The Platinum Chef: A Tale of Delacroix by Chefness

Author's Note. I do not own the setting of Delacroix, Delacroix High,
Delacroix Blue Devils. Nor do I own the Characters Faye, Lust, and
Nick. I would like to thank Red_Elise and Amy K. for allowing me to use
this setting and these characters.

Ch. 1

Some people learn the hard way. They either live their lives in such
reckless pursuit of pleasure, that they never take responsibility for
themselves. Yet others deny most of the pleasures that come with being
human. Few get to see the other way without their thinking ruined by
the path they've chosen. Sometimes a middle road opens up. Sometimes,
things are so get far out of control that the only way to survive is to
ride the wave.

His name was Robb Pointe. Well, actually Robert, then Rob. Then, after
he got with Melanie, it was Robb. She said it sounded cooler. His
sister disagreed. His mother downright hated it. But he'd had a
rebellious streak instilled deep in him since his father; Jeff had died
of a particularly aggressive cancer just shy of Robb's 11th birthday.

Before that, Robb's life belonged to what seemed a typical family.
Saturday afternoon movies with his dad, watching Buckaroo Banzai drive
through the mountain. His dad, passing him a root beer while he drank
his Michelob. Sylvia, his mother laughing at something that happened in
one of his stories, baking cookies, or watched him playing with
Kimster. Riding their bikes together, Robb's lack of friends kind of
forced a bond between the two. There was an unspoken trust that
existed. They wrestled together, with her never getting out of the
dreaded 'spider' hold. She was always a little tomboyish. She would
pretend her Barbies were soldiers just so he would play with her. Robb
even sat with her as Darth Vader and G.I. Joe had high tea with Barbie
and Skipper. It was a relationship that could have belonged on a
sitcom.

Then his Dad died. His mother became distant, backing away from the
world she knew, it was some time before she could live again. Robb had
retreated into his room, into a world of Wizards, heroes, and online
communication. It seemed his mother didn't have much to say, unless she
was prodding him or yelling. Their relationship deteriorating, the
worlds they moved in occupying different galaxies, let alone different
orbits. His dad had been his best, and only male friend. The rug that
tied the room together.

Robb was one of those guys in high school. Due to his unusual
personality, he was definitely a victim of Wallflower Syndrome. He was
not at the absolute bottom of the totem pole, definitely not popular.
Certainly in the lower third. That fear of rejection always naggling at
him, preventing any kind of social action. He was an unabashed geek,
his young mind filled with movies, science, comics, his short study of
martial arts. He wasn't great at anything. Well, his stories always
got 'A's. Book reports and research papers, no problem

Then there was Melanie. By all accounts, she had gotten him out of his
rut. He stopped moping around his room. She seemed annoyed by Kim, who
wanted nothing more than to be her best friend's friend. They had met
while waiting at the bus stop. All he knew about her was that she was
new and had a very edgy look. All curves and revealing clothes, with
multiple piercings and tattoos; He lost count of the colors in her
hair. He remembered hearing in a movie once that 'you only need to be
bold for twenty seconds. Fuck it, what's the worst that could happen?

:20 "Hi, I'm Robert. I just wanted to say hi and welcome to Delacroix

She's gonna tell me to get lost.

:17 She smiled. "You're the first person to talk to me, I've been here
for three months, and everyone has avoided me."

:11 "Hey, like your earrings."

Okay: Threat detected: Missile inbound

:09 "Oh, She said." Touching her ear. "Etsy. Some of that handmade
stuff is really... Oh I'm so fuckin' scattered."

:03 "I'm Melanie." She offered her hand.

:01 "You wanna go get a coffee after school."

Alright, this is where it all falls apart.

"Sure, but. I don't go to school. I..I.. dropped out." She brightened
as she looked at him. "We could still go. Wanna play hooky?" Melanie
said behind a grin both beautiful and sinister.

"Sure," Robert said nervously, instantly. He'd never done that before.
As long as he didn't make a habit of it, Besides, a girl like this was
unlikely to say 'yes' again. They had a good time. He let her do most
of the talking. Mostly about her being emancipated, and how hard it was
to keep herself together. He was half listening. At that moment, he was
the luckiest guy in the world.

As he months went by, he spent more time with her. His grades began to
drop. And drop. He'd stayed with Mel, despite all her warnings. Sylvia
hated the way she led him by the nose. Everything she said or did was
gold, Robb wouldn't even allow them to question what they were doing.
The end came when finally he'd dropped out of high school, with one
semester to go (her idea). Then he started wearing more black, He had
shaved his head, and after a couple of false starts, grew a goatee (all
her idea). Then came the drugs. He felt funny about doing them at
first. It started lightly with pot and coke, graduated to pills and
ecstasy. He became more comfortable with repeated doses. The new things
in his life completely crowding out the old. The thoughts he had of
writing and going to college drifting away in the clouds of smoke,
replaced by Melanie's embrace. Knowing that he wasn't was alone the
greatest balm in all of Gilead.

His interest in comic books and science fiction novels began to wane.
The relationship with his sister, while once close and tight. had taken
a darker turn. Him alienating her, and some dark secret forcing her to
retreat into the black pit of tween girl angst. Kim started fighting,
the nice girl she had been slowly fading away. Jeans replacing skirts,
My Chemical Romance mostyl replacing Katy Perry. Sylvia's relationship
with her children was fracturing more and more.

Sylvia finally kicked him out, after a Thanksgiving meltdown. He'd
screamed at everyone, defending Melanie. He wasn't high, which everyone
believed in retrospect. But he'd felt justified. They were
marginalizing her, again, the way they always did. He'd had enough of
the way they treated her. He loved her, couldn't they see that?

What bothered him the most what was what he had said on the way out:

"I fucking hate you all." Twelve year old Kim was crying as he walked
out the door, slamming the screen door behind him. The last thing he
saw before leaving was his sister, mother, and aunt staring after him
and Melanie. The picture of them never faded, no matter how much he
tried. Kim looked like she just lost her father... again.

He'd moved into her small apartment, did odd jobs at first. He thought
that there was a way he could get a job, start writing that book, give
them both a shot at a normal life. Getting high started to occupy more
and more of his time, to the exclusion of anything else. After a couple
of years of dead end jobs he couldn't hold. Melanie took charge. Do a
couple smash and grabs a month, everything's covered. He didn't mind
that he was doing wrong. They weren't carrying guns, they weren't going
to hurt anyone. Everything would be just fine...

...as long as he had Mel.

...three years later

Blood.

It was running down his side. Making the denim feel slick to the touch.

"Robb." Melanie gasped as she helped him in to the bathtub, dripping
blood in a wavering line of splotches on the grubby, ash-stained
carpet.

It should have been simple. Get in, hit the register, grab the cash,
and run. Stupid old guy had a pistol under the till. He never heard it.
The bullet punched through both sides of his abdomen. No vitals hit,
but the bleeding wouldn't stop. All the clothes from the back of the
stolen car couldn't mop it up as fast as it was flowing out.

They ditched the car, he was moving the two blocks to their place on
autopilot. One foot in front of the other. So much blood.

He remembered his mom. ..

...his sister, Kim.

His mother smelled the wrong on Mel right away. He saw that now. He
could feel the drugs in his system draining away with his blood. Black
edges began creeping into his vision. He wasn't gonna make it. He
wasn't gonna make up with his mother...

...or his sister.

Christ! That bothered him. Kimster, I'm sorry.

"... s-scared." Robb said, shivering. "... cold. Give me a cigarette, Mel."
Melanie shook out one of the Camels out of her pack, lit it, then put
it in Robb's lips. He inhaled, wincing. "Should have gone to the snow,
like I wanted to do..." He laughed, Fighting off a painful cough.

Melanie lit a joint, puffed it to life. Robb expertly juggled the two
in his one good hand, the one that wasn't clamped down on the wound.
She took the joint back, pausing to see it was coated with blood before
setting it in the ashtray.

"Oh, Robb," Melanie said through her white face. "There's so much
blood. I don't know how to help you." She wanted to touch him, but was
afraid of getting his blood on her.

"Take some of the cash," he wheezed. "Go to the Rite Aid and get some
bandages. I'll be okay for a while."

Melanie kissed him. "Okay," she said, trying to hold back the tears.

"Go, I'll be alright. Bending over a mirror, Melanie inhaled one of the
pre cut lines of cocaine from the mirror. She pinched her nostrils
together and inhaled, tilted her head back...

... and headed out the door, crying.

Robb began to wonder how he ever got into this mess. Every bad decision
he'd ever made began to play out before him, reflected in the pooling
blood. When he told Mel to go to the store, he knew it would be over
before she got back. The cigarette slipped from his fingers, hissing as
blood wicked into the leftover paper.

He saw and felt the dark edges around his vision. He was cold and
tired...

So very tired. He could feel himself drifting off into sweet, sweet
sleep.

A gong rang out with a piercing "CLANG", pure sound rocking him to his
core, cutting through the pain.

A figure stood before him, jerking Robb into alertness. She was...blonde,
cute.

Swirling robes of white, whispered promises of perfection underneath,
even as she moved toward him with inhuman grace.

"My, my. You have gotten yourself into a pickle, haven't you?" She
looked at the cigarette butt."Not exactly the healthy, are we?" She
glanced at the mirror, spying the cocaine. "Feeling good is important,
but why that way? The joy of others ought to be enough. The happiness
of all creates the happiness of the one, which strengthens the
happiness of the all.

"Who... wwhaaa." Robb shivered. Lucidity gradually overtaking him.

"SHHH." She started making gestures with her hands, all the while
staring into his eyes. Such a perfect diamond blue... swallowing up his
entire field of vision. Her smooth, contralto voice sucked all the air
and sound from his senses.

"You have a good soul. Granted it's buried pretty deep. Don't know how
that happened, but it's not important. What is important is that things
are starting to unfold, and unfortunately you won't quite understand
it, yet. You are going to help me.

"Or you could die. I mean, it's up to you, but..."

"I don't wanna die," Robb whimpered, eyes darting. "Please," he
pleaded."Help me. I..."

The Woman smiled," You're safe, not to worry. When you wake up, things
will be a little different. Don't question it. Just remember: you're
getting another chance..."

Don't waste it. The voice said into his soul as the darkness crept all
the way to the middle of his vision and sleep came. Content, restful
sleep.

*******

Melanie came back from the store, clutching the package of bandages
under her arm. "Robb," she called, flinging the door closed as she
rushed to the bathroom.

"Robb?" Panic rose in her voice. "Robb?"

"In here," a voice said weakly. A feminine voice. Oh, no, who'd he
tell?

Coming around the corner, She got nervous upon seeing the empty
bathtub, a thin coat of blood showing pink ran in rivulets down toward
the drain. Mel saw a young woman with platinum blonde hair and a
model's body. Not a trace of Robb, just this woman. Wearing Robb's
clothes, with the same bullet holes in the side of the plain blue t
shirt he'd been wearing. With a large amount of blood in the same
places that Robb's wounds were.

Wait, that can't be right.

She stood there, ran her hands over her side, where he had been shot.
The clothes, Robb's clothes clung to the curves of her body. There was
blood in her shiny hair and around her big, diamond blue eyes.

"Who the fuck are you?" Melanie rasped, cocking hr fist

"It's me, Robb, I..." Their eyes met, level for the first time. "I passed
out, and then my clothes didn't fit...and then... and then" He started
to move his head around the room, settling on a mirror. He hesitate,
staring at an alien shape.

Breasts? Robb began tearing at his shirt, ripping from where the
bullets had torn the fabric. His gunshot wounds had vanished. He looked
back to the mirror as time stopped. Beside the blood and baggy clothes,
what he saw in his reflection appeared to be a normal blonde young
woman.

Her arms and legs were slender, delicate. Her eyes wide and deep, a
perfect diamond blue. The skin flawless, from her tiny, pointed nose to
the dainty tips of her fingers and toes. Her breasts and hips curved
out almost stereotypically. Blonde, almost white hair shined in the
light. His eyes widened, making his reflection seem more seductive.

He brought his hands up to his breasts, accidentally brushing a nipple
with his thumb, Hands shot down to his groin... nothing. He recoiled in
abject horror face screwed up, tears and sobs following each other like
thunder and lightning.

"That's not me," Robb whispered, his voice sounding different, higher.
He covered his mouth instantly.

WHACK. Melanie's fist crashed into the side of Robb's head, knocking
him over. He began to cry.

"It's me. It's Robb. Stop. Stop hitting me." Too many things were
happening.

"Bullshit. You can't be Robb..." Melanie cocked her hand back for another
swing.

"No. No, it's me. I swear." This girl shivered on the floor. Stammering
as she curled herself into a ball.

"Remember that time we stole that car, drove it all the way out to
Loveland? And I left the weed at home?" She was talking faster, her
voice going up an octave. Melanie kept advancing.

"Or when we ripped Felipe off for that 8 ball of coke. And we traded
some of it for that shitty ecstasy. It made you fall asleep." Melanie
stopped moving.

There was that time..." She shuddered, a shaky voice coming between
sobs "...you wanted to have a 3 way with that crazy girl who thought..."
Tears mixed with crusty blood that she wiped away with the back of her
dainty hand. Red and brown smeared into patterns that made her skin
only appear more exotic.

"Or that joint you hid in that hidden spot in my dresser..." The joint in
his dresser? Why would he tell anyone that? Melanie's eyes widened.
Seeing the truth of it. "Robb? This is bullshit. This... this just
doesn't happen."

"What am I gonna do," Robb whimpered. His life, his identity, gone in
an instant.

"I'm happy to be breathing." He staggered over, hugging Melanie. "I'm
alive, Mel." She squirmed in Robb's embrace. Then broke away when Robb
tried to kiss her. She didn't mind girls, wouldn't be the first time.
But, this was too sudden.

"Whoa!" Melanie said. "I'm... I'm not ready for this. Is there any of
that weed left? The beer? I need to get blazed."

Melanie made her way to the kitchen, retrieving two beers out of the
dirty refrigerator. Popped the tops and gave one to Robb. They drank in
silence, as Robb felt the beer going to his head a little faster than
he'd expected. Come to think of it, he coughed a lot when they'd been
doing bong hits. He hadn't felt anything so harsh in his whole life.

Must be really good weed, he mused, feeling the dulling that came with
getting stoned.

Later, after hours of trying to puzzle out how Robb somehow became
Playboy's all- American girl, and after the alcohol and drugs took
their toll. Robb drifted off to sleep. Melanie stared at him, shocked.

"What a cheap date," Melanie lamented, swigging her third beer.

Cheap date... huh? She had an idea...

Chapter 2

"Wake up, sleepyhead."

Robb came to, and...

Oh, My God. The world is way too loud. The throbbing and churning of
his stomach forced him to move, he quickly got up, and ran the two
steps to the bathroom.

And puked. Puked everything he ever ate, his mother ever ate, his
grandmother. Was that a dinosaur bone?? He'd heard about hangovers,
even had the general feeling like shit morning. But, nothing like this?
He retched again.

And again. After what seemed like an eternity. Robb was finally able to
stop hemorrhaging stomach acid. Running his hands over his face, he
brought his hands around, something silky caught in his hand. As his
vision cleared, he saw in his hand what looked like... Shiny blond ha...

Wait a minute. He probably looked like he was having an epileptic
seizure, throwing his body around as he tried to wake up from the bad
dream that wouldn't stop as his hands caressed unfamiliar breasts,
shooting down into his pants. His gaze locking on the mirror...

His diamond blue eyes looked big enough to drink in the world. The
platinum blond hair fell messily around his striking face. His lips
pouty, teeth perfect. He gasped.

"It's real," Robb wailed, bringing his hands to his cheeks, smooth
skin. Tears misting his eyes. "It's real!" Racking sobs came to him,
his knees buckled. He felt a couple of vertebrae connect with the
paneled wall. Melanie came up awkwardly and knelt beside Robb. She put
her hand on him, he didn't seem to notice

"It's okay," Melanie said, her eyes gleaming and red tinged from the
pot. "This is a big improvement over dead." Robb had to agree. He may
not have understood what had transpired, but it was obvious to him that
he had to deal with it.

Melanie tried to hand Robb the bong. " Nah, too early." The fear really
being that any more coughing would start a new fit of vomiting. The
world spun while standing still. He rose to his feet uneasily. The
tears started again, and they just wouldn't stop. He collapsed in
Melanie's arms. She tried to jerk away at first, then just let it
happen. She closed her eyes and pretended it was the same Robb.

"What are we gonna do?" Robb whimpered, his breasts squeezing against
Melanie's. They stood there for a while, long enough for Robb to run
out of tears.

"You feeling better?" Melanie held Robb at arm's length.

Robb looked down. "I guess." He ran a hand through his hair and held it
there.

"Here." Melanie threw him a scrunchie.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"Your hair, dipshit. Ponytail." Melanie pointed to her own hair.

"Oh, yeah. Not used to this," he said, gathering up the shiny mass.
Haven't had hair in a while...."

"Hey," Melanie said, snapping her fingers, exhaling smoke toward the
ceiling. "You're gonna need some kind of ID.... I guess we can call Frank
for that... Clothes. We're gonna have to do something about that, too.
We need to figure out your measurements. It looks like oversized t
shirts until we can figure that out." She poured coffee into two cups,
handed the pack of Camel's to Robb. He lit one, inhaled deeply...

It tasted terrible, never tasted like that before, not unless he was
sick. He grimaced, His head swimming and throat burning as the nicotine
did it's familiar work. He swirled black coffee in his mouth to chase
away the taste of the cigarette. Oh, God, that's almost worse. Melanie
looked at him, confused.

"Is this different coffee? I dunno. It tastes..." Robb looked in the
bottom of the cup. "Bitter."

"You take it black. Always have." Melanie looked puzzled. Robb also
thought it strange. His father had taken it black as well. There was a
hundred trillion things wrong with this.......

...this second chance. Second chance? I guess, why does that seem so
familiar?

What else had changed? What else could? Suddenly sporting chesticles
and getting shorter... How much more could possibly happen? Oh, shit.
Robb thought. I asked. Do I want to know the answer? His head was a
maelstrom. Too many things, too many things.

"Sorry, just don't feel like myself and..." Robb looked up, smiled and
they both dissolved into laughter. Robb's laughter sounded tinged with
nervousness. A slight pain in his abdomen, a dull ache that ebbed and
flowed.

"You don't even have to try to be a smartass, do you?" Melanie smiled.

Robb scrunched up his face. Melanie laughed.

"Well, I've been thinking. No more robbing shit. There are easier ways
to make money."

"I couldn't agree with you more. I don't want to ever get shot again."
He sniffed back tears again, while chuckling. "In fact, I...I." He
looked down at his breasts.

"What am I gonna do?" Realization again. "I'm a girl..."

"Yes, you certainly are. And do you know what that means? Remember how
nervous you were when you first talked to me?" He did. Forget
butterflies. There was Mothra, Godzilla, Rodan, Ghidorah Battling for
supremacy of Monster Island in his stomach. He felt so nervous.

"And you know how most guys like girl on girl, riiiight?"

"So you want me to be gay?" Robb asked shocked.

"I object, your honor. I submit that it would be more gay to have a
penis involved?" Melanie cocked an eyebrow and looked at him sideways.

"I.."Robb started. He slumped his shoulders. "I don't know. Hadn't
thought about sex, seems kind of unimportant."

"Well, Don't worry your pretty little head about it." She grinned
devilishly.

"You might even like it more," Mel cooed, running a hand down his arm.

Melanie had it all figured out. Webcams. A show or two alone could net
them quite a bit. She'd been checking. Ok, So Robb was a girl. Makes
everything different. How did that happen? That thought was chased away
by the thought of the money. Moving from one score to the next, this
seemed like a good idea.

How did it happen? Who cares?

A little girl on girl with Robb... They could start lightly. There would
be a lot of money in this. She looked at Robb, seeing the feminine
creature that used to be her boyfriend. She was beautiful, no doubt
about that.

Blond hair, blue eyes. It came to her. But she would need some things
first. She started making a list, she just hoped this whole idea of
hers would work. There was a lot to do. But, it could be done quickly
with Robb's help. Melanie would make sure to get his help in any way
she could.

Three hours later Robb felt something wrong, a wetness that reminded
him of when he'd been shot, on top of the stomach pains he had earlier.
Fearing that the wound had somehow returned, he bolted for the
bathroom. Hooking his thumbs into the badly fitting jeans, he sent them
to the floor in a jumble. They landed next to the sink. There was a
wet, red smear running down his left leg.

Blood. An inhuman shriek emerged from his throat. A lot of blood. He
started probing, adrenaline flooding his system, his hands slipping in
the blood, hoping to find the wound. He couldn't feel any pain
anywhere.

Melanie practically kicked the door open. "What what? What's wrong why
are you screaming?" His terrified face, paler than usual pleaded for
help.

The blood was, to Robb, gushing. There seemed to be no end. Thoughts
chased each other like a high speed Ouroboros.

"I don't know," he hyperventilated. "I don't know what's... I don't
know" shock creeping into his voice with each repititon, driving his
voice upwards a couple of octaves.

Melanie knew what was going on. Trying not to laugh, she bent over him.
Placing her hands on his shoulders. "Robb, it's okay."

"No," breathing hard. "I'm gonna bleed to..."

"Robb," she said louder. "It's okay. I know what's wrong."

"What... what." Breath coming in ragged gasps.

"You're having your period." Melanie laughed.

As if a switch had been flipped, the hyperventilation stopped, replaced
by peals of girlish, infectious laughter. Wiping tears from his eyes,
Robb saw the humor in this, abstractly. As well as a painful reminder
of things lost. He spent the rest of the day running back and forth to
the bathroom. Melanie had to show him how to use the accoutrements.
Robb refused to call them maxipads, Melanie reminded him that he would
need to change them every so often. He absolutely refused tampons. Like
one would refuse infection with the Ebola virus.

"Uh-uh. I'm not sticking anything in there," he said, the slight bulge
of the pad reminding him of the bulge that was there only yesterday.
While he was irritated, he also felt weak and annoyed.

"Hey, you might like it," Melanie said.

"Do you?" Robb asked. his anger giving way to helplessness. "I don't
seem to recall you acting like one of those commercials you thought
were hilarious."

Melanie frowned. "Any other symptoms? Cramping?" Robb nodded. Melanie
went to the pill stash and fished out a vicodin. "Here. This'll help."

It did, about a half an hour later the squirming of his insides started
to settle. With everything that happened. There was far too many little
things he was going to have to get used to. Getting to the next score
was hard enough. And now, there was even more things to worry about.
Everything was so complicated.

He was bitchy, and that's what bothered him the most. Guys aren't
supposed to be bitchy, godammit.

He was irritated. He was scared.

And, even though Melanie was there...

He felt alone.

********

CLANG! There it was again. That clear, pure sound

"Oh, you're back," said the blonde from the ... dream?...

"YOU!" Robb said, recognizing the face and eyes. After all, they
mirrored his own. "You've got some explaining to do, what the..."

She held up her hands. "Calm down. I just try to provide balance in the
universe. Some things are going to be way over your head at first, but
you'll get the hang of it. There are those who suck the energy out of
the universe. I try to put it back, in whatever way I can. You are to
be my Advocate."

"Advocate? And I have to be..." he gestured to his body. "You? Look, I
mean I'm grateful. I was gonna die."

"But," Robb hefted a breast."I'm supposed to be male. How am I supposed
to live like this?"

"Hey, it took some energy to make that body. So, a little gratitude
might be in order? I needed a giving soul, yours fit the bill. Soul
like yours is usually female anyway. It does happen from time to time.
As to how you are supposed to live? Much like you did. Breathing,
eating. Being female isn't any more wrong than being male is. What is
important is how you go forward from here. Would you make Robb's
choices again?

"Or would you do it better? I have to ask. How did such a giving soul
like yours get into that predicament?"

Robb felt heat rise in his face. He looked at his feet. "I was a good
guy. D&D, video games and comic books. My dad died, school sucked.
Then, Melanie. How do I see all this?...My head, it's so clear..."

"That's because you're using all of your brain at the same time. It's
easier after you do it first time. Usually people just die. Soon there
will be a moment when it'll all come to you, but not yet," Justice
said.

"Tell me more about Melanie."

"I was so surprised she wanted to be with me. She didn't have any
friends, she seemed kind of aimless. I wanted to help her, instead I
got high... a lot. I just stopped caring about what happened anymore.
Yelled at my mother, my sister. Couldn't get a job. Started stealing."

Tears began forming in Robb's eyes. "I didn't want to. But, I was so
afraid of losing her. I remember thinking that."sniff... sniff." I could
help her...and... and. Then we were robbing stores. Like 'no shit, this is
a gun' robberies. Nobody was ever supposed to get hurt. I feel so...so."
The sobs came, heavy, racking sobs, as all of his mistakes coalesced.
The sadness and guilt he had harbored for three long years.

"Well, that explains everything. Kind of like jumping off the bridge
after someone, in the end, two fall."She stepped forward toward Robb.
Embracing him. "It's okay. All will be forgiven. You're going to help
the make the world a better place." Being held by this... epitome of
womanhood seemed to complete him in a way that being with Melanie never
did.

Ever. He was reminded of his mother, his sister.

"You won't remember our conversations here at first, which is kind of a
shame. It'll get through. Slowly. You'll figure it out. You can fix
your life, and help others along the way."

"It's never simple is it?"

"Nothing worth having ever is."

As their embrace broke, Robb stood there wiping his eyes, he asked,
"Who are you?"

"Call me Justice." She smiled, two identical pairs of eyes locking.
"Don't worry your pretty little head about it. It'll come to you," she
said, clearly mocking Melanie.

"We'll talk again. "

* ************

The sound of the coffee pot gurgling, woke Robb. Melanie was standing
by it. Smoking her first cigarette of the day. He felt great, despite
having woken up about a day and a half ago as a male who got shot
during a botched robbery. It still felt like his insides were in a
vice. Yesterday, Melanie had to show him how to use all of those
feminine products he never thought he'd have to worry about

Coffee, cigarette. The thoughts were automatic. He pushed the hair out
of his face

"Good morning, sunshine. Still a girl, I see," Melanie said, throwing
him a scrunchie.

"Thanks," he said. It's strange how I keep being reminded, Robb thought
as he poured coffee into a cup after shaking in some creamer and sugar

"Yeah," Melanie said. "Look, I'm get hold of Frank. We're gonna have to
get you some clothes, too. I don't know how much more of this weirdness
I can stand. You seem to be handling the loss of your cock pretty well.
How are you so calm." She lit the joint. Holding in the smoke tersely.
She offered Robb the joint. He shook his hand at it negatively.
Melanie shrugged and went in for a second toke.

He moved his slender shoulders up and down. "But what good is freaking
out gonna do? I mean 'Excuse me officer, I was shot during a robbery
yesterday and now I'm a girl.' Is guaranteed to get me a room at the
laughing academy." He caricatured a girl the way he always did. The way
he had always imitated Melanie when they argued. Bending slightly over
and widening his already wide eyes. It looked a lot less like a
caricature, and more like a modeling shoot. and the delivery...

He even did the duck face. The delivery was so perfect so...

"Fuckin' Robb." Melanie said as she burst out laughing. It was a truism
that if you talked to Robb for longer than a minute, you would say
either that, or an equivalent. She laughed, the weed going right to her
head.

"I'm gonna go get some thrift store clothes and find Frank. Let's get
you an identity. And what we gonna call you? Don't think 'Robb' is
gonna do it." She giggled. "Robb. I guess 'Bobbie'. That's close
enough, right?"

"Hmmm. Bobbie." Melanie drew out the name for effect. She left.

Great, Bobbie. He had a relative that had called him Bobby as a boy.
How he hated that. 'Bobbie', looked around the place. God, what a mess.
She picked up one thing. Which led to another, and another. Soon, the
house was clean. He turned on the TV. Cooking Channel was on. Some
woman was baking cookies. And it looked so... so...

Simple. God, now he wanted cookies. Melanie was still gone. With no
idea when she'd be back. Robb fired up the laptop and started looking
up cookie recipes. He found one. He'd found all the necessary
ingredients. Even had some chocolate chips left. Saving a handful for
himself, Robb dumped the bag into the bowl. As the ingredients mixed,
Robb could feel a calm, a quiet.

A zen.

Some twenty minutes later, there were cookies. Warm cookies, the
chocolate inside still in its viscous deliciousness. Robb suddenly
remembered rainy Saturdays as a child, when his Mom made cookies. His
dad had still been alive then. He smiled, a happy, slightly less
clouded memory in the jumbled confusion that had been his last two
days.

Melanie walked in the door that evening. She had two bags, one filled
with thrift store clothes, that she hoped was at least a useable size
and the other with burgers. She looked around the room. It was quite
clean. Robb was asleep on the couch, a plate of cookies next to him.

What the...? Melanie had never seen the place so clean. She dropped the
packages and turned to the sleeping form on the couch. She gingerly
eased the laptop away from him. And after setting the device down on
the floor and sliding it under the couch.

She pounced on Robb, startling him awake. Something she did from time
to time, just to see his reaction. He reacted as if he was being
waterboarded. "Hey, Robb, wassup?"

"ummm, Hna way?" Robb was coming around, flailing his arms.

"Got burgers," Melanie said, handing him one. Good, Robb thought,
seeing the yellow paper.Louie's Burgers, definitely better than Pam's

"Ooh, double burger," Robb said, that place that uses the white paper's
burgers are...

"Robb," Melanie said. "Bobbie...Geez, I'm gonna have to get used to
that."

"Could you still call me Robb? Please. At least while were alone." Robb
said, still not used to the new sound of his voice. "I don't think I'm
ready for that." He tore into the burger, shreds of lettuce hanging out
of his mouth. He rolled his eyes skyward. The flavor was almost too
much.

Mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle relish... jalepeno..

"Khzlpno"

Melanie looked at him funny. "Robb?"

She swallowed, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. She opened
her mouth and burped, loudly. Melanie burst out laughing, louder than
the burp.

"What?" Bobbie said, the lettuce still clinging to her lip.

"Cute. Sexy, very ladylike."

"Blow me."

"Can't," Melanie said. "No penis."

That deflated Bobbie as she took another, smaller bite of the burger.
"Sorry. Robb," Melanie said.

"You didn't have to remind me." Robb studied his burger, a pink smear
of special sauce interrupting the green of the pickle."Jalepeno."
Bobbie said quietly.

"Huh?"

"The ingredient I could never figure out? The one in the special sauce?
Jalepeno." Robb said contemplatively. "Wuch wich arr doos ghags?" He
said around a mouthful of burger, gesturing to the remaining bags.

"Oh, just some things. I'm not gonna let you sit in the house like some
animal. We've gotta get you ready to go out. But, we'll deal with that
later." Melanie started unwrapping her burger. "How's Aunt Flo?"

"Huh," Bobbie asked. "Aun.."

"Your cycle, Robb," Melanie said, pointing at her groin

Robb glared at her, as if practicing the head exploding trick from
Scanners.

She laughed. "What? You, on your period. From where I sit, it's
hilarious."

"I was forbidden to talk about that," Robb pointed out.

"That's because you couldn't have one."

Robb's eyes narrowed, he could see metal daggers flying through the air
straight from his eyes to hers. "Fall on a porcupine. Not funny."

The squeezing had subsided some, she had to admit "Better."

"Okay." She snickered as she gave Robb another vicodin. Melanie set her
burger down and went to the bags on the ground. She opened one and
fished around inside. She came out with some panties. "I wasn't sure of
your size, so just try stuff on till it fits." Robb reached inside the
bag, Melanie insisted on him taking the whole bag.

He closed the bathroom door behind her. After a few tries, he began to
feel like Goldilocks. Which, after a look into the mirror drove that
image home.

Too big, too small...

Just right. It felt wonderful as the fabric slid up his smooth legs. It
reminded him of just after Melanie cut his hair. The skin of his scalp
seemed oversensitive. His hands gripping at the sides of the garment,
he pulled up...

...a little too hard. He gasped as the pull on his groin caused an
intensely overwhelming wave of sensations. He bit his lip, so as not to
lose control. He looked at the bras, after testing a few, he found one
that felt like it would fit. He hooked it in the front, as he had seen
Melanie do. Turned it around and fed his arms through the straps. When
he looked for more clothes in the bag, all he found was more underwear.
He grabbed the bag and opened the door. Melanie sat on the couch,
lighting a cigarette.

"Was there anything else? All that's in here..." Melanie got up and
crossed the room. "Bobbie... I mean Robb." Melanie said, smiling. She
putt her hand on Robb's wrist. "You're gorgeous." Robb smiled weakly.
Everything was turned upside down, this was probably the best piece of
news since everything happened.

Melanie brought her hand up and touched his face. "I'm not sure how
this all happened, but we've got to help each other... Hmmm. You're a bit
shorter. You look like a teenager," Melanie said, realizing that she
could now look Robb in the eyes. She put his height at around five foot
six. Robb leveled his eyes at her, Melanie leaned in for a kiss. Their
lips touched, tongues probing.

Thank God. Bobbie thought. At least one thing hasn't changed.

Melanie left early the next day. She said something about getting
ready. Robb sat in an ill fitting (though not as bad as his 'Robb'
clothes.) pair of low-rise jeans. She punched a hole in Robb's old
belt, figuring that would do. And his old Go, Betty, Go t-shirt, which
now hung almost to his knees. He tucked the shirt in after looking in
the mirror. The shirt hanging to his knees looking a little too Playboy
for his tastes

At least the bleeding stopped, he thought. Thankful that was over.

Until Melanie reminded him it would happen again in about four weeks.

That tore it. Robb seethed. Here he sat in a body that wasn't his.
With a voice that wasn't his. A life that wasn't his. What was his
anymore? He jumped when he saw a mirror out of the corner of his eye,
thinking someone was behind him. Only to realize that the blonde in the
mirror was him.

After Melanie shaved his head, he couldn't pass a mirror without
looking for a second, as if to say "Oh, yeah. That's right. I got a
haircut." But that was just hair, something that grew back. This was a
whole body. He wondered when he'd get used to the reflection. He wanted
everything to be normal again. He pulled the end of the ponytail and
studied it. He thought of Gwen Stefani. Every gaze at his mirrored
doppelganger made him feel more cut off from everything. Robb never
really had any life plans, but 'Bobbie' was certainly never a part of
it. He wanted to scream, but didn't know what good that would do. He
also knew it would be a girly scream, while he wondered what that would
sound like. NO! He thought of the 'scream queens' from the horror films
he watched.

Why did I think of that? He hadn't thought about any of that stuff
since...

...Melanie. She didn't like movies as much as he did. Hell, nobody did.

That might be something. He began searching the internet, like he used
to. Movies, comics, it was like a homecoming. The joy of finding out
that random tidbit of information. He'd nearly forgotten what he was
like. Soon, it was like the old days. Parkour videos, some cat videos,
his old gaming community. He was working through the tabs when Melanie
came back. Looking up at the window, he saw it was evening. Time had
just flown by. It was then that he noticed more bags.

"More shopping?" Shopping always bored him stiff. Some band tees and
ironic shirts, done. The thought of having to learn how to dress all
over again disturbed him.

"Oh, yeah. You know it," Melanie said, brandishing a cloth measuring
tape. "Come here."

"I don't like that look, you do remember that I know you, right. There
must be some dark purpose you're workin' at," Robb said, trying and
failing to sound ambivalent.

She looked at him, pouted. "Just trying to help. C'mon."He got up and
walked over to Melanie, reluctance showing in her steps. "Gotta get you
measured. We've got to get you ready."

"For what?" Bobbie asked, widening her eyes.

Melanie smiled an evil smile."Tell you later, first things first. Let's
get you measured. Arms up." Bobbie raised her arms as Melanie looped
the tape around her breasts, her waist and her hips. "Let's see, 32-21-
33, about a 'c' cup... You should be pretty easy to shop for. I'm gonna
take a shower. I'm gonna be a while." Bobbie sat down. Melanie began
stripping her shirt off, her breasts lit from the side by the bathroom
light. All of her tattoos were completely visible, even the tribal
'tramp stamp'. With that, she grabbed one of the bags she entered with
and entered the shower. She looked at the bags strewn around the room.
Bobbie contemplated a cigarette, decided against it, and went back to
the laptop.

It was over an hour later when Melanie had come out. She had dyed her
hair. It was now obsidian black, and spiked around her face, like
female anime demons often did. She had done her makeup, mostly blacks,
greys, and other dark colors. Wearing a bustier and some very tall
boots, Robb's jaw dropped.

"Mel?" He felt a stirring he hadn't felt in days.

"You like?" she purred. "Come here, 'Bobbie'" Melanie beckoned semi
seductively.

He went to her. Her use of Bobbie not even bothering him. She slid her
arms around Robb's slender frame and caressed her. Touching lips,
Bobbie inhaled sharply as her nipples rubbed along the inside of the t-
shirt. It was a long, delicious moment, tiny explosions traced up and
down Robb's skin in Melanie's Embrace.

"C'mon, let's get you fixed up. Give me your shirt. Put this one on."
Robb saw that Melanie had bought enough cosmetics to cover fashion
week. We are going to have to ..."

"What?" Robb said, Melanie surveying his face.

"You need a look. I've got mine, and I've figured out yours."

Robb sat in front of Melanie, his eyebrows were being tweezed and
plucked. It hurt. A lot, every time she pulled back there was a sharp
pain, followed by an itch. And, she did it again and again. How did
women do this? I bet they just get used to it, he thought

Then, there was the makeup. Eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, lipstick,
foundation, powder, Robb kind of got lost in the process, retreating
into his head. How did they do any of this? He remembered all the times
in his life that his mom, or Melanie for that matter had said "That's
what you're wearing?" It had been t shirts and jeans for as long as he
could remember. Getting first hand experience about exactly why women
needed so long in the bathroom, made him feel like kind of a dick.
Getting ready had never been more than a twenty minute operation. But
now, there was eyebrows, and makeup, and...

Chapter 3

"Ow." Robb said, jerking his head back.

"Oh, don't be such a..g"

"If you say girl or sissy, I will beat you to death with that curling
iron.

He just didn't want to think about it. He was already looking forward
to scrubbing this crap off. It was like his dad's funeral. He had to
wear a suit and tie. From the moment he put it on, it had to come off.
It felt like wearing another person, not just their clothes. Now he was
wearing another person, and yet another person's clothes. Robb wondered
how much of Robb would survive by the time this was all over.

Oh, God. I must have like 60-65 years in this body. I'm. He saw a part
of his face in the mirror. I'm in here for good, aren't I? Robb slumped

"Hold still," Melanie said, moving the light. She moved back, studying
her work.

"There. You can look now." Robb looked at the clock.

Two hours?

Bobbie looked into the mirror. Where the brows were once flat and
uniform, they had been thinned, arched slightly. It drew even more
attention to her eyes. Making them seem more open. Her makeup had been
done, tastefully. Her reflection practically screamed 'GOOD GIRL
CHEERCOMING QUEEN'.

"Gimme an 'A'," Robb said sarcastically.

"Hmmm, cheerleader, we'll have to do that one. There, now that that's
done, I can get started. Robb, Could you set up the webcam?"

Robb looked puzzled. "Yeah." He said, cocking a sculpted eyebrow. He
ran his slender finger over the mouse pad, activating the camera. Robb
wondered what she was up to. She moved the laptop near the foot of the
bed . Melanie opened the top drawer of her nightstand and pulled out
her vibrator. She leaned forward and repositioned the screen, clicked
the mouse. Then, through the crotchless panties she was wearing,
Melanie reached down, into the velvet. Her fingers probing, caressing,
entering.

Robb looked a little shocked at first. It wasn't the first time he'd
seen this. But, it was the first time he'd seen recorded it. She was
putting on a show, moving and writhing. Alternating the position of the
vibrator, using it in various places, moaning and making faces, Melanie
proudly let her voice be heard. And when the orgasm built to a
crescendo, she turned and beckoned Bobbie over seductively. Melanie
pulled her into the frame and forced their lips together, turning into
a passionate kiss. After breaking contact, Melanie purred at the
camera. "We take PayPal. Information Below. We're waiting." Then she
waved, breaking the fourth wall.

Clicking off the webcam, Melanie turned to Robb. Still short of breath
and covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

"Fuck, I need to rinse off. I shall return." Bobbie looked down at his
vagina. In a small way he refused to think of it as his. Nearly every
step or unfamiliar touch was like touching a live wire. He was just
getting used to walking again. Bobbie went to the refrigerator, grabbed
two of the remaining cookies and poured herself a glass of milk.

Melanie came out in a robe, left untied at the front smoking a
cigarette. "Okay. Here's the big plan." She sat across from Robb at the
card table that doubled as their dining room.

"Yeah, I was curious." Robb said. It was never good when she was
secretive. It was also when she could be at her most devious. This
wouldn't be the first time she talked me into doing something stupid,
wouldn't even be the thousandth.

"Look at you." 'Bad' Melanie said. "You look like an angel. So lilly
white. "She pouted. "So, I'm gonna be the bad girl." She laughed. This
is gonna be great. I bet we have like a thousand bucks by the end of
the week. Do you know how much people pay to see this? And we can close
down, move, do it again. No one will really be able to tell us what to
do."

"We'll be free."

Robb wasn't feeling too sure about this, but there it was. Back to the
'one score to the next' thing. Granted, this was the best plan she had
ever come up with. But, that still didn't make it a good one. He bit
into the cookie, chasing it with milk. Melanie laughed. "Milk and
cookies? Oh, they're gonna eat this up. I'm grabbing a beer."

* ***********

Melanie found Bobbie's costume online the next day. They were going for
a 'sexy angel' thing, she had told him. They set up the website(If
anything Robb's geekiness was finally coming in handy for something) ,
linked the paypal to Robb's old bank account... and waited for some money
to roll in. Melanie was right, for once. "Never underestimate the power
of porn." She said. The money came in pretty fast. With the one video
alone, there were subscriptions coming in, and it had only been a day.
Melanie decided that the next show would be live, and also recorded.

The costume came the next day. Thanks, Amazon. Melanie insisted that
Robb try it on. Robb truly did look like an angel. Lace gloves, a snug,
one-piece garment clung to his body. There were stockings. Melanie
clipped the wings and halo onto his back

"Ready for your big debut?" Melanie said. Offering him one of the
Ecstasy pills she got from one of the many contacts. He took the pill,
swallowing it dry.

Bobbie looked himself(herself) in the mirror. Melanie had done his
makeup and hair. He did, truly look like an angel. The skin flawless,
the makeup perfect. He was either the picture of feminine grace...

Or Hugh Hefner's next wife. Bobbie thought. It had taken hours for them
to be ready. He'd never really thought about it. But so much went into
getting ready. Couldn't deny the result though. Robb lightly touched
the ends of his hair. Definitely sexy, he thought. The world gaining a
shine. Like that shine videogames use when they try to show you the
future. What made him think of that? His body began to feel the
pleasant tingle that was the mark of good ecstasy. The music came on.
The throbbing baseline of VNV Nation's Believe vibrating his skin...
Everywhere. The heat, the flush, the total surrender to the sound.
Melanie cut through the reverie of sensation. Her voice fading into the
beat.

"Ready? "{to believe in something?}

"Ready as I'll ever be." Robb said. Wondering how much more sensory
overload he could stand. The throbbing was everywhere. It was good, so
good, the tingling became...something in his groin. Robb hadn't 'used the
equipment' yet, so he didn't know what to expect. Melanie thought it
would make for a better show. Robb's nervousness was evident as Melanie
looked at the camera.

"Why choose Heaven or Hell, when you can have both?" And with that,
Melanie began kissing Bobbie's neck. He felt warmth spreading through
his cheeks. She pointed her toes, curling them downward. Warm moisture
began oozing from his vagina. He knew it was his, now it wouldn't feel
that way if it wasn't. The pleasure threatening to engulf him, he
grabbed Melanie by the back of her hair and dove toward her. Melanie
moved smoothly downward, trailing her tongue. The ecstasy and Melanie
drowning out the world, threatening to drown out all existence

Down. His chest was on fire as she flicked a nipple with her tongue,
sending shockwaves down his abdomen. Down. Uhhh. The electricity he
distinctly avoided swallowed him whole, fingers twitched, feet shook.
She swung Melanie around to repay her in kind. His face buried in her
crotch. The thrumming of the stereo adding a soundtrack and somehow
editing reality.

It wasn't like the sex he remembered. Not at all. It wasn't necessarily
bett...

UNHHHHH! Oh, yes it was!

UNHHHHH! Control: gone. He bucked and thrashed as he gave in to each
delectable sensation. It was too, too much, each second melting into a
glacial eternity of pleasure and joy, singularity, oneness with the
universe, falling into infinity, and drinking in infinity at the same
time. His whole body shook as wave after wave of pleasure. His tongue
probing Melanie's nether regions. He could feel the pressure build, and
build, and build and just when it built to a point of no return....

CLANG!! WAKE UP!! REMEMBER!! It was more than a sound, more than words.
It jarred him to the quanta of his being, sending every particle
humming with the same resonance, the music fell away, light fell away.

Coherent thought fell away...

"OOOOOOOOH!" Robb bit his bottom lip so hard copper blood mixed with
cherry lip gloss. He climaxed, feeling suddenly full of energy as it
passed through her into the universe. A warm glow emanated from her
midsection as every muscle in her body tensed, then relaxed. He felt...
hollow. And with that, the blow of a thousand hammers entered his mind.

Justice was there and not there. Like a movie he saw it all clearly for
the first time in a 'big picture way.' All of the mistakes he'd made.
He saw the hurt he had caused. He no longer saw Monet's dots, but
Monet's Path in a Forest.

And for what, for this? Dulled senses and hollow feelings? He realized
what Melanie was. What Robb's mother and sister had seen, yet he clung
to it just to drown in sensual pleasure. A pleasure that was eclipsing
him, lessening him.

CLANG!! And with that pure, clear sound, he remembered all of the
conversations he'd had with Justice. Lust, being the Advocate, giving
energy back. The orgasm subsided. His breathing rushed, his body limp
and useless. Tears began forming in his eyes. Something completely
misread by Melanie.

"It's okay," she said, reaching over to shut down the webcam. "It's
okay. I cried my first time, too. Huh, I took your virginity twice. We
got what we needed. Just relax. I'm gonna shower. This makeup is hell
to get off."

He felt... dirty. It was a new feeling. He didn't like it so much. He
thought as he drifted off to sleep. And he suddenly saw what was wrong.
He saw how Melanie had led him by the nose during their whole
relationship. His look, his life.

And all the things he lost. He was being given a rare gift. This second
chance. Wasting it with Melanie, like he had the last one...

No, not this time. And with that. Robb decided that Melanie was right
about one thing.

"Bobbie...' Robb breathed as he drifted off.

* ***********

CLANG!!

"Finally." Justice said. Sitting on the sofa. "I've been waiting for
this. Robb... well 'Bobbie' now." She smiled. " You are going to help me.
I know I haven't explained anything to you yet. I had to wait until I
could get your undivided attention. There are others like me. In fact
there's another one in your town. Nasty piece of work called 'Lust'."

"Lust?" Bobbie looked at Justice.

"You would call her a succubus, steals sexual energy. When she does
that, other energies go with it. You're going to help put it back. How
will become clear to you, you probably know already, inside. Now, this
isn't going to be like some action movie, with constant peril. You're
just going to live your life, and do the right thing. But know this.
There is no going back. Use that creative energy to constructive
purpose."

Bobbie's concerns melted away. Justice was right. Who was Robb now,
anyway? Professional Loser, Junkie: Expert Level? Pariah to his family?
Melanie didn't love him for him the way he did her. He had to put this
all behind him.

He had to change.

Had to be someone else. Someone he could be proud of.

Someone good. Bobbie could be that someone.

Justice saw the change in her resolve and smiled. She knew, she saw the
understanding in Bobbie's eyes. "Good, now go. Put some joy back in the
world. Be my Advocate."

Bobbie saw, truly saw.

He could fix it. And by it, he meant everything.

Bobbie quickly clasped Justice."Thank you. I never said that." Tears
coming, not tears of sadness or loss, but of happiness. Knowing the
holes he had to fill. Before he could build, he had to repair."Mission
accepted." Bobbie said, smiling. Really smiling.

"And I think I know just where to start. I'm going to do this right
this time. I promise."

Bobbie came to, sat up, grabbed some things, and got quietly dressed.
Grabbed his wallet and headed for the door.

Armed with the ATM card that had all of the webcam money(It was in his
name anyway, well Robb's. And it was partially his. He did the work,
after all.). Looking at the mirror, he saw Bobbie. There was a little
Robb still in there, his internet browsing habits unchanged. He wanted
more than anything... To start fresh. And the best place to start is the
beginning. This is gonna be okay. I'm gonna start over.

Robb knew what he needed to do. He got up, grabbed some jeans and a t-
shirt. Pulled on a jacket.

And left. Left to start his new life.

And to tie up all the problems from his old one