The Empath Cycle: 2001 It Takes One - Book 1

Once home, she sat at her desk and examined her predicament in her usual logical and methodical manner. She made a few phone calls, then sat down with her parents to explain her plan. She proposed to work at a local university for the fall session as a lab technician (she had secured a recommendation from her college professors and had been accepted at the university). She would then take the winter session off to have the baby and resume work the following fall semester. This would permit her to take part time classes and pay rent to them if they allowed her to stay home or she could find a cheap apartment on her own.

For her parents, the later was not even to be considered. She could stay with them as long as she needed and they would be happy to babysit the child when she was at the university. As for the rent, her father was offended she would suggest such a thing, but if she wanted to buy some groceries now and again to satisfy some craving or other, he saw nothing wrong with it. She knew it for the face saving olive branch it was and was grateful to him.

So, instead of going away at one of the Ivy League universities where she had been accepted with a scholarship, she settled in for a life with diminished or, at least, postponed goals.

In due time, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She counted herself lucky at having avoided too much tearing or the need for a caesarian. Stretch marks had been minimal and faded to almost nothing over the following months and years. So, the only effect of her pregnancy had been that her body had matured to voluptuous proportions and D-cup breasts. A rigorous regimen of exercises and a careful diet did not return her to her girlish figure, but it gave her a toned body and even better health than she had had when younger.

Jade was the jewel of her mother's life.

Once she was born, Patricia shifted her priorities from wanting to be a renowned scientist to being the best mother she could be and raising her daughter to be a well-adjusted independent woman in her own right.

She kept up with science courses, but was content with auditing them as she could when it was not in conflict with her parental duties. The university never regretted the unusual arrangements of her first year of employment. She was well-liked by students and teachers and would go out of her way to encourage flagging young men and women if they were willing to put in the effort. The ne'er-do-wells she simply ignored. Eventually, she rose to the position of supervisor of the lab technicians for all the science faculties.

She involved herself in her daughter's extracurricular activities and, of her own initiative, found private and corporate funding to create a sponsorship program to reward excellence in science achievements by offering scholarships to deserving students.

All in all, Patricia had a full life, except in one respect. She was still single. She liked the company of men well enough, but never felt the overpowering urge some women had to be in a relationship. She did not need a man to validate herself. She did well enough socially and professionally by herself. As for the sex, though she did try to repeat the experience a few times, they had all been disastrous from her point of view. She had thrown the last man out of her apartment when he refused to engage in preliminaries but wanted her to suck him off before he would 'fuck her brains out'.

Since then, she had sworn off the male gender other than as friends and colleagues. She was satisfied to rely on her growing collection of toys to take care of her needs.

This did not mean she inflicted her own feelings on her daughter. Quite the opposite. She explained the facts of life to her from a young age in a positive, comprehensive manner. As Jade got older, she expanded her explanations to suit her level of understanding. She made no disparaging comments when her daughter started dating as she knew her own sentiments on the matter were off norm, but she kept a wary eye out so Jade would not get in over her head.

She need not have feared. Jade was a mature young woman for her age and she knew the risks involved. She also knew the rewards and, while not promiscuous, she indulged in the pleasures of the flesh. Patricia was well aware of this since they talked frankly about it as they did about every aspect of their lives.

She was surprised when Jade, then sixteen, announced that she had tried having sex with a girl and liked it very much. They spoke of this new development at length and Patricia had to admit that her daughter did not jump into this lightly. She knew the risks of seriously disrupting her social life and opening herself to bullying if she came out as gay, but she had not sworn off boys and being bi was at least marginally socially acceptable within her age group. If she decided one day that the lesbian lifestyle was for her, she was prepared to face the social consequences in her usual forthright way. She also knew to be as careful with girls as she was with boys because sexually transmitted diseases knew no gender barrier.

Eventually, Jade started dating a girl one year older than her and it got quite serious. She came out as a lesbian and dared the most homophobic kids in her class to meet her after school to 'discuss the matter'. Not too surprisingly, none took up the challenge. They knew she was such an accomplished aikido practitioner she represented the school district at regional competitions and had won a spot at the national level the previous year.

When Jade left home to go live with her latest partner, Patricia found that the house she had inherited from her parents when they died in a terrible train accident many years earlier was too big for her alone. So she sold it for a very good price which, with the generous insurance settlement she had received from the train company's insurance, made it possible for her to buy a condo in one of the new towers downtown. Having gotten in at the first phase of the project, she got it for a decent price and made the final payment the day she moved in.

Having made shrewd investments with the insurance money, she could easily afford the condo fees, propriety taxes and utilities and have enough money left every month that she did not need to work if she did not want to.

Once she had settled in, she found herself at another crossroads.

Her daughter was living her own life as an adult and Patricia's role as a mother had moved to another level where her involvement was much diminished. She liked her job, but she knew it was a professional dead end as she had reached the highest pay grade possible. Moreover, she did not see herself spending the rest of her working career managing people at such a low level. Of course, if she managed her finances carefully, she could stop working altogether and live a life of leisure, but, at thirty-eight years old, she did not see herself as retiree material. She would be bored to death within months.

So, she explored her options. She made some phone calls, did some research, and came to a decision. She had always kept her interest in science, but it was too late to begin the long years of study and hope to make her mark in pure research as had been her original plan. Still, nothing kept her from going into applied sciences.

She called the engineering department head at the École Polytechnique, an affiliate school of Université de Montréal and, once she had explained her situation and plans for the future, he had been glad to offer her a position as a lab assistant and enroll her as a student with a partial scholarship. Needless to say, the people in the pure sciences department were sad to see such a good employee go, but they understood her reasons and wished her well.

After years of working with students, Patricia had developed a shrewd eye for the good ones. Of those, a few stood out and she had always gone out of her way to give them what help she could because she knew the dedication required to excel in the difficult fields of science. She had been one of the driven ones, after all, and same attracts same.

So she had quickly noticed the young woman even before they literally bumped into each other. Discreetly, she had inquired about her and discovered that she was an exceptional student with a bright academic future and more than one teacher hoped she would opt for advanced degrees and research instead of going to the private sector once she got her engineering degree.

Unfortunately, they were also afraid she would burn out before she got the opportunity to make that choice. The same trait that made her an excellent student could be her downfall. She driven, yes, but maybe too driven. The girl was socially mal-adapted. She had no friends, she did not socialize even as little as joining a study group. She was polite when spoken to, but never made overtures to initiate conversations to the point where no teacher remembered having heard her ask a single question in class.

Keeping an eye on the young woman from a distance, Patricia came to perceive a kindred spirit. Aside from her being turned inward so completely, she saw her younger self in her. She saw the intensity of her concentration when listening to the professors, the joy illuminating her expression when presented with new concepts, the fierceness with which she attacked difficult assignments. She also saw the pain when she witnessed simple expressions of happiness between people around her.

This was a bright but unhappy girl indeed.

When she had accidently bumped in her, she thought it would be an opportunity to engage her in conversation and see if she could draw her out, but it was not to be. The girl had mumbled her apologies and retreated from further contact.

Her schedule permitting, she took to sitting at a table beside hers in the cafeteria to work on assignments, hoping the proximity and eventual familiarity would, over time, fissure her shell enough for Patricia to talk with her. It seemed to be working. From the corner of her eye, she saw her looking over and, once or twice, she had even seemed about to talk to her, only to retreat to her books again.

She took it as a good sign when she noticed the girl gradually moving closer to her in class. She had also seen her walking the corridors with head held high instead of bowed, looking at the floor. She had even seen her smiling once or twice.

One day, she had been haggard when Patricia saw her in class. She had returned to her usual seat and seemed to be there only in body. That worried Patricia. What could have happened overnight to spook her so? When she arrived in the cafeteria, the young woman was sitting staring at her clenched fists with such an air of defeat on her that Patricia had forgotten her original plan to let time do its work. Something was very wrong.

When Patricia spoke to her, the girl smiled, even began a move forward, but the whole thing aborted with a cry. The young woman grabbed her things and almost literally ran away. Watching her rapidly retreating back, Patricia feared she had made things worse. It seemed to be confirmed when she did not see her in class the rest of the week.

Saturday, Patricia decided to clear her mind by strolling the underground downtown. One of the reasons she had chosen her condo was the direct access it gave her to it.

She had no particular destination in mind. She had her regular haunts, for sure, but that day, she just walked around, stopping here and there to say hello to people she knew and do some window shopping.

As she walked the aisles of a favorite boutique, she was surprised to see the young woman there. She had not seemed the type to shop in such an upscale place. She looked more relaxed. Patricia thought that fashion would be a safe topic as a conversation opener, so she went to her. But when she made a comment on the blouse the young woman was looking at, she almost fainted in her arms.

Though she seemed to recover quickly, she still looked pale so Patricia brought her to a nearby café to sit for a while. They ended up spending the afternoon talking about this and that. They found they had two interests in common: science and Fantasy books. The conversation was easy. So much so that Patricia began to hope everything would be all right with the girl.

When it came time to go their separate ways, the awkwardness returned and again the young woman literally fled from her. Patricia's worry returned in force. When she stood in front of her across the tracks, she thought she could see her tremble and she looked as if ready to cry. When the girl's train left the station just as hers arrived, Patricia thought she had seen her still on the platform. Getting in the car, she looked out the window and there she was, but now she was clearly crying.

Patricia rushed out before the doors closed and ran to the walkway above the tracks. Looking down, she saw her, clearly shaking as she sobbed with her face hidden in her hands.

Once on the platform, she acted instinctively and embraced her as a mother would a child in distress. The girl clutched desperately at her and wailed with such pain it nearly broke her heart.

Chapter 3

The two women sat on a bench at the far end of the platform.

They could have been mother and daughter. The older embracing the younger as she tried to console her, holding her tenderly, stroking her hair, murmuring reassuring words. The younger clutching the older desperately, her head resting on her bosom as she sobbed miserably.

Patricia knew she had to let the emotional storm run its course before she could hope to make any sense of what Sylvie was saying. What little she had been able to make out was confusing at best, but she understood enough to know this young woman was going through some sort of paradigm shift and was not prepared for it.

She remembered how she had tried to prepare her daughter for the curve balls life would throw her way. She wondered what kind of mother would equip her daughter so poorly that she would find herself in such desperate straits.

Sylvie's mind was in turmoil. This was not a dream anymore. The reassuring presence that had begun to teach her to accept her body as a natural thing was now in her arms. A real person... a woman.

Try as she might to bring her analytical side to bear on the situation, every breath she took filled her mind with the scent that had captivated her so thoroughly these last months. When she looked up, the emerald eyes gazed at her with compassion. The body in her arms was soft, pliant, warm and it was not pushing her away in disgust.

Her explanations, so far, had been disjointed, she knew, but how do you explain to a woman that you've fantasized about her for weeks and have made love to her for days... in your dreams? She knew she must make herself better understood at some point. There was no way she could go back to her empty life without having told her, even if it meant the end of the dream.

As Sylvie cried herself out, she made her decision.

"Can we go somewhere more private? I need to tell you some things. If you don't want to, I understand." She said, hopefully, looking at the green eyes.

'This is the turning point.' Patricia thought with hope. "I'm here for you, sweetie, if you want to talk, I'm a good listener. I live nearby. Would that be okay with you? Or do you want to go to your place?"

"Maybe it would be better to go to your apartment so I can leave once I've said what I have to say."

"If that's what you think is best, I have no problem with it."

They walked back to the other side of the quay. Since she seemed reluctant to let go, Patricia kept an arm around her shoulders so Sylvie could keep her arms around her waist. Once seated, the girl rested her head on her shoulder. Though she didn't sob, Patricia could see tears running down her cheeks.

They made it to Patricia's condo without exchanging a word out loud, but she tried very hard to project calm and acceptance in her body language and the way she held the younger woman.

For her part, Sylvie was lost in the presence she hugged. She tried to memorize every aspect of the older woman she could in case she threw her out, revolted, when she learned of Sylvie's perversion.

"Can I offer you something to drink? Wine? Coffee? Tea? Fruit juice? Water?" Patricia asked.

"I don't drink much, but maybe a glass of wine will help settle my nerves." Sylvie answered.

"Okay. But you'll have to let go of me for a minute while I get the glasses. I'll be right back, I promise."

Sylvie blushed furiously when she realized that she was still clinging to her.

When she returned, Patricia gave Sylvie her glass and sat beside her, holding her hand.

"You don't have to tell me anything, sweetie. If you just want to sit here, that's fine by me."

"Thank you, but I feel that I have to. You've already done so much for me. I owe you an explanation."

It took a while for Sylvie to explain everything that she had gone through since the day they had bumped into each other. Her usually disciplined mind kept jumping all over the place, but she managed to convey her shameful thoughts in a manner she hoped would not provoke this beautiful woman to throw her out and let the whole school know what a pervert she was.

Once she was finished, Patricia was silent for a moment, then she asked about her upbringing, her youth and her life in general.

It was Patricia's turn to let tears flow. Putting her glass down, she hugged the young woman. "Poor baby. How could you have been treated so poorly that you would end up with such a low opinion of yourself? You are a wonderful young woman with a bright future ahead of you and you shouldn't let anybody tell you different."

"Then you don't hate me?" Sylvie asked, hopefully.

"Of course I don't hate you, sweetie. You deserve better and I will do everything I can to help you get it. I promise."

They were silent for a while. Sylvie, grateful that she was accepted and not rejected as expected. Patricia, her maternal instinct outraged at the treatment that had been inflicted on this poor girl.

At one point, Sylvie jumped from Patricia's embrace.

"I must go now." She blurted, her eyes to the floor.

"But why, sweetie? You can stay for supper with me. I'll prepare something or we can order in."

"I... I... I don't think it's a good idea for me to stay here."

Patricia had a good idea of what the problem was. She just didn't know what to do about it. She got up and pulled Sylvie to her again. "Sweetie, I... I'm... I don't know..." She lifted Sylvie's chin and looked into her eyes for a moment, then lowered her lips and kissed her.

Moaning loudly, Sylvie put all her need in the kiss. She pressed their bodies together. Remembering all the presence had taught her, she rose on her toes so their breasts were even and she moved her torso so she caressed the large soft breasts with her own smaller firm ones, putting her hand on Patricia's pelvis, she ground their pussies together.

Surprised by the aggressive moves, but also by her body's reaction, Patricia was like a deer caught in headlights. She froze. The woman who had resigned herself to a life of solitary sex was discovering she may have wasted a good part of her life. To her stupefaction, her passionate side was taking over with a vengeance.

She felt the heat rise in her. She found herself moaning too as she responded to the sensations coursing through her. She twined the fingers of one hand in Sylvie's hair as if to make sure her mouth wouldn't leave hers. Her other hand lowered to press her pelvis harder against Sylvie's and her hips took a more urgent rhythm.

When Sylvie pulled away, she whined her frustration at the loss, but her eyes snapped open when she was firmly pushed face first against the wall. She was startled when her pants were pulled down and off. She did not protest as her panties were ripped and left hanging in shreds around her waist.