24 __Joe_Bates_Saga__________________________________________________________



24.  Chapter



Joe wondered what he should wear to meet Jay.  He didn't know why
exactly, but he felt a strange indescribable feeling whenever he
thought about his pal.  He didn't know what was causing it, but knew he
was abnormally anxious to meet him again.

Going to the bedroom closet, Joe looked at the male clothes hanging
there.  He went back out and opened a dresser drawer.  There he found
his undershorts and t-shirts.  These t-shirts could still be worn, he
decided.  They might be a little big now, but he had noticed that Linda
liked them too large when she wore them.  Most girls seemed to wear
them that way.  He began looking through the assortment, the many
logos, some displaying airplanes, airshows, or automobiles on the front
or back.  He picked a few he liked the best, the ones he thought would
still look ok now, and tucked four of them under his arm.  He slid the
drawer closed as he considered trying to find some jeans.  Nope, he
decided, none of these, they were his male pants, and they wouldn't fit
his now maybe only a little smaller, but definitely softer and rounder
shape.  He rubbed his butt with his hands.  It felt like it was
probably still changing, getting a little softer each day.  If he was
ever going to wear jeans again, like almost everything else, he would
have to get some new ones.  Or maybe borrow some from Linda to try on.

Joe looked around his bedroom.  The feeling he got from seeing the
familiar room made him wonder if he should move from Linda's and return
home.  He still liked Linda, and she seemed to still like him, but it
was easy to tell their relationship was changing.  He now no longer
thought of her as his fiance, that was fairly impossible now, but
rather more like a friend, maybe a best friend and confidant, and,
strange as it may seem, sort of like a big sister, even if they were
practically the same age.  With the changes he was going through, and
the things he had to adapt to, he needed someone to help, to explain
the way things worked, sometimes even the proper way to dress or act.
Linda did that.  She seemed to love doing it.  Their new relationship
sometimes seemed awkward, but he couldn't imagine anyone else who could
make learning the things he had to learn any easier.  It was
embarrassing sometimes, though, for both of them.  But it did make them
close, in a different kind of way than before, as Linda introduced Joe
to the trials and pleasures of being female.

Walking into the living area, Joe gathered up the pile of mail that he
had collected.  He stopped in the kitchen and decided to check his
refrigerator.  It had been some days since he had been home, and he had
left rather suddenly.  A quick peek and he decided that all was ok.  He
usually never kept much in there anyway.  Plenty of beer though, and
that stuff wouldn't spoil.  He thought about it, and realized that he
didn't really think he liked the taste of it anymore.  Was his
enjoyment of a cool brew also a victim of these new hormones coursing
through his veins?  What was next?  Of course, that he already knew.
He could tell by the way his heart seemed to flutter as he was on the
phone with Jay, what another difference was.  It embarrassed him to
think it could happen, but he now knew for sure, he actually found
himself feeling excited as he thought about meeting Jay.  Jay, his best
friend, his college roommate, drinking buddy, and car hobby pal.  He
had always considered Jay his best friend, but he never before found
himself feeling like this.  Many things concerning his body had
changed, changed a lot in some ways, but Joe still knew when he was
being sexually aroused.  There were differences, of course.  An
'erection' no longer showed now, and he was quite familiar with the
uncomfortable feel of wet underwear that now often accompanied
excitement.  It was difficult to accept that even thinking about his
pal Jay sometimes made that happen, but it was undeniably true.

He made a fist with his hand and rubbed it along the front of the short
skirt he was wearing, feeling the slight bump of his pubic bone and,
below that, the hollow area where his male parts should have been.
Like it or not, what had happened was real, and when he stopped to
consider it all, it really wasn't so strange, his body had changed,
probably now even his guts were female, and his brain was simply trying
to catch up, reacting to the chemicals his changed organs were sending
it.  The only things about him still male were his memories.
Apparently, he had no more control over these new feelings and desires
than he did the changes in his shape.  Truly a strange predicament to
be in.

Joe took one last look around the apartment, then took the clothes and
mail, which made quite a handful, and went to his car.  With such a
load, he found it impossible to lock the door, so he went to the car
and came back.  As he was locking his door, a woman who lived a few
doors down from him came down the walk.  She saw Joe locking the door,
and looked him over carefully.  Who was this woman coming out of Joe's
apartment, she wondered?  She was passing friends with Joe, at least
Joe the male.  Though she was happily married, she had often watched
the attractive guy who lived next to her washing or tinkering with his
car.  What a hunk, she had thought.  She had seen Linda around Joe's
apartment quite often, and figured that they were probably getting
serious.  She hadn't seen Joe all week, and now here's this girl coming
out of his apartment.  It wasn't Linda, but someone younger, and also
quite good looking.  She felt a slight trace of envy as she walked
toward the young woman.

"Hi," she said innocently.  "Is Joe back?"

Joe eyed the woman suspiciously.  He knew her.  Her name was Kathy
Baker.  She was lived two doors down and was married to an accountant.
Joe had always considered her attractive and thought she always showed
an unusual interest in him whenever they met in casual conversation.
Now, of course, it was obvious that she didn't even recognize him.  She
probably thought he was one of his girlfriends.  What to do?

"No, he's not here," Joe lied.  "He's on a trip for the company, and he
asked me to watch his place."

What else could he say?  He just wasn't prepared to explain what had
happened to this woman.  It wasn't her business anyway.  Of course, she
was probably just trying to be friendly.  She'd probably find out the
truth soon enough if he stayed this way.

The woman smiled and continued on, suspecting nothing.  Joe, his heart
pounding like a hammer, walked to his car and awkwardly got in.  He saw
Kathy again, still watching him.  She was sitting in her car, getting
ready to drive away, when she saw that the woman who had been in Joe's
apartment also had his sports car.  Joe smiled at her and started his
engine.  He left the parking lot and drove to Linda's house.

When Joe arrived at Linda's, her car was not in the drive.  He looked
at his wristwatch.  Four thirty, Linda probably wouldn't be home for at
least an hour.  Just as well.  He preferred to be alone as he tried to
find something to wear to go flying with Jay.  What a strange paradox.
He felt he wanted to do familiar 'guy' things with his pal, but at the
same time, for some unexplained reason, he also wanted Jay to find him
attractive.  It was a weird feeling, and he couldn't completely
understand why he felt this way.

Joe took his things straight to his room.  He piled the mail on the
bed, and put the t-shirts on the dresser.  When he did that, he saw his
reflection in the dresser mirror.  He couldn't help looking, and it
took a second to realize that the attractive woman on the other side of
the glass was his own reflection.  He rubbed his hand across his chest,
squeezing the softness of his left boob.  Would there ever be time when
he became accustomed to all this?

He flopped on the bed, and pulled his shoes off.  Boy, that feels good,
he thought.  But this pantyhose is just plain hot.  He tried to pull
them down from under the short skirt, and then decided maybe it would
be best if he took that off first.  He stood up, unbuttoned and then
unzipped the skirt, and stepped out of it.  Still wearing the full
slip, he pulled it up his hips a little, then reached under it and
tucked his thumbs into the waistband of the hose and pulled them down,
leaving the panties on and relishing the exquisite coolness as he
removed the hose.  I sure wouldn't have thought something so sheer
could be so hot, he thought as he rubbed his hands along the smooth
bare skin of his upper thighs.

Joe carefully hung the skirt on its hanger, then pulled the slip over
his head.  He unbuttoned his blouse and took it off, putting it on the
same hanger as the skirt, then put them both in his closet.

Wearing only bra and panties made Joe feel strangely sexy.  He didn't
know why, but now, sometimes, right after he undressed and almost
naked, wearing only underwear usually, Joe felt weird, kind of
voluptuous or something.  His changed body, his breasts, not that he
was really that big or anything, he sometimes just felt so, so female,
so fertile.  It was, of course, feeling he had never experienced before
the change, and right now it felt so good it actually made his skin
tingle.

Joe went to the dresser to pick out a T-shirt.  As he walked, he could
felt his bladder remind him it was full.  He went into the bathroom
and, as he sat there, he looked up and saw the underwear hanging on the
shower door.  It was dry, and ready to put away.  When he finished, he
gathered up the dainty things and took them back into the bedroom.  As
he did, he examined each item as he folded it and placed it in the
drawer.  Holding up the black thong bikini, he was again amazed at how
tiny it was.  It was hard to accept that something like this even fit
him.  It took some getting used to the feel of having that narrow strap
in the crack of your butt, but it sure did look sexy.  Joe was tempted
to try it on again.  Black will show through under a T-shirt, he
thought, but not a black T-shirt.

He went over to the pile of shirts he brought from his apartment.  One
of them had a picture of an SR-71 on the back.  He bought it at an
airshow in California last summer.  And it was solid BLACK. No problem
with show through wearing this.  He held it up in front of him.  Yeah,
it was a little big now, but it would be ok.  He decided to put it on.

Joe located the little bra that matched the bikini.  He unhooked the
one he was wearing and quickly put the black one on.  He liked the way
it looked and felt.  Like the panty, it was shiny black, made of nylon,
lycra-spandex, or some slick fabric like that, with no decoration but a
tiny pearl between the cups.  It was slightly stretchy, and it fit his
new shape perfectly.  He removed his panties and stepped into the tiny
black thong.  He pulled it to his hips, adjusting the waist so that
everything fit smoothly.  There wasn't much to it, but it covered
everything that needed to be covered.  It felt a little strange to
wear, because it touched places that weren't usually touched, but it
sure looked sexy as hell.  He almost hated to get dressed.

Taking the black T-shirt, Joe pulled it over his head.  He looked down
and grinned when he saw the way his breasts distorted the drawing of
the SR-71.  Never thought it would look like this when I bought it, he
thought.

He didn't have jeans, so Joe looked at the small assortment of shorts
he and Linda had bought.  Before, he almost never wore shorts when
flying.  Now, he didn't even have any long pants.  Unless he wore a
skirt or the pants suit, he'd have to wear something chosen from this
stack.  He had worn the white ones before, and besides, black underwear
might show through, the green, no, dark gray, yeah, excellent.  He
pulled them on, tucked the T-shirt in, studied his reflection in the
mirror, and then pulled it back out.  It looked ok, he thought, casual,
not too feminine, but it didn't hide the fact that he was now a girl.
He finished by putting on some white sport socks and then his new
Reeboks.

Joe went back into the bathroom and started to brush his hairpiece.
It'll sure be better when I don't need this anymore, he thought as he
preened the short hair into place.  When he thought about it, the wig
felt like a hot, snug fitting cap.  He still wore a trace of lipstick
from earlier, and he decided to wipe it off.  He wanted to look as
natural as possible, and found that a damp washcloth worked pretty well
to remove lipstick and mascara.  When he was done, he decided to try a
little of the perfume Linda had left on the sink.  Joe daubed a bit
behind each ear, not really knowing how it should be done, but guessing
what might work.  He just knew he liked the way it made him smell.

All finished, Joe found his flight bag.  He noticed the small handbag
laying on the bed, and wondered if he should take it too.  He didn't
want to.  He looked inside the bag.  It contained his keys, his
license, and his cash, and credit cards.  He really needed to take it,
but where?  Seeing the flight bag, he put the handbag inside.  He took
the flight bag into the living room and sat on the couch.  If Jay was
running on time, he would be here soon.

Suddenly, Joe started to feel apprehensive again.  What causes me to
feel this way, he wondered?  Was it his friend Jay?  Could that be what
was making his knees weak and his pulse rise?  Why should Jay cause
this?  They were just going flying, Jay was his student, and besides, I
asked him, he thought.  Nothing about any of this to be nervous about.
They had flown together maybe hundreds of times.  Yeah, but I didn't
have tits then, Joe considered.

Joe sat reading yesterday's newspaper for maybe fifteen minutes when he
heard the sound of Jay's Porsche in the drive.  He went over to meet
him at the door.  It was so strange, so formal, to be picked up like
this.  He would have preferred to meet Jay at the plane like always.
This seemed more like a date or something.  He wondered if that's what
Jay had in mind.  Surely not, Joe didn't feel ready for that, even if
he might have to stay this way forever.

Jay rang the bell, and smiled when he saw Joe open the door.  Jay had
obviously changed clothes too, and was wearing a sport shirt and jeans.
He looked at Joe, and grinned broadly.

"You look great, Joe," he said approvingly.  Joe looked at his pal,
whom he thought seemed to be acting strangely.

"Thanks, Jay.  You do too."

"Are you all ready to go?"

"Sure.  All I had to do was change clothes.  I brought this T-shirt
from my apartment.  It still looks ok, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it looks great," Jay said with a strange admiration in his
voice.

The way Jay looked at him, and spoke to him, made Joe feel
self-conscious.  He couldn't understand why Jay was acting this way,
and he didn't know how to ask him about it.

Carrying his flight bag, Joe locked the door, and followed Jay to his
car.  He felt awkward when Jay unlocked his side, opened the door, and
held it open for him.  He put his bag behind the seat, and then climbed
in.  It was quickly becoming obvious that Jay was treating him the way
he treated women.  Joe wanted to object, but decided to hold his
tongue.  He couldn't deny looking like a girl.  He figured that he
probably felt, or was beginning to feel like a girl, too.  And it was
possible, maybe even likely, that he would have to be a girl, maybe for
the rest of his life.  Perhaps he should try to get used to being
treated like this.  It may seem strange, but then, it was kind of nice,
too.  What could it hurt?  Jay seemed to love doing it.  He wondered if
he had acted the same way around women.  If he did, he hadn't realized
it.  Of course, now he was seeing it from a completely different
perspective.  Maybe something he had read somewhere was really true,
anatomy is destiny.

Joe fastened his seat belt as Jay strapped into the left seat.  They
drove quickly to the airport and pulled into the parking area.  They
walked the hundred yards to Jay's Mooney, and Jay unlocked the door.
When Jay hopped off the wing, Joe crawled up on it and dropped his
flight bag on the back seat.  The bag really wasn't heavy, but Joe
noticed that carrying it required noticeably more effort to lift than
it used to.  Just another result of the damn feminization his body had
undergone, he realized.  He really hadn't lost much height with the
change, and therefore was probably somewhat taller than average for a
female.  He hoped he wouldn't continue to lose muscle mass, but it was
probably unrealistic to expect to remain strong as before, considering
all that had occurred.

"Where do you want to go?" Jay asked.

"Do you have a preference?"

"You're the one who wanted to fly," Jay said grinning, "you pick
where."

"I'm sorry Jay, I hope I didn't push too hard," Joe said softly.  "I
just want to get away from all the female stuff for a while.  I thought
maybe if we went flying, it might be more like before."

"Joe, you know I'll help you however I can," Jay said, looking into
Joe's eyes.  "But I really don't see how it can ever be like before.
Not after the things we've done."

Standing close to Jay, behind the wing of the plane, Joe looked into
his eyes.

"Are you sorry it happened?" Joe asked.

"Absolutely not," Jay responded quickly.  "But I don't see how I can
treat someone I've slept with, had sex with, for god's sake, how can we
just go back to acting like old buddies after that?"

"Jay, I don't care what I'm like on the outside, I'm still the same
person I was a week ago.  I know there are differences, a lot of them.
I'm sure I'm more aware of them than anybody.  I don't even know all
the things that have happened, and maybe are still happening, but I do
know it's still me here.  Maybe I do look like a girl, and I may even
try to act like one sometimes, but I still feel like a guy most of the
time.  I guess maybe my sexual preferences are changing.  Hell, I know
they are.  Joe lowered his eyes, feeling embarrassment.  But I still
have a need to be treated like a guy, at least sometimes.  That's all
I'm asking from you."

"Damn it, Joe, look at you," Jay said.  "How could I treat you like a
man?  You're just too damn beautiful."

"Can't you just try to forget what I look like?  At least just once in
a while, pretend that nothing has happened." Joe knew, even as he spoke
the words, that they sounded ridiculous.

"Give me a break, Joe," Jay protested, grinning.  "Maybe you can
forget, but I'm still male, and for me, I think that's just about
impossible.  Too many things keep reminding me." He pointed to the
noticeable bulge in his pants.

Joe felt a warm flush come to his reddening face.  He wasn't used to
causing that kind of reaction in his friend, and he found it quite
embarrassing.  He wished he could just go somewhere and hide until the
feeling went away.  It wasn't Jay's fault.  He knew he would have done
the same thing himself.  He sometimes did even now, slightly different
of course, when confronted by his own reflection in the mirror.

Joe smiled coyly at Jay.  "Just keep that thing away from me," he said
grinning, trying not to stare at Jay's crotch.

He didn't know why he was so embarrassed, but he was.  There was no way
either of them could forget that some things were very different now.

"Let's go to Tucson," Joe said quickly, in an attempt to change the
subject.

Tucson was about one hundred nautical miles from their home base.  It
was an easy hop in the Mooney.  Almost too easy.  They could fly there,
shoot a couple of instrument approaches, and be back in a couple of
hours.  It would still be daylight when they got back.

Together, they walked to the Thunderbird office.  Thunderbird was one
of two FBO's which served the Deer Valley airport, and was where Tim
worked, at least before the change.  They went inside, and Joe was
suddenly aware that all eyes were on him.  He recognized most of the
people there, and he just knew that they recognized him.  He was sure
that the news of what had happened had reached Thunderbird, especially
since Tim had stopped showing up at work so suddenly and
uncharacteristically.

Joe was relieved when they retreated to the seclusion of the Planning
Room.  They had both made the Tucson trip many times before, and
neither really needed to do much planning, but Jay was building hood
time for his instrument ticket, and Joe insisted that they follow all
procedures, as if they were going one thousand miles, rather than a
hundred.  Jay went through the motions of checking the weather.  As
usual, it was severe clear, and then he filled out a flight plan.  Joe
passed the time looking at the wall chart, hoping Jay would finish
quickly and they could get in the air.  When Jay finished, he filed on
the computer at the end of the room, and then went over to Joe.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"Is it safe to fly?" Joe teased.

"Yeah, as soon as I stop at the head," Jay answered.

Joe thought a moment.  No doubt about it, he had better do the same.
He no longer had the endurance he had before the change, and it was
better to be safe than sorry.  He followed Jay down the hall, but
stopped when he turned and entered the men's restroom.  Joe continued
on to the next door, and went inside.

Even after almost a week, it still made him feel like an invader each
time he went inside a public ladies' room.  He just couldn't shake the
feeling he didn't belong there.  It didn't matter how he looked, or
that it would certainly raise more eyebrows if had followed Jay into
the men's room, going in here just didn't seem right.  Joe walked in
timidly, and looked around.  The place was empty.  He entered a stall,
closed the door, and quickly emptied his bladder.  He finished, and
went to the sink to wash up.  While there, he carefully examined his
hair and appearance.  He was trying to develop the habit of doing that
whenever he had the opportunity.  It was difficult for a guy,
especially one who usually gave little thought to such things as he
had, to place the same emphasis on looking nice that most women
displayed.

With one last look, and a quick straightening of his clothing, Joe went
back out into the hallway.  Jay was waiting for him.  It seemed to Joe
that his pal now often looked at him with a mixture of admiration,
humor, and perhaps curiosity.  It embarrassed Joe whenever he did that,
and he was doing it now.

Joe followed Jay out the door, glad to be back out on the empty parking
ramp.  When they were away from the buildings, Joe walked alongside
Jay.

"Why do you look at me that way?" Joe asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I think you know, that shit-eating grin, those cow eyes.  I think you
know what I'm talking about," Joe countered, grinning.  He was serious,
but didn't want Jay to take it the wrong way.

"I do that?" Jay asked incredulously, teasing, but with a huge grin
that was evidence he knew what Joe meant.

"Yeah, you do, and you know it too," Joe went on, trying his best not
to let his voice sound like a whining woman.

"Why do I do it?  Why do I look at you in a different way than I used
to?  Is that the question?" Without waiting for an answer, Jay
continued.  "Could it be because my best friend, my college buddy, my
roommate, partner in womanizing, one of the best practical jokers I
know, the best practical mechanic I know, one of the best pilots,
except for me, of course, that I know, this macho guy, suddenly calls
and tells me he's been transformed into one of the finest looking women
I've ever seen.  And it doesn't even seem to faze him.  Frankly Joe,
I'm impressed.  I just don't see how you do it.  I think if it happened
to me, I'd either spend the whole day at home playing with myself, or
else I'd jump off a bridge."

Joe grinned.  "Of course, I haven't tried the bridge yet, but I can
tell you this, you'd probably get tired of staying home."

"Joe, we've been friends a long time, what is it now, eleven, twelve
years?  We have about the same interests.  We both like cars,
airplanes, and even the same taste in women, at least we did," Jay
said, chuckling as he spoke that last sentence.

"What are you getting at?" Joe asked.

"I think we get along pretty well together.  We always have.  I like
you.  I'm sure you like me too, or you wouldn't have tolerated my
constant bugging you for help with my car.  But now, with what has
happened, with you like that, I don't know for sure, but I think my
feelings for you are changing.  I think maybe, damn it Joe, I don't
even know how if I can say it.  I, I think I might even be falling for
you, like, like you were a real woman.  Is that a kick in the head, or
what?" Jay seemed relieved after he finished speaking.  Joe felt a
flush come to his face as he listened to Jay.  It really didn't come as
a surprise though.  It only confirmed what he had suspected.  Jay no
longer thought of him as just his "buddy." It was obvious by the way he
looked and acted that he considered Joe a "real" woman, and felt he had
to treat him as such.  That's why he was so uncharacteristically
polite, sometimes even condescending, and why he was always grinning,
and acting awkward around him.

"You're 'falling' for me?" Joe asked.  "Just what are you trying to
say, Jay?" He tried to act as if it was all a surprise.  He seldom saw
his friend at such a loss for words.

"Damn it Joe, I don't know.  Maybe it sounds crazy to you.  But I can't
help it, I really think you make a pretty nice woman.  I hope you don't
take that as an insult, because it isn't meant to be," Jay tried
awkwardly to explain.

"Well, considering that my chances on getting changed back don't look
all that great, maybe it's a good thing, that you think I make a pretty
nice girl, that is."

"Is that what they're telling you?"

"I'm sure that they don't even know for sure what caused it yet," Joe
responded.  "And even less about how to change us back."

"So what do you plan to do about it?"

"I don't have a lot of options, as far as I can tell.  I'm just trying
to make the best of what I've got."

"And doing pretty well it seems," Jay complimented.  "Most of the time
it's hard for me to remember that you weren't born like that."

"I guess I am getting accustomed to my body being like this," Joe said.
"But I don't know if I'll ever get used to the way I get treated
because of the way I look."

"How's that?" Jay asked, "Do you mean bad, or good?"

"Oh, I guess it's mostly good," Joe answered.  "I haven't really found
any real discrimination so far.  Of course, it's only been a week, and
I haven't been around that many strangers."

They were getting near the plane, and Joe was slightly ahead of Jay as
they walked toward it.

"Well, I still think you look gorgeous," Jay said.  "You think like a
man, but you're more attractive than any woman I know.  What more could
a guy ask for?"

"I don't know about thinking like a man," Joe countered.  "And I don't
really think I'm all that good looking, either." He grinned shyly.

"You don't?" Jay asked.  "Why not?  I think you're fantastic looking."

"Do you really?" Joe considered the feminizing of his body.  Sure it
was erotically interesting to be changed overnight, and then wake up
looking like this, especially at first, and he certainly liked the
sensations from his now softer, thinner, more sensitive skin.  He
didn't consider himself ugly, but he really didn't think he was all
that beautiful either.

"Don't you?" Jay asked.  "I don't know if I'd want to stay that way,
but I wouldn't mind spending a day looking like that," Jay volunteered.
"I think it would be interesting to see how the other half lives."

"Oh yeah?  I guess I am one of the 'other half' now, and I can say
this, it's not all that special."

"You told me you liked it, and you can't tell me you haven't played
with those boobs."

"Ok, Ok, I do kind of enjoy it sometimes," Joe admitted.  "Some of the
things about being like this aren't all that bad." He grinned
mischievously.

"Not all that bad?  It hasn't even been a week, and you've already been
in the sack with a guy," Jay teased.

"And I'm really sorry about that, Jay," Joe blurted.  "I shouldn't have
come on so strong the other night.  I hope you're not too mad.  I guess
I did take advantage of you."

"Take advantage of me?  Hey I'm a big guy.  I can take care of myself."
Jay grinned.

"Maybe so, but I think I moved a little fast."

"Move like that anytime you like, old pal," Jay commended.  "It was
probably the best sex I've ever experienced."

Joe looked at Jay with a frown.  "So you think maybe all girls should
have to spend some time as a guy before they become women."

"If they turn out like you, I think it'd be a good idea," Jay agreed.
"Maybe you can make the equipment that did it to you available to
everybody," he suggested, probably half joking.

"If only a way can be found to make it all work both ways," Joe added.
"Then we would really have something."

"Now that you've been a woman for a while, if you could change back and
forth, which way do you think you would stay most of the time?" Jay
asked hypothetically.

Joe looked at his pal.  "I was male for thirty years.  I experienced
about all that was possible to do, as a man.  On the other hand, I've
been only been like this for a week, less than a week even.  It's too
early to know.  I probably experienced most of the things a guy could
experience.  Now I've been changed like this.  There are still a lot of
things about this female stuff that I haven't even begun to consider
yet.  And I might add, it scares me to death when I do."

"Oh?" Jay said.  "And what are they?"

"Well, you know about as well as anybody what my body is like now," Joe
explained.  "I guess it's pretty well completely changed.  You know as
well as I that its all female now, right down to the chromosomes." He
held his hand out.  "Look at me.  There's no way to describe the
feeling of finding that even my hands are smaller.  They look pretty
much the same, but they're smaller, thinner, feminine.  I'm that way
all over.  In some ways I feel the same as always, but when I really
look at myself, I can tell that I'm softer, weaker, different in all
kinds of ways.  On top of that, the doctors say it's highly probable
that I'll, well, experience menstrual cycles.  I'll probably have
periods now.  Can you believe it?  And of course, if I have periods, I
can probably conceive.  I could get pregnant, Jay.  Pregnant!  Me!  I
wouldn't know how to be mother to a baby!  What would I ever do if
something like that happened?" He put his hand on Jay's shoulder,
squeezing it, as if asking for reassurance.

"Why are you so worried about getting pregnant?" Jay asked.  "You know
there are things that can prevent that."

"Yeah, I know, but I also know how I felt the other night, when we were
together.  I've ever felt that way before," Joe explained.  "I don't
know if I could have controlled myself.  If you hadn't known about
those condoms in my shaving kit, I'm sure I would have wanted you to do
it anyway.  I know I couldn't have stopped you if you had really wanted
to do it.  Heck, I wanted it even more than you did, I think."

"But it was good, wasn't it?" Jay asked with a smile.

Joe smiled.  "Sure.  I was disappointed at first.  I really don't know
if a real woman feels what I feel.  I would guess they do, but there
really isn't much feeling after you're in there.  It sure feels great
as it goes in though." He smiled as he recalled the sensation.  "I
can't even describe it, it's so good, so different, especially the
second time, it kind of hurt the first time, but then, after you were
inside me, I really could hardly feel a thing till you started moving
around.  No offense." Joe squeezed Jay's shoulder again, winking
seductively.

"You mean you could feel more with your penis?" Jay asked.  "Does it
feel better now, or was it better before?"

"I don't know, it's hard to compare.  It's really surprising just how
similar it does feel, most of the time anyway," Joe said.  "In some
ways, it feels better now, but in others, maybe not as good.  I guess I
really don't know how to answer you."

"But which do you like better?" Jay persisted.  "I've always wondered
who got more out of sex, men or women.  You're the first person who
might be able to answer that."

Joe grinned.  "If real women feel the same thing I do, if they tell you
they don't like receiving oral sex, they've got to be lying through
their teeth."

"How do you know that?" Jay asked, genuinely surprised.  "We never did
that."

Joe didn't say anything, just smiled knowingly.  He would just let Jay
wonder about it.  If he was going to live as a woman, he'd have to
develop his own version of the feminine mystique.

Jay looked around.  They were at least a hundred yards from the line
office, and there was no one else around.  They had reached the Mooney,
and were standing behind the tail, out of sight of the office, with its
big picture window.  Jay bent down slightly and planted a kiss on Joe's
lips.  It happened so suddenly, so unexpectedly, that it took Joe
completely by surprise.  After realized what was happening, he relaxed
slightly, and let nature take its course.  It was a feeling he couldn't
describe.  Excitement, mixed with fear, and concern that they might be
seen.  Still, Joe felt a strangely pleasant feeling overtake him.  In
the arms of a man, his pal Jay, Joe just let his body melt, and loved
the way it made him feel.

After an indeterminate time, Jay released him, and Joe was again aware
of what was going on around him.  He pulled his shirt down, and
straightened his hair.  Jay watched him with that cow eyed look that
before had irritated Joe, but now, it didn't concern him at all.

"Why did you do that?" Joe asked, still recovering.

"Did you like it?"

"Why did you do it?"

"Why not?  I wanted to, and I thought you might, too.  Now I know, you
did."

Joe smiled, embarrassed.  He was at a loss for words.  The way he had
responded to his friend's advance proved, to both of them, that he was
no longer the old Joe Bates.  Of course, he had already suspected it
himself, but he didn't really want to admit it, at least not yet, and
certainly not to others.  And not to Jay.

"Jay, I don't know what to say, I guess I'm going to need some time.  I
can't figure out what's going on in my head.  Sure, I guess my body
knows what it likes, it really does feel good when you touch me, but I
just can't get caught up in the physical aspect of all this so
quickly," Joe said finally, after thinking it over for a moment.

Jay kept his arm around Joe, with his hand rubbing his back, feeling
the strap of his bra.  He just looked into Joe's eyes, saying nothing.

"We better get going, don't you think?" Joe continued.  He didn't know
what to do.  He hadn't expected Jay to react like this.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," Jay said, as if not really listening.

"Don't worry, Jay," Joe said.  "We'll work this out.  I'm just not
ready to be somebody's girlfriend.  Not yet, if ever.  But if I ever
do, you'll be the first to know." He grinned at Jay, who looked lost in
thought.

After the quick walk-around, they climbed aboard and Jay went through
the checklist.  When the engine was running, Jay called clearance
delivery, and copied the transmission.  Cleared as filed.  They
received clearance to the runway and after a quick runup, they were on
their way.  Joe worked the radios as Jay proceeded on course.  The
little Mooney climbed swiftly to the ten thousand feet they had
requested.  That altitude would keep them out of some of the thermal
activity which caused the ride to be uncomfortably rough when flying
low in the desert.  It would be cooler on the return trip, and they
could request a lower altitude.

Before long, they needed to begin descent to Tucson.  The Mooney was
fairly slick, and it was hard to descend without overcooling the
engine.  Jay's plane didn't have the speed brakes which made later
models easier to fly in the terminal area.  They shot three ILS
approaches, and then canceled their flight plan, and went over to Ryan
Airport to practice NDB non-precision approaches.

When they finished that, they landed at Ryan, and refiled for the IFR
return trip to Deer Valley.  After another uneventful flight, they
landed and taxied to the parking ramp.  Throughout the flight, Jay had
hardly spoken to Joe, except things relating to the flight, or to make
some comment about something they saw on the ground.  After the engine
was silent, Jay turned to Joe.

"Would it offend you if I asked you over to the Airport Inn for a
drink?  I promise I won't try to make a pass, or anything," he said,
teasing.

"Sure, I think that would be ok," Joe said stiffly.  He didn't know how
to react with Jay anymore.

They took their bags and drove to the bar just on the other side of the
road from the airport.  Joe, Jay, and lots of other pilots who flew
from Deer Valley made it a regular stop after flying, and it was often
the scene of some fantastic hanger flying.

As they drove up, Joe was glad to see there were only two other cars in
the lot.  He didn't recognize either of them.  He was embarrassed to
have to explain his situation to people he knew, people who wouldn't
know what had happened to him and the others, but he wasn't going to
hide and hope it would all go away.  That probably wasn't going to
happen.  Besides, his mood had changed again, and he wasn't feeling so
bad right now.  Something, the hormones, something was giving him an
emotional roller coaster ride, and the highs sometimes felt as good as
the lows felt bad.

Joe followed Jay into the dimly lit bar.  It took a while till their
eyes adjusted from the setting sunlight, but by the time they sat down
at a table, Joe could see the pictures, propellers, and other airplane
stuff which festooned the walls of the cozy little place.  It was
definitely a pilots' hangout.

The waitress came over immediately and waited on them.  Joe recognized
her, but it was obvious that she didn't recognize him.  As he ordered,
he wondered if he should tell her who he was.  He decided against it,
primarily because he thought she wouldn't believe such a claim anyway.

Joe, remembering the change in his tolerance for alcohol, ordered rum
and coke with ice.  That would wet his whistle, and the ice would
dilute the drink if he nursed it for a while.

The drinks came, and Jay paid for them against Joe's objections.  When
the waitress left, he looked at Joe, and then started to speak.  "So
you don't think you're ready to get involved, huh?" Jay asked

"Jay, it's me here.  Joe," Joe said.  "How can you expect me to want to
'get involved', or what ever you want to call it, already.  Hell, I
don't even know if I'll be staying like this very long.  I can't make
decisions about stuff like that now.  I don't even know what I want,
and I sure don't want to get mixed up with somebody else right now.  I
have enough to worry about with Linda." He took a long gulp of his rum
and coke.

"Do you still think of Linda that way?" Jay asked.  He was surprised to
see Joe, who looked for all the world like an attractive young woman,
practically gulp her drink.

"What do you mean by that 'THAT WAY'? Just because this has happened to
me, I haven't just started over from scratch.  As I've said before, I'm
still me in here." He took another big swallow.  He was hot and
thirsty, and the cool drink tasted exceptionally good.

"But Joe, I've seen you, what you look like naked, and how you act.
I've even seen what turns you on.  Don't tell me you haven't changed,
and changed a lot."

"I'm not saying that.  Sure I've changed, and I'm still changing.  I
don't know when it'll stop.  But I still have my memory, I still enjoy
the things I always have.  Maybe it's a little different, maybe a lot
different in some ways."

"I guess I know you feel about guys.  Has your interest in women
changed, too?"

"Changed?  Yeah, I guess some of my interests have changed.  I still
like girls though, for what it's worth." Joe grinned.  "I still think
they're interesting to look at, too.  But maybe I'm starting to see
them in a different way now.  For obvious reasons I guess.  It's hard
to describe, at first, it was just like always, except for the physical
differences, and that was really strange.  But more recently, in the
last couple of days especially, other things have happened, my
attitude, I don't know, maybe my brain, the way I think, it's really
kid of hard to describe.  Maybe I really am going to turn into a woman
before this is all over." He downed the contents, and stared into his
empty glass.

"Do you sleep with Linda?" Jay asked bluntly.

"Is that really any of your business?" Joe snapped, but with a smile.

"No, of course not.  But I am your friend, and you know how I feel
about you.  Maybe it would help to talk about it."

Joe looked into Jay's eyes.  "Yeah, we still sleep together sometimes,"
He admitted.  "But that's changing too, I mean besides the obvious.
Linda's been really helpful through all this, really open minded, to
say the least.  At first, it was really a blast, you wouldn't believe
what we did together, but now, it's not really like that anymore.  I
don't know what's going on, but I just don't find it all as interesting
as at first."

"Maybe you're just not cut out to be a lesbian," Jay said, trying to
help.

"Is that what I am with her now?  Lesbian?"

"I don't know, Joe.  With what you've gone through, I don't see how any
of the normal terms could apply.  You have to discover what it is, and
then do what's right for you.  To hell with what anybody else thinks."

"Right.  I agree.  But I haven't a clue what I want.  That's the
problem.  I hope that I can level off somewhere soon, so I can figure
out how to live like this.  I can't stay on this pendulum for the rest
of my life."

"And if you decide that you need me, I'll be here," Jay said, taking
Joe's hand and squeezing it.

They looked at each other across the little table.  Jay took Joe's
hand, and Joe didn't pull it away.  They didn't speak, but said it all
with their eyes.

"Thanks.  I really mean that, Jay," Joe said.  He could feel the tears
well in his eyes, as his new emotions took over his personality again.

"Damn it.  I can't stand this damn crying all the time," He said.  "But
it seems I just can't stop it."

Jay looked at his friend.  It was strange seeing his buddy, this person
with such a knock-out body, and believe that he was the same person he
had known for so long.  It really was Joe, he could tell from their
conversations, but It was also plain that Joe was undergoing changes,
not just physical, that was obvious, but in his personality, his
emotions.  Look at him, or her actually, sitting there, trying to hold
back tears.  The Joe he known before had never been like that.  It must
be hard to have something take you over your whole life, he thought.

"What's the problem?" Jay asked.

"Nothing, nothing, I just get like this sometimes," Joe said, trying to
force a grin.  "Maybe it's some kind of female thing."

"Amazing.  What's it like, really, Joe?  What's it like to be female?
It seems simply amazing for something like this to happen, so
completely, even your emotions, your personality, amazing," Jay just
said over and over.

"Like I've already said.  It's not as different as you probably think
it is.  Sometimes, I can even forget that it happened, for a little
while anyway."

"But that body, how do you get any sleep?" Jay continued, speaking in
an awed whisper, and displaying a slight grin.

"Hey, it's just me." Joe replied.  "Sure, it takes a little getting
used to, and I still want to look at myself when I catch my reflection
in the mirror in the bathroom, but you do get used to it, I mean, what
about you?  Your bod is interesting too, don't you think?" He teased.

"Not like yours.  Forgive me, but you have the firmest tits I think
I've ever seen."

The comment about his body made Joe blush.  He arched his back, causing
his chest to become more prominent.  He looked at Jay, grinning
provocatively.  "Yeah, they are kinda nice, aren't they," he drawled,
chuckling.  "And they feel so good too," he said, seductively cupping
one of the soft mounds with the open palm of his hand.  Joe felt his
inhibitions free up as even the tiny bit of alcohol he had consumed
reached his brain.  He could see Jay was watching everything he did,
and that his actions were affecting his old friend.  It was interesting
to see the new power the changes in his body gave him.  Joe didn't
realize it, but he was reacting like some young girls did when they
reached adolescence and discovered the power of sexual attraction.  He
found it exciting to watch Jay's reaction to his flirtatious teasing.

Jay watched Joe carefully.  His friend had only consumed half of his
drink, but it was obviously causing him to act strangely.  Amazing.
Before, Joe, who really never did drink a lot, could still have easily
handled three of these rum and cokes without any obvious effect.

"Are you feeling all right, Joe?" Jay asked.

"Yeah.  I'm feeling great!" Joe exclaimed.  "It doesn't take much for a
buzz anymore." He raised his hand to attract the waitress.

"You better not have any more.  I don't want to be accused of taking
advantage of you." Jay teased.

"I know you wouldn't do that," Joe said.  "But I do have one thing I
want you to promise me."

"And what is that?"

"Promise me, if we ever get together again, you know, in bed, that
you'll never do anything without using something, protection, you
know," Joe rambled.

"Yeah, I know.  And don't worry about it," Jay said.  "I always carry
something with me, just in case."

"Just in case?" Joe asked, smiling demurely.  "In case of what?"

"You never know," Jay said.  "You never know."

"Yeah.  That's right.  I tell you, when it hits me, I don't think I can
control it, I mean, I always thought sex drive was strongest for the
male, but now I don't know, when I start to feel a certain way, I
almost think my body has a mind of its own.  I don't think I could
control it if I wanted too.  It's that strong."

The waitress came to their table.  Joe asked for another rum and coke.
He looked at Jay.

"And give this handsome guy another one too," Joe said.

When the Waitress left Jay spoke to him.  "Don't you think you better
slow down?"

"I've only had one so far," Joe answered.  "I'll be careful.  And
besides, you're driving."

Jay didn't want to sound like a worrier, but he didn't know what to
expect from his friend.  He sometimes acted so different now.

"Just be careful," Jay said.

The waitress brought the next round.  Joe immediately took a long draw
from the sweet drink.  Jay paid again, but this time Joe let him
without saying a word.

Downing the last glass so quickly made Joe realize that he needed to
pee.  That observation reminded him of his new anatomy, and what he
would need to do to relieve the pressure.

"God, I gotta pee," Joe said, snickering.  "What a pain in the ass."

He got up, and walked straight to the ladies room.  The drink had
removed some of the inhibitions he normally had.  He really hadn't had
that much, and he wasn't really drunk, but his apprehensions were now
in the background, and it felt pretty good to him.

Entering the small ladies room, Joe looked around.  Except for the
waitress, there were probably no other women in the place, and he was
alone.  From habit, he looked around for a urinal, and then, feeling
for his penis, he touched his new anatomy.  For some reason, it struck
him as funny, and he started to laugh softly.  Going to one of the two
stalls, he went inside and pulled his shorts down.  He looked down at
his panties, rubbing the slick fabric which covered the changes of his
groin.  It was all so strange, and so funny.  He laughed some more.

Finally, the humor was overtaken by the need to urinate, and he lowered
his sexy little undies, and sat.  When he finished, he pulled his
panties up, and again felt the strange sensation of the strap riding in
the crack of his butt.  He pulled up his shorts, and then went back out
to the table.

"Sometime, I've just got to show you what I'm wearing underneath these
clothes," Joe said to a surprised Jay.

"Oh, yeah?" Jay asked.  "What is it?"

"You have to see 'em," Joe said.  "Words won't do it justice."

"You've got my curiosity piqued now, Joe," Jay said.  "When do I get to
see?" He went along with his friend's seemingly wandering talk.  Joe
was obviously feeling his drink.

"Sometime," Joe said, "But not now, not here.  Sometime."

"Have you ever peed in one of those little cups?" Joe continued.  "You
know, at the doctor's office."

What was he getting at?  Jay wondered.  "Yeah, I guess I have."

"Well, You didn't have to do it the way I did today," Joe said.  "You
should have seen me.  It probably looked like a monkey fucking a
football."

Jay had to laugh.  He could imagine Joe filling a specimen cup with his
new anatomy.  Poor guy.  He was probably just venting some of his
frustrations.  He was just so darn beautiful, how could he stand it?

"I think I better take you home," Jay said.  "You gotta be at work
tomorrow."

"It's probably still daylight," Joe objected.  "And besides they don't
need me there.  They're gonna try stuff on gerbils, or monkeys, or
something tomorrow.  They don't need me."

"I think I better get you home," Jay repeated.  He didn't know what Joe
might do if they continued drinking.

"Yeah.  I guess I'm getting a little blitzed.  I'm really a cheap drunk
now, aren't I?" He laughed.

"Don't worry about it," Jay said.  "But we better get you home."

They finished their drinks, and went outside.  It was not yet
completely dark, but it would be soon.  They drove straight to Linda's
house.