Synopsis:

Etiquette school continues, and Kate has her work cut out for her.

Story:

Amazon Part 6: CHARM SCHOOL Week 2
By Itinerant
Edited by Amelia R.

Biographer's Note: This is Nicole's story. It covers those events and people she finds notable in her life and chooses to share. If you have problems with it, take it up with her. I'm just a glorified stenographer.

Author's Note: The dates for each section can jump around a bit.

**********
Wednesday, April 7, 2275
The Settlement

Interlude:

A soft chime interrupted Nicole's story. A voice followed saying, "This is General Tanais, Your Majesty. Do you have a moment?"

"Certainly, General. What can I do for you this morning?"

"Your Majesty, I have updates on a couple of items you asked me to keep you informed about. First, the last group of wounded is scheduled to arrive in the infirmary at ten o'clock this morning."

"Thank you, that's wonderful news! Have the doctors let me know when it will be possible for me to visit. This is the group needing the regeneration treatments, right?"

"Yes, ma'am, and everything is ready for them. We've contacted their families as well and arranged for local housing for as long as they want or need it.

"I also have an update on the last eight volunteers from the opposition. They will arrive this evening and be housed in secure quarters."

"Make sure the screenings and evaluations on the volunteers are performed and let me know when they are complete. I'll need to interview them when we're sure they're not an immediate threat."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Very good. Anything else?"

"No, Your Majesty."

"Good. Keep me posted."

A second tone sounded as the connection was broken.

Nicole breathed a large sigh of relief as the tone sounded; the arrival of the wounded was long-awaited good news. The last assaults late last summer had succeeded in eliminating the remaining facilities, and organized remnants, of the opposition; unfortunately, several of her Amazons had been wounded to the point they could not travel safely. Even with the years of experience she possessed, it still pained her to know it was her orders that had put them in the line of fire. It seemed to her that their homecoming was the true end of her long war.

As she turned her attention back to her companion, she noticed a thoughtful, yet puzzled look on Sarah's face. "You have a question, dear?"

"I'm not sure where to start. I guess the first thing that confuses me is how you could have just left your old life behind like that. Didn't you love Beth?"

Over two-hundred-seventy years of pain and loss flickered briefly in the eyes of the queen, causing a moment of worry for Sarah as she wondered if she'd overstepped a boundary. "Sarah, I loved her at least as much as you love your James. We were married for thirty -- nearly thirty-one -- years and even with the normal ups and downs of life, she was always a part of my heart and soul; she still is.

"I had made a promise many years before I even met Beth that was even more important to me. I promised God that I'd follow Him no matter where He led. If I had broken that promise, I couldn't live with myself -- I couldn't *be* myself -- but it was hard not to say 'no'.

"For a long time, too, I didn't understand why Beth couldn't just come along and help me adjust to my new life. As time passed, and I thought it through, I realized that she and I would have wound up stuck in the same relationship we always had; I don't think we'd have been able to break out of the 'Tom and Beth' mindset. That wouldn't have helped me adjust to my new role in life. I had to get through the adjustment to being a woman.

"It also raised the risk of being tracked by our enemies the first time Beth showed up somewhere with me as I am. They were looking hard for me, and they were watching Beth for years. As much as it hurt, the parting kept her safe."

She smiled sadly. "There are still mornings, maybe once every twenty years or so, when I wake up and I think and hope I'm back with her and that all this," she waved a hand vaguely around, "has all been an elaborate dream. I know better, though."

She shook her head to clear those idle thoughts from her mind. "Do you have any other questions?"

"Just one for now, I think. I guess I don't really understand what happened with Artemis. You two are so close now that I can't imagine her treating you that way."

"It took me a long time to really understand that myself. Something she said to my husband, Sam, put it as well as it could be phrased. She said, 'When I saw Tom with the scepter, all I could think was that it was all a cruel joke -- that the same men who'd crushed the nation all those years ago had won a final victory.' Someone else suggested it was like a Grand Wizard of the KKK taking control of the NAACP. It was as if her worst enemy had taken over and all her dreams were crushed." She thought for a moment and gazed into memories of the early years of her life, chewing pensively on her lower lip. "It took a long time for her to heal from that hurt, and it was painful to me, too.

"That's a major reason I don't tell this story to many people. Artemis and I reconciled more than two centuries ago, and I don't want something that was just between us, and settled long ago, to cause trouble within the Nation now. She and I are where I wanted us to be -- truly relating as mother and daughter. Even when I told my story to your great-great-great-great-great grandmother, Kate, I left that part out to keep the peace. Only a few people know any of my real history, and even fewer know of the problems Artemis and I had. I must insist that you keep that part to yourself."

The sharp look that accompanied the last sentence provoked a gulp and a "Yes, ma'am."

Nicole stood and stretched. "Good. Now I think we'd best wait until later to continue this story. I need to be ready when the Infirmary calls, and you have your weekly staff meeting. We'll get back to it this afternoon if we can."

Sarah smiled and nodded. "I'd really like that. Thank you."

*****

The next few hours passed in a blur for Nicole. She first headed for the training room. There was only time for an abbreviated version of her training regimen, but it was thorough. Some of the equipment they'd installed had been customized, providing enough weight to push her to her limit. The treadmills, too, were non-standard; the maximum speed of the equipment was above her maximum and allowed her to stretch herself at last without going outdoors.

After a quick shower, she dropped into her office to handle any communications that needed attention. As much as she wanted to hurry, there were phone calls, electronic messages, and the odd hardcopy document that needed her personal attention. Her staff, as usual, had marked the most critical items, allowing her to quickly review and delegate them to the proper people. She grimaced briefly. ~Now that things can settle down, I wonder if we can finally get a paperless office setup?~

Her mandatory office tasks done, Nicole was finally able to leave her home and followed the tree-shaded pathway to where the infirmary stood. The walk in warm spring sun gave her a chance to re-focus on the women who'd sacrificed parts of their bodies in the fighting, however temporarily. She spent much of her late morning and early afternoon visiting the infirmary and her injured daughters as soon as the doctors gave permission. She didn't need her empathic abilities to know how much her visit and being back home meant to her wounded warriors -- the smiles and laughter as they spent time together were sufficient evidence. She sat in the ward listening to the thoughts and concerns of each of the women as they considered the treatments ahead and adjustment to a peaceful existence. A common concern was what would happen to them all, now that their ancient enemy had been eliminated. She was also pestered for the latest news by the returnees as they shared their noon meal. Finally, the nurses arrived with the afternoon medications and chased Nicole out of the area so they could care for their charges. Nicole delayed her departure long enough to speak with the doctors and nurses about the treatment schedules.

As Nicole spent time with the returnees, Sarah chaired the weekly meeting of her staff and handled the daily tasks of her job; a major part of her job as the Queen's attendant was ensuring the smooth running of the royal household and coordinating the operations of the Settlement as a whole. She smiled to herself as she recalled her youthful dreams about her future. ~I never thought I'd be the Chief Operating Officer of a multi-billion dollar organization.~

The civilian and military staffs began laying out tentative plans for a homecoming celebration for their returned sisters when their medical condition permitted. The mood in the meeting had become noticeably lighter in the last six months. Teams were still in the field, but it was for security, cleanup, and rebuilding; now they could focus their efforts and planning on growth. Disaster relief, and search and rescue sounded much more appealing than hauling equipment around the world to assault another enemy strongpoint.

It was a wonderful feeling.

*****

By mid-afternoon the balcony was shaded by the house and mountain as the two women returned. Sarah brought a tray with two glasses of ice and an insulated pitcher of tea. She poured the glasses full and sat back in a chair to listen as Nicole resumed her tale after receiving a brief report on the morning's staff meeting.

***********
Monday, January 15, 2001
Doubletree Suites
3:00AM PST

Nicole woke and wondered what had caught her attention. After the incident at the beach, she had had difficulty relaxing enough to sleep, and several times she found herself half-awake and reviewing the incident in her mind. The sound of a soft sob finally identified the cause of her current wakefulness. With the door between their rooms open, she was able to hear the sound of her friend and sister Amazon, Kate, in the next room as she wept quietly.

Nicole rose, grabbing her robe as she used the light leaking around the curtains to find her way into Kate's connected room. The severely rumpled blankets on the queen-sized bed testified to the disturbed sleep of the occupant. The random patter of wind-driven water drops as the condensed drizzle dripped from the eaves was punctuated by the occasional hitch in the breathing of Kate as she tried to sleep.

The redhead stepped to the bed and sat on the edge closest to the blanket-wrapped young woman; she reached out and gently rubbed Kate's back. "Hey! It sounds like you're having a hard time sleeping, too."

A small nod from the lump on the bed showed Kate was awake and heard, but she didn't respond verbally right away. Her sobbing had stopped, but small sniffs indicated her distress. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You had a nightmare about the beach?"

"Yeah. I keep hearing the sounds of that kid's wrist and the screams. I've never done anything like that before." Another shudder shook the bed.

Nicole slid up on the bed with her head propped against the headboard. "Come here," she said, as she reached over and gently pulled at Kate's shoulder. She continued to coax her young companion until she had rolled over and was snuggled up with her head on the tall woman's shoulder. Nicole just stayed still for a moment, gently stroking Kate's head and hair to soothe her distressed friend.

"What made you come in here?" Kate asked.

"I don't really know. I find I'm more ... tactile I guess I'd call it; it seems that human contact is more comforting now. I seem to need the touching more these days, and I thought you could use some of it, too. And I'm sorry about last night. It's part of my job to watch out for you, and I really made a mess of it."

There was no response for a while, and Nicole continued her gentle stroking. Kate finally spoke, murmuring quietly as she soaked in the attention. "You seem to have a good mothering streak." She almost purred. "It wasn't your fault, you know. It wasn't like it was deliberate; you didn't know those hoods were there, and you sure didn't know they'd come after us."

Nicole hugged her companion. "I appreciate the thought, but when I think of what might have happened to you...." A stray tear was hastily wiped away. "I guess I need to talk to Artemis and try to get us both some kind of training. I know those four would have probably tried to rape us, but when the one kid's wrist broke it was horrible. No matter how much they deserved it, I still have a hard time with what happened. I may have to be a warrior, but I don't have to like it."

Kate returned the hug; the tension was finally draining away as the nightmare-driven adrenalin wore off. "It's OK. It really wasn't your fault, and I wasn't hurt, just scared." A yawn interrupted her comments. "Can we talk more later? Tired now."

"Okay. G'night, sis. Sleep well." A soft kiss on the top of the brunette's head was answered by a contented mumble. Nicole gently extracted herself from the snuggling brunette and returned to her own room and bed. The conversation, brief as it was, had helped release a bit of the underlying tension and guilt she'd harbored.

The quiet, steady breathing of the sleeping youngster in the other room soon caused the older woman to begin slumbering again.

*****
5:00AM PST
Doubletree Inn
Dana Point, CA

Their peaceful sleep was shattered by the alarm clock in Nicole's room, followed shortly by a no less annoying announcement of the time by Kate's alarm.

Nicole woke slowly and reluctantly after the disrupted night's sleep. She finally managed to silence the alarm after a bit of fumbling. A slight blue fog formed around her head from the commentary about short nights and alarm clocks.

It took her a minute or two to sit up at the bed's edge and stretch dormant muscles to the point they were willing to consider holding her tall form upright. A moment's fumbling with her robe and she was able to check in on her companion who was sitting, looking slightly dazed as well, on the side of the bed. The two seemed to agree that waking this morning was a bad idea.

"Morning, Nicole," came Kate's slightly embarrassed greeting, as she gathered her own robe and stood, wrapping it around herself.

"Morning, Kate." Nicole smiled gently at her companion.

An unspoken, mutual agreement kept them from further discussion of the previous evening's incident as Nicole returned to her room with an admonishing "Get into your sweats for your morning workout, Tigger." She snickered quietly to herself at the muttered epithets from the other room about dealing with big-mouthed sisters and parents.

Nicole shot back, "I heard that!!"

Once they arrived downstairs, Nicole started her out at a moderate weight, a mere hundred pounds, and let her do one set of repetitions. The weight was increased in twenty-five pound increments until she reached two hundred pounds. At that point, between the weight and the number of repetitions, Kate was starting to show signs of strain. The workout weights for the rest of the Nautilus(tm) routine were scaled to the bench weight, forcing Kate to work without unduly straining her muscles. She was pleased with the results on the weight machine for the moment. She recalled her high school years when she'd do well to manage ten repetitions with a fifty-pound weight. There was still a long way to go, as she recalled Alex's comment that some professional football players used over four hundred pounds of weights for their workouts.

~I need to be ready for anyone, even one of them.~ Kate thought as she recovered, turning her attention to her companion as she began her own workout.

Kate had also been astonished at the pace she managed to keep on the treadmill. She thought back to her days in high school, when the best she could manage was an eight-minute mile.

Kate's astonishment at her own abilities had lasted only until she watched Nicole begin her own routine; she saw the weight and speed Nicole used and the ease with which she performed her exercises. She understood at that moment just what some of the physical differences were between her and her Queen. ~What's ahead that she'll need all that?~ That thought sunk in as she settled into her running pace on one treadmill as Nicole began her own, more demanding run on another. Nicole ended the workout looking as if she'd not even begun to test her physical limits, despite having maxed-out the weight settings.

As the two started their return trip to their rooms, Nicole checked the machines one last time to ensure the settings were reasonable; she also wondered where Keith was.

*****

After their post-workout cleanup, Kate walked from her room into Nicole's to see when they needed to leave for breakfast. Nicole sat in a chair, TV remote in hand as she watched the local news. She had dressed neatly in a knee-length, dark-gray skirt, white blouse and a matching jacket that was draped over the desk chair. Her jewelry was simple -- just silver hoop earrings, a silver necklace, and a watch. She was the very image of a smart, young, formally dressed businesswoman. Kate gave her a quick once-over as she walked up, noting the black, heeled shoes that waited by the jacket.

"You're looking good, sis, at least for a business outfit. You did a surprisingly good job on the makeup, too; it doesn't look like you're wearing any at all."

"I'm not."

Kate gave a surprised look at her friend's admission. "Why not? You did a good job Saturday evening -- at least once we got you working with some better color choices."

The cascade of red hair rippled as Nicole's shoulders shrugged. "I really don't know how to do it right; I seem to put it on too heavily, or maybe I'm just choosing the wrong colors, or something. It never ends up looking right. I'm hoping the class in England week after next will fill that gap." Her hands waved in frustration, then gathered her loose hair and flipped it back.

"I guess I know where my work is going to start this evening, then." Kate shook her head and smiled. "You need to have at least a basic ability so you can manage between now and then. I guess we'll need to go do some shopping for some basics again. I think we'll pick up some magazines as well, so you can start getting up to speed on what the modern American woman your age should know about life and fashion. Artemis may have helped you with some of the techniques, but it seems she's a little dated on fashion trends."

"*Another* shopping trip?" Nicole moaned.

A totally unsympathetic grin perched on her friend's -- or fiend's -- face. "That's another thing we need to work on. You need to learn how to appreciate the finer things in life! Besides, other than that outfit we bought for the club, I haven't seen you wear anything that wasn't business wear or jeans."

Nicole glared at her companion, but resigned herself to her fate. "Shopping later; I'll let you pick the shops. And I only brought business wear on the trip, since I don't like hauling more than one big suitcase on long trips. I do have a few more outfits back at my apartment." She harrumphed and changed the subject. "Now it's time to head out for breakfast." Slipping into her shoes, and wearing her jacket against the cool morning drizzle, she led the way out of the suite toward breakfast. The mischievous brunette continued to tease her friend as they made their way downstairs.

*****
8:45AM PST
Etiquette School

Kate and Nicole walked into the school facility and found themselves directed to a different room from the one used the previous week. This room also had a computer-fed projection system for running the presentation, but it was relatively spacious, with a pair of long tables in the middle that were spaced to permit passage between them.

As before, stacks of handouts and name cards decorated the table surfaces. The two Amazons identified their designated seats, which were separated by several seats. A quick re-arrangement of the name cards put them back in close proximity, and they quickly occupied their new territory.

They settled into a comfortable silence, taking time to scan the material as the other students entered and found their seats. Finally the instructor arrived and began the day's course on "The art of business entertaining and being entertained."

The thought echoed in both brains. ~I wish this class were more entertaining....~

*****
6:30PM PST
Doubletree Inn

The door thumped against the stop as Kate and Nicole trooped into Nicole's room. Each carried shopping bags in addition to their purses and briefcases. Nicole also carried a bag holding Chinese take-out for their dinner.

"Next time we drop the briefcases off *before* shopping!" Her grumpy tone of voice reflected only a hint of the aggravation Nicole felt at the moment. The weight was trivial -- the back end of a small car would hardly be a burden -- but the awkwardness of the bags was extremely irritating for some reason.

Kate shot a concerned look at her companion, uncertain as to how to respond to the atypical attitude, which normally was more calm and collected than anyone had a right to be. "Nicole? Are you okay?"

For an instant a sharp, cutting response was readied for launch at the youngster. The redhead bit back on the temptation and instead shrugged as she replied, "I'm fine, just a bit irritable for some reason. Let's get this stuff unpacked and sorted out."

The two worked silently and efficiently, ending with the empty bags folded on the bed and an array of new cosmetics and magazines on the table.

"Can we eat before we start? I'm kinda hungry." Kate's stomach rumbled as if in agreement. She was hungry and was hoping that some food would help counter Nicole's current mood.

"You're right, I guess. We can start on the lesson after we finish eating."

The meal was oddly silent, with Nicole unwilling to initiate a conversation and Kate wanting to give the food a chance to work its magic. The boxes emptied and the expression on the tall redhead's face finally began to lose its edge.

"I guess I was hungrier than I thought. I'm sorry for taking it out on you."

"That's okay; you're allowed an off day once in a while. Besides, you've been so even-tempered, I was planning on having you checked to make sure you're really human. I'll bet you were even good at your first ob/gyn exam."

Nicole's slight blush clashed with her hair. "I, um, haven't had one of those, yet."

Kate's eyebrows bounced toward her hairline. "You haven't? Then what are you doing for birth control?"

"I'm not using anything at the moment, just self-control and abstinence. There's so much to learn that I haven't had time to even think about doctor appointments."

Kate's surprise gave way to concern. "Nicole, promise me that as soon as you can you'll find a doctor and get yourself set up with some kind of birth control. I know it doesn't seem important right now, but all of a sudden you're going to find yourself in a situation where you'll either be thankful you have it, or wishing you did."

Nicole's blush deepened. "I've been trying to suppress that line of thinking for a while. I'm not entirely ignorant about such things; it's just that Beth and I never had to worry about it, unfortunately."

Kate put a reassuring hand on Nicole's arm. "I'm just trying to help you take care of yourself. You said part of my job is to help you learn what you need to know about being a woman, and birth control is part of that. You're different inside; you can get pregnant now. You need to think ahead enough to keep that from happening by accident, because even condoms fail sometimes. Guys can afford to forget about that since they don't have a nine-month penalty for a mistake -- a woman can't. You can't forget it either, not anymore."

A moment of consideration, and the knowledge that her companion was correct, caused the redhead to nod in agreement. "I know, Kate; it's really odd to think that after so many years of wanting so desperately to father a child, I now have to worry about being a mother." She smiled sadly and rubbed her hand over her abdomen. "That has to be one of my life's great ironies."

Kate wrapped her arms around Nicole's shoulders and held her for a while. "I can't imagine how you felt, or feel. I've never thought about not being able to have children, and I don't know that I'd be able to handle it."

Tears began to trail from Nicole's eyes. "There are so many options and tests now that can be run to find out what's wrong, or even In-Vitro Fertilization. There was nothing the doctor was able to do for us back then. There were so many times we'd gotten our hopes up -- when Beth's period was late -- and when it started we just broke down." She gave a shuddering sigh and settled back looking a bit puzzled. "You know, it's a little odd how much a good cry seems to help, now." She brushed the tears from her eyes. "Sorry. This is taking some getting used to, and it's hitting some very sore spots I've had for a very long time. Beth and I started fighting this shortly after our marriage, around 1970."

Kate nodded. "That's okay; it goes with the territory. That's how we girls deal with our emotions; we let it out rather than holding it in. Are you up to that quick makeup lesson now?"

"I think so." Nicole sniffed a bit as she reined in her emotions.

"Okay, let's start with getting your face cleaned up. You already use a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer?"

"Certainly! That was one of the first lessons I had drilled into my head. I use all three, morning and evening." Nicole rummaged in her cosmetics case. "I also have some eye makeup remover for the waterproof type of makeup. Artemis said she wanted to make sure I have a full line of cleansers, since that's one of the most important parts of skin care. I have to admit that it feels good to wake up feeling that clean."

"Good, so go ahead and clean up; a little cold water will help the red eyes. Once you're done, we'll go over the differences between day and evening makeup. Some of this you won't need for normal daytime wear, only for special occasions. We'll go through the whole thing, but I don't think it will take too long."

A few minutes later the cleaning was done, and the short lesson began. "Now remember, the objective for daytime makeup is just to enhance what you have, not make you into something different. You want to use lighter colors and less of them." She scooted several bottles and containers that were unsuitable for the task at hand and replaced them with some of the new purchases. A quick explanation of just why she was making the changes interspersed her efficient movements.

The first part was easy, as Nicole quickly applied the eye base smoothly and evenly from eyelashes to brow; it was a standard procedure and well practiced. The second step was equally quick to accomplish, as the base shadow went on as usual.

"Remember, for daytime you may or may not use even a base shadow. If you're just heading out to class, you might just use mascara, and maybe eyeliner. Now, instead of the darker gray contour shadow you had at first, you want to use this lighter gray. It still brings out the gray of your eyes without making you look like your eyes are sunken in your head.

"You don't always need the highlight shadow, but you'd want to use one of these lighter frosted colors if you do. Remember, it only goes just under your eyebrow, from about the middle to the outer edge.

"Now the last part of the shadows is the accent; it goes on the lid in a thin line from the middle to the outside, just over the lashes. Then you just use a little lighter eyeliner and you're done! Now clean it off, and give it a try solo."

It took a couple of attempts to learn the proper brush and sponge loading and the knack of applying the proper amount of eye and face makeup, but after Nicole completed two full applications with no corrections required, Kate pronounced herself satisfied.

"There! That's better. You have the mechanics down, but we just need to get you some practice at these little details. We'll work more on color choices next time we go shopping." She looked closely at her friend's face and eyebrows. "Looks like you're doing fine on keeping your eyebrows under control. Darn! I was hoping for some plucking to do."

Kate grinned at the sour look from Nicole and a remark about sadists until she took a good look at her friend's fingernails. "Speaking of little details, what are you using to trim your nails, a pair of scissors or just your teeth? These look like a Salvador Dali nightmare." The nails in question were perhaps a quarter inch long, but had odd shapes and angles.

A raised eyebrow accompanied Nicole's puzzled response. "I use nail clippers and a file; what did you expect me to use?"

A Tigger-type growl clearly communicated Kate's opinion. "If you hadn't already told me about yourself, I'd know now. There's no way any girl your age, looking like you do, could put up with nails like this. You're such a *guy*!"

Nicole very pointed looked down at herself, then back up at Kate. "I think the weight of evidence is greatly against you." She grinned at the irritated brunette.

"You know what I mean!" Kate huffed in annoyance. Her stern face slowly crumbled to a smile. The two finally dissolved into giggles as Kate grabbed and tossed a pillow at the unrepentant Nicole before bouncing away. "I'll be back in a minute." She quickly disappeared into her room and returned with a small assortment of files, emery boards, orange sticks, and bottles.

"I may know what you mean, but I'm going to make you spell it out anyway." Nicole half smiled at her friend as she stopped to think for a moment. "It may be very clear to you, but I'm still learning. Just remember I probably know less than your typical fourteen-year-old girl about all this."

"How? I don't understand how anyone can not know something about this stuff. Here, give me a hand so I can start fixing your nails while we talk." Kate grabbed Nicole's right hand and began repairing the appearance of the surrealist collection of fingernails.

Nicole observed the activity, filing away the tools and techniques. As she watched she gathered her thoughts for her reply. "Kate, first you have to remember when I really grew up. Back then, any guy that showed any interest in anything remotely 'girly' would have been branded as a 'queer' and shunned by everyone, if they were lucky. They'd wind up in a quiet spot beaten up if they weren't lucky. Even if there's a lot more tolerance of homosexuality now, I'll bet there's still a lot of peer pressure that would keep most guys from learning anything about makeup and nail care." The redhead shrugged gently, careful not to move the hand under reconstruction. "There's a whole different set of priorities when you're a male: skin care stops at making sure you don't cut yourself shaving unless you have acne, and nail care means getting most of the grease and dirt out from under your fingernails."

"I noticed that with Alex, but I really don't understand it. Don't guys care about how they look?"

Nicole grinned at the chance for a lesson going the other direction. "Okay, what do you expect when you want Alex to look good?"

"Well, I expect him to be clean and neat. Guy's clothes don't have much variety in styles, so I just hope the colors don't clash -- at least not too much. I don't mind if he doesn't use aftershave though; he has a nice scent that is all his own when he's freshly showered."

"That last part about scent is something I wouldn't know about yet. Notice what you said yourself -- you expect Alex to be neat and clean with clothes that look okay for where you're going. Think about what you expect for yourself in contrast. What do you expect to do when you get ready to go out?"

Kate thought for a while before responding as she finished one nail and began on another. "I think I'm beginning to see your point. I think about where we're going and what I want my clothes to tell Alex and everyone else; on top of it all, I add in the styles, color matching, and makeup and what that needs to look like. It's like the clothes we wore Saturday. I wanted something that looked classy, but let everyone know there was a confident and sexy woman around."

The redhead nodded. "And now you're starting to see the difference. I've *never* had to deal with any of this; it's never even been a consideration. I had to deal with making sure my ties and suits went together and that I had plenty of black socks that went with *everything*. Hair was never an issue either, other than making sure it was clean, trimmed, and neat."

Kate giggled. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope. I'm completely serious. And black shoes for all occasions, too. The only other kind of shoe I had was white sneakers. Period.

"It's something you want to keep in mind with Alex; he'll never understand the importance of your clothing choices to you or any woman. The options aren't there for him and never have been."

"I've already noticed that. He doesn't understand it takes time to choose the right outfit for each occasion and gripes about how long it takes for me to get ready."

"Just remember that he doesn't even think in the same terms that you do; make sure you cut him some slack, because there's no way you'll make him really understand. Whether it's a cultural thing or genetic, men *think* differently from women and have an entirely different frame of reference. I'm just beginning to learn just how much difference there really is."

Kate sighed as she contemplated the futility of educating her boyfriend and returned to her task of restoring one set of Nicole's fingernails to a semblance of order. She made a mental note to have her friend pick up the required tools of the trade during their next shopping trip.

"Once I'm done with this hand, you can do the other. Then we'll put on a clear coat to protect them. After that, we'll check your toenails. I think they looked okay Saturday, but I might as well check after a good look at your fingernails." She shuddered slightly.

*****
Tuesday, January 16, 2001
Etiquette School
8:55AM PST

Nicole had taken some extra time this morning to put on the makeup she'd avoided before. She'd deliberately used a very light gray shadow that seemed to darken her eyes to a storm cloud gray. Kate did a quick double take when she walked in and grinned in approval.

The two women finally made their way to their assigned seats for the day's seminar on "navigating the place setting," "correct handling of the knife, fork and napkin," and "the silent service codes." An intimidating array of flatware, plates, cups, and glasses lay before each seat -- a maze of twisty little passages, all alike to the uninitiated.

Kate looked at the table with worry. "I've never seen that much of a place setting before. I don't have any idea what to call most of those things, much less what they're supposed to be used for."

Her tall companion nodded in agreement. "I understand. I've seen some place settings with more than two forks, but this." She waved at the array of metallic implements. "I don't want to even think about what some of them might be for." She leaned over to take a closer look at an odd looking fork.

They looked at each other, shrugged, and sat down for their day's indoctrination. Nicole made a comment about them being Lewis and Clark exploring new territory. Kate thought for a moment before quipping that it was usually more like Abbot and Costello.

*****
Etiquette School
2:25 PM PST

Stuffed. Utterly, wonderfully stuffed.

However intimidating the full, formal setting was, this meal made it worth learning. The school had arranged for a catered meal from an excellent local restaurant and had used the luncheon to allow students time to exercise some of the skills taught in the classroom that morning.

Kate and Nicole sat, contented victims of tryptophan overload, and sipped at the excellent coffee provided at the meal's end. The stimulant might even keep everyone awake enough to pay attention to the material in the afternoon session.

And it meant they hadn't had to go out in the damp, drizzly weather for a mediocre lunch, either.

Life was good.

*****
Doubletree Suites
5:10PM PST

"I'm still not hungry. I think my stomach is still trying to finish off the third course from lunch." The brunette sat in a near stupor on the couch.

"Gripe, gripe, gripe; everybody's a critic!"

"Ice cream. Just a little ice cream and I'll be set."

Nicole winced. "You may have the ice cream. I'll stick to sorbet, or frozen yogurt." The question in Kate's face provoked further clarification. "Tom and dairy products never got along too well; he had a bad case of lactose intolerance. It seems that I'm still just as lucky on that point."

"Do we need to stop by a drug store to pick up something? It's just not right for you to miss out on the joys of splitting a half-gallon of chocolate ice cream."

A shrug, followed by a comment about enjoying not feeling bloated and gassy was the only response, which provoked a snicker from Kate and an offer to purchase a small fan.

Nicole glared as long as she could, until the smile on her friend's face provoked a quiver of her lips. The smile turned into a grin as the quiver surrendered to a full-blown laugh. "Okay! We can go for goodies, but you pay this time."

A short trip to the store procured the required supplies of sweet treats, and the two settled down to enjoy their creamy treasure.

"Nicole, we took care of the minimal make-up stuff yesterday. Is there anything else you think we need to cover while we have a chance?" She looked her friend over. "Something maybe with your hair?"

The discussion proceeded from there over hairstyle options. Nicole was insisting on simple, low-maintenance styles, and Kate reminded her friend that with only a little extra work she could have something both easy to manage and very stylish.

"You need to at least learn how to do braiding, Nicole. It's one of those things that can make hair as long as yours manageable when you're active. It doesn't take long, either."

After stowing the remaining ice cream in the refrigerator, the bossy brunette dragged Nicole into a chair near the dresser, where the largest mirror in the room hung. The long, loose, red hair draped over Nicole's shoulders as Kate studied it for a moment before grabbing a brush.

It was all Nicole could do not to purr audibly. The feeling of the brush massaging her scalp before gently tugging at the hair as it continued the downward journey was amazingly soothing.

Kate grinned as she watched the redhead's eyes flutter shut under the gentle assault.

"You have exactly one hundred years to quit that. Ohhhh, my!" The implied threat was subdued by a renewed assault on her nerve endings by the hairbrush.

"Just think of what it feels like to have your hair being washed. That's more of a scalp massage than this is. Any more questions about why visits to the hairdresser are so popular? And if you think this is good, you have to try a visit to a spa!" A slight frisson of delight punctuated the memory of her last trip.

"Uh-uh," was as coherent a response as could be managed at the moment. "I'll talk about a visit to the spa some other time. I haven't taken a bath since before Kennedy took office, just showers."

There was a moment of silence, other than the susurrus of the brush as it coursed through the long red hair. "I really have a hard time grasping how old you really are sometimes. You need to learn just how good a long soak in a tub can feel." Kate went silent for a while. "We'll work on the bath thing another day, though. Nice as I know this is for you, it's time to start on the rest of the lesson; besides I don't have a spatula around to peel you off the floor if you turn into any more of a puddle of mush. We'll keep it easy for tonight and focus on just a simple braid."

Awkward as it was going to be to execute on her own hair, Nicole accepted the utility of the braid in keeping her hair under strict control at critical times, even if it meant spending time fiddling with it. Learning how to perform the task was harder than she'd expected.

The first pass was a challenge. She brushed it carefully to smooth it as much as possible, which wasn't much with her natural wave. Kate suggested she start by just parting some of her hair into equal groups -- Kate called them strands -- and getting a feel for that part of the task. ~I thought that a strand was just a couple of hairs, just like a strand is a single piece of copper wire? Oh well, I won't be stranded by terminology! Heh!~ The thought of the pun provoked a quiet snigger from Nicole; Kate gave her a puzzled look, but didn't push for an explanation.

It took several tries, with concentrated effort, to manage a consistent separation of the wavy mass into three nearly equal parts. The strands of hair needed to be kept apart and under the proper tension while braiding, and gauging the proper pull took a couple of tries, but finally she started to get the hang of the technique.

The second pass wasn’t a lot easier. Nicole struggled again to maintain an equal pull on each as she wove them together. The situation improved, but the resulting braid still looked sad. It was better than her first try, but still lacked a lot in looking right. The result was quickly unbraided and brushed out to hide the evidence.

The third pass went a bit better, as her fingers started to learn the patterns of weaving. She was able to focus more on coordinating her fingers to maintain an equal pull on each strand, which was still a problem. Her hair wound up looking like a reasonable braid this time, though.

Kate watched her work through the process and was finally content with the result. "Okay, that's enough for tonight. You understand what you're trying to accomplish; you just need to practice. If you want to keep your braid for sleeping tonight, you can use that elastic band to keep the end from unraveling."

There was a long silence as the redhead gazed at her image in the mirror. The long braid trailed from the back of her head over her right shoulder. ~I look like someone out of an Irish storybook. Or I have a cable with copper shielding connected to the back of my head.~ Having her hair pulled back in a ponytail would have been nothing new, but there was something different here that she didn't yet understand. Ponytails were common enough on men these days, but braids were pretty much a feminine monopoly. Other than dreadlocks, that is. Somehow it seemed to change how she saw herself. ~I can't say it bothers me as much as it used to, but it'll take some getting used to.~ She shook her head and returned to the outside world as she secured the end of the braid with the offered elastic.

They still needed to talk to Artemis and see what her recommendations were for some kind of introductory training.

"Kate, before we call it a day, I want to see if we can get Artemis' thoughts on training. Lady Artemis?"

Their patron silently faded into view before the echo of the queen's call faded from the room. She looked over the two Amazons for a moment. Artemis nodded and smiled at Nicole. "It looks as if Kate has been working with you; I like the braid." She looked again at Nicole's face. "And the makeup is different, too. It's a good look for you, Nicole."

"Thank you, Lady." Only a hint of a blush reflected in her face. "I called for some advice, if you'd be willing to offer it."

Nicole quickly sketched out the events of Sunday evening that ended with the youths being injured. "I'm not so much bothered by their getting hurt. That's a consequence they deserved. I *am* concerned that neither of us had the kind of control over our abilities that we need. We need some way to help learn how to gauge our strength when it changes. Some of it could be handled by a martial arts class, if Kate has access to one as a part-time graduate student at UCLA, but it's a problem for the future as well when we start gathering sisters from areas that don't have classes we can use."

The dusky-skinned goddess considered the situation. "I don't have a suggestion at the moment. The ancient Amazons weren't empowered as you are, and it wasn't a problem. I will consider it and be back in contact when I have something. The martial arts class for Kate is a good idea, I think. I hadn't considered the side effects of your increased strength."

Kate sighed as more of her free time was consumed for the indefinite future, provoking a grin from Nicole and Artemis.

"I need to come up with a better way to convince new recruits, too. I think poor Kate was ready to jump out the window."

"The steel hoop was convincing, but you're right. There has to be a better way."

The new arrival finally caught sight of the empty bowls on the table. "Is that ice cream?"

Laughter began, this time from the two Amazons at the lustful look in the goddess' eyes. The remaining goodies were retrieved from the refrigerator and shared as the three bandied about ideas about training.

*****
Wednesday, January 17, 2001
Etiquette School
8:40AM PST

Each morning Nicole and Kate had rigorously worked through their exercise routines. Kate's performance was improving steadily as she worked out. The routine was no longer exhausting her as it had before despite Nicole's raising the Nautilus(tm) weight and treadmill speed, as she became accustomed to the exercises and her endurance ramped up. The morning had also sold Nicole on braiding her hair. The weave was a little loose from the night's sleep, but had held together well enough that she decided to leave it alone until after the workout. As she dismantled her braid afterward, Nicole found that even counting the time to undo the braid, the lack of tangles made it quicker to get her hair in order. ~I definitely want to keep this in mind when I have long hair.~

Nicole had also kept an eye out for Keith, and was puzzled when he'd not shown up any morning this week. The reason finally revealed itself, or herself, early this morning. They'd seen a decidedly rumpled, petite blonde leave a room down the hall and scamper to another room across the hallway as the Amazons headed downstairs. As they returned from their workout, the blonde was dressed for the day and heading back into the same room she'd exited before. Nicole heard Keith's voice call out in greeting as she entered.

~He just wanted to get laid. That's all it was.~ She thought to herself as she gritted her teeth against the rising ire. ~How *dare* he!~

She blinked for a moment and then quietly chuckled at her own reaction. How many times had Tom been witness to similar scenes, as travelers took advantage of the relative anonymity of a hotel to enjoy life on what they saw as the wild side. She snorted in amusement at being, once again, on the other side of that divide between the sexes.

Kate turned a questioning look at her friend at the sounds.

As Nicole explained, the two found themselves fighting a bad case of the giggles at the redhead's new perspective, especially after Kate made a comment about Keith's finding "a new exercise routine." They barely made it back into the room before the howls of laughter started.

It was hard to stay focused during the seminar on "American, Continental and Japanese styles of eating", as each time they looked at each other the snickers threatened to break loose again.

*****
Doubletree Suites
6:00PM PST

They'd grabbed a quick bite before returning to their rooms to change into something more suitable for the cool, dry evening weather. Nicole was still wearing minimal makeup from the morning, but she freshened up and darkened her eye shadow just a little for nighttime.

Kate had conceded that jeans were far more practical for their planned excursion, but had insisted on a satiny, light-green blouse for Nicole, replacing the white cotton top she'd originally chosen. "You need to think more about how you dress. You can be comfortable and look good, too!" Another moment of looking, and the brunette pulled the shirt tail out of her friend's jeans.

"Hey! What're you doing?"

"Hush a minute!" Kate rearranged Nicole's blouse to leave her midriff exposed and tied the shirt tails in a knot to hold everything in place. "That's better!"

"Do you really think this is necessary? And what's with the shirt? Now my middle's chilly." The redhead fumed and pulled futilely at the blouse as her shorter friend gripped an arm and led her from the room.

The grin on the brunette's face was almost feral. "Come ON, Nicole. You look good like that, and it's a popular style. On top of that you might be memorable, but you won't stand out if you dress like anyone else your age. You agreed to this, and it's a lovely evening to go walking around the shops. We don't even have to buy anything; you just need to start learning what to look for."

They piled into Nicole's rented Grand Prix for the short trip to 'The Shops at Mission Viejo', a typical American mall with two floors, four anchor stores, and a bunch of generally forgettable little shops in between.

Nicole found a parking spot on the back side of the mall, near the food court and Old Navy(tm). Kate, honed by years of practice, geared up for her role as instructor in 'Mall Crawling 101'. The two stayed in the fringe of the flow of traffic, walking slowly down the lower floor, examining the stores’ window displays as the brunette kept up a running commentary on the contents to an inattentive companion.

"Ow!"

"Pay attention, Nicole!"

The reluctant shopper rubbed her ribs where the elbow had impacted. "I was ... mostly."

"C'mere." The exasperated brunette dragged her friend to a quieter nook. "Look, believe it or not, I have a point in this. Do you want to know what it is?"

A slightly more interested look and shrug was sufficient to continue. "*Sigh* Nicole, I know you don't have room to pack a lot of new stuff, and I know you don't like shopping yet, but right now I'm not shopping to buy. We're here so I can help you learn what to look for.

"Remember when we walked all over that mall Saturday? I knew pretty much what I was looking for and where I'd find it. Know why we took the long way around and checked stuff in all those other stores?"

Nicole smiled and nodded. "You were trying to get me a start on all this, right?"

"Uh-huh. Not just the things that look good, but those that don't. Even more importantly, why they do or don't look right. All this is part of what you need to know, and we don't have a lot of time before you leave town again, right?"

Again the redhead nodded. "I know, truly I do. It's ... just that learning to be interested in all this is hard." She waved off a comment before it began. "Yes, I know that to act like a woman my apparent age I need to know all this. I *am* retaining it all, believe it or not. I have an eidetic memory, remember?"

Kate nodded. "I know there's a lot of change in your life, sis; I don't know how you're managing it all as it is. What we're doing now is one of those fundamental female things that you just have to know how to do. Learning where to look for what things and how a woman shops are going to be important for you to blend in. You need to try to look like you enjoy it, too."

Nicole nodded and promised to be more engaged in the activities, and even show a little enthusiasm.

The two resumed their excursion, with both now venturing opinions about the various outfits on display and suitable accessories that would be needed for each.

They finally made their way around to a place that caused the tall redhead to freeze for an instant.

"Nicole? Is something wrong?"

Kate's companion looked up at the sign over the shop before them. The last two and a half months dropped away as the vivid memories of her very first shopping excursion came to the forefront of her mind. A tremor ran through her frame as she relived that time. A soft touch on her arm snapped her back to the present.

"Sis?"

Nicole shook herself, relieving the momentary stress, and led Kate to a quiet corner. It took a couple of minutes to explain her reaction. She related the discomfort of being in a situation where she'd been a woman for less than a day and was forced to try to act like stripping to the skin was nothing new. She received a sympathetic look as she related her story.

"That wasn't a very nice way to introduce you to all this."

"In a way, it made sense. There wasn't, and still isn't, time to waste; I had to come to grips with the changes as quickly as possible." A small, humorless laugh escaped as she continued. "I think Artemis was trying to get a little revenge on men through the situation, too. I was just a convenient payback target."

"Well, tonight we'll do it the easy way if you want. What kind of lingerie do you have so far?"

Nicole’s mouth opened, snapped shut, and then opened again. Finally her power of speech was restored as her brain caught up. "Most of what I have is just cotton briefs, and a couple of pairs of other styles, other than one thong." A wash of pink touched her face at the memory of that item.

Kate wrapped an arm around the other woman's waist. "I'm beginning to see why you haven't learned to enjoy shopping. You haven't had a chance to learn just how much fun it can be, or just how good some of these things can feel to wear. Are you willing to let me help?"

With a nod the offer was accepted, and the two walked into the store.

Nicole's experience was markedly different this time. Kate nudged gently and frequently encouraged, but she never seemed to force any issue. For the first few minutes they stayed with styles that were fairly modest, but made of satin or silk. Gentle suggestions that Nicole note the texture of the fabric led to an appreciation of the selections as they worked through the color options.

The two gradually expanded their choices, looking at and talking about the other style options available. Kate quietly shared some of her early experience with the more risqué styles, leading to sniggers from both women. Explanations followed as to how some of the styles fit with certain dress styles and made both the dress and the body in it look best.

The two finally left a little more than an hour later. A few purchases had been made by each and, unlike the first time, Nicole left feeling reasonably comfortable with the stop.
The two looked around as they exited, and for once it was the redhead who asked, "Okay, where do we go next?"

*****
Thursday, January 18, 2001(63/30)
Doubletree Suites
5:00AM PST

~Oh, man, I feel rotten.~

The alarm had sounded and been turned off, but Nicole lay there feeling the cramping and queasiness that signaled her impending period.

~At least I have some ibuprofen and tampons around this time.~

She rolled over, and managed to get her legs over the side of the bed. A second effort and she managed to stand and staggered her way to the bathroom where the hoped-for relief waited in her travel kit. A glass of water and a couple of pills later, she was on her way to the fitness room with Kate in tow.

The occasional wince finally caught Kate's attention, as they made their way downstairs. Kate wheedled unmercifully until she got Nicole to explain what was happening.

The sympathetic comments were heavily intermingled with digs about a guy finally learning the business end of PMS.

At the end of their morning exercises, Nicole only half-heartedly chased her up the stairs to their rooms. Relatively quiet epithets about ways to end her life accompanied the mad scramble and were answered by giggles from the intended target.

*****
Etiquette School
9:00AM PST

~Almost done with the week! Thank heaven!~ Nicole felt as if her brain was wanting to take up residence outside her skull to escape the inundation of meal-related classes. ~Let me see. Part two of "American, Continental and Japanese styles of eating", "Making the toast", and "Finessing the check." Oh, joy.~

Both Kate and Nicole had similar looks of resignation to their fate as the instructor pulled up the first slide in the presentation on "Japanese styles of eating." The chopsticks at each place were a tip-off that they'd have the pleasure of learning to use them. Somehow the 'Lunch will be provided' sign didn't look quite as appealing when the only utensils were a couple of bamboo sticks. The two made notes to check for extra napkins.

*****
Doubletree Suites
7:00PM PST

Nicole was sitting comfortably on the edge of the bed; the ibuprofen had kept her cramping to a tolerable level; she was feeling comfortable and content to sit and enjoy quiet conversation after a light evening meal. The situation provoked a small grin.

~Beth, if I ever see you again I'm going to apologize for not appreciating how crummy you felt during your periods.~

The class lunch had consisted of a selection of oriental foods intended, based on appearance, to provide a tasty selection of foods that gave the students an opportunity to learn the fine art of chopstick manipulation.

Kate sat cross-legged on the couch. "So, sis, what do you want to do this weekend? I don't think my folks have any big family plans, and I haven't talked to Alex yet, but I think the three of us can find something to do."

Nicole shook her head. "Kate, I'm not going to L.A. with you this weekend."

Kate looked stunned. "What! Why not?"

Nicole smiled as she explained that with her period due any day, she really didn't feel up to much more than a little down time. "I'm not really even looking forward to the class tomorrow. It's only my second period, and I'm not used to having them yet.

"Go home and have fun being with your folks. I'm not going to be much fun for a couple of days, and when I get back I'll monopolize your time again." Nicole smiled, moved to the couch, and hugged Kate. "Besides, this gives you time to think up the next lesson you think I need. And I think your mom needs some reassurance that we're not joined at the hip."

"I noticed her giving you odd looks once or twice. Did she say something to you?"

Grateful for having considered this conversation earlier, the redhead responded. "We had a couple of talks while you weren't around. She was worried about how quickly you and I became friends, since you don't usually get this close to someone new so soon."

Kate looked puzzled and a little hurt. "She's right; I don't usually make friends this quickly. Do you really think this will help?"

"If I let you go home by yourself this weekend, it will help your mom start to understand that I'm really not a threat. I'll miss you, but if it keeps the peace in your family then it's worth it."

"If you don't come this weekend, when will I get to see you again?" Sadness colored each word of the question.

Nicole thought for a moment. "I'll be here all next week, and I fly to London next Saturday. I'll be flying out of there the following Saturday morning and getting back here at about two o'clock Pacific Time. I figure I'll be in the hotel up your way by, say, five o'clock or so, two weeks from this coming Saturday. I can give you a call when I get there."

The young brunette pouted. "I just found my big sister; I'm not ready to do without her yet. "

"Pull that bottom lip back in before a bird roosts on it." A soft swat by Kate connected, accompanied by giggles from both women. "I'm not looking forward to being by myself either, but between your mom needing reassurance, and it being that time of the month, I think it's best. Besides, do you think it's any easier for me to give up time with the only family I have?"

Her young friend blushed and hugged her in response. "Is there something I'm supposed to be doing while you're gone?"

Nicole returned the hug. "As far as what you could or should be doing, you have a computer at home?" Receiving a nod, she continued. "I'd like you to download a program called CUSeeMe; if you don't have a web cam, I'd like you to pick one up. That will let us do computer-to-computer video conferencing, at least until I get to boot camp. I might even have possible recruits call or conference with you, if you're willing. You have a different perspective on all this, and it might help someone along the way.

"You need to keep up your workouts; most universities have exercise rooms for students, so you should be able to stay in shape if they let part-time grad students use them. You should also sign up for Aikido, or Judo if they do. Those are soft, defensive techniques and should help you learn more control over your new strength.

"If you don't have access, we'll have to see what we can do to fund *something* for you. I just don't know what or how, yet."

Nicole tapped her chin with a finger as she thought for a moment. "I already gave you my business card, so you have my phone number and work e-mail. I'll sign up for a Hotmail account when I have a chance and send it to you. I also want to get your personal phone and e-mail addresses.

"Other than that, keep up on your field. I suspect we'll have sisters scattered all over, so the more we can take advantage of computer networking and software, the easier it will be to cope with our growth and keep track of everyone."

"I'd be happy to help however I can, you know that. Do you have any thoughts on the Amazons long-term yet? I mean, anything I can look at while you're busy doing your Marine-thing? I think I'll have some time and, who knows, maybe I can shanghai Alex into helping."

"I really appreciate the help, but for a while I'm going to be just trying to bring in recruits. Remember that you'll get that 'tickle' again if you come across a recruit, so keep your eyes open. I'll want to meet them, but you can talk to them if you feel comfortable with doing so. We don't have the financial resources to do much else, yet. Long term I want to set up a base, a settlement for ourselves, where we have enough room to grow, train, and be able to keep unfriendly strangers at a distance. Until we have the money, we're stuck with doing what we can on the cheap." Nicole huffed a little in frustration. "Now that we've settled that, what's on the schedule for tonight?"

"They're re-running 'Titanic' on HBO. I was thinking it would be fun to sit and watch that again."

"Again? I haven't watched it a first time."

Kate stared incredulously at the other woman. "You're...." She stopped and shook her head. "No, you aren't kidding. All right, then. It's time you started learning about the wonderful world of 'chick-flicks'." She made a mental note to collect books, movies, and magazines titles for the next seminar on 'Being a Modern American Woman'.

Resigned to her fate, Nicole handed the remote to her tormentor and steeled herself to the beginning of another painful part of her education. ~DiCaprio! I hate DiCaprio!~ She thought for a moment. ~Kate Winslet's kind of cute though.~ With that small solace, she settled in for the evening's entertainment.

"We should have gotten some popcorn!"

"Shhhh!"

"The whole evening is sunk!"

"SHHHH!"

"Waiter! I need more ice!"

*Thwop!*

*****
Friday, January 19, 2001 (66/30)
Doubletree Suites
5:00AM PST

If the mild cramps hadn't been enough of a tip-off, the red tinge on the tissue this morning would have done the job. With a sigh of resignation, she dug into her travel case and extracted the first pad and tampon for the day. She made a mental note to include extras in her purse for later. She took the ibuprofen automatically now, as the effect was almost magical on how she felt.

Despite the wonderful little pills, she really didn't feel like exercises today. Between feeling irritable and the bloating, she wanted to just skip that part of the routine. Unfortunately, the real world didn't permit days to be called on account of such things, so she resigned herself to the need to suck it up and get moving. Fortunately, the lesson for today was another half-day session, so at least she'd be able to run and hide after lunch.

As she reluctantly returned to change into her sweats, she heard the obnoxiously cheerful sound of her friend bouncing up with a cheerful "Good Morning!"

"Bah! Humbug!"

At least Kate had the courtesy to look a little sympathetic as she observed Nicole's discomfort.

~What a day to have a class on "managing difficult-to-eat foods." Today everything's going to be a difficult-to-eat food.~

*****
Doubletree Suites
1:30PM PST

The two women stood outside the motel near Kate's car. The luggage was loaded, and all that was left was a goodbye.

"Nicole, I'm going to miss you!" the youngster moaned as she gave her tall companion a strong hug. "Are you sure I can't talk you into coming with me?"

The hug was returned with interest. "I'm sorry, Kate, but I really think this is best. Go take care of yourself and your family, okay? I want lots of stories about you and Alex having fun when we get back together in a couple of weeks! Thank your parents for me for their hospitality last week, too."

"Nicole, this evening you might want to try a long, hot, soak in the tub. It isn't something you've done in a long time, but it should help you feel better with your period."

With a grimace at the reminder, the tall woman nodded. "I'll give it a try tonight. And don't forget to let me know when you get home so I know you're safe, okay? There's still a lot you and I need to talk about when I get back here."

Kate promised to call, and Nicole watched as her sister Amazon drove away, waiting until she was out of sight to return to the all-too-silent motel room.

~I suppose I should get my laundry together.~ She thought as she trudged up the stairs. ~Then I can enjoy the brilliance that is cable TV. Be still, my beating heart. At least I'm not out in the middle of the woods this time.~

*****
Tanner home
6:30PM PST

The little Saturn came to a stop in the driveway, and Kate shifted the car into park. As she shut off the engine and braced herself for a long weekend, she tried to shake off the disappointment. ~I guess Nicole was right. After the last two weeks we've had, we need some time apart to adjust.~

She dragged her luggage up to the front door and pulled her gear inside, stacking the bags out of the walkway. Her mother came into the entry from the kitchen and greeted Kate with a warm hug.

"Welcome home, Kate. How was the trip?"

"It was fine. I hit some traffic as I got in town, but it didn't take too long to get through it."

Marie looked around and noticed that Kate's new friend from last week was absent. She made a point to ask about Nicole and if she'd be joining the family later in the evening. The look in her daughter's eyes told the story and more as Kate briefly explained Nicole's decision to stay at the motel, deal with her period, and give the family a chance for a quiet weekend. Marie felt a twinge of guilt as she recalled the private conversations of the last visit. It was obvious that Nicole was also trying to demonstrate that she was no threat, trying to keep her promise not to harm Kate.

Kate pulled her cell phone out as her mother stood thinking and made the promised call to Nicole. The attachment they had for each other was even more obvious to Marie than the previous weekend as they chatted briefly. When the call ended, an earlier call to the house came to mind.

"Kate, Alex called earlier to ask if he could swing by after you got home tonight."

Any concerns for her daughter's relationship with her boyfriend vanished in the delight and anticipation at the message. The baffled mother shook her head; even with her daughter out of college, the challenges still kept popping up.

*****
Saturday, January 20, 2001(72/36)
Doubletree Suites
9:00AM PST

It was too quiet around the room with 'Tigger' gone; without the distraction of a class, the loneliness and her period had Nicole in an emotional funk. The only saving grace for the day was the ibuprofen's effectiveness at moderating her cramps. She was grateful that she was well equipped with tampons and pads to control the flow this time. ~It beats plastic and toilet paper.~

The hot bath the previous evening was a revelation and a godsend. The heat had soaked into every muscle, relieving some of the deep ache in her abdomen.

~This is definitely on my 'to-do' list for the next few days. Mmmmmm.~

She'd also turned off her alarm and slept in a bit that morning, trying to let herself recover physically. She still followed her exercise regimen, just a bit later in the morning. The weather was supposed to be in the low seventies, so that would help, too.

The laundry bags she'd sent out the previous day had been returned promptly and her clean clothing was now carefully packed away. Nicole finally had time to review the tourist literature she'd collected from the rack in the lobby after breakfast.

~Let's see. I don't want to head north, just in case I run into Kate and Alex. I haven't been to San Diego in a while.... Zoo? Nah! Not this weekend.~ She flipped the flyer onto the desk. ~Old Town Trolley?~ She perused the brochure. ~Ah! I can take in the Midway and pick up the Trolley tour there!~ She set the brochure aside for reference.

A resurgence of the vague ache inside squelched her interest in visiting one of the tall ships in the Dana Point harbor, the "Pilgrim" or the "Spirit of Dana Point", no matter how interesting it might be. She finally settled on visiting the Waldenbooks she'd seen in the mall earlier that week. She thought for a moment longer, deciding she might also stop and pick up some peanut M&Ms; she wanted some comfort food today.

Maybe there would be a paperback copy of that latest Miles Vorkosigan book from Lois Bujold in stock. Just sitting and reading for the day sounded attractive, and she'd need to start rebuilding her library of favorites.

*****
Sunday, January 21, 2001
USS Midway Museum
San Diego, CA
1:00PM PST

The morning had flitted by as she'd taken in an early church service, followed by the drive down to San Diego. Finding a parking spot had chewed up the remainder of the morning, and she'd decided to grab some lunch before hitting the most important site of her visit.

She'd kept to minimal makeup, just the base today, and had her hair pulled back in a ponytail for the day. Jeans, a light blue blouse -- tucked in, thankyouverymuch -- and a light jacket were the uniform of the day to cope with the cool breeze off the ocean.

The sheer size of the warship was astounding. The flight deck was a good fifty feet above the water, and the superstructure was higher yet. She looked over the forward gangway as it rose high into the air and across the water to the vessel. ~Don't look down. Just keep focused on the ship. ~

She didn't even look backwards toward the dock as she reached the top and walked into the ship toward the museum entry booth.

The next hour and a half was a three-dimensional maze of decks, ladders, and displays. She'd taken the stairs all the way down to the sick bay, then finally made her way back up to the machine shop, hangar deck, and finally back up into the sunlight.

She'd paused the audio tour as she stood on the flight deck of the old carrier. The sea breeze ruffled her pony-tailed hair, and the cool air made her zip up the jacket she wore. The cavernous hangar deck and the maze of companionways had awed her as she contemplated almost five thousand people living on this sea-going city.

She recalled stories told by her father of his World War Two experiences as he studied and supported fielded systems aboard ships in the Pacific theater. He'd been aboard an Essex-class carrier at Okinawa, and described the long hours of boredom that were punctuated by the helplessness of having to watch the crew fight off plunging kamikazes.

She'd never actually been aboard a Navy ship, and normally wouldn't care. With all that had happened in the last few months, she longed for just a moment of connection with those memories she still had of her father and mother.

~I miss him. I miss them both so much.~

She knew they'd have a hard time coping with her situation, but as much as she appreciated Michael, it would be nice to have some additional support. Someone she could sit and talk to outside of all the chaos of her life -- someone to reach out and touch for reassurance once in a while.

She wondered for a moment if there was anyone who knew of counselors specializing in magical gender transformations.

She smiled at the foolishness of the question as she turned the audio receiver back on. She listened to the flight deck orientation begin, wondering if the Trolley tour would be as much fun as the ship had been.

*****

She boarded the trolley at the stop closest to the carrier for her guided tour around the area. The guide, who gave her name as Julie during her introduction, gave a brief welcome to the riders who joined at the stop. She was dressed in a uniform, or costume, suitable for the appearance of the old-style trolley. Her brief safety talk was followed by an outline of the points of interest in the next section of the tour. Julie also warned that jumping off the trolley to escape the jokes and puns was forbidden, no matter how bad they got.

Nicole just watched and listened at first as the vehicle trundled smoothly down the roads. At one point they crossed a bridge to Coronado Island, passing a beach and hotel complex. Some of the comments about beachfront mountain scenery would normally have pushed the edge as far as Nicole was concerned, but the riders were all adults and just laughed. The ride on the trolley was mostly interesting, depending on how corny the guide's jokes were or how close to risqué some of the comments got.

They passed several museums on the northbound leg, including the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Art. The Aerospace Museum supposedly had an exhibit with Julie's car from her teen years. The place of honor had been earned from the police, who wanted to enshrine a vehicle that managed to hit Mach one on the highways. The tour also passed the zoo, with the obligatory serving of corn about exhibits 'lion' around. The young woman kept up a steady patter of more serious commentary as well on the various sights between stops, filling in the gaps with interesting tidbits and a batch of bad puns.

Julie's irreverent good humor made the two hour excursion seem much shorter, and served to highlight several places Nicole was determined to see on a future visit. Even the Aerospace Museum -- as long as the car wasn't there.

The warmer breezes that rose as they moved inland were relaxing, and Nicole pondered stopping at the Old Town Park. It was getting late in the day, and between the time and her level of energy she postponed the idea for another visit.

As the trolley again approached the waterfront for the return to the carrier museum, the cool wind off the water made her once again put on the jacket. Just sitting and riding around was too much exposure without a chance to keep warm, especially with the light blouse she'd worn. Julie grinned at Nicole's action, commenting to the passengers about the advantages of warm jackets at this time of year.

The sun was nearly setting as Nicole returned to her car to begin her trip back north. ~This really is a lovely area.~ She permitted her attention to wander a little as the sunlight reddened, touching the plant life along the highway with golden tones.

~Food, and then rest. I have more classes in the morning.~

She sighed at the prospect of her first week of classes without Kate around. She was going to miss 'Tigger.'

Notes:

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