No, no! This shouldn't happen! It CANNOT happen! STOP!

~o~O~o~

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“What do you mean, he won’t let us do it early?” Kent was upset.

“Just that,” exclaimed Dr. Brand. “The CEO has mandated that no matter what, the treatment must last at least for a full sixty hours. I have no authority to overrule the CEO.”

“Why?” blurted Tina.

“Because he’s the CEO,” Brand said. “I have to do what she says. No other reason was given to me, and no other reason is needed. I apologize for falsely raising your hopes. I was sure it would be okay.”

Kent started to cry. Tina just looked mildly infuriated.

“Look. There are some other issues that we can use this time for. Why don’t we address them? It’s almost 2:30 p.m. — we have time to do that. Then tomorrow morning after breakfast we can meet to accomplish the reversal of the therapy. Or, if you’re extremely eager, I can meet you both here at 3 a.m. and revert you both exactly when the time is up.”

“Sorry, doc. I’m saying ‘no’ to any more talking right now. I’ve been through the emotional wringer today enough already,” Tina said. “We will be back here at 3 a.m. though — right, Dad?”

“Absolutely,” affirmed Kent. With that, father and daughter got up and left the session.

~o~O~o~

Supper was … different. Janis was wordless as she picked at her meal. Kent and Tina were both upbeat, though not as much as if they had already returned each other’s forms. Marlene was a mixed bag: thrilled over her husband and older daughter, but distraught over the one she had considered her rock in the storm.

Emotional workouts can be almost as exhausting as physical ones. After supper, all agreed that going to bed would be wise.

~o~O~o~

The parents readied to retire for the night. Marlene came out of the bathroom; her husband (Tina) was already in bed, lying on his left side, facing the wall.

“I’m going to be blunt. Are we making love tonight?” Marlene asked.

“Honey — wait until after 3 a.m. The therapy ends then. As soon as I get back from that counseling office, I’ll make passionate love to you.” I have to remember to tell Dad to do that, Tina thought.

“That doesn’t make sense. Very little of this does, you know. I can tell you that I don’t want to sleep tonight beside a man that avoids me. So until you’re allowed to be intimate with me again, I’m sleeping in the hammock outside.” She grabbed her pillow and a blanket.

Tina arose. “Honey — no. If anyone deserves to give up the bed, it’s me. Let me sleep on the hammock.” After a few minutes of arguing, Marlene begrudgingly got back in bed and Tina went outside to sleep.

~o~O~o~

“What’s that you’re taking, Janis?”

“Over-the-counter sleep pills; they’re essentially Benadryl. I told Mom I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight, so she gave me some of these. She told me to take one, but I want to escape the world for a while.” With that, she popped two pills in her mouth and chased it with a glass of water.

Wow. Two pills knocked me out for hours when I took them on occasion as a big grown man. Janis will be in la—la land until at least the morning, Kent thought.

Sure enough, she heard Janis snoring loudly fifteen minutes later. The sawing of logs was so high decibel that Kent had to stuff cotton in her ears. That measure helped little. It didn’t help that Kent felt invigorated, not sleepy. Perhaps from the excitement of seeing how disaster had turned to triumph in her family.

I bet I stay awake until 3 a.m., when we’re due to switch back. I don’t want to listen to snoring for 6 to 7 more hours. I’m going for a walk. Janis sure won’t be sleeping light tonight; I should be able to get away with it.

Maybe I can remind and encourage James to pursue Tina tomorrow night, in spite of the dismissive attitude I know she’ll have towards him.

Once again, she arose and carefully clothed. This time she added some lip gloss and a few whiffs of perfume. She stepped out the front door, and glanced towards the parent’s cabana. In the full moon light, she gasped as she saw the hulking form of her former body lying in a hammock outside. He appeared asleep.

What? Man, I’m going to have to do some major repair work with Marlene when we get back to normal, she thought. She carefully padded her way down to the poolside bar.

~o~O~o~

“Hi James!” Kent chirped.

“Hey there, beautiful,” James returned.

“I just came to remind you about tomorrow, so you’d remember — wait, what are you doing sitting by the pool? I thought you’d still be working.”

“Already finished. My line cook buddy took over thirty minutes ago. I asked him because I was hoping you’d show up.”

“HMMmmm! Methinks the gentleman is crushing on me a little!”

“That obvious, am I? Then let me greet you with a gentlemanly embrace.”

“Look, I’m not here to snuggle. I just want to make sure that tomorrow you —“

James came to her despite her protestations. Instead of just hugging her, he picked her up by the back and the legs, and walked her over to one of the poolside lounge chairs. He sat down on the chair, placing Kent on his lap.

Kent was surprised at how fast her sexual motor came to life this night. She felt … dampness? … in her crotch, and her heart and breathing rate were suddenly elevated. The goosebumps from last night were all at attention. And James hadn’t even kissed her.

That deficiency was addressed in the next two seconds.

~o~O~o~

Tina awoke with a major backache. This hammock was not made for a 6’2’’ man to sleep in. He struggled to get out of it, and almost fell. Stumbling, he considered his options. He peeked in on Marlene. She was sleeping, but fitfully. He walked to the adjoining cabana to checked on the girls.

Janis was there, sleeping like a rock, but her sister’s bed was empty.

Oh no. Don’t tell me Dad went to see James again.

Tina put on some sweat pants that he’d taken outside to get into if it got too cold. He grabbed his slippers that he’d taken outside to the hammock. He then went down the trail approaching the pool.

~o~O~o~

James had rounded first base and was heading to second with Kent. His hands had slid inside her panties as he massaged her butt, he withdrew one of them and reached inside her shirt to grasp her bra cup.

Kent pulled back, panting. “James! No! We need to … to …” As Kent pulled her head away from the handsome bartender’s, she got a glance at the path heading back to the cabana. Her eyes widened.

“We need to keep on going?” hinted James, hopefully.

“We need to get out of here! Now!” Kent urgently whispered. “I think my Dad is coming!” If Tina sees this, there’s no way she’ll be open to James.

James face turned to one of resolve. “Roll off of me to your right. Stay low; the hedge will shield us. Stay on the grass; the lights are trained on the cement. Then follow me.”

Both of them briskly slinked out of the area. James caught the eye of his replacement barkeep. “Cover for me, bro,” he breathed. The cook gave thumbs up.

~o~O~o~

“Did you see my daughter — a teenage girl, long brunette hair, very curvy — down here? And, where’s James? I thought he was the bartender,” Tina inquired of the man who was polishing a glass.

“It’s James’ night off.”

“Where does he bunk? Where would he be tonight? I really am worried that my daughter is with him,” man-Tina implored.

“I dunno. I pretty much keep to myself. And no, I haven’t seen no teenager ‘round here tonight.”

Nuts. Where could Dad have gone? I really don’t feel like combing the island in a wild goose chase, Tina fretted.

The replacement bartender looked at the big man. “It’s pretty slow right now, just you and me. You wanna drink?”

“No,” Tina sighed. “I’m under-” Wait a minute. I am not underage tonight. I’m forty-two! How about that. I’m gonna have a drink. “Something not too strong. How about a light beer.”

“Comin’ up.”

~o~O~o~

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

James opened a door and walked in, girl-Kent right behind him. They were in a sparsely equipped metal shack. A bed, a small desk, a phone on a bedside table, and a wooden chair. Concrete floor. The window mounted AC unit completed the accoutrements. Oh, there was a tiny bathroom, and a tiny kitchenette room. But that was it.

“So this is where you live? Looks pretty Spartan,” said Kent. “Not even a picture on the wall.”

“I leave this summer once I secure an engineering job, so why dress it up if it’s temporary?” James responded. “Now, where were we? I think you had your lips pressed on mine …”

“Umm … I’m not going to resume the cuddling. I’ll be honest with you, James. I didn’t come with you to your room to go ‘all the way’. I just wanted not to get caught by my Dad. So, sorry to disappoint you, but physically we’re going no further. Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow night? Who knows?” Kent knew he couldn’t guarantee Tina’s actions when she was back in this body.

James had a look on his face as if he had heard this many times before. “It’s okay, Tina. I know that some girls come to the Isla looking for a temporary fling, and that’s fine with me. But if you really don’t want to be here — if you’re just doing this so as to not hurt my feelings — please, don’t. We’ll wait until the coast is clear and then we can sneak you back to your cabana. But please don’t lead me on. Not you. Please.”

“Lead you on? Why would you think that?” Listen to the earnestness in his voice. Oh, this guy will be so perfect for my daughter.

“Because,” James said in a quavering voice, “Unlike all of those other flings, I … I’m developing feelings for you. I think I’m fall- … oh, forget it.”

“What? No, please — finish,” Kent’s voice was now trembling too. He has feelings for her! And by the way this body is feeling, I know Tina will have attraction for him too!

James shook his head and turned away. Kent put a hand on the boy’s arm to reassure him.

“James. You are a special guy. I’ve only known you for a few days and I can tell that. It really is this therapy I’m going through that has me hesitant. But by tomorrow morning, it will be over. I may forget how I felt tonight — you will have to woo me all over again — but I want you to do that. Please?”

The young man continued to avoid Kent’s gaze. “You think I haven’t had experience with women taking that secret therapy? They fall in love with me, and then in two or three days act like they don’t know me. Not that it mattered much, because … because I wasn’t really in love with them. But you …”

Kent held her breath. He’s … he’s saying he … Oh my god.

“I can’t afford to get too involved with you, Tina. Because when you leave — it’s gonna break my heart.” James turned to her, and drew near.

“J — James.” Kent tried to speak more, but her body’s feelings overwhelmed her. She felt hot, so hot, as if her blood was boiling. Emotions of a type and intensity she had never sensed before were roiling inside, taking over her body, her senses, her brain. Her mind — her male mind — became alarmed, and fought desperately for control, but like a novice surfer trying to ride a twenty foot wave, it was easily overmatched. She stood bolt still as James put his hand gently behind her neck and pulled her into his kiss.

All sense of space and time, all orientation was suddenly lost. She couldn’t tell if she was still standing or if she was now lying under him on the bed. Her breasts and nipples were on fire — or was he licking them? She closed her eyes in an attempt to focus, but that just removed any visual competition for the unbelievable sensations coming from her lips, her body.

“No, no! This shouldn’t happen! It CANNOT happen! STOP,” Kent’s male mind screamed.

SHUT UP shouted the female body and brain anatomy. Kent was both terrified and exhilarated, as her body became a holy temple being ministered to by the high priest James. Every inch was quivering, on fire, being made clean of clothes. Not yet her nether regions between her thighs, at least-

James slid his fingers down inside the front of her panties.

“JAMES! Wait! D-don’t …”

But the young man’s face was lost in glorious bliss. “Tina,” he breathed, “I love you. I love you so much.”

The “L” word sealed it. That twenty-foot wave of desire and emotion broke and pounded the old male Kent into the background, into submission. All that was left to be sensed was a glorious rush of fulfillment. Heaven. Utopia. Life more alive than any felt before.

“Ohh, my James. I love you!”

All resistance fell away as she allowed him to finish undressing her. She opened up wide and gasped, then moaned as he made their two bodies one.

~o~O~o~

They lay in bed together. James had come twice, and Kent had done so more times than she could count. The bartender was now asleep, with his arms wrapped around her. His lover was still wide-awake, a hurricane of thoughts swirling her brain and mind. She was terrified. She was electrified. Or more specifically, her female brain and emotions were claiming victory over Kent’s male soul…

Oh God. What perfection this is. I’m lying in bed with the most wonderful guy in the world, and he loves me. He completely loves me! And I love him! James and me. Me and James. Forever.

‘Oh God’ is an understatement!. Sweet merciful heaven, what have I done? I have betrayed my daughter — and my wonderful wife! They can never, ever find out! I’ve got to get out of here, get back to the cabana, and try to forget this ever happened!

How can you forget? Don’t you remember the rush of emotion we felt? Tell me that you’ve ever felt that way before. You haven’t. And if we stay in this form — if we stay in this teenage body, together — then it solves a number of problems. We all get to experience this bliss every day for the rest of our life, and Tina never gets with Mitch!

What!? No! That means that Tina …

She’ll be stuck as a man, yes. Wasn’t she saying just earlier today how she planned to do just that? And the way she handled that phone call from Robert. Excellent. Even if she loses your job, the severance pay will be more than enough to retire on. Why, pretty soon that sex drive she has now will have her thinking of Marlene as a lover, not a mother. She will be fine, eventually.

But I still love my wife! Marlene …

Will survive. What we have here with James is rare. It is truly love. It must be love. And love conquers all. Having found it, we must sacrifice everything for it. Everything! Didn’t you love the way we felt?

Yes. God forgive me, I liked it. But I didn’t want to…

See? We can do this! We can live in the glorious heaven that few share! Oh! Our prince is awakening!

“Mmmm. Hey there, Tina. Can’t sleep, huh?”

She was trembling. She looked at him with infatuation and fear. “I’m afraid not. This fire you started in me — it’s out of control. I don’t like being out of control. It won’t let me sleep.”

“Mmmm.” He climbed on top of her. “Let me inject a little more ‘lighter fluid’ on that fire.”

“Ooooh my Gooooo….”

~o~O~o~

Tina sat at the pool bar, comtemplating. The four light beers were starting to have an effect, but not a good one. He was feeling worse and worse about how Marlene was rejecting him. Not that he wanted to be with her — gross! To make love to your own Mother? Blechh! — but he felt horrible about hurting her so. Yet, until the therapy was over, he couldn’t think of anything else to do.

“Boy — you sure look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

Tina looked up. Sitting on the stool next to him was The Redhead, the busty beauty from the beach. She had on a buttoned shirt top that was undone halfway down her torso and tied up to expose her midriff. Short shorts below that left little to the imagination.

“Bet my situation’s worse than yours,” she sniffed.

“I can’t get into specifics about mine. Suffice it to say that my body wants my wife badly, but I can’t make love to her.” Did I just admit that to a stranger? Girl, this booze must have loosened my tongue.

“Ah. The old cold shoulder. What a shame. It’s too bad — you look like a hunk. Heck, if I were your wife, I’d sleep with you.”

“It’s not that she’s — oh, forget it. It’s too complicated.” Tina turned the other direction.

“My situation is still worse. It’s the old ‘double cold shoulder’.”

Tina looked back at her. “Hey — you’re part of that threesome that’s here, aren’t you? You, and the guy, and the … the…”

“The transsexual. He’s/she’s not gotten the operation, so a lot of people would call her a she-male. A chick with a dick. By the way: hi, my name’s Tawny.”

“Uh … hi, I’m Kent. How … how does your relationship work?” wondered Tina.

“It doesn’t, not any more. See, my husband and I wanted to do something to reinvigorate our love life. So we searched around and even interviewed; and eventually chose to have this male-to-female transsexual come to live with us. She had something to offer both of us, you know? A penis for me, and a butthole for him.”

“Man oh man, it was fantastic for the first two years. All three of us in bed, and occasionally different combinations of two. But then something started to happen. My husband started forming a stronger bond with the dick-chick than he had with me. It’s gotten to the point where the tranny is contemplating a full sex change surgery so my husband can divorce me and they can get married, and go off and leave me high and dry.”

“I’m sure that you flirting at the beach with every guy in sight didn’t help things,” Tina snapped sarcastically.

“Hey! I’m desperate. I was trying to make Jack jealous,” bit back Tawny.

“I must admit, that’s pretty weird,” Tina agreed. “But you don’t look like you’re as depressed as I feel.” He got up from the bar and walked over to the bench seat positioned near the wall of the bar.

Tawny followed. “Hey, you! I don’t look like I’m depressed? That’s because I’m good at faking a smile! If I get down in the mouth, that makes the happy tranny look even more appealing to Jack!”

She stood in front of him, bending over at the waist so they could see eye to eye. Except Tina couldn’t focus on Tawny’s face; her breasts, with that magnificent crevasse separating them, were all his eyes were plastered on.

The redhead started to mist up in her eyes. “No matter how hard I try, it’s all slipping through my fingers.” She sat down on the bench next to him. “I love both of them … but I don’t get any love back … I’m starving!” She began weeping loudly.

Tina looked at her. She was obviously in pain. And painfully hot. He was starting to feel sorry for her. He put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. With that, she continued boo — hooing and slowly melted towards him, putting her face on his shoulder.

This is inappropriate. At least, it looks that way, I’m sure. But what do I do? Leave her to cry all by herself? That seems cruel, thought Tina.

Tawny looked up. “I mean, why won’t they love me? Am I that ugly? Do you think I’m ugly?” She sat up and opened her arms, inviting Tina to evaluate her body.

Tina obliged. The curvy hips. The inviting butt. The world class breasts. And a face like Taylor Swift. “You are definitely not ugly. You’re beautiful.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” She leaned over and pressed her chest into Tina as she hugged him tight. That’s when Tina felt his biggest erection yet, tenting his sweat pants, threatening to burst the seam.

Tawny must have felt it too. “Let me thank you in a special way,” she exhaled lightly into his ear. Her hand dipped inside his sweats, grasping his penis tightly. She began rubbing up and down.

Tina was agog in new sensations. Her girl mind screamed for her to push this slut away, to run for the ice machine. Her male body was already too far gone, having needed sex for days and now getting the illicit thrill of a hand job from a woman who was centerfold-worthy. The internal conflict produced a paralysis — he didn’t embrace Tawny, but he couldn’t run from her either. She continued pumping away with her fingers.

Suddenly Mount Vesuvius erupted in Tina’s groin. “NNNNGH … AAAH!” he choked out. OMG. O. M. G. OMGOMGOMGGGG!!!

“Let’s go somewhere else, where we can do this with … adequate exposure, hmm?” Tawny purred.

“KENT!”

Tina opened his eyes; he hadn’t realized that they had been squinted shut.

There, ten feet away, stood Marlene. One hand covered her mouth; another clutched at her suddenly nauseated stomach.
Her body jerked twice, as if attempting a convulsion; then she wailed - a long, mournful wail of horror. Turning, she ran out of the bar and pool area.

Tina, at once fully sober, jumped up out of Tawny’s grasp. He ran with his dying erection pointing out the damp spot on his sweat pants. Not that he cared a bit. “MARLENE! WAIT!”

Tawny sat with a wet hand and a sour facial expression. “Dammit,” she said. “Cockblocked again.”

~o~O~o~

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Kent awoke in the middle of the night. She was alone in bed. “James? Baby?” There was no answer. Then she heard the humming of a machine coming from the kitchenette area. James stuck his head through the door. “Hey, gorgeous.”

“Come back to bed with me, baby,” Kent cooed. “I need to feel your arms around me. I need your tender kisses. Make love to me again.” She was addicted; she could think of nothing else.

“I was hungry — and a little thirsty — so I made something special for the both of us,” he shouted from the ‘nette. He emerged from the door carrying a large coffee mug and a small espresso cup. “This is primo stuff, imported from Brazil. Decaf, so it won’t keep you up. A latte for me, and an espresso for my espresso girl.”

BLECCHH! Coffee. How sweet, he made it special for me. But I’ll throw up if I drink that sour stuff. “Thanks so much, baby,” she said, trying to mask her insincerity.

“Well? Taste it and tell me what you think,” James said. At that point, James’ walkie-talkie chirped. “Hey James, you there?”

James looked mildly irritated. “Excuse me, sweetheart. I’m gonna answer that.” He set down his latte, grabbed the handset and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door.

Kent was sitting there, holding the espresso. She didn’t want to disappoint her love — he’d gone to the trouble to make it. But she just couldn’t bring herself to even taste the nasty stuff. A way out presented itself. She leaned over and poured the tiny shotglass of espresso into James’ latte. Surely he wouldn’t notice the difference.

Just then, James emerged from the bathroom. “Hey! You drank that fast. How did you like it?”

“It was fabulous,” Kent lied. “But tasteless when compared to your sweet kiss.”

James faux-pouted. “Awww. I was hoping we could sip our drinks side-by-side, together.” He started sipping his latte. Then he turned to his lover to find her yawning.

“Getting sleepy again already? Maybe I shouldn’t have made the drinks unleaded.”

“Oh, I can’t sleep long with the best boy in the world touching me. It’s a dream come true.” She stifled another yawn.

James smiled upon seeing that. He lifted the w/t handset to his mouth and pressed the button. “Okay, guys. NOW you can come over.”

Kent raised an eyebrow. “Baby, who are you talking to?”

James’ smile was wider than she’d ever seen it. Wide, and … a little malicious? “My, my. You are one sweet piece of ass. I would keep you all to myself, but I have monetary and chemical needs, you know?” He drank deep from his latte.

Suddenly there was an urgent knocking on the door. James opened it. In walked the three groundskeeper hoodlums — Freddy, Stuart and Ron. Stuart was still limping from his ankle strain.

“Hey! She’s still awake,” Freddy protested.

“Not for long,” said James. “I put a ton of rohypnol in her drink. It will block her memory even back to thirty minutes ago, so she’ll just remember her night with me, not what’s about to happen now.”

“You’re a prince, dude. Here’s our part of the bargain,” said Stuart. He handed James a clear freezer bag partially filled with multiple little bags of white powder.

James opened one of the little bags and tasted it with a finger. “Oh man. I am gonna get so jacked up on this stuff”. He yawned, then took another long gulp of his latte.

“Wh — what’s going on? James … baby? What are you doing?” Kent’s male soul knew very well what was happening, but couldn’t figure a way out.

Big Freddy shed his shirt and pants and crawled up onto the bed, straddling Kent. “What’s gonna happen in a minute, when you’re zonked, is this: I’m gonna fuck your brains out. Then my buds will. We’ll repeat and repeat until we’re satisfied. And you won’t remember a thing. Ain’t that thoughtful of us?”

Kent clung to the thin bedsheet that separated Freddy from her nakedness. “No … **sob** … it can’t be true!”

Ron scratched his head. “Hey, James. Shouldn’t she be looking at least a little sleepy now?”

THUNK — CLUNK! That was the sound of James, and then his big coffee mug, hitting the floor. He was unarousable.

The hoodlums looked at him. Ron, the smartest, realized what had happened. “Oh, James. You colossal fuck-up. Guys, this is over. James drugged himself, not the chick.”

“To hell with that!” yelled Freddy. “I came over here for some pussy, and I’m not leaving ‘til I get some!”

“Dude,” Stuart said. “She’s not drugged. She’ll remember and charge you with rape.”

Kent, meanwhile, had stealthily grabbed for the phone. She lifted the handle and prepared to dial 911. Wait - they don't have 911 services on this island. Oh, god. Who can I call? Then she remembered. She dialed 400, waited a second, and then punched 299. That was probably a worthless attempt. It’s early a.m. — he’s not going to wake-“

Kent felt a hard punch to her right face. “What are ya doing, bitch? Keep away from the phone!” Freddy roared, still straddling her. “No, guys. I’ll tell you how we do this. We tape her mouth shut, then get our rocks off with her. Then we take her out in the skiff, to deep water. Her hands and feet will be tied, and we attach that 50-pound anchor to her, and drop her down. Next day, James talks about how his lover went out for a midnight swim, and got caught in the riptide again. See? Perfect story.”

“Dude, that’s ludicrous. Get off of her.”

“Stu!” Freddy cried. “C’mon, man!”

Kent used the moment to put all of the strength she had in a knee thrust into Freddy as he straddled her. He grabbed his groin with an "ARRGH!" and fell to his side. She jumped out of the bed the opposite way and ran to the far wall, to the side door of the shack, fully naked. She grabbed for the doorknob — it was locked. She looked desperately for a latch, but then realized: this lock had to be key-opened from both sides. Gasping, she realized she was trapped, cornered.

Freddy was limping towards her, rage in his eyes. “You shouldn’t have done that, cunt.”

Ron yelled to his bud. “Freddy, you’re on your own on this one. I’m leaving. Come on, Stu.”

Suddenly the locked knob on the side door next to Kent shook, as if being keyed from outside. Then it turned, and came open. Stumpy Angelo came in, his tool belt around his waist. He scanned and evaluated the situation in a split second.

“What the hell are YOU doing here, monkey man?” bellowed Freddy.

“I gotsa call from dis-a phone,” replied Angelo. “I see what’sa goin’ on. Now keepa way from di Signorina. Alla you guys in biga trouble.”

“GYAAAH!” Freddy, now delirious with anger, bull rushed the Italian.

Angelo at once set his feet and leaned forward towards the charging chunk, simultaneously twisting his torso so that his left shoulder pointed to the floor as his right one arched upwards. As big Fred closed in, Angelo’s lanky right arm lashed out and grabbed him by the throat, pushing Fred’s head upward and stopping his momentum. Then the lower arm looped a blinding roundhouse punch into Fred’s abused crotch. The blow lifted the the youngster’s feet off the floor.

“HUKKK!” the big tough gasped, and fell onto the cement curled in a fetal position.

“Angelo,” Ron sniffed, “This was all Freddy and James. Stu and I had nothing to do with this.”

“You were-a leaving di scene offa crime witout doin’ notting to stop it,” accused Angelo.

Ron sighed, and pulled out a knife. “Please don’t force me to do this the hard way.”

Angelo pulled out a claw hammer from his belt. “Mano!” he yelled, and fast as lightning unleashed it at Ron. It hit exactly at the base of Ron’s palm with a POK, knocking the knife out of his hand.

“Stomacao!” A pipe wrench rocketed into Ron’s stomach, WHUDD. He doubled over in pain. He and Stu looked back at Angelo.

Angelo was now twirling two extremely long ice picks, one in each hand. “Testicoli,” he said menacingly.

Ron’s eyes widened. Stu’s upper lip quivered. Neither knew a lick of Italian, but it wasn’t hard to determine the next shots would be aimed at their testicles. Both of them dove out the front door, one running, one hopping away.

Freddy was still incapacitated, moaning and rocking. Angelo turned to Kent, with his eyes shielded so as to not see her nakedness. He whispered, “Hey dere, Signore Kent. You A-OK?”

“Thanks to you, Angelo. I’m amazed … how did you get here so fast?”

“Grabba you clothes and puta dem on, quick. I will make sure Frederico stay down.”

She got dressed in less than a minute. She and Angelo left the shack quickly.

“Angelo, what time is it?”

“Alamost 3 inna di morning.”

“I need to get to the Counseling Centre. Oh, Angelo. I have blown it big time. Just hours ago, my family was healed. Now I’ve destroyed us again.” She began to weep so hard it became difficult to walk. Angelo gently picked her up in his arms, and then trotted towards the complex.

He dropped her off inside Counseling Room One. “Remember, you need anyting at all — you aska me.”

~o~O~o~

“M-Marlene … what are you doing?” quivered Tina.

“I’m leaving, Kent. Leaving here, then leaving you. I’ll use the phones at the main complex to set up a private jet to pick up me, Tina, and Janis, and we’re getting out of here.” She spoke through anger and pain as she packed her bag.

“But Marlene — Mom. I just told you. I’m not your husband. I’m your daughter. I got seduced, because I was stupid and didn’t recognize it, and the beers didn’t help eith-“

“SHUT UP! That is the most asinine story I’ve ever heard! Not only do you cheat on me, but then you lie about it? That’s why I know — it’s over!”

“Please, Mom. Just come with me to the Centre. It’s 3 o’clock, and they’re gonna change us back. You’ll see it for yourself!”

“LIAR! GET OUT!” Marlene shut the door and locked the deadbolt, stranding Tina outside. “I’m contacting an attorney to draw up divorce papers as soon as I get home,” she shouted through the wood.

Tina felt lost. He sat down, nauseated. “OMG. I just killed Mom and Dad’s marriage.”

“Miss Tina,” came a whisper.

“Angelo?”

“Yes, itsa me. They all waiting for you atta di Centre.”

“Angelo … I’ve screwed up big time. Mom’s leaving Dad, and it’s all my fault.”

“Signorina — comma to di Centre. Hava som faith.” Angelo reached for Tina’s hand, and pulled him up. He then pulled him to the counseling center.

~o~O~o~

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Girl-Kent was sitting on a couch as Man-Tina came into the room. Both were silent. Both had tortured, anguished visages. Kent knew she would have to tell her daughter what happened with James, but feared losing Tina forever. Tina meanwhile held his face in his hands, knowing he would forever live with the guilt of causing the imminent divorce of his parents.

“Are you both ready to undo the therapy?” Dr. Brand yawned as he entered, Dr. Rahne Ruiz behind him.

“Fine,” mumbled Tina.

“Yeah **sniff** I guess,” whispered Kent.

Rahne snapped to attention. “What’s happened? Just twelve hours afore, ye both were havin’ major positive breakthroughs. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Kent looked up, tears streaming down her face. “I can’t. It’s too horrible … too embarrassing. I’m so ashamed.”

“Wee one,” said Rahne stroking Kent’s cheek, “Yuir in a safe place. C’mon, blether it oot to me.”

“I’ll tell you guys what I did,” Tina volunteered. “I just drove Mom to divorce me — uh, you, Dad. And I feel like a piece of crap.”

Dr. Brand was now fully awake too, eyes wide as saucers. “Tina — how did that happen?”

The large form of Mr. Braxton started to shake as he -Tina - recounted the last few hours. By the end of the tale, tears were dripping down his cheeks and off of his generous nose, making his mustache and beard a matted mess.

“Daad,” he howled, “I’m — I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I’ve ruined everything. I wish I were dead!”

Kent sat silently. Then she stood, and slowly walked over to Tina. She took his huge head and wrapped her arms around it, cradling it against her right shoulder. This caused Tina to wail loudly, with jerking sobs; never had this male form looked so broken. The girl then began to whisper into the grown man’s ear.

“You’re forgiven, daughter. Shhh. Don’t worry. It will turn out all right — you’ll see. Thank you for being honest right now. I’m so proud of you for that. I love you, my sweet Tina, my firstborn. Don’t you ever wish you were dead. You are my cherished little girl — nothing anyone ever does can change that fact. Hold on to me. Let it out.”

Dr. Brand was standing back against the wall, smiling. Rahne was rapidly using up the nearby box of tissues.

Tina lifted his head, still sobbing. “Dad. You should have seen her, heard her voice. There’s nothing that will put this right. The only thing that could is if I could go back in time 6 hours or so — God, I would make sure that never happened.”

Kent laughed as she stroked Tina's head. “Yeah … I could use a 6 hour reboot myself. Maybe we can ask Angelo — he’s always saying “call me for anytin’!”

“What a great guy he is,” Tina sniffed, then chuckled. “Even if he is a little weird looking with those gorilla arms.”

“I’ve called them orangutan arms, they’re so long,” Kent nodded. “And as for being a great guy … Tina, you have no idea. He literally saved my life — again — tonight.”

Dr. Brand spoke up. “Kent. Talk about that. What went on with you this evening and early morning?”

“Excuse me, sir,” Tina interjected. “Do you mind switching us back first? I’ve had all I can handle living as a man. I’m a girl in my soul, and always will be. I want my body back!”

“Ditto for me! The sooner the better,” affirmed Kent.

Rahne and Brand looked at each other, and nodded simultaneously. The Scot lady produced two sheets of paper from a folder, and gave one to each Braxton in the room.

Tina looked around. “What about the table with the glass / mirror thing? Don’t we need that?”

“Nae this time,” Rahne answered. “Both o’ ye, like afore: read wha’ has been given ye, silently. Mean th’ words wi’ every fiber o’ yuir being. Then say th’ last word oot loud, wi’ yuir eyes closed.”

Tina looked at his paper. “I PRAY SINCERELY THAT I MAY RETURN TO MY FORMER LIFE, AND RETAIN THE LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED WALKING IN MY FATHER’S SHOES. AMEN.”

Kent had a similar paper. She had no trouble meaning every word with all the earnestness she could muster. “Amen,” she said with eyes closed.

“Amen,” said Tina, squinting his eyes shut.

“You may open your eyes, now.”

Kent opened his eyes. Yes, he was back in his manly form. Tall, muscular — he felt the power in his limbs that he was used to, that he’d taken for granted. Okay. One last crucial test. He thought of James. Nope, no lingering attraction. “I’ve got my heterosexual male brain back again. Hurray!”

Tina was similarly ecstatic. She imagined The Redhead, her breasts, her butt. Nothing happened inside her. “Yay! I’m back to normal too!”

Father and daughter, each as they should be, embraced. Then Kent joyfully twirled in a circle, swinging a laughing and squealing Tina with him.

“Now, you two,” Brand stated soberly, “We have some work to do. Kent, we need to salvage your marriage. It should not end based on a misunderstanding. And I haven’t forgotten that you need to open up about your night.”

Kent grabbed the male counselor by the shoulders. “Doc, can you and Rahne go to Marlene and explain the treatment to her? You’re the only ones she might listen to.”

“Kent. I am forbidden by the CEO to discuss this treatment with anyone except the involved patients, Dr. Ruiz, Angelo, and the CEO himself — “

“ATTENZIONE, tutti per favore,” bellowed a familiar voice.

All stopped talking as a breathless Angelo hopped into the counseling room.

“Mi scusi, mi perdoni, boss,” he heaved in big breaths, “but I gotsa news urgenti for di signore e signora.” Putting his big mitts onto his knees, the attendant took a few seconds to catch his air.

“Hokay,” Angelo suddenly stood. “I really hadda call ina my markers on dis. Itsa di most grande ting I ever ask di CEO for. But he approve it.”

Kent and Tina were blank-faced. “The CEO approved what?”

“Why, di goin’ back six hour in time,” he said. “You did indeed aska for dat, si, Signore Kent?”

“I — I guess I did? But Angelo — you weren’t even in this room,” Kent sputtered.

“I gotsa good orecchie,” he said, pointing to his ears. “Now: you guys areddy? Ifa you do dis, it must be righta now! It happen when I snappa my finger.” Angelo raised his hand.

“This — this is impossible,” Kent gasped.

“Dad,” said Tina, “we just traded bodies. Is anything impossible?”

“I guess not. Angelo! Will we be swapped again, or in our right-“

SNAP!

~o~O~o~

TO BE CONTINUED FRIDAY, JULY 19

~o~O~o~

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to an actual person or situation is purely coincidental

Tremendous thanks to Cyclist for beta reading and help!

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Thanks for reading! Hugz - **Sigh**