I was very annoyed. I had spent almost an hour with Doctor Diaz as she ran various tests and I was starting to get weary of being poked, prodded, and questioned. I couldn’t even get properly undressed like I usually did for more than a brief exam since I needed to keep my panties (and the pad inside) on due to my heavy flow. The need to just get rid of the annoying clothes and go naked was scratching insistently at the back of my mind along with my fears that this could be something terrible, and Cinder was afraid and uncertain because I was.

It didn’t help that Isabella was trying to be all professional and impassive the whole time so I wouldn’t worry. News flash, it was not helping. Now, I was sitting here completely clothed again and suffering the intermittent cramps from hell after Carmen’s mother gave me some privacy to dress while she looked over my earlier tests.

The Midol that she had me take seemed to help with some of the symptoms that I had. I hadn’t thought much of the bloating beforehand, much less thought might be related to my period, I just thought that it and the growing cramps were due to something I ate that disagreed with me. Unfortunately, the Midol wasn’t putting a dent in the pain from the cramps, and we couldn’t give me anything stronger because most of the more potent painkillers were not safe for Fey use.

After the hospital overdose blunder that had killed Dad, I was leery of taking anything stronger than aspirin without Dr. Diaz’s direct approval, especially now that I had Manifested and become Fey myself. Nymphs, and most other Fey cousin species, had the same negative reactions to certain varieties of drugs that had killed my father, when being shot, thrown out a thirteen-story window, and then hit by a bus hadn’t finished him off. Call me paranoid, but I now intended to stay as far away from human drugs, doctors, or hospitals as I could after what happened to Dad.

The door to the clinic opened and Dr. Diaz stepped inside. I made a concentrated effort not to look as bothered as I felt as I joked, “You know, Doc, as much as I enjoy our quality time together, maybe we should see other people?”

She cracked a smile and we both knew that I was only half joking. My sister and I had only come to live with Mom above Pandora’s Box two weeks ago and in that time, this would be my fourth visit to the good doctor in her professional capacity. One was for my newly (and accidentally) created Astrae daughter and the rest were all for me.

That wasn’t even counting my short time in a coma following my bonding with Cinder or when she looked me and Melody over following our disastrous first date. So, technically that was six times in two weeks, which was just a teensy bit excessive and said a lot about how chaotic my life had become since I Manifested. If this was going to become a regular thing, I might need to start rethinking my life choices.

“I would be more than happy to see you less in my professional capacity, Crystal,” Dr. Diaz agreed, though her poker face did not slip even an iota. “I’m almost entirely certain that I know what’s going on with you though, so what would you like to hear first? The good news, or the bad news?”

I couldn’t take this damn suspense for one minute longer, so I swallowed the lump of anxiety that had balled up in my throat and said, “Just give it to me straight, please.”

Isabella nodded, her poker face finally slipping off as she gave me a sympathetic smile. “There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with you, Crystal, so please relax. When you bonded with Cinder, there were a lot of minor physiological changes made to optimize your body for hosting her, such as your elevated metabolism, higher core body temperature, and a score of other changes too small to mention. This heavy menstrual cycle that you’re experiencing is either one of those changes or a result of your altered body chemistry.”

I almost melted in relief that I wasn’t going to die or anything, though that relief was tempered in the wake of another horrendous cramp. “So, this is… normal?” I hissed through the pain.

“Well, we’re Paranormals, Crystal, textbook normal isn’t exactly in our wheelhouse. Normal for you, yes, and probably for any other women hosting a Salamander. So, you won’t be alone in this, Carmen will probably suffer this too. Sorcha as well, once she hits puberty. Maybe not Melody since she’s half-Demon, and Demon biology is generally weird to begin with, especially when you factor in their regeneration,” the doctor said. Then she added with a stern mother look, “Maybe this will serve as a regular reminder for you and Carmen to think before acting in the future. If a particularly rough period every month is the worst that you got from bonding with a largely unknown species, then you should consider yourselves lucky.”

“Lecture duly received,” I mumbled as I tried, and failed, to sink into the examination table that I was sitting on. And what a wonderful lecture it was. Very effective use of the guilt trip, I give it a nine out of ten.

“Good, I’ll let you be the one to inform my daughter of the consequences of your actions, it will mean more coming from her suffering peer than her mother,” she replied with an uncharacteristically savage smile.

“That’s cold, Doc. Should I tell her now, by the Salamander psychic network, or wait until it will be more horrifying for her?” I responded sarcastically.

“You brought this upon yourselves by acting without thinking of consequences,” she countered. Then, the savage grin faded to a sympathetic look as she prodded, “Now, if you would be so kind, Crystal. Please call her in here as well, so I can tell you both what I think you can expect from this. You can warn Melody about the possibility, but the odds are likely that she won’t have the same issues due to her demonic biology.”

With a suffering sigh, I reached out mentally for the mind I recognized as Carmen’s, even as I tried to soothe Cinder’s worries for me. ~Knock knock.~

A jumble of worry and fear hit my mind as Carmen immediately replied, ~Is everything okay?! You’ve been in there with Mom for, like, an hour and Mel and Jess are worried sick about you!~

~Your mom thinks it’s from our body chemistries changing to suit our Salamanders, and that you’re going to be suffering from this hell too when your time of the month hits. She said it should serve as a regular reminder for us to think before acting in the future. She wants you in here so she can tell us what to expect,~ I sent back as another cramp had me bent over in agony. I idly wondered just how much of my discomfort the empathic portion of the mental link would carry to her.

The answer was apparently a lot, and I could feel her mind recoiling. ~Holy crap, that… I’m in for that too?!~

There was a moment of silence where I figured that she was either delivering the news to Jess and Melody or trying to calm herself before she spoke again. Possibly both. ~Yeah, misery loves company and all that,~ I shot back, trying to sound happier about our mutual suffering than I had any right to be at the moment.

~Yeah, sure it does,~ she answered with something akin to a mental groan. ~Okay, I told your sister and Mel what’s going on, should I be bringing Mel for this too? She has a Salamander too.~

~Just tell her there’s a chance she might experience something like it, but your mom doesn’t seem to be worried about it because of Melody’s already weird half-Demon biology. And hurry up and get your butt in here, I feel like crap and I want to get this lecture over with.~ I immediately felt bad as it probably came out sounding snappier than I had intended.

~Message sent, and I’m on my way,~ she sent a moment later. Thankfully, Carmen was just a short walk down the hallway away, so I didn’t have to wait for long in an awkward silence with her mother for her to arrive.

There was a hesitant tapping at the door a moment later, followed by its opening to allow Carmen to slip inside. “Umm… hey, Mom. Crystal passed on your lec… message.”

Neither of us missed Carmen’s near slip-up. Her mother nodded seriously and gestured to the spot beside me on the examination table. “Have a seat, Honey. I’m not going to lecture either of you again about the Salamander incident since I trust that you both now realize that your actions have consequences. I just want to tell you both what I believe that you can expect from this unexpected hiccup.”

Carmen sighed and sat beside me while giving me a sidelong look. “I think I know what to expect, and from what I felt in Crystal’s mind, and how she looks right now, I am not looking forward to it. My regular period was bad enough, thanks.”

“Yes, it’s likely going to be very uncomfortable for both of you,” Dr. Diaz agreed before looking toward me in concern and asking, “Is the Midol helping at all, Crystal?”

I grimaced and shook my head. “Not really, at least, not with the pain from the cramps.”

The doctor frowned and placed a hand gently on my abdomen. I could feel Divine magic welling up from inside of her and flowing through her hand into me causing immediate relief. The cramps weren’t gone completely, but at least they were down to a much more manageable discomfort than a near-constant chorus of agony.

“This won’t last long, Crystal,” Dr. Diaz advised as she removed her hand, “maybe a couple of hours. I would prescribe you something stronger to manage your discomfort more effectively, but I don’t know of any potent pain relievers that I would feel comfortable giving a Fey without strictly monitoring you to ensure no ill effects. I would suggest that you get your mother to teach you a spell to relieve pain as soon as you can. Otherwise, you’ll be in for a rough ride. If Carmen’s pain is as bad as what you seem to be going through when her period arrives then I will likely end up doing the same for her.”

Yeah, I was totally going to talk to Mom about teaching me a spell like that, I almost felt human… err Nymph again. “I’ll ask her about it after breakfast tomorrow. Hopefully, I’ll be asleep by the time she’s off work… if I can sleep like this.”

“Come see me before you go to bed tonight and I’ll cast the spell on you again so you can sleep more comfortably,” Carmen’s mother offered sympathetically before then getting down to business. “If my theory about how the Salamanders are affecting your physiology is correct, then you can both likely expect rough periods like this every month. Fortunately, there is probably a bright side. I believe that your period is being accelerated due to your altered biology, Crystal, resulting in increased discomfort and heavier flow. Your periods will be rough, but probably not very long. I’m guessing two to three days rather than the usual three to five days.”

“Ugh… two or three days like this?” I complained. “Every month?”

Dr. Diaz nodded, once again in serious doctor mode. “I am sure that you will adjust, and learning a proper spell to relieve pain will help to minimize your discomfort. Crystal, I would suggest not being overly active during this time since being active can cause more discomfort, so ease off on the dance lessons until it has passed this month, and in the future, try not to work on nights like this and enjoy a few days off. Most of the dancers in the club take a few days off during that time of the month anyway.” That did explain why Nixie took a few extra days off after Christmas and hung out with the rest of us above the club.

“Wait, does that mean no sex?” I asked, completely aghast. “Of course, it does, silly Nymph… who would even want to do that with me when I’m like this? I’m bloated, irritable, and bleeding down there. And I bet the constant grimacing in pain makes me look hideous too,” I thought bitterly. I didn’t even want to touch myself while I was feeling like this, though without the agonizing pain distracting me…

Her reply shocked me out of those thoughts. “No, I would encourage it if you can find a willing partner, or at least you should do something about it yourself. Try the pulse setting in your shower if you must. Some women find that they get aroused more during their period, and given your usual state… In fact, some sort of sexual activity will likely be good for you right now.”

“Wait, what?” I asked as I gaped at her.

“Sexual activity triggers the release of endorphins, which make you feel good, and it occupies your mind, taking it off your discomfort,” she explained candidly. “Plus, there is scientific evidence that orgasms may relieve menstrual cramps. Your uterus contracting to release its lining is what causes those cramps and when you have an orgasm, it also causes the muscles of your uterus to contract, and then release. That release may bring some relief from period cramps, and the muscle contractions during orgasm help to push out the contents of your uterus faster, which could make your period shorter overall.”

Well, guess who was going to be having a nice, long, and relaxing shower sometime soon? This Nymph, that’s who. As gross as I was feeling from this whole ordeal so far, I had already planned on taking one so I could feel clean, but this made me want to do it even more, once the magic that dulled my pain wore off anyway. I didn’t think that Melody would be interested in doing anything with me while I was like this, but it wouldn’t hurt to try it out, and I was pretty sure that my showerhead wouldn’t object.

I wasn’t happy about this whole situation, but at least there were positives to it, and I would hopefully have some methods to relieve my discomfort. Not being alone in it helped a bit too, but Carmen didn’t look any happier about the situation than I was as her mother launched into a lecture about how we might have to change our personal hygiene regime down south while this was going on. She was very direct, and we were both blushing and cringing by the end of it. It’s true, misery really does love company.

There was also an embarrassing reminder for me to continue taking my birth control pills, and to be sure to use a condom if I had sex with a guy, even during my period. Okay, embarrassing is a massive understatement, it was mortifying. Attracted as I was to just about anyone with a pulse now, I had only ever had sex with Melody so far and the mere thought of doing it with a guy had me both incredibly turned on and blushing a bright shade of Crystal Red TM in response.

At least I wasn’t the only one on the examination table turning bright red. Carmen was noticeably blushing up a storm as well as she protested, “Ugh, I did not need to hear or think about Crystal’s sex life, Mom. I mean, I know she’s a Nymph, but…”

“No, I suppose you didn’t,” her mother agreed, “but I think it’s about time that we discuss yours, now that this has come up. Despite some… questionable decisions lately, I try to trust that you are smart enough to know what you’re doing and will act responsibly. That being said, you are at that age where you might want to experiment. So, I hope that you were listening very carefully to what I told Crystal just now because the same goes for you. I will be giving you a prescription for birth control pills as well, and condoms for you to keep in your purse and nightstand.”

Oh good, Carmen was now much more embarrassed than I was, and the attention was on her now as she squirmed beside me. “Geez, Mom! It’s like you want me to go out and… do that.”

“Carmen, you’re my baby, but you’re fifteen now and I try to be realistic and somewhat liberal in my expectations. Given where we live, you are constantly exposed to sex as both a concept and a reality through the people we interact with. Crystal is a good example of this. While I truly hope that you will not take that step until you feel ready, I do know that the temptation is there. I just want to be sure that if you do end up having sex, that you do it responsibly. Far too many mothers these days fail to have a serious talk about this with their daughters until it’s too late. So, I’m doing this now, for both of our sakes,” she said seriously as she gripped her daughter’s hands.

Okay, now I felt like I was intruding on a family moment. “I should… umm…” I stammered as hopped off the table.

“Not so fast, young lady. We’re not done here,” Dr. Diaz interjected. “Do either of you have any questions or concerns about anything that we just talked about?”

“I’m concerned that I’ll never get over the humiliation,” Carmen muttered beside me.

“No, you were very… thorough,” I answered, trying not to cringe at the thought of some of the stuff she had gone over, especially in regard to periods, proper hygiene, and possible consequences in excruciating detail. It was like she was trying to terrify us both… and it worked. I would be making very sure that I keep myself as clean as possible down there for the rest of my presumably very long life.

“Good,” she said with a smile, “we’re done here then. Let’s go get some dinner, I’m sure that you must be getting hungry, Crystal.”

I was very much not hungry as we left the clinic and made our way to the common room. After the graphic lecture she had just given us, I wasn’t sure that I would ever want to think of food again until my stomach growled in protest. “Traitor,” I grumbled under my breath. Okay, I would get food, but only because Cinder was hungry, and I was eating for her too. At least my mental embrace and positive thoughts had calmed her down somewhat.

I barely got to the common room before a blue and gold blur hit me and I found myself being nearly crushed in Selina’s embrace. “Momma! Are you okay?!” An instant later, Sorcha crashed into my leg to deliver a similar hug.

~Sorry, Crystal. I kinda whispered what was going on to Mel and Jess. I didn’t want to discuss that whole thing in front of the kids, but I think it backfired and worried them,~ Carmen immediately apologized.

Technically, Selina wasn’t really a kid and would probably have to deal with periods herself soon, but hopefully not this bad. Still, I could understand where Carmen was coming from and gave her a nod in response as I wrapped my arms around my daughter and gently told her, “I’ll be fine, Selina, once you stop crushing me. Please, ease up a little bit. You’re strong, and I’m a delicate flower.”

That got a snort of amusement out of my sister, which had been the goal since she and Melody had both looked so worried when they brought me home. It was my way of telling her I’d be fine. Selina was hugging me a bit too hard though, I could practically hear my spine creaking.

“Are you sure, Momma? You looked like you were in so much pain, and you were in the clinic for so long,” Selina replied in concern. She did loosen her grip somewhat though, allowing me to give her a lighter hug and reach down to ruffle Sorcha’s hair.

“Yeah, it’s nothing serious and I’ll probably be feeling better in a few days. It just caught us by surprise, and Dr. Diaz used magic to help with the pain for a bit,” I assured her. “She just wanted to be sure that everything is okay with me, you know how thorough she likes to be.”

“Speaking of that, Crystal should eat something, I could hear her stomach growling all the way here,” Dr. Diaz interrupted with a sidelong look toward Sorcha’s mother. “Why don’t all of you kids decide what you want from the kitchen so Aislinn and I can go down and place the order?”

Left unsaid, was that she would be taking advantage of getting Aislinn alone in the elevator for a few minutes to tell her all about what was really going on, what caused it, and that Sorcha could probably expect the same when she eventually hit puberty. The latter was still quite some time away, but Aislinn deserved to know so she could be prepared when her daughter was of age. Now I felt really guilty since Sorcha was Fey too and would have the same problem with drugs as I do, but she wouldn’t have the advantage of being able to learn her own healing spells to help with the discomfort.

No, I couldn’t think that way, that would be making it out like we did something wrong when bonding with our Salamanders. Okay, sure, we should have thought of consequences before acting, but there was a lot of good that came out of our impulsive decision that day. I refused to see Cinder as a consequence, she was a child who needed me, just like Selina, and I had learned and gained so much from bonding with her. I was sure that Carmen felt the same way about Blaze, and I often found Sorcha happily chatting away to Squiggles as she watched TV or played.

Because we were bonded with these baby Salamanders, we discovered Ashe’s true intelligence and gained a way to communicate with her, each other, and the babies once they were older. We had also gained the physical benefits of the bonding and I figured that a couple of rough days every month was worth it when we were protected against heat and fire and healed faster, not to mention that Ashe indicated that these babies would fiercely protect us when they got older. I would not want a Salamander pissed at me, not with how hot their flames can go, even at their small size they would be a dangerous foe to anger.

Once I had finally assured Selina and Sorcha that I truly was okay and we all decided what we wanted for dinner, I snuggled up against my girlfriend to refill my cuddle meter and lazily brushed and braided Selina’s hair to assure her that everything was fine. Before long, Dr. Diaz and Aislin returned with our meals, assisted by a couple of the club’s waitresses and Mom, who was taking a break to check up on me. She looked so relieved that it wasn’t something more serious and promised to teach me a pain relief spell, right after breakfast in the morning, before returning downstairs to get back to work.

After that, my sister, daughter, girlfriend, and I spent the evening together with Carmen, Lou, Sorcha, Dr, Diaz, and Aislinn to ring in the new year, just relaxing as we snacked and watched cartoons for Sorcha and Selina’s benefit. We were allowing them to stay up until midnight for tonight only and the night went as smoothly as I could have hoped, though Dr. Diaz had to cast that spell on me a couple more times before the countdown. It was a nice way to end what had been a stressful day.