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Pretty Butterfly and Joy

By

Hope Eternal Reigns

“If I just introduce myself and tell you a bit about me will that help?” I ask, as I sit here before the pledge committee. I’m REALLY nervous and my sweating palms, arm-pits and other places are not helping.

“Sure go ahead. All your information is listed on your application, but by the look of your oscillating knees, talking might have a hope of calming you down a bit.” Said Prez. Dack Garvin. At least that was the name on the bronze desk plaque in front of the quintessential sophisticated rich hansom macho jock, oh, and seemingly suck-up too. Ok, so I was intimidated, a little, ok so it might have been more than just a little.

“Ok, thanks, my name is Terrance Hatch, I’m an only child, my father passed away ten years ago and I lived at home in The Pas, Manitoba until I left to go to University in Vancouver. I’m here at McGill on a full scholarship working on my masters in electronic engineering, my GPA is 4.0. I graduated magna cum laude from UBC in April. I decided to apply to Sigma Omicron Tau to socialize more fully on campus.”

“You do realize Teri Hatch – er, if I may call you Teri,” Nod. “We require all our members to maintain top standing in sports.”

“Yes, Terry will be fine. I’m on the swim team and my specialty is the 400 m butterfly. I do hold McGill’s record for the 400 m butterfly, so I think my athletic accomplishments are more than suitable.”

“Our membership has been almost exclusively from the tougher, contact-sport arena up to now. Could you give us a few moments to confer.”

---

“What a geek. We can’t let this nerd in.”

“Dack, hold on a sec. We may have just the person for our ‘hell week’ entertainment here.”

“What are you talking about, Alan? That would mean we’d have to allow him to pledge. There is no way he fits our profile of membership material.”

“If what I’m thinking works, he won’t fit into our membership but our membership might fit into ‘him’.

Dack, Brad and Greg found a strange case on their trip to the mountains last week. It seemed like a weird kind of attaché case until they somehow activated it Thursday morning. Suffice to say it has some extraordinary capabilities.”

“What do you mean Alan? And how will this help us with Terriness here? And how the hell did you not think to tell me about this device until now? I mean two whole days and you can’t tell somebody?”

“We, umm, sort of got distracted with changing ourselves and all and you were in classes. …’Cause well, you see, it seems that it has the ability to alter a person. Believe it or not it can make a person into anything you can imagine. Don’t look at me like that, I’m not full of shit here. I’ve seen the changes with my own eyes and done some too. The device looks like a big, grey, windowless, old-fashion phone-booth with some type of control mechanism and screen on one side and a door on another side. It’s obviously alien as the control mechanism has no input devices like a keyboard or mouse or joy-stick, just a hand sized sort of reader, and the ‘hand’ print has only three fingers and a thumb. It seems the ‘hand’ print controller reads brainwaves because whatever the person with their hand on the print visualizes, shows on the screen. The first time they demonstrated it for me I couldn’t believe my eyes. I saw Brad go in, touch a handle, the door zipped shut and in a second or two, Dean Joliet came out of it, sounding and looking exactly like the Dean. I nearly crapped my drawers until she started laughing and telling me things ONLY Brad could know.”

“Are you telling me the Dean is now Brad?”

“No, Brad changed back shortly and came out of the device still laughing. We could use the device on Terrance to make sure he wouldn’t be eligible for membership, eh?”

“This has possibilities. Lets get Teri back here for the good news.”

“Teri, we have made a decision. You may pledge Sigma Omicron Tau, but, you MUST take part in our hell week exercises beginning later tonight.”

“Great! What do I need to bring or do?”

“All will be explained later. Be here at six this evening and be prepared for anything and everything.”

 ---

“Ok Alan, I can see that you have a plan, let’s hear it.”

“Well, it was your ‘Teri Hatch-er’ slip that hit me like gang-busters. What if we convinced our newest pledge that he had to wear women’s clothing and pretend to do a lesbian love scene with a real girl to pass the initiation. We get him to dress up in girl’s clothes and then get him into the device. When she comes out we keep her so off balance, with questions and comments from all sides, that she doesn’t have the chance to take in the changes to her body. Then we put her in bed with a real lesbian and allow nature to take its course. That sissy geek will probably blow a gasket. He’d never want to see us again.”

“I like it but how do we explain the differences in the way she looks from what he did before the device?”

“We partially explain the device. It is an experimental clothing line, the inventor who works for Greg’s father has been trying to create clothing that will enhance a woman’s natural figure. The clothes, in combination with the device, add padding in some places and make tucks in others to perfectly fit the clothing to the woman’s ideal figure. It would all even be true. The device would add padding in some places and make tucks in others to provide her with the perfect figure; for a woman.”

“Oh, I see and the sensitivity of her body would be explained by the special nature of the padding to be sure that a woman always feels normal. What happens if she gets nude during the ‘fake’ love-making scene? It would be hard to not notice the differences.”

“We tell her that if she removes any clothing the internal chemistry might leak and permanently change her body. Who can we get to play the part of the lover, another candidate?”

“No, I have someone in mind. I’m sure she would just love to initiate a new girl to the joys of girl on girl action. She will be so eager to be our Teri’s first, I think I can get her to agree to almost any ‘rules of engagement’. Joy is one very sexy lady and I think she can work Teri into enough of a state of ecstasy that Teri will be tearing off her clothes just to please Joy and maintain her ‘manipulations’.”

“So you mean for Teri to remain female just because she couldn’t keep her panties on, that is sadistically erotic. I can hardly wait.”

“Hey Alan, it eliminates any chance of our having to take Terrance in as a member right?”

“You would do that to a guy just because he’s a geek?”

“Aw come on, George it’s not as if I would be leaving him with any gross abnormalities right? He’d be a gorgeous babe with the world ready to kiss her toes just to see her smile at them.”

“Well, I’m not comfortable leaving her like that. I hope this doesn’t come back and bite us in the ass.”

“George, you’ve always been too soft for your own good, think of it, our very own Teri Hatcher. Oh, and I know just how she’ll look, remember her in ‘Tango and Cash’ I think that was her first acting job. She couldn’t have been more than nineteen.”

“She was and still is one very lovely looking woman. I still think it’s wrong to leave her like that though, I don’t think I can do it.”

“So you won’t help? No problem, I’ll get Alan, Brad and Greg they will see the benefits of this, for all concerned. I think we should have all the pledges dress up tonight to make this idea a little less conspicuous. Then we will have a contest to see who gets to do the lesbian love scene. Teri will win naturally and get the bonus of the device make-over.

---

So; pledges, are you ready to show us how much you desire membership in Sigma Omicron Tau?”

Unanimous “Yes!”

“Inside these shopping bags you will find the special uniforms you will need for tonight’s exercises. Show us your enthusiasm by trying to look your best.”

-

Terrance was far less than totally shocked to find the bag contained lingerie, panty-hose, heels and the ubiquitous LBD. I mean how cliché can they get here? These frat boys had way less imagination than brains and NONE of them were much as university students, let alone ‘rocket scientists’.

He, of all the pledge candidates, was no stranger to dressing as a woman. He lived in a bachelor suite, on his own, for a reason. The competitive swimming was also no accident. It gave him a valid excuse to keep his body hairless, being the top competitor in the school just made the excuse incontestable. I mean, who would even question his hairless body with the school record in 400 butterfly in his pocket. The only question now was: Would doing too good a job here give away his secret? Could he NOT do a good job of portraying a woman? Would letting himself be who he really thought he was, bar him from any chance at membership in the fraternity? Would the pledge committee see through the disguise even if he tried to play down his natural femininity? Ok so there were more than just the one question, but it did all boil down to: What should he do? Then he remembered the advice his father imparted when he was just a boy. It might not get him into the fraternity but …

‘WOW!’ thought George. ‘We almost don’t need to send him through the device.’ ~”Psst, Dack are you still planning to go through with this?”~

“Holy shit BatGirl. Hey George now more than ever.”

“Ok, I’m out of here. I won’t say anything, but I can’t be party to this.”

“Wimp!”

“I can’t even wish you luck. You are playing god here and that just goes against my conscience.”

“Suit yourself.

-

“Now pledges, you were not told of this beforehand because we wanted to gauge your willingness to play along. We are holding a contest, to see who looks the best in their uniform, tonight. I’ll even let you guys vote on the winner. Be honest now.”

--

“I think we have a clear winner. Would you all like to know what our lovely young Teri has won?” [Place loud cheering here.] “Well for a start Teri has won a complete make-over. Greg here has conveniently ‘acquired’ a new device, we all know his dad owns one of the largest clothing manufactories in the country, well, this is an ultra-cutting-edge device that works with special padding and makes the wearer of special clothing look much more natural. I personally don’t understand what it does, and neither does Greg, I hear. But apparently somehow it pads and makes tucks to make the clothing look completely natural on the person. Teri will be the first public demonstration, if our little group can be called public. The second part of the prize is an evening with a VERY lovely lesbian friend of mine. Now, now, wait as a further part of the initiation exercises Teri will have to allow Joy to have her way with Teri without having Joy find out she hasn’t got a vagina.”

 “Hey Teri you almost pull off the girl thing without the padding and tucking.”

“I have done some acting and a role is a role. Method acting requires immersion into one’s role. Besides that my dad always told me ‘anything worth doing is worth doing well’.”

“Hmm, we’ll let those statements go for now. Anyway here is the device that Greg ‘acquired’. You will need to step inside and place your hand on that knob, you see there. Now when you come out you may feel a little different. It all has to do with the special padding that is used. This padding transmits tactile sensations to your body almost as if there were no padding. It is a unique ultra-high technology mechanism. Are you ready?”

“I guess…”

“Great, in you go.”

---

“I, I, I, feel … ummm … good. Better than I have, ever before. Ooh, these breasts jiggle … and my butt is swaying as I’m walking. I feel so alive. I love this.”

“That’s wonderful Teri. Now for the second part of your prize. One thing you MUST bear in mind; if you remove more than the outer layer of your clothing, the chemistry might be released and some of the changes may be irreversible.”

“What does that mean?”

“Joy here will try to seduce you but in order to become a member of Sigma Omicron Tau you must resist the consummation of sexual union with her. You have to bring her to orgasm without having one yourself. That might be more of a challenge than you think. Joy is a lesbian dom or dominant lover. Which means Teri, you will have to play to her fantasies, act the submissive, while keeping yourself under control. Teri, Joy, I will leave you to it.”

---

“Teri, I find you very attractive even though I know about your past. You look lovely. May I kiss you?”

“Mmmmmmmm. If Dack hadn’t said anything I would doubt your sexual preference, or that is I wouldn’t doubt it but I wouldn’t have said lesbian either. You quite curled my toes with that kiss. Would you care for round two?”

“Mmmmmmmmm, If I didn’t know you had been a boy, I could quite easily fall for you, big time! You are very cuddly too. Your curves and bulges look and feel so natural. These breasts seem ripe for the taking.”

Oh, oh, oh, please slow down. That does feel real. Too real and it is making me hornier than I’ve ever been before.”

“Ok how about a deal? You start and everywhere you touch me I get to touch you?”

“That sounds pretty fair. But what about my having different parts?”

“Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.”

“Deal! May I touch your breasts?”

“You don’t have to ask so long as you are gentle and soft.”

“I was taught never to initiate intimate contact without consent. Oh goddess you have lovely breasts and your nipples and areolas are so hard and crinkly already. I thought that only happened when you are cold or turned on.”

“Which of those is more likely for me, as a lesbian facing what to all appearances is a lovely young lady? Oh I like the feel of your breasts, warm, soft and with erect little nipples that are just begging for attention. Let me demonstrate to you what it feels like when you do that rolling thing to my nipples.”

“Oh, oh that feels divine. May I help you out of your blouse and skirt?”

“Only if you are taking off that little black dress. Here let me help you. Now I have another proposal. Place your hands over my breasts and I’ll put mine in the same place on you. Now, wherever your hands go mine will follow, on your body or mine. Whatever I feel I will try to have you feel too. Watch your hands for the first while, it will help you to identify what you feel my hands do on your body.”

“Oh, why does it feel so good when you rub my nipples like I’m rubbing yours. Ouch, I’m sorry did I pinch you too hard, I’ll be more gentle. Oh that feels wonderful.”

“Keep your eyes on your hands. It really, really helps to raise our mutual awareness. Now move your right hand to cover my left. That’s it, don’t press too much unless that is what you want me to do to you, remember I’m still following your lead. Just move my hand to where the touching feels the best. There you go, beautiful. Keep your eyes on my body so you can see where it is you are being touched and caressed. How are you doing?”

“Oh, you are so soft and sensuous. This slow movement is like sand trickling onto my most sensitive areas. It feels… I don’t know. It’s hard to describe, like licking an ice-cream cone, more than one sensation is involved. I feel your lovely softness but I also feel the exquisite soft touch of your hand on my intimate places. The combination is almost too much. If this relation between touch and feeling continues to grow as we head toward our respective primary sexual organs it may be too much for me altogether.”

“Don’t worry about it we have all night to reach our peaks. There is no rush to get to the main course when the appetizer is so tasty. Speaking of taste would you like to have a little nibble on my nipple?”

“Would that be alright?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t have asked if I weren’t ready for your lips.”

“Uhmmmmm I guess I forgot about the mirror thing. Oh does it feel that good for you too. That is soooo lovely I wouldn’t mind if you did that for the next oh... Why did you stop?”

“You stopped. Mmmm better?”

“Mmmmm Mm hmm.”

“I’ll just stop for a sec to ask; if there is anywhere you feel the urge to be touched, then do me?”

“I will. Here please.”

“Oh yes that is an excruciatingly lovely spot. Where did you learn that one?”

“Last girlfriend, liked it a lot.”

“And you, how does if feel to be on the inside of that touch.”

“I can almost feel what she must have felt. If I were a real girl I think I would be spreading my legs just about now. I actually feel as if I should anyway. May I touch you there?”

“I do wish you would. There how is that?”

“I feel all soft and squishy, surprisingly not anxious to get to orgasm but all hot with desire despite that. I think I could easily fall in love with you for your caring soft loving manner. The slow way we are going seems to fill me with desire in stead of making me anxious to ‘get my rocks off’. Does that make any sense to you? Because when I am able to think about it, it makes NO sense to me.”

“Shh, Shh, don’t think. Just feel and experience. You have your whole life to think, but only tonight to feel and love. I also could love you for a lifetime for your gentle nature, your soft loving caresses and your caring attitude. Let’s both put our thoughts of tomorrow away for tonight and love each-other as if tomorrow will never come. You ARE all squishy, soft and warm down here aren’t you?”

“Oh, Oh, Oh, I don’t think I’ve ever felt someone do that to me before. It’s so wet and slippery your finger slides so smoothly around and around…”

“As does yours love. I’m ready for you to move inside whenever you like love. Oh, oh, oh, that feels so sweet and gentle and caring…”

“Yes I was ready too, Ohhhhh my I, I, I, I, Ohhh how are you doing that to me it, it, it, it, feels like you are going right inside me. Ohhhhh ohhhhh ohhhhh don’t stop PLEASE? I’m sooo close Uh uh uh uh …NOooooo stay there! Put your fingers back into me! Ohhhhhhh yes, yes, yes, Goddess you make lovely love. I want to be your lover for ever.”

“You are pretty darned great yourself. Have you ever done oral on a girl?”

“Mmm Hmm. Would you like? I’ll try to be gentle.”

“Tell you what, I’ll flip position and we can both do it at the same time. Have you ever done sixty-nine?”

“No, none of my girlfriends ever wanted to give me a blow-job.”

“Let’s not worry about other girls, tonight is for the two of us. I would love to orally please you tonight and if you feel the urge, my pussy will be right where your loving tongue can reach it. How does that please you?”

“I already said I would and to have you do me at the same time… Well I hope you know CPR because I might not make it through the night otherwise.”

“Ok how about the same rules? You lick me where you would like me to lick or the closest I can, on your body.”

“Mmm Hmm.”

“Ok Teri love. Let me slide off your panty-hose and panties, no, no, you just lie back, relax and let me. Just close your eyes and imagine how lovely my suckling and my tongue licking on your most private parts will feel. There we go just lift your bum a little, lovely. You have to kind of spread your legs a bit more…There.”

“Ooh that’s cool, I didn’t know I was so wet down there. Oh your tongue is lovely and warm though. Oh why did you stop? Oh yea I have to start.”

---

“Oh Joy, I can’t tell you how I feel. There aren’t enough words. Now just the warmth and softness of your body next to mine feels more intimate than your tongue on my … my what?”

“No thinking tonight! Let’s get these bras off so we can cuddle skin to skin for the rest of the night. I REALLY need to cuddle just now. I’m on the verge of feeling like the loneliest girl on the face to the Earth.”

“You can’t be the loneliest girl on Earth. I’m with you and I would very much like to stay with you for the rest of my life, if you’ll have me? I was never much of a guy and I have led a secret life for most of my existence.”

“Uhhuh, uhhuh, uhhuh, uhhuh, uhhuh,…”

“Why are you crying? I’m trying to say I love you and let’s get married. Please don’t cry? I . I . I . I . if you really need me to, I love being your lover. I’d never go back to being a man if I had my way. Please let me stay with you as a woman and lover?”

“Y y y you know? I mean you know about your being a woman? When? How? Why aren’t you screaming or flipping out or something? Why are you so calm and taking this so well?”

“I sort of knew the instant I came out of that ‘device’. I had dreamt of being a woman for soo long… It was a bit of a shock for the first while, to feel whole, proper, complete. I just felt right, like you feel right when you have been walking with a pebble in your sandal for a while and finally it falls out. You take a trial step and it’s like, relief, everything is just proper. … Oh I don’t know the right words to use to explain myself just now. And then of course, how could I possibly be intimate with a woman as lovely as you and not realize that I have no male parts to be stimulated? But this, this is the real me, the me I should have been born. I knew, too, from the moment I saw him, that Dack would NEVER do anything positive for me, at least not on purpose. I suppose the joke is actually on him though because what ever he did, he gave me my heart’s desire; not only the body I have wanted all my life, but also my soul-mate. I may even have to ask him to ‘give me away’ at our wedding. If that isn’t an example of a joke back-firing, I have no idea what might constitute an example of that phrase.”

“Uhhuh, uhhuh, uhhuh, uhhuh, uhhuh, uhhuh. Oh Teri, you can’t love me. I was part of the evil that had you changed.”

“Shh shh shh I’ve seen into your heart. You can’t fool me, anyone who takes such tender loving care during love-making isn’t evil. You may have been a little misguided but you could never have done harm to me. Please call me Hope from now on, I obviously can’t Terrance anymore and Dack and his crew have completely ruined all pleasant thoughts I ever associated with the name Terri for me. As to how I can love you, I will ask you this only once and you need be completely honest, I WILL know if you are lying. Do you love me with all your heart, your whole mind and soul?”

“yes”

“When shall we have the wedding?

“Why? Why are you being so nice to me when I was party to your humiliation? Why are you giving me hope when this was all supposed to be a trick?”

“Your answer to my last question says it all. Yes I am giving you Hope, but with a capital ‘H’. And besides, how can one be humiliated by being given the two things one desires most? So when?”

“I don’t know anything about you. I haven’t even met your parents yet and you have to meet mom and Clair and Anne, my sisters. We have to get dresses and a hall and and and…”

“I only have mom, back in The Pas. I guess she’ll be a little surprised to see the new me, though I’m pretty sure she always knew about my secret desire. I think she’ll be happy with Hope. As to the rest, we’ll manage. I only have one other question tonight. How many babies shall we each have? Of course artificial insemination is probably the only option.”

“Babies? Plural? Oh goddess, you are quick aren’t you? I I I I kind of wish I could have had yours but now it’s too late I suppose.”

“Well, … Hey!!!! How squeamish are you?”

“What do you mean? What are you thinking? There is a plan there I can see it.”

“Well, I do have a plan, well, several possible plans actually. There is that device that changed me downstairs somewhere. I caught a little of how it is operated. If you can live through a bout of male to female intercourse, you could have my baby. I mean I could change back to my male self, we could make love… What part of your cycle are you in? Oh and are you on the pill? Oh Hope [Slap on forehead] DUMB question. LESBIAN!!!”

“Um, yes, it could work today. But, you would be male again… But I love you and it would be worth anything to have your baby. Yes let’s go for it. But what about you? If I were to turn into a boy to have sex with you wouldn’t that nix my pregnancy?”

“I told you I had several plans right? Well one would be that we turn you into a boy first, collect your sperm. Then we turn you back into yourself, me into my former self, you and I make love, turn me back into the new me and artificially inseminate me with the sperm we collected from the boy-you earlier. There are a couple of negatives with the plan; one is that we may not catch from the one time and it being Saturday night the likelihood of making it to a fertility clinic to preserve the sperm in time is very low, to nil. Two is I doubt if Dack and the boys would allow us access to the device after we both leave here. Even tonight we would have to sneak in and hope no-one finds us, they really are assholes you know? Three is if we don’t get married right away our babies would be pretty sure to be labeled bastards.”

“Let’s do it. Even if it only works for one of us, it’s a risk worth taking. If neither of us ‘take’ we’ll do the artificial insemination thing and call this plan a good try anyway, no point no foul. The way I feel, the sooner the wedding, the happier I’ll be. Mom, Clair and Anne will just have to hustle their butts to be at the event. Let’s go.”

-

“George! Hi, we’re uhh, just heading to the kitchen for a snack.”

“Teri, Joy, I came to help you. Dack’s plan is to leave you as a girl so you can’t get into the fraternity. Come on I know how the device works.”

“George, you are a good caring person, but I don’t want to do back to my male self, at least not permanently. But we could use your help, if you would. Joy and I want to get pregnant. No not that kind of help. We would like to have each-other’s baby. It would mean several transformations, from female to male and back again. I hate to ask when you are already trying to help and I hope you won’t get into trouble for it. Oh and I would like to be called Hope from now on.”

“Wow, that really sets Dack’s plan on its ass. He was trying to be sadistic and here you are happy as two lovers can be. Wait a minute, Teri, ahh Hope. you can’t have decided to stay female in, what, three hours? Ahh, I see there was more to you than Dack imagined wasn’t there?”

“Back-fire is the term that springs to mind in relation to Dack’s sadism. He provided me with two of the loveliest gifts anyone could imagine.”

“Yes, I will admit they are quite lovely, especially pointing at me the way they are.” Whack. “Ooof I thought girls didn’t hit like that.”

“Sorry I haven’t been a real girl all that long. Be glad I still have enough sympathy of the male anatomy to not have kneed you where it would really hurt. Will you help us?”

“Yes, but please don’t make me watch. How about if I show you how to operate the device and then stand guard outside the door?”

“That would put you in the ‘knight in shining armour’ category in my book.”

“Ok, here, you put your hand here and think of the person you want to be, the device actually reads your mind and the image on the screen shows you what you have thought of. Apparently it is possible to even add powers like some comic-book heroes have. I saw Greg flying earlier. I hope no-one thought about super-hearing or something before I slipped them all a mickey.”

“Thank you George, you have been a true friend. Well Joy, you get to be a boy first. It is your decision to make, what your boy self should look like. Ooh nice, I like it. Are you giving yourself any powers, maybe think about longevity? The best revenge against Dack would be to live a long and happy life. … He looks like you but completely male too.”

“Powers, huh? Well nothing too ‘out-there’. There I’m ready.”

“Oh Joy, your male self is cute! I’m sorry we can’t … well we could, but I’m not ready for that. Sorry. Oh, shit what do we catch your sperm in and we will need a syringe too. I’ll ask George.

-

George, we need a sterile container and a turkey baster or largish syringe or something. We need to catch Joy’s sperm and the baster or syringe is to inseminate me after.”

“Ewww, telling me all that is almost worse than making me watch. Now I might have nightmares for weeks. I’ll see what I can find for you.

--

Here that’s all we have, sorry.”

“This will work fine, thanks George.

-

Ok how are you Joy dear?”

“Seeing you made me sort of pop right out. Hee hee hee hee I don’t think the squirt is far off sweetie. Get that jar here NOW!”

“Oh, my I didn’t think you had it in you, but I sure guess you did. If there were any more in you we might have needed a bigger jar.”

“Now I’ll go back to my female self. Then you do the male thing right.”

“Oh maybe think about being in the fertile part of your cycle when you imagine yourself and what about powers?”

“Good idea, that should make ‘catching’ all that more likely and I think I’ll do the same powers I gave myself as a man.”

“A super-size penis wouldn’t look good on your female type body. Hee hee”

“Hey we could maybe do the hermaphrodite thing. No I still like being all girl. But I will NOT be a wimp!”

“You go girl! … Hey love, you look lovely as ever.”

-

“My turn. I want to look like I was, but, maybe a few hidden extras, hmm. Ok there.”

“Did you include the longevity? I like the way you look but I can hardly wait to see you be your girl-self again.”

-

“Ta da! Can you do this or should we do the artificial insemination thing for you too. I really don’t mind. I don’t need the physical evidence of your love for me.”

“Oh get over here studdly. I may not totally enjoy this type of love-making but it’s you so I know it will be LOVE-making and not just sex. I see the real you even in this disguise and that is the person with whom I will have intercourse.”

--

“Now back to female. Do you mind if I don’t look like Teri Hatcher this time ‘round? I would kind of like to be me, not someone else.”

“A girl’s gotta be who a girl’s gotta be. I told you, ‘I love YOU’, your body is just the container for the real you. Be who you really are.”

“Well, what do you think? This is the way I have always imagined myself.”

“I LOVE it!!! You will be even lovelier than the Teri Hatcher you. Hurry get it done.”

“Ta da. Oh Joy, to have me being me and you at my side is almost too much. Quickly let’s get me pregnant too and leave this place forever. … Ok Let’s get back to the room where I left my boy-clothes, I refuse to take anything from here that isn’t really mine. Then we’ll get your clothes from the room where we…”

--

“Oh, George. You are by far the sweetest man I’ve ever met, well outside my dad that is. How can we ever repay you for helping us?”

“Be happy and name one of the babies after me.”

“Done and done!”

“Oh and here, these are the tapes from the hidden camera in the room you two were using earlier. I wouldn’t think you would want the frat house having them.”

“Oh Goerge!!! I thought you were a knight in shining armour earlier. Now … I don’t know how to describe you, superhero maybe.” Hope and Joy make a George sandwich, cuddling their loving gratitude on each side of George and placing very sensuous kisses on his cheeks. “I think I would make myself scarce around here for a while if I were you though. Dack and the boys may not be too happy that we scotched their plans.”

After enough blood makes its way back up to George’s brain for him to form words again. “Ummm, yea, uhh wheeww. Is it hot in here? … My thoughts exactly. I already told them I wanted no part in your transformation and was leaving if they went through with it. So they don’t really expect me to be here. I think I’ll just go in and use the device before I leave that way they won’t find me until I’m ready to come back.”

“Don’t do anything too drastic. Your ID won’t work if you do. Yes I know I’ll have difficulty. I intend to claim I’m a transitioning transsexual. The pregnancy will be a little awkward but that is the only story that really fits the facts and might be believed by the powers-that-be. I’ll try with a story of how I was intersexed and my transition allowed the hidden female organs to work. Who knows they might actually believe it. Oh well we have enough things to worry about without my altered sex. What with meeting the families, wedding, oh you are invited of course, and morning sickness, two o’clock feedings, diapers, need I go on?”

“You are something else. Keep in touch and god bless you.”

“Goddess bless you too. See you at the wedding if not before.”

--

“Hope, do you think George gave us all the tapes of our little…?”

“Well, from what we have seen of George, if he didn’t, at least he won’t be making them public. And if he has copies, it’ll be his frustration, always watching what he can’t have.”

“Oooh yea that would be tough. … hee hee hee Ok Hope. Now what? Where will we live? How will we make ends meet? Especially with both of us pregnant and you still in school? How will you even go back to school now that you are a girl? When do we meet each-other’s families?”

“That was quite a list. First how far away do you live and how big is your place?”

“My place is really just around the corner and it’s quite a nice one bedroom apartment, sixth floor, top floor actually, with a pretty view.”

“Ok, that sounds WAY better than my place. I’m afraid you will have to free up some closet space for me. I only have a few clothes that might fit this body right now but I will have to get more, as I plan to stay this way for as long as I live. My scholarship and education trust should pay for my share of the rent and for food and such. It was paying for me, living on my own after all. I will get a job as a waitress to help with new clothes and extras for this female body. I’m sure you have some income, otherwise you wouldn’t have that place in the first place. I have a pretty decent trust fund from both sets of grand-parent’s estates that, though presently locked up, will come due and payable either on my twenty-fifth birthday or my wedding day which ever comes first. Both mom and dad were only children too, so I was the only grand-child. And lastly I will see the registrar Monday morning about my transition from male to female. That was one of the main reasons I chose this face for my new body and the rather more modest breast than Dack provided for me, it isn’t all that different from my male face and my chest doesn’t stick out to god knows where. I should be able to pull off the transition story so long as no-one requires a doctor’s exam until I request hormones. For a few months I won’t be showing anyway so people will have time to get used to the female me before they need to start thinking about the pregnant me. I’ll use a completely new doctor for an obstetrician. As for meeting the families, my mom will come to visit as soon as I call her. She’ll sense my need to talk to her and come for a visit. I don’t know anything about your family.”

“Did you plan this all out just now, as you were talking or did you make contingency plans years ago incase something like this ever happened to you? And I shudder to think what some of the other contingencies might have been.”

“Which answer will get me off the hot seat quickest?”

“It doesn’t matter really. I’m just glad you have so much planning ready to put in place. Can we go to bed now? My pregnant body just wants to sleep. It would sleep best, though, if it were skin to skin with your pregnant body, Please?”

“Well, since you asked so nicely.”

---

“Good morning love. I don’t even know if you like coffee in the morning, do you?”

“Strong, a dollop of milk, no sugar, I’m so sweet I don’t need any extra. Do you know this is the first time I’ve woken up as my real self, ever?? And there you are in all your glorious naked pregnantness asking if I would like coffee. If this is a dream please never wake me up.”

“Well, we won’t be absolutely sure we are pregnant for a couple of weeks yet. But we should get in touch with our families to let them get ready for the wedding. When should we have it?”

“I do know that we both caught last night, it was one of the powers I gave myself. Well how about getting married Saturday? I know mom will be a little upset at the rush, but, wouldn’t miss it for the world. We could just do simple white cocktail dresses.”

“No way!!! We need proper wedding gowns at the very least! I suppose a church wedding is out of the question with both of us female and at such short notice and not Anglican, but we do need someone to officiate. Any ideas?”

“I’ll check with the chaplaincy at the university and they have a small chapel there too. I’ll call mom later, she’ll be in church until ten anyway and getting ready before that. You call your family now though, I’ll make some breakfast and start tidying up a little.”

“Oh goddess, please don’t tell me you are a Felix Unger. I admit, I’m a little more Oscar Madison than I like, but please, please, please don’t tell me you are a neat-freak.”

“Wait until you see my place before writing me off as a Felix Unger. But I do believe with two of us living together, we have to try to be a little more tidy. The simple act of finding things with two sets of stuff will become impossible if we don’t at least try to keep some order. I kind of like cleaning the kitchen and I don’t mind the living-room and most of the bathroom but I can’t make up a bed if my life depends on it.”

“The toilet, right? Ok that’ll be mine, and we can share the rest of the bathroom and living-room and I’ll take care of the bedroom all except for making the bed. I draw the line at that, I haven’t made up a bed since I left home and I don’t intend to start now even if you do get upset about it.” POUNCE! “Oooff, nope not even you pouncing on me will do it.”

“I truly love a messy bed.” Kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss “What would you like for breaky?”

“Well, I admit you almost had me with those kisses. I usually just have coffee, toast if I’m really hungry, like today.”

“A good breakfast is the start of a fine day. I mean really, nutritionists say it’s the most important meal of the day. I usually have a poached egg on toast, juice, more toast with marmalade and coffee. It may sound like a lot, but I almost never get hungry before lunch and I swim competitively and you must work-out some to maintain that lovely figure.”

“I guess the swimming is how you don’t get fat. I do aerobics three times a week and walk just about everywhere I need to go. Ok we’ll try it your way for a week, if it works for a week we have a routine.”

“Speaking of swimming competitively, that will be the toughest part of this. How will I explain my altered body to the swim team and coach? Even if I could sell them on the story of me transitioning, it’s only two weeks since the team last met as a group and I’ve seen several of them in the pool since then. I doubt many of them will buy the ‘transitioning’ story with that quick of a response to medication. In a few months I will start ‘showing’ and that will slow me down I imagine. Will my record stand or will they disqualify me on some basis? At the VERY least I’ll need to wear women’s swim suits. I have a couple of women’s suits but I’ve never worn them to the pool. I don’t know how they may affect my style. But I know I just can’t give up swimming. Whatever the trials, that may come I HAVE to swim. It may take me a while to alter my stroke to take advantage of the benefits, though.”

“What ever you decide I will support your decision. I can see you are upset about this but we WILL win through this as we will through all our other challenges. We are a team and together no-one and nothing will stop us. But, what is this about advantages? I thought females had a distinct muscle-mass to body-mass ratio DISadvantage over males.”

“In most sports that is true and is partially true for swimming too. But we have an advantage in swimming, in that we can use more of our effort to propel us foreward that males.”

“What do men do if not propel themselves foreward?”

“Males must use a greater percentage of their effort to propel themselves upward, than females. It has to do with the buoyancy of the greater percentage body fat we women carry.”

“Oh.. What about the hydraulic drag of your feminine assets?”

“Well, these aren’t all that big and they are quite streamline and pretty slippery in the water, as I will demonstrate for you when we have our shower right after we have our breakfast. And there is one less protrusion to cause hydraulic drag as well, which makes for smoother lines in a speedo in my opinion.  … Poached egg on toast for you and myself is served. More toast is browning as I speak. Orange juice?”

“Behind the milk jug.”

<><>Meanwhile back at the frat-house.<><>

“Hey Greg, so I didn’t get a chance to try the device last night. How does it work?”

“Simple, Dack, just place your hand here, think of the image you’d like, walk inside and place your hand on the knob inside. When you come out, bingo bango, there you are the image you thought of.”

“And ANYTHING is possible? I mean even cartoon characters?”

“Haven’t tried doodles, but I don’t see why not.”

“What do you think? Daffy Duck?”

“Go for it. We can always change you back before you need to go anywhere.”

“Ok I’m in just crazy enough of a mood to give it a try. Ooh yea that’s Daffy. He he.”

 “Good job you really captured the whole effect.”

“Sssshhhpppuffering Ssshhuckotasshhhh. Where’s that rabbit? Hey Greg do Bugs for yourself then we can do a ssshhtick for the guys.”

“Ok Dack, sounds like fun. … There that’s got the essence of Bugs, I think. Be right out.”

“Nyeehhhh. What’s up Doc?”

“Morning Alan. See any good ‘toons lately?”

“Greg? Who is this?

Hey doc. I used to be Greg and this here is Daffy Dack. Hehehehehe.”

Dack, what the hell are you guys doing?”

“’Toons, Alan. Why don’t you try Foghorn Leghorn? That should be good for a laugh.”

“Sure why not. Here let me at the control panel. There almost, .. yes! See you in a sec.”

“I say. You gotta listen boy! That’s the trouble with kids today they just don’t listen!”

“Brad hey man we’re doing ‘toons. Who’s your favourite?”

“Snaggle-pus. Exit, stage left, body altering all the way.”

“Well that’s Hanna –Barbara not Warner Bros. but go for it.”

“Why not it’ll be fun to be a crazy ‘toon for a while. Hey guys? What are these weird symbols and why are they flashing on the screen? Did it ever do that before?”

“I say get out the way junior. Let me take a gander.”

Alan let me through, I’ll try to change back. Jusssththtt to be sssththure there isssthth no foul-up.”

“I say I say stop flapping your gums there junior and speak up. If you stand there with your eyes all popin out and don’t get the words out, no-one will know what you’re talking about.”

“Nyeehhhh, What’s up doc? Did we take the wrong toin at Albekoiky?”

“Now stand aside junior. I’ve got the whole situation under control. Just give me room to maneuver.”

“Guys, guys, guys the device…”

“ I say, where in tarnation is that phone-booth a goin?”

“What the heck are we sssththuposthed to do now?”

“Nyeeehh No idea Doc.”

---

<><>Back at Joy’s place.<><>

“Hi mom, it’s me, ahhh, Terri in Montreal. … yes mom I know I sound a little different. I’ve changed some since we last talked. … I’m fine, really. … Better than fine actually. … Mom listen for a minute, I met someone. … Yes her name is Joy. I love her and so will you. … I just know ok. … Yes and we are getting married. … As soon as possible. … Well actually yes I did. … No on purpose. We both decided it was the right thing to do. …Well, it might be the last chance for us. … No, no-one is dying. We’re both in perfect health. … Yes really both of us. … Yes I know this is very sudden, but that isn’t all. … We need to talk mom. I mean really talk. … Yes face to face. … I have a place for you to stay, at least until the end of the month. …Tomorrow? That would be great.  Mom I’m so happy I feel jiggly all over. … I love you too mom. … Let me know the carrier and flight as soon as you book it, so I can come get you. … I’ll come by bus and we’ll cab it back here.”

“Well I guess your mom is white-washing the shotgun then eh? You didn’t tell her your new name?”

“I guess I was a little unsubtle with the ‘getting-married-as-soon-as-possible’ comment eh? But I could never lie to anyone I care about. I guess you caught most of that from my side of it. I thought mom could stay at my place, I have it until the end of the month anyway. I didn’t want to tell my mom too much over the phone. Seeing me will explain how I feel now, better than any words would. I only decided last night not to use Terri as the name I commonly go by, I blame Dack for that. I think I’ll still keep the name Terri as my middle name, but now that I have the body I always should have had, Hope is how I feel. I never really had much hope in my previous life. …But fill me in on what I missed earlier, how are things with your family?”

“About as well as could be expected. Mom is devastated that I’m marrying a girl. She’s guilt-tripping me about the old ‘no grand-children’ this way. I didn’t tell her about the babies yet. You’re sure we both caught?”

“Want to know what sex they will be? Although at this point that is a little vague, more of an inclination in a particular direction than a done deal.”

“Ummm, I’ll say no for now, maybe later. Clair and Anne were ok. They’ve known my preference for years. They just want me to be happy. They’ll work on mom. We’re both invited for dinner on Wednesday, at six, so you’ll be grilled then. I suppose with your mom flying in tomorrow we could do the whole family explosion at the same time. Though I don’t know how that might go over with my mom. I didn’t tell them about the babies yet either. I figured one shock at a time. Hey you know in a way they will be twins, I mean they are both from both of our DNA and conceived within minutes of each-other. Fraternal twins most likely but I wonder if they will do the twin-speak thing.”

“They won’t need to. I just hope they learn to speak at all before kindergarten age.”

“Why not? And why wouldn’t they learn to speak?”

{They will be telepathic.}

“What!!!!! I didn’t see your lips moving when you said that.”

{I can move my lips, … across any part of your body while I speak to you from now on.}

“Oooh that brings a whole new dimension to love-making doesn’t it.”

{So what would you think of the idea of being stimulated while I’m not even in the same room with you?}

“Oh shit you didn’t? Telekinesis too? That is supernatural. ‘Other room’ I assume that means you don’t have to actually see me then.”

{Oh, good power! But I can follow you by your thoughts and your heat trail. And at this moment darling, visible or not, YOU ARE HOT!}

“Oh goddess, oh goddess, Oh Hope you are good. Oh oh oh oh How many spots can you hit at the same time? This promises to get super-kinky REALLY fast.”

{My mind can accurately focus on five regions simultaneously. More than that and control becomes fuzzy.}

“I-I-I-I-I th-th-th-think-k-k  f-f-five i-i-i i-is e-e-e-enough f-f-for me-e-e-e-e. Oh baby where did you learn to touch me like that.”

“You taught me last night. You said ‘soft, gentle and caring’ those are easy to remember when I think of you, love.”

“Why do you bother talking out loud when you can just zap me the message?”

“It isn’t much more difficult to speak out loud than telepathically. And I don’t want to get into the habit of only speaking telepathically, it would seem quite strange to a lot of people if our conversations seemed to be completely one-sided. No that doesn’t make me overly wise just cautious. Yes I can read your thoughts, at least the one’s you are preparing to vocalize. I will help you learn to shield your thoughts from me if you wish. Yes that baby doll would look cute on me.”

“Have you finished showing off? Thank you and I think I will take those shielding lessons. No I’m not shutting you out forever. But there are times when a girl might want to keep her thoughts to herself.”

“Hello? … Oh Hi George. … What’s new?  … … No!? … No!? .. No!? … And the device just died? … Well, I can’t say as they didn’t deserve some sort of punishment, but that is far beyond anything I would have recommended. … Thank you George. So what are they planning to do? … … No, Neither of us have any idea why the device should have collapsed. … Well you know I never had any intention of changing back to male. … Right you know we will stay in touch if we hear anything at all. … … You’re a good person George, you deserve the top spot. … Thanks for letting us know. … See you soon. … Yes at the wedding surely. …”

“So what did he say?”

“He told me not to call him Shirley. Dack, Greg and Alan were fooling around with the device this morning and all turned themselves into cartoon characters. Alan is Foghorn Leghorn. Greg is Bugs Bunny and Dack is Daffy Dack I mean Duck. Then just as Brad was about to turn himself into Snaggle-pus, the device died and folded itself up. Nothing they have done has even caused a glimmer of life in it again. George has taken over as interim president of the fraternity. The three ‘toons are just hiding out in the basement.”

--

“Joy there is someone at the door. Shall I get it?”

“Please.”

“Hello?”

“Ms. Joy Goode?”

“No I’m Hope Hatch, her roommate and fiancée. How can we help you? You know those black suits and sunglasses remind me of something, … a movie I think.”

“May we come in Ms. Hatch? We would like to ask you a few questions about some people’s recent changes and activities at the SOT fraternity house.”

“Uhmmm, Yea, I suppose, but Joy and I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Hello. I’m Joy Goode. How can we help you?”

“Joy, these men-in-black suits with sunglasses want to talk about last night’s events.”

“Yes Ma’am we have a few questions and we may be able to help with certain identification anomalies. Now Ms. Hatch, are you in fact the person formerly known as Terrance Hatch studying electronic engineering at McGill University and on the swim team?”

“That was and is me yes.”

“And did you become altered by an alien device at the SOT frat house?”

“Ummm…”

“We are not here to cause you any difficulties Ms. Hatch. We are actually on the trail of the entities who distributed the device, we believe changed you.”

“Yes, I was changed as a part of the frat house’s initiation exercises. The thing is though, that they, unknowingly, blessed me with the body I’ve always wanted, but never believed I could have. I truly harbour no ill will toward anyone there.”

“Did you know that certain members of the fraternity were altered in ways that with make their lives quite, ummm, challenging?”

“Yes, George, George Alden, the acting president, called with the news this morning, just before you arrived actually. Is there any way they can get back to normal? You say you are looking for the people who supplied the device. Are there more of them and will Dack, Greg and Alan be able to use them?”

“We know of no active devices at this time.”

“So there are more. As an engineer I would love to study the device. Maybe there is a way to reactivate it. Or, given that there are more than just the one, maybe we could reverse engineer them?”

“That won’t be possible at the present time ma’am. These devices must remain out of the public arena for the foreseeable future. We have another purpose for our visit with you this morning though. As a person altered against your will, we would be able to effect correction of your records. If; you identify yourself as a person altered against your will, that is.” Wink wink.

“Oh absolutely, I didn’t ask anyone to transform me. The only reason I was at the frat house, was to apply for membership. Before yesterday evening, I had no idea they planned to turn me into a woman.”

“Then as one of the victims of this set of events we have the authority to correct your records and you may have input into how the records are altered. By how you introduced yourself I assume Hope is the name you prefer?”

“Yes thank you and the only changes I would like are for my first name to be listed as ‘Hope’, middle name Teresa and to list me as female. Oh, and I would like to change my address to show Joy and myself as roommates here, if that is alright? If not we can take care of the address change in the normal way tomorrow.”

“Those requests are all easily accomplished. The address change will show as being effective the day before yesterday. Is that all?”

“Is it possible to alter my birth records to list me as having been born ambiguous with female DNA but some male organs?”

“That can be done, but how would you explain the intervening years of living as a male?”

“The evidence of having been partially intersexed would cause some confusion and people often remember what they are led to remember. That I’m now returning to my dominant sex might be seen as correcting my mind-body disharmony.”

“That seems like a lot of explaining, what with all the people who have seen you unclothed. Are you certain you would like to do that?”

“Joy and I are planning to get married and we both want to have children. Explaining the pregnancy of a transsexual would be more difficult than the fact of having the hidden female organs in me all these years.”

“I see. Well the explanation will be your responsibility. We will take care of all your records.”

“You did just say ALL my records, correct?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“That would mean that if I go to a new doctor, any records shipped from previous doctors would list me as female?”

“Yes ma’am. Ah I see there would be no-one at the new doctor’s office to argue that they had seen you in full male form. Your records will be altered within the next twelve hours, so please refrain from using any identification until you receive your package by special courier. And be sure to destroy all your current ID.”

“Yes. Thank you so much. You are making our lives much easier. May I ask what will happen to Dack, Greg and Alan?”

“They will go to an undisclosed location until they are able to find a way to integrate into society without disturbing anyone or until such a time as an active device is found to return them to normal.”

“Well they could always get jobs in the movies or at a Warner Bros. theme park.”

“That has been the case for some previous victims. That is all we have to talk to you about. If you have any questions, well, you need to answer them yourselves. We were never here and you’ve never seen us.”

“Thank you for everything. Have a nice day, I know we will.”

--

“Hope, did what I think just happened, really just happen?”

“A package with new ID for me would be confirmation enough for me. Joy do you know what this means?”

“We’re free!!!!! No worries about how to explain you or our pregnancies. Did you read their minds?”

“No. I was worried that they might have detectors for that sort of thing. Do you think MIB is real? If it is, they would be most concerned that extraordinary abilities not be known to the general public. They must have known we would keep our mouths shut in public, they didn’t neurolize us. On the other hand, if they had neurolized us how would we know?”

“There couldn’t really be such a thing as a ‘neurolizer’?”

“Just like there couldn’t be an alien box that transforms people into whatever they can imagine?”

“Oh my Goddess!!!”

“In the mean time, what would you like for lunch? I’m for a bagel with some cream-cheese if you have any? And maybe a small juice.”

“I’ve got a little salmon cream-cheese and some tomato juice if you like.”

“I like. Then after lunch we could go shopping. You did say you would insist on wedding gowns and I’m in a hurry to get married. What do you say to some wedding gown shopping this afternoon?”

“Now!?!?!? Wow, I said it before and I’ll say it again. You are quick aren’t you? Yes let’s do it.”

“Don’t laugh, but, there is this wedding boutique I passed every day walking to school from my place and I’ve had my eye on this one gown in the window for weeks now. I never thought I could EVER go in and ask to try it on and now because of you, I will.”

“You have wanted to wear a wedding gown to your wedding? Right, that makes perfect sense. Well let’s go down and see this dream gown of yours. Maybe they’ll have something that I like too. We could ask for a two for one special?”

--

“Oh wait we’ll need some pretty undies and panty-hose and some-what dressy shoes, white if possible, you can’t try on a wedding dress over a sports bra and cross-trainers. Give me a few minutes to change, if I’m trying on gowns too. … There, that’s better. I have these while heels, I’ll take them along in a bag rather than having to walk the whole way in them. Is there anything at your place that will work for this lovely new you?”

“Let’s go, there may be a few things that will work. I’m not too much different, because my clothes from yesterday got me here without being too bad. I never bought any lingerie that was too outrageous, because; first, I wanted to be a normal girl not an exotic dancer, and second, if the bras were too big they might show the extra material under my outer clothes when I went out.”

--

“Oooh, I guess we need to tidy a bit for when your mom arrives. Yes I agree you are no Felix Unger. Maybe we can do that after the shopping trip.”

“Sorry I wasn’t expecting company when I left here yesterday evening.”

 “Oh, Hope you have some REALLY nice things here. Here wear this, this, this, this and these. Oh, and those white shoes will be perfect if they fit you well enough? That way you will be flexible enough for almost anything. … Oh wow. You not only had great taste but a great eye for fit. If I didn’t know better I might think you designed that body to fit these clothes, wait, um, I sort of remember you did design that body …”

“Oh Joy stop being silly. The shoes fit even better than when I bought them. I’ll take them in a bag too, wouldn’t want to scuff them up now. These samdals work with this outfit, right? There a little “Mackie” and I’m ready. No make-up today, I wouldn’t want to smudge the gowns we may try. Which purse, do you think?”

“Oh I love that scent on you. And you bought that while you were still a boy? You are amazing! Oh the brown leather bag is very chic, goes well with the sandals.”

---

“There, that’s the one, with the organza décolletage and sleeves. It’s backless too, I think that is sooo sexy, the organza of my head-piece train would flow over my back to create the illusion of being covered with the occasional glimpse of skin.

“Oh let’s go in and you can show me. I’ll have a look around while you try that one on.”

“Hello ladies, my name is Grace. How may I help you today?”

“We’re getting married as soon as possible and we each need the prefect gown. I would like to try on that one in the window display if I could. And my fiancée Joy will look around while I’m changing. Sorry I forgot to introduce myself, I’m Hope Hatch.”

“A double bride wedding, that would be a first for us. Oh I think your choice is quite lovely, Hope. What size are you? Joy if you need any help while I assist Hope into her gown Faith is just at the counter there.”

“I usually take a size ten, but I have noticed some changes in my body recently. It might be a good idea to try several sizes to be sure. If that isn’t too much trouble?”

“Oh Hope that is what I had in mind in any case. I just wanted to confirm my visual estimate of your figure. By the way, I would have said a size eight. So let’s start with the eight, shall we? … Oh you have the perfect figure for this dress, of course you’ll need to go bra-less, the gown has built-in support. Don’t worry dear I’ve seen it all. … There let me do up the clasp at the neck”

“Oh goddess, it’s even lovelier than I imagined. I I I I’m beautiful.”

“You fit that dress as if it was made for you, rather than off the rack. You look radiant. Now what did you have in mind for a head-piece?”

“I was thinking organza like the gown and just long enough and full enough at the back to flow over the open back of the gown to provide shimmering skin rather than nakedness.”

“Oh yes, I understand completely. You have exquisite taste Hope dear. We’ll have that ready for your next, and by the way that gown fits, last fitting. Are those the shoes you will be wearing?”

“I think so, they are white and comfortable enough, I’d hate to have to wear stiff new shoes for such an important event.”

“Shall we go out and see Joy’s reaction?”

“Oh, oh, oh, Hope. It’s, it’s, it’s perfect. I mean you look perfect. Oh please help me, you have such perfect taste. I thought maybe this, or this, or maybe that one. What do you say?”

“I like the first one and the second one is very pretty, but the third is … umm a little, oh, not right for you.”

“I’ll try the first two then and you can look around and see if anything looks good to you. See you in a bit.”

“Grace this may sound silly but I feel as if I could wear this gown forever. The way it moves with me feels so natural. Oh this might be a good choice for Joy? It would be flattering to her figure, with the snug bodice the fullness of the skirt would accent her small waist. Have you got it in a six for her to try?”

“I’ll check. … Yes, we have it in stock it must be in the back. I’ll get it for her.”

-

“Oh Joy that is quite nice. Hope suggested this as a possibility. Would you like to show her the one you have on or would you care to try this one first?”

“I’ll go with Hope’s choice first. Then I can try on this again if I want. Oh that is pretty nice. … Oh it feels divine. I don’t know why Hope has such great taste, but I would never think of arguing against it. I look like a princess. I have to go out to let her see.”

“Oh Joy, you look like royalty. I knew that would be a good look for you. What about the other choices?”

“I only tried the first one, it was quite pretty but nothing like this. Let’s stand together to see how we match, it would be a shame if the gowns clashed or anything.”

“Oh ladies those two gowns on the two of you couldn’t be more perfect. I realize it sounds as if I’m trying to make a quick sale here…”

“Please Grace, we understand and I would have said something just now but, well, the thing is I was overwhelmed by how lovely Joy looks by my side.”

“I’m going to step out on a limb here. Well the thing is, if the two of you are willing. The store has a budget for publicity. If you would allow us to have a professional photographer do some studio shots of you and some candids at your wedding, the store would use its promotional budget to provide you with the gowns for free, we’ll even throw in the head-pieces and accessories too. There I go, darn, I’m supposed to wait and use the add-ons as extra incentive but I’ve already blurted them out.”

“Well, that sounds interesting. But, before anything I would like to know where the images would be used. I wouldn’t want our photos to appear just anywhere. I trust you understand. Privacy is like innocence, something precious that, once lost, can’t be regained.”

“Oh I didn’t mean we’d put your pictures on the internet or anything. We are a small independent operation, not some national or international chain. Our products are unique and designed by the owner. We would only use the images in our colour brochure and in poster-size photos like the ones you see around the shop.”

{Joy, what do you think? [Well we haven’t really got much money to spare and these gowns are not inexpensive.] I’m going to push a bit. We need a wedding album, right? [Oh Hope do you think she would spring for that?] We can only ask?}

“Alright, Grace we are interested, we just have one more condition. We would like your photographer to supply us with a wedding album with the images of our choice. He would be at the wedding shooting for you anyway and we would be giving up time to do the studio work, so a few more pictures for our album shouldn’t be that much trouble. We might even use some of what he shoots for you anyway.”

“Hmm you drive a stiff bargain. I’ll need to talk to the owner, as that is more than I’m allowed to offer. We obviously can not offer even what already I have, to very many customers and stay in business. I’ll make the pitch for you though. I have a good feeling about you two. Could you be here for the final fitting on Wednesday? Say at three PM?”

“That’s a little close for me, I have a class at two, Joy, how about you?”

“I could get off a little early, I’m sure. But, too much later would make us late at mom’s for dinner. Could we make it three-thirty?”

“Yes three-thirty works better for me, too.”

“Three-thirty it is. Now let’s get you out of those gowns and back into street wear.”

--

“I will need your personal information and at least a credit card number to secure the gowns in your names.”

{Use your card love. I’ll claim to have left my wallet in my other purse.}

“No problem. I’m Joy Goode, with an ‘e’ at the end. Oh here is my driver’s license you can copy all the info off that, right? And here is my visa card.”

“Oh darn I must have left my wallet in my other purse.”

“Oh honey, are you sure?”

“Well I did just snatch this purse at the last minute remember? Because my macramé bag was too casual, you said.”

“Oh so now it’s my fault?”

“Never! I was just explaining the circumstances. I’m sure it won’t be a bother. They have our address from your info anyway and our finances will soon be joined in matrimony anyway. … Oh, Grace, my name is Hope Hatch and as I said we are roommates, so the address is the same. Is there any problem with Joy’s card number ransoming both gowns?”

“No, not at all. We just need some surety that you are serious.”

“When might we hear about the promotional agreement?”

“On Wednesday afternoon. The owner will be here then. We can finalize the deal then.”

“Thank you so much and see you Wednesday. Bye”

“Thank you for choosing our shop. Ta-ta ‘til Wednesday.”

-

“Are you happy? I mean I know you are happy, but with the gowns I mean.”

“Oh Hope they are absolutely perfect. Each is suited to us as if they were designed for us personally by some fancy haute couture designer. How could I not be happy? And the offer to get them for free, well, that just takes the cake.”

“Let’s head back to my place to gather up more clothes, so I have something to wear to school tomorrow. Oh, we should grab as many of the perishable foods as possible. We’ll need them anyway and it would be a shame to let them spoil as you say we aren’t exactly rolling in money. We can also straiten up a bit as you said.”

--

 “Have you got any luggage to pack this into?”

“Not much, I haven’t traveled a lot. When I moved to Vancouver and then here, I used mostly cardboard boxes and a little ‘designer’ Safeway luggage. I have some larger bags that will work for now and we can use these back-packs for the food. I usually use them when I go grocery shopping.”

--

“No, no, no, don’t just scrunch your blouses into the bag they will get all wrinkled. Fold them carefully. Scrunching is what a guy might do and I happen to know from intimate experience that you are all woman and pregnant according to rumor.”

“Ok, Joy, but remember I was a guy not even twenty-four hours ago. …Oh SHIT, Joy, your baby-egg it just… Holy Hanna mine too…”

“What?!?!?!?!?!?”

“Oh Joy neither of us is having ‘a’ baby anymore. Oh WOW this is incredible, amazing! I never thought, oh…” THUNK!!!!

“Oh Hope, speak to me. It’ll be ok we can always do the artificial insemination thing after the wedding. I know it won’t be quite as special as actually having each-other’s child, but it will still be wonderful. Please please, talk to me. Hope Hope…”

“huhhh… Oh Joy!”

“Hope, what’s wrong? I only caught that we lost the babies? But that doesn’t matter so long as we can be together and we can always try again right? We have each-other for now and that is what counts.”

“Oh Joy NO!!! That’s not it at all. The babies are ‘all’ doing very well, better than ever actually, perfectly. What I said was, is that neither of us is having ‘A’ baby anymore.”

“You mean…” THUNK!!!!