Sophie could barely suppress her giggles as she and the rest of the crowd stood in anticipation of the event that was about to occur. Sure, the weather wasn’t perfect, but that didn’t matter. Sure, she was several hundred miles from her home in London, but that didn’t matter either. And sure, she was clad in a snug pencil dress and uncomfortable stiletto heeled shoes, but that just served to make the event all the more exciting for Sophie.

“I have been waiting for this day for forever,” Zoe whispered to Sophie as a piece of piano music that neither woman had heard before began to play, a tune that sounded like a mixture of Scotland the Brave, Wagner's wedding march and America the Beautiful. Seconds later, two groups of figures appeared at the back of the marquee, raising the excitement levels of the crowd- Sophie included- even further.

“Are you ready?” Jessica’s father whispered to her, smiling as he received an anxious nod in response. Jessica took a deep breath as she and her father walked arm-in-arm to the front of the marquee, followed by her five bridesmaids. Beside her, Paige, her father and her bridesmaids walked in step with Jessica and her party, all wearing wide grins on their faces- but none wider than those worn by the brides themselves. As they walked down the aisle, Jessica and Paige exchanged a glance, both feeling the same spark of electricity they felt the first time their eyes had met in the cramped conference room in Paris almost four years earlier.

“Dearly beloved,” the minister- a Scottish woman in her early thirties- said as the two brides reached the front of the marquee. “We are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of these two women in the bonds of matrimony. I have not had the privilege of knowing Jessica and Paige as long as you have, but I could tell within seconds of meeting them for the first time that the love they share is genuine and strong- as is the love that all of you feel for the happy couple. They may have grown up on opposite sides of an ocean, but they shall grow old together, forever.”

“SO romantic,” Amy whispered to Sophie as both women tried to control their emotions.

“The brides have prepared their own vows,” the minister continued as the two brides took deep breaths and turned to face each other.

“Jessica,” Paige said in a breathless voice. “Before I met you I was lost, I didn't know who or what I wanted from life, or even who or what I wanted to be. Then I found you, and everything changed. I love you with my all my heart, and I promise that you will always be the first thing I think of when I wake up, and the last thing on my mind as I go to sleep. I promise that I will never say no to you again, as I know you will never ask anything of me that I cannot give.”

“Paige,” Jessica said in an emotional voice barely louder than a whisper, “the day I met you was the best day of my life. But then every day we spent together just got better and better. You are first and foremost in my mind every second of every day, and you haven't just helped me to become a better woman, but a better person too. I promise that I will always keep you in pride of place in my head and my heart, and that I will never let anything ever come between us.”

“Jessica,” the minister said to the trembling American woman. “Do you take Paige to be your lawfully wedded wife, now and for all eternity?”

“I do,” Jessica replied, blinking back tears as she slipped a slender gold ring onto the raven-haired girl’s finger.

“And Paige,” the minister said, her voice wavering as she found herself caught up in the emotion of the event. “Do you take Jessica to be your lawfully wedded wife, now and for all eternity?”

“I do,” Paige whispered, her body trembling with excitement.

“Then by the power vested in me by Humanist Society Scotland,” the minister announced, “I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may kiss!” The two newlyweds didn’t need to be told twice and shared a deep, loving kiss as the assembled crowd stood and cheered, many of them relieved that the couple, who has experienced more than a few ‘bumps’ in their relationship, had finally tied the knot.

After the throwing of the confetti, the tossing of the bouquets and what felt like thousands of photographs had been taken, the wedding party retreated to the large hotel near the shore of Loch Lomond where most of the guests had slept the previous night. The room had been elaborately decorated, with the light blue, pink and white colours of the transgender flag being the main theme not just for the room but for the catering, including the multi-layered cake. Despite the care that was put into the room and the food, though, the newlyweds’ favourite decoration by far were the two flags behind the top table that had been tied together- one of which was the saltire of Scotland, and the other was the stars and stripes of the United States.

By the time the presents had been opened, the speeches had been made and the cake had been cut, early afternoon had quickly turned into early evening, but the energy levels at the reception still remained high. Despite this, Sophie resisted the temptation to get up and dance with her friends, preferring instead to sit and observe, just as she’d been doing for the previous twelve months. However, Sophie had no intention of writing down this particular experience for publishing- instead, she planned to treasure the memories, particularly the feelings of love, friendship and acceptance, for as long as she lived.

“Hey you,” Amy said with a grin as she sat down next to Sophie. “Not doing much dancing, then?”

“…My heels are KILLING me,” Sophie replied, sharing a giggle with her flat mate.

“Ahh, but you do look SO girly and SO gorgeous, though!” Amy said, giggling again as the brown-haired girl blushed.

“Thank you,” Sophie replied with a smile of genuine pride. “Not as much as the brides, though, but then again I guess I’m kinda not meant to be, heh!”

“Especially not Paige,” Amy sighed. “Three months from her operation and she’s healing well, she was telling me the other day that she still gets excited every time she gets dressed, almost like she can’t believe that her body is actually hers. SO jealous.”

“I kinda get why,” Sophie said. “Even if I don’t quite share your jealousy, heh!”

“Ah- yeah…” Amy said with a bashful smile. “You don’t need a vagina to be a girl, heh!”

“Or the right ‘chemicals’?” Sophie asked her friend, who smiled and nodded in response.

“Of course,” Amy said, sharing another girlish giggle with the woman who had quickly become her close friend, despite the fact that from a strictly medical perspective, Sophie remained as male as any of the few men present at the reception.

However, this didn’t stop Amy or any of Sophie’s other colleagues and friends from accepting her as one of the girls, and as she became more accepted by her peers, Sophie found it ever easier to accept herself. She'd shown up to the wedding wearing clothes similar to any of the other women, and none of them had commented or even looked twice at her. For the first time since becoming ‘Sophie’, she was able to fully relax and be herself around her friends, though as time wore on, Sophie quickly realised that the ‘real her’ was neither ‘Sophie’ nor ‘James’, but a mixture of the two.

Sophie was initially alarmed to discover that the ‘Sophie’ side of her was more dominant than the ‘James’ side, but rather than fight the change, she chose to embrace and enjoy her feminine side. She still spent time as ‘James’, especially when visiting her parents, but time as ‘Sophie’ vastly outweighed time as ‘James’, even as the time approached for Sophie to submit her finalised expose to Rachel. Not only did Sophie intend to continue living live at least part-time as a woman following the completion of her expose, she also intended to continue living with Amy and Hayley, and also working for the airline as well- at least until she could find a job in journalism where she could show up for work as whichever gender she chose.

“Hey girls!” The youthful voice of Rachel Lyscombe said as she sat down next to Sophie and Amy. “You will NEVER guess who I just spent twenty minutes talking to!”

“Hmm, let me guess,” Amy replied in a playful tone. “Jamie-Lee Burke, maybe? Perhaps Stephanie Abbott or Kayla Ford?”

“Or all of the above?” Sophie teased, smiling as the young blonde woman squeaked excitedly.

“And I thought the Sunday ballet lessons were cool, hehe!” Rachel giggled.

“They still are,” Sophie chuckled. “Even if tights are a bit of a pain in this heat, heh.”

“Ugh, try flying to Malaga three days a row in full uniform including stockings and a corset,” Rachel snorted.

“Umm- we have?” Amy replied, before sharing another giggle with her friends. “Ah, almost worth it though to be able to hang out with Angels, hehe! Even if they are technically Jessica’s friends and not ours.”

“Well, you can never have too many, right?” Rachel asked.

“Too right,” Sophie said with a chuckle as she gazed out at the other partygoers, musing on how many of them, including genuinely transgendered people and celebrities like Jamie-Lee Burke, didn’t just accept Sophie for who she was- ‘James’ and all- but actually considered her a friend as well. ‘James’ had never been so friendless that he’d been lonely, but he didn’t have anywhere near the social circle that ‘Sophie’ had- nor did he have any friends as close as Amy, Hayley or Rachel were.

“Ahh,” Rachel sighed as the music in the function room slowed and the newlyweds returned to the dance floor. “SO beautiful…”

“They are,” Amy sighed happily. “As were Nat and Zoe at their wedding in February.”

“Gutted I missed that,” Rachel said.

“Yeah, Hayley’s really disappointed she had to work today too,” Amy mused.

“Oh well,” Rachel shrugged. “We’ll just have to wait for the next big Soixante-Trois wedding, hehe!”

“Whenever that’ll be,” Amy retorted.

“Well then,” Rachel said with a smug grin. “You two will just have to hook up, won’t you?”

“Er- no ta,” Amy replied, scrunching up her nose. “No offence, Soph, but it’d be kinda like dating my sister, heh.”

“…You’re an only child,” Sophie retorted.

“And so are you,” Amy said.

“Yeah, but it’d be worse for me, as I’d be dating someone who was both like a sister AND ginger,” Sophie said, trying not to flinch as Amy briefly frowned, before barely suppressing a loud snort of laughter.

“Touché,” the ginger-haired girl said. “And brave to be gingerist in Scotland!”

“Was about to say!” Rachel chuckled. “Ah, you two would make such a cute couple, though.”

“NO,” Amy and Sophie said simultaneously, before succumbing to a fit of giggles.

As their friends celebrated and partied late into the night, Jessica and Paige sat back down at the top table and relaxed into each other arms. After everything they'd been through, all the good times and the bad, they had finally earned their happy ending- they were married, and it was slowly dawning on the two of them that this was no fantasy, as unreal as it felt to the two of them.

“This is everything I’ve ever dreamed of,” Jessica said softly as her new wife rested her head on her shoulder. “The day, the dress, you… And me, too. If you’d told me five years ago that my wedding would be like this, I’d probably have laughed at you.”

“Me too,” Paige mused. “Five years ago I’d never have thought I’d ever get the chance to be, you know, a ‘full’ woman. But here I am, vagina and all.”

“Which is now three months old,” Jessica said, giggling as her wife rolled her mismatched eyes.

“Aye, and I know what you’re thinking,” Paige giggled. “And yes, I’m thinking it too. Even if it will be weird until you also get ‘corrected’.”

“Even after the amount of sex we had back when we ‘matched’?” Jessica asked.

“We didn’t ‘match’ before,” Paige replied. “By which I mean our bodies didn’t match our minds. And it kinda wouldn’t feel, you know, right to, you know, until we ‘matched’ as well.”

“If you’re sure?” Jessica asked.

“Absolutely,” Paige whispered. “Better to wait for your soul mate than rush into it with the wrong person, right?”

“Absolutely,” Jessica said, sharing another kiss with her wife. “I know this’ll sound weird, but I’m actually looking forward to winter, you know? I mean, recovery’ll be SUCH a pain, but waking up next to you each morning…”

“Aye, and then watching as I get up at 4:30am to fly off to Berlin or somewhere,” Paige snorted, before sighing. “…I’m looking forward to it too, though. The rest days, anyway! Gonna be so weird, you know, getting back into the routine of getting up, putting on the uniform, getting leered at by a bunch of old businessmen…”

“Still, it pays the bills,” Jessica chuckled. “And work aside, we’ve got the rest of our lives to enjoy, right?”

“Damn right,” Paige giggled as she snuggled closer to her new wife and watched as the party continued into the night.

The following morning, Sophie woke up and let out a loud yawn as she tried to clear the fog of the previous night out of her head. While she hadn’t drank as much as many other at the reception, she had continued dancing and celebrating until long after midnight, as the soreness in her feet attested. After taking a quick showering, expertly applying a light layer of make-up and pulling on her ‘foundation wear’, she changed into a comfortable t-shirt and short denim skirt, before slipping her feet into a pair of comfortable pink converse trainers and heading down to the hotel’s vast breakfast area.

After grabbing a croissant and a large mug of sweet-smelling coffee, Sophie scanned the room looking for a free seat, only to sigh when she saw that the vast majority of tables were occupied by couples. Natalie and Zoe had a small table to themselves, as did Jamie-Lee Burke and her husband, Rachel Harrison and her fiancée and even Natalie’s sister and her girlfriend. Sophie found herself musing on what Rachel Lyscombe had said the previous day, on how many of her friends had been paired off while Sophie herself remained single.

‘James’ had had his fair share of girlfriends in the past, but had been single when Rachel had asked him to become ‘Sophie’. James initially saw this as no problem, at worst a minor speed bump in his love life. ‘Sophie’ was only meant to be around for six months, at the end of which ‘James’ would return and pick up his love life from where he left off and any prospective girlfriend didn’t need to know that ‘Sophie’ ever existed. However, as time wore on and ‘Sophie’ ultimately became a permanent part of ‘James’s life, those plans were shelved and both ‘James’ and ‘Sophie’ found their love life in limbo. Natalie’s example had proved that it was more than possible for a bigendered person to find lasting love, but Sophie still doubted that she would ever find a woman as willing as Zoe to accept her two ‘identities’.

With a heavy sigh, Sophie took her meal and headed toward the large table where Amy and Rachel L were sat, along with several other guests from the previous day’s celebrations.

“Morning, lover!” Amy said as Sophie sat down, giggling as the brown haired woman rolled her eyes.

“Hi, sexy,” Sophie replied with a sarcastic snort.

“D’aww, cute!” One of the women at the table, a tall, bubbly blonde woman, said in a soft German accent. “Amy, will you not introduce me to your girlfriend?”

“She’s taking the piss,” Sophie said, exchanging stuck-out tongues with the ginger girl as she extended her hand for the German woman to shake. “And I can introduce myself, my name’s Sophie Connolly.”

“Elsa Krause,” the German woman replied. “Ja, as in the queen from Frozen, but I took the name the year before Frozen came out so I am claiming I was first!”

“But she still loves Frozen anyway,” Amy teased.

“I love all of Disney!” Elsa giggled. “It was so much fun living in Paris, we would go to the Disney Park every month, hehe!”

“Did you meet Jessica and Paige while they worked in Paris, then?” Sophie asked, frowning as the German woman replied with a loud, excited giggle.

“I was Jessica’s mentor her first day!” Elsa said. “Hard to believe I know that she hasn’t been working there since the start of time! Stacey on the other table was Paige’s mentor, but she left the airline last June.”

“That was before I started,” Sophie explained. “My mentor when I started was Abbey Watkins, who should be around here somewhere.”

“I should say as she was another bridesmaid yesterday!” Elsa giggled. “I think she is next after Jessica for the ‘cut’ if you know what I mean, heh!”

“Umm… Not really?” Sophie replied, before her eyes widened as she realised what her new friend was alluding to. “…Oh.”

“Yeah, Sophie- Sophie’s kind-of a ‘Natalie’, if you get THAT meaning,” Amy explained.

“Ah, liking the best of both the worlds, then?” Elsa asked with a supportive smile. “It is okay. You do not need the so-called 'right' thing between your legs to be a woman, heh! Though I would not give up mine for anything!”

“So- so you’re…?” Sophie mumbled.

“Born ‘wrong’?” Elsa said. “’Fraid so, yep! Had my surgery two years ago, and the recovery was a REAL pain, but as it healed it-“

“Kinda trying to eat breakfast here, Elsa?” Amy interrupted, before laughing as the German girl again burst into a fit of giggles.

“I am sorry, I am sorry!” Elsa said. “Ahh… It has been SO long since I saw the old gang, though. The rest of ‘project tutu’, hehe!”

“You- you know about the tutu project?” Sophie asked.

“I know and definitely encourage it!” Elsa replied. “Have you met any of the pilots and co-pilots?”

“A few,” Sophie replied. “I know the one you’re referring to, though. Never had the ‘pleasure’ myself as I think he only flies grey route out of Paris now.”

“Sounds about right,” Elsa snorted. “Probably afraid that ALL transgender stewardesses are in the project so flies the one route he is guaranteed to avoid them.”

“Any news on grey route expanding to the UK?” Rachel asked. “Always fancied a visit to Dubai.”

“Really?” Amy asked. “Even when wearing an ankle-length skirt and three layers of clothing in the desert?”

“Planes are air-conditioned, aren’t they?” Rachel shrugged. “I’ve never had any problems even on red route.”

“It can be tough if you’re switching from one ‘chemical balance’ to another,” Amy advised in a soft yet serious voice. “Sometimes I think the change in the uniforms was designed to punish girls like us for that very reason.”

“Kinda grateful now that Alana banned us from wearing them to the wedding,” Sophie said. “Not that there was ever any danger of that happening anyway. Well, up until she issued the formal ban, heh.”

“There’s, like, an ‘effect’ or something, isn’t there?” Rachel asked. “Specifically ban someone from doing something and they do it anyway. My boyfriend’s a big fan of Muse- you know, the band? They were once doing a radio show and the producers specifically asked them not to swear when they were doing their cover of ‘Feeling Good’.”

“What, the Nina Simone song?” Amy asked, frowning in confusion as the blonde girl nodded. “That doesn’t have any swearing in it anyway, does it?”

“It did after that particular show,” Rachel chuckled.

“Masson’s new uniform code backfired on him incredibly,” Elsa said. “He thought it would discourage girls like us and now his airline is ‘the transgender airline’. Apparently it cost him routes to Riyadh and Bahrain.”

“Can- can we not talk about work, please?” Amy moaned. “Don’t really want to think about planes or uniforms today, heh.”

“Hear hear!” Rachel giggled.

“Even the uniforms we wore on the hen night?” Elsa teased, giggling as her young new friend frowned.

“Ugh, especially those!” Rachel snorted. “As if I’m a Slytherin? I’m obviously Ravenclaw.”

“I’ll trade you my Hufflepuff for your Slytherin if you want?” Sophie asked, giggling as Rachel rolled her eyes. Before Rachel could reply, they were joined at the table by another young woman whose long blonde hair had obviously been hastily tied back into a ponytail and whose youthful features betrayed just how hard she had partied the previous night.

“Morning, young Miss Tyler!” Amy said, smirking as the eighteen year old girl groaned tiredly.

“Yeah, whatever,” Hayley- Jessica’s younger sister- replied. “…My parents are going to be SO pissed that I’m this hungover.”

“I think your sister might be a bit more!” Elsa chuckled.

“Also, the phrase you’re looking for is pissed off,” Sophie teased the young woman. “Without the ‘off’ on the end it kinda means something else on this side of the ocean. Though I’m guessing you already know that, hehe!”

“Ugh,” Hayley grumbled as she sipped her coffee. Before she could think of a retort, the table were interrupted by the arrival of yet another petite blonde woman, albeit one that was considerably better known than Hayley.

“They’re on their way,” the familiar face of Kayla Ford said to the assembled women, before moving on to the next table.

“What- what’s this?” Hayley asked.

“You’ll see,” Sophie said with a grin, which only widened when four young women entered the room to be greeted by loud cheers from everyone present. Sophie grinned as the four girls made their way to a corner table, their cheeks burning with embarrassment as they sat down with their breakfasts.

“…Please explain?” Elsa asked, confused by the girls’ reception.

“The ‘fearsome foursome’,” Sophie replied. “From left to right: Sarah, Nikki, Alexa, Jenny. Two married couples where one of the girls is transgendered and the other isn’t. Became friends last year, whenever they meet up things tend to get more than a bit loud, hehe! …What?” Sophie frowned in confusion as she suddenly realised Amy was staring at her with a wide grin on her face.

“Look at you, miss ‘cornerstone of the community’!” The ginger girl teased.

“…I’m a journalist,” Sophie mumbled with a shrug. “I’m, you know, trained to observe things.”

“You’re trained to observe colleagues and management, not four uni-age girls on the piss,” Amy retorted.

“Any- any reason I can’t do both?” Sophie replied, a proud smile spreading across her face. The source of Sophie’s pride stemmed from the fact that while she may have originally been a mere observer of the community she’d ‘infiltrated’, her knowledge of the four friends proved that she had moved far beyond ‘observer’ to become a fully integrated member of the community. Sophie felt that Amy declaring her to be a ‘cornerstone’ was a little premature, but over time, there was no reason Sophie couldn’t be. ‘James’, on the other hand, might find it a little bit harder…

Sophie’s musings were ended when the door to the breakfast area opened again and another round of applause was given- however this time, the applause was all genuine and loving, and continued right up until one of the newlyweds took a look in her younger sister’s hungover eyes and made a beeline for the ‘fearsome foursome’s table.

“…Told you,” Elsa said in a smug tone.

After breakfast, Sophie headed back to her room to pack her bags, ready for the long trip back to London. Paige had promised her and the rest of the wedding guests a tour of her hometown and Sophie wanted to be able to enjoy it without being in a rush to pack ahead of her flight back to London. She also wanted to be able to enjoy spending as much time with her friends as she could, especially all the new friends she’d made on the trip.

Sophie spent the next several hours enjoying the sights and sounds of Dumbarton (and, to a much lesser extent, the tastes- especially the deep-fried Mars Bar she was dared to eat). What she enjoyed most, though, was getting to know her new friends better. She heard all about Elsa’s life working for the airline in Berlin, about Hayley and her (and Jessica’s) brother’s university studies, which were respectively just beginning and coming to an end, and about Alexa and Jenny’s recent wedding and honeymoon. Sophie felt a particular fondness for the two American newlyweds, especially when it was explained to her that ‘Alexa’ had got her start when she agreed to live life as a female for a college assignment Jenny was working on- circumstances that Sophie found were very similar to her own origin. Sophie made a mental note to stay in touch with the two women after their return to America- even after they let out a friendly chuckle after Sophie had gagged on her deep-fried confection.

Eventually, the time came for the wedding party to go their separate ways, and the group of girls that had work the following day- which included Sophie- bade farewell to the rest of the pack before grabbing their bags from the bus and heading to Glasgow airport. A short while later, they were airborne and en route back to England’s capital, and Sophie couldn’t help but feel a little melancholy about the end of the holiday- something that didn’t go unnoticed by her friends.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Amy asked from the seat beside Sophie. “Failing that, maybe an in-flight magazine? Or a glass of prosecco from a stewardess wearing a sensible uniform?”

“Hmm?” Sophie replied. “Oh, umm, sorry, I was miles away, heh. Just thinking, you know, every time in the past that I’d go on holiday- from the airline, I mean, every time I took leave- it- it’d be at least partially as ‘James’. But today- this holiday, I mean- it’s been all ‘Sophie’, you know?”

“Umm… I think so,” Amy replied. “When your next appointment with your counsellor?”

“Monday,” Sophie replied, before sighing and giggling. “And yes, I can hold it until then.”

“I’d recommend that,” Amy said with a cheeky grin.

“Or I can find myself a girlfriend,” Sophie shrugged.

“I’d recommend that too,” Amy said. “As long as said ‘girl’ isn’t me.”

“Boo,” Sophie mock-pouted. “…Even after your ‘cutting’?”

“ESPECIALLY then,” Amy replied, deepening her flat mate’s pout.

“Even if-“ Sophie began.

“Prosecco time!” Amy said, pushing the call button on her armrest.

“Why are we flying again, instead of going back on the train?” Rachel asked from the opposite side of the aisle. “After going through check-in and getting our luggage back it wouldn’t have taken that much longer, would it?”

“It’d been a few hours more,” Amy replied.

“And we’d have got in at King’s Cross,” Sophie explained. “Meaning we’d spend another 3 hours queuing with Paige at Platform 9 ¾. Again. Probably in our hen night uniforms this time.”

“Costumes,” Amy corrected. “Costumes, not uniforms.”

“Tell me that again when we’re getting changed into your ‘uniform’ tomorrow,” Sophie retorted as the plane headed ever southward.

After landing at Heathrow Airport, the group of young women collected their luggage and headed back to their respective homes, tired after the week’s festivities. Despite it still being early evening, Amy and Sophie opted for an early night, only staying up long enough to fill in their flat mate about all the details of the wedding before heading to bed.

The following morning, Sophie let out a tired sigh as she pulled on the light blouse, slender pencil skirt and high-heeled shoes that comprised her commuting attire. Such feelings were hardly rare for someone returning to work after a holiday, but they still bemused Sophie nonetheless, not least because she constantly needed to remind herself that flight attendant wasn’t her ‘real’ job. However, Sophie quickly perked up when she arrived at the airport and began changing into her smart blue uniform, and this was all down to the fact that all of her friends were present, changing alongside her.

“So then,” Amy said with an exaggerated sigh. “When ARE you going to move in with us, Rachel?”

“Ugh, you know the answer to that already,” the blonde girl replied with a chuckle and a roll of her eyes. “When my parents decide to stop wrapping me up in cotton wool and treat me like an actual adult.”

“The fact that you fly back and forth to Europe as a career choice wasn’t a hint to them?” Hayley- Sophie and Amy’s flat mate- asked.

“I could be an astronaut and fly back and forth to the Moon as a career and they’d still be the same,” Rachel sighed. “Still, they’ll get the message eventually. Hopefully. Maybe.”

“You could sneak Lucas into your room more easily in our flat,” Sophie teased.

“Oh- shut up,” Rachel moaned. “Besides, if I did move in, I’d have to share a room with you.”

“I’m a deep sleeper,” Sophie shrugged, earning snorts of laughter from Amy and Hayley.

“I’m more worried about me waking up when you sneak Amy into the room,” Rachel retorted, smirking as Hayley roared with laughter while the other two girls rolled their eyes contemptuously.

“…I’ve changed my mind, you can sleep on a park bench,” Amy snorted, which only widened Hayley and Rachel’s grins.

“Always knew you two would make such a cute couple,” Hayley said, giggling as Amy shot a playful elbow into her ribs.

“Enjoy Paris,” Amy scoffed as she went to leave the locker room, before stopping, giggling and returning to plant a large kiss on Hayley’s cheek.

“Uh- eww!” Hayley complained, wiping Amy’s lipstick from her face before repairing her make-up. “See what you’d be moving in with, Rachel?”

“I have two younger sisters, this is nothing,” Rachel chuckled.

“Really?” Sophie asked. “You think ‘two younger sisters’ compares to ‘three older sisters and several bottles of wine’?”

“Older sisters who are all single and don’t have much to fill their spare time?” Hayley continued.

“…Okay, maybe not,” Rachel replied, before giggling. “Though how you three are still single is beyond me.”

“Yeah…” Hayley grimaced. “Sadly it isn’t really beyond us. In front of us, yes, underneath us… But not ‘beyond’. Yet.”

“Oh whatever,” Rachel shrugged. “So you weren’t born ‘fully equipped’, why should that matter? Last time I checked it was 2018, not 1820.”

“Tell that to the UKIP brigade,” Hayley snorted.

“I wouldn’t want to date anyone from the UKIP brigade anyway,” Rachel shrugged.

“And it’s even more complicated for me,” Sophie said. “What girl would want to date a guy dressed like this? What gay girl would want to date a girl who was occasionally a guy?” Sophie sighed as she gestured to her very form-flattering, very obviously feminine.

“Zoe did,” Rachel shrugged.

“Let me put to you this way,” Sophie said, “If Lucas suddenly developed a taste for dresses, make-up and heels, would you still want to go out with him?”

“Umm, you’ve met Lucas?” Rachel replied. “You know that that is NOT going to happen, heh!”

“Brave thing to say in THIS locker room,” Hayley said, making Rachel grimace as she realised her faux pas.

“And stranger things HAVE happened,” Sophie advised. Such as me developing a taste for dresses, make-up and heels, the brown-haired girl thought to herself.

“I- ugh, this is gonna sound really bad, but I dunno,” Rachel sighed. “I really don’t. I wish I could say one way or the other, but it- I really don’t know, you know?”

“Meh, you’re honest, at least,” Hayley shrugged as her two friends balanced their signature blue pillbox hats atop their head and grabbed their bags. “Pass on my love to Berlin. Especially Elsa if you run into her!”

“Think she’s flying back tomorrow, sadly,” Sophie sighed. “Pity really, she seems really cool. Even if she is a bit, you know, hyper a lot of the time.”

“Elsa IS cool,” Rachel said. “Think I heard somewhere that she was the company’s first-ever transgendered flight supervisor.”

“And that she was on a flight with the Angels way back in 2014, before the first proper series of their show had been broadcast,” Hayley said with a grin. “Anyway, see you two later!”

“Yep- see you!” Rachel chuckled as she and Sophie left the locker room and headed toward their flight. “…Reckon Elsa’d have a lot of stories for your, you know, thing, Soph?”

“I definitely plan on having a few words with her,” Sophie replied. “If I ever get the opportunity, heh. Still need to talk to Zoe’s sister and it’s been six months since her and Natalie’s wedding, heh.”

“You didn’t talk to her at this wedding, then?” Rachel asked, smiling as Sophie shook her head. “She’s an interesting woman. Apparently she was at school with and in the same year as that Formula One driver who died a few years ago. Then again, she did grow up only a few miles away from Monaco.”

“She- she’s thirty in a few months, isn’t she?” Sophie asked.

“Dunno, it’s not like I saw her passport,” Rachel replied with a chuckle and a shrug. “Don’t think she mentioned that she’d be, you know, ‘moving on’ soon.”

“I’ll definitely try to have a word with her soon,” Sophie said. “Rachel- older Rachel, that is- she- she’s kinda pressuring me to get things written up and finalised, heh.”

“You have been at this a year,” Rachel said.

“You can’t rush something like this,” Sophie retorted.

“I guess,” Rachel shrugged. “I’m not the writer here, heh! Though I do wonder about one thing.”

“Which is?” Sophie asked.

“Whether or not you’re stalling because you genuinely like this job,” Rachel said in an almost accusing tone of voice.

“…There are worse jobs,” Sophie mumbled.

“All of which you could do as ‘Sophie’ if that’s what matters to you,” Rachel said softly.

“I know,” Sophie whispered. “And it- it is. And no matter where I work, you- by which I mean, like, you, Amy, Hayley etc.- you’ll always be my best friends.”

“Even if you do find a ‘Zoe’ to your ‘Natalie’?” Rachel asked.

“Yeah, can’t see that happening somehow,” Sophie said with a derisive snort of laughter.

“Stranger things have happened…” Rachel said, echoing Sophie’s statement and striking a chord with the brown-haired girl as they headed to their plane.

The flights to and from Berlin were uneventful, which gave Sophie plenty of time to think about her situation. None of the girls she’d dated in the past would’ve reacted positively to the presence of ‘Sophie’ in ‘James’s life. Most of them would likely have reacted the same way Rachel did to the mere possibility, just as ‘James’ himself likely would have done. But the fact of the matter was that ‘Sophie’ wouldn’t be going anywhere, even after the end of her employment with the airline- whenever that was likely to be, anyway. And while Sophie was confident that she’d made friends for life, she couldn’t help but wonder- especially after the week’s celebrations- whether or not there was anyone out there for her, whether she’d ever get married, and most importantly, whether she’d be wearing a dress or a suit when she did…

Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, Sophie settled back into her working routine, with the wedding quickly becoming just a happy memory- one of many she’d acquired since ‘Sophie’ became a part of her life. Eventually, Monday rolled around, and as Sophie changed into her uniform alongside her colleagues, she couldn’t help but smirk at the mix of facial expressions on display- those apprehensive as they started their working week; those, like Sophie, who were tired and excited at the end of their working week, and the extremely anxious looks on a group of faces that Sophie didn’t recognise, but was sure she’d soon come to know as well as her other friends.

“I always love ‘newbie day’,” Anna-Jade chuckled as she buttoned her shiny black blouse. “Kinda reminds me of my first day here. Which was four and a half fucking years ago, heh!”

“Didn’t feel like taking a newbie yourself this time round?” Sophie asked the ginger-haired Irishwoman. “I mean, ‘cause-“

“’Cause I’m rapidly approaching the big three-oh and I won’t get another chance to?” Anna-Jade asked.

“…Wouldn’t have worded it EXACTLY like that…” Sophie mumbled.

“Ah, sure, you’re fine,” Anna-Jade said with a smile. “Already looking at other jobs anyway, probably gonna be moving closer to home anyway.”

“Back to Ireland?” Sophie asked. “Are- are you in a better place with your family, then?”

“’Better’ but still not ‘great’,” Anna-Jade sighed. “It- it’s a long story. Maybe some other time, eh? As long as you promise not to put it into print, heh!”

“Cross my heart,” Sophie said with a giggle. “Ahh… Weird to think that I’m going to end up being one of the most experienced here, heh.”

“This place always had a high turnover rate for stewardesses,” Anna-Jade said. “Makes my four and a half years seem like a lifetime, heh! Wouldn’t have changed it for anything, though. Especially not all the friends I’ve made. Gonna be hard to say goodbye! Ooh, speaking of saying goodbye…” Sophie turned round and followed her colleague and friend’s gaze to where a familiar French face had just entered the locker room to be greeted by a friendly round of applause.

“Ugh, mes amies…” Amelie mumbled, before allowing herself a tired giggle. “Merci beaucoup, I would be lying if I said that I would not miss all of you today.”

“Looking forward to university, then?” Amy asked.

“Oui,” Amelie replied. “Even though I shall be in London instead of Paris, it will be a great adventure.”

“Guessing you’re staying in London because of Ellen?” Rachel asked, smirking as the French girl nodded. “Kinda surprised she isn’t working today as well.”

“Guess Alana didn’t want you two to make a scene?” Anna-Jade asked.

“Actually it was I who asked her to not work on today,” Amelie replied.

“Huh,” Sophie said. “You never struck me as someone who cared about the rules.”

“There are some rules that I feel I should obey,” Amelie said. “You shall know one of them soon.”

“What- what’s that supposed to mean?” Hayley asked.

“You will see,” Amelie said with a cryptic smile as she began to change into her uniform.

“Anyway, I’d better get going,” Sophie said as she donned her hat. “Berlin awaits, and the sooner I leave, the sooner I can start my weekend, hehe!”

“Yeah, yeah, you just rub it in,” Hayley said, chuckling as her flat mate left the locker room alongside Amelie before turning to the nervous and confused young woman standing next to her. “Don’t worry too much! Every workplace has a bit of friendly teasing in it, but we only do that to our friends, people who have worked here for a while. And it’s all in fun- we’re not like a sorority house or anything. And most definitely not a frat house, hehe!”

“Yeah, I guess,” Alicia- Hayley’s trainee- said with a shrug of her shoulders. “It does seem a bit unprofessional, though?”

“We’d never do it in front of a passenger,” Hayley said, surprised by the young woman’s seriousness. “But we’re in front of customers often for hours at a time, we need some ‘down’ time, time to relax. Plus, it builds, you know, team spirit, camaraderie, that sort of thing.”

“I dunno,” Alicia said, fidgeting uncomfortably. “It- it just seems like a bit of a ‘locker room’ in here.”

“Whatever you do, don’t say that out loud!” Rachel said with a giggle. “Trust me, comparisons to anything even remotely male are NOT welcome in this particular- well, okay, I guess it kinda is technically a ‘locker room’, hehe!”

“I kinda figured, heh,” Alicia said bashfully as she carefully pulled on her blue uniform. “Not that- not that I have a problem with that- with ANY of that, you understand, right?”

“Oh- sure,” Hayley said. “We’re all sisters in here when we pull on the uniform. But NOT a sorority, okay?”

“Okay,” Alicia said with a nervous smile.

"Though I may have just had an idea for your 'passing probation' party theme, hehe!" Amy giggled. "I know it's kinda cliché, but this job is a LOT better if you're working with your friends. It's hard work, tiring work and the uniform sucks. But we- all of us- can have a lot of fun, hehe!"

"If you say so," Alicia shrugged.

"Ah, come on," Danni- Amy's trainee- said with a playful laugh. "Why should work be all serious, all business?"

"I just value being professional, that's all," Alicia said. "Can- can we agree to disagree on this one?"

"Sure, if you insist," Daisy- Rachel's trainee- said. "But you have to turn off 'professional' at some point."

"Some of us struggle to turn it on at times, heh," Hayley chuckled.

"Speak for your fucking self, girlie!" Anna-Jade chuckled, before frowning at the look on Alicia's face, clearly disapproving of her profanity. "Umm... I'll- I'll get to my flight, heh."

"See you later, older ginge!" Amy said, giggling as the Irishwoman replied with a middle finger that earned another disapproving look from Alicia.

"...You sure this airline's big enough for the two of you?" Danni asked, making her mentor giggle.

"You and I are going to get along REALLY well," Amy said, giving her trainee's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"I hope," Danni said. "I mean, right...?"

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Hayley asked.

"That you can...?" Danni began.

"Never have too many friends!" Most of the stewardesses old and new cheered- but with the notable exception of Alicia.

“Right then,” Amy said, clapping her hands together as a smug smile spread across her youthful features. “Everyone ready? Then let’s learn, hehe!” The ginger girl smiled as she and her colleagues old and new headed into the corridor, though the smile quickly faded when she saw her manager storming toward the group with a look of pure fury on her face.

“Al- Alana?” Hayley asked, biting her lip with nerves only to frown in confusion as her manager stormed straight past her and headed out into the vast concourse of Heathrow airport, where a large commotion was happening- even larger than usual for the busy transport hub.

At the centre of the commotion, seemingly oblivious to the number of phones and cameras being pointed at them, were the uniformed Amelie and the casually-dressed Ellen, who were lovingly holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes.

“Ma amour,” Amelie said in a quivering, emotional voice. “This year I have spent with you has been the most beautiful year of my life. You have shown me love and opened my eyes to a world that I never want to let go. And to a love that I never want to let go. Ellen Louise Briggs-“ The gathered crowd collectively gasped as Amelie struggled with her tight uniform but eventually sank onto one knee and held up a small box with a sparkling diamond ring. “Will you marry me?”

“Oh my god!” Ellen squeaked, tears streaming from her eyes as she stared at the ring. “Yes, yes, god yes I will marry you!” The gathered crowd- including the other stewardesses- all cheered as Amelie slid the ring onto Ellen’s finger before sharing a long, deep kiss with the Manchester native.

“Oh my god, congratulations you two!” Sophie squeaked, briefly forgetting her professionalism as she exchanged hugs with the two newly-engaged women. Several of their other colleagues and friends followed suit, before a loud cough from their manager brought an end to the celebration.

“You all have flights to get to,” Alana said sternly, ignoring the boos of some of those in the crowd as the stewardesses slowly made their way back toward where they were supposed to be. “We WILL speak later about this. Amelie, Ellen, with me. NOW.”

“Umm- I’m not even working today?” Ellen protested.

“Do you have a flight to catch?” Alana asked.

“Umm… No…” Ellen mumbled.

“Then why are you at an airport?” Alana asked, frowning as the younger woman was unable to answer her question. “That’s what I thought. Follow me.” With nervous expressions on their faces, Amelie and Ellen followed their manager back to the employees area while Sophie discreetly made a mental note to ask Amelie about what happened in her impromptu meeting with her manager- something that undoubtedly make an interesting addition to her report.

Though as excited as she was by the addition to her expose, and as happy as she was for her two friends, Sophie couldn’t help but wonder if anyone would ever get down on one knee and slide a ring onto her finger…

That night, despite their manager’s disapproval, Ellen and Amelie’s friends gathered at their vast modern apartment to celebrate both their engagement and the return of the rest of their friends from Scotland. Even though the party had to end earlier than usual, due to most of the women working the following day, everyone present still had a lot of fun- none more so than the two newlyweds.

"Perfect start to the honeymoon," Jessica sighed happily.

"What, our thunder being stolen?" Paige replied, before giggling. "Aye, don't worry, I know what you mean, we're soul mates, remember?"

"I hadn't forgotten," Jessica said with a smug smirk. "So... What was I thinking?"

"That it's great to be around all our friends," Paige said confidently, smiling as Jessica rewarded her correct answer with a gentle kiss. "Even the new friends, heh!"

"I’m sure we'll get to know Daisy, Danni and Alicia well before long," Jessica said. "Even if Alicia looks like she's well outside her comfort zone being here. Never mind the fact that I'll be 'out of commission' by the time they're out of probation, heh."

"If by 'out of commission' you mean 'perfected'?" Paige said with a grin. "You are going to love being 'complete' SO much."

"Nah," Jessica whispered as she linked her left hand with that or her wife. "I already am complete. Happily ever after?"

"Happily ever after," Paige said softly as she exchanged another kiss with her new wife, not caring about the fact that most of her friends were staring straight at the two women.

"D'aww," Amy sighed happily. "They are SO cute. Always have been, always will be."

"Not to say that you two aren't, of course!" Sophie giggled as she addressed Amelie and Ellen. "Think your wedding will be the third in a row I've gone to where there's no groom, heh."

"Good," Amelie said with a smug grin. "This shall be something difficult to explain to my father, I should think that he already knows, heh."

"My parents already know," Ellen chuckled. "Dad's already looking forward to walking me down the aisle, I mean, been six months since I last spoke to him and already he's making plans!"

"Take it Natalie's your maid of honour, then?" Amy asked.

"We've both got two sisters," Ellen replied. "Makes sense to make both pairs co-maids of honour, if that makes sense?"

"Room for any more bridesmaids?" Hayley asked with a playful pout.

"I shall think!" Amelie giggled. "But Miss Connolly is in with a definite chance of being one of them!"

"Aww, you don't have to, really..." Sophie mumbled as her cheeks reddened.

"Do not be silly," Amelie said. "You have been one of my best friends during my time with the airline. Just because it has come to an end does not mean that our friendship needs to end."

"...Thanks," Sophie said with a bashful smile.

"A toast!" Amy cheered. "To love and friendship- the two greatest things of them all!"

"To love and friendship!" The girls all cheered, even as Sophie mused on whether or not she would always be the bridesmaid, and never the bride…