CHAPTER 34 - You may not always end up where you thought you were going, but you will always end up where you were meant to be.

Ellen, Beth, and Nancy stood watch over his bed in the hospital holding hands and staring down at the shattered body of Heather who looked like a mummy covered from head to toes in bandages. Derrick walked into the room and asked, "What happened? I heard Heather had been in a car accident."

Ellen sobbed, "Not exactly. He was shot three times while driving to the grocery store."

"Who would shoot your husband?"

"The police say it was a simple case of road rage. I’m not so sure! I have to think the cartels still have him on their hit list. When we get home, I will look for Fred’s number and ask what he thinks."

Derrick saw an opening to get to his one true love back and inquired hopefully, "Will he be alright?"

"The doctors say he will live, but there was a lot of damage. The hip bone was shattered ` and it will need to be replaced. One shot was in the chest it would have been fatal except it was stopped when it hit a rib. The worst damage is in his groin area. It shredded his genitals, he’ll never be the man he once was."

Derrick, a little disappointed, asked, "Was he also shot in the face? His head is all bandaged."

"No, he ducked to avoid the gunshots, the airbags went off when he hit the abutment and it fractured all fourteen bones in the face. They will have to be rebuilt."

When visiting hours were over, the ward nurse chased everyone out.

Once she was home, Ellen got a hold of Fred. He immediately had a 24-hour armed guard stationed at Heathers room.

A few days later Ellen, Beth, and Nancy were sitting around a table in the hospital cafeteria discussing what Ellen was going to do. Heather was in a medically induced coma until Heather's injuries could be addressed. The doctors were pressing Ellen for a decision.

Beth asked, "What are your options?"

Ellen's expression was bleak.

"George’s face was basically crushed. The surgeon told me they can rebuild it anyway I want. That is where my dilemma comes in. Heather never had what you could call a pretty face. George on the other hand had a cute face, certainly not handsome. Now I have the opportunity to make her gorgeous or him handsome what do I do?"

Nancy said, "I think that depends on whether its Heather or George that leaves the hospital."

Ellen looked up from here cup of steaming coffee. "I never thought about it like that. I loved George and through no fault of his own was forced to live as Heather. God help me I love Heather too. That is my dilemma, I like having Heather around better than George. Does that make me a bad person?"

Nancy piped in, "I think it makes you bisexual."

Beth added her two cents, "Ellen, does the fact Heather also acts as your maid, nanny, and concubine influence your opinion?"

"Damn you Beth, it is impossible to separate my need for a wife from my love for my husband. I would be lying if I didn’t admit it is nice having a help mate and not just a slug of a man hanging out at home."

Nancy added, "If Heather leaves the office it will be a big loss to not only the company but to all the gals working there. She has become a friend to us all. Why the young girls go to Heather for all kinds of advice. Last week, I walked in on a group gathered around Heather, giggling while they gossiped about Jill’s boyfriend problems. Heather has become the surrogate mother to a lot of the girls. She has a wisdom well beyond her years and can bring a unique perspective to a girl with boy problems."

Now it was Beth’s turn, "I can second that. I loved my brother, but Heather is more than a relative – she’s the sister I always wanted. As a sister we are bonded by more than blood. She is fun to be with and a real confidant. Something George never was. Heather understands me."

Ellen asked for quiet as the other two were trying to talk over each other, "We are all agreed George was a dull, if a lovable guy whereas Heather is an adventurous fun-loving friend. If Heather disappears, we will all miss her. I need to think about more than what I want. What does George want out of all this? He has made it abundantly clear he had hoped to be a man again. I have the chance to remove his tits and give him a manly face what I can’t do is return his male equipment to him.

"The question that remains is would being a man with the void between his legs make him happy. Or would he feel more like a freak. It seems to me his only form of sexual release would be through gay sex. I don’t think that is what he would want. On the other hand, the doctors tell me that there is enough of his penis remaining to have the nerve endings required to create a fully functioning vagina. If we go that way, he could have penetrating intercourse and achieve a satisfying climax."

Beth said, "Hold on, that implies he would want to have sex with a man just to have a climax. Ellen, you know more about his bedroom proclivities than I. Has he or Heather for that sake shown any tendencies toward man on man sex?"

"No, quite the contrary. Heather hated it when any man showed any interest in his feminine self."

Ellen collapsed and laid her head on the table. "I don’t know what to do. I only want to do what is best for my husband. It seems whatever I do will make him miserable."

The three-woman engaged in a group hug. Ellen wept, mumbling over and over, "No matter what I do he is going to be angry with me."

Nancy came up with the first rational comment. "Ellen, hasn’t George been seeing a therapist?"

"Why yes for several years."

"Perhaps we should ask him what to do."

"That is still a brilliant idea. I have her number in my phone. I’ll call her right now."

An hour later, Ellen rejoined her friends, "Let’s go ladies. I need to find the doctor. I know what I have to do. I can only pray George will forgive me if I am wrong."

The two couldn’t wait. Riding up in the elevator, they threatened Ellen with bodily harm if she didn’t spill the beans.

"Okay. His therapist broke all kinds of ethical rules by telling me what she and Heather had discussed. As we knew after Mexico, he was really pissed about being made to live like a woman. However, once he assumed the role of homemaker, wife and mother to Ariel, his position softened. A part of him was still unhappy because he felt he was an ugly woman. His self-esteem suffered like any normal homely woman’s does. Bottom line was if we were going to make George a woman, the doctor recommends we make it one she can be proud of being."

CHAPTER 35 – Domestic bliss.

George’s first surgery was sexual reassignment. When he woke, Ellen explained what she had planned for him. She waited with bated breath for his reaction. He said nothing for over an hour. Ellen spent the time pacing in the hall. He signaled for Ellen to come in and asked her to close the door. He told Ellen that she had made the right decision. His only request was if he was going to be woman, he wants to be attractive one. He wouldn’t complain if he came out as pretty.

Elated to know that she had not guessed wrong, Ellen ran with it, playing a modern-day version of doctor Frankenstein. Even with the doctors reining Ellen in somewhat, her wife still left the hospital with enough feminine assets to get a job at the girly bar, Twin Peaks.

He was way past pretty. And had a figure to die for. As a surprise, Ellen spent a small fortune restocking his closet with nothing but fashionable dresses and his lingerie drawers with racy unmentionables.

After all her surgeries, Heather came home to recuperate. She was delighted at her new physique. The ugly duckling had become the beautiful swan. Heather spent several days resting in their large King-sized bed. When she finally felt strong enough to get up, she went into the attached bathroom to shower. Upon returning, she headed to the dresser where all her lingerie was kept. There she found a kaleidoscope of intimates in every imaginable color and style all brand new and sized to fit her new dimensions. Heather sought out Ellen to thank her for the lovely presents and thanked her several times on the living room couch.

Six months later, her body was healed and had she gone through hours of therapy with a psychiatrist and physical therapy to heal her mind and to learn how to handle her new body. It took months, but Heather was now able to walk with just a slight limp, which meant to a disappointed Heather she had to wait on wearing her stilettos.

Seeing her wife fully recovered, Ellen brought up the idea that she would go find some stud to break in Heather's new equipment. It only took a nanosecond of thought for Heather to voice a very decisive NO. In bed that night, they found Ellen’s ‘girl’s best friend’ was all she would ever need to feel like a woman.

They settled in to a happy life. The goon who shot Heather was never caught. As a result, Ellen bought a custom-made minivan with bulletproof glass for her girls' protection.

@ @ @ @

Months later Heather rejoined Ellen carpooling. Heather stepped out of Ellen’s sports car. Wearing a very classy Gucci designer dress and low heels. With a new hip she walked with a just a trace of a limp. Her figure was now a mouthwatering perfect hourglass shape 38D, 24, 38. Her face was molded after Salma Hayek with just a hint of Gorge showing through.

He had never been happier. Ellen found herself feeling jealous of Heather's youthful looks. The first time the two went out for a night on the town, Heather was hit on more than Ellen. To make matters even more frustrating, Heather got carded at the door and Ellen did not.