Matthew Jones is the only son of Randy Jones, honored deacon of the Church of Genetic Purity. He and his girlfriend, Amy Cox, have been taught from birth that MORFS is a symptom of moral depravity. While they had quietly questioned that doctrine, they were not prepared for the opportunity to find out for themselves.

Note: There is plenty of violence here, but there is also great triumph.

sex: 1/10
violence: 7/10
profanity: 3/10

Categories: Male to Female, PSI

Timeline: 2060

---

The next morning, I went through my standard ritual of showering and TKing myself dry. Mom had set out a white dress that came to my knees, along with some white flats. "We want to give you a look of innocence, vulnerability, and sincerity," she explained. She deftly applied makeup that gave me a look of wide-eyed innocence and vulnerability.

We had to go to the district court, not the local city court. I tried to enjoy the ride through the country, but I was too nervous. I wasn't looking forward to seeing the authors of my nightmares again, and I certainly wasn't ready to face my father.

We got to the court house in plenty of time. The prosecutor and her staff were very supportive. After we signed some forms that allow a court telepath to monitor our thoughts, they coached us about how to present ourselves, what to say, and how to respond to the defense attorney's questions. The actual hearing was... stressful. I was asked to describe, in vivid detail, Amy's death. It was impossible to get through the whole ordeal without crying. The prosecutor told me to not even try. I shouldn't fake tears, but neither should I try to stop them.

The deacons and preacher looked at me with undisguised hate. Father, on the other hand, refused to meet my eyes.

In the end, the defendants were denied bail. They were deemed too dangerous to be let out of jail.

After the ordeal was over, we talked to a counselor. I showed her the diagnosis sheet that Doctor Myra had given to me. She commented that Doctor Myra is a very good psychologist, and that she will try to get the defendants to pay for counseling with her as part of the restitution. She also commented, off the record, that we can probably get Father's entire estate by filing suit and scheduling it after his criminal trial.

We finally got out of there at about 2:00 PM. With the court ordeal behind us, I was able to actually enjoy the scenery on the drive home. We had just rounded a bend when we came up to what looked like the scene of an accident. Mom slammed on the brakes. We came to a stop a reasonable distance from what turned out to be parked cars. I noticed a smell similar to that of over the counter spray sleep remedies. I opened the door and stumbled out. Just as my head was starting to clear, I felt the jab of a needle.

I woke up feeling far from refreshed. Mom was holding me, but she wasn't in much better condition. She had a metal collar around her neck, and was chained to a stake in the ground. I then noticed that I was similarly chained up.

*Help!* I sent out with my TE. Nothing happened. Icy cold fear threatened to overcome me. I had to shake it off if I wanted Mom and me to survive.

I tried sensing my surroundings, but could barely do it. I sensed a variety of emotions -- hate, fear, worry, sadness, determination. I couldn't reach into anyone's mind. I couldn't even read Mom. I tried my TK, but couldn't even move a pebble.

As Mom was holding me, she was silently praying. I sent up a few prayers of my own, then tried my powers again.

This time, I could sense Mom. I concentrated on reassuring her, but she couldn't 'hear' me.

Brother Taylor, the oldest of the deacons, came forth and gave a long speech about the evils of genetic contamination, and the treachery of my mother against the church. He gave her the opportunity to repent and save herself, but she stood mute.

As my head cleared, I could read the people a little better. Brother Taylor's mind was putrid to the core. It was black and evil, with no redeeming qualities that I could see. There were three others like that who wore similar robes. Their hearts were as black as their robes.

Amy's brother and sister were there -- and they stared at me with hatred and loathing. "Harlot! Jezebel! You seduced Amy from us, and now she is gone."

The rest of the people were in their late teens or early twenties. They felt fear and sadness. I could tell that they were, for the most part, reluctant to have anything to do with the situation. They had been dragged here and told that they had a duty to perform.

I showed Mom a picture of the putrid deacons.

Mom yelled to them, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."

Brother Taylor puffed himself up and yelled back, "You seek use the word of God to accuse the righteous? You have had your chance to repent. Now, you shall face your judgment!"

He picked up a stone and cast it at us. I automatically used TK to push it aside.

"Your witchcraft will not save you!"

He cast another stone. I deflected it.

"Brothers! Acolytes! Cast your stones and overwhelm their witchcraft!"

*Help!* I called again as I worked to deflect the stones. There were simply too many to track and deflect, and my energy was fading rapidly.

A large rock hit me me in the face. Another hit Mom in the shoulder, bloodying her and ripping her dress. She hugged me to her and tried to protect me. I kept trying to deflect rocks. I deflected most of them, but we still took quite a few hits.

I kept calling for help.

Suddenly, I felt myself infused with strength. I still couldn't track all the rocks, so I pulled my TK sense back a bit.

I remembered that when I was first working with my powers, I soon learned to think of the words that I was writing, rather than the individual pen strokes. Similarly, I formed a pattern in my mind where any rock that wouldn't impact us would be ignored, and the rest would be deflected.

The rocks stopped hitting us.

I could tell from Mom's mind that she was seriously hurt. She couldn't feel her legs. I used my senses to check her body, and found a chip of bone pressed into her spinal cord.

By now, the rocks were being deflected without any conscious attention from me.

I concentrated on feeling that bone chip, then gently pulled it from her spinal cord with my TK. Once it was well out of the way, I held it there as I gently laid her on her back.

*Thanks!* I sent to the people who were helping me. I could feel Kim, Sara, Larry, Cindy, and Jim keeping my TK strong. Carol and Myra were there, too -- somehow feeding me strength.

*The police are on their way. The tracker network has you pinpointed, and help will arrive within half an hour. You are quite a ways out in the woods.*

I didn't recognize the 'voice' at first. Then... *Officer Saouda?*

*The same. Hang in there, Cara! Help is on the way, and you have some good people helping you.*

*We're on our way, too," sent Kim. *We picked up Jim and his parents, and are flying here as fast as we can move.*

*Carol and I are on our way, too,* sent Myra.

*Some police air cars are on their way,* sent Officer Saouda. *They should arrive in about five minutes.*

While the rocks were being deflected, I turned my senses to my collar. It was held on with a simple nut and bolt. I used my TK to remove mine, then Mom's.

*Four air cars are stationed around you. If you can distract the suspects, they can capture them all," sent Officer Saouda.

*I'll do better than that.*

Starting with the four robed deacons, I compressed their carotids. Then, I moved to Amy's brother and sister, and finally to the rest of our assailants.

*I just knocked them out. They should be out for thirty seconds or so.*

Suddenly, four aircars descended upon us from over the trees and dropped into the clearing. Sixteen officers got out and quickly cuffed the suspects. Then, they came over to me and Mom.

"Mom has a broken back. Don't move her!"

One of the officers watched over Mom while the rest moved the prisoners into two groups -- the robed deacons, and the young people.

I walked over to the young people. "Some of you came here against your will -- just like I did a week ago. If you tell your story honestly and allow a telepath to read you, you may end up with a lesser charge. Otherwise, it'll probably be attempted murder."

Amy's brother and sister looked at me with hatred. The rest looked worried and ashamed.

"I know some of you from when I was in the church. Most of you aren't bad people. If you work with me, I'll help you if I can."

"Why should we consort with an infidel like you?" spat Amy's brother.

"Your choice," I said sadly.

I heard sirens, so I went back to my mother. The EMTs ran out with a stretcher.

"She has a bone chip near her spinal cord. Let me lift her onto the stretcher for you."

They tried to push me aside. "We appreciate the offer, but we're professionals."

"She's my mother, so you can just stuff your professional pride!" I used my TK to keep them away, then I secured the bone chip and gently TK'd my mom onto the stretcher.

"Anyone have a piece of paper and a pencil?"

One of the officers ran back to his aircar and got me a clipboard. I sensed my mom, then used my TK to quickly draw what I saw, highlighting the bone chip. I gave the drawing to one of the EMTs.

*Matthew?*

It was faint, but unmistakable.

*Amy? But how?*

*Matthew! They buried me alive! I can't last much longer!*

I echoed that to everyone, than ran toward the direction of the call. I ran as fast as I could, but stumbled on a root. I used my TK to keep from hitting the ground, then sped myself up as I flew about four feet off the ground. Within about a minute, I was at a small clearing that had a number of areas of disturbed soil. I reached underground with my senses and found Amy buried about four feet down. I used my TK to start removing the dirt from on top of her. I could tell that contacting me had taken up way too much of her remaining strength.

She wasn't the only one running out of strength. Still, I was soon down to her. With infinite tenderness, I removed the last layer of dirt from her body the way I remove water from my own body. They had buried her naked and left her mouth and eyes open. Her eyes were sunken and blind.

I levitated her out and into my arms. I sat on the ground and held her.

*She needs water, nutrients, and all the energy we can pump into her,* said Doctor Sara.

Soon, a bunch of stim packs, energy drinks, and power bars came flying through the forest. Officer Saouda had ordered the EMTs to get them from their stores, and my friends TK'd them over to me.

Doctor Kim said, *The stim packs work best when injected through a large vein, but she can probably absorb them if you can get her to drink them. She appears to be a bio elemental.*

I touched Amy's mind, but it was fading fast. I used my senses to find her inferior vena cava, then drew a tube of force from the vein up to the stim pack. I TK'd the liquid through that tube and into her vein. Meanwhile, we were all feeding her all the strength she could absorb.

I felt her get stronger and become more aware. I could see an image of the workings of her body form in her mind. She was actually able to guide the nutrients. She started by guiding everything to her brain, heart muscle, and lungs. Then, she sent the iron straight to her marrow and set it about the task of making new red blood cells. Her sallow skin started to take on a healthier shade of pink.

*Matthew! Thank God you found me!*

*You're going to be OK now,* I soothed.

*Can you increase the flow of nutrients? Try pressing harder when my heart is taking in blood.*

I could read the concentration of the nutrients from her mind, and carefully adjusted the flow to what she had determined was ideal. The stim pack started to get low. Cindy read that fact from my mind and levitated another stim pack into place next to the one I was using. I punctured the second pack and started drawing from it as the first one was emptied.

I saw Amy's sunken eyes fill in. Her muscles started to get some tone. She sat up, and I made haste to keep the stim pack flowing properly.

*I need more liquid.*

I picked up an energy drink and held it to her lips. She drank it greedily. I could see through her internal vision that her stomach was absorbing the liquid rapidly. I gave her another.

*I have enough nutrients for now, but I need more water.*

Doctor Sara had anticipated this. I found several bottles of filtered water next to me. I handed one to Amy.

The second stim pack was empty, so I withdrew the tube of force. Amy healed the hole.

I looked into her violet eyes.

*Matthew?*

*It's Cara, now. How are you feeling?*

I felt my wounds start to heal.

"I'm fine," she said out loud, "but you need a power bar and two energy drinks."

"Yes ma'am," I said. I hadn't realized how good an energy drink could taste.

*Your body needs it. That's why it tastes so good.*

I downed the rest.

For the first time since I woke up tied to a stake like a dog, I allowed myself to relax. The EMTs were standing there looking at us in awe. "We need to get you two back to the ambulance. We're supposed to carry you on a stretcher. Rules and all that stuff." He almost sounded like he was pleading.

"OK, come and get us. I'm pretty exhausted, anyhow."

I took Amy in my arms and held her tight. One of the EMTs slipped her into a hospital gown, then helped her onto the stretcher. Another EMT helped me.

On the trip to the ambulance, I started shaking and sobbing uncontrollably.

*It's OK,* soothed Myra. *It's over, and everything is going to be all right.*

*I need a hug. I really, really need a hug!* I sobbed.

A few minutes before we got back to the ambulance, the Martins' van pulled in. Suddenly, Amy and I found ourselves surrounded by Kim, Sara, Larry, Cindy, and Jim.

I got my hug. Lots of them, actually.

Since Amy and I are both relatively small, and the ambulance is a model designed to be able to carry large hybrids, they took us to the hospital together. I noticed that the air cars and all the suspects were gone. Officers Trowbridge and Saouda were still here. They loaded Amy and me into the ambulance. Then, everyone caravaned off to the hospital at a sedate pace.

*You guys make an awesome team!* said Officer Saouda. *I have never seen such seamless coordination.*

*Thank you,* I smiled. *I'm just glad that it's all over and we're all safe!*

*And the bad guys are in jail,* added Larry.

On the way back, I looked at Amy. She was lovelier than ever, with her bright violet eyes and hair.

*I guess I can't be your boyfriend anymore,* I said sadly.

*You can still be my best girlfriend and sister. Will you do that for me?* She looked very vulnerable.

I smiled. *Very happily!*

*We have always loved each other, but we really never had a romantic relationship -- despite our best efforts. I really think that we were meant to be sisters.*

I had to admit that she was right.

*I hate to intrude, but can I ask Amy a few questions?* asked Officer Saouda.

*I'll be glad to help any way I can,* replied Amy.

*Did your mother know what happened to you?*

*Yes,* Amy said bitterly. *She and Dad turned me over to the preacher with great ceremony.*

There was a pause.

*We already have your father, brother, and sister in custody. An officer is being sent to pick up your mother. Do you have anyone who can stay with you at your house?*

*She can stay with us,* Sara said. *She can stay in the apartment with Sue and Cara, or we can put her up in a spare bedroom.*

*She can stay with us!* I turned to Amy. *Hey, sister! We get to be roomies!*

Amy smiled and reached over to me. I took her hand.

Officer Saouda asked Amy a few more questions, then assured us that there were some forensics experts camped out in that makeshift graveyard. They will be identifying the remains and looking for psychic residue.

When we got to the hospital, we were put in a room with my mother. Bless Kim and Sara for pulling strings! Mom looked a lot better with all the blood washed off. There really was no telling how much of it was hers, and how much was mine. It's a good thing neither of us had any blood-borne disease.

Amy started healing Mom. "Hey, you're supposed to be the patient!" quipped one of the nurses.

"Mrs. Jones has some kind of a virus that I can't figure out," Amy told her.

We were poked, prodded, and generally examined. Except for Mom's virus infection, we were given a clean bill of health. Still, they wanted to keep us overnight for observation.

As soon as the doctors were done with us, we found ourselves surrounded by our friends.

"I told you you were part of my support group," I said to Carol.

We all chatted about inconsequential things for a good long while. Larry came over and kissed me on the lips when he thought that nobody was looking. *I saw that!* Cindy informed us. So he did it again.

After a while, a nurse came in and chased everyone out. We were too exhausted to argue. We fell asleep within minutes.

Early the next morning, Kim and Sara came in with their lawyer. We all decided that Mom and I would file suit against father, and that Amy would file suit against her entire family. We signed the papers and got the ball rolling before anyone could hide their property. As an afterthought, we decided to sue the church itself.

Mom was feeling pretty lousy by then. A nurse came in and took some blood. We were all surprised when the verdict came back.

MORFS.

Amy and I threw on some clothes that Kim had brought for us. Just as we were about to leave, Mom got a call on her eCom. The police had located our car. She arranged to let Kim and Sara pick it up.

Kim dropped Amy and me off, then went to get Mom's car. By the time they got back, we were both showered, dressed, and well fed.

We arranged for an officer to meet us at Amy's house, and we went in and essentially emptied her bedroom. We grabbed everything that belonged to Amy, and left the rest for the courts to take care of. We expected that Amy would eventually get all of it, but we wanted to do everything by the book.

Amy made a quick scan through the garage, then grabbed her bicycle, skateboard, helmet, snorkel gear, and other assorted stuff. Her dad had taken the skateboard from her at about the same time my father took mine. Once we got home, I happily helped Amy move in while Kim and Sara went to advanced gym class. They teased me that I have more catching up to do.

"How did you manage to survive a week with no oxygen?" I asked.

"Essentially, my body shut everything down except for my heart and lungs, and a tiny portion of my brain. I managed to get enough oxygen to keep things going -- barely."

"Boy, am I glad you made it! I had already decided that getting out of that church, getting new friends, and getting cool powers was well worth the cost of being changed into a girl." I looked at her seriously. "Still, none of that made up for losing you. Getting you back was more than I dared pray for."

Tears in her eyes, she came over and gave me a hug. "I thought I was a goner, too. I sure got a crash course on how to be a bio elemental!"

We sat on her bed and hugged each other for a long time. Wordlessly, we consoled and comforted each other. We had both lost much, and gained much more.

I got Amy back. Amy got her life back. Still, I had lost my father, and she had lost her entire family.

Or, maybe we just lost our illusions. What kind of family turns their own over for stoning?

After a while, our churning thoughts and emotions started to settle down. *We're home, we're safe, we're together, we're free from that church, we have a future, and we have people who love us,* we agreed together.

I sent her a copy of the online course for telepaths, and she downloaded the course for bio elementals. After perusing them for a few minutes, we got into our swimsuits and went down to the pool.

"Hey, what's with the bellybutton jewel?" she asked.

"Hang around and they'll probably perforate you, too."

Kim and Sara had hung out in the study hall after gym so that they could drive Cindy and Larry home. When they got here, they found Amy and me lounging by the pool.

"We're going to have dinner early and go visit your mom," Larry told me. "Go ahead and get yourself ready while we get dinner ready."

After a quick rinse, I put on a light sun dress and a pair of sneakers. I could go in something more casual, but I figured that Mom would appreciate it if I dressed nicely.

And, with MORFS, I'm sure she can use some cheering up. I remember all too well.

"How did you get all showered and dried so quickly?" asked Amy.

I smirked. "I push the water off my body with my TK."

She shrugged, then dressed similarly to the way I was dressed. We made it downstairs in plenty of time to enjoy a nice dinner with the Martins.

While passing through the hospital hallways, Amy was kind of quiet. She seemed to be looking around with her bio senses. *What are you doing?* I asked.

*I'm looking at some of the patients. I see some infections, but nothing that looks like what your mom has.*

When we went to the MORFS unit, she said, *Ah, I can see it now. MORFS doesn't look like the other infections.*

As I had guessed, Mom was starting to feel really lousy. She was happy to see us, though. She complimented us on the way we were dressed, which made us feel good. I guess I'm becoming a real girl, after all.

*It's almost as if I can see what your mother is going to become. I think she's going to look a lot like you.*

We tried combining our perceptions to get a clearer picture, but I couldn't 'see' anything that really added useful information. After assuring Mom that everything is OK, and that we'll hold down the fort in her absence, we went to the post-MORFS testing area. Amy's parents hadn't seen any point in having their daughter tested before they turned her over to be killed.

On the way out of the ward, we did it with the other patients. After a while, we got a clearer picture of what they would turn into. We talked to Kim and Sara about it, and they asked Amy to write down her perceptions so that they can be checked against the actual outcomes.

The results of Amy's post-MORFS inventory were unsurprising. They found improved strength and agility to go with her lithe elven shape, and also nanotube reinforced bones and nails. That explains how she managed to survive the stoning. She was found to be very healthy, telepathic, and a strong bio elemental. She was certified safe to return to school. A quick trip to the front desk to pick up her addendum and her new school and state ID cards, and we were done.

Kim took me back to Mom's room so that I could look in on her. The nurse didn't want to let us in because Mom is out cold and changing, but apparently Kim has a little clout in this hospital.

I walked in alone and looked at Mom's sleeping form. Some of her hair was falling out, and I could see blue hair just starting to grow out of her scalp.

*Welcome to the world of the butterflies,* I said to her. There was no answer, of course.

I touched her face tenderly. She was feverish. Was it a result of the infection, or a way for MORFS to increase her metabolism and affect the changes faster? I probed her sleeping mind gently. I could sense nothing but the routine mutterings of her brain as it kept her body going. I sensed a shield just starting to form. Was she going to be telepathic like me?

I kissed her tenderly on the cheek. *I love you.* I felt the faint stirrings of an answer, and a small smile formed on her face. I quietly walked out of her room. Everyone else was already in the van, so we met them at the entrance.

Kim and Sara surprised Amy and me by driving us to Doctor Myra's clinic.

She saw me first because she didn't expect me to need much time. After sifting through my brain cells, asking questions, flashing images and thoughts, and generally doing all that headshrink stuff, she told me that I had apparently found an effective way to eradicate survivor's guilt completely.

"Yeah," I quipped. "Just bring the person back to life. Works every time!"

"Your PTSD had been much reduced, too. Do you feel less helpless about the situation now?"

"With the perpetrators in jail? Yes, I think that my experience yesterday kind of helped me resolve things. I just hope that Amy will come out of it OK."

"How do you feel about your relationship with Amy?" She listened to my thoughts as she asked.

"Well... I'm profoundly relieved that she's still alive. I'm kind of disappointed that we will never have the relationship that we sought, but relieved that we don't have to try making our relationship into something that it isn't."

I thought for a second, forming in my mind the image of us sitting together on her bed and crying on each other's shoulders.

"I'm happy to have a sister," I whispered.

"What about Larry?" she asked.

I blushed.

"I thought so," she said. "You're going to be fine. Just keep up with your exercises and check in with me every once in a while. And, if you have any questions or concerns, talk to me about 'em. That's what I'm here for!"

She smirked at me. "Go tell Amy that it's time to have her brain cells shifted. I'm looking forward to meeting her under better circumstances."

I walked into the waiting room and went to Amy. *Doctor Myra is really a wonderful person. Open up to her if you can. She has my complete trust.*

She gave me a hug, then followed Myra into her office.

After that short but intense session with Doctor Myra, I just closed my eyes and leaned back. I let my senses roam about at will. There was a shield around Amy and Myra, which was good because I had no intention of snooping. Mostly, I was doing the equivalent of counting the holes in the ceiling -- tracing the wiring in the walls, noting the hidden construction details of the building, 'listening' to the music playing in the next room.

I idly wondered if I would be able to listen to the traffic on the computer network. I felt for the currents in some of the lines. I could tell that there was something there, but it was moving too fast for me to make anything out of it. Perhaps with practice... or perhaps not. It's really more of a job for a technopath, anyhow.

I tried some of the optical network lines, and had even less luck. I could vaguely tell that there was something in the line, but couldn't make anything of it.

Oh well...

I continued to poke around. I like to poke around any new environment I encounter so that I can sharpen my perceptions. Kim tells me that human perception is based on pattern recognition, and that pattern recognition comes by example. The more I look, the sharper I'll be able to see.

I felt a low seething level of fear, anger, and resignation. I focused my perception on its source, and 'saw' a man in orange prison fatigues walking down the hall with short steps. He was taking short steps because he had manacles on his ankles. They were connected together with a short piece of chain, as were some wide cuffs around his wrists. The manacles and cuffs were connected to each other with a longer piece of chain. This man was well and truly bound.

I looked into his mind. It wasn't as bad as the deacons' minds, but it was close. If this guy ever got out of jail, it would be too soon.

I followed them to a room down the hall, where the prisoner sat down while the attending policeman watched. There were two other people in the room.

I continued to scan around the building for new and interesting things when I noticed power being used in the room with the prisoner. The lock on one of his leg cuffs was loose, and the other was moving.

I did a quick scan of the area. There was a person walking away from the room, leaving only three people in the room -- the cop, the prisoner, and a third person. That third person was the one loosening the cuffs.

I quickly compressed his carotids. As he fainted, the prisoner jumped up and tried to kick the cop. I blocked the kick, then compressed the prisoner's carotids.

*The other person in the room tried to free your prisoner. He is armed. They will only be unconscious for half a minute or so,* I quickly sent to the cop.

It was over before I could even ask my friends for help. They watched with me as I kept an eye on the situation, though. The cop quickly disarmed and cuffed the person who tried to free his prisoner. Then, he reattached the prisoner's manacles. Both men woke up to find themselves face down on the floor. The telekinetic prisoner tried to open his locks, but I opposed him. I warned the cop about this.

Soon enough, backup arrived. Both prisoners were led away. I continued to unobtrusively look around. A familiar presence appeared.

*Hello Officer Saouda,* I sent. *Are you looking for the person who foiled that guy's plot to escape?*

She gave me a telepathic smile. *It would appear that we owe you one.*

She walked into the waiting room. "Alas, no good deed goes unpunished. I have to make a report, but we can do it later if you're busy now."

"Amy's in there talking to Doctor Myra. I suspect she'll be a while. Being buried alive for a week can't be good for your mental health."

"You'll both be happy to know that the forensics team managed to come up with a list of suspects after sifting through that graveyard," she said. "That might help her mental health a bit."

"It'll help mine, too," I replied. "Anyhow, do you have a pen and some paper? I can write everything down if you like."

I set the paper and pen on a low table, then wrote down what I was saying as I dictated it to her. She was impressed with the way I used TK to write.

She asked me a number of questions, which I answered and transcribed. When we were finished, I signed the paper by hand and gave it to her.

"Give my best to Officer Trowbridge," I said as she left.

*Ever think of going into police work?* she asked.

*Right now, I'm concentrating on keeping up with school, learning how to be a girl, getting used to hanging around people who love me, figuring out how to use my powers, and trying to maintain some semblance of sanity.*

*I can see that you have a full plate. Don't forget to enjoy your teenage years while you're at it,* she chuckled.

*That, too,* I replied. *The Martins have a nice pool, and they gave me a great skateboard this past Saturday. I just need to make sure I allow myself the time to enjoy those toys.* As an afterthought, I added, *Do you have any advice for a former boy who just got ambushed into attending her first sleepover?*

*Yeah,* laughed Officer Saouda, *Enjoy yourself and don't take anything seriously. At least, that's what I did when it happened to me.*

*You're a former boy?*

*Yep. It was depressing as hell at first, but there's no way I would go back now.*

*I have already decided that everything I have gotten from my bout with MORFS was well worth the one downside. It's not that my life sucked before or anything like that. I was definitely headed for disaster, though. I just didn't know it.*

"What are you two plotting?" asked Larry.

"Oh, just girl talk," I replied.

He came across the room, sat on the couch next to me, and put his arm around my shoulders. He released me when I blushed.

*Just because I'm not used to it doesn't mean I don't like it,* I told him. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and put his arm back around me. I leaned into him and closed my eyes.

Kim, Sara, and Cindy tried to hide their amusement. There's no hiding from an empath, though -- at least, not without putting up some good shields.

*Sometimes, a girl just needs a hug,* I sent to them.

I was still leaning on Larry, and practically asleep, when Amy and Myra came out of the room.

"You seem to be adapting to girlhood rather well," commented Amy.

I blushed. "Hey, my life has changed in so many ways, what's one more thing? I need to embrace my new life if I want to maintain some semblance of sanity."

"You seem to have no problem embracing the cute kitty boy," Myra quipped.

This time, Larry was the one who blushed.

"You gotta take the good with the bad, and this is definitely the good." I sat up and planted a kiss on Larry's cheek.

The nice thing about being an empath is that you always know how people feel about you.

When we got home, I changed into some athletic clothes. Cindy had given me something that looked a lot like a cheerleader costume, but without the garish colors and school letters. It consisted of a short top and a short skirt with built-in short shorts. The skirt didn't even pretend to cover anything. Still, it was less revealing than a typical swimsuit. Cindy and Amy were similarly attired. Larry looked cute in shorts and a tank top. We all hopped on our skateboards and headed for the park. I gave Amy a TK boost so that she could keep up with us.

Jim was just coming down his driveway as we passed his house. Apparently, Cindy had given him a call as soon as we decided to go to the park. I sent her a telepathic smirk.

As we approached the park, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of pain. The others could feel it to. We headed for the source and found the same twelve year old boy that we had rescued from a spill a couple days ago.

*Can you relieve his pain?* I asked Amy. I immediately felt his relief.

I looked him over. *He broke his arm. If I set it, can you heal it?*

*Sure thing, doc.* she replied.

"Hold still. You'll be OK in a minute," Amy said to him.

We combined our images of his break. I carefully held the bone on the side of the break nearest his body, and pulled the other. His muscles fought the pull, so Amy caused them to relax. I aligned the bones and let them slide together, making sure that the jagged edges didn't pinch any tissue. Amy then healed the break and the bruising in the surrounding tissues.

"If at first you don't succeed, maybe sky diving isn't for you," I quipped to the boy.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"Just put humpty dumpty together again," Amy said. "You might want to consider investing in some protective gear."

Larry, sensing that we were a bit fatigued from the delicate use of our powers, pulled two energy drinks from his backpack and handed them to us.

For the next couple hours, we could forget all of our concerns and just be teens working on our routines.

Sweaty and well worked out, we headed for home, showered, and sat down for dinner.

Gladys had been cleaning today, so she prepared dinner for us. She was rather entertained by our 'flying dishes' cleanup routine. After dinner, Amy and I went upstairs to to study our on-line courses and just generally hang out. The introduction to her bio elemental course had a short but interesting article by an elementologist.

(end of part 04)

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