Joe_Bates_Saga________________________________________________________19__



19.  Chapter :      The Cause (Part 1)



The group in the car was quiet as they drove to the hotel.  The short
briefing by Dr.  Krell had given them all something to think about.
Each had always feared that their condition might end up being
permanent, but until Dr.  Krell's admission, they had held out hope
that something could be done right away.  Now they were being told they
could expect to stay as they were for an indefinite period.  The
realization of what it all meant was just setting in.

Tim broke the silence.  "God, I never thought I'd be worrying about
having periods, or getting pregnant, or anything like that."

"I never considered that I wouldn't get to be a father." Joe added.
"Even if I could have children now, I don't know if I'd want to be a
mother."

"At least you aren't a father already," Dave added.  "I am, and now...
I'm told can be a mother too."

It was obvious that the tapes they had watched earlier that day at the
clinic, as well as Dr.  Krell's statements, had made an impression on
each of them.

"Well, it'll still take some getting used to, I guess.  But, you know,
I'm sort of starting to like looking like a girl...  I think it's fun,"
Mike added.

"Those clothes seem to have changed your attitude as well as your
appearance," Tim said to Mike.

"Yeah, I know, but I think the hair is what really makes the
difference," Mike said, smiling happily.  "I don't even recognize
myself when I look in the mirror."

"I guess I'll need to get one too," Tim said, referring to the wig Mike
was wearing.

"Why don't we stop at Barbara's shop?" Mike said.  "She's probably
still be open.  It's only four-thirty."

"Ok.  We can do that," Joe agreed.  Longer hair had made such a
difference in his and Mike's appearance, as well as confidence, that he
figured Tim shouldn't have to wait either.

Instead of going directly to the hotel, they went to the little shop by
the mall.  It was still open, and Barbara had two customers in the shop
when they entered.  She recognized them as soon as they entered, and
greeted them with a friendly smile.

"I'll be with you as soon as I can." She said.

They sat waiting for maybe twenty minutes while the other customers,
two older ladies, completed their fittings and left the shop.  Barbara
came over to them.

"And what is this?" she said, looking at Tim.  "Do you people have a
machine to do this?"

"I believe we do." Joe said.  Without completely realizing it,
Barbara's attempt at humor had probably been quite accurate.

Barbara asked Tim to sit, and then he tried on various styles of
hairpieces.  The only one that matched his original hair color was a
somewhat short, pixy cut, but it was definitely attractive on Tim's now
quite feminine facial features.  As it had been with Mike, the change
in appearance was almost unbelievable.  As each of them concealed the
last vestige of their maleness, the masculine looking short haircut,
they looked feminine in all respects.  Tim sat in front of the mirror
behind the table, and gazed at his reflection.  It was his turn to be
transfixed by the face of a pretty young girl staring back at him.

"I think it looks very nice." Barbara said.  "But if you want another
style, it'll have to be another color, or else you can wait three
days."

"Oh no, I don't want to wait," Tim insisted.  "This will be fine.  I
like it." He didn't want to have to wait to have the look he was seeing
in the mirror.

Joe paid Barbara since Tim didn't have enough money for the hairpiece.
As he paid the money, he realized that Tim probably didn't have much
money, and was probably at a distinct disadvantage to the others when
it came to buying the clothes he needed.  Joe thought about what Jay
had told him, and kept the receipt.  He asked Tim if he needed some
more clothes.

"Well, everything I have on right now is borrowed, either from you or
Karen." Tim said.

"Then I think we need to get you some more." Joe suggested.  "I'll pay
for them, and I'll give Honeybone the bill."

"Do we have to do it now?" Tim objected.  He was embarrassed to shop
for women's clothes.

"It's really not so bad, Tim.  I thought it would be horrible too, but
once you start, it's really kinda fun...  the things are so soft and
slick, and they fit so well.  I now understand why girls like shopping
for clothes.  It's totally different from what I thought." Mike was
sounding almost excited as he talked about his own experience shopping
that afternoon.

"Besides, pal, you signed up.  You're legally a girl now anyway." Joe
couldn't resist teasing the young man who now, especially with the new
hair, looked so cute...  so attractive.  Of course, he knew better...
he was in the same position...  but maybe it was just that he still had
at least a bit of his old masculine mischievousness, and he just
couldn't resist teasing the cute Tim.

"Yeah, I know, but it's just not easy to accept not being a guy...  and
it's even harder to try to think of myself as a girl.  I always think
other guys are staring at these boobs, or ogling my butt," Tim said.

"And they are, too," Joe said, grinning.  "You know that.  This time
last week, you would have been looking at a butt like yours too."

"Yeah, I guess so...  it's kinda strange...  now that I'm this way,
women just don't seem nearly as sexy to me as they used to.  I wonder
why that is?" Tim asked.

"Maybe it's because you don't just look like a girl, you actually are
one," Joe reasoned.  The same thought had already crossed his mind.

"I guess I do seem like a girl now, and maybe I've even turned into
one.  I suppose I probably have, but when I close my eyes, and when I
think of who I am and what I look like, I still feel like I'm a guy
inside." Tim mused.

"Yeah?  Maybe so, but not on the outside," Dave added.  "Any one of you
has a body that most of the natural women out there would die for."

"Hey, don't forget, I didn't ask to be this way," Tim said.  He wasn't
sure if it was envy, or resentment, showing in Dave's voice.

"I know, but damn it, you three have it easy...all you have to do is
get used to the new parts and then, you can just get on with your
lives.  I've got a family.  I can't just put on a wig, buy some
clothes, and then learn to be a woman.  But don't forget, the same
thing has happened to me, too; I have the same feelings...  What the
hell am I supposed to do?" Dave was almost sobbing.

They got in the Lincoln, and Joe drove the short distance to the main
mall.

"It'll work out, Dave.  They'll figure out something for you." Joe
said.

"Oh, yeah?  What?" Dave snapped.  "Right now, it looks like the most I
can hope for is some kind of fake cock which apparently won't have any
feeling.  Even Dr.  Krell doesn't seem to think much of that idea."

"Is that what you want?" Joe asked.  "Maybe you should stay a woman, if
that's what you really want."

"Hey, I don't know what I want." Dave answered.  "I don't have any idea
what I want."

"Then whatever you do Dave, don't let them cut on you unless you can't
stand it any other way," Joe advised.  "If you don't mind me asking,
have you and Cindy slept together?" Cindy was Joe's wife.

"We were in the same bed, but we never touched each other.  I can't
expect her to become a lesbian, or whatever, just because this...  this
thing has happened to me."

"Don't worry about what to call it," Joe said.  "You are both still
married to each other and what you do together can't be perverted or
anything like that."

"Hey, old buddy, I know I'm not gorgeous, but there's not much I can do
in bed with my wife, or any other woman.  I've undergone the same
changes you have.  I probably have the same feelings you have, too."

"Do you want to sleep with Cindy?  Would you like to make love to her?"
Joe asked.

"Sure, she's my wife; I still love her."

"Then do it.  Don't worry about what others might think.  It's nobody's
business anyway.  She'll accept you.  You probably even smell better
than you used to," Joe teased.

"Aw, Joe, what can we do?" Dave asked.  "You know I'm not a man
anymore, and I'm not sure I even feel like one."

"Don't be an idiot, Dave," Joe insisted.  "By now...  especially now...
you know what will make her feel good.  Just do that.  She'll probably
want to do the same for you.  You might be surprised how much fun you
both can still have.  Heck, now you won't have to worry about birth
control either."

"How do you suddenly know about all this stuff?" Mike asked.

"I live with Linda, remember?" Joe said, winking at him.

Joe opened his door, and got out.  They went into the mall at the same
entrance as that morning.  Mike took Tim by the hand and led him right
to Victoria's Secret.

"You just gotta get some of this stuff," he said.  "It just looks and
feels so sexy.  I just love it." Mike had really made a complete
transition.

Tim was less sure of himself, but Mike, who was still much bigger and
stronger, just pulled him into the store.  They were acting like
teenagers, out the first time without their parents.  Tim was already
wearing a bra, and Joe knew it was his size, since he had loaned it to
him the day before.  He told Tim what he thought his new sizes were,
and Tim reluctantly started looking and selecting items to try or buy.
Mike was acting as the expert advisor the whole time.  The sales girl
from earlier in the day was still there, and it was obvious she
recognized the group.  She looked carefully at Mike, sure she
recognized him, but was wracking her brain to figure what was so
different about this big woman.  She now looked far less masculine.
The hairpiece, and the womens' clothing had made a big difference in
Mike's appearance.  But the girl just couldn't place what the
difference was.

Tim finally picked out some underwear, probably more to please Mike
than himself, and then he even followed Mike into the fitting room to
try some bras on.  Joe could hear Mike talking to Tim the whole time
they were in the small room.  He couldn't get over how Mike was acting.
This big macho guy now seemed suddenly fascinated with the details of
being a woman.

Maybe it's a good thing, Joe thought.  He considered his own feelings
and reactions to what had happened to his own body, and he realized
that maybe he wasn't that much different than Mike.  Would this
acceptance of their new sexuality touch each of them eventually, he
wondered?

After Mike had helped Tim find his selections, and Tim had tried on
each item that was practical to try on, they went on to other stores.
Tim, having just turned twenty-one, had much different tastes in
clothes than the older "women." Even Mike, who was only twenty-six, had
much different ideas about what looked good on Tim's attractive form.
It soon became obvious from the type of things he stopped to look at
and the kind of questions he asked, that Tim liked the short skirts and
tight, stretchy tops that were "in." Although he was embarrassed to
wear them, those kinds of things were what he thought he needed.  Of
course Mike, whose taste in fashion never went past exercise wear, knew
or cared little about things like that.  When Mike showed less
interest, Tim began to look at the things he thought he liked.  As he
was looking, a sales girl, probably about his own age, came over to
help Tim.  The former young man certainly needed her assistance, but he
could hardly speak.  It was very difficult for a twenty-one-year old
male to ask a twenty-one year old female to help him select a skirt and
top for himself, no matter what he looked like.  It didn't make any
difference to Tim that the friendly young lady was actually somewhat
jealous of his shapely figure.

The sales girl was finally able to get this stuttering customer to tell
her what she was looking for.  This tall, very shy girl didn't even
know what sizes she was looking for.  When she finally helped her pick
out some selections, she even seemed reluctant to go into the dressing
rooms.  She kept looking back at her three older friends, one of whom
looked like she had her hair cut like a man.  When the girl finally
came out of the fitting room (it took forever) so that she could see
herself in the full length mirror, she seemed quite embarrassed to be
seen in the short skirt, even though she looked fantastic in it.  She
acted like she had never worn anything like it before, even though she
had one of the trimmest shapes the sales girl had ever seen.  When she
looked at herself in the mirror, the girl seemed almost like she was
looking at someone else, she touched her hair, her hips, even felt at
her breasts, as if she had never noticed them before.  It was strange
to watch her as she turned about, observing herself in the three sided
mirror.  Then the other three women came over and looked, too.  They
all seemed to be seeing this young lady for the first time.  Finally,
one of the women spoke.

"I think it's you," Joe said.

"I just can't believe it.  I feel like I have to pinch myself to
believe this is me." Tim exclaimed.

Oh, come on, thought the sales girl.  You do look good, but not that
good.

"I think it's just right for you," the sales girl said.  "And I think a
some black shoes would go nicely with it." She pointed to the
mannequin, which was wearing almost the same choices.

"Oh, yeah...  I guess I'll have to get some shoes too..." Tim muttered.
He was still admiring his new look.

"They're down on the lower floor," the sales girl said.  "Will there be
anything else?"

"Yeah, I'll need some more...  I guess a few more..." Tim said
absently.

The sales girl looked at him.  What was with this girl?

They spent another hour selecting things with the young sales girl, and
then went walking throughout the mall shops, each of them looking,
sometimes trying something on, sometimes even buying.  The only one who
didn't seem to be having fun was Dave, who looked, sometimes touched,
but never tried anything on, and refused to buy anything.  Mike was
able to get both Tim and Joe to get some colorful exercise wear for
themselves.  Joe already had some, which he had bought the first day,
but Mike insisted, and Joe was in the buying mood.

Finally, loaded down with packages, most of them Mike's and Tim's, they
struggled back to the car.  Driving back to the hotel, it didn't sound
anything like four men in the car, as Joe, Mike, and Tim discussed the
different things they had seen, as well as the things they had
purchased.

When they went in, they got their rooms and had their bags brought to
the rooms.  As agreed, Mike roomed with Joe, and Tim and Dave were
together.  Joe went into his room, placed his bags of purchases on the
end of the bed, and dropped down on it in exhaustion.  He had long ago
decided that the pumps he was wearing surely had not been made for
walking in.  Though they looked great, they lacked the comfortable
support of the more substantial men's footwear.  He kicked them off,
pulled the sun dress up to his hips, and began to massage his sore feet
while enjoying the cool air on his tired legs.  When he looked over, he
saw that Mike was watching him, eyes wide, grinning.  Suddenly he
realized that by pulling his dress up so high, he had exposed his
bottom, and the sight of his panties had caught Mike's eye.

Mike realized he was staring when he saw Joe cover himself in
embarrassment.  He quickly apologized.

"Gee Joe, I'm sorry.  I know we're both women now, but I couldn't
resist looking when I saw you lying there like that.  It...  you were
just so sexy looking, I just couldn't help looking..." He stuttered
with embarrassment.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Joe said grinning.  "I know how you feel.
I find myself looking at you sometimes, too.  And Tim...  ain't he
something."

"Yeah, SHE sure is." Mike agreed.  "Do you think we should start
calling ourselves women?  I mean, if we want everybody else to treat us
like women now, I guess we should do the same ourselves."

"Yeah, I guess we should, but it's sure a hard thing to do.  I still
think that deep inside, I'm a guy.  I guess I'm sort of getting used to
the idea of looking this way, but it still seems strange to think of
myself as a 'she,' Joe said, as he sat back up on the bed and smoothed
the dress over his knees.

"Same here," Mike agreed.  "But you know, if Dr.  Krell called right
now, and said he had just discovered the secret to get us back, I don't
know if I'd rush to go and do it.  Isn't that weird?  What's going on
anyway?  Why am I suddenly starting to enjoy this so much?"

"Don't worry, you're not the only one who feels that way.  I'm starting
to like it too.  It must be the different hormones, or something."

"So do you think we're really turning into women?"

"Well, let's see, we just came back from a shopping spree where you and
Tim looked at more clothes in one afternoon than I did in a year, and I
even liked it too.  Now I'm sitting here wearing a dress, and I just
realized I need to pee.  If, after this afternoon's little shopping
trip, I still have any doubt that I've turned into a woman, I'm fairly
sure I'll be reminded of it when I go in the john and pull down these
panties I'm wearing." With that, Joe got up and went into the bathroom.

When he came back out, Mike was standing in his underwear, looking at
each of his purchases, and laying each item on the bed.

"You know, I think just looking at this stuff gives me a hardon," Mike
said, grinning.

"It is some nice looking stuff." Joe agreed.  "But you've gotta do
something about those hairy legs." He started to look through the bags
which contained his new purchases.

Joe found the little black bra and panty set.  He held up the little
wisp of black nylon which was the little thong bikini.  It didn't look
like it would cover him, even with the changes.  Mike saw it too, and
grinned.

"Come on Joe, try it on."

"I don't know..." Joe really wanted to put it on, but he didn't really
want to put himself on display.

"I just know you'll look great wearing that stuff," Mike continued.

"Aw, all right..  I would like to see how they fit," Joe admitted.  He
carefully unbuttoned the red sun dress and stepped out of it.  Looking
down at his chest made him smile.  His nipples were quite visible
through the thin, almost transparent fabric of his bra.  It was still a
strange experience having tits, he decided, but he was beginning to get
used to the idea, sort of.  He reached behind his back with both hands,
unhooked the back strap, and felt his bra loosen.  He squirmed out of
the tangle of straps and then scratched under his soft mounds at the
red marks made by the underwires.  Joe dropped the old bra and picked
up the new little black one.  This one had the catch between the cups,
and he could see what he was doing as he fastened it.  He adjusted the
cups over his breasts until they felt just right.  This new lighter bra
felt as if it might provide somewhat less support that the one he had
just removed.  It sure did look sexy though, but in a very different
way than the sheer one.

"You have such a great body," Mike said softly.  Admiration, as well as
perhaps a bit of envy, was quite evident in his voice.  "It sure makes
me wish I hadn't taken those steroids."

"You look ok, Mike," Joe said truthfully.  "They don't seem to have
affected you that much."

"Maybe it doesn't look like it much, but I feel like I'm still a guy
sometimes, like my cock is still there.  It's an almost embarrassing
feeling sometimes." Mike rubbed the front of his panties, where his
penis should have been.

"Actually, I think that sensation might be normal.  I feel the same way
too.  I'd bet that even natural women feel like that.  They probably
just don't realize what it is."

"Yeah, you might be right, but I know I've never seen a woman with a
clitoris as big as mine."

"And I guess you've seen 'em all?"

"Well, I've seen a few.  So you're still sleeping with Linda, even
now?"

"Well...  er, I ah, yeah, I...  we have slept together," Joe cautiously
admitted.  "And it was pretty good too."

"But, what did you do with her?  How...  what can you do now?" Mike
asked innocently.

"Maybe I'm not a man anymore, and maybe I don't have male equipment,
but I still know what women like, maybe even better now than before.
And I can tell you, these new parts aren't missing a thing when it
comes to erotic sensation.  It feels like all the old nerves are still
there, maybe moved around a bit, and I think they've even had the gain
turned up a little, too." Joe grinned as he spoke.

"You've noticed that too?  I was thinking that I must be really screwed
up after having my cock shrivel up, and then still being horny all the
time.  The urge does seem to be tapering off a little bit lately
though."

"Yeah.  For me too.  Dr.  Krell said that maybe I was getting familiar
with the new sensations, and that maybe my testosterone level would
start to decrease.  It was far too high for a female, he said."

"Do you...  er..  have you ever thought about what it would be like to
sleep with a man...  to have sex with one?" Mike asked.

"Well...I'll admit, the thought has crossed my mind." Joe wasn't about
to say anything about last night.

"I don't know if I could do it...  I mean...  some other guy's cock...
all that...  but I don't know.  I just can't seem to get the idea out
of my mind.  I find I'm constantly wondering how it would feel."

"I suppose it just might be pretty good," Joe answered.  "Dr.  Krell
says all our organs are normal, even the stuff that's changed, and that
everything should work just like any normal woman's.  Heaven knows
they're sensitive enough, that's for sure." He was actually relieved to
hear that somebody else was experiencing the same feelings he had been
having lately.

"Yeah, but the thought of laying next to another guy, I don't know if I
could that.  It would have to feel weird."

"Maybe it wouldn't, once you got...  you know...  into it."

"Yeah.  Maybe you're right.  I just don't know though."

"There's no need to rush something like that," Joe mused.  "It looks
like we might have plenty of time to get used to the idea."

"Yeah, it does look like that, doesn't it.  I have trouble with the
idea of spending the rest of my life as a woman.  Hell, I just can't
see myself looking like my grandmother."

"It is hard to accept, isn't it?"

"So far, everything has been interesting, sort of.  It even feels
somewhat exciting, and I'm even learning to like some of the things
about this.  At first, I thought I was really going to miss having a
cock, but...  you know...  I really don't...  except for taking a piss.
I just don't think I'll ever get used to peeing like a girl," Mike
said, rubbing the soft little bulge between his legs.

"It is different, isn't it?  I guess I miss that part of being a guy
too."

"Of course, there are some compensations.  Have you ever made yourself
come yet?" Mike wasn't one to mince words.

"Well...yeah, I suppose I have..." Joe said cautiously.  He wondered
what Mike was leading up to.

"Pretty wild, isn't it?" Mike was grinning.  "First time I washed
myself, I thought I was going to have a heart attack.  And it just
keeps coming back for more.  Hell, I almost rubbed myself sore.  I
still feel a little tender down there."

Joe pulled his panties off, and tossed them on the bed.  He picked up
the little thong bikini, stepped into it and pulled it over his hips.
The tiny wisp of black cloth covered most of his pubic area, narrowing
to a thin crotch strip that went between the legs and riding up the
back in the cleft of his buttocks.  He could feel it where it touched
sensitive areas.  His entire rear end was essentially bare.  He looked
down over his breasts, and saw that the front of the bikini at least
covered his bush, but even with his close trim, some pubic hair showed
around the edges.  Joe pulled the tiny "V" of cloth away from his
crotch, and let it spring back, which helped to cover some of the hair.
It felt very sexy just wearing it, and Joe thought it probably looked
that way too.  He liked it immediately.

"That looks really great," Mike exclaimed.  "Damn it Joe, you are just
so damn beautiful."

"I know I've changed, but I don't know about beautiful.  And this thing
feels like its riding in the crack of my behind.  I guess it is." Joe
still felt awkward getting compliments on his new appearance.

"Well, it's true, you really are beautiful.  Tim is too, in a 'teenage'
kind of way, but you.  Man, if I still had my old body, I don't
know..." Mike grinned a wicked grin as he said the words.

"Well, don't forget, you look pretty good too." Joe returned the
compliment, feeling his face reddening.  "You seem to be still
changing.  Am I right?"

"Yeah, I think so.  I'm pretty sure my boobs are still growing, or
filling out, or something.  I'm not sure, but I feel like I'm still
getting softer all over." Mike ran his hand over his breasts as he
spoke.

"Maybe the steroids only slowed the change, but can't stop it."

"Well if it was going to stop the change, it's too late now.  I not
only look pretty much like a female, I even think I feel like one, at
least most of the time."

"Well then, shave those hairy legs, will you?" Joe teased.

"Yeah, I will." Mike began going through his small bag, looking for his
shaving kit.  When he found it, he went into the bathroom, and shut the
door.  Joe could hear the toilet flush, and the shower start to run.
As Mike cleaned up, Joe removed the sexy feeling new underwear and put
his old things back on.  He found some shorts and a light blue top, and
put them on.  Using the remote, he snapped on the television, lay back,
and watched the news.

In a while Mike came back out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around
his body.  He had removed the hairpiece, and with the towel hiding his
curves, again looked a just bit like his old self.  Mike had obviously
shaved his legs bare only moments before.  Joe watched him as he
dressed, and smiled when Mike removed the towel.  It was strange to see
the familiar head of his friend, above a now quite hairless, and very
curvy, female body.  He realized that his own reflection was probably
quite similar.

Mike stepped into and pulled on one of his new stretchy bodysuits, and
covered it only with colorful nylon shorts.  He was obviously enjoying
the way he now looked, eyeing his reflection in the mirror over the
dresser as he put the things on.  Joe had to admit that Mike was
becoming quite attractive.

"Want to work out with me?" Mike asked.  "There is a great exercise
room downstairs."

"Aw, I don't know.  I know I should, but..." Joe protested.

"Come on, you know you need it too.  And I'd sure like the company."

"Ok.  I'll go with you." Joe went to his bag and took out the exercise
clothing he just bought.

When Joe was ready, they went down to the exercise area.  There were
three guys there, and Joe and Mike found that they were immediately the
primary object of attention of the others in the room.  Joe went to a
stationary bicycle and climbed on, and Mike tried his new muscles on
the weight bench.  As Joe sat there pedaling, he watched Mike strain to
find his new lower limits.  Then one of the young men came over, and
climbed on the other bike.  At first, the guy said nothing, seeming to
feel out the situation, but in a few minutes, he spoke, obviously very
nervous.

"This is a nice place, isn't it?" the young man asked, making small
talk.

Joe looked over at him.  "Yes.  It is nice." Joe smiled.  He tried to
sound and act as feminine as he could, but was feeling terribly self
conscious.

"Is that your friend over there?" the guy continued.

"Yeah.  He...  she's my roommate." Joe answered.

"She can sure lift.  She looks pretty strong."

If you only knew, Joe thought.  But he said, "She's been lifting for
quite some time."

"Are you gonna be over in the lounge later?" the guy blurted out.  It
was obvious that he was even more nervous than Joe, but not much.

"I don't think so.  I have to get to sleep early." He wasn't ready to
fight off the lounge lizards.

"Oh, you should come down.  The place is swinging every night."

Then you won't need me there, Joe thought.  "I just don't think I can."
Joe turned back and looked at Mike, who was now dealing with one of the
other guys.

"Sure you can.  What did you say your name was?" The guy wouldn't be
shot down.  Joe found he admired his tenacity.

"I didn't say, but it's Joe," Joe answered, trying to appear more
friendly than he was feeling just then.

"Joe?  What's that short for?  Jo-ann?"

"No.  My name is Joel.  But I've always been called Joe."

"Joe sounds like a guy's name, but it sounds good on you.  My name's
Mike."

"Thanks, Mike." Great.  Another Mike, Joe thought.

"What's your friend's name?" Mike was running out of things to say, but
was desperately trying to continue the conversation.

"She's...  er...  her name is Mik...  ahh...  Michelle...  I call her
Mike, too." Joe stammered.

"That's interesting," Mike said.  "We have the same names."

"Look, Mike, I don't think I'll be at the lounge tonight.  I'm really
sorry," Joe said, trying to sound kind, as well as apologetic.

"Ok.  But you'll be missing out on a good time."

Joe rode on in silence, and Mike continued pedaling, too.  Joe was
aware that the young man next to him was watching him move out of the
corner of his eye.  He had done the same thing himself, eyeing a good
looking girl, using that image to keep his mind off aching muscles.

Joe felt a bead of sweat trickle from under the hairpiece, and then run
along his ear.  He reached up, and pulled the hair away from his face.
He would have liked to remove the wig, but knew that would have caused
a real stir.  He just kept pedaling, enjoying the feeling only vigorous
exercise can produce.

After twenty minutes on the bike, he found that his new body was
getting tired.  Before the change, he could have kept this pace for an
hour.  He stopped pedaling and went over to Mike, who appeared to be
enjoying the company of the other guy, who was hanging around him like
a puppy.

"I think I'm going back to the room," Joe said.  "I'm tired and I need
a shower."

"Ok.  I think I'll hang around here for a while yet," Mike said.

"Later," Joe said, and walked out of the room rubbing his face with a
towel.

"Bye, Joe," Mike the guy said.  "Come back down later, if you can."

"Yeah.  See you later, Mike," Joe said, and walked over to the
elevator.

Joe went to his room, and went straight to the shower, and started it
running.  He had worked up a good sweat, and his clothes were quite
wet, but he noted that, even when he was sweating, he still smelled
different from the way he did as a guy.  He quickly removed his
clothes, and in a few moments, he pulled back the curtain and stepped
in, enjoying the warm spray on his back, but remembering to shield his
sensitive breasts with his hands whenever he faced the spray.  He
lingered in the warm spray for a while, and then hopped out of the
shower, drying off quickly.  He was now starting to get familiar with
the new curves and crevasses his body had gotten with the change.  He
left the hairpiece off, and, finding his terrycloth romper, he slowly
pulled it on.  Joe then pulled the spread back from the bed, and
collapsed on it.  Joe's tired, soft body, smelling fresh from the
shower, felt good, but very sleepy.  He closed his eyes.

It seemed like Joe had only been sleeping a few minutes when he heard
Mike enter the room.  He opened his eyes, and saw his friend, his new
leotard soaked with perspiration, come in and go straight into the
bathroom.  The door closed, and almost immediately, Joe could hear the
shower start to run.  He looked at the clock radio.  He was surprised
to find that he had been sleeping over an hour.  Joe closed his eyes
again, and again he was awakened by Mike.  When he came out of the
bathroom, he was again wearing only a bath towel.

"Joe...  I just met a guy...  you saw him...  Gordon...  he thinks I'm
a real girl...  He wants me to come down to the lounge later," Mike
said, sounding almost like he asking Joe for permission.

"Are you going to go?"

"I don't know.  Do you think I should?"

"Well, do you want to?"

"Yeah, I think I do, but maybe I don't.  I don't know...I'm scared.
What if he finds out that I'm really a guy?"

Joe looked at his friend standing at the foot of the bed, wearing only
a bath towel.  "Mike, open the towel, and let it drop to the ground."

Mike opened the large white towel and let it fall to his feet.

"Now look down.  What do you see?" Joe asked.

"I don't get it, what do you mean?" Mike asked, confused.

"Unless you TELL him, there is NO WAY he'll know that you USED to be a
man.  You aren't one now.  You don't even look remotely like one."

"Yeah.  Yeah.  I guess you're right."

"By the way, I told your guy's partner, the one who was trying to hit
on me, that your name was Michelle, but that I always called you Mike,"
Joe warned.

"Oh yeah.  I didn't even think of that.  I even told him my name, that
I was Mike Osborn."

"Did he say anything about that?  It sounded too weird when I told the
other guy, whose name was Mike too, that I was Joe, and you were Mike."

"Michelle huh?  Michelle...  Michelle...  I kind of like it.  You know,
I never thought of using another name, but maybe I should." Mike beamed
with a strange happiness.

"Well Michelle, are you going to go to the lounge tonight?"

"Will you go with me?" Michelle asked.

"Nope.  I'm going down to the restaurant and get something to eat, and
then I'm going straight to bed.  That Air-Dyne wore me out," Joe said,
yawning, and raising his arms over his head.

"But if I go, what should I wear?" Michelle asked.

"Man, I don't know.  You only bought jeans and shirts, and all that
exercise stuff.  Call Karen.  She'll help you out."

"What's her number?"

"Hey, I don't know.  She went home with that receptionist.  I'm not
even sure what her name was."

"I'll look at what I've got here," Michelle said.  "Maybe I can find
something ok to wear."

"Don't ask me," Joe said.  "I have enough trouble of my own.  I'm the
last person to ask for fashion advice."

"Aw, Joe, you're easily the best dressed of all of us," Michelle said.
"You always look great."

"It's Linda and Karen.  I don't have any idea what I should wear.  I
just wear what they tell me to wear."

Watching Mike/Michelle standing there, naked, looking through his/her
bags, Joe thought he should remind Michelle about something.

"Don't forget what Dr.  Krell and Susan said.  If you decide to try out
the new equipment, make sure you and Gordon use some protection.  If
anything happens, it'll be YOU getting pregnant now."

"Aw Joe, don't worry about that, I have absolutely no intention of
sleeping with anybody," Michelle said.

"But it's not sleeping that causes the trouble." Joe thought that he
was sounding like Michelle's father, or more likely, her mother.

Joe remembered how he had felt when he was with Jay, and "Michelle"
seemed at least as infatuated as he had been then.

"Ok, Mother," Michelle teased, as she pulled a new pair of panties on.

Mike/Michelle carefully put on one of her new bras, and again went to
the mirror.  She looked at herself critically.  "You know, I'm not too
bad looking, I guess.  But I sure hope my boobs get at least a little
bigger yet."

"I didn't know you were a 'tit man'," Joe teased.

"Aw, Joe, you know what I mean.  I have such big shoulders, bigger
breasts would play them down a little."

"Now you're really sounding like a woman."

"But it's true, isn't it?" Michelle asked.  "They would, wouldn't
they?"

"I don't know, maybe they would.  You already look ok to me."

"Yeah, but what would a guy think?" Michelle asked, and then realized
what had just been said.

"Well excuuuse me," Joe mocked.  "I'm sure I don't have any idea what a
GUY might think."

"I'm sorry, but you know what I mean.  I mean like Gordon."

"Oh, yeah.  Gordon." Joe continued.  "I'm sure Gordon likes women with
big tits."

"Lay off, Bates," Michelle said in a way which might have sounded
menacing, if it hadn't come from someone wearing a pink bra with
matching panties.

"Yes ma'am," Joe mocked, but he stopped the teasing.  It was so
amazing, seeing what had happened to this big guy just one week after
his chromosomes had been jumbled, or whatever.  He knew the same thing
was happening to him, too.

Michelle found a pair of jeans and picked one of the tops they had just
bought.  His clothes might be ok, if the lounge was real casual.

"It'll have to do," Michelle said, arranging the hairpiece and brushing
it with Joe's hair brush.  "I don't know about this long hair, though."

"Let's get something to eat, what do you think?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, I am getting hungry." Michelle agreed.  "We should call Dave and
Tim, I guess."

They called the other room, and made arrangements to meet down stairs
in a half hour.  Joe got dressed in shorts and a top, and he and
Michelle left the room.