlobe. “Sixteen?”

“I was out on my own trying to make a living playing my guitar and, well, finding a band that wanted me. My mom and dad offered to help me, but I really wanted to do this on my own. I had this independence streak.”

Emma didn’t stop nibbling. “Do tell. As in hard-headed? I would have never guessed!” She laughed. “C’mon, Jack. You just aren’t a committee kind of guy.”

Jack made a grunt. “Yeah, yeah. I guess that’s always been me.”

Emma bit his earlobe. “I’m surprised that your parents let you drop out of high school and leave home.”

Jack realized that this story was turning into a novel. “Well, I didn’t drop out. I attended school twelve months a year and graduated. The school district, well, all of Cape May County, was allowing kids to go anywhere to take their classes, and they’d paid tuition. The county decided that it was cheaper than building new schools and trying to keep up because there were so few of us.”

“So I had this crazy idea to just go to school all the time once I got to ninth grade. It was easy, and I was able to finish my credits a few years early. All I could think about was playing guitar anyway. Well, I got an offer from a bar band that was playing in town to travel with them. Mom and Dad met them and gave their permission. So I packed up and headed out. It was just okay for a while until I realized I hated performing in front of crowds. I was throwing up every time I thought about getting up on stage. I did it, but really had to numb myself before each show. After three months of popping pills and drinking hard liquor, I realized I was headed in the wrong direction. I left the band, but ran out of money quickly.”

“I spent the winter in Philly working as a session musician. I wasn’t working enough to pay my way. I’d sit in with bands, but my stomach couldn’t handle it. And I wasn’t interested in becoming an alcoholic or a drug addict.

Jack sighed, realizing that telling this was more difficult than he had expected. He was getting chills and felt sick in the pit of his stomach even after all those years just thinking about going on stage in front of five thousand fans. “I ended up working at a guitar store in Center City. I was giving lessons and selling equipment. I shared an apartment with three other guys and was spending more money partying than I earned. Eventually, I found a Reproductive Clinic that paid me every time I donated sperm. I think I did it ten or fifteen times. When the management changed and discovered that I was sixteen, they kicked me out and told me to come back when I turned eighteen.”

Emma had just finished adding more hot water to their soaking tub. “Okay, so now you’re all grown up. Fast forward and tell me about your sperm.”

Jack laughed. “The other day, this private detective came to the office and started telling me about my sperm fertilizing this one lady twice. And now her two children are grown and want me to get an elaborate physical so my progenies can start their own families without fear of medical problems.”

“Okay. Who’s picking up the tab on this project?”

“They are. They already have. I had the physical today.”

Emma thought about it. “Well, I guess that’s a good thing since we’re going to start our own family. I hope you get copies and reports of your tests.”

“Yep. Everything is posted online, and I have access to the portal where it’s all stored.”

“Who are these adults? Do you know?”

Jack shook his head. “No. But I’m really curious. Wouldn’t you be?”

Emma thought for a minute. “I would. But are you in trouble? And how come you’re just hearing about this now?”

“I think there used to be rules about releasing records, but that has changed. Now, people can request to see those records. And that’s what these tests were all about. Both of these siblings want to have kids. But here’s the weird part. One woman wants to impregnate her partner with my sperm so they both will have a genetic connection to their baby.”

Emma sighed. “Okay. So I’d want to meet them and see how another generation fits into the picture.”
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Jessica and Mac drove to the address on the driver’s license the next morning. They parked down the street, where they could observe the comings and goings. They watched a forty-something woman leave in the morning and walk four blocks to Whole Foods. They still hadn’t seen the person who had rented the bike and taken the photos. His name was Edward Williamson, Junior.

Finally, at eleven in the morning, he appeared. He caught a bus to a local McDonald’s and went in through the side door.

“He’s dressed like a worker.”

“Yep. Mid twenties, overweight, lives with his mom. Should we search the deed or go deep on this?”

“I’m thinking.”

“He’s not a hacker, just some random perv.”

As they watched, they saw their suspect taking large industrial-sized trash bags to the dumpster, then using a large push broom to clean up around the trash corral.

“He’s either just a conscientious manager, or this is his job.”

“I’m betting floor sweeping and bathrooms next.”

“Could you eat some fries?”

Jessica laughed. “Thought you’d never ask.”

Mac grumbled. “After this is over, I’m taking you out to get a decent meal.”

When they walked through the doors, they were not surprised to see their man sweeping and mopping.

“He’s got a driver’s license. But I’m wondering if he’s on the spectrum.”

“Regardless, let’s pull his files.”

Jessica flipped open her laptop and started doing searches. It was easy to find out that he didn’t have a criminal record or had been identified as a child molester. From there, they were able to search for the name and read about his father and their court case.

After finishing their fries, they decided to simply talk to Charles.

They went back out to McDonald’s and sat in the parking lot as the sun went down. They saw him leave through the side door and head home.

Mac pulled up right behind him in the parking lot, stopped, put on his high beams, and flashers. He immediately came up to Charlie and held his arm. “You need to get in the car. We need to talk.” He used his other hand to unfold his ID and hold it to his face. In the meantime, Jessica appeared and took his other arm. They walked him to the door and urged him into the back seat.

The three of them were a tight fit in the back seat and Jessica could smell the greasy fried food smell of his clothes mixed with the flop sweat of fear coming from their passenger.

Mac started talking in a stern, authoritative voice. “We have a copy of your driver’s license and a receipt from the Allentown Bike Shop. It shows that you rented two bikes, a helmet, and a telephoto lens for your iPhone. We have photos of tire tracks in the Pennsylvania State Forest, where you stopped and took photos of the back of a house and its occupants. You posted those photos the same day under the alias Runner.”

Jessica's voice was more soothing. “We can turn over all this information to the police and the lawyers who represent the Wildcats. Their lawyers will file charges and take you to court. They have vast resources, and when they are done, you will go to trial. You will be publicly shamed for your connection with an underage girls’ chat room where you are posing as a fifteen-year-old girl. When we are done, you will be found guilty, and well, should I continue?”

Charlie was crying silently and shaking his head from side to side. “No,” he gasped.

“This is your notice. You are getting a warning, but if this happens again and we connect you to a crime, it will be different. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I understand.”

They let him out of the SUV and watched him walk to the bus stop. Mac started the truck and rolled all the windows down. He chuckled. “I think we scared him shitless.”
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Jack looked at her. “You want to meet these people?”

Emma was fluffing her hair with her fingers. “Sure. It’s my chance to see how your genetic offspring turned out. If I’m going to have your babies, I want to make sure they’re not mutants.”

Jack was patting her back dry after they got out of the tub. “Mutants? Well, I turned out okay except for the webbed feet and the gills. But that could have come from drinking Jersey water and swimming down the shore.”

Emma kissed him. “Seriously, I would think you’d want to know who these people are, since you’re linked to them.”

Jack nodded. “I remember reading that when Melissa Etheridge and her wife wanted to have a baby, they used David Crosby’s sperm.”

“See. Selective breeding. And if you think about two women using your sperm for their child, it makes mathematical sense.”

“Okay. The detective woman gave me her card. I can call her and say I want to meet.”

“Good, and tell them that I’m coming, too.”
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Teri admired the new painting on the wall as she smiled at Grace. “I’ve heard about the painting. Gina was so excited.”

Grace smiled. “Gina’s gift was the best. She knows the path to my heart and what makes me tick. I’m lucky to have her. And I like being your friend and your counselor. I enjoy how honest you are and how you confide in me. What are we going to talk about today?”

Teri took a deep breath. “Uh, whenever I talk to one of the Cats about my concerns, the first question they ask me is whether I’ve talked to you. And so the topic today is sex and well, the changes I’m going through.”

Grace smiled. “I enjoy how I can give you two sessions so we have enough time to talk. Maybe after we’re done, we can have lunch together. Maybe we could see if Jenn wants to join us since she lives so close by.”

Teri thought for a minute. “I think she has a break around lunch time. I’ll text her.”

“Ask her if she likes Mexican, and I’ll book us a table at El Vez.”

After they had the lunch arrangements prepared for one o’clock, Grace turned to Teri. “I’m going to share the couch with you. I want you to feel secure like you’re talking to a friend and not your counselor.”

Teri had to count to ten before she started talking. Just sitting that close to Grace was making her lightheaded. She grinned. “I’m sorry. I have to collect myself sitting this close to you. You get my heart beating.”

Grace laughed. She wrapped her hand around Teri’s and squeezed. “Teri, you are very beautiful. And I think you’re getting more lovely every time I see you.”

Teri looked into Grace’s eyes and took another deep breath. “That’s my biggest problem. My surgeon said that my increased estrogen is a result of my surgery and connecting my new vagina to my ovaries. She said that the blood flow, and well, my sensitivity is taking place because my body is adapting.”

“That makes sense. But how does it make you feel?”

Teri winced. “Utterly confused. It’s like I’m being pumped with adrenaline, and everything is going to my head. I’m high on sexual feelings all the time. Everything gets me excited. And when I’m with Jenn, she has total power over me. She can turn me on anytime she wants. I’m helpless to say no.”

“Are you in pain?”

“Oh no. I love it, but it’s scary. I haven’t learned to control my emotions yet.”

“How long has it been since your surgery?”

“A little over a month.”

“So everything is new. But now that you realize what’s happening, have you figured out any strategies to help you cope?”

Teri nodded. “Well, I’m becoming more aware of what’s making me go over the edge, and I’m trying to step back. For instance, Jenn has this classmate and they are partnering up on a project. The woman is beautiful and strong, and she made my insides turn to jelly when I met her. Jenn noticed I had a reaction.”

“What did Jenn do?”

“She was amused and told me if I was going to act on my impulses, we needed to talk about opening our relationship.”

“How’d that make you feel when you heard her say that?”

“Scared. I’m not ready for an open relationship. Just the thought of Jenn with someone else fills me with pain. But I worry. Do you think Jenn is bored with me, and she wants more than what I can offer?”

Grace shrugged. “Let’s open our session and invite her.”

At that moment, Teri’s phone buzzed. She looked panicked and grew dizzy. “It’s Jenn. She’s in your waiting room.”

“Are you ready for that conversation?”

Teri swallowed. She hadn’t planned on more than having a talk with Grace and hadn’t even thought about what she’d be saying during their session. She idly picked at one of the pockets on the dress she’d chosen to wear today. Back in their apartment, she’d wondered if she should ride in the backseat of an Uber in a skirt and bare legs. Grabbing an attractive long raincoat made her feel more protected. She loved how short the skirt was and the feeling of bare legs.

Teri hated how much she loved feeling sexy.

She’d started wearing dresses after her surgery because of the pad she’d needed. And they had to be changed frequently. But now the pad was smaller and wasn’t an issue. But she’d come to like the feeling of bare legs and how good a soft dress felt on her skin.

Realizing that she needed to answer, she made eye contact and shrugged. “What am I supposed to say to her?”

Grace squeezed her hand as she rose. “Nothing that you don’t want to bring up, but let’s just see how it goes.”

She opened her office door and held out her arms to greet Jenn. Teri rose and stepped forward, looking at her girlfriend. In the space of an hour, she’d forgotten just how beautiful she was. Jenn was taller than her psychologist but just as stunning with her shoulder-length, glossy black hair and demure makeup.

Jenn used mascara and liner to emphasize her exotic almond-shaped eyes, but her look was clean and simple. Teri knew she wore moisturizer, but didn’t need makeup to emphasize her high cheekbones and her full lips. Everything about her looked so perfect. As she noticed the multitude of small silver hoops in each ear, Teri knew she needed to do something special to show how important Jenn was to her.

Jenn was wearing dark Capris and ankle-length boots. The first time she saw them, Teri was surprised by how rugged they looked. It wouldn’t have been her first choice. But on Jenn, everything worked. She wore a white long-sleeved tank top and a denim jacket. Looking carefully, she wondered whether she wore a bra, but just assumed it would be a sports bra. Seeing Grace and Jenn greet each other gave her chills. Both radiated strength and power.

Teri hugged her girlfriend and led Jenn to the couch. Grace chose to take the chair facing them.

Jenn looked around and took a minute to study the art. “This is such a beautiful spot. I’ve heard so much about it.”

Grace smiled. “I’m a nest builder. It’s my happy place.”

Jenn reached over and wrapped both her hands around Teri’s arm. She whispered, “Is this about me?”

Teri’s eyes filled with tears. “No. But I’m such a mess. I don’t know who I am and worry that I’m not enough to make you happy.”

Jenn looked at Grace for permission to talk and saw Grace nod. She turned back to Teri. “Why do you say that? Have I done anything to make you feel bad?”

Teri shook her head. “No. But it’s like I’m an anchor that’s dragging you down. I’m going through all these new changes, and I don’t think I’m able to take care of you. I’ve lost my mojo.”

Jenn shook her head. “Is this about how you’ve been feeling since your surgery?”

“I was telling Grace. It’s like my life is tilting. All these emotions and feelings. I’m getting more girly. Like I’m not me anymore. I used to feel worthy of your love, but you said it. I’m turning into your passenger princess. I’m not in charge and don’t contribute much.”

“You are changing, but aren’t we adjusting?”

“I feel like I’m a burden, like I depend on you.”

“Is this about sex? Am I doing some things you don’t like?”

“No, Jenn. But you’re the one who leads. I’m not doing anything for you.”

Jenn started shaking her head and trying not to laugh. “Our lovemaking has been wonderful. I’m completely satisfied. I’m not complaining.”

“I feel so girly and like you’re in charge. Don’t you hate me and what’s happening?”

Jenn leaned over and took Teri in her arms. “Do you like it when I hold you and kiss you?”

“Yes.”

“Am I doing enough for you?”

“Yes.”

“Honey, I’ve always led our lovemaking right from the beginning. I love to turn you on and make you scream, but since your surgery, you’re more responsive. I enjoy that.”

“But do I satisfy you? Am I enough?”

Jenn smiled. “Yes. I’m happy. You are everything. I miss you when we’re not together. Just looking at you turns me on. I know everything you’re going through is difficult. But I know that deep inside you’re loving what’s happening.”

Teri looked at Grace. “She’s right, but it’s these hot flashes, and well, I’m getting so turned on inside. Just being so close to Jenn, and her voice, and her touch are making me turn to goo inside. I’m all damp between my legs.”

Grace nodded.

Jenn kissed her softly. “Would it make you feel better if I were to call you my co-pilot and not my passenger princess?

Teri paused to think. She blushed and shook her head. “It’s not bad. And it is kinda like a weird compliment, but aren’t you making fun of me, laughing at me?”

Jenn paused. “Tiffany is a princess. She loves being beautiful and knowing the impact it has on others.”

“But that’s Tiffany. All the Cats are beautiful and enjoy being beautiful. Lisa is gorgeous, but she is so in charge. Gina and Zoe are powerful. But I feel like such a fake and a loser. I used to hate people complimenting me about how I looked before I went out on stage. Like it wasn’t the real me, I’d get all dressed up and get help with my makeup. I’d be wearing girly clothes that were given to me. I tried to ignore it all. And now, that whole fake person on stage has become who I am.”

Grace cleared her throat to get their attention. “Tell me about the real you.”
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