"Your movement isn't as masculine as it was," stated Kelly, "and your voice is getting there. What I think you need is a day out of the house, where you can see what it's like being Charlotte in public."

Charlotte turned white. "Are you sure I'm ready?" she asked fearfully. "What if I forget and walk like a boy and what about my voice? I don't know if I can do it."

"You'll never know unless you try," patiently replied Kelly. "You've been here five days and you can't stay cooped inside for the rest of your life. Tina yesterday performed a full facial clearance and you have no facial hair visible. In a few days you might have a bit of re-growth which would make this trip difficult."

"How much longer will Tina need to work on my face?"

"It's difficult to tell, but Tina doesn't think it will take much longer. Since you'd only just started to get some facial hair, there wasn't much to remove and it isn't that strong. It just depends on growth rates and how long some hairs stay in hibernation."

"What about school? When do you think I'll be able to go back?"

"You're certainly not like most children," Kelly said with a laugh. "Most children would love to have time off."

"I get board if I'm not learning. Also I have my GCSE's next year. I don't want to fail due to this."

"Well if you keep improving at your current rate, then you might be back in school after half-term. Now, besides your nerves, is there any other reason not for us to venture out?"

"I think I'm coming down with something. I felt all strange in my legs since yesterday. A sort of ache is the only way I can describe it."

"Do you ache all over?" queried Kelly, her voice full of concern.

"Not really, mostly just my legs and tummy."

"Let me take your temperature," said Kelly as she reached for the first-aid box.

Kelly removed an ear-thermometer and added the required disposable cover. "Hold still," Kelly said sticking the end of the probe into Charlotte's ear. When the machine beeped, Kelly removed it and peered at the readout. "Your temperature is a little high but nothing to be concerned about. I have something which should help you during our outing."

Kelly took a box from the side and passed it to Charlotte. Silently Charlotte opened the box and removed two small breastforms.

"Are these for me?" Charlotte asked her eyes showing a slight panic.

"Of course they are for you. I don't need them, do I?"

"No, I suppose not. However, I don't have a bra on."

"So let's go upstairs and find you one. I'll also fix the forms onto your chest so you don't have any worries about them falling out."

"That would be embarrassing," Charlotte confirmed with a nervous laugh.

"Now I don't want you to glue them on yourself until you have been shown how to do it properly. You can wear them loose but only I will affix them. After I've done your breasts, I'll also try and comb your hair into a more feminine style. It is short but something might be possible."

"Okay," Charlotte replied, "Lets do it."

Charlotte started walking to her bedroom when, just before she reached the stairs, she came to a complete stop. She started to grab her tummy and bent slightly as she felt an awful cramp there. When she suddenly felt damp in her panties and felt sick, she dashed into the downstairs toilet groaning, slamming the door shut behind her. Kelly, who had been following looked on, wondering what had gone wrong now.

Suddenly a great yell of anguish came from the toilet.

"Are you okay?" panicked Kelly, through the closed door.

"NO!" came the anguished reply. "Can you ring Dr Millard or Dr Smith and tell them 'It's happened'".

"Tell them what's happened? What's going on? Are you okay? Let me in."

"No, you can't come in," Charlotte virtually shouted, her voice sounding in tears. "Please just ring Dr Millard. They will understand. Once they've been told, then I will need your help."

"What's going on?" demanded Kelly.

"Please just ring Charring Cross," pleaded Charlotte. "The sooner you ring them, the sooner you can help me."

"Okay," conceded Kelly, as she reached for the cordless phone and address book.

"Can I speak with Dr Millard?" asked Kelly when someone answered. "I'm Kelly Baxter and I'm ringing regarding a patient called Charlotte."

There was a pause for a few seconds and then Dr Millard came onto the phone. "Hello Ms Baxter, Tom Millard speaking. How can I help you?"

"I'm not sure," Kelly replied. "Charlotte asked me to ring you and say 'It's happened'".

"Where is she now?" asked the reassuring voice of Tom Millard.

"She's shut herself in the toilet and is in tears. Do you understand what she means, as she won't tell me anything else?"

"Yes, I understand. Dr Smith was due to visit tomorrow but I'm going to ask her to set off now to check Charlotte over. The meeting she was scheduled to attend will wait. Is that okay with you?"

"We were planning on going out. Can't this wait till tomorrow?"

"Not really and I don't think Charlotte will feel like going out. You'll understand when you've talked with her. Tell Charlotte to tell you everything."

"Okay Dr Millard. However, I don't appreciate being kept in the dark about things like this."

"I'm sorry, but my hands were tied," he apologised. "Dr Smith should be with you in about three hours."

Kelly hung up the phone and took a deep breath. She felt very frustrated that she had been treated like this and didn't want Charlotte to see her wound up. When she was calm she knocked on the toilet door and said, "I've spoken to Dr Millard. He understood your message and said Dr Smith would come to check you out. He also said you should tell me everything."

Charlotte unlocked the door, allowing Kelly to come in. "My period has just started and I need your help. There is so much blood that I think I'm going to bleed to death."

"Now you're not going to die. No problem, let me...YOUR PERIOD? How can you be having a period? That isn't possible."

Charlotte showed the blood on her panties and on the toilet paper. "Remember last week; the womb transplant?"

"You received your Mum's womb?"

"That's about the size of it," agreed Charlotte. "That is why I don't take oestrogen tablets. I don't have to, thanks to the transplant."

"Let me go and get you a clean pair of panties and a tampon. Then we can talk somewhere a bit more comfortable."

When Kelly returned she had all that was needed. "I've never had to teach a girl this before, so please forgive me. All my student have already hit puberty and can handle this themselves, though I always keep a large supply in stock. First of all, you need to clean yourself up as much as you can. The blood flows at intervals so you should be able to clean yourself."

Charlotte progressed to cleaning up. "This is quite messy," she commented as she cleaned up.

"You better get used to it as this will happen every month for quite a while. The next stage is to insert the tampon."

Ripping off the cover, Charlotte looked at the tampon. It looked like two cylinders slid together; one end had a rounded dome that was split, the other a hollow tube with a string coming out of it.

"Spread your legs slightly and push the rounded dome into your vagina until you almost lose the grip of the top tube, hold that tube and then push the bottom tube until you feel the tampon come out of the top tube. Pull the top tube out and it should leave the tampon in place, up your vagina."

"It's not going in," moaned Charlotte after an initial attempt.

"You need to be firmer than that. Now push it in till you feel it enter the cavity. That is it, then holding the outer tube with your fingers press the bottom tube with your other hand until it enters the upper tube completely. That is it; you have just placed the tampon in the right place. Remove both tubes, and the string should be left."

"What's the string for?" questioned Charlotte.

"That’s so you can pull it out when you need to change it. You must change it often otherwise you might get an infection. "

"How often? Every hour?"

"Not that often but it all depends on your flow. When you go to the toilet you might want to change it then. Between four to six hours is what is normally talked about. When you remove your tampon you mustn't flush it down the toilet. Wrap it in toilet paper and put it in the bin in the kitchen. When you are in places, such as shops, they might have special sanitary disposal bins. Your blood flow will be heaviest for the first few days and you might want to also use a panty liner. They have a sticky side so you can stick it to your panties. Oh, and you mustn't flush the panty liner either.

"I'll leave you to get yourself sorted. When you're done why don't you join me in the sitting room? It sounds like you've a lot to tell me."

Five minutes later Charlotte walked into the sitting room. She hadn't been the bubbliest person, having had to deal with her parent's death and subsequent funeral, let alone her own personal issues. Now there was a slight hardening of her personality. Her face, rather than being unsure or reflective had changed to a face of determination. She walked into the room in a feminine style, but still meant business. It appeared that the fact that she was having a period had stiffened her resolve and had given purpose back to her life.

Kelly patted the seat next to her and Charlotte came and set next to her. Waiting on the coffee table were two hot chocolates, its sweet aroma tempting both of them to savour the warm sweet taste.

"Mmm," came out of Charlotte's mouth as she sipped the silky chocolate.

"This is a little tradition that my Mum gave to me when I got my first period," explained Kelly. "Ever since then, I always have a hot chocolate when I start. It is something I've introduced to other students, but I've never had the honour of passing on the tradition to someone for the first time. I've now managed to pass the tradition on properly."

"If I ever have a girl, I'll be sure to pass it on," Charlotte promised.

"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Kelly. "You will be able to have children."

"Yes, but they won't be biologically mine. They will be my half brother or sister."

Kelly fell silent for a bit, "Are you okay about that?"

"It's the closest that I can get to being a parent. The chance to become a father ended when I was impaled. This period has shown that there is a strong chance that I can have children, so I now feel I have a future. I always wanted to be a parent, so if the only way is to become a girl then so be it."

"What about being with a man, so you can have a baby? Would you like to have sex with a man?"

Charlotte nearly threw up when Kelly asked that. "No," she choked. "But that is something for the future. I have the possibility; if I use it, is something else."

"That’s very adult of you," commented Kelly as she sipped her hot chocolate. "Is that why you seem more assured?"

"Am I? I suppose having the period just gives me a bigger reason to succeed."

With the shopping experience abandoned, Kelly asked, "We have some time to spare while we wait for Dr Smith and this is your special day. So what would you like to do?"

"I don't feel like doing much," apologised Charlotte. "I feel so washed out. Can I just watch a film?"

"Sure, there is a wide selection on the shelf. Why don't you choose?"

Charlotte had never been given the opportunity to choose before and she went to look at the selection. To the top was a selection of educational videos, some of which she'd already had the 'privilege' of watching. The rest were a wide selection of films, ranging from weepies to a small selection of action films.

"You have action films?"

"Some girls like them too," laughed Kelly. "Don't forget I'm here to help you become the girl that you want. I'm not here to make a stereotype."

"I heard this one was a good laugh," said Charlotte reaching for a DVD. "Kirsty watched it a few times but I always avoided it. It's something I feel like I missed doing with her."

"You are volunteering to watch this one?" asked an incredulous Kelly. "You WANT to watch Miss Congeniality?"

"Kirsty liked it," Charlotte replied defensively. "Isn't it any good?"

"Oh the films fine," hurriedly reassured Kelly. "Why don't we watch it together and I'll prepare a salad while Dr Smith checks you out."

Kelly had only watched the film with girls that would rather poke there eyes out than watch it. So watching it with someone who willingly wanted to watch it was something of an eye opener.

At first Kelly worried how Charlotte would take the film. Would she see it as pressure to confirm as a girly, girl? Kelly's worries however, were unfounded as Charlotte sat back, and laughed all the way through.

"I've never seen Michael Caine so camp," she laughed at the end. "The way he walked down the street was something I thought I'd never see from someone who has starred in so many films."

"Obviously you've not seen enough Michael Caine. He played a gay man in 'Deathtrap' where he actually had to kiss Christopher Reeves on the lips."

"Oh, yuck!"

"If I remember correctly it wasn't the best onscreen kiss I've seen," confessed Kelly, her feet swept underneath herself. She was the most relaxed that Charlotte had seen her since they'd met at the hospital.

As the titles scrolled up the screen, neither of them wanted to move and spoil the lazy interlude. Unfortunately the doorbell had other ideas.

"Why don't you put the DVD away while I get the door," sighed Kelly.

"Okay," replied Charlotte, giving a small stretch. "and thank you. You have really helped me."

Charlotte leaned across and gave Kelly a hug. This was only the second time that Charlotte had unconsciously given a hug and it was the first time that on realising hadn't freaked out.

The doorbell ringing a second time, forced them back to reality and they broke their embrace. Charlotte had just put the DVD back on the shelf, when Kelly came in with Dr Barbara Smith.

"How are you feeling?" asked the doctor when she saw Charlotte.

"Lousy, but apparently that is only to be expected."

"Her flow was also heavier than I would have expected for a first period," injected Kelly.

"That's expected," replied Barbara. "The organ has been menstruating for twenty years so will not be as light as a normal first period."

"It's hard enough learning to be a girl, after so many years of being a boy," retorted Charlotte. "Now I find that the newly installed girl bits expect me to be used to it and operate at full pace."

"I know it's not easy, but think of what it gives you," reminded Kelly.

"I know and I am grateful that I can still be a parent."

"Why don't you go up to Charlotte's room and check her out there?" suggested Kelly. "I'll go and make lunch."

"Just sit on the bed for a moment. Have you felt faint or dizzy at all?" Dr Smith asked as she started to measure Charlotte's blood pressure.

"No, apart from slight aches and cramps I've been fine. I feel very under the weather and don't really feel like doing much."

"That’s only to be expected," replied Dr Smith. "I remember my first period and I screamed the house down. I'm sure yours was even worse. For me to see things properly, I need you to remove your tampon. I'll put a disposable sheet down so any leakage doesn't get on the bedding."

After twenty minutes Dr Smith was finished with all the tests. "Besides the pain from menstruating, have you had any other pains?"

"No."

"Well you appear to be healthy. There doesn't appear to be any organ rejection and you appear to be healing nicely. Give it a few more weeks and a local GP won't be able to tell that you weren't born that way. I can't give a full internal exam due to you menstruating. You should have finished by next week, so I'll do it then. You can go and put a new tampon in. Do you need any help?"

"I'll give it a go myself," replied Charlotte nervously. "I need to get used to this."

It took Charlotte ten minutes to get things in correctly, but she was proud of herself for succeeding. "It looks like Kelly taught you well and you have been doing well with learning."

"Will I be able to go back to school after half term?"

"There's nothing physically stopping you from attending. I would like to make sure you are fully passable first though. I don't want you to suffer from any prejudice. Not all people are accepting of transsexuals and I'm afraid that you might get lumped with that title."

"Even though this wasn't voluntary?"

"Yes. It just upsets some people and they become blind to the real person. The number of people I've seen for SRS that have been assaulted at some stage doesn't bear to think about."

With the examination finished they went down to find Kelly just putting the finishing touches to the meal. "Just in time," she said as they entered. "Take a seat and it will be with you shortly."

As they all tucked into the meal, Kelly asked, "How did the exam go?"

"Fine," replied Charlotte and filled Kelly in with the details. "One question I've just thought of though. Since my womb was my mothers, will that mean that I will go through an early menopause?"

"What causes women's ovaries to stop producing eggs is still unclear. Since the trigger is unknown it is difficult to tell what will occur with you. You might only be fertile for another ten years, or you might be fertile till your fifty. Sorry that I can't be clearer."

Charlotte just nodded in acknowledgement as she was deep in thought. Dr Smith was about to say something to jar Charlotte out of her trance but Kelly shook her head to indicate Charlotte should be left alone.

Eventually Charlotte rejoined the others at the table, her eyes glinting slightly, "I want to be a parent, but I don't know if I'll ever want to have sex with a man. The idea fills me with dread and I might not have as long as most people to get used to the idea."

Kelly opened her mouth to comfort Charlotte but Barbara beat her to it. "The transplant was to give you the opportunity, if you wanted to be a parent. It's there so that you have that choice. You have as much right as any person, to decide if you want to be a parent or not. Your sexuality is your own business so I'm not going to tell you to have sex with a man if you don't want. Just be yourself and all will be fine."

"Are you sure?" asked Charlotte, her voice breaking. "You and Dr Millard won't be upset?"

"Of course not," she replied looking at Charlotte like she'd totally lost the plot. "All we want is for you to be fit and healthy and for you to live your life to the fullest. Doctors are there to help people, not to tell them how to run there lives. Before the accident you had the choice to become a parent or not. All Dr Millard and I did was to restore that choice."

The relief was evident on Charlottes face as the tears started to tickle down her cheeks. There was no sobbing and no upset, just the cry of a thousand worries lifting off her young shoulders.

"Good speech," silently mouthed Kelly. Barbara Smith just smiled back, pleased to actually do something other than surgery. Helping others was her primary goal and too often she shut herself inside the operating theatre. Yes, it was delicate surgery which the patients needed but she always felt that something was missing. Dr Millard had often tried to encourage her to be more patient-orientated but every time she talked to someone, she used to get tongue tied and inadvertently said the wrong thing.

After the meal was finished, Barbara offered to help with the clearing up but Kelly wouldn't listen. It was Charlotte, however, that settled the matter. "Dr Smith, you are a guest. It would not be correct as a guest to allow you to wash-up. Since Kelly cooked the meal, I will be washing up."

"You've learnt more than you've let on," smiled Kelly. "You will be glad to know I washed up most of the cooking utensils as I went, so there isn't too much."

"I'd better set off," said Barbara looking at the stately grandfather clock. "I missed a lunchtime meeting and I'm sure that Dr Millard will want to update me."

"Thank you for your help," said Charlotte giving the doctor a small hug.

"Your welcome," replied the shocked doctor.

The ringing telephone interrupted the goodbyes. Kelly moved away from Charlotte and Barbara so she could take the call in private. "Kelly Baxter speaking."

"Hello Kelly, this is Quentin Hobson. Is Dr Barbara Smith still with you?"

"Good job you called now, as she was just about to leave. Was it you who intervened last week?"

"You should know better than to ask questions like that. Will you be free from your current project to help during August?"

"Yes, I should be. I normally keep August and September free anyway so that shouldn't be a problem. I'll get Barbara for you."

"It's for you," Kelly said handing the phone to Barbara. "I'd take it in the sitting room where things are quieter."

"Hello?" said Barbara when she had shut the door behind her.

"Ah, Dr Smith, Quentin Hobson speaking. I'm sorry that you were unable to attend the meeting earlier but I agree that patients must always come first There are certain things that I was able to discuss with Dr Millard and Dr Ruiz this morning that I need to cover with you. When you have finished could you please come and see me?"

"Of course," replied Barbara a bit flustered. "Where are you located?"

"Ah, Kelly will give you directions. It can be a bit awkward to find the first time you visit."

"Er, can I ask what you want to discuss?"

"Don't worry; there is nothing you need to prepare for. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Bye," vaguely said Barbara as she hung up the phone. She sat holding the phone in her hand for a few minutes, wondering what the meeting was about. To get Dr Millard reinstated and all talk about Simon/Charlotte removed from the press, Quentin must be quite powerful.

"Are you okay?" asked Kelly, making Barbara jump.

"How long have you worked with them?" Barbara eventually asked.

"A few years. What they do there might seem a bit dark and sinister to some people, but they do a lot of good. I've never known them do anything malicious."

"Quentin said you'd be able to provide directions?"

By the time that Barbara had been given directions, Charlotte had finished clearing up in the kitchen.

"I'll see you next week," promised Barbara to Charlotte. "You are doing very well."

Barbara climbed into her car and disappeared, watched by Charlotte and Kelly.

"Let's go in," said Kelly as the car disappeared. "We should plan how you want to go forward."

After Charlotte had taken care of her new needs, she joined Kelly in the sitting room. "How are you coping with your period?"

"It's not the most comfortable thing in the world and I'm sure it will be a great nuisance. Part of me is distressed about it; being born a man I should not be having periods. However, there is another part of me that is thrilled as it means I can be a parent, which I'm ashamed about."

"Ashamed?"

"I'm ashamed that I'm pleased. Being a parent means a lot to me. I'd much have preferred to be a father but now I can only bear my half brother or sister, but it is the best I can do."

"Do you have feelings with your shame? Do you want to cry, break a window or maybe hurt someone?"

"No," Charlotte replied sounding shocked. "Of course not. I suppose I'm more embarrassed. I get a sort of feeling in my stomach. Sometime I think about it when I go to bed and might wonder why, but that is about it."

"Is it embarrassing, being a girl?"

"I don't know. I haven't been anywhere, so I don't know if I will be. You and the doctors know that I didn't do this voluntarily so there isn't the same worry."

"Do you think transsexuals that decide to have a sex-change should be embarrassed or ashamed?"

"No, of course not. I have some of that conflict now, I have the heart and soul of a man and I'm in a body that will slowly feminize. I've already had a period which no transsexual ever will. I met a wonderful transsexual in the hospital called Dr Sue. She has coped with so much to get to be the person inside."

"Would you like to live as a man again?"

Charlotte thought for a moment. "Yes and no. I'd love to go back to the situation I was in before the accident but I know that will never happen. My desire to be a parent currently overrides my need to me a man. I don't know if that will last but I'm willing to try."

"Would you be willing to try and go out as a girl tomorrow?"

"I suppose so," Charlotte reluctantly agreed. "I'm scared about it but unless I do it, I'll never get over the fear."

"Tomorrow, after breakfast, we will go into Gloucester and we can look at the docks and a few shops."

"What have I got myself into," thought Charlotte to herself as she contemplated what the following day might bring.