Skin Deep: The Dance - Chapter 8 free porn video

Chapter 8 The Radio's Playin' Some Forgotten Song Michelle didn't seat the man in the tailored gray suit, starched white shirt and blood red tie. Her back was to him as she gathered menus and organized the hostess station when he arrived at The Red Fish. The elegant man caught glimpses of the lady from but never clearly saw her. Memories pulled and tugged at his heartstrings. So much about this woman reminded of his own wife Eliecia. But then that was a common occurrence. So many dark-haired women over the years had caught his attention, causing him to falter. Quite often there seemed such a resemblance that he would stumble mid-step or his breath would catch in his chest. But now after so long of it happening less and less, this time it took him a bit by surprise. He wanted to wait until she turned to face him fully, curious about her face but Nancy, Michelle's assistant, ushered the man off to a table out of sight of the station before Michelle was finished. He sat at his table, smiled and thanked the young woman who handed him his menu and then reviewed the menu alone, as he had done many, many times in the past. He didn't cook for himself. He had never found time to become a domestic individual. His wife had done these things for him and he had always been grateful to her for all she had done. He had never once taken for granted what a marvelous gift she had brought to his life. She seemed glad to do it for him, happy only to spend what time they could together in return, but he tried to give her so much more. His ambitions had been fueled by his need to see her smile. The way her eyes lit up when she saw him sent bolts of electric joy through him that were so strong they could have set a dead star ablaze. Those deep green eyes were on his mind at all times of the day and night, her radiant smile and flawless skin. It was a constant amazement that she was so deeply in love with him, so patient and needful. It drove him to be with her every minute he could spare. When he left the lab each night, he would literally run to his HOV in the company lot. Sometimes even blundering into people on the way, knocking them over and rarely excusing himself. If only they had known why he ran so, they would understand his eagerness to get home to her arms. Since his family's death in 2079 in what he had always considered a freak HOV accident that had taken the life of one other, a young lady on her way to a function of some sort if he remembered correctly, he rarely left the office. When he did, it was to drop off or pick up cleaning or go out to eat as he was doing now. Occasionally he spent time at his friend Jason Fenton's house. Those days were gone now too. He felt bad for poor Carrie. She was too young to have to go through what she was going to when the authorities caught her father. Perhaps there was something he could do for her when that happened. Some favor he could call in to have her placed in normal home and spare her the future she would have to face in the hands of the Federal Government. As he sat scanning the menu there was a sudden rush of wind past him and a scent of perfume, a ghost almost forgotten. The very nature of the disturbance, the change in air pressure as the woman walked by startled him to the core. It was a fingerprint in his mind. He could see Eliecia walk past, turn to smile that flirtatious smile and say bye in her sexy way, tempting, daring him to follow her. The memory was so strong he almost choked on the lump that formed in his throat. His eyes watered with sadness and he felt he should run from this place where ghosts live. But instead of running he looked for the source of this vivid memory. There she was; the people she was escorting to a table blocked his view of her. She vanished around a corner, exposing only a fraction of a profile but with that glimpse his heart froze for just a second. He shook the vision from his head. She's dead! Fool! It usually worked these days but the idea that he had seen her would not leave him. He looked around the restaurant and took in the environment. The places she might move to after seating her guests. After a while, a few minutes maybe, when she did not return he began to feel compelled to get up and find her. As he made up his mind to get up and search the building for her discreetly, to put the idea to rest there was a hand on his shoulder. It was a feared but expected moment in the life of a SKIN engineer. Only a few were allowed to know so much and he. His power was in the fact that they could not do what he had done. They could not live without him. What was worse was that those above him knew it. He had tried to withhold information, stall projects, and encrypt documentation in his own code but eventually those tactics only got you so far. Eventually everyone one was expendable, and in a way it would be a welcome relief. He could see his Eliecia once more, this time forever. It would be hard to kill him though. They had made sure of that, so in the end it was academic anyway. They wanted him to stick around to make these abominations for them. He looked up to see which agent had been assigned the task. It was most likely someone he knew well. Someone that would make light conversation and keep the tone of the evening light. A supper, a last supper if you will, drinks, a drive back to where he lived, just to get him out of the public view. He looked up to see who had gotten the job, Darrell or Stephen perhaps. Sweet, kind Stephen, he had always been so good to him, and he was still so young. It seemed a horrible thought that someone so young would have to cut his 'Agency' teeth by killing a friend. But the face looking back was not Darrell or even Stephen. It was that man with the niece. He wrestled with the name. Larry... no... that's not it. Gary yes that's it. He remembered the documentation he had pulled from the CITREG computers. He owned this restaurant, he and his wife. He was slipping in his old age. "Mr. Shipley, what a pleasant surprise." "Mr. Michales. I'm surprised to see you. Pleased, but surprised. I want to thank you for doing what you could and for the heads up. I know you must have gone to some great risks to help." "No, it was nothing really. I understand the love a man carries for his family." Michales played down his role. "I wish I could have given you more satisfaction than you got." "You did what you could, I want to buy your dinner tonight. Anything on the menu or off it, if I know what it is and have it in the back, I'll make it for you." "You?" Gary bowed, "Head Fry Cook, Gary Shipley, at your service, Sir." "I really couldn't, but thank you just the same. Let me ask, how is your niece?" Gary faltered for a moment. The uncomfortable silence sent up a thousand warning signals to the to the inventor turned government golden child. It was this man's connection with Fenton that was more a curiosity. When this man, Shipley, told Michales about the alleged abuse Michales had looked into it for him and found something much worse. He found that Fenton had been making regular trips to the disposal facility. Why would a programmer do such a thing? Michales had not wanted to think the worst, but in this business he had been forced to face the possibility that Jason had been smuggling out SKINs that were to have been destroyed. Considering the time span, some sixteen years, he could have taken hundreds, hell thousands of SKINs out of the facility. A breech like that would only be second to the single greatest loss known to date back in 2081 when a shipment of SKINs slated for destruction were stolen while being transported. It was the main reason a disposal facility had been built on the factory site. Not a single one of the SKIN's in '81 had ever been found. No it was clear that he had been taking SKINs and selling them for profit. Michales had not been able to find the money, no electronic trail anyway. That meant only one thing; he had converted it all to cash. Michales was pretty sure he could show that Fenton had been lifting the SKIN's from the disposal unit. So he had turned him in. What else could he do? Once you started looking, others saw what you were looking for and got suspicious. Now, with his hair on the back of his neck up in hackles, he knew that this man's niece had not been abused. It was something more sinister. It was the thing that had set the wheels in motion for Jason's demise, the reason Jason had run. Terrence knew he had to help this man. Children should not have to become victims of his invention. Now, because the government was paranoid, this family was preparing to hid this child from the world to give her an opportunity to simply survive. This was his fault. The black market be damned. There were thousands he could blame, but when it came to the last man standing, where the buck stopped if you will, he was the one that had brought this blight to man kind. He may have no choice in his own destiny but this child should not be in sinking boat with him. "Is there a place where we can talk my friend?" Michales asked. "Ah... Look, I have customers..." Gary suddenly didn't want to talk to this many any more. This man knew something. He could see it in this man's eyes. Gary knew he'd said too much. Damn me! What did I think I was doing? To say anything more would mean certain exposure to not just William but his entire family. Even that may have already been compromised. Gary felt sick to his stomach as the man Michaels started to reach toward Gary. Michales took his hand gently, "It will all be OK. I can help you. Don't worry, I'll say nothing." Terrence looked about and then brought his lips close to Gary's ear. "You and I both know there is more to your story, let me help you. Don't let a child suffer this injustice," Michales resumed his smile at a short distance from Gary. Gary couldn't believe what he was hearing. Michales then added, "Jason is gone, he's run away. Even if he hadn't, he wouldn't be able to help you. Let me help my friend." Gary felt his knees would not support his weight. It was out, the secret was known. He had never felt more like running away in his entire life. He fear he felt was paralyzing. Terrence placed a hand on his shoulder. "As I said, don't worry. Come, a place to talk." "Y... yes. I have just the place." Gary's look was vacant and blank as he led Terrence to the wine cellar. Down the sides of the room were racks after racks of wine, thousands of bottles, champagnes, and whites on one side, reds on the other. Each was further subdivided in to groups by grape or region syrah, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, burgundy, Beaujolais and Bordeaux. The white wines were divided in similar fashion. Inside there was a tasting room with a separate door for privacy during tasting events that the Shipley's hosted from time to time. This entire room was done in arched, low ceilings of brick. The ceiling was embedded with black timbers of wood that were bent and cured from the center of the ceiling to the floors. There was a long black wooden table, a time traveler from some distant region of Spain hundreds of years ago. Eight wooden and wrought iron chairs with crushed red velvet appointments, soldiers standing guard, surrounded it, protecting it. In the center were several bottles of wines from a couple of Long Island wineries. "A glass?" Gary offered but Terrance held up his hand in thanks but refusal. "Well, I need one." Gary took a glass from the overhead rack and opened a bottle of Local Flavor White from Peconic Bay Winery and poured a glass. He took a deep but gentle sip of the yellow liquid. Terrence could see the color come back to his face, even in the dim light of the tasting room. "I want you to feel at ease with me." Michales said in his easiest tone. Gary exhaled hard and then poured another glass of wine. "I would like that, I really would. But my ... my..." "Your niece... your family? You could get them in a lot of trouble couldn't you?" Gary nodded and with a shaky hand, drank and then poured another glass of wine. "I do not want that to happen to you. I really don't. This man, Jason Fenton, he was a friend of mine too, or so I thought. Would it surprise you to find out he was dealing in a contraband technology?" Gary said nothing, only leveled a stare at the man now on the opposite side of the table from him. "So cautious... that is good, no? But then if you were so cautious, you would not be here with me now." Gary visibly stiffened. "It is OK my friend. I know what led you to the factory that morning." Gary raised his eyebrows. "Desperation." "Yes... that's it alright." Gary agreed. He felt like crying out. He wanted to weep out of gratitude and fear. "Tell me what has happened." Terrence encouraged. Gary began, "His daughter, Jason's that is, her name is Carrie." "Yes, I have met her several times, please continue." Gary pulled his fingers through his damp hair, "I can't believe I'm actually going to tell you this." He said, his hands trembled so it was difficult to hold his glass without sloshing the contents all over the long table before him. "It seems my son, he was... they were... There's no polite way to say this." He grinned an embarrassed grin, and continued. "They were sleeping together; but he was using her. I don't believe he cared for her." "And she got upset?" Gary nodded, "And she put him in a SKIN while he slept. At least that's his story. Now they've run off and we can't get him out of the SKIN." "You said niece? Why would you say that unless..." Michales' eyes widened with enlightenment, "Oh my." "Yes indeed, Oh my!" "She is your son? Carrie put him in a SKIN designed for a female? How awful for your son. I have heard of cases like this. One actually happened at the Bureau. Poor guy went hopelessly insane when he found they couldn't get him out. That's all I can say about that however, classified you know." Gary nodded; it was more than he really wanted to hear anyway. "I can help you." "How?" he said skeptically. Until now he hadn't really understood how hopeless their situation was. Now it was made even more desperate by the fact that the day before they ran from Police Services, he had revealed his family's secrets to this man who was more than likely with the Federal Government. "If I tell you that, you could get in even greater trouble." "If you don't, I'm going to die right here of a fucking stroke. I'm peeking out here. I'm talking about things I shouldn't be with a man I don't really know. Who, by the way, already knows more than I would feel comfortable with. Work with me here." Terrance looked without emotion at the man and after a pause, began speaking. "I am the General Director for the SKIN's program for the Federal States. They are produced in that factory where you so unceremoniously knocked me to the ground. Be careful with that information. It could get you imprisoned... or worse." Gary felt faint. He wanted to pass out right then and there. Gary poured and drank another glass of wine. "Next time, just TAZE me when I get pushy." Terrence chuckled a bit. The door to the wine cellar opened upstairs and Brenda shouted down. "Gary? Michelle is looking for you." Gary opened the door to the tasting room. "Tell her I'll be up in a sec, but right now, I can't be disturbed. Tell her to... No wait," he turned to Terrance, "Can you excuse me? I want to make sure we are not disturbed." "I'll be right here. In fact, I think I'll have a glass of that wonderful wine you seem to like so much." "Yes, help yourself, please. I'll be right back." Upstairs Gary located Michelle at the hostess podium. "Hi hon." "Where have you been? The kitchen is in confusion. They need you back there." Gary pleaded. "Just a few more minutes. I'm working on something that may help William. If I can pull this off, we can stay here, we won't have run." The enthusiasm in his voice made her dizzy. Could this really be true? Could Gary have found a way to help? If so what could that help possibly be?" Without knowing the details, Michelle was already clearly torn. Her fear for exposing her family to this level of risk versus the prospect of freeing her son and putting the pieces of their collective lives back together. That was clearly a most attractive proposal. It also bore the greater risk. "How dangerous is this for all of us, this plan of yours? Brenda said you were in the cellar with someone else? Is it that man that was on the VID the other night?" Gary shook is head. "The answers are... Very and Yes." A cloud of fear drifted over Michelle's face. "Do you know what you're doing? Do you feel this will work out?" "I think this may be our best shot." "What are you standing around for then? Get moving. I'll handle the kitchen, Brenda can handle the dining room." Michelle encouraged. "Great! I'll be right back." Gary said "Hey," Michelle called after him, "Can you give me a hint?" "No babe, not right now. Trust me. It wouldn't be a good thing." He ducked back into the wine cellar but Terrance was standing, it looked as if he were getting ready to leave." "You're not going?" "I must, I have a limited amount of time in the evening." "I'm sorry, I didn't know." Gary apologized. "It was my doing, not yours. It will be fine." "When..." "Tomorrow morning. The sooner the better, the longer your son remains female the less likely I will be able to reverse the process, mentally. Physically, it should not be a problem." Gary nodded. "Do I have your address?" he knew he didn't but didn't want to seem crass. "I have left it on the table here, on a card. It should be easy for you to find. I must leave now." "Your meal. You didn't get to eat. You offered to help us, please let me have something made for you to take home. I have some sea bass on a very nice eggplant ratatooie and fried sweet potato medallions with a spicy mango chutney salsa. It won't take a minute. I'll box it up and you can take it with you." "That sounds nice, thanks." Gary called up the order and they shared one more glass of wine. Brenda called down when the order was nearly ready and the two men walked up to the hostess station just as Michelle was turning to walk back to the kitchen. She walked into the dining room as Gary and then Terrence breeched the bar area just behind the hostess stand. For Terrence, time seemed to slow almost to a crawl. He just saw the side of the face of a woman with long, reddish brown hair. It was a brown silky fountain that cascaded off the head and over the shoulders. Her profile was a symphony in motion. Her walk was fluid, her shape was trim and slim but full and ripe at the same time. He knew there would be no sign of unsightly bones of a woman obsessed with losing weight showing through the skin on this body. Everywhere would be the smooth and unbroken perfection of feminine body. There would also be no excess fat to hide them. Hers was a perfect body. He also knew that her face would be that of an angel's. Her narrow soft nose over full, richly red lips, plump and sensual they would be. He knew she was would have green eyes. The world swam in his head, she was walking away from him and he was going to faint. There, he could see one stocking clad leg vanish behind the wall that separated the hostess area from the dining room. Then it was gone. Gary caught Michales before he hit the floor. "Hey, hey. You OK?" "Yes!" Michales nodded. "I... I must be hungrier than I thought. Feeling a bit faint that's all." "Brenda, Call a cab for Mr. Michales here. Our account." Gary ordered. "Yes Sir." Brenda said and activated a small VID hidden by the podium. "No, Please, you've been very kind. I just thought I saw someone I knew that's all." "Really? Maybe you did. We can go see if you like." Gary offered. "I couldn't have." Michales said steadying himself. "She's dead." "Oh. I'm sorry." Gary knew he spoke of his wife. Brenda came over with the box and a bottle of wine. "Mr. Shipley said you liked this wine. He wanted you to have a bottle with your meal." "Thank you, thank you both. This is the most conversation I've had at diner in quite a while. I'll have to come back soon." "Please do. You're always welcome here. Your money won't be, but you will always be welcome." The men shook hands as the bell captain announced that a HOV had arrived for Terrence Michales. "I believe that is my ride. Thank you again." He started to walk away. Then he turned "Ten in the morning?" He asked. Gary nodded. "I'll tell you how much I enjoyed the fish then." "Good night my friend." Gary said. "Nice man." Brenda said. "You just wouldn't believe how nice." Gary responded. "Is he single?" Brenda asked. Gary only nodded. -*- As her mind worked she was impressed by the idea that there was a lot of time she could no longer account for. What had she just been doing? Never mind and enjoy this. Warm... Oh so warm... her brain told her. She was only dimly aware that she was in her room, that she was somewhere on her bed. She was melting in to it. There were parts of her that were loosening up and others that were tightening with tingles of excitement. "Mmmmmmm!" she moaned softly. Nothing she had ever felt compared to this sensation. I was like that thrill you get when you're a child, when the tree is lit early Christmas morning exposing all the presents Santa had left. Like that first true love date. It was the excitement of knowing that they feel the same way too, but still no knowing really what to say to one another. It was the anticipation of wanting the evening to move on so they could get to that kiss. She felt strong fingers curl gently behind her neck and draw her closer and her heart leapt. The touching was the best part; she wanted to be held so bad. Ever since this had started she had felt positively sterile and unapproachable. Even her parents hadn't had much to do with her. They had been distant and reserved, consumed with keeping up appearances and forestalling discovery. She squirmed in closer; she tried desperately to press against him. Her chest wanted to be touched. Her breasts ached for pressure. If she could only press against his chest and relieve a little of this frustration she would be fine. Her lips pressed harder into his and gently a warm probing thing parted her lips and snaked its way into her mouth. She gently clamped on it with her teeth and tugged on it playfully, then released it; driving her mouth over his wide open and sucking on his. She was moaning freely now with the pleasure it was bringing her and her body. She pulled herself closer but couldn't get close enough. He was leading her to the floor. He? He who? She followed. It was what she had to do. Her body was on fire and she knew that it could get much hotter. It had to get hotter; she was entirely frustrated with the lack of response she had provided for her screaming senses, she wanted more, no... she needed more. Yeah! But he who? The two plunged to their knees on the Persian rug that was spread upon the floor. The floor shook with the force of the impact of their bodies. It was only a miracle that they missed the broken glass all around them. Both were now blowing hot air out of their nostrils in large panting snorts rather than unlocking at the lips. They pulled each other close, knee walking and locking legs together when they could get no closer. She settled down with one of his legs between hers and the delicious pressure caused her to gasp and arch backward with surprise at the sensation. She felt an oily wetness spread through her groin that was startling but oh so exciting and pleasant. She grabbed the back of his neck and tried to force her head into his mouth. When that didn't work she settled for gently biting at his lower lip. She pulled away long enough to get a breath and a cry escaped her when she did. She drove her pelvis further up Randy's leg. Oh... That's right, Randy's here. Then on the heels of that thought came one more... You're a fraud. He thinks you're someone else! He thinks you're a real girl. She understood the thought but could not control the desire. She slammed her face back to his and started trying to suck it off. He was working equally as hard at trying to suck the skin off her face, obviously before she could succeed in getting the skin off his. The two teens were tightly wrapped up in each other's arms. Her eyes opened briefly... I love this man. God, how wonderful is this man? TELL HIM! YOU HAVE TO TELL HIM! She closed them again and a second later she moaned, sweetly and pleasant. Then another moan came from her. "Mummmmmmm" "Mumm?" her eyes fluttered open for a second and then closed again. Then they snapped open and bulged with surprise and horror at what was happening. The voice was right. No matter what she felt, it was not real, not natural. Randy had to know. She felt dirty and slimy. He had been so wonderful and she had let him believe... she didn't want to think about it. This was why she had invited him home, to deceive him. Nothing had changed, man or woman; she was still the same manipulating, self-important bitch. She tried to gently extract herself from the situation but her brain, and her body all protested. She gave off a small moan of surprise "Muummm!" and tried again. Sensing tension, Randy reluctantly let go but did so by slowing the pace leaving her with small peck on the lips but not letting loose from his grasp. She in turn answered his glancing kisses but was at a complete blank as to why she was doing so. Her body was a singing wire. She swore she could feel tendrils of electricity flying off her in every direction. And still her consciousness struggled to separate herself from the fray. "Oh... " He came back in, * Kiss * "Mummm; Oh no! Wait!" In he came again, * Kiss * "Mummm NO!" She was now finally but reluctantly pushing off his chest muttering as she did... "Oh no... Oh no!" "What!" Randy was asking. "What did I do?" he sounded genuinely concerned. "Are you OK? Did I do something wrong?" "No..." she was shaking her head. The realization of what had just happened was sinking in now. She had just made out with her best friend. On the surface of it that statement in her mind exploded with all the ramifications and innuendo that comes with two heterosexual males experimenting with a homosexual relationship and having all their friends find out. "Oh my God! What have I done?" she ignored Randy and his question. She glanced up... saw the door to the join bathroom and charged for it. To her gratitude it was unlocked, at least something was working out in her favor. "What are you talking about, what have you done? Beth, did we do something against your religion? Talk to me, please." Randy heard water come on in William's, bathroom and what sounded like..." "What are you doing in there?" "Brufing my teeff!" She shouted back around a mouthful of toothpaste and Erin's toothbrush. Randy brought his cupped hand up to his mouth, exhaled and quickly inhaled again through his nose, shrugged and asked, "Does my breath smell that bad? You didn't seem to mind a moment ago." "Spat!" he heard as water left her mouth and landed in the basin. "What? No... it's not you... it's me..." she said but there was a fretful tone to her voice. Randy got up and went to the bathroom and peeked in. "Hello?" she was there toweling off her mouth and face. "That gross huh?" "Well, if you only knew?" Randy flinched at the words and she knew she had just kicked him again without meaning to. "No... Wait..." she pleaded but he had already turned and walked back into the bed room. She followed quickly after him, her body was still on high alert status and every movement seemed to send her closer and closer to some vertical limit. Her nipples rubbed the inside of her shirt and she wished she hadn't have taken off that bra when she had gotten home. "Randy, that's didn't come out right." "Look, I'm not offended." "Yes you are, I can hear it in your voice." She paced in front of the door blocking his exit as he packed up his stuff. "No really, but I would like to get out of here before you say something like...'I'm flattered that you feel about me like that.' I really don't want to hear that right now. I'm a big boy. I understand how the world works. It's cool. But please don't insult my intelligence. That's all I ask." "I wish I could explain it. Please don't leave." She was desperate now. The day had been so nice. It had been wonderful to have a friend to talk to, and do work with and laugh with to share things with. Her body reacted to the thought of all the pleasant company by sending warmth all over her and giving her peace. She didn't want any of that to end. She needed Randy and his companionship. "Well, that's one I guess I didn't count on. 'I wish I could explain.' That's almost as bad as 'It's not you, it's me.'" "But it's the truth. You wouldn't believe me first of all and second I have to keep it a secret. Please, just don't leave." Was there more to her desire to wanting to keep him here. Deep down she was afraid of the answer to that. She kept focus on her more immediate needs and hid the others from view. "I guess I can't hide that I'm hurt. I thought something else was going on here. I'm a little sore that I made myself look foolish; that's all, just let me get out of here with what pride I scrape up off the floor, Ok? You don't have to justify anything to me." "Shit!" She stamped her foot on the floor causing her breasts to rub against her shirt again. Randy saw the expression on her face and grinned just a small invisible grin to himself. "But can you at least tell me something?" "If I can and if you'll stay." "OK, are those two Colossus Warheads you have there under your blouse or are you just glad to see me?" Blushing at the crude remark, she glanced down at her shirt and saw that her nipples were standing sharp, erect points. She quickly brushed a hand over them but they were still too sensitive to touch comfortably so she decided to leave them alone. "It's ... cold in here." "Right!" he grinned a broader grin. "Come here." She shook her head in quick short bursts but her feet took to baby steps in Randy's direction. "Come on... I won't bite you." "It's not the biting I'm afraid of." "I know you like me." "Yeah, and maybe a little too much. No Randy, please... don't ask me to." "Why?" "Because if I do I'm afraid I'm going to start kissing you again." This time his smile beamed, "You see." "Oh yes... I see, maybe you were right. Maybe you should go." She couldn't believe she was doing the safe thing. Her body wailed in anguish and her brain in anger at her words from the pent up desire to be loved and held. That she had been forced to endure this nightmare without any tenderness or compassion; and now here was this man she felt something for and she was sending him away? Randy took two steps toward Beth closing the gap and as if prompted to do so Beth followed his steps unconsciously. They were a foot apart now. "You don't want me to go do you?" Beth shook her head no. "I didn't think so." "Whew, Is it hot in here to you?" she asked absently and Randy smiled. "What were you saying about that kiss?" "Please, I'm confused. There's something happening to me that I don't think I should let happen. But I can't seem to stop it. Please be strong with me. At least until I figure out what's happening to me." Randy closed the last few inches and looked down on Beth's lovely face. He took her neck in his hand and she leaned her head back, surrendering the last of her will. She could not control this or herself. Her body was now at the helm. She was simply a prisoner in the cargo hold along for the ride but she thought to herself: But oh God, what a fucking ride. He placed his lips gently on hers and she pressed up to meet his. She gently parted her lips and took his upper lip in her and sucked on it lightly. Then he drew his head up and she opened her eyes. Randy lost his heart at that moment. It sank into the depths of the deep blue pools of limpid splendor that were her eyes, and although they were glassy and glazed over with emotion all their own, she stared into his soul and stole his heart from him. If she couldn't resist him and he could not be strong with her, she would have to tell him. He had the right to know who she really was. "Randy, I have something to tell you." She breathed and stood on tiptoe to kiss him again. She looked into that cute and only slightly chubby face framed in perhaps a bit too long blonde hair and realized she had fallen helplessly in love with her best friend. The friend she had had when just a week ago she had been he. She now had to tell him; tell him everything. She couldn't risk not doing it. If she were truly stuck, he might not ever find out. If she were not stuck, he might not ever find out. But if he did, and it didn't come from her here and now, he would never forgive her in any state or gender she possessed. "You figured out a way to tell me what you couldn't." "No, but I'm going to do it anyway. God help me, because you deserve it." She took a deep breath, "Eight months ago, when you took out Kathleen Wilson..." Randy raised his eyebrows shock. "Yeah." "And she said that she had to get home early because of a test she had to make up?" "Yeah...." "I was the test. I'm sorry. I've felt guilty about that since it happened and I never took her out again, I swear. It's just... well she came on to me in the lunchroom... I know I was the one that set you two up but she was really interested in me; and I just thought, well, I thought that ... Oh hell, I don't know what I was thinking." she said miserably. "Huh?" "I picked her up and took her out Randy, at eight-thirty. I was there, across the street when you dropped her off." "I'm confused, Beth. You were where?" He looked hard into her eyes a confused look spreading across his face. She looked back with a grave look in her eyes and said, "Randy, It's me, Billy!" She could feel his heart start slamming in his chest. She could not tell if it was out of fear, pain, regret or terror; but it was something like that. He peered down into her eyes with his and suddenly they widened and he stepped away. "You see! I knew you wouldn't understand." "What are you trying to tell me? That you're a man?" Randy asked. "No, I'm not a man. Not any more at least. But I was." Randy stopped, smiled and then chuckled. "That's a good one Beth. I'm not sure what the punch line is, but you had me going." "It's true." Beth insisted. "Stop kidding around. William put you up to this, that's why he hasn't called me. He's been plotting with you, telling you things about me. Do you have his number? I want to call him." "Randy! It's me. William." "Come on. Fess up now." Randy told her. "This isn't funny anymore." "Ooooooooo." Beth growled. Then she looked at him. "Pick a point in your life where William was there. Any point in time, I'll finish the story. If what you say is true then your buddy would have had to told me an awful lot for me to remember on the fly." "Alright then..." Randy thought. "On my sixteenth birthday William and I..." Beth interrupted. "Took a case of beer from the cellar her and spent the night in the old haunted Henson Manson down on the river." Randy pursed his lips, "How did you know that?" "Try again." she said to him not answering his question. "When we were thirteen, William and I used to set out early in the morning and walk to the Market Square shopping center on weekends..." "And spend all day sneaking in and out of the Holotheathers there. There was even that time when they showed the one about the first colonists on Mars and how they had been marooned. Do you remember how badly that scared me Randy? I used lay awake all night long thinking about those poor peopled trapped so far away from home and in the morning you knew that I hadn't slept. Randy paused, then said. "Yeah it took William three weeks to get over that." "Five weeks Randy. Nice try though." Beth smirked. "In summer camp..." Beth got a sympathetic look on her face, "Do you really want to rehash when you peed in our tent?" "Oh shit!" Beth nodded. "See, I told you." "Yeah, you told me alright." He assured her as he backed away toward the corner. He didn't go so far as to make an accusation, but it sounded as if he had started to. That combined with the way he looked at her made her feel dirty and freakish. "Oh you do? Well why don't you just explain it to me then? I mean, after just one simple confession, I'm impressed. You seem to have already figured out something that I'm not even close to understanding and I'M THE ONE STUCK WITH THE REALITY OF THIS! So what could you POSSIBLY KNOW?" She blasted him and dashed off back to the bathroom where she had been minutes before. This time Randy heard the lock of the door click over. "Go home Randy." He sat there stunned and feeling guilty. He had reacted and not thought this through. But in reality how the hell was he supposed to act. If what Beth had said was true he had been making out with his best friend. Why would Billy want to do this? More importantly, how had he managed SRS in only what much have amounted to a few short days? Why hadn't he, Randy, seen any signs of this happening? Careful there pal... I think you want to focus on that key phrase, 'Best friend'. He shook off the thought. "I don't think I'll go home just yet." "Please..." Beth wailed. "I'm sorry I let that get out of hand. I should have told you when I knew you had desires. I was scared. All I wanted was the friendship I used to have." She paused. "I thought I could have that without being completely honest. Please go home, I'm embarrassed enough." He could hear her starting to break down on the other side of the door. If that was really Billy then it was completely out of context for him to break down like that. He could think of thousands of times when Bill had been there to offer moral support when times got rough for him. The guilt of his actions began to press down on him. Wait just a God- damn minute... what the fuck is all this guilt shit. She lied to me. He justified. And you're validating every fear you so called ' best friend' seems to have had. Nice fucking guy... "Fuck!" Then from the behind the bathroom door, "No thanks, but I'm flattered." Randy cringed, "I want to talk to you. Please come out." "I think we've actually said and done all there is for us to say and do, I would still prefer that you go home now. But if you feel you have to you can talk from right there and I can listen from right here." "Billy..." "You can't call me that!" She snapped back through the door. "Beth... Beth, give me a chance to at least apologize." There was silence from the door. "Tell me what happened. Talk to me, please." More silence. "Do you blame me for being surprised? For not recognizing you?" "No." she said. "I'm over it. I reacted poorly. Cut me some slack here... I don't know what you were looking for... and inside the bathroom a single thought slipped uncontrollably into the girls head, a knight on a shinning steed... "But if you would give me a chance to get used to this idea I'd like to try to give you what you were looking for from your best friend." More silence. He got up and collected his things in to a pile and waited a few minutes saying nothing. When he had at last he had decided that she was not going to come out, that perhaps the best thing would be to leave, come back later, then try to talk to her, there was a click as the passage set turned and the door opened. He couldn't help himself when he saw her face peek around the corner of the doorjamb; he smiled. "What's so funny?" she demanded. She was clearly still upset at his behavior. He wiped the smile off his face quickly, "I'm sorry, I'm just glad you decided to come back out." As he spoke to her he realized he could not put his buddy William into the context of the situation or the conversation. This was Beth, and Bill was still in someplace in Germany skiing or going to school or boinking some fraulein in some an Alpine chateau. He wanted to be tender with this person. He could never have done that or even thought of that with his bud. She sensed that everything between them had changed. Although they still may have been friends, there was a new interest in his eyes. It scared her to a large extent. She had allowed things to get out of hand. In fact it had been almost impossible to stop that kiss from progressing once it had started. How did that get started anyway? Now everything had changed. Wasn't it funny how much men and women change when they interact? She thought. She wanted a friend and really that was all. Someone she could talk to. Things had just gotten out of hand. But Randy had been looking for and thought he'd found something more than just friendship. A complicated swirl of emotions and perceptions deepened as explanations ensued; Randy tried to grapple with the idea that this was Bill. No, she assured him, it was no costume. It was very real. Take it off? No she could not do that either. The question of how long would she have to stay like this came up, she didn't know and really didn't want to talk about it; it had been too long already. "OK then. How did this happen? You can at least tell me that much." She started to explain what had happened. How Carry had ambushed her while she helped her with some homework. But that would be a lie too. Beth was certain that Randy knew anyway. Knew that William had been taking advantage of Carry's infatuation for him, so she told the truth. "They left town after I escaped. The time between, gave Carry's Dad a chance to get out of town unnoticed. Without him I'm not sure I can get out of this mess." Those words were the first time she had faced the idea that she may spend the rest of her life as a Beth. She started to tremble uncontrollably at the idea and as Randy watched on he realized that she had not been able to talk to anyone about these possibilities, not on her own terms anyway. These were new wounds that hadn't been inflicted until just now. They would be raw and painful thoughts now that they were exposed to the air. "I'm sure that won't happen." He wanted to hold her, to keep her from shaking. He was uncertain again about how she might react after the display in the bathroom; he withheld the temptation to try to comfort her. It destroyed him to see her this way. Even with the knowledge that this is William, you still love her? He stiffened a bit. LOVE? Did you actually entertain that idea? She's beautiful, you're infatuated, yes; I can see that but in love? Deep in his heart he knew it was true. He had heard things like this happen. Hell he had even mistaken infatuation with love a couple of times, who hadn't? But this was a hard feeling. He could not break through it. Each time he felt a selfish thought his mind turned to the girl at his side and asked, what would she think of that? Are you thinking of her? "How can you be so sure that I'm not already trapped like this? That I won't have to spend the rest of my life as a female? How can you possibly know?" Female, not woman... he can't even admit that's what he is. He must be terrified; I know I would be. Randy thought. "You're right. I don't know." he admitted. He saw one tear splash on one knuckle at the words "Oh... please don't..." "I'm entitled!" she snapped. "Yeah, I guess you are." She moved to sit next to him a bit closer. He had thought she needed the support; now he knew she wanted it. He slid until their hips were touching and slipped his arms around her. She turned into him so she could benefit from his embrace and she broke down in his arms. "You haven't had the chance to do this have you?" he could feel her shake her head no and it broke his heart. "You cry then, get it out and you'll feel a little better." He engulfed her in his embrace. All thoughts of romance with the beautiful girl were washed away by her incredible need. She had had a terrible secret that she was forced to remain strong and hide from the world because of the way the world viewed her secret. Now she had a friend and he was going to have to be strong for her, just has she had been there for him in another life. It was his turn now, and he refused to fail. He refused for her sake as much as for his. She held on to him for the better part of two hours. He simply sat and held her. He pushed all other things aside. School work, his legs falling asleep, a nagging itch on the tip of his nose even the urge to go to the bathroom were all ignored to comfort her. He felt that if he broke the moment she might withdraw again, she might refuse the comfort if she were to be allowed to examine the situation too closely or become uncomfortable with his presence. So he sat there and made sure she had what she needed. He allowed her to break the embrace. When she did she was all cried out. Her eyes were red and puffy and the small amount of eye makeup she wore was streaked down her cheeks, even with this small mess, she was stunningly beautiful. "Look at the bright side!" he said. She laughed a thick laugh of surprise and tension. The saliva in her mouth felt ropy from the long sob session but it felt good to let out a laugh even if she didn't know what it was for yet. "What's bright side?" she asked. "At least you got a very pretty SKIN." Beth snorted, "I don't think they make ugly ones." "Maybe but I suppose that it could always have been worse. What if it had been one that looked like Mrs. Abercrombe?" Mrs. Abercrombe aka 'The Eleventh Grade Zombie' was a hideous that more resembled Medusa's ugly half sister than anything human. She was the terror of the entire school and simply making it past eleventh grade without being assigned to her class didn't mean you escaped her clutches. She also ran the study hall. "I guess you're right." She nodded her head. "Thanks for that." "Hey, what are friends for?" he shrugged it off with a smile. "Well, for this mostly." She leaned in and kissed him and the act surprised both of them. Another one of those impulse acts that just happened. It was almost as if she was aware of it only after she was in the middle of the act and it was too late to stop it. When she pulled back, she was about to apologize when she saw that he was smiling. He had lifted a hand to the spot on his cheek where she had kissed him and had touched it ever so gently. She decided to keep her apology to herself. If he enjoyed that, what was the harm in letting him keep it? "Are you going to be OK?" he asked her. "I think I will now, thanks." She assured him. Then she realized that he intended to go home. It was his way of letting her know that he had done as much as he could right now. "Don't leave." she said quickly. Why not? She didn't know. She just knew she didn't want him to go. "It's late. Mom and Dad will start looking for me soon." She opened her mouth to say something and then snapped her mouth shut again. She knew it was true. "We didn't get much work done did we?" "Yes we did. You're not disappointed with the results are you?" he asked her. She shook her head. Time and environment has taken on a strange quality, it had become thick! Yes, that was the perfect word Beth thought. It was hard to think or move comfortably. There were unspoken taboo's here but they were well hidden by the fact that they were in reality one very real boy and one very real girl with very real emotions for one another. How the hell do you argue with that? It was a very confusing moment for Beth. Then it happened again. She was holding his hand. How the hell did that get there? Randy made no effort to let go of her hand so she didn't embarrass him by trying to withdraw it. Although she wouldn't admit it to herself she really enjoyed the felling of connectivity to another person. That feeling that she was no longer facing this alone. To separate hands might have meant to break that bond. She didn't want to risk that. We keep coming back into each other's arms. Even now. He stood at her door, course cartridges under one arm holding her other hand. He didn't make any attempt to leave and then they both knew the formality the other was waiting on. "Um..." she said shyly. "Maybe that's not a good idea, do you think so?" "I do." he agreed and then in defiance of that agreement leaned in and placed his lips hard against hers. She didn't resist. No, instead she allowed him to penetrate her mouth with his tongue again. They didn't embrace but continued to hold hands and kiss. She breathed hard as her heartbeat pounded in her chest. Please stop. Her mind pleaded weakly but the genetically modified teenage hormones quickly subdued the male consciousness of William and left it tied up and struggling for recognition in the corner of her female mind. When they separated he asked, "You're going to ride with me to school in the morning right? Don't take the school HOV." She nodded. She didn't want to try to speak right now. Feeling overwhelmed, she was afraid she would sound like an idiot. "I was asking if 7:30 was OK for you?" "Well, yeah unless you want to be late." She said, and then cursed herself, "Wait, come early, say 7:00 or so. I'll have some coffee or something ready, OK?" "You mean the real stuff?" he asked excitedly. "Nothing but the best." she assured him. "I'm all over that. See you at seven." This time she gave him a quick peck and he departed out the door. When he was gone she realized she wanted him to come back. She hurried over to her window and watched as he stepped out in the fading sunlight and made his way over to the HOV that his parents had purchased for him earlier this year. He took a second before climbing in to glance up at the windows where her room was. She waived but he didn't see. He stood for moment, apparently drinking in the view and then turned and climbed in the HOV and pulled away. Why was he being so wonderful? Maybe it was just in his nature. He had always been good, almost to a fault. She had always teased him about this before all this had happened to her. It had always seemed so geekish of him to be so generous and ... friendly, giving. Now however, it no longer seemed geekish. It seemed very grown up; mature. Beth recognized something. Suddenly life didn't seem so bad. She let the drapes fall back into place over the window and she flopped back on to her bed, her hand on her stomach. There, they slowly, gently moved up the length of her body to here breasts. She allowed one finger to glide up and over the nipple of her right breast. The excitement forced her eyes closed and she dreamed of what it might be like to share a bed with Randy. The excitement was almost too much to bear and she pressed her legs together tightly and started to grind them together there on her bed. There was a low heat of desire for Randy, she couldn't deny it any longer, and it was beginning to rise to a boil. -*- Gary and Michelle traveled home together leaving one HOV, Michelle's, in the parking deck of The Red Fish. It was a witting mistake in a well-planned cosmic conspiracy. Neither Michelle nor Gary could begin to understand how the cards had been stacked against them and that they were playing the game just right, one more piece of the puzzle was in place. Gary flew the HOV home in silence at first. Michelle couldn't figure out why he wouldn't speak but she wanted to respect the way he wanted to start with it. At last, when she could bare it no longer, she commented, "I'm going to die a horrible death here if you don't say something." Gary had been wondering just how to start without frightening her into cardiac arrest. He knew more about the man he'd bumped into that day but didn't know if he really wanted Michelle to know what he knew. Still he said nothing. Instead, he began to perspire. Michelle saw this and commented on it. "You're sweating, Gary." "It's hot in here." "Is it? Well then let me just turn off the air- conditioning." She said in a rather sarcastic manner that made Gary feel just a bit uncomfortable. "OK, I'm nervous." He said. "That's at least the truth, and a nice start. Tell me more Sir Knight." Why the hell did I say that? Gary looked at her from the side with a curious glance and then dismissed the comment while Michelle blushed with uncertain humility. "As you know, he's the guy that told us to back off." Gary blurted out. It took Michelle a moment to catch the meaning of it, but when she did, it was as if the fear of some ancient tribal curse had been realized and was now loose upon the land. It ripped Gary apart to see her in the grip of it and she said nothing much to her credit. Gary had made a choice. She understood he believed it to be a good one, or at least the best one to be made, whatever the particulars of that decision were, albeit unknown to her. That; however didn't detract one ounce from the risk she saw in it. "How much does he know?" she said in a very business like tone that was usually reserved for when she was very scared or very mad. "Pretty much everything." he said wondering to himself, which state she was in. She turned on him but said nothing. Her eyes were large and frightened in the dim light of the HOV's flight deck. He understood right away where her fear had led her. "No... No..." He said quickly, "He just knows about William. Please, give me just a little credit." "How can I? He's part of this Gary. He's one of them. Me? That's one thing. I've made a choice. I'm here for the long haul, because I love you. I still have to hide it from people like them. We are all exposed now. I sure hope he told you something that lead you to believe that he can be trusted Gary. That's all I can say." She turned and sat, arm folded and stared out at the HOV traffic clearly visible on the HOVWays over the city as they flew home; each roadway in the sky, at each altitude creating rivers of lights, white, green and red; flowing out over the harbor where all this had begun for her all those years ago. "He did." was his answer. Some time passed before Michelle could no long control her curiosity. It was the one thing she ever consistently got frustrated with Gary over. Until the time she had become Michelle she had been able to play Gary's game very well. The one time she lost, she became his future wife. "You can drop the other shoe now Gary, you know I want to hear it." He couldn't help himself; he smiled a quick and subdued grin and said. "I believe he's telling me the truth because he feels sorry for us. He feels sorry for William, for the child. I believe he maybe feeling sorry for himself as well." Michelle opened her mouth to speak but Gary didn't let her utter a word. "He's told me his family is dead. I don't' know how or when, but I know he had a wife and daughter and they are both dead now. He's concerned about our family the way he wants to believe someone was concerned about his in their final moments." He let that hang out there for a second to see how it tasted to his wife. When she said nothing, he added, "I believe his intentions are honorable." "When does he want to see William?" it was a dry but emotion-filled statement. "In the morning. I want you to take Erin and Shelly to the mountains in the morning, I'll tell William the good news and take him over there myself." She wheeled around in her seat. "No! I'm going too." "Aw now Michelle, that's not a good idea." Gary said cautiously. "Why? Gary, he's my son. Please don't make me argue why I should be there too. What if something goes wrong?" "That is the very reason I don't think you should be there." Gary insisted. "If something goes wrong, you need to be there for the other girls." The worst part of that comment was that it's exactly what she would have said too. There was no way however; that she was going to let Gary command her to go to the mountains when so much was at risk. "I want you to take the girls up to the lake tomorrow morning." "No Gary." "Michelle, please." "I said no! I'm going. We think much better together. I should have been a part of your little meeting tonight." Gary sighed... "I know that Michelle." He said wearily. "But just the risk of anything happening to lose you..." He voice cracked a bit and he fought to maintain his composure. "I just don't think I could bare it. I thought the fewer people of our family he meets the better." Michelle reached out and touched him on his cheek. She said nothing. She understood that all Gary was trying to do was rescue her again. He was trying to protect her from the big bad world. "Now that I think about it though, it's not like he wouldn't be able to find out who I'm married to or who our children are. Isn't that right?" He looked at Michelle and she had that frightened look again. "Don't think about it too much. If it's already gone too far then we can't stop the freight train now. That's why I think it's best you go with the girls. If they come after us, you'll have a running start." Gary encouraged. "I'll lose you and William if that happens." she moaned. "And if you don't you'll lose the girls as well. Not just us." Michelle moaned again in shared torment. "I'll tell you something else. They'll lose us, both of us. Not just you; not just me but everyone. This way they may still have you. The girls will need their mother." She sat for a while, her hands folded in her lap, eyes watering and finally said. "Gary, please don't make me. I need to be there for William. Maybe I'm too close to this; but I need to be there for him." "I felt pretty good about this until now." he said. "You have to promise me something before I agree to this." "I agree..." "Just wait. You haven't even heard yet." Michelle turned in her seat to face him. "I don't' care what you want. If you'll support my being there then I agree." He ignored her comment. This was serious business. "If anything happens... anything unusual at all, no matter what it is... you take Beth or William or whoever he happens to be at the time and get the hell out of there." "You'll be right behind us." Michelle confirmed. "I'll be acting as a distraction. If you give me your promise, I know you won't break it. If you have to leave me then do it. Do you understand?" He asked her. "You're killing me here, you know that don't you?" she said emotionlessly. "Promise me!" he demanded. "There's always a way out of everything Gary." He looked at her ruefully. "Is that right Mike? Is there?" "Don't call me that." she said shyly. "You know as well as I do that sometimes there's no way out. The kids can't afford that. You've had your no way out scenario. William may be having his own. The next one belongs to me. There will be no argument. If it happens, you go take the child and go. Do you understand?" "I don't like this Gary." She sulked. "Do you understand?" "Yes." she said. "Then you promise." He kept on. "Yes. I promise." "Good." They said nothing else to each other for the rest of the trip. It was a most rare night. The two had never gone this long without speaking to each other. -*- In the course of a bad day, it's easy to lose track of a few of the details. At the end of Friday the wheels had come completely off Shipley family machine. By 10:20am Michelle could no longer be counted among the living. By the next day, Gary Shipley had been arrested for the suspected murder of his son and his niece was on the run to a lake house owned by a family destroyed by the events that had transpired earlier in the day and facing eternity as the girl now known as Beth Wright. Oh, it started innocently enough, with Erin waking to the unusual presence of her father in the kitchen. "Dad? What are you doing up" Erin asked rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Thought I'd send you off this morning with a breakfast of my own this morning." He paused for a second as he whipped eggs in a glass bowl. His attention never left his daughter as she sat at the counter. Erin smiled at her father and Gary thought, How can things be so screwed up? This is a perfectly wonderful time with my first-born and all around us the world is going to hell in a hand-basket. Gary felt the guilt of being a MIA parent. He could have shared many moments like this with his family and instead he had allowed himself to become success driven. In the pre-dawn hour, much as Beth and Michelle had done shortly after life had started to break down. Now it was left to these two. Gary began to explain that which he and Michelle had agreed they would tell her. "Erin..." "Yes Dad?" she responded and then asked, "Is that coffee you have?" "Hum? Oh yeah. Want some?" "Please." she said in the sweetest voice he could manage. Gary was upset now. If this didn't work then there may be no more mornings like this one. Things could be worse; they're only going to the lake. Calm down. Gary handed Erin a cup of coffee, "What were you going to say Dad?" "Say? Oh yeah! That's right. What I wanted to say was that..." he wrung his hands but Erin didn't catch this, "Given the stress of the last few days, your mother and I have decided that we need a break. Ah, you and your sister and ... well, Beth need a break." Erin narrowed her eyes at her father. "William is changed into a girl and you want to go on holiday?" "It's not like we're celebrating this Erin. We all just need some 'arctic time' that's all. A chance to regroup if you will." Gary assured her. "I don't mind celebrating the fact William's a girl. It suits him. It should have happened years ago." Erin sipped her coffee thoughtfully. "You're not saying things like that to him... er ... her, Beth to Beth are you?" "Still not used to this Dad?" Erin asked through her snickering. "This is not funny young lady!" Gary was not angry but stern. This was after all serious business. "Blizzard back a few Pop! I was just having a little fun. Besides, it sounded like Beth was having a little fun of her own last night too." "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked in a low tone. "I think Randy was over here after school and it sounded like they were studying anatomy." She took a sip of her coffee and waited to gage her father's reaction. Gary said "Huh? Anatomy?" with a confused look pasted on his face. It looked so ridiculous that Erin almost laughed out loud. To keep from laughing she said, "So no school today for the Shipley women, former baby brother included in our ilk. How l