Hank picked up the rusty saber. "This comes right in time." They had to act quickly and skilled if they wanted to get this ugly big harem guard down for good. "Try to get behind him." he yelled over to his friend Jules, while he had a hard time fighting of the first massive strike of the ogre's huge war hammer.

"Right on it, man!" He saw Jules vanishing into a barely visible silhouette as he took the potion they had decided to save for the next big encounter. Seemed to turn out as a wise choice, as he had quite a hard time to dodge the brutal strikes of the raging enemy more and more. His stamina was going down rapidly. He knew it, saw it. He performed his special move and with a quick twist he caught the enemy off guard, when he took a swing with his weapon. The rusty metal sunk deeply into the flesh off his opponent, right under his ribs. The guard tumbled back and roared in pain.

"Do it now, Jules! Do it now!"

The rogue meanwhile had managed to sneak unseen behind the ogre. Jules left his shadow form. His speed increased as he crossed the castle's hall with only a few quick steps. He pulled out his daggers out, jumping, climbing up the gigantic back of their foe.

"Yes! Way to go, dude!" Hank cheered, as the detached head of the harem guard fell to the floor right in front of his feet. The huge body of vanquished monster followed, sending a tremble through the ground.

---------------

"High five, my man! We SO fragged this fucker!" Hank triumphed.

"You betcha!" Jules laughed. "Seen that special move? Awesome, eh?"

They had been playing this game for like two days now, nearly without a pause (Yeah, well. If you don't count sleeping and eating of course). He wouldn't have thought of this one to turn out being that much entertaining. "The secret of the lamp". The title sounded quite cheesy and Hank hadn't expected too much of it when he first shoved the golden disc into the slot of the console. - But actually it had turned out as the best of the games they had bought.

The both of them had known each other since their kindergarden-days and soon became best friends. Nowadays they were best to be described as classical 'nerds'. They both were much into computers, gaming consoles and super hero-comics. And as they both had problems to hook up with 'the ladies', that was pretty much all they spent their time on.

Hey also had taken their vacation at the same time. It was just the usual procedure: Buying some boxes of beer, some fast food and then meeting at Hank's to discuss, play games... Well, too sum it up: Just hang around. Admitted: Not the way two usual guys at the age of thirty would spend their time. But they enjoyed it and had nothing better to do anyway, so they ended up killing some time with playing some of the games out of the card box full of them which Hank had casually had discovered when he was strolling through a flea market.

Hank's flat kind was pretty much a nerd's heaven. He still lived in the house of his parents, on the upper floor. It had it's own lockable door, there was several rooms including a bathroom and a kitchen of it's own. Plenty of space for them, with noone bothering if they turned up the volume of the TV or stereo. Except for his parents, which didn't seem to bother anymore. They seemed to have kind of given up on their nerdy son. And comong to think of it: He was actually sort of fine with that.

"Was that the endboss?" Hank asked and took a sip of his beer.

On the screen they saw the large, golden gate at the end of the hall opening and their game-characters as they walked through it. They entered the harem. Golden decorations, white alabaster and silky curtains. Even a fountain was there in the middle of the room.

"So what? Didn't we... you know... save any princess or something with this?"

"Well, let's see." Hank steered his character towards the fountain.

Now Jules also saw what his old friend was heading for. Right in front of the it, down on a small socket, their was a small antiquy looking oil lamp. Just the kind known from the stories known from 'arabian nights'. - Hank pressed the "action button" and his warrior picked up the lamp, starting to rub it against his sleeve.

Immediately a cloud of smoke started to stream out of the opening of the little bronzen lamp concentraing in front of them and finally gaining a shape.

"A genie... How original." Jules grunted.

"Eh, give it a chance. Just wanna say it's named "Secret of the lamp". Be patient dude. Maybe we'll get some extra-items or something."

The genie meanwhile manifested in midst air, crossing his arms. A big muscular persian kind of dude with smoke beyond his waistline instead of legs. A balloon soon popped up above him, spelling a message:

"Welcome heroes. [Player 1] and [Player 2] (they hadn't had bothered in the beginning of the game to type in any names for their characters), our kingdom is in your debt. For your great and loyal services to the Sultan you shall be granted one wish. - Please make you wish, my masters."

Hank and Jules waited for a minute, but nothing more happened.

"Huh?" Jules said.

"Oh, man. I gotta admit the game was awesome. But this is like the shitiest ending of a video game EVER!"

It was undeniable. This must have been it. Without any signifact movement the genie kept floating in the air, still the same stupid bubble above him: "Please make your wish, my masters." There was no possibility to type something in or anything else similar.

"Duh?" Slightly disappointed Jules threw his Joypad on the carpet. "Well, I'd wish you guys would have bothered to insert some special weapons or something."

Suddenly a new text spelled in the geenies bubble.
"Your wish shall be granted. - You obtain special weapons: Chainsaw, Bazooka."

"There we go! Like I told you. We just had to wait a little."

"Yeah! This sounds like fun. - Ready for another round, dude?"

"'Course. Let's go for it."

---------------

It had been fun playing the game again with the new weapons and way easier than the first time. The enemies got cut down like gras and in only somewhat like three hours they nearly had played through the whole game again.

-WRRRRRR-

This time Hank simply slaughtered the ogre-guard with his chainsaw. They had a great laugh about it. Jules finally took a stand behind his friend, finishing the boss off with his bazooka.
In the end the genie appeared once again with the same text bubble as shown before.

"Please make your wish, my masters"

"Well, let's see what we get this time." Hank said.

But this time, they waited in vain. - The geenie kept floating in the air. Seemed there were no further extras to win. Well, it had become late in the night meanwhile and they both till then had had several beers, so they decided to call it a day and went to sleep.

---------------

Hank awoke when the sun shone right into his face. "Gnaaar." he growled as he slowly got up, out of his armchair which he had fallen asleep in yesterday. He tied to clear his sight and took a look around. Jules was resting on the couch, still asleep.

Hank closed the thin curtains on the windows to block out the intensive sunshine which hurted his eyes. He decided to let his friend get some more sleep and so he went to the kitchen to make some coffee. When he returned, Jules was still sleeping, so he decided to go online and check his mailbox.

"Spam... spam... Commercial mail for cheap viagra... TV-sets... blablablabla...."
He deleted one after one, and already thought it was all crap-mail, when he discovered one of his brother. He hadn't heard of him too much lately over the last few month after Andrew had moved to Texas. Well, of course. His bro had a wife and two kids which surely kept him busy. One could tell from the content of his letter. He was all about how the new house, the garden and little Lisa growing her first teeth and stuff like that.

Somehow it really made him think. His brother was so different to himself. He had a evry lucrative job, a family. Would he himself make a good father? He took a look around. All the posters, computers, consoles... Would he himself ever become a father? And if... Would he be a good one? - He wondered...

"Sometimes I wish I'd know how it's like to be a familyman." he mumbled.

He turned around when he heard Jules grunting on the sofa.

"Hey dude. Back amonst the living?" Hank grinned.

"Mornin'." His old friend slowly sat up and coughed.

"You look like shit, man."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm not feeling to good, man. Gotta take a piss."

"Help yourself. You know: Everything which doesn't pay rent's gotta get out."

He heard his pal mumbling something while he got up and shambled to the bathroom.
He obviously must have had one or two beers too much judging of all the pucking Hank could hear shortly afterwards.

Hank turned around in his revolving chair when he finally heard that his friend returned.

"Eh, you're allright ag..."

Hank stopped in the middle of the sentence when he caught sight of Jules. It was a somehow weird, disturbing picture. Had his hips always been that wide? Well, if they had been, why would it be that his pants seemed way to tight? And what was it with that big ass? - It must have been his immagination.

"I'll be allright. Just gimme a couple of minutes."

Hank wasn't all to worried about him. Is was just natural. They had stayed up late, had had some brews. He was sure his buddy would be fine again after one or two hours.

"You'd like some coffee, pal?"

"Could need some, I guess."

---------------

It had been a good idea to get playing some video-games again. For a change they had decided to go for a little online gaming. Counter Strike. Jules seemed to be pretty much O.k. again. At least judging from what he acould hear from him from the other side of the room, where he sat at his PC.

Hank jumped over the wall. This was his favourite game and he was a real pro in it. He took a quick look around wtaching for enemies. The terrain seemed to be clear. He would just hide behind the wall and... -BLAM-

"Took you out cold! Ha ha ha!" Jules seemed to be that exited that his victory cry sounded almost high pitched.

He laughed heartly and turned around his revolving cahir to make a proper reply. "Yeah. But but that like no..." His jaw simply dropped as he was seeing his friend, who also had turned around, celebarting his rare victory in this game.

"You don't stand a chance against this one! Is it hot in here, or is it just me?! Bazinga!"

"I... I... I..."

"Left you breathless, huh? Well, it was one hell of a shot..."

"N... No."

Jules got a little worried. His friend stared at him like he'd seen a ghost. Plus he got whiter than the wall when he pointed at him. Jules eyes followed his hint down to his own chest.
He gasped in shock as he realized the huge bulges which were stretching out through his T-shirt.

"Oh my god! W.. What is this, man?!"

"Well... er... Maybe you have an... er... allergic reaction of some sort or something." Hank tried to console his buddy. But even while he said it he knew something like an allergy never could cause a swelling like this. Those things on Jules' chest much more looked like a B-Cup, like...

"TITS, HOLY CHRIST I'VE GROWN TITS!"

Jules had run over to the mirror at the dresser. He held his shirt pulled up and looked in disbelieve on his new grown features. From behind him, still motionless sitting in his chair, Hank could see the reflection of his poor friend in the mirror. And there was absolutely no doubt about it. He had tits. It was not only the size of those things. Also the nipples were way too large for being a man's and they were even, well... stiffened. And as if all of that wouldn't have been bad enough, there were other significant changes visible as well.

"No, no no! There's gotta be some explanation for this..."

In desperation Jules crossed his arms before his breasts. His wide hips and his round ass swayed as he strated to restless walking in circles through the room. Coming to think of it Hank had to say that seen from behind the shape of his freinds body more looked like a woman's than thus of a man. - Hadn't the guy also had brouder shoulders before?

"Well... er... I can hardly think of one..." Hank stuttered, unable to take his eyes away from Jules' chest and his face redened in shame when he realized that his pants seemed to get way to tight all of the sudden. He just had no control of it. - When his poor friend realized the awkward look on Hank's face he also blushed and turned away from him, pulling his shirt down.

"Y... you pig. You're really getting a boner on me?"

"Hey, I'm so sorry, man. I just...", In midst of the sentence he came to the conclusion that excuses would make the whole situation only more awkward. It was better thinking of something to do about it. "Dude, this ain't normal. You're definitely sick in some way. We better should get you to the hospital immediately."

"To tell them WHAT?! - No, no, no! I'm just gonna take an aspirine and a could bath to get those swellings away, and then..."

"No man." Hank's face was as white as the wall. "This won't do. This is just too serious. I.. I mean, look at yourself. We gotta get you to a doctor and..."

A significant growl coming from Jules's stomach interrupted his sentence. Simultaniously his friend started to get hiccups. "Oh my -hick- god. Heartburn. Argh. My throat -hick- is burning like -hick- fire. I've - hick- got to eat -hick- something."

"There's no time for that now." Hank insisted. "We gotta get you to the hospital first."

"No, I can't take this pain."

Without waiting for Hank's answer Jules rushed into the kitchen. In disbelieve Hank whitnessed how his friend over the next twenty minutes randomly cosumed an amount of food which he would had labeled as enough for a week. Restless, without any pause. In between he groaned 'cause of the pain the heartburn caused. He was so busy he didn't even seem to realize that his changes we're going on. His belly more and more buldged out significantly (O.k. no wonder as the guy was stuffing it with more and more food).

Hank just stood in the kitchen-door, watching this surreal scenario. Maybe he was in shock and he didn't know who to deal with all of this anyway. So he just stood there, whitnessing the unthinkable. He was actually kind of releaved when his pal finally seemed to have ended his meal and seemed to feel better.

"O.k." he breathed heavily holding his swollen belly. "I so needed that. Finally the pain is gone.

"Arrrrgh. - Out of my way, dude!"

Hank felt unable to act. He even barely realized the hit when Jules ran acroos him and acccidently rammed him with his shoulder. The guy just stormed into the bathroom and locked the door.

This was all way too much for Hank. He just couldn't get it, realize it. His mouth still opened he wavered over into the living room and just fell into his arm chair. He sat there for quite a while, hearing his buddy taking the shit of his life. Hell, it had been somwhat like fifteen minutes since the dude had left the kitchen. And he still was going...

There had to be an explanation for this. What possibly could cause something like this?
Hank asked himself this question over and over again. Finally he looked up and on the TV-screen...

---------------

Jules didn't know what was happening to him. He just knew that his stomach cramped and that he had to take a shit. More and more was coming and whenever he thought he was finally done, the cramps came back again and he had to go on. He felt so horrible that he barely could think of anything. He just wanted to be relieved of that pain.

After a to him endless seeming period of time he finally started to feel better again. He got up and turned around, to shake of the last drops of his...

---------------

"WAAAAH! - Oh my god! My thing is gone! I have a pussy! D... dude, I... I have grown a fuckin' vagina!" Jules shrieked when he entered the living room, shrieking in panic.

Cold sweat stood on Hank's face, when he got up. He looked at his friend. At least he thought he knew it must have been him. Same hair color, even if it now was long enough to touch the shoulders and also a facial features remembrance was quite recognizable to his friend. But this wasn't tghe Jules he had known for so many years. What he saw in front of him was a woman. Her bellybutton and stomach were swollen, sticking out.It was no big deal to tell that she was in an earlier state of pregnancy. She held her exceptionally long T-Shirt up to show him her crotch,her... Well, you know. She was a hundret percent female without any doubt.

Hank didn't really know what to say, he just pointed at the TV-Screen. - Jules followed his hint and had a look on the monitor. It was still displaying the ending sequence of the game they had played the whole day before. The geenie still was floating there in the harem-scenery, their player-characters standing in front of them. And once again he had one of those speech-bubbles above his head. This time it said:

"Your wish shall be granted. - You obtain family."

It took a few seconds before Jules realized what that might mean for them.
"Oh god. You don't wanna say that..."

"We've got to hurry, Jules."

Hank's friend followed his eyes down to his own belly, understanding what he was implying.

---------------

"You gotta get him from behind, man. You're the rogue. Hurry up and do it!"

As the game had continued, Hank more and mre started to panic. Jules's changes had progressed constantly and right now a fully grown mother to be sat on the couch beneath him, holding her joypad. But not only his body had changed. As he looked over to his buddy from time to time through the game, Hank had whitnesses as also his clothes had been changing. First his T-Shirt had become longer and longer, then the color changed from white to some baby-blue. Now he... or better she wore a modern maternity dress and he thought that he could even see through the relatively thin fabric that she also wore a bra underneath it. Her womb had also grown constantly and her bellybutton stuck out now significantly. He didn't know too much about pregnant women, but even he could tell they had to get moving.

-Pause-

"What are you doing, man?! For Pete's sake, we gotta hurry up!" Hank hissed, biting his teeth.

"I'm sorry. But I gotta take a piss."

"Again?!"

"I'm sorry. I can't help it. I... -Ungh- Could you..." he blushed. "Could you please help me up, dude?"

Hank snorted unnerved. He did know that it wasn't his friends fault. It had been HIS own wish which had brought them into this whole situation in the beginning. But how should he have forseen something like this. And with Jules going to the bathroom every fifteen minutes... Well, it didn't increase their chances to get out of this whole mess again.

When he came back Jules had a kind of glowing, calm smile on it. "Oh man. It's so weird. I can feel the baby inside me. And it just kicked. There, it is doing it again. 'You wanna feel it?"

"Don't you let get you washed away by all those hormones n' stuff. Get your chick ass over here and take you fuckin' pad if you don't want to give birth, mommy!" He tried to get his Jules back on track through talking to him in the usual, rough guy-talk.

"You're right, man."

"I just feel so... weird." She caressed her big womb with one hand, then she go aware of something else. "Oh god, look at this."

Hank sighed but did as demanded and took a look at Jules. She was examining her breasts with her hands. In the nipular area there were two wet stains visible. "This is... unbelievable... - I guess I'm... giving milk."

Hank was shocked. They were running out of time. "Stop that! We have to hurry up! Hurry, youhear me!" Seemed to have worked. Jules slowly sat down having trouble to deal with his huge belly, and grabbed his joypad again. - Thank god! There was not much time left and still three more levels, three mini-bosses, two endbosses to be beaten left he thought.

---------------

The last miniboss. He estimasted that it would take them a quarter of an hour to get to the geenie again. Hank got one of the persian guards down with his saber. He flipped over the dead body and took care of the next two, simply slaughtering them. Meanwhile after nearly three days of constant playing they had become experts on that game. Another room cleared. He moved the steering cross, taking a look around with his character.

That was when he realized that he was fighting alone. Jules's rogue just stood there behind him without any movement whatsoever.

"What're ya doing man? We gotta..." He took his eyes of the screen angrily looking over to Jules...

"I'm sorry." Jules answered. He was holding his huge belly. "I guess I've got to take a -Ungh- piss again."

In horror Hank looked at his friend's crotch. Between Jules' legs the whole dress was completely wetened, and also on the floor there was a huge puddle of some clear liquid seeping into the carpet.

"What's happening?" Know Jules also was touching the wet spot on his dress, examining it in disbelieve.

"OH Lord! We have to go on! Do it! Grab your pad, man!"

"You're right I... ARRRRRGH!" He just screamed out in pain, holding his womb. His controller fell into the wet spot on the ground.

"Please man, PLEASE!" Hank had tears in his eyes. Only another twenty minutes. "PLEASE!"

Hank not even heard the key turning in the lock of his flats door and so he was quite suprised as his mother suddenly appeared in the living room.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" he stuttered.

But she didn't even seem to bother to talk to him. She just shortly patted his arm and walked right over to Jules, who sat on the couch, still crumbling in pain. "Oh sweety. Your water broke. Calm down and remember to breath like you've learned in the course: One, two... HFFFFFF! One, two, HFFFFFF!" She grabbed Jules's shoulders from behind as she advised him. And he did as told, willing to do anything to soften the severe pain he was in.

"Harold, quick. Get the car. We've got to get Julia to the hospital immediately."

Hank hadn't even notize that his father also had been there, waiting in the room's door. Hank didn't know why, but instinctively he walked over to his father. He had always known what to do, how to handle things. "Dad, I... I don't know what to do..."

"I've been there, son. - You just get over there and take care of your wife. I'll gte the car."
Before he had any chance to reply, his father had already turned around and gotten down the stairs. Knowing no better alternative Hank like automatically followed his Dad's command and got back over to the two women again. His mother was trying to get screaming 'Julia' up. "Dear, could you give me a hand here?" He did as told. This was impossible. It just HAD to be a nightmare. 'Wake up, wake up, Hank!' he told himself while he was helping his mother to lift up Jules. But he couldn't wake up.

-HFFFF!- ARRRGH! It hurts so much! I don't wanna have a baby! -HFFFFF- I wanna be a man!"

Melissa, Hank's mother, laughed out loud. "Oh, sweety believe me: All of us say things like this when we go through this. But you'll find it's a thousand times worth it. You'll see!"

"I got the car in front of the door." Unnotized by Hank his father had returned.

"We can't go!" Hank screamed in panic. "We have to finish this game."

"Son. Get a hold on yourself and help your wife. She needs you now."

---------------

Hank felt like he was floating in midst air. Like he was watching this whole scenery from a distant angle. He was standing at the head of the bed in the delivery room, looking down on the naked body of the woman his best friend had become. He held her hand. He didn't know why. Maybe he just hoped it'd help to make it easier for her. To soften the pain she felt.

"She's dilated ten centimeters." the doctor said. She had shortly introduced herself to them both. He hadn't really listened to her. A Susan 'something jewish', whatever...

"It's all you fault! You did this to me!"
Jules screamed out his pain in pure anger.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry. Women always say things like that when they are in labor." The nurse standing nearby tried to console him.

"S... sure." Hank stuttered.

"Breathe... breathe... Now push!"

"I don't want to! I can't... GNYAAAAAH!"

Hank didn't feel a thing. In sheer disbelieve he saw the small head appearing between Jules's legs.

"Good, Mrs. Gordon. We're almost done here. Just give me one last, big push."

"GNAAAAH!" Jules obeyed the command and within a second a real, life baby was lid into the waiting arms of the doctor.

"Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Gordon. It's a girl."

"My stomach..." Jules caughed, addressing Hank at his side. "It... It's flat again. - I... I had a baby."

"I..." This was the last thing Hank could stutter before everything went black.

---------------

"Oh christ, my head." When he woke he blinked into some bright light. He reminded himself to buy lightbulbs which were less intensive. But the more his vision cleared he realized he wasn't at home. A ceiling light as you might find it in... hospitals!

But why would he be in a hospital? Then all of the sudden it all cam back to him. The weird game, The geenie. He carefully sat up checking his body for injuries. Nothing whatsoever.

'That must be the explanation!' He must simply have past out due to alcohol on some party or club or something. He sat up. Nothing hurted, nothing happened. All good. This had really been THE horror vision. No matter what his treatment on this wouldcost, he would pay it luckily. It was nothing compared to...

"Mr. Gordon, Hank. You're awake. Great!"

Cecilia, a nurse of the hospital had just entered the room. But how come that she knew his first name? Oh, yeah. He remembered. She had asked himabout it while she had stood nearby him in the deli...

'Oh no...'
To him it sounded like spoken through thick fog as he heard her say: "Your wife's so waiting for you." He didn't resist when she her arm under his and more or less draged him euphorically out of the room and through the corridor.
"Your daughter's such a beautiful girl. You'll be the proudest father there is. Believe me."

'Air! Air!' He had to keep breathing, to stay on his feet. He felt like all of his blood was sinking down into his feet while this sweet, poorless woman simply shattered his illusions with just a few words. Before he knew it they stood before the door of a room with Cecilia, watching her knock on it.

"Come in." a female voice answered.

"Hey, Melissa cutie pie!" If it wouldn't have been for the situation Cecilia's cheerful voice surely would have been infectious. "Your daddy's here!"

Jules... or better to say Julia... was lieing in her bed. And she actually held a baby in her arms.
Hank couldn't believe it. "I... I... Well, hi..."

"I'll leave the three of you alone, huh?" With those words the young nurse waved good bye and left the room.

"Morning, 'dear'." Jules hissed. "May I introduce you to your daughter I gave birth to last night?"

He looked at the little child in her arms in disbelieve.

"Believe me, I didn't do this on purpose." he stammered. "I never knew that this thing was capable of granting wishes and I'm terribly sorry about everything you had to go through. But I'm gonna make up for it. I... I'll pay you any sum I can afford and...

"Whaaaaah!"

Obviously he had spoken to loud. The baby, Melissa, had woken up and started wailing.

"We'll just go to my place and play that stupid game again and then everything will be as..."
He stopped when he realized that Jules didn't seem to listen to him anymore. She was just busy with the baby. "There, there, sweety. What is it. You need a new nappy?" She tested the diaper of the infant for wetness like she never had done anything else.
"Or are you just hungry?" she said in the most cutesy voice which kind of confused Hank. But what followed simply let his jaw drop. Like there was nothing more natural, Jules opened a button on her nightgown an revealed her left breast. Then she gently led the mouth of her daughter to her nipple and the child started instinctively to suckle.

"There, there..."

"Y... You're breastfeeding? "

"'Cilia showed me how to do it earlier this day. - Remember: It was your wish which made a mother out of me, and now I am." She said resolutely.

"But just tell me: What have you wished for exactly, Hank?"

He tried to remember and then said "I just wished I knew how it was to be a family man."

"Well, it seemed to have worked." Julia replied. "You have a child now. And a wife. - And I gotta admit: A wife who thinks you're very handsome." She looked him up and down and giggled. "I guess I've become a hetero woman by now."

"Oh god, I'm so so terribly sorry. As soon as we can go back to my flat we'll get to that stupid endboss again and reverse everything with the next wish and we..."

"No, we won't. I'll let noone and nothing harm our daughter."
She was serious about it, Hank could tell.

"I am now Mrs. Gordon. The mother of your child and a housewife. I'm fine with it now. I actually wanna do this." She looked down on her daughter. "So do you want to stay at my side as my husband till death parts us, Hank?"

She was beautiful. She was the mother of his child. And she seemed to be in love with him. And he with her. He could feel it when they kissed...

The yellow truck arrived on the garbage dump. It's hydraulics gave of a loud mechanical sound when it emptied it's content on the large hill of waste. A few broken pieces shimmered golden in the sun's light on top of it. - Until the next truck arrived...