The Swenson’s have a lot on their plate. They try to sort out how their lives will be affected by what has happened. They worry about how family and friends will react. They suffer a little separation anxiety. Annette gets to meet someone special.

A Whateley Fanfic

Fadeaway 2
by
Paula Dillon

After that fateful meeting in Dr. Gordon’s office, Gina McDonald code named Stop Light went home with Julia and her daughters. They talked as Julia drove. They agreed that, while they would miss having Annette around home with them, it might be best if Annette went to this Whateley Academy.

“Is there anyway that Annette can ever revert back to Jimmy?” Julia asked

“Annette’s form is consistent with her BIT or Body Image Template, for whatever reason her BIT was that of the girl you see. I won’t say it is impossible stranger things can happen, for instance you could win the next four power ball drawings. It’s that kind of odds Julia,” Gina said.

“So there is no cure?”

“What is there to cure? Is Tammy sick because she is a girl, of course not? Jimmy is Annette now I’m afraid there is probably no going back now. The sooner Annette absorbs all that entails the sooner she can get on with her life. In fact she is already doing so well, far ahead of the norm. I am surprised. Did you ever want to be a girl, Annette?”

“No Ma’am. I still would like to be a boy. I can’t explain why I am comfortable with the way I am. I don’t hate being a girl, I think Tammy looks great and it’s ok looking like her I guess.”

“Annette, I wished I looked half as good as you do now!”

“The only difference between what I look like and you look like is curves Tammy. Look at Mom I am sure you will develop just as much as she.”

“That is very insightful, Annette, and yes Tammy, she is more than likely right. It is possible though that Annette will always look better; I suspect that she is an exemplar. Exemplars exhibit exceptional physical, mental and appearance traits. That isn’t going to be a problem for you is it?”

“I am jealous of how nice she looks, but she is my sister now and I love her. Just don’t be stealing my boyfriends,” Tammy giggled, hugging Annette.

Gina told them, “I would like to extend an invitation to all of you, to spend some time at the Gulf Coast Champions Association’s headquarters. We really need to perform other tests. It will take about three days for the tests. We have some excellent accommodations. You guys can relax there, while we begin to get a handle on just how special Annette is.”

“When? Christmas is just around the corner. We would like to spend time with family,” Julia said.

“We can do it after Christmas, say the twenty seventh. It will give you time to relax, get some information from your family and get Annette use to being a girl. Mutations are often found in family groups. We would like to know if there have been other Mutants in the family. Why didn’t Tammy mutate? Are you a mutant Julia, I mean you really don’t look old enough to have two teenagers that are fourteen years old? There are a lot of questions we would like to answer.”

At home Gina was like one of those CSI types you see on TV. She looked about and tried to collect remnants of Jimmy’s DNA before his transformation. She took his toothbrush, hair brush, sheets from his bed and the shoes he had worn. She hunted for anything that might have a trace of the old Jimmy.

After she left Julia sat with her children in the living room. “It has been an interesting day. I am beginning to understand that ancient Chinese curse, ‘May you live in interesting times.’”

“Tell me about it Mom. I am living it. I am so scared; I don’t know what to do.”

“Well you certainly don’t show it. You know what we need to do next don’t you? We need to call your Grandparents, I don’t know if they will remember you or not. If they don’t, how do we explain you to them when they come here for Christmas?”

“Oh shit!” Annette said. “I hadn’t thought about that and what about our friends. Who knows and who doesn’t, if they do remember me will they accept Annette?”

“Annette I won’t have a daughter who talks like that, but yes you are right. Your true friends will accept what you have become; it may take some of them a while to come around. We will just have to see dear. Let’s just take one thing at a time though.”

The call to Grandma and Grandpa Erickson, while a shock, went as well as it could. They remembered Jimmy and Tammy and asked about how they were doing. Julia only knew one way to break it to them and just flat out told them what had happened. There was disbelief, crying, arguing and finally acceptance. They told Julia, that whatever Annette was, she was still family. They would come down on the 24th to see their grandchildren.

The talk with Grandma Swenson was a little different. Julia picked up quickly that she didn’t seem as surprised to hear about Jimmy.

“Ok Margaret spill it, I know you know more than you are saying.”

There was a silence on the phone for several seconds, “Well I don’t know for sure, you see. Magnus’s family didn’t talk too much about their heritage, but I delved into family records a bit. I wanted to know about our family genealogy. There was a boy on Magnus’ father’s side of the family, a Samuel Swenson I believe, that disappeared around age thirteen. He would have been an uncle to Magnus. Yet there was a woman that appeared around at family times some years later. They called her Aunt Inga Bruhn. I thought it might have been an honorary thing you know like sorority sisters or close friends of the family. I thought it odd though because she had the Swenson look about her. I haven’t seen her but twice since Magnus died twelve years ago. She’s a remarkable woman, Julia. She really doesn’t look her age. She must be eighty now but I bet she won’t look fifty. I think I might contact her. She left me her contact number the last time we met.”

“Please do, Margaret; I would be interested to find out if she were Magnus’ uncle. Well you are still coming down on the 24th aren’t you?”

“I wouldn’t miss seeing my granddaughters, Julia, I will be there. What are her sizes?”

“Well she would be a junior size 11 in dresses and blouses, a junior size 9 in pants, six and a half in shoes, a 36 C in bras and a size 5 in panties, if her figure has stabilized. Her growth has been rapid but she hasn’t expanded in the last few hours.”

“Well that sounds like full grown. I think Inga is only a little bigger than that. Let me go, I have a lot to do. If it is alright I may come down this Friday.”

“Of course we would love to have you. Bye we love you.”

“I love you and the kids too. Bye.”

“Well kids, you don’t have to worry about the Grands they all know you Annette.

“Yeah that is good, but what about our friends?” Tammy asked.

“We will go with the cover story that Annette is a distant cousin and Jimmy traded places with her, but that can wait. We will try to connect with some of your best friends later to see how that goes. Tonight and tomorrow we need some mother/daughters time. We need to shop tomorrow. Annette doesn’t have anything now besides my clothes.”

Julia and Tammy began teaching Annette about all things girl. They worked on how to eat, how to act, how to move as a girl and do all the things girls do without thinking. Julia was surprised to see Annette doing makeup. She had seen her new daughter expertly apply makeup in a video Tammy shot, but Annette struggled to get her eyes right. When she walked in her Moms heels she had difficulty but was slowly picking it up.

“Mom what am I going to wear for bed. Nothing I have fits and Tammy’s stuff won’t fit these,” Annette said, hefting her boobs.

“I guess, you can wear one of my nighties, they are a little sexier than I would like you wearing, but I guess they will have to do for now.”

Annette just blushed, she had never seen her mom wear her nighties, but she had seen them hanging in her bathroom.

“Can I wear one too?” Tammy excitedly asked.

“I guess so Tammy, I can’t treat you any differently than your sister now can I.”

Annette borrowed a nightie from Mom, and met in the living room to eat popcorn and watch girl type movies.

Hours after they went to sleep Annette got up and headed towards the bed rooms. Tammy woke and saw Annette, she whispered her name but she didn’t respond. She then woke her Mom and they followed her to Julia’s bed room. There she began to get dressed; Gone was the awkwardness of her earlier practice. After she dressed in a smart outfit she did her makeup flawlessly. She awoke after she had finished her makeup.

“Oh my,” Annette said as she looked in the mirror.

She was startled a bit when her Mom said, “Oh my yes. You dressed and put your makeup on just as nicely as I or any woman would Annette.”

“I was sleepwalking again wasn’t I?”

“Yes you were. Stand up let us look at you.”

“She looks good, Mom,” Tammy said.

“Yes she does,”

“Mom, why am I sleepwalking again?”

“It’s probably the stress that you are under dear. Don’t worry we will get you some help for that too.”

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

Annette thought, 'letting Tammy and Mom have their head in shopping might have been a mistake.' It wasn’t that she was averse to shopping and she had been shopping with her Mom and Sister before, but it was the feral look on the two women’s faces as they hit the racks that scared Annette.

Julia started them off at the Junior’s section: pants, tops, blouses and dresses. Annette was in shock, she thought Jimmy had a pretty eclectic selection of guy’s clothes. It was nothing like she saw now in the Junior’s section. Differences in fabrics, colors, textures, collars, sleeves, lengths, fits, linings, buttons, where it buttons, zippers, belts, broaches, scarves, layers and decorations be it print, bead, embroidery, appliqué, silk screened, jeweled and so on seemed almost overwhelming, yet part of her loved it. Annette was confused but tried keeping her game face on. She helped her Mon and sister pick at first but she was so overwhelmed with clothes the first time she hit the changing room she didn’t get out for two hours. As she sorted keepers from losers, after Tammy, Mom and she got their say, other clothes took their place.

At one point Annette sought refuge in the electronics department while her Mom was busy paying for everything. They had big screen TV’s and everything. She noticed that there had to be a video camera somewhere because she could see herself approaching the area. She looked at herself turning left and right and she could even see what she looked like behind.

She checked herself out on the TV’s. She kinda wished that she could hide herself from the camera. She was startled that her image actually disappeared from view. Annette jumped when she saw that. She looked down at herself worried that she just actually disappeared, but she could see herself and her reflection on glass. Looking back at the TV’s she saw it was just on the video she disappeared. “Appear damn it,” Annette said to herself. Her image slowly appeared back on the screens. Annette promised herself that that is one thing she would keep to herself.

All in all Annette wound up with seven bags of clothes and Julia was down nearly a thousand dollars.

Next came shoes. Annette couldn’t go in and just select shoes. She had to match shoes to outfits. There were heels; short, medium, high and really high (Mom didn’t buy any of these but she had fun watching her daughters try to walk in them) in every shape from blocky to spiky, flats, lounge, sports, slippers, sandals, and boots. Jimmy had just four pair of shoes, Annette came out with ten pairs and four purses at just over six hundred dollars.

Next Tammy and Annette got upgrades to their makeup, Lancá´me, Estee Lauder, Channel, and Dior. Then all three hauled in complete skin care products, Julia was getting into this deal too.

Annette was exhausted from all the shopping, but the most traumatic shopping was yet to come as Julia headed her daughters into a lingerie shop. Annette was professionally fitted for bras. The intimate contact of the sales lady lit up her cheeks. The sales lady just giggled and tried to comfort Annette.

The sales lady came up with either a 34D or a 36C whichever was more comfortable. She said in most bras the D cup would give her breasts better support, but she might find the band too tight on some.

“The most important property of a bra is the comfort. If it doesn’t feel good, it’s tight, pinches or is too loose don’t buy it. If there isn’t enough support your breasts well don’t buy it. If the shoulder straps can’t be adjusted to give comfort don’t buy it. A bra should feel good as well as look good. Always try your bras on before buying them young lady,” the sales lady admonished.

All of that was more information than Jimmy wanted to know about bras, but Annette knew that she would have to live by what she learned. She surprised herself, her Mom and her Sister, in the bras she chose. She choice some very pretty bras in silk, lace and satin (nothing too sexy or exotic though), some plain but cute T shirt bras along with several sensible bras that were fit for exercise and yard work. Then she got matching panties; bikinis, hipsters, thongs and briefs, slips, half slips, camisoles, pantyhose and nighties.

Tammy was fitted too and wound up buying about a half dozen bras in a 34B. In a way she was jealous of Annette’s figure, but she was glad she wasn’t a D cup. She thought Annette looked too big up top in a way.

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

At home Annette received a not so short lesson in the care of her things. Jimmy, while not a slob, had been a little haphazard with his clothes. Those were bundled away to be shipped to Goodwill. Annette learened she had to take care of her expensive clothes, especially her lingerie. She learned to hand wash rather than launder her skimpies.

Annette also turned Jimmy’s desk into a makeshift makeup table and took down some of Jimmy’s things to make her room appear a little more feminine. Into storage went her prized collection of baseball rookie cards, his autographed Killer B’s poster.

Tammy took some of the many things that made her room special to her and arranged them in Annette’s room, including a couple of her favorite porcelain dolls on stands she collected. This surprised Annette because she had been so protective of them and some of the dolls cost a couple of hundred dollars. Annette hugged Tammy and was surprised when Tammy held on tight and started crying on her shoulder.

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

Wednesday and Thursday were just as Annette feared. Tammy and Jimmy’s friends knew Tammy, but didn’t have a clue as to who Jimmy/Annette was. Annette was introduced as a cousin of Tammy’s. The girls readily accepted Annette but couldn’t remember her if they lost sight of her for more than a couple of seconds. One of their girlfriends, Brenda, absolutely fawned over Annette and was overly affectionate. That didn’t help Brenda’s memory though. Tammy gave her sister a knowing smile.

Tom came over and looked at Annette strangely. He didn’t know her and wasn’t attracted to her but there was something about her he just couldn’t put his finger on. Tom was as subject to forgetting Annette as all the rest of their friends.

After those early contacts Julia figured it was best that they avoid contact at least, till Annette got a handle on her power.

Annette sat by herself on the couch and began crying, “Mom, what am I going to do? Nobody seems to know me except family? Is it always going to be this way?”

“I don’t know dear, I would like to say that one day you will get this thing under control,” Julie said crying a bit herself.

“Am I going to be alone my whole life?”

“No you will always have us with you, for as long as you need dear.”

“And why am I crying so much, Jimmy never cried… or at least hardly cried.”

“That is easy, Annette. You probably cry so easily now, because of hormones dear. That is why girls can cry so much.”

Thursday afternoon Julia and the kids spent most of their time getting the house ready for guests. They cleaned the two guest rooms, did the laundry, dusted, vacuumed, and cleaned every inch of their home.

Julia could see that Annette was becoming more comfortable at being a girl and was quickly learning her girl 101 lessons. She was better at makeup than Tammy and could put together her clothes into smart appropriate outfits. Annette still had some of Jimmy’s quirks. Annette still read the sports page and comics in the local paper. She still liked her Xbox games. Julia was grateful for the things she saw that were still Jimmy. Those were the things that made Jimmy stand out.

Tammy also noted that Annette was different from Jimmy, but Annette seemed to still like many of the things Jimmy did.

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

Friday found a flurry of activity in the Swenson home. Everybody was busy getting dressed, and fixing one of Grandma Swenson’s favorite meals. The girls wore their best outfits and paid extra attention to their makeup. Julia inspected the twins and fixed any flaws she found in their appearance, but she took exquisite care of her looks too.

Tammy and Annette stationed themselves by the picture window after helping their Mom in the kitchen and setting the table. A few minutes after noon grandma’s car appeared. The kids hollered out to their mom as they hurried out the door to greet their Grandmother.

The kids swarmed the lady who stepped out of the car shouting, “Mammaw!”

“Ok kids, calm down. My haven’t the two of you grown. Tammy you are so adorable. Annette, you do look so grown up, and just as pretty as your sister,” Margaret said, inspecting and correctly identifying her grandkids. “You two are almost identical, I see.”

“Margaret, it is so good seeing you,” Julia said, coming out to greet her mother-in-law. “Kids, get grandma’s things out of her car and take them to her room.”

Margaret popped open the trunk and left the doors to the car unlocked. Tammy and Annette were stunned to see everything. There didn’t seem to be room for Grandma Swenson to have been in the car. Almost every square inch was filled with presents, packages and luggage. It took the two kids almost half an hour to empty the car, a full sized Buick Lucerne.

Margaret directed where everything went. Presents went under the tree, luggage in her room and packages went here or there. They had just about gotten everything sorted, when the rumble of a well tuned auto caught their attention. It came up the highway next to their subdivision and turned in. They were all standing outside as they saw a Corvette turn on their road. The car slowed and turned into the Swenson’s drive way parking next to the Buick. The Vette was painted in a metal flake orange/red and gold. Inside sat an incredibly gorgeous lady in her 40’s.

“Inga, it is so good to see you,” Margaret said, after the lady exited her car.

“Oh! It is so good to see you too, Margaret. You are still looking so good, dear.”

“Harrumph, I wished I looked half as good as you at my age. Inga this is my Daughter-in-law Julia, and her twins Tammy and Annette. Girls this is your great, great Aunt Inga Bruhn.”

Tammy and Annette gawked at Inga, except for her age she could have been their sister. On top of that her looks outshone everyone there, only Annette came close to her in that department.

Inga hugged the speechless kids and kissed their cheeks in the way Aunts have done for ages. As the adults greeted each other the kids turned and looked at the Vette. They thought the car was awesome.

“Oh my,” Annette said. “That’s not just a Vette that is a Calloway Sledgehammer.”

“A what?” Tammy asked.

“A Calloway Sledgehammer, Tammy,” Inga said. “I took it out to Bonneville last year and ran it up to an average of 262.58 mph on my two way run on the salt flats.”

“Tammy, Annette, get her bags out and into the other guest room,” Julia said.

“You don’t have too, Julia, I can stay at a local hotel.”

“Nonsense, Inga, you’re family. We would be honored to have you stay with us.”

Inga tossed Annette the keys to her Vette. “In that case, please do Annette. Be a dear, Tammy; don’t forget my sable, please,” She said in a playful manner.

Tammy was almost drooling like a cat on catnip, as she picked up the full length sable and rubbed the soft fur on her cheeks. Annette could hear her sister purring.

“Keep that up and you’ll turn into a catgirl, Sis,” Annette said giggling as she got two of Inga’s bags there just wasn’t much room for too many suitcases in Inga’s car.

“Oh hush Annette; I just never felt anything so incredibly soft before.” Tammy put on the fur and grabbed the other two cases and followed her sister in.

Inside Inga noticed Tammy wearing the sable coat. You know, Tammy, if you were ten years older I would let you have that coat, it looks good on you.

“Sorry, Aunt Inga, it was easier to carry your cases wearing the coat.”

“Don’t be sorry, Tammy, it’s ok for a girl your age to dream. I know I dream a lot when I wear that coat.”

Annette set another place at the table, while Julia and Tammy began bringing lunch. Julia broke out a bottle of wine and poured a half glass for Tammy and Annette and full portions for the adults.

The ladies sat around the table and had some pleasant conversation as they ate. The kids talked about school and their friends, Julia talked about her job, and Margaret talked about family happenings. Inga got to know Julia and the kids.

After lunch Inga insisted that she and Annette be allowed to clean up. Julia put on a pot of coffee, Tammy put some biscotti on a tray. Inga washed while Annette dried.

As everyone relaxed in the living room Inga began.

“I know you are probably dying to know about me so I will start since no one else here has the courage to.” Inga smiled and they laughed at her joke. They all were relived Inga had taken the monkey off their backs. “

"I was born Samuel Swenson to Rudolf and Helga Swenson. My father was a brother of Svenne Swenson Magnus’s father. I am, believe it or not, eighty three years old. I am what they now call a mutant; I didn’t know what to call it when it happened to me. Unfortunately my father knew what to call me and I can never forget his words and how they hurt. When I transformed I had it rough, my dad kicked me out of the family right in the middle of winter. I thought I was going to die. He thought I was demon possessed or something like that."

"Anyway Momma had some old family friends. Eberatt and Urika Bruhn took me in and raised me. I had to make my way from Sigtuna to Upsala Sweden that is near Stockholm Sweden, in the dead of winter through snow two to three feet deep in places, with only some provisions my mother gave me. At least Dad let me take my winter clothes. Still it was a harrowing journey. Eber and Urika were sweat people they were in their fifties and had never had any children. They were happy to take me in. They didn’t understand anything about my transformation, and they couldn’t fathom how Rudolf could just turn out his daughter like that."

"They took me in and named me Inga Bruhn, they told everyone I was their niece and that my parents had passed on. This was in I guess 1938. The war in Europe was beginning to ramp up. So Poppa Bruhn sold everything and got up all the money he could and we emigrated to the U. S. Years later I learned that the Swenson clan did too. It was a terrible time in Europe you see."

"Poppa found a good job in the defense industry. He had been what would be called here a 1st class Machinist, but he started out here in the states as an apprentice machinist. It didn’t take him long though, in 6 months he became a foreman. He worked hard for ten years till he died. Momma passed two years later."

"I didn’t keep up with the Swensons till Helga tracked me down. At least Momma still loved me. She said it nearly killed her when father threw me out. That was two years after Rudolf died. I met with the family off and on through out the years, I was just a friend of a friend from the homeland. There were too many bridges that had been burnt for me to come out to the family. We felt it was best this way."

"You are probably wondering about my appearance and not believing that I am an old as I say I am. A week or two after my transformation, I looked much like Annette. I aged normally till I was about twenty two. I didn’t notice it at first, but now I seem to age about one year for every three I live. That has been a real blessing and a curse. I had to learn to use makeup to make myself look a lot older, so I wouldn’t look out of place."

"I did very good in school here in the US. I found that I could learn anything at an amazing pace; I just had to put my mind into it. After high school I got a full scholarship to Dartmouth. I was one of four women who went there to study Business, in 1946. It was hard to get in because women back then were being pushed back into the home after the war. I graduated in the top five percent of my class. I knew I would never find a job in business but I was able to use what I learned to invest money."

"I took care of Momma Bruhn after Poppa died in 49. Momma was just a shell of a woman after that; she would have just given up if I wasn’t there. Don’t get me wrong we were happy together, but I could tell she really missed Poppa. I know she died of a broken heart. She only kept on going because of me, I think. After I got my MBA in 52 it was only a year and a half when she passed away."

"I have never married, but I came close a couple of times. I didn’t because I was afraid that I would out live everyone. This Sable had been given to me by a fiancé. Dave was a wonderful man. We were going to marry in 57, but he died a couple of months before the wedding. There were a couple of others, but I was afraid. I could tell by that time that I was aging very slowly. So I kind of gave up on love, I was going to live my life alone till Margaret called; I knew I couldn’t live alone then. I came here to help Annette in anyway that I can, and I have considerable resources now."

Tammy and Annette had snuggled up to Aunt Inga as she told her story. Inga covered herself and the kids with the sable. There wasn’t a dry eye in the living room. Julia had gotten up and passed a box of tissues as Inga had told her story.

When Inga finished, Margaret then began, “I have known Inga for 47 years, so I believe her story. I always suspected there was something special about her. Oh, you hid it well, Inga, but those few times I saw you I knew you weren’t aging anywhere near as fast as you should. This is actually the first time I have heard the true story of your past and it is more amazing than I imagined. The part about the transformation would have been hard to swallow except for Annette. I called Inga right after I spoke with you, Julia, I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, no I appreciate you doing that. I was going crazy with worry about what was going on. That you, Inga, have managed so well is a great relief to me and to my lovely daughters I imagine.” They all smiled and the twins giggled softly. “It is good to know that Annette might have a bright future after this.”

Margaret looked tired the long drive had taken a lot out of her, “I need a nap, six hours on the road can take a lot out of you.” She got up and headed to her room.

“Ok you have heard my story, now tell me Annette’s story.”

Annette, Tammy and Julia each told the story from their point of view. Inga was surprised to hear about the mutant school.

“It would have been nice,” she said, “if I could have gone to such a school. I was just stupefied by my mutation; there was no one around to help me. I remembered reading about some of these heroes; I just didn’t know that what I went through was the same thing that many of them had gone through.”

“So Annette, you sleep walk too?” Inga asked.

“You sleep walk too, Aunt Inga?” Annette asked. She smiled in an odd way when she heard Inga’s reply.

“Yes I do, let me tell you about it, but this has to stay between the four of us. Do I have your word on that?”

After everyone agreed Inga began,

“Well sleep walking is related to an ability I have. When I was young I think that my sleep walking helped me learn what I needed to do to fit in. You know girl things. After Poppa died, I was worried about how to keep me and Momma going, they had been frugal and saved but he had no pension and the savings wouldn’t have lasted long. One morning when I woke, I was dressed up with a newspaper in my hand open to the financial section.

“Apparently I had made some notes from the paper about certain stocks. When I checked my data I found that nothing matched up with what I saw. So I tracked the stocks. It was two weeks later that everything matched up. In the meantime I had had three more similar episodes. This time the data included the dates that for that data. I kept this up for two months till I was sure I was a hundred percent correct. I didn’t want to invest what money Poppa left us and loose every penny we had."

“When I finally started investing, I had pushed my vision about six months ahead. From my notes I saw a stock that was going to skyrocket. I invested twenty thousand on that stock and was sitting on pins and needles. The stock slowly started to rise and then the company announced they had landed a big government contract. The stock I had bought at twelve dollars a share jumped to forty, I sold. I set back the original twenty and began working with the balance. I started buying small shares in a lot of companies, through several brokers. I didn’t want to draw attention to what I was doing. I even bought small options in some losers.”

"Why, Aunt Inga?” Tammy wondered

“So no one would catch on that you were picking stock like you knew the future, right Aunt Inga,” Annette said.

“Exactly, Annette.”

Annette stuck her tongue out at Tammy and they giggled.

”I took out enough money for Me and Momma to live on and I reinvested the rest."

“Nowadays I can see about eighteen months into the future and I am still one hundred percent correct. I didn’t know at the time but from what I have read since that ability makes me a precognitive. The slow aging makes me a regen or regenerator. It is rumored there are a few regenerators that are all but immortal. If you are like me, and I think that you are, you are a very special girl, Annette.”

“I heard about mutants and powers on a TV show and in science class. A regen and a precog that makes you really special Aunt Inga,” Tammy pointed out.

“Getting back to my story, it didn’t take but a couple of years before money started rolling in. I wasn’t greedy I never bought a whole lot of stock in any one company. I am extremely diverse right now.”

“How often do you sleep walk?” Julia asked.

“Two or three times a week. At least I never have left the house. I set an alarm that sounds when I open the outside door without entering a code in the alarm panel.”

“Is it just stocks and financial stuff that you can see, or can you see other events happening, like to avoid bad stuff?” Tammy asked.

“I don’t know Tammy, I just never thought about it.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what are you worth, Aunt Inga?” Annette asked.

“Annette, it’s not polite to ask that kind of questions,” Julia said.

“That is ok, Julia, I don’t mind telling family. In fact it might help me with a problem. I am worth forty five million in stock and about another ten in cash, property, and other assets.”

“How can we knowing that help you Inga?” Julia asked.

“Well I am eighty three years old. I have pretty much stayed off anybody’s radar. How long do you imagine I can stay that way? I might live till I am a hundred sixty, maybe two hundred. Helping your family can help me. This way I don’t have to try and assume a new identity. I can just be myself. Julia, with my help you can assume and manage my stocks and keep me in the money I need. It will be work; I have a lot of different stock that I own. I will send you the information and you can make the deals. As time goes on, Tammy and later Annette can take over the responsibility. That way we will all be financially secure and no one will suspect about Annette and my real ages.”

“Let me think about it Inga. I don’t know a whole lot about investing, and I don’t know about taking money from you.”

“Julia, I have lived, a long lonely life. I was afraid that the people I know would grow old and I hate funerals. When I was kicked out by my father I missed being part of a family. The Bruhns were wonderful people but it was not the same being an only child to an older couple. You have two wonderful kids; I would like to be a part of their lives. I want to be a part of your life, Julia, please let me.”

“The Whateley Academy is an expensive school. I read a brochure Gina had given her. There are many scholarships that might be available, but still it would be a strain.” Julia said. “I will seriously consider it Inga. I can see how it would benefit the both of us.”

“Now tell me about this school, Julia.”

Julia handed Inga the packet of information that Gina had provided her.

Inga chuckled as she read.

“What so funny Inga,” Annette asked.

“I have a summer home in Providence, Rhode Island. I know the area pretty well Annette. Julia, you could sell or lease this home out and move to New Hampshire. There is a small city nearby, a Berlin, NH. You could buy a house there and visit Annette there regularly, to keep her and yourself from being so lonely. There are some major cities within a couple of hours drive from there. It’s really pretty country up Julia. Tammy could go to public or private schools up there. I guarantee she will get a better education In New Hampshire or Rhode Island. At the least you will be seventeen hundred miles closer to Annette if you stayed in Providence.” Inga knew just how to play the heart strings and damn it she liked this family. Inga was tired of being alone and she really did want to see them succeed.

“Inga you really know how to play hardball.”

“As a woman in a man’s world you learn pretty quickly, Julia. You can even take care of your Mother and Father on what I will pay you, when they get to the point where they need help. Also I want us to watch for other Swenson boys who change. I know now that I wasn’t the first Mutant and I don’t think Annette will be the last. Rudolf was an ass, excuse the French and he isn’t the only one.”

“Does it only happen to boys in our family?”

“As far as I know, yes, I haven’t found any girls that were affected, but maybe girls don’t change sexes if they mutated. Regardless, if they are out there, we need someone to be there for them too.” She winked at Tammy; Inga didn’t want the girl to feel left out.

“Ok I give up. You sold me.”

Inga smiled and hugged the kids, “Oh it is going to be so much fun having a real family again.”

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

Annette woke up in the middle of the night thirsty, so she headed down stairs to the kitchen. Aunt Inga was there making some hot chocolate, two mugs sat on the table, “Hi sweetie couldn’t sleep?”

“I was thirsty.”

“Want a cup of hot chocolate?”

“Yes, ma’am that would be nice.”

Inga poured two cups of hot chocolate and said, “Let’s drink this in the living room. Do you want to talk?”

Annette took her cup and nodded. She followed Inga into the living room and sat on sofa next to her.

“Why did this happen to me? I was happy as a boy.”

“I don’t know Annette. Why did it happen to any of us? It’s just the luck of the draw. I’ve researched this a great deal and becoming a mutant is a rare and special thing dear, at most one in a few hundred thousand people. In a way that make us special. It might help you to feel better about what happened by thinking of it in that way. I have to say you appear to be a normal girl to me, Annette. I am impressed how well you are taking the change.”

“Mom and sis think I am taking this well. To tell the truth I am doing better than I thought I would, but inside I am more scared than I have ever been.”

“I was scared too; on top of that I was kicked out of the home I grew up in. I had to travel thirty miles on foot in the dead of winter. I was afraid I wasn’t going to make it but I did. You are stronger than you think Annette; I can see it in your eyes. Yes it will be hard, but I have faith in you. I know it won’t be easy, you have to be strong for your family and yourself.”

“If you could would you change back?”

Inga laughed when Annette asked that question, “When I first changed, I would have been more than happy to go back to being a boy. That only lasted a year or so. Now though I wouldn’t change back for all the gold in Fort Knox. I like being a lady!”

Inga smiled wistfully. Annette giggled in response, guessing why Aunt Inga liked being a lady. Jimmy had been at the stage where boys started *noticing* girls. She knew that now she would be the one being noticed and a part of her, a growing part, was happy and scared.

“I took a long time for me to adjust, the Bruhns, God bless them, helped me so much. You are a lucky girl,” Inga said, emphasizing ‘lucky girl’. “You already have a loving family and that is on top of people that want to help you. Just be careful who you let help you, there are some unscrupulous people out there.”

“Do you hate your real father?”

“I don’t hate him anymore. It took me a long time to get over it. I still feel bad about what happened at times. I loved him as a father; I couldn’t understand why he forced me out of the house. I know more now, it was how he was raised. It was too much for him to accept. I wish we could have reconciled or at least spoken to him again but that never happened. I won’t say I love him now, but I let go of the hate.”

“How am I ever going to do this, I don’t know anything about being a girl or a mutant?” Annette cried as she snuggled up to Inga?

“You are going to be smashing as a girl. Your strength and determination are going to carry you through. We are more than enough to succeed dear.”

“You mean that? I mean about the ‘We’ part”

“I can’t let my favorite niece down now can I. I really meant what I said about helping you succeed.”

Annette fell asleep in Inga’s warm embrace. She really hoped what she said rang true.

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

Breakfast was interesting. The five ladies discussed what they would do that day.

“Let me ask you a question,” Inga addressed Julia. “Do you intend to send Annette to this Whateley Academy?”

“Yes I do. I realized that she needs to get this mind thing under control or she’ll never have any friends but family. From what Gina the young mutant who evaluated Annette said, Whateley is the school best equipped to help her adapt to her change and to train her to control her powers.”

“Ok we have that settled. Now what about moving nearer to New Hampshire?”

“My daughter needs to be able to reach us. If it wasn’t for the problem of her being forgotten I might not move. As it is she will need to be close enough to reach out to us. For her sake I think it best.”

“Good I agree. if that is your intent we need to go shopping.”

“Why do I need more clothes I already have a whole new wardrobe?” Annette stated flatly.

“How cold is it outside here Annette?”

“I don’t know forty maybe forty five degrees.”

“It’s a balmy ten degrees in Concord, NH right now and it hasn’t really gotten cold yet. Do you think your clothes would keep you warm there? We won’t really go overboard here; they don’t really have a lot of cold weather clothes here in south Texas. You will need enough so you don’t freeze to death getting off the plane. You’ll need three or four changes of clothes. We can buy the rest when we get there.”

“Damn I thought it was cold when it got down to the low twenties here last year.”

“Annette, watch your tongue young lady,” Julia admonished her daughter. “We will all need some additional wardrobe.” Julia paled as she began to calculate how much that would cost.

Inga knew what put the furrow in Julia’s brow. “Don’t worry about the cost Julia we aren’t going to dress them in sable and Versace. Consider this an advance.”

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

Annette thought shopping had been scary with her Mom and Tammy. She found out they were rookies compared to Grandma and Inga. Delta force had nothing that could compare to those two women.

Annette, Julia and Tammy learned about layering clothes for warmth and that warmth was a relative term.

“If clothes are warm they were probably too warm. It is better to be a little cool, than to sweat in your clothes, during the winter,” Inga said.

They each got a large set of luggage, so they could travel. There was almost no room in the Caravan for anything else.

Julia was graced with two laptops on top of everything. One was to use online and the other was forbidden from being online. Together with all the software that Inga wanted installed on them the bill was over twelve grand. Inga ordered a laser printer, scanner and other essentials to be delivered to Julia’s home.

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

Things were a little tense on Christmas Eve as the Erikssons arrived. Julia’s mother Britta and father Bjá¶rn didn’t quite know how to react to Annette. Inga kept back and tried not to stir the pot too much. To Annette’s credit she really turned on her charm, taking a page out of Tammy’s play book. Tammy winked at Annette as she put on her best puppy dog face and hugged her Grandpa and Grandma. It was her Grandpa who cracked first. The tears in Annette’s eyes then melted the heart of Bjá¶rn.

They had a long family conference. Annette told her story, leaving out the parts that could be construed unseemly, to the Erikssons. She didn’t say anything about the mutant school, about Stop Light and being tested. Then Julia filled in what she knew and learned from the doctor. She followed Annette’s lead, her mom and dad had already had a shock to their system, they didn’t need anymore. When they asked about how Annette was going to be able to go to school, Julia told them the plan she had. The Grandparents listened as Julia laid out the idea.

“Mom, Dad, I hope you understand that it is best for Annette, if we moved. She would have a hard time going to school here. We found a school that will accept Annette as she is and help her in many ways. Unfortunately that school is in New Hampshire.”

Grandma Eriksson cried a bit, she really would miss her daughter and grandkids.

“You can come up to my place in Providence Britta, the grandkids could meet all of you there,” Inga added.

With the Eriksson Grands, Grandma Swenson and Inga there Annette slept with Tammy. Tammy was happy to share as little kids they had slept often together, but that had stopped eight years earlier. Tammy was dreading going to school without her brother/sister there with her. She relished the warmth her sister provided her as she spooned with Annette.

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

Christmas, Annette woke Tammy up early and together they headed downstairs to the kitchen. They decided to surprise everyone by having breakfast ready for everyone. They planed on having OJ, biscuits, sausage, gravy, eggs, and pancakes. They sorted out the jobs and got to work.

Inga was down next and started a large pot of coffee and then she began setting the table. Julia was surprised to find breakfast almost ready and poured herself a cup of coffee. The rest of the family was drawn to the kitchen by the wonderful odors wafting up from the kitchen.

Julia smiled as she saw all her family sitting around the table and wondered if this would ever happen again. The food was surprisingly good, considering that the kids had fixed it. The mood at the table was joyous and pleasant.

The kids had fun opening presents. Annette was overwhelmed by all the clothes she had gotten. “Dang it I have more lingerie now than Jimmy had clothes and underwear,” Annette said.

Grandma Swenson had bought Annette a black lace thingy that had four straps hanging down. For the life of her she couldn’t figure out what it was, till her sister whispered in her ear. That caused Annette’s face to glow like a Christmas tree and everybody else to giggle and laugh.

“No Fair! Tammy, you have to say it out loud,” Inga said.
Annette was beat red as Tammy said. “It’s a garter belt to hold fancy stockings, Annette. So you can look sexy for some guy.”

Tammy and Annette also received iPods, iTune cards, games, books and jewelry. The kids then passed out the presents to their Mom and Grandparents.

Mom and the Grandmas retired to the kitchen to fix their Christmas dinner, while Tammy and Annette cleaned up the mess in the living room, while Bjá¶rn and Inga watched TV.

At lunch Grandma Eriksson wanted to know more about the change.

“I don’t know much. I guess it started on the twelfth, our birthday. I started to get a bit sick that day. From Wednesday through Sunday I was feverish at night. Not a high fever but enough to cause some discomfort. I also had a sour stomach and mild cramping on those days. Saturday night I woke up feeling different. Most of the changes had started to be apparent by then. By Monday I was completely a female,” Annette explained.

“Completely female you say?” Grandpa asked.

“Yes, Mom’s doctor did an ultra-sound and checked my lower tummy and stuff.”

“You mean you’re going to have periods and be able to get pregnant?” Grandma asked.

Annette looked terrified at the thought of being pregnant, “I don’t know? I am still having some tests done. Thursday through Sunday I am suppose to be staying at a clinic,” Annette didn’t think they needed to know what kind of tests.

“Is there anything that they can do to change you back?”

“That is what some of the tests are about, but they don’t think so. Grandma, I really want to be a boy, I didn’t ask for this change, but living as a girl is better than not living. That is why we are moving to New Hampshire. I would never be accepted as a girl in my old school and this new school will be able to help me.”

Britta was visibly shaken by what Annette implied; she hadn’t taken the time to think that through. She desperately wanted her grandson back, but she was unwilling to see Annette die over this.

“Yes Annette, you’re right, living is better than dieing. While I would love to see Jimmy again, you are a precious life Annette. Don’t waste that life, please,” she said shedding tears from her eyes. “I am surprised though you seem so natural, for so short a time.”

“I guess a part of that is due to my change. The first time I dressed as a girl, I really didn’t need that much help. Inside I was screaming that I want to be Jimmy, but I seemed to know the basics about of being Annette.”

“Well you are a lovely young lady,” Britta said. “We’ll love you no matter what.”

The Erikssons had to leave the next day; everyone shared tearful goodbyes and hugs as they got into their car. Grandma Margaret could only stay for a few more hours. Inga planned to stay till they were ready to leave for New Hampshire.

Inga and Julia got together and started working on their computers. Inga transferred files from her laptop to Julia’s. They then went over their encryption routines, how she wanted the data handled and how they would communicate, when they were apart. Inga showed Julia how to send and receive encrypted emails, how to import the data received into her Excel spreadsheets and how to run comparisons on that data.

“I was never as aggressive as I could have been in investing my money, but if we are going to do research and possibly help other Swenson’s, we will need to be a little more aggressive.”

“That should be easy; you know what the results are before they come out.”

“The SEC keeps up with anyone making too much money too fast in the stock market. I try to avoid the appearance of trading using inside information. I don’t always buy stocks at their lowest and I generally sell before they peak out. Lately I have been letting the stocks sit in companies I know will be earners. I am very diversified, I always make sure to make some bad choices and I avoid buying too many stocks that skyrocket, especially if they skyrocket and then plummet. I also extensively research stocks before I buy or sell them. So it will look like I did my homework, because in fact I did my homework. Research is where I can use the most help. I have a lot of stuff to teach you Julia.”

Tammy and Annette got together working on girl things. They did each others makeup and had a fashion show with their new clothes. Logged on to some fashion sites some teen chat rooms, and hit the iTune site to download their favorite music to their new iPods.

At bedtime Tammy wanted Annette to sleep with her in her room. She was afraid it would be a long time before they could be this close again what with her sister going off to that school. They were always close but it took the fear of separation for Tammy to realize how much she had depended on Jimmy and now Annette. They fell asleep in each others arms and Tammy’s fears eased for a while.

(to be continued)