by Saless
Chapter 31

"Yes, it was insane! Just because it worked doesn't change the fact you put all our lives in danger to do it!" Jill complained.

Sarah opened a portal and the three of them returned to their own world. "That's the only way it could be done. If Mike didn't perceive us to be in real danger he wouldn't have changed!" she replied.

"She's got a point. If it really works the way she guessed, and it sure looks like it does, this was the only way." Mike said to Jill. Then he turned to Sarah. "Why did you pick that particular place to do it, though? You couldn't know there'd be bandits on that road at that time." He asked curiously.

Sarah shrugged, "I didn't, you're right. I just figured we'd try different places until we found ourselves in a suitably dangerous situation."

"Why not something a little safer?" he asked.

Sarah smiled, "We were perfectly safe the entire time. I had a barrier of portals up around us and could have had one around you if needed."

"Really?" Mike asked with widened eyes. "You're really getting good with those portals! I didn't think they'd be good for anything but traveling to other worlds."

"I didn't, either, but they're proving to be pretty handy." Sarah agreed.

Jill flopped down onto the couch with a weary sigh. Mike joined her and she cuddled up to him with another, happier sigh. "I guess you knew what you were doing." She said grudgingly.

Sarah sat down on the opposite side of Jill from Mike and gave her a quick hug. "Sorry I worried you, Jill." She apologized.

Jill hugged her back and said, "Okay, you're forgiven, but next time I want to know what's going on ahead of time!"

"Deal!" Sarah agreed, happy to have things smoothed out between them.

"If everyone's happy again, could we get something to eat? I'm starving!" Mike whined.

"I wonder if transforming makes you hungrier." Sarah said speculatively.

"In his defense, it is about time for lunch." Jill pointed out after looking at her watch.

They debated about what to have for lunch and settled on Subway. It was right around the corner, so they walked there. "So what do you guys want to do next?" Sarah asked on the way.

"Eat!" Mike replied emphatically.

Sarah rolled her eyes, "I meant after that."

"Did you want to go to another world again?" Jill asked incredulously.

"We can if you want." Sarah replied. "But that's not what I meant."

"Oh." Jill said, "What do you want to do, Mike?"

"Ask me after I've eaten." Mike replied, opening the door for Jill and Sarah. They filed in and ordered their sandwiches.

Once Mike had wolfed down his sub they started in on him again. "Well Mike, what do you want to do?" Jill asked him.

"How about something relaxing, like a movie?" Mike asked hopefully.

"Sounds good to me." Jill agreed. Sarah nodded, so it was decided. They cleaned up and returned to Mike and Jill's apartment and put a movie on. They all relaxed on the couch to watch and Sarah fell asleep with her head on Jill's shoulder about halfway through.

"No wonder she was leaving it up to us. I guess holding all those portals must have tired her out." Jill said quietly after the movie was over.

"I guess so. Should we wake her up?" Mike whispered back.

"No, help me lay her out so I can get up." Jill replied. Mike held onto Sarah so Jill could slide out from under her then they laid her down on the couch. "Thanks."

They retreated to the kitchen so as not to wake Sarah. "Hey, I just thought of something." Jill said once they were seated. "Your clothes never get damaged when you change!"

"Hey, you're right!" Mike said in surprise. "How did I not notice that? You'd think they would have been shredded each time, but they just grow or disappear. In fact, the only time my clothes were an issue at all was when Sarah girlified me."

"Girlified?" Jill inquired with a grin.

Mike shrugged, "That's what Sarah called it."

Jill shook her head and giggled at that. "Have you noticed how differently she's been acting?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah, I think letting herself relax and not worry about the curse so much has really helped. Just imagine how tense she'd be if Erica were going to be here for Christmas, though!"

Jill shuddered at that image. "Yeah, I'm glad we don't have to deal with that! We'd be spending every spare moment traveling to any world that held out even the slightest hope of changing her back."

"Yeah. Erica being on the other side of the continent is turning out to be more helpful than hurtful." Said Mike.

"Oh, I don't know about that. If Erica had been here from the start I think things would be better." Jill replied.

"How would that make things better?" Mike asked.

"There wouldn't be any suspense for Sarah. And if she'd been here from the start she probably would have seen Sean become Sarah, so she'd have to believe it." Jill replied.

Mike shrugged, "I guess so. But then either Erica would be pushing Sarah even harder to change back, or breaking up with her." Mike pointed out.

"I don't know, Erica loves Sarah as much as Sarah loves her. I think Erica might be able to make the adjustment." Jill countered.

Mike laughed, "Yeah, right! Somehow I just can't see Erica doing that!"

They both turned upon hearing a sound from the living room and saw Sarah dash for the door and run out. "Great going, Mike!" Jill growled, running after her.

"Damn!" Mike swore under his breath, and rushed out after them. He got within sight of Sarah's apartment just in time to see Jill enter it. But when he got to the door it was closed and locked. He knocked, but there was no answer. Figuring they didn't want him around right now, he returned to his apartment.

Jill, meanwhile, was trying to entice Sarah out of her room as it was also locked. "Come on, Sarah, Mike doesn't know what he's talking about! Please come out!" she called through the door.

"Go away!" came Sarah's strained voice. With it Jill felt a faint feeling of despair and loneliness.

"Sarah, please open this door and talk to me? Please?" Jill begged. She heard movement inside and the door was unlocked, though not opened. Jill opened it and looked inside. Sarah was face down on her bed, her shoulders shaking silently. "Sarah?" she said softly, walking over slowly and sitting on the bed next to her.

"He's right, she's going to leave me the moment she sees me like this!" Sarah sobbed.

"Look, Sarah," Jill began, rubbing her back, "Mike doesn't know Erica as well as you do. Neither do I. Do you really think that she'd just run away the moment she saw you? Do you really think her feelings for you are that shallow?"

That caught Sarah's attention. "I…I guess not." She admitted. "But how could she accept me as I am?" she asked.

"I imagine she'd rather you changed back, but that doesn't mean that she couldn't deal with it if you are unable to. She might surprise you." Jill replied, hoping she was right.

"And she might not." Sarah countered sadly.

"And she might never have to see you as you are now, either." Jill pointed out.

"I guess." Sarah said, unconvinced.

"Sarah, no matter what happens, Mike and I will always be here for you. You'll never be alone, alright?" Jill said. Sarah sat up and cried on Jill's shoulder for a while. "Better now?" Jill asked when Sarah pulled away.

Sarah nodded. "Sorry I'm so much trouble." She said softly.

Jill shook her head, "You're family to us, that means you get to be as much trouble as you want, and you won't be any trouble at all." She said with a grin. Sarah chuckled and nodded weakly.

"I guess we should go find Mike." Sarah said hesitantly.

"He'll keep. I locked the door, so he knows I want him to stay out for now. We can go see him any time, or bring him back here. Or we can just talk here and you can see him tomorrow." Jill replied.

Sarah nodded and said, "I'd rather stay here, but I wouldn't mind Mike coming over."

Jill nodded and started to get up, then stopped and turned back to Sarah. "There's one thing I want to say, but I don't want you to get upset about it. Just let me say it, and then think about it, okay?" Sarah nodded. "If you want, or there's some reason you think it would be best, to stay female I'll help you with Erica any way I can and Mike and I won't have any problem with it. That's all I wanted to say, so I'll go get Mike if that's alright?" Sarah nodded weakly and watched Jill leave, wondering where that idea had come from.