When Joe arrived back at Linda's there was no one home.  Linda
was still at work.  He wanted to call Jay and find out if he could
travel to Minneapolis with him tomorrow.  He'd also need to go
shopping, since so far he had nothing but warm weather clothes.  It
was still chilly in Minnesota, and Joe would need something to keep
warm.

     Joe went straight into his room and kicked off his shoes. 
Now, he hardly noticed walking with the heeled pumps, but when he
took them off it felt very good.  He rubbed his tired feet through
the nylon of his pantyhose.

     He lay back on the bed and grabbed the phone, punched in Jay's
number at work, and waited for his secretary to answer.  When she
did, Joe asked for Jay and was immediately put through.

     "Hello.  What can I do for you, Joe?" Jay asked cheerfully. 
It was plain that he was glad to hear from his friend.

     "What are you doing tomorrow, pal?  Can you get away for a
couple of days?"

     "I might.  It's been a little light around here this week. 
What do you have on your mind?"

     "I just came from work," Joe explained.  "I have to go to see
the President of Honeybone tomorrow.  He's in Minneapolis.  I'd
like you to come along if you can."

     "Is this professional?  Or do you just want company?"

     "Well, I would like you to help with advice if I need it.  Of
course, who knows what else might happen."  Joe spoke the last
sentence as seductively as he could.

     "Oh yeah?" Jay answered in mock excitement.  "I can hardly
wait."  Although he was teasing, obviously he really was looking
forward to seeing Joe.

     As he thought this, Joe began to feel the little tingle he
often had as he thought about Jay.  "Be at the hanger at 0600
tomorrow.  I think we can make Minneapolis well before noon.  We'll
have the 425, you can get some turbine multi time."

"Do I need to take anything along?"

     "Well, bring enough clothes for two days.  I don't think
you'll need any of your attorney stuff.  If we have any questions
in that area, I think you'll have time to work it out."

     "Ok." Jay said enthusiastically.  "What are you doing this
evening?"

     "I just have to go shopping.  It's still kind of cold there,
and I don't have any warm clothes that fit."

     "I was going to invite you to racquetball after work.  Just a
game of three sets."

     "Yeah, I know I ought to do that, too," Joe replied.  "I think
my butt is still getting bigger."

     "It looks pretty nice to me," Jay complimented.

     "No.  I mean it," Joe went on.  "I really do think my hips and
my butt are getting bigger.  God, I really don't want to have big
hips and a huge butt."

     "Joe, your butt is fantastic looking.  It's got a long way to
go before it's too big.  Trust me on that."

     "You don't have to feel it."

     "But I will if you want me to," Jay teased.

     "Aww, cut it out," Joe whined.  "If you'll just stop teasing
me, maybe I'll actually let you sometime."

     "Promises, Promises.  You probably tell that to all the guys."

     "No, only two or three.  I usually just do it myself."

     "I'll bet you do at that," Jay mused.

     "Anyway, I don't know If I can make it tonight," Joe said,
changing the topic back to the original.  "Maybe we can do
something tomorrow, at the Radisson Plaza.  Just bring your clothes
and your racket."

     "Ok, I'll do that.  It's a lot more fun playing with you now. 
The scenery's sure better, and now I know I'll win too."

     The last statement was probably true, Joe thought.  It bugged
him to know that he was no longer capable of the level of play
required to beat Jay at will.  Hell, he'd probably be even worse
now than last time.  He didn't know what made his play so mediocre
now.  Sure, he probably wasn't as strong, but why did he have to be
so slow too?  It seemed his only ploy could be to distract Jay by
getting in front of him and then trying to do something provoca-
tive.  Maybe it might be cheating, but now it was the only chance
he had.

     Joe wondered if the Phoenix area department stores, which he
knew were now filled with summer things, would even have what he
needed to buy.  He guessed that he could probably find a jacket,
and maybe a suitable coat, but what about a cool weather dress, or
pants?  Maybe what he had on would do in a pinch, but it really did
look a bit sunny.  Of course, everybody there would know he was
from the Southwest anyway, and no matter what he could get, it
would probably look different from the local style in Minnesota,
whatever that was.  Suddenly he realized he was becoming much more
fashion conscious than he had ever been before.  Was this part of
being a girl too?

     He swung his watch around on his wrist and checked the time. 
It was three in the afternoon.  Only two days ago his new watch fit
rather tightly on his wrist.  Now it felt a little loose, just more
evidence that he was still changing, all over.  He wondered what
he'd end up like, how he'd look, when it all stopped, assuming that
it had to, eventually.  It just had to.  Didn't it?

     Feeling restless, Joe went out into the sunken living area. 
As he dropped into one of the overstuffed chairs, he noticed the TV
Guide on the table, next to the remote control.  He reached down
and gathered both of them to him, and then tucked his slick nylon
covered legs under him.  When he did, he could again detect the
increased flexibility the change had given his body.  It was weird,
the feeling was like he had just somehow become younger, more
flexible, over night.

     Joe punched on the TV, and then started paging through the TV
Guide.  Afternoons were soap operas or Ophra Winfrey.  Joe turned
the channel to Ophra, and when the commercial spot finished, Joe
found himself watching a show about transsexual couples.  Although
he knew the subject was a popular one with Ophra, Donahue, and
Geraldo, Joe now had a much greater interest in the subject.

     One of Ophra's guests was a postoperative male to female who
was still living with his/her ex-wife.  Seeing them made Joe think
about Dave.  This guy-turned-girl appeared to be in her mid
thirties, and was actually quite attractive.  Her 'wife' was
probably about the same age, and was rather plain looking. 
Although they were not with them on the show, this unusual couple
said they had two children, the result of their ten years of
marriage before the father decided to seek help for his lifelong
gender identity problem, help which had eventually changed him into
a quite attractive woman, probably even better looking than his
former wife.

     Joe began to think about his talk with Linda last night.  How
would she react in a situation like this?  Sure, Linda was
certainly prettier than this woman, but Joe also knew that Linda
thought she wasn't as good looking as he had become.

     The interview/discussion was amazingly frank, with the couple
discussing such intimate things as their former and current sex
lives.  Each said that, although things had changed 'somewhat',
they both still enjoyed satisfying sex.  It made Joe wonder about
the woman.  Was she really happy living with this man she had
married, who could now be nothing but her lesbian lover?  Joe
thought about what Karen had revealed to him about how sex felt
since her operation.  Maybe this ex-guy was as sexually satisfied
as he/she could be, but his wife, Joe couldn't help but wonder if
she was truly happy now.  Then again, maybe she really was a
lesbian, and Joe couldn't even imagine what that was like.  When he
was with Linda, even now, he still thought of them as man and
woman, even if what they did together now might seem homosexual to
an outsider.  Homosexuality had to be a state of mind, he thought,
not the physical appearance of the body.

     The interesting television show made the time pass quickly,
and before long it was four o'clock.  Soon, Linda would be pulling
into the drive.  Joe knew she'd probably look forward to going
shopping.  She always did.  Before, he had hated it, and whenever
she suggested a trip to one of the malls, Joe would try to beg off,
and usually succeeded.  Now, the thought of spending the evening
looking at clothes seemed far less dreadful.

     Joe looked down and straightened his dress.  Only a week, and
he was amazed how natural it felt to dress like this, even to look
like this.  Had he unknowingly been a closet transsexual all along? 
He didn't think so.  While he had always considered the whole idea
of a person changing gender intriguing, he had never considered it
something he would ever want to do.  But in only a week, and here
he was, wearing this dress, not to mention the things under the
dress, and it all felt as natural as the way it fit his new shape. 
And even the new shape was feeling more natural every day, too, he
mused.

     Soon Joe heard Linda's car pull into the drive.  She came in
and seemed surprised to see Joe home already.  "Hi," she said,
leaning over the back of his chair and giving Joe a peck on his
cheek.  "Home already?"

     "Yeah.  There's not much happening that they need me for, and
I have to get ready to go to Minneapolis tomorrow."

     "Minneapolis?  What for?"

     "The president of Honeybone wants to see me.  I can only guess
what it's about."  Joe grinned thinly.

     Linda walked around to the front of his chair.  She looked at
him, and made a face like a big sister seeing a younger sibling
wearing makeup for the first time.

     "What's wrong?" Joe asked.

     "Nothing." Linda replied.  "I was just looking at your hair. 
It looks pretty good.  Still a little short, but acceptable."

     "It only took Sally fifteen or twenty minutes for her to cut
it like this." Joe said.  "So you think it'll be OK?"

     "Oh yeah," Linda said.  "It will be much better when it grows
out some more, but it's not that bad now.  Actually, except for the
lighter color, you remind me of Maggie O'Connell, that woman on
Northern Exposure."

     "Not that bad?  What are you trying to tell me?" Joe hadn't
seen the TV show Northern Exposure, so he didn't know who the zany
but attractive female bush pilot O'Connell was.

     Linda giggled.  "Don't worry about it, Joe.  It really is OK."

     "You don't spread much confidence when you make that face."
Joe objected.

     "God, Joe, don't forget, I'm still trying to get accustomed to
the idea of you looking like that.  The hair is only a minor part."

     "You're telling me."

     Linda went to him, and gently brushed her hand along his
cheek.  She would never have done that before, Joe thought.  The
relationship is changing for her too.

     "What do you have planned for this evening?" Joe asked
suddenly, breaking the short silence.

     "Oh, I don't know, nothing I guess."

     "How would you like to go shopping with me?  I have to get
some warm clothes for Minneapolis tomorrow."

     "Sure," Linda said immediately.  "That would be fun."

     "Now why did I just know you'd say that?"

     "When do you want to go?"

     "Any time.  We can get a bite when we're done."

     "Yeah," Linda agreed.  "Let's see, you'll need a coat, maybe
a jacket, some sweaters, the selection probably won't be too good
right now." She thought as she spoke.

     "Where should we go?"  Joe knew Linda loved to shop, or even
just talk about shopping.

     "If we leave soon, we'll have time to check the stores at
Woodland," Linda said enthusiastically.  She was serious and didn't
realize that Joe was finding it all slightly hilarious.

     "Then I guess we had better go."

     "Do you have everything you need?"
     "I don't know.  I think my underwear's clean, what else do I
need?"

     Linda realized that Joe was teasing her.  Her face reddened
slightly when she saw he was grinning.  "Do you want me to go, or
not?" she asked, acting offended.

     "Sure I do.  Of course I want you to go."

     "Well let's go, then.  I don't know about you, but I'm
famished."

     "Just let me get my purse," Joe exclaimed, stopping for a
second when he realized what he said.  He was beginning to get
accustomed to carrying it with him.

     Joe went to his room and picked up the bag.  He came back out
and saw that Linda stood by the door holding hers, looking very
ready to go.  Joe wondered why she was so anxious to go shopping,
but decided that she was probably always like that about shopping,
he had just never noticed it before.

     They buckled into Joe's RX-7 and drove to the mall.  In a way
it seemed familiar, Linda, his girl, sitting next to him while he
drove.  But in reality it was quite different.  Now they looked
like, and in a sense were, just two women going shopping.

     They quickly arrived at the mall, and Joe parked where he
usually did, away from most of the other cars, and the door dings
which went with them.  As they walked side by side into the store,
Joe had to resist the habit of reaching out for Linda's hand.

     When it came to shopping, Linda was the expert and Joe decided
that his best move would be to follow her lead.  She had good
taste, and she knew what he needed better than he did himself. 
There was no reason to do anything else but walk along with her and
try to act as much like a natural lady as he possibly could.

     They walked into Bullocks first.  Linda went straight to the
department that sold coats.  Surprisingly, there was still a fair
selection, and they were on sale.

     Linda removed a gray herringbone topcoat from the rack.  She
handed it to Joe and he looked it like it was some kind of foreign
object.

     "Go ahead, try it on," Linda suggested.

     Joe swung the coat over his shoulders while putting his arms in
the sleeves.  The coat went to above his knees, and the silky
taffeta lining felt so sensuous.  He had almost forgotten that all
this was going to be a treat for the senses, a lot more than just
trying to buy some clothes.

     The coat fit quite well, and Joe liked the look just fine.  He
figured he'd just buy it, but Linda wouldn't let it end that
easily.  She had other ideas.

     She took a very dark blue long length coat from the rack and
gave it to Joe, who dutifully tried it on.  He liked the gray one
better and he told her so.  Linda put the coat back and selected
another.

     After four tries, Joe started to take coats from the rack
himself.  He had given up on the idea of getting it all over
quickly, and he liked the gray one, but remembered where it was
while he acted like he wanted to try others on.  He wasn't paying
particular attention to what he was choosing to try on, and some of
his selections raised Linda's eyebrows.

     "Do you really like that color?" Linda asked incredulously.

     He was wearing a bright green, a color that even he could tell
didn't go with his skin tones.  He grinned sheepishly and put it
back on the rack.  Linda shot him a strange look.

     When they had exhausted all possible choices, it seemed to Joe
like it must have been at least twenty coats, Linda wanted to go to
another store.  Joe went back to the herringbone top.  He tried it
on again.  Again he liked the feeling of the lining.

     "Don't you like this?" Joe asked.  He liked it best of all of
them, but he trusted Linda's opinion and wouldn't buy it unless she
agreed with his selection.

     "Well, I guess it's not too bad." Linda said grudgingly. 
"Yeah, if you like it, maybe you should get it."

     "I don't want it if you don't think it's absolutely right."
Joe objected.

     "No, I think it's very nice."

     Women, Joe thought.  Am I destined to be like that too?

     They took the coat to the sales desk.  The woman who had been
helping them while they were trying on the whole rack accepted
Joe's credit card and they walked out carrying a large package.

     Next, Joe needed a dress.  On the way, Linda noticed some
sweaters on a rack on the back wall of a department that sold
blouses.  Joe decided that she must have the eyes of an eagle.

     One of the sweaters was quite attractive, and they both liked
it.  Joe thought it looked a little small, but Linda thought it
would fit him.  She insisted that they go into the dressing room
and try it on.

     Since Joe was still wearing the olive dress, to try on the
sweater he'd have to take that off completely.  He wished he had
changed to shorts and a blouse before he left.  Linda went in the
compartment with him, and watched as he took the dress off. 
Standing in his slip, Joe slipped the pullover sweater on.

     "There, see.  That's not too bad." Linda said.

     Joe looked down at his chest.  The woolen top fit a lot looser
than he had thought, but it did emphasize his bustline somewhat. 
He pulled the lower edge down, which made the front appear even
more snug fitting.

     "Don't do that," Linda admonished.  It's supposed to fit kind
of loose, sort of bulky.

     "I know that," Joe objected.  "I was just checking if it looked
too tight."

     "Dolly Parton you're not." Linda teased.  "It's not too
tight."

     "Hey, these things are still growing," Joe objected.

     "Yeah, sure," Linda said sarcastically.  "You don't have to
rub it in."

     "Rub it in?" Joe asked.  What did she mean?  "Oh, I get it. 
Now you're jealous of my boobs."

     "Well, they are a little hard to compete with.  I don't think
I've been that firm since seventh grade."

     "Hey, I can't help it.  I didn't ask to be this way any more
than you did."

     "I know.  I know," Linda said.  "It's just that when I see
you, the way you look, that figure, it's hard to not feel just a
little inferior."

     "Don't forget, when I had a choice, I chose you." Joe told
her.  "You have nothing to be ashamed of.  For me, all this is new,
it's just a week old.  In some ways, both physical and mental, I'm
probably more like an adolescent than a mature woman."

     "That's not helping, Joe." Linda said with a frown.

     "I think I'll buy this." Joe said, trying to get off the
subject of his new body parts.

     "Its ok.  It looks and I think it fits you fine," Linda
agreed.  "What else did you have in mind?"

     "I was hoping you'd tell me," Joe said, grinning.  "I think I
should get a more casual jacket, too.  I won't be dressed up all
the time.  And some longer pants.  Maybe even some jeans.  I want
something to wear besides shorts and dresses."

     "Ok.  I guess you're right." Linda agreed.  "Let's go
downstairs."

     The casual misses' things were on the lower level of the same
store.  Linda knew where everything was.  Joe followed her down and
the first things they came to were jackets.

     Linda pulled a jade colored poplin jacket with a stand up
collar and a contrasting sort of hot pink liner and trim.  It was
nice, looking rather like a ski-jacket, but without the shiny
nylon.  Joe tried it on, and as he walked to the mirror, he spotted
a suede leather bomber jacket.  It reminded him of his leather A2
jacket at his apartment.  That had been his favorite jacket, and he
realized it was probably way too big now.

     Joe tried the poplin jacket on, and it fit just fine.  He
decided to buy it immediately, but also wandered over to the rack
where the leathers were.

     Taking the poplin jacket off and handing it to Linda, he
pulled the suede jacket and tried it on.  It was too small, and he
removed it and checked the size.  It said Juniors 11.  He wondered
what size he wore by that measurement.  His male size had been 40
regular but, of course that was before his shoulders got like this,
and of course, the boobs.  He looked at Linda for advice.  She
grinned knowingly, and pulled another two sizes larger.  Joe tried
it on.  It was much better, but still didn't fit just right.

     "I really would like a jacket like this," Joe said.  "But I
want it to fit just right."

     "Don't rush it," Linda advised.  "You have plenty of time."

     "Yeah," Joe agreed, realizing what she meant.

     Joe paid for the poplin jacket, and they continued down the
broad aisles toward the misses clothes.

     It still seemed terribly strange for Joe to be buying clothes
for himself in an area so obviously set up for young women.  Of
course, Linda didn't give him any time for introspection.  She
pulled some jeans from the rack and held them up to Joe's waist,
trying to judge length.  "Your legs are actually quite long," she
said.

     "Yeah, but I think they were longer," Joe said
matter-of-factly.  "But it's my upper body that seems to have
changed the most."  With one major exception, he thought to
himself.

     "Well, I think you should try these on," Linda said.  "We'll
start with this length."

     Joe went into the dressing room.  Now he'd have to remove his
dress and his slip.  The little cubicle was too small for Linda to
accompany him and she waited outside the door.  Joe removed his
outer clothes and the slip.  He tried on the Levis and was amazed
how snug they fit his butt.  Compared to his male jeans, they were
tight around his now softer buns, and he could feel them riding
into his crotch.  The feeling was strange but not unpleasant.  The
length seemed OK to him too, but he figured Linda better check
that.  He didn't have a shirt to put on, but Linda was in the
little secluded hallway to the cubes, not in the main store, and
fortunately there was a mirror there too.  What the heck, he
thought, and opened the door and went out wearing only the jeans
and bra.

     Linda grinned when she saw him.  The Levis fit his still
developing feminine figure acceptably, but she thought the leg
length should be a bit longer.

     "Wait a second." Linda said.

     She looked at the size numbers on the jeans he wore, and went
back out into the store.  In only seconds, she returned with
another pair.  Everything was the same but the length and Joe
thought they fit OK.  For now, anyway.

     "What about my butt?" Joe asked.  "I think it's still getting
bigger.  Won't these be too tight in a few days?"

     "I don't know," Linda said.  "I can only fit you now.  If
you're still developing, maybe you should to wait till you stop. 
That's up to you."

     "No.  I'll take these anyway," Joe decided.  "I'll wait a few
days before I get some more."

     Joe found a table with some turtleneck tops.  He stopped and
looked them over.  Linda watched him hold one up to his chest.  "Go
ahead.  Get it if you want it," she said.  "You'll always be able
to wear something like that, especially for layering."

     Joe took a couple in colors he liked.

     Nearby, they came to exercise clothes.  Joe had always liked
that area when he passed through this store with Linda.  Now, he
looked for a different reason.  Sure, he still liked the way the
shiny, snug fitting spandex looked, but he knew he liked the way it
felt too.  He looked at each item carefully.

     "Do you think there's something you need from here?" Linda
asked.  "I thought you had some workout gear."
     "I have one, but I just want to look at what they've got.  I
might find something else I want."

     Joe came upon a short terrycloth robe.  It only went to below
his butt, designed as a cover-up for going to the locker room, or
maybe with a swimsuit.  He decided to buy that too.

     "You're going to clean out the store," Linda teased.  Usually,
Joe just followed her disinterestedly, if he even went along at
all.  But now he was filling as many bags as they both could carry.

     "If I'm going to be like this, I'm going to get what I want,
and dress like I want."

     "I can't argue with that," Linda agreed.

     They both had their arms full as they staggered out of
Bullocks.  As they walked down the mall walkway, they came to the
Victoria's Secret.  Joe immediately lugged his many packages
inside, while Linda followed obediently close behind.  "Something
you need here, too?" she asked.

     "Yeah, I think so," Joe said, somewhat embarrassed by what he
was after.  He might look a lot like a woman now, and his
interests were certainly changing, but it was still difficult to
admit to Linda that he actually liked to buy, to wear, things like
the stuff they sold here.

     "What are you looking for?" she asked.  "Something to wear to
bed?"

     "Yeah, I guess I could use something," Joe agreed.  He did
need to get some pajamas, or something like that.

     Linda went to the rack with the flowery night shirts and the
lacy satins.  Joe liked the silky satins, but he wanted plain
solids, without lace.  Victoria's wasn't the best place to find
things like that.

     He finally agreed to a cotton knit boxer pajama set, decorated
with delicate rose print and matching satin piping.  It was a bit
more feminine looking than he would have hoped, but he did like it. 
Linda found a matching knee length robe and talked him into that
too.

     When he finally had the night clothes out of the way, Joe
tried to nonchalantly wonder over to the sexier panties and bras. 
He idly picked at them, checking the size, and when he found a
panty he thought would fit him, he held it up.  "I think this would
fit.  Do you like it?"  He felt weird, as if he was now trying to
dress to please Linda.

     "Sure.  But do you?" Linda asked, smiling.
     "Yeah, I do.  I think I'll get some of this stuff too.  I do
kind of like it."

     He selected a few things, but Joe couldn't find the kind of
thong back panties he was wearing.  Maybe he'd have to get them when
he went back to San Diego.  No problem though, he did find some
other treasures to bring home.

     When they left Victoria's they were loaded with as much as
they could carry.  Joe had never been on such a massive clothes
shopping trip before.  But mostly, with only a few exceptions, he
had actually needed the things he had purchased this evening.

     They took their packages to the car, and then went for
something to eat before returning home.

     As they sat at their table eating, Linda began to speak.  "Do
you want to stay like that, Joe?"

     Joe just looked at her and smiled.  "The idea does seem to get
more attractive every day, but I don't know.  For now at least, I
don't have any choice."

     "You just look like you're so happy, I can't imagine you going
back any more.  Does that seem strange to you?"

     "I don't know.  I don't know what I want. I really don't even
know what I am now.  If I do stay like this, I guess maybe it
wouldn't be all that bad."

     "Do they have that equipment set up at your job yet?" Linda
asked.  "Can it do what it did to you, to somebody else?"

     "That's one of the things they want to find out, I think.  I
don't think anybody really knows that."

     "What do you think it would do to a woman?" Linda said
quickly, as if afraid to ask the question.

     "I don't know," Joe answered, curious as to what she was
driving at.  "Why, what did you have in mind?"

     "Oh, nothing really, I was just wondering what would happen if
I were to accidentally get zapped by that thing somehow.  You know,
would I suddenly grow muscles, get a hairy chest, stuff like that."
She asked, nervously speaking with short, clipped words.

     "Is that what you want?" Joe asked in surprise.

     "How would you feel about it?" Linda countered.

     "Oh, man.  I'd have to think about that one."

     "Think about it, then," Linda said.  "If you're going to stay
like that, and if that thing will reverse me like it did you, then
I want to do it."

     Joe realized that she was being quite serious.  He hadn't
expected Linda say anything like this.  "OK.  I'll think it over. 
But I hope you realize what you're saying."

     "Joe, I've been thinking about it.  For days now.  If you have
to stay like that, and we can't stay together like this, then I'm
willing to try anything."

     "But if it can change you, Linda, it should be able to change
me, too."

     "If Doctor Krell called you, right now, and said 'Get over
here, we've figured out how to change you back' would you run right
over?"

     Joe stared ahead as he thought it over.  She was right.  He
didn't know what he'd do.  A few days ago the decision would have
been easy, but now, whatever was happening to him had changed the
whole perspective of what 'normal' was.  Although he did long for
the familiar, old way, he certainly didn't look forward to losing
all this.  And he also knew the longer it took, the harder it would
be to go back.

     "I don't know.  I guess it's a good thing that he doesn't
call, because I don't know what I would do."

     "That's what I mean.  I can see what's happening.  It's
written all over your face.  Joe, whatever has happened to you, it
has done more than change your body.  I'm beginning to think it's
really changed you into a woman.  And if it can do the reverse for
me, maybe we still have a chance together."

     "But what if we don't?" Joe asked.  "What if we were to sneak
in the lab tonight, and turn the machine on you, and then found we
really couldn't stand each other?  Then what?  Do you really want
to spend the rest of your life as a man?"

     "Would that be so bad?" Linda asked.  "Until this happened to
you, that was to be your fate."

     "But look at you," Joe responded.  "You're a beautiful,
successful woman.  Why would you want to voluntarily give that up
for what would probably be a genetic crap shoot?  Who knows how it
would turn out?  As you yourself told me, I was probably lucky that
all I lost was my masculinity."

     "I don't know, I think I'd make a pretty good man.  Actually,
it looks pretty easy."
     "Well, trust me, there is no comparison," Joe said.  "But I
don't know how it could even work."

     "I guess we'd just repeat whatever happened to you guys."

     "No.  That's not what I mean," Joe said.  "For me, my
chromosomes were XY, and now they're changed, damaged to appear to
be XX.  For you, or me for that matter, to change to XY, there has
to be something to create the Y chromosome.  I don't know how that
would happen.  If it didn't, heaven knows what it would do to you. 
I think I'd let somebody else try it first," he added.

     "Then you don't think it's possible?"

     "Hey, I'm hardly the expert," Joe said, grinning.  "I've only
started reading on the subject, and new things are being learned
every day.  We should give them some time at the lab.  Who knows
what's possible till we try?  If it does work, hell, we can take
turns if we want.  Or, be what we want, when we want."

     "I can just see that," Linda said, giggling.  "Having a closet
with twice as many clothes, in two sizes."

     "Tell me about it!" Joe said.  He knew what that was like.

     "What do you think could be caused by chromosome damage?"
Linda asked, genuinely interested in pursuing the subject further.

     "I don't know, almost anything, blindness, deafness, I guess
you could even grow an extra arm or leg."

     "That bad?" Linda responded.  "I guess you're right, genes are
the programming of the body.  So like you said, almost anything is
possible."

     "Maybe we could work on it, and create our own design." Joe
continued.  His engineer's mind had started to run with the
possibilities of genetic re-engineering.

     "Our own design?" Linda asked innocently.  "How do you mean?"

     "Well, if we could break the code, then we could figure out
which chromosomes do what.  If we knew that we could shape
ourselves however we'd like.  There would be no need to have only
two sexes.  You could take your pick of the best parts of each.  I
know what I'd like to rework if I could." Joe went on.  He was on
a roll, and his imaginative mind had taken off.

     "What's that?" Linda asked curiously.

     "Well, why choose to be either all male of all female?" Joe
asked logically.  "I can tell you from my personal experience that
there are some good things and some bad about both."

     "What would you keep?"

     "Well.  You mean keep from what I look like now?" Joe
answered.  "Or before."

     "Whatever," Linda asked again.  "If you could choose, what
would you want to look like, male, female, or what?"

     "Gee, if I could choose, I know I'd keep the skin I have now. 
I like the way it makes me feel; everything is much more sensitive
now.  And maybe these boobs, they're kinda neat, once you get used
to them being there.  But I wouldn't want them to be too big.  The
way they are now would be OK, though."

     "Well, I guess so," Linda agreed.  "I don't know how anybody
could ask for better breasts than yours.  But what else?"

     Joe thought a second, then answered.  "I guess I'd want to
keep my muscles, at least some of them.  More than I have now,
anyway.  I sure wish my arms were a little stronger."

     "That's all?"

     "Well, if it were possible, I wish I still had a penis, at
least sort of, I don't know," Joe stammered.  "I mean, I am
starting to get used to being like this, and I guess I don't really
care that much about being able to have sex with a woman anymore,
but it would be useful to have a penis to pee with.  Like this, a
zipper is useless.  You don't really know what I mean, you've
always been like you are, but, maybe if it could be made retract-
able or something."  Joe grinned.

     "A retractable penis?  You'd want a retractable penis?"

     "If it were possible, yeah, why not?  It might be the best of
both worlds."

     "I don't know," Linda considered.  "I think if I had a penis,
I'd want it to be like all the other guys'."

     "I don't know, maybe I would, too, but keep an open mind," Joe
said, smiling widely as he watched Linda thinking about what she
wanted.

     They finished eating and Joe paid the bill.  Joe and Linda
left the restaurant and drove home.  They carried the packages into
Joe's room and opened them.  Joe tried on some of the items for
Linda and she critiqued them and helped him with wearing them.  Joe
found that he now loved to try on clothes, so unlike the way he was
only a week ago.

     Since he had to leave early in the morning, Joe began to
prepare his bag for the trip.  Linda helped him decide what to
take, and when Joe packed his exercise wear and racquetball stuff,
she wondered why he was taking that.

     "Jay wants to play racquetball," Joe said matter-of-factly.

     "I thought you couldn't play that well anymore."

     "I can't," Joe said grinning.  "But Jay likes it that way,
It's the only time he's been able to beat me."

     "How would you like to go to aerobics with me?" Linda asked. 
"It wouldn't be so competitive."

     "OK, maybe I will sometime.  After I get back."

     When his bags were all ready, Joe undressed and prepared to
shower.  He went into the bathroom, removed his underwear and
washed it out by hand, then took a shower.  When he finished, he
hung the wet lingerie on the glass shower door handles.

     Naked, Joe went back into his bedroom.  He found the new
pajamas, and stepped into them.  They fit perfectly, and he looked
at his image in the mirror.  As usual, there was that attractive
woman looking back.  Did he want to stay like this, or be a guy
again?  On the surface, the choice was easy.  It was fantastic to
look and feel like this.  But should he?  Was he destined to spend
the rest of his life as a woman, or return to male, the way he was
born?

     Linda, who had been in her own room showering too, soon came
back.  She was wearing pajamas now, too, and as male looking as she
could find.  She had tied her hair back, making it as short looking
as she could.  Joe had to wonder if she was already trying to act
like a man just to please him.

     "You try to imagine me as a guy." Linda said with all
seriousness.  "And I'll try my best to act like one."

     "You really don't have to do this," Joe said, grinning at her. 
It was hardly possible to see Linda as a man just because of the
way she wore her hair, or clothes.

     "But I want to." Linda said.  "I wish I could really be a guy
for you and if I ever get the chance, I'll change whatever I must
to do it."

     Joe took her into his arms.  Maybe Linda wanted to act like a
man, but when he held her, there was no way she could hide her
trembling femininity.  They wrapped their arms around each other
and just held on tightly.  Maybe the feelings he had for her were
not the same as they had been, but he couldn't deny they each held
strong feelings for each other.

     "Let's go to bed," Joe said.  "I have to get up pretty early."

     "Ok.  Let me hold you as if I were a male.  Try and forget
what I look like."

     They got into bed and Joe set the alarm for four AM.  He
turned off the light and crawled under the sheet.  When he did,
Linda came to him and wound her hand under his pajama shirt,
fondling his breasts.  It was obvious from the way she acted that
she was trying to act like he had to her when he was male.  Since
she knew what felt good, her touch made Joe's body respond.  Not
knowing what she'd want him to do, Joe didn't reciprocate, but just
lay there and enjoyed what Linda did to him.  Soon, her hand found
its way into his pajama bottoms and she began to gently stroke
between Joe's legs.  Joe couldn't resist moving his hips in unison
with her knowledgeable touch, and soon felt his breath come in
gasps.  Linda pulled the sheet away and quite forcefully pulled
Joe's bottoms down to his knees.

     Joe worked his feet out of the pajamas and then spread his
legs apart, giving in to whatever Linda wanted to do.  She went
down and gently flicked her tongue along Joe's aching clitoris.  He
put his hands on Linda's head and stroked her hair as she pleasured
him.  Just as he began to feel the urge to have something inside
his vagina, Linda must have read his mind, because she reacted by
placing first one finger, and then another, slowly and gently into
his wet vaginal opening.  As she worked on his clitoris with her
tongue, she slowly moved her fingers around, making Joe almost pass
out with pleasure.  In what seemed like only moments, Joe felt a
now familiar warmth start at his pelvis and move outwards and
upwards.  He placed his hands on his breasts, enjoying the feeling
from both sides.  Joe's legs stiffened involuntarily and he could
feel his muscles rhythmically contracting on Linda's fingers. 
Female orgasm involves your whole body, he thought, as he writhed
in pleasure.

     When the climax was complete, Joe wanted to hold Linda in his
arms.  She willingly complied and began kissing him all over.  When
she kissed his lips Joe could smell and even taste the scent of his
own genitalia on her lips.  The familiar aroma didn't bother him,
but he suddenly remembered how erotic the same odor had been when
he was male.  Now, however, it no longer had the same arousal
effect on him.  Not that he needed it anyway.

     Joe held Linda and she held him.  Whatever they considered
themselves now, there was no doubt that they could still make each
other happy.  But would the world let them?