Author's note: This story takes place in my Burke's Virus universe which was introduced in A Plague of Changes and continued in A Touch of the Bug.

I grimaced as I heaved my load, a heavy steal pole. I would have wiped the sweat from my eyes, but both hands were needed to hold the pole. It was big, heavy and awkward. As annoying as this was, it was nothing new to me. In fact, it was just another day at work.

My name is Jim Brody and I was a 6 foot 1, well muscled construction worker. I had a bit of a beer gut and tended to forget to shave every once in awhile, but I was still a pretty handsome guy... or at least I liked to think so and my wife Brenda seemed to agree.

Once I dropped the pole off where I needed to, I paused to wipe the sweat out of my eyes and take a little breather. It was late in the day and I was usually a bit tired by then, but for some reason, it was really hitting me harder than normal. I was feeling sore and achy all over.

"You're getting old Jim," I told myself with a sigh, though the truth was that I was only 39. Still, that was plenty old enough to feel all the aches and pangs of aging. Especially when you worked in a physically demanding job as mine.

When my shift was over a short while later, a couple of the guys and I went out for a few beers before I finally started for home. I'd thought that a cold beer was just what I needed to relax after a hard day, but unfortunately, my stomach disagreed. By that time, I was beginning to feel kinda sick and the beer just wasn't sitting well down there. In fact, I was even starting to think that I was going to hurl. So instead of humiliating myself in front of my buddies, I chose the lesser evil of leaving my beer unfinished when I left.

The moment I stepped through the door at home, I was suddenly hit with all the familiar sounds of my family. Mostly, yelling and screaming across the house. And it came not only from my kids, but from Brenda screaming for them to stop arguing.

"Hi dad," my 15 year old Jack called out to me as he ran past.

His sister, 16 and a half year old Megan came past just seconds later, yelling at Jack about something or other and seeming to ignore me entirely. I shrugged, just being thankful that she wasn't on the phone for once.

"Will you two settle down!" Brenda's voice rang from the next room.

"What's for dinner?" I asked as I stepped in.

Brenda paused from the stove long enough to give me a quick kiss that seemed to contain more habit than passion. "Meatloaf..."

"My favorite," I lied, having learned from 18 years of marriage that telling her I'd rather have a steak was not a good idea.

While we sat down to eat, Megan complained almost nonstop about some other girl down the street and about some boy she liked but who didn't like her. It was pretty normal conversation. I just gave a few grunts and nods every once in awhile to pretend I was listening, pretty much the same thing that I did with her mother.

Jack barely said a word during dinner, gulping down everything so fast that I wasn't sure that he even chewed. Brenda made a few comments about Jack having a hollow leg or something to store all he ate, but I proudly reminded her that he was just a growing boy.

However, my own appetite just wasn't up to its normal level. In fact, I was barely able to eat much of anything because I was so nauseous.

"Are you all right?" Brenda asked me, not for the first time shortly after we'd finished with dinner. She was looking a bit concerned.

"Just tired is all," I told her, letting out a loud yawn.

Jack piped in, "You look like shit dad..."

"Jack!" Brenda gasped at his language. Personally, I didn't see what the big deal was since it was just a word, and one that could be heard just about anywhere. But Brenda could be a little funny about things like that.

I grunted, "I think I'm gonna hit the sack early." I let out another yawn before adding, "It's gonna be a busy day tomorrow..."

With that, I said goodnight to Brenda and the kids, then started for bed. I winced slightly as I undressed, feeling each and every one of the aches. Jack might have pointed out that I looked like shit, but I sure as hell felt like it. So it was with great relief that I crawled into bed, hoping that I'd feel better in the morning.

I awoke in the morning to the most annoying sound in the world... or at least the second most annoying sound next to screaming babies... or possibly the third if you considered fingernails on a chalk board. Of course, I meant the horrible sound that could only come from an alarm clock when the last thing that you want is to get up.

At first, I just groaned, then tried to cover my head with a pillow. Finally though, I reached over and turned it off, obviously to the relief of Brenda who hadn't enjoyed being woken up either.

"Damn," I groaned, still lying in bed, feeling far too tired to get up.

Though I'd hoped that a good night sleep would have been all I needed to feel better, it appeared that the opposite had happened. I felt even worse than I did when I'd gone to bed. My whole body ached and I felt nauseous and tired. I closed my eyes... just for a moment... or at least I'd thought it was just a moment.

"Get up," I awoke again to Brenda shaking me, "You're late for work..."

I groaned, not liking the interruption at all. With a grimace, I opened my eyes and sat up, feeling horrible as I did so. However, I firmly reminded myself that a man couldn't let a little sickness keep him from doing what needed to be done. Such as going to work.

After a minute though, Brenda came over and stared at me, a look of surprise on her face. She gave a deep frown, then ran her hand over my cheek, continuing to give me a strange look.

"Oh dear," Brenda gasped out as she took several steps back. At my blank look, she told me, "I... I think you have the Bug."

I froze at that. The Bug. Burke's Biomorphic Virus as it was more accurately known, was not something that I generally considered a good thing to catch. It was a strange virus that had appeared out of nowhere some years back, though no one knew where or how, yet it transformed just about anyone who caught it. It could change them... anywhere from just making their hair grow a bit longer, to turning them into someone completely different. No, hearing that I might have the Bug was not good news.

"You're kidding," I responded, not too confidently. I felt weak and sore, symptoms that I'd frequently heard attributed to the Bug. And I seriously doubted that Brenda would suggest something like that without good reason. But then again, I tried telling myself without much hope, it could just be the flu.

"Your hair," Brenda rushed out, "It's longer... And your arm hair..."

I looked down at my arm hair, surprised to see that it was almost entirely gone. Normally, my arms were covered with enough hair that I might be mistaken for a gorilla, but now the hair was sparse and my arms fairly smooth. Definitely not a good sign if I was looking for it not to be the Bug.

With that, I hurried to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, carefully looking my features over. Of course, I knew that the Bug usually worked over a couple days to a week, but I thought that I should see something if that was what I had. Of course, most times the Bug only gives smaller changes so I wouldn't notice much anyway.

Then I saw that Brenda was right. My chestnut brown hair looked at least a shade darker, not to mention nearly an inch longer. It was almost as if all the hair that had disappeared from my arms had suddenly been added to the hair on my head.

"God Damn," I cursed, not at all happy with the thought of having the Bug.

Unfortunately, the Bug was not a rare disease. In fact, it was one of the more common ones, almost as common as the flu. It wasn't at all unusual for people to catch it again about every year or so. Though until that moment, I'd been fortunate enough never to have caught it at all.

"Are you alright?" Brenda asked, the concern evident on her face.

"Just great," I grumbled back, staggering back to the bedroom and reaching for my pants. I felt like shit but I still had to get to work. Bills don't pay themselves, sick or not. Unfortunately, my legs didn't want to cooperate and they suddenly seemed to turn to rubber.

"You can't go to work like that," Brenda firmly insisted, pushing me back towards the bed, "Not with the Bug. You sleep in and I'll call to let them know that you won't be in..." I started to argue, but she wouldn't have any of that and I was soon back in bed.

I spent most of the day in bed, napping off and on. While I was awake, I couldn't help worrying about the Bug, and what I'd heard it could do. Just about everyone got it at one time or another, but it was still scary.

There was a real good chance that it would only change me a little bit, like my eye color or something. But it could do more than that, making me get fat... or get older. And though it wasn't quite as common, the Bug sometimes changed people so completely that they looked like completely different people.

Later that night, Jack came in to see me. It was the first time that either of my kids had come in, at least while I was awake and knew about it. Jack stood at the door for a minute, looking rather worried. Of course, I remembered that he'd had the Bug just the year before and had been sick for nearly a week. Fortunately, all he'd gotten from his bout with it was that he'd developed a nice splattering of freckles on his nose and cheeks.

"You okay dad?" Jack asked me, then added, "Man you look bad..."

"Not as bad as I feel," I chuckled weakly.

We sat together for several minutes, neither of us really saying much. Finally, Jack left... only to be replaced by Megan, who said even less than he had and left within several minutes.

When I got up the next morning, I felt just as crappy as the day before. And as I made my way to the bathroom, I couldn't help noticing that my shorts were pretty loose on me. I grimaced at that, not liking what it might mean. It was obvious that I wasn't going to get off with just a few freckles like Jack had.

"Damn Bug," I grumbled to myself, wondering just how the hell I was being changed.

Though I had originally intended to just take a piss and go back to bed, I stopped in front of the bathroom mirror first. I just had to know. My eyes widened at my reflection and all I could do was stare at it in disbelief.

Like the day before, my hair had grown longer, by several inches, as well as had become a bit darker still. My eyes, normally brown had turned a dark gray. There wasn't a hint of a 5 o'clock shadow, even though I hadn't shaved in several days.

I blinked, then muttered, "Shit!" And that was only my face.

The rest of my body had changed as well, and not for the better. Well, except for my waist, which was noticeably lacking my normal spare tire. However, all of my body hair was missing, and my arms and legs seemed thinner as well.

Without looking into the mirror again, I finished my business and returned to bed, knowing that Brenda would bring me breakfast a little later. And it was with a strange sort of resignation as I pulled the blankets back over myself, knowing that whatever was going to happen to me was going to, regardless of what I did. A part of that though may just have been that I was too damn sick and tired to care at the moment.

The second day of my being out with the Bug was pretty much like the first. I didn't do much of anything except stay in bed, sleeping off and on while Brenda checked up on me. I even watched a bit of TV.

Of course, the changes continued, becoming more obvious as the day progressed. And by that night, I was beginning to suspect what the Bug was turning me into...even though I didn't want to admit it. However, I couldn't deny all the clues, no matter how much I wanted to.

I had shrunk several inches, which wasn't noticeable while in bed, but definitely was when I stood next to Brenda. My whole body had shrunk in other was as well, becoming thinner and less muscular. Then of course, there was my reflection. My hair had continued to get longer and darker, now coming down to my shoulders, while my face had become noticeably younger, not to mention softer... almost... feminine.

By late the next day, I looked much younger, in my early twenties or possibly even late teens. I not only looked younger...but almost girlie as well. And it wasn't just my longer hair and more feminine looking face. My whole body was thinner, without all the muscle that I'd built up over decades of hard work.

However, what troubled me most was the fact that my chest had been feeling extremely tender, even swollen. Add that to the fact that my testicles had shrunken and pulled up into my body while my dick was about the size of a little boy's... and this offered a bit of proof for my suspicions from the night before.

"No way," I complained bitterly, not for the first time.

Brenda hadn't said anything about my changes, nor had I. She'd only looked at my sympathetically, while the kids had been avoiding me for the most part. They obviously didn't know how to take the fact that the Bug was doing a heavy change on me. Of course, I didn't know how to take it either.

"It's been six years," I complained to Brenda, thinking about how long the Bug had been around, "You'd think that they'd have a cure by now. Or some kinda vaccine..." However, I knew that neither of those existed. Or at least if they did, it sure as hell wasn't public knowledge.

"You're..." Brenda gulped as she looked me over, her expression pretty uncomfortable, "When are you going to stop changing..."

I just wished I knew. However, I was pretty sure that the Bug wasn't through with me yet. From the changes I'd already gotten, I had a good idea of what direction they were taking... like it or not, and I had a feeling that they weren't going to stop until they had finished.

The next morning, I awoke to find that my fears had been confirmed even more... as if they hadn't been enough already. And as strange as it was, I wasn't surprised. Unhappy, but not surprised. I had been half expecting something like that since the day before.

During the night, my chest had become swollen... much more so than the slight swelling that I'd noticed previously. In fact, my chest now pushed out into two very noticeable bumps. And with a single glance, there was no doubt that they were tits. Boobs... or breasts as Brenda called them.

"Damn," I grimaced as I nervously poked at my chest.

They felt so... strange. I scowled much deeper, knowing that I should have been yelling and screaming about this humiliation, but it wasn't like it was a big surprise or anything. That and the fact that I still felt too tired for something like that. So instead, I hurried to the bathroom to relieve myself.

"God damn Bug," I muttered to myself, repeating the mantra that I'd used countless times over the last few days.

When I looked in the bathroom mirror, I let out a gasp. My reflection had changed yet again since the last time that I'd seen it. It had become even softer... more feminine. I looked much more like a girl than a guy now, especially with my new tits.

Letting out a deep sigh, I spat, "Damn," though without as much force as I had used previously. That was due mostly to the fact that I'd been watching it slowly happen... and had plenty of time to get used to the idea. Not that it made me like it any better.

As it was though, the changes were coming to their end. At least I was pretty sure that they were. My body was mostly female now, with only the tiniest trace of my manhood down below. I looked like maybe an 18 or 19 year old girl, twenty years younger than I actually was. No, there couldn't be much left for the Bug to change. Not much at all.

"Damn," I repeated, this time more tiredly than anything else.

With that, I turned and went to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat. I was still feeling like shit, but I had enough energy to move around the house a bit. Then again, I expected that I'd be back in bed in about an hour and collapsed from exhaustion. The Bug was like that.

"Um... hi dad," Jack greeted me uncomfortably. Jack stared at me for a moment, then quickly turned his head, being overly obvious about the fact that he was trying not to stare at me.

"Morning," I muttered back, my voice sounding like a girl's... even to my own ears.

Breakfast was quiet and uncomfortable on both of our parts. I cringed in shame, feeling humiliated at what I was becoming... at what I already was. How could I let my son see me changing into a girl? However, it wasn't like I had much choice.

Once I finished eating, I muttered a quick good-bye to Jack, then started back to my bedroom, to the one place that had almost become a haven of security for me. At least there, I didn't have to face my kids... didn't have to let them see me...

Then I nearly ran into Brenda, who stood and stared at me in silence. "Oh my God," she whispered, quickly averting her eyes. I just winced, feeling another surge of shame run through me.

"It'll be over soon," I told her, though I'm sure that it wasn't necessary.

Brenda just nodded weakly. She'd been through the Bug herself several years earlier. However, she'd just gotten away with it turning her auburn hair into a strawberry blonde. Of course, one trip to the hair salon and she was pretty much back to normal.

But me... It wasn't going to be that easy. Of that I had no doubt. This wasn't like a few freckles, or a change in hair color which could easily be changed back. What the Bug did to me... and was still doing, was much more serious.

After a minute, I went past Brenda and returned to the bedroom. I told myself that it was because my legs were shaky...that they were beginning to feel like Jello again. But I couldn't really lie to myself. I was hiding... hiding from my own family. Hiding from the shame of having to face them.

I awoke with a faint grunt, grimacing at the sunlight in my eyes. I turned to avoid it, but the damage had already been done. I'd come out of my nice restful sleep and couldn't quite get back to it, though I did try for another half hour.

When I finally sat up, it was with a realization. A realization that the aches and pains were all gone. I took a deep breath, not feeling any of the illness and discomfort that came along with the pain. In fact, the only real discomfort that I felt was with my own body, which just didn't feel quite right.

"It's over," I stated aloud, my feminine voice reminding me what it was that all those days under the suffering of the Bug had done to me. Not that I truly needed any further reminders.

Though I was briefly tempted to just climb back under the covers and try pretending that everything was normal, I knew that it wasn't. I was gonna have to face this sooner or later and decided that I might as well get it out of the way.

I grunted unnecessarily as I climbed out of bed, delighted at the complete lack of aches and pains. Even the normal aches and pains that I'd felt before the Bug. Strangely enough, I felt... great. I felt more healthy and energetic than I'd felt in years. No... more than just years.

"At least there's one good thing," I told myself as I stood up and stretched, feeling strangely limber too.

Of course, a quick look down at myself showed that I hadn't changed too drastically from the day before. I had just continued changing in that direction just a little bit more. Filling out the details so to speak.

Then I looked between my legs and winced, though it was exactly the sight that I had expected. Little Jim was gone. I'd lost my dick... my pride and joy. And in its place was a girl's glory. That was not at all unexpected though. In fact, I had said 'good-bye' to the tiny little nub of nothing which had been all that remained of my dick the night before. When I'd gone to bed early, I knew that it would be the last time I'd see it. I hated being right.

After nearly a minute, I turned my attention to the rest of my body, running my smooth feminine fingers over my perfectly smooth skin. My skin now seemed a little darker... having a faint tan over it all. Of course, that had slowly appeared over the last several days as well, so was not quite new.

My hands slowly went to my tits, which seemed just a little larger than they had been the night before. They were a little rounder... and the nipples were just a bit wider. They were definitely tits... and as strange as it seemed, they were mine.

I looked over my body for several more minutes, taking in all the changes that had happened during those miserable days, seeing how they had finally all come together. I had a feeling that I would be seeing those changes for some time to come. Then finally, I went to the bathroom mirror to see them from that perspective.

"Damn," I muttered as I stared at my reflection.

My reflection wasn't much different from the day before. The final changes over the night had been subtler ones, finishing up what was already close to being done. So the fact that stared back at me was not unexpected, though it did have a different impact. This time, it dawned on me that this very face would be staring back at me from the mirror every morning from then on.

"Double damn."

The face that stared back from the mirror was that of a teenage girl, about 16 or so. Around the same age as Megan. She had tanned skin, long black hair and large dark eyes. And she was also very pretty.

"The same age as my daughter," I winced as I said it. I'd always thought that it would be great to be a little younger again, but this was too much.

I could hardly believe that this was me... that I looked like I could be one of my daughter's classmates. There was a knot in the pit of my stomach as I thought about it. Somehow, I had a hard time believing that I'd ever get used to seeing her in the mirror.

Then I let out a deep sigh, muttering, "Damn Burke's."

The only consolation that I had was that I wasn't the first person that this had happened to. I sure as hell wasn't the first person to be drastically changed by the Bug, nor would I be the last. Extreme changes like this weren't exactly real common, but they weren't really too uncommon either.

"I can't believe I had a sex change," I growled out, thinking that I'd probably be able to get used to being younger, but being a girl... Never.

Then again, I silently reminded myself, there were lots of other people who'd gone through the Bug and gotten used to it. There were even all sorts of shrinks and support groups that specialized in helping people with extreme changes to adapt. In fact, Brenda had even hinted vaguely about something of the sort the day before.

I stared at myself for a little longer, wondering what my family would think about what the Bug had done to me...and fearing it. I didn't want them to see me like that... To see me weak. To se me as a girl. I was filled with shame at the very thought.

"No," I growled to myself, "You might not look like a man anymore, but you can damn well act like one."

With that, I took a deep breath, becoming determined to face my family, no matter how much I might not want to. I silently put on Brenda's robe, finding that it was a decent fit, when normally it would have been far too small. Then after waiting yet another minute, I left the sanctuary of my bedroom.

Megan sat in the living room, talking to one of her friends on the phone. I groaned slightly, though wasn't surprised. She was killing me on the phone bill. She looked up at me and paled slightly.

"I've got to go," Megan quickly told whichever friend was on the other end, "Talk to you later." Then she turned to me, staring for a long minute before gasping, "Wow dad... you look..."

"Strange?" I asked with a frown. When Megan nodded, I sighed, "But not as strange as I feel..."

"You're like... really a girl?" Megan asked hesitantly. I hadn't seen her too much while I'd been sick with the Bug.

I rolled my eyes, then looked down at where my chest pushed out, "Yep... it sure seems so."

"Oh," she responded, staring at me. "You look like you're the same age as me..."

All I could do was grunt at that, "I know."

After a few more minutes, I went and got myself some breakfast. Megan followed after me, apparently unable to get over my changes. She stared and chattered away, while I started to tune some of her more inane comments out.

"Where's your mother?" I asked Megan after awhile.

With a shrug, Megan told me, "She went to work..."

I just nodded at that. Brenda had taken several days off in order to take care of me while I was out with the Bug, but I guessed she couldn't afford to take any more. Not that I blamed her at all, though I did feel a little disappointed that she wasn't there now.

A short while later, Jack came out of his bedroom and stared at me silently for a minute before grabbing something to eat. He'd apparently seen enough of what I was going to look like the day before that he didn't feel the urge to stare quite as much as Megan, and he was trying to pretend that everything was normal. However, he wasn't pretending all that well and I kept catching him staring when he didn't think I was looking.

Before long, I decided that there were some things that I was going to have to do. I quickly located the tape measure and measured myself up against the wall, finding that I was now 5 foot 6. I had lost 7 inches in height, as well as a whole lot of mass. Of course that wasn't surprising, but it was still somewhat shocking at the same time. I was now 2 inches shorter than my own wife.

While I was doing all that, Megan watched me curiously, while Jack excused himself to rush back to his room. I was making him uncomfortable, even if he wouldn't admit it. And to be honest, I was uncomfortable being around him as well. How could I be a good male role model when the Bug had done that to me?

Once Jack was gone, Megan gave me another careful look, then surprised me by suddenly reaching for my rope and pulling it open... at least enough to reveal my new tits.

"What are you doing?" I snapped as I pulled the robe closed again, blushing horribly in embarrassment.

"You look like maybe a C cup," Megan told me, "Or maybe just a large B..." I blinked at that and she continued, almost with a pout, "You're bigger than me..."

"Just great," I groaned, feeling even more embarrassed about my situation because of that. The last thing that a father wants to hear is that he has bigger breasts than his own daughter. That just isn't right. "Do you mind?" I complained.

After this, I went back to my bedroom, telling myself that I'd already faced my family... or at least Megan and Jack. Because of that, I couldn't be running away. Yet somehow, a part of me felt as though I was.

I sat on the edge of my bed for a long time, staring down at myself in silence. My body... it looked so different... felt so different. Everything about my body was almost alien, and for the first time, I was feeling well enough to really notice that.

As horrified as I had been by the realization that I had turned into a teenage girl before, the true immensity of what had happened was only just beginning to sink in. I was a girl... and would probably be one for the rest of my life. The Bug might wear off after a few days... but its effects wouldn't. I'd be stuck with them unless some day the Bug changed me again.

"I wouldn't count on it," I muttered bitterly, knowing that the odds of getting another drastic change... and then one back into a guy were pretty slim. And even if by some miracle it did happen, it probably wouldn't happen for years and years. I was realistic enough to know that I shouldn't hold my breath.

All I could do was think about what I'd lost. I'd lost my size, my strength... my manhood. How could I face my kids like I was? My wife? How could they respect me? I didn't know.

But after several more minutes, I took a deep breath and firmly told myself, "Take it like a man." I might be stuck looking like a girl, but that didn't mean that I was going to whine and cry like one. "Just take one thing at a time..."

With my reaffirmed decision to be practical, I knew that the first thing I needed to take care of was a shower. I'd been in bed for days and had kind of forgotten that sort of thing. So new body or not, I definitely needed one.

A minute later, I stood naked in the bathroom, forcing myself to keep from looking in the mirror. It wasn't easy. Not when all I really wanted to do was stare at the strange reflection, though somehow I managed to keep from doing that.

I was equally determined to keep my mind on business while I washed up, but I didn't succeed quite as well in that department. My whole body felt strange, with all sorts of new curves and crevices that I'd never possessed before. And as I washed my smooth skin, I couldn't help pausing, going over certain parts a bit slower than others.

Shampooing my hair proved a bit different from normal as well, though I'd never thought of it until that moment. Instead of the small dab of shampoo that I usually used, I required a full handful just to get all my hair.

And once I was done with my hair, I found myself going back over my delicate smooth skin again. It felt so soft... so sensitive. Like everything else about my new body, I could barely believe that it was mine.

As I climbed out of the tub and started to dry myself off, I became lost in how sensitive my new skin was. And my nipples... They were as hard as rocks, feeling sort of like a couple of tiny pricks that just happened to be located in the wrong spot.

Then I caught sight of myself in the mirror again. Damn, I was a hot little thing. Hell, I was really beginning to turn myself on. But then I suddenly froze, filled with a surge of mixed emotions.

"My God," I gasped in sudden shame, "She's just a teenager..."

For moment, I felt dirty... like I was some kind of pedophile or something. I mean, the girl I was getting horny for was the same age as my own daughter.

With a grimace, I snapped, "Get a hold of yourself. THAT'S YOU!"

And besides, I added in silent rationalization, she was the legal age of consent. Of course, that didn't mean I'd be willing to accept that excuse if I caught some guy with Megan... But hey, that was different.

Once I'd calmed down a bit more and got away from the mirror, I realized that I had yet another problem that I would have to deal with. Clothes. My own were now too large for me, leaving me with very few other choices at the moment. Then, to my simultaneous relief and humiliation, Megan came up with the solution of offering to let me wear some of hers for awhile.

I stood in Megan's bedroom, wearing Brenda's robe once again and scowling as my daughter dug through her closets, pulling out one item after another. I'd already vetoed a few things as being WAY too revealing... or just embarrassing. Some of them were bad enough seeing on my own daughter, but I sure as hell wasn't going to put them on myself.

"Dad," Megan let out an exasperated sigh as she rolled her eyes, "You've got to wear something..."

"I think I know that," I snorted, then pointed out, "And that's why I want to wear something. And that..." I pointed at a particularly revealing item, "Looks more like nothing. Hell, I've got more fabric in my handkerchief..." It wasn't technically true, but it was the way I felt.

Eventually Megan found some clothes that I agreed to wear, albeit somewhat reluctantly. However, it wasn't like I had a whole lot of choice in clothes... and I suspected that I would have been reluctant to wear anything even the least bit feminine.

"You'll look great in this," Megan told me, which was what I half feared.

The clothes that Megan provided consisted of a pair of slacks, which I thought were much preferable to those tight pants that seemed real popular with girls her age, and a sweater which did a bit to hide my new curves. Megan had told me that I'd regret it since it was summer, but I figured that being a bit warm was better than being embarrassed.

Thankfully, Megan's bras were too small to fit me and Brenda's wouldn't fit either. That meant that I had a great excuse not to even have to try one on, though Megan kept making noises about how I'd need to get some.

"That reminds me," I told Megan once I was fully dressed and we were walking through the living room, "I suppose I'm going to have to go shopping today for some clothes of my own to wear."

Just then, Jack started laughing, "You've only just turned into a girl and you're already talking about going shopping..."

"Ha ha," Megan responded sarcastically.

Jack just grinned more, "I KNEW it had to be genetic..."

I just glared at my son, "Watch it boy..." I was not all that thrilled about having to go waste my day looking for clothes, though honestly, I could see Jack's point. I'd probably be laughing too if it hadn't been happening to me.

Jack was still watching me with an odd expression that seemed half amusement and half discomfort, though he was quiet for the moment. Not that it lasted long though as he and Megan were soon in the middle of an argument.

Since the clothing situation had been taken care of for the moment and the kids were busy, I decided that it was time to think about other practicalities. I frowned deeply as I went for the phone, definitely not wanting to make that call but knowing that I needed to.

I called my doctor and arranged to get an appointment for a physical. Fortunately, there had been a cancellation so that I was actually able to get in later that afternoon. That was mixed news since I wasn't sure I wanted to face the physical just then, but at least I wouldn't have to have it hanging over my head for long.

When it was time to go about an hour later, Jack disappeared into his room while Megan decided to come along. I wasn't really comfortable with having her around for the physical, though I'd probably need her help when I went shopping afterwards. I didn't know the first thing about women's clothes.

Before we could actually go anywhere though, I spent several minutes in my truck, adjusting the seat and all the mirrors. I cursed at this reminder of my new smaller size, then glared at Megan who was doing all she could just to keep from breaking up laughing.

"You try getting shorter," I grumbled.

Once we arrived at the doctor's office, Megan got comfortable in waiting room with a magazine that had probably been printed before the Bug appeared. She had hinted that she wanted to come along in with me, though I firmly put my foot down at that. I was dreading this enough as it was and didn't want the added embarrassment of my daughter watching.

The physical went a little quicker than I expected, though at the time it seemed to take forever. I grimaced as the doctor poked and prodded me, even taking a blood sample. However, that was all nothing compared to what came next. That almost made me feel like I'd been kidnapped by aliens and taken aboard a UFO. The exam was very cold and extremely uncomfortable. And all I could say was that afterwards, I had a hell of a lot more sympathy for Brenda's gynecology visits.

After the doctor had finished, he sat there staring at me for a moment, as if trying to decide exactly what to say. Finally, he just came out and told me, "The results from the blood test won't be back for awhile, but you appear to be a perfectly healthy teenage girl."

"A real girl?" I asked quietly, then cursed myself for the stupid question.

The doctor nodded, looking serious. "I'm afraid so. I've checked everything other than your chromosomes and can tell you that your physical body is now completely female." He paused for a moment before adding, "With all that entails."

I blinked at that, feeling a sinking sensation in my stomach. I definitely didn't like the sound of that. "Everything?" I suddenly thought of what Jack had said earlier and wondered if maybe I'd start feeling some sort of compulsion to go shopping or something.

"Well," at this point he became a little uncomfortable, "I can't say for certain, but most... women in your situation... that is former men who just recovered from the Burke's Biomorphic Virus start their periods a month after their transformation, though there are cases where they start immediately."

"Oh shit," I gasped, not having really considered that aspect of my transformation.

"If you don't start your period within the next two days," he told me, "You will probably be safe for about a month."

Then while I was just sitting there in stunned silence, the doctor continued, going on about how I could now get pregnant and would have to learn feminine hygiene stuff. He even handed me a pamphlet, which I didn't really bother looking at just yet.

"A period," I muttered, "I can't get a damn period..."

The doctor gave me a somewhat sympathetic look, then handed me a card. "This is the number for a good counselor, in case you have a hard time adjusting or just want someone to talk to..."

I nodded at that as I accepted the card. A shrink. I wasn't too surprised. Ever since the Bug had shown up, the shrinks had been getting a lot of business from people who'd gone through drastic changes like I had... and I guess from their friends and family. Not that I had any intention of going to see a shrink myself.

"How'd it go?" Megan asked me as soon as I stepped back into the waiting room.

"It went," I grumbled, not wanting to talk about it. It had been humiliating.

A minute later, we were back in my truck and heading to a place that I'd always avoided as if my life depended on it. As hard as it was to believe, I was willingly going clothes shopping.

It was bad enough even walking into the women's clothing section of the store, but I nearly passed out of embarrassment when Megan lead me straight to the unmentionables department. I was surrounded by panties and bras, with a weight in the pit of my stomach as I realized that I was going to have to wear this kind of stuff.

"Don't look so gloomy dad," Megan told me with a roll of her eyes, "They're just clothes. Now we just need to get your measurements..."

The saleswoman came over and helped take my measurements, much to my further embarrassment. She didn't seem all that surprised by my situation when Megan explained, apparently getting a number of customers who'd undergone changes of one sort or another due to the Bug and needed to be measured for size.

Once we had the measurements done, I had thought that all I needed to do next was just grab some clothes off the shelf and run. However, Megan had other ideas... and I ended up spending a lot longer going through clothes than I would have imagined. Finally, I had to put my foot down and say I was done, or Megan might have kept me there all day long.

"I bet you thought this was just like playing with your Barbies," I spat out as we left the store with several bags in each of our hands, all of them for me.

"I don't play with dolls," Megan snorted as if offended.

I just nodded my head at that, not wanting to push it any further. However, it had been my experience that every girl... well, every real girl, likes playing with dolls. Whether they're 5 years old or 35, women like playing dressup... especially with other people.

After we had stopped off for a few more things that I was going to need for my altered body, some of them hopefully not for a month, Megan and I finally went home. I was just relieved that the day was over and I could finally relax.

But even as we got home and stepped out of the truck, Megan complained, "You should have at least tried the skirt... or the high heels..." I just grimaced, thankful that I'd put my foot down and insisted on somewhat more practical clothes... jeans and T-shirts. And not the really tight ones either.

With a shrug, I started for the door, the paused as I noticed my next door neighbor Barney standing in his yard and staring at me. He was a big guy, about 6 foot 4 and nearly as hairy as a bear. There was a strange look on his face as he watched me. A look of envy.

Barney was one of those people who felt like they were born the wrong sex and that he should have been born a woman instead. When the Bug had first appeared, it must have seemed like a godsend to him. A chance to finally get turned into the woman that he always wanted to be. But ironically, when Barney did get a big infection of the Bug, instead of becoming a woman... he got even bigger and more masculine than before. But I guess that's Murphy's law for you.

As I waved at Barney, he blushed and quickly looked away. It was obvious that someone, probably Brenda or the kids, had told him about me and the Bug. And I could just imagine just how hard it had to be for him, seeing me get exactly what he'd been longing for. As far as I was concerned, I'd gladly trade Bug changes with him in a moment... if that were possible.

It was just a short while later that Brenda got home from work. She stared at me for a minute after she came in the door, paling slightly and then rushing into the kitchen to make dinner without saying a word. I frowned, feeling somewhat hurt, though I didn't push the issue. I guessed that I wasn't the only one who had to get used to this whole situation.

Dinner passed without much comment from Brenda, except for a few polite but distant words. It was an uncomfortable meal, though oddly enough, Megan seemed even more eager to talk with me than normal. I guessed the fact that I looked more like a girl she'd go to school with than her dad made it easier to talk with me.

Brenda continued to act distant towards me for the rest of the night, with Jack alternating between staring at me and avoiding me. I guess I was pretty embarrassing to have as a dad at the moment. I sure as hell wasn't the figure of manhood that I had been before.

When it was finally time for the kids to get going to bed, I decided that I might as well go to bed as well. I had only just recovered from the Bug and it had been a rather busy day for me. However, as I started for my bed, Brenda protested.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Brenda firmly told me, giving me a strange look. "I'm not comfortable with sleeping in the same bed with another woman."

"But I'm not a woman," I protested, standing my full height and trying to push my chest out. Unfortunately, that didn't quite have the effect I was used to. "I'm Jim."

Brenda rolled her eyes slightly, "Just the same, I'd prefer it if you slept in the spare bedroom... Just for now..."

I glared at Brenda, but it was obvious that she'd made up her mind, and I well knew after nearly two decades of marriage that arguing with her now would be next to pointless. I'd get a more reasonable response from a damn brick wall. So with a deep sigh, I went to our guest bedroom instead.

Even though it wasn't the first time, I felt extremely strange as I undressed and stood there naked. I frowned, staring down at my body, feeling a bit turned on at the sight but ashamed as well. It was a strange mix of feelings that shot through me, making me briefly wonder, though only for a moment, if I should talk to a shrink.

"Damn," I sighed, slowly looking over my body again, running my hands over my soft skin and muttering, "It's all yours now Jimmy boy. Might as well get used to it."

After another minute, I turned off the light and climbed into bed, though my hands continued to slowly roam over my skin, almost as though they had minds of their own. To my surprise, my body was beginning to respond... My new equipment was getting wet and my nipples were poking out. It was with some reluctance that I stopped, feeling a bit too uncomfortable to continue at the moment. And as difficult as it was, I let myself slowly drift to sleep.

The next morning, I felt surprisingly awake and refreshed, which I supposed shouldn't have been a surprise since my body was now that of a healthy teenager. Even as I climbed out of bed, I almost immediately had more energy than I normally did after my second cup of coffee.

"At least there's something good about this whole thing," I told myself with a wry grin.

Though I still wasn't all that comfortable with the fact that I now possessed the body of a teenage girl, I knew that I couldn't just hide. I had things that I had to do, whether I was embarrassed about what I looked like or not. My vacation was over and it was time to go back to work.

After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, I hurried off to the work site. I frowned as I started walking towards my buddies, feeling extremely nervous and self-conscious. As it was, I could feel their eyes on me... taking my measure, not as a man but as a woman. It was NOT a feeling that I liked.

"Whatcha want?" My boss Darek asked me, obviously wondering what a teenage girl was doing on a construction site.

"It's me," I growled, "Jim..."

I was about to explain that it had been the Bug that had done that to me, but Darek gasped, "Your wife called and said you'd had the Bug..."

"Unfortunately," I muttered bitterly.

Darek just stared at me for a minute, an uncertain expression on his face. Some of the other's were watching as well, while a couple of them were just staring at me. It took all I had to ignore them.

Finally, Darek snorted, calling out loudly, "You're not being paid to stand around gawking. Now get your asses to work..."

With that, I turned and started to get to work. Unfortunately, I quickly discovered that I was nowhere near as strong as I had been and could barely even budge some of the items that I used to carry around the work site. It was frustrating to no end, especially when some of the other guys saw me and started laughing.

And it wasn't just lifting things. I found that there were a lot of parts of my job which I had taken for granted, but which I just couldn't seem to do with my new smaller body. I couldn't work the jack hammer for one, nor could I really handle some of the other heavier tools.

Throughout the day, I was embarrassed time after time as I was unable do my normal job, and humiliated when some of my buddies... or at least guys I'd thought were my buddies, started making snide comments. One of them even pinched my ass, and I probably would have kicked his if he wasn't now three times my size.

Then, there was Janet. She was a fairly large woman, and I'd given her a hard time when she joined our crew a couple years earlier, at least until she proved that she could handle the job. Now, she was one of the worst to me, apparently seeing this as some sort of chance for payback.

By the time my shift was only half over, I was already feeling about as tired as I normally did after a full day's work. My new body lacked not only my old strength, but my old endurance too. However, it was not the being tired that bothered me most, it was all the built up frustration that had developed... not to mention embarrassment.

"I can't believe they're treating me like that," I growled to myself, thinking how one guy I'd gotten drunk with more than a few times had whistled at me. And Jerrod had even had the nerve to try asking me out on a date. It took every once of willpower that I had to just give him the finger and walk away rather than punching. Fortunately, I'd never been one to get into fights I knew that I had no chance of winning.

Finally, Darek pulled me off to the side. "I'm sorry Jim," he started out, a grim expression on his face. He went on for a couple minutes about how sorry he was that he had to do it, but it all boiled down to the fact that I was a distraction on the work site now, and I was getting underfoot more than actually getting anything done. "I can't have you on the site anymore... I'm sorry..."

For a moment, I stared at Darek, burning with anger. He was my friend... so how could he do that to me? How could he fire me? Of course, there were laws that protected people who got changed from the Bug from being fired because of it... unless they could no longer do the job. And unfortunately, I was forced to admit that I couldn't. As much as I hated it... I couldn't really blame Darek.

"I understand," I finally told him in a quiet voice before leaving.

Once I was sitting in my truck, I cursed and punched at the steering wheel for nearly a minute, feeling tears beginning to come to my eyes. I grimaced, telling myself that they weren't tears... but I didn't believe it. My body was betraying me the same way everything else was since the Bug changed me.

"Fucking Bug," I growled out bitterly, wondering how many other people's lives that horrible virus had ruined.

Then I took off, driving home as quickly as I could. I was burning with rage, frustration and embarrassment, but struggling to keep it all in check. And just as I was beginning to calm down, that prick Murphy struck again. There were cop lights flashing behind me.

When I'd pulled over, the cop came up to my window and told me that I was speeding. I grimaced at that, showing him my license and registration. However, his eyes widened at the sight of my license, reminding me at that moment that I no longer exactly matched my picture.

"I just got over the Bug," I explained to the somewhat skeptical cop.

He stared at me carefully, then at my license, asking me several questions like my birthday, height and address. Finally, he nodded slightly, "All right, I'll let you go with a warning this time." Then he frowned, "But you're going to have to get this updated and SOON. You can't be driving with an out of date license..."

"I was just on my way to take care of that," I lied to him, not having thought that until he'd mentioned it.

A minute later, I was on my way again, but this time I was heading for the DMV. I figured that the cop was right and I really should take care of that as soon as possible. Without a license that matched, I was effectively without legal ID... which could cause some problems.

But unfortunately, once I got to the DMV, I found that they couldn't just update my license like that. Not without my birth certificate, social security and some witness who could swear that I was who I claimed to be. Apparently, teens trying to get adult licenses by claiming to be adults who'd been changed by the Bug was getting fairly common.

I cursed all the way home, wondering what else could possibly go wrong. But at the same time, I dreaded having to find out. That bastard Murphy and his fucked up law really seemed out to get me.

After I got home, I went to my bedroom and locked myself inside, lying down to take a nice long nap. I wasn't tired and didn't go to sleep, but just sitting there by myself let me slowly calm down.

"Life sucks," I firmly told myself, not for the first time, "Deal with it and move on."

Taking a deep breath, I left the safety of my bedroom, standing outside the door with my hands on my hips... silently daring the world to throw the worst at me. I could handle it. No crying and whimpering about it for me, I silently resolved. I was going to take it like a man.

When I looked around the house, Brenda was gone... still at work herself, while Megan had disappeared as well. Probably out with her friends, though I didn't know for sure. However, Jack was in the driveway, practicing throws at the basketball hoop.

I watched Jack for a couple minutes, then decided to go join him. He gave me a weak smile, staring at my chest for a moment before he suddenly turned away in embarrassment. Hell, I was embarrassed too but determined not to let the boy see.

"So... um... how was your day?" Jack asked.

"Shitty," I responded with a shrug.

With that, I snatched the ball out of Jack's hand, grinning as I stepped back and tossed it towards the hoop. It seemed a little further away than normal, but my aim was still good enough that I was able to get the ball through the hoop.

"Good shot," Jack grinned, grabbing the ball and asking, "How bout a game of horse..."

Within minutes, we were lost in playing ball, with my problems drifting to the back of my mind. Jack seemed hesitant at first, but quickly got over that once he saw that I was beginning to outscore him. And before long, he was almost acting as though I was just the same as always... much to my relief.

"Great game dad," Jack told me after we had finished.

I just smiled, feeling rather pleased with myself, "I guess your old man still has it..."

Jack just stared at me, then burst out laughing, "Yeah... old man... right."

With an even bigger smile, I gave Jack a hug... at least until he pulled back in embarrassment a few seconds later. It was great to know that even with everything that was going on, I still had my kids.

It was the day after I'd gotten laid off and I was sitting around the house, feeling simultaneously bored and antsy at the same time. I no longer had a job to go to, nor did I have the excuse of being sick. All in all, it was pretty depressing.

Then, Megan decided to do something about that by coming up behind me, "Hey dad... you need a haircut... and a style." She looked at me critically, while I rolled my eyes, "Maybe a manicure and a makeover..."

"My hair's fine," I grumbled, feeling embarrassed by that kind of attention.

However, Megan wasn't going to let it go. "No way. It looks like a mess... I mean, it just grew out and you haven't done anything with it..."

Megan kept at it for over ten minutes, pushing and pushing until I finally agreed to go get my hair cut... just to get some peace and quiet if nothing else. She was a bit like her mother that way.

As left the house though, I reluctantly handed Megan the keys, "You drive..."

Of course, I could have done the driving, even with my license out of date... but I didn't want to take the chance in case I got pulled over again. I'd mentioned wanting to go take care of that the night before after Brenda had gotten home from work, but she'd told me that she was too tired. So, I was going to have to wait a little to get my license updated.

By the time we got to the salon, I thought that Megan was going to jump out of her skin with excitement. I never understood this thing that all females... or at least all true females seemed to have with playing dress up... be it with dolls, pets, kids or other people.

"No makeover," I growled out as Megan started to get carried away, "And I don't want anything fancy or feminine... In fact," I growled, "Just cut it all short..."

"No way," Megan gasped almost in horror, as did the woman who was awaiting instructions, "You've got gorgeous hair..."

At first, I insisted on getting it cut short, but once again, Megan started going on. She told me how great a shame it would be to cut it off... and lots of other things, though she did score a point when she said it would be sort of like giving up. I wasn't no quitter. And in the end, I agreed to at least try the long hair for a little longer to see if I'd get used to it.

"Long hair it is," the barber... or whatever she was finally sighed, obviously relieved that we'd stopped arguing about it.

While she got to work on my hair, I just remained where I was, feeling a bit impatient. It seemed like she was doing a whole lot, just to give me a bit of a trim. However, I was determined to remain patient... no matter how hard it was.

Of course, while I was there, someone else grabbed at my hands and started working on my nails. I gave Megan a glare, but she grinned back at me, obviously having made some arrangements beyond what I'd wanted. But again, reminded myself to just grin and bear it.

Once it had all been finished up, I was startled to see just how different my hair looked, even though it was still about the same length. I suddenly looked even more like a girl who could have been in Megan's class, though fortunately, they'd avoided going too far with the hair styling. As it was, it was still a bit more than I was comfortable with. However, as far as I was concerned, the manicured nails were definitely going too far, though I wasn't going to give my daughter the satisfaction of making a big deal of it.

But once I saw the bill, my intentions to play calm went out the window. "WHAT the HELL?" I gasped in shock, "That much for a damn hair cut..."

"DAD!" Megan gasped, grabbing my arm, "You're embarrassing me..."

I grumbled about it, unable to understand how a simple hair cut could cost such a ridiculous amount. It made no sense. But of course, I did pay it... even if Megan was embarrassed by my complaining.

"Money doesn't grow on trees," I pointed out after we'd left, "And It's not like I've got another job yet..."

Megan rolled her eyes, "Jeez dad, it's just a salon visit..." Then she paused, looking at me and suddenly adding, "You know... it's kinda funny calling you dad when you look like... like that." She blushed.

"I guess," I sighed, having noticed the odd looks we got from people who'd overheard her calling me that.

Then she abruptly asked, "Have you thought about an altername yet?"

I frowned at that, not wanting to admit that I actually had. An altername was sort of a legalized nickname, used by people who'd been pretty drastically altered by the Bug. Specifically, by people who'd changed sexes and weren't exactly comfortable going by their old names. I'd already realized that it might be a bit silly for people to be calling me Jim, looking like I currently did.

"Maybe Jane," I sighed. It was short, simple... and most importantly, not too frilly or feminine. If I had to go by a girl's name... which wasn't technically required, though would make things easier, I figured that this one would do.

After a long minute with Megan looking somewhat uncomfortable, she hesitantly asked, "Do... do you mind if I call you that?" Then she rushed out, "I mean it's weird calling you dad like that..."

I stared at Megan, feeling a bit hurt at that request. It was as though she were trying to separate herself from me, as if she was embarrassed by what I was and didn't have to admit that I was really her dad. However, it did make a bit of sense, and when I looked into her eyes, I saw something there that reassured me a little bit.

"All right," I responded slowly, hardly able to believe that I was saying that, "You can call me Jane." But I just had to add, "But you'd better remember that it's still your old dad in here..."

"I won't forget dad... Jane," Megan grinned as she suddenly threw her arms around me in a hug.

Once we broke apart and climbed into the truck, Megan suggested that we go to the beach for awhile. The beach was on a lake and provided a great place to cool off during the summer, as well as for kids to hang out. I'd been there with Brenda and the kids plenty of times, and since it was a fairly warm day out, I nodded my agreement.

As soon as we arrived at the beach though, Megan reached behind the seat and grabbed her gym bag, surprising me when she pulled out a couple towels, but not nearly as much as when she pulled out several swim suits. Girl's swim suits.

"You just happened to have brought swim suits," I commented wryly.

Megan looked a bit embarrassed, then urged, "C'mon... you need to relax... Have some fun..."

I stared at the swimsuits for a moment before absolutely refusing. I told Megan that she was more than welcome to hand around the beach and I'd even be there with her, but there was no way in hell that I was going to put that skimpy thing down.

"But you'd look so hot in it," she added in one last attempt.

"Maybe so," I reluctantly admitted she might be right, "But I just changed into this..." I gestured down at myself. "Maybe some day I will be comfortable enough to try something like that on, but no way am I doing it now." I gave her a steady look to let her know that this time I was putting my foot down.

Megan pouted for a couple minutes, but that was all. Once she'd changed into her bikini, she didn't seem to mind that I was still wearing my normal clothes.

I felt embarrassed as I walked on the beach and a number of teenage boys stared at me, or at least gave me looks that I was not comfortable with. Still, I wasn't about to let Megan see how uncomfortable that made me, so I did my best to ignore them, frequently reminding myself that I'd be doing the same thing if I saw a girl who looked like me back when I was their age.

However, as uncomfortable as I was with the way the guys were looking at me, I was even less comfortable with the way they were looking at Megan. I knew that she was a very attractive girl and that all the boys were interested in her, but she was my daughter and it wasn't easy to see her growing up like that.

Then, Megan gasped, "Nina... Sue..."

I blinked, just in time to see two of her friends coming towards us. I'd seen Megan's friend's Nina and Sue at the house a couple times, but I didn't really know them very well.

"Hey," Megan grinned when we were all together, "This is... Jane..."

I glanced at Megan, wondering what she was up to introducing me as her friend rather than her father. Was she embarrassed about me? But after taking a good look at her, I decided that she was probably just messing with them instead and decided to play along for the moment.

For a long time, Megan, Nina and Sue just wandered about and chattered away, while I nodded now and then, occasionally putting my own two bits in. I was surprised by just how much the topic of boys came up, and several times I nearly started laughing at their misconceptions about guys.

All in all though, I had a bit of fun hanging around with the girls. It was even more amusing, knowing that they thought I was one of them, and I was pretty sure that Megan was getting a kick out of that as well. I just wanted to see the looks on Nina and Sue's faces when they found out who I really was.

While I was there, I couldn't help giving a few looks at some of the older, and even better built girls. There wasn't much shortage of adult women around the beach either. I was pretty thankful to realize that I was still attracted to women and found nothing interesting about guys.

I'd heard stories about some people whose sexual interests had been changed by the Bug, with them going from straight to gay or vice versa. I'd never been sure I believed that, or if they were just using the Bug as an excuse or a way to rationalize what was already there. All I could say though was that I was thankful I still liked girls. I couldn't imagine not... even if I was one now.

A little later on though, a couple teenage boys, just a year or two older than Megan came over and started hitting on her and the other girls. I didn't like the look of them, and apparently they didn't like the way I was glaring at them because they left me alone. And though I was pretty tempted to kick their asses and tell them to scram, I didn't want to embarrass Megan in front of her friends.

"You wanna go out with me tonight?" one of the boys asked Megan.

Megan frowned, not looking as interested in him as he was in her. That was one of the reasons that I didn't get too worried about the situation.

"I don't think my dad would let me," Megan responded, giving me a look that seemed to simultaneously beg for help yet announce that she could take care of it by herself.

"You don't have to tell him," the boy told her with a smirk. "It's not like he'd know. I mean, old people are stupid..."

That little prick was definitely NOT getting on my good side. Especially with the way he was cozying up with Megan and trying to pinch her ass.

"Leave me alone," Megan growled at the boy, then glared at both him and his friend before starting to walk away, with Sue and Nina following. I smiled faintly, feeling proud of my little girl before moving after her as well.

However, the two boys didn't seem to want to take that as an answer. Even the quiet one who hadn't done much talking was getting on my nerves, the way he'd been standing around with those ridiculous poses and eying the girls. So when they both started following after us, I nearly lost it.

"Didn't you hear her," I snapped at the boy who'd been going after Megan, "she said leave her alone. Now get your sorry asses away from us..."

The boy looked shocked at that, then quickly got angry, grabbing my arm painfully, reminding me just how much bigger and stronger than me he was. "This is none of your business..." he sneered.

That was it. I'd had more than my fill of that little prick and let him know exactly what I thought, with one swift punch into his solar plexus, followed by a hard kick to his shins. He gasped as he went down, the air knocked out of him.

His buddy, glared at us, obviously intending to do something himself. However, one look at me... the three girls standing behind me, not to mention a couple other guys nearby who didn't look happy with the way they were treating us, and he turned to leave, helping his downed buddy first.

"Wow," Sue gasped, "That was incredible..."

Nina giggled, "Did you see the way he went down..."

I shrugged, feeling embarrassed at their praise. It wasn't the same now that I'd been turned into a girl. Still, it was well worth it to see the way Megan was looking at me, as if I was her hero... just like she did when she was a little girl.

We said good-by to Nina and Sue a couple minutes later and started back to the truck. Megan was still grinning and talking about how I'd dealt with that boy.

"That was cool," Megan told me, "but why didn't you kick him in the nuts. I bet he would have gone down even faster..."

I paused to stare at her with a scowl. "You can't go kicking a guy there just because you're mad at him," I told her firmly, having been hit there myself once or twice and wincing at the memory, "That just ain't right. Don't you EVER kick a guy there unless there's no other choice..."

Megan gave me a blank look at that, obviously not realizing just how serious something like that was for a guy. So I pointed out, "Who knows... with the Bug going around, some day you might have to feel what it's like for a guy to get kicked there..."

"EEEEWW!!" Megan gasped at that, obviously not liking the idea.

However, she quickly shrugged it up and changed the topic as we got back to my truck. I let out a long sigh as I climbed into the passenger side, reminding myself that I'd be able to get my license updated when Brenda got home.

Unfortunately, once Brenda did get home that night, she told me, "I'm sorry honey... but I've got too many things to do tonight."

"Look Brenda," I started, getting a bit annoyed, "this is kind of important..."

Brenda suddenly snapped back, "Don't you DARE take that tone with me..."

I glared at Brenda for a moment, but it was obvious that she'd made up her mind. Whether she actually had time or not didn't seem to matter anymore, only that she'd made up her mind... and apparently my having 'taken that tone' with her had encouraged that decision. Needless to say, I wasn't happy, but I knew enough to keep my mouth shut for the moment.

The rest of the night didn't go much better. Brenda kept snubbing me, treating me more like I was one of Megan's friends than her own husband. Every time she talked to me, it was with a somewhat patronizing tone in her voice, as if I was no longer worth taking seriously now that I was a girl. Needless to say, that didn't help my own mood any though I did an admirable job of keeping my temper.

But then, it came time for the kids to go to bed. Brenda told them, "Time to hit the sack you two." Then she looked at me and added, "That goes for you too."

Since she'd already made it clear that she had no intention of sleeping in the same bed with me, I didn't take this as a come on. Especially not with the serious expression on her face. So instead, I ignored her. However, that only made her angry.

"I said it's time for you to go to bed," Brenda snapped, grabbing the TV remote from off the coffee table and turning the TV off on me.

"What do you think you're doing?" I growled back at her, quickly getting fed up by that weird attitude of hers. It was like she was trying to deny that I was even her husband and treat me like I was the teen girl I appeared to be.

Brenda puffed herself up as she glared at me, "As long as you're in my house, you have to obey the rules..."

"God DAMN it!" I growled as I stood up, glaring at her angrily. "YOUR house? Remember, I'm the one who paid for it..."

Don't you dare talk to me that way," Brenda raised her voice even louder.

"NO," I screamed back, "Don't you talk to me like that. I am not some little kid. In spite of my appearance, I am STILL and adult... And your husband at that..."

Suddenly, Brenda's hand shot out and slapped me. My cheek stung as I stood there in surprise, never having expected that. She'd never hit me before, and I'd never seen her hit anyone except Megan once when she'd gone through a particularly rebellious stage and had told Brenda to 'fuck off'.

"You're not an adult," Brenda sneered, "Not anymore. You can't even get a drivers license without my permission..."

Permission? All I needed was someone to act as a witness that I was who I said I was, preferably a spouse. I stared at her in shock for a moment, wondering if she'd flipped her lid. She was certainly acting like it.

Brenda and I argued for another few minutes, getting louder and louder as we did. Finally, she gave up and left me, going up to our bedroom and slamming the door. I glared in that direction for a long time, tears threatening to come to my eyes as I did so.

"Damn," I whispered as I sat back down on the couch, no longer really feeling like watching TV. "How can this happen..."

I remained where I was, feeling extremely depressed. If we had any booze in the house, I would have gone and gotten blind stinking drunk. But at the moment, that wasn't really an option.

And as I sat there, it dawned on me that my marriage was going to end. Brenda couldn't handle what had happened to me. She couldn't deal with it. She couldn't accept that her manly husband and this pretty teen girl were the same person, so she'd gone into denial.

When I did finally go to bed a little later, I was barely even aware of my new body while getting undressed. Whether that was because I was beginning to get used to it, or more likely, because I was so distracted, I neither knew nor cared.

By the time I got up the next morning, Brenda had already left the house. For that small favor, I was very thankful. I didn't want to have to face her after that argument the night before.

Once I was done showering and getting dressed, I went downstairs to find Jack sitting in front of the TV watching something or other. Megan was on the phone and only barely looked up at me when I came in.

"Morning Da... Jane," Jack told me, looking rather nervous. It was obvious that Megan had already told him about my chosen altername, and just as obvious that he'd heard his mom and me yelling. I would have been surprised if the whole block hadn't heard.

"Morning," I responded grimly, not feeling much in the mood for pleasantries.

Then while I was eating a quick breakfast, the phone started ringing. The regular one, not the cell phone that Megan was using. Though I didn't feel like talking to anyone, I answered it anyway, half hoping that it was Megan calling to offer her apology. However, to my surprise, it was someone from the company I worked for.

"We're all sorry to hear about your unfortunate circumstances," Mr. Duncan, the man on the other end of the line told me, "But we'd hate to lose all of your experience. We have a place for you in our main office if you're interested..."

It went on like that for another minute, but the main point was that I had a job again. All I had to do was show up at the main office and I could get started. The sooner the better. As I slowly hung up the phone, stunned at the one piece of good fortune, I let out a sigh of relief and smiled faintly.

"Guys," I told my kids with a grin, "I've got some good news. I've got a job again..."

"Really?" Megan gasped in excitement, "That's great..."

Jack nodded, "Cool..."

However, I was a bit embarrassed as I told Megan, "But I'll need a ride to and from work..."

Without missing a beat, Megan snapped the cell phone shut then hurried to the counter and grabbed my truck keys. She even gave me a smile as we left the house, while Jack gave me a thumbs up.

By the time we arrived at the main office, I was feeling a bit nervous. I'd been in there a number of times, but that wasn't where I worked out of. I spent most of my time working out on the construction sites, going from one to another as the jobs were finished. So being there... knowing that I was going to be working out of there from then on was a bit strange.

After saying bye to Megan, I went inside, slowly looking around. There were a number of people who worked there, arranging the contracts to build things, doing all the coordination, getting blue prints, not to mention all the permits and the like. I just wasn't certain what exactly I was going to do.

"Can I help you?" a woman's voice asked from the side. I turned and saw an attractive, thirty something red head. However, the most noticeable thing about her was the fact that she had three tits.

I'd met Karen Stevens a couple times before, though we weren't exactly close friends. She was one of those extremely rare people who'd been given a real odd change from the Bug. Every great once in awhile, the Bug does even stranger than normal things to people, like maybe giving them extra genitals... or in Karen's case, an extra breast... right in the middle of the other two. And a nice sized one at that.

"Hi Karen," I told her, catching her a little by surprise since I'd used her name, "I need to see Mr. Duncan."

She blinked, "And you are..."

I blushed, feeling embarrassed and looking down at my feet as I half mumbled, "Jim Brody..." Then I forced myself to look her in the eyes as I added, "But I've started calling myself Jane now..."

Karen's eyes widened, then she smiled nervously, "I'd heard about how you got Burke's..." Then she blushed, "You know office gossip..."

I nodded, definitely able to imagine everyone talking about what had happened to me. I was sure that a lot of people even found it pretty funny that a real man like me could have been turned into a teenage girl. The former buddies I used to work with sure seemed to think so.

After a few seconds, Karen shook off her surprise and gave me a more genuine smile. "Well, I'm sorry to hear about your not being able to work with your normal group, but I'm happy you'll be working here."

A minute later, I was in Mr. Duncan's office and sitting across from him. He stared at me for a moment, obviously just as amazed as everyone else to know that there was an adult man's mind inside of this teenage girl's body. However, I'd heard the rumors that his own brother had gotten the old sex change treatment from the Bug as well, so he probably wasn't as startled by it as most people.

"I'm glad that you could make it," Mr. Duncan told me as he held out his hand.

I shook his hand, responding, "So am I."

With that, we began talking about what would be expected of me at the main office. My new job was going to be mostly behind a desk, though thankfully not as a secretary. If he'd offered me a job as a secretary, I would have told him 'hell no' and walked out. I might need a job, but I still had my pride to think about.

Unfortunately, there would be a bit of a decrease in my pay since I wouldn't be running around and doing some of the more dangerous stuff. But with the way Mr. Duncan put it, there was also a bit more room for advancement with my new position.

Once Mr. Duncan was through explaining what I would have to do, we shook hands again and I left his office, only to be met by Karen again outside the door.

"I guess I got the job," I told her with a faint smile.

"That's great," she beamed at me, "Let me show you your desk and introduce you to everyone..."

With that, Karen began my tour of the office and the introductions to everyone I didn't knew or was only barely acquainted with. Before long, I was sitting down at my new desk, beginning my new job. I was still working with construction, though only now more the contract side of things.

Before I realized it, the day was over, or at least my work day. My new schedule was a little more 9 to 5 than my old one, which made the day seem to fly by, especially since I had come in late and I was let off a bit early. When I was done, I was about to call Megan for a ride, though decided against it. It was embarrassing having to ask my daughter to give me a ride. So instead, I took the bus.

When I got home, I found Megan in the living room with her friends Nina and Sue. Both of them stared at me with a strange expression, then quickly glanced at Megan.

"I see Megan told you who I am," I told them with a faint smile.

"Um... yeah," Nina answered, looking faintly embarrassed before suddenly smiling, "I never would of guessed that you were really old..."

"Old?" I blinked. 39 wasn't old. Sure, it wasn't exactly young, but I wasn't old.

Nina looked embarrassed again, "You know what I mean..."

I just chuckled as I left the living room. But just as I was leaving, I overheard Sue exclaim, "Wow... your dad is so cool..."

"I know," Megan's voice responded proudly, which was nearly enough to bring tears to my eyes.

"Yeah," Nina added "He's taking it so good too. I mean..." then she giggled, "my dad would throw an absolute fit if it had happened to him."

I just shook my head and went to find Jack in his room. We went out into the driveway and played a little one on one basketball for awhile, with me doing nowhere near as well as I once did. I just didn't have the height anymore, though that didn't stop me from trying and even having fun.

"You know dad," Jack told me after we were done, "It's pretty weird seeing ya like this... but I'm glad you're still my dad..."

With that and what Megan had said earlier, tears actually came to my eyes. Of course, I denied it and said that I'd gotten an eyelash in my eye or something, but I couldn't deny the truth to myself. The fact was, at that moment, I was the proudest dad in the world.

When Brenda got home from work, she barely said a word to me. However, she did take me to the DMV with a minimum of convincing, apparently feeling a little guilty for the night before. I showed them my old driver's license, my birth certificate and social security, while she signed the papers swearing that I was who I claimed to be. And by the time we walked out, I had my driver's license back, even recording 'Jane' as my official altername.

Over the next week, I tried to work out my problems with Brenda... even going so far as suggesting a marriage counselor, which was something I never thought that I'd do. However, she refused to even consider it. Her stubbornness had come into play once again. Once Brenda made up her mind, you could never get her to change it. And unfortunately, she'd decided that I was no longer her husband.

As much as it hurt, I couldn't really blame Brenda. She was being true to herself, and I was well aware of the fact that I was no longer the man that I once was. I couldn't be the husband she needed. But still... it hurt. There was no doubt that our marriage was at its end.

In the end, I couldn't handle the way Brenda was treating me anymore. The whole house was filled with so much tension that I thought it would explode, and every time she snubbed me... it hurt. So finally, I did the only thing that I could... for her... for the kids... and for myself. I accepted that it was over, or at least tried to...and moved out and into an apartment.

The Bug had cost me nearly everything. It had robbed me of my body... my manhood... my own manly identity. It had cost me my job, the one that I'd worked so hard at for so many years, not to mention all the friends that I'd built up over those years. Though perhaps those friends weren't as real as I had once believed. And worst of all... that damn virus had cost me my marriage.

Of course, I was more than 20 years younger and as healthy as a horse, but as nice as those aspects were, they were small compensation for all that I'd lost. Small compensation indeed.

However, whenever I thought about all that I had lost as a result of the Bug, I remembered that there was one thing that I had not. Or two. My kids. Megan and Jack were still my kids... and they still loved me... just as I still loved them. And strangely enough, my relationship with them seemed to have only gotten even better since I had changed.

Perhaps our improved relationship was because they now saw me differently since I looked like their own age. Maybe it was because I myself have changed... in more than just looks. And maybe, it was both of those or neither. All I knew was that this closer relationship was very important to me, and all that the Bug had not been able to take.

Most of the changes that the Bug brought to me, both directly and indirectly, were hard to deal with. The changes had left me to face periods, woman problems and countless other issues I hadn't been able imagine before. They had torn my life apart and left me to pick up the pieces and move on. But still, I refused to just lay down and cry about them. No matter how hard it was, I was going to take it like a man.

But still, as years of experience in construction had taught me, even the toughest man sometimes needed a hand. That was what I had my kids for. And perhaps... I might even talk to that shrink that my doctor recommended. Perhaps.

As much as things had changed, I constantly reminded myself that inside, I was still me. I still had my kids. No matter what chaos some strange virus can cause, those thing will always remain. No matter what happens, what shit is thrown at you, all you can really do is deal with it and move on. Such is life after the Bug.