I've Got a Feeling

"Darling, how do you feel? Are you in any pain? Is there anything you want or need?"

"You're awake," Frankie whispered as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. We were real worried, but Monica said you'd be okay."

"Yeah, Grandma Henderson picked us up from school to come to the hospital," Brent added. "You were in an accident and almost crushed, but you're so strong, you held a big piece of machinery up until a bunch of other guys could help."

Apparently the nurse heard everyone talking since she quickly appeared at his side. "Dr. Benton is on his way now. He wants to talk with you and do another assessment. It seems that you're a very lucky man."

The doctor was an older balding man. "From what I've been told, I should be sending you to the morgue, but it looks like you'll be able to go home as soon as I make sure you're feeling as good as you appear. Apparently, the shock of the accident, or perhaps the shock of surviving it caused you to pass out. That's not uncommon, although you were out for an extended period of time.

"You're in exceptional health with no signs of the slightest trauma. From the descriptions of the accident I've received, that qualifies as a near miracle. Be sure to follow up with your family doctor if you feel anything at all troubling. All I ask is that you take it easy for a day or two and pay your bill on the way out."

"Doctor! I don't think that's appropriate," Monica stated firmly. "I'm going to report that comment to the hospital administration. We're not deadbeats and will not be treated like we are."

"I see you married a firecracker," the doctor added with a chuckle. "Gary and I have been friends for a few years now. He won't be reporting me for anything or I'll stop giving him investment tips."

"I doubt the tips you have would be enough to cover the hospital bill, Jim. Thanks for taking care of me. I'll see you on the fifth for our next meeting," Gary stated.

"Perhaps you should introduce me to your wife so she doesn't get my medical license revoked," the doctor suggested.

"Monica, this sad specimen is Jim Mitchell. He's in an investment group with your grandfather and me. We're trying to help him afford his malpractice insurance. Jim, this lady is my wife, Monica Landis."

"Mrs. Landis, I have no idea how Gary talked a beautiful woman like you into marrying him, but we do have a good attorney in our group who I can recommend if the need arises," Dr. Jim Mitchell stated with a grin.

"I see," Monica replied as she looked from Gary to the doctor and back again. "Gary continues to surprise me in all sorts of ways. He's in Grandpa's investment group? Can your lawyer friend break the prenup Gary insisted on?"

"I'm sure he can, but he's probably the one who drew it up. I know he does legal work for both Sam and Gary. It could be considered a conflict of interest, but you would need to speak with him."

Monica drove Gary and the kids home from the hospital. They jabbered all the way about the accident, being pulled from school and how cool they thought it was that Gary was able to lift a few tons of steel to protect himself.

Monica noticed how pensive Gary seemed to be, so she walked him to his bedroom before speaking. "Get some rest. That was the most frightening thing I've ever seen, but you're okay and that's all that matters. Let me know if you need anything."

Gary lay on his bed and tried to make sense of his situation. Things were complicated, or so they seemed. Gary thought about everything that had happened that day, as well as the odd occurrences leading up to the accident.

He kept coming back to the suspicion that Monica was not telling him the truth about herself. Was it possible that she was responsible for the bizarre things Gary had been noticing?

Boulders don't move themselves; fences don't repair themselves; and Gary was sure that he couldn't bench press a Sherman tank. He remembered the old saying that once he eliminated the impossible, whatever remained, no matter how improbable had to be the truth.

He was unable to come up with a scenario that could explain why he wasn't crushed to death at work. The only factors in common with the odd events around his property and the situation at work were Monica and him. He quickly ruled himself out. That left Monica.

How could she have moved the boulders, repaired the crack and the fence and pushed back the brush on the trails without leaving any indication it had ever happened? How could she have saved him from certain death earlier in the day?

No human being could have moved the huge rocks in the path or stopped the machinery from crushing him, especially from a distance. That led to the conclusion that Monica was not human. That thought saddened Gary. It also scared the daylights out of him. Was he safe? What about the kids? Why was Monica being so thoughtful and considerate to Gary and the kids?

Did she plan on placing probes in his eyes, teeth and balls like in those old movies? Would she abduct them to a different planet? What were her intentions? Could he believe her if she told him?

Gary thought back to the flashing scenes that sped through his mind when Monica kissed him. He forced himself to concentrate on them so he could identify situations and places.

He began to realize some of the scenes were not from Earth. The waters were strange colors. There were animals that never existed, at least to his knowledge. There were people of many different colors and hues. They looked like humans, but were they? The more he thought about what he had seen, the greater his doubts became.

It seemed likely that Monica was some sort of alien. Once Gary reached that conclusion, he was unsure what his next step should be. If he reported her, would he be placed in some kind of insane asylum? Would she get angry and destroy Earth? Would she just kill him, and maybe the kids? Who knew what an angry space alien was capable of?

The only conclusion Gary could reach was to not overreact and to consider his options. She hadn't hurt anyone as far as Gary knew, so it seemed like he had some time to determine the best course of action.

Monica was very concerned. When she saw Gary about to die in that bizarre accident, she acted without thinking. Even if she destroyed her carefully created cover, it was worth it to keep him alive. She had no regrets. Gary was worth whatever was required of her.

She knew that when she kissed him she was not in control of her emotions. In her exuberance, she had allowed him inside her mind. She never should have done that. He was very intelligent and would be playing those scenes over in his head. How could he reach any conclusion other than the truth?

The irony was that while Gary was able to access some of her thoughts and memories, she was able to do the same with him. She quickly saw that he was totally infatuated with her. His thoughts were mostly of her and the two kids. He wanted only to see that Frankie and Brent had the opportunity to find happiness and some degree of success. He wanted Monica to love him and he was working toward that goal.

She also saw his suspicions about how small changes were occurring on his property for no obvious reason. She had thought he would be too busy, too absorbed, with her and the children to notice the little things she had been doing. That had been another mistake.

Now he would fear her. He would worry about his safety and the safety of Frankie and Brent. Would he ever be able to trust her again? Without trust, they could never have a meaningful relationship of any kind. Monica knew that and found herself hoping that Gary would find his way through the doubts and fears, and be able to love her. He had been getting so close.

The next few days were difficult for both Monica and Gary. His coworkers gave him a hero's welcome, which Gary did not feel he deserved. The talk about how adrenaline must have made him especially strong caused him to wince. Strong muscles are don't make bones stronger than steel. People believed what they wanted to believe, but Gary knew he should have died. He just didn't know how to feel about the possibly alien creature that had saved him.

Monica was suffering. Gary barely spoke to her. She didn't know how he felt about her now, but she feared the worst. Thinking about it logically, hoping Gary would overlook their differences was unlikely. It wasn't something as simple as the couple attending different churches. They were literally from different worlds.

Three days later, with almost no communication between them, Monica decided to take the bull by the horns. Once Frankie and Brent had gone to bed, Gary turned on his computer to research some stocks. Monica asked Gary if they could talk.

"I guess that depends, Monica. Do you want to gaslight me some more or are you ready to tell me who and what you really are? If not, we have nothing to discuss. I knew there would be some adjustments and surprises with you. I even expected you would leave me once you gained control of your trust. I never dreamed we'd be in this position."

"I'll tell the truth and answer any question you ask me," Monica stated softly. "I know you're upset about everything. I wasn't truthful, but I didn't know if I could safely admit what I am. Now I'm more worried about our relationship than I am about my safety."

"How could I lessen your safety?" Gary demanded, "Unless I'm way off, you can control anyone and anything. You have special mind powers, don't you? You used them to make me fall in love with you so you could have some kind of base of operations. You controlled and manipulated my emotions. I don't know what's real and what you are projecting into my mind."

"I don't control your mind," Monica asserted. "I can move objects with my mind, but I can't control the emotions or thoughts of others. I can't read minds and I can't project my thoughts. If you fell in love with me, it was because we were good together, not because I made you."

"Let's start at the beginning," Gary declared. "Are you human? Were you born on Earth? Were your parents human?"

"Our genomes are almost identical, so I would answer that question by saying I am human, but slightly different. I was born on a planet which could be earth. I'm not sure. The reason is," Monica hesitated as she considered how to phrase her answer, "I was born in a different dimension, but probably on Earth in that dimension. There are an infinite number of planets in every dimension, so naturally, some are very similar."

Gary was struggling to understand what Monica was telling him. "I met your mom. I know your grandparents. Are they from another dimension, too? Can they move things with their minds?"

"I was adopted. Even in my dimension, my powers were extremely unusual. By the time I was five, the government where my parents lived had learned of my 'gifts', as my mother called them. They told my parents they would take me and mold me into everything I could be to help society.

"My parents interpreted that to mean that the government was going to either make me do their bidding or try to determine what made me different so they could create more like me, or maybe do both if I lived through the testing and experiments. My dad was a total genius. He created a method to move between dimensions, which would have made him more important to the government than I was, if they had known."

Gary stared at Monica as she gathered her thoughts. "This is a better story than I ever expected. You're not an alien so much as you're a visitor from a different dimension? You're parents are like Superman's real folks. They had to send him away before his planet exploded. Your dimension had bad people who wanted to enslave you for their own nefarious purposes. Did your dad stuff you in a rocket and launch you to this dimension?"

"No. When the time came, he told me to walk into a very small room, like a closet. He told me there would be a door on the other side and I should go through it. He had studied the new dimension as much as he could. I would step through and be outside the Henderson's home. They took me in.

"Mom and Dad adopted me, once it was determined that my origins could not be found. I was declared an orphan and they adopted me. My new parents were not the best possible choice, but I had a safe home as well as grandparents who loved me," Monica pointed out.

"Why didn't you tell me about your origins and your powers? Why did I have to see strange things happening to my property? Do you have any idea what passed through my mind when you kissed me on the floor of the plant? I think that was why I was unconscious so long."

"Don't you see? Governments are the same in every dimension and country," Monica insisted. "If they are shown a weapon they can use to gain an edge over other governments, they'll jump all over it. I couldn't let people know about my powers. I kept them hidden from everyone, including my parents and grandparents."

"So what caused you to expose those powers to me? You had to know that I'm just a normal guy from my dimension. You can call me one dimensional, I suppose."

"I didn't think you'd notice if I had made small alterations to your property. You seemed so wrapped up in being a good father to the kids that you'd never see small changes. When I saw you push Hank to safety only to have that huge piece of machinery fall on you. I didn't have time to think about it. I'd gladly give up my secret if it meant saving your life," Monica confessed. "I've fallen in love with you, if you couldn't tell."

"What happens if I forget to take the trash out, or leave the toilet seat up? Will you toss me against a wall when you're pissed at me?" Gary challenged.

"Think about what you're asking me. In most marriages, the wife could ask her husband the very same question. Men are often able to physically dominate wives. Women marry men because they believe they will never use their greater strength to inflict pain or punishment on their wives," Monica reasoned. "I would never want you to be with me if you felt you should fear me. That isn't love."

"That's true," Gary conceded. "Tell me this. How many people like you came into this dimension? Do you have any idea?"

"I don't think there were any others like me, but my father told me he was going to destroy the machine and all references to it in his possession. It would never be duplicated. I believe I'm the only person on this planet from a different dimension, but I admit that I have no way of knowing if that is fact."

"What about the visions I had when you kissed me?" Gary asked. "What were they?"

"You saw glimpses of my memories, hopes and past experiences. I usually control that, but I was very emotional and just wanted to be with you. I hope I didn't frighten you with them."

"Thanks, Monica, for your honesty. I was having a lot of trouble getting over your obvious lies. I knew you had powers of some kind and it made me quite worried for me and the kids. I feel a little better about things now. Please give me some time to consider what you told me. I can tell you this. No one will learn your secret from me as long as you don't do anything terrible with that power of yours," Gary promised.

Monica was relieved to hear Gary would not be revealing her secret. That had been a very real concern. It was two evenings later when Gary made a request.

"Monica, I've been thinking about your power and what I saw when you allowed me into your mind as you kissed me. Would it be possible to give me more access to your thoughts and memories," Gary asked. "That would confirm all of what you told me."

"I could, but there's a catch," Monica replied. "It would work both ways. If I gave you access to my thoughts, I would be able to see yours. How would you feel about that?"

"How could I complain? You'd be letting me see all of your secrets and experiences. It would only be fair."

"Get showered and ready for bed," Monica insisted. "I have a feeling this is going to be very intense. We'll be feeling all kinds of emotions. I'll be in your room in half an hour, prepared to share my deepest secrets and eager to learn yours. Have a few bottles of water and some pain relievers. I don't know how this will turn out, but it could be worse than any hangover you ever had."

True to her word, half an hour later, Monica hesitantly stepped into Gary's bedroom. She was wearing a pair of pajamas and carrying a notepad.

"I thought we might want to write down the more interesting things we learned about each other," Monica told Gary. "If we do, I would expect neither of us would share it without the expressed permission of the other person involved.'

"So you are a person?" Gary joked.

Monica smiled at his little dig. "You'll find out pretty soon, I've never done this before, except when I kissed you after the accident, and that wasn't planned. If either of us wants out of this mind meld thing, the other person has to try to break it off immediately, agreed?"

"I have no idea how I would do that, but I promise to do my best," Gary replied. "How do we start?"

"How about I kiss you like I did at the accident scene?"

"Well, if you must," Gary replied with a grin.

Monica pulled back the covers to see Gary was also wearing pajamas and a smile. She slid in next to him and placed an arm over his chest. "I need to have a little leverage to be able to kiss you properly. You don't mind, do you?"

"This is in the interest of science, so I'm willing to put up with it," Gary responded as he pulled Monica's face down to his own.

"Jesus, Joseph and Mary!" exclaimed Gary as he pulled his lips from Monica's in what seemed like both hours and seconds. "That was the most intense thing I've ever experienced. I feel like I know you inside and out."

"That's no surprise," Monica slowly answered. "You're still inside me."

"I'm so sorry, Monica. I don't know how that happened. I was totally engrossed in the things you've seen and done. Am I hurting you?"

"Do I look like I'm suffering?" Monica responded. "This has been the most incredible thing I've ever experienced. Having sex with you while our minds were linked was absolutely the best possible way to get to know you."

Gary began moving his hips as he gazed down at Monica. "Would it be possible to continue this experiment a bit longer? There's so much I want to know about you."

"You're forgetting I could see everything you were thinking and feeling," Monica countered as she timed her movements to match Gary's. "This was not an accidental coupling on your part. You did need some help finding the right spot the first time, so I guess I'm as much to blame as you. Do you think you'll now be able to accept my unusual skills"

"Are you referring to your telekinesis? Or your ability to help me find the right place when I fumble around in search of it? I'm pretty impressed with both talents, wife of mine, but right now, I'm more interested in honing the latter."