A child's wish for Christmas...
 
SRU: Last Minute Gift

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This story is on the fringe of the SRU universe and I hope you all enjoy it. Any comments will be appreciated. Copyright 1999 by JDCopyHack. All rights reserved.
 
SRU: Last Minute Gift

He stood tall and proud beneath the Christmas tree, exactly where Santa Claus had placed him moments before. "He" in this case was the World War II commemorative edition G.I. Joe, complete with helmet, M-1 rifle, and full military gear.

Joe was proud of his stature as the original action figure. Oh sure, others had tried to invade his territory. But Action Jackson and even the Ultimate Soldier proved to be weak competition. And there was no comparison between him and the cheap plastic superhero action figures, like Batman and Power Rangers. Joe stood 12 inches tall, where they barely topped five inches. Joe's feet, hands, knees, and arms could bend at the joints. Those other action figures were stiff and inflexible.

No, despite more than three decades on the market, Joe had them all beat.

Christmas morning was still several hours away, so Joe would have to wait before his new owner, seven year old Jeffrey Marx, would free him from his box. Unlike adults, who choose to keep their G.I. Joes packaged in their original boxes in the expectation they will become "collectible," children had no such pretenses. They would just rip into the box and start playing. Joe knew that Jeffrey was getting some other great toys, like a train set and a BMX bicycle, but he also knew that there was nothing like a child's first G.I. Joe.

Surprisingly, Joe wasn't even mentioned on Jeffrey's Santa list; instead it was a request from Jeffrey's father, who wanted his son to experience the same thrill that he did so many years ago.

Listening to the sounds of Santa and his elves shuffling around the living room, distributing the final cache of toys, Joe grew tired. Perhaps he should get some shuteye before the big day. But, just as he was about to nod off, he felt a sharp pain in his left leg, followed by a similar pain in his right leg. When Joe looked down, he noticed an unusual stiffness, and upon further inspection, he realized that somehow his joints had disappeared. To complicate things further, his legs felt skinnier and for some reason, his feet started to arch in his boots, causing even more discomfort.

The strange combination of pain and numbness continued as Joe felt his waist cinched, leaving the waistband of his fatigues loose around the middle. But, as the strange sensations continued up his torso, the fabric around his butt and hips seemed incredibly tight, and he could hear the seams tearing.

The tingling continued toward his chest and he could feel his sculpted ripples start to reform. What he wasn't prepared for were the two large orbs that pushed out from his chest, causing his jacket to pop at the snaps.

He tried to raise his hands to his now expanding chest, but realized his elbows had stiffened, just as his knees had earlier. Looking down, he noticed thin, feminine hands so unlike his former clenched grip. How could he possibly hold his rifle with these?

The indignity continued as his neck thinned, his chin and cheeks lost their hard edge. A pink blush replaced the scar on his right cheek. His thin, serious lips formed into a painted, upturned smile. His eyebrows became thinner and arched, his eyelashes longer. Even his nose became small and pert.

Joe was dizzy with confusion as he felt a pinch in both ears, then felt something dangling from his lobes. Finally, his short-cropped, molded brown hair turned a yellow blonde and began to cascade freely past his shoulders. His trademark dogtag became a silver necklace. Even the inside of his box changed from olive drab to pastel pink.

Still more changes came.

His hair, now long and blonde was pulled upwards and was held together with a sparkling sequined hair ornament. His pants and jacket fused together and slowly turned into a black velvet jeweled gown and cape. His feet were soon adorned with matching heels. The transformation was complete. "He" was now "she." And all the former Joe could do was smile about it. But why, he wondered from inside the girlish box.

The answer would come soon enough as Santa and his elves made their final rounds.

"By jinky, Santa, that was really something. I never realized you could turn a boy into a girl."

"Ho, ho, ho... It would never have been possible if I hadn't met the wizard at that Spells R Us shop. He gave me the magic dust that made Jeffrey's dream come true."

"But how did you know, Santa?"

Just then, Santa pulled a crumpled letter from his pocket and started to read.
 

"Dear Santa, my name is Jeffrey and I am seven years old. All I want for Christmas is to be a girl. I want to wear pretty dresses and play with pretty dolls. I promise, I will never ask for another thing as long as I live."

 
"That's great, Santa, but what about his parents? Aren't they going to be upset that their son is now their daughter."

"You mean HER parents, don't you? Don't worry, to them Jeffrey never existed. They only have memories of a precious girl named Jennifer. Look around you and see that the wizard's magic has changed more than just the little boy."

The elf did look, and was amazed by what he saw. On the wall leading up the staircase were portrait photos not of a boy, but of a little girl, from birth to the age of seven. Even the inscription on the stocking hung on the mantle had changed. It now said "Jennifer" in sparkly, silver glitter.

Perhaps most telling of all was that the toys had changed. Where a train set once rested now sat an enormous dollhouse. The bike had changed from jet-black to purple and pink, with frilly streamers and a basket with a bow on the front.

And under the tree, illuminated by the warm glow of the Christmas lights, was the most beautiful Barbie doll the elf had ever seen.